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Act As If

Act As If

I’m not naturally inclined to embrace a super healthy lifestyle. I’d rather sit at home and read, knit or play my piano than go out and exercise. I’d rather eat pasta and warm sourdough bread every night than lean protein and vegetables. And I’d rather drink wine than water. However, many years ago I found a shift in mindset helped me make better health choices: Act As If.

Act As If is a powerful tool. I first incorporated this philosophy when I was dancing and struggling with finding the perfect “diet.” I decided to stop thinking of myself as an overweight dancer who needed to lose weight and start thinking of myself as a lean, fit, “heath nut.” It was remarkable how quickly my habits changed from sneaking chips and overeating to only eating when I was hungry and only consuming healthy food, at least for the majority of the time. Part of what helped me was observing the habits of people I felt were really “fit.” I found that they ate slowly, they weren’t obsessed with food when it was around, and they never finished a meal.

I have managed to develop a “healthy” lifestyle, which I feel I adhere to about 80% of the time, and it’s because I keep hitting the Act As If button. I’ve been doing this since I was 18. At some point I expect that if I keep Acting As If, then one day I won’t be acting anymore and I’ll just BE.

Here are a few of my Act As If buttons that I find myself constantly rebooting:

Act As If I’m super healthy—For me, this means eating clean and exercising at least few times a week.

Act As If I’m organized—I find I have to hit this reboot button a lot… multiple times a day. It helps that my husband is super organized and tidy so my mess is definitely an eye-sore in our home.

Act As If I’m a morning person—This means planning my life so I get up early and get going even on the weekends. I feel this is important to stay on a schedule and sleep pattern so I’m not lethargic during the week when I do have to get up early.

So ~ what is your top Act As If you hope will someday become your BE? Please share below.

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KAY
KAY
5 years ago

Good Morning from Cyprus!!! An island near Greece.
I am so excited that I can finally order the book!!!! Thank you for inspiring so many people, thank you for being in my life even if we haven’t met!!!
I love you!!!!

debra J
debra J
5 years ago

please write a book – : ) Inspire the rest of us to find the big smile in our work!

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Casey Magnesium
Casey Magnesium
7 years ago

I read this post a week ago, and have been constantly using this mantra in situations that I don’t feel confident or comfortable in. My biggest one is each evening after I cook dinner I say to myself “I’m a Chef” I am not a cook and I have spent the last 5 years existing on mostly take out. I want to be healthier, I want to have more control over what I eat, and save some money too. Now that I have started cooking, acting as if I am a chef has made me motivated to keep cooking, try… Read more »

Claudia
Claudia
7 years ago

Act As If is something that’s taught in Weight Watchers. Don’t put your life on hold until you lose weight or get to your ideal weight. Live your life as if you are already at your perfect weight. If you wait until your life is perfect, you will never make any change. By going after your goals now, your life and self-esteem will improve which can only help in the weight loss process.