Adopt a Skinny Thinking Routine to Help Your Weight Loss

I recently re-joined my local Slimming World class to help me shift the extra pounds that crept on last year. Aside from the weight loss goal there is another reason for going back to group and that’s the social aspect. I love the camaraderie at the meetings, and the support at weigh in.

I spent a huge portion of 2016 climbing on my scales only to find that needle kept getting higher. I would then spiral into doom and gloom and end up attacking the biscuit tin. Why we choose to abuse ourselves by adding to the problem can probably be explained by using the techniques I wrote about in last week’s post – avoiding self-sabotage, which you can read HERE.

There have been plenty of articles and books written about the benefits and pitfalls of slimming groups. I fully believe that
if you visit a class and understand just how powerful a support network they can be you’ll be able to see the attraction.

Some of the ladies in my group have a few pounds to lose; others have more than two stone in weight to shift. Everyone’s weight loss journey is unique to them, and yet the welcome and support you receive from the leader, and the other members aren't gauged on your size and shape but on the fact that you’ve made a step towards changing your health and wellbeing.

As I mentioned earlier, this is my return trip. I lost over one stone in weight when I went before but found it far too easy to slip back into bad habits when I wasn’t going to group meetings every week. When I re-joined, I knew I wanted to be in this for the long haul. I also knew I needed the hustle and bustle of the group, to physically leave the house, chat about recipes, and make new friends face to face as my entire life revolves around an online world.

There was one thing, however, that I wanted to do differently this time. I wanted to adopt a skinny thinking routine. One of the reasons I stopped going to group before was the obsession I developed with food. Not the eating of it, but thinking about it, talking about it, and fixating on it. This isn’t a healthy approach. Yes, I lost weight, but in reality, I’d only pulled the flower off the dandelion – the roots were still embedded. Nothing was ever going to change because deep down, my attitude to food hadn’t changed.

The self-sabotage aspects I discussed in last week’s post played a factor in this, but as I begin my 2017 healthy eating program, I’m in a different place mentally. I’m better equipped to understand why I attack the biscuit tin, why I pile on the pounds, and why I keep repeating the cycle. For me, it all goes back to my ‘I’m not good enough’ limiting belief.

To break my over analysing preoccupation with food, I’ve decided to complement my Slimming World journey with a skinny thinking routine. You might be wondering what skinny thinking is all about. Allow me to explain - think of a friend or family member who has always been skinny, never been on a diet, eats what they want, and probably hasn’t seen the inside of a gym in their life. You’ll find that they never talk about food, and they never think about it. They just eat when they’re hungry, and normally eat whatever they fancy. That’s it! Skinny people stay skinny because they don’t obsess about food – ever!

Being on a healthy eating plan such as Slimming World means you do have to think about food at some point. However, this is where my routine will apply. My class is on a Thursday evening, and for that night only I will talk about syns, cooking, what I weigh, what I’ve lost or put on, congratulate or commiserate with my fellow members, and exchange recipes. When I get home I will plan out my meals for the coming week (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), do an online shop, so I know I’ve got all the ingredients, and then I’ll get on with my week.

Spending a few hours to plan and organise my meals creates a safety net around my weight loss that skinny thinkers do automatically. In my new non-fiction book, which should be out later this year, I’ve dedicated an entire chapter to planning and organising your life to reap the huge benefits that being in control can offer.

Where skinny thinkers might grab a meal deal from M&S in their lunch break without a second thought, I’ll be able to grab my ready-made tuna pasta salad from the fridge. My plan stays on track, my body enjoys healthy foods, and my overactive mind doesn’t even have to get involved in the great food debate. Therefore, that sneaky limiting belief of ‘you’re not good enough’ that’s telling me to eat a Chicken Legend from McDonald's stays dormant and I win at weight loss.

Can you develop the skinny thinking routine? Maybe you already have an organised plan in place to help you with your weight loss journey. I’d love to hear your story so please share it in the comments.

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