I have no doubt that a scientist somewhere just read the title of this article and said out loud, “YES! Venuto is right! That little thing in your head – the hypothalamus – it IS the thing that is keeping you fat! By George, that Venuto guy isn’t a dumb bodybuilder after all – he’s been doing his research!” At which moment, I will be shaking my head and thinking, “you need to get out of the laboratory and into the real world, with real people, buddy.” Okay, okay, to be fair, Neuro-endocrine control of appetite and body fat really is quite fascinating. But today, I’m talking about PSYCH-ology, not PHYSI-ology. The little thing in your head that’s keeping you fat is actually just a….
Limiting belief!
Self-limiting beliefs are among the biggest problems that people deal with in their struggles to achieve a healthy ideal weight. They’re also one of the reasons that so many people start to falter or fall off the diet and exercise wagon as early as late January or early February in their New Year’s goal pursuits.
If you’re that science guy I spoke of and you’re about to bail because you’re thinking, “Here we go again… another psycho-babble, self help article,” then think again. A belief is the force behind the placebo effect, which is well known by every scientist and medical professional. A respected doctor gives a patient a pill and is told it’s a powerful drug. The patient gets well immediately, not knowing that the “miraculous” substance was a dummy pill. Inert. Sugar. The miracle was in the mind.
But beliefs are not only involved in the mind-body connection, they are unconscious programs that control your behavior. The most important factor in whether you achieve the body and the health you want is NOT what diet or training program you follow. It’s what makes you follow your diet and training program. And guess what? What you believe controls your behavior – whether you will stick with your program or sabotage it with cheating, bingeing or inconsistency.
What to do about limiting beliefs
Ok, so now you agree that beliefs are psychological factors that affect you physically by controlling your behavior, including your eating, exercising and lifestyle. What now? 3 steps. 2 questions.
STEP 1: IDENTIFY LIMITING BELIEFS
You are fully aware of many of your beliefs. For example, beliefs about spirituality or politics are usually in the front of your conscious mind.
But the beliefs that hold back your health and physical development the most are usually the ones you don’t even know you have. They are like unconscious “brain software,” running silently in the background.
So the first step is to bring those unconscious and potentially damaging beliefs up to the surface so you are aware of them. You can’t fix a problem if you don’t know you have one.
2 Quick Questions That Will Help Draw Out Your Beliefs
Beliefs can go back to childhood, but don’t worry, you don’t have to go to a psychotherapist and be regressed back to kindergarten. It’s simpler than that. But it does pay to do this questioning process as a formal “exercise” with serious quiet time, with pen and paper (instead of just thinking about it).
Question #1: What causes me to be overweight (or unhealthy, or not having the body I want)?
Question #2: What’s preventing me from getting leaner? (or healthier?)
Spend some time with it and see how big of a list you can create. Ask yourself whether each belief helps or hurts you. Does it move you forward or backward. Does it empower or disempower you? The ones that hurt you or hold you back will be obvious. You may come up with beliefs such as:
“I’m overweight and I can’t get leaner because”:
I have no time
I’m too old
I can’t stop eating
I hate exercise
You just can’t do it when you have 4 kids
It’s impossible after having a hip replacement
But the million dollar question is; Are these beliefs actually true?
Beliefs are not facts. You may hold your beliefs as absolute reality, but when you deconstruct them and challenge them, you may see that they don’t hold any water.
Self limiting beliefs are false interpretations (negative thought patterns) that hold you back. And you keep holding on to them because making excuses and staying the same is a lot more convenient than changing isn’t it? Change requires hard work, effort and leaving your comfort zone.
Your mission now: weaken the limiting beliefs and get rid of them
STEP 2: CHALLENGE THOSE BELIEFS
How do you challenge a belief? 4 ways:
(A) Challenge it directly: Is the belief even valid at all? See if you can find a “counter example” that disproves your belief. For example; if you think that after you’ve had 3 or 4 kids, it’s impossible to get a nice flat stomach, what will you say after I introduce you to a dozen of my clients and readers who had 3 or 4 kids and went from bulging belly to rock-hard flat stomach? If they did it, then how could your belief be valid? Answer: It WASN’T! You believed something false and inaccurate and it was holding you back!
(B) Challenge the source:Is it your belief, or have you been living what your parents, peers or culture handed down to you? Just the realization that a belief wasn’t yours to begin with is enough to shatter it.
