The Secret to Weight Loss - Shed Pounds by Shedding Thoughts

Your body is simply an extension and reflection of your mind. That statement took less than three-seconds to read, but could take lifetimes to fully understand. Nonetheless, it is a fact; and it is a fact that you would do well to try and understand. Of course, you don't have to; but it will make your life happier and more rewarding if you do. Books and books - including the Bible - have tried to teach and explain this fact; but it is still up to each individual to come to understand it and apply it in their own lives.

The good news is that there is no time limit; so don't get in a hurry and don't be anxious about outcomes - or your current situation. Take your time and relax. Be patient with yourself, and be good to yourself as you try to understand how your body is created and re-created on a daily basis - actually moment-by-moment - to reflect the status of your mind. When things disappear from your mind, there is nothing to keep the physical reflection in place; and, in time, it will fall away on its own.

You see, the more old, stagnant thinking you hold onto fears, worries, resentments, etc, the more you are holding onto in every area of your life. There is what appears to be an exception to this, but it really isn't. Some people who hold onto old grudges, etc, seem to waste away rather than put on the pounds. But the metaphor holds true: If you let your thoughts eat away at you, your body will be eaten away by your thoughts. These folks simply process those thoughts differently. Overweight people "stuff" their old thoughts and emotions, and "hold onto them" for some sort of protection, security, or identity. On the other hand, people who waste away don't suppress the thoughts they are holding onto; they chew on them, and their minds chew back.

You can e-mail me your "Yeah, buts" and "What about's" later; but for now, if you haven't figured this weight thing out yet, don't simply assume I am wrong, crazy, stupid, etc, because I am saying something different. What you are looking for is something different, is it not? A different body, perhaps - or a different life? I promise you there is a book coming that will give you more foundation; but, right now, I'm just trying to give you the FIX. If you've read any other posts on this blog, you have read all the applicable quotes - from a variety of authorities - over and over. I kind of beat the "As a man thinketh..." thing into the ground; but, if you are overweight, I bet that's what you think. And I bet you think about your weight a lot - and in a not-so-positive light. And so it is done unto you.

There are two basic things you should understand about fat:

1. It is not bad, it's your friend and protector

2. Food doesn't make fat, and it doesn't make you fat, your mind does. And it does for very good reasons - mostly. For starters, understand that your body makes fat, and without it you'd die in any of a number of ways -- depending on your circumstances. That's the main reason your body makes fat - to protect you from dying. Thanks to our DNA, our fearful, stressed-out, overweight ancestors were even able to pass some of these tendencies down the line; but the underlying reason is, nonetheless, the same -protection.

So, even if you blame your weight on your genes, you'll be happy to know that those "codes" are pre-programmed tendencies - a sort of default setting, if you will - and they can be overridden -- or rewritten. Even when you were dealt a bad hand, in other words, you can discard and draw again. You can even choose which card you will draw - if you are able to adequately understand the first sentence of this post, that is.

There are also two basic ways your body decides to manufacture fat. The original process begins with a perceived threat, or a reason the body needs protection. The reasons are usually pretty simple: Starvation, Climate, Falls/Impacts/Trauma, and Attack. That pretty much covers the threats on this planet -- and fat protects us from all of these things in a variety of ways. Brilliant! We'll talk about some of those ways and reasons later; for now, on to the other way fat is created - it is "copied." Indeed, it is done unto you as you "thinketh" and, even after you have lost your reason for needing protection, you may still have an image in your mind of you with too much weight. Focusing on your weight, listening to others comment on your body, staring into the mirror with any emotion other than love, and talking negatively about your weight or body, are just some of the ways we re-create fat we no longer need.

So, your body is a masterpiece - a work of art. It was created from an idea, according to a plan. Now that you have an image, however, you can continuously change by copying what you see and adding to it. This is not unlike drawing a picture and making a photocopy of it - then drawing new elements on the copy. Of course, you can add to the original, as well; and where the body is concerned, that is indeed what you are always doing - adding to the original. Even if you are "photocopying" fat, or ideas about being fat, the copies are being used to change the original. How? Because being fat, seeing yourself as fat, thinking you're fat, or worrying about your weight, are all enough to stress you out.

