Can self-talk impact weight loss? Yep.

Last week I shared that a key to permanent weight loss is working on our thinking. 

I shared some common thought patterns that can hinder our progress. 

One of these patterns includes using all or nothing thinking with phrases like… 

“I’ll never lose weight.” 

“I always overeat on the weekends.”

“I’ll always struggle with my weight.”

First, if you find yourself on the negative thought train – know that it’s 100 percent normal. 

Psychologists estimate that we have more than 60,000 thoughts a day running through our minds, so it’s no surprise that many of them are not-so-nice. 

However, our thoughts also generate an emotional response. 

If a thought is negative, it’s safe to assume the emotional response will be negative. 

When we’re thinking negatively and feeling shitty because of it, it’s unlikely we’re going to make good choices or take positive actions. 

This is why many of us struggle with typical diets. We follow the rules, but never work on our thinking. So, taking our shitty thinking into any program – no matter how much we invested in it – leads to us feeling frustrated and often giving up.

So, how do we make a shift? 

By observing the negative thoughts, and working on choosing more intentional thoughts that will generate a neutral or possibly a positive emotion.

Now, it’s a tall order to go from telling yourself “I’ll never lose weight” to something like “I’m losing weight with ease.” 

And honestly, you might chuckle at the last idea because it feels so far away from something you’d say to yourself. 

That’s where a thought ladder comes in. 

We choose several, progressively neutral or positive thoughts and move step by step to the better feeling thought.

This might look like…

“I’ll never lose weight.” 

“It’s possible I could lose weight.” 

“I’m learning to lose weight.” 

“I’m practicing new habits to lose weight.” 

“I’m learning to lose weight with ease.” 

“I’m losing weight with ease.” 

For each step on the ladder, we check in on the feeling created by each thought. 

The time it takes to go from the first to the last thought is completely individual.  

It could take a few days to a few months – it’s just a process of trying on new thoughts like we try on hats. “Does this one fit? Does it feel good on me?” 

So, does this really work for weight loss? 

As a lifelong dieter, I’m here to tell you that thought work is the reason for my success in losing and keeping off 60 pounds over the last five years.

And I’m on a mission to share this work with other women.