Visualization for Weight Loss -The Gabriel Method

Part IV: Positive Forces that Make Your Body Want to Be Thin

point for all those “no pain, no gain” and “more is better” people out there:

Just like forcing yourself to diet will backfire, forcing yourself to exercise can have the same detrimental results and for exactly the same reasons. So, when it comes to exercise, it’s not always about more, more, more. You need rest days. Your body will then be fresh and enthusiastic so you will no longer dread being physically active. The idea is to learn to love exercising again. If you embrace the joy of being physical again, it no longer becomes a chore, and it will then stay with you for life. If you do decide to exercise, don’t overdo it! Make sure you rest at least three days a week. I personally like biking. I have a beautiful ride I do through the local vineyards. I usually do the ride three days a week. Sometimes I take a yoga class Saturday mornings. The other days of the week, I rest and let my body regenerate, so I am always fresh and enthusiastic about my rides. If I ever lose that enthusiasm, I take off a few days or a week to relax. Now, I sometimes go weeks at a time without exercising, but I always come back to it because I now truly love being phys- ically active. I love the way my body feels when I am doing it and afterwards. I just feel happier, and life just becomes easier. Tips for Getting Started If you decide you would like to start living a more physically active life, here are three good tips: • Be open to the possibility that your body is changing. When your body no longer wants to be fat, you’ll have more energy and enthusiasm, and you’ll want to be active. This could happen at any time along the path. It could hap- pen immediately, after listening to the CD just once, or it could happen in six months time. You just have to be open to the possibility that this shift in your feelings about exer-

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