Heal Your Mind, Rewire Your Brain

Top tips for making health a matter of mind over mass

Four steps toward healing.

From "Heal Your Mind, Rewire Your Brain," by Patt Lind-Kyle:

1. Intention. Give the brain a sense of direction and purpose. Example: "I will lose 5 pounds and keep it off."

2. Attention.A single focused way to sustain the intention. "If my attention is on eating chocolate cake, I will eat it. But if my attention is on exercising and eating a balanced diet, then that's what I will do."

3. Receptivity. Learn to embrace what is on your mind, and being aware of your activities sensitizes you, keeping you receptive and in the moment.

4. Awareness. Distinguish between what you think is happening and what is actually happening. Being aware helps keep negative automatic thoughts from taking hold.

Enjoy that cake.

Mindful eating with Denver trainer Josh Franks:

When you eat a piece of chocolate cake, slow down and appreciate each bite. Taste it in your mouth. Don't feel guilty about eating it. "You end up eating less and learn to see food in a different way," he says.

Change your mind.

Melonie Dodaro, founder of the MindBody FX Weight Management Co., says these practices will create the mind-set for achieving your ideal weight.

Visualization. Each day, imagine yourself at your ideal weight in as much detail as possible. What are you wearing? How do you feel? What compliments are you receiving and from whom? What activities are you participating in? What types of foods are you eating?

Affirmations and positive self-talk. Believe you can achieve them (even if you don't yet know how). Say them out loud, with emotion. Imagine how you will feel or look when have successfully achieved them:

"I'm enjoying being at my ideal weight."

"I choose to make positive healthy choices for myself every day."

"I choose to exercise regularly."

Replace negative thoughts.Each time you have a negative thought, interrupt the thought process and replace it with a positive one. Try visualizing a stop sign. Reward yourself; rewarded behaviors increase in frequency.

Gratitude.Make a list of all the events, things and people for which you are thankful. Add something new every day for one week.

Be responsible for your feelings.Just as you can't make other people happy, don't expect others to make you feel happy or good about yourself. Don't blame them if you feel guilty or bad about yourself.

Source: denverpost