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  #16   ^
Old Thu, Oct-24-02, 20:08
suze_c's Avatar
suze_c suze_c is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 1,082
 
Plan: SuManKins
Stats: 321/249/221 Female 64 inches
BF:Let's not go there
Progress: 72%
Location: Midwest Flatlands
Lightbulb An Idea~

Teri... I thought of a great name for this thread... the *Visualize to a Smaller Size* thread!! Whatcha think? Kinda catchy eh? I think I am going to add a link to my signature to it~ and see how many we can get over here!
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  #17   ^
Old Thu, Oct-24-02, 20:29
TeriDoodle TeriDoodle is offline
Starting Over!
Posts: 3,435
 
Plan: Protein Power LifePlan
Stats: 182/178/150 Female 67 inches
BF:Jiggley mess
Progress: 13%
Location: Texas!!
Default Sounds GREAT, Suze!!

Suze... I love your idea!! Go for it!!

***************

Ok folks, now bear with us if you already know all this stuff....but there's probably many who don't know as much and need some background information and food for thought!! Here's a couple of articles to get the mental juices flowing. Stay tuned to the thread, though, as I'm sure Suze will have much more about using affirmations, visualization and meditation.... but this will get you started!

And by the way, I have seen several examples of people making extremely powerful changes in their lives through these techiques... you just have to "change your mind"!!

*****************
Here’s a great overview of visualization and the power it can have in our lives (with some material directly relating to weight loss) from www.pumpuii.com :
The Mind : Gateway to Health No one will argue that the mind is the master of the body, but few realize just how much influence the mind really has on our health and overall well-being. So powerful is the mind on the mechanizations of the body that during any scientific drug research conducted on human volunteers, a "placebo group" is always established so that the researchers may remove "the power of the mind" from the result data (a placebo is something given to the subject that has no medical value, but the subject is told that it does). Hypnosis has been shown to aid in the overcoming of addictions and diseases. In the most extreme cases, through the power of belief alone, even the most incurable diseases have been cured, and feats bordering on the supernatural have been accomplished.
We’re not going to deal with the far reaching powers of the mind here, however. I simply wanted to establish that the mind DOES in fact exert an incredible degree of influence over our bodies. There are many disciplines that cultivate this mind-over-matter power - tai chi, yoga, chi kung, and more - but that doesn’t mean that someone who doesn’t have the time (or desire) to enter into monastic study can’t benefit from some simple tips and tricks that ultimately will lead to better health, invigorated energy, creativity and lower stress.

Positive Thought
We are far too judgmental of ourselves. We look into the mirror and see someone who isn’t as smart, beautiful, rich, or successful as we want to be, no matter how smart, beautiful, rich or successful we already are. We look outside for sources of love, acceptance and respect - to our friends, our lovers, our parents, our colleagues . . . we feel better when it is found, and lost when it is not. There’s nothing inherently wrong with wanting love, acceptance and respect from others - we are social beings. But the first place we need to look, the place that so few of us look, is not without, it is within. If you can’t accept yourself, love yourself or respect yourself, why should anyone else?
This has more than superficial, "feel-better" importance. All sorts of health problems are associated with depression and stress. Stress happens when we encounter a negative event (actually positive events can create stress as well), or series of events, that we’re unsure how to act or solve. Stress is NOT the event itself, it is our reaction to it. And while we’re talking about stress, I might as well note that stress is not negative - too much stress is. Stressful situations, when dealt with properly, can bring out all kinds of unmanifested ability and creativity. But when we are hit with too much stress, our health, esteem, and mental faculties begin to suffer.
We can’t avoid stress all together, but we can reduce it: first by accepting, loving and respecting ourselves unconditionally. The first encounter with stress occurs when we don’t "live up" to our own expectations. Next, by keeping a positive outlook. If you believe that no matter how bad a situation around you is, you WILL find a way out of it, you feel more at ease. When you are more at ease, you have more energy to spend on FINDING that way out; sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Focus only on one task at a time, doing three things at once means you only have one-third the energy - mental or physical - to spend on each. Not very efficient is it? Frustrating too.
Time Out
When a body builder works out, for example, he exerts his muscles through various exercises. Each phase of an exercise is called a "set" - he may do three or four "sets" of the same exercise, with each set containing (let’s say) ten to fifteen repetitions. After a set, he has a "rest period" to allow his muscles a few moments to ready themselves to doing the next set. These rest periods are calculated to ensure the muscle has enough time to recuperate, while at the same time not having too much time that the muscle "cools down" and loses the maximum effectiveness of the next series of exercises. Like our muscles, our mind should be treated in the same manner.
The big difference between our mind and our muscles is that our minds are RARELY given a rest. We’re constantly thinking, imagining, plotting, calculating, creating, debating, worrying, etc. Even while asleep, we dream. It’s no wonder our society is plagued with stress. We need to rest our minds, so set aside the day’s problems. It won’t make those problems go away, but by setting them aside we give our minds the time it needs to recuperate, so that when we pick those problems back up, we’re more ready to deal with them.
"So, how do we do all this?" you may be asking. There are many ways. Exercise is one. While the body works, the mind rests. We’re focused on DOING, not thinking, or worrying. Just do. The other benefit of exercise (aside from the increased physical fitness) is that exercise releases endorphins in the brain. Endorphin is the chemical that causes pleasure . . . yes, folks, say it with me: "Endorphins are my friend." Hard exercise isn’t the only way though - enjoying a long walk outside, listening to soft music, enjoying a cup of tea . . . almost anything will do. The key is allowing yourself to become lost in the activity and just enjoy the moment. What activities WON’T do? If the activity you’re doing is causing even MORE stress, then it’s not a good stress reliever. The most advanced form of "resting the mind" is through meditation, which we’ll deal with later.

