Have you ever had two different experiences from the same size pair of pants? They are both a size XX, but one fits like a glove and the other not so much. How can that be? They are both the same size.
Check out how all the power is placed in a pair of pants — two totally different conversations with two totally different outcomes.
Thursday morning – Imagine with me for a minute. You put on your nice new boot cut pair of jeans to go with that pretty sweater and boots. Checking yourself out in the mirror, a couple of spins around, you think to yourself…Wow, these pants are amazing! Damn! I look good!
The whole day you’re feeling fantastically wonderful. You’re standing taller, feeling all confident and good about yourself…You may even catch yourself taking a couple of peeks at your reflection. You’re on fire! Thoughts are running through your mind. Wow, this diet is finally paying off. See, only eating protein is really working. No sugar is truly the right decision. Look at me! [cheers and applause heard in the background]
Fast forward to Friday morning. You put on a different pair of pants, and you think to yourself “Eww, these are a little tight.” Okay, no big deal and off you go.
You eat your three egg white omelette (same as yesterday) and a cup of coffee without milk (milk is fattening, you know). You sit at your desk and your pants are digging into your side. Now, you’re thinking, “What the hell?” Lunchtime comes along and your plan for a salad turns into a panini because you’re pissed that your pants are tight. Pants are now cutting off your circulation. “I feel like a stuffed sausage in these pants?” “I’m the biggest fat slob ever!” is what you tell yourself. I’m such a failure. Home you go, sweat pants on and the binge begins. [boos and jeers heard in the background]
You sit and wonder what happened? Thursday and Friday, you were the same weight and the same size – nothing changed except for the cut of the pants. So as your confidence and self-worth decreased, your appetite increased. All because your pants were a little tight that Friday morning.
And what comes after feeling like a failure? That’s right, a spiraling out-of-control, self-loathing binge. Since you’ve been depriving yourself of carbs and white sugar, you’ve now set off the alarm and now you’ve boarded the train to failure town.
Does any of this sound at all familiar? It sure does to me.
We give so much power away – to our pants, to our diet, to other people’s opinions. Pants look good, we’re powerful. Pants are tight, we are powerless! Pants look good, diet gets the credit. Pants are tight, YOU get the blame – not the diet! You! YOU are the failure!
Taking back our power for outside situations needs to be the plan of action. Thoughts become the belief and the belief becomes the action. Therefore, whether you think you look good or bad in those pants, you’ve placed all the power in how you look. Your actions are then generated from the belief that I look good or I look bad in these pants as opposed to being most incredible human being no matter what you are wearing or the size of your magnificent body. You follow?
Consider this:
Why do you allow your power and your incredible strength to come from a pair of powerless pants and diet of deprivation?
Who taught you your self-worth and confidence is determined by how you look on the outside, not by how valuable and smart you are on the inside?
You were the same weight, same size, same smart, beautiful, loving, hard-working individual in both scenarios. Is there a takeaway from each scenario that can help you get to your better self?
How can these conversations be different next time?
Need help answering these questions? Are you ready to start the conversation to begin to transform your relationship with food and your body? Would you like to give coaching a try? Good, then click here to schedule your FREE introductory session.
Contact me with any questions or comments by emailing me at coach@coachnancylundy.com or call me at 718-258-9198.
Nancy
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