Archives 2012

It’s that time of year again, ladies.

You know the one…

If you’re like most people, in the back of your mind you’ve already created a list of weight loss resolutions that you hope will miraculously kick into gear come January 1st 2013.

True or true?!

It’s so easy to feel optimistic in November, isn’t it?

After all, 2013 is still eight weeks away – it’s at arm’s length, it feels ‘safe’.

At this time, we confidently tell ourselves, “This year I’ll change. Yes maam, this year I’m going to lose the weight…This. Is. IT. Bay-bee!”

Same old, same old … or time for something different?

Before long, we’ll see the plethora of fitness DVD’s, books, celebrity-endorsed diets hitting the shops, and come January, the gyms will experience their most profitable month of the year.

But, for the significant majority, by the end of January, the unhealthy habits will have returned and we’ll have fallen back into the old routine.

So, what’s a girl to do?

Look, my plan wasn’t to depress you.

If you’ve been reading me for a while now you know I’m all about helping women ignite their thinner sparkle.

And, while some of the traditional New Year weight loss remedies do work temporarily, what’s really needed is something that supports your will-power and motivation, something that deals with the sugar cravings.

If you’re reading this blog, my guess is you’re starting to see that what I offer is quite different from all the quick-fix weight loss approaches out there.

Hypnotherapy

There is nothing mystical about hypnotherapy. It simply changes your attitude towards food. And when your attitude changes, so does your behaviour.

It’s that simple. No more white-knuckling your way to weight loss.

Hypnotherapy helps you break old, unhealthy habits and enables you to take control of your eating, and find long-term weight-loss in a way that diets cannot.

A recent client shares, “It was like flicking a switch in my brain. The old me used to snack all day on sugary foods. It was like I just couldn’t stop. Since hypnosis, food is a ‘big nothing’. It’s given me control.”

If you’re sick of constantly feeling self-conscious of your body or tired of looking in your wardrobe and seeing all the clothes you used to fit, hanging there.

Or, you long for the day when you won’t be wondering whether people are judging you when they look at you, or you feel bogged down, because your weight is holding you back from doing what you really want to do in life – perhaps it’s time you did something different.

And, why wait until the New Year to do it? If you’d like to step off the yearly diet merry-go-round for good, and get to your happy weight, let’s chat.

Don’t waste your Christmas money on a temporary ‘fat buster’. Instead, invest in a permanent solution for a new you.

Love etc, Avril

Six in the morning.

My heart was pounding. Goose bumps had enveloped my entire body.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the loud speaker shattered the dawn, “let the 2012 Auckland Marathon commence….. 5…4…3…2….1…..GOOOOOOOOO…..”

I started running.

During the countdown my mind generated every single self-sabotage-y thought I’d had when I ran my first marathon over 10 years ago.

“Oh crap, maybe I didn’t do enough speed work?”

“Heavens, what if I’ve done too much speed work?

“What if I can’t do this?”

“What if I fail?”

Whether you’re on the start line of your local run or starting on the weight loss journey, entering the unknown often triggers an avalanche of self-doubt.

Your mind chatters with unsupportive stuff like: you’re too big, too old, too heavy, or somehow insinuates a lack of willpower or the intelligence to “make it”.

If you unpack the doubts, they mostly boil down to the same fear: “What if I’m not good enough.”

And it can cripple you and keep you stuck…if you let it.

Do these kinds of thoughts ever stop you doing what you want to do? Are they preventing you from being at your happy weight?

If so, read on so you can learn how to deal with the “I’m not good enough” fear, once and for all.

The platform of your mind

Here’s a powerful technique that you can use whenever you need to shake off fear and self-doubt.

From now on, I want you to think about your thoughts as being a train pulling into the platform of your mind.

I know, it sounds crazy, but work with me here.

Just as if you wanted to get to New York, you’d not bother jumping on a train labelled Los Angeles.

If you want to get to your happy weight, then you need to jump on the specific thought trains that move you closer to that destination.

Not further away.

We humans have a lazy habit of leaping on onto any train that comes into our head.

