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There are many books and internet articles written about weight control. However, if you already know the stuff you should be doing, you might want to skip past the next section of this article. For those of you who are starting at the beginning, here's some useful information:

Energy is measured in units called calories or kilojoules. If you want to lose weight, then the total calories that your body absorbs through eating and drinking must be less than the calories that your body expends throughout the day. And of course, if you wish to gain weight, the opposite is true.

You can also help your weight control along by participating in regular daily exercise, because this helps your body burn more calories. It does this not only during the exercise session, but also for hours later, by raising your body's metabolic rate. When you exercise, you produce feel good chemicals in the brain which are called endorphins, and these often help to stop you from reaching for those high calorie snacks such as cakes, donuts and chocolate. Also, exercise changes the fat and muscle ratio in your body. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so make sure you enlist all the help you can get by exercising!

So if we have all this information at our fingertips, then why do so many people have such difficulty reaching their ideal weight? Well, I must tell you that a lot of it has to do with your subconscious belief systems. Do you know all the basics, but still find yourself unable to stick to a healthy eating and exercise regimen? You're definitely not alone.

At this point, I would like to say that if you want to lose weight, then I strongly suggest that you reframe the notion of 'losing weight'. So instead of saying you want to lose weight, I would like you to think of your goal in terms of 'gaining control of your weight', or, as the title of my article suggests, 'reaching your ideal weight'.

The reason for this, is because your subconscious mind can be a fickle beast'and when you 'lose' something, what do you automatically (and subconsciously want to do?

***You want to find it again! ***

So it's really important to focus your mind towards what you want, instead of what you want to lose, and this is because your subconscious mind works best with positive language. And speaking of which, how is YOUR body image? Do you continuously criticize yourself , or berate yourself for indulging in that triple choc milkshake? If so, STOP right now. If you want to reach and maintain your desired weight goals then you need to make permanent but manageable lifestyle changes, while at the same time allowing yourself the odd indulgence...without feeling guilty!

So, be realistic and work at a steady pace towards reaching and maintaining a body shape that is achievable for you. If you've always had a pear shaped body, then you will not be able to slim down to a straight-up-and down shape, even if you starve yourself! Don't fall into the trap of unhealthy eating habits; depriving your body of essential nutrients is every bit as damaging as overeating.

Begin by working WITH your natural body shape, not against it. Send your subconscious mind the message that you love and respect your body. One of the ways you can help yourself along is by using daily affirmations. Start today; write down any negative beliefs you have about your body, and then replace these negative statements with positive ones. Remember:

You can achieve anything if you enlist the help of your subconscious

Copyright 2005 Sonia Devine