Lets talk weight loss, it's the most unmanaged aspect of so many
peoples lives. Aesthetics aside, lets talk health. In my experience,
this is never the priority in a persons life. We all KNOW how to be
healthy (eat out in moderation, fill your plate with mostly fruits of
vegetables, eat lean meats, work out for a minimum of 30 minutes a day,
shop on the perimeter of the grocery store etc.) yet it is not executed.
Even though the how-to's of weight loss our outlined for us, we fail to
follow through.
This
is where my passion lays: the psychology behind weight loss. Success,
according to Tony Robbins, is 20% mechanics (the how-to's) and 80% the
mechanics. We all know how to go about accomplishing goals, what ever
they may be, but executing them is where we fail.
Another
roadblock I have found is that we live in a world of comfort, if it
isn't easy, we are not doing it. In reverse, if it is easy, we will
spend endless dollars for the ease of a new diet program. Heaven forbid
we do the work or put in the time. As a society, we don't even like to
think for ourselves. We want answers instantaneously and if they are not
provided, we move on. However, what happened to blood, sweat, and
tears? What happened to leadership and making a difference for yourself
on your terms? Lets chat about the MIND SET of success.
Why are
you unhappy with your body? Chances are it is because your IDEA of the
body you want for yourself isn't matching with the body you SEE in the
mirror. Your perception and your reality are not aligning. When your
idea of what you want does not match what you actually have, we become
unhappy. This is true in all ares of life, not just weight loss goals.
If this is you, you have two choices. Make a change in the idea of a
perfect body, or make a change in the body itself.
I really love
long torso's, and I was constantly unhappy with my body because I don't
have a long torso. Because this is something I could not change, I had
to change my idea of what a good looking stomach looked like. I believe
that surrounding yourself images or mentors who already have what you
want or have is a great way to set yourself up for success. So instead
of idolizing the stomachs of Victoria Secret models, I would search
women like Beyonce. She is still sexy as hell, but in her own way. She
rocks a toned, shorter stomach, and the woman is sexy. I appreciate and
relate to that, and in turn, chose to emulate her vs. a Victoria Secret
model. This is an example of changing the idea instead of the body.
My
arms are not what I want. I see strong arms like Cameron Diaz and I
love them. I love the look on toned arms, muscle throughout the chest,
and a strong posture. Do I possess this naturally? Nope, and I am sure
Cameron does not either. But I CAN change my body to match my idea.
When I imagine myself with the strong posture and structure that I want to attain, I have a few questions to ask myself:
How will this goal effect my life?
What will accomplishing this goal do for my happiness?
What emotions will follow the success of this goal?
I am getting you to question the outcome of your goal to stimulate
how you would feel if you accomplished them. How will the result effect
your life?
Now if your answers aren't that inspiring, chances of
accomplishing this goal is not likely. You need the PASSION for the
MOTIVATION to keep you on track during the hard times. If you ask
yourself these questions and it turns out that you are not inspired by
the outcome, THAT IS OKAY! Your goal may stem from the wrong place. For
example, if your best friend is passionate about yoga and is trying to
get you to go, you may not stick to the schedule because it's HER
passion, not YOURS. If you don't innately care, you won't stay motivated
when your challenged to get dressed, get out the door, and get into the
yoga studio.
Inspiration is what will keep you on track. How do
you feel inspired for your goals as real life rolls in? Easy, by putting
yourself in a optimal mental state. How did it feel asking yourself the
questions about how the result's would effect on your life? Did it
inspire you? Spark you? In these moments of being "high" as I call it, I
believe you can accomplish any goal. When I think of those toned arms
and how much I want them, I am experiencing an inspirational "high."
There is no way you could make me eat a cheeseburger on that high, my
focus for my goal is too sharp. The satisfaction that I will feel
accomplishing my goal outweighs any satisfaction a cheeseburger could
provide. I become a bulldozer for success, get out of my way because I
have things to accomplish.
Have you ever had a conversation with a
friend or a mentor, that leaves you feeling so inspired? This is
essentially what you are doing, but learning to do it on your own.
Throughout
the day as this "high" diminishes, you need to get another "hit."
Refocus your thoughts by putting yourself back in that state, get "high"
again. Getting "high" in the morning is great, but focusing yourself
throughout the day is what creates the success habits. You may have a
habit of hitting a drive through for lunch. But with this focus
stimulating you throughout the day, that habit will change effortlessly.
You will CHOSE to make better eating decisions based on your "high" or,
your goals potential outcome. Usually, we make decisions based on
convenience,which is not a good decision maker when you are trying to lose
weight. Your habit will change because you want to sustain that high,
and own it as a reality, not just a thought. I truly believe you will
make better habits when you have better intentions for yourself.
That
focus is what gives you success, and the focus is fuelled by your state
of mind. Who ever would have thought that getting "high" would bring you
so much success?
This
mental state and focus is what will keep you from eating chips. It is
what will push you to not only go to the gym, but rock out at the gym.
Furthermore, I believe that focusing on possibilities brings an instant
smile to your face. Knowing that you can change and knowing how to
change brings its own euphoria, even without the tangible success.
My
passion for weight loss really stems from the psychology behind it
because weight loss is really so simple: calories in vs. calories out.
Yet it is a multi-million dollar industry because of the failure we all
experience. This, I believe, is because people don't have mental control
over their goals, even though they know how to accomplish them.
Furthermore, apply this theory to any of your goals and realize the
success you can have. Human potential is unbelievable, so lets tap into
it.
Lets review the steps to accomplishing your goals from a psychological point of view:
Define
you goal: ensure that your goal is so specific. Like the example I
gave, I don't like my arms. I could have said "I want to lose weight"
but for success you need to be specific: "I want to tone up my upper
body so that I have strong muscle definition and fantastic posture. I
want to accomplish this by April 1st."
Focus: Why do you want this
goal? How would it effect your life if you accomplished this goal? Why
would it make you better/happier? How would accomplishing this goal
effect your relationships/work/social life? How will the outcome better
your quality of life?
Get so focused on this. Imagine it, feel it.
Envision yourself on a beach with the sexiest body you could own,
envision how you would look in pictures or how you would look it that
sexy dress you love. Feel it.
At this point I hope you feel "high." If you don't, perhaps this
goal is not all that important to you. In this case, you need to change
your IDEA, not your body. I hope you are inspired by the "could be's,"
now lets keep you high all day!
Keep Motivated: Start every
morning with this focus, get "high." But to keep this "high" up, you
need to frequently take hits throughout the day. Take moments, at your
desk, between classes, as you drive to or from work, before lunch,
before the gym, to regain focus. I call this taking "hits." This
motivation keeps your vision tunnelled towards your goal. This
motivation acts as momentum for your focus, to keep you focused all day.
I
hope you enjoyed this, I feel inspired by possibilities just writing
it. I would love from you. Furthermore, I would love to hear about your
weight loss struggles. I am always passionate about the why's of weight
loss and the blocks we hit in trying to succeed. If you are willing to
share your story with me, I would love to provide any insight I have!
Don't be a stranger.
By
Alexandra J Henderson
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