While I’m in Charleston, South Carolina, for a retreat, I’m sharing some of my favorite blogs from the past.

One of the ways I used to trip myself up was to second-guess everything I was doing.

While doing one workout, I was wondering if another might be better.

I’d spend a lot of mental energy debating between taking the elevator or stairs, and mentally chastise myself over what I ate.

Being wishy-washy about your decisions—or downright critical—is the mental equivalent of letting the air out of your tires.

It is an energetic leak that will slow the success you really want.

While debating your decision when the choices are fairly similar will slow your progress, you will give yourself a flat tire in a second if you choose something you believe is actually harmful.

Negative thoughts and emotion can literally impact your metabolism and other weight-related systems making it easier to gain and harder to release weight.

Actually doing the action you believe to be detrimental—and the resulting guilt, shame, etc.—increases the negative effects.

Remember this the next time you are having a thought such as, “That cake is so fattening. I really shouldn’t eat it,” or “I know fried chicken is bad, bad, bad.”

Don’t eat it!

Unless you can soften your thoughts and beliefs about it, pick something else!

Every action is preceded by a thought and belief, all of which have energy.

Think of each step as increasing your momentum.

Aligning the energy of a thought . . . with the energy of a belief . . .  AND the energy of your action in the direction of your goal is like a train gaining speed towards your destination.

It has the full force of momentum behind it.

The energy of an action that is heading in the opposite direction of your thought or belief is like having a head-on collision.

At the very least it’s painful. At worst, it can derail your efforts.

The key is to put all of your support behind your decisions.

You do that by:

• Being present and committed to what you are doing in the moment. For instance, put all of your energy into the workout you are doing. You can then gauge by the results you are getting if you need to rethink your plan.
• Making decisions quickly. Don’t waste a lot of energy debating between one healthy thing and another. Pick one and move on.
• Choosing the option that feels best. There are days it feels good to your body to take the stairs. There are days your body needs a rest and the elevator feels better. Pay attention to how the decision feels, and choose the better feeling option. It’s always the right one.
• Fully commit to the choice you are making, particularly if they are pretty similar. If grabbing a protein bar helps you get out of the house on time, that’s a great option over a protein shake. Don’t second guess it. You can even boost the power of the decision by being grateful for the option.
• Getting your thoughts, beliefs, and actions in alignment. If you believe eating any cake on your diet is “bad,” make sure you keep that off your fork. If you really want some cake, how can you feel good about eating it? Perhaps you can align with the idea of having a free meal once a week that will enable you to have a little cake and still meet your goals. Then when you do have some, enjoy it! If you feel guilt afterwards, your thoughts and beliefs aren’t in alignment with your actions.

Pay attention to how you feel.

Positive emotions such as confidence, contentment, eagerness, etc., are a sign that you are headed towards your goals and are gaining momentum.

Negative catabolic emotions such as guilt, deprivation, doubt, etc., are a warning sign that your thoughts and beliefs are headed in the opposite direction of your goals and that you are in danger of not getting where you want to go.

Begin today to pay attention to your thoughts and beliefs and make sure they are in alignment with your actions.

Together we can do it!

I Want to Give You a Present!

It’s my birthday week and I’m giving the presents!

I am giving a FREE laser breakthrough coaching session to 5 women who register this week for my complimentary tele-seminar . . .

Register now! http://loveyourwayslim.com/breakdietrules/

These powerful 50 minute coaching sessions will empower you to move forward in alignment with your wellness goals.

Register now if you are serious about getting the body you want.

I’ll select the 5 winners at the end of the day on Friday.