A New Year and A New You

For the past couple of decades, the #1 New Year Resolution has been "to lose weight & get in better shape." I recently learned that this resolution will be bumped out of the number one slot and go all the way to number 3. "Get out of debt" is now taking over the #1 position, followed by "Make More Money" in slot 2. Nonetheless, with obesity rates skyrocketing along with stress levels, depression and general poor health countless Americans are once again setting a New Years Resolution to lose weight and get in shape. We've heard the statistic all before, the majority of those who start an exercise and healthy eating program will stick to it diligently for about 3 weeks at which point their enthusiams will start to fade and within a few more weeks they'll be back in their old rut and feeling worse than ever for not persisting and following through on their good intentions. Why is that? Is it because people are lazy by nature? Maybe. Is it because they are on the wrong type of program? Maybe. Is it because they just don't have what it takes to be successful. Definitely not! Is it that they don't have the will power? Maybe. What I truly believe is the problem is that people are not clear on how to manifest the results they desire by behaving in a manner congruent to that desire.

BE...Do....Have!

The Be...Do...Have principle is very simple and this is how it works. First, you have to decide very clearly on what it is you want most. Do you want to be a lean, healthy energetic person or do you want to be overweight, out of shape, low energy always sick & tired person? Of course, you want to be the healthy, fit person -- so get a very clear image in your mind of what that person looks like, how they behave, how they dress, how they utilize their time, their habits, their relationships, etc.

Exercise 1: Once you have a clear image of the ideal healthy, fit person. Take out a piece of paper and start writing all about this person -- how they look, how they feel about themselves and others, what type of relationships they have, how they talk, how they walk, how they dress, their daily habits, how they eat, how they care for their body, how they manage themselves in time, their work habits, etc. Now imagine that YOU are this person. At this very moment start acting as if you are this person and you already possess everything you've just written. Read and re-read this every day! You will find that when you become this person in advance of having the results, you will automatically assume the behavior of the healthy, fit person and then it is only a matter of time before you literally possess all of those ideals you wrote about.
(BE...Do...Have Principle in a nutshell)

Exercise 2: Find pictures of your ideal body/physique, ideal healthy lifestyle, etc. Perhaps you have photos of yourself when you were in your best shape or find photos in magazines. Post these photos all over your house, car, desk, so that you are constantly seeing and visualizing what you are becoming.

Exercise 3: Write "I AM" Statements. Take a sheet of paper or a 3 x 5 card and write positive statements affirming the healthy, fit person you are. Read these every morning & every evening and multiple times throughout the day. You may also consider writing some of these on your bathroom mirror with a dry erase marker and/or laminating them and posting them in your shower.

For example here are some of mine:

• I AM a lean healthy 112lbs. (put your own ideal weight, of course you want it to be realistic for your body frame)
• I AM sleeping 8 hours per night and feel refreshed and renewed each morning.
• I AM eating 5-6 small healthy well-balanced meals each day.
• I AM drinking a gallon of pure water each day.
• I AM exercising daily and love the energy and mental clarity I feel.
• I AM a super healthy eater -- eating whole grains, fresh vegetables & fruits, and healthy, plant based proteins every day.
• I AM a fat-burning machine.
• I AM building a beautifully balanced life.
• I AM a healthy role model and inspiration to others.

Reducing unwanted body fat and becoming optimally fit is an inside-out project. It isn't just about having the right exercise program and following a specific eating plan. Everything in life has to be created mentally, emotionally & spiritually before it can be created physically. Working with countless clients over the past 10 years, I see a dramatic difference in the degree of results and the time frame in which the results are obtained and sustained when they use the strategies I have outlined above. I firmly believe it is because they are reprogramming their subconscious mind for success by creating a healthy self-image and assuming the behaviors that naturally lead to the desired results. We can never out-perform our self-image. So I encourage you before you jump into that new exercise and eating program, take some time to got through the exercises above. Create the ideal you, then become the ideal you, consistenly & persistently do the things that healthy person does, and you will with out fail, yes I said WITH OUT FAIL, have the results you desire.

Here's to the IDEAL YOU in 2007!

Your Healthy Lifestyle Mentor -- Melissa Guthrie

check out: www.journeytothegold.blogspot.com