Hi Ladies,
Today I had a very interesting revelation: My mindset was contributing to my health neglegence.
I was at an appointment with a wonderful nurse who knew me in 2006 as I was losing weight prior to my knee surgery and subsequent 30lb gain. This wonderful nurse said things like, "We just need to get you refocused" and "You were losing weight before, you can do it again."

I cried.

What?
I was treated with compassion, respect, and support and I cried? I couldn't figure it out at first. Then I realized, I had felt helpless as the weight creeped on and I was still on crutches. Then, of course I was depressed and felt trapped that once again I weighed "this much." Since then, my pitiful attempts to lose the weight again were truly without believing that I could.

My mind needs to believe that I can (oh, yeah, AND I need to eat less and exercise more). But seriously, if I don't BELIEVE I can, it won't happen.

Although in the depths of my mind, I knew this (at least about other things that I try)...it was so striking to realize it applies to my journey to a healthy weight. I don't want to "think I can" - I want to KNOW I can. I'm slowly convincing my mind that "I know I can lose the weight.

The mind is powerful...I must apply it's power to good not evil!

Well said, Miss Cammie!!

Just thinking about this makes me shake my head. There are so many other things that I've done in my life that others have commented on (learning to ride a motorcycle at 17, jumping out of airplanes, becoming a single mom at 38, etc).

It just never occured to me that I couldn't do any of those things. I just did it.

THAT's the mindset I need to have about returning to my healthy weight. I need to think, "Well of course I can do it."

I do believe that this journey is mental AND physical. Anything you can do to give yourself a leg up, so to speak, is important!

It's interesting that when I started this current weight loss attempt, I had failed many times before. This time, I didn't necessarily believe that I COULD, but I tried to block out of my head the fact that I COULDN'T. In other words, I didn't believe (yet) but was willing to give it a go.

Not sure this is making sense, I'm hyped up on cough syrup!

So very much of this is mental. Like Heather, I didn't necessarily believe that I could do it, but I believed that I HAD to do it, one way or another. I had a true awakening when I discovered that I actually weighed 346 lbs. I knew then and there that something had to change. I had determined that if the first way I tried to lose weight didn't work, I would just have to keep trying until I found something that did work. What I was doing DID indeed work, so that in itself was a huge motivator.

A big part of the mental game with me was visualizing things like seeing the scale change, fitting into smaller clothes, looking in the mirror and being happy with what I saw, etc. I think the early days of my weight loss effort were held together entirely by my efforts at visualizing successful weight loss. That is what kept me going from day to day. That is the one thing I did that was truly different between this time and other attempts to lose weight. It made all the difference in the world really.... And it can for you too!

I totally believe in the power of visualization too. When I first started I had a goal at get my triglycerides down to a healthy number instead of 508 (a very unhealthy number). I visualized that number everyday getting smaller - it really kept me going and in three monthes the number was 176. Yes, Tammy, visualization is a wonderful tool.

Yes, Cammie - you have to believe. We believe in you - you should too.

You are SO right, Cammie! I am working to believe I can still, but I'm getting better at not letting myself think i can't. I lay in the bathtub at night now, close my eyes, and imagine myself thin. I imagine how all my body parts might look like, and sometimes I imagine situations in the future, like walking into my sister's house in Ohio this summer and everyone's jaw dropping! I imagine it as if it is GOING to happen...and I am starting to believe it will. These little tub sessions are something I look forward to now!

Visualization is awesome! You use that mind, girl! Believe you can do it.

I believe that the magic formula to healthy, successful weight loss is 80% mental, 15% healthy eating and 5% exercise. I'm not sure that the last 20% will do you much good in the long run, maintaining weight loss, unless you have the first 80% sorted out.

Zelma

Ya know something? Now that you say it, all the previous attempts for me at weight loss, the ones which were unsuccessful for me, I never truly believed that I could do it. But this last time, there was no doubt in my mind that I wouldn't do it. It really was odd.

But for kind of the same reasons as Tammy. Something just HAD to be done. I could not go on like I was. If for some reason what I did (eating incredibly healthy, counting my calories and execise) wouldn't have "worked", though I was determined that it would, I would have tried something else.

I really believe it's all mental. I wouldn't have been able to eat healthy, count calories and exercise if I hadn't gotten it together in my head first.

Oh, Thank you ladies for your thoughts!

I was reading the responses this morning and it struck me that one of my favorite "Disney Princesses" - Tinkerbell - had a similar experience in Peter Pan. (The whole series of Tink taking the poison and Peter saying "Clap your hands 3 times if you believe.")

I think that having been thin until my early 30s has been working against me. Things like medical professionals saying "Well you're not 20 anymore, you're going to gain weight" have created an entire mindset of "you can live with this." The bottom line is: sure, I could live at 239-245 lbs.

I don't want to.
I want to be thin again. I want to be excited about the way I look. (I want my daughter to see me at a healthy weight...before she realizes I'm fat.)

Now, please tell me all the reasons that you all "thought/think you can" or "knew you could"...I'm going to have to get my mindset healthy in order to get my body healthy.

Thanks - Ladies. Wether you know it or not, you inspire me.

This is sooo true...

I wonder if any of you have read the book Psycho-Cybernetics. It's an older book, you can get it cheap on Amazon, but it talks about this. It also gives you great exercises to help change your beliefs, and to start visualizing if you've not done that before.

It also tells you why this works -- lots of science. It's a great book if you've never read it.

Lori

Wow Lori!
No, I've never heard of the book.
I have used visualization before. I've used it for improving time on races, on doing well on tests, on public speaking, etc. (It hasn't worked for winning the lottery, yet. ) To be honest, I never thought about the "exercises" that might help me debunk my untrue beliefs and get my mind on track.

It certainly makes sense. I can visualize myself skinny...I was slender until 32. I have photos of the "slender me" in my house. I just wasn't thinking that I could get back to that. I suppose I need some exercises to figure out what I'm supposed to be visualizing.

I can totally understand where you are coming from. I fight this negative thinking constantly. I believe this is from starting so many weight loss plans and failing. I've built up a foundation of failure and disbelief that creeps into my head when I least expect it. The great thing is that I've slowly starting building up a foundation of small victories that make me extremely hopeful. And, during those times that I'm not feeling hopeful, I fake it and just keep doing what I need to do. And, miraculously the weight loss comes!

Hang in there Cammie. You've been through some rough times, but the victories will come your way and you will find your hope.

Wow! Awesome post, Cammie. I agree with so much of what you said. But what really got me was how you cried when you were treated with compassion and kindness. Wouldn't it be great if we could possibly treat OURSELVES with compassion and kindness... rather than criticism and condemnation?

The power of the mind and positive thinking is something I really believe. Thank you for reminding us all about that!