In today’s episode of the Inspiration2Grow podcast we are debunking 7 limiting beliefs surrounding weight loss and fitness routines.
As a mindset coach, I’m all about shifting those fixed, negative beliefs that are getting in our way and hindering us from making progress and being success. In this episode we are going to take a look at some common beliefs holding people back from losing the weight they desire to and flipping the script or reframing the things we tell ourselves. It’s a good one, so stay tuned.
I think we can all agree that losing weight is not strictly a physical endeavor. Our mindset plays a very important role in whether our efforts are successful or fail leading us to quit and give up once again on our mission to slim down, shed a few extra pounds.
Weight loss can essentially be boiled down to a simple mathematical calculation -> calories in must be less than calories out. Meaning you have to burn off more calories than you are consuming. Easy, right?
Not when your mind gets involved because there are so many “stumbling blocks”, excuses and limiting beliefs about your body and ability that could get in your way of success and hold you back from reaching your goal weight.
Today, we are going to explore 7 very common limiting beliefs that play havoc with our attempts to shed those unwanted pounds and keep them off for good:
1. “I can’t do it.”
This is the #1 limiting belief in many things we try to do, so it’s no wonder that it rears its ugly head here too.
Former unsuccessful attempts at losing weight will foster a strong belief within you that you can’t do it. Perhaps you think you are only capable of losing just so much and not more, or you might believe that you can’t lose weight at all. In any case, this kind of thinking will override your desire to eat healthy and exercise. It will seem like an uphill battle that you have no way of winning. Then, if little to no progress is noticed, this will confirm your belief of “I can’t do this.”
Action to take if this sounds like you:
-> Remind yourself that you are capable of doing anything IF you simply take the proper action steps.
-> Tell yourself that you are not alone and millions of people have already done what you want to do, so if they can do it, SO CAN YOU.
2. “I’m not good enough. I don’t deserve it.”
Suffering from low levels of self-esteem and self-confidence can leave you feeling like a failure, even after trying hard to move the needle forward in your weight loss efforts.
I’ve heard this from so many women and it just breaks my heart. Why on earth wouldn’t you deserve to feel vibrant, energized, slender, sexy & feminine, happy & healthy in your own body?
-> Remind yourself DAILY that you deserve to live a very happy, vibrant life. One that is filled with happiness and positive energy. Repeat this to yourself day-in-day-out. Because it’s true.
-> Tell yourself the actions you take today, regardless of how small or insignificant they may seem at the time, will benefit you tenfold in the future.
-> Show up for yourself every day of each week of each month of each year. You are worth it. Start believing in yourself and stop looking for outside validation. Show yourself some true self-love by taking the necessary action steps toward your goals.
3. “It’s no use; it’s hopeless. This is just the way I am.”
It’s quite easy to feel like everything is working against you, regardless of how hard you put in the effort. You feel like the entire universe has conspired against you and you are destined to stay the way you are. It all seems quite hopeless. So, the pity party begins.
The truth is, you are stuck and will remain this way if you don’t take charge. You may even feel stuck in other areas of your life as well even though you don’t have any logical evidence to support such a belief. Constantly stuck, no forward propulsion in life, no improvement, no momentum, no moving the needle toward a favourable outcome – stuck, stuck, stuck is how you feel.
-> Remind yourself that YOU are the only one responsible for your life, your choices, your attitude, your decisions, your responses. Side note -> a great episode to listen to is #28 which is all about excuses and complaining. It might help you with this limiting belief.
-> Decide to take back your power and take action. Start today, start with small action steps, start ‘messy’, just start. With every small action step you take, your self-esteem and confidence will grow. That alone will ignite a spark and soon momentum will take over.
4. “I was born this way. My family has always been on the heavy side.”
I think far too many people buy into this idea and then adopt it as their belief. Just because other family members are overweight, does not mean you are destined to be as well. The problem is that if you believe my family is overweight, so my genes dictate that I will also be that way – you have given up on yourself from the get-go. You fall back on the “I can’t” mentality and you won’t feel capable or strong enough to even try.
-> Remind yourself that even overweight families have members that do not struggle with their weight. Look around and find those examples. Use them as fuel for your mission of losing weight.
-> Tell yourself frequently that HABITS are passed down through generations. Bad nutrition habits and poor habits regarding exercise and working out contribute far more to people’s overweight problems than genes do. Just know -> your genes are not working against you. Your bad habits are. So, change your habits to change your body size and weight!
5. “No matter what I do…”
Have you ever thought: I’ve tried everything, done everything in my power, but no matter what I do, I still can’t shed those unwanted pounds? Allowing yourself this negative attitude is essentially giving up on yourself before even giving yourself a chance to succeed.
We need to flip the script, create a new anthem that you repeatedly say to yourself. It could go something like this:
-> “I choose to be successful at everything I do from now on.” Very simple, yet mighty powerful. But you might not be convinced or really believe it wholeheartedly at first. Just keep it up and over time you will definitely see proof with your own eyes.
-> Here’s a great tip, one that I talk about regularly in my podcasts – celebrate your wins, daily. So, I want you to turn each day into a success. At the end of the day, say to yourself, “Wow, look at what I did for my health today. I ate healthier today than yesterday. That’s a win for me!” or “Wow, I made it to the gym and did a workout today. I did it. That’s success.”
Essentially, we are altering the way we view success and also failure. Concentrate on the small steps you’ve taken and the small daily wins you’ve achieved rather than what you ‘think’ is working against you.
6. “It’s too hard.”
Another limiting belief that comes up in many situations, it’s by no means exclusive to weight loss. The truth is…changing your lifestyle habits in order to lose weight WILL NOT BE EASY. Come to terms with that. In fact, change of any kind is often difficult for most of us especially when this change is so strongly attached to habits that we have been practicing for a long time now.
The problem is that people get started on their weight loss program with good intentions and some motivation, but soon realize how hard it can be to make the necessary changes that will move the needle and facilitate noticeable success. We begin to doubt our ability in ourselves. We ask ourselves whether we can keep going and stick with the plan. Things start to crumble in your mind. Excuses may start sneaking up in your thoughts.
-> Switch this limiting belief from “it’s just too difficult for me” to -> “So what if it’s hard? I can do hard things. I’m going to keep going anyway. I’m going to do my best and, even if I stumble along the way, I will still be making progress.”
This is the greatest example of switching from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.
7. “I feel vulnerable.”
If you are overweight, you have to understand that it is not JUST because of your eating habits. Most likely, there are some emotional fears or traumas causing you to gain weight as a sort of defense mechanism. When you start to lose weight, feelings of vulnerability might surface. You feel exposed in some way. Your extra pounds were protecting you.
-> Remind yourself that extra weight does absolutely nothing to protect you. Quite the opposite…it makes your life much more difficult in all three areas – emotionally, physically and mentally.
-> Be open and willing to rediscover your strength, that you didn’t even know you had. Be willing to let go of the weight that is weighing you down both mentally and physically.
So, that’s a wrap for today’s show.
I hope that I have inspired you to grow.
And…in case you haven’t heard it yet today, let me be the first to tell you…
You are the most amazing human, and your potential is limitless. I believe in you 100%. Now, go out there and show the world what you are truly made of.
Til next time,
Xoxo Lisa
