Sometimes we wake up, feeling positive and ready to start the day, and then something happens to drag down our mood. Maybe the outfit you planned last night just doesn’t look right. Or maybe you pass by a mirror and criticize yourself a bit too harshly. Perhaps you give in to temptation and eat a cookie for breakfast, and now you’re feeling guilty and angry at yourself. Now you don’t feel motivated to follow your eating plan for the day, and forget about exercise. It just sounds like too much work.
Does that sound familiar? Many of us are our own worst critics, and it doesn’t take much to send us into a spiral of shame or self loathing. Unfortunately, these feelings can undermine your weight loss plan, and that only leads to even more negative feelings about your body.
Somehow we have to break the cycle, and making friends with your body can be the answer. Yes, you can retrain your brain to recognize more positive attributes, and essentially learn to love yourself more!
Surround yourself with positive affirmations. Does our reality shape our thoughts, or do our thoughts shape our reality? You might be surprised at the answer! Your thoughts really do shape your perceptions of the world, and you can teach your brain to see things differently. Every time you feel a negative emotion toward yourself, replace it with something positive.
For example,
- instead of “I’m sweating so much during this workout”, think “I’m working really hard”
- instead of “I only lost half a pound this week”, think “I’m half a pound closer to my goal”
This can feel difficult or even silly at first, but keep at it. In a few weeks your positive self-thoughts will become habit.
Invest in self care. If you want to love your body, take care of it! Yes, you deserve a new haircut, outfit, mani-pedi, bubble bath, or any other treatment that makes you feel confident and relaxed. Don’t save all of the rewards for the end of your weight loss plan; use them as motivation and encouragement to keep going.
Avoid comparisons. A famous supermodel once said, regarding her impressive magazine photos, “Even I don’t look that good!” She was referring to the fact that digital editing removed every lump, bump, and blemish, trimmed her waistline, evened her skin tone, and made her appear even thinner than she already was. So avoid comparing yourself with fake images on Instagram, and focus on being your personal best.
Speaking of social media, it doesn’t hurt to follow users with similar body types to yours and to surround yourself with positive images.
If you’re still experiencing frustration with your weight loss plan, call us to schedule an appointment. We can help you identify challenging habits and work to improve them.