Visualization So you may be thinking, "are self-acceptance and the reduction of stress the only ways my health can benefit?" Do you realize just how many health problems could be overcome, how many lives would be saved, if we all learned to just accept ourselves for who we are and reduce the impact stress has on our lives? Millions of people in the US alone would live a longer and richer life.
But yes, since you asked, there are many other way the power of the mind can be brought to bear on the problems that we encounter. Visualization is one of them. Visualization is a "mental skill" in which you focus your imagination on success over a difficulty in life. Visualization is kind of like "focused positive thinking," but there’s more to it than that. If you can, in your mind, SEE yourself accomplishing something, you are able to bring more energy to bear in making the visualization a reality and invoke all kinds of subconscious changes that your body starts making. Let me try and explain.
Say you wanted to lose some weight. First, VISUALIZE yourself at your target weight - don’t just create a quick image, BURN it into your mind. Fill in every detail you can, so that just by closing your eyes you feel like your looking at a photograph. It’s harder than it sounds, but it doesn’t matter if you actually SUCCEED in creating a super-realistic image in your mind. What matters is that you’re focused on creating it. Next, visualize your body rebuilding itself into your target image - let’s say to visualize a fleet of tiny construction workers inside your body working to remove the soft fatty tissue and strengthen the hard muscle tissue. As silly as it sounds, the more focused your visualization, the more you’ll succeed in focusing your body at working toward your goal. By visualizing your target, you are establishing in your mind that this is what you WILL succeed in achieving. Next, the tiny construction workers are a visual representation of how our body builds and repairs itself. It’s like giving yourself a post hypnotic suggestion - your unconscious mind sees the images that your conscious mind is projecting, then reflexively carries them out. The stronger your visualization, the stronger the effect. It’s useful not only for weight loss, but everything, from fighting the common cold, to quitting smoking, or whatever.
Visualization is not the end of accomplishing your goal, but it will HELP you achieve it.

Meditation
First, let me say that there are many types of meditation, and many disciplines that incorporate meditative techniques. Actually, the visualization technique above is one kind of meditation. Many people think that meditation involves strange body positions, mantras, and everything-else-they-saw-on-Kung-Fu. While there are advanced forms of meditation that do employ some of these things, simple meditation does not. ANYONE can learn and cultivate simple meditation skills. What I’m going to provide here are some simple tips that you can use to give your mind a "mental time out." You DON’T have to meditate for hours before you see any impact on your overall health - EVEN FIVE MINUTES A DAY WILL DO.
1. Sit Comfortably
- Have good posture, because if you don’t, you’ll get uncomfortable quickly and will want to fidget around. It’s best to find an area where you won’t be disturbed, but this isn’t always possible. Remember, even a few minutes of meditation can benefit you. With practice, even a few seconds of meditation will work to calm and focus your mind.
2. Breathe Deeply - don’t worry about how - they say abdominal breathing is best (breathing by expanding the lower diaphragm instead of the chest) but don’t be overly concerned if you can’t or don’t do it. Just relax and breathe in deep, slow breaths.
3. Relax - easier said than done, I realize. But focus on your deep breathing: lose yourself in it. Other thoughts, worries, etc. will float into your mind, but keep your thoughts on your breathing. Don’t FORCE other thoughts out - that’s like trying to ignore a 6-year-old who wants attention NOW! - but keep bringing your focus back to your breathing. Close your eyes, if you like (you don’t have to).
With practice, you’ll be able to calm your mind and relax quickly. Then you’ll find you’ve boundless more energy and focus to tackle the tasks at hand! You don’t actually have to be sitting to meditate. Standing is good too. Just be sure you’re not driving a vehicle or something that requires your full attention!!!
Our minds are our most valuable asset - treat them right, and they’ll perform beautifully, and allow us to enjoy a fuller, richer and healthier life.

