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If you’ve made the difficult decision to lose weight - congratulations! For most, making a pledge to their own fitness is the most difficult step. But in spite of self-motivation, many people discover they do not know what exercises to incorporate for rapid weight loss.

There are three main forms of exercise: aerobic exercise, such as biking or running; flexibility exercises, like yoga and other forms of stretching; and strength training, like bodybuilding.

Aerobic and strength training will help you use the most calories. Since how much weight you lose depends on either burning more calories or taking in less, it is best to concentrate on these at the outset to make sure your self motivation continues as you lose weight.

Generally, thirty minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week is best. Build the duration and frequency as you develop.

But many people whose self-motivation has helped them to begin an exercise for weight loss program neglect the importance of strength training. Aerobic exercise burns more calories at first, but lifting weights increases muscle mass, and muscle burns more calories than fat. A pound of muscle burns 35 calories a day to function at rest; a pound of fat burns only two calories for the same function.

The fitness consensus used to tell us that to “build” muscle, you should do fewer reps (3-5) at higher weights, and to simply “tone,” higher reps (12-15) at lower weights was key. But there’s no such thing as “toning.” Definition that results from what is wrongly called toning results because you have lost the layer of fat covering muscle, making the muscle more visible. The size of the muscle underneath depends on how vigorously you train.

You must “tear down” the muscle so it can rebuild itself afterward. In fact, you do not build muscle while pumping iron but you do in the days afterward when it is “resting.” The general guideline for strength training is beginning with three sets of 8-12 reps at a weight that leaves you almost incapable of executing the entire set. Then, rest for 30-60 seconds before starting your next set.

Do not be disappointed if you are not able to accomplish all of the reps on every set. In fact, use that to gauge when to add weight. If you are finishing each set without any muscle strain, you will want to add weight.

Self motivation got you to begin your routine, but many people have problems maintaining the pace. It helps knowing that the source of our motivations is a belief. Think about it: If you did not believe the gnawing sensation in your stomach meant you were hungry, you wouldn’t feel motivated to eat.

Learning what ideas motivate you is necessary to losing weight, because when you feel powerfully motivated, you will exercise regularly. NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) is a form of hypnosis. And there are NLP techniques that can create exercise motivation because, over time, desire to exercise for weight loss alone likely will not be enough to keep you going. Hypnosis for exercise motivation therapy can help.

Your primary task is identifying the most important things in your life. We call these things your highly valued criteria. Highly valued criteria are typically intangibles: money wouldn’t be highly valued criteria, but the fun, freedom or security that money can offer would be.

Next, establish what you need to believe to feel highly motivated to exercise. It is necessary to keep in mind that logic has nothing to do with belief. Things do not have to be logical to believe them. You may realize you already have a belief that contradicts this new idea. That is okay.

While understanding what motivates us is important, hypnosis exercise motivation therapy can put these ideas to work by ensuring self motivation lasts. Hypnosis for motivation does this by changing the computer codes in your brain, so you accept ideas that motivate you.

Belief systems are based in our unconscious, which is like a computer. Computers do not have the capability to reason. The input controls the output. The techniques used in exercise hypnosis motivation therapy can make you believe almost anything, as long as you are willing to believe.

You start by creating a picture in your mind that illustrates something you already believe, like, “I love my children.” Then you learn to calibrate the elements or ‘Submodalities’ of that mental belief picture.

Next, you make a mental picture that illustrates your motivational idea. Let’s say your motivational idea is, “If I exercise, then I will look great and my marriage will improve.” Then you learn how to modify the Submodalities of this mental image to correspond with the Submodalities in your calibrated belief picture. On the other hand, if a belief is holding you back, the same technique can change that belief to doubt.

Self hypnosis for motivation that uses NLP can give you something of an internal personal trainer. Using a hypnosis for exercise motivation program ensures that the enthusiasm you began with stays until reaching your objective, and then helps you maintain that objective.

Alan B. Densky, CH has specialized in all aspects of weight loss hypnosis cd recordings, including motivation theory CDs since 1978. Visit his Neuro-VISION hypnotherapy website and enjoy Free hypnosis articles, videos, and newsletters.

- Alan B. Densky, CH