Trying to put my skinny jeans on again after a summer of going\non trips and constantly eating out is a painful experience! Both physically and emotionally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNothing tastes as good as skinny feels\u201d, at least that\u2019s what Oprah Winfrey says. Clearly she\u2019s never eaten my famous Lake Powell Trail Mix full of M&M\u2019s and white chocolate and butterscotch and peanut butter chips along with all my favorite nuts and caramel balls\u2026amazing! Summer wouldn’t be summer without my special trail mix…at least that’s what I tell myself…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s pretty crazy how we form an emotional bond with things, whether it\u2019s a morning cup of coffee or diet coke, or a snack at bedtime, or smoking a cigarette, or having a drink, or eating chocolate when stressed…we all have different habits we\u2019ve formed and often times we don\u2019t even realize how emotionally and physically dependent we have become on certain things until they\u2019ve become a genuine addiction.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As much as the physical addiction happens, it started with an emotional addiction. We see things as our security blanket, thinking we need them in order to feel okay, when really those things are just a piece of fabric with no special powers of comfort or protection.\u00a0 Those things have as much control over us as we gave them in the first place. And the only way to take back control is to change the way we are thinking about them.\u00a0 We have to stop allowing ourselves to think that we need them in order to feel happy or safe.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have to tell ourselves \u201cI can get through the day without my diet coke and still have a great day today!\u201d or \u201cI can make it through the day without that piece of chocolate cake and still feel happy.\u201d\u00a0 We have to talk some sense into ourselves by reminding ourselves that we are in charge of the situation and we don\u2019t \u201cneed\u201d anything that isn\u2019t good for us or isn\u2019t healthy.\u00a0We need to start telling ourselves how excited we are to get healthy, how awesome it is to drink water, and eat those vegetables that by golly we are going to LIKE!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We start overcoming bad habits by taking charge of our THOUGHTS!\u00a0 If we can do that, the rest will be easy, or at least easier.\u00a0 If we want to be in shape again and fit those favorite skinny jeans then we have to tell ourselves daily that we want to put those jeans on and feel how loose they are worse than we want to put that chocolate in our mouth.\u00a0 And we have to tell ourselves that we want to play with our kids and dance around without being winded worse than we want to drink our soda.\u00a0 Talk to yourself about the fact that your number one priority is to feel good, not to eat bad things, and not to sit on the couch watching TV, but to feel good about your body and how you are caring for it.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Focus your thoughts on the positive and help those around you do the same.\u00a0 Overcoming our bad habits or our lack of good habits is never easy, but it certainly helps to have friends to boost you up and motivate you each day.\u00a0 Most important, start being your own best friend and motivate yourself.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Offer yourself rewards for making progress. Maybe a new outfit you can get when you lose a few pounds, or a special night out once you\u2019ve gone without drinking soda for an entire week\u2026think of a reward that can be the \u201cCARROT\u201d that dangles in front of you each day to motivate you to stay on track.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now if only I can come up with a carrot that would motivate me as much as a bowl of lake powell trail mix does \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n