The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want. ~ Ben Stein

Have you ever made a decision that quite literally changed your life?

A while back, I had a conversation with one of my clients in regards to a decision she made that changed her life in less than 6 months. The decision was quite simple really. It was whether or not to take a call from a business coach.

That one decision was monumental, however, because it said to the Universe that she was ready to invest in herself.

It got me thinking. What impact does making a decision really make in our lives? Are there steps to the decision making process?

Over the years, I have found there are basically 6 steps involved in the system of making a decision:

Step 1: Define the challenge – This is all about clarity. You have to get clear and know the outcome you want the decision to work its way toward.

I want to be in a size 4.

Step 2: Do the research – Sometimes this requires out-of-the-box thinking. Search for alternatives to getting to the outcome you want. The obvious choices aren’t always the most beneficial for you. Set up criteria that will enable to get you the results you want.

There are a ton of weight loss programs out there. My criteria is fast, healthy and life changing. Inch loss is more important than scale losses.

Step 3: Evaluate the alternatives – This is probably the most important part of the decision making process. You need to evaluate all the alternatives that you find in the research stage to determine what fits your criteria.

I found that hCG gets it off fast, has healthy results, and has a tendency to work on inch losses more than scale losses.

Step 4: Make the decision – After all of your research and evaluations of the alternatives, the time comes to make a conclusion.

I am going to do the hCG Protocol.

Step 5: Just Do It – Making the decision means absolutely nothing if you don’t implement. So take Nike’s advice and JUST DO IT!!! It’s important at this stage that everyone involved in the implementation of your decision knows the implication of your decision.

I am deciding to do the hCG Protocol so I need to ensure my partner/family/workmates know that things will be a bit different.

Step 6: Review – As your decision is being implemented, you need to constantly monitor how it is going in relation to the results you want. Are there new decisions to make?

How am I doing? Am I losing the weight in the time parameters I set? Am I losing the inches that I want? Do I need to take a break?

These 6 steps might seem like a lot of work for decisions that need to be made in a hurry. But with practice, you will find you go through the steps effortlessly and quickly.

The payoff comes when you conquer the challenge you set yourself in step one.

When you begin the Protocol, you will spend a lot of time thinking about dieting. In fact, I bet you will think about the Protocol all day long. Some of you may even dream about it.

And that’s ok. When something is new, it’s normal to want to learn about it so you can do your best.

But, one of our goals in the program is to put your focus beyond just the weight loss. In truth, we believe that maintenance is the true goal. And to successfully reach that goal, we have found that focusing on more than dieting and food is important. You need to focus on creating positive mental health.

It is not enough to just lose weight. A large factor in getting to and maintaining your goal is having a good frame of mind. I propose that Protocol is 5 percent diet, and the other 95 percent is a positive mental state. That proposition changes your perspective about what’s most important, huh?

If what you think about has such an important role in your success, then you need to know what you can do to create positive mental health.

Below are some tips to help you accentuate the positive:

Talk About It

If you’re dealing with challenges, one of the simplest things you can do is to find someone to talk to. Sometimes just the act of putting into words what you are feeling will help you think more clearly about a situation. Talking can give you a fresh perspective on what is truly making you feel bad.

Write it Down

Journaling is a powerful tool. Studies have shown that journaling provides significant benefits to a person’s psychological well-being, as well as their physical health and physiological functioning. Researchers have shown that people who journal report significantly less distress, feel less depressed, and are overall in a better mood.

MOVE Your Body

Now, I am not talking about spending hours at the gym or spending day after day with an exercise routine. What I mean is spend a little time every day doing some form of physical activity. You will feel better IMMEDIATELY through the release of endorphins and other chemicals into our body.

For example, take a brisk walk, 30 minutes every other day.

Rest

Sleep is instrumental in your weight control journey. In fact, sleep is where the chemicals that control your appetite and satiation are released. Lack of sleep causes leptin levels to go down (making it harder to feel full after a meal), and then it causes gherlin levels to rise (which stimulates your appetite). Above all else, adequate sleep seems to be the key ingredient to weight control.

Change your surroundings

It is easy to sit and “stew” when you are feeling anxious or depressed. Something as simple as getting out of that environment can clear your head, improve your mood and make it easier for you to clearly see those negative thoughts for what they are: untruths, limiting beliefs and emotional blocks that do not serve you.

Change Your Thinking

There was a movie awhile back that spoke about how Thoughts Become Things. Every thought, negative or positive, becomes part of your reality. If you simply change your thought process, you can change the outcome.

Just Three Things

When you learn something new, you get excited about it. You might even believe that if you could just do it ALL then everything will all fall into place, instantly. More often than not, that way of thinking is a set up for failure. Instead, try taking baby steps.

Try this: Take some paper and pen to your bedside. Before you fall asleep, write down three good things that happened to you during the day. Did something make you smile? Find three. Write them down. By the end of the week, review your list. You might be amazed at how much good is in your life.

