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· Think your self thin!
· Delicious and easy stuffed peppers.
Can you really think yourself thinner, fitter and healthier?
Well apparently yes!
The idea that we attract what we think about most is not a new one and most self help / philosophy texts have something along this line as one of their themes.
The basic premise is that our brains work on pictures and images. If we are thinking we are fat, then fat is what we will become (or stay). If we think about our bodies as being slim, fit and healthy, then that is exactly what they will become.
Recent research has also shown that people who were made to visualise themselves exercising (but not actually doing any) gained almost as much muscle strength as those who actually did the exercise !!
Now this is no excuse for becoming lazy, we do still need to do the actual exercise, but it gives us an idea of just how powerful our brains are.
So how can we put this to our advantage?
Well I'll be honest, it does take practice. But here are a few tips to help you on your way to slimness ……
· Get a mental picture of how you want to look. Be honest; imagining your head on Kelly Brooke's body will not do. Think of your own body shape and imagine exactly how it will look when you are at the size you want to be. If you have an old 'thin' picture, use this as a reference.
· Think how you will feel being lighter; what activities will be easier, what clothes will look like and how good you will feel.
· Keep this picture of yourself bright and colorful in your mind and imagine yourself looking and feeling like this, going about your normal day. Each time you have a negative thought about yourself, bring this picture to mind and concentrate on it for a while.
Think about this slim, fit, healthy you daily and as much as you can. (Please do not blame me when the boss tells you off for day dreaming though!)
· Envisage the sort of healthy foods you will be eating and what sort of activity / exercise you will enjoy doing.
Never ban foods or think you are 'bad' for having a supposedly unhealthy food. If you keep thinking 'I must not eat chocolate' all you will think about is that bar of chocolate. And as our brains are picturing this, you will want it even more.
Replace these thoughts with thoughts about all the healthy foods you enjoy, juicy pineapples, crunchy apples, a succulent piece of salmon … Imagine yourself eating this kind of food regularly and feeling satisfied and full after your meals.
Writing down your goals is very powerful. Again keep them realistic, but be specific.
Just saying, 'I want to lose a stone', is not good enough. Replace with something like 'I want to lose a stone over the next 2 months'. (This is also a realistic weight loss of about 2lb per week.)
Make sure your goals are positive. 'I do not want to be fat anymore', or, 'I do not want to eat junk food', simply will not work. Replace them with 'I want to have a slim healthy body', 'I want to enjoy healthy foods'.
Write these goals down and re read them repeatedly.
Psychologists estimate it takes between 20 and 30 days to change our mind set. So you will need to work at this one, but it is well worth it.
Stop criticizing how you look and feel now, think about what you are becoming. Beating yourself up over last nights Chinese will not help you move forward. Instead accept the negative thoughts (even people who are excellent 'positive thinkers' have negative thoughts sometimes!), Let them pass and replace them with positive thoughts.
Lastly, always do this for you. If you want to change your body for your boyfriend, girlfriends, mum, collections or dog it will not work. You are doing this for YOU and how you feel about your own body.
Work on keeping your self esteem high NOW, no matter what you look like. Get your hair done, but a new lippy, have a pedicure or massage. Whatever it takes, and in the words of L'Oreal, you are worth it !!
So put your brain to work and practice thinking yourself thin from today!
Now you are imagining yourself cooking and eating delicious healthy food, here is a recipe to get you started.
Stuffed Peppers
If you think lentils are for hippies and students, think again, these are delicious, low fat and simple to make.
Turn on your oven to 200.
Finely chop an onion and lightly fry in a little olive oil for 5 minutes or so.
Add a teaspoon of garlic in a jar (or a a couple of chopped cloves) and a good dash of Worcester or Soy sauce. Fry for another minute or so.
Add a couple of gifteds of red lentils and stir. Pour in about a mug and a half of vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Stir and add a few dried herbs – I like Italian seasoning but basil, oregano, rosemary all work well.
Simmer for about 25 minutes until the lentils are soft and have absorbed the stock. If the mixture becomes too dry, add a extra splash of water.
Meanwhile cut a couple of peppers in half length ways. Leave the stalk on but scoop out the seeds.
Chop a matchbox size piece of feta into small cubes.
When your lentil mixture is done (no excess liquid but softish lentils) stir in the cubed feta cheese.
Pile this mixture into the peppers and bake on about 200 for 20 minutes or so.
Serve with a large mixed salad.
That's it for this week, have a fabulous weekend and keeping thinking yourself thin!
Katie.
PS Do not forget to e-mail me with comments, suggestions or for advice!
http://www.busygirlsguide.webs.com/
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