Did you know that tiny steps can change you at an IDENTITY level? 

By Lori Hammond

Coach and Professional Hypnotist. Giving you simple tools to stop overwhelm and harness joyful forward momentum.

I'm sitting in my new apartment in Denver, CO feeling so grateful. 

My youngest daughter, Janessa (22), asked me to be her roommate and it turns out she and I are very compatible living partners. 

We both like a level of tidiness that borders on ridiculous. I haven't always been that way though.

When my kids were little, I considered myself a terrible housekeeper. I would berate myself and think, "Why can't I get my act together like Jennifer down the street? Her house is always clean!"

I would make big plans and spend hours deep cleaning the whole house only to have it be back to disaster status a couple of days later. 

I made elaborate chore charts and checklists (I get a dopamine hit every time I check something off a list).

They usually went in the trash a few days later as I sighed and wondered what was wrong with me.

Then I stumbled on the FlyLady (FLY stands for Finally Loving Yourself) and she told me just to clean my kitchen sink every day. That really rubbed me the wrong way because I was an all-or-nothing perfectionist. 

I gave it a try out of desperation and something a bit magical happened. I started WANTING to keep the house picked up. I didn't let it become a disaster and I also didn't need to have it perfect. 

In hindsight, here's why I believe it worked. (If you're waiting for a weight loss tip - I promise it's coming.)

Every time I polished my kitchen sink - which was usually a few times a day - I was sending a message to my subconscious mind that I'm the kind of person who likes to keep things tidy. 

I didn't fully believe it myself, but I kept up with the experiment anyway. 

This tiny little kitchen sink habit made it easy to keep the whole kitchen tidy. 

As time passed, it had a domino effect on other areas of the house. 

And the most amazing part?

I changed on an IDENTITY level. 

I stopped seeing myself as a terrible housekeeper and started thinking of myself as the kind of person who likes a tidy environment. 

By making one tiny shift, I was able to bypass resistance and let my subconscious mind make the changes without my conscious effort.

In fact, I didn't even notice myself changing until I realized I don't remember what it's like to struggle to keep my house clean.

In the same way, permanent weight loss happens when a person changes on an IDENTITY level.

Crash diets, restrictive food plans, and calorie counting are all diet mentality tools that keep you stuck feeling like there's something wrong with you. (Just like my elaborate checklists and binge-cleaning.)

But when you start to make tiny shifts and ACT like the kind of person who doesn't struggle with weight, you send a subconscious message that it's ok to release extra weight. 

It's ok to stop obsessing about food.

It's ok to be nice to the person you see in the mirror. 

Do you want a "kitchen sink" habit that will create IDENTITY change and lead to permanent weight loss?

Before I give it to you, you have to promise not to say, "Psshh, that would never work. It's too easy."

I want you to actually try it out. Consistently. Even if you think it's not working. 

Deal?

Just before you take your first bite of food - whether it's a meal, a snack, or a "forbidden treat" take one breath with a looong slooow exhale and tell yourself, "I am content" then imagine yourself putting the food away when you've had enough to physically nourish yourself.

I don't want you to try to talk yourself out of eating or feel guilty (those are diet mentality strategies). Instead, simply imagine yourself being successful. 

Here's a recap:

1. Take a deep breath with a LOOONG exhale before you take the first bite.
2. Say, "I am content" and let yourself really feel content (If that's tricky, you can just PRETEND to be content.)
3. Imagine yourself putting the food away when you've had enough to nourish your body.

If you like this idea, I highly recommend you make a decision to start this "kitchen sink" habit immediately. Make a decision right now to do it the very next time you eat. 

Do you want a tip to help you remember?

Right now, vividly imagine yourself remembering. Think about where you'll be when you eat. What will you be wearing? What will the food look like? Imagine seeing your hand reach for the food and remembering, "Oh yeah, I'm going to take a breath, say I'm content and imagine success."

Ok, that's all there is to it! 

I'm here for you and I absolutely know you can achieve success!

Love,

Lori