How to Get Weight-Loss Ready…Mentally!

30 April 2015

Something often and so easily overlooked when trying to lose weight is our general mental state – our psyche – the space in which we collect infinite thoughts, concepts and memories. Our minds are exceptionally powerful tools through which we can achieve incredible things, but also through which we can do ourselves much damage. For many people, the mind is simply a home for thoughts – good, bad, silly, ugly, happy, negative, positive, you name it! These thoughts are given free rein to enter and remain in this space for as long as they like. What many of us do not realise, are the implications that hosting such thoughts enable.

Although there exist more in-depth scientific explanations for our thoughts, simply put, thoughts are energy. They contain mass, and therefore exert some kind of force on the world around us. Thoughts do not simply just pass through our minds; they create measurable force within us and around us; they therefore have the power to impact our emotions, and our general state of being (positive or negative) which in turn attracts positive or negative energy from our surroundings.

Have you ever had a happy memory or thought of someone you haven’t seen in ages - And suddenly, two hours later, you bump into them at the mall, or at the garage? Not just coincidence I can assure you! What about when you have what so many women know as a “fat day”? – where you just feel fat. Out of nowhere suddenly, no matter what you put on to wear or what mirror you look into – you just feel huge! Im pretty sure we all have those days right?

What you may not realise, is that preceding this “fat” feeling was an influx of negative thoughts about yourself that lodged themselves deep into your mind - breeding more and more negative thoughts that impacted your emotions, affected your perception and ultimately caused you feel fat. It may sound far-fetched, but believe me its completely legit!

Enter the importance of the mind for weight-loss. So often I hear stories of women desperately trying to ditch those excess pounds – making sure to do everything right! Clean eating, lots of exercise, – you name it – they’re doing it – and yet the weight doesn’t budge. Why?

Because their mental state is out of sync with their weight loss goals. It simply boils down to the self-fulfilling prophecy. As women we spend so much time running ourselves down both to ourselves and to others. The constant remarks “aah I look huge” “my behind looks terrible in these jeans” “my legs are massive”, “I need to lose weight” “I am so fat”, coupled with hours spent looking through fashion magazines or social media ogling over perfect bodies (air brushed might I add) is a guaranteed recipe for NO weight loss. How can you expect your body to respond to your efforts if you are constantly telling it that is fat, or huge or ugly? Your body responds in exactly the way that you tell it to – so if you are telling it that it is fat – believe me it is going to listen.

It is so important to change how you think, both during weight loss and for life in general. Training yourself to dismiss negative thoughts, while cultivating positive, happy thoughts is a life changing skill that will assist you in all areas of your life. For some of you, this may sound cheesy, but just think – if the entire world around us is comprised of energy (that is vibrating particles which create mass) then what makes our thoughts any different? A thought exerts force, contains an electromagnetic field, and has the capacity to attract similar types of forces those it is carrying. So if your thoughts are negative, well that’s exactly what is going to come your way…a whole lot of negativity. If you change your thoughts to positive ones– you will see at how things can suddenly change for the better. It really is fool proof, and there is plenty of scientific evidence supporting the power of thoughts.

So how can I get my mind in line with my weight loss goals?

• Find a quite space.
• Write down 5 short statements in the present tense (eg: I have the body of my dreams / my body is beautiful / I love my body)
• Repeat these for 5 to 10 minutes EVERYDAY! Consistency and repetition is key!
• As you are repeating these affirmations to yourself, visualise what they may look like and revel in the associated emotions. For example, visualise yourself wearing the jeans you have been wanting to fit into for ages: see yourself wearing them, feeling comfortable in them and being proud of your body. Allow yourself to go as deep into the visualisation as possible, envisioning every feeling and every detail.
• End your session with a personal “huddle.”
• Make this a daily habit, and use this technique to manifest all of your goals.
• Force yourself to become aware of your thoughts and cut out any negative thoughts that may enter your mind. Train yourself to speak using positive words and positive thoughts. It is tough at first, but once you gain control over your mind, it will willingly do as you say.

And most importantly, stop hating on your body! Show your body some love, and it will love you back lots!

Yours in Health Always,

Cara-Lisa