(C) Challenge the usefulness of the belief. Ok, so you believed something when you were younger. Does still believing it has any usefulness today? Does it help you move closer to what you want in your life today? If not, then when today would be a good time to get rid of it?
(D) Challenging the belief by weighing the consequences. If you keep this belief, what is it going to cost you? What will the pain be like? What will you miss? And what will these consequences be if you don’t change it NOW?
STEP 3: INSTALL A NEW BELIEF
Nature abhors a vacuum, as Spinoza once said. You don’t simply get rid of a belief, you also must replace it. What things would you want and need to believe instead that would create positive behaviors that would move you toward your goal? Write them down, then massage them into an affirmation. For example, if you’ve hung your hat on the belief that you didn’t have time to exercise, could you write a new affirmation of belief similar to this?
“I’m a very busy person, so that means I must set clear priorities and I must keep my health and body on the top of my priority list. I always schedule time for my most important priorities, I am efficient with my training, and I use every minute of my day wisely. And if Barack Obama, the busiest person in the world, can train for 45 minutes a day 6 days a week, there’s no excuse for me. I can do it too.”
Write down your new belief affirmations and read them, right along with your goals, every day.
Then “activate” this affirmation by doing what Olympic and professional athletes do: engaging in mental rehearsal. Visualize yourself carrying out the behaviors that this belief would generate. Think about and feel what it would be like to take those positive actions steps and play mental movies of how your life would change by doing so. Involve all your senses: see it, hear it, feel it.
Keep it up until you start to see your behavior change and your habitual actions come into alignment with your goals/intentions. If you’re diligent, you’ll see changes in attitude and behavior with 21-30 days. It may happen sooner. It may take longer if you’ve carried deep, lifelong limiting beliefs. But in less than a month, the roots of the new belief pattern will be formed.
Then you can update your goals and affirmations to reflect your current priorities and move on to the next goal you want to achieve or the next limiting belief you want to change. Keep THAT up, and pretty soon, you will be LIMIT-LESS!
BELIEVE ME, spending quality time understanding and working on your beliefs is a lot more productive than spending time in forums arguing about whether a low carb program is better than high carb program… or even whether the cure for obesity is found in the arcuate nucleus of the lower hypothalamus. It’s in your head allright… but most people have been looking in the wrong place.
Train hard and expect success,
Tom Venuto
P.S. If this article resonated deeply with you, then I promise you, The Body Fat Solution will be the most important book you have ever read. The book hit #1 on Amazon.com in the exercise and fitness category, but The Body Fat Solution is not just an exercise and fitness book. Instead of just showing you what to eat and how to train, I show you how your mind and emotions affect your behaviors. What you eat is important. But WHY you eat is even more important. If you’re looking for a cutting-edge new approach to nutrition, then don’t buy this book. If you want to understand why it’s so hard for you to do what you know and why you always sabotage yourself… and what your mind has to do with it… then reading The Body Fat Solution will be THE “a-ha” moment when you finally understand the root causes of your struggle. Its not about the diet!www.TheBodyFatSolution.com
About Tom Venuto
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, fat loss coach, fitness writer and author of Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle. Tom’s articles are published on hundreds of websites worldwide and he has been featured in Muscle and Fitness, Men’s Fitness, Oprah magazine, The New York Daily News, The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. He has appeared on dozens of podcasts and radio shows including Sirius XM, ESPN-1250, WCBS and Day Break USA. Tom is also the founder and CEO of the premier fat loss support community, the Burn The Fat Inner Circle.
Copyright Tom Venuto and Burn The Fat Blog. Liking, sharing and linking to this article is appreciated, but do not copy without written permission.
Thanks for this article, Tom! I love challenging beliefs and mindsets and feel that this is the reason I am seeing so many changes in my body! That and getting off the cardio treadmill and on to what really works, thanks to you getting the word out!God bess!!!~Sally
Wow Tom this article really did resonate with me. The light is on Tom. Thank you.
great article Tom! Thank U :]
What an awesome post!! Thanks for this! Everything you said rang true for me… I just need to make the mental changes and DO IT. I’m going to go buy the book right now. Thanks!
