I have good news & bad news: we will rarely exceed our own expectations.
The bad part of that is that many of us have spent years telling ourselves we’re fat, we’re yo-yo dieters, emotional eaters and have little or no self-control. We live up those expectations. We struggle to move beyond them.
Fortunately, we can change all that and it’s not about dieting. It’s about taking control of our thoughts & words and not damning ourselves with our own negativity and self-imposed powerlessness.
Your words, thoughts & beliefs have power. They do. They create. We use them to describe and overlook their power to create in our lives.
Yes, your words are descriptive. They are also prescriptive. They are instructions to your brain. This can either work tremendously in our favor or it can cripple us and prevent our progress.
I want you to begin to consider your thoughts & words instructions to your brain. Because, well, they are.
I’m not going to suggest that you turn off any negative thoughts, but what I am going to suggest is that you replace them by creating, reading and saying affirmations.
Affirmations reflect what you want. They can reflect what you want with your body, your relationship with food, your health, your finances, anything you want.
They should be short, positive and few in number. Avoid negative affirmations like, “I will not eat sugar”. All that does is increase your focus on sugar. We don’t want that. Here are some examples of great affirmations:
- I am amazed, every day, by the transformation of my body
- I am acutely aware of my incredible capabilities
- I am in control of my choices and my emotions at all times
- I eagerly choose foods that make me feel amazing
- I am relentlessly positive
- I let go of wants I no longer need
- I value what I deserve over what I want
- I am exactly the kind of woman I wanted to be when I grew up
This week, I want you to create 3 affirmations and say them every single day. EVERY SINGLE DAY. Ideally, say them aloud multiple times each day. At a minimum, say them once.
Do not skip this. Do it every day. Without fail. Without excuses or exceptions. Every day. It makes a difference.
Here are a couple of mine:
- Everything that happens to me happens for me. I practice acceptance of everything in my life and enthusiastically create what I want.
- I choose to make challenges fun & easy through my perspective & my attitude.
- I bring passion & intensity to my daily workouts.
Here are some of the affirmations you have shared with me. I’ll continue to add to this list.
- My future will be better because of what I’m doing right now, today
- I make choices that help me look and feel my best, and I am mindful of those choices at all times
- I embrace challenges as opportunities for reflection and growth
- I treat myself with respect
- I am in control of ALL my choices…From what I eat to how I feel
- I release the past and LIVE fully in the NOW
- I am a unique, creative and wonderful person and I deserve to be happy and successful
- I have the power, focus and perseverance to achieve ALL my goals and live ALL my dreams
- NOTHING tastes as good as feeling great does
- NOTHING tastes as good as loving myself does
- I am a person of my word. I will keep the promises I have made to myself
- Working out makes me feel good so I do it every day
- I practice self discipline every day in how I respond to cravings and manage portions
- I eat whole foods to consistently reinforce my resistance muscle and curb cravings
- All I desire is within me
- I give that which I want to receive
- I make great choices with full awareness
- I attract that which I am
- I cherish the beauty in myself and others
- I am in control of my choices and I seek choices that make me leaner and stronger
- I am learning to take impeccable care of my body because I deserve it
- I am doing the work because it makes me feel better, happier, and healthier
- I am my own first priority
- I take myself seriously, and I honor my badassery with my thoughts, words, and actions
- I believe that I deserve to be healthy in my body, mind, and soul, and I make choices that reflect that belief
- I am a health magnet! All things healthy are readily available for me
- I deserve my undivided attention
- I believe that my body is beautiful, right now, as it is
- I am grateful that my body works and thankful for how it serves me daily
- I love & appreciate my body no matter what number shows up on the scale
- I will create my own motivation today
- I am in control of my food choices & I make choices that make me feel lean & confident
- I choose to find gratitude in all situations, especially in my body & all it does for me
- I have the courage to deal with my emotions without food
- I am committed to the daily process, not the daily outcomes
- Easy is earned & I’m earning it
- I choose to be grateful & positive
- Consistency over time earns easy – what I wish to be easy I practice every day
- I always talk to and treat myself like my best friend, because I am
- Exercise gives me more energy so I intentionally move every day
- I am killing this first 90 days of FLFT, one day at a time
- I listen to my body’s inner voice and make choices that support my wellness
- My body is surrounded and perfectly filled with the healing power of God’s divine energy
- I release my hesitation and move forward with confidence
- I choose to do it anyway
- I am capable of making decisions & taking actions that move me toward my goals
- I am awesome
- I am worthy
- I am patient and mindful
- I love my body & will respect it because no matter what I have done, it has never let me down
- I am exactly where I need to be
- I am strong. I can do hard.
- I choose to think, do & eat that which makes me feel amazing
- I create motivation and progress through dedicated focus & action
- I am what I choose to become
- I am confident, strong & in control
- Exercise & clean eating make my body & mind feel great
- I have an excellent work ethic
- My focus is super strong
- I keep my surroundings neat and tidy
- I am a masterpiece & my body/health deserve to be treated as such
- I love food so I will savor every bite rather than inhaling & hardly knowing what I ate
- I choose to make this journey fun & easy
- Every time I choose my health, the next choice becomes easier
- I have all the tools I need already
- Good decisions generate more good decisions
- I am smart, I am strong, I am aware of my body and what it needs to feel good
- I choose to be present in my choices
- My choices reflect who I am
- What I do today I am more likely to do tomorrow
- I am fiercely positive & choose to see the blessing in every challenge
- I practice self-control & moderation in every situation
- I love food & enjoy each bite slowly. I pay attention to make sure each bite is worth it!
- I am awesome!
- My creator wants me to be at peace with my body & teaches me it is not selfish
- I have the mindset & body of a warrior to plow the way for others & take them with me
- I renew my mind every day & am not easily swayed
- I prefer to save sweets for holidays or celebrations
- I am sassy & confident. I talk back to myself when I need a reality check
- I will use food to fuel my body & positive thought to fuel my emotions
- I seek the beauty within me
- I eat food to reach my optimal health
- I am excited about the process of becoming healthy because it means I respect myself
- Food is my fuel, not my entertainment and I fill my tank with super supreme!
- My choices will not be based on my circumstances! I am in control
- Grace, not perfection
- I am worth the time & energy required to to eat well in order to reach my fat loss goals
- I have a positive attitude in everything I think, say & do
- I enjoy taking care of my body so that I can better take care of others
- I have the courage to deal with my emotions without food
- Easy is earned with practice & consistency
- Happiness and focus are my responsibility
- Today is the future I created yesterday
- I am my own superhero
- I work hard & fight the good fight – my superpower is positivity
- I used to run with fear. Now she can’t keep up
- I am a beautiful and creative woman with the brains (& brawn!) to rock this life.
- I am made of awesome sauce
- I choose happiness
- I have all the skills I need to manage my emotions in a positive way
- I create solutions, not problems