What do you REALLY tell yourself all day long about who you are?

I came across this blog today (Thanks pinterest, another hour of my life gone).  But it is something that I am starting to become aware of myself.  I want to lose weight.  I KNOW what to do.  How many of us don't know WHAT we need to do to lose weight?!  SEriously!  At this point I could write my own stinking book.  I just wouldn't sell because I'd have to put a picture of myself with my bootyliciousness on the cover and no one would take me seriously.  Watch the video, and then let's discuss after.

http://www.yourjoyologist.com/2011/01/31/i-make-sh-up/

Okay, did you watch it?

Here is something I am in the process of learning.  I TOTALLY MAKE STUFF UP ABOUT MYSELF ALL DAY LONG!  And when it comes to losing weight, this is a big part of why nothing is coming off.  I KNOW what to do.  We ALL KNOW what to do.  Eat more fruits and veggies, avoid processed ANYTHING, and exercise more.  It's that simple. Calories in need to be less than calories going OUT.  This is basically 1st grade math here.  No rocket science.  And yet what percentage of Americans are trying to lose the same 10 pounds they were trying to lose 1 year ago?

Here is what I do:  1.  I am going to lose ten pounds.  I am going to do this by eating better, exercising more, and avoiding processed carbs and sugars.  AWESOME PLAN!!!
                              2.  I am hungry.  Then a story begins to play in my mind that goes something like this, "I am so FAT!  I am so LAZY!  I don't WANT to eat an apple.  I want to eat oreo cookies, and ice cream, and a big spoon of peanut butter!  I HATE eating vegetables.  I HATE eating well.  I STINK at this!  I SUCK!   I didn't even lose any weight this week.  What is my problem!  I can't do this.  I'm just not meant to lose weight.  I just need to start realizing that I'm going to be this size for the rest of my life. This is who I am.  I have always been like this, and I will always be like this.  I can't change.  I've tried and I've tried and I've tried and I've tried, and I've failed more than I've tried.  Look at freaking Oprah Winfrey!  SHE can't lose weight and keep it off.  If SHE can't do it, why in the world do I think I can do it?  It doesn't even make any sense!  Why am I wasting my time on this."  Then I enter a fit of depression and sadness.  I'm moody and mean for the rest of the day, and to top it all off, I go ahead and eat twice as much as I was supposed to, just to medicate the feelings of loathing that I have for myself.

THIS IS WHY WE FAIL!  There is absolutely no emotional connection to Number 1.  There is a WHOLE lot of emotional connected to number two.  And THAT is what we listen to.  Our brain does what we tell it to do.  Sure, we told it to lose weight, and then we told it that we always fail.  So guess what we do, we try and then we fail.  Just like we told our brain to do!  And then we get mad.  We wonder what is wrong with  us.

Well, what if we could use this same information to succeed?  I'm really truly starting to believe that you can.  I am working very hard to establish my goals in number 1, and replacing number 2 with a more positive dialogue, such as, "My friend Dianne ( who runs the wellness challenge) has lost nearly 40 pounds, had a baby, and kept OFF the weight.  It's been a few years now, and she still hasn't fallen back into bad eating habits.  This is possible.  Another friend from facebook who has been overweight all her life did the same thing 3 years back through weight-watchers.  She lost over 50 pounds, had a baby, and has kept the weight off.  Glen's Aunt who is over 70 years old and had been morbidly obese her ENTIRE LIFE and did every weight loss plan known to man joined weight watchers 3 years ago and lost 150 pounds and has kept it off.  I CAN do this.   I know what to do.  This is possible.  People do it all the time.  Not only is it possible for them, but it is possible for ME too.  I CAN do this!  I am capable of the same things.  My body is a gift, and I'm going to start treating it that way.  I am going to strengthen it, and feed it nutritious and healthy things.  And it in turn is going to help me accomplish what I want to in this life.  I CAN do this."

Like I said, I could write a book, but it just wouldn't sell, because I am still over-weight.  But the scale is starting to budge.  My pants are STARTING to feel more comfortable again.  Granted they're 2 sizes bigger than I want them to be.  But it's better than it was a month ago, when my pants that were 2 sizes bigger than I wanted them to be were too tight to wear and I really should have been wearing a size bigger.

But this IS possible.  It IS doable.  It is elementary school math.  And we can ALL do this.  But only if we start telling our brains that we can.  Start making up positive stuff for your brain to follow.  Write your own story, in your own words.  What would your best-selling memoir say about you?  Why would people want to hear about your success?  Start telling THAT story to your brain, because it will follow.