“If negative thinking burnt calories, we’d all be a size 2.”—Amy Cotta

“We manufacture beauty with our minds.”–Augusten Burroughs

According to Tony Robbins, there are more than 3000 words in the English language relating to human emotions. Not a surprise–we’re an abundant bunch.

However, 2086 of those words are negative. And if you want to hear a lot of them, bring up the topic of dieting and weight loss.

Luckily, I don’t have to, because Cloris Kylie Stock, one of my favorite blogger friends, brought it up for me. Here’s a blog post she sent me a few weeks ago. Take it away, Cloris:

It’s All Good Food

Burgers are “bad” and broccoli is “good.”

We think we’re being “good” even if the broccoli in question is drowning in a sea of processed cheese and hydrogenated oil.

The “good” and “bad” labels we’ve applied to food have become part of our subconscious programming, and we act on this programming without being aware of it. The messages stored in our subconscious mind affect our thoughts and mold our behaviors, so if we feel guilty because we were on a diet and still had a cookie, we’re likely to say, “Oh, what the heck. I blew it. I might as well have the rest of the cookies.” We’re also likely to feel terrible about ourselves after eating those cookies because we were “bad.”

I thought about this while visiting a local picnicking spot. The people sitting at the first two picnic tables couldn’t have been more different.

One of the tables was covered with all the “sinful” food: bags of chips and pork rinds, fried chicken, 2-liter bottles of orange soda, and assorted cookies and cupcakes. A family of seven gathered around the table. Most people in the family were largely overweight, even the children.

Sitting at the other table was a single woman of average height. The only item on the table was a cellphone, and the only item in her mouth was a cigarette. I estimated she weighed less than 90 pounds.

That’s what happens when we assign labels, I thought to myself.

Obesity and eating disorders have become such a problem in our country because of the unhealthy relationship we’ve created with food, and this relationship stems from the messages we have stored in our subconscious mind. When food becomes “bad” or “sinful,” or when we call something that tastes good “guilty pleasure,” we associate negative emotions with what is supposed to nourish our bodies. This negative energy translates into unhealthy behavior, excess weight, and disease.

But we’re not doomed.

As Pam Grout writes in her brilliant book, E-Squared, “Food is full of energetic juju, and eating should be a thoroughly positive experience.” After applying the wisdom of “The Jenny Craig Principle” in E-Squared, I’ve not only lost the pesky two pounds I gained during my torrid love affair with Ben & Jerry’s, but also learned to truly enjoy everything I eat.

We can decide to change the programming in our subconscious mind by being aware of our negative thoughts about food, and by replacing those thoughts with gratitude and appreciation. Instead of being afraid of gaining a pound, we can visualize each nutrient making our body radiant and strong. Instead of feeling guilty about the food we consume, we can give thanks for being able to afford a good meal.

And once we change our thoughts about food, we’ll subconsciously make healthful food choices.

It sounds simple because it is.

Buon Appetito!

Cloris Kylie Stock, MBA, is a career, academic, and life coach from Simsbury, Connecticut. She is a sought-after lecturer who has achieved the highest Toastmasters awards in communication and leadership. Her calling is to help people realize their maximum potential.

Blog: http://selfactualizedlife.blogspot.com

Online radio show: http://blogtalkradio.com/magnificent