Weight Loss Success

Written by: Melanie Rockett
(c) 2007

We’ve all had those days when discouragement threatens to overwhelm us and start us on a road down the steep, slippery slope of self-doubt, low self-esteem and failure.

When we first start a new eating and exercise plan our days are filled with activity, and optimism. We plan what we will eat, how we will exercise and we dream about how much weight we will lose and how great we’ll look once we get there.

But, once that initial phase passes (which could be hours, a day or weeks) and we actually have to do the stuff that will create the image of our dreams … we get discouraged and begin to question whether we really do have the right stuff for this long journey.

So, how do you get through those times of self-doubt and stick with the game?

The first thing is to prepare for the negative emotions. KNOW there are going to be “days like this”. If you expect to have down days, discouraging days, you will be better able to recognize them for what they are and not give them greater importance than they deserve. Prepare for the off days and have a plan for keeping on track.

Next, get right back to basics. What motivates you and keeps you focused? What was/is your motivation and purpose for starting this weight loss journey? The strength of your purpose will ultimately determine your level of motivation and your determination. Is your purpose clear in your mind? If not, maybe you need to remind yourself of the reasons why you want to lose weight and become slim and trim. You may find your reasons aren’t strong enough. So find something better. Some people think that wanting to “look fabulous in black leather pants” is a shallow reason. NOT! If that works for you it is YOUR motivator. USE it! Remind yourself of your purpose every morning or whenever you need to keep yourself going. If you’re a mom, perhaps your purpose in losing weight was so you could live to see your children graduate. So, when you’re feeling discouraged because you ate that vat of ice cream, remind yourself why you’re doing this in the first place. Picture your children at their graduation, with you (slim and trim) beside them cheering them on for their accomplishment.

Visualize your purpose as vividly as you can. Then harness that motivation and turn it into energy you can direct back into your exercise program. Use that energy to find new ways to keep active and motivated.

By making changes in response to such stimuli such as chocolate or potato chips or the ever beckoning couch, you are increasing the odds of being successful next time around. Your response to setbacks will also be determined by your personal confidence level. When you are feeling confident you are more resilient in the face of setbacks. A less confident person is more likely to react to a setback as an indication that they are not really capable of being successful.

Your response to setbacks is critical to your future success or failure. If you’re someone whose self-talk is positive, you will tell yourself, “well, that didn’t achieve what I wanted. I’ll have to try something different”. If, on the other hand, your self-talk is negative, you are much more likely to tell yourself “well, I’m a failure, I am never going to lose weight … I may as well just give up now!”

The difference between the two is that the positive self-talker refuses to internalize a setback as a personal failure. The negative self-talker, internalizes the setback as a personal failure and proof of being unworthy and uses this as a reason to give up.

So, watch your self-talk. The language you use in your thoughts makes an enormous impression on your subconscious mind. If you impress upon your subconscious mind that you are not deserving of success, your subconscious will busily go about proving the truth of that statement. Similarly, if you impress upon your subconscious that you are a successful, confident, slim, trim person, it will work just as hard to validate that presumption. The important point is this: your subconscious DOESN’T CARE where it takes you. It will literally take you WHEREVER your conscious mind tells it to go.

One highly effective tool to help remove the negative self-talk is hypnosis.

There are many good hypnosis programs available that will guide you into a state of deep mental relaxation and then provide you with positive suggestions. If you are in a state of deep relaxation when you receive a positive suggestion, it will be absorbed much more readily by your subconscious, where those nagging self-doubts emanate from in the first place.

Choose a hypnosis program that deals with issues such as self-confidence and maintaining motivation. Choose programs that help you image yourself as slim and trim. Choose programs that help you maintain a motivation to get fit and keep exercising. By programming your subconscious with positive messages and images of confidence and success, it will actively go to work integrating those qualities. Do not underestimate the value of positive programming and the danger of negative programming in determining the ultimate success of your weight loss program. It may very well mean the difference between becoming the slim, trim and healthy you that you are striving for … or that Big Blob you no longer want to see in the mirror anymore.

Melanie Rockett

Here are some Weight Loss Hypnosis programs I recommend: CLICK HERE