Take Charge of Your Weight: Give Up versus Take Charge Talk

Take Charge of Your Weight: Give Up versus Take Charge Talk
By Lt. Col. Bob Weinstein, USAR-Ret

Discouraging and disempowering talk and self-talk will drain you of the positive emotions you need to accomplish life’s many tasks, excel at work and nurture relationships. You will discover winning, take charge thoughts and talk that will change your way of thinking to successfully lead a healthy lifestyle and manage your weight.

What you say to others and yourself plays a key role in how successful you will be in bringing about positive change. Every word of praise or kindness to others, or to yourself, actually programs you in a very positive and beneficial way.

You know eating properly and exercising are both positive. Right? How do you talk about these topics? Are you making empowering statements or disempowering ones? Are your thoughts focused on the positive or are they burdened by negative undertones?

There are emotions behind everything we say. Emotional energy is a primary source of life energy. Discouraging and disempowering talk will drain you of the positive emotions you need to accomplish life’s many tasks, excel at work and nurture relationships.

Ninety percent of those who lose excess weight, gain it all back within twelve months. Why? Because of their self-talk, or maybe I should say self-deceit. Let’s examine the language we use about eating and exercise with Give-up vs. Take-charge talk.

GIVE-UP VERSUS TAKE-CHARGE TALK

Give-up: Should I have it?
Take-charge: Do I need it? Do I want it?

Give-up: I’ll be successful once I lose those twenty pounds.
Take-charge: I am successful. I am listing and putting in my calendar what I need to do and I am implementing my goals now.

Give-up: I want it all or nothing.
Take-charge: I will take a gradual and long-term approach, one step at a time. I will do what I can do and never give up, because the cause is worthy.

Give-up: I eat when I’m stressed.
Take-charge: I eat when I’m hungry.

Give-up: I can only feel good about myself if I lose that weight.
Take-charge: I accept and like myself as I am with or without excess weight.

Give-up: Exercise means “no pain, no gain.”
Take-charge: I like energetic daily living. It’s fun! It’s nature’s Viagra. It gives me more energy.

Give-up: The diet is in control. I have no choice.
Take-charge: I am in charge. I decide what and when to eat.

Give-up: Food is the enemy. I have to deprive myself and use willpower.
Take-charge: Food is my friend and is there for my enjoyment. I decide what I eat.

Give-up: I don’t have time to exercise.
Take-charge: Exercise gives me energy so I can use my time more productively. Exercise belongs in my calendar, whether it’s for 10, 20, 30 or 60 minutes. It all adds up.

YOUR ACTION PLAN:

Transform something that you say that sounds like “I give up” and convert it to “I take charge.” Commit to never using that give-up-responsibility-talk again and to sticking with your new take-charge-talk.

Please mention the author when citing or reprinting this article.
The author is Lt. Col. Bob Weinstein, USAR-Ret.

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