Excellent explanation of the process for removing mental blocks.Incidentally, it works for any block, including those around money and creativity.Ann Bell
Great blog Tom!I’m on the right path!*smile*
very motivating! I’m on MY way!! [2 better fitness]
Great topic Tom. The idea of breaking the chain of limiting belief and moving beyond them, into the life that we truly envision for ourselves, is a core belief of mine and one that I often write about as well.I think that so many times we go searching for answers outside of ourselves, when really the answers lie within. We can have the best resources in the world, but if we are not ready to let go of the thoughts and feelings that are holding us back, we will never be able to step forth into the life that we want to lead.I think that it is so key that professionals like you talk about this as part of the whole package, because so often, this mindset aspect is ignored.Sheilahttp://livewell360.com
This is so helpful to me that I’m printing it and I am also forwarding it to others. This can be applied to anything in your life. Thank you.
Hi Tom,I like your articles and you, yourself, resonate with sincerity. I think, however, that you do only have an ‘academic’ understanding of some of the things you write about.I am no fool. I know that. I have lifted myself out of my brainwashed socialization and into a very healthy place. I have a B.A. degree in Philosophy and a Masters Degree in Language Teaching. I taught myself Japanese while living in Japan for 6 years and now live in the Middle East where I have started up a great, original rock band. OK, so I am an open-minded high-achiever. Whatever.I have also lived with manic depression and a whole host of other mental health issues which I’ve had to deal with. Here’s the crux of my email: Even when doing everything according to the book – training hard, eating well, trying to get a good lifestyle going on…..your nervous system can hijack all of this and sabotage the potential gains.Have you ever had a nervous breakdown? I have. Suicide attempt? (A real one, not a ‘cry for help’ one). I have. Do you know, really , KNOW, what it feels like to work out hard, eat well and see almost NO results (for YEARS) because your nervous system is so fried because of deep neurochemical imbalances, psychological problems with psyche-integration and other mental health issues? I suspect not.So, although I enjoy reading your blog, and I enjoy working out, I think it would be more honest if you tempered your ‘from above on high’ perspective with a little more admission that you don’t actually have the inside scoop when it comes to how psychological factors beyond your control can – literally – completely sobotage your workouts because your psyche and emotional well being aren’t allowing your nervous system to calm down enough to recuperate.Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors helped me for a while to deal with depression and enabled me to get a good night’s sleep for, as my psychiatrist said, the first time in 20 years – can you imagine that? Can you imagine how fried your nervous system is and how compromised your ability to recuperate from gym work outs is when you haven’t been able to sleep much for 20 years? I suspect not.In short, I have trained hard – for years! And seen next to ZERO results. Even gym instructors keep saying to me “Why do you work out so hard and so well, and not grow?”.There’s more to the nervous system, the psychological makeup of people, and the ability of the body to build muscle than you think, Tom.Anyway, your heart’s in the right place and you know a thing or two so I do continue to learn from you.However, believe me, the ability of a body to respond to muscular stress and rebuild with a good diet and rest is a LOT more open to sabotage from neurochemical imbalances than you might think.Cheers,Richard.
That was very movitivating and inspirational. My problem is not having enough energy to get up extra early to start working out again like I used to. I want to stop having excuses like being too tired in the morning but that’s the only time I have to do it. Thanks for this article. I’m going to meditate on it and push myself to end that excuse.
Richard,There’s no question that the factors affecting physiology and behavior are intertwined and infinitely complex. Not only do I not claim to have full understanding of all the psychological and endocrinological factors that are clinical in nature which could affect ones mental health, I would never want any of my readers to think that. Im not providing medical advice. I’m a fitness professional and personal coach, not a psychiatrist.I’m providing information to help people get past common mental blocks and self sabotage – information that is often ignored as focus is too often directed solely to the mechanics of what is the right diet or workout program to follow.I find that by focusing on a “mental training” regimen in conjunction with a “physical training and nutrition” regimen, that this unlocks the door to greater consistency in healthy lifestyle habits, and it does so for the vast majority of the population. For that small percentage of the population who has clinical issues, they should seek assistance from the appropriate professional.One thing I am absolutely certain of is that the simple cognitive techniques Ive outlined in this post can help healthy people get past common mental barriers to success in fitness.My very best to you.
