The Dreaded Weekend?
Dr. John H. Sklare
I’ve been receiving an awful lot of messages lately, from struggling weight loss
warriors, with a common theme. That theme has to do with the emotional struggle
that takes place every week between Friday afternoon and Sunday night. Yes – I’m
talking about the dreaded weekend. The question that these frustrated people have
in common is this – "Why do I lose all control on the weekend"?
I’m sure that many of you are nodding your head in agreement right now. The weekend
is a very difficult and interesting time for a great many of you. One of the primary
and most obvious reasons for the weekend struggle is that the weekend contains a
great deal of unstructured time. With the busy work, family and school schedules
most people have during the week, there is little or no time for relaxation and
social interaction. However, when the weekend begins, a whole new schedule emerges
and an entirely new team seems to take the field.
Other than discussing the nuts and bolts that differentiate the week from the weekend,
I want to focus this article on something a little more subtle. Those of you who
are regular readers of my columns know that I write a lot about semantics. Specifically
I’m referring to the impact that the words you use and the thoughts you think have
on your motivation, your sense of power and, as I am addressing in this column,
your ability to nutritionally manage the weekend.
For example, some words doom you to failure before you even begin. Take the word
can’t for example. In my opinion, can’t is truly a four letter word.
If you’re making statements like, "I can’t find time to exercise", "I can’t
stop eating fast food" or "I can’t control myself on the weekends",
the battle is already lost. Your words eventually become your destiny.
Can’t is an example of a very powerful, debilitating and telling word. On the other
hand, if you avoid words that weaken you and use words that empower you, you create
the framework for an entirely different emotional package and outcome. By using
words and thoughts that give you strength, authority and control, you create a more
positive and powerful frame of mind resulting in a happier you and more positive
result.
Now let me relate this semantics issue back to the weekend. Again, the words you
use influence you in very powerful and subtle ways. Now I want to point something
out here that I find very interesting. Phonetically, the words week and weak
are pronounced the exact same way. So every time I hear someone worried about or
struggling with the weekend, I hear WEAKend in my mind.
Now granted, this isn’t going to make front-page headlines but it is an interesting
thought. The real question is this; does this "phonetic coincidence" have
some impact on the struggle that takes place at the end of each week? Is it possible
that by saying weekend (WEAKend) you actually make yourself mentally
and emotionally weaker? I suggest that it does and that perhaps you would be better
served by referring to this period of time as the STRONGend. I know, I know.
You’re thinking I have way too much time on my hands.
But humor me for a moment and entertain this thought. After all, your thoughts drive
your behaviors. Whereas negative thinking takes you one direction, positive thinking
takes you in the exact opposite direction. My question is simple. Is it more advantageous
for you to think STRONG or think WEAK? Mind/body theory would encourage
you to think strong thoughts for the following reason.
Your thoughts have a powerful impact on your attitude, your health and your body.
As a matter of fact, there are those who say that we physically become the result
of our thoughts. In the book Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Dr. Deepak Chopra states
the following: "Our cells are constantly eavesdropping on our thoughts and being
changed by them. A bout of depression can wreak havoc with the immune system while
falling in love can boost it. Despair and hopelessness raise the risk of heart attacks
and cancer thereby shortening life. This means that the line between biology and
psychology can’t really be drawn with any certainty. A remembered stress, which
is only a wisp of a thought, releases the same flood of destructive hormones as
the actual stress itself."
Our thoughts are very powerful and influential tools and our bodies do respond to
our thoughts. As a matter of fact, some say that our bodies are the physical result
of our thoughts. Thoughts are actually electrical impulses that create biochemical
reactions in your brain. These reactions release chemicals that impact every cell
in your body. In that sense, the biochemistry of your body is the result of what
you think. That is the basis of mind/body medicine. Wherever a thought goes, a chemical
follows. Are you starting to understand my concern about week and weak?
Every thought you have activates a messenger molecule in your brain. In other words,
every mental impulse automatically gets transformed into biological information.
By changing your thoughts, you can literally change your body. That’s why I always
say that you can’t change your weight until you change your mind.
It’s always the thought that precedes the action. The changes that you need to make
in order to succeed at weight management and healthy lifestyle change are found
from the neck up. Think positive thoughts, make healthier choices and your body
will change – it can’t help it!
So think about this concept as you approach the end of this workweek. Are you preparing
for a WEAKend or a STRONGend? This may very well make all the difference
in the world regarding your diet and your dream of healthy living. Oh yes, diet.
That’s another one of those words that always jump out at me. It sounds like such
a negative word which is why I like to suggest that you don’t DIE it. I suggest
you LIVE it. And I suggest you live it STRONG at the end of each week.
The thoughts you think fuel your behavior so be mindful of the mental wood you through
on your motivational fire.
Wishing You Great Health,
Dr. John H. Sklare
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