Health Starts In The Mind

Retrain Your Brain to be Healthy for Life

Here’s the real truth - the fact is that you must first "clean up your mental house" before you start ANY weight loss program.

Health starts in the mind. So that’s where you need to start.
It is not just about what you eat, or how much you eat, or what type of exercises you do – or don’t do.

Health is about other areas in your life as well, such as your mental state, your stress levels, your outlook on life, your lifestyle, your personal safety. Be healthy in mind and body!

Let’s take a closer look.

Start by asking yourself “do I have a healthy mind, or do I have a mind that distorts my efforts?”

Start by creating some new habits.

Here are 7 strategies that will give you the right mental attitude to start improving your life today and help you with ANY weight loss program:

1. Have a Crystal Clear Vision of What You Want to Achieve
Envision what you want to achieve. Create an “after” image of what you’ll look like. See the new you and imagine what it would feel like to be that new you. Picture yourself with limitless energy, being able to handle your daily tasks, your job, and still having enough steam left over for your children and your personal life. How will it feel to put on a swimsuit and feel great about what you see in the mirror? You will start to relish the after burn of your morning workouts. You have to know and understand what you are moving towards. Then say goodbye to what you are moving away from.

2. Clean out Your Mental House
Stop putting yourself down! That unfriendly little voice inside your head needs to be silenced now and forever. That super critical, opinionated, alter ego of yours needs to know who the boss is. You are! So what if you gained 5 pounds over the holidays. That doesn’t make you a "fat pig". Rather than beating yourself up by complaining, instead, compliment yourself by saying something like "Yeah, I did have that chocolate chip cookie for desert. But I didn't have 3 of them like I would have done before." Stop whining and take more control over your actions and your life.

3. Treat yourself with respect
Think about it this way - your mind and body are temples and you need to treat them as such. So start respecting yourself and treating yourself right. You deserve better than processed fast food with little or no healthy nutrient content. You deserve better than beating yourself up because you “slipped” again.
Instead, exercise. Take your mind off of the negative. Any physical activity will improve your mind and body health. Even if you just take a walk. Or spend 30 minutes every other day with a weight training or cardio session. Remember, you are the most important person in your life. It all begins with you!

4. Be creative
Say it out loud: “fitness and health are going to be my new lifestyle”. If that’s the case, you need to make it fun. Ask yourself "what are my favorite foods? If you answered Italian food, then go out and buy a low-fat, low-carb Italian cookbook and learn how to remake your old favorites! If you love nachos, be creative and re-invent the recipe using low fat ingredients rather than the real stuff. What physical activity did you enjoy when you were growing up? If you answered ping pong, go out and get a table. Start a family competition. Just open your mind to new and different tools and use them as a bag of tricks that will help you fight the war on fat.

5. Make fitness a top priority
Of course, we all will have bad days and fall off our diet. It’s OK. Refocus yourself and get back on track. Be prepared to be tempted. You know that you have to attend your family's barbeque dinner with non-stop servings of hot dogs, potato salad, and sugary deserts. So be smart and execute your fitness plan. Munch on a crispy apple before the bbq. This will fill you up and cut the edge off of any uncontrollable hunger pains you might have when you start smelling everything. Then opt for the grilled chicken breast with no bun, a side salad, and an ear of corn with no butter. You put fitness first and you are still able to enjoy your family's social activities without ending your fitness goals.

6. Set yourself up for success
Put health on the shelf and the gym bag in the car! Stock your fridge and pantry with the latest guilt free snacks and treats. Low-carb and low-fat foods are tasting better and better. Try something new today. Have your gym bag ready to go in the car for a pre or post work-day workout. Throw in a towel and a change of clothes and you will not have an excuse to skip the gym. Or, have your running shoes right there by the bed so all you have to do is roll out of bed right into your morning run. Everywhere you go and no matter what you do, your healthy habits should follow you.

7. Feel the pain
Yes, pain CAN be your friend! Use it to your advantage as a tool to get you motivated to make a positive change in your life. First, it is absolutely necessary for you to take a "before" picture of yourself. Secondly, put this "before" picture somewhere where you can occasionally see it when you need to feel the "pain" and that frustration associated with that picture. When you feel your motivation and desire weakening, glance at the picture and remind yourself of the despair that you felt when you were at your unhealthiest. Pain will be your friend because you will learn how to manipulate it and use it towards your advantage.

Bottom Line: Healthy Living Extends Beyond the Kitchen

It’s not just about counting calories or skipping deserts. You’re smart enough to know, it’s about your lifestyle.

Nutrition does play an important role in your health, however, health is about other areas in your life as well, such as your mental state, your stress levels, your outlook on life, your personal safety. So what’s the answer? Be healthy in mind and body!

International author Kathy Andrews has been writing about personal and professional development for over 20 years. Visit her fun site about “Shortcuts to Creating Miracles and Money in your Life” at www.miraclemarvels.com.

You can also join her membership club at www.zoneofsuccessclub.com. It is a mini FREE library of books, ecourses, self help checklists, articles on personal and professional development.