THE HEALTHY ATTITUDE
Weight Loss HELLO! THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME INTO YOUR INBOX AND INTO YOUR MIND. Despite what you may have heard, weight loss / healthy living does not begin in the gym. And abs are not made in the kitchen! In order to lose weight and live your healthiest life possible, you must adopt a winning mindset. Weight loss begins in the mind. It's not easy, and it won't happen overnight. But if you do the mental work, the rewards are endless, and I guarantee that you'll be happy you dove in and got messy. I know these 7 keys to creating the winning weight loss mindset work because they are the very keys I used to lose 28 pounds in my late 40s. What you do with them is up to you. Let's do this!
Key #1 Identify Your 5 Whys. When we want to lose weight, we often spend too much time looking for the best diet and exercise plan instead of focusing on why we want to lose weight. The why is much more important than the how. During my initial coaching calls with new clients, I redirect them by saying, "Instead of asking yourself how you are going to lose weight, ask yourself why you want to lose weight." Tapping into your "WhyPower" helps you take the difficult steps required for success. You can develop your personal WhyPower using Toyota's Motor Company's 5 Whys technique. The 5 Whys helps us look deep to the root desire that motivates us to change. Start by asking yourself why you want to lose weight and then question those responses. Here's how it can unveil the root of your deepest desires for change: #1 Why do I want to lose weight? So I can fit into my smaller jeans. #2 Why is that important? Because when I'm wearing smaller clothes I feel better about myself. #3 Why do I want to feel better about myself? Because when I feel better, I have more confidence and I'm more outgoing. #4 Why do I want more confidence? Because when I'm more confident I make bolder choices, engage more and get what I want out of life. #5 Why is that important? Because I want so much more than the life I'm living now. AHA! It's not about the weight, it's about what she's missing out on because of her weight. That is some serious WhyPower!
Key #2 Visualize the New You. Astronauts do it. Athletes do it. Successful business people do it. And Jim Carrey does it too. I'm talking visualization. Can you imagine how vivid Jim Carrey's visualizations must be? WOW, it may be a bit crazy in there! The purpose of visualization is to keep your mind sharply focused on what life will be like for you at your goal weight. And here's the cool thing, it only takes a few minutes a day. But you have to be religiously consistent for it to work. Visualization for 1 minute in the AM and 1 minute in the PM will help transform your body. Twice a day, take one minute to visualize: 1. What your body will look like at your goal weight. 2. How you will feel physically without the extra weight. 3. How much energy, dexterity and strength you will have at this goal weight. 4. How much confidence, pride, and badassery you have at this goal weight. 5. How you will eat, move, play, and interact with other people at this goal weight. Deep visualization will help program your subconscious mind to take actions to achieve your weight loss goals. You'll start acting like you're already healthy and happy at goal weight. Focus. Believe. Achieve.
Key #3 Set the Bar Low, Really Low! My extremely successful entrepreneur and executive-level clients think I'm smoking dope when I tell them to aim low, but when they listen and act accordingly, magic happens! Let me explain. So ditch perfectionism and start slow! Pick one meal, such as breakfast, to improve this week. When you have mastered that meal, add another meal or snack. Keep going until you are really comfortable eating healthy 80% of the time. A-type personalities and over-achievers are used to going full-throttle toward their goals. They often strive for perfection, which is a near impossible goal, and can only be reached at a substantial cost to their health and happiness. As a former corporate attorney, I know this world well and I am a recovering perfectionist myself. Perfectionism and its evil sister, All-or-Nothing, are the double-edged sword that cause most dieters to not only fail, but to gain back more weight than they lost. Throw a little shame in there and you have a trifecta of badness. And for heaven's sake, if the horse hasn't run the track in 4 years, don't expect it to win the Kentucky Derby next week. Ease back into exercise with three 30-minute sessions a week. When you master that, add more sessions.
Our relationship with food mirrors our relationship with our inner critic.
