How Our Thoughts Create Our Results

Often, when we set out to lose weight or eat healthier, we end up focusing solely on external factors without considering the internal.

We jump right into the action – the “doing.”

• Eat this, not that.
• Drink more water.
• Take your supplements.

Now don’t get me wrong.

Action is, of course, necessary, but alone it can only take us so far.

We must also consider what fuels those actions on a day-to-day basis.

What determines whether or not we show up for ourselves when we just want to pull the blanket over our head or drown our sorrows in a pint of chocolate chip ice cream?

Our thoughts.

Yes, how we think determines how we feel and how we feel determines how we show up in our lives, meaning the actions (or inaction), which ultimately produce our results.

“You can’t have a happy ending without a happy journey.”

This is why many people don’t get permanent results when it comes to losing weight long-term because they put so much focus on their actions without paying attention to their inner world, too (i.e. the thoughts and feelings driving those actions).

If you’re following a diet that makes you feel terrible, or you’re following some meal plan with foods you don’t actually enjoy eating, you’re likely just relying on willpower to push yourself through. Whatever results you do get will never be sustained long-term.

Just like you can’t hate yourself thin.

If you scold, shame, or guilt yourself into taking action, you’ll be just as miserable when you finally reach your goal weight – albeit a lighter version – and again, the results won’t be sustainable long-term

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The think-feel-act cycle is always playing out in our lives, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not.

Here’s a real-life, and very simplistic, scenario to illustrate:

You’ve made the decision that you’re going to lose weight – this time for good.

You’re excited about your new diet. Your work colleague lost weight eating this way too, and you’re feeling hopeful. You’ve been eating well and following your plan.

Three weeks in, you decide to step on the scale to track your progress.

Your heart sinks. Only one pound down. How can this be?

You think: I’ll never get to my goal weight. Or maybe even I’m a failure.

This thought makes you feel discouraged or maybe even hopeless.

This leads to the actions of you beating yourself up, seeking out comfort foods, and maybe throwing your diet out the window altogether.

Your results? You gain the one pound back plus a few extra pounds and provide evidence to yourself that you’re not moving towards your goal weight (just as you thought).

Now let’s look at an alternative way that this cycle could play out using the same circumstance as above.

You think: Yesss, one pound down! I’m making progress, but I can probably kick things up a notch and do better.

This thought makes you feel determined or maybe committed.

This leads to the actions of you sticking with your plan, making some tweaks to it, tracking your progress, and continuing to tweak as necessary.

Your results? You keep making progress towards your goal, and you also provide evidence to yourself that you can do better (just as you thought).

Again, this merely demonstrates one very simplistic example of how this cycle can play out.

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Our minds can be our most powerful ally or our worst enemy.

The good news is that we get to choose what we think and believe. Yes, we have a choice!

This means we can intentionally practice new thoughts.

It’s estimated that we have in the ballpark of 40,000 and 60,000 thoughts per day, most of them unconscious.

What harmful thoughts are you choosing to believe about yourself? 

Just because you think it doesn’t mean it’s true.

The first step is awareness.

If you notice a thought playing on repeat that isn’t serving you, practice replacing it with a better feeling thought.

One caveat: I’m not advocating repeating affirmations that you don’t yet believe.

If you find yourself looking in the mirror, thinking, “Ugh, I hate my body,” rather than jumping to, “I love my body!” (which I presume isn’t believable for you at this moment) how about:

“I have a body that gets me around,” or “My body has never let me down.”

Think of this as a “helper” or “ladder” thought from which you can slowly work your way up.

Keep practicing thoughts that elicit positive emotions.

The reality is that we’re not always going to feel excited, happy, and overjoyed to take action.

But how about feelings such as courageous, committed, determined, curious, willing, or hopeful?

Indeed, one or more of those feelings could propel you forward.

In the end, you get to choose where to focus your attention, but I hope you choose well for yourself.

You never know – you might just be one thought, feeling, or action away from changing your life trajectory!

All love,

Elaine