Is the reality of your body in conflict with your self-image?
When this question first occurred to me I quickly did a body audit.
I
see myself as tall, slim and elegant. But I needed to check whether the
reality was in line with this self-image. Every morning, when I emerge
naked from my bedroom, all I have to do is look to my left, down the
landing, to where there is a full-length mirror on the wall. There I
see my body in profile, as it really is.
It was the shock of seeing my protruding belly that kick-started my weight loss campaign.
The
frightening point here is that only a few days before my doctor had
issued me with a warning about my cholesterol level. That was a bit of
a scare, but it didn't really get me going.
It was the shock of
realising that other people were not seeing the image of me that I was
seeing, and was hoping that I was portraying, that really got me going.
Try This Ideal Body Audit
You
need to be somewhere quiet to do this. It will work best if you are
lying flat on your back or sitting, relaxed in a comfortable chair.
Close your eyes and focus your attention on your body.
Start with your feet, how large are they? Not much you can do about them.
Move up your legs to your calf muscles. Is there any muscle showing there? Are they fat or lean and shapely?
Now your thighs, are they fat or lean and muscular?
Your butt, how large is it? Is it fat and wobbly or lean and firm?
Your gut, does it protrude or hang over your belt, or is it flat?
Your breasts, are they firm and the right size for your frame or are they large and flabby?
Is your back firm and muscular or fleshy?
And your arms, particularly your upper arms, are they firm or flabby.
Now,
ask yourself these questions: "is your body the body you really want?"
"Is this the body you wish to see when you look in the mirror?" "Does
it make you feel proud when other people look at your body, or do you
hope that they will focus more strongly on your hair style or your
clothes?"
The acid question is this: "If you had to appear in
public without makeup, clothes or well-styled hair, would you feel
proud of your body or would you be trying to hide?"
How To Put Your Body Right
I
guess you wouldn't still be reading this if you're entirely happy with
the way your body looks right now. So, what can you do it put it right.
The best place to start is by remembering what you have done to get your body into the state it's in now.
If
you've got excess fat anywhere, it's because you've eaten too many
fatty foods and consumed sugar and allowed it to turn to fat. So the
first action you need to take is to stop eating so much fat and sugar
and start eating fresh, healthy foods.
There's a lot of sugar and calories in sodas and alcoholic drinks, so they need to be replaced with water and natural juices.
You
have probably neglected exercise. Remember that man is descended from
apes who are very energetic. He then became a hunter who needed
strength and energy to survive. He then became a hard working gatherer
and farmer who used his muscles daily. So your genetic make-up dictates
that you need to work your muscles daily.
Use These Motivation Techniques
You
may have made resolutions to lose weight before only to find that
temptation and a lack of willpower caused you to backslide.
Doing your first body audit gave you some powerful Away Motivation - a body you would like to change away from.
Now
do another body audit. Close your eyes and run your mind's eye over
your body from toes to head. See each part of your body the way you
would truly love it to be.
Once you have a clear image of your
Ideal Body, fix that picture in your mind. Then stand back and look at
your whole Ideal Body. Allow yourself to feel really good about how
your Ideal Body looks. Big smile now, feel the joy of looking the way
you want to look! This is your objective. Keep it clearly in mind,
always. This is your Towards Motivation, the goal you are moving
towards.
When you feel tempted to snack or have an alcoholic
drink you should instantly bring to mind your Ideal Body and tell
yourself that what you really desire is not a chocolate bar but your
Ideal Body.
David
Ferrers is an NLP Master Practitioner who has been a professional
Personal Development Coach for over 20 years. He has a special interest
in weight loss as he constantly needs to control his weight to lower
his cholesterol. He is the founder of the successful GoneForeverWeightLoss.com Elite Weight Loss Fraternity,
a society of people dedicated to achieving their Ideal Body shape and
weight. David teaches members of The Elite Fraternity how to hypnotize
themselves to make it easy to overcome the temptations that face
everyone seeking to re-shape their body.
He is using
self-hypnosis personally in his current, very successful, weight loss
campaign during which he has so far lost 12 pounds and 2 inches off his
waist.
