Here are some visualizations for keeping you on track and keeping you feeling good about the healthy choices you are making.

I find that it helps to concentrate on how good I feel in these visualizations (as you will see in the descriptions).  This way I am associating a good feeling with a healthy choice.

1. You have reached all the goals for your body.  You are at a party, talking with a friend of yours.  You are dressed to the nines: your hair is coiffed and your outfit is immaculate.  Your outfit shows off the new shape you have worked so hard to achieve.  You are presented with a tray of your very favorite appetizers.  But you’ve already eaten, and you don’t need these excess calories.  You kindly refuse the appetizer.  By taking this action, you feel empowered.  Your self-esteem rises because of your discipline.  You smile because you inwardly know how well you are doing at maintaining your new healthy, beautiful body.  You feel at peace with yourself, with your body, and with your new lifestyle.  You feel empowered by your ability make choices that help you to maintain the new healthy life you are leading.

2. You are on an outdoor excursion, doing your favorite activity.  You have obtained the goal weight you have set for yourself.  You are with a friend, and you both are sweating at the exertion.  As you continue your activity, you look down at your legs.  They are strong and powerful, toned and they easily make the motions you demand of them.  You feel the sun on your face and you feel satisfied with your body, with how far you’ve come and at how well you’ve done at keeping your new shape.  You can feel your tight abdomen, holding your back up straight, and allowing you to do what you love.  You love being active, it makes you feel happy, in tune with yourself and accomplished.  You are productive in your workout, making the most of your time by socializing and exercising.  You feel exilerated at how easy this activity is for you, now that you are fit.  You press on, feeling empowered and strong.

3. You are out to eat.  You are with a group of friends you haven’t seen in a long time.  They have all complimented you on how great you look now that you’ve accomplished your goal.  You laugh and chat for a few minutes with your friends.  Soon the waitress comes over to take your order.  You choose a salad with low fat dressing, and you are very proud of your choice.  You know that by choosing a healthy option you are helping your body to maintain your new healthy physique.  You are aware at how good it makes you feel to eat foods which are good for you.  You feel empowered, strong and pleased with yourself.  You smile, and you beam a healthy radiance that only comes from taking care of yourself in the way you’ve been doing for so long.

Here is another set of visualizations, focused on food choices.  Personally, I find the visualizations most useful in associating good feelings with being healthy.  As an emotional eater, it is hard to not associate comfort foods with feeling good.  So I am trying to reteach my brain, slowly, over time.  When I’ve had a hard day, instead of a “treat” for myself being Macaroni and Cheese, the treat should be salad.  Because salad is a way of treating your body well.  Emotional eaters can benefit from another kind of visualization, in which they associate negative emotions with foods that they are trying to avoid, and positive emotions with healthy foods they are eating instead. 

Picture gooey, yummy, warm macaroni and cheese (or a vivid picture of your favorite food).  Picture yourself eating this yummy food and what its mouth feel is, how it slips over your tongue and down your throat.  Now picture your arteries getting clogged by this food.  Picture yourself lying lethargic on your couch, feeling tired and depressed because you ate that horrible food.  Imagine yourself putting on sweatpants and looking frumpy because of all that mac & cheese.  Concentrate on how bad that feels.  Concentrate on how it makes you upset and disappointed in yourself.

Make sure that after you do this negative emotion visualization that you do a positive one so you don’t leave yourself in a down state. 

Now picture a crisp, fresh, delicious salad with heart healthy nuts and a light vinaigrette dressing (or a vivid picture of your favorite health food).  Imagine yourself sitting down to a plate of this salad, and enjoying every bite, savoring the different fresh vegetables and enjoying every crunch of the nuts.  Think about this food traveling down your throat and into your stomach.  Imagine it in your intenstines, and being absorbed into your blood stream.  Visualize your cells being excited and happy to recieve all the nutrients from the veggies.  Visualize your heart pumping away healthily, and your free and clear arteries.  Imagine your brain firing more quickly because you’ve fueled your body well.  Concentrate on how great your body feels, how motivating it is to eat good healthy food, how satisfying it is, how proud it makes you feel of your good choices.

Hi Laura,

Great visualizations!  Thanks so much for sharing!

Cheers,
Julie

I love these.  Thanks for sharing!