And, you’ve probably already noticed, that when you’re pushing boundaries and you’re outside your comfort zone, those self-doubt trains pull into the platform of your mind, thick and fast!

Which direction is this train going?

Consciously choose which thoughts you want to jump onto and which ones you want to let pass.

Ask yourself, “Is this thought going to lead me closer to optimal health and my happy weight?”

If not, do not board. Let it pass (and it will). The train might hang around for a while waiting for late comers, but if you make it clear you have no ticket for that destination, it will move on.

Just so you know, this technique won’t remove all unwanted negative thoughts from your mind. These thoughts are a function of being human, they’re perfectly normal – but it will help you regain your power over them, so you can do the thing that you wouldn’t have done if you’d leapt on the train of self-doubt.

“But it’s automatic!”

Very often when fearful thoughts arise, we exclaim, “I just can’t help it – it’s automatic”, which is just another way of giving away our power as we jump on the wrong train. You can help it, it is within your control, sweetheart.

Simply cast away your fearful thoughts as they pull into the station. Those fearful thoughts are not who you really are – it’s just an outdated, un-resourceful train you used to ride. Toot toot.

Love etc, Avril

PS: If find yourself jumping on unhelpful thought trains and can’t seem to ever arrive at your destination, hypnotherapy might just be the answer for you. Drop me a line and I’ll see what I can do about getting you a ticket to your happy weight.

“When I’ve lost weight, I’ll go on holiday.”

“When I’ve lost weight, I’ll be more confident and speak my mind.”

“When I’ve lost weight, I’ll feel sexy and invite that cute boy out for coffee.”

Sound familiar?

“When I’ve lost weight, I’ll: buy that little black dress…go to my school reunion…have the courage to ask for that promotion…have the energy to play with my grandchildren….go to the beach… leave the lights on …. quit hiding from cameras… sign up for salsa lessons.”

I’ve heard all of these comments from clients.

What about you honey?

How often do you think you need to ‘weigh less’ so you can ‘live more’?

You’re in good company. Most of us women do.

Sadly, we lose vast swathes of our lives ‘waiting on the weight’, forgetful of the fact that we can’t recycle time.

We put our heart’s desires on hold until “I’m slimmer”. Or, “Until I feel more confident”.

We wait.

And wait.

And wait some more.

While we wait, we get bored, stressed, frustrated.

And, what do we do when we’re bored, stressed and frustrated?

That’s right, we eat. And, it’s not salad that we snack on…

All that boredom munching does nothing to help you fit into that little black dress or turning up to salsa lessons.

Vicious cycle for staying stuck

You can see that trying to weigh less so you can live more is the perfect way to stay stuck. Stuck in a body and life you hate.

Consider this.

What if you stopped waiting on the weight?

What if you decided that you don’t need to be slim to ask for that promotion, attend your school reunion, spice things up in the bedroom or the beach, rock a little black dress salsa-ing the night away… hopefully with the cute-y?

All of a sudden your life is full, your soul is nourished and you don’t need to full your mouth with food to get that dose of pleasure.

You wake up every morning and you look forward to getting out of bed because your life is a B.L.A.S.T. You’re replete without reaching for your fork.

After a while, you notice that you can fit that little black number – all without going on a restrictive diet.

Can you see this is the only way to lose weight?

Here’s how…

1. Think of one thing you stop yourself from doing because you’re ‘waiting on the weight’.

2. Now ask yourself, “If I were at my happy weight, what would I do?”

3. From that place of confidence, picture yourself doing what you want to do. It’ll be scary – that’s normal. If you feel afraid, ask yourself, “Is it really scary or is it just different?”

4. Practice makes perfect. Be committed and rehearse that scene in your mind. If this is difficult at first, that’s okay. Take your time and set the intention to reduce the power your weight has over your decisions.

Use this technique to plant in your mind the inner seeds of success. Repeat it daily until taking action, living passionately and in-the-present, is your new normal.

