Using the Law of Attraction to “Lose” Weight – The Question and the Answer

Ever since I was a little girl, I knew about the Law of Attraction. I just didn’t know what it was called. I would have conversations with God, things would happen in my life, and I would be left saying, “Wow, that was like magic – how did that happen?” The most poignant example was in my early twenties when I began losing pound after pound. I kept putting my intention out there, and the results KEPT coming. This week, Oprah Winfrey has launched her own new intentions, beginning with her New Year TV series and articles highlighting her commitment to self-love and self-care as an answer to her weight struggle. While I’m hugely flattered that Oprah has unknowingly tapped into my personal mission and life’s work, it started me thinking. If self-love is the answer (and it is), what exactly is the question?

The Question: What do you want to attract for 2009? No matter what we hear about the economy or the state of things around, you can’t deny the optimism and excitement in the air. It is a New Year, a new beginning, and the most important question you can is: What do I WANT? It sounds so simple, but more of us run from this question rather than ever dare to answer it. Why? Is claiming our own power that frightening? Yes. It is.

We’ve heard a TON about the Law of Attraction over the last few years, but truly it begins (or ends) with that simple question. Only then can we see, recognize and accept what we pull toward us. Because what we focus on surely expands. Let’s apply this to the most common New Year’s resolution – to lose weight. What happens when we try to lose weight? Well, first of all, we’re focused on “losing” something. So it’s not surprising that we would, on some deep level, resist the effort from day one. When we’re losing something, we are constantly focused on a negative. And when we lose something that means we are going to get it back or are trying to get it back!

In order to use the Law of Attraction, we must first answer, “What do I want?” in a way that is not a loss. We want to be healthy, perhaps even slender. We want to have more energy and stamina. We want to recognize our beauty (even though it is constantly present, we may feel disguised by excess weight and not recognize it). When THOSE things are our focus, the message we send to our psyche (and our heart) is one of self-love, rather than loss. Loss deeply implies a level of judgment, and even self-loathing, so it can’t attract healthy change.

We are magnificent, no matter what we weigh or THINK.

The beauty in our bodies is absolute and undeniable. We are living and this life is happening this moment and the next and the next. By focusing on the positive expressions of self-love and GROWING our strength and health, and by accepting that true self-love means courageous choices – THAT is a shift toward attraction that we can all consciously put into practice.

The Answer: Self-love equals courage. Deep inside, we all know this is true. It is why we do not CLAIM our questions. If we did, we would have to claim our answers, and this is not easy. For most of us, courage will not show up on a battlefield on some distant shore, or a burning building that we rush into to save the cat. Courage will show up in quiet, but enormously significant choices that we make every day. It will appear when we set aside forty minutes for dedicated movement out of every 24 hours we live (less than 5% of each day, by the way). When we DON’T make the time to exercise, we literally say that we are not worth 5% of our own time. But there’s no judgment here – life moves quickly, and women especially have lists inside of lists to accomplish each day. That is exactly why self-love = courage. Often, we must push something aside or say “no” in order to claim that time and our responsibility to our healthy bodies. But IF we want real change, mentally focusing on what we want to attract is only the beginning – that focus MUST be followed by our ACTIONS.

• Who do we surround ourselves with? If they are moving, chances are we will too.
• What foods are in my house? If I haven’t got fruits and vegetables, I can’t be eating them.
• Am I reading inspirational material?
• Am I taking positive courses on body image (if you can’t afford one, go online for free materials to get started or find a great 12-step program, such as Overeaters Anonymous).

And finally, NEVER underestimate the power of prayer. There is a beautiful thread that runs through you; it is the thread of love and timelessness. Grab onto that thread and know that you are a part of ALL things. Use it to pull you out of hopelessness or false resolutions, and let it, instead, tie you to your own powerful and abundant future. A future of health and confidence. Remember, with this common thread, even if you can’t do this for yourself some days, you can still do it for the person who would look to YOU for breath and inspiration. Choose to focus on what you GAIN in 2009, and simply, gently, release what you used to wish you could “lose.”

Yours in love,

Laura Fenamore, CPCC, Body Image Mastery Mentor