Mind Control

Always recognize your accomplishments even if silently in your own head and don't overanalyze your shortcomings.

These are wise words that can keep perfectionists or as I call them, "Type As," from casting themselves into a black hold of negativity. We may all know someone or be that someone who is the "over-achiever." Nothing is good enough and there's always a driving force to do better. This may sound good on a Nike advertisement or a Marine bumper sticker, but for the "Type A" that never pauses for a moment to enjoy the present achivement will become vulnerable to the smallest disappointment. It is necessary at times to reflect and unclutter any self-criticisms so you can appreciate who you are and embrace it.

As you may have guessed, I am one of these Type A people. I used to be so bad that when I won only 2nd place at a national tournament for Karate, I ditched my trophy silently in a bush and beat myself up mentally for the next few weeks. I failed to reflect that I had bumped up in divisions (I was a brown belt fighting black belts) and that I had fought my heart out. None of that mattered. I went home that night and practiced my katas until I could barely stand. Yep. I was pretty bad.

Today, I am much better. I am not fully over this “Type A” complex, but I’m learning to recognize any self-defeating patterns when they start and with some reinforcement, I can pull myself out of it. One way I do this is by reading articles such as the one below or talking to an unbiased, caring individual or the one I probably do the most: Yoga and meditation. To free myself from ambition used to be like hoisting boulders over a mountain. Now it’s more like throwing small rocks or paper balls and the mountain is more of a hill. So to all my “Type As,” I feel you. Remember that you are amazing and nobody else can capture your individual essence, so embrace it and live it and LOVE IT! This will not only help you to achieve your fitness goals, it will help you to achieve any goal and not be discouraged along the way. Be your own best friend and pick yourself up ^-^

xoxoxo
Erin
Yakuza
Coach Kuz




By: Maia Appleby
When you truly consider the weight-loss process, the battle waged is mostly in your mind. "Should I eat the corn muffin with butter or would it be better for me to have margarine or better yet, have jelly? What am I doing eating this muffin anyway? It's so caloric and filled with saturated fat. I'm such a pig. I have absolutely zero willpower." It's no wonder you'll eat that muffin with the butter and slather jelly on top to quiet that negative self-talk.

What you need more than a diet is a way to shift those negative self-defeating thoughts to more adaptive, positive self-statements. As with most things worth doing, this requires a bit of practice. First, become aware when you're using a negative statement, then determine what about that thought is faulty and finally, replace it with a self-defense response or coping thought. In the corn muffin example, instead of listening to "I'm such a pig" which clearly mislabels who you are, respond with "Pigs are animals and I am human. I don't have to be perfect."
Many people cannot change their eating habits until they change their thoughts about food, eating and drinking. By shedding "distorted" thoughts and replacing them with productive ones, eating habits can be changed. It is possible to rid yourself from many self-critical thoughts, but like any ingrained habit, it takes vigor and vigilance to change. Here are some other thinking distortions to challenge:

Shoulds

Should statements are more about other people's values, not ones chosen by the person who wants to lose weight. Additionally, should statements reflect an attempt by the dieter to motivate herself without really believing in the value. Better to determine what works for you. "I will eat up to two Hershey kisses daily and thoroughly enjoy them."


All-or-Nothing

This kind of reasoning is the foundation for perfectionism. An all-or-nothing individual views the world as black or white. Since there is no allowance for gray areas, the behavior is either perfect or a failure. "I've ruined my diet by eating all that pizza. I can't stay on a diet and I'll just always be fat." Maybe the problem does not arise from the behavior... maybe the problem is with the diet that does not allow for pizza. "I do not want to give pizza up for the rest of my life, so what I need is a way to include pizza in my diet without feeling like a failure. Let me try having a salad (dressing on the side) before the pizza to take the edge off my hunger."


Good Foods/Bad Foods

If the truth be told, foods do not misbehave. Foods are not good or bad. While it is true that some foods have more nutrients or are more fiber-dense than others, all foods can be enjoyed. How we think about food colors what we eat and how much we eat. If a food is labeled as bad (such as fries), then for many individuals that food is taboo.

When one eventually succumbs to eating the forbidden, french fries, bingeing may result. Rather than continue with dichotomous thinking of good food/bad food, shift to allow space for all foods you like without judgement. Instead of "I ate those fries which are so bad for me" to "I really enjoyed that small portion of fries. They really satisfied me."

Body Distortions
Rather than dwelling on how fat or thin you think your body is, it is extremely helpful to view your body in terms of what it can do for you. For example, when you look in the mirror, instead of zooming in on your stomach which "looks five months pregnant, although your last baby was nine years ago" tell yourself "my body has given life" or "my body enables me to go where I want to and allows me to have fun."
The conversations that are going on inside your head cannot be stopped. However, what you can do is to be aware of negative self-talk and understand that it has little to do with actual reality. When you believe this, you can respond to the critical voice with a more objective, coping thought. Although negative thoughts may not be stopped entirely, they can be quieted by listening to your compassionate, caring voice.

In much the same way you would sympathize and listen to a close friend, listen to yourself. Be your own best friend and chances are you'll have greater weight loss success.