Is Can’t Do Thinking Holding You Back from Looking and Feeling Great?

Stinkin’ thinkin’ is simply thinking thoughts that sabotage your weight-loss commitment and program you for weight gain. However, faith calls those things that are not as though they are (Romans 4:17). Some call it the law of attraction. This law states that everything coming into your life is the result of what you have been attracting to your life: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

The law of attraction involves saying and believing. Everything coming into your life is a result of what you have been attracting to your life by thinking, feeling, saying, and believing. Another way to look at it is how you live your life is like a magnet that draws the events that occur into your life, both good and bad. Words and thoughts are like magnets, but emotions and feelings are like super magnets. Everything around you, including the things you are complaining about, you have attracted.

Every time you think a though, including negative thoughts, you are attracting similar thoughts to you. The law of attraction works both ways: positive attracts positive, and negative attracts negative.

Unfortunately, most yo-yo dieters and obese individuals share a few common negative thoughts, and often they are not even aware that they have these. By thinking these negative thoughts, they are subconsciously attracting other similar thoughts and locking themselves into a weight-gain mentality. Like a virus that infiltrates a computer and takes hold of its operating software, these thoughts are sabotaging their weight-loss efforts, reprogramming their outlook, and enabling them to make excuses for why they fail.

“Can Do” Thinking

These are the most common stinkin’ thinkin’ lines I hear.

1. I hate myself
2. I look terrible
3. I am so fat
4. I do not fit in my clothes
5. I will never lose weight
6. I can just look at food and gain weight
7. My whole family is fat, so I have the genes to be fat and I will be fat
8. I have no willpower
9. Eating Healthy is to expensive
10. If I lose weight, I always gain it back
11. I hate to exercise
12. I am too busy to eat healthy
13. I am too tired to exercise
14. I have a slow metabolism
15. It is too late for me to lose weight.

Without a doubt, they can sabotage your weight loss. Although combating them often goes beyond the surface to some deep-seated beliefs, you can start by identifying them and contradicting them. It’s important to understand that for every negative thought, there is a positive one. As you identify these virus-like thoughts that want to ruin your weight-loss efforts, I challenge you to write down a positive statement for each of the negative ones that pertain to you. As you do this, you will eventually remove the virus, figuratively speaking, from your mind or your computer’s operating software.

I want you to write these positive affirmations, these “Can Do” thoughts, in your weight-loss journal next to a picture of yourself at a healthy weight or a lower weight. And always write them in present tense, alongside your ideal weight’s affirmative statement (“I see myself weight____________pounds”). Do not write, “I am going to look great” or “I will be at healthy weight or pant size.” It is critically important that you affirm the positive and express this through your present-tense visualization.

Start every day looking your mirror saying “{Your name}, I forgive you, I accept you, and I love you.” Then read your “Can Do” thoughts aloud, and read them again before bedtime.

1. I love myself, accept myself, and forgive myself.
2. I look great and feel great.
3. My favorite jeans fit perfectly
4. I am at my ideal or healthy weight and size, and I will remain at my ideal or healthy size for life.
5. I can resist the temptation for junk food or foods high in sugar and calories.
6. I have inherited genes that will help me lose weight.
7. I have the ability to say no to unhealthy food.
8. Eating healthy is very affordable.
9. I love to exercise
10. I can safely lose weight and surround myself with supportive, healthy relationships.
11. I have time to eat healthy
12. I have energy to exercise
13. Now is the perfect time to lose weight
14. I am motivated to eat healthy and exercise
15. I am a winner, and I am successful at losing weight.