Change Your Mind To Change Your Weight

Have you ever wondered why you struggle to lose weight? Let’s face it – You know that you should change your eating habits. You know that you should get more exercise, drink more water, and get more sleep. So why don’t you do it? Are you just too lazy? Obviously not, or you would not have gone on any diet nor tried any type of exercise program. I guess you just don’t have any willpower. Oh wait, that can’t be true either. I mean, just look at all the things you have accomplished in your life. You learned how to walk, talk, read, write, do arithmetic, cook, clean, ride a bike, drive a car, and take care of your family! That’s a pretty impressive list. So what is the problem with losing weight and getting fit? The answer is easier than you think. You just need to change your mind to change your weight!

Say what? I’m not talking about the mere act of deciding to do something differently. You see, you may not know this, but your conscious mind does NOT control the paths you follow in life. Your subconscious mind does. That is the mind that you must change to achieve success in changing in your weight. Consciously, you can make decisions to accept or reject any piece of information presented to you, but your subconscious does not have that ability. It can only receive and accept everything that your five senses detect. Stop and think for a minute about every negative comment you have heard in your life: you’re not strong enough; you will never be able to do that; your genetics will keep you from ever being pretty or handsome or skinny; nobody will ever want to marry you; you’re not good enough to be successful.

It’s kind of sad, isn’t it? This type of negativity stays with you, and as a form of protection, your subconscious mind directs your actions towards safety. It prevents you from taking actions that it perceives will lead to heartbreaking pain.

What if I told you there is a safe and pain free way to change that? Would you be interested enough to check it out? There is a way to tear down the roadblocks your subconscious has built. You can develop new thought patterns. You will be able to synchronize the two sides of your mind. You will gain control of your actions!

Can you see yourself standing in front of the mirror admiring the new you? What’s that – no flab flapping under your arms when you move, no roll around your middle? Awesome!

So what’s the secret? Well, it really isn’t a secret. This method of changing your mind has been around for over sixty years, and it is even endorsed and practiced by the medical profession. I know you’ve heard of it. I am talking about hypnosis. Now, don’t start envisioning those stupid stage shows, where somebody starts acting like a chicken or barking like a dog. Those are strictly what they seem – stage shows! With hypnosis, you will still be in control, but you will be in a relaxed state that allows you to be receptive to suggestions. Imagine being calm and relaxed listening to a soothing voice that is suggesting healthy thought patterns to you, and giving you actionable ideas to achieve weightloss. You will find yourself behaving differently and realizing that this is due to the hypnotic suggestion, and you will be pleased.

I highly recommend hypnosis, not just because it works, but because it worked for me. You can go to a doctor that practices hypnotherapy, but that can get really expensive. If the therapist is really good, you will probably spend a couple hundred dollars or more for one session. Some people have learned to do auto-hypnosis. I couldn’t get the hang of it myself. What worked for me was a series of CD’s produced by a professional. I was able to use them at home at my convenience.  Another nice feature is that I was able to re-use them whenever I struggled with any particular issue.

Don’t just take my word for it. Check it out for yourself. Hypnosis is very safe and extremely effective at helping you rid those negative obstacles in your subconscious that are preventing you from losing weight. You’ll be really glad you did!

Do You Want to Burn Fat and Get Fit – Do This First

If you want to burn fat and get fit, the first thing you need to do is get control over the six inches of gray matter between your ears. You may think that you already are in control, but the odds are against it. Most of us have learned some degree of control over our conscious thoughts, but in reality it is our subconscious mind that controls our actions. You see, we can decide whether or not to accept information that we receive consciously. If something doesn’t ring true, we just scoff at it and say, “I don’t believe that.” However, our subconscious mind accepts every piece of data that it has ever received from our five senses. Did you know that it is estimated that children hear the word “no” 40,000 times before they ever go to school. This is because adults were trying to protect them from injury. “No, don’t stick that in the wall plug. You could get electrocuted!” This constant repetition of negativity, reinforced by a statement of dire consequences, goes a long way toward developing a subconscious negative outlook. We can consciously say that we want to eat right and get into shape, and we can consciously believe that is the correct thing to do. Unfortunately, our subconscious prevents us from taking the correct path toward that end.

So what can we do to reprogram our subconscious? The three most common methods used to achieve this are meditation, hypnosis (both regular and auto-hypnosis), and the conscious practice of positive thinking. Let’s examine each of these methods.

