Indiana Weight Loss Strategies
The Power of Visualization in Weight Loss
You get that kind of floaty feeling and that glazed look in your eyes. Someone says, “Snap out of it!” You come to yourself and realize you’ve been day dreaming. You are supposed to imagine you are somewhere else.
You are an adult…….
Pretending
Sound familiar? Maybe you like to imagine you live the life of a Queen, being waited on and pampered. But we adults are not encouraged to daydream like that.It’s alright to watch TV that shows big winners or to read about movie stars and their fabulous lifestyles. But to just sit and space out while you imagine a life different from you own?
But I am going to tell you to do just that. I’m going to tell you that weight loss success has imagination at its core. When you visualize, you are signaling your Subconscious Mind that you dream of a change. Your Subconscious Mind can’t tell the difference between imaginary and real. If you imagine yourself doing what you wish you could do, like exercise more and eat less, your Subconscious Mind will want to take you there.
Out There?
OK, but that just sounds too “out there” to make any kind of sense, right? I get you. I’ll prove it to you. Your Subconscious Mind does not recognize negatives.If you go on an elimination diet where you are not supposed to eat any of certain foods, did you ever notice that those forbidden foods are all you can think about now?That list of foods is all you have on your mind until you finally break and gorge yourself on all their yumminess.
I. Won’t. Eat. Chocolate.
Here’s how it works. You think, “I won’t eat any more chocolate. No. More. Chocolate.” What your Subconscious Mind hears is, “Eat more chocolate. More.Chocolate.” It drives you to think about and eat more and more chocolate. Try it out yourself.
Don’t think about a big purple elephant. Do not think about a Big Purple Elephant. Yeah, a big purple elephant is now ALL you can think about!
How to Use This for Weight Loss
The point is to think and daydream about you at your end goal. The you that is as slim and fit and you want to be.
Your Ideal Self.
And I want you to start visualizing your Ideal Self, several times a day. Now your Ideal Self will eat healthy foods and love them. So, add the eating of healthy foods and lots of Yummy Noises to that image.
And your Ideal Self will love different kinds of movement. So, add movement and big smiles to that image.
And your Ideal Self will get a kick out of how smaller clothes fit just right. So, add shopping for and wearing nice clothes and proud of it, to your image.
Your Ideal Self will be satisfied and pleased with smaller meals. So, add eating a small meal and a nod of the head to that image.
And your Ideal Self will be satisfied at the praise from the doctor during a checkup. So, add hearing lots of praise about good health to your image.
Get the Idea?
The Squeaky Wheel gets the Grease
But maybe you still don’t understand how merely thinking about the way you wish your life could be, could really be helping you lose weight. Here’s how.
Experts were stumped for a long time about how Vietnam vets who suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, seemed to get worse over time. Often their family members would say the symptoms were worse now than when the person first came home from the war. What modern brain imaging shows us, is that when a thought is visited over and over again, the brain takes note.
The brain then decides that this recurring thought must be very important to you, so the brain allocates more brain cells to that thought and more of the blood supply. Soon, that thought occupies a larger part of the real estate of your brain and more of the nutrients. And because it uses so much of your brain and so much of the brain’s food and oxygen, it gets a lot more and increasing amounts of thought time.
In other words, nerves that fire together, wire together.
Firing and Wiring
Before long, all those nerves wire together with other nerves and soon your thoughts are increasing and increasing about this trauma, and it expands out to wire into your physical body as well. And, it all connects, creating thoughts and physical manifestations of the trauma.
Wow.
So, back to the daydreaming. When you give yourself permission to daydream about your Ideal Self, slim and fit, your brain will start to take notice. Keep it up and your brain will give that Ideal Self more brain cell allocation and more of its blood supply and nutrients.Then, the nerves that fire together, wire together.
Those ever increasing brain cells about your Ideal Self, wire up to the nerves of your physical body. Your brain wants its dominant thought, your Ideal Self, to be given priority in the entire body. So, the now the brain is full of your Ideal Self and your physical body is given the orders to make it happen through nerves that are wired together. The happy news is that it begins the work of molding your body through metabolism and wanting more movement and healthier foods through thoughts and cravings.
And it all happens, naturally and organically.
Dream a Litttle Dream
It all starts with a day dream. Dream a Little Dream of Me….
Here is my recipe for you to begin your visualization. Imagine you Ideal Self. Notice the shape and movement. See the clothing that looks so good on you.Get a clearer and clearer vision of yourself.
Your Ideal Self.
And now throughout your day, daydream and imagine what your Ideal Self would do in every situation your find yourself in. It’s mealtime, what would my Ideal Self eat? How does my Ideal Self feel about eating this way? My Ideal Self can be satisfied on very small meals.
As you get into the habit of this way of thinking, get more and more specific about the feelings your Ideal Self feels about living in this new way.
What would my Ideal Self feel?
What would my Ideal Self do?
How does my Ideal Self forget about the old ways of eating?
The Key
Now, you have the key to weight loss. Visualization. Mental rehearsal. Over and Over again.
I want to hear about your Ideal Self.
Give me a comment below or on my FaceBook page.
Take action today, don’t just live in I Wish World.
About the Author Angie J. Hernandez, C.Ht.
A graduate of the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, Angie J. Hernandez, C.Ht., has her private practice in Milford, Indiana. She is certified in hypnotherapy by the Hypnotherapist's Union Local 472. Angie is the author of "Weight Loss Epiphany: The Workbook", "Charlie's Cuddly Animals for Little Geniuses" and "Weight Loss Hypnosis: Lose Weight with Hypnosis Scripts & Recordings". You can find out more about Angie and how to schedule private sessions by calling (574) 658-4686.