When the body is under stress (fear of attack, starvation, injury, or the elements, for instance) it naturally slows or stops digestion and releases the stress hormone cortisol to convert undigested food into fat which will keep us warm, pad our bones and organs, give us reserve energy, and make us look bigger, or unattractive, to anyone who may want to act aggressively towards us. Stress is stress; and even if you are just stressed about your weight, the stress response is still on. And when you are in the stress response, you are producing fat.

So, there is really just the original reasons for making fat; but our culture and our ways of judging ourselves have just added to the list of things we need protection from - like judgment and rejection, for instance. It is an unfortunate truth that the judgment and rejection is usually coming from ourselves - as the result of our thoughts. We can change this as easily as changing our minds. Even when the judgment and rejection comes from an outside source, it is still our choice whether or not we dwell on such things - and whether we "spin" things in a positive direction, or a negative one. "Sticks and stones," as they say; your judgments can't hurt me if I don't really care about them. And I don't; and neither should you. Let go of all judgment - even the judgment that there are judgmental people in the world. Seriously, that's their problem. There are worse things to be than overweight; and being harsh and judgmental is certainly on that list. If being afraid causes fat, just imagine what the acid of anger and hatred do to people. You don't really have to imagine, by the way; just find someone who's been that way a while and look at the reflection of their mind.

If you can let go and free your mind of excess baggage, you will free your body of excess baggage. Release all that no longer serves you; release all that you are no longer enjoying. Any time you think a thought that makes you unhappy in any way (angry, afraid, worried, mournful, sad, etc) use your powerful mind to choose a different thought -- one that makes you happy. It is just like changing the television channel with a remote control; channel surf in your mind for a happy thought - and then stay there. Continue to affirm what you want, regardless of what you see in the mirror. Time doesn't stop; and change is continuous. We shape change -- gradually and instantly - with our thoughts. And we can even change our perception of outcomes and situations: "I guess that wasn't so bad after all..."

You have to do this for yourself; you have to take control of the thoughts you choose. I promise you the thoughts the television provides you with are not helping; start choosing your own thoughts. Stop picking up magazines in the check-out lines, stop watching and reading bad news, and remove yourself from commercial programming; all of these things are specifically designed to make you discontent and stressed-out. If you have to write down a list of good thoughts and memorize them, then do it. But if you want your outer world to change, your inner world must change first.

So far, I have been speaking of thoughts and fat in a very physical, clinical context -- about the very tangible relationship between your thoughts and your body. But what about prayer? Can you pray to lose weight and have it magically disappear. Read The Belief Formula. You cannot pray without thinking; the physiological effects of thought are just part of the way your desires are made real and your prayers are answered. The simple fact is that you just have to wake-up to the fact that your thoughts create your experience, including your experience of self, and you first have to change your thoughts to change your experience.

Pete Koerner, author of The Belief Formula
http://www.ExploreExpandEvolve.com

Weight Loss Secrets They Don't Want You To know

Ever heard of the phrase, "Rome was not built in a day?" If things started happening just with the flick of our finger, then life would be bliss. It's the case with weight loss too. If the accumulated weight was to be lost in one day then would be not be a dream come true for people who are over weight?

Our human nature is such that we crave for everything that is new on television. It may be a shampoo with extra conditioning or a branded lipstick or eyeliner? The latest addition to the shopping community is Weight Loss products. These are simple and easy to lose, with a guarantee that a lot of weight will be lost. There are these supermodels, who anyway are lean, promoting weight loss products at a nominal price. We instantly fall into the web and order for a sample.

There are these reality shows which encourage over sized people to participate, promising them a leaner body. People rush to these shows only to realize that life is even more difficult. Those who make it, get famous and rich instantly.

Everyone wants to lose weight in a jiffy. You actually think it's possible. The so called weight will come down, but will it last for a long time? There are repercussions on losing weight in simple ways. The quicker the weight loss the more muscle fat we lose.

There has been a lot of discussion on weight and fat. Do any of us even know what the difference between the two is? Weight in simple words means heaviness, mss or load. Fat on the other hand means overweight, plump, chubby and other such Webster meanings. What we all wish to shed is fat. Don't blindly go for the products which promise you quick weight loss in a few days. It's not possible. You have to be aware that with proper nutrition and exercise, we can keep our weight in control and keep it away.