1. Meditation. This is used by many people to help them calm their mind and balance their physical, mental, and emotional health. Many in the medical profession are recommending this practice as a way to relieve things like insomnia, anxiety, and even to lower blood pressure. Don’t get all hung up on the religious aspect of meditation. Concern yourself more with using this method to develop a sense of inner peace. A peaceful mind is less likely to act in a negative manner. There are many different ways to practice meditation, but I won’t go into them here. I just want to let you know that this is a viable option for you.

2. Hypnosis. While meditation involves the absence of all thought and to just be, hypnosis uses concentration on a specific thought in order to affect a desired result. This includes things like smoking cessation, burning off fat, reducing stress, or even pain management after surgery. The American Medical Association put its stamp of approval on hypnosis all the way back in 1958, and since then it has been used by countless people to take control over their lives. You have options here. You can go to a licensed psychologist who incorporates hypnosis into his treatments, you can learn auto-hypnosis and treat yourself, or there is my favorite, you can purchase professionally made CD’s and listen to them in the privacy of your own home. I think you will be amazed at how well these work to help you gain control of your life.

3. Positive Thinking. This is the first option that most people choose, most likely because meditation and hypnosis make them think of something they saw in bad movie or a phony stage show. Positive thinking isn’t something you can develop overnight. You have to devote a certain amount of time every day to practice this method. You must verbally speak positive messages. Remind yourself of specific times in your life when you successfully accomplished something. Think of awards that you won. Concentrate on how those accomplishments made you feel. Don’t forget to include any times when you set a goal for yourself and achieved it. Achieving goals is a tremendous confidence booster, and one thing that successful people have in common is self-confidence. While this is the most difficult of the three methods discussed, it is highly effective, so don’t shove it aside.

Please do not get discouraged because you have not been able to burn fat and keep it off. For those of you that think you have never succeeded at anything, I would like to remind you that once upon a time, you could not walk, talk, clothe yourself, feed yourself, tie your shoes, ride a bike, drive a car, or read this article. Those are some pretty impressive accomplishments, and you CAN go on to even greater achievements. I have confidence in you, but you must believe it yourself before anything will happen. Good luck, I’m rooting for you! Now, start gaining control over your life!

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Without These Three Components You Cannot Succeed at Burning Fat and Getting Fit

If you desire success at losing fat and increasing your level of fitness, there are three components that you absolutely must have. Without any one of the three, you will find it extremely difficult - if not impossible - to achieve any type of long term success. The three things you must have for successful fatloss and fitness, in order of importance, are as follows:

1. The right mindset. The vast majority of overweight people will say they want to lose weight and get into good shape. You may have said this yourself. I know I certainly have! So why don't they do it? Actually, there are two primary reasons.

First, they consciously are not willing to put in the necessary work. It's hard, it's uncomfortable, and it takes time. How many times have you heard someone say, "I'm going to try this new diet I heard about at work." You can't "try" a diet! You either do it or not. Phrases like, "I'll try" or "I'll do my best," are merely expressions we use that allow us to say, "It didn't work," when, in fact, we actually gave up and quit!

The second mental problem is subconscious. This is the big one. Most of us have been programmed since early childhood for failure. It is not our fault and really not our parents' fault either. It was done for protection. By the time we started school, we heard the word "NO" approximately forty thousand times! I lack the space here to teach you how to overcome the negativity in your subconscious mind, but I will tell you this: it IS possible to reprogram your mind, and when you do, amazing things will happen in your life!

2. The right eating plan. I am not talking about going on a "diet." I will tell you right now, DIETS DON'T WORK! What I am referring to is a lifestyle change. You must learn to eat the right foods, in the right portions, and at the right times. So called diets are too restrictive. Nearly every diet plan eliminates one of the basic food groups. They are called basic for a reason - your body needs them. When your diet says no-no, your body will begin to crave the forbidden food. If you are eating properly, your body will get the correct amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrates. You will also be eating whole foods, not processed junk.

3. The right fitness program. There is a multitude of exercise programs available to you, but if you are trying to lose fat while you are getting fit, you definitely need to be using interval training. What is interval training? Interval training is a fitness program that involves bursts of high intensity work that is alternated with periods of rest or low activity. Usually the rest period is slightly longer than the high intensity work. Extreme interval training involves long periods of intensity followed by short rest breaks. What makes this type of fitness program so great? The high intensity constitutes a combination of cardio and strength training. The cardio burns calories while you are exercising. The strength training builds muscle mass which continues to burn calories for hours after you have finished your workout. Combined with the right eating plan, this program will burn fat instead of just weight, and the increased muscle mass will burn calories faster than what your fat was burning.

