BodyBoffin

A friend and I were rambling about the connection between our thoughts and feelings and how our beliefs drive our emotions, rather than the other way around.  But our conversation came to a screeching holt when we asked ourselves what the best way is to eradicate unwanted thoughts.  Not only that, but is it actually possible? 

Once a thought enters our mind and etches its way into our belief systems, can it subsequently be removed?  Is it as simple as replacing a self-limiting thought with a more positive one? Or at the very minimum, can it be changed?

In one of my very first sessions with my fabulous Life Coach (Suzy Greaves - www.thebig-leap.com), Suzy identified that my selfbelief that ‘I am fat’ is holding me back in all areas of my life.  I truly believed that I would never be happy until I lost weight and looked like the gym instructor that I so admire.  In response to this, she introduced me to Byron Katie and The Work.  The Work is a process of inquiry whereby you identify and challenge negative thoughts.

The Work consists of four questions:
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Until reading The Weight Less Mind (by Georgia Foster), I hadn’t even considered that my thoughts were being controlled by numerous personalities.  Like puppeteers, the different selves sit up all high and mighty, pushing their opinions into my thoughts through their chit chat.
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If you passed a stranger in the street chatting away to themselves you’d think they were ‘not quite right’.  Well, I would!

But what about the internal chit chat that’s going on in all our minds?  Other people are not privy to our inner conversations and thank goodness for that!  Well, unless by some obscure mind reading ability.

Georgia Foster, in her book The Weight Less Mind, defines this internal chit chat as our ”Inner Dialogue”.  What’s really interesting is that this Inner Dialogue consists of numerous voices, each representing a sub-personality or part.  This is known as the Psychology of Selves.  The different sub-personalities develop unconsciously during childhood with their main aim being to protect us.  As babies we’re completely vulnerable.  Our core selves build within the first few months and years, controlling our behaviour in order to deal with all that comes our way.   

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The July 2008 Psychologies Magazine includes a supplement called “Get Body Confident”.  It includes 100 “techniques, ideas and inspirations” aimed at helping us smile when we look in the mirror.

Interestingly, the Editor - Maureen Rice - talks about our emotions (such as the way we feel about our bodies), affecting our thoughts.  This is quite different to the Martha Beck model discussed in a previous blog about our thoughts being the root cause of all behaviour.  However, Maureen explains that the chain of cause and effect works in both directions.  I.e.  Our emotions affect our thoughts, which affect our actions, which affect our emotions and so on.  A cycle that as we know, once on is hard to get off!

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We’ve been talking about BodyBoffin Brooke Castillo a lot in recent blogs.  Brooke is a Master Certified Coach and the author of the book, “If I am So Smart, Why Can’t I Lose Weight? Tools To Get It Done!”

 
**Note: the above picture has been copied from http://www.brookecastillo.com/weight_coaching.html

If you’re keen to learn more about the tools Brooke uses with her overweight Clients, check out her free podcasts here… http://blog.brookecastillo.com/categories/Weight%20Loss%20Podcasts.aspx

Ok.  So we’ve learnt that we need to be more internally focused and really work on listening to our thoughts and what we’re feeling.  But how does that help me to feel better about myself? 

Martha Beck and her student Brooke Castillo believe our thoughts drive all behaviour.  Thoughts are responsible for our feelings, which cause our actions and our actions determine the results.  Brookes’ example is that being overweight is the result of over eating, which is the action.  What this model is saying is that every time we over eat we can trace back to particular thought(s) that drove us to eat.

Although a little confusing at first, this concept is totally revolutionary! 

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How many years have you set New Year resolutions related to losing weight??  I’m too scared to count!  I’m not sure I’ve ever had a New Year goal that wasn’t, ‘this year I WILL lose 5kg and I WILL get super fit.’

Brooke Castillo and Martha Beck believe that when we set diet and weight loss goals we’re setting ourselves up to fail.

In the ‘Why Can’t I Lose Weight? (You Can!)’ seminar (http://www.marthabeck.com/telecourses_detail.php?class_id=17&cat_name=Recorded%20Telecourses), Brooke explains that the minute you go off your diet or have an exercise free week, in our minds we’ve already failed.  The goal is thrown aside in frustration.  Another attempt yet again not completed.

Brooke teaches her Clients that dieting is not a one off event.  The relationship with our mind and body is life long and therefore must be seen as a long term process.  Rather than focusing on the weight (the symptom, not the cause), what we should be doing is asking ourselves two important questions:

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What the???  I can just imagine the indignation some of you felt reading the above blog title.  But I’m not joking!

Brooke Castillo - life coach specialising in weight loss (www.brookecastillo.com)  - believes that being overweight is a “gift”.  During the seminar Why Can’t I Lose Weight? (You Can!), Brooke explains that through the process of understanding why we over eat, we gain an in-depth knowledge of our inner self.

Overeating and the consequential extra weight we carry is the symptom, not the cause.  We can diet and exercise all we like in an attempt to lose weight but unless we extinguish the cause the pounds will return.  Just think how many times you’ve successfully lost weight, only to gain it back again.  “The way to lose weight [sustainably] is to evaluate the cause of your weight.”

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I’m absolutely buzzing!  

Yesterday I had the amazing experience of listening to a coaching seminar taught by Brooke Castillo (presented by Martha Beck Inc - www.marthabeck.com).  The seminar, titled Why Can’t I Lose Weight? (You Can!), combines tools from “The 4-Day Win”, by Martha Beck and Brooke Castillo’s book, “If I’m So Smart, Why Can’t I Lose Weight?” 

*Note: both books are available for purchase through www.amazon.com

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I was very sad to learn last week, although not surprised, that there’s no quick fix solution that results in sustainable weight loss.  Bugger!

I had the pleasure of meeting Vanessa Shaw, the founder of Simply Zest (www.simplyzest.com), last week.  A BIG thank you to Vanessa for sharing the following fabulous advice with us… (I’ll post the interview recording very soon - once I work out how to download it off my audio recorder!!)…

“Lifestyle Guru” Vanessa Shaw’s philosophy is based on long term, achievable weight loss.  Although the media is filled with tempting short term answers, such as our favourite 2 week diet and exercise blitz, they will not lead to lasting weight loss or help to increase vitality.

Vanessa focuses on health, well being and particularly weight loss.  Unlike some professionals, Vanessa believes that losing weight is important (where there is weight to be lost!) and through achieving realistic weight loss goals your overall health, well being and outlook on life is improved.

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