Jim Karas is a fitness expert based out of Chicago who charges clients $10,000 to move in with them, change their attitude about their bodies, and design a personalized weightloss program that gets results. Why do people pay so much for his services? Because his weightloss solution is the real deal. His program is not another fad diet that gets you temporary results. His plan gets to the core of why you're overweight and works on changing that behavior for life. Karas says that believing that you can lose the weight is the key to success and those who put their beliefs in crazy diet plans or outside motivators fail again and again and remain overweight until they decide to "flip the switch" and believe in themselves. Take the first steps and get started with these mental exercises.

Step 1: Start Saying You Can
Karas stresses that one of the major obstacles keeping people overweight is their negative self talk. Continually thinking that you can't lose weight, you will never be thin, exercise is impossible and you're no good at making healthy food choices renders you helpless but changing your attitude to "I can lose weight, I can stick to an exercise program, I can make healthy food choices" puts you in control of the situation and is the first step to flipping that switch. Get started by saying you can out loud, write it on piece of paper, type it on your computer. Do it right now!

Step 2: Build A New Positive Mental Image Of Yourself
The next step to flip your switch requires that you ask yourself 3 very difficult but important questions.

• 1. What was my first impression of my body
• 2. My current impression of my body is
• 3. You (insert name) made me (are making me) feel bad about my body by

Here's what Jim wrote about himself "My very first impression of my body was that it was plump. People referred to me as "husky," "pot bellied," "non athletic." I couldn't run very fast, I didn't play sports, the thought of gym class made me sick and I never, I repeat, never wanted to take my shirt off at the beach." Jim says that you must get to the root of your negative self image and understand what is reinforcing your overweight behavior patterns in order to develop a positive self image, one that wil allow you to lose the weight. Karas knows these exercises are difficult for people who have struggled or are struggling with their weight but they are necessary to gain control of behaviors that are keeping you overweight. Take a piece of paper and answer these questions right now.

Step 3: Create A Weight Profile
Write down your weight and your corresponding exercise and eating habits. At 20 I weighed 107lb did aerobics every day and ate all types of food in moderate amounts. At 25 I weighed 125lb, ate large restaurant portions often, did 20 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of moderate weights 3 times a week. At 27 I weighed 120lb I ate all types of food in moderate amounts, did 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of heavy weights 4 times a week. This is the best I've ever looked. At 29 I weighed 150lb after the birth of my first child, tried all types of diets and exercise programs that didn't get me very good results. Continue to write until you get to your current age, weight, and habits. This is an amazing exercise that gives you insight about how you got to where you are today, why you're struggling with your weight right now, what may have worked for you, what was making you crazy.

Step 4: Look At Past Success
You most likely have had success in other ares of your life. You landed an amazing job with a fortune 500 company, you run a succesful home based business, you got into law school, you helped your child overcome dislexia, you remodeled your house, etc. etc. Karas points out that you believed you could do these things so you did and weightloss isn't any different. The next exercise is to ask yourself question number 4. I believed in my ability to be successful in achieving my goal of... This exercise gives you the confidence to believe that you can do it.

Flip Your Switch with: Flip the Switch: Lose the Excuses, Lose the Weight, and Get the Body You've Always Wanted