*******************************

Here’s another GREAT article, from www.globalhealthandfitness.com :

MIND POWER

Your mind and body are not only connected, they are also locked together. Researchers have known for years that exercise can boost brain power and enhance your creativity. Some researchers even theorize that aerobic exercise suppresses activity in the left hemisphere of your brain, the half that is responsible for logical thought and stimulates the right hemisphere of your brain, that regulates intuition and creativity.

Another part of your brain is the subconscious, which has a powerful impact on each and every area of your life. If you have a negative self image in your subconscious, you probably lack confidence, are overweight and generally unhealthy. You’re probably a procrastinator, you don't exercise, you feel you don't deserve any success, and you're generally unhappy with your life and can never get a lucky break. No matter how much you consciously try to change these images you can't, because they exist in you subconscious mind.

But what if you could change your self image in your subconscious, and gain more confidence, willpower, and determination. Would you make and take the daily adjustments necessary to make these changes? If you could gain control over your thoughts and images and improve your level of physical and emotional well being. . . would you? You feel you have the willpower but you are still unable to create these changes using willpower alone...why? Part of the reason for this is your conscious part of your mind accounts for only 12 percent, the other 88 percent and the most powerful part of your mind is made up of your subconscious.

The subconscious part of your mind, is the part you must use in order to make effective, permanent and positive changes in your life. The way to do this is by self-hypnosis, allowing you to enter your subconscious mind and make these powerful and permanent changes in your life.

There are many ways and books written about self-hypnosis, but the one I like to use is very simple. Find yourself a quite comfortable floor place and sit. Keep your upper body erect, your back flat and bring the soles of your feet together and pull your heels as close to your groin as possible. Rest your palms on the inside of your thighs. Now, breathe in slowly through your nose and hold for ten seconds, and exhale slowly through your mouth. Keep your eyes closed and continue breathing for several minutes. When you feel completely relaxed, start to count backwards from five to zero. It is here that you can start to make positive changes in your subconscious, by making suggestions to yourself.

Some sample suggestions might be;

'I will receive only positive thoughts, that
are beneficial to me. I will reject all
negative thoughts and suggestions. I love
to work out and exercise, and enjoy the
changes that are happening to me and my body.'


'I am a winner and I love being a winner.
My confidence is increasing and I am becoming a better more positive person.'

As you give yourself these suggestions, imagine and visualize these suggestions as if they were real. See yourself making these changes and visualize situations that you may be in and make these positive changes. Visualization is an important technique in the art of self-hypnosis.

When you can imagine yourself exercising, before you actually begin to work out, you get tangible results, build better quality muscle and will find your performance levels will be enhanced. When you visualize your workout, make sure you go over all your sets, including your warm up sets, right on through to your maximum lift attempts, and cool down.

By getting your mind into your muscle, and visualizing the proper technique and movements, this could be the difference between a 70 percent success and a 95 percent success in your workouts. The more vivid your image, the more effective your workout. If you dream of success you will be successful.

Once you've finished your visualization, take a moment to enjoy your state of relaxation. When you are ready to come out, slowly count from zero to five. As you are counting out, you should be telling yourself you are feeling refreshed and filled with new energy.

You should practice this self hypnosis technique about twice a week for your life changing suggestions and for no more than fifteen minutes at a time. You should also use your visualization techniques right before your workout, going over your entire workout before you start to train. It should go without saying but I'm going to say it anyway, you should not practice self hypnosis while driving or doing any other activity that requires your full concentration.

You should also focus on just one or two suggestions per hypnosis session. Trying to concentrate on too many thoughts at once may dilute your results. When you give yourself a suggestion, you should visualize and imagine each suggestion as if it were real. See yourself in the situation you want to become and think positively. Avoid the word try. I will try to become more patient. You should be suggesting, I will become more patient.

Another technique that is effective is a technique called dissociation. It's essentially a form of controlled daydreaming, where you consciously direct your mind away from the task you are doing and onto more pleasant thoughts. Here is how it works. If you are riding a stationary bike, instead of thinking of your heart rate and exertion level and how much you hate what you're doing, think of something else... anything...Think of what you are going to make for dinner and how. Think of the names of Batman villains, you can even read a book. Before you know it, your exercise time will have been completed successfully and you can prepare yourself for the next workout level.

