If you are one of the millions of men and women who have tried every diet in the book (and on the Net), and never found one that “worked” for you, maybe you just need an attitude adjustment.
After all, it is pretty well known that the mind controls the body to an extent that is – well, unknown! The way you think about eating has a great deal to do with what and how much you eat.
The key here is simply that highly touted but still very effective little phrase “positive thinking”. Sure, you’ve heard it applied to all kinds of sales pitches and you’re probably good and tired of it, but listen up: it works!
There are as many reasons for overeating as there are people who overeat, but one of the underlying causes, which applies to some extent to the vast majority, is insecurity and a general lack of self esteem. The other is unrealistic expectations, or demanding too much of yourself when it comes to your weight, your diet – or anything else.
First you must set some obtainable goals, and then forgive yourself if you fail to reach them on the first (or second, or third) attempt. You can just say, “OK, no one is perfect, not even me,” and keep practicing.
Here’s a concept to alter the way you approach the problem: remove the word ‘should’ from your vocabulary. What you ‘should’ do is too often defined by someone else’s opinion on the subject. Instead, try to set your goals based on what you want to accomplish for yourself – not for some conventional or popular standard. Once you have done this, take it one step at a time.
Part of your realistic expectations must be allowing for your own personal satisfaction. For example, if your favorite food in the whole world is chocolate, do not despair.
Make it a treat that you deserve occasionally, like a chocolate sundae on Sunday, or something along those lines. Also, try substituting a fruit or two that you really enjoy – all of them are great sources of ‘healthy’ calories, plus a lot of other benefits like vitamins and fiber.
You will probably find, after a bit of practice, that you enjoy the fruit as much or more than the chocolate. It’s mostly in the attitude.
‘Believing in yourself’ is not something that comes easily to many people. This goes back to the “should” syndrome. Why would you want to conform to some standard set by fashion models (whose standards were set by still others’ idea of what is attractive)?
Not all bodies are the same, nor were they meant to be, and how boring if they were!
What is needed is to feel good about the way you look. That’s the goal you want to set for yourself, and it is not an unreasonable expectation.
Changing the way you think is not an overnight process. It takes practice, like anything else worth doing well. The great reward is that this practice is good for a lifetime.
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