There are other factors that are important for fatloss and fitness, but these three are a must. First, you have to get your mind to the point that your subconscious thoughts believe you can succeed. When that happens, you will automatically begin to take steps toward success. Second, your eating habits must change to wholesome foods eaten in the right amounts at the correct times. Finally, you really to need to incorporate interval training on a regular basis into your weekly schedule.

Trust me on this. You will be glad that you did.

There Is Only One Way to Lose Weight

There is really only one way to lose weight. Before I tell you what it is, let me clarify something. When people say they want to lose weight, they actually mean that they want to lose fat so as to look firm and more attractive. Let's face the truth - nobody likes to admit that they are fat. It's embarrassing. So, what is this one way to lose weight? You have to create a caloric deficit. In other words, your daily consumption of calories must be less than your daily calorie burn, period! If you eat 1800 calories and burn off 1800 calories, your weight will not budge. It is just basic math like 2 - 2 = 0. Now one pound is equal to 3500 calories, so if you want to lose one pound per week, you will have to eat 500 fewer calories per day than what you are going to work off. How are you going to do that? Well, you have three options.

1. Go on a diet, but keep your workload the same. This is the most widely selected option on the planet, and my goodness, you do have a lot of options to choose from. Sadly, the vast majority of diet plans simply do not work because your body will not allow it. After a few days, your body recognizes the reduction in calories and goes into starvation mode. It will automatically begin slowing your metabolism down to match your food intake, and it will try desperately to store as much fat as it can. Your body prefers to burn carbohydrates and to store fat. It will even start breaking down proteins which will result in a loss of lean muscle tissue. The more effective diet plans usually involve some sort of meal plan delivered to your house. These plans tend to be low in carbohydrates to force your body to burn fat. The biggest drawback to these plans is the price, which tends to run about $300 per person per month.

2. Maintain your current eating plan, but start an exercise program. While this is practiced by both sexes, it is used more frequently by younger males. You know who they are, former high school jocks that have noticed that they have developed a belly and say something like, "Man, I've gotta start workin' out!" After a few weeks they realize that they are getting stronger, but that washboard belly they had in school isn't coming back. The problem is this: they are still eating the same junk that gave them that pot belly to begin with! You can do thousands of crunches and sit-ups and not lose that belly. In fact, your belly could get bigger because you will be increasing the size of your abdominal muscles, but you won't be burning off the fat that is covering them.

3. Consume fewer calories, and start a fitness regimen. This is the plan that is recommended by nearly every health and fitness expert. It is important to note that it is not enough to merely reduce the calories and start just any workout routine. Do not go on a diet! Change your dietary lifestyle. Start eating healthy, whole foods, and stop eating processed junk. As for your exercise, forget about sit-up and crunches. Concentrate on the large muscle groups like legs, back and chest. Muscle burns calories faster than fat, and large muscles burn more calories than small muscles. Your doctor will tell you to eat right and exercise. Your health and fitness coach will tell you to eat the right foods at the proper times, and do the right exercises in the correct manner.

The choice is yours to make. You can create a caloric deficit using any one of these methods. You just have to decide what you are really trying to accomplish. Will you be happy losing weight but not fat, or would you rather burn off the fat and build a little more muscle? Have a long and healthy life!

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Homeschooling Tip - Be Prepared for Bad Days

We homeschoolers always like to talk about how great homeschooling is, but if you are new to this experience, I should warn you to be prepared for bad days. They are going to happen. Sometimes your children will be ill or just restless. Other times your own health or personal problems will get in your way. Of course, there are also days that are filled with interruptions like the telephone, an unexpected visitor or solicitor, or your community's Road and Drainage Department decides to work on your street. The cause doesn't matter. How you deal with it does. Here are some suggestions.

