Visualization is a great way to effect any type of body or lifestyle change, including weight loss. There's how it works ? you maintain a clear picture in your head of how you want your body to look, and that sets an unconscious process in motion. You will be more geared toward losing weight, and you will meet your weight loss goals much more quickly.
This is a method that is gaining increased acceptance nowadays, even though mainstream science does not totally understand it yet. It does seem to be a fact, however, that what you concentrate on in your mind seems to ?come true? in terms of your body. In fact, it has been proven that people who ?think about? exercising a certain part of their bodies, even if they don't do anything to actually exercise, succeed in strengthening that part of the body that much faster! Somehow, the thought becomes the reality. This is the principle of visualization, too.
Visualization means that you hold and concentrate on a picture in your mind of how you would like something to be, and it becomes your reality. To visualize losing weight, hold a picture in your mind of your ideal body. If you like, you can use an old photograph, or a magazine picture, to help you visualize. The clearer the picture, the more successful you will be.
Then, spend some time each day thinking of yourself as already having embodied this image ? this new, improved you. Over time, this will bring you closer to your weight loss goals by working on your subconscious mind to achieve the desired results. Suddenly, desserts will seem less tempting, and long walks will seem more fun, because of what is in line with the ?set point? you are visualizing.
Interestingly, this process seems to work even for people who are very skeptical of it ? and who wouldn't be, at least at the beginning? The fact is, it's very hard to believe that what we think can affect reality in any way. Thoughts and concrete reality seem very different from one another. Yet, in every study of visualization that has been done, the results are pretty clear ? what you visualize has a greater possibility of happening, and the more detailed your visualization is, the greater your chances of success in this and other ventures. The truth is, though, that no one is sure exactly why this works ? it just does. It may be that visualization sends a message to your subconscious mind, in much the same way that meditation or hypnosis does. It is this message that has all the power ? it can make us succeed of fail in anything that we are attempting.
So the thing to do, once you've come up with a clear vision (from a picture, or just in your mind) of you at your desired weight, is to tell yourself that this is the body you already have, today, right now. Always phrase affirmations and visualization in the present tense: ?I am? rather than ?I will?. The subconscious mind only understand the present. The more that you repeat this message (out loud is best), the better it will work. Again, it doesn't even matter whether you believe it or whether you just say it and visualize it. Eventually, the success of the visualization becomes its own proof. Of course, visualization will in no way make up for actually doing the steps necessary to lose weight. In other words, you can visualize all day long, but if you refuse to give up or limit the ice cream and chips, it will not do you much good. On the other hand, visualization does put you in the right frame of mind so that you can more easily take the right steps toward weight loss. If you visualize, all of those seemingly difficult sacrifices may suddenly become a lot easier. You are clear about what you want, and how to get it.
And if you find that visualization did help you lose weight, you are ready to try it in other areas, as well. Many people have found that visualization has helped them transform their work life, for example, or gain financial independence. The possibilities really are endless!
On May 24, 1999, a new diet drug that reduces fat absorption finally won approval from the Federal Drug Administration. It was only the second diet drug (after sibutramine) to receive FDA approval since 1997, when the administration banned the popular fen-phen combination after it was linked to several heart-related deaths. Orlistat, sold under the brand name Xenical, is the first of a new class of drugs called lipase inhibitors. Xenical decreases absorption of dietary fat in the gastrointestinal tract. This would indicate that unlike the stimulants, it would not be an optimal choice for a ketogenic diet.
Xenical targets the absorption of fat in your body rather than suppressing your appetite. It is useful for long term use and has been shown to be effective for 1-2 years. Dietary fats are inhibited from being absorbed and this allows about 30% of the fat eaten in the meal to pass through the gut undigested. This helps you to reduce and maintain your weight, as well as to minimize any weight regain. I personally use Xenical on occasions where I have overindulged and want to minimize the "damage." One good thing about Xenical, is that it can be taken one hour before or up to two hours after a meal and is still effective.
The drug, trade-named Xenical, was tested over seven years on more than 4,000 patients and on average, 57 percent of patients treated with Xenical and 31 percent of placebo-treated patients lost at least 5 percent of their body weight. All patients in the studies received nutritional counseling as well. In January, the results of a two-year study on the effectiveness of Xenical were released in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study, funded by the drug's manufacturer, found Xenical helped patients lose weight, but only about seven pounds more after two years than the patients who took a dummy pill.
The JAMA study also showed Xenical was associated with a slight reduction in cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose - all beneficial side effects. For those taking the drug, health authorities recommend a nutritionally balanced diet with no more than 30 percent of calories from fat. Xenical reduces absorption of some fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, K and beta-carotene, so users of the drug are advised to take dietary supplements.
Sibutramine hydrochloride monohydrate, brand name Meridia, is an FDA approved oral prescription medication used for the management of obesity and maintenance of weight loss and is known to work best when used in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Meridia works by affecting natural chemicals in the brain involved in regulating the appetite and allows them to act longer.
The appetite control center in the brain is what is believed to regulate the amount of food eaten through feelings of hunger and fullness. Unlike many other appetite suppressant drugs, Meridia is not a releasing agent. It does not get inside the cells to boost the release of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin. Instead, as an uptake inhibitor, Meridia works outside the cells to stop these neurotransmitters from being reabsorbed and thereby allowing appetite control to last longer.
In clinical trials of 6,000 individuals, Meridia produced clinically and statistically significant weight loss results. Meridia was studied among men and women, ages 18 to 65, and on average, patients achieved 5-10% reduction of baseline weight. If appetite control is necessary while on a ketogenic diet this drug might be a good addition. Most side effects associated with Meridia are mild and temporary. For much more information on these and many other diet drugs and supplements, please feel free to use the Internet and its many available resources.
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