FIGHTING HOMEOSTASIS

By Nancy Georges C.Ht

Everybody knows that the body loves homeostasis.  Homeostasis is also known as a set point.  It loves to maintain a certain temperature, a certain weight, a certain level of body water and other physiological elements.  We all know this, we use this to battle fat loss by getting the body to respond by mixing things up, increasing and decreasing calories from day to day, doing interval training as well as mixing up our workouts every four weeks or so. 

Well, in addition to the body loving homeostasis, the mind loves it as well.  Hmmm, this should be interesting, whatever do you mean Nancy?  Well, let me explain.  For the most part, we carry with us the same personality, the same character traits, the same tendencies, and behaviors as well.  For the most part, our behaviors, beliefs, attitudes and ways of life are also in homeostasis. We are pretty predicable in our behaviors.  So what does this mean? This means that we cannot say in our mind one time “I want to lose 10 pounds” and magically it will happen.  We have to put consistent effort into making this a reality.  That is why you hear so many people belly aching about their diets not working or their exercise program not working, it is not that it does not work; it is simply that the program was not given enough time. 

I have seen many diet programs, online and otherwise, I have seen many training programs as well.  The reality is they pretty much ALL work, if you stick to it.  Now I have to admit some theories are better than others, and my opinion about healthy eating is very different from the next person’s.  Our own personal goals will determine what type of program we seek out and manifest into our lives.  I am very grateful for all the different types of programs out there, because there are as many different types of programs as there are different types of people and most nutrition and exercise experts know the basic fundamental truths to exercise and nutrition, so the reality is, they should all in effect, work.  So the bummer for those of us that are seeking change, it that it is not up to the fitness professional, it is up to us.  I know, it sucks doesn’t it?  We are in fact responsible for our own behaviors and we are responsible for our own thoughts and if a program does not work, it is no-ones fault but our own. Now a nutrition or fitness expert can certainly help facilitate change, and that is a very key word, facilitate, but ultimately we are in charge of keeping the dream alive, and moving above and beyond our current homeostasis to new and better levels.

So before I continue, I have a question for you.  Are you ready to move above and beyond your current fitness level?  Are you ready to dedicate with 100% commitment and passion to achieving this new objective? Are you ready to drop the excuses and start making the things you want, actually happen for yourself in your life? Yes? Are you sure? Ok, then read on to the 5 steps for breaking free from mental as well as physical homeostasis.

5 STEPS FOR BREAKING FREE FROM HOMEOSTASIS

1. Awareness of Homeostasis: The first step is to be aware of our mental homeostasis, as well as physical homeostasis. Any change that is suggested to the mind is going to be met with violent opposition.  Becoming aware of this truth makes it easy then for us to actually make change happen in our lives.  Instead of becoming frustrated after 4 minutes of making a decision, realize it is going to take time to integrate your new beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes.  Be patient with yourself.

2. Make A Decision on a New Behavior:  Ok this seems really easy, but in fact for the most part most of us decide we are going to start working out, eat completely healthy, stop smoking, stop drinking, stop cussing, and anything else we can throw in the mix.  Here is my suggestion, when I am working with clients either online or in person, I always start with the most important part first.  I always get them either exercising correctly or eating correctly, I never try to do both at once.  We will tackle these challenges one at a time.  The funny thing is, once you start working out, you just naturally want to eat better, and once you are eating better you will want to start to workout.  Save the stopping smoking for another day, because you will naturally want to do that as well. Create a goal for yourself.  Of course write it down. No really, write it down now… I’ll wait.  Now you will begin to create new mental activates that will push you towards this goal.
   
   
3. Create New Mental Activities: Whenever I want to make a change, I send a message to my subconscious mind, a symbol if you will of my intention to make a change. That symbol comes in the form of some actual mental activity that represents my intended change.  There is a big difference between wishing and wanting to change and actually making a change happen, that difference comes in the form of action.  We must take actions in order to over ride our current homeostasis and create a new “set point” When we are not yet ready in the physical realm to achieve our objectives we can achieve them in our mental world.  This is the reason I tell my hypnosis clients to listen to hypnosis EVERY night.  To create this new mental reality that will just blast itself very easily into the physical reality, if practiced on a daily basis.  So here is what you do, create some sort of daily mental ritual for yourself, that is a symbol to your subconscious mind of your intention to create new behaviors and make change. You can make an audio session of affirmations, you can write down affirmations and read them out loud, you can practice for 3 minutes a night mental imagery of your goal.  You can light a candle every night and say out loud, “I intend…..” and fill in the blank.  Whatever the activity is not as important as the ritual of it and you state in your mind your intention to achieve what you have written down in step 2.
   
   
4. Create New Physical Activities: Now it is time to bring your metal world into the physical world.  Begin to incorporate your ideas and mental activities into the real world.  Create a system of consistency that will allow you to create a new “set point” This in part will automatically happen when you start to practice your mental exercises; you will receive inspired ideas from your unconscious mind of new actions to take.  Listen to that part of you, this is very important for you following through and breaking free from homeostasis.
   
   
5. Persist With Passion: Never, never, never, give up.  It always amazes me our mental mind set when we have a bad day or “fall of the wagon” so to speak, we miss a workout or our eating is not so good that day, and then the attitude is like, oh screw it, I give up, I am just not going to do a new program at all.  Understand this is just your body fighting to get back to homeostasis.  You have a few good days of eating, some AWESOME workouts and your body says, hey wait a minute, we haven’t had enough couch time this week.  Or what about our weekly dosage of potato chips?  Your body and your mind will fight you, and that is why at first you MUST fight back.  It is like taming the tiger. 
   
   

I could repeat number 5 to be also number 6, 7, 8, and 9.  It is really that important. Nothing important or of value was ever achieved easily.  Now you can make it an easy process, but commitment and dedication MUST be present for you to be successful.  That commitment and dedication, starts in the mind.  Increase your mental game, and your body will follow pursuit.

Wishing you health and happiness,

www.nancygeorges.net

About The Author:

Nancy Georges runs a private hypnotherapy practice in Glendale, California. She also offers one on one Personal Training and Life Coaching. Nancy is a Certified Lifestyle Fitness Coach, Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach, Certified Hypnotherapist, Certified Sports Hypnotist and Certified NLP Practitioner. She is dedicated to the mind and body as one unit and treats her mind with as much respect as her body. Nancy is a former Ms. Fitness USA Champion and currently an active National level figure competitor.

Nancy's newest addition to helping mainstream America put the FUN back into fitness and to achieve their fitness goals easily and effortlessly is her new hypnosis audio program: The Fitness Excellence™ Hypnosis Series Nancy uses a combination of elegant light hearted metaphors combined with direct suggestion to easily and effortlessly facilitate change at the unconscious level. Nancy is also the author of Crossing The Line- Discovering Your True Fitness Potential, Her original audio program.