Losing Weight By Changing Your Label
Get this! Jackie is an amazing client of mine who was traumatized with a negative label at age 7. During an annual check up, her pediatrician measured her height and weight, then turned to her mother and said, “I guess you don’t have a model on your hands…look at her weight.”
35 years later, she remembers it like it was yesterday! Horrifying. Really horrifying. This set up a cascade of self critical negative beliefs that Jackie held on to for years. Decades! She fully believed that, like her mom and other relatives, she was destined to struggle with her weight, and destined to get type II diabetes. That was her fixed belief up until 2020 when Jackie decided to change her label.
The Mayo Clinic does so much work on the mind – body connection. I love their scientific dive into our thoughts and beliefs. At a conference at Mayo, I learned about labels. Jackie’s label has been, “I’m waiting to get diabetes. I’m destined to be overweight for the rest of my life, because I’ve been this way since I was a kid. I am powerless to change it.” Ouch.
Now Jackie is losing weight, and keeping it off, by changing her mindset. I see her believing in herself, and believing that it’s possible for her to achieve a healthy weight. She will be healthier in the future because she is investing the effort now to make that happen. During our consult today, Jackie and I worked on some new labels. “I am someone who is not passively waiting around to get diabetes. I’m pushing back against that.” “I am someone who BELIEVES it’s possible for me to have a long and healthy life.” I believe it too! She is turning this and other positive thoughts & labels into action.
What are the negative labels that are holding you back? What’s a positive label that you can believe? I am not going to assign myself the label that I can learn to run fast enough to be an Olympic athlete. Why not? Because I’m a super slow runner, and I’m 52 years old! That would be an unbelievable label. Here’s one I can believe. “I am someone who exercises first thing in the morning at least 6 days per week.” This morning, when I woke up, and it was dark and cold, and I didn’t really feel like exercising, I was able to tell myself, “I’m someone who exercises every morning, whether I’m in the mood to do it or not.” “I’m someone who knows that I feel great throughout the day if I start my day with some exercise.” It worked! I took a class and I feel terrific. How about you? What’s a positive label you can believe? Make it a stretch. I believe in you.
Thanks for listening. I wish you the best of health!
