The Real Reason You’re Not Losing Weight
Like the tens-of-millions who are consistently playing the yoyo game of ‘dieting’ – you’ve tried every diet fad ever hyped and sold, so why do 95% of those who do so never lose weight at all, or for more than some brief period – just to gain it all back and then some? You sincerely want to be fit and slim – yet the scale betrays you in your mind – again, and again….and again. If you’re not seeing the results and a slimmer body, even when you’re “doing everything right,” it’s time to go to an entirely new level and discover what’s really holding you back.
Conscious vs. Subconscious Core Beliefs –
When there’s something you really want but can’t make it happen no matter what you do, chances are that your challenge is your subconscious. Hidden self-limiting beliefs and fears are almost always at the core of preventing you from having what you want. We’ll use the classic iceberg analogy. Your conscious mind is the tip of the iceberg that shows above water. It’s visible and obvious. From this place your goal is clear. You’ll say for example “I want to lose 50 pounds” – and you truly believe you do and mean to lose that 50-pounds. Your subconscious mind however is the mass below water, unseen beneath the surface and it is not in alignment with the conscious mind. More importantly, it is far more powerful than your conscious mind. When underlying thoughts, beliefs, emotions and limitations are hidden, you can’t anticipate the impact it will have in terms of your results until your actual behaviors and actions have resulted in disappointment and frustration.
To garner the results you want – your conscious & subconscious minds must agree on the goal and the way to get there. If your subconscious mind says, “I’m ready to lose weight and I’ll do whatever it takes – you will lose weight. But when your subconscious mind holds fear and doubt, chances are you’ll have a harder time and may sabotage yourself despite your best intentions.
How to Shift Your Subconscious Blocks
To move beyond subconscious blocks that exist within you, you must discover what they are. Be gentle with yourself. It’s not your fault you’re having a hard time releasing weight if you don’t even know what hidden obstacles are blocking you. If you experienced trauma as a child—abandonment; loss; physical, sexual or emotional abuse—chances are your subconscious mind may still hold the energy of low self-worth, guilt, shame, and lack of trust in yourself and the world. Perhaps you’re wondering, “But what does this old pain have to do with losing weight today?”
Let me explain…
Adverse experiences in childhood take a toll on your self-worth. When you feel unlovable as a child, you carry this belief into adulthood and it influences all the choices you make. Especially around taking good care of yourself. Until you’ve healed from these early wounds, deep inside you may not feel worthy to create the life—or body—that you want.
Subconscious negative images of yourself affect you in ways you may not even notice. For example, you know that portion control at mealtime is necessary to lose weight. But even when you’re physically full, you keep eating. Your determination to lose weight doesn’t stop you from adding more food to your plate. That’s because food can never satisfy emotional hunger.
Sometimes it’s obvious when you’re using food to soothe yourself—those days you feel sad, lonely, or frustrated and head straight to the fridge. Other times, you may not recognize that a deeper hunger lies within. But when you eat that second—or third—helping, time and time again, it’s a sign that something deeper is getting in your way.
The Limiting Beliefs That Keep You Heavy
Here are five common limiting beliefs and fears that I’ve heard from clients over the years. Some clients knew the beliefs that got in their way but didn’t know how to change them. For others, it wasn’t until they dug deeper in our work together that they discovered the hidden fears that were holding them back. Can you relate to any of these?
“I’m afraid to lose weight because if I’m thin men will find me attractive and hurt me sexually.” (This is commonly experienced by sexual abuse survivors.)
“I’m afraid to lose weight because if I’m thin and still don’t meet anyone, then I’ll really feel like a failure.”
“If I lose weight, people will expect more from me. I’m not ready to be more engaged in the world.”
“If I’m thin I won’t be like everyone else in my family. I don’t want to be disloyal and separate from them.”
“If I lose weight, then who am I? I don’t know who I am if I’m not a fat person.”
When you acknowledge that hidden, fear-based beliefs like these exist within you, you’re taking an important first step to overcome self-sabotage. While insight alone isn’t necessarily enough to eliminate them completely, old beliefs lose strength once revealed.
Massaging the Heart
This is one of my favorite techniques to use when working with limiting and fear-based beliefs. This simple energy psychology technique uses your heart energy to help transform fear into self-love and acceptance.
- Get yourself comfortable and close your eyes. Put your hand over your heart. Feel it beating as you connect with its loving Divine energy. Breathe.
- Move your hand gently in a circular motion as if massaging your heart and say to yourself or out loud:
“Even though deep down I’m afraid and having a hard time releasing weight, I totally and completely love and accept myself.”
3. Repeat this phrase three times, or more.
Another variation is to mention the specific fear you’re working on. For example, “Even though I’m afraid of failing and having a hard time releasing weight, I totally and completely love and accept myself.”
Keeping the phrase general guides your Divine heart energy to all fears (conscious and subconscious), so either phrasing is fine.
When you use the Massaging the Heart technique daily, your subconscious mind absorbs feelings of love and acceptance and strengthens your self-worth. It then becomes easier to overcome self-sabotage.
Releasing fears and limiting beliefs take time. The quick fix is not the path to permanent weight loss; going deeper is. So be patient and have faith in yourself. You’ll get there.
What fears are holding you back from your ideal fitness and health and wellness goals?
Have you struggled to lose or maintain your optimal weight? What is your weight story? Please leave your comments below and reach out to us at www.purehealthandholistic.com – you can also join our Facebook community at https://www.facebook.com/healthandholistic .
“Exercise is like telling your body “you’re gonna hate me for this, but you’ll thank me later.”
