NLP Perspective on weight loss
Many times people make New Year’s resolutions and decide to embark on an exercise program and go on a diet. Sounds familiar? Initially the results are great. The pounds are melting off, people begin to comment, the goal has been achieved.
After a while the pounds creep back on and soon the original abundance of fat is restored. Sometimes what comes back exceeds the original excess. Frustration sets in and the circle starts again.
Why does dieting seldom result in permanent fat loss?
The answer is quite simple.
Your weight represented by fat is usually a result of your lifestyle that can be changed, BUT more important is your deeply rooted self image. Deep inside you have created a representation of yourself.
That representation contains information such as; your worthiness, significance, desirability, importance, and how you look. You have established a belief about what you look like and how you are supposed to look like.
If you believe you ARE a fat person, you will regain all the weight you have lost, because deep inside humans want to be truthful and consistent.
A person who internally represents themselves as “fat” will not feel congruent with their self image after a weight loss.
They may not feel like themselves. Deep inside they may feel like a fraud. Despite better health and improved physical appearance, their self confidence may plummet.
If you have tried diets, succeeded and then rebounded, ask yourself how did you feel about yourself when you finally achieved your target? How did you feel when buying new clothes, when you were noticed, and what was the specific moment you took action that sabotaged your success? It could have been a “one time” trip to MacDonalds or a dessert at your friend’s house.
What happened in your mind just before you reached for that food? What were you thinking and feeling just after? And how did you decide to do it again?
Inside these answers you will find your self sabotage strategy, and deeply rooted reasons for sabotaging yor success.
Another question comes to mind -” Is this pattern prevalent in other areas of your life?”
If it is, there could be a deeply rooted problem with your self worth.
Do you feel worthy of success?
If you have been fat most of your life, you have become known as a fat person. You are recognized and accepted as the person you “are”. Suddenly, you have lost weight. People react to you differently. You may feel uneasy about the attention you are getting. Sometimes there is an element of rejection from friends who are not happy with the sudden change and want “you” back. They may even feel jealous of you if they too have been attempting to get rid of their fat.
Your shopping habits, eating habits and social habits may change. Change is scary to many people. It feels safe to “be” the way you were used to being.
Most importantly your deep unconscious self image is different from what you see in the mirror.
Slowly you sabotage your success; Miss a day in the gym, eat a dessert, overeat.
To permanently get rid of fat you must do few things: create a vision for yourself as your ideal self. How do you feel? How do you look? Why is it important for you to step into your ideal self?
If you don’t have a compelling Why, you will have trouble achieving your goals. You may not even be able to create goals. In order to achieve your goals you must be driven from within by a compelling Why. The Why creates a burning desire.
You must set your goals such that they are specific, measurable, time framed, achievable, verifiable and stated in a present tense. For example: It is now December 8 and I weigh one hundred fifty pounds (starting point was two hundred in May). I feel great, I fit into a size 8 dress and I am healthy and vibrant. I set that goal so I can optimize my life, maximize my happiness, enjoy physical activities and a renewed passion with my spouse.
Sometimes fat is a protective shield.
You may have developed it to protect yourself from unwanted sexual advances. This is common with people who were sexually abused as children. The reason for obesity in such cases is very deep and hidden from your conscious mind. Your deep underlying fear is what keeps you safely fat.
In such a case you fear will override your desire to be slim, and you may say to yourself you “don’t understand why you cannot lose weight”.
The only path to your freedom is getting rid of the influence your experience had upon your life and freely step into your optimal physical self.
You will need to learn that being attractive is safe, that you have the choice to say “no” to unwanted advances, that you deserve a happy relationship, and what such a relationship means. You may also have to rewire your beliefs about being worthy of a loving relationship.
The good news is, fat can be eradicated, your self image reprogrammed and new identity established. You truly can step into your power and enjoy an abundant life within the best you, you can be.