Has anyone noticed how easy it is to live in our (perceived) limitations and even more dangerously, to let ourselves be defined by them?
Last week, when I sent out my newsletter, I got 6 emails almost immediately thanking me for the information and letting me know how much my newsletter is appreciated (ahhh . . . the power of the internet).
I also got 1 email asking to be taken off my mailing list :(.
Now, my thoughts immediately went to the 1 person who didn't want to be on the list. Since I am used to this phenomenon, I quickly reminded myself of the 16,000+ wonderful subscribers (that's you) who choose to receive my writing and sometimes even write to me in gratitude (Thank you - I read and appreciate each letter :-).
If I have 6 Coaching sessions in a day and 5 are life changing and 1 doesn't seem to go anywhere (for whatever reason), what do I usually think about?
Of course . . . the 1 session that DIDN'T go well.
The same is true for eating. If you have 5 "good" days and then you have 1 "bad" day, what do you do?
What do you focus on?
Who beats you up?
It's like the 5 "good" days didn't even exist-they are completely erased by the 1 day that didn't go the way you would have liked.
This kind of thinking is what sabotages you and prevents you from getting back on track. It is easy to go into a downward spiral when you focus on the wrong thing.
It is much more dangerous when our THINKING gets out of control, than when our eating gets out of control.
If our eating gets out of control, there are opportunities to get back on track the very next minute, the next meal or even the next day. It is much more difficult to do that if your thinking spirals out of control as well.
If you manage your thinking well, you can minimize any damage done with your eating.
YOUR THINKING (combined with your healthy routine) is what can keep you on track and get you back on track when you lose your way. Most people, by the way, get off track FREQUENTLY and continually boot themselves back on the path.
BEWARE of generalizations!
Let's say you eat more that you planned at a party (and you are PLANNING, right?).
Don't make a broad generalization like - "that's it - I have blown it - I will never be able to lose weight . . . I might as well . . . (you know the rest)!"
Instead, say something kinder to yourself like - "OK there were foods here that I hadn't planned on . . . or . . . I guess I got a little carried away tonight . . . I will get right back on track tomorrow!"
LISTEN to what you are saying to yourself and don't beat yourself up.
Your strength lies in the power to change what you think and what you say to yourself.
No one can do that but you.
Here's to power thinking!
Copyright 2006 Carol Solomon
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