It's New Year's resolution time again. At the top of many
people's list is, once more, the resolve to diet. "This is the year I am
going to lose weight," is pronounced with unwavering determination.
Then why doesn't it stick?
The addiction to weight loss obsession on this planet is epidemic. It has become a club that folks use to determine their self-worth. Too often the verdict becomes an indelible curse. There's something wrong with this picture when a number on a scale determines your innate value. Here's the problem with the white-knuckle approach:
The conscious mind is screaming, "I want to lose weight, because I need to lose weight in order to feel good about myself." This approach kicks up subconscious resistance into high gear. This results in civil war. And, because the subconscious drives the bus, it always wins. That is why diets that focus solely on weight loss never work in the long run. They are negatively driven to create inner conflict.
So, what is the answer to breakthrough and transformation with healthy weight loss?
1. Choose a Healthy Sustainable Diet: Think of it as a lifestyle change-not a temporary fix to achieve a desperate goal. Fad diets may take the weight off temporarily, only to regain more weight soon after. Rather, diets that focus on whole grains, vegetables and fruit create sustainable weight loss.
* First and foremost, avoid artificial sweeteners and low-fat products. Studies show that these chemical substances actually heighten your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings and stimulate fat storage and weight gain to name a few.
2. Self-Acceptance: is a now thing. It is vital to your weight loss success that you do not link self acceptance to a point in the future.
"When I lose weight then I will feel good about myself." Wrong. Learn to accept yourself now, before you begin your healthy new lifestyle plan.
3. Emotional Well Being: is vital to sustainable weight loss. Over eating is driven by your emotions. The habit of 'pushing down' challenging or self-righteous emotions is a guaranteed formula for over eating. It's what's eating you that fuels your food obsession. (This holds true for all addictive substances.)
4. Self Honesty: Get clear on how over eating is serving you. Psychologists tell us that all of our behaviors have pay offs. What is your pay off for over eating? How is your excess weight protecting you? What is it keeping you from doing or being that might be scary for you? Whatever it is that you may be hiding from? I guarantee that your hiding is more painful than facing your truth.
5. Transform Deprivation into Freedom: Feelings of deprivation lead to serious self-sabotage. Self-sabotage is your top diet-breaker. Deprivation is bound to show up. That's just how the process works. When it does, recognize it, name it and accept it. A self-talk reframe such as, "I notice that you're feeling deprived right now and that's okay," is enough to shift the energy of deprivation to free you from its grip.
These 5 steps will continually need your monitoring. Just focusing on symptoms (excess weight) is like rowing across the lake with the anchor down. The good new is that the more awareness you bring to your inner life and the more you clear emotional sabotage, the less obsessed with food you will become. You will slip. It's a guarantee. And when you do, remember it's just an, 'oops,' not an excuse to self-sabotage and 'jump ship'. When you clear the source, you also clear the symptoms so that you can experience freedom, versus obsession, around food.
Honoring yourself for all of your small steps will help you to enjoy the journey. As the saying goes, "nothing tastes as good as looking good feels." You're on your way.
The addiction to weight loss obsession on this planet is epidemic. It has become a club that folks use to determine their self-worth. Too often the verdict becomes an indelible curse. There's something wrong with this picture when a number on a scale determines your innate value. Here's the problem with the white-knuckle approach:
The conscious mind is screaming, "I want to lose weight, because I need to lose weight in order to feel good about myself." This approach kicks up subconscious resistance into high gear. This results in civil war. And, because the subconscious drives the bus, it always wins. That is why diets that focus solely on weight loss never work in the long run. They are negatively driven to create inner conflict.
So, what is the answer to breakthrough and transformation with healthy weight loss?
1. Choose a Healthy Sustainable Diet: Think of it as a lifestyle change-not a temporary fix to achieve a desperate goal. Fad diets may take the weight off temporarily, only to regain more weight soon after. Rather, diets that focus on whole grains, vegetables and fruit create sustainable weight loss.
* First and foremost, avoid artificial sweeteners and low-fat products. Studies show that these chemical substances actually heighten your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings and stimulate fat storage and weight gain to name a few.
2. Self-Acceptance: is a now thing. It is vital to your weight loss success that you do not link self acceptance to a point in the future.
"When I lose weight then I will feel good about myself." Wrong. Learn to accept yourself now, before you begin your healthy new lifestyle plan.
3. Emotional Well Being: is vital to sustainable weight loss. Over eating is driven by your emotions. The habit of 'pushing down' challenging or self-righteous emotions is a guaranteed formula for over eating. It's what's eating you that fuels your food obsession. (This holds true for all addictive substances.)
4. Self Honesty: Get clear on how over eating is serving you. Psychologists tell us that all of our behaviors have pay offs. What is your pay off for over eating? How is your excess weight protecting you? What is it keeping you from doing or being that might be scary for you? Whatever it is that you may be hiding from? I guarantee that your hiding is more painful than facing your truth.
5. Transform Deprivation into Freedom: Feelings of deprivation lead to serious self-sabotage. Self-sabotage is your top diet-breaker. Deprivation is bound to show up. That's just how the process works. When it does, recognize it, name it and accept it. A self-talk reframe such as, "I notice that you're feeling deprived right now and that's okay," is enough to shift the energy of deprivation to free you from its grip.
These 5 steps will continually need your monitoring. Just focusing on symptoms (excess weight) is like rowing across the lake with the anchor down. The good new is that the more awareness you bring to your inner life and the more you clear emotional sabotage, the less obsessed with food you will become. You will slip. It's a guarantee. And when you do, remember it's just an, 'oops,' not an excuse to self-sabotage and 'jump ship'. When you clear the source, you also clear the symptoms so that you can experience freedom, versus obsession, around food.
Honoring yourself for all of your small steps will help you to enjoy the journey. As the saying goes, "nothing tastes as good as looking good feels." You're on your way.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laurel_Brookes
