Letting Go of Old Beliefs

by Mariana Bozesan

Scientists tell us that we think approximately 60,000 thoughts a day¹. The interesting thing is that more than 95 percent of the thoughts we think today are the same thoughts we had yesterday and the day before and the day before that. Where did these thoughts come from? They came from our social environment, parents, relatives, teachers, friends, media, school and so on. The question is how many of these thoughts are the thoughts we want to think versus thoughts others want us to think? We need better control of our thoughts if we truly want to achieve anything we desire in life. This is so because thoughts determine our beliefs and beliefs determine our behavior, including our attitude toward food and diet.

Let us examine and challenge some of the beliefs many of us may hold with respect to food and dieting. Let’s ask ourselves if those beliefs are true for us and serve us in achieving our goal of losing weight permanently. Here are some common misleading notions many of us believe in:

• Food is love: As children many of us received the best foods when we were sick although we were not at all hungry. As a result, we might still be rewarding ourselves with food. We learned to mistake food for love but food is food and love is love. Food is not love!



• We all gain weight as we age: I had adopted this common belief in the past because it was very convenient. The fact is, if we eat healthily, exercise regularly and live a life of meaning, we do not necessarily gain weight as we age.



• Empty your plate, children are starving in Africa: As I grew up in Romania with very little food and often went to school hungry, I learned early on to appreciate that food is scarce in many parts of the world. But the truth is that if we leave food on our plate, children will still be starving in Africa. In fact, if we eat less, we may be healthy and live longer so we can do something to prevent children from starving around the world.



• Me too: We all want to be able to eat what other people eat, especially when we go out with our friends. Many people love to eat pizza, hamburgers and have shakes. That is fun sometimes. But do we want to do it every day?



• Fattening food tastes better than healthy food: This feels true for a body out of balance because we are no longer in control. Our addictions and cravings are in charge.



• Healthy food is boring: I am amazed how many people ask me how I can eat that vegetarian food for so many years (more than 12 in my case.) They say that vegetarian food tastes all the same. It is boring, with no variety. This is one of the greatest fallacies in our society.


• Overweight is inherited: While I do believe that a certain percentage of people with fat problems inherit a condition that may lead to overweight, clinical studies show that a majority of overweight conditions can be healed if people decide to take responsibility for their weight and do what is needed to offset genetic tendencies.



• I have tried every diet and nothing works: After trying every popular diet many of us give up, believing that nothing can be done to help us lose weight. I would challenge that belief with the fact that scientific research continues to improve, that people do achieve the success we want and that, while we live, we should never give up, because the moment we do we die — spiritually first and physically soon after.



• Death is certain so I might as well enjoy food while I am alive. Death is certain for sure. Yet what kind of life is that where the only enjoyment we get is from food, so much so that it kills us. Is overweight and obesity the better alternative to health, vitality and living a life of meaning?



• Thinking positive is enough: While I am a great believer in God and know that positive thinking is an amazing tool to bring about lasting change, I also know that we must take the proper actions to support our positive attitude and absolute faith in divine inspiration.



• I am stupid: I used to be guilty of these beliefs. Having lived for sixteen years in a suppressed dictatorial and communist regime in Romania, I grew up in an environment ruled by fear. It wasn’t until I was one of four people selected by the German government for a program at Stanford University, California, that my belief was challenged for the first time.



• I am weak, fat and ugly and can never follow through: Most of us who want to master change of any kind encounter times of relapse. Too often, we give up after a few setbacks, thinking that we are too weak to change anything. What we need to remember in such situations is how long it took us to learn the old disempowering behavior in the first place and give ourselves at least the same amount of time to substitute disempowering behaviors with supportive ones.

Now write down your own disempowering beliefs. This is an amazing chance to identify them and let go of negative beliefs forever so you can truly be in the driving seat of your vehicle through life.
Either download the worksheet provided, or in any journal, identify the limiting beliefs you have about yourself. What do you believe? Create now your own list and be darn honest for this is your chance to identify and let go of your disempowering beliefs forever:

• What are your disempowering beliefs about life?



• What are your beliefs about yourself?



• What do you believe about your ability to achieve your goals in life?



• What are your beliefs with respect to weight loss?



• What are your beliefs with respect to exercise, food, drugs, alcohol?



• Do you see yourself as a beautiful, smart, athletic person who is a go-getter and achieves anything and everything you ever want in life?



• Or do you feel sorry for yourself?



• Are you a victim of self-pity and depression?



• Do you define yourself as an athlete who works out every day and takes care of her/his body or somebody who doesn’t care too much about the way you look, feel nor your health?

After finishing the list of your limiting beliefs simply decide to change them by creating a new set of beliefs that contains desired character traits and values that will support you in all life endeavors from now on. For instance, I wrote down: Beautiful athlete, weighing 62 kg (137 pounds), marathon runner. Today, I perceive myself more beautiful than before on the inside, I have my ideal weight and I am an athlete and a marathon runner of perfect weight.
What do you value most in life and why?

Develop a list of the values that you treasure and have guided your life so far. Make sure you list them in the order of importance for you. For instance, being a good parent might be more important for you than being a successful businessperson. Are health and vitality on that list? At what rank?

If you are already a member of the Diet for a New Life Program, you can find a copy of my own Life of Meaning Poster, which includes my mission in life, my identity, my values and beliefs, my goals and affirmations as well as what I am grateful in my life, in your e_Book. You may want to create your own sheet. It will inspire you daily and will keep you focused on your goals when you get off track.

If you are not a member of the Diet for a New Life Program don’t let this opportunity to become a member pass by. Click here to find out about all the weight loss and wellbeing benefits you can get today from our unified experts including Deepak Chopra, M.D., Ellen Cutler, D.C.,M.D., Fred Gallo, Ph.D., Shelley and Robert O. Young, Ph.D. and many more.