If you mention positive thinking or mental techniques to most people, they will tend to be dismissive, uninterested, or just plain skeptical. This point of view is usually due to ignorance and lack of understanding rather than being a reflection of positive thinking itself. In other words, don’t hit it until you’ve tried it. Don’t underestimate the power of the mind when it comes to losing weight.

A strong mental focus is essential if you want to achieve permanent weight loss. Going into a diet, adopting some healthy dietary changes, or embarking on an exercise regimen, without having a strong positive attitude, can only ultimately lead to failure. See new changes in your healthy lifestyle as a positive experience, rather than a chore or punishment. Instead of focusing on the foods you’re missing out on and the exercise you don’t really want to do, think about the positive effect losing weight will have on your health and how good it will make you look and feel.

A powerful mental technique that can be used to help you achieve permanent weight loss is visualization. Every great invention we enjoy in our sophisticated lives together began as an idea and a visualization in someone’s mind. Visualization allows us to think of possibilities beyond our current circumstances, it gives us the courage to dream and the belief to make that dream come true through positive action. Now let’s see how visualization works.

There is nothing complicated about visualization, you simply use your imagination to visualize an outcome that you want to see happen in your life. It is a technique used by many of the best athletes in the world. The reason visualization works so well is because your brain can’t tell the difference between what you’re imagining and what’s actually real. Let me show you an example of the power of visualization.

There was a famous study done by Dr. Blaslotto (from the University of Chicago) regarding basketball performance. Players were divided into 3 groups and would be judged on how many free throws they could make at that time and again in 30 days. During that 30-day period, the first group practiced free throws for an hour each day. The next group just visualized shooting free throws for an hour each day, and the last group just did nothing at all. After 30 days, the 3 groups were judged on how many free throws they could now make. As expected, the group that did nothing showed no improvement, while the group that practiced free throws improved by 24%. Surprisingly, the group that had simply visualized shooting free throws (without even touching a basketball), improved by 23%. I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t practice (or make healthy changes to your diet for weight loss), but I’m simply highlighting the power of visualization. Think how much you could achieve with a combination of visualization and positive action?

So how exactly can you use visualization to lose weight? Try to practice visualization for about ten minutes per session, a couple of times a day. Be patient as it may not seem natural at first, but try to be consistent. You should find a quiet place and lie down or sit comfortably, it will help if you close your eyes. Picture in your mind how good you want to look when you’ve lost all that weight and how good it makes you feel. Imagine yourself standing in front of the mirror or shopping for the type of clothes you want to wear. Imagine all the compliments you will receive and how happy you will feel. Make these thoughts intense and very vivid, really immerse yourself in them. Visualization will work with practice and consistency, so set aside a little time each day. You will automatically find yourself making better choices and being drawn to a healthy lifestyle.

Remember to support your visualization with positive changes in your diet and regular exercise. A combination of positive action and regular visualization will fuel your weight loss efforts and produce amazing results. Don’t forget to use visualization for weight loss as part of your new healthy lifestyle.