If you were to guess what the most important thing to focus on if you want to lose weight is, what would you say?
I used to think it was exercise and nutrition.
Let me tell you, I put a LOT of energy into both of these. I was working with a trainer, doing different diets, and spending a LOT of schmoola on superfoods and supplements that I thought would assist me in my balancing my hormones.
Yet, I wasn’t losing any weight.
It wasn’t until I learned this one tool that the weight began to shed.
In the coaching world, we call it THOUGHT WORK.
It doesn’t matter if you have PCOS or not, this is the most powerful tool when it comes to weight loss. It’s what comes BEFORE your diet and exercise plan.
This means looking within and finding out WHY you haven’t been able to lose the weight. Most likely, it’s a pattern of overeating. So why do you overeat? Do you self-sabotage? Do you get bored? Do you stop following your plan once things begin to get uncomfortable? Do you unconsciously emotionally eat? Are you afraid of what others will think if you lose the weight?
Identifying the thoughts that drive these actions is EVERYTHING!
It won’t matter how amazing your trainer is, how many weight watchers meetings you attend, or how much you want it. If you don’t start changing your thoughts and belief system, nothing will change long-term.
This is why you see people yo-yo. They can white knuckle for so long and get the weight off, but if they haven’t dealt with the underlying cause it will for sure come back. (Been there)
So you may be wondering, how do I figure out what’s in the way? How do I do this thought work?
Here is my 4 step approach to it:
- Get out a sheet of paper and make a list of all the things you think about diet, weight loss, and your body. Get it all out unedited.
- Look back at your list. Notice that each of these are a thought. Not necessarily the “truth,” but a thought in your mind.
- Go through and put a star next to any of the thoughts that might hamper your success. Things like…
“I can’t lose weight”
“I have PCOS so I’m just going to have to accept being overweight.”
“There’s something wrong with me”
“It’s hard to eat healthy.”
“I love food too much.”
- Next consider questioning these thoughts. Ask things like, “is this 100% true?” or “is this thought serving me?” If the answer is no, I encourage you to find a new thought that is both believable and feels aligned with the direction you want to be going in. So if your thought is, “It’s hard to eat healthy,” you could consider changing it to: “The more I eat healthy, the easier it will become.”
Even though this is the least talked about tool for weight loss (diet companies can’t exactly sell thought work), I can assure you that it is a MUST if you’re ready to make lasting changes.
In health & happiness,
Jamie
