“I have been on the dieting rollercoaster since I was a teenager. But, in the last two years of my 20’s I have stepped off the rollercoaster and taken the more sensible ride to success. Essentially, the biggest change I made was with my mindset. I stopped looking for the quick fix, I took responsibility for my thoughts (I can be VERY mean and critical of myself) and I practiced gratitude. This last part was not always easy, as sometimes I would hate on my fat thighs so much that I couldn’t be grateful for their strength or the fact they took me to amazing places. But eventually, with time and persistence, I was able to stop my self sabotage and sustain my weight loss and actually be happy with my body.” – Reyna M. Manilla, Philippines
We were moved by this email from a happy Active8me community member.
Yes, it’s nice that Reyna is living an active lifestyle.
Yes, it’s great that Reyna is eating well and maintaining her weight loss.
Yes, Reyna’s success is our success.
But, most of all, it is great that Reyna learned that the key to unlocking true body transformation and sustained weight loss is MINDSET.
Many of us are prone to self sabotage when it comes to body transformation success. In fact, most of us will often self sabotage success in all areas of our life at some point or another. Think for a moment. How often have you felt deep down you don’t deserve what you’ve achieved? And not long afterward you go back to your old baseline! Or you’re working towards a big goal, but you’re eventually overcome with fears, worries, anxiety, feelings of unworthiness, doubt, excuses…?
That is self sabotage!
Self-sabotage is the conflict that exists between your conscious desires and your subconscious protection from emotional disappointment. You are not alone, most of us do it to varying degrees. But why? And, how do we beat it?
Jeremy Rolleston, Dual Olympian and founder of Active8me has overcome self-sabotaging thoughts to achieve great success. Yet, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have to work on it. He explains “Your self-sabotage and self-defeating dialogue operates as a safety mechanism for you – to protect you from disappointment and keep you cosied up in your comfort zone.”
Jeremy is quick to point out that it’s your mind that got your body where it is today. “If you want to have great success in weight loss, relationships, work or life in general then you are going to need to get out of your comfort zone and make sure your self-sabotaging dialogue doesn’t stand in your way.”
So, how do we get out of our mindset comfort zone?
Your self-sabotage is the result of a long-term critical self-talk habit. So, it is important not to expect an overnight mind shift. Your habits are like muscles, the more you work and fuel them the stronger they grow. Your mindset is no different.
Jeremy suggests a three-step process to building a stronger mindset.
Step 1: Honest Realization – Stop blaming!
“Overcoming self-sabotage and regaining your mind power firstly requires honest realization around the thoughts, phrases and self-talk preventing you from making a change to your wellbeing… It’s recognizing and admitting that you play the blame game and perhaps blame everyone else except yourself” says Jeremy.
How many times do you use ‘I’m too busy’ or ‘It’s too hard! I just don’t have it in me’ or ‘I’ve had a bad day, so I’m rewarding myself with…’ or “I’ll do it tomorrow’ or ‘My mother in law is staying with me so I couldn’t get up early to train’? It’s time to be honest with yourself and recognize these as excuses that removes your personal responsibility!
Tip – Think of the three most common excuses you use. Now reword them into positive actions. For example, ‘I’m too busy’ becomes ‘I will find time to workout by scheduling it in’.
Step 2: Own it and be accountable
“You need to accept responsibility and hold yourself accountable to the choices you make” says Jeremy. He emphasizes the importance of recognising that life will always drop problems on your doorstep. And adds “Stop using today’s problem as the reason why you can’t move forward purposefully towards your goals and dreams. Every one of your choices has implications. They were your choices and they have got you to where you are right now.”
While it sounds like some tough love advice, Jeremy highlights the fact that your choices can be equally empowering as they are self-sabotaging. “By taking responsibility for your choices and actions it is like a big rock has been moved slightly, allowing you to move forward”. Each time you recognize your choices and take responsibility for them, you are moving that obstacle out of your path.
Tip – Remember that perfection is the enemy of progress. We are not suggesting you must always make the ‘right’ choice but if you take responsibility for that choice then you are making progress. When choosing your next meal, think about your portion size, the proportion of carbs to proteins to fats and the nutritional value it’s offering you. These are all your choice and give you the opportunity to be accountable!
Step 3: Nourish your thoughts – Attitude of gratitude
Reyna’s weight loss and body transformation were successful because she not only identified her own roadblocks, she pushed against them daily. She found that gratitude was the most powerful force against her inner critic. “If I could just identify one small thing to be grateful for that went against the parts of my body I disliked, I felt stronger” says Reyna.
Jeremy agrees that “to feed your mind with positive, empowering thoughts will be one of your greatest strengths when it comes to success with the Active8me program”. Active8me was specifically designed by experts to holistically address success. To give you tools that lead to sustained success through healthy, active living.
✓ Yes, Active8me has dietitian-approved recipes and meal plans for fulfilling nutritious satisfaction.
✓ Yes, there are a variety of world-class workouts put together by Olympians and exercise physiologists.
✓ Yes, there is personal customization, tracking, and coaching.
BUT
It is the MINDSET lessons that offer you guidance, practical tools and positive mental activities that will help you achieve your goals. This is an important tool that sets us apart from other programs that neglect to help mindset.
Tip – Try the Active8me app today
We are grateful to Reyna for her feedback on the Active8me program. She originally participated in the Kickstarter program and has now moved onto the Lean, Fit & Toned Program, with continuing success.
