Our ‘L’ touchstone is for language. One of the stumbling blocks to our success in changing our lifestyle and habits is the language, or word choices, we use when talking and thinking about ourselves and our lifestyle changes. These are the two areas I want to discuss.
If you have been reading my posts, you know I keep bringing up to be kind to yourself. Most of us have heard or witnessed someone being beaten down by the words of another. Sadly, we tend to be even harder on ourselves.
What names do you call yourself? Fatso, loser, dumb, stupid, unworthy, unable, etc. Or do you call yourself a victor, a winner, deserving, smart, persistent? Do you tell yourself you can never get fit or slimmer? Or do you honestly believe that you can achieve your goal and change?
Remember touchstone ‘I’? If our self-image is bad, it is very hard to succeed. In fact, we work very hard at proving that we can’t. Don’t we have enough to deal with in this world without beating ourselves up?
I want you to write down some affirmations that you can post all over the house, your room, your car, your work, or wherever you spend a lot of time. Write down things like “I can do it”, “I am not perfect, but I am getting there”, “I am a caring person”, etc. Be sure to include this one: “I deserve to be a healthier, slimmer me”. You will be surprised how that one helps when you are tempted to eat off plan or don’t want to do your exercise.
Let’s go on to the way you think about your diet program. Do you think of it as something you ‘have’ to do because it is expected of you? Do you talk about how you ’should’ do this or that? Or even ’shouldn’t’ do this or that. How about the ‘can’t’ word? or the phrase ‘I don’t have time’? Do you think – it would be nice if I could obtain my goal, but that’s impossible or improbable?
Instead, why don’t do this:
Change: “I should go for a walk today”
To: “I choose to go for a walk today because it makes me feel energized, less stressed, and good about myself”.
NOTE: Always give 2 or 3 positive reasons why you choose it.
Change: “I don’t have time to prepare my snacks”
To: “I am going to switch my schedule around to have time to prepare my snacks and meals because I deserve to take care of myself, I deserve to succeed in my program, and it helps to eat on program when I have something I can eat ready”.
Change: “I can’t eat right this weekend because I have to go on a trip”
To: “I choose to find a way to stay on my eating program and go on the trip. I will eat salads with low fat dressings; take snacks with me, etc. I will plan ahead how to deal with the obstacles the trip makes in my eating program”.
Change: “It would be nice if I could obtain my goal, but that’s impossible or improbable?”
To: “I will achieve my goal because I deserve to be a happier, healthier, slimmer me AND because I choose to”.
Do you notice that when you use should and have to, that makes the changes you are trying to make an obligation. When you use choose and will, then it makes it your choice. Again, see touchstone ‘C’ Choices.
As with all habits, the change in your language will not come overnight. You have to consciously change the word whenever you use it to a positive word. As your language changes, so will your thinking. As your thinking about yourself and your eating program changes, it becomes easier to change your eating and activity habits. You are on the road to success!
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