Your thoughts

Many people don’t realize the power their thoughts can have over them. Negative thoughts can sabotage even the best intentions while on the other hand positive thoughts can reinforce good behaviors and help you stick to any diet and exercise plan.

How do your thoughts effect you? Do you think, "I can’t do this.", or " I don’t care anymore." Do you focus on always being hungry or eating until you feel satisfied? Do you indulge because you have been good on your diet and want to reward yourself or because you surrender or give in to the temptations? It is about control. Controlling what you are thinking as well as how you perceive things.

Think positively

Picture yourself thin! Imagine how you felt at your ideal weight. When eating, take it slow and think about how you feel when you eat too much. The uncomfortable stuffed feeling like all you can do is roll into bed may not sound so bad when you’re hungry but when you’re so full it’s painful it can be a problem. Then contrast those feelings with a time you ate until satisfied, a time when you stopped eating before you were full but not still wanting food. You feel good and have the energy your body needs, enough to be content and not wish you hadn’t eaten what you did.

Don’t punish yourself with a diet. Instead think of it as a reward because that is what you will get! The benefits and rewards that can come from being healthy are instant as well as long term. You will have more energy instantly. Your health will instantly improve. Long term you will not only extend your life but also the quality of life you will live.

When you picture food, make it your friend and not your enemy. Food is there to be enjoyed in varieties of flavors and for many reasons. It’s okay to enjoy birthday cake on special occasions and to do so shouldn’t be considered a sin. You should, however, enjoy the cake in small portions and make sure to have eaten a healthy meal beforehand. If you look at food as your friend then you won’t be afraid to enjoy it a little bit and won’t fear it. If you think of food as your enemy because you are always tempted by it or have no discipline around it try to learn to love healthy foods - they can be your friend.

The mental game can make it or break it for you. Don’t give into yourself, or beat yourself up over it. Think positively, believe in yourself and believe you are capable of reaching your goals!