By TCRN Staff
This is the first part of a five part series of articles about weight loss attitude and how to start changing your life for good.
The first and most important thing you should know is that You Already Have All You Need to Change.
Now… just think for a moment…
When is it that we stop being influenced by people and events outside of ourselves and develop our own individuality?
When is that crucial and decisive moment?
When do we decide to do what we know deep inside is right and best for us?
Do we need to hit rock bottom? Do we have to force ourselves to get there?
Yes, in some cases we have to and this is not necessarily bad. In fact, this could be the beginning of an amazing experience.
Many mighty influences fight for that place within you where choices are made. Some of these decisions are easy to make, while others are not only difficult but also painful, making it seem as if the anguish will never pass.
Eating is a social habit that is deeply rooted in our culture; it soothes and comforts us, and it can easily become a person’s escape from reality.
We celebrate the most beautiful occasions such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, and birthdays, with food; and we spend quality time with our friends and family over lunch or dinner; thus, it can be difficult to challenge society and change our habits in favor of a healthier life. However, in the end, no one but YOU decides what you want for your life.
You can follow the flock and deceive yourself about what happiness is, or you can set yourself free and live the life you have always dreamed of living.
You should know that the act of making a decision unleashes powerful creativity. A lot of people dream about what they want in life, but only the ones who act on their dreams will achieve them.
A big part of our daily lives passes by mechanically, in the absence of decisions, and changing this is the key to take apart destructive behaviors and models of unconscious actions in favor of new, healthy, and conscious decisions, such as losing weight.
Don’t kid yourself, it is difficult because we are used to letting our culture and outside influences make almost every decision for us without questioning if it works or not.
We all, at one point or another, have complained about many decisions made for us, we have whined about our weight, our job, and other life circumstances, but… do we do anything about it?
DECIDE you want to be healthy.
If you are struggling with your weight, go to a place where you can reconnect with your inner-self, where you will learn how to include natural foods and elements in your life, a place like Costa Rica, where wellness is intrinsic in the culture and you can feel, in flesh and blood, what a change in attitude can do for your body and soul.
Start by being aware in your daily life. Ask yourself:
– How many activities do I perform with care and decision, and how many are just inherited habits and unconscious behaviors that I just do without thinking?
Take smoking, for example. Smokers act out of habit, without making a conscious decision every time they light up a cigarette. They never stop to think about how it affects their health and if it is a good choice to smoke that next cigarette. It is an unconscious activity, just like breathing.
– Write down your patterns and habits about food and eating:
- Do I eat mindfully?
- Do I rush and gulp down a drink before going out the door?
- Do I eat because I’m bored?
- Do I pay attention to my hunger triggers?
- Can I identify the difference between when I’m hungry and when I’m just having a craving?
- Can I remember what I ate on a given day?
- Can I remember if I ate any snacks?
- When I’ve dieted before, was I aware of my eating habits or did I overlook some?
If you can’t answer some or all of these questions, start by using today and tomorrow to be aware of your behaviors and habits, write down what you do, and then come back here.
Maybe it is time you start believing in yourself and in the decisions that benefit you, and just maybe, it is time to start taking action!