They say that if you do something for 3 weeks it becomes a habit. I am not convinced of this. What I do know is that for most people, 3 weeks into a new eating plan or New Years resolution is when your motivation starts to falter. I know this is the case for me. I am feeling discouraged and it is more than the scale. My knee is in a lot of pain and it has been a week since my last walk which I (shockingly) really miss! Thank goodness for you guys and this blog. So many of you have jumped on board with me and are experiencing some of the same struggles. Not that I would wish them on anyone but it is sure nice to know you are not alone. The good news is, we can turn this around. It is time to bring out the big guns.
The Pleasure Principle is a Freudian concept that has been brought into the limelight by Tony Robbins. He says it is the single greatest tool to harness your personal power. The concept is that everything we do is to gain pleasure or avoid pain. I was never sold on this until many years ago when I saw it very clearly in my own life.
As a sales rep I was on the road A LOT. I had just upgraded my car to an Impala and loved driving fast. It got me where I needed to go faster and I had fun doing it. I wasn't reckless, I just enjoyed speed. I guess I wasn't very good at it though because I tended to get speeding tickets on a regular basis. The last time I got pulled over the officer told me that this ticket was going to push me over 10 demerit points and I could lose my licence. I freaked out. I needed my car for my livelihood. I would not only lose my car, I would lose my job. I decided to fight the ticket and lucky for me, it got dropped but something happened in that instant. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't speed. On the 401, my speedometer would not go above 110. The "pain" or fear of losing my licence far outweighed the pleasure of speeding.
Once I saw the power of this I used this principle to help me quit smoking and to get out of a bad relationship once and for all. I even used it for losing weight when I realized that if I didn't get this weight off, having a baby was just a pipe dream. Now it is time to use it again. There is a a more complicated way to do this but all I do is start writing. I set my goal (in this case to lose 100 or more pounds by Dec 31, 2013) and then I write down the pleasure I will gain by achieving this goal in as much detail as possible.
"If I lose this weight I will finally be free to live and move without limitations. I will make my son proud but most of all I will be proud of myself and no longer feel like a hypocrite. I will be able to shop in regular stores and wear beautiful clothes that make me stand out in the crowd. My husband and I will ignite our passion for life and love. I will enjoy the great outdoors and never have to worry again if there will be hills or stairs. I will travel freely and enjoy flying in planes. I will walk the streets of New York or explore the old cities of Italy all day without wearing out. I will go to any restaurant to enjoy a meal knowing that the food doesn't dictate my choices and neither does the booth size. I will learn yoga and treat my body as the temple it is. I will set a good example for my children and inspire them to adopt good habits. I will get up and speak without fear of judgement. I will go on a tropical vacation and lounge by the pool in a beautiful bathing suit without covering up. I will be healthier than ever and cut my risk for diabetes, heart disease and cancer. My PCOS will be controlled without the use of drugs. I will be there for my family. I will be able to help others get their healthy bodies back and that will feed my soul. I will be taken seriously because I take myself seriously. I will be unstoppable!"
You have to feel this with passion. Post it somewhere that you can read it every day. Maybe make a vision board with images if you are a more visual person. Now the opposite side of the coin is PAIN. I will do this one tomorrow because it requires a little more research and time. Until then, I will dream of yoga pants and shopping in NYC.
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