Even if you don’t think so, stick with me for second.
Do you frequently tell yourself…
“That’s it – this time I’m gonna lose the weight!!!”
Yet find yourself behaving in ways that conflict directly with what you say you want?
Perhaps you dream of participating in the local 10km walk for charity?
Or, maybe you just want to feel confident in your swimmers, but when push comes to shove, you find yourself repeating habits – the exact ones you swore you’d stop.
Unbearably frustrating, hey.
If this sounds like you, then it’s highly likely you’ve got a toxic belief lurking in your unconscious mind, which causes you to self-sabotage.
See, it doesn’t matter how much you say you want to be slim and healthy, if there’s an unhelpful belief lurking deep inside of you that equates being slim with some kind of pain you will NEVER allow yourself do what it takes to become the shape and size you want to be.
But you can change it.
Beware the power of an unrecognised belief
For most of us, our unconscious minds are uncharted territory. We don’t really know what goes on ‘in there’. It’s somehow ‘beneath the radar’.
Which, when you think about it is a wee bit careless of us, because the unconscious mind is an absolute powerhouse. It has the power to help you create the body of your dreams…or the power to sabotage your best efforts.
Safety first
Many people aren’t aware of this – but one of the roles of the unconscious mind is to protect you.
It wants to keep you safe n sound, and away from pain.
And, in its effort to keep you protected, it will do whatever it takes to keep you safe– no matter how illogical it might seem.
For example, earlier this week client shared how she was attacked while walking home from a friend’s sixteenth birthday party. At the time, she was a “slip of a thing”, unable to fend off her attackers. Somewhere, deep inside, she made a decision that being slim meant she was vulnerable.
Since the attack, the weight has steadily piled on.
Logically, she knows that being overweight doesn’t guarantee her free from attacks in the future.
But her unconscious mind, operating as it does beneath the radar, is keeping her overweight because it believes “being slim = being unsafe.”
You see, any time we feel unsafe, we trigger the Stress Response in our body. This means that our body floods with the hormone, cortisol, which causes us to comfort eat and encourages our body to lay down fat.
So, back to you darling….
What makes YOU feel unsafe?
Do you feel unsafe when you get interest – wanted or unwanted – from the opposite sex?
Did you skip the gym today because you “didn’t have time”, but deep down you know it’s because you’re afraid of what people might think of you?
Do you spends hours and hours procrastinating, having “just one more cuppa” because you’re afraid you might do ‘it’ wrong or less than perfectly?
Any time you feel unsafe, whether you feel unsafe specifically around being slimmer or you feel unsafe in the general way, cortisol will flood your body.
What’s your thing, darling?
If you’re not already at your happy weight, then there’s a good chance you’re harbouring a toxic belief about the safety of being slim.
The good news is, you can change all of this.
The most powerful and quickest way I know is hypnotherapy.
But if you’re reading this at home (or work) right now, there is something you can do.
You might want to think of it as the antidote to the stress response. I encourage you to employ it every time you feel afraid or unsafe.
Heads-up: it’s very ‘low tech’. I get that. All that matters is that it works.
How to trigger your Relaxation Response
Mentally remind yourself that you are safe. Right here, right now you are safe. And breathe. I did say it was low tech!
Just breathe, because nothing communicates to every cell of your body that you’re safe, more eloquently than your breath.
Most of us breathe incorrectly. Here’s how to do it properly.
1. Put your hand on your tummy and, as you breathe in, make your tummy push your hand out. Notice your chest and shoulders stay still.
2. Count to three as you inhale, and three again as you exhale.
3. Repeat 10 times. (Feel free to panic after your 10th breath…but you probably won’t because you’ll feel so chilled!)
Notice how you can actually feel a physical relaxation response kick in. The cortisol dissipates and you’re now in a safe mental space where you can lose weight.
Calm.
Serene.
Safe.
Love etc, Avril
PS: If you’re trapped in the cycle of saying one thing but doing another, hypnotherapy can help. Why not drop me a line? What if being your happy, healthy weight was only a phone call away….