You should approach your weight control with confidence and enthusiasm, and anticipate that you will need time and practice before your lifestyle changes will be your new way of life. Remember old habits do not die easily. When you slip, don't be hard on yourself, and don't give up. Learn from your experiences.

The decision to change your lifestyle to include healthy eating and physical activity is a conscious choice that requires change. It's also natural that while working towards your goals you feel a strong desire to obtains these goals you also simultaneously feel a strong resistance not to obtain your goals.

Up until now you've probably focused on all the negative aspects of being overweight and wondered why you haven't been able to succeed in accomplishing any of your lifestyle changes. One reason for this is that you are comfortable in your old lifestyle and know where all the bumps are.
When you resist change, part of you wants to desperately move forward, yet part of you wants to resist the changes you are trying to achieve.

There are basically two types of self motivators, those that use words like, have to, need to, should and must. This type of person focuses on the negative aspects of lifestyle change and creates a resistance within themselves. The other type of self-motivator uses words like, choose to, plan to, want to and intend to. This person usually embraces change and moves forward in accomplishing their lifestyle changes.


When you choose to open your mind to all the possibilities of change, and see change as a challenge for growth, you will then begin to see options and alternatives where you once saw obstacles and frustrations.

Conventional diets often neglect one of the most important aspects of weight loss and that is the psychological. Remember all actions must first start out as a thought. There is even a recent theory that we are thinking ourselves fat. It comes from the differences between French and North American diets. The French have an obesity rating of about 8% while the North Americans have an obesity rate of 30%. Although the French have a higher Fat content in their diet they eat fewer calories than North American diets. The French view food as good and an enjoyable experience and only 12% would if possible replace eating with a pill. North Americans on the other hand see food as fuel and worry if it’s going to turn up as fat in their body and 26% would take a pill if they could to replace eating. So is it guilt and anxiety towards food that makes us fatter? I personally wouldn’t rule out anything when it comes to the powers of the mind.

In order to bring about a permanent lifestyle change, you first need to set goals, and goals that are specific. Saying you want to get healthier is too generic, you need to be more specific, like you want to increase your strength or aerobic level.

Your next step is to make a realistic plan to accomplish your goals. It's also important to learn from your past and make goal adjustments. Have you tried to obtain this goal before...what worked and what didn't? Once you've made the plan to obtain your goal, how are you going to maintain your goal. These are a few of the questions you must ask yourself. But perhaps the most important question to ask yourself is, why do you want to make these lifestyle changes. Forget what other people say, want and expect from you, why do you want to accomplish these goals. Write down all your reasons why you want to change and keep the list handy. It's good to read it once in awhile to help you stay on track.

Success starts with the setting, and planning of realistic goals, and a realistic weight loss goal to strive for would be to lose no more than 2 pounds per week.

You should also set a definite date for you to achieve your goal and commit yourself to obtain it. Wishing does not make it happen. You have to be committed to making it happen. You must come up with compelling reasons why you want to achieve your goal. You should also feel that success is so important to you that nothing can or will stop you. The idea of failing is so painful in your mind, that you will do whatever is necessary to succeed in achieving your goal. Remember permanent results are only achieved through permanent change.

One of the reasons people fail in making their lifestyle change is that when on their 'diet' they needlessly remove their favourite foods from their meal plans. The result is that they have intense cravings. As the cravings become more intense, the person may go on a binge and consume large amounts of their forbidden foods. This may lead to a self defeating attitude like...well now that I've blown it, I may as well really blow it...and continue to binge. This thinking is really illogical and what you really need to do is just stop the binging, promise yourself that you will do better and move on.

To achieve long term success you must learn to manage your favorite foods and not to avoid them. This unrealistic thinking about binging that I just mentioned is one of the classic problems and reasons why dieters fail. They view the world and dieting as either right or wrong, perfect or terrible, good or bad. When you have a set back and slip on your diet, you tend to beat yourself up for not being perfect. This will probably lead to you increasing your eating in order to soothe your injured feelings and help yourself to feel better.
When you make statements to yourself like 'I will never eat chocolate bars again' or I must exercise every day', you are creating a self defeating situation. By using absolute words like always, must and never, you are setting yourself up to either accept the statement or fail. When you think in absolutes you tend to focus on the slight imperfections and forget about your accomplishments. Instead of saying, 'I will never eat chocolate bars', you may want to say, 'I will eat fewer chocolate bars and if I have one from time to time, it's O.K.'.



Remember to take one day at a time, and if you have a set back, move forward. Forget about yesterday, now is what matters. If you believe in yourself and what you are doing you will succeed.

