Key 1: Right Thinking

[miss_elisha]

The first of Dr. Phil's Keys to lasting weight loss is "Right Thinking." We all know that there are times when we can mentally force ourselves into a certain course of action (or out of one), and we all know that our minds play a very large role in weight loss. We know that it's a conscious decision to eat that cookie, or to put it down. We know all about "the power of positive thinking" and that we're supposed to "think ourselves thin." My father always says to me, "Carrots versus Candy Bars, that's all dieting is."
With today's technologically advanced lifestyle, all the information we want is right at our fingertips. We can find out how many calories is in that slice of pizza and how many minutes we have to exercise to burn it off; we can learn how high-glycemic foods impact our blood sugar and what can be done to counteract that impact. We have access to more knowledge than we know what to do with.

But it is working? Has it worked for you?

OK, so say that the plethora of information isn't working, that it hasn't helped. Why not? Knowledge is power, right? So why aren't we thin yet?

Dr. Phil contends that we are telling ourselves we can't do it, perhaps in ways we don't even recognize. Take the self-audits in the Right Thinking chapter. How negative are you?

If you're anything like me, you're a lot more negative than you realized. Constantly telling yourself that you cannot and will not succeed is a sure method of failure. Your mind believes what you tell it.

The solution? Talk positively. Tell yourself that you CAN and WILL succeed. Isn't that obvious?

Obvious, perhaps, but easier said than done.

So with this in mind, what are some ways in which you give yourself positive messages? How do you catch yourself in the midst of a negative thought and transform it into something positive? Is there a particular thought that you have the most problems with? How are you making your thinking more "right?"

[ShellMack]

Hey there,

After reading Key 1, I realize that I am an all or nothing thinker. I used to think that if I blew my good eating habits one day, that I should just forget it, eat anything I want and I would pick it up another time. I used to sabotage myself this way and would not give myself a break for having a teeny lapse. Doing so, made my teeny lapse a huge nightmare and I would cycle back and forth between being on target and completely off. After reading Dr. P's chapter on "Right Thinking", I realize that I blame myself a lot and I really don't talk very well about myself. I started catching the things I was saying in my head and now work very hard at challenging those thoughts. A few things I try to do daily now is to say something positive about myself in the evenings and to challenge a lot of the negative body image comments I make during the day in my head. I am amazed at some of the comments I make or have made as I would never say them to another human being on earth. Some were "nice roll fatty" or "you look awful". Catching those thoughts in my head and changing them to positive comments has a made a difference in my attitude toward losing weight. I am a work in progress and I am giving myself credit for the effort it takes to keep moving forward.

Thanks for letting me share,

[bubblymom]

Hey group,
I'm taking my time with the review of this chapter. I have to think of how I can internalize this chapter and "get" the key before I move on. I have a very high internal Weight locus of control, Average external and very low Chance...I know it is not due to chance that I'm overweight...please! I internalize a lot. Thats why my self talk has to be changed...I have to stop beating myself up. Frustration, All-or-Nothing, Pipe Dreaming, gut-level, self downing and poor me thinking all apply to me. I have a lot of work to do on this key...I'll have to catch up to you guys down the road, follow the forum and check in. I want to take it slow and "do it right" this time, no rushing. I need to 'get it'. I could always lose weight to get married, or to be in a wedding. But now that most of my friends are married..It's time to stop the yo-yo and change my life for me. Thanks for leading us Miss_E! I'll be following everyone's progress!

[marbleflys]

Hi everyone, sorry to be late to discussion....(its been a busy time)

I always start out full throttle then lose steam, then just plain stop being motivated, give up and restart later, the cycle repeats itself and I never seem to "win".

This time, when the obsticles arose, I tried a different tactic and did not feel like I've *failed*, I just improvised and changed direction, I'm still moving forward and feel positive.

[bubblymom]

Sorry, busy time here too. I haven't made any progress. No time to read. I'm taking one day at a time...until I have time. From the slow of the posts, I understand it may be the wrong timing for everyone. I'll check back in a couple weeks or so when things slow down and get organized...well wishes to everyone!

[margaret1975109]

I'm reading Dr. Phil's book too. I even have his cookbook. It has some great recipes in it. I find his advice to be mostly just common-sense, but often, you need to hear someone speak that common sense before you can accept it. Right now, I'm just watching what I eat and trying to make better choices. I'm often guilty of slipping up and then thinking "What the heck! I'll go back on my diet tomorrow" and then just go overboard in my eating. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who has this problem.

[purplepansy912]

This is a hard key for me.. right thinking? hmmm I'm not the most positive person. I'm the glass half empty, not full sorta person. I'm going to re-read this step over and over again till it sinks in!!