Have you ever told yourself that losing weight is just too hard? Have you ever thought that to lose weight you have to do hours of cardio a day to see any results?
When it comes to weight loss, we tell ourselves all kinds of stories and believe them to be true. I can definitely say that I’ve told myself multiple stories about losing weight that would always end up with me sabotaging my efforts. Little did I know these thoughts were actually my limiting beliefs keeping me stuck and unhappy.
So What Are Limiting Beliefs You Ask?
Limiting beliefs are beliefs that you believe to be true that end up holding you back from doing, being or acting in a certain way. Limiting beliefs often have to do with your self-image and how you perceive yourself. You may be carrying limiting beliefs about weight loss and being thin and fit which keeps you from achieving your goals. Limiting beliefs can also be looked at as excuses and play a part when you sabotage all your efforts. Limiting beliefs can come from childhood, how you were raised, family, friends, strangers, society and relationships.
Your beliefs will eventually become your thoughts and ultimately your actions. Limiting beliefs (even the name says it!) limits you to what you want to achieve. Limiting beliefs are sneaky little bullies that don’t care about your health and happiness. Limiting beliefs want to keep you stuck and sabotage your weight loss goals.
Here are a few examples of limiting beliefs:
I have to kill myself in the gym to look good
I have to exercise all the time to lose weight
I have to be on a strict diet to lose any weight
I’m getting older so gaining weight is just part of it
Everyone in my family is overweight so I will always be overweight
It’s just too hard
I always end up gaining the weight back so there’s no point
I have to starve myself to look good
Some people are just born thin, they’re lucky
I can say I used to believe many of these – they kept me stuck for so long and would always sabotage all the progress I made. Everything would be going great and then poof like magic I would be stuffing my face with chocolate chip & peanut butter cookies! I would think how did this happen? Those sneaky little limiting beliefs would find the perfect moment then poop all over my positive progress. They would come bursting in and tell me I wasn’t going to lose the weight anyway so why bother. I knew enough was enough and I needed to show those limiting beliefs who’s boss!
How to Release Limiting Beliefs
Write out all the beliefs you have about losing weight and being fit. I know this exercise might bring up some unpleasant feelings but it’s really important you identify which beliefs may be holding you back from losing the weight. These can be from childhood all the way up until now. Are there any specific things you were told that you have carried with you and believe to be true? This could be by parents, siblings, family, friends, ex-partners etc…
Remember, the more you believe a limiting belief and reinforce it, the more it will affect your body, your thoughts and your actions. When you have identified your limiting beliefs, here are 2 steps to help eliminate them and not let the negativity dominate your actions.
Step 1: Counteract the Belief and Re-frame It.
Counteract the old belief with the opposite that you know to be true. Find examples to help you counteract your beliefs. Choose a new, positive meaning for your belief. You have all the power to change your thoughts and beliefs.
Limiting belief: It’s so hard to lose weight!
Counteract it: I have lost weight before when I put my mind to it and stayed consistent. I lost the weight and it’s only as hard as I choose to make it.
Limiting belief: I have to starve myself to lose this weight!
Counteract it: I get to nourish my body with amazing, healthy foods that make me and my body feel good. I know that I can enjoy a treat and still lose the weight without starving.
This is how you re-frame your belief to create new evidence to support your new belief. Go through each limiting belief and re-frame it with new positive evidence.
Step 2: Use Positive Visualization to Neutralize the Limiting Belief.
Thought patterns become so ingrained in everyday thinking. It’s important to manifest what you want and visualize what you want. This made a huge shift for me in different areas of my life including weight loss.
Visualize the ideal you. Really visualize yourself being at your health goal. What do you feel like? What can you do now? How do you look like? Feeling it and believing it before you see it will help increase your manifesting ability to make it a reality. Notice if you start feeling excitement in your stomach! Feel the emotions of visualizing the ideal you. Do you feel happiness, joy, excitement and so on.
When you find yourself at any point reinforcing a limiting belief, immediately counteract it with the complete opposite thought that is positive.
Positive visualization is super powerful and can help you shift from negative to positive thoughts and actions. Believe you already exist as the “ideal you”. It’s already happened.
Limiting belief: I’m just not worth the effort, I’ll always be overweight!
New positive belief: I am completely worth the effort of being happy, enjoying my body and love what I see when I look in the mirror!
Limiting belief: I always gain the weight back I lost so why bother!
New positive belief: I have the power to keep the weight off for good and I trust myself to get there!
Limiting beliefs are not in charge of your health and happiness, YOU are! You have the power to change your thoughts, future and weight loss journey. The next time you feel those sneaky little limiting beliefs creeping in, strike back using the positive steps here and show them who’s boss!
Your friend and strategist,