• Take a break! My wife could always tell when our son just wasn't interested, so she would tell him that she didn't fee like teaching at that moment. Then, she would suggest going to the park for an hour or two. After he had burned off a ton of energy he was able to come home, sit still, and do his school work. Your children might prefer a nature walk where they could try to identify different types of trees or animals. When you get home have them draw a picture of their favorite thing that they saw. At the dinner table they can describe their trip to your spouse. If you choose taking a break, it would be a good idea to make sure your children are getting some form of exercise.
• Make the day a "favorite subject" day. The entire school day becomes math day, or writing day, or even history day. This will be a kind of unschooling day where your children will determine the direction of that day's study. You will be allowing them to do what they want, as long as their activity pertains to their favorite subject. Your primary duty in this is to provide resources for them to use and encourage them to explore the different possibilities. Do not forget the television. It has stations like the History Channel, Discovery, and the Science Channel. When children are working on something they love, their nervous energy turns into focused energy, and a bad day becomes a good one.
• Have an arts day. Most children love drawing, coloring, music, dancing, and play acting. Ask them to make up a story or to select one of their favorite stories and act it out for you. Hold a talent show, and let them express themselves, either by singing, dancing, or reciting a poem. If any of your children show an aptitude for painting or drawing, ask them to try to copy a famous painting. They might surprise you! Do not criticize any attempt at creating a piece of art. This is a day for them to use their imaginations, and a good imagination will be a valuable asset when they are older and have to compete in the working world.
• Take the day off. For my family, this was a last resort because we still had a required number of days that our children had to attend classes. However, it is not that big of a problem. Remember, as homeschoolers you have all year to meet your requirements, so if you just want to take a day to do whatever, you can. Just be careful that your kids don't try to take advantage of this by misbehaving purposely to get a day off.

Hopefully, these ideas are helpful to you. You can see that a bad day can be turned into a good day. I encourage you to try them out, and I am sure that you will probably be able to come up with your own ideas. Stay positive, and enjoy your kids! They are the most precious gift you will ever get and the biggest responsibility you will ever have.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_A_Bryan

How to Run a Youth Baseball Practice

If you are new to coaching youth baseball or have been coaching for awhile but struggle with it, here are some do's and don'ts for running a youth baseball practice session. It is not really that complicated. In fact, after reading these you will probably say, "Well that's just common sense." However, it has been my experience that more than 80% of youth baseball coaches do not use any of these suggestions.

1. Don't try to "wing" it!
Do show up with a game plan. You are dealing with kids. Remember these two things: they want to have fun, and they get bored very easily. With a good plan of action, you will be keeping them busy, they will be learning, and all of you can have some fun.

2. Don't forget about the parents.
Do ask some of the dads to help with practice sessions. Most youth baseball leagues allow you to have an assistant or two during games. That does not mean you can't have four or five during practice. Some of the dads may have played ball in high school or college. Where I live there is a good chance that they played professionally. Their help is vital to running a successful practice.

3. Don't talk down to the kids.
Do establish good communications with them. They already know that you are in charge, but they don't know what your guidelines are. Before they ever step onto the field for the first practice, establish the ground rules. Greet each of them by name, look them in the eye, shake their hand, and tell them you are happy to have them on the team. Then let them know what you expect. This should include things like showing respect for everyone else, paying attention to the coaches, and maintaining a good attitude.

4. Don't allow the activity to focus on one or two players while everybody else stands around.
Do have several different drill stations set up. Each station should have one of your assistant coaches or volunteer dads running it. Be sure that the coaches and volunteers know exactly what you want taught and that no single player is getting all of their attention. Split your players up evenly and have each group start at a different station. It is usually a good idea to separate siblings and best friends. That way they are more likely to pay attention to the coach and less likely to goof around. Allow fifteen to twenty minutes at each station and then rotate the groups to the next work area. It is also wise to have your helpers teach at different stations from one practice to another. This will give them experience at teaching the methods that you want. You will be visiting each station to check on the progress of the players, give praise to those who are working hard, and interject tips that might help a player improve.

5. Don't let a practice session run too long.
Do limit the time from one hour to ninety minutes. This time should include water breaks and progress breaks. Progress breaks are short periods when you call everyone together, have them take a knee, and tell them about the good things that you noticed them doing in their drills. You can also address any issues that you might have seen, but be careful not to single anybody out. That should be done on a one to one basis.

6. Don't embarrass a player in front of his friends.Do not yell at him nor demean him in any way.
Do have a talk with a player who misbehaves. Calmly let him know that you are disappointed in his behavior, but that you are confident that he is able to do better. I am talking strictly about misbehavior here. If a player merely makes a mistake there is nothing for you to be disappointed about. You just have to give him a little more time to develop his skills. Always provide encouragement to a player, even if you think he will never improve. I have seen amazing things happen to kids after they have gone through puberty.

