Why You Do NOT Want To Lose Weight

Losing weight is one of the commonest resolutions that people make every year. Yet obesity and overweight are on the increase.

Makes you wonder what is wrong with that picture.

What makes it such a difficult goal to accomplish or stick to?

Well there are several things, but for now let's talk about the most important reason.

It's the way you state the goal. In other words, it's the command you're giving to your subconscious mind. Your mind functions to attract and bring about the physical form of what you think about. It does this by steering you in the direction of actions that lead to the result of the command received by your subconscious.

You say, 'I want to lose weight'.

This implies 'I have excess weight' or 'I have weight'; Your subconscious mind thus reads that statement as 'I have excess weight', or 'I don't have weight loss' because that's what you're implying when you state your goal that way. That's the thought behind that statement. As far as your subconscious mind is concerned, the thought behind what you say, is what you really mean, and this is what it acts to bring about in your life.

There are 3 main problems with stating your desire this way.

- Since the predominant thought behind the statement is 'abundant weight' or 'excess weight', that is what you get. Remember, you get what you think about most of the time. You become what you think about - it's the way your mind works, whether you're aware of it or not.

- Since there is also a thought on 'losing weight', there is the danger of your subconscious finding creative ways to help you lose weight, for example you could have an accident and lose a limb or something. You'd weigh less then, for sure. Not quite what you had in mind I'll bet.

- Your mind is designed to bring about what's best for you. So it doesn't want you to 'lose' anything. If you talk about losing weight, your mind will do everything to help you find it.

You can see how stating your goal the wrong way can set you up to lose the battle right from the start.

Many 'weight loss' programs fail because they deal with external activities without paying attention to what's going on in your mind. Yet your mind is what decides the results you get. The programs that teach you the right way to think are the ones that will help you maintain any weight level you seek.

A program that focuses on 'weight loss' is inadvertently focusing on attracting weight because that's the predominant thought throughout the program.

How should you state your goal then?

First of all you need to understand that 'weight' in itself is not the issue. What the weighing scale reads, is not the threat you face. Your threat is excess fat. Muscle weighs more than fat, so if you've got a lot of lean muscle, you'd probably weigh more than someone who has the same amount of fat, yet they're are the ones in greater danger, healthwise.

This is one of the flaws of the BMI measurements that are so popular. Body Mass Index measurements measure your weight against your height. They *are* useful indicators of weight- related health risks, but because they do not take account of the source of the weight (fat or muscle), the readings can sometimes be misleading.

If you desire to 'lose weight', a better way is to speak in terms of 'releasing fat'. The best way to state a goal is in the present tense.

So you could say 'I am releasing at least 500grams of excess fat every week' or you could say 'I weigh....(state your desired weight) of lean muscle and 10% body fat (if that's your desired body fat percentage level)'.

Those are examples - try them on for size. Better yet, come up with ones of your own.

Notice how you feel when you rephrase your weight goals that way. Notice the shift in energy behind those words.

Now here's a paradigm shift for you:

What if your goal statement had *nothing* to do with weight or fat. What if your goal statement focused on 'health'. Do you think you could achieve your ideal weight with that sort of goal statement?

Absolutely! This is, in my opinion, the best way to state a 'weight' goal.

Here's the thing: a perfectly healthy body is not over-weight. It's not under-weight either. When you are in perfect, true health, your body *naturally* releases excess fat and holds onto just what it needs to function perfectly.

So here's my challenge to you.

Don't join the masses who obsess about their body weight. A wise man once said that if you see the majority doing something, you'd better go the other way.

Be one of the few people who are truly 'health conscious'. What you are conscious of is what you attract. So state your goal as 'I am perfectly healthy now', and focus on that thought, for that is what you'll attract.

When you look in the mirror and what you see doesn't reflect your goal, remind yourself that your statement refers to the 'real' you, not the 'case' you move around in. The good thing about this is that your subconscious will latch onto your predominant thought which is 'I am perfectly healthy now', and guide you to do things that make it your physical reality.

It's amazing the way your mind works. Learn to make it work for you though, not against you.

Upgrade your 'weight' goal today. Focus on perfect health, for the 'ideal weight' is part of the 'perfect health' package.

Let me leave you with an excellent way to state your new and improved 'weight' goal. I learnt this (the 'I am so happy and thankful' bit) from Bob Proctor. Go ahead and say it out loud with me now:

"I am so happy and thankful that I am perfectly healthy now".

Make that your predominant thought and it will become your physical reality in good time. Always remember that your predominant thought determines your actions, which in turn determine your RESULTS.

PS: Note that this article focuses on what I call 'The First Pillar of A Healthy Lifestyle'. Read all about the rest of the Pillars here: Dr Kem's 8 Pillars of A Healthy Life (TM)

About The Author
Dr Kem Thompson is a General Practitioner, Author and Speaker. She specializes in Healthy Lifestyle medicine and is passionate about Health & Fitness, Personal Development, Success Principles and Women's issues. Subscribe today to her no-nonsense FREE 'Health & Success Newsletter' to receive practical tips, techniques and strategies you can use NOW to improve your health and life. You will receive 2 thank-you gifts when you subscribe at http://www.doctorkem.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr_Kem_Thompson

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/149226

Take ACTION Now!

