Doc Mac Aging Well Hack

Lessons from a life well-climbed

Visualizing Success & Rewiring the Brain

"The Mental Gym Few Use Enough"

If you’ve ever heard someone say, “See it before you achieve it,” they weren’t just being poetic. They were quoting neuroscience. Visualization and mental rehearsal of success aren’t wishful thinking. It’s cognitive strength training. And when practiced correctly, it literally rewires your brain for performance, consistency, and confidence.

Let’s dive into how and why this mental muscle deserves just as much attention as your Meso-Meal plan. (The MesoMenu is a menu that I have my clients use to discover their ideal weight. It is made up of gourmet meals that bottoms out insulin and tops our glucagon.)

Your Brain Doesn’t Know the Difference

Here’s the fascinating part: when you visualize yourself acting, whether it’s taking a leisurely walk, being kind, or sticking to a protein-only day, your brain activates the same neural pathways as if you were physically doing it.

Functional MRI studies show that mental rehearsal strengthens the same circuits that fire during the real behavior. It’s your brain’s way of saying, “Got it, boss! I’ll be ready when you’re ready.”

That means every vivid image of you showing up with discipline, energy, and focus lays down fresh neural tracks. The more you visualize success, the easier it becomes for your body to follow through. You’re training your subconscious to expect and then create the outcome you want.

How Visualization Rewires You for Consistency

Your brain is a creature of habit. It loves patterns, even the unhelpful ones. When you repeatedly imagine yourself failing (“I’ll probably skip my cortisol-lowering walk again” or “I’ve got to snack to survive”), your brain logs that as the expected behavior. It becomes the mental equivalent of muscle memory, sabotaging achievement.

Visualization flips the script.

Recently, the road I used to take to Costco was closed for construction—they’re building an overpass, and it’ll be shut down for months. At first, every time I drove that way, I’d still turn onto the closed road out of habit, only to have to double back. Now, a month later, I cruise right past it without a second thought. My new route has become my new “normal”—smooth, familiar, automatic. Funny how quickly the unfamiliar can become routine.

The Science of Feeling It

Visualization isn’t daydreaming. It’s an embodied experience. To make it effective, you need to feel the moment, not just see it.

When you imagine yourself waking up early, feeling strong, and moving through your day with purpose, engage all your senses:

• What do you hear — joy?
• How does your body feel — light?
• What do you see — slenderness?
• What do you smell? — success?
• What do you taste? — gratitude?

The emotion it elicits tells your brain, “This is real.” That’s when the rewiring happens.

Three Simple Visualization Practices to Start Using Today

1. Morning Mental Rehearsal (5 minutes) Before your feet hit the floor, close your eyes and picture your day unfolding with intention. See yourself choosing nourishing foods, staying on track, and speaking kindly to yourself. You’re not predicting the future — you’re programming it.
2. Anchor to a Trigger: Choose a cue (like weighing and texting me your stats, pouring your morning coffee, or brushing your teeth) and use that moment to quickly visualize one core goal. Maybe it’s showing up for your walk, drinking 80 ounces of water, or staying patient under stress. The cue becomes a bridge between your thoughts and your actions.
3. Evening Replay: As you wind down, visualize the wins of the day, especially the small ones. Replay the moments and honor them. Visualization trains your brain to notice success and seek it again tomorrow.

Each of these practices strengthens your mental “success muscle.” And just like physical training, consistency beats intensity. Five minutes a day is better than an hour once a week.

Visualization + Physiology = Power

When you combine mental imagery with physical action, you double your progress. Athletes have been doing this for decades, not because it’s mystical, but because it’s measurable.

Before a walk, visualize your body moving with control and grace. Before a meal, visualize yourself choosing meso foods that fuel your long-term goals. Before sleep, visualize your hormones harmonizing.

You’re teaching your nervous system what “balanced and thriving” feels like, and that feeling drives real biological change.

It’s not “woo-woo.” It’s neuroplasticity.

–Google

A Final Thought: You’re the Architect

Visualization gives you the power to design the future before it arrives. Every image you create is a blueprint for your brain to follow. If you can see it, your neurons can build it.

Can you see yourself, playing pickleball, taking your spouse out on a date, helping out at church, feeding the hungry at 80? How does that make you feel?

Concentrate on the emotion that emotes when you visualize yourself taking those actions. That emotion will get you there faster.

A note from a 70 year old master of health

Visualization is powerful, but accountability is where transformation becomes permanent.

You’ve already seen what’s possible when your mind and physiology align — now it’s about regaining momentum.

If you’ve been meaning to tighten things up — hormones, weight, energy, habits — this is your cue.

I’m offering a new hybrid program: text-based daily accountability program. Real guidance, real progress, zero overwhelm at an unbelievable fee. If you're looking for an anti-aging concierge that keeps you accountable, go hybrid.

​THE ACCOUNTABILITY PROGRAM​

Oh, by the way, to be optimal at 70, it's all about eating gourmet food.

This Week's Gourmet Meso Meal

Click the link below to download this week's gourmet Meso Meal

​Hay-Smoked Chicken ​

​with Roasted Broccoli Rabe & Cauliflower Purée​

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This Week's US-IE

This Us-ie is of Vicky and me standing in front of the Guggenheim’s ‘Puppy,’ in Bilbao Spain feeling small, inspired, and wildly grateful. Bilbao was once known for shipbuilding and steel, Bilbao reinvented itself into a hub of culture, cuisine, and creativity. Nestled between green mountains and the Nervión River, the city blends Basque tradition with modern innovation — think pintxos bars, riverside walks, and avant-garde art installations. And right outside the Guggenheim Museum, we met “Puppy”, a towering 40-foot floral sculpture by Jeff Koons, covered in living flowers that change with the seasons — a joyful symbol of rebirth and color. It reminds us that the world’s most beautiful art isn’t just in museums — it’s in the moments we share, the journeys we take, and the joy of seeing life through fresh eyes. All is possible when you optimize your hormones, weight, health, and life, with HOPE.

🇪🇸 The Macs

Hormone and Weight Optimization Author and Coaches

​HOPE isn’t just a feeling. It’s a protocol

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Disclaimer:

The information provided in this newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement, including zinc, especially if you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or are taking medications. Individual needs may vary; this content does not replace the advice of a professional medical expert.

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