Time to talk about the mind.
I, like many of you, have been trying to get fit and healthy for a long while. Yet, time after time, I’d hit a hurdle or just stop. Why though?
Maybe you’re just too lazy? Perhaps you just don’t want to put the effort in.
Logic would say that if you know that you are unhealthy/unfit etc, and if you acknowledge that and you want to change, then you’ll change.
Reality says otherwise.
It’s infuriating, isn’t it? I mean, why would I want to be unfit? Why would I want to limit myself in that way? Being healthy and fit gives us so much, and being unfit/unhealthy limits us, so why do we choose the latter?
It’s psychology, baby! And it’s the hardest thing about your weight loss, fitness, wellness journey. It is figuring out what is going on in your head that is stopping you.
It’s time to ask yourself some questions and try to pry out of your subconscious and unconscious, the underlying beliefs that limit you.
- What are your true views on wellness, how you look, etc?
- What are your views on exercise?
- What were/are the views of those around you now and when you were a child?
- How did/does that influence your views?
- Are you discounting the future? A common one for those with impulse control issues?
- What is your relationship with food? Are healthy foods to be endured or enjoyed?
- What is a treat and when should you have one?
Once you know your base views, and can break them down it makes it so much easier to dismantle those views that don’t help us, and lift up those that do.
Some will be simple, easier to identify and here are a few of mine:
- Most people in my family are overweight, you can't change genetics.
- You're doing so well, just wait, something will stop you. (injury/illness/commitment)
- I'm really quite fine just as I am.
- People just want me to be hotter, it's not about health when they push me.
Then there are the deeper ideas that need to be uncovered. They sit in your unconscious, and through exploration, you can bring them into your consciousness. Many of these beliefs you’d be surprised about. Sometimes they come from trauma (some people see their weight as protective). Sometimes discovering these can be the breakthrough you need. Discovering mine seems to have broken the spell for me.
One of my mine came from my subconscious understanding of weight, love and infidelity. Which came from something I witnessed as a teenager, and clearly stuck with me till now.
It was only a couple of months ago that I realised this underlying influence/belief and since then I have been able to discard it’s harmfulness and have become more successful with my journey. I don’t ignore it. I see it, I acknowledge and I put it where it belongs, which is no longer as part of my belief system.
These subconscious views may take some time for you to discover. You’ll likely need time to work on and find ‘your’ answers. If you need a sounding board on this I am here for you. I’m on twitter @smallscreengeek .