7. Don't end practice on a sour note.
Do ask your players what they liked about practice and what they did not like. Ask them if they had fun. If they didn't, find out why. Remember, youth baseball is a game. The kids just want to have fun. You should also remember to thank the players for showing up on time, paying attention, and putting forth their best efforts.

As I said earlier, this is pretty easy when you think about it. After a few seasons it will seem natural to you. Just establish a plan of action, line up your volunteers, and go do it. Have fun!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mickey_B

Teaching Mechanics in Youth Baseball - Is It Important?

Next to having fun, teaching mechanics is the most important thing a coach can do for his youth baseball players. Some of you dads who are coaching only because nobody else volunteered, might be wondering just what in the world does mechanics have to do with baseball. The answer is...Everything! Mechanics simply means the correct form and movements required to properly hit, throw, or field a baseball. It also applies to running the bases. Watching Major League ballplayers can give you the impression that there is no one way that is considered proper. Every batter seems to set up differently and go through all kinds of unusual gyrations, each pitcher has his own style of wind up, and infielders throw from every conceivable angle. Remember, they are professionals who are perfectly grounded in the fundamentals, and at the point of attack their bodies are in the proper position. The only exception to this is when an infielder has to perform some miraculous feat of athleticism in order to make a play. Also, bear in mind that they get paid a lot of money to do this. That being said, here are some reasons for teaching mechanics in youth baseball.

1. You want to avoid injuries, especially when you are working with kids. Sore arms, particularly elbows, are one of the most frequent problems in baseball. This is usually caused by the player starting the throw with his body before his arm is in the right position. Consequently, he has to drop his elbow in order for the arm to catch up with the body, resulting in his hand getting under the ball and putting a twisting motion on the elbow. If this is done repeatedly, the player will be complaining about a sore arm by the middle of the season. Hitters develop problems with their wrists from an improper grip. They can also hurt their backs with a crazy swing and lack of balance. I mentioned running the bases earlier. I can't tell you the number of times I have seen broken legs or sprained ankles caused by hitting the base wrong or sliding improperly. Most of these injuries can be avoided through the use of good mechanics.

2. Everybody likes to be a winner. Kids are no exception. Yet, I never coach winning or losing. I don't have to. My teams win more than they lose because I concentrate on mechanics. By learning proper skills, my players make more accurate throws, get more hits, and commit fewer errors from mishandling the ball. Don't get me wrong, they are definitely not perfect. They are still growing and can be quite uncoordinated, but they are learning how things should be done. One thing that helps is lots of praise from the coach when they show improvement. I should probably point out that your players will not be as devastated by a loss as you and their parents will be. Remember, they are there to have fun. However, they also want to learn how to get better, and they will improve if you teach them proper mechanics.

3. As a youth coach, one of your major responsibilities is to get your players ready to compete at the next level, like moving from Little League to Babe Ruth. We lose a lot of young ballplayers at this stage every year for a variety of reasons. Some haven't gone through puberty yet and cannot handle the larger field. Others discover girls or different activities that stimulate their interests more than baseball. But sadly, a large percentage leave the game because they can no longer compete with the other players. They were never taught proper mechanics. The throws are longer so they have to throw harder and, as a result, get a sore arm. The pitchers are faster and they can't get the bat around fast enough to hit the ball. They get discouraged, and they quit. You can help prevent that by teaching them the appropriate skills now. I have seen Little League all-stars fade into oblivion on the bigger field because nobody gave them the correct coaching. They made the all-star team on natural skills that weren't enough for the tougher competition that they faced at the next level.

As you can see, these are some very important reasons to teach mechanics in youth baseball. Some side benefits for your players are that, without mentioning it to them, you have shown them that success can come with proper execution. They are also learning that hard work has its benefits. This goes for you too, coach. Are you prepared to work hard, also? Do you know what the proper mechanics are for baseball? Don't worry, there are many websites devoted to teaching mechanics. Look for sites that talk about the power triangle, and avoid sites that emphasize pushing off the rubber with the back foot. This is something that a pitcher does, but it should not be taught that way, especially to still developing children. Now, go have fun with your kids!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mickey_B