Have you tried visualization for weight loss? If you are not familiar with visualization, it may sound like a strange or mysterious technique, but it isn’t really.
Visualizing is something that has been proven effective for any goal or desire, including weight loss.
Visualization takes advantage of how our brains operate. The fact is, your brain does not know the difference between what is really happening and what you are imagining. This may be hard to believe, but it’s been proven. One way this has been shown is by experiments with athletes. Athletes such as basketball players were found to gain just as much advantage from visualizing success in performing a certain task as by physically practicing it.
You can use the same principle in your weight loss goals. It’s a little different from playing basketball, but your mind is still going to do the same basic thing -imagine what it is you want to create. In this case, you want to have a picture in your mind of how you want to look and feel. Practice this for short periods, between five and ten minutes, at least twice per day. Early in the morning and before bed are the best times, but it’s beneficial to practice visualizing anytime you can.
Don’t be concerned about having photograph-like pictures in your mind. If you have a visual mind and this comes naturally, great. However, if you are less visual, you can focus more on how you feel. Imagine how great it feels to look in the mirror and look the way you want; how others look at you with admiration; how you feel walking down the street, etc.
The key to success with visualization is practice and consistency. Anyone can spare a few minutes every day to visualize, but it’s easy to forget. So set aside time every day and really do it! The only preparation is to relax. Sit or lie down and take a few slow, deep breaths. Then close your eyes and visualize. That’s all there is to it!
Some people, when they learn about visualization, ask, “Does this mean I don’t have to exercise or watch what I eat anymore?” Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Visualization is something that is meant to help you in changing your overall lifestyle and habits. When you make it a daily practice, you will find yourself naturally drawn to actions that will help you lose weight. You will, conversely, find yourself less drawn to unhealthy and fattening foods. So don’t think of visualization as something you do in place of other sensible and helpful practices. Think of it as a way to make your overall weight loss plan easier and less stressful.
