Give Yourself Your Undivided Attention

One of the most important parts of a wellness program is your. There is substantial research that indicates there is indeed a mind/emotion connection to the events/circumstances in our lives. Thoughts carry energy and energy can be transmuted in various ways. We also know that energy can be both positive and negative. Have you ever been around people that we generally categorize as being “cold”? Or have you ever felt the vibe in a room change when someone walks in? This could be positive or negative. That’s the type of energy they’re giving off. Our thoughts, whether positive or negative also cause emotional and physical reactions. Your brain can be your greatest ally or your worst foe. There is one part of our brain that gathers information and one part that acts on it. Most of us like to gather information, and store it (sometimes) for future reference. It’s a great benefit for you to get all fired up about the information that will help you reach your goals. How many times have you been to a class or workshop and come away with boatloads of info, books and handouts and done nothing with it? You’ve got to use it in order for it to work.

Our thoughts are either positive or negative and we have ultimate control of them. We are the only thinkers in our brains and contrary to what we sometimes believe; we can only think one thought at a time. Much has been said about positive thinking and that is great, but your life and circumstances will not change with positive thoughts alone.

Here is how this philosophy applies to making changes in our lives, particularly in the area of weight loss and fitness. We create what we think about most of the time. If the majority of your thoughts are centered around not losing weight, not wearing a smaller size, not seeing the numbers go down on the scale or tape measure, or not having time to exercise. That’s what you will see more of. Let me be very clear about this; not just because you’re thinking those thoughts. That type of woe is me thinking sets you up to create circumstances that are not conducive to your goals. If you tell yourself I don’t have time to exercise, your subconscious mind will follow through. It will be easy for you to find reasons why you shouldn’t exercise or why you don’t have time to prepare a healthy meal. What you think about, you bring about.

What I’d like for you to do is change your focus. Ask yourself, what can I do with the time I have? Let’s say you’ve got 10 minutes before it’s time for you to get to work, or leave for an appointment, what can you do in those 10 minutes. There are lots of things that you can do without getting all frothy and have to shower and change. Use commercial time while watching TV to get up and move. Instead of honing in on the foods that you think you “can’t” eat, think of what you can eat to help you reach your goals. How badly do you want to succeed and how important is your health and well-being? What kind of habits do you think slim/fit people have and which of them can you put into practice right now? If you don’t think you can practice the lifestyles of the fit and healthy, ask yourself why not? One other thing that is helpful is to be patient and let the new habits you’re learning take effect.

The weight gain didn’t happen ove
ight and it will not leave ove
ight. Disappointment and frustration is like planting a seed and then digging it up to see if it’s growing. Let it do what it’s supposed to do. Negative emotions can also wreak havoc with your stress hormones and cortisol is one of the most powerful. Cortisol is important for the maintenance of blood pressure as well as the provision of energy for the body. Cortisol stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism for fast energy, and stimulates insulin release and maintenance of blood sugar levels. The end result of these actions can be an increase in appetite. A disruption of cortisol secretion may not only promote weight gain, but can also affect where you put on the weight. Stress and elevated cortisol tends to deposit fat in the abdominal area. The detriment here is that not only is it unsightly but this is where all the internal organs are that keep you alive and healthy.

If you’ve gotten into the habit of keeping a food and exercise journal; consider jotting down how you’re feeling and what’s going on in your life. Please utilize all these suggestions for your success. nnn