Have you ever noticed that little voice in your head?

That devil voice that is responsible for about 98% of the bad food and weight management decisions that derail your best efforts?

In episode 51 of Thin Thinking Podcast, we are gonna dive into how the ‘license to eat’ or the “because” factor can be a big roadblock releasing weight consistently. And we can look at a thin thinking technique that can help you master that rebel voice and get more consistency and move you in the right direction towards health, confidence, and weight mastery.

Also, this March, as we get to celebrate the first anniversary of Thin Thinking Podcast, I will be launching the THIN THINKING PODCAST REVIEW PRIZE DRAWING where:

  • 3 Runner up winners will get $100 Gift Certificates to the Shift Weight Downloads Store

  • 1 Grand Prize Winner: Enrollment in The LIVE Online Shift Weight Mastery Process

Here are the guidelines to become eligible for review drawings:

  1. Write a review of the Thin Thinking Podcast

  2. Take a picture of the review

  3. Send it to [email protected]

  4. Make sure your entry has your name and email on it so that we can notify you if you have won.

IMPORTANT NOTE: ALL ENTRIES MUST BE IN BY MARCH 31, 2022 TO BE ELIGIBLE

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

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Transcription

Rita Black: Have you ever noticed that little voice in your head, that devil voice that is responsible for about 98% of the bad food and weight management decisions that derail your best efforts? In today's short, sweet, and to-the-point episode, we are gonna dive into how the license to eat or the "because" factor can be a big roadblock releasing weight consistently. And we can look at a thin thinking technique that can help you master that rebel voice and get more consistency and move you in the right direction towards health, confidence, and weight mastery.

Rita Black: Did you know that our struggle with weight doesn't start with the food on your plate or get fixed in the gym? 80% of our weight struggle is mental. That's right, the key to unlocking long-term weight release and management begins in your mind. Hi there, I'm Rita Black. I'm a clinical hypnotherapist, weight loss expert, best-selling author, and the creator of the Shift Weight Mastery Process. And not only have I helped thousands of people over the past 20 years achieve long-term weight mastery, I am also a former weight struggler, carb addict, and binge eater. And after two decades of failed diets and fad weight loss programs, I lost 40 pounds with the help of hypnosis. Not only did I release all that weight, I have kept it off for 25 years. Enter the Thin Thinking Podcast where you too will learn how to remove the mental roadblocks that keep you struggling. I'll give you the thin thinking tools, skills, and insights to help you develop the mindset you need. Not only to achieve your ideal weight, but to stay there long-term and live your best life. Sound good. Let's get started.

Rita Black: Hello my Thin Thinking friends. How are you? I am so happy that we are finally in March. This is one of my favorite months here in LA. It's the beginning of all the wonderful blooming of spring. I remember when I grew up in Seattle, March was kind of the beginning of spring, definitely in Seattle too, but in a different way, cause Southern California, it's bummy weather for the most part and you know, everything is in bloom, you know, and soon to be turned brown in a couple of months. So, but when I lived in Seattle, the daffodils were out definitely this time of year and all the beautiful cherry blossoms were blooming so amazing, but it was still cold and muddy and you know, rainy all the time. So the weather was not cooperating. And when I lived in New York City, oh my gosh, it was even worse because yes, maybe tulips bloomed and a few cherry trees and all that stuff, but oh my gosh, in New York City and I'm sure you guys can all relate if you live in a colder climate, you know, a huge frost or snowstorm could come on any minute up until like May, right? So, I remember when it would turn May in New York City, it was like everybody walked down the street with their shirts off. Everybody was so happy that it was finally finally spring. And then it was like a month later, a hot humid summer in New York City. Alas. But that is, you know, that is that, but it is beautiful here.

Rita Black: Also, March is marking the one year anniversary of the Thin Thinking Podcast. Our anniversary is coming up in a few weeks. So today, I am starting the beginning of our "Write a Thin Thinking Podcast Review and Prize Drawing." So here's the, I don't know, what, what do you call this? A challenge, a drawing, a whatever you, what you do is you write a review and you take a picture of the review you wrote on the whatever platform you are on, and send it to [email protected], that's [email protected]. And if you can't remember that, just grab my email from the show notes below this episode, and then you will be put into a prize drawing for the end of the month. Now, there are gonna be three runner-up prizes of a hundred dollars worth of downloads from the Shift Weight Mastery Hypnosis Download Store. And a grand prize winner who's gonna win a free place in our upcoming live online Shift Weight Mastery Process, which is coming up. The enrollment period is coming up in April and we will be shifting through the month of may. So it's a great time just before summer to get your shift on, right? So this is an awesome prize worth hundreds of dollars. So please share your reviews, have fun and, you know, join the challenge and thanks so much from the bottom of my heart for listening to the Thin Thinking Podcast. I really appreciate you and appreciate everything that I feel like we've, we've created together, with your participation, ideas, enthusiasm and, you know, it's so lovely to have people tuning in from all over the world.

