If you want to get to the heart of why you have yet to reach your fitness goals, it might be a good idea to take a look not at what you are doing (or not doing,) but rather at what you are saying. The words you use to describe how you feel about fitness, how you feel about your ability to change, and how you articulate these feelings to yourself and those around you, are almost always a perfect match for what is happening with your body.

THE BODY-WORD CONNECTION
At the very foundation of your relationship with your body are the words and thoughts that continually run through your mind at any given moment. Since we are all in a constant state of communication with ourselves through an endless stream of babbling chatter, it is easy to fall victim to what I call, “The Bully Syndrome.” This is the tendency to berate ourselves into obedience and compliance via an inner dialog of words and phrases, sometimes so harsh that we wouldn’t use them on our worst enemies. “I am such an idiot for eating those cookies… what the hell is wrong with me?” And while it might seem that verbally beating yourself into submission is a reasonable means of maintaining your focus, it usually has just the opposite effect. Unfortunately, as we become desensitized to the brutal honesty, denigration, and disapproval we often enlist to "whip” ourselves into shape; it invariably erodes our goals and dreams. Once this habit is formed, it can be a hard one to break.

A FRIEND IN NEED
Consider what would happen if you spent all your time with a friend who habitually opened fire on you with offerings of, “You have no self-discipline… you’re way too old to change… who are you fooling… you are so fat… your thighs are huge… I hate the way you look… you can never stick with anything… don’t set your expectations too high… you always end up failing.”  It wouldn’t be long before you’d either start questioning your relationship with this person or, worse, start believing that what they have to say is true. Obviously, the wisest move would be to get as far away from this tyrant as possible. But if this person - the one who keeps zeroing in on all your weaknesses - is YOU, walking away isn’t a viable option.

VERBAL DETOX
If words like “disgusted, disappointed, unhappy, and dissatisfied” hold a predominant spot in your inner or outer dialog, a good step in reversing this counterproductive habit would be to intentionally exchange these low energy words with a fresh, more empowered vocabulary. The fact is, just thinking or uttering the words “sick, tired, depressed, disappointed, old or weak” has the power to make you feel sick, tired, depressed, disappointed, old and weak. The frequent use of low-end words can hold you in an emotional dead-lock, whether you are aware of it or not.

Decontaminating your vocabulary and replacing words that drag you down with words that strengthen your mood and disposition can have a direct effect on your physical results. You can do this while still being true to yourself and sincere to your situation. It’s as easy as replacing a phrase like, “Well, that’s what happens when you get old…” with “You know, considering my age, I feel great.” Or kick the habit of saying, “I’m totally stressed out today,” by saying something like, “In view of the day I’m having, I’m doing pretty well.” 

As basic as it sounds, trading words like "old" for "great" and "stressed" for "well" can significantly affect the way you view yourself, the world around you and, ultimately, your body’s reaction to everything.

Dianne Orwig CPT, CFC, CYFI is founder and creator of Living Fit Online. For more information about her 12-week transformation program, please visit www.LoveLivingFit.com.