.…and why you can’t quit smoking.

 

It is a fact that most people end up putting on weight after trying a diet and failing. Why is this? The reason is all in the way the mind works. If I say to you, “Don’t think about pink elephants,” what immediately comes to mind? Yes, that’s right. Pink Elephants! The mind focuses on the very thing you’re trying to avoid.

 

It’s the same with dieting, and giving up smoking. By focusing on them, you are giving your brain a signal to concentrate on the very thing you are trying to avoid. It’s true isn’t it? When you’re dieting all you can think about is food. When you’re trying to quit, all you can think about is the cigarette you are craving. For a while, will power will sustain you, but the second you have a weak moment your mind will take over and you’ll find yourself reaching for the fries or the smokes.

 

How can you change this pattern? Let’s think about those pink elephants again. If you don’t want them stampeding through your brain, how can you get rid of them? There’s only one way – think about blue giraffes instead!

 

If you want to lose weight, you have to find the equivalent of blue giraffes and focus on that so it crowds out the pink elephants. You need a goal that is not weight related, that doesn’t have you constantly thinking about food. Maybe it’s fitting back into your wedding dress so you can renew your wedding vows. Maybe it’s running a marathon. But whatever it is, you have to really want it, so it’s right at the forefront of your brain, crowding out all those thoughts of food.

 

It’s the same with smoking. You need to obsess about something else – living to see your first grandchild; being fit enough to climb a mountain; or attracting that yummy guy who happens to be a non smoker.

 

By changing the way your mind is working, you can achieve a lifestyle change that will make behaviour changes permanent. It IS all in the mind!