Turn Around the Negative Self-Talk

By Wendy Bumgardner, About.com Guide

Updated July 23, 2007

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

Do you find yourself putting yourself down? "I can't finish this workout." "I can't lose weight." "I'll just come in last place again."

This destructive habit is often a self-fulfilling prophecy - we talk ourselves out of improving our performance or maintaining good new habits. We talk ourselves into just giving up.

Failing Again and Again

Many of us have failed time and time again, especially with diets and healthy eating habits. And so when you once again make a resolution to eat healthier, you carry the guilt and frustration of those failures. You start off not really believing you will succeed. Any little slip up leads you to criticize yourself and reinforce that you will just fail again.