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#1
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Your Metabolism
There is evidence that the rate of your metabolism is variable. One
thing that can actually slow your metabolism is dieting. Restricting caloric intake can cause your body to shift into an energy-conserving mode, because the body recognizes such a situation as one of famine, a situation in which conserving energy is vital to survival. For this reason, you may not have one precise level of caloric intake that maintains your weight. Perhaps you have cut 500 calories a day from what was previously your maintenance level caloric intake, and not lost a pound, especially if you did not simultaneously increase your level of exercise. Many dieters have seen this effect. Your metabolic rate is variable within some range. However, just as dieting can slow your rate of metabolism, there is something that you can do to speed it up, and you can do this consciously. This is an unusual posting for this newsgroup, but this is information that I am guided to share with you. What I want to share with you is that you can consciously influence the rate of your body's metabolism. I am not selling any product, and this technique does not require you to buy anything, eat any particular foods, or abstain from anything other certain ways of thinking. This technique only requires a change in the way you think about, relate to, and interact with your body. Feel free to accept any part of that which follows. Feel equally free to reject any or all parts. Use whatever serves you, knowing that no one things works for all people. Many people will probably scoff at these ideas, but that is okay and that is appropriate. If what follows helps even a few, the effort will be well worthwhile. Let me make it clear what I am telling you. You can speed up your metabolism. You can do this! And it doesn't require you to buy anything. I have no agenda in passing this information to you, other than my desire to help others who struggle with control of body weight, and the associated undeserved negative self-image. There is a deep spiritual component to this truth (but there is no religious component). We are spiritual beings, and the truth that I share with you is related to the same truth that allows yogi masters to brilliantly control their bodies in quite dramatic ways. Perhaps you have seen film of Eastern mystics who can slow their rates of breathing and pulse to the extent that they register as barely alive. You have perhaps seen the yogi who can coil himself up into a sealed one-meter cube plexiglass box, and slow his breathing and respiration enough to allow himself to remain cramped in the box for hours, without ill effect. Well, it is a degree of the same control that these masters exhibit that can allow you to affect your own metabolism. You have this ability (that is, not to easily duplicate the feats of these yogi masters, but to perform the simpler task of influencing the rate of your metabolism). You do have this ability, whether you choose to accept it or not. Now, please bear with me, for this all takes some explanation. (You can do it without the explanation, but most people in our culture really need to at least partially understand the mechanics or how/why of a process in order to accept it.) You are a three-part being. Your three parts are body, mind, and spirit. However, contrary to what most people think, your mind is not located in your brain. Your mind is really distributed throughout your entire body. Your mind is distributed through your muscles, your skin, your internal organs and every cell of your body, in addition to your brain. The cells of your body are each alive, each is a repository of your spirit, and each has a certain degree of consciousness. (This part might be hard for you to believe, but it is, never-the-less, true.) The physical you is the entire collection of cells that comprise the body-part of YOU that exists as a physical/spiritual being. Your cells know that they are you. Your cells know that they are part of the whole. Collectively, they know why they exist, and they know of you, and they know of your identity. Your cells are immediately aware of your problems, fears, hopes and dreams. Your cells respond to your thoughts. Your cells respond to your vocalizations. Your cells respond to your fears and act upon your state of "mind". This is why stress can make you sick. Have you ever heard people complain that when they are nervous, or under stress, that their skin might break out, or that they lose their appetite, or that their resistance to disease is lowered? These are real effects, and they happen because of this truth that your body responds to, and reflects, your state of mind. Conversely, you have seen people in the throws of a new passionate love experience who seem to glow and radiate happiness and health. This is a manifestation of the same truth that your state of mind is reflected in your body. Now, what I am here to tell you is that you can tap into this same truth for the purpose of temporarily (or permanently, if that is in your best interest) speeding your metabolism in order to help you lose weight, and keep excess weight off. Now, exactly how do you do this? In simple summary, you do it by just talking to your body, out loud. There are several important underlying steps that you might take in order to enhance the process, but it really is as simple as just talking to your cells, talking to your own body, out loud on a regular basis. I choose to do it while I'm in the shower, as a private time when I can talk to my body without worry about what other people might hear and think. (Some reading this are already judging me as loony for suggesting such "silliness.") I regularly speak to my cells and my body about several aspect of my health (which is excellent), but when I was working on losing weight, here is exactly what I spoke aloud, "WE choose that the metabolism of our body is increased to the highest possible rate that is consistent with good health, and WE choose that our metabolism will stay at this high rate until all of this excess fat around our stomach is reabsorbed and gone." If you speak such a sentence aloud, often enough, it will have an affect on your metabolism. Anything you speak and hear enough times WILL change your consciousness, and changing your consciousness will affect your biological process. However, if you would like the result to be quicker and more effective, there are some underlying actions that will enhance the effect. Now, about those important underlying actions, there is really only one, but that one can be facilitated, or affected, in many ways. That one action is to cultivate a deep and loving relationship with your own body. Many people have no relationship at all with their bodies. Many of those who do have some relationship with their bodies do not have a relationship with it that resembles anything like love. You can move toward a loving relationship with your body through the three following underlying processes (as just one way to describe a complex dynamic): 1. Develop an awareness of your body. 2. Make a conscious connection with your body 3. Love your body. Developing an awareness of your body: An example of one way to do this is to lie on your bed, relax and take a few slow, deep breaths. (Yes, this is going to be kind of like a meditation, but you can do it.) Relax and let go of you worries and problems for a few minutes. Now, lightly put your attention on your body, while remaining relaxed. Relax INTO your body and put your attention into it. Put your attention on any part of your body that comes to "mind". Maybe on your