Hey Tom,I believe everything begins with the proper mindset. Without that, one does not know where to go or do.I also believe that the mind will follow the body. As oppose to thinking the body will follow the mind. I think people have it backwards, such as think it…and you will be it!For instance, I start believing I can change, but lazy to go to the gym to get my workout in. Well, if you just say ok, I will go and do 10 mins. of cardio. What happens is that 10min. will turn into 15min. or 20min.The beliefs are important, but the taking action is much more important which will lead to getting results and making you much more of a believer.But, that concept would be based for another post.As always Tom, great post. And best of luck with your book (==VF
Great post, and it can be applied to all areas of life, not just weight loss. Very good and promising approach. Most of the time we don’t think about why are we doing things this way, we just accept that they have to be this way. Just a little consciousness, and we can challenge these maladaptive beliefs. I just finished the faculty of psychology last year, and all I can say is: this is an effective way to improve one’s quality of life significantly! Great article, Tom, thanks for posting!
Hey Tom,I love your motivational posts, however they all seem to be directed to the ‘general’ public who wants to get from an overweight to a leaner body composition. While your BFFM book helped me alot on my way from 25% to 15% BF, I find that dieting lower than 12%BF is such a huge hassle that none of the motivational techniques can do much.Please correct me if I’m wrong, but at 12% your body fights back physiologically in a very real manner – it’s not just psychological sabotage. So for me the only psychological ‘trick’ that could work would be the one that would made you stick to what you’re doing. Is there anything that can keep me pushing hard everyday for the remaining time on my diet? I would love to know that.Thanks once again.
George, you are 100% correct. It becomes VERY physiological once you start to head under 10% or so body fat (or around 15, 16% or so in women).Thanks for your feedbacktomPS on the other hand, that physiological reaction of your body to fight back to hold on to the last bits of fat partially manifests itself psychologically, and the person who has the most dietary restraint (as in resistance to hunger – which is psychological) is going to stick it out and make it to those single digit or very low body fat levels.
Thanks Tom, you really do make sense.I’ll be looking for your new book on my way home. I hope it’s available in Brisbane Australia.
Losing weight was not easy for me as it involved a complete change of lifestyle. I had to change the kind of foods that interested me before. I now exercise six days out of the week. It has been frustrating getting stuck sometimes you know those plateaux but as a Christian i remember a bible verse which blesses me and assures me that i can make it. The bible verse is i can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. As for Richard, there is no kind of ailment Jesus cannot heal. Keep up your good work Tom soon the whole world will be affected and look just the way you want them to. I am sure that is your prayer.
Tom, you’re right. Even though each person’s physiological make-up is different, it’s possible to look good and feel good with regular training. We may not be able to look like supermodels, but who is to say that we can have a nicely toned body?I personally have a lot of cellulite on my thighs and a flabby stomach, but my back, arms and calves are thin and strong. My BMI is in the normal range – 23. It’s the body composition I have. However, I didn’t give up after 3 years of trying to acquire abs, and now my flabby stomach is slowly starting to go down. I’m starting to show results!The trick is to get up on the bandwagon whenever you do something wrong. You may take longer, but still succeed if you keep trying.
Don’t believe everything you think!It’s a hard habit to get out of, but you’ve written a very convincing piece to help people. Great stuff.
Tom…is there something about human body that u don’t know???
Dear Tom,I joined this last year in depseration that something might click t ohelp me stop the cycle of self sabotage. I am a runner and i have begun yoga this year. I have always been a circuit workout person with cardio incorporated. My body today is leaner b/c of yoga, but not b/c of the workout entirely but b/c is has effected my mind body connection. I will binge eat after reaching certain levels…I would feel like such a fake.People everywhere i go comment on my legs, my abs my arms etc…I have a beautiful physique and I am attractive as well. Here is the kicker…I would go 2 weeks restrictive or even one week restrictive, hard workouts and then binge for 1 or 2 days and then hide in baggy clothes for the next 2 -3 days due to bloat and then do it again, always fooling everyone. I find myself still in that mindset at times and i do still struggle, but not to the depseration and severity as before. I am writing for a reason, i love all the advice you give. You speak true to the connection of the mind and body.My husband is a body builder and I forward him all your stuff, but he talks of this feeling the actual muscle, no momentum, slowing down etc…I have found that in my yoga practice. I think it will enter if you let it and you have to remove yourself from the preventative thoughts and in the beginning do away with the triggers until you are stronger.It is not fun to be so judgemental on yourself and to allow everything to lie in the hands of a diet sabotogae or pitfall. It is more than that and i encourage nad challenge everyone to explore all types of mind body connections. Expect slips and expect success. Do not be afraid to let the demons go. Thanks for letting me rant on what, not sure but it feels good to share.
