The Hope Diet: How to Nourish Your Belief In Your Ability to Lose Weight
Helen Keller's life is a testament to the power of hope. When she was about two years old she contracted a disease that robbed her of both her sight and hearing. When you consider that she could neither see nor hear, it seems impossible to believe that she would grow up to be one of the most revered personalities of the 20th Century, working tirelessly on behalf of world peace, women's suffrage and civil rights.
What makes Helen Keller's story even more remarkable is the fact that she was born in 1880, which meant she lived during a time when being a woman was considered a disability and being physically disabled was perceived as being less than human. So how was Keller able to accomplish so much with such formidable obstacles? She believed in the power of hope and confidence.
Unfortunately, when it comes to our outlook on losing weight too many of us seem to be on a starvation diet of doubt and lack of confidence. To remedy this, we are going look at some practices that will nourish the belief in our ability to lose weight and live healthier lives.
Binge on Books
Books that make you feel optimistic and help you look forward to the positive possibilities that lie ahead can be wellsprings of hope. Read from such books every day – even for only five or ten minutes. You can turn to spiritual texts, books of poetry and quotations, novels or pages you have written in your
personal journal. Copy particularly "hope filled" passages in a scrapbook so they will be readily accessible on occasions when you need a quick fix.
Think "As If"
Pause at least five minutes each day and think healthy thoughts. Think about your life as if you have already achieved your weight loss and healthy living goals. Think about not only how you will look but about how you will feel. Look beyond the weight loss goals toward what will happen next and what else you hope to do and where else you expect to go with your life.
Weigh the Benefits
Simply getting on the scale every day is not an effective way to "keep hope alive." On the other hand, a daily practice of weighing our bodies along with the benefits of losing weight and living healthier can help bolster our hope and
confidence. When making a list of weight and wellness benefits, focus on things that matter to you, and be very specific about what you will derive from succeeding in this area of your life. Once you complete your list, make copies so
you can post it in your home and carry a copy with you wherever you go.
Jacqueline D. Stanley: Author, Speaker, Chief Encouragement Officer at Lettuce Is Not Enough University: The Place to Learn How to Live Well and Lose Weight.
www.lettuceisnotenough.com
Take Responsibility for Reshaping Your Life
We say we want to eat better, feel better, and look better. But in order to make our goals materialize, we have to take responsibility for what we want by taking the appropriate actions. Here are three simple steps to help you turn your healthy goals into concrete accomplishments:
Step One: Blame No One.
Pointing fingers at the fast food industry, the media or your mother is not going to move you one step closer to reaching your goals. Blame invariably inspires guilt and reproach, so that when we start out blaming others, before we know it we are faulting ourselves. There is no time for that. Besides, the minute you blame something or someone for the shape of your life, you are denying yourself the opportunity to take the action you need to transform your circumstances. It isn't a question of whose fault it is that you are where you are today. The point is to shoulder the responsibility for moving your life in a more positive direction.
Step Two: Expect Nothing.
Taking responsibility for your life is its own reward. We should do so because it is the mature, grown-up thing to do. A willingness to be accountable for our choices and actions is what it means to be an adult. Because there are no guarantees in life, if you decide to begin making your health a priority, don't expect your family to support you or that your blood pressure will be lowered. An ongoing healthy lifestyle is not about trying to slim down so you can fit into your swimsuit by summer or about living to be 100. It is about saying, "I am going to take care of myself because as far as I know this is the only body I am going to get, and it makes sense that I should respect and care for it."
Step Three: Do Something.
Responsibility demands action. Until you do something about the shape of your life, nothing is going to change. And here's the kicker: because it is your life and you are responsible for the way it looks, only you can decide what you must do. So, take stock of your life and do what you can do to improve it. If you have been sitting around, get up. If you can't run, then walk. When you fall down, take a minute to gather yourself, and then get up and continue with your plan of action. Because in the final analysis, how much we weigh is not a fraction as important as taking responsibility for our lives by doing what we can to make them healthier and happier.
Jacqueline D. Stanley: Author, Speaker, Chief Encouragement Officer at Lettuce Is Not Enough University: The Place to Learn How to Live Well and Lose Weight.
www.lettuceisnotenough.com
How to know if you are ready for psychotherapy
Copyright 2006 Sara Dryburgh
Starting psychotherapy can be the start of many positive changes in your life, but it is not something to undertake lightly. In my psychotherapy practice I am continually meeting new potential patients and advising them on whether they are ready to start. Over the years I have developed a set of criteria. Here they are, to help you decide.
DO YOU REALISE IT'S NOT LIKE A VISIT TO THE DOCTOR ?
Many visits to the doctor are very simple and straightforward. You go with a problem, the doctor makes a diagnosis, prescribes the drug or carries out a procedure and the problem goes away. Psychotherapy isn't like that at all. You go with a problem which may not be the real problem, then you start on a course of treatment which may move very quickly, or very slowly. Sometimes you might have an idea that you know where it is going, sometimes you may have no idea at all. You will see progress but may have very little view of when it is actually going to end.
ARE YOU PREPARED TO DISCOVER THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF ?
You may realise that the problem is quite different from what you thought. For example one lady came to me complaining of low self esteem, but after a number of sessions we realised that it was quite the opposite. The problem was actually a feeling of omnipotence, feeling that she should be capable of anything, deserved everything and it was the frustration of that that was actually causing her problem rather than the feeling of low self worth.
CAN YOU ACCEPT THAT THERAPY WON'T MOVE IN A STRAIGHT LINE ?
At the start of a course of therapy it's possible usually to give some idea how long things will take, but that's only an indication. Sometimes things will move quickly for a spell then slow down. At times you may even feel that you are going backwards, but then you will set off again in an entirely new direction. You need to keep yourself open to the possibilities.
ARE YOU READY FOR THE ELEMENT OF RISK INVOLVED ?
You are committing a lot of time and money to therapy. You are going to be disclosing quite sensitive things about yourself to someone who at the moment you don't know particularly well. There is an unavoidable risk involved there which you have to accept.
DON'T NECESSARILY EXPECT A LONG TREATMENT.
Some people are in therapy for years, sometimes it takes months, while others come only 2 or 3 times and get everything they need. You may simply need some interpretations which help you to reframe the problem to look at it in a different way. You may fairly quickly realise that the problem isn't a psychological one at all; it may be that you need to change environments; you need to change jobs, that maybe the problem.
DON'T BE PUT OFF IF YOU FEEL NERVOUS.
If you feel nervous when you pick up the phone or when you come to your first appointment, don't worry; it's normal. Psychotherapy isn't like a visit to the hairdresser or the manicurist. In fact, it is probably a good sign to feel a little nervous at the start. It shows that you have begun to think about the possibility of change; positive, but also sometimes quite scary.
ACCEPT THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE CHALLENGED
Therapy will on occasions make you feel uncomfortable. A good therapist will never push you too hard but you are going to have to disclose weaknesses, or things about yourself which you have always kept quiet before. You are going to have some of your views about the world and about other people challenged and examined. This is an inevitable part of the process but at times it will make you feel slightly uncomfortable.
DON'T WAIT TOO LONG
If you can answer yes to most of the above, do something. Start looking for a therapist, make a first appointment. You could spend the rest of your life waiting to be completely sure or completely ready, but life is too short.
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Sara Dryburgh is a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist. She offers a free online course for those considering psychotherapy, to help them understand more about the process and get the best from it.
http://www.saradryburgh.co.uk/course.htm
