[Take your power back] Part 3: Strong but Wrong Beliefs
One of the most challenging parts of weight loss is the change in beliefs.
Beliefs about what is healthy and unhealthy. Our opinions about food can be strong, wrong, and dividing. As such- they are limiting.
How do we know if our beliefs are wrong (limiting)?
They don’t help you lose weight. They don’t support your wellness. Look at the reality you currently have:
If I believe I eat in a healthy way, but I’m not losing weight (and there is no medical reasons for it) then what I do is not supporting my goal. And what I DO (Action) depends on what’s in my head- on my BELIEFS (Thoughts) My current weight is a reflection of what I believe is healthy eating.
That is all we need to REALIZE.
1. Once you know, here is a question: which of your beliefs should you change?
Well… which of your habits or food ingredients sabotage your goals?
This is the part you want to simplify, making one simple change at a time. Preferably you want to make notes on specific type, quantity of food you eat, the habits you implement – and take notes on the results you see on the scale, in your mood, etc
2. If you feel overwhelmed
Sometimes the first response is to be overwhelmed. There is so much to learn! Weight loss is one of those areas of coaching were choosing a different thought isn’t enough – we want to look into nutrition and biology to speed up learning and progress.
Overwhelm however, does not lead to problem-solving
… and you do not want to keep feeling overwhelmed. You can choose to feel… open. Nutrition and the practice of weight loss ARE NOT overwhelming in themselves. You FEEL overwhelmed because you think they are.
3. Feel open. It helps.
Open to new information, open to learning, open to trying things out. Be ready to let go of something. It will be ok. It is ok to be wrong. Ok to do things wrong. And then find out what is better.
Put the ego in the back seat – after all, it does not protect you from anything, It only prevents positive transformation. Several months ago I read a book that challenged some of my beliefs about eating. Still- because it was solving a specific problem – I gave it a go. And boom! I lost several pounds. This opened my mind to use different approaches in different situations.
4. New information. Use good judgment.
If you encounter NEW information that goes against what you believed so far, what are you going to do? I don’t suggest that you immediately drop the past belief. Just be aware what is going on in your mind. There may be first rejection of the new idea, maybe you will consider it absurd, but it will stay in your memory. Then you will encounter the same information in other sources you respect and … this is when you may give it a try. “What if this is how it works…” It won’t hurt to give it a try”
How strong are your beliefs? Where do they come from? What to they feel like? What is the result they create?
It is also possible to KNOW what is healthy and still eat in the unhealthy way. It happens because a part of you wants to overeat and another part of you wants to lose weight, be healthy.
Both parts are you. Which one wins depends on you: you making a decision, you making one of them stronger, you – taking the power away from one of them (this can be done by adjusting diet and hormones, and with managing mind and emotions)
We also may use Inner Conflict Resolution technique to solve it.
Related:
Part 1 You eat even when you don’t want to – to people-please