Visualization

It’s important to wake up with a fresh, positive attitude.  You must believe that you can and will lose weight and even see yourself doing it.  Give some serious thought as to what you want to become and what pathway will lead to that new you.

Begin by changing your perceptions of yourself today.  Be confident in your abilities to follow this program and achieve your goals.  Others see you as you see yourself.  When you show confidence others will see your determination, notice your efforts and offer their support.

Reminders
Changing your lifestyle may not be so easy if you have kids, family or friends who constantly eat junk food, cakes, cookies, etc.  That’s why it’s a good idea to keep reminders posted around your house, work area and even your car!  Think about it, you see a bag of cookies on the counter with a post-it note taped to the front that reads:
“STOP!! 6 cookies is 16g of fat!! Put this back in the cupboard NOW!”
That would definitely make you think twice before plunging into the bag.

Quick reminders like the one mentioned above can help you make it through the day successfully (or at least detour you until you have control again).  Think of other areas you need reminding in eating, exercise, motivation???  Maybe you need a reminder to take a walk everyday - - how about putting your walking shoes near the front door.   Create ways to make exercise and eating right easy and obvious choices.

Will Power
We all have bad habits or weak spots and we know it.  Pre-plan ways now to combat them!  Don’t wait until you miss a day’s exercise or eat the whole bag of chips.  Think of strategies that will prevent you from falling back to your bad habits.

For instance, if you have a sweet tooth or an incessant craving for junk (and you can’t throw it out because you have kids or a husband that eats it):
Ask them to hide it from you.  Have them put it in a spot only they know about.  That way when you get hungry you won’t automatically reach for the junk!

Be aware of and guard against the most obsessive habit - constantly weighing yourself.  Too many people mistakenly use the scale as a measure of their success.  Not seeing exactly what you want may lead to discouragement and old habits.  Use and recognize all the measures of progress that are available to you:

• How do you feel?  People on the 10 in 20 Plan feel more upbeat and energetic.  This is your body’s way of telling you that you’re on the right track to getting the results you want.
•  How many inches have you lost?  Losing inches is an excellent sign.  This means you are tightening up your body and on your way toward permanent weight loss.  It also means you are losing fat.
• How do your clothes fit?  Are you comfortably fitting into something you once had to squeeze into or hold your breath while wearing?  Another sure sign of progress!
• Are you craving healthy foods?  If you are hungry for fruits, vegetables, whole grains or beans that means your eating habits are definitely getting better!

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