Positive Self Talk “Baby, You’re WORTH IT!”
Introduction to Positive Thinking
The role of positive thinking in our lives is often understated and misunderstood. It is pretty clear that confidence plays a huge role in the ability for a person to be successful at something. There are powerful subconscious forces at work within our lives which affect the outcome of many things that we try to accomplish. If we can identify, modify and control these forces to some degree, all of us can improve the results of all of our efforts. Combined with the Visualization techniques that we discussed last month, positive self-talk techniques can help you succeed at anything you want to do. Especially with your weight loss program and/or weight maintenance program.
Role of Positive Self Image
You’re self-image is the way that you think about yourself. Do you believe yourself to be a “good person” or a “bad person”, “smart person” or “dumb person” “person with a weight problem” or “thin person”? Many of these ideas and concepts began in childhood and have been subconsciously created and reinforced throughout your life. If you believe you are a compulsive over eater, you may not only be a compulsive over eater, but you may constantly create circumstances for yourself in which you cannot avoid compulsively over eating. On the other hand, if you think of yourself as a winner, it is much easier to act like a winner and to keep winning. Sometimes even succeeding when all evidence points that you probably ought not to succeed.
Developing a Positive Self Image
A winner thinks and acts like one all the time. In sports, winners spend their time looking for an edge over their competition. Often times this means they are spending more time in the gym, attending extra practices, going to summer camps for extra coaching, lifting weights on their own in order to become stronger, or visiting a health store for vitamins and protein supplements. All of these actions have a self-fulfilling effect. Because the person acts and thinks like a winner, he or she does the extra work necessary to compete and receives a pay off at the end when a win does occur. There is a definite connection between your attitude, goals and success. In weight loss, thinking of yourself as a thin person is an important start. You need to start telling yourself that you are a good person, kind person, lovable person, and that you have a great deal of self-worth. You can then make yourself do things that a thin person would do to get an edge on staying thin. Eating balanced meals, keeping track of your calories and what foods you eat, exercising, and drinking extra water.
POSITIVE POWER OF SELF TALK
To develop the winning (thin person) attitude, your main technique is positive self-talk. There is already so much negativity in this world. There are people who are quick to tell you that dieting is hopeless, or you are just destined to always be overweight. So it is very important that your own self-talk is positive. To combat negativity, you literally need to program yourself towards positive thoughts and goals. When you catch yourself thinking or saying something negative. Stop yourself and replace that thought with a positive one. Practicing Self Image Phrases through Positive Self-Talk – Turning a Negative thought into a Positive Thought:
Negative: “I am a “fatso” and I have to shop at the tent shop to find clothes that fit and nothing ever looks good.”
Positive: “I am a slim ____ pounds and I can wear a size ____ which continues to improve every week.”
Negative: “I am a crabby, negative person and people generally don’t like me.”
Positive: “I am a happy, cheerful person and people always like me when they meet me.”
Negative: “I am a slob who doesn’t dress well, and because of my weight, I make a bad first impression.”
Positive: “I am always well-groomed and well dressed, so I will make a good first impression.”
Negative: “I have no energy and I can’t accomplish as much as others can.”
Positive: “I have a great deal of energy and can do much more than most people can.”
Negative: “I have no discipline so I will never reach my weight loss goal or any other goal.”
Positive: “I have a great deal of discipline and I am willing to do whatever it takes to meet my weight loss goals as well as other goals in my life.”
Write 5 Positive Self-Talk statements. Start by saying at least 3 of them each day to yourself in the mirror.
- ________________________________________________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________________________________________________