Losing weight is a slow process, and over time it's easy to lose sight of what you're working towards and the reality of success starts to be something distant and detached. When this happens to me it always means a major snag in my diet routine, workout routine, or both. To keep the ultimate goal fresh in your mind, and avoid those nasty pitfalls, try visualization. Visualization, or positive imaging, is the idea of "daydreaming" enough about your slimmer self goal that eventually the new body image gets transferred to your subconscious mind. And it's common knowledge just how powerful the subconscious mind is -- it's in charge of all your habits, good and bad, and also regulates your fat/muscle ratio and your body's overall composition. Making a change in this "control center" is said to be a very powerful tool.

How to do it: Relaxation is the first step. Get comfortable, but be careful not to get so comfy you might doze off (the goal is daydreams that you can control, not any-old dream while sleeping!). Next breathe in slowly, through your nose, for 10 seconds. Hold the breath for 10 more seconds, and then slowly exhale over 10 seconds. Repeat this breathing cycle five times, feeling more and more relaxed each time. Stare directly to the front, and then slowly close your eyes. You should now feel completely relaxed.

Start picturing positive images of yourself, in specific situations. The article suggests imagining going to the beach, and feeling confident and attractive in a new swimsuit. Or maybe picturing a family gathering where you're getting a lot of compliments from the people who know you best. Whatever sounds like the best possible scenario, that's what mental image you should create and focus on.

This makes total sense to me -- I'm always most diligent and successful about following my diet and fitness routines when I'm newly inspired. And whether you follow this process or another way, I think that focusing on positive images instead of always thinking about the negatives can be very inspiring!