Get Creative

Find a new hobby or learn a new skill. Try a craft like crochet or knitting. Try drawing, painting, playing an instrument, golfing … the list is limitless.

Give

When you help someone else, it makes you feel good. There is so much you can do to help others: You can feed and clothe the poor; build houses; visit the elderly; read to children in hospitals; or become Big Brother or Big Sister to kids who need good role models.

So there it is. I’ve offered you nine tips to help you create positive mental health.

Now, it’s YOUR turn. Your mission this week is to come up with one more tip. Put your thinking caps on and create your own positive mental health by listing your favorite tip toward achieving positive mental health.

For some of you that are new to the hCG Protocol, Phase 3 scares the LIFE out of you! No need to be scared. Just like with P2, preparation is the key – these tips will help you focus on your needs to your upcoming break. Make the most of it!

Tip #1 – Remember Your Body is Different Now

Every Phase 3 is different. Just because you did very well on one break does not mean that you will do very well on a subsequent one. Just a 5 – 10% loss of total body weight will create a completely different chemistry in your body, and foods that were tolerable one break might not be the next. Also, be aware of any medications you might be taking and how the difference in your body weight might call for a different dosage, please check with your Doctor.

Tip #2 – Learn the Lingo

Learn terms that are necessary for your health and well-being for the rest of your life. Find out what BMR and BMI are. Figure out what macro nutrients are (Proteins, Carbohydrates and Fats). Understand the effect your lifestyle has on the calorie requirements of your body. Understand that by eating less than your BMR you are in danger of putting your body into Starvation Mode and that means weight gain. Learn what supplements are necessary and at what dosages. Take some time to learn the terms that are essential for your health.

Tip #3 – Start P3 Slowly

This cannot be stressed enough. After a short or long round, all you can think about is devouring the foods that you have been missing. Do not fall into this trap. Start your P3 very slowly – the recommendation for the first couple of days is to concentrate on P2 foods, add a bit more protein, mix your veggies and add fats (keep the recommended 2 fruits a day but add variety). Fats include things like butter, full fat creams (including sour cream), yogurt, oils and avocados.

Tip #4 – Track Your Progress

Data is very important. Keeping a food journal (whether online or offline) is essential to your maintaining your weight loss. This will not be forever, but the first week is crucial to you knowing what portions look like and what combination works for you. As time goes on I highly recommend you at least keep a basic food diary of what you eat in a given day, along with your weight, the change from the previous day and how you’re feeling in a few short words. Believe me when I say this will be invaluable to your success.

Tip #5 – Take Action Immediately

As soon as you gain 2 pounds over your LIW, take care of it. Don’t be lazy. Don’t make excuses. Just take care of it. Procrastination is your ENEMY. Diligence is your FRIEND. It is what Dr. Simeons advocated and he was right. Look into the different ways of doing “Correction Days.”

Tip #6 – Rethink Your Needs

The US in particular is focused in on too much protein. Retrain your head to start thinking higher fat, lower protein and low carbohydrates. Healthy and REAL fats satiate you and pack a caloric punch and enable you to reach your caloric needs without bulk. Our meat proteins should only be around 4 ounces per meal – roughly the size of a deck of cards. Then concentrate on veggies for bulk. And stick to the lower glycemic fruits and only two per day until you have stabilized.

Tip #7 – Move Your Body and Mind

Both your body AND mind need to be active to maintain weight loss. You already know the importance of getting your body to move. However, did you know that since your brain is the most metabolically active part of you that it can contribute to you maintaining your weight loss as well? For instance, did you know that although your brain only constitutes about 2% of your total body weight, it uses almost 20% of your body fuel? Your brain is the most metabolically active part of you. The more you work it, the more energy it burns. That is energy and fuel that your body doesn’t get the chance to store as fat. So get busy in doing Sudoku, cross word puzzles, chess or whatever makes you happy and excited, and then change it up periodically.

Tip #8 – Check for Food Intolerance

Most people feel that food allergies only show up as rashes, sneezing, clogged sinuses or other classic allergy symptoms. Sensitivity to a food can also show itself as an inflammatory response, where your body retains water and can result in a massive gain. If left unchecked, this can lead to regaining the weight you just worked so hard to lose. In addition, poor digestion is another symptom of food intolerance and makes your body think it is not getting enough nourishment. In response, your body will go into starvation mode (famine) even though you are eating a lot of food. Your body is simply not absorbing nutrients due to the inflammatory response to a food sensitivity.

Tip #9 – Stay Accountable

Build a support system, whether online or offline and then use it daily. Do not ever get into the mindset that you can do it yourself. Food is an addiction and like any other addiction we need a support system to make it through each and every day. Join BootCamp, join Overeaters Anonymous, join SparkPeople, hire a coach, or tell your best friend, whatever it is, do it and use it.