Excerpted from Day 1 in “100 MORE Days of Weight Loss.”
Others have done it and so can I!
I still remember the day Janet sank into my office chair and started to cry.
“I’m so discouraged!” she said. “I’ve been trying forever to lose weight, but I’m not making any progress at all. In fact, lately I’ve been gaining again. Right now, reaching my goal weight feels impossible. I don’t think it can be done and I’m ready to give up.”
I’m sure you’ve felt this way at times, and like Janet, you’ve decided that losing weight or maintaining long-term is impossible. Maybe you never stick to your weight-loss plan or you lose motivation or you hate exercise. Perhaps you’ve dieted many times but you always gain the weight back. At some point, you conclude it can’t be done!
Wait! It can be done! In spite of what you hear in the news or from your friends, weight-loss success happens all the time.
Starting today, cultivate a belief that you can be successful with managing your weight. Remind yourself that many other people have accomplished this, and so can you. Reinforce your belief by telling yourself this powerful message:
Others have done it and so can I!
Success stories are everywhere. Somehow, these people have figured it out. And trust me, it wasn’t because they discovered some huge secret known to only a select few. Instead, they kept working at it, learning, focusing and moving forward with their goals–not just for a few days or weeks, but for months and even years.
Be inspired by others
Think about all the people you know. I’ll bet you can identify at least one person who has been successful at losing weight and then maintaining a healthy weight long-term. If you can’t recall any friends or family members who’ve done this, have a chat with a weight-loss coach or program leader. Or search for “weight-loss success stories” online.
You’ll soon discover that thousands of people have done it. Instead of telling yourself it can’t be done, draw inspiration from the success stories of the world. Model after what they’ve accomplished and remind yourself that others have done it and so can I.