Tom,A nice article and dialog to all. Thank you for the additional encouragement as I embark on my own “Mission” (via my blog), as inspired by one of your favorite “blogs” Adam Waters. Peace to you and yes I bought two TBFS books and my wife is devouring it more than I have been able to!! :-)
Hi Tom and all bloggers. I really enjoyed your last part of the burn the fat installment. It reminds me completely and echoes totally a book i’ve recently read by Rhonda Byrnes, called TheSecret. It’s basically all the same points. Your info was also very similar to what i’ve read about neurolinguistic programming, fascinating stuff. I get all of it, just need to put it into practice.the hardest part is to continue, it doesnt mean that if you have achieved it, even stayed at a good weight and health and fitness level for a year or so, that it can continue without major effort. That has to be said, it’s an ongoing effort. That’s why i’m still reading this kind of stuff 8 months after i first bought your program off the internet!! Constant encouragement, facts and key information from people like you are a must for me!! Thanks.
Hello Tom,As you would know, gratitude is one of the most important elements to harmonising one’s universal path.THANK YOU for what you bring to the world, for the trials and errors you have been through (so you may best teach yourself) and I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT that any criticism you have undergone over the years (publically, professionally, by your family, friends) – has aided you in establishing the huble foundation you atttempt to work from. It’s exceptionally admirable.Richard has offered some good feedback and I relate completely because I attempted to end my physical life and then spent a private, internal battle (on a daily basis) fighting the constant desire to for nearly three years. The mass depression part of my suffering went on for about seven years and I guess I’m on the chapter of my life where I’m turning a new page to better and brighter things now. This is the hard work I’ve done (spiritually) to attain a firmer foundation.We are so lucky to receive people on the Earth right when we need them. There is finally a black skinned person a leader in the world, we have Tom trying his best to teach people to learn FROM WITHIN about theirselves, so they can master their own health and the vehicle their soul resides within – their bodies (George may eventually be drawn to M.K. Gandhi and understand it’s his spiritual base that allowed him to maintain his almost 0% body fat and not just TRYING to keep it there.) We have Deepak Chopra doing the best he can to help the global populas understand what Shakespeare, Einstein, Schweitzer (and most of the philosophical notables that have delivered great change to the world) all knew … one’s spiritual base (from within – THE SELF) brings the strength required to achieve ANYTHING they feel compelled to achieve, it can overcome ANY obstacle. (It comes from the place Jesus was trying to tell people … it’s called LOVE.)At the risk of being chastised for too philosophical, keep up your purpose Tom. You are helping more people than you will ever know and you’ve found your way into my life at just the time when I was ready to begin my athletics again. (When the student is ready, the master will appear.) I’m not running (sprinting) again (yet) but my cardio consists of having dragged out the skipping rope from the ol’ days, boxing training with the boys at the PCYC and nothing burns that fat faster than skipping your little heart out!!! My weight training has significantly taken more precedence in my life now for the strength I need.PERTH – WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Thanks for all the valuble infos & advices. I have lost 53 p. during the last 8 months. I know it seems a bit slow , but in my mind , it is better than gaining weight ,is to loose it comfortably without stress & without changing your life style.Working out & walking 3 times a week is my key to healthy life .Ofcourse healthy food , not diet is the second key.I am happy now . i wish i can keep this forevertyhanks again
Years ago while reading Jane Robert’s “Seth” book “The Nature of Personal Reality” I was struck by the following (which I will paraphrase, since I no longer have the book). It went something like this:”You are not overweight because you eat too much. You are overweight because you believe yourself to be overweight and therefore eat to reinforce your belief.”It stopped me cold. I lost 35 pounds that summer without consciously dieting or exercising. I mean it. It wasn’t a miracle, it was just a release of limiting beliefs.Believe in yourself as you wish to be.
Dear Tom,
I have been doing exactly what you advocate and have shed about 10kg in the last year.All the exercise that I do is fast walking fortyfive minutes a day everyday and balance my calorie intake with it’s outgo without any very strict regulation on what that intake consists of.
However I would like to reduce more without any further regime change.
KRIS