One difference between the 'haves' and the 'have nots', or the 'successful' and the 'unsuccessful' people of our world, is in what they've done or not done. Not what they say they will do or not do, but what they actually do or don't do.

Successful people are people of action. They act on ideas, instead of sitting and dreaming about them or talking about them.

Remember, every achievement or success story started as an idea in someone's mind. Everyone has ideas, some of them brilliant ones even, but not everyone acts on their ideas. Then when someone else gets a similar idea *and* acts on it, with good results you start to whinge, saying that you thought of it first.

Like that makes any difference!

I'm all for having ideas and I believe in positive thinking, affirmations and the other success principles more than anything, but in my opinion, they're all worthless until you back them up with ACTION. Even the Bible says that 'faith without works is dead.' Works means ACTION.

Many people remain broke because they did not act on a money-making idea they had.  Perhaps that has happened to you or someone you know. You've had this great idea, but because you're concerned about what others will think of you when you act on it, you do nothing about it. Guess who loses in the end.

Fact is, the sooner you act on your ideas, the sooner you'll know for sure which ones work and which ones don't. And the sooner you can keep on trying different ideas until you get the results you want. Also, taking action speeds up the process of making mistakes and learning from them and moving on.

Here's something for you to chew on: if you want to do something, your very desire to do it is an indication that you CAN do it.

Read that statement again. I like the way it's put in the Bible: the One who gives you the desire to do something has also given you the ability to do it well (my paraphrase).

So be bold. Learn that new instrument. Start that business. Ask that guy or girl out . Make new friends. Buy that book. Take that course or get that degree. Write that story or novel. Hire that Success Coach ;)

Whatever you want to do, know that you can do it and do it now. Don't worry about what anyone else will think. It's your life after all, and trying out new things is part of what makes life exciting and interesting. Sure you'll make mistakes along the way but it's all part of the learning experience.

This week, pick one thing that you've always wanted to do but have been too afraid to do. Tell yourself that you can do it, and will do it.

Then go ahead and DO IT!

Remember, knowledge is only potential power until it's backed up with appropriate ACTION.

Permissions: You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. Please print the article in its entirety unchanged and notify the author by email when you use it ~*~

About The Author
Dr Kem Thompson is a General Practitioner, Author and Speaker. She specializes in Healthy Lifestyle medicine and is passionate about Health & Fitness, Personal Development, Success Principles and Women's issues. Subscribe today to her no-nonsense FREE 'Health & Success Newsletter' to receive practical tips, techniques and strategies you can use NOW to improve your health and life. You will receive 2 thank-you gifts when you subscribe at http://www.doctorkem.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr_Kem_Thompson

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/153998

Top Ten Health Benefits of Whole Body Vibration...

Whole Body Vibration 
When I first saw a Power Plate in the gym... I was skeptical and wondered what this new fangled gizmo was all about, didn't think it could do anything - mind you I had no idea what it was or what it did, I had not done any due diligence to find out about it...my initial opinion was based purely on ignorance! Even after having a few goes on it as encouraged by my Personal Trainer (who didn't explain what the heck it was supposed to be doing for me...perhaps also due to ignorance?), I wasn't convinced.

However since I pride myself on being open minded, I decided to read up on it, see if there was any basis for its existence.

What I found impressed me so much, the evidence was so thoroughly convincing I had to get one of my own to use as I pleased, at home, as part of my exercise routine. My aim in writing this post, is to give you an overview of this piece of equipment so you can decide whether or not you'd like to use it next time you're at the gym or leisure centre.

WBV takes advantage of Newton's second law: Force = Mass x Acceleration.
It does it in such a way that you can achieve significant amount of fitness working out for just minutes a day. So if one of your excuses for not exercising is 'I don't have the time to exercise', read on cos after reading this article, you've got no more excuses buddy!

In conventional exercise, when you do weight training in order to improve your strength (Force), you challenge yourself by increasing the amount of weights you lift (ie you increase the mass you apply.) According to Newton's Law, if you increase the mass being applied, you get an increase in Force (Strength).

So that's all good. Whole Body Vibration, however, (WBV from now on), takes advantage of the 'Acceleration' side of the equation.  That's why it's also known as 'Acceleration Training'.  The machine you do this on is known as a Vibration Plate or a Power Plate, as made popular by the Power Plate brand. 

Before describing what this all means, here's how the machine looks:

My preferred brand (based on extensive research and comparison with other leading brands) is the JTX Pro-10, which looks like this:

WBV causes contraction of 95% or more of all your (individual) muscle fibres by vibrating at an accelerated rate. This is something you can't achieve by doing the regular strength training you'd do with weights. Having said this, I like to turbo charge my sessions by also doing weight training with weights while working on the plate (using the plate as the floor - this boosts each workout and gives me a much greater benefit per time...), however working out on the plate as is, gives you an enhanced and efficient workout, and you achieve in 10-20 minutes what you'd spend an hour in the gym (or on conventional exercise) trying to achieve.

