Kick Tush Tuesday: Deprived, Depressed, Defeated before you even begin?
“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.” ~ Buddha
Good Day Tushkateers!!!
It suddenly occurred to me that this past week was my “lose it 4ever” anniversary. Twelve years ago, I changed the trajectory of my life and permanently removed 50 pounds of excess body weight, a ton of heavy-duty mental baggage, yards of belief systems that no longer applied and more!
In honor of this anniversary, I am going to (re)tell my “Permanent Weight Loss Story,” in hopes that it will inspire you to dig deep, realize that your thoughts are leading the weigh, and basically, give you a Kick in the Tush!!! Ready??? Okay!
When I tell my permanent weight loss story; the story of how Our Lady of Weight Loss spoke to me and changed my life forever more, it is clear that the very first aHA moment (or fat-changing lesson) came when I realized that my thoughts were leading the way (or weigh, if you will).
How it went down! (the short of it)
On that historic morning some 12 years ago, I woke up FAT! True, I’d woken up fat before, but this morning, I woke up really FAT! I looked (just) like Violet from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. One more lifesaver, and I would explode!
So … I dragged myself to one of those weight loss centers were people obsess about food and weight. (You know the place to which I am referring, no?) To be clear, I was not happy that I rolled out of bed ‘fat.’
Au contraire! I was feeling depressed, defeated and deprived before I’d even began! Upon arrival at the weight loss center, I stood in-line with the multitude of others. I weighed in. It was my highest number ever.
I joined the thirty or so woman (and one lone man) for the lecture. As I looked around the room, I hit bottom, thinking that I’d been here and done this a multitude of times. What would make this time different than any other time? Would I ‘lose it’ only to ‘find it’ again?
Tears came to my eyes, and I thought, “I’m never going to make it.” That’s when I heard ‘the Voice.’* The Voice said, “If you think you’re never going to make it, you never will.” It was as if I’d been hit over the head with a Zen Celery stick.
The “aHa” moment. It was the first of many aHa moments or epiphanies, if you will. An aHa moment happens when various ideas that were free-floating through your mind, that were not linked to any other ideas, come together and form a new idea.
In this moment of creation, you are likely to feel a jolt, a serge of energy and with this energy you are likely to become motivated to take action!
Action follows thought.
My aHa moment was illuminating. I realized that actions follow thoughts. If I thought I was dead in the water and that this time was no different than any other time, the actions that would more than likely follow would be self-sabotaging actions. If there’s no hope, why not stop on the way home and pick up a pizza pie?
Clearly, the aHa moment that I had was energizing and electrifying enough to move me from sad to happy, from stuck to unstuck, from defeated to determined.
That aHa moment fed my soul!
The Iceberg Metaphor
The Iceberg metaphor is a model that is used by behavioral scientists, therapist and hypnotherapists alike.
It explains how our ‘way of being and doing’ is driven by our thinking and feeling, as well as our unconscious mind.
Consider this: Only 10 percent of the iceberg’s total mass is above the water, while 90 percent of it remains submerged. Nevertheless, the submerged 90 percent is what the ocean currents act upon. The submerged 90 percent is what create’s the iceberg’s behavior at its very tip.
NOW … consider this: When we attempt to change a behavior or create a new habit, we focus on the part of our iceberg that’s showing. We focus on how we eat, what we eat, when we eat, when we move our bodies, when we don’t. We focus solely on our behavior and the results that this behavior is manifesting.
If you want to create new habits, if you want to permanently remove your excess weight, then you need to start from the bottom of your submerged iceberg. You need to start with your thinking.
What do you think, Tushkateers? Are you ready to “lose it?”
Remember to join with Tushkateers across the land on FACEBOOK/Kick in the Tush Club, where you can dish the dirt, chew the fat and laugh it up while you slim down! 
Spread the word–NOT the icing,
Janice Taylor
Life & Wellness Coach, Weight Loss Expert
Wise * Fun * Utterly Useful
Dictated by Our Lady of Weight Loss, but not read: excuse typos!