Key #4 Love Yourself First. This is where the rubber hits the road and the fat hits the floor! Let's start by yelling: "Self-love isn't selfish!" If you don't love yourself fat, then you're not going to love yourself thin. Many times, weight gain is centered around selfloathing, self-hate, and the feeling of not being enough or not being worthy. Until these underlying issues are resolved, it's nearly impossible to lose weight and keep it off. It's like white-knuckling through life. It's simply too hard and you're going to snap. In my private coaching and group programs, we spend a lot of time quieting down the inner critic. You know her, she's the little b!tch that says you're not smart enough, pretty enough, thin enough, etc. and who do you think you are to want. News flash: You are worthy. You are enough! You deserve it all at any weight! Your self-worth is not contingent on the number on the scale. Start listening and noting what your inner critic is saying. When you hear the negative thoughts, write them down. Pick a peaceful time and place to write all the reasons why she is wrong. If you're having trouble, call a friend (no, she won't think you're crazy!) and ask her to respond to your inner critic. It's time to make friends with the person you see in the mirror and love the amazing woman that you are. Let self-love, not self-hate, fuel your weight loss and healthy living journey.
Key #5 Upgrade Your Fave Five. As the late, great Jim Rohn said, You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Look around and identify the five people you spend the most time with each day. Are they carrying extra fat? Are they exercising regularly? Are they abusing their bodies and polluting their minds? If your friends are unhealthy, get new friends! If this sounds harsh to you, then get over it. You don't have to leave them forever, you just need to take a break while you establish healthy habits. When you return to this circle of friends, you can inspire them with all your healthiness. In the space below, list the five people you hang around with most. Think and decide if they can stay or must go. Need replacements? Write down three healthy and happy people who will support your weight loss journey. Let these people inspire you to greatness!
Key #6 Reward (or bribe) Yourself. As I am creating this mindset manual, my 6 month old puppy is at my feet. Winnie is our Chief Canine Officer and is expected to behave like a lady. How do we make it happen? With training and bribery (treats, that is)! You're obviously not a dog, so rewarding yourself with food isn't a good idea. But what about a mani/pedi or a new dress? Or how about tickets to a sporting event or concert? You choose! Consider it reverse engineering. It's really simple, just the way we like it! I created a simple checklist for my clients to give themselves a rating each day in three categories: eating healthy, training daily and winning happiness. In weight loss, the scale doesn't always reflect your efforts, and it can actually show poor results for excellent efforts. Healthy behaviors will always produce results, but too often, one bad scale reading causes the dieter to quit eating healthy and exercising. click to download At the end of the week, they tally up their scores and reward themselves as planned. That's why I encourage my clients to focus on the behaviors, not the outcomes! We are still kids at heart and love getting those gold stars! What rewards will you earn?
Key #7 Ask for Support and Be Accountable. Research shows that having support improves your chances of getting and staying healthy. Think about it. Most of us ate veggies as children because that was the only way we got dessert (and because there were starving children in China). There's no reason to go it alone. At EatTrainWin, we are passionate about creating a safe and supportive community of women within our private Winner's Circle Facebook page. We made our beds because our mom told us we had to do it. We went to practice because the coach wouldn't let us play in the game if we skipped it. In college, we only ditched a few times due to late night parties because we needed to pass in order to graduate. And as employees or entrepreneurs, we show up on time because we have to keep our boss or clients happy. Weight loss is simple, but it's not easy! The Universe rewards action and so do I. Click on the Winner's Circle icon above to schedule a FREE 30-minute coaching session with me. In just 30 minutes, we'll get you started to a healthier and happier you. Guaranteed!
Summary 7 Keys to Creating the Winning Weight Loss Mindset 1 Identify Your 5 Whys. Look deep to determine the root desire motivating your weight loss so you can live the life you want. 4 Love Yourself First. Self-love isn't selfish. If you don't love yourself fat, you won't love yourself thin. Embrace yourself! 2 Visualize the New You. When you can see her, you can begin acting consistently with her values and beliefs. 5 Upgrade Your Fave Five. For permanent change, hang out with people who have the health and happiness you desire. 3 Set the Bar Low, Really Low! Perfectionism and its evil sister, Allor-Nothing, always lead to nothing. Win with baby steps! 6 Reward (or bribe) Yourself. Looking for a new excuse to pamper yourself? Awesome, tie rewards to your healthy behaviors. Winning! 7 Ask for Support and Be Accountable. This is the biggie. Weight loss is hard and without the right team, it can feel impossible.