By Janice Taylor
Harvard's resident happiness professor, Tal Ben-Shahar tells us, "Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning. Whether at work or at home, the goal is to engage in activities that are both personally significant and enjoyable."
What activities are you engaged in that are both significant and enjoyable; that lie at the intersection between pleasure and meaning? Are you pursuing your dreams, your desires?
One day can so easily melt into the next and the next, and before you know it, your dreams have slipped away. If permanent weight loss is apart of your dream picture, and you haven't taken the time or put the effort into manifesting it; read on, get inspired and motivated. Letting go of excess weight is often both personally significant and enjoyable!
8 Steps to Manifesting Your Weight Loss Dreams
1. Knock Fear Out of the Way. It seems that as soon as we say 'yes' to going after our dreams, fear rushes in. Some people say, "Be fearless." The truth is that no one is fearless. We need to step over fear; jump over it, knock fear out of the way. Do not let fear get in your way, weigh you down, or stop you!
Are you ready, willing and able to knock fear out of your way?
2. Be Brave. We know that stretching our envelope is a good thing to do, but we don't necessarily enjoy being out of our comfort zone. Push your zone, your envelope. Ride out the discomfort.
Just how far are you willing to push your envelope?
3. Whisper Your Dream. If you don't tune into and listen to both your heart and body, your dream cannot grow. Stop for a moment right now, close your eyes and just allow your dream to whisper to you. Allow your dream to begin to speak its mind. Breathe life into it. Allow it to take shape.
What did your dream whisper? Do tell!!!
4. Keep the End Goal in Mind. Ask yourself, what will losing weight give me that I wouldn't otherwise have? Will it bring me more love, joy, harmony, peace, wisdom or prosperity? Will I feel better about myself? Will my self esteem rise to meet the clouds? At the end of the day, permanently removing over 50 pounds of excess weight gave me peace of mind and filled my heart with self love.
What will losing weight give you that you wouldn't otherwise have?
5. Send a Crystal Clear Message to the Universe. The Universe (as well as your unconscious mind) does not process negatives, only energy! An example: I want to be happy vs. I do not want to be unhappy. Send out "I want" messages.
I want ______________.
6. Have Faith. If you don't believe and have faith in yourself, and expect that your dreams will come true, who will? Keep the faith, baby.
Say it loud. "I believe in myself."
7. Words and Thoughts. You are your thoughts and words. Choose them wisely.
What words best represent you?
8. Stay Open to Possibilities. Maintain your focus on what you want. Keep its flame burning bright. At the same time, stay open and alert. Sometimes dreams have a life and mind of their own. You would be wise to follow their lead.
If you were to ask your dream where it wants to lead you, where would it take you?
About the author: Janice Taylor, an internationally known expert in health, wellness and weight loss, has worked with thousands of individuals worldwide to help them uncover their authentic selves and learn to create balance and success in their personal and professional lives. Janice effectively uses a blend of her coaching and hypnosis skills to create a safe, secure and nurturing environment. She is also a featured expert in the documentary film "The Inner Weigh™." Learn more about Janice at www.OurLadyofWeightLoss.com
About "The Inner Weigh™" blog: The Inner Weigh™ Blog is co-hosted by Dr. Dave Smiley, clinical psychologist and creator of the documentary film, "The Inner Weigh™" and by featured expert, Suyin Nichols, weight loss and body image coach. In the film, 20 of the top experts in the fields of nutrition, weight loss, spirituality, and the mind all come together to show you how to lose weight by using the Law of Attraction and tapping into the power of the subconscious mind. Each week, The Inner Weigh™ Blog will bring you new posts by these experts to help you create the body and the life that you want! If you or someone you love has been struggling with food, body image, and self-esteem, check out "The Inner Weigh™" trailer! Become a fan and don't miss any of our posts!
Follow The Inner Weigh on Twitter: www.twitter.com/theinnerweigh
Peter Baksa: Can Thoughts Make Things Happen?
The hormone leptin, a protein secreted by stored fat that signals satiety & stimulates you to burn more calories, doesn't always work ..
When leptin was given to mice, their appetites decreased .. When it was given to people, they initially got thin--but then something strange happened: They overcame the surge of leptin & stopped losing weight. That indicates that our bodies have the ability to override leptin's message that our tank is full. How? When leptin tells your defense—the satiety chemicals—to kick in & protect you against overeating, the pleasure center in your brain says, "Pass those cookies this-a-way."
That surge from the pleasure center, which can overrule leptin's messages that you're full, is called leptin resistance (there's another form of leptin resistance as well, which happens when cells stop accepting leptin's messages).
Most obese people, by the way, have high leptin levels; it's just that their bodies have the second form of leptin resistance—they don't receive and respond to leptin signals. Also, as you get older, you have fewer leptin receptors in your brain—meaning that you have fewer satiety signals, which makes you more prone to gaining weight.
That doesn't mean leptin is always on the losing end of this chemical battle. The challenge is to let leptin do its job so the brain demands less food. One way to do it: Walk 30 minutes a day & build a little muscle. When you lose some weight, your cells become more sensitive & responsive to leptin
Rather than getting lipo, it seems a better solution to long term fat loss is getting your mind in the right place and following a reduced calorie/fitness regimen.
As a psychotherapist, and avid fitness/health enthusiast, I know firsthand the benefits of mind body connection to fat loss. We have to get our mind-set in the right place before we can ever hope to achieve that ultimate body and optimum fitness for the long term.
Your mind is more powerful than any muscle in your body. We’ve all heard about what and how to eat and how to exercise. That’s essential information, for sure, BUT none of it will work, especially in the long term, unless your mind is in the right place.
Many Thanks,
Sunny Strasburg, MA, LMFTI