Atlanta Wellness Clinic Podcast

Rewriting Your Wellness Story: How Hidden Beliefs Sabotage Weight Loss

• Catina Wilson • Episode 19

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How Limiting Beliefs Sabotage Your Wellness Journey

When it comes to weight loss struggles, we often blame our diets or exercise habits—but what if your mindset is the real culprit? In this thought-provoking episode, licensed nutritionist Catina Wilson reveals how deeply ingrained limiting beliefs can sabotage your wellness journey without you even realizing it.

Catina explains that beliefs aren't just fleeting thoughts but function as our internal operating system, formed during childhood through family interactions, school experiences, and past results. These beliefs create powerful personal narratives that either empower us with thoughts like "I am capable" or limit us with destructive ideas like "I'll always be overweight" or "Nothing works for me." The most common limiting belief Catina encounters at Atlanta Wellness Clinic? "I've tried everything, and nothing works for me"—a belief that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The breakthrough comes through what Catina calls "the Truth Test," a simple but profound process for challenging negative thoughts. When limiting beliefs arise, ask yourself: Is this 100% true? Are there exceptions? When did I first start believing this? By examining these beliefs, finding their exceptions, understanding their origins, and reframing them positively, you can create new neural pathways that transform what's possible in your wellness journey. Through real-world examples and practical journaling strategies, this episode provides the tools to identify the hidden mental barriers keeping you stuck and rewrite your wellness story for good.

Ready to transform your relationship with weight loss by changing how you think? Subscribe to the Atlanta Wellness Clinic podcast for more expert insights and visit online to schedule your free 10-minute weight loss consultation today.

To learn more about Atlanta Wellness Clinic visit:
https://www.ATLWellnessClinic.com
Atlanta Wellness Clinic
1827 Powers Ferry Rd. SE, Bldg 1 STE 250
Atlanta, Georgia 30339
770-726-8978

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Atlanta Wellness Clinic podcast hosted by licensed nutritionist and clinic owner, Katina Wilson. We're here to kickstart your weight loss journey because, let's be honest, the only thing we want gaining weight is our wallets. From medical weight loss and nutrition coaching to body contouring, we help Metro Atlanta women get real results. Let's dive in.

Speaker 2:

Your mindset might be the biggest obstacle to weight loss. Learn how hidden beliefs can derail progress and how to rewrite your wellness story. Welcome back everyone. I'm Millie M, producer, co-host. Back in the studio with licensed nutritionist and clinic owner, katina Wilson. How are you, katina?

Speaker 3:

I'm great today.

Speaker 2:

How are you Doing well? Doing well. We always hear the term mind over matter, because limiting beliefs can quietly shape our choices and stall our progress. This topic hits home for so many of us. Talk to us about how limiting beliefs sabotage your wellness journey.

Speaker 3:

Great question Topic that you know we talk about quite a bit here at the Atlanta Wellness Clinic. You know, when you think about beliefs, they are essentially the internal operating system of our lives. They're not just fleeting thoughts, they are deeply ingrained convictions that we hold to be true. And most of the time, these beliefs, you know, they're formed, you know in in childhood, whether something has happened to us, something was said to us by families, by school, by experiences, even results that we've experienced, um, in the past, and so they end up creating this personal narrative and this personal narrative that you know we hold on to. And so there are two types of beliefs, right? So first there are empowering beliefs. These are the ones that lift us up, they motivate us, they drive us to our best selves, our best potential. You know I am capable, I can achieve my goals, I can do the hard thing.

Speaker 3:

Then there are limiting beliefs, which is what we're really talking about today. These are the things that sabotage us and they hold us back and they are not serving our best interests. They tend to instigate worry, they instigate fear, they instigate failure. It causes us to think about the personal opinions of others or external opinions of others, so things like I'll always be overweight, I can never lose this weight. I'm just not the type of person to exercise. I'll never win. She's prettier. He makes more money than me. These are the kinds of things that stem from something that has happened in the past and now we're holding on to them. And again, you know, when we're talking about limiting beliefs, these are the things that will hold us back. They'll make it very, very difficult for us to to get past and to achieve the goals that we ultimately want to achieve.

Speaker 2:

It's so interesting how a thought can affect how our body responds. A lot of stress-related illnesses, I think, are just related to our thoughts and replaying those negative thoughts in our heads. Is there a common limiting belief that you see pop up in your clinic kind of consistently?

Speaker 3:

Oh, absolutely, it's such a great question. The number one thing that we hear all the time is I've tried every diet, I can't lose the weight. This is not going to work for me. It seems like it works for others, but it won't work for me. And so I think, you know, we have to ask the question. Well, let's take a step back, let's ask why, Is that 100% true, you know? And if it is, you know, are there exceptions? You know, to that, Because at some point maybe you have lost weight.

Speaker 3:

Like, where did those beliefs come from? I think is critically as important when we go through this process. And so the first thing we ask is like, is that really true? There's a great book that I love, you know, and I read it like once a year, and it's called Loving what Is is what it's called, and Loving what Is is what it's called.

Speaker 3:

And Loving what Is is a great book, and it really centers around beliefs, particularly limiting beliefs, and so, again, as I said earlier, limiting beliefs are not like a fleeting thought, these are deeply ingrained, you know, kind of thoughts and feelings that we have, and again, these are the things that hold us back, and so when these thoughts come up you have to ask yourself first, is it true? And you might say, well, yeah, of course it's true. Well, is it 100% of the time? True, right? And then are there exceptions to when maybe that hasn't been true? And then when's the first time you really started to think about this? Right, Because it's important to one find kind of exceptions to the thought. But then, more importantly, it's also important to recognize like well, when did this thought become like a real thing for you? And so it really does require an individual. Anytime you know you have these limiting beliefs, it really requires you to do the work.

