Begin with the Mind and the Body will Follow
Copyright 2006 Mary Desaulniers
It is commonplace knowledge in the weight loss industry that
just going on a diet or being on a weight loss program does not
guarantee permanent weight loss results. You will invariably
gain back all the weight you have lost unless you are convinced
in your subconscious mind that you will be lean and strong FOR
LIFE. This mindset is one area that is missing in most weight
loss programs. However, there is a way to fill in this missing
link.
Begin with the mind and the rest will follow. This is as true
with starting a new course of study or opening a new business as
it is with weight loss. The idea is that you have to convince
your subconscious mind first of all that you want to lose the
weight and that you are in fact a lean and healthy individual.
You need to feed your subconscious self these suggestions so
that your mind will direct you to the most viable alternatives
that will make these suggestions come true.
Scientific evidence shows that our ability to receive
suggestions is based on a particular state of mind--a kind of
altered state of consciousness. This state of consciousness is a
departure from normal consciousness which operates mainly under
the Beta brainwave.
Your brain emits electrochemical discharges when it is in
function. But there are different levels of function. When you
are functioning on your "alert" daytime level such as conversing
with friends, talking to someone, teaching, solving a chemical
equation or writing an essay, you are in Beta. The frequency of
Beta waves ranges from 15-40 cycles a second. This is your
normal daytime brainwave level.
The next brainwave level is Alpha which you get to when you take
a break. When you sit back after having solved chemistry
problems, you are in Alpha state. When you are sitting in the
train, watching the landscape flow by, as your thoughts pursue
their own journey, you are in Alpha state. Praying or meditating
also puts you in this state. Alpha brainwaves are slower, but
higher in amplitude. Their frequency ranges from 9-14 cycles per
second. In this state, you are relaxed; you feel a sense of calm
and security. You muscles feel mellowed and you are open to
suggestions. The few minutes you experience when you are totally
relaxed before you fall asleep is Alpha state.
Getting to the Alpha level is best for re-programming yourself.
Eight-five percent of all medical problems (including overeating
and weight problems) are associated with unresolved tension and
stress held in the body. Getting to Alpha will definitely help
you break up this unresolved tension and move you to a more
stable control of your eating. What is more, you can reprogram
yourself easily when you mind is in Alpha.
Begin then by taking the time to relax. 20-30 minutes a day of
meditative calm would be sufficient. Develop a routine for deep
breathing, during which you focus your mind on a word, sound or
mantra. The meaning of the sound or word is not as important as
the feeling it evokes in you as you repeat it. Once you have
loosened the tension in your body, feed your mind positive
images. Visualize yourself at your ideal weight. Focus on your
slim and slender body, your well-shaped legs. Imagine yourself
living a powerful, dynamic life. Would you be bingeing yourself
to death?
Make this positive visualization of your ideal self a daily
practice until you find it actually easy to see yourself as
lean, strong and beautiful. Next time you feel like wolfing down
a whole chocolate cake, shift your mind to that slender body and
well-shaped legs.
When I gained the extra weight during menopause, it was pretty
difficult for me to believe that I could get back to a size 4. I
kept thinking: "I am over 50 and my body is different now. The
hormonal changes are making it difficult for me to be what I was
in my twenties." Then I realized I was using the same excuse
that I used after my pregnancy: "mothers are supposed to gain
weight."
We tend to rely on commonly accepted assumptions to make our
decisions and most of these assumptions are wrong. Do you know
that your body can be sculpted the way you want it? You are 99%
water and quantum space and the body as you see it is NOT cast
in stone or flesh. What's more is that what you see is created
by the visual cortex in the rear of your skull from a web of
chemical and electrical charges in your brain. And the visual
pattern created by your visual cortex is different from the
pattern created by mine or someone else's. You do not see things
that are out there. You create things in here( your mind) when
you see.
Now this physiological fact liberates us--because now we know
that we can create what we want. And if our situation is not
what we want, WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!
What can we do?
1. We can make a plan to build lean body mass by eating more
low-fat protein (not too much animal protein as this comes with
fat and calories.) Consume soy or vegetable protein: soy
products, legumes. There is no doubt that protein builds the
lean body mass that gives your body its youthful firmness. But
you want protein without the fat in Meat Protein. Soy or Wheat
protein is the best alternative. It gives you the protein
without the fat!
2. We can start an exercise program that is enjoyable like
tennis, skating, walking.
3. We can love ourselves and feed it healthy, nutritious foods.
4. We can stay away from people who try to sabotage our attempts
to be the best we can be.
We are the ones in charge of who we can become. Nothing is tying
us to a stake but our own feelings of limitation.