When you feel dull and devastated knowing you are overweight and no longer fit into your favorite jeans. You fight, cry and yell to get something which is the least troublesome way to lose weight. Ho! Behold! a new weight loss advertisement flashes on the screen and you see a silver lining to your problem. You quickly call the tele shopping network and order the product.

What is stated by star fitness gurus is that people do not have what is called patience. They want everything to happen quickly without making an extra effort. It's the hare and the tortoise story here, and the moral being simple. Slow and steady wins the race. With workouts each and everyday, you will shed pounds of fat and that will surely get a twinkle in your eye.

It's better to get into the grip of exercise and nutrition rather than to flip into the web of commercials. Remember All that glitters is not gold, it may be fake, it may be old.

Chris McCombs is a Health and Exercise Specialist in Orange County California. At one time Chris was 143 pounds overweight at which point he looked in the mirror and decided to do something about it. Chris lost the weight and started his own fitness business Positively Fit Inc., an area exclusive life change service.

You can learn more about Chris at http://www.socalworkout.com/

Abdominal Weight Loss - Do You Need To Lose That Belly Fat?

Every day many people get up in the morning, look in the mirror and say, "I really need to lose that belly fat". Is this you? Is abdominal weight loss a concern to you? Do you actually need to start an abdominal weight loss program or is it all in your mind? Do you see a problem where none exists? If you are not sure, maybe we can help shed a little light on this and help you decide whether or not you really need to be concerned with abdominal weight loss.

If you are a little overweight and comfortable, maybe you don't really have a problem that needs addressing. But if you are obese, you do need to take some action. This seems obvious, but many people do not realize that there is a difference between being overweight and being obese. So how do we define obese?

What Is Obese?

Various healthcare professionals have different definitions. The rule of thumb for many years was that if you were thirty or forty pounds overweight you were obese. A better gage is the BMI or Body Mass Index which is a ratio of your weight to your height. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has an easy to use online calculator which is free to use and lets you quickly know whether or not you have a problem.

If the calculator indicates that you are obese, you need to be concerned about your health as well as your appearance. Obesity has been linked to multiple health complications and is one of the leading causes of premature death.

Listen To Your Physician

Your physician may have also recommended you do something about abdominal weight loss. One of your friends or family members may also suggest you have a problem with belly fat. If they do, don't get upset. Realize that they are concerned and are trying to help because they care about you.

Do Your Clothes Still Fit?

You may also need to do something about abdominal weight loss if are finding that your clothes are uncomfortably tight. Remember though that it is normal for some people have their weight fluctuate. Unfortunately, many individuals do not just have a small weight gain or fluctuation. A small gain often leads to more and becomes more and more difficult to control.

Shortness Of Breath

Another indication of an abdominal weight loss concern is that it is harder to do simple tasks without becoming exhausted. If climbing a short flight of stairs or doing your every day chores is tiring you out it may be time to consider a weight loss program.

Of course, shortness of breath from simple activities may not necessarily be a weight problem, but there is a good chance that it is. When you lose weight, even just a little bit of it, you will likely find it easier to do many of the activities that you love or even the tasks that you need to do, like take your kids to the park.

Summary

The above mentioned signs are just a few of the many signs that you may need to get serious about an abdominal weight loss program. But use caution. Many of the weight loss products on the market, such as diet pills or exercise equipment, really don't work and some may even be harmful.

One of the best ways to loose that extra weight and keep it off is to diet every other day. This really breaks the routine. To discover the secret of how two "fatties" succeeded doing this after everything else failed go to The Every Other Day Diet Review.

Gerry Marsh is a successful author and publisher of several websites on self improvement including his blog at http://delect.us/selfimprovement/ where you can discover other diet and weight loss tips.

How To Lose Weight With 5 Simple Secrets

Most people think about losing some weight at some point in their lives. But the question is usually, how to lose weight for the best possible results without having to do too much to achieve it. Yes, we're all basically lazy. We want instant gratification. Unfortunately that is not always easy. However, this article will show you how to lose weight naturally and easily.

