Imagine a thinner you

Don't think of a purple elephant
You immediately thought of a purple elephant, didn't you? That's because your subconscious mind - and mind of desires, dreams, impulses, and urges - responds to words by forming images.
 
If you substitute the words chocolate cake or pizza for purple elephant, you'll have a very clear idea of what happens when you tell yourself again and again not to eat something. Your subconscious mind is overwhelmed with the idea to eat it, and eventually, you do. That's why using positive imagery, or visualization, can succeed where willpower fails, says Debbie Johnson, author of Think Yourself Thin: The Visualisation Technique That Will Make You Lose Weight without Diet or Exercise.
 
If you consistently imagine yourself thin, your subconscious will begin supporting everyday actions that help you become thin. Johnson calls it Focused Imagination, which goes beyond visualization to use all of your senses.

Johnson herself lost 1,8 kilograms and has kept it off for years suing Focused Imagination. Here’s her advice for making it work for you.

• Develop a key "image". Focus on an image of yourself as a thin person. "It anchors your mind to the ultimate fulfillment of your weight loss goal," says Johnson. Use all of your senses - hearing, feeling, seeing, and smelling - to develop every aspect of the image.  What does your body look like - exactly? What are you wearing? Where are you? At the beach, on the tennis court, dancing the night away? Imagine the happiness you feel with your new, thinner body.

          "Picture the scene as if it were a movie or video about your new, thinner life - the life that you will be living very soon," Johnson says.

• Experience the Golden Minute. This is a time - twice a day, for 30 seconds when you wake up in the morning and 30 seconds before you fall asleep at night - when you intensively use your key image and other reinforcing mental exercises.

• First, tell your body that you love and appreciate it just the way it is, that way, you won't feed your subconscious with negative images about yourself. Next, says Johnson, tell your body that you are going to 'make some helpful changes'. Next, imagine that you are in a corner of the ceiling of your room, looking down at your new body. See your key image. Feel the wonderful, exhilarating sensation of being your thin self. If it's morning, get out of bed with the feeling of your new body and carry it with you throughout the day. If it's evening, fall asleep with this image so your subconscious, which never sleeps, can reinforce your key image overnight.

• Use a key phrase. Whenever you think of your key image, you should also say a key phrase to yourself, Johnson says. Her own favourite phrase is "I feel a little thinner today". Using a key phrase, she explains, helps bring your key image "into the moment" and also helps reinforce the image.

• Don't give up, says Johnson. If you persist, focused Imagination will work. And don't worry about negative thoughts. "They're just part of being human," she says. "Every time a negative thought about you arises, use it as a springboard for visualizing and feeling your key image."

1. Prev:5 ways to get the feet moving
2. Next:Deprivation: The Saboteur of Weight Loss