Rita Black: Okay. So now let's discuss the license to eat. The license to eat you say? What is that? What is the license to eat? Well, what I think it is is it's an unconscious feeling of entitlement or I deserve it because we filled out on some level despite the eventual consequences. So it's like eat first, deserve it and think about the consequences later. So often, you know, what, what compels us to, you know, head into this "license to eat" feeling is this little storyteller in our head I like to call the inner rebel. And our inner rebel actually can get quite loud when we're trying to lose weight. Haven't you noticed? Our inner rebel doesn't like to feel deprived. And in fact, the inner rebel will get very smart and clever and do his or her best to get us to go back to the ways things were before we started the weight loss attempt. And that inner rebel is very much like a used car salesman. They're smart, they're savvy. They have the perfect line of reasoning for why we should not be depriving ourselves. And that is why, trying to lose weight via deprivation and the word trying doesn't really work.

Rita Black: Trying to the inner rebel means I'm really not committed or decided. And the inner rebel will get very loud and become, you know, it's gonna come up with a million reasons why we really need to veer off the weight loss road and will give you the license to eat. And us, feeling deprived and vulnerable in the moment, are often happy to take the license to eat in earnest. The license to eat usually begins with the word 'because'. This is, you know, I'm foreshadowing 'because'. Have you ever heard some of these? So I'm gonna read to you from my list of license to eats.

Rita Black: Because the scale is down. Haven't you ever done that? Lost a few pounds and been like, wow, I lost a few pounds so I deserve to eat. Because the scale is up, because it's frustrating. Who cares? Scale's up anyway. Because the scale is outta plateau and you are sure your body's broken anyways. So why the hell not? Because you deserve a reward after a hard day, don't we all? Because you had a great day. Because it's payday. Because I didn't get paid when I thought I would. Because it's a party. Because we're at a restaurant. Haven't you discovered or noticed that any restaurant, it doesn't even matter. It, it could be McDonald's, it's a celebration. I'm eating at a restaurant. Because you've just finished a fast. How many of you did the master cleanse and then, well, you gotta kind of ease your self out of fast, but it's just like, you feel so entitled to eat.

Rita Black: Because you are sick. How many have you, have done that? Oh, I'm so sick and we have to comfort eat. Because it's a holiday. Any one of the 12 to 14 holidays over the year, haven't you ever noticed? There is always some holiday. Because it's either your birthday or the birthday of any one of the multitudes of people in your life. Because it's your period. Okay, guys, you're off the hook here. Because you've just had great sex. Because you've just had unfulfilling sex. Just because, because you aren't getting any sex. See? Because the TV show you are watching is bad. Because your boss was mean to you. Because your boss promoted you. Because you have to take care of everyone and everything. Because your lonely. Because you're too busy. Because you finished a task that you have been putting off - reward time. Because you have to do your taxes. Because you did your taxes. Because the label said it's organic or healthy. Because the food is free. Because the food is cheap. Because the food is sugar-free. Because the food was expensive and you can't waste it. Because you're bored because you're tired. Because everyone else is doing it. Because there was only a little left anyway. Because you are going back on a diet on Monday. Because you only get this food once a year.

Rita Black: How many of you guys do that? Come on, fess up. Because you drink alcohol. Woohoo. Because you don't drink alcohol and everybody else's do you deserve something. Because you got stoned. Because it's a supersized meal deal. Because your kids left it on the plate and it can't be wasted. Because COVID has gone on way too long. Because, because, because. So can you begin to see that that license to eat is strong and unconscious? We have trained old neural pathways and expecting food treats during certain times, or related to certain feelings. And that includes feeling deprived. These little GPS guides in our mind lead us into feeling entitled or creating excuses so we don't feel guilty. We deserve it, damn it. And they feel really real. But they are cognitive errors that lead to slowed down weight loss, a plateau, or even weight gain.