Mental muscle or mind power, can not only change your physique, it can also play an important role in changing your life. By getting better control over your thoughts and images in your mind, you will soon see the improvements in not only your physical structure but your emotional side as well.

Last edited by TeriDoodle : Fri, Oct-25-02 at 14:00.
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  #18   ^
Old Fri, Oct-25-02, 06:40
pbach pbach is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 328
 
Plan: SP/BFL
Stats: 190/186/160 Female 67 inches
BF:
Progress: 13%
Location: Ft Payne, AL USA
Default

Thanks so much Suze_c and Terridoodle. This is going to help greatly. I'm afraid I often succumb to negative thinking. At least, I'm conscious of it now and sometimes I even catch myself in the act.
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  #19   ^
Old Fri, Oct-25-02, 08:22
allison74's Avatar
allison74 allison74 is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 46
 
Plan: general LC
Stats: 169/148/135 Female 5' 7"
BF:**eh**
Progress: 62%
Location: near Nashville
Thumbs up amen!

The only way I have been able to acheive weight loss is thru affirmations and honestly believeing in my self and trusting myself to follow thru. At the bottom of my post you will see one of my affirmations that I have said a thousand times if I said it once. I have it printed on my recipe folder and I say it in my head all day. I leave no room for negative thoughts. I take time to focus on me and my goals. I am getting my family out of debt as well. I have found that success in one area of my life has led to success in other parts such as finances. I could not have done this WOL if I was bashing myself everyday. That is how I lived before and it only got me in deeper.

Bottom line is to truly find that bit of yourself deep down inside that really does want to be the best it can be and run with it. Once you find it and believe in it, it will grow bigger until that is who you are and you won't even remember the lazy self hating person you used to be.
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  #20   ^
Old Fri, Oct-25-02, 10:12
cre8tivgrl's Avatar
cre8tivgrl cre8tivgrl is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,045
 
Plan: Low carb
Stats: 20/08/00 Female 5'10"
BF:not/low/enough
Progress: 60%
Location: The great Northwest
Smile Count me in!

I have used meditation and visualization for years. But I admit I have gotten out of daily practice since the craziness of summer. So this is a great reason to get back into the habit!!

While meditation has always offered me a kind of inner strength, visualization and affirmations are very powerful in changing negative thinking which stops us so often from acheiving our goals. I remember reading a Zig Ziglar book where he talked about feeding positive affirmative thoughts to his kids not only on a daily basis but while they slept as well because he belived the affirmations would meet fewer negative obsticals while the kids were asleep. He would check them before he went to bed and tell them how great they were. How smart, how cute, how capable, how honest... and he really believes that it made a difference. I do too.

I've never been a real negative person but we all catch ourselves at times downtalking. I used to hate saying my affirmations. Not because I didn't believe them but because I thought they sounded corny. But eventually I found some that I loved and that empowered me and began to repeat them. I would write them on note cards and read through them out loud. I still write them in lipstick on my bathroom mirror (as well as my short term goals if they need focus). The one that is most powerful to me and spends the most time on my bathroom mirror is the belief that "I can do this." Great minds must affirm alike, Allison.

Whether it's weight related or paying bills when the money seems tight... I know that I can do it. I can figure it out. And when it's on my mirror and I see it everyday... well, it speaks to whatever challenge I am facing at the moment.
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  #21   ^
Old Fri, Oct-25-02, 18:02
suze_c's Avatar
suze_c suze_c is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 1,082
 
Plan: SuManKins
Stats: 321/249/221 Female 64 inches
BF:Let's not go there
Progress: 72%
Location: Midwest Flatlands
Default My day~