Which diet to use? It's always the first question. Most people try one, think maybe another is better, switch for a few days, and then repeat the process. The result? No weight loss, which leads to depression, which leads to eating too much You get the picture, I'm sure.

Secret #1: Find a diet that is sensible - not a radical one that offers ridiculous results in days. Be practical and find a diet that is sensible and healthy. Then stick to it! Stick to it like glue and do not waver. That is secret number one. It's no secret really, just common sense. Consistent action will bring consistent results. That's all there is to it.

Secret #2: Exercise every single day. No, walking to the fridge is not exercise. At the very least you need to walk a minimum of one mile a day. And I don't mean ambling along in a lazy kind of way either. Walk briskly so that your breathing increases, but not to the point where you collapse, obviously. You are aiming for some real stimulation to your body so that the exercise actually does you some good. You are looking to burn off unnecessary calories and get your body into some kind of shape.

Secret #3: Eliminate junk food snacks. You don't need quick snacks of high calorie trash. Eat sensible meals with nothing eaten in between. You have to discipline yourself if you really want to lose weight. It won't happen automatically, but it needn't be difficult either. The Queen of England once said that the best way to retain a normal weight is to leave the table before you have completely satisfied your hunger. That's discipline, and it works too!

Secret #4: Maintain a diary of the food you are eating. Too much of the wrong food is what makes you put on extra weight. Nothing else. If you keep a daily diary of what you eat, while also monitoring you weight, you will start to see a pattern emerge. Use this information to discover what works best for you. You may also be alarmed to discover that what you thought was sensible eating was not so sensible in retrospect.

Secret #5: Be realistic in what you hope to achieve. Setting out with grim determination that you will lose 20 pounds in the first week will likely turn out to be a disappointment that will cause you to lose heart, rather than weight. Besides, losing that much weight in such a short time is not advised. A gradual steady weight loss is much better all round. So, aim for targets that you really believe you can achieve, and don't be too disappointed should you fail.

The real secret to losing weight is good realistic planning, and then seeing the plan through. It's action and sustained action towards an achievable goal. The secret of how to lose weight is really perseverance in a measured way; monitoring what you are doing, and maintaining a regular exercise routine. It's not rocket science!

John Coutts is an experienced author who writes on a variety of popular subjects. Did you find these tips useful? We hope you did.

Fast Weight Loss

Diet pills, diet patches, prepared meals. There seems to be millions of ways to help with fast weight loss these days that it seems strange that we are experiencing record obesity rates around the world does it not?

It seems more about the industries ability to push our "lose weight fast" buttons than it does to actually help anyone with weight loss.

We all know the real key is to learn how to eat and teach ourselves how to do it without being hungry all the time. If we can manage to find the way to drop the pounds without being hungry then we probably have a plan we can stick with and keep that extra weight off for good.

Is there really a quick diet fix? I think that is a matter of what we are willing to do to make it happen.

Finding the right plan and sticking to it is the key and being able to see results fast and steady is all the motivation most people need. Well that and not having to take out a second mortgage to pay for a diet plan. The prepared meal plans have been billed as some of the best but let's be honest that the food does not really taste that good and it is way over priced for what we are getting. Besides that most of us are capable of making our meals if we just knew exactly what it was we were supposed to prepare.

The best fast weight loss I have ever experienced was being able to be flexible with the meals I choose and not having to starve myself or fight urges when I am feeling hungry. I have learned that food is not my enemy when I understand how it reacts within my body and it has been the key for keeping the weight off.

I have a small site that provides more information about fast weight loss without the pills, patches and expensive meals. You can visit it at:

http://loseweightfast.weebly.com/

How to Naturally Lose Weight Fast

Most of us want to lose weight, and the most common reason we all want to lose weight is to look good for our partner and other people. We also feel better and much more energetic when we are in shape without those belly fat. Losing weight not only improves your health, but it also improves many other aspects of our live.

Sure some diet pills might make you lose weight, but who knows what they are doing to our health. By all means diet pills might be the quickest way for you to lose weight, but I don't recommend taking them due to some people reporting severe side effects and some even gain back their weight and some more.

