Gerard J.Musante, Psychologist and founder of The Structure House Weight Loss Plan suggests writing yourself a letter as a motivational tool to keep you on the straight and narrow when trying to lose weight. I’ve used this method before and it certainly helps to keep things in perspective.
Sometimes we hit a plateau after working a very long time to lose weight and we forget exactly how far we’ve come. Having a letter from the past can be just what we need to show us how far we’ve come and keep us motivated to keep on keeping on.
Here are a few suggestions for writing your own letter to yourself.
1. Don’t talk down to yourself! Starting a letter with “Dear Fatty Fatterson” is definitely a no-no! Start with “Dear Me”.
2. Describe what it is like to be you right now. Are you satisfied with your weight? Are you unhappy? Are you unhealthy? Are you energetic or just too tired to do anything? Be honest and tell yourself how you feel. Be as descriptive as possible. Using descriptive words and emotion will really help you to stay motivated on your weight loss journey.
Reach deep within yourself and explain what you are going through and why you need to make a change. Explain how you feel and be blunt.
Following is my own example:
Dear Me,
I weigh 264 pounds and I just don’t recognize myself in the mirror any more. I can’t shop for clothes any more because whenever I pick out a huge garment and take it to the dressing room, I find that I haven’t picked a large enough size. I’ve broken down into tears in too many dressing rooms while looking at size numbers and I just can’t take it any more.
I’m tired of missing out on fun things because of my weight. I can’t go out in public in a bathing suit and that eliminates any chance of me ever going to a water park or a beach. I’m missing out on great opportunities because of my shame.
When I go out into public, I either feel like I’m completely invisible (like when salespeople ignore me) or that everyone is judging me. I can’t even go into a gym because I feel like everyone is judging me for being so obese.
I’m tired all the time and don’t have the energy to enjoy life anymore.
I want to enjoy my life and live it to the fullest again!Sincerely,
Me
When you start with a 100 pound goal, you can lose your way. When I got to 198 pounds, I hit a plateau that made me extremely frustrated. I was ready to give up. Having this letter to read and help me remember how far I’d come and why really helped me to press on.
Give it a try. A letter just may help you stay on track too.
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