Rita Black: James Bond may have had the license to kill, but have you ever noticed that when we struggle with weight, we often grant ourselves the license to overeat. You know what I'm talking about? That little devilish voice in your head responsible for about 98% of the bad food and weight management decisions that derail your best efforts. So in today's short, sweet, and to the point episode, we're diving into the because factor, that sneaky license to eat that can be a major roadblock to consistent weight release. Join us as we explore a powerful thin thinking technique to help you master that rebel voice, achieve more consistency, and move confidently towards health, confidence, and lasting weight mastery. So shake and not stir yourself into today's episode and let's get started.

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, bestselling 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.

Rita Black: Hey there everyone, and Happy Independence Day, freedom from Fat Thinking and the Weight Struggle this week. It's Independence Day here in the United States, but this episode is dedicated to us, all us freedom fighters all over the world with our listeners from Peru to Paris, from Alaska to Albania, and from New Mexico to New Zealand. Happy freedom from Fat Thinking!

Rita Black: Today's episode is gonna be short, sweet, and to the point. But before we dive in, I just want to let you know that this episode is being sponsored by my free online masterclass, How to stop the Start Over Tomorrow Weight Struggle Cycle, and Begin Releasing Weight for Good. So check out the link. This masterclass with me is a deep dive in how to break free from that almost addictive light cycle of being good, being bad, then feeling bad, then starting over, et cetera, et cetera. Oh my gosh, yo-yo, yo-yo, you know what I mean? That addictive cycle. And we don't just explore it, but we walk you through powerful mind shifts to break free. And we do a powerful hypnosis session at the end. So please sign up. The link is in the show notes. 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 feel that 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 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 that things were before we started the weight loss attempt. And that inner interval is very much lik 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.

Rita Black: And that is why trying to lose weight via deprivation and the word trying doesn't really work. Trying to the inner rebel means I'm really not committed or decided. And the inner rebel will get very loud and become it's, you know, it's gonna come up with a million reasons why we really need to veer off the weight loss road and we'll 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 Uhhuh, have you ever heard some of these?

Rita Black: So I'm gonna read to you from my list of license to eats because the scale is down. Haven't you ever done that and lost a few pounds and been like, well, 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 at a 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 are at a restaurant. Haven't you discovered or notice that any restaurant, it doesn't even matter. It would 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 out self out of fast of a fast. But it's just like you feel so entitled to eat because you are sick.

Rita Black: How many of you 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 you're 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.

Rita Black: 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, 'cause you only get this food once a year. How many of you guys do that? Come on, fess up because you drank alcohol. Woo, woohoo. Because you don't drink alcohol and everybody else is. So you deserve something because you got stoned, because it is a super sized 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 in 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, damage 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 are 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 a separate character in your head, it gives you power.

Rita Black: 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. So here's an example. License 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'll be amused. It will sound like that used car salesman. And you really can get underneath and give yourself what you really need.

Rita Black: 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. So this is where you bring your inner coach in to talk to you instead of that inner rebel, right? 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. 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.

Rita Black: 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 centered 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're, 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. Oh, just kidding. Alright, thanks so much for being here this week. I hope you have a safe and healthy 4th of July. All you Americanos and everybody else have an amazing week free from fat thinking. And check out my free masterclass and use the hypnosis to get started or refocused on your summer weight release journey. Have a great week and remember that the key and probably the only key to unlocking the door, the weight struggle cycle is inside you. So key listening and find it. I will be here with you next week.

Rita Black: You wanna dive deeper into the mindset of long-term weight release, head on over to www.shiftweightmastery.com. That's 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.