Pamela Colby DHP DHA GQHP
Clinical Hypnotherapist
Think about it....Everyone worries about what they eat between Christmas and New Year. Shouldn't we worry more about what we eat between New Year and Christmas?
There is no doubt the only way to drop weight is to EAT LESS and DO MORE activity! ..... Very simple really! We have to take control over what we put in our mouth.
Most of us who are overweight, are like that because we eat what we want, when we want it. Our eating habits have very little to do with hunger, thirst or appetite. How often do we open a packet of biscuits take one, eat it, then..... carry on eating .... before long, the whole packet will be gone...... Or maybe we go into a coffee shop to grab a latte, then notice a 'special value offer' that includes a half-price muffin.... We can't resist a special offer (or a freebie) can we? A latte is too wet without a muffin isn't it? Of course, if we've had a bad day we may even convince ourselves we deserve a treat..... and that's the way we try to justify those extra calories. Then we switch to auto-pilot and eat unconsiously.
Can't lose weight...... Yoyo dieter......... Change your beliefs, change you behaviours, change the result!
Do the Math.... 1lb in body fat is the equivalent of 3500 calories of energy. That means if you reduce your calorie intake by 500 calories per day x 7 days (one week) you will lose 1lb of body fat!
Quarterpounder with cheese = 550 calories: 1 bottle of red wine = 500 calories: McDonald's large chocolate milkshake = 505 calories: Medium Cornish Pasty = 500 calories...... which of these types of foods could you leave out of your diet? Or you could work off those 500 calories with healthy cardio vascular exercise.
Just think! With those statistics, even if you lose just 1lb in weight every week, on average for a whole year ..... you would have dropped 52lbs = 3st 7lb (approx 3-4 dress sizes). WOW!
A sustained weight reduction is possible. BUT NOT BY USING CRASH DIETS! Sustained weight loss is only possible with a commitment to a change of lifestyle and making healthier food choices, coupled with extra physical activity.
A Scary Thought! Exercise.... It doesn't have to hours of working out in the gym. Balance your food intake to the amount of physical activity you are performing. If you are training to run a marathon then you might need to eat lots of carbs. Most of us however, who are overweight, don't do that much physical activity. So it goes without saying, we don't need all those extra carbs.
We do need to do something, apart from just getting up off the couch! Find ways to build more activity into your daily routines. Vacuming and cleaning the house more regularly, whether it needs it or not; Using the stairs instead of the escallator or lift; Walking the dog instead of leaving someone else to do it; being less dependent on the car, parking further away from the house/office; walking the kids to school; jog to the newsagents in the morning etc.
It has been proven scientifically, that regular short sharp bursts of actvity signifiantly boost the body's metabolc rate. The more frequent these bursts of exercise the higher metabolic rate will be much more prolonged.
Give Yourself a Mental Makeover..... Try to use the word 'choose' when making food decisions. Tell yourself you are choosing to eat healthily..... You are choosing to eat smaller portions... you are choosing not to have that chocolate bar today.
Try to ban the phrase 'lose weght' from your volcabulary . Instead tell yourself you are getting slimmer or reducing or managing your body size. The subconsious mind associates the word 'loss' with all sorts of things the body does not want to experience or achieve. Say the word 'loss' and your body and mind will do all that it can to make you GAIN!
What do you know about food? We all think we know what we should be eating to stay slim. But do we really?
Do you know that the body can store carbs just as easily as it stores fat. It can't store protein, plus protein makes you feel full for longer. Carbs will make you feel bloated for longer.
Whole grains are healthy aren't they?..... Only if you don't have an intollerance.... and.... only if you strip refined wheat flour from the rest of your diet.
Did you know that the brain cannot tell if you are hungry or if you are thirsty? The brain sends out the message and you DECIDE if you need food or water! In future if you feel hungry, try thinking thirst first!