By Barbara Bishop
I am struggling with my weight loss. I recently spoke to an expert, a guru in mantras, and discovered I was resisting losing weight, trying to control how to lose it and how much to lose, and thinking it was going to be so hard to do it.
A mantra is a sound, word or phrase that you repeat over and over either out loud, or in your mind. They are tools for the mind and redirect unwanted patterns of thought. Mantras are not to be confused with meditations, which is a physical act of turning inward and observing the mind instead of redirecting it.
She gave me several mantras to help redirect my thinking and to effortlessly start losing weight.
Identify your resistance. For example:
- Every time you put your clothes on and get sad or mad. Resistance. I got so mad that I donated at least half of my wardrobe to charity the other day.
- Every time you look at your fat rolls and get depressed. Resistance. I only look at the mirror from the neck up these days.
- Every time you think, ‘no progress.’ Resistance. That’s when I say fck it and order a pizza.
Mantras for Total Acceptance
- My body is working hard and is returning to wholeness right now.
- I don’t need to be faster or slower; I am going at the exact perfect pace for me.
- My health is improving and so is my life.
- Perfection does not exist.
Let go of controlling how you lose weight. For example:
You actively work to control the details of your life in order to reach an outcome resulting in what you want and what you think is best. It doesn’t work. Trust me.
Mantras for Release
- I release any perceptions that are not mine.
- I release my personal expectations.
- I release self-judgments.
- I will stop comparing myself to the 18-year-old models in Vogue. (I made this one up.)
Make it Easy
My guru says that weight loss does not have to be a struggle, an uphill battle or a fight. Weight loss is designed to be simple. It is a journey to learn new lessons about your life. Stop making this harder than it needs to be. (Easier said than done, my dear guru.)
Mantras for Making Weight Loss Simple
- My weight loss, from here on out, will be simple.
- I will listen to my true inner voice for directions on next steps.
- I don’t have to spend effort my weight loss, I can simply allow it. (This one is my favorite.)
Trust it will produce the result you are working towards. You’re probably thinking, “yeah, right” by now. Me too.
Mantras for Trust
- I believe it’s possible.
- I have faith.
- Ok, even though I may not believe it’s possible, there is one tiny baby cell in my body that does believe it’s possible and that’s good enough right now. (I made this one up.)
Ok. I’m on board. This stuff better work. My 40th high school reunion is in a month.