Rita Black: So, how can you begin to move out of a 'license to eat' pattern? Well, first, by becoming conscious to when you're doing it. Just begin to recognize that voice that says, "Go on. It's been a tough day. You deserve that extra handful of crackers." As the voice of the inner rebel, your inner rebel isn't you. You are powerful. You are strong. You're confident. Your inner rebel is just a voice in your head. And the big word to watch out for here is 'because'. When you become conscious of that rebel voice and start to separate it out as almost just separate character in your head, it gives you power. You can separate yourself from the thought or desire by observing as a loving scientist. You take that power back. This is called thought watching. Once we separate ourselves from the old disempowering thoughts, we can begin to have choices.

Rita Black: So, here's an example, licensed to eat thought. I deserve to have some cheese and crackers. I've been good all week, and I need something to get me through cleaning up the kitchen. So, when that happens, take a deep breath. Shift breath in and separate yourself from the 'license to eat' thought. Realize I am having the thought that I deserve to eat cheese and crackers, but I'm really not hungry. And I don't need the extra calories. But I do feel like I deserve something because it's been a hard day. Once you separate, you will be amused it will sound like that used car salesman, and you really can get underneath and give yourself what you really need. I deserve to be healthier and lighter and consistent. Cheese and crackers would not make me feel that way in the end. In fact, I will ultimately feel bloated and mad at myself.

Rita Black: So this where you bring your inner coaching to talk to you instead of that inner rebel, right? You, you start to reason with yourself and be with yourself powerfully in the moment. What could I do that gives me a treat without giving myself more calories. Can I allow myself to go lie on the couch and just veg out, instead of doing these dishes right now, that would be a real treat. And by the time I'm done vegging, I won't be tempted in the kitchen.

Rita Black: This is what I call the license to shift - shift yourself from victim of those old thought patterns that keep you struggling with weight into new, powerful solution seeking, self-coaching. Being that inner coach with yourself in the moment. Every time you do this, you own that. And you become more confident. Every time you do that, you step outside the old thought patterns. Every time you do that, you start creating thin thinking in your thin thinking mindset and those old neural pathways, those old fat thinking, neural pathways start to fade. It's like flexing a muscle in your thin thinking brain.

Rita Black: So here's what you do. Thought comes up because it's Friday night. Take a breath, notice the license to eat, oh, it's Friday night. And there's that thought that I should eat because it's Friday night. Three, re-see yourself as someone who's committed to long-term health and weight mastery with better choices for rewards and treats and flex that thin thinking brain, just like a muscle. And when your brain knows those old choices, aren't an option, those neural pathways will atrophy and you'll build new neural pathways for healthy choices to reward yourself. When your brain knows it's not an option when you're not trying, but you are committed and it's not an option, your brain becomes an incredible resource center for you. Extra food, not an option. Okay. How do we reward ourselves? How do we relax ourselves? How do we have that extra fun on a Friday night. You are capable of that. You are, you are absolutely capable of having fun and having an amazing time without extra food or making the bad food choices, but you have to be committed and you have to be coming from this different place.

Rita Black: So, you can do this. And just think about flexing that thin thinking brain. It's like building a powerful muscle. And now I'm headed to the kitchen for a snack because I've just finished recording this and I deserve it. Just kidding. No, no. We're not done because I am reminding you to go write that, that podcast review and get your, you know, get entered into the prize drawing, just email me. My email address is in the show notes. Take a picture of the review. It doesn't have to be long. It can be just a couple of lines. But we're gonna, we're gonna do the drawing on March 31st. And like I said, three runner up prizes of a hundred dollars worth of downloads from the shift store and grand prize, a free place enrollment in the upcoming live Shift Weight Mastery Process online that we do. It's an incredible program, 30 days, plus prep, plus lots of community meetings, coaching, lots of great stuff. Bg transformation, lots of breakthroughs, lots of weight release in the permanent style. So, yeah, write that review and, if you like, you don't have to. But I invite you to, and get yourself in that drawing. Have an amazing week and remember that the key and probably the only key to unlocking the door, the weight struggle is inside you. Keep listening and find it. And I look forward to being with you next week.

Rita Black: Thanks for listening to the thin thinking podcast. Did that episode go by way too fast for you? If so, and do you want to dive deeper into the mindset of long-term weight release? Head on over to www.shiftweightmastery.com where you'll find numerous tools and resources to help you unlock your mind for permanent weight release, tips, strategies, and more, and be sure to check the show notes to learn more about my book From Fat to Thin Thinking: Unlock Your Mind For Permanent Weight Loss and to learn how to subscribe to the podcast so that you never miss an episode.