When I meet with people for the first time, they are excited and anxious to begin dietary changes. They are a little surprised when I tell them I'd like them to wait for our second meeting before they officially begin.
Why? Because successfully changing behavior for the long term requires paradigm shifts in your thinking. The way you choose to think dictates success or failure. We begin with imagining your ideal healthy body (Settle down and enjoy this!). We get a journal and write out our goals in terms of how we will feel, and in present tense. For example, "I am so happy to walk into Macy's and try a size ten! I am so proud to buy it!"
As we place ourselves in that feel-good state, we begin to believe we can do it. We then write out clear goals which are our own. We cannot accomplish someone else's goals for ourselves. Yes we may want our spouse to be proud of us but success depends on our ability to be true to ourselves.
Then write out your affirmations for health and place them on cards where you will see them; maybe your frig or bathroom mirror. You can even use photos of your vision for health. This really helps! Refer to them several times a day. You may write, "I enjoy my fast walk every day."
Write down the times of day or triggers that affect you and discuss them with family members if that is appropriate. Fantasize in present tense about your healthy body, what it can do, how you look. Imagine your Mother saying, "You're loosing too much weight. Are you alright?"
Now you are ready to begin. Your mind is ready for the journey. Weight loss is the outer result of inner change. Every successful day will build greater success into every other area of your life. And as a very great and humble man said, "Every failure is an opportunity to begin again."
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