I remember these moments well: standing in line at the grocery store, looking for the latest People magazine (or any of the gossip tabloids) and feverishly searching inside for the cover story on "How {INSERT THIN CELEBRITY} lost 20 pounds for her next movie role" or "{INSERT SUPERMODEL} lost all her baby weight...here's how!"
I was always thinking "THIS is it! This diet is the thing that will finally help me lose weight and become as beautiful as the woman on the cover."
It seemed like every week I was chasing something new. I was in hot pursuit of the perfect solution and it consumed most of my time, emotional energy, and head space. If I could just find the RIGHT diet and/or workout, I would be happy.
Even after the 20th low-fat, low-carb, low-everything, no-results diet, I still searched high and low for the answer to my body problem.
I thought my life would be better, money would be falling from the sky, and rainbows would appear every time I stepped outside.
So, THAT never happened.
This story of "I'm NOT ok as I am. I have to fix myself and it needs to be like a second job. Oh, and while I'm busy fixing myself, I should hold off on dating or wearing a swimsuit without a cover-up until I lose these last 10 pounds" had my life in a choke hold.
I never thought I'd be able to loosen it's grip on me because it was always something I told myself. Then one day a few years ago, I realized that it had run it's course...I was mentally exhausted and getting freakin' tired of reading People magazine (and US Weekly and Shape and Women's Health).
Here's the best part: I realized that I had the power to change that story.
YES!
We all have a mind-body story don't we? It's what you tell yourself about what you should eat, what you should look like, what you deserve to have BECAUSE of what you eat or look like.
It can feel more like a nightmare than a fairy tale.
It's a story that originated years, maybe even decades, ago. Your parents, friends, lovers, and the media have all contributed pages to it.
Here are some of the most common mind-body stories I hear from women all over the country:
I've struggled with my weight my whole life
I can't trust myself to be around certain foods
I'm not disciplined enough to stay on track
I'm an all or nothing person...I can't have just one cookie!!
I hate my body...it has always let me down
Here's how to quickly uncover the story you keep telling yourself:
- Stop and listen to the voice inside your head when it's time to eat or when you look in the mirror. What do you hear? If it's something that directs your behavior most days, it's a big part of your story.
- When you're with your co-workers or girlfriends, are you talking about who has the biggest thighs or sharing tips on what foods to cut out of your diet this week? Yes? There's your story.
The stories we tell ourselves over and over again eventually come true. Those thoughts and beliefs become actions and behaviors.
"You're living in the reality of your current beliefs". -Oprah
What's YOUR story? Feel free to share it in the comments below.