Change your Mind. Change your Body.

Here’s what I tell all my coaching clients from the start. No matter what your goal, your mindset is the key to achieving results. Weight (fat) loss is no exception. When you have a goal and are aware of what you need to do to achieve it, the next crucial step is aligning your mindset with the required actions for success. Why? Because to get results, you need to be consistent and to be consistent, your mindset must be in line with your actions.

You might be thinking, my mind is set, it’s completely aligned with what I need to do. And if that’s the case, great. More power to you.

On the other hand, if your weight loss history includes a pattern of starting and stopping your program, losing and regaining weight, or taking 2 steps forward and 3 steps back, there’s some work to do. And that work begins in your mind.

First, it’s important to uncover the hidden beliefs that hold you back from being successful long-term. These beliefs often go unnoticed because they exist in your subconscious mind, yet they are manifested in your behaviour. Your beliefs form the basis of your programming and your programming determines what you will and will not do. So, when you think about all the times you fell off track and how guilty you felt, now you know the likely root of that behaviour was your mindset. And the appropriate response is to examine your beliefs about the actions that were being performed sporadically or not at all.

Let’s start with exercise. Think back to when you were missing workouts or if this is happening now, ask yourself, “what do I believe about exercise?’ For example:

‘Exercise is too hard’

‘Exercise isn’t that important. I don’t need to make time for it.’

‘Exercise is boring’

‘I hate exercise.’

‘I can’t maintain this exercise routine forever.’

What about eating? How would you describe your dietary habits? Do you yo-yo diet? What about ‘cheat’ days, is everyday a ‘cheat’ day? Ask yourself, ‘what do I believe about eating?' For example:

‘You should eat until you feel full. When I eat healthy foods, I’m hungry.’

‘Healthy food is boring; it has no taste.’

‘When I have a rough day, I deserve my comfort foods and my glasses of wine.’

‘Preparing healthy food takes too much time.’

‘There’s no way I can eat this healthy food forever.’

Now for stress. Yes, stress. High stress levels will hinder your weight (fat) loss results. Ask yourself, ‘what do I believe about stress?’ For example:

‘Stress is part of life. Nothing I can do about it.’

‘Everybody is stressed. Who am I to complain?’

‘Work is supposed to be stressful.’

‘I don’t have time to meditate or go to yoga class.’

‘I’m fine. Stress doesn’t bother me.’

And then there’s sleep. Yes, sleep. Just like exercise, diet, and stress, it too can significantly impact your results. Ask yourself, ‘what do I believe about sleep?’ For instance:

‘I don’t need that much sleep. I get by.’

‘As long as I have my coffee, I’ll be fine.’

‘Sleep is overrated.’

‘I just can’t go to bed earlier.’

Lastly, there’s time. You might be wondering, ‘time?’. I’ll explain. Time is a finite resource which needs to be managed effectively so that you may incorporate the healthy lifestyle habits needed to reach your goals. So, ask yourself, ‘what do I believe about how I spend my time?’ For instance:

‘I need to get my work done at all costs; nothing is more important.’

‘If I stop working to exercise, my colleagues will think I’m slacking.’

‘I can’t take time away from family to workout, that’s selfish.’

‘I don’t have time to cook. Fast food is more convenient.’

‘I don’t have time to go to the supermarket. It’s easier to get take-out.’

How did you answer the questions? Did you discover some of your own hidden beliefs? Now what? Are you willing to work on your mindset? If the answer is yes, book a free consultation to learn how. Let's talk!