Your brain is a powerful tool – it can even make you look better naked.
Staying in shape is just as much about focusing on the brain as it is about exercising and eating well. The brain controls everything the body does, but is reliant on the health of the body.
The brain plays several roles when it comes to staying in shape:
Motivation
This is completely controlled by the brain and is dependent on the chemical dopamine. The biggest mistake people make when trying to get into shape is that they rely on motivation, which waxes and wanes. The real key is to create a new habit, rather than relying on motivation.
The key to this, as far as the brain is concerned, is to develop rituals. When we repeat something enough, it becomes a habit. The reason it does so is that the neural wiring for this activity moves to a part of the brain called the basal ganglia, which is where our habits are stored.
Hence, one of the keys to long-term change is to develop rituals that are sacrosanct. This means you do them repeatedly, on a regular basis. Recent research has shown that if we repeat something at the same time every day then it is much easier to form a habit. Simply put, the brain loves routine.
Willpower
There has been a lot of recent research on the subject of willpower, and all say this it is utterly reliant on glucose. Using MRI scanning, researchers have shown that when your blood glucose level is low, your ability to control your impulses is greatly diminished.
This is one of the primary reasons why dieting fails. Carbohydrates are the nutrient that is mostly restricted these days and, paradoxically, this contributes to low blood glucose levels, which reduces people’s ability to stay on track.
Bottom line
If you want to have a sexier figure, enlist the help of your brain, develop rituals you can stick to and eat a diet that has moderate amounts of unprocessed carbohydrates.
