| Are you a 'look-and-lose' dieter? Have you studied | | | | positive changes because our human nature will replay |
| every diet ever created, read a zillion diet books, and | | | | the negatives - sometimes blowing them out of |
| yet are still unhappy with your weight? | | | | proportion. It's important to nurture and celebrate the |
| Has your quest for the holy grail of dieting become a | | | | small steps you make every day. |
| substitute for actually making changes required to take | | | | Exercise Four: Go Easy On Yourself - You Are |
| the ill health out of your current diet? | | | | Beautiful Work In Progress |
| If so, you may not realise your thoughts are key to | | | | Don't listen to the criticism...not your own nor that of |
| your happiness and success. | | | | others! Remember you are the designer of your |
| Do you look at yourself and say, "I'm fat", or "My hips | | | | self-esteem, do not hand this over to other people. |
| are too big"? Many of us look in the mirror and | | | | You are way too important to give this away. Protect |
| immediately compare ourselves to those 'perfect' | | | | your role as creator of your own self-image and do |
| human specimens we see every single day on TV, in | | | | not, take on board negative criticisms. We all make |
| magazines and in the newspapers. | | | | mistakes, and mistakes can be used to help us learn. |
| Often we talk to ourself and make excuses, "It's my | | | | Do not criticise yourself for being human and making a |
| genes", "I'm much too busy to get fit", "I like myself this", | | | | mistake. The only last mistake in the one from which |
| as a way of protecting yourself from the way we see | | | | we never learn to grow. |
| ourselves now and the way we want to be. | | | | Exercise Five: Forget About The Past |
| If we were to be truly honest with ourselves most | | | | The only moment you can live is the current one. You |
| people actually want to lose a few pounds - if we only | | | | can't live in the future and you most certainly shouldn't |
| knew how. | | | | live in the past....the challenge is to take charge of our |
| The good news is you CAN achieve your desired | | | | thinking so that we think in the same time zone in |
| body shape with the right thinking about yourself, an | | | | which we live! |
| understanding of how to get optimal nutrition, healthy | | | | For example we may be tempted to think about |
| eating habits and how to incorporate activity into your | | | | yesterday's failures..."If only I hadn't eaten second |
| lifestyle to keep your muscles toned. | | | | helpings", "If only I didn't reach for the chocolate |
| But most important of all, you need a regular mental | | | | cookies". If we concentrate on the mistakes of |
| workout to keep your self-image in shape. | | | | yesterday this will our brains to replay our failures and |
| Self-image is closely connected to the success or | | | | reinforce them to us. |
| failure of any goal you choose to seek after, but none | | | | Yesterday is over, today is where you live....make sure |
| more so that the goal to get yourself fit and healthy. | | | | that today you do NOT replay yesterday's failures and |
| So how do you go about strengthening your | | | | make your resolve to change TODAY. |
| self-image? Well fortunately your self-image, just like | | | | Exercise Six: Resolve to Change Today |
| your muscles, will respond well to a regular work out. | | | | Just as you shouldn't live in the past, you can't live in |
| You can actually strengthen your self-image with a | | | | the future. You can only live or change today. The |
| few daily exercises. | | | | oldest cliché in the world is perhaps one of the |
| Exercise One - Self Examination | | | | greatest truisms of all...'tomorrow NEVER comes!' |
| Start by compiling a list of all those negative thoughts | | | | There is no better time than now. So, no matter what |
| your have about yourself...I'm undisciplined, I can't | | | | excuses you may have to wait to take those healthy |
| manage my time, I let people down, I can't succeed, I | | | | steps you know you should take, none of them are |
| don't exercise enough. You will need to decide before | | | | valid. Do it now, do it today. Resolve to make a |
| you start this process that you won't get | | | | different in your own life before you go to sleep |
| discouraged....these are things that you will admit to | | | | tonight. |
| yourself but they most certainly don't have to control | | | | Exercise Seven: Write a Plan For your Life |
| your life. | | | | This is your success plan. If you have not already done |
| Next, compile a second list including everything you | | | | so it is time for you to create direction and purpose in |
| LIKE about yourself. Keep going until this list is | | | | your plans for yourself. Review your list of potentials |
| LONGER than the first list you compiled. You might | | | | and record next to each potential when you want to |
| include things such as, I am a good cook, I can make | | | | achieve this by. |
| people laugh, I contribute to the soccer club, my | | | | Exercise Eight: Carry Affirmation Cards About |
| daughter loves the way I decorate her room. | | | | Yourself |
| Then, take your 'negatives' list and turn it into your | | | | This is one of the fastest tools for your success. You |
| 'potentials' list. You do this by creating a positive | | | | are what you think. Strengthen your self-image every |
| self-image to every 'negative' you listed. Instead of "I | | | | day by reviewing your thoughts. One of the easiest |
| can't succeed", write a counter belief, "I will succeed". | | | | ways to do this is to carry affirmation cards in your |
| Ceremonially throw out the 'negatives' list - you are | | | | wallet and review regularly. Affirmation cards are short |
| saying goodbye forever! Burn them, trash them, | | | | bursts of words in business card that prompt and |
| destroy them....they are no longer going to be a part of | | | | remind your self-image of your intentions. An example |
| your thinking about yourself. | | | | might be: |
| Now, keep your list of potentials in a prominent place. | | | | - I can achieve anything that I put my mind to. |
| On your refrigerator door, in your daily journal, or in a | | | | - I will be satisfied with single helpings. |
| picture frame on your desk. Make sure you have them | | | | Try it, you have absolutely nothing to lose and |
| in front on your every single day so that you are | | | | everything to gain! |
| reading them constantly and reprogramming your daily | | | | Exercise Nine: Change Your Eating Habits |
| thoughts. | | | | Now that you have set the groundwork in place, you |
| Exercise Two: You Can Be What You Want to Be | | | | are now ready to change your physical habits. You |
| Now that you have your list of potentials... run your | | | | are ready to add a balanced nutritious diet, healthy |
| own visualisation stories so that you can 'see' yourself | | | | eating habits, regular exercise and relaxation. |
| in a new light. For example, if your list of potential | | | | By using these nine exercises daily to change your |
| includes "I eat just the right portions", visualise yourself | | | | thinking habits, you will be strengthening your self |
| with a moderate portion on your plate, and feeling | | | | esteem and unlocking your internal power to make a |
| completely satisfied at the conclusion of your meal. | | | | change in your life. Before you can change lifelong |
| Read through your list of potentials every day taking a | | | | eating habits, you must first change life long thinking |
| few moments of personal quiet time to reflect strongly | | | | habits. We are what we think. We can't be something |
| on your visualisations. Try starting your day first thing in | | | | other than what we believe we can be! |
| the morning and finishing as the last thing at night with | | | | So, do yourself a favour, liberate your self-image and |
| visualising yourself being the person on your list, and | | | | then, see how much more effective your healthy living |
| doing the things you want to do. | | | | plan becomes! |
| Exercise Three: Keep a Journal of Your Daily | | | | You have permission to publish this article electronically |
| Successes | | | | or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are |
| Keep a record of all the positive changes in thoughts | | | | included. Please print the article in its entirety |
| you have about yourself. We all have triumphs and | | | | unchanged and notify the author by email when you |
| 'failures'. You must record and remind yourself of the | | | | use it. |