Skinny is as Skinny thinks?

I can see the eye rolls now!  But seriously, I think this idea has some merit to it.  All my life, I have branded myself the fat girl.  I have proudly proclaimed that I could win any eating contest when given any opponent.  The negative self-speak was not only for my precious inner thoughts but also thoughts I shared with others (I'm sure making them very uncomfortable).  I thought and acted like a fat girl.

As most of you know, I have been reading Jackie Warner's book This is why you are fat (and how to get thin forever).  She has a really interesting chapter entitled "Metaphysiques" which discusses the mind-body connection in conjunction with health.  She stresses that thinking positively about yourself and your actions will help you to shed pounds and achieve overall good health. 

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So back to thinking about myself as a "fat girl."  This type of thinking gave me the permission to eat what I wanted, in any quantity that I wanted and to simply blame it all on "that's just the way I am."  I used to constantly remind myself that I have no will power and I will never have the body that I wanted.  I was completely right!  My momma always taught me to believe that I can achieve anything that I set my mind to and I had set my mind to being helpless and fat.

Now before you get your panties into a royal wad, I'm not saying that genetics and disease don't play a part in the grand scheme of things.  I know they do.  I have taken thyroid medication for hypothyroidism but we tend to use those conditions as a crutch to keep us in our current state. 

I really do believe that to have an effective change in your diet and exercise habits, you will also have to have a healthy change in your the way you think about yourself and your actions.

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Yes, that's right....you may even want to try some positive affirmations!  During your healthy lifestyle journey, focus on what you are doing right because the small accomplishments are the building blocks to achieving big goals.

• I ate fresh fruit instead of cupcakes
• I parked at the back of the parking lot
• I took the stairs at work
• I took the dog for a long walk

When you acknowledge what you are doing right, you will be more encouraged to continue to make those decisions.  When you dwell on what you have done wrong, then you will be more encouraged to give up.

Do you think your overall health could be affected by how you perceive yourself?
~Andrea