lose weight 4

Begin with the Mind and the Body will Follow

Copyright 2006 Mary Desaulniers

It is commonplace knowledge in the weight loss industry that just going on a diet or being on a weight loss program does not guarantee permanent weight loss results. You will invariably gain back all the weight you have lost unless you are convinced in your subconscious mind that you will be lean and strong FOR LIFE. This mindset is one area that is missing in most weight loss programs. However, there is a way to fill in this missing link.

Begin with the mind and the rest will follow. This is as true with starting a new course of study or opening a new business as it is with weight loss. The idea is that you have to convince your subconscious mind first of all that you want to lose the weight and that you are in fact a lean and healthy individual. You need to feed your subconscious self these suggestions so that your mind will direct you to the most viable alternatives that will make these suggestions come true.

Scientific evidence shows that our ability to receive suggestions is based on a particular state of mind--a kind of altered state of consciousness. This state of consciousness is a departure from normal consciousness which operates mainly under the Beta brainwave.

Your brain emits electrochemical discharges when it is in function. But there are different levels of function. When you are functioning on your "alert" daytime level such as conversing with friends, talking to someone, teaching, solving a chemical equation or writing an essay, you are in Beta. The frequency of Beta waves ranges from 15-40 cycles a second. This is your normal daytime brainwave level.

The next brainwave level is Alpha which you get to when you take a break. When you sit back after having solved chemistry problems, you are in Alpha state. When you are sitting in the train, watching the landscape flow by, as your thoughts pursue their own journey, you are in Alpha state. Praying or meditating also puts you in this state. Alpha brainwaves are slower, but higher in amplitude. Their frequency ranges from 9-14 cycles per second. In this state, you are relaxed; you feel a sense of calm and security. You muscles feel mellowed and you are open to suggestions. The few minutes you experience when you are totally relaxed before you fall asleep is Alpha state.

Getting to the Alpha level is best for re-programming yourself. Eight-five percent of all medical problems (including overeating and weight problems) are associated with unresolved tension and stress held in the body. Getting to Alpha will definitely help you break up this unresolved tension and move you to a more stable control of your eating. What is more, you can reprogram yourself easily when you mind is in Alpha.

Begin then by taking the time to relax. 20-30 minutes a day of meditative calm would be sufficient. Develop a routine for deep breathing, during which you focus your mind on a word, sound or mantra. The meaning of the sound or word is not as important as the feeling it evokes in you as you repeat it. Once you have loosened the tension in your body, feed your mind positive images. Visualize yourself at your ideal weight. Focus on your slim and slender body, your well-shaped legs. Imagine yourself living a powerful, dynamic life. Would you be bingeing yourself to death?

Make this positive visualization of your ideal self a daily practice until you find it actually easy to see yourself as lean, strong and beautiful. Next time you feel like wolfing down a whole chocolate cake, shift your mind to that slender body and well-shaped legs.

When I gained the extra weight during menopause, it was pretty difficult for me to believe that I could get back to a size 4. I kept thinking: "I am over 50 and my body is different now. The hormonal changes are making it difficult for me to be what I was in my twenties." Then I realized I was using the same excuse that I used after my pregnancy: "mothers are supposed to gain weight."

We tend to rely on commonly accepted assumptions to make our decisions and most of these assumptions are wrong. Do you know that your body can be sculpted the way you want it? You are 99% water and quantum space and the body as you see it is NOT cast in stone or flesh. What's more is that what you see is created by the visual cortex in the rear of your skull from a web of chemical and electrical charges in your brain. And the visual pattern created by your visual cortex is different from the pattern created by mine or someone else's. You do not see things that are out there. You create things in here( your mind) when you see.

Now this physiological fact liberates us--because now we know that we can create what we want. And if our situation is not what we want, WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!

What can we do?

1. We can make a plan to build lean body mass by eating more low-fat protein (not too much animal protein as this comes with fat and calories.) Consume soy or vegetable protein: soy products, legumes. There is no doubt that protein builds the lean body mass that gives your body its youthful firmness. But you want protein without the fat in Meat Protein. Soy or Wheat protein is the best alternative. It gives you the protein without the fat!

2. We can start an exercise program that is enjoyable like tennis, skating, walking.

3. We can love ourselves and feed it healthy, nutritious foods.

4. We can stay away from people who try to sabotage our attempts to be the best we can be.

We are the ones in charge of who we can become. Nothing is tying us to a stake but our own feelings of limitation.

Mary Desaulniers

Eating ...

