You may think it sounds ridiculous, but its true. You can use mental visualization to make many positive changes in your life, including losing the weight you have not been able to take off. To get started all you do is picture exactly how you want to look in your mind. Once you have created the mental image, concentrate on making that vision as real as it can be. You should also focus on the emotions you will feel when you have lost the weight, and let them make the vision even more powerful.
People used to think visualization was a fairy tale, but this technique has become much more accepted in recent years. By working at visualization you eventually will create a very clear mental image of yourself at your ideal weight. Once we truly believe that this is how we look, the subconscious mind starts working to make it happen. This still may sound like crackpot science to you but, whether you think visualization works or not, you and everyone else actually use it all the time.
A common example of visualization being used in a negative way can be seen in overweight people who firmly believe they will never lose weight. They won’t tell you this is their belief in so many words, but you can tell that they mentally see themselves as an overweight person. People like this couldn’t accept weight loss even if it did occur. Even if they somehow were able to drop a few pounds, their subconscious mind will get them right back to looking like the vision they have of themselves. Without realizing it, these people have programmed their subconscious minds in such a way that it will be impossible for them to ever succeed in losing weight permanently! They never will be successful until they change the vision they have of themselves.
But there is a secret to visualization, and here it is. Scientists have known for years that the human brain cannot hold conflicting beliefs at the same time. For example, if you believe that you are an excellent speaker you cannot at the same time believe your are a terrible speaker. Scientists have also found that, when things happen that go against what you believe, this creates conflict in your mind. For instance, using the speaker example, if you absolutely believed that you were a terrible speaker but then you got up and gave a wonderful speech, you will experience mental conflict. Your brain will actually seek to minimize what you have accomplished. If you have seen this happen, you were probably struck by the person making excuses for their speech like, “Well, I knew a lot about the subject” or “Its only because I know most of the people here”. This is their mind seeking to explain how they gave a great speech when their belief is that they are a bad speaker.
So think about what this means. Using visualization, if you get yourself to the point that you really believe that you are thin, your mind will have conflict when evidence is presented to the contrary (like looking in the mirror). To handle this, your brain needs to resolve the conflict. Most people will just give up and say “I’m hopelessly fat”, but some can look in that mirror and say “THAT IS NOT ME!”. They have convinced themselves that they are a thin person temporarily trapped in an overweight body. Once this happens, you may just hear yourself saying something like “Ice cream makes me feel bloated. No thanks.” Your mind is leading you to do the things that will make your self image a reality, and resolve the conflict!
Many of us are surrounded by negative images and words from our own minds or from friends and family who may ridicule your diet plans. Fortunately, they cannot dictate what you think if you are determined to change. So create that image of yourself at your desired weight and make it as vivid as you can. You may as well try this, since you have probably already tried many other things. The only thing you stand to lose is your extra weight! Work hard at creating enough positive visions to counteract these negative ones and use these very clear visions to determine what your future will be like.
It is very important to practice visualizing every day – morning, evening and any spare moment you have. Just take a few minutes in a quiet place and keep an image in your thoughts of the body at its perfect weight. Remember to make the vision as vivid and emotional as you can make it. Some people can do this very easily, but most of us have to learn how to do it well by practicing like this. If you have a photograph of yourself at your target weight from the past, you may find it simpler to look at that. Or use a photo from a magazine but paste a picture of your face on it. Use whatever techniques you can think of to successfully visualize your own ideal body.
As you go about your daily chores, think of yourself as already at your ideal weight. Create affirmation statements and repeat them typically, usually within the present tense (“I am glad to be slim and at my ideal weight” , not “I am going to …”). Enjoy the feeling of having a positive self-image. Over time, this will help you to keep for your fat loss plan. You will find that fatty foods are less attractive and exercises are a lot more enjoyable. While your fat loss will of course be gradual, there is no doubt that this technique will work. In fact, if you get yourself to the point you really, truly believe you are thin your subconscious mind will make it impossible for you NOT to lose weight!
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