The Best Diet: Gain Control Over Your Cravings

The task of motivating oneself to adopt a healthier lifestyle can be quite daunting, but in the end very rewarding. I have first hand experience of confronting a society which viewed me as a lazy overweight adolescent. Until the age of 15, I had become accustomed to being the "fat kid". My first job I had in high school was at a local Dairy Queen. You may believe that by working at a place which specializes in selling ice cream, my weight would only increase. To the contrary, I was confronted daily with obese customers who actually motivated me to lose weight. I decided that I did not want my weight to affect my interactions with the world for the rest of my life. I had tried many times prior to go on various popular diets, none of which I could maintain. This time would prove to be different, but how did I find a successful solution to my weight problems?

The answer to this question may seem simple, but I believe it is the key to truly being able to lose weight, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. My strategy for successful weight loss can be summed up in three words: 'mind over matter'. By realizing the mind controls the cravings one has for food, I decided to simply focus on alleviating these cravings which my mind was sending to my body. This process of alleviating the root cause of excessive consumption of food is not easy, but has great potential of paving the path to a healthier lifestyle. I believe I was unable to lose weight prior to this revelation due to the fact that I was trying to fix a mental condition with a physical remedy such as following diets and exercising. How then does one go about addressing the issue of alleviating cravings?

The first step to alleviating cravings, is realizing cravings are born in the mind. Knowing your overeating is a physical manifestation of a mental process allows you to address the mental process directly, and thus successfully adopt a healthy lifestyle. It may be appealing to believe you can simply fix issues of being overweight with a miracle diet, but if this were the case, America would not have the obesity epidemic which it currently is facing. Being overweight is not a condition one wishes upon themselves, regardless of the perspective some may have about those who are overweight. It is obvious that most people wish to obtain a healthy weight, but yet so many cannot achieve this desired goal. The secret to losing weight is simple, but is hidden by all the books and products which companies specializing in weight loss want to sell. It is not possible to make money from a simple solution which does not require you to purchase weekly meals from a company, or a membership to a local gym.

With so little known about how the mind actually operates, I can only offer my personal experience. While in school, you presumably at one time had to study for an exam. By repeatedly looking over information, you are able to maintain this information so you can use it later when needed. Applying this same process to alleviating cravings, every night when you lay down to go to bed, repeatedly remind yourself that cravings do not exist, they are only a manifestation of your mind. I practiced this process by simply relaxing, and focusing on phrases such as "cravings are manifestation of my mind", "cravings do not exist", "I eat for nourishment, not to satisfy cravings". By repeating these phrases, you are essentially memorizing the information which you will need in order to 'pass your exam' on successful weight loss. As time passes, you will find yourself coming to a better understanding of how cravings try to convince you that your body needs more nourishment, when in fact you have the ability to determine if your body needs more nourishment, and do not need to be reminded by cravings. Practicing this process will allow you to recognize when cravings present themselves, and you will automatically be reminded of the nature of these cravings. When reading a question on an exam, you will recall the answer according to what you associated the topic with while studying. Simply by taking the effort every night to associate cravings with the idea that they are only a manifestation of the mind, you will automatically recall this information when you experience a craving.

Once you have successfully adopted the realization of the nature of cravings, you then will begin to view food as nourishment, and not a pleasure experience. This may sound to some like a horrible way to live, but you will still be able to appreciate the taste of foods you enjoy. The difference is that you are now able to make a conscious decision of eating foods which will best nourish your body, you are in control. Now that you are in control, the next step is to find out which foods are nourishing, and of those foods, which you actually enjoy. There are far more healthy foods to select from than what you see at the salad bar, so do not let the prospect of eating salads the rest of your life discourage you. The process of learning about nutrition may not seem incredibly exciting, but realize this is an important step in being able to give your body what it needs. I can not tell you what foods will personally be your best options for dieting, rather I suggest making a list of foods which you discover to be nutritious, and make a trip to your local grocery store so you can find out which of these foods you actually enjoy. Once you discover which healthy foods it is realistic for you to eat on a regular basis, dieting does not become such a daunting task.

The last step to successful weight loss is perhaps the most dreaded topic, exercising. Sophomore year of high school I was about five and a half feet tall and weighed roughly 240 pounds. I know how physically exhausting it is for someone of this stature to even attempt any strenuous activities. Not only is it exhausting, but the excessive strain put on joints can also cause problems for those who are overweight. To circumvent this problem, I waited until I had lost a decent amount of weight before I even attempted exercising. By dieting alone, I was able to go from 240 pounds to 190 pounds within three months. Once I had lost the 50 pounds, I was then able to exercise without causing my body excessive strain. It may be hard to imagine, but I actually began to enjoy my morning runs I would go on. I found the new mobility I had gained to be quite rewarding. Whereas I had once struggled to understand how anyone could enjoy running, I now found a certain solitude and peace of mind in the activity. Knowing that I, and I alone had consciously choose to better myself physically, while at the same time gaining control over areas I once had problems controlling is the most satisfying feeling I have ever experienced.

I strongly hope that my experience may be of use to others who are facing weight issues. Remember to focus within yourself first, this is the most important step which you do not often hear about. No matter how bizarre it may seem to tell yourself cravings do not exist, without using this technique I would most likely still weigh 240 pounds instead of 170 pounds. The first three days of adopting a new diet into your life are going to be the most painful. As your body turns from burning your daily calories you consume to your fat reserves, your cravings will be the most intense. Just remember the longer you stay true to your diet, the more you are taking over control of your body from your cravings. After managing to switch your body into fat burning mode, you will suddenly find yourself exploding with energy. By storing fat, your body is storing energy which can be used later when needed. The fat contained in your body is essentially a giant energy source just waiting to be tapped into. I personally found myself sleeping 7 or 8 hours a night and feeling fully rested, whereas prior to losing weight I had been sleeping 10 or more hours a night and would always wake up feeling extremely tired in the morning. Another unexpected aspect of maintaining a healthy and nourishing diet which I did not expect was the increase in mental clarity I experienced. I had lost the majority of my weight during the course of a summer, and the following school year proved to be my strongest year academically.

If you are lost when it comes to successful weight loss, I highly recommend trying this strategy. The most difficult aspect associated with losing weight is the cravings which attempt to control your daily lifestyle. Imagine suddenly not having those cravings which plague your daily experience, dieting would then become quite easy. Take the battle of dieting to the root cause of excessive eating, your mind. I am writing this article because I believe this is the most useful weight loss solution one can use, and if I can help just one person experience the satisfaction and pleasure of gaining control of their mind and body, I will know I have truly made a deep and lasting impact on someone's life. I believe the realization of being able to control cravings is the most motivating experience one can have. I have told you the key to weight loss and did not charge you a dime for it because I know the feeling of being in a situation you feel as if you can not control. I know the daily experience of living in a society which frowns upon being overweight and the frustration of not being able to wear 'normal' clothes. Realize the power you possess in your own mind, and begin to harness this immense power as a key to successful weight loss.