Fitness isn't just physical: Change your thoughts, and you change your world. Of course we can all agree that gaining and losing weight, exercise, diet, strength, and flexibility are all a part of fitness. But what about body image, self-esteem, aging, relationships, success and happiness? They are all related, all connected, and fitness in all areas is important if you want true and total fitness.   But you may say, "I just want to lose 20 pounds. If I do, I will feel better about myself and I will be happy." Maybe in the short term, but honestly, if we don't deal with our mental and emotional fitness while working on the physical fitness, there is very little chance of keeping the weight off, feeling good about yourself, and improving every other area of your life.     Let's not waste time in changing our bodies when they will only change back if we don't change our minds, too. Let's work "out" and work "in" at the same time. Change your mind-and you must, because if you have been trying to lose weight, but cannot, there is something inside of you that is disallowing it. You can change this pattern, improve your self-esteem, increase your joy, and change your body for good by focusing on changing your mind, too. This is training of life.    Work-ins will recondition your mind, improve your attitude, change your perception and stimulate motivation at the same time you are conditioning your body for weight loss, shaping, strength and endurance.    If you repeat a positive statement over and over to yourself-like a mantra, your mind will change, the same way your body does, even if you don't believe it. Like lifting a weight over and over, your muscle changes-even if you don't believe it.    Try it-what have you got to lose? Say, "I am ready for my body to be healthier, leaner, and stronger. I love it already." Say it over and over while you are walking or running or doing any exercise. Pick a statement that works for you-something positive and in the present tense. The author will probably agree that   _  .
mental health is the most important in weight loss working on physical fitness is sometimes harmful fitness is much more than gaining or losing weight lifting a weight over and over is the best way to keep fit