By Dr. Amy Iaquinta, Functional Medicine practitioner
Many of us well-intentioned people start out the new year with resolve to make changes…thus the “New Year’s Resolution”. Weight loss is one of the most popular! However, most of these resolutions go out the window quickly. Why is this? One of the biggest reasons is because most people try to plow their way through by just using “will power” yet they don’t change the number one thing that enables or disables someone to reaching their goals. They don’t change their MIND before trying to change their body.
Albert Einstein once said, "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it." What is consciousness? It’s simply your awareness. What are you aware of being right now? In short, if you want to be a “new” you in 2021, a person who is at a healthy weight, then you must FIRST get a vision of this new you. BEFORE you start on your new healthy eating plan get a vision of who this new and improved you IS so you can start your plan with a new level of awareness this time around.
Here’s an exercise to try. Get a piece of paper and write down what this new version of you would look like, feel like, and be doing. How would you be eating? What kinds of better decisions would you be making? How would you feel after a day of making smart, healthy eating choices? What if you got off track for a moment? Would you get dejected and give up or would you get right back up on the horse because you are AWARE that you are NOW a person who is conscious of what he or she eats and therefore makes great choices?
Once you have this version of yourself clear in your mind, create a symbol or find something representative of this new version of you. It might be a picture of you from a time when you were at your ideal weight. Or it may simply be something like a stone, or a word that pops up on your phone throughout the day as a reminder….anything you want that will symbolize your end goal. Put this item or photo in a place that you will see it many times per day. You must be conscious of this improved version of yourself. This is your end destination. Just like traveling….if you don’t have an idea of where you are going then when the moment of decision comes you will just be winging it with the hope of getting there. Try driving to New York without having that location plugged into your GPS. Good luck making it there in a timely manner….if ever at all. Or you may just give up and decide to go next year. If you don’t get the end destination clear in your programmed system first then you will continue to have the same problem time after time.
This is essentially what we do when we embark on something new. It sounds great at the time, and we really hope this time will be different, yet we never change our MIND. Therefore, all the same habits and subconscious patterns continue to play out because we are not paying attention. Now with this new version of you in mind, you can ask yourself every moment that is applicable, “How would this new version of me act or react in this situation?” Would she exercise today? Would he make a better choice at dinner time?
Embody this new version of yourself….make it so real in your mind that you really FEEL like this person even though you can’t see the results yet. By changing your mind, you will leverage a power much greater than simply will. Will power goes out the window when you are driven by habits and subconscious belief patterns. Imagine this new version of yourself daily by embodying FEELING like this new person before you see it. This will shift your mindset to be in alignment with your end goal. I challenge you to try this as a first step: fall asleep at night imagining yourself to be at your ideal and healthy weight. See yourself in your mind as this new version of you. You may find out that making better choices and sticking to your healthy weight plan is a whole lot easier from this level of consciousness. And that 2021 turns out to be the year you actually made those changes.
Need help getting in the right mindset to lose weight? Schedule a Consultation with Dr. Amy Iaquinta, Functional Medicine Practitioner: info@healthfitmovement.com