How to Lose Weight in 3 Weeks - The Link Between Imagination and Weight Loss

This may be one of the odder research studies looking at new techniques for effectively losing weight. The study was conducted by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. The researchers discovered that when one intensely imagines eating a specific food, the craving for that food reduces the body's appetite level for it.

Although this seems counterintuitive, the researchers found that the trick is to not stop at visualizing the food, but also to imagine actually seeing it, smelling it and then eating it. Using this trick could be one of the great free techniques that can help speed weight loss and reduced the desire for fattening foods.

The study took three groups of volunteers who imagined doing different repetitive activities. The control group visualized sticking 33 coins into the slot on a washing machine. A second group visualized inserting 30 coins and eating three M&Ms, while the third group visualized inserting three coins into the washing machine and eating 30 M&Ms.

After their sessions visualizing the repetitive activities, all the participants were offered a bowl of M&Ms. The group that spent their prior time visualizing eating 30 M&Ms consistently ate fewer of the tempting candies than the other groups.

What the researchers found was a very specific response triggered only by thinking about eating one specific food, over and over again did the trick. Scientifically, this process is called habituation. It doesn't work if you just think about the food or think about eating a variety of foods. This only works if you repeatedly think about eating one certain kind of food.

There is hope that this tool can be used to decrease cravings for high-calorie foods that can derail the best diet plans. If potato chips are your downfall, try intensely visualizing eating one after another after another and see for yourself if this helps reduce your cravings. If you are trying to drop those ten or twenty pounds, this may just be the trick you need! Remember, don't just think about potato chips; actually visualize eating them one by one, over and over.

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