Speaker 2:

So how do these limiting beliefs show up in day-to-day choices and habits? I would imagine that it would be subconscious You're not going to grab a cupcake saying oh, when I was little, my mom called me little piggy you know, what I mean. So how do those limiting beliefs show up in our day-to-day habits?

Speaker 3:

You might be that person that I'm going to start a diet and then by Monday you're starting a diet all over again, right, because something has happened. You know that maybe you fell off and then now you've stuck in your head, like you know what, I'm never going to be able to lose this weight, you know. And so it just so. I'm just going to go ahead and I'm just going to throw away the rest of the week and maybe I'll try again on Monday. Or you may be that person that knows you need to get into the gym.

Speaker 3:

The doctor has told you the importance of exercise, but something about going to the gym, like you know, I'm too big. I'm not the kind of person that exercise. I don't like to exercise, you know, I exercise. People looking at me, right? Those are the kinds of things that hold you back. Or, weight loss aside, maybe you're trying to go for a promotion, right, and you know. But you're nervous about the steps that it takes. You know, am I really ready for that promotion? Am I deserving of that promotion? They always give it to the guy, they never give it to the woman, they never give it to the black woman, right? Those are the kinds of things that are limiting beliefs and those are the kinds of things that are holding you back from your goals. So that's how you recognize I want this thing, but something is holding me back, something is keeping me stuck from wanting to make that next step.

Speaker 2:

And if you don't pull it up from the root, you will find yourself self-sabotaging certain opportunities. So I know you didn't sign up to be a therapist, so how do you help clients identify and challenge those beliefs in your coaching session?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, so we have the truth test, right, and we walked through it a little bit earlier, right? So you know, as we're talking to clients, you know one of the first things is we want to understand, like, how did you get here, let's talk about your journey. And we you Like how did you get here, let's talk about your journey. And we you listen, right? You have to listen to a lot of what they're saying, sometimes even like what they're not saying, but we tend to hear the most. You know, I've tried everything, I can't get the weight off. Is that true, Right? And then we ask that question, ask yourself that question Is that true? Have you really tried everything, right? Can you really not get the weight off? Or you know, I don't like to exercise. I'm not the type of person that should. I'm too big to exercise. Is that true, right? You know, are there different types of exercises that you can do. So you have to constantly like again, it's part of doing the work journaling.

Speaker 3:

So when you recognize that some of these thoughts are coming up, write them down and then ask yourself is it true? Is it true 100% of the time? Are there exceptions to when? Maybe this is not true? And then, when was the first time I really started to believe this thought right. And then, once you start to kind of isolate, like you know, maybe this is not true. This is where this comes from. Isolate, like you know, maybe this is not true, this is where this comes from. Is there a way to flip it to a positive? Maybe I can be the person that exercises because I can do 10 minutes, I can do 15 minutes, I can walk right, and so if you can start to frame it in a more positive way and something that works for you, then now you're starting to create a new neural pathway, a new thought process, a new pattern, and now that limiting belief becomes an empowering belief. It takes work. It really does take work. Journaling is certainly helpful as you're going through this process, but it does require work.

Speaker 2:

Definitely, and I know for me what's helped me is when I have a negative thought, I will vocalize and verbalize, not just think it, but I will verbalize an opposing thought or a positive thought. I will say it out loud so I can actually hear it, and then I know it's not related to weight loss, but I know you were talking about, is it true? Is it true? I've told myself so many times I'm not a routine person. I'm not a routine person. I just don't like routine. I don't like doing the same thing at the same time every day. But every morning I will walk in the kitchen and make breakfast, I'll make a cup of tea and I'll drink that tea outside and I meditate. It's like I do have a routine.

Speaker 3:

Well, there you go.

Speaker 2:

Is it true 100% of the time, and you just found people where it's not right. So, yeah, that's a no, definitely can't relate to that. So we just want to leave people with one affirmation or mindset shift that you recommend for someone feeling stuck is it true?

Speaker 3:

right, ask yourself that right again, pay attention to the thoughts that come up just over and over, because these thoughts they happen very, very fast, but they're constantly coming up, these limiting, but they're constantly coming up, these limiting belief thoughts, they're constantly coming up. So when they come up, you know, be prepared, keep a journal, you know, right next to you, write it down and then again ask yourself is it true? And then go through the process Is it true 100% of the time, where did this thought come from? And then how can I reframe it to be positive? Right, and you just easily just did that, you know, in like five seconds yourself, right, so it's an easy process. Again, it requires work, it requires a little bit of practice, but it is a, it is a way, it's a very easy way to get past some of the limiting beliefs that are that are holding you back.

Speaker 2:

We are taking all the limits and we're making them empowering thoughts. Thank you so much, Katina. Your approach to blending mindset with strategy is so empowering Thanks again for sharing your heart and your expertise.

Speaker 1:

We'll see you next time. Thank you. That's a wrap on this episode of the Atlanta Wellness Clinic podcast. If you're ready to kickstart your weight loss journey, and not just your bathroom scale and frustration, visit atlwellnesscliniccom or call us at 770-726-8978 for a free 10-minute weight loss consultation, because the best time to start was yesterday. The second best time right now. See you next time.