June 21, 2015

About motivation:

Being motivated is a wonderful state of your being. In that state your body leverages huge amounts of energy. Your emotional field is totally balanced, physically you're able to climb the Everest and mentally you understand the whole Universe in a split of a second. I know you know the feeling. The good news is that you can re-create this state pretty much whenever you want.

Motivation tip #1: Ignore The Unimportant

Learning to ignore is a fantastic lesson. Much more rewarding than you think. There must be an art of ignoring and they should teach it in universities. Spanning your focus in so many areas will only weaken you. Ignoring what's unimportant will free up energy, foster motivation and help you stay focused and productive.

Journal Quote:
Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts inevitably brings you about right results. - James Allen

I am having a very hard time with weight loss. My food addiction seems to have gotten the best of me and I can see myself slowly gaining a pound here and there. I do not understand why it is so hard for me to lose weight. I have a very good reason to want to do it; but I don’t understand why that is just not enough. Does food fill the void of something I am missing in life? Every time I think about having to lose weight and practice self-care, a little voice inside me starts to scream. 

Why is it screaming? What is so terrible about losing weight? Nothing; but the thought of self-care is painful. 

Why is self-care painful? Because I have to do things I don’t want to do.

What don’t I want to do? I don’t want to stop eating. I don’t want to have to think about what I am eating and whether or not it is the best choice. I want to eat what I want – when I want. 

It seems that I want to be impulsive. It seems like I want to do whatever pops into my mind regardless of the consequences. But consequences are important. For every action there is a reaction. For every impulsive bite, there is a reaction that may not be very pleasant. If I chose to act with self-care in mind, the reactions may be positive; however, if I act impulsively, the reactions may be negative. 

Impulsive behavior is unconscious and out of control. Self-care behavior is deliberate and conscious and allows me to be in control. Isn’t that what I want? Isn’t that what everyone wants? To be in control of one’s life and destiny? 

What are the ways I can be in control of my life and destiny?

1.    Go to bed by 11:00 pm

2.    Exercise daily

3.    Log all my food in a journal 

4.    Measure food out before eating it

5.    Set regular meal times and do not snack between meals 

6.    rink water

7.    Eat slowly

I know this is difficult for you right now and you want this to change. What your are describing is a true food addiction and wanting to stay in denial that this is really a problem for you. You are saying, "I don’t want to stop eating. I don’t want to have to think about what I am eating and whether or not it is the best choice. I want to eat what I want – when I want." This tells me that the voice is screaming..."I am normal and nothing is wrong with me!" I can control this. I am strong enough to know WHAT and HOW MUCH to eat. 

The answer to your question is...it’s not about the food. It’s about numbing and distracting yourself so you can avoid something unpleasant. Not having the ability to tolerate difficult feelings. It is about not having anything else that gives you pleasure in life...that you look forward to. And, it can be about deep self-loathing.

The fact is that you have an addiction to food and it is very much a treatable illness. Do you believe that you are powerless over food? I know it sounds cliché, but the first step is admitting that you have no power over this and you are ready to work a program to stop the pain. You have been rejecting ideas of change and ways to work a program of change. Does that mean that you have not really reached this first step? It is not about control, but more about releasing control and admitting a weakness.