Eating Vegetarian For Life

Becoming a vegetarian is a frightening thought for most people of the western world. We have become so used to having a serving of dead animal on our plates that without it we feel that we have not eaten. With the rising rate of death associated with heart disease being what it is, we all may want to at least consider the thought of meatless meals. Or at least we should try skipping a day or two every now and then for our hearts sake.

Vegetarianism is growing ever more popular among westerners. The health benefits associated with meatless eating clearly outweighs cutting back part time on your intake. Just the fact that you will not be consuming large amounts of artery-clogging animal fat is a great reason to quit. Saturated fat filled foods are the leading cause of heart disease, which kills 500, 000 people every year in America.

Eating a plant based diet means you will be eating a ton of fiber in your diet. Easier digestion means that your body will be using less energy for pushing food through your system. When trying to live on a diet of meat, your digestive system is always struggling to push slow moving animal products through your body and has to conserve energy to continue doing this everyday. This encourages the presence of unfriendly bacteria to begin growing in your system and eventually disease will occur.

The nutrients found in plant foods far outweigh what you would get eating a diet high in meat and dairy products. As long as you eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and grains every single day, you will not be deficient nutritionally. Eating a meal of beans and rice give you more protein per serving than meat without the saturated fat. There are lots of nutrients found in brown rice and unrefined grains. Be sure to eat 100% whole grains to get the full benefit of this healthy style of living.

The overall benefits of a meat free diet are monumental and should become the foundation for anyone trying to change to a healthier lifestyle. Weight loss is inevitable when eating less fat and consuming more fiber from plants will make you feel lighter on your feet. Your immune system will get a positive boost from this eating style of veggies and fruits. Eat them in abundance. This is much needed with the evolution of different species of bacteria and viruses that threaten mankind every year.

Randy Powell

..... For Weight Loss

Vegetarian Dieting For Weight Loss

The majority of people in the United States are overweight. A number of them are obese or close to it according to recent studies. Obesity increases threats of colon problems and heart disease. If you are one of these people, you should not feel alone.

If you are searching for a weight loss program that will work as well as a way to keep the weight off and stay healthy once you get to your goal, consider research that has been done on the topic. Most cardiovascular surgeons and dietitians agree on the importance of a diet high in fiber and low in fat. That means a lot of fruits and vegetables and a lower amount of fat can keep you healthy and in the weight range where you would like to be.

The research that led to the agreement on the importance of a high fiber diet has created an interest in vegetarian diets. Vegetarian diets are not a fad diet though. Those who are on these diets have taken on a new life-style of being vegetarians. And the life-change pays off. Those who live a vegetarian lifestyle have noticeably lower death rates from illnesses and are generally in better shape.

There are a number of different styles of vegetarians. Here are some of those vegetarian varieties.

* Strict vegetarians or vegans - Avoid all animal products. This is not just meat and milk, but also items such as honey. Their diets consist of protein from seeds and beans, plant based fats, and fruits, vegetables and grains. * Raw vegans - In addition to taking part in a vegan diet, raw vegans also eat foods in a raw form, meaning these foods come in their natural form and are not treated. Many parts of a raw vegan diet would be sprouted grains, untreated plant fats, and living as well as fermented foods. * Lacto-ovo vegetarians - Not all vegetarians avoid all animal related items. Lacto-ovo vegetarians think consumption of milk and eggs are ok. That is where the name came from dairy - 'lacto', eggs - 'ovo' * Pesco- and pollo-vegetarians - Some vegetarians still eat some kinds of meats in limited quantities. Pesco-vegetarians believe in addition to a high in fruits, vegetables and beans diet that adding some fish in is alright. Pollo-vegetarians believe that some chicken is an acceptable addition to their otherwise completely vegetarian diet.

So, why does a vegetarian diet work so well to lose weight and keep it off? The answer is simple. Since the majority of the foods that are accepted on a vegetarian diet are very low in calories you can still have large dishes of food without the high caloric intake price. That means you can fill a plate, fill your stomach, and still keep your calorie count low, and help control your appetite, which will lead to weight loss.

But you can't just eat as much as you want on a vegetarian diet. While most of the foods are very low in calories, there are still some that can cause you to keep the pounds on and even add a few here and there. If your vegetarian diet is filled with items made with coconut oil or other vegetable oils, the fat content in those ingredients can keep you from losing weight. That's why it's important to focus on the high-fiber fruit, vegetable and grain items on the vegetarian diet.

If you have been on the weight loss merry-go-round for too long, or just would like to start a healthier life, a long-term change of your diet may be the answer. With proven positive health effects it is a common sense solution. But even if a full vegetarian lifestyle is not for you, adding more high-fiber foods into your diet can be a big boost to your overall health and send you on the path to weight loss.

Brandon H. Masters