Neww research regarding weight control and the brain reminded me of an article I wrote a few years back that included a quiz on that very topic. The quiz had 4 questions and even offered hints to the answers. The questions (and the hints) were:
- Why do 98% of weight loss efforts fail? (hint: you’re not a salmon)
- Whose fault is it if you are overweight? (hint: it’s not you)
- Is it even possible to lose weight permanently? (hint: not the way you think)
- Why are your ears the key to successful weight loss? (hint: is has nothing to do with dieting)
I’ll get to the answers to the quiz in just a minute, but first a few comments on the recent research.
If you would like to lose weight but have struggled, you know how challenging it can be. It can feel like the deck is stacked against you and all the forces of the universe are lined up to resist your progress. Well, new research reveals that there are indeed a lot of forces working against you.
New research reported in the Journal of Clinical Investigation found evidence of physical changes in the brain in people who are obese. The changes are specifically in the area of the brain that controls appetite and metabolism. The implication is that your mind has a “natural set-point” for body weight and that set-point can change. Therefore, overweight or obese people may find that there are physiological mechanisms that will try to “defend an elevated body weight” even after the person has adopted healthy lifestyle changes.
Another study published in the New England Journal of Medicine recently also demonstrated that in people who lose weight there are hormone level changes that increase appetite making it more difficult to maintain improved dietary habits.
While it’s no surprise that losing weight is an uphill battle, the new research is clarifying the challenges that need to be overcome. The good news is that this research demonstrates that your weight and metabolism are NOT pre-determined at birth or even during childhood. Your natural “set-point” can change and the key to that set point is in your mind! You just need the right approach to make the right changes in your mind.
Therefore, if your goal is to lose weight, here’s some advice that might help:
– Don’t get discouraged. If you have setbacks, that’s normal. Give yourself a break. Losing weight is a challenge, but it’s a life-long change so focus on the process, not the destination.
– Get the support and encouragement you need – from other people and from yourself, too!
– Learn more by reading the article “Winning the Mental Game of Weight Control”
Now, on to the answers to the quiz:
Q. Why do 98% of weight loss efforts fail?
A. Because your current weight is exactly where your mind and body want it to be. Yes, that’s right. You are already at the exact weight for which your mind and body are programmed. Any efforts to change your weight are like trying to swim upstream. Salmon are great at swimming against the current – people are not. Sure, with a lot of work you can make some progress, but as soon as you relax, you quickly lose any gains you may have achieved. How many times have you said, “It takes me a month to lose 5 pounds…and two days to gain it right back?”?
But what if you could change the direction of the current? What if the water flowed in the direction you wanted to go? Suddenly the stream would carry you effortlessly to your goal. Losing weight would be as easy as floating down a stream. The progress that used to take so much work is now just a matter of time. It becomes quick and easy.
You are probably thinking, “OK, my weight may be where my mind and body want it to be, but it’s not where I want it to be!” You also may be thinking “How do I change the direction of the stream and achieve permanent weight loss effortlessly? What will help me lose weight?” Keep reading.
Q. Whose fault is it if you are overweight?
A. If you’re overweight, it’s not your fault. It’s nobody’s fault because there is no ‘fault’. Your weight and everything about you is simply the result of combining millions of inputs including genetics, physical environment, family environment, emotions, friends, events, culture, etc. This unique combination of ingredients and influences made you exactly the way you are: perfect and deserving of love no matter what you look like.
At this point most people will say, “That’s all well and good, but I’d like to look better and be healthier. Is there anything I can do to help me lose weight?”
The good news is that you can control your weight. You don’t have to accept your current situation. You can overcome whatever influences have affected your weight in the past and define how your body is going to look from now on. You can change the “Direction of the stream” and let it sweep you quickly toward becoming a thinner, healthier, and more attractive person. Read on.
Q. Is it even possible to lose weight permanently?
A. Yes, it is possible! But not through diets or pills. Permanent weight loss means achieving your target weight and keeping it there the rest of your life. Diets and pills may help you lose some weight in the short run. But remember, the behavior you adopt to reach your ideal weight will have to be maintained in order to keep the weight off (remember the stream?) So before you try to lose weight through special diets or pills, you have to ask yourself a few questions.
– Do you really think you can eat just meal replacement bars the rest of your life?
– Are you really going to drink that shake every morning for the rest of your life?
– Do you really think you want to feel deprived for the rest of your life?
– Do you want to be taking those pills for the rest of your life?
Q. Why are your ears the key to successful weight loss?
A. Remember your question, “How do I change the direction of the stream?” The answer is “Through your ears!” The key is not deprivation, it’s about winning the mental game of weight control and you achieve that by listening. (Learn more about what’s so great about audio.) Virtually every world-class athlete and coach will tell you that the mind is the most important part of every sport. Well, guess what? The mind is also the most important part of weight control. Here’s why. Every thought we have produces electro-chemical changes in our body. Our thoughts influence our metabolism as well as our eating habits, our attitude toward exercise, our self-image and our cravings.
Actually, many of our thoughts didn’t even originate with us. We were programmed with them in childhood. In a sense we were hypnotized to believe certain things about ourselves that eventually became our reality.
But here’s the good news! One of the greatest discoveries in the past century is that we can change our inner-image and in doing so we can automatically change our lives for the better. We can neutralize past negative programming and replace it with positive thoughts, images and feelings.
The key, therefore, is having the right tools to help you change your inner mind. Among the best tools are audio programs, hypnosis, personalized therapy, and ”immersion camps” that control your diet, activities, and provide emotional support for a period of time to help you establish new habits.
Our special collection titled “Your Complete Success Weight Loss Program” is an excellent tool which will certainly help you begin to win the mental game of weight control. And right now, for a limited time, it’s available at a very special price. Start today!