feet. Maybe on your legs. Maybe on your hands. Maybe on your heart. At this point it doesn't really matter where in your body you put your attention, for any attention will be positive. How does your body feel? Where do you feel pressure from the bed? Connect with your skin. Is it cold? Is it warm? Put attention to your nose. What does your nose smell? Be aware of your ears. What do your ears hear? Continue this process for as long as it feels comfortable and repeat it as often as you feel inclined. You can practice being aware of your body at any time through your day. You can do it while driving the car or during class. Just place a portion of your conscious attention to feeling your body and being aware of it. Making a conscious connection with your body: Making a conscious connection to your body is similar to developing your awareness of it, with subtle differences. Making a connection with your body involves coming to know, at a deep level, that every cell of your body is part of YOU. Notice in the sentence above where I speak about my metabolism, I used the pronoun "we" rather than "I." This is intentional and it is important. The "we" is an acknowledgement of the partnership that all of my cells have with the whole that is "me." The "we" statement is a recognition, and it is a showing of respect. Making a conscious connection with your body is also largely a matter of how you think of your body. Stop thinking of your body a separate from your mind. Stop thinking of your mind as being located in your brain. (We mostly think this because of the images our eyes compose seem to be projected behind the eyes, where the brain is located.) As you go through the day, you deepen your connection to your body by renewing your awareness of it. Know that every part is equally important. Know that your arm is no less important than your heart, for both your arm and your heart know that the other is important, and they each have great respect for the role of the other. Each of the cells of your body is a part of the ONE that is you. YOU are one cell. Loving your body: Beginning to love your body is an outgrowth of the two steps above, but it is very important. Loving our bodies perhaps does not come naturally to those of us who feel that our appearance does not measure up to the ideal standards of our culture. But loving your body is what your body deserves, and it is what you deserve. The idealized physical appearance standards of our culture do not determine your worth. You can love your body because it is a biological miracle. You can love your body because it works so endlessly to support your mind and your spirit. You can love your body because it really is a temple, for in addition to your mind being found within every cell, God is found within every cell of your body. (It is perhaps risky to bring the "G" word into this posting, for that will alienate some people, but truth is truth, and it is a great, grand truth that God is within each one of us.) When you lie on the bed, close your eyes, put your awareness on your body, smile with your heart, and greet every part of your body with love and appreciation. Smile with your heart, and greet the presence of God within your cells. (If you are fortunate you might actually become aware of the presence of God.) Feel the warmth of your arms, the warmth of your legs, the warmth of your heart, and feel the warmth with which the spiritual part of you loves the biological part of you. Make the choice to give your body the love that it deserves. Make the choice and have the intent. Your intent is very powerful. As you practice the above three steps, and cultivate a deep and loving relationship with your own body, several things will happen. Your health will improve. You will find more inner peace. And you will come to realize that your body DOES, and is willing, to respond to your conscious will. As you come to feel a connection to your body, you will also come to realize that your body feels a connection to the mind and spirit parts of you. (Your body actually feels this now, but the mental you is not aware of it.) As you come to realize that your body responds to your will, responds to your choices, and responds to your state of mind, you will come to realize that you do have power to influence processes within your body that are normally thought of as being out of reach of your mind. (Remember, this is the way the yogi master can slow his heartbeat to the point of seeming to be near death. This is the way the yogi master can sit on the side of a snowy mountain, in freezing weather, wrapped in only a cold, wet towel, and dry the moisture out of the towel with his body heat.) At the same time you are practicing all of the above (except for the wet-towel-in-the-snow trick), say out loud, every day, "WE choose that the metabolism of our body is increased to the highest possible rate that is consistent with good health, and WE choose that our metabolism will stay at this high rate until . . . (insert your own weight loss goal.)" Make the choice. Speak your choice. Speak your intent. For your intent is very powerful. Increasing your metabolism is one of the body processes that you really can influence. I do not suggest that this alone can solve an overweight problem, but it is a useful and powerful adjunct to your diet and exercise regime. Speeding your metabolism can make those diet and exercise efforts more effective. I did this myself, and saw my rate of weight loss increase from two pounds a week to four pounds a week. It was sure a lot more satisfying to see myself losing four pounds a week than it was to struggle to lose one and one-half or two pounds a week. Can I guarantee that this will work for you? Of course not. Can I show you proof? Of course not. But what do you have to lose? (No pun intended.) And, developing a loving relationship with your body, cultivating your body awareness, has many other potentially profound benefits that I haven't touched upon here. The workings of all of this are a deep and complex topic. If you want to know any more about this truth, feel free to write me privately. Just remove the letters "nospam" from my indicated email address. I would appreciate hearing of your experiences. I send you my warmest regards, and wish you great success. John |
#3
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Your Metabolism
I lost 50 pounds in 8 months. I managed to trick my body by cutting out 90%
of my simple sugars and "being good" Monday-Saturday (using www.fitday.com to stay at about 100 cal under basal). I looked at fat, calories, and sugar on labels, but didn't really consider the carbs. After church on Sunday I'd eat whatever I wanted at whatever restaurant we went to (usually a buffet). That was my one "bad" *meal* a week (not one bad *day*--never took home the leftovers). I never skipped the sugary desserts at the buffets either. I think there's some diet book that calls this a "reward meal," but I don't remember which one. My body never figured out I was "dieting," and I didn't feel deprived. It was the first time I lost so much weight without a plateau and without additional exercise. With all the splenda/no-sugar products, I could make muffins, sugar-free-FF cheese cake, etc for during the week (I like dessert even after breakfast.... bad sweet tooth). Lucy For this reason, you may not have one precise level of caloric intake that maintains your weight. Perhaps you have cut 500 calories a day from what was previously your maintenance level caloric intake, and not lost a pound, especially if you did not simultaneously increase your level of exercise. Many dieters have seen this effect. |
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