Thoughts are powerful, they are a reflection of the quality of your life. If you want to make a change in your life, then you first have to change what is being said in your mind. Every single thought causes a reaction in the body. Think about a lemon, imagine biting into a wedge of a ripe lemon and tasting the sour, tangy juice. Notice the salvia forming in your mouth right now? We call this a psycho somatic response. It is when the body reactions to the mind’s thoughts. There have been numerous studies on this topic including the respected field of psychoneuroimmuology. The mind and the body are interdependent, they respond to each other.

What is the difference between a naturally thin person and a chronic dieter? A naturally thin person might have a higher metabolism. Usually not that much higher, observe them around food you will see something else. You will notice that naturally thin people have a different perspective of the role that food plays in their lives. There are limited things you can do to change your biogenetics, but there is an area you have total control over. You are in control of your mind. More precisely you are in control of your thoughts. At any given moment you have thousands of opportunities to think healthy thoughts, do you? Or are you think limiting, disempowering, self defeating thoughts?

I have found as a weight loss coach that the issue in weight management is mind management. Manage how you think and you will manage your weight. What if it is that simple? What if just by changing the way you think you could lose weight? If this statement intrigues you, become curious and ask yourself “how does a naturally thin person think?” There is a recipe for thinking thin, here are patterns that naturally thin people have in common.

One common theme is naturally thin people see themselves in a thin body. They imagine how they will look in an outfit. They also reinforce this by speaking to themselves in positive ways to encourage this image. When you use your imagination, you activate the unconscious mind. It will act on what you think about most. Naturally thin people imagine their clothes sliding on, or being loose. Start to think like a thin person by envisioning yourself looking healthy and fit, then ask yourself “what would it be like to live in this body?” Get excited about

Another distinction is a naturally thin person will only eat when their body indicates it is hungry. They use food to eliminate the hunger pain. Food is a source of fuel, not comfort. Children do this all of the time, they will beg you for food, and then they will take a few bites and announce “I am finished”. Chronic dieters have been brainwashed to think they have to clean their plates. We call this an empty habit. It is a result of repeating the same act until it becomes an unconscious habit. The difference is naturally thin people developed the habit to stop the moment they are satisfied not full. The food on the plate has nothing to do with being finished. Chronic dieters think: “I can’t waste food”. Think like a naturally thin person and say to yourself: “No way, I will feel sick if I eat all of that food”.

Naturally thin people stay thin because their comfort zone in regards to their weight is very close to their ideal weight. If they gain a few pounds a red flag goes up and they cut back until their weight returns to normal. They are aware of their bodies. As you lose weight, change your comfort zone to not exceed it by a few pounds.

Naturally thin people move more than the average person. If you watch them they walk fast, take the stairs, park further. Lifestyle movement adds up quickly. Find opportunities to move.

Weight management is a lifestyle not an event; naturally thin people don’t live to eat, they eat to live. They don’t say “forget it this isn’t working I quit”. They eat foods that give them energy and take away the hungry feeling so they can return to what they were doing before they felt hungry. Take the time to think like a thin person and see how your body changes. It may not be the fastest way to lose weight, but it will last a lifetime.

Rosa Smith-Montanaro is an author and the founder of http://www.MindOverPlatter.com, a virtual weight loss coaching program. Rosa is the 2004 eBusiness executive of the year. Rosa’s book Mind Over Platter ® teaches people how to stop thinking like a chronic dieter and how to think like a naturally thin person. She can be reached MindOverPlatter@aol.com

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