I am embarrassed to admit how many different commercial weight loss programs I've tried. I don't know about you, but after a while I grow tired of talking heads touting empty promises. None of them helped me look the way I think I should and most of them left me agonizing over eating the same foods over and over.
What's a body to do?
In this article I've outline a few different ideas that I've found to really work. Ideas I continue to come back to again and again. Whether you need to lose a few pounds or are looking for a healthy lifestyle change, these 4 solutions will help get you started.
Solution #1: Use Creative Visualization
Creative visualization a great way to bring about lifestyle change. "Seeing" yourself thinner is one of the most successful ways to decrease your body size and improve body image. Guided imagery works by training your mind to stimulate changes within your body.
This can be accomplished using a few of my favorite tools:
Affirmations: Using affirmations will train your mind by stating or affirming your intentions. It will retrain your thinking toward positive thoughts.
When I use affirmations, I like to use positive statements such as these:
MY BODY IS BEAUTIFUL! I LOVE MY BODY!
To increase their effectiveness, I write these messages to myself on an index card or piece of paper and carry them with me. I review them several times throughout the day.
Tapes: If you are an auditory person, you will love the guided imagery and weight loss tapes available from Health Journeys ( http://www.healthjourneys.com ). Their positive learning tapes will walk you through the thought process of building a stronger, leaner body.
Books: One of my favorite positive affirmation books is Love Your Body! By Louise L. Hay. Inside this book, Louise has created affirmations for you. If you read through them each day you are sure to reap the rewards of loving your body.
Solution #2 Try An Herbal Wrap
If you need to lose a few extra pounds, you may want to try an herbal wrap. Herbal wraps help the body lose water and inches. You can get a wrap from your favorite salon however, they tend to be expensive. It's just as easy to give yourself a spa treatment at home. Herbal wrap products are everywhere. If you'd like to get a wrap but prefer the privacy of your own home, check out: http://www.healthjourneys.com
Some of the benefits of herbal wraps include:
Solution #3 Stop When You Are Full
In her book Appetites, Geneen Roth gives us a simple outline to manage portion control. Her two major mantras are: take time to eat and stop when you are full. These are both shape-shifting ideas. To some people, including myself, food is a friend. Therefore the tendency to overeat stems out of emotion; food provides comfort and security. Others are in a hurry. Food and the need to eat are just obstacles that get in the way.
In effort to break free from these unhealthy behaviors, ask yourself several questions:
Am I enjoying what I am eating? Do I eat standing up or on the run? Do I continue to eat even after I know I am full?
Next, begin to carve out time to eat and enjoy food with friends or family. Or to take time to enjoy a nourishing meal even if you are alone. Eat to the point of being full, then stop. Most of the time, weight loss can be easily stimulated through portion control.
Solution #4 Keep a Food Journal
In addition to the aforementioned, it may be wise for you to keep a food journal. By tracking what you eat every day, you hold yourself accountable for everything you place in your mouth. It's simple to start. Record everything you eat for a week and document your weight each week.
At the end of the week take inventory of yourself. Have you gained weight? Lost? Remained the same? If you are gaining weight, simply cut back on your refined sugars (sweets) and heavy carbs like white rice or white potatoes. For these, substitute brown rice or sweet potatoes instead. Track your habits for a second week.
When you've reached the point in your eating program where your weight remains the same, you will need only consume a few less calories (or burn a few extra during exercise) each week to lose weight. Keep in mind: in order to lose weight, your body needs to burn more calories than it consumes. First, find your melting point, then adjust your portion control and exercise program accordingly.
In Conclusion: With just a few adjustments and an enjoyment of food ? recognizing its beauty for nourishing your body - you can shift your focus from frustration to enjoyment. Give these alternatives to weight loss a try. Your health and your waist line will thank you for it.
About The Author
Laura M. Turner is a Certified Personal Trainer and Sr. Editor of the The New Body News and Wellness Letter. Increase your healthy I.Q. Sign up for free: http://www.healthjourneys.com
one time home cleaning Highland Park ..Yes, my healthy diet has at times suffered at the... Read More
Nitrates and nitrites are preservatives that are added to certain... Read More
We have plans for everything these days. That is how... Read More
The average American eats about twice as much protein than... Read More
Are you considering a low carb diet? If so you... Read More
If you are a mom at home on a diet,... Read More
In December 2003, the FDA incorporated an ephedra ban making... Read More
The goal of many athletes and exercisers is to "get... Read More
On a little island half way in between Guam and... Read More
What is the best form of physical activity?The best form... Read More
I remember back in my senior year of high school... Read More
It would not be surprising to hear your answer is... Read More
It seems everyone is looking for that magic bullet -... Read More
While exercising isn't complicated, it's very easy to make mistakes.... Read More
Whether coming from a close friend, the nightly news or... Read More
Now this is the real American Dream! I'm here to... Read More
If all we have to do is exercise to live... Read More
Weight loss, diets and "carbs" are common household topics. There... Read More
Every day, it seems, a new study pertaining to weight... Read More
As our bodies move from Winter into Spring we can... Read More
If you know someone that has been trying to lose... Read More
Getting Started on The Clean DietIf you want to lose... Read More
Ever notice how your best friend can lose weight on... Read More
1.The first step to living a Glycemic Diet Lifestyle is... Read More
Plan to eat two to three hours and pack health... Read More
licensed cleaning services Park Ridge ..As our country gains weight at an alarming rate, we... Read More
The right diet pill should be carefully considered when deciding... Read More
One of the most talked about topics in any political... Read More
Each month I receive hundreds of e-mails from consumers who... Read More
Why have I allowed myself to get into this shape?... Read More
We have all set them, and we will revisit them... Read More
The safe way to lose weight begins with a thorough... Read More
Debunking The Ab MythAb training has been done to death... Read More
Telling yourself you have to "struggle with this weight issue... Read More
Weight loss can be a difficult goal to achieve. Some... Read More
Yes it's true- and so unfair. As we get older... Read More
1. The lower the calories eaten per day, the harder... Read More
Are you one of those who hate dieting? Well, you... Read More
Just one more day I can do this, I told... Read More
You have decided that you want to lose weight and... Read More
I wonder how much it is generally known that the... Read More
Most of us are aware of the AA axiom of... Read More
Fat has had a lot of bad press and for... Read More
Millions of people spend billions of dollars, hoping to achieve... Read More
The Atkins diet Plan breakfast can usually composed of eggs... Read More
Let's not talk about diets. Diets are punishment ? like... Read More
Although many patients have few problems after bariatric surgery, there... Read More
What is the link between Hispanics and obesity? Are people... Read More
LivingAfterWLS reader feedback indicates snacking is the single biggest problem... Read More
Losing weight can make a significant and life altering change... Read More
Weight Loss |