Here are 3 surefire tips on how to naturally lose weight quickly:

1. Watch your daily calorie intake. How much calories do you need to lose weight? Well, you need to burn more calories than you eat, every day. Simple right? Not quite. The hardest part for most people is sticking to a daily plan to follow. Just eat your meals throughout the day, with no snacks. Then take a 30 minutes' walk every day to lose those belly fat.

2. Drink more water. I recommend drinking water every time you feel hungry or thirsty. Water is a natural way to flush your system clean. As you lose weight your blood will be full of toxins, but drinking water will flush the toxins away. This is an extremely important step to losing weight, yet many overlook it.

3. Stop drinking soda. Soda contains a lot of calories and sugar. They are generally bad for your health. I don't even recommend going for diet soda drinks, these are just bad for your health. And you might get addicted to them, and it'll be hard for you to stop drinking them. Consuming a lot of sugar will make it very hard to lose weight.

I know what you are thinking right now: "I can't do this" and you are right if you think that. Chances are that you won't follow what I just told you because it is now a habit and an addiction, which is extremely hard to quit. I know because I been there. Many doctors and friends will tell you that you need to eat less and exercise more to lose weight but everyone know that you will give in to temptation sooner or later!

Find out how I' am maintaining my weight at 125 lbs and how to get rid of those irresistible temptation to eat unhealthy foods

Visit me at http://SexyFatLoss.com to learn more about how I am living a much healthier life with my new body in less than 2 months.

Simple Weight Loss Tips - Misinformation About Simple Weight Loss Revealed

Everyday, magazines give out new simple weight loss tips that are dramatically supposed to reinvent your life and have the fat running away from you. True, some of these tips are extremely valuable and often overlooked because they seem like common sense and obvious, but it is often times the most valuable simple weight loss tip that is also the simplest (how ironic). Today, there will be no discussion about simple weight loss tips in the sense of a top 5 or a quick outline into a specific path, but instead, we will shed some light on myths that permeate throughout the industry and cause people to build diets, routines, and lifestyles on top of a faulty foundation.

There are three myths, three ideologies that are simply destructive to the ill-informed. Myths that promise to cut fat, build muscle, and lose weight can simply add to that stubborn, excessive belly fat or cause your biceps to remain stagnant, growing flabby instead of granite-like.

Simple Weight Loss Tip Myth #1: Spot Reduction does NOT work.... So forget about simply getting rid of only that excessive belly fat or that spare tire, fat loss comes as a collective whole. What this translates into is that simply doing crunches and leg lifts and more crunches and more leg lifts will NOT reduce the fat on your stomach; it simply works out the muscles underneath. Now, in order to see these muscles, one must develop a diet that reduces the overall body fat % or all the crunches and workouts will go to waste.

Which leads us to our second Simple Weight Loss Tip Myth: Less Calories means less Weight/Fat! Not necessarily. Once you starve your body of calories it has a tendency to go into starvation mode and slow the metabolism. The slowing of the metabolism causes you to use your resources less (ie burn calories slower) allowing you to live off the current cache of fat you have. In other words, an intuitive simple weight loss tip that is as widely distributed as this one can have serious effects on your progress if misused. A very popular, up-and-coming weight loss diet and fat loss program that utilizes online meal planning (in which you get to buy your own, fresh food) and a revolutionary style of calorie manipulation (called Calorie Shifting) to completely counteract this process. Although this is relevant, it is out of the scope of this article and more information can be found at my blog... Here.

Final Simple Weight Loss Tip Myth: Cardio workouts makes you lose weight faster than working out. True and not true. Aerobic exercise allows one to lose weight while they are doing it and shortly after. The benefits of 45 minutes on the treadmill will last that 45 minutes and only slightly after. The flipside is weightlifting, which burns calories and fat during it while beefing up your metabolism to work for you afterwards burning calories and fat. It's the difference between a part-time employee and a full-time employee.

Conrad is a long-time athlete and a fitness fiend who has decided to share his practical and realistic experience and knowledge with the world. Conrad played football, baseball, and even golf for well over 10 years throughout college and highschool and even as a little tyke. If you liked this article, be sure to check out http://conrad1cal.blogspot.com

For more great, practical information and links to even more helpful articles, along with http://www.squidoo.com/simpleweightlosssteps for effective and simple weight loss steps and tips.