PRACTICE MAKE EXCELLENCE

Although sometimes we are quite fearful of change or something new, you are well aware there is no chance for improvement unless there is change. If you have had difficulty in some area, you must change the old patterns. So today, I am suggesting that you do something entirely different from what you usually do. Something that may be quite new to you. Although it is likely that you have done it sometime in the past. Today I am proposing that you let yourself see yourself in perspective.

Now picture yourself intellectually outside your own body with a clear view of your whole life in perspective. You have in your possession all of the wisdom, all the learning and all the understanding that you have ever gained. In this position, you're now able to influence your own destiny by re-programming and upgrading your attitude and defenses. You let yourself change wherever you see the need for growth and maturity so all your reactions may come up to your expectations as you relinquish your hang-ups.

See yourself reinforcing the normal eating patterns, to eat only when you are hungry, to see that your appetite is easily satisfied. Picture yourself enjoying food immensely but only in quantities you need to fulfill normal physiological requirements. See yourself overcoming the temptation to eat any extra food.

Practice passing up unneeded food and drink in your mind. And be delighted when you do it.

CHANGE YOUR MIND

Your weight gain, in most cases, is the result of poor decisions you've made about what to eat and how much to exercise. No one held your mouths open and poured food down your throat. You need to recognize that it was your decision. But you can change your mind.

Just as the decision to gain the weight was a personal (although unrecognized) one, so is the decision to lose it. And make no mistake: it is a decision - an active, conscious commitment that, given time, will become a subconscious habit. Like any habit, proper eating habits and a healthy exercise regimen take time to develop. During this time, be especially kind to yourself. Give yourself the same patience you would give a toddler, just learning to walk.

Once you realize that you are in control of your destiny, once you accept the responsibility for your own weight, you will find yourself more prone to making smart food decisions - and less likely to skip exercise. After all, someone, whom you don't want to disappoint, is depending on you - you.

GUILT HAPPENS

Life is guaranteed to eventually provide any normal person with something to feel guilty about. So guilt happens. For whatever reasons, every healthy adult has some guilt feelings about things that he or she probably should not feel guilty about. And, as you might guess, some people manage to make a subconscious connection between their guilt and the shape of their bodies. When this happens they make themselves overweight to punish them for their guilt.

That may sound crazy but I am speaking about the subconscious mind. It is the subconscious mind that is in the driver's seat and that part of the mind doesn't do "logic' well. I am always amazed by the fact that there were so many masochists. Perhaps people could learn from their mistakes and stop torturing themselves. Making a mistake and NOT doing it again is wise. Punishing oneself again and again makes no sense.

PLANK YOU

There is an on going friendly (very supportive) competition between myself and a good friend (a personal trainer) at one of my gyms. I discovered that he could hold the plank position for 3 1/2 minutes. So naturally I set a goal to do 4 minutes. After achieving this we have both decided to go for five minutes. And setting a pace for ten minutes. Now here is where the story turns--I then discovered that my kickboxing instructor could hold his plank for over ten minutes. Of course I immediately reported this information to my friend while a mutual acquaintance was standing there.

Now my friend (the trainer) was very impressed while the acquaintance quickly interjected that my kickboxing instructor was lying. When I gave him a look of surprise- he than concluded that it was because my instructor was smaller in size. To which both my friend and I replied was totally irrelevant.

What I found most interesting was at no point did my friend (the trainer) nor I find ourselves jealous, threaten or in need to make an excuse for the kickboxing instructor to be better than us. In fact we both saw it as an opportunity to challenge ourselves. While the acquaintance responded in a way that is unfortunately shared by a good deal of the population. Rather than be inspired and decide to set a new goal for oneself, most people will look at a healthy slim person and come up with fifty different reasons why they are not able to do things. No one is saying you have to hold the plank position for 5 minutes. This isn't a story about trying to "out do" someone. Nor is it about comparisons and competition. It really is about setting small goals for ourselves. And as we achieve these goals finding people that inspire us to continue to be even better. Instead of feeling envious - find ways and recognize people who inspire you to be and try your best.

LIQUIDS COUNT TOO

There are times when someone will offer me something to eat and I will reply "No, thank you. I'm full.' And more often than not, the person will then insist I have something to drink. I find it very interesting that people do not consider the liquids they are consuming as food. "It goes in the same tank" is typically my reply. When the tank is full it's full.

More interesting that people do not view an ice latte with whipped cream as a desert. Yet calorie for calorie and fat to fat---a smoothie, mocha, Long Island Ice Tea, beer etc can be very harmful.

When it comes to fuel-think about the quality and never top it off.