See Yourself in That Hot Summer Outfit

    Ever find yourself stuck in a rut - or just plain wondering if you'll ever drop those extra pounds?  We all get discouraged from time to time. Don't let doubt get in your way.

    Believing in yourself  believing that you can overcome the inevitable obstacles and achieve your fitness goals is crucial to your success. See yourself in that hot bikini this Summer. Or that cool Summer outfit you want to fit in to again!

    One of the most powerful tools for building self-confidence is visualization. This easy technique involves imagining the accomplishment of the changes or goals you're working to achieve. It is a process of "training" purely within the mind. By visualizing in detail your successful execution of each step in a given activity, you create, modify, or strengthen brain pathways that are important in coordinating your muscles for the visualized activity.

    This prepares you to perform. The technique is useful in many areas of life -  from avoiding anxiety during a stressful situation, to performing well during competition. You may find it a powerful tool in your fitness program.

1. Identify the goal you want to visualize—for example, running a mini-marathon.
2. Find a comfortable place to sit and relax.
3. Eliminate all distractions—turn off the phone, television, etc.
4. Close your eyes and focus on feeling relaxed. Free your mind of intruding thoughts.
5. Now, imagine yourself on your favorite running course. Create a picture in your mind of the place—the sights, sounds, and smells. Imagine a perfect day, warm and sunny, with a gentle breeze. Picture yourself with your favorite running friends, talking and laughing. Now visualize yourself starting on your way, passing the usual sights, and setting off to run the entire course.
6. Take a moment to feel the pleasure and excitement of achieving this goal.
7. Then imagine yourself running from each mile-marker to the next, enjoying the sunshine, the views, the fresh air, the good company and your excellent health.
8. Finally, visualize yourself finishing the course and feeling great, both physically and emotionally

     If you want to make positive, lasting change in your life, it helps to spend some time thinking about motivation. What are your reasons for wanting to train your body? What are your personal  fitness goals?

    What obstacles do you anticipate and how might you overcome them?  Visualize your success and consider how you might celebrate your success!

    Picture yourself winning the race - you really can eat healthy, exercise and lose weight!