With the increase in consumption of processed food and the decrease in physical activity, it is no surprise that 64% of the United States adult population is considered either overweight or obese. Recent medical research has shown that our modern diet and sedentary lifestyle alone are enough to pack on an extra 2 pounds a year, that's 10 pounds per decade, and those statistics don't include the more disastrous consequences of overeating. That said, the solution is in the problem itself - as it always is, and therefore weight issues are not a plight to be endured without fix! In order to revert this unhealthy trend, the first step to take is to change perspective. Rather than look for miracle cures which only treat symptoms, we must investigate root causes and treat the problem at the source, namely here diet and lifestyle. Here are a few tips that cover these two aspects and will help you avoid the painful consequences of yo-yo dieting, achieve permanent weight loss, and more importantly reach and maintain your ideal weight. I have grouped the tips into categories that reflect the various dimensions your weight is attached to, starting with the ones which, contrary to appearances, are key to permanent weight loss. Today, I'll cover the Mental and Spiritual aspects.
MENTAL/ SPIRITUAL
1. Forget all the 'stories' you may have heard about perfect weight and height-to-weight ratio, and embrace the fact that no one person is born like another. Therefore, there is no other Ideal Weight but the weight you attain through a healthy and balanced diet and lifestyle. Understand that bodily changes such as hormonal variations can affect this weight temporarily or permanently as is often the case with women but also men.
2. Having left the misleading land of 'perfect weight' fantasy, embrace the moment and the most useful skill of Acceptance. This doesn't mean that if you are overweight, you should give up on the desire to lose weight but simply that you accept your current condition and understand that you have the power to change your circumstances through personal growth and evolution.
3. Alongside the cultivation of Acceptance, begin to exercise Patience so that you may enjoy the journey you have begun rather than become frustrated and obsessed with getting to the destination.
4. Through the process of Introspection, begin to reflect on the reasons why you may have an 'unhealthy' diet or/ and lifestyle. Meditation and journaling are easy way to shed light on your eating habits and their potential negative consequences on your vitality and health. By applying the concept of presence and bringing full awareness to the process of eating during meals, you can identify your behavior in relation to food and over time you empower yourself to change that.
5. Define clear Objectives relating to your weight and what you are trying to achieve. Rather than focusing on losing weight to comply with societal standards or rigid expectations you may have set for yourself, define objectives of health, vitality, energy that extra pounds may be getting in the way of.
6. Understand that all habits are the direct result of deep conditioning and that these deeply ingrained patterns can only changed through new behaviors. Experimenting with the 'unknown' - no matter how scary that may seem, is the only way to a permanent shift and freedom from the old, rigid routine. By doing so, you'll be building new synapses and firing patterns within your brain and welcome positive changes brought about by mental 'De-conditioning'.
7. Shift your Perspective and Beliefs on food! Think of Food as Nutrition - i.e. enzymes, vitamins and minerals, not emotional filling. This kind of food is what sustains the physical body and lets you enjoy physical health and vitality. Nutrition takes place at the cellular level and brings you to a place of complete physical/ physiological balance. When your body is balanced, so is your mind and you can experience its long-lasting consequences.
8. Through introspection, you will have identified the dissatisfactions or unfulfilled needs you may be trying to suppress through eating. Use the insight you have gained through meditation, journalling, and other enlightening practices to shift to Healthier and more Effective Activities that will respond to your Real Needs. The easiest way to do this is to ask yourself, 'What do I really need?" So, every time you run to food to fill a need, pause for a second. Acknowledge your Feelings (fear, disappointment, boredom, loneliness, etc.) and ask yourself what you could do -rather than eat, to truly answer to your need!
9. The first few times, this will require a lot of Will Power. Change is inescapable though, so you might as well embrace it with all your might. Be like the fish, flow through the river of life. Be Strong, Focus and Intent on the permanent changes you have defined for yourself through your objectives. It may not happen overnight, but in time it will happen! By the way, yoga is by far the most effective way of growing Will power, but we can talk about that in greater detail another time.
10. Remember that all dimensions of our being are intricately interrelated. Matter begins with vibrations, and thoughts are vibrations! So,Think Positive and Forget Judgments! Be the Change in your life, rather than getting stuck in the role of the helpless victim!
For more on how to effect permanent changes in your life or to achieve permanent weight loss and gravitate towards your ideal weight, consider our Holistic Cleansing Programs which cater to all dimensions of your being. Visit us at www.thesouthbeachdetox.com.
Find out more on the physical dimension of weight loss: Physical Exercise/ Lifestyle for Weight Management in our daily "Health & Wellness" blog posts.
