A Little Listening Illustration ...

There was a husband and wife that were having a deep conversation. The wife was expressing herself and explaining her concerns.

Well you know husbands. Many times during a conversation and listening to their wife there minds tend to drift. They could be thinking about a problem at work or some task that needs to be completed.

After the conversation was over the husband and wife went about their activities. The husband reflected upon their conversation. The husband thought "Wow my wife said that she wants to be six again."

He reasoned that she missed her childhood and wanted to be six years old again. Well he thought and thought. Finally He said to himself "I love my wife and want to help her to recapture and reminisce her childhood years".

He made arrangements to take her to Orlando, Disney World. When they arrived at the theme park he generously bought her cotton candy, sodas, Ice cream, Carmel apples, French fries, popcorn and potato chips. He put her on all the rides. They had a whirlwind day from early morning to evening time.

They returned to their hotel completely exhausted with the grueling activity. When they arrived the husband asked "Well dear how did you like being six again?"

His wife responded "Honey you were not listening to me! I did not say I want to be six again". I said "I want to be size 6 again"!

So it goes. If we do not carefully listen to our body and do something about our condition we will not benefit ourselves. Worse yet do the wrong things because of not listening carefully. Remember being over weight (over fat) is a health hazard for our body.

Your Positive Attitude is Necessary! It has often been said that successful weight loss lies with the participant. Many who have become successful noted that it is 90% a MENTAL GAME. The first thing we must realize is that we have conscious control over our bodies.

It is generally taught that there is little or no connection between our thoughts and our physical bodies. That is not true. A positive outlook in life and toward oneself is very important.

Yes you can actually assist the body's health condition with your positive thoughts. We have been given a wonderful physical body complete with a remarkable control center the brain.

The human body was designed to be flawless and has wonderful repair and maintenance attributes. If you really believe you can do something, YOU WILL be able to carry it out with your POSITIVE ATTITUDE!

Think about our control center the brain. The brain is very unique in that not only does it send signals to carry out tasks but can modify the tasks. Yes the brain uses to name a few, memory, emotions, feelings, jealousies, love, self control and the like in all its controls functions etc.

What does that tell us? We can gain the upper hand with our bodies by developing a positive attitude in life about all things and especially our own health.

Open Your Heart! A recently concluded study found that people with a more positive outlook on life lived 7.5 years longer than those with less positive self-perceptions. The study, conducted over a period of 23 years on 660 persons established two things:

A negative attitude toward weight loss "can diminish life expectancy. A positive outlook can prolong life expectancy.

Indeed, positive self-perceptions may contribute more to longevity than such things as low blood cholesterol and ideal blood pressure.

We conclude by encouraging individuals in general to take a more positive view of themselves "deemphasize negative stereotypes" which people tend to accept even if unconsciously to their detriment.

You can conquer your overweight condition and it first starts with your positive attitude. Even those individuals that have previously tried and failed can be successful. These individuals with failed diets and the so called yo-yo diets can be successful. It starts with the mind - positive thinking.

One practical step right now is to take care of you physically and otherwise. A healthful diet, proper rest, and adequate exercise all help you to look and feel your best. Being neat, clean, and well-groomed not only makes you more desirable to be around but also gives you a healthy measure of self-respect. What you should be developing and looking for is the inner person.

After all, our innermost thoughts and feelings affect what we talk about and even how we look. Do you have a confident outlook on your life? This will help you to have a happy expression on your face.

John Schmidt - Weight Loss Nutritionist