I love the Wayne Dyer quote, "When you change the way you look at things the things you look at change."
I'm a huge Wayne Dyer fan. I've been reading his books and listening to his CDs for years. He's the one guy who can get me to open my wallet for PBS. I find him incredibly inspiring and motivating in a real and accessible way.
This quote, which I repeat to myself regularly, popped into my head just as I was waking up, which led me to think about it as it relates to my experience with weight loss. When I changed the way I looked at things I was doing related to weight loss, those things changed…
How I Changed the Way I Looked at Weight Loss
I used to think of Weight Watchers as a diet that required me to deprive myself of my favorite foods. I spent a lot of time focusing on what I couldn't have. Now I look at it as a lifestyle that allows me to live the slim and healthy life I desire and focus a lot more on everything I can have.
I used to look at my Weight Watchers meeting as something I had to do. Another chore on my never-ending to do list. Now I look at it as 30 minutes of food sanity and in an otherwise out of control food world, an activity that helps to ground me and keep me connected to my desire to stay slim and healthy.
I used to look at myself as broken, a freak with no self-control who ate food even when it didn't taste good and stuffed herself past full over and over again.
Now I look at myself as someone perfectly designed for a different world. I now know that my biology is designed for the "see food" diet to help me survive in a feast-or-famine world. My environment is what is out of whack, not me. We are living in an over-the-top food focused world brimming with super-sized portions and overly processed junk. To live happy, healthy and slim, I simply need to learn to manage my environment. To set it up to support me not sabotage me.
I used to get frustrated when any program didn't align with my beliefs perfectly. When it would promote foods I saw as too processed or suggested artificial sweeteners that I viewed as dangerous or undesirable.
Now I chose to take what works from any program and let the rest go. I now realize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. I cherry-pick the parts of a plan that work for me, taking the best of the best from each to customize an approach that is as unique as me.
I used to look at exercise as a form of punishment and torture. It was something I did to my body, always expecting to get something in return - lost weight, tighter abs, firm upper arms, Now I look at exercise as a gift I give my body, a form of self-care that helps me stay strong, flexible, sleep better, and feel better.
The results?
Amazing! Staggering! Unbelievable!
When I changed the way I looked at weight loss, weight loss changed for me forever.
Has the way you look at weight loss changed? How could changing the way you look at things change your weight loss?
Here's a great video where Dr. Wayne Dyer talking about the power of changing the way you look at things:
And another great video with Dr. Dyer talking about How to change your life by changing your way of thinking:
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Mary-Ellen Hutter
Hi Martha..........once again.....I am so glad I found you and your emails....I so appreciate all the energy and effort you put into presenting different subjects and many recipes! If not for your desire to help others, many of us would not see the articles or revamped recipes, so THANK YOU!!
Here on Vancouver Island we are enjoying summer like weather so hiking and going to the cabin are on top of the list.........if you have any make ahead recipes you think we may enjoy, I would appreciate reading them..I am always on the lookout for simple yet nourishing dishes that I can either just take out of the cooler/rv fridge and serve..........or heat and serve.......then there is more time for walking the river, hiking up hills (my sister's idea.....brutul....but sure feel wonderful when we finish!) Still have to figure out a way that I can retire and get even more time at the cabin......lol.....
Take care,
Mary-Ellen
Martha McKinnon
Hi Mary-Ellen,
Thanks for your post! I do put a lot of time and energy into my recipes and posts, so it's nice to know that you find them helpful! Summer has arrived here in Phoenix as well, so my thoughts are also turning to make-ahead dishes. I made a yummy pasta salad recently that we enjoyed right from the fridge for several days. I will try to get it posted soon. You may want to check my "side dish" recipe category. I've made several salads/sides with quinoa and/or brown rice that may work for you.
I have a sister who likes to challenge me too! It's good to have people in our lives who motivate us, isn't it?
Enjoy the cabin. It sounds wonderful.
Michelle
Thank you for sharing these word from Dr. Wayne Dyer. It is very true, that when you look at things differently, you see things differently. The video was very humorous, but also very powerful. He reminded me of the way I used to live, always looking for the answers to my problems in the wrong places.