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Confused? Let me explain - Most women (and men) will begin this year with the resolution to lose that extra baggage that has been building up over the course of time. This is not a new thing - in fact - most of us make this resolution every year, say for the last 5 - 20 years. So why is it then, that instead of losing fat, we keep gaining? The answer is quite simple really - Mental Conditioning.
Every year we resolve to lose weight - every year we fail - the (subconscious) brain now has an established pattern and recognizes that it will continue to go thru these gyrations only to - in the end - justify failure for not achieving the fat loss goal and repeat the whole process the following year.
This conditioning, although not as obvious, is just the same as Pavlov's dog - you know the guy who trained the dogs to come to food whenever he rang the bell, till they were so conditioned that as soon as he rang the bell the dogs would salivate for food even when there was no food. Yes we are just as trainable as those dogs - the only difference - we (humans) do not need a trainer to condition our minds - the stories we tell ourselves do that just fine.
And that my friend is the secret - we need to stop telling stories and making up excuses - we need to change our minds about nutrition, exercise and tomorrow - yes tomorrow. How many times have you justified not doing something today because you will do it tomorrow. Tomorrow comes and what happens? You have another story to justify not doing it...and this is how we train ourselves to fail.
You set a goal - then justify why you can't follow thru on the necessary steps to achieve that goal with the stories you tell yourself. It is this pattern that trains the mind that you are not serious about your fat loss goals - or any goal you're not achieving for that matter. The more often this process is repeated - the more conditioned you become and the easier it becomes for you to justify never achieving your goals - as well as the harder it becomes to change this pattern.
However - just as you can begin an exercise program to re-condition your body, you can begin a program to re-condition your mind to set yourself up for success instead of failure. And it begins with honesty.
You need to HONESTLY ask yourself "Why am I not achieving my health and fitness goals?" If the answer is because of the stories you tell yourself - then follow the steps below to train your mind for success instead of failure.
NOTE: Do not just read these steps - if I've kept your interest this far into the article then take the 5 minutes to actually DO each one of these steps - knowing what to do is only half the battle - You have to do it to achieve success - like the Nike® ads say - "Just Do it!"
Step 1: Get Real!
Take a good look at yourself in the mirror and look right at those trouble spots. Don't just glance - make yourself fully aware of that extra fat hanging off your body, stare at it. Jump up and down a little and feel it jiggle - feel how you have no control over that junk on your body.
Don't justify it - there is no justification for not taking care of your body - your temple. Get frustrated and angry at YOUR inability to take control of your own body and shed that excess fat!
Step 2: Get Focused!
Define, right now, exactly how much you need to lose. Are you obese and need to lose 70lbs to get to a healthy weight. Or are you just carrying some extra fat and need to lose 10-20lbs.
Whatever it is - Write It Down - and make it specific. I must lose 20 pounds - Not I need to lose weight. Your goal needs to be defined so your subconscious mind recognizes that there is a SPECIFIC target.
And do not forget to specify by when - if you need to drop 20 pounds you should be able to lose that over 12-20 weeks (the exact amount of time depends on the individual). If you're looking at 70+ pounds set up smaller targets - 20 pounds in 12 weeks - you do that 4 times over the course of a year and you will be 80 pounds lighter by this time next year.
Regardless of your actual goal - be specific - your mind needs to believe that you're serious and it needs specific targets to strive for.
Step 3: Get Started NOW!
In order for your mind to perceive a goal as real - the moment you perceive it you must take action! Do not wait until tomorrow or Monday because you're thinking it's more convenient - just start now! Do anything - go for a walk, do some crunches, toss out all the crap food in your kitchen, get on a scale, measure your body fat. If you need help, get a personal trainer, or buy a book on fat loss - I don't care what you do just do something Right Now to make that goal real!
Do not wait, let me say (write) that again, Do Not Wait! If you wait until tomorrow - your goal is just a random thought and the likelihood of doing it tomorrow is slim to none. You know this is true - how many times have you said "I'll do it tomorrow", and then didn't do it at all?
Besides, as women age they become so much more prone to health risks - why would you consciously increase your risk of developing health problems by waiting another day to start incorporating exercise and healthy eating? Think on that a minute - then get started!
Step 4: Follow Through!
This is the easiest step - every day look at the goal you wrote down and then just do something to make that goal a reality. Do not overeat, do some form of exercise, eat less sugar. Do something every day for the next 12 - 20 weeks, and not only will your goal be a reality, but also your mind will be changed forever!
And once you change your mind, every goal that you set becomes that much easier to achieve, simply because your brain will have established a pattern of success instead of failure.
The 4 steps above do not just apply to weight/fat loss goals - you can apply them to any goal you have. Whether it's financial, emotional, career oriented or whatever - it's really just a matter of applying them? one goal at a time.
Get Real - Get Focused - Get Started - Follow Through - It is Really That Simple!
You DO Have the Power to change Your Mind...and Your Body!
So What Are YOU Waiting For?
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