Positive affirmations are a really great tool that you can use to help you lose weight. It can be challenging at the best of times when you are trying to lose weight, especially when you have depression or you don't feel that good about yourself. Being overweight can cause all sorts of negative emotions that make it harder to stay motivated. Whatever you say to yourself has a great impact on your situations and circumstances. Yes most people have no idea just how negative their thought patterns are, Have you even caught a glimpse of your body in the mirror and felt your heart sink? What about when you say 'I'm so fat and disgusting!'



These are both very common examples of negative self talk. Negative self talk is a lethal motivation zapper as well as being very bad for your overall self esteem. Losing weight takes perseverance and commitment, and if you want to succeed long term, you owe it to yourself to do whatever it takes to stay positive and motivated. So what exactly are affirmations? Simply put, they are positive statements written or spoken in the present tense that focus on the outcome or goal you want to achieve.

The first step to using positive affirmations is to think about what you want to achieve, and then construct a number of statements that reflect this goal as if it were happening right now. So for example, if losing weight is your goal, you might say 'I easily achieve and maintain my ideal weight.' Or you might say 'I love and respect my body'. Here are some ore examples of positive affirmations for weight loss:

* I easily reach and maintain my ideal weight;

* I love and care for my body;

* I deserve to have a slim, healthy, attractive body;

* I love to exercise regularly

* Everything I eat contributes to my health and wellbeing;

* I eat only when I am hungry;

* I now clearly see myself at my ideal weight;

Once you have created your positive affirmations, you need to set some time aside each day to practise them. There are quite a few different ways you can do this. You might choose one statement and say it out loud 10 times in the morning and 10 times in the evening, or you might want to repeat it to yourself as you think of it throughout the day. As you repeat your statement, imagine it is happening right now: See yourself doing or feeling the essence of what your affirmation is saying. Make it as real as possible in your minds eye. As you picture and imagine your goal, your subconscious creates a mental blueprint.

My client 'Lillian' experienced the power of self-talk first hand. Feeling despondent after a minor setback in her weight loss journey, she was able to come to terms with her own contribution to her situation. She said: 'I feel much heavier than I actually am, and I started to forget how far I have already come. I started to feel really down on myself. But then a good friend reminded me that what you think is what you become so if I keep feeling heavy, that is what my body will become because it cant distinguish the difference. The mind is so very clever as you know!'

'Lillian' was able to move through her temporary block by becoming aware of what she was saying to herself. As she did this, she became even more focused and motivated. If you are not getting what you want in life, begin by examining things you say to yourself. In a quiet place, write down the sentence 'I can't lose weight because.....', and then write down what comes up for you. This will reveal your current self-talk. Take each of these negative statements and re-write them so that they become positive affirmations. For example, if one of your negative statements is 'I am too lazy', you might say instead: 'I am focused and committed to my goal'.

In the beginning it may feel a little weird repeating a statement that you don't quite believe But as you persevere, you will find your attitudes slowly improving. By repeating your positive affirmation over and over again, you are reprogramming the neurological pathways in your brain and creating new, positive beliefs that will eventually replace the old ones. Positive affirmations are great for weight loss, self esteem and pretty much anything you want to change or make better in your life. If you're going to pay attention to the chatter in your head, then you may as well choose positive words and thoughts. As you do this, you will find that self-talk can actually be used to create real and profound changes.