I had thought that I would be able to finish the article on meditation that I was working on... due to many projects about the house, getting it winterized, and a KaeLyn, who didn't nap today... the article is not finished yet... I want to tell you all about object meditation,... it is focusing on an object, to help clear the mind of anxiety, and other "clutter"... You see once this can be accomplished, it is much easier to focus on your goals... it can be thought of as taming your mind... here is a crappy analogy, but one nonetheless I know many of you have dogs... do you remember how you first started with training that dog to walk on a leash? It would not listen.. it wanted to go where IT wanted to go, would tug at that leash, and fight it all the way... but then... the dog learned...hey... this person will take me wherever as long as I stay on this thing attached to me... and stop when they want me to, and go when they want me to... it learned that being on task, instead of going all over God's creation, was beneficial when being on this leash... (I told you it was a crappy analogy heheheh) BUT... aren't our minds similiar to that dog wanting to wander? We try to focus on our goals, and a million things pull us in a million different directions... sometimes it seems all at once!! Once we learn that we can go farther, and attend to task, the task being focusing on our goals, and having minimal distractions...Personally, I KNOW of the benefits of meditation... I done what was called candle meditation for a long long time,... and I miss it... I don;t have the time to call my own at this point in time to do that... however, I do mini-meditate, and I will share with you how I do it... Also there is the power of affirmations.
Affirmations can be described as "mini-prayers", for it is in the words that we speak, and in the thoughts that we let go through our heads, that our lives are shaped. We all have mind-tapes, and there is not only material that you-yourself has on them, but also mixed up in the jumble, are the things that others have told you over the years... both good and bad... it does take some practice to implement a more positive mindset when the "tapes" have a lot of negative material on... but take it CAN be done... I would like to offer a suggestion to help get started... whenever you notice a negative thought coming into your thoughts... say , even if you have to say it out loud... and then say I void that thought... I consider it null and void... that's right...cancel the thought!!! THEN replace that thought with something more positive... lets give an example.... let;s say that the thought comes...."I will NEVER lose this weight"... replace that thought with something like "I am losing weight at a rate that is healthy for my body", or "I let go of the excess weight that my body is carrying",or "I am losing any extra weight and am on my way to my healthy weight." THe thing is... WORD IT AS SOMETHING POSITIVE~ USE POSITIVE WORDS, PHRASES.... after all it is for YOU... so what if it sounds hokey to someone else... you are doing this FOR YOU.... got it? Come on now... did ya? Nod your head if you did ok... that's better...I hope that this post helped some of you who are coming here to check this thread out... VISUALIZATIONS AND AFFIRMATIONS CAN WORK.... VISUALIZE THEN INTERNALIZE THEN REALIZE!~
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  #22   ^
Old Fri, Oct-25-02, 21:22
TeriDoodle TeriDoodle is offline
Starting Over!
Posts: 3,435
 
Plan: Protein Power LifePlan
Stats: 182/178/150 Female 67 inches
BF:Jiggley mess
Progress: 13%
Location: Texas!!
Cool Day 1 Report

Today I tried to pay very close attention to my thoughts and this is what I heard:

"I really shouldn't have this"
"I still look fat"
"I wonder if I'll really ever be able to drop these last few pounds?"
"I doubt I'll ever be a size 10"
"I'll probably gain all the weight back"
"I really need to exercise"
"I wish I could get motivated to lift weights again"

Ugh. Much work to do!!

And I really did consciously affirm several times today that "I am slim, healthy and have abundant energy. My metabolism is strong and burning my excess fat." But I probably only managed one good 5 minute session doing that. Mostly I paid attention to my thoughts and found that there wasn't a whole LOT of negative ones....but even one is too many. I tried my best to stay positive ...and to my surprise it flowed into other aspects of my day, too! I was cheerful and energetic all day!

Tomorrow I will focus on choosing which aspect of my weight loss I want to concentrate on in my affirmations over the next few weeks, as it is wise to only pick one or two. Suze - maybe you can help me write a couple of good affirmations when I figure it out.

Possibilities for focus:
- Rejecting negative thoughts (I think this is a must have.... like a basic building block)
- Speeding up metabolism, making it an efficient fat burner
- Choosing healthy foods
- Choosing to exercise regularly
- Reducing appetite; controlling blood sugars (maybe I could make this a part of my metabolism affirmation?)
- choosing to eat less than 1700 cals/day

Hmmm... will have to give this some thought. Want to choose a logical priority.... I guess "rejecting negative thoughts" and "choosing healthy foods" are the best places to start. Once I see some positive changes taking place there, I'll then move on to focusing on less calories and choosing exercise. Then on to the more specific...metabolism, blood sugars, appetite. That seems to make sense.

I think I'll shop around for some tapes too.........

Anyone else take any proactive steps today??
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  #23   ^
Old Fri, Oct-25-02, 21:26
suze_c's Avatar
suze_c suze_c is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 1,082
 
Plan: SuManKins
Stats: 321/249/221 Female 64 inches
BF:Let's not go there
Progress: 72%
Location: Midwest Flatlands
Post How to Do Your Own Affirmations

I Wanted to get my article done & put on here,my time restraints at home tho, I don't always get done what I want to... when I want to... such is life with a 1 y.o. heheheh... ANYHOW... I wanted to give you a good idea of what affirmations are, so I done some searching, and I think this is a great article about affirmations: It comes from the following; http://www.mjbovo.com/Affirmations.htm

Affirmations are statements of acceptance that one uses to allow the manifestation of your destiny. They are powerful and positive thoughts and statements sent out to the universe. To do positive affirmations, you need to eliminate the negativity around you. You must first believe that YOU CAN manifest your destiny. It must be a positive, powerful belief not just 'maybe I'll try and see if this works". Together with Visualizations, you can create the life you want:

Before You Begin
Decide what area of your life you want to work on and then decide what you want. There are several important points to know about affirmations:
Use the present or past tense. Do not use the future tense. You want your mind to know it has already happened
Be POSITIVE. Use the most positive terms you can. Never use negatives in affirmations.
Write them. As you are learning to do affirmations, write them down so you will remember exactly what you want to say. Keep them short and very specific. Personalize them with your name.
Believe. Always believe that what you are saying is happening. The more you believe, the stronger the affirmation.
Repetition. Being repetive and persisteant helps to set them in your head and in your unconscious being.
Time. Always have a specific time daily set aside for your meditations, affirmations and visualizations. This will help set a pattern for you so you will do them daily...(note:a lot of ppl do them in the morning & evening) HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF AFFIRMATIONS FOR HEALTH:
I have the power to control my health.
I am in control of my health and wellness.
I have abundant energy, vitality and well-being.
I am healthy in all aspects of my being.
I do not fear being unhealthy because I know that I control my own body.
I am always able to maintain my ideal weight.
I am filled with energy to do all the daily activities in my life.
My mind is at peace.
I love and care for my body and it cares for me

I am posting these so that any who are not familiar with affirmations can get a better idea of what they are. I would be happy to help anyone write some up, but there might be areas of a more personal nature, where someone might want to do their own. Any one wanting some help tho, just pm me, and we can work on them together~ Thanks for coming here~ and for checking this out~ it works... try it!!!
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  #24   ^
Old Sat, Oct-26-02, 11:56
cre8tivgrl's Avatar
cre8tivgrl cre8tivgrl is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,045
 
Plan: Low carb
Stats: 20/08/00 Female 5'10"
BF:not/low/enough
Progress: 60%
Location: The great Northwest
Default

I began yesterday with my affirmations again. Here are the ones related to health and weight.

** I am a healthy 144 pounds. I am active and adventurous. I am able to hike the Grand Canyon and feel great. I have muscles. I am living my dream life. **

I also took several moments (a few different times) to remember and visualize what I looked like when I was 144 lbs. I still have a pair of Levis from that weight and I can see putting them on and looking absolutely fabulous in them!!

In meditation I have two seperate practices. The first is similar to yours suze. I focus on one thing. Usually a ball of light whatever color strikes my fancy (there are some great sites to healing colors out there too).

The second one I do involves going to a special garden in my mind. In the past I've even taken an elevator down with guards when I didn't feel safe about things in my life and it worked.

I sit in the garden and relax. It's filled with plants and flowers and hummingbirds and dragonflies and butterflies and there is a creek with a small waterfall (aided by a fountain in real life). And I sit.

It is my very favorite and most productive unproductive meditation. And I mean that in a good way.
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  #25   ^
Old Sat, Oct-26-02, 13:09
suze_c's Avatar
suze_c suze_c is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 1,082
 
Plan: SuManKins
Stats: 321/249/221 Female 64 inches
BF:Let's not go there
Progress: 72%
Location: Midwest Flatlands
Thumbs up Thx for sharing~

Thanks for sharing, all of you who have come here and posted. It is interesting to see the different visualizations and affirmations that we use... I think it is so important to get ourself out of the "woe is me I am fat" way of thinking. Yes...we have weight to lose,... that is something that cannot be ignored... but constantly thinking in the "fat mode", will not help in the process of realigning our thoughts, affirmations and visualizations as to what we want to achieve! If we say or visualize one thing... we are slender, then constantly have the "fat mode" in action, by things we say other than in affirmations, or thoughts other than those that are positive... it is going to cancel out the positiveness!! Does this make sense to anyone? The Bible says, that both DEATH AND LIFE, are in the power of the tongue. Ever think of it that way? Not many do... if we want to achieve positive goals in our lives, then turn around in the next breath, and are constantly putting ourself down, and bitching and complaining about things,... how is the positive even going to have a chance to work? Doing the visualizations and affirmations is a step of faith... we have to LOOK PAST of what is the present reality, and to what we want to be... to achieve,...to reach...instead of saying I AM GOING TO LOSE THIS WEIGHT, say I *AM LOSING* THIS WEIGHT. Make the words in the here and now... not in future tense... there is a motorcycle club here, and the name of it is FREE TOMORROW... and the motto goes on... "but tomorrow never comes"... How disheartening!!! We are NEVER promised tomorrow... we do have today though, this present moment... I am a procrastinator... I should be president of the procrastinator's club!! I know this... and it IS something I am working on... we all have "character flaws" so to speak... I think the important thing though, is to first recognize them, then determine whether they are affecting our life in a detrimental way... in a negative way... if they are... then perhaps it is time to do something about it...eh? Do I hear a yes? Well, I see lil miss KaeLyn has managed to get her little sweat pants off... and is very proud at having achieved this task I must close for now and go do mommy things~ Ciao for now~
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  #26   ^
Old Sat, Oct-26-02, 18:29
Jimsgems's Avatar
Jimsgems Jimsgems is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 273
 
Plan: Modified Atkins for Diabetics.
Stats: 401/240/210 Male 73"
BF:
Progress: 84%
Location: Orange, CA
Default I Believe...

