“Think Thin To Be Thin” … sounds irritating doesn’t it?

Sounds just like something thin people say, doesn’t it?! Of course it does, and why shouldn’t it … easier said than done, a concept that had to come from someone who has never had to work at it, someone who could probably eat anything they ever wanted to and never gained a pound or an inch … what do people like THAT know about struggling with weight issues!

I completely understand the frustration and having seen my weight fluctuate by nearly 40 lbs due to the complex ups and downs associated with Graves’ and then Hashimoto’s (the same autoimmune diseases that inspired this site) I can tell you that frustration is NOT the emotion you want to foster.

 

BE AWARE OF YOUR EMOTIONAL RESPONSE

FRUSTRATION equates to FAILURE as it is born out of disappointment from any and all resistance to achieving your goals … if you really want to have an emotion associated with the concept that only thin people stay thin then aim for ELATION… “Why?!” you’ll ask “why in the world should I feel elated from the overwhelming reality that only thin people stay thin?” … Well, simple… you should feel elated because YOU TOO ARE THIN!… generally speaking aside from exhibiting different physical shapes (and FAT isn’t one of them) we’re all meant to be thin. We’re all born thin, aren’t we?! So, what / where / how did it all go wrong?

Take me for example – I never really weighed more than 112 lbs before being affected by Graves’, during which the very fast metabolism caused me to binge-eat without gaining a pound; and after which these eating habits had already become the new norm, and so when my Graves’ subsided and Hashimoto’s took over I was in for a surprise- I found myself all of a sudden in the 150’s range and completely and desperately unable to shed a single pound. It was so devastating!

 

REALITY IS…

But to revert to my previous point …NOT TRUE… thin people don’t stay thin! And my case is a perfectly logical illustration of that. However, one thing is for sure- disease was the only cause for my unnatural condition of being overweight. Similarly, in many instances, chronic disease aside from poor diet and daily habits are cause for so many to be overweight in today’s society. But don’t be mistaken, being overweight is a disease in and of itself – it is not the natural physical state of your body and so we should treat it as such.

 

MINDFULNESS IS THE KEY THAT UNLOCKS THE DESIRE

So when I say “think thin to be thin” I don’t mean stick your head in the sand and daydream… well, maybe daydream just a little, that too helps 🙂 … I mean think like the thin person you are meant to be; make the natural choices in your daily lives, be mindful when you pick your food, listen to the inner you, don’t seek comfort in your food, seek sustenance … think of it as fuel for your body to be able to do the things that it needs to do throughout the day… and then once a week go out to dinner and enjoy yourself with some indulgences… I promise you, that dinner will taste so much better! Slowly, your old habits of burying your sorrows in a bucket of fries (which may feel amazing while eating them but will surely feel terrible afterwards) will be replaced by new habits of eating a steamed sweet potato instead, which is sure to feel amazing during and after…

When you have to go to the store and you know it’s only a 15 minute walk – opt to take the walk and not drive the car. So what that you can’t carry everything back… that just means you get to walk to the store again in 2 days instead of driving there in 5 to only buy up a bunch of things you don’t really need and to load up in your car because it gives you that temporary false sense of misplaced joy in abundance and fulfillment.

Think thin when you’re looking for that new dress, picture yourself in it… and if you can, buy it even! Yes, I know you can’t wear it just yet BUT that’s only a matter of time, because you are going to rock that dress as soon as you get this little situation resolved.

Think about those dumbbells you saw at the store… they come in various sizes and colors, really cute colors … you can get some cute teal 5 lbs ones to keep right there, next to your couch for when you have to binge watch your favorite shows. You can pick ’em up and maybe do a few reps… who knows!… you might even like that… and as you’re lifting your 5 lbs -ers, you might even forget you’re doing it and keep doing it a little longer…

 

INCREMENT FOR REAL CHANGE

MY point is … it’s the small incremental steps that we consciously take that become subconscious habits over time to shape our minds and bodies… and what we often fail to realize is that WE HAVE FULL CONTROL of them / it / everything! THINK ABOUT IT! 

And sometimes getting some extra help just to kick start the process doesn’t hurt either, as long you make sure to stick to natural products and consult your doctor.

Luv. Viv.