Snooze to Lose: How Meditation Helps You Lose Weight

Meditation is without a doubt the most importanttechniques, is you learn to combat stress, instead
step you can do to lose weight. How can aof allowing stress to combat you. Stress is
sedentary activity help you lose weight? We allreaching epidemic proportions and so is
know that we need to eat less and exerciseovereating, the anti-stress response for tens of
more: so why are there now 200 millionmillions of people. Marcella Bakur Weiner, Ph.D.,
Americans overweight? We are neglecting thepsychologist and adjunct professor at Marymount
most critical aspect of successful weight loss -Manhattan College in New York says, "We have
our minds. If your mind/body were a business,developed an automatic reflexive reaction: We
your mind would be the CEO and your bodyfeel stress—we turn to food. We eat and
would be the subordinate employee followingovereat without thinking about the choices we're
orders. Meditation increases your self-awarenessmaking." Meditation is a means to give your brain
so you're more in sync with what you're doing. Bya true vacation from anxious thoughts and
bringing your body, mind and spirit into focus,achieve a heightened awareness by eliminating
meditation helps you achieve your weight lossdistractions that deter you from reaching the
goals. Instead of eating mindlessly, you becomeweight loss goals you truly desire.
mindful of your actions which results in theWhen you meditate, you concentrate on your
'domino effect' of increasing your minds ability tobreathing while dismissing any distracting thoughts.
fine tune what your body really needs instead ofThis takes practice. After about 10 minutes a day
what it wants. You may want to eat cake, butof practice, you'l1 soon be able to get your mind
your body's needs would be better met withoff of food in any stressful situation. If you slow
eating one of the 2 - 4 pieces of fruitdown enough to meditate, you'll find you'll want to
recommended by the food guide pyramid.eat healthy and exercise. As an added benefit
Practicing meditation on a daily basis can bothyou'll sleep better and reclaim energy that will
eliminate cravings for foods that sabotage yourdirect you to rediscover the powerful vision of
health and increase your motivation to walk theyour healthy self within.
path to wellness. After all, a journey of 1000 milesWhen you combine meditation, with breathing and
begins with the first step.positive visualization, you possess a powerful
Losing weight is so much more than sweating,weight loss tool that's available to you 24/7 that's
jumping up and down or lifting weights to burneasy and effective at helping you achieve your
calories and restricting what you eat. Until yougoals. Consider any famous athlete, like the golfer,
make up your mind to do it, really DECIDE to doTiger Woods whose ability to visualize exactly
it, your attempts will be futile. Something magicalwhat he must do each time he swings his club is
happens when you meditate. Just like an aerobicsparamount to being the greatest golfer of our
instructor's heart gets stronger every time theytime. Prior to every game, Michael Jordon would
teach a class, your mindset to lose weight getsvisualize exactly what he needed to do with his
stronger each time you meditate. You becomefeet and hands to become the legend that he did.
the exclusive master of your mind and your bodyThis powerful combination is the missing link in
will dutifully obey rewarding you with a fuller,your diet that will increase your ability to put your
more functional life and slimmer, sexier body.weight loss plan into action and encourage you to
Another benefit to meditating, especially when it'stake charge of your life.
combined with stress releasing breathing