Re-Imaging is sometimes more than an image it's a belief, I hope you enjoy.


Ya all Be Well, Yah Hear. Jim
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  #27   ^
Old Sun, Oct-27-02, 09:54
TeriDoodle TeriDoodle is offline
Starting Over!
Posts: 3,435
 
Plan: Protein Power LifePlan
Stats: 182/178/150 Female 67 inches
BF:Jiggley mess
Progress: 13%
Location: Texas!!
Default Recommendation....

I recommend taking a look at Karen's thread here . Excellent lists.

Everyone monitoring those thoughts?
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  #28   ^
Old Sun, Oct-27-02, 11:31
suze_c's Avatar
suze_c suze_c is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 1,082
 
Plan: SuManKins
Stats: 321/249/221 Female 64 inches
BF:Let's not go there
Progress: 72%
Location: Midwest Flatlands
Thumbs up Some Good Exercises~

Teri, I checked out Karen's thread, and I copied and pasted it into my WORD *Chrysalis journal* and plan on answering the questions through the day. Another great place to check out is Dr. Phil's strategy for weight loss... the questions he has one answer aren't always the easiest to answer either!Dr. Phil's Advice/Strategy for Weight Loss(click here) and sorry to cut this short, but I have to get Brendan fed, the timer is going off, and KaeLyn is still napping,so I am going to try to get Bren fed before she wakes up~ wish me luck~ Will be back laters~
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  #29   ^
Old Mon, Oct-28-02, 18:02
TriciaW's Avatar
TriciaW TriciaW is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,013
 
Plan: LC food combining w/BFL
Stats: 210/178.5/145
BF:
Progress: 48%
Location: Bay Area, CA
Default I can do this!

I have started today. My main goals with this are:
*really work on daily positive visualization
*motivate myself to exercise more regularly because it makes me feel good
*be diligent about eliminating negative thoughts
*be happy and proud of my progress so far
*be patient about my progress
To begin with I will use car time to reinforce my positive thoughts for the day. This is the first time I have ever really tried this tactic so any input is welcome.
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  #30   ^
Old Mon, Oct-28-02, 18:37
Jimsgems's Avatar
Jimsgems Jimsgems is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 273
 
Plan: Modified Atkins for Diabetics.
Stats: 401/240/210 Male 73"
BF:
Progress: 84%
Location: Orange, CA
Default Not pickn' on you...

TriciaW;

Not pickn' on you... Please know that, I am going to use what you wrote for and as an example of how it is possiable to fool ourselves.

If you are capable to bring me a pound of "Good Intentions", "Positive Images", and "goals", some others...

"*really work on daily positive visualization
*motivate myself to exercise more regularly because it makes me feel good
*be diligent about eliminating negative thoughts
*be happy and proud of my progress so far
*be patient about my progress"

You would be a millionare if that stuff was "real" and you could be the supplier to the world.

Now if you combine all that "Feel Good" stuff with a daily WOE that in our case is total participation in the Atkins WOE, then you will experience great results, then you will really have some pride and feelings of accomplishments. That can start on the very first pound by the way.

Other wise it's just BS and the "Feel Good" stuff waists time and acomplishes nothing in and about itself. I guess, I sound pretty negative about self talk and affirmation, that is as far from the truth as possiable, but I know you have to be the one who chooses what you put into your mouth and the world is so diluted but the 70's-'80's and '90's psyco-babble. All I noticed is when I stopped thinking positive thoughts and actually did something positive about my being 401 pounds, things changed, and in a very BIG way.

TriciaW, Thank you for letting me use what you write as an example and 'preach' a little, nothing personal I asure you.

I've seen many failures in my life and I couldn't find out why. I was a nice person, a caring and loving friend, I had a great belief and all the good stuff. When I took responsibility totally and without reserve, and took Actual ACTION, then and only then did my world change. I just wanted to say that.

My son, one of four, told me just the other day..."Dad, you have a thought and idea, you think the hole world needs to know it." I told him thanks you, what was his point? We both laughed.
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