There'll be more on how it works etc if you'd like me to write about it but for now let's cut to the chase and tell you what's in it for you - the true health benefits of WBV:

1. Increased bone density
2. Increased muscle mass and tone
3. Improved circulation - both blood and lymph
4. Weight management: you get to release excess fat as your metabolism is increased and more efficient...
5. Hormonal balance (decreases levels of stress hormone cortisol, increases levels of other hormones which help you look and feel good, fit and full of vitality (endorphins, serotonin, growth hormone, etc)
6. Decreases cellulite (likely due to its effect on improving circulation_
7. Improved physical performance 
8. Reduced pain and faster recovery after workouts, as well as for rehabilitation and recovery post-op
9. Improved balance and stability
10. Gives you a great massage too if you wish!

There are many more benefits, I just picked out my top 10. You can achieve these benefits by working out for just 10-20 minutes per day on your plate.

I'm particularly glad I got one because now that I'm recovering from major surgery and am not allowed to do my regular exercise just yet, I still get the full benefit with less strain on my body, by using my JTX Pro 10 plate. Then I round up my session with a massage. It's fantastic! Always ask your doctor though, if it's okay for you to use this machine, and if you've had any surgery, make sure you get the all-clear from your surgeon that you can do this.

Warning: Don't use the power plate if any of the following applies to you:

• pregnant
• pacemaker
• epilepsy
• metal or other implant eg in joints
• recent IUCD insertion
• severe heart failure or heart disease
• severe hypertension
• blood clots
• tumors which have chance of spreading
• recent surgery (less than 6 weeks) or wounds.

Otherwise it's a good way to get a whole body workout in a short time.

Pop into your local leisure centre and ask to be shown how to use one, see for yourself if the benefits listed above are things you wish to invest the time working for.

'Fat-free' or 'Low Fat' makes you FAT!

The 'Fat-free' Myth

The other day when I went grocery shopping, I decided to, for the fun of it, look through the labels of some 'fat-free' or 'low-fat' products at random, to reconfirm that what I teach and talk about is still the case. I was hoping things had changed, as information about true health is more available today than at any other time in our history...

Sure enough: every single one of those 'fat-free' or 'low fat' items had 'sugar' listed either as the first ingredient or the second one. (Remember that ingredients are listed in order of how much of each one is contained in a product - so if sugar is listed first, just know that your product is really just sugar with bits of other things added to it.)

I find it amazing that people still fall for this deception - they must still fall for it otherwise all these 'fat-free' and 'low-fat' things would not be on our shelves.

So here's the skinny on fat, folks - after today you cannot use ignorance as your excuse for continuing in this craziness.

Sugar makes you fat, not dietary fat.

(Bear in mind that trans-fats though, the sort found in margarine, and the sort of fat which vegetable oil turns into when it's heated...is dangerous for other health reasons such as cardiovascular disease...but it's not what makes you fat. Dietary saturated fats from healthy sources eg coconut oil, fat from grass-fed, hormone-free, antibiotic-free animals - actually serve numerous health functions, and can help you lose weight while you're at it...but that's for another post.)

 When you eat sugar, it triggers the release of insulin, a hormone which, among other functions, serves as a fat storage hormone; excess sugar gets converted to fat (the bad kind, including the so-called 'bad cholesterol'), which gets stored around your belly, and worse still - around your vital organs, not to mention the damage it causes your blood vessels.

Your sugar fix also suppresses the hormone glucagon, which among other functions, releases excess fat from your body.

So when you buy 'fat-free' or 'low-fat' products (you should always read the labels at the back to find out what you're really buying) - you're not really buying fat-free or low-fat. The sugar gets converted to fat which gets stored around your belly and is difficult to shift (not impossible, just more difficult). When you buy these products, you're actually buying 'unhealthy-fat' products. Nothing healthy about those products at all.

This is why your cholesterol levels reduce when you stop taking these products. It's also one reason why your healthy lifestyle efforts become more successful when you stop taking them.

Refuse to be fooled by slick marketing folks. The truth sets you free from being overweight and sick, so act on it today.

Your take home message today therefore is this: 'Fat-free', 'Diet products' or 'Low Fat' products, actually, make you FAT.

He who has ears to hear and eyes to read and a mind to understand, should do so.

Read The 8 Pillars of A Healthy Life to get an overview of what you should be doing, if true health is what you wish to enjoy. Details of the pillar will be available on this blog. To find out when this happens, sign up for the Health and Success Newsletter over at www.doctorkem.comhttp://doctorkem.com/.

PS: 
Don't be fooled by 'sugar-free' either: if it contains aspartame or other such sweeteners, your health is in danger from these toxins too. Keep your eyes peeled for more information on this blog.