Changing The Way You Think About Food And Exercise

Half the battle of changing your life takes place inside of your mind, not within your habits and your pantry. Though you know that you make excuses for the habits that aren’t helping your health, there are other things going on in your mind that you need to start changing if you wish to make long terms changes to your life and for your health.

One of the biggest concerns with people that need to change their health is that they aren’t able to succeed. After years of trying to make changes to their lives, there may have come a point at which they simply gave up and stopped trying. Perhaps they were ashamed of their failures and simply began to think that this was the life they were meant to lead.

If this is how you feel, it’s time to change that internal dialogue right now. You CAN make the necessary changes for your life. But it’s going to take some work.

Here are the steps to changing your mind before you change your body:

STEP #1 – FIND OUT WHAT’S STOPPING YOU
All of us have fears about our health and what we can and can not do. Instead of ignoring them, it’s time to start thinking about WHY you aren’t changing your life right now.
Be honest and write down the reasons why you aren’t making healthy choices:
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With these ideas in mind, you’re beginning to uncover the things you need to change about your thinking.

STEP #2: LOOK AT THESE REASONS DIFFERENTLY
Now, try looking at the excuses on the previous step as though they came from a friend or someone that you don’t know. How do you feel about the excuses now? Instead of looking at your reasons like things that are about you, take a moment to argue these reasons for a friend or a family member that might say them to you. How would you respond to them?
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STEP #3: MAKE A LIST OF POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS
The truth is that affirmations can and do work to help you feel better about yourself and what you are trying to do for your body. These motivating phrases can be repeated again and again whenever you are having a weak moment to help you make the right choices.

Here are some examples, but add your own after:
You are strong and capable of anything.
You’re not a quitter.
Just because you failed in the past does NOT mean you will fail now.
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STEP #4: REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT
The way you become a positive person is to repeat positive thoughts in your mind as often as you can. Whenever a negative thought comes into your head, you need to be ready with the most positive thought or affirmation you can conjure up. This will help to ‘rewire’ your brain into the positive mode. If you find yourself saying something negative about your health habits, simply stop what you are doing and counter that thought with something more positive.
For example:

- I don’t want to eat healthy tonight. Counter with: I will feel better about myself if I choose to eat this delicious and healthy meal.

- I don’t like passing up dessert. Counter with: Eating that dessert is not the best choice for my body right now. I am doing myself a favour by not eating it.

While it might be awkward at first to be positive about your self and your body, it will begin to be more natural the more you do it. You may want to create a journal of positive thinking that will help you guide your thoughts to a more positive place. By writing down negative thoughts you have and then countering them with something positive, you will begin to change your thinking.

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