Limiting Beliefs & Weight Loss

Losing Weight: It's An "Inside Job"

The detective scoured the local fitness center. "Was anything stolen?" he asked. Just a few weights, the proprietor said. Well, from looking at the evidence, I'd say your weight loss was an inside job!"

Of course, this isn't at all what I mean when I say that your weight loss is first and foremost an inside job. But I am going to ask you in this article to put on that cute little cap that we always imagine Sherlock Holmes wearing, along with that trench coat and his magnifying glass. (We'll do away with the pipe for now -- it's just not politically correct).

All kidding aside, how you burn fat and lose weight is indeed an "inside job." By that, I mean that your success depends on how you view your weight-loss journey. Even the best of us -- those who believe we've got all the latest research of weight-loss at our fingertips -- can derail our own efforts, if we're not motivated, motivated for the wrong reasons (or worse yet) truly believe we're destined to be fat. (You can read the implication for the last as "Why even try?")

Now before you think that I'm going off the deep end with this topic, trying to throw you a line of New Age Hooey, consider one of the basic facts that every controlled scientific study is based upon: The Placebo.

Indeed, the placebo usually appears in a clinical trial as an inert pill, that is a pill that the participants are told is a "powerful new drug." While the pill produces no positive results for most participants, some percentage of those involved using the placebo receive positive benefits. And that, my friend, is a vivid demonstration of the power of the mind.

And you can harness this power to help jump start your initial weight-loss program, your exercise workout, or even if you've hit that dreaded plateau on your diet.

Want to learn how quickly?

Start first with identifying what it is of your belief system that may actually be holding you back from losing weight or getting healthier. Make a list of all your possible beliefs, ones you've held, excuses you make for yourself, or even statements others have made in the way of trying to console you during your weight loss struggles.

For example, any of these could be your starting point -- and then you undoubtedly will think of others which specifically point to your situation:

I don't have the time to lose weight.
I'm too old to exercise.
I just can't stop eating.
I hate to exercise.
I can't lose any more weight, I've had 2 children.
How can I exercise with this hip replacement?

With this list as a starting point, I'm sure you can think of other, more personal reasons why you couldn't possibly lose weight. The first step in overcoming these limiting beliefs, obviously, is by knowing what they are initially.

Your next step may be a little difficult. This is challenging the belief that you're currently cradling so close to you. I don't want to sound like a pseudo-professional psychologist here, but chew on this (low-calorie) thought.

It's much easier to hold the belief that you're too old, too busy, too far gone . . . . or any other obstructionist belief . . . than to actually work at changing yourself.

A belief is not a fact.

Oh, and let me clue you in on another aspect of this thinking of yours. A belief is not a fact. A belief is just your opinion. And in this case, it's just a negative thought you're holding up in front of your success, much like a red light at an intersection. In this case, though, you never allow your journey to continue.

In the year 1492, many people believed that the Earth was flat. Did their thinking actually make the Earth flat? Before Copernicus made his famous discovery, people thought the sun revolved around the Earth. Did their belief make this so? No.

So your belief that you're too old to exercise, doesn't mean that you really are too old to exercise.

You need to get this ingrained belief out of your system in order to make room for a new unlimited belief. What specifically is your self-limiting thought pattern that is holding you back? What could you do to change your situation -- and your thought pattern?

If you believe you're too old to exercise, then just telling yourself you're not isn't going to help much -- but it is a start. But finding an alternative that allows you to exercise despite "how old" you may believe you are is a valid alternative. What about performing yoga until you get back into shape . . . or water aerobics?

Don't think you have time? Search out ways you can possibly get up earlier, or find a gym with extended hours (many actually are open 24 hours a day these days). You may even decide you can spare 10 or 15 minutes of your lunch break simply walking around the building or in the stairwells. The point is simply this: don't allow your limiting belief system to dictate your actions.

Before you call in Sherlock Holmes to help you solve the puzzle of slow or no progress, start thinking in unlimited ways. Start expecting success with your weight-loss and fat burning program -- and before you know it, you'll actually get it.

Top

Enter your search terms Submit search form