If someone were to ask about one thing that changes it all when it comes to weight management, it would be ‘mindset’. Mindset is the key secret sauce that actually brings your goals closer to reality.
What are the words you choose when you describe yourself or your life? Do you call yourself lazy, or not motivated enough, can’t lose weight? I would like you really think about what words you use to describe yourself.
Any change starts with optimizing your words. Your words are a window to what you believe about yourself and world around you. The cool thing about words is they not only reflect your beliefs, they also help shape your beliefs. And your beliefs about yourself shape your actions. In the end, the words you use when you talk about yourself end up becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. Whatever you believe about yourself, you would find evidence to prove yourself correct. If you tell yourself that you are too busy to exercise, your brain then decides that it is too busy to exercise or eat healthy or log your food. ‘Too busy’ then becomes your truth!
When you use words like ‘ too tired’ or in ‘survival mode’, you will find a way to prove yourself right. The point is not to deny your experience, but to acknowledge and help ‘own’ the experience. Once you take ownership of the experience, you would be able to see what kind of results your beliefs about yourself are producing in your life.
The two most disempowering and self -limiting phrases that you could use for yourself would be ‘I can’t’ and ‘I shouldn’t’. Both these phrases take away your own agency from your life. These phrases help your mind talk you out of things that you are actually capable of achieving and doing. Many times, these beliefs come with tremendous guilt or shame. The decisions you make from a negative place of shame of guilt CANNOT bring a lasting, genuine change in your behavior. So, how do you talk to yourself about yourself?
Instead, using ‘I choose to’ would help you get out of your own way and make things you thought were impossible, possible. I choose to ‘not eat that cookie’, I choose to ‘wake up at 5.30 am every morning to exercise’; is much more effective way to bring a change in your behavior instead of “I can’t exercise’, ‘I shouldn’t eat that cookie’. It feels so much better to chase a positive thing than avoid a negative change. Doing things out of your choice helps to take charge of your life in your hands and foster self-efficacy, where you actually believe that you could change and do more of the right things. Using ‘I choose’ helps your actions align with your core values and things that are actually important to you, free of anyone else’s expectations or obligations.
Hardest thing you would do to change your life is – following through on things you said you would do and feel all the unpleasant feelings that come with that! Remember, you always have a choice. Framing your decisions as ‘I choose’ fosters personal responsibility and autonomy. Take your authority back from whatever external or internal limitations- real or imagined, you have given it to.
In the end, it always comes back to your thoughts and mindset! Choose words for yourself that reinforce your own self-efficacy and control and see the magic happening!
Remember, what comes out of your mouth, comes in your life!
When you work with us, we help foster your self-efficacy and come with real life solutions for effective lasting behavior changes! I am so excited to help you on this journey that you have embarked on to gain health!!