31 Mar The Mind Body Project – Minding Your Motivation
I asked you about your “whys” for wanting to lose those extra 10 or 20 lbs. It wasn’t an exercise in futility but rather it was so you could get really clear on why you wanted to commit to your weight loss goal. While you may want something, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will commit to getting that something. Our minds are a powerful gift, and if you want to be deliberate in your health and wellness efforts you are going to have to “mind your motivation”. That’s right – you are going to have to learn to create motivation to do what you say you are going to do. How do you create motivation? There are several behavioral theories on how to go about doing this and some are complicated. For me, it is simple – that is seeing myself as the person who dropped 10 or 20 lbs. It is about holding that image in my mind and having that carry over to my day-to-day eating and physical activity habits. I started March 1, 2020 and I have dropped 3.5 lbs. Those few pounds did take a lot of “mindful motivation”. I realize it doesn’t seem like a significant amount but if I do what I did three weeks earlier for the next few weeks then I will be at my goal weight. It is a long-term health goal but it is worth it to me. My mind knows it matters.
It seems everywhere I go someone is talking about COVID19 and their motto is “live it up” and eat that last piece of pie or those two cookies. Buy those shoes and everything will seem right in the world. The messages are loud and clear – if you just give into instant gratification you will be happy. To be honest, knowing that when COVID19 is eradicated I will be a few pounds thinner is more enticing to me than that cookie or those shoes. Summer will be here before you know it and I will be smiling when I am wearing two sizes smaller. Have a Healthy & Happy Weekend. Feel free to respond with your thoughts.
In Health & Blessings.
Day 3
Do you Have Change?
We are a that the point where you examined your “whys” to wanting to lose weight and we agreed the time is now. Now what? Do you have the tools to change? Your first tool is employing “change talk”. These are your reasons, motivations and desires to change. When I ask my clients what’s their biggest barrier to making changes to starting and sticking with eating and exercising habits, the first answer I usually get is “I don’t know”. This is an expected answer. After all, if they addressed the “why” for not changing we wouldn’t be on the phone discussing weight loss and creating a healthier lifestyle. This is when change talk becomes important in the conversation.
What is change talk? Change talk is addressing all the reasons that hold you back from crossing over from sustaining your current lifestyle behaviors to creating new ones. Change talk is important because it can help you get a sharper focus on the things you are needing and willing to change. For example, my change talk involves me remembering how I felt 20 pounds lighter. It gives me hope knowing I will feel athletic again and enjoying my new found hobby of paddle boarding. Sure, I will not be the runner I used to be due to some serious feet pounding injuries, but I will be in shape once again. In fact, I have my paddle board in layway so no excuses for me not to follow-through.
I had to do my own change talk because “sustain” talk can be equally powerful to stay the same. I challenge you while you are locked up in your COVID19 situation to start your change talk. Take that piece of paper out and write it down – hope for a better you!
In Health & Blessings.