As another New Year approaches it always happens, I start hearing the R word more and more. In this case, the R stands for resolution, as in New Years resolution. You know the routine, people everywhere will promise / swear / guarantee that this year they will finally; lose weight, quit smoking, get a better job, etc. They usually then add something to the effect of And this year I mean it too. No excuses this time. Im going to do it !!! So can you guess what the top two New Years resolutions usually are? - Lose weight / get in shape - Quit Smoking While I commend them on choosing better health, why do so many of these sincere people fail? Its not due to a lack of information, resources, or products. After all, how many ads for diet / smoking cessation products do you see a day? If any of the products worked half as well as they claim they do its amazing anyone is overweight or smokes anymore. Maybe the answer doesnt lie in some new diet or wonder drug. Maybe the answer is your attitude towards losing weight. Unfortunately, marketing gurus have figured out that if they can blame your problem on someone / something else they can sell you something. They tell you its not your fault youre overweight: - Its your diet so try this NEW diet - Its your metabolism so try this NEW pill - Its your DNA so blame your parents. AND try this new diet or pill. I guess their justification is that at a minimum, if youre going to be unhappy about your weight, you could at least be happy its not your fault. The fact that theyre making money on that isnt so bad. Is it ? But wait, Ive got an idea. How about we take responsibility for being overweight and actually do something about it. Heres a good starting point: CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE INTO A POSITIVE ONE Instead of thinking negative thoughts like Ill never lose weight - or - I gain weight easily Try these positive thoughts I can lose as much weight as I want - or - I control my weight easily. Athletes have used this to improve their performance for decades. Instead of thinking about missing a foul shot or dropping a touchdown pass, they focus on making the foul shot or catching the touchdown pass. You dont think attitude makes that much of a difference? Lets try this scenario: You are the coach of a basketball team that is losing a game by 1 point. You have one chance left to win the game so you call a timeout to talk to your 5 players. Of those 5 players: - 1 knows he can make the shot - 2 think they can - 2 arent so sure they can Who do you want taking the shot? Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, always wanted to take the last shot. Did he make all of them? Of course not, but look at where his attitude took him. The Hall of Fame. When it comes to losing weight, which type of player are you? Are you sure you can lose weight, thinking you can, or not so sure? Think about it. Losing weight is not easy, but if your attitude isnt right, how far will you get? If you want to improve your attitude, try this 3 step approach: Step 1 Starting tomorrow morning, I want you to notice every time you say or think something negative about yourself and write it down. At the end of the day, read your notes. If you have nothing written down, congratulations! If you do, look over what you have written down. As you look over your notes, pretend someone else wrote them. Now, ask yourself, do you think that person will lose weight? Step 2 Starting the following morning I want you to notice every time you say or think something negative about yourself and write it down. This time I want you to try and write something POSITIVE underneath it. For example, if you have written down: I have no will-power. Write I have GREAT will-power. At the end of the day, review your notes. Now look at your positive notes. That is what you should be thinking, so start telling yourself that is what you WILL BE thinking. Step 3 Starting the third morning you will start using your POSITIVE language. Eliminate the negative. If you catch yourself thinking negatively, stop it, and change it into a positive thought. I want you to think of yourself as the Michael Jordan of weight loss. You want to take the shot. You know you can make it. Remember, that may not always be true, but in the long run, if you continue to work towards your goal, think positively, and always believe in yourself, youll be in the Hall of fame. Good Luck !!! Comments / Questions can be sent to the author at MSalem@qaweightloss.com . If you would like to join the QA Weight Loss Newsletter please send a blank email to bills2-134475@autocontactor.com To learn more about the unique QA Weight Loss process and services or to subscribe for our free newsletter please visit ==>http://www.qaweightloss.com/ |
