Sneaky Thoughts

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Watch out for them.

Last weekend my husband and I went away for the weekend to the Greenbrier in the mountains of West Virginia.  We had never been, but if you live in the DC metro, it is among one of the top luxurious weekend destinations so we were really looking forward to it.  I loved the iconic decor, dressing for dinner, the infinity pool and the outstanding service.

Anyone who goes to a place like this is likely to find themselves eating more, eating differently, and drinking at least slightly more - including me.  Make no mistake, the structure of the days and evenings at places like this revolves around eating and drinking.  The portions are big, there is food and booze available around the clock, and the choices tend to be calorie dense.  

I usually have yogurt for breakfast around 10; instead I had the breakfast buffet one day and eggs benedict the next.  I usually eat a big salad and some protein for lunch; instead I had french fries and a club sandwich.  And dinner...well it was all delicious and way more fun than what I eat at home.  

I know you have been there - we all have.  But, what I noticed upon our return was that my thoughts moved right into fear and worry about what I was going to do next to “make up for” what I had done over the weekend.

They jumped to:

• This week I need to be really careful;

• I should have been more disciplined;

• I need to exercise more this week.

Note the words need and should.  When your thoughts make you feel less than, you should trade them in for something better.  Additionally, none of these thoughts were helpful or true.

So when I noticed these thoughts marching through my head, I consciously shifted my thinking to: 

• You know exactly what to do next and it does not involve over exercising or deprivation;

• This is part of the process;

• Enjoying time, a meal, a drink, with people you love is one of the best parts of life;

• One weekend means nothing about my continued long term success, unless I let it.

Note the words enjoy, process, success.  When your thoughts make you feel powerful and confident, they are worth keeping.

The myth around personal transformation is that once you have made changes, and are doing what you set out to do, that your negative, self destructive, undermining thoughts will magically disappear.  They will not.  How many times do we need to see our thoughts and shift them to keep ourselves moving forward?  Based on my experience, thousands of times, over years.  

What you are thinking drives your behaviors, whether or not you know it.  Our unconscious brains are extremely powerful, but once we notice our unhelpful thoughts, we can choose to use our conscious brains to shift our thoughts to benefit ourselves.  

Those of us who work to make the best choices for our bodies may find ourselves feeling challenged or anxious as things open up, and social and travel opportunities arise again.  Pay attention to what is running through your head and work on changing the thoughts that keep you from living your fullest life.