Why Self-Labelling Keeps Weight On

I know you’ve done this before.

I’m pretty sure I’ve heard every single one of my family and friends label themselves before, I’ve been guilty of it time and time again.

I’ll say things like, “I’m built for explosive power and going fast, not long-distances,” to justify my disdain for distance running, road cycling or any form of continuous long slow distance aerobic work.

In my defence, I have still trained for and completed a 1/2 Marathon, several 5 and 10k races, 40 and 60k bike races and a sprint and olympic distance triathlon, though they were all in my late teens or early 20’s. I just didn’t really enjoy it, so don’t let me discourage you from doing what you enjoy.

You might say something like, “I just hate exercise,” or “I’ve never been good at sports,” or “I’m the kind of person that can just eat and eat and eat, and never gain any weight.”

Ya for now…

We all get tricked into believing that our current view of our lives is based on some previous experience(s), either negative or positive.

Garrett Kramer recently wrote an article with this little gem of a sentence:

“Labeling your own character does one thing: it reinforces your own insecure thinking.”

We create our own perceptions of the world, the world does not create our perceptions.

One of the biggest things I’ve noticed about my own present day thinking — I’m not impervious to this trap FYI — relative to how I have been at other, more negative times is that I have learned over time to generally avoid self-labelling, especially negative self-labelling and you can do the same but reinforcing your awareness of your own thoughts.

This curbs doubt.

For instance, I’ve historically always thought of myself as an introvert. In the last six or seven years of training, I came to the realization that it’s impossible to be good at what I do and be a complete introvert.

While I may enjoy periods of introverted reflection and work time, it has become apparent that my expression is entirely dependent on the situation and I really enjoy speaking in public, writing a blog, meeting new people or being on stage when I’m in the right state of mind.

I create that state of mind these days through awareness. I don’t need a pep talk, I just remember that I have a firm belief in what I’m doing.

Do You?

When you really start seeing your situation in a positive light, recognizing that your situation is probably a result of your thinking pattern first and foremost, then it becomes much easier to acquire the skills, change your habits and alter behaviors towards a better you.

Change your thinking, change your weight.