Sound familiar?
Almost.
Well, not that phrase exactly.
But this one:
How many times have you said, or heard,
“ooh I can’t eat that, it’s too fattening”.
Here’s an idea for you.
Find out which of your thoughts are fattening.
In the same way that some foods can cause you to gain or lose weight, depending on how many calories or sugar, they have,
Some thoughts can cause you to gain or lose weight, depending on how they make you feel.
I’ve been collecting examples from my private clients, and I want to share some with you over the next few weeks, in case you want to figure out why you’re gaining weight, and you suspect that counting calories may be missing the mark.
Do you ever tell yourself:
“I deserve a treat”.
Seriously. This is a very fattening thought.
And it’s sneaky, because it’s so commonly accepted that mindlessly eating crap is a good way to reward yourself for a bad day/good day/tiring day/productive day/stressful day/failure/success/breakup/makeup/any other day you typically have!
It’s a dangerous thought, because it usually surfaces towards the end of the day,
When you want to ‘zone out’ and ‘switch off’,
And telling yourself “I deserve it” gives you permission to mindlessly eat 3 bags of chips while watching Greys Anatomy.
(And no, this is not a real life example. Of my life. Promise. But don’t ask my kids about it OK?)
Here’s your antidote:
Check in for a moment.
How do you feel when you look at that tub of ice-cream at the end of the day and tell yourself
“I deserve it”?
Chances are, if you’re honest with yourself, you’ll feel a bit uncomfortable.
Slightly off.
That’s because you’re lying to yourself.
Get to know that feeling very well.
It’s your clue that you may be thinking a fattening thought.
Which, if unchecked, could lead to actions that will produce extra fat!
Like eating 3 bags of chips while watching far too many episodes of Greys Anatomy.
(Hey, maybe it’s not my those thoughts that cause weight gain, but Netflix??)
The antidote is simple (but not easy to do)
Pause.
Ask yourself:
“what do I really deserve?”
Here’s what my clients really want at the end of the day, and what would make really satisfy their yearning:
rest
relaxation
to feel good about myself tomorrow morning
quiet
space
sleep
nourishing, healing food
a hug
a raise
a massage
appreciation
a good book
a warm bath
love
How do you feel when you read this list?
Chances are that at least some of these items may make you feel calm and settled.
Quite different from how you feel when you think about how you deserve to eat junk food, right?
Sure, junk food is readily available.
And I know it numbs your pain/fatigue/disappointment.
But really. After that eat. You’re still really, fully, wholly deserving of what you really want,
And if you stop distracting yourself with cheap substitutes,
You’re far better equipped to figure out how to get yourself what you really deserve.
Which is always going to taste more delicious than a bag (or three) of chips.
Pay attention over the next few days. Notice any fattening thoughts you may have. Send them to me“, and I may feature them, with the antidote, in a future post.