Can the way we think and talk about ourselves really impact our weight?
Let’s look at the incredible power of self-talk in achieving your health goals.
What makes my job as a coach so endlessly rewarding is that I work with humans.
Helping people lose weight and get in shape would probably be easier if we were robots. But it would be much less interesting.
Human emotions and behaviour have a huge impact on the choices we make and the actions we choose.
At the root of it all is self-belief. All things being equal, if we believe we can do something, we will.
But if we don’t believe we can, we probably won’t.
Even with external support and resources.
Is Your Self-Belief Standing In The Way?
Successful weight loss and body transformation starts in the mind, long before you’ve eaten your first healthy meal or done your first fat-burning workout.
That’s why I prioritise life-coaching elements into my fitness coaching practice.
My clients will tell you that I work with them on their values and beliefs, habits, and self-image before we start talking about calories and workouts.
The Problem With Negative Self-Talk
Your inner monologue can slam the brakes on your fitness goal, no matter how much you want it to work out.
This is because such self-talk is rooted informative experiences and historic events, probably dating back to your childhood and adolescence.
It’s difficult to overcome them without some friendly and compassionate help!
Negative self-talk can prevent you from getting started or can persuade you to throw in the towel or keep changing strategies.
Identify your limiting beliefs so you can name them, overcome them, and keep your eyes on the goal – with no unwanted distractions!
7 Limiting Beliefs To Work On
1. “I’m Not A Sporty Person”
This identity-based limiting belief might also sound like “all the women in my family are big” or “we’ve just got big appetites!”
These beliefs are a story you tell yourself (because someone else told you it first) – and you believe it on such a subconscious level that it will prevent you from sticking with your personal fitness goal.
2. “Losing Weight Is Painful And Miserable”
Different people have different attitudes to challenges.
Some see them as difficult; some see them as an opportunity.
Do you see the challenge of losing weight as a chance to learn and grow, or as a source of restriction and sadness?
The “no pain, no gain” mantra is not motivating for everyone!
3. “It’s Too Late To Bother”
Some people reach a point in their lives where they think too much time has passed, and “this is just how life is meant to be”.
The truth is, we all have a long life ahead of us (I hope) and you can achieve an incredible weight loss transformation in a few months.
And it will have an immeasurable impact on your quality of life and health in later life. Can you adopt a more pragmatic big-picture approach?
4. “I Hate The Gym”
See also: “people who go to the gym are vain/self-absorbed/unwelcoming”.
Whatever your feelings are about the gym or training, the fact is that you do not have to do any specific form of exercise to lose weight.
In fact, you will have more success (and longer-lasting results) if you find a form of activity you really enjoy.
Don’t like the gym? Don’t go.
There are hundreds of ways to move your body.
“It’s impossible to stay in shape after 40/50/the menopause”
This rather defeatist attitude may be rooted in self-talk you absorbed around aging, or women’s bodies, or working parents… or any number of things.
The fact is, it’s not true. Age and hormones may add an extra element, but it’s nothing we can’t overcome.
5. “I Don’t Want To Be Hungry And Miserable”
If you carry the belief that dieting means restriction, I’m not surprised that you shy away from losing weight.
The human brain naturally wants to avoid pain, even imagined pain.
But achieving weight loss does not have to mean starvation, hunger, misery, and cutting out certain foods.
Give yourself the chance to learn a better way, and rewire those thoughts through personal experience.
6. “It’s Too Expensive/Takes Too Much Time To Get Slim”
Perhaps you grew up knowing someone who bought all the latest fad diet products or had an expensive gym membership.
The fitness industry likes to tell us that getting healthy means spending money on things.
But it doesn’t have to be like that.
In fact, losing weight can actually save you time, money, and emotional energy. And it’s a long-term investment.
7. Overcome Your Negative Self-Talk
The names you call yourself and the way you speak to yourself have a huge impact on your self-belief.
If you want to lose weight or get fit and strong but struggle with negative thought patterns, please drop me a line.
My style of coaching could be exactly what you need.
Get in touch if to see how I can help you,
Coach Joseph Webb.
‘The number one rated Personal Trainer In Henley and Oxfordshire’
