I’ve been reading a book by awesome life coach, Jen Sincero called You Are A BadAss:  How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living An Awesome Life.  Excellent title, right?  As I get close to my weight loss goal, I’m learning how important it is to change the conversation around getting to goal because there are still those pesky thoughts of “I won’t get there…I’ve always failed before…” and on and on.  Jen talks about how beliefs are incredibly important because what we put out into this big wide universe resonates with those beliefs.  She suggests doing an exercise where you begin to challenge those hairy monsters and begin to shine the light on them.  What I discovered in the process is how long I’ve been a believer in some super negative thoughts about weight and body image, and how much they still influence me not just on an inner peace and happiness scale, but around stepping out of my comfort zone to create more awesomeness, adding in more regular exercise and blowing out the excuses.

My belief challenge went a little like this:

I’ve always had a hard time losing weight. Really?!? You’ve taken off almost 80 pounds so far and you’re more than three quarters of the way there toward the big 100 pounds down and done goal. In your first two months, you lost one quarter of the weight, faster than when you were in your 20s. You figured out what was needed and you did it. AND, you’re feeling and looking better without feeling deprived.

I’m not sure I have the stamina to go all the way and besides, I should already be at my goal right now. Really??! Well, you’ve gotten on new medication for your thyroid and your metabolism is working better than it has in 20 years. If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, doesn’t it make sense you’ll get there? Remember where you were this time last year! Holy crap!

I just can’t get in the habit of exercising more, doing my wogging (walk/run). And besides, it’s getting cold out. I’m too busy to squeeze it in. Really?!? If you go to bed earlier, which you said you need to do, you can get up earlier and it will take about 45 minutes out of your day. Plus the dog really loves going with you. Look at the habits you’ve formed already that are sticking with you. You’ve been off flour and sugar for over a year and you don’t really have to think twice about doing it. It’s pretty automatic. You can do the same thing with the exercise. One day at a time. Plan ahead. You’ve got this. Decide you’re going to be that person who exercises regularly for health and piece of mind. When you do your walks, you’re really only uncomfortable at the start, then it’s no big deal. Remember that, get through the first 5 minutes and you’re fine. Being uncomfortable leads you to feeling alive and in line with your goals.

But, exercise is no fun. Really?!? Then why do you always say to yourself after you’ve done a run or walk that you feel so much better? Can you try on the idea that exercise really and truly does make you feel and look better? And can you see it’s really about just for today? You don’t have to run a marathon. Just do it for today. Just surrender and record how you feel afterwards. 45 minutes a few times a week is really no big thing. Besides, you now have a cool Apple watch and wireless headphones that sound fabulous to make it even more enjoyable and track your progress.

Once I lose all the weight, I don’t know if I can maintain it. Because I never have. Really?!?! You’ve not only been able to maintain your weight for a year, you’ve continued losing for a year. You now have habits and a method by which you can maintain and continue feeling younger than you have in years. This time is truly different and you’re proving that every single day.

I’m afraid I’ll never be able to eat things with flour or sugar again, and sometimes I miss it. Really?!? Do you miss the joint pain, the autoimmune response, the slippery slope toward being 100 pounds overweight and feeling older than your years? Do you miss feeling out of control around your eating, never feeling good when you look in the mirror or hiding from photos? You now have alternatives and are eating delicious food that supports your health. And maybe, down the road, you might decide you CAN have the occasional bowl of ice cream. You’ll decide once you get to goal, and have been able to maintain for a few months. You’ll experiment and then you’ll decide. For now, you’re doing what you need to do to get to your goal and you’re unstoppable, because you said so.

When I look in the mirror, I don’t really see the difference. Really?!? When you look in the mirror, there is now a size 10 person staring back at you. That person used to be a size 20. Take a look at pictures from a year ago. Look at how far you’ve come! And you’re one size away from being in single digit land–size 8 is on the horizon. You haven’t been this thin since before you had babies. You’ve done an extraordinary thing for yourself. Take 5 minutes and really look. This body has gone the distance with you. This body has taken you to some amazing places and walked you through many awesome experiences. This body isn’t perfect, but it’s yours and you’re already closer than you’ve ever been to being truly lean. You know now what to do and you’re doing it. it’s possible. You’re proving it each and every day. So cut a girl a break will you??

This week, I challenge you to pick a negative belief and challenge it.  Challenge it as if you’re talking to a dear friend whose point of view might be a little warped.  Slice and dice it.  Have the argument on why those beliefs may not be true.  How can you flip the conversation in a way that will help you stay on track to your goals?   When you’re done, read it through once a day for one week and see what happens. Thoughts become things people.  Change up the thoughts and see what shows up.