You spend 24 hours in your body, but how much do you really know about it? How much do you actually pay attention to it? Your body is communicating with you constantly, but are you listening to it?

Have you ever found yourself thinking, “This extra 5-10 pounds of fat sure crept up on me.” If this has happened to you, it’s a sure sign that you’ve been ignoring your body. You’re giving it the cold shoulder. Your dissing it. Your body is trying to tell you something, but all that you hear is “blah blah blah”.

It’s time to stop ignoring your body and start becoming fascinated with it!

Your body is a gift. It’s the most prized possession that you have. And as far as I know, it’s the only body that you’ll ever get a chance to live in. It’s time to stop taking it for granted and start appreciating all of it’s greatness. Your body truly is an incredible precision machine and work of art. Now start giving it the attention that it deserves!

Here’s some tips on how to become fascinated with your body and become even more excited to continue your journey of self-growth and self-improvement…

1. The Mirror Is Your Friend

I encourage you to “Check yourself out” when you look in the mirror after you get out of the shower in the morning. Give yourself a thorough look up and down. Take note of all the details… even the details that you’d rather not notice. If there is a crease between your love handles and your lower to mid back… make note of it. If you’re carrying some excess fat above your knees and you noticed that your skin is dimply around that area… make note of it. If you have a pocket of fat around your hip area… make note of it.

IMPORTANT: This is not a time to beat yourself up and wish that you didn’t have these problem areas. In fact, it’s the exact opposite of that. It’s a time to get excited about the body that you are crafting.

Consider yourself a “Physique Artist” specializing in sculpting. Now let’s travel back in time to the early 1500’s when Michelangelo was given a block of marble and commissioned to create the Statue of David. What do you think Michelangelo saw when he first set eyes on the block of marble? I’d like to think that what he saw at that moment was a masterpiece. For a moment I’m sure that he took time to appreciate the block of marble for what it was, but quickly shifted his perspective for what this block of marble was about to become.

My point… appreciate the body that you have now and become excited about what your body is about to become. Your current physical state is your block of marble to sculpt. Appreciate what you have to work with.

As you examine yourself in the mirror take note of any changes that have taken place. Are you beginning to see the outline of your upper abs? Are you noticing more definition in your arms with clearer separation between your shoulders, biceps, and triceps? Are you noticing more definition in your legs? Are your love handles shrinking? Do you see a muscle that you’ve never seen before? Are your arms becoming more vascular?

Allow me to demonstrate this process in a short video…

Tip: If you really want to take this process to the next level, paste your fat loss goal, the reasons why you MUST achieve that goal, how great you will feel when you achieve that goal, along with some positive affirmations and quotes around your mirror. I use sticky tack to put my goals and affirmation quotes on my mirror. I also recommend sticking up pictures of someones physique that looks just as you envision your body will look like when you achieve your goal.

Read your goal, check out the pictures, and visualize yourself living in the body that you desire and deserve. Get super excited in that moment and really enjoy this process!

2. Document Your Changes With Photos

With time you will become very skilled at noticing even the smallest of changes in your physique and these small changes will begin to excite you more and more. But in the beginning, it’s not always easy to notice changes in the mirror. This is where photo’s can be of great assistance to you… plus they are a wonderful way to document your progress.

Try to take your pictures under the same light or outdoors in the natural light at the same time of day each time. Once per week would be great!

If you are taking your picture in a bathing suit, make note of how your body is fitting into it. Are you noticing that the shoulder strap is not making as much of an indentation around your upper back and armpit area? Are you noticing that there is less love handle and tummy flab hanging over your swim trunks? Are you beginning to feel more comfortable in your swimsuit now that it’s becoming looser on you?

But don’t just take pictures in a swimsuit… put on your favorite gown that you would love to fit into again and take some pictures. Are you noticing more definition in your shoulders and arms? Does this new definition make you look even more stunning in that gown?

Take pictures in your favorite jeans that may be feeling a little snug on you. As you progress, check out your butt… Is it looking even better in those jeans? Are you more comfortable around the waist area? Can you actually zip them up now?

All of these changes are coming about as a result of your hard work and efforts. It’s evidence that you are doing the right thing. The workout that you did today may have added a bit of sexy muscle to your abs to help the pop out a bit more or to your shoulders to help shape them and create a noticeable difference between them and your arms. The cardio that you did today has helped chisel a bit of fat from your body and add to your definition. The healthy food choices that you have made today have provided you with the energy to perform the best workouts possible and you’ve created a slight caloric deficit, which is also chiseling away at your unwanted fat.

Your actions and your efforts are producing the results that you see in the mirror. You are in the drivers seat. You are the artist… the sculptor. No one else is responsible. You get full credit!

3. Observe How Your Body Responds To Food

It’s great to become fascinated with how your body is changing in appearance, but it’s just as important to become fascinated with how your body reacts to the fuel that you are feeding it.

When you eat junk food or drink alcohol how do you feel? How does your body respond? Maybe your taste buds are happy temporarily, but how do you feel a few hours later? How do you feel the next day? Are you sluggish or tired? This is your body’s way of telling you that it doesn’t enjoy what you are doing to it.

When I became fascinated with how my body responded to foods I was shocked at the feedback that it was providing me with when I drank milk or ate wheat products like bread. These things make me feel and look bloated and they make me feel sluggish. I had no idea until I really paid attention to it.

How do you feel after a day of eating mostly natural foods including a significant amount of veggies and some fruit? Do you feel full of energy? Do you feel lighter and thinner? Do you feel proud of yourself for making smart healthy choices that are improving your health and body? Did you experience better workouts after consuming healthy foods?

Become fascinated with how your body responds to drinking water. Do you feel more alert, attentive, and less fatigued when you begin to drink more water throughout the day? Do you have more strength during your workouts when you drink more water prior to working out?

4. Become Fascinated With Your Potential

Are you stopping short with reps that you are performing during your workouts? Have you been afraid to push out a few more reps because it’s going to really “Burn”? Have you been staying in your comfort zone?

When you dig deep and apply a few mindset strategies such as visualization, mental rehearsal, or verbal and physical cues to snap you into a focused trance, does this help you push out extra reps that you had no idea that you could do? When you break out of that comfort zone are you even more eager to test your limits the following workout? Become fascinated with your body’s ability to progress.

Become fascinated with how your body responds to certain songs. There was one workout recently where I was about to quit early while doing squats. I was exhausted and didn’t think that I had any gas left in the tank. Then… “Eye Of The Tiger” started playing on my iPod. I immediately pictured Rocky taking the beating of his life and looking like the match was all over. Then out of nowhere he dug deep and unleashed a furry of strength and power. This was where I was at. It appeared that I was defeated by the squat, when out of nowhere I found the energy and strength to push out one of the best sets of squats I’ve ever done.

…There’s always gas left in the tank!

These are just a few examples of how you can become fascinated with your body. You are presented with opportunities to become fascinated with your body all day long. Whether it’s becoming more flexible in your hamstrings, running 5 miles 30 seconds faster than your previous best, performing an extra round of hill sprints, or even your subconscious ability to turn down junk food when everyone else around you is over-indulging.

You truly are a miracle in action every single day. You can’t possibly ignore that.

I hope that you have enjoyed this article. The idea to write it came about as a result of my increased fascination with my body ever since I began following Tom Venuto’s Holy Grail Body Transformation Program. I’ve been witnessing some great changes in my body as well as some awesome strength gains each and every week, which I had no idea that I had in me.

It’s fun to become fascinated with your body. Enjoy this process and be sure to share your experiences with us. You totally ROCK!

To achieving your limitless potential,

Scott Tousignant