| "True ease . . . comes from art, not chance, | | | | 1. Face the music |
| as those move easiest who have learned to | | | | |
| dance." | | | | Whatever you are unwilling to confront will |
| | | | control you. |
| Alexander Pope, poet, "An essay on criticism" | | | | |
| | | | If you face the music, you usually get less |
| In weight loss circles, it is understood that | | | | rather than more wrenching pain and |
| people talk themselves and act themselves | | | | self-criticism. In fact, it can be |
| into self-defeating life patterns. | | | | exhilarating to finally face a task that has |
| | | | been draining your energy with each thought |
| For example, you may have fully convinced | | | | that occurs without action. |
| yourself that losing weight is too hard, too | | | | |
| frightening, too much to give up. | | | | 2. Start the dance even if you don't hear the |
| | | | music. |
| You'd like to do it; you know you have it in | | | | |
| you, but you tell yourself that it would be | | | | Writers and other creative people often wait |
| excruciatingly difficult . . . painfully | | | | for the perfect moment of inspiration to |
| long. | | | | overtake them before beginning a project. |
| | | | |
| So you put off starting just as long as you | | | | While losing weight can take some planning, |
| can. | | | | there is no better time to start than now. |
| | | | Why do diets always start on Monday or after |
| Years pass. | | | | the holidays? |
| | | | |
| But like the song you can't get out of your | | | | Don't wait! |
| head, the extra weight continues to haunt | | | | |
| you. | | | | The sooner you start, the better chance you |
| | | | will have of making progress, whether it is |
| You may even start the process over and over, | | | | Monday or not. |
| feel frustrated and stop again. | | | | |
| | | | 3. Move your feet. |
| Delaying the process only increases your | | | | |
| fear. | | | | Don't think. Just do. |
| | | | |
| When you strengthen the pattern of starting | | | | Go to the gym, walk outside, or step onto a |
| and stopping yourself, you convince yourself | | | | treadmill. Move your feet and see what |
| that losing weight is only a "pipedream". | | | | happens. Maybe it will only last 5 minutes. |
| | | | But at least you are doing something and you |
| The task seems nearly impossible, so you | | | | don't have time to talk yourself out of it. |
| continue the vicious cycle by avoiding. | | | | This is a proven strategy that works for |
| | | | people who struggle with motivation and need |
| As you procrastinate in this way, your | | | | to get going. |
| beliefs and fears intensify your fright and | | | | |
| reinforce your avoiding behavior. | | | | 4. Fill your dance card. |
| | | | |
| Each time, you think about losing weight-how | | | | Write down a list of action steps (buy the |
| nice it would be to be thin, how nice it | | | | foods you plan to use, work out an exercise |
| would be to have more energy, fit into your | | | | schedule, etc). |
| clothes, look and feel better-and each time, | | | | |
| you stop yourself from starting. | | | | Make the steps as specific as possible. Make |
| | | | them as small as necessary to move you to |
| Oh, the energy you use to hold it off . . . | | | | action and move toward completing the |
| | | | process. |
| The only way to overcome this negative | | | | |
| pattern is to actively do what you are | | | | Pick a small one (15 minutes or less) and do |
| avoiding, without judging or criticizing. | | | | it today. |
| | | | |
| Just as avoiding tends to reinforce negative | | | | 5. Keep dancing. |
| patterns, taking action reinforces the | | | | |
| positive if you keep moving toward your goal. | | | | Make an agreement to be in motion for a short |
| Remember that people don't generally regret | | | | period each day no matter what. It can be as |
| the actions they have taken in their lives as | | | | short as 5 minutes. Don't talk yourself out |
| much as those actions left undone. | | | | of it by making excuses such as "that will |
| | | | only be a drop in the bucket". You may get |
| In the process of losing weight, there are a | | | | inspired to do more, but you don't have to. |
| lot of opportunities for turning back. The | | | | |
| world is full of people who sabotage | | | | That way, you avoid power struggles with |
| themselves and never "get to the finish | | | | yourself. |
| line". | | | | |
| | | | You can quit after your committed amount of |
| Don't be one of them. | | | | time with a clear conscience, or do more |
| | | | your choice. |
| Here are 5 strategies to forward your | | | | |
| momentum and let the dancing begin: | | | | Here's to dancing! |
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