STAYING FIT AND SLIM: SELF-MOTIVATION

Focus on your goals. (This does not mean "Berate yourself because you haven't attained your goals yet.") We've found that it's easiest to institute successful, healthy changes when you simply remind yourself why you're doing it!

Imagine that you're grocery shopping, walking down the frozen-food aisle past stacks and stacks of ice cream cartons in every imaginable flavor. Then you move into the dairy aisle and see all that low-fat yogurt (filled with sugary preserves), and finally, at the very end of the row, you see the cartons of plain nonfat yogurt. But look at all that wonderful sweet stuff!

Stop. This is where we'd like you to take a deep breath and remember what all the fat and sugar you're passing up will do to you if you do indulge. This is the time to make an active, conscious choice - a choice, by the way, that does not have to limit you to plain nonfat yogurt: A tablespoon of Pritikin brand fruit spread or some fresh berries or half a sliced banana will transform your no-fat fare into something every bit as good as the fatty alternatives you've passed by. Give yourself a little pinch around the middle. Remind yourself of what your doctor said at your last visit. That's what "self-motivate" means.

The next time you feel tempted by those chocolate-chip cookies that are just crying out for your attention, take a moment to review the reasons you want to change your diet: to lose weight, lower your cholesterol, reduce hypertension, feel more energetic, look years younger. Remember: You're doing all this for yourself. You're giving yourself a continuing gift no one else can make possible - the gift of good health.

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WEIGHT LOSS/BODY-BUILDING