Think Yourself Thin: Two Simple Secrets to Weight Loss

How often do you find yourself thinking about your weight? Chances are, if you are an overweight woman, it is many times a day. Maybe you glimpse your belly or your thighs in a mirror. Or you see a photo of a thinner person. Or worse, you see a picture of yourself, and your automatic response is, “Gross. I’m so fat.”
These thoughts are your personal negative mind path. They are keeping you fat without your even knowing they are there. And the good news is that you can change their route.
It’s actually simple brain science: neuro pathways become hardened the more often they are used. Like wandering mindlessly through a woods, your brain unconsciously seeks the best traveled trail. While your conscious thoughts are occupied with many other things, your subconscious mind follows the path of least resistance. And every day you do this, that trail becomes more comfortable, easier. After not much the path becomes hardened, paved, the only road around.
Those negative thoughts :"my belly", "I'm gross" etc., have become your mind’s default mode.
Once you start noticing them, you’ll be surprised at how often these self-loathing thoughts crop up in your mind. These pathways have been forged over many years, and now your thoughts follow them unconsciously in response to the slightest trigger (those photos, that mirror.)
But it’s not the only road. New paths can be formed that will take you in the direction you really want to go. You can reset your mental pathways. And it’s not that hard to do.
To reprogram your brain, you need to consciously reroute your mental pathways, to make it your mind’s path of choice. After a while, you won’t even think about it.

Willpower?
Your mind has tremendous power over your body. Every single thought reflects in your physical being as your mind works to bring your body into agreement with its thoughts. Thoughts of “I am clumsy” will make you so.. Thoughts of “I am fat” create a subconscious motivation to be – yep – fat.
This isn't a matter of willpower. Change the way you think and you will change your behavior. Anyone can do it. It may even be fun.
There are several ways to do this. Hypnosis is one. There is a fun program called LimbaSlim that works with your brain in a simple 10-minute daily meditation to reroute these mind paths. Or you can do it yourself, with nothing more than a pencil – or a computer – and a couple of minutes a day.

The Funny, Simple 2-Step Key to Your New MindPath
(You might want to be alone for this. You’ll see why in a second.)
1. Write it down: Write a positive, simple affirmation statement, like, "I, ___________, have a beautiful, strong, fit body." Make it your own, make it positive, and write it ten (or more!) times a day. It can be on a chalkboard, in the sand, on your computer, ANYWHERE. You don't need to keep it. It's all in the DOing. It’s important that this statement be worded in the positive. Instead of “I, ______ am not fat” you must write, “I _______ am slim.” This is because your mind – brilliant though it is – may hear the word “fat” and jump right back to that old path. You are building a new, positive path.
2. Say it: First whisper it. Then say it in your regular speaking voice. Last, YELL IT!
This is all it takes to begin forging your new mind path. It works. It's science, not magic. Every day it will become more ingrained - and here's the kicker - EVEN IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IT. Even if you're sitting there writing it, yelling to yourself and thinking, this is really lame.
You can do this. Only your thoughts can free your beautiful new body. And only you hold the key to your thoughts.

Rebecca Barnard is a writer and the inventor of LimbaSlim , a simple self-hypnosis shortcut that will help you retrain your brain in no time. She lives on San Juan Island, WA, with her artist husband, two big kids and a dog named Sugar .