Words matter. Especially when it comes to your health.
Yes, words. You see, we speak to ourselves all day and every day, and our bodies listen to us. Some of us speak to ourselves out loud (as I’ve been known to do from time to time…) but mostly we speak silently to ourselves.
The words we use can determine how we react and how we feel.
For example, let’s say Amy and Jody decided to each have a bowl of ice cream.
Amy said to herself, “I don’t eat this often but I’m going to treat myself and enjoy and savor each bite of this ice cream.”
Jody has a different conversation with herself, “I’m so weak but I have to have this ice cream. I can’t help myself and now I feel so guilty.”
Keep in mind that the words we speak directly affect our bodies.
So, in Amy’s case, she has decided that she was going to enjoy her ice cream and accepted that she doesn’t eat it often, but that she feels good having it now. Amy’s body is in a relaxed state because she is feeling good and will probably even eat less as she is savoring each bite. Therefore, her body can easily digest the ice cream and take in any form of nutrition that may be available.
In Jody’s case, she is feeling guilt and shame. Jody’s body and organs will go into a stressed or contracted state. This makes it very difficult to digest any type of food as the colon tightens up and can’t take in any nutrition or even process the food. Then, most of the ice cream will just turn into sugar and get stored as fat.
When we get ourselves into stressed or contracted states, it is harder for our bodies to work, thereby making it more difficult to remove fat, and so many other functions.
So, who do you think is more susceptible to gaining weight from eating that ice cream?
Of course, the answer is obvious that Jody is more prone to adding extra weight than Amy.
You see there are ways we speak that can either help us or even harm us. The trick is to be kinder to ourselves. This way, we feel better, and our bodies respond accordingly.
Another common mistake people make when trying to talk to themselves in accomplishing something is they focus on what they DON’T want as opposed to what they DO want.
As in our example above, Amy focuses on what she DOES want, which is that she will enjoy and feel good. However, Jody focuses on what she DOESN’T really want, feeling guilty and weak. But Jody tells herself that and therefore becomes what she says.
You will also notice that whenever I talk about weight, I talk about the goal being to “release” weight or getting to your “optimal” weight. These are much more positive terms as opposed to “lose” weight which may mean to our subconscious brain that we will have to find it again after we lose it!
Yes, our subconscious brain takes what we say quite literally. So, we must speak to it with more positive and calming words.
For me, I have been working on retraining my brain for years. It’s definitely a work in progress, but I feel I am so much more positive than I used to be and my body has responded to be in a healthier state.
You see, I used to beat myself up all the time and make myself feel stupid and weak for giving in to food temptations. It was particularly bad when I weighed 50 pounds more than I do today. But even when I started releasing the weight, I still struggled with the negative talk.
Once I started to be more kind and easier on myself, that’s when I started getting better health and weight results, and just felt so much better.
The tricks I use are repetition and visualization. I talk to myself in a positive way and picture myself in whatever state I desire. I do this over and over and over, several times throughout the day. And it works!
Try this yourself and let me know how it works for you.
You can also take a shortcut by figuring out exactly what you need to tell yourself and even what may be blocking you from your health goals—or anything in your life.
There may be deep reasons we feel stuck. And it all has to do with the tiny “pieces of code” that have been embedded in our brains over the years.
My friend Natalie Ledwell created this quick quiz that will show you the surprising truth about your past, and how it’s affecting your present. I know it helped me.
Perhaps it will help you by identifying what’s blocking you and then teaching you how to re-train your brain so you can get to your optimal weight, improve your health, or whatever it is that you would like.
“It is our choices that show what we truly are far more than our abilities.”
Live well and love more,
Jill Gordon
CHHC, HHC, CNHP, Digestive Health Specialist
All material in this newsletter is provided for information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this publication; instead, readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being. The information provided has not been approved the Food & Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness or disease.