Love etc, Avril

PS: Frequently, when we want to shed weight, we focus only on nutrition and exercise. Clearly, they’re vital factors but there is a third pillar – your mind. If your mind isn’t in the right place, no amount of diet and exercise will help, because you’ll self-sabotage. If you think you need a hand sorting your mindset, let’s talk.

What’s the # 1 reason why you’re not currently your happy weight?

Deep down, really deep down, you already know the answer.

You also know what you need to do about it … because … you are the expert on you.

Less talk. More action.

Now, go and do one thing that’ll move you closer to your happy weight.

Tomorrow, do it again.

That’s it.

Now.

Off you pop.

Go liberate your inner awesome-ness.

Love etc, Avril

PS: We all need a helping hand from time to time. Sometimes being the expert on you is realising your limits. If it’s dawning on you that being your happy weight is something you need help with, c’mon over. Because when your head is sorted, the number on the scale takes care of itself.

“Oh man, I ate soooo much crap today. Why do I have no will power?”

“What a lazy cow I am. Why’d I skip my walk?”

“I have no self control. I’ve demolished a packet of chips. Again.”

How often do you ask yourself the above, while hanging your head in shame?

Those of us on the weight loss path have many, many tiny moments of temptation.

And, boy oh boy, do we berate ourselves when we fall for temptation, when we’re “bad.”

We then escalate our ‘badness’ by allowing that one tiny moment of weakness to derail us, with subsequent poor food choices, all because “Oh well, it’s too late now.”

True or true?!

Today you’re going to learn a powerful mind trick to put a stop this behaviour so you can continue on the path towards your happy weight.

It’s called the “Build a Bridge” rule. It’s your mental ally in weight loss.

Ditch perfection, aim for progress

If you’re on the weight loss path, you will hit speed bumps along the way.

We’re all works in progress. We all make mistakes. They’re obligatory! The path to your happy weight isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress.

Losing weight is about setting goals, learning from your ‘fails’ and keeping-on keeping-on.

There’s NO room for shame, guilt-trips or beating yourself up. They serve only to distract and keep you stuck.

The Build a Bridge rule in action

“I ate sooooo much crap today. Why do I have no willpower?”
Build a bridge, sweetheart, get the heck over it! Eat reckless amounts of vegetables for the rest of the day. Deal? Deal.

“What a lazy cow. Why’d I skip my morning walk?”
Build a bridge, move on! Go outside and walk. Like, right now.

“I have no self control. I’ve demolished a packet of chips. Again.”
Yup, you’re getting the pattern now. ..Build a bridge, face forward! Remove further temptation by tossing the packet of chips this instant, brush your teeth, and move on.

The truth

One less-than-ideal choice of meal, one skipped workout, or one day of overeating doesn’t undo weeks of healthy eating. It’s physically impossible. You’d explode before you got to that point!

However, that less-than-ideal choice of meal or missed workout can mentally undo weeks of hard work……. if you let it.

So don’t!

Do this instead….

Draw a line in the sand, build a bridge + focus forward

When you skip one workout, commit to making the next one the most important of your life. We all know how one missed day becomes two, which can become a week, which can effortlessly become a month. Nip it in the bud by committing now to never missing two workouts in a row.

When you’ve had a day of overeating, the next several meals need to be impeccable. For example, eating wreckless amounts of vegetables draws a mental line in the sand between you and the overeating, getting you back to good.

So, when you have a bad moment – build a bridge and get over it.

What you did five minutes ago is done and cannot be changed. What you do five minutes from now, however, is completely up to you.

You are not your past. Whatever poor decisions you’ve made up until now are off the table – the only thing that matters from this point on is how you move forward, starting now.

Create not fate

Your state of health isn’t set in stone, it’s yours to create.

Stop berating yourself for mistakes. Stop comparing yourself to those around you. Stop overcomplicating it.

Quietly, patiently and consistently build bridges over every hurdle, and rejoice as you move towards your happy weight.

Off you pop.

Start.

Right this instant.

Love etc, Avril

PS: If you think you could benefit from a little hand holding building your bridge over life’s daily challenges then weight loss hypnotherapy might be exactly what you’re looking for. Because when your head is sorted, the number on the scale takes care of itself.