Talk to Yourself!

                       

Talk to Yourself!

            Ever tell yourself you’re fat? Hopeless? You’ll never get the body you want?You’re powerless to stop overeating?

The first step in using self-talk to help you achieve a goal, whether it is a weight loss goal or any other, is to kill negative self-talk. Impossible, you say? It’s no secret that anything worth having is worth working for.  And getting negative imagery out of your mind won’t be easy, but will be well worth your efforts.

Whatever you focus on becomes more and more real to you. Focus on the good things in your life; picture your successes, and picture yourself achieving your goals. If you think it, you will become it.

            There are two ways to approach reprogramming your thinking. One is to develop your own internal monitor. When you catch yourself thinking something negative about yourself, imagine screaming, “stop”!  If that seems impossible, (it did to me) another way is to build on positive thoughts about yourself. Make it a habit to focus on the good things about you and your life. Use positive words and thoughts, until they replace your negative thinking.

            Many years ago, I met a prominent woman who told me the secret of her success. Before she went to sleep every night, she made a list of all the good things that had happened during the day, no matter how small or how trivial. She fell asleep thinking of them.  She slept well, and when she woke, she built on the successes of the previous day.

            Change requires awareness! You can be the person you want if you want it bad enough to develop a new way of thinking.

            Here are some ways to make positive self-talk work for you

           

1.     Pay attention to what you say about yourself in private and in public.

2.     Yell a loud, mental “No” or “Stop” when you catch yourself having negative thoughts about yourself.

3.     Replacing negative thoughts with positive ones will take time. Don’t expect to change overnight.

4.     Use a positive affirmation that you’ll repeat to yourself throughout the day like a mantra, either aloud or to yourself. Try a few until you find one that works for you.

5.     Some affirmation examples:

a.     I’d rather feel great about my body. (My personal favorite!)

b.     I have everything I need to help me achieve my goals.

c.      I enjoy eating foods that are healthy.

d.     I am the master of my life.

e.     I will always be radiantly healthy.

f.      Exercise makes me feel good. (Exercising is a great time for repeating your affirmations!)

Dear readers,

You’ve helped make it possible for me to make it through the holidays with only a ½ pound weight gain. For that I am grateful. I hope you stayed with me for the Ten Pounds of Christmas and managed to keep your weight from skyrocketing like mine used to. If not, be kind to yourself. It happens. Today is a new day.

I have a personal goal to lose twenty pounds this year, slowly, with a monthly goal of two pounds. I welcome you to follow along and I’ll share with you any thoughts I have on making our journey easier.

Please leave any comments or tips you may have, or contact me at mam887@yahoo.com.

Marla