Think your way to a thinner body

April 16, 10:21 PMNY Women's Health ExaminerAmy Capetta

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Relaxing helps you make healthier food choices. (HTB on flickr)

Looking to drop a few—or more—pounds? The secret to slimming down is not just about revamping your diet—the key is about changing your mindset. According to Tom Kersting, Ph.D., author of Losing Weight When Diets Fail (Harbor Press, 2007), we’ve conditioned ourselves to crave certain foods (like chocolate, perhaps?) but weight loss success is simply about controlling our thoughts or “re-programming the brain.”
Sounds too good to be true? Try Dr. Kersting’s most effective mind-altering tips for a healthier and thinner you:

Use your imagination. Here’s the amazing thing about the subconscious mind—it can’t tell the difference between feelings and experiences you’ve actually had or ones that you’ve simply fantasized about, explains Dr. Kersting. Craving something sweet? Imagine yourself eating a grapefruit and really enjoying its sweetness. Then grab a grapefruit and sink your teeth into that fruit. “This will trick your brain into stimulating your taste buds and this fruit will become a craving and one of your favorite foods,” says Dr. Kersting. After doing this a handful of times, you can actually train your palette to crave healthier foods. And here’s an extra tip: The more powerful your images, the quicker your choices will change for the better.

Tap into your subconscious. When you’re relaxed, you’re more likely to make smarter food choices, says Dr. Kersting. Next time you’re feeling stressed and want to head for the vending machine, escape for one minute in a quiet space, like in your cubicle or in the bathroom, take a few deep breaths, and say to yourself, ‘I am in control.” He also suggests beginning each day on the right path by meditating for a few minutes. During your morning mantra, say something to yourself like, “When I feel tempted to eat, I will take in a deep breath and the craving will disappear.” “Your subconscious will remind you to do this whenever you feel hungry,” states Dr. Kersting. “This is an extraordinary and very effective tool—it works!”

Be positive. When you’re dieting, focus on phrases like “I want to be healthy” instead of “No more junk foods,” states Dr. Kersting. When you use negative words like can’t and don’t, your subconscious gets confused because it only holds onto the image of what you don’t want (like junk foods), which then keeps your mind focused on the foods you’re trying to avoid. Instead saying what you want, like “I want to feel fit,” will more likely stir up images of yourself doing your favorite physical activities, like biking, walking or hiking, which will help keep you motivated to your new eating plan.

Evaluate your emotions. Try keeping a food log for a week jotting down how you’re feeling every time you eat, suggests Dr. Kersting. This will help you pinpoint those stress triggers that get you to overeat (like stressing over a deadline or mulling about a fight with a friend). Then anytime you’re feeling stressed, angry, or sad, acknowledge those emotions and find an outlet for them that doesn’t involve food, like blasting your iPod or calling your mom to vent. “You’ll prove to yourself that losing weight is easy and effortless—and best of all, you’ll keep the weight off! Remember, your subconscious is a powerful computer just waiting for you to program in patterns that will rid you of excess weight for the rest of your life!”