The Power of Your Mantra

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This is a picture of my nemesis right now. I know it doesn’t look very steep in the picture, but trust me when I say on my bike this hill seems never ending.

I absolutely LOVE going down this hill. (of course!) I’ve clocked my speed at 26 mph – THAT is fun!

However, some days the ride down the hill is tainted by the anticipation of knowing I have to get back up.

My dad and I have done this ride many times and we’ve never NOT been able to do the hill – we ALWAYS manage to make it to the top without stopping, yet we complain every single time.

Every time we ask each other if we really can do it today…we don’t really like this hill. (can you tell? lol)

Today as I was huffing puffing up this hill I noticed something that I do that I KNOW helps me – not only up THIS hill, but up AND THROUGH each obstacle I face on this journey to lose 100 pounds.

3 Steps to Conquering a Hill on Your Bike – OR 3 Steps to Help You on Your Journey to Losing 100 pounds. 😉

1. Know your intention (your ultimate goal) and then BREAK it down into smaller, doable steps.

If you look at the picture posted above, you’ll see the driveways and mailboxes to the right as you go up the hill. When I’m on my bike I know what my ultimate goal is – the TOP of that blasted hill, but as I start the incline I focus on each driveway along the way. Some days the voice inside my head goes something like this…”you’re not gonna make it…you’re going to have to get off the bike and walk” – to which I reply (sometimes out loud LOL) “JUST get to the next driveway”…and the next and so on.

Losing 100 pounds or any significant amount of weight is not an easy task but like conquering the hill, it can be made more manageable when you break your goals down along the way.

2.Develop your own personal mantra and use it often and loudly (in your head or out loud).

Once I shush the voice in my head from telling me that I’m not going to make it up the hill, I can remind myself about the power of words and beliefs. The above changes to a little mantra – mine is simple – with each push of the pedal I am saying to myself…”Don’t stop.”….Don’t quit.” ….”keep going” – some version of these as I pedal up the hill.

If, like me, you’ve got a significant amount of weight to lose, I would be willing to make the assumption that you’ve spent a great amount of time beating yourself up with negative words and thoughts in your own head. I know I would say things to myself (usually while eating poorly or “stuffing” feelings) that were way worse than what I might overhear a stranger muttering.

PLEASE start to do one nice thing for yourself today (if you can relate to this) and commit to at least being conscious of the things you are saying to yourself. Is this how you would speak to anyone else in your life? Vow to stop and replace it with something powerful that motivates you on your journey to health and weight loss. How bout, “I am getting stronger every day.” “I WILL do this”. “I AM changing my life.”

3. Go slow and steady if you need to.

Oh yes, that person going up the hill on her bike at snail’s pace WILL be me some days. Other, more experienced cyclists, might pass me on the way up and do you know what? I’m OK with that. My goal with the hill isn’t about speed, it’s about completion or getting to the top.

I’ve learned some lessons on my journey to lose 100+ pounds. I didn’t really lose the original 12o lbs as fast as others might have done the same BUT for the most part I really did enjoy the journey. Not to say there weren’t rough times along the way, but I never really denied myself certain things and going at a slower pace did work for me…it felt doable and not quite so daunting.

As I start this new phase of weight loss, looking at the 60 lbs gained and mistakes made over the last few yrs, I’m SO tempted at times to go for speed, fad diets…whatever it takes to get the weight off fast.

In my gut though, I know that’s not the best…for me or probably for you too. Yes, I’ve spent time being annoyed and angry with myself (once I finally got out of big fat denial about the situation!), AND now I am moving forward determined to LEARN from the past and let it just BE part of my journey. Just because I DID gain back 60 lbs in my PAST, it most certainly does not need to define my future…I am creating that now.

If that happens to speak to you who finds him or herself in a similar place, please allow yourself the gift of forgiveness for the past and the inspiration to know that you CAN move forward…however long it takes.

Oh there’s a 4th one and this one is important!!!

4. When you get to the top (your goal) allow yourself to breathe – to celebrate – to take it in friend. You deserve it.

Celebrate every achievement and milestone along the way – THIS is part of what can make the journey fun – trust me on this. 🙂

THAT is how I ride my bike to the top of a hill even when I‘m tired, discouraged and maybe think that I can’t.  Do you think that you can apply these same steps to an obstacle that you might be facing in your own life?

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below…Do you currently have your own mantra? Please share…