Kelly McPherson CPT, CFT, CES
I have heard this many times as the best weight loss trick there is. "Think yourself thin." It is all in your mind. If you think it, it will be. If you can imagine yourself as a firm healthy body, the power of your brain will take over your body and make it so.
Now, no offense to any of you out there that subscribe to this idea, but I just don't buy it. Thought processes alone will never give you results. If that were so, we would all just pop in the motivational CD into our car stereo and melt away the fat as we drove down the road chomping on french fries and M&M's. Hmmm..... But what does work?
Action. We must actually do something to get the results that we desire. This is true of anything in life. Seldom does simply thinking and imagining something actually bring any kind of tangible results. In order to lose weight, we must consume less than we burn. To get an education, we must study hard in class. To clean our house, we must pick up the mop. Wishing for it, just doesn't make it so.
Geez Kelly! You sure are a downer! Don't you believe in the power of a positive attitude? Yes! I absolutely do. I believe in the power of a positive attitude to help give us the power and belief in ourselves to get up and make the necessary changes that we need to do to make a difference and get the results that we want. I sincerely believe that all change begins with a thought. A thought that the change is possible and that we have the power and the ability to make those changes. One of the human traits that we have that is so unique to our species is the ability to have vision. That ability is incredible. It is what built the Pyramids and the Golden Gate Bridge. It is what has imagined a life without polio or smallpox. It is what still gives us hope of world peace and ending poverty close to home and around the globe. But never, forget, that when one of our species gains a vision of one of these great things, it doesn't stop there. The next step is always action.
Now, back to thinking yourself thin. There are many studies that suggest that a positive image does have an influence on weight. They showed that people who had a positive image were more likely to be more consistent with their exercise routine, more likely to eat healthy foods and to be generally more active and stress free in their every day lives. All of these things have a definite and proven positive effect on the waistline.
So, yes. Start with thinking yourself thin. Imagine what you will look like. Imagine what it will feel like to be healthy and full of the energy to do all the things that you want. Imagine what it will taste like to finally love to savor vegetables. Imagine everything about what your goal will look, feel, taste, and sound like. Use that image to keep you moving on the actions that you need to do to get to where you want to be. Just don't stop at the image. Get moving!