Archives May 2019

Sooooooo many women say to me if I just had more will power, I could shift this weight.

But it’s not true.

Relying on will power is a sure fire way to fail.

We fool ourselves by thinking, “If I had more will power, I could resist that chocolate biscuit.”

Here’s why will power fails us….

You see, we all have two minds: the conscious mind and the unconscious mind.

The conscious mind houses your will power.

It’s about 10% of your mind. It’s the part of you that knows intellectually that you shouldn’t eat that fifth chocolate biscuit.

The unconscious mind is the powerhouse – it’s the other 90%.

It’s in charge of all automatic functions like breathing, healing, and it controls all of your eating habits….. including whether you eat that fifth biscuit.

You can see by the numbers that the unconscious mind that’s in control.

For example, try not to understand the following…

Yuor mnid is aimazngly perofwul! Wloceme to a wrold of hddien potential. Brtheae, realx, and konw that cahnge is esay when you use the peowr of your unconscouis mnid, the smae part taht atiutocamally understands thsee wrods.

See, the unconscious mind is an absolute powerhouse!

As you read those words, did you need to think about how to read? You just did it!

So, if you want to become the shape and size you want to be, it’s your unconscious mind you need to change.

Rather than fighting cravings, emotional eating and bad habits you can re-program in new cravings and habits that will make you the shape and size you want to be.

Remember: chagne is esay wehn you konw how!

If finding more will power has failed for you in the past, why not harness the incredible power of your unconscious mind with virtual gastric band hypnosis so that you can be the shape and size YOU want to be?

How much fun do you have in your day?

No, really, I’m curious.

The reason I ask is because something I’ve noticed with the many women I work with who are struggling with their weight—is the distinct lack of fun in their lives.

They’re often workaholics, or perfectionists, they’re people-pleasers, and they very often put other people’s needs first—while sacrificing their own needs

Often, when a client describes her day, there’s very little that she does in those 24 hours that brings her deep, true joy. Clients are often bored out of their minds.

Unsurprisingly, when we’re bored, or there’s little joy in our life, food becomes the light at the end of a very long tunnel.

Most of us women have a hard time allowing ourselves permission to create  the time or money and space to have fun.

Just for us.

Especially those of us who are success-driven or family-orientated. We’re conditioned to give and give, give and provide, provide, provide.

We see fun as a selfish, a waste of time—so it drops to the bottom of our to-do list.

If you’re one of the many workaholic, perfectionist people-pleasers who feels it’s ‘selfish to have fun’ – know this: there’s NOTHING fun about being a martyr.

Making fun happen in our day is vital.

Many women are overweight because they’ve stopped putting in the effort to make their lives playful, joyful and fun.

Fun is a muscle that you have to work. Every day.

When we’re having more fun, we no longer need food to comfort or save us from our boredom, so we naturally lose weight.

So, here’s the question for you.

How can you create more fun in your life? A smattering here, a sprinkle there. What one thing can you do today that you genuinely enjoy and would bring a smile to your day?

Have a fun week!

Today’s tip is about one of the most common mistakes we women make when we decide to drop a dress size.

It’s the “I Want It RIGHT NOW” syndrome.

We, humans, are funny creatures. Despite having thought about losing weight for months, maybe even years, now that we’ve actually decided to take action – well, we want it r.i.g.h.t. T.H.I.S m.i.n.u.t.e!

We’re impatient. We’re needy. We’re afraid.

Sadly, having the rushrushrush mindset will hobble you, before you even start your new regime.

For example, we go from having avoided all forms of exercise for months, to exercising like a crazy woman several times a day.

Or, we go from regularly overindulging at the dinner table on any, and everything to drinking dull-as-dishwater diet shakes that promise “5kgs lost while you sleep”.

Mad at ourselves

Sounds crazy but this ‘rushing’ is just another word for fear. When we’re impatient for results, we’re often mad at ourselves.

We’re mad for not “starting sooner”.

We’re mad for being “my age” and still struggling with this weight thing.

We’re mad for not having no willpower or having “lost time” in the past on failed diets.

We feel like we have to “catch up” because there’s no time to waste.

When we rush our results, the process becomes joyless – something to be endured – it’s painful and unsustainable. Who wants that?

Result = three months later you’re even heavier than before……..and even madder than last time.

So if you have decided that dropping a dress size is what you want – do yourself a favour – and give yourself the gift of time. Do it slowly. Focus on the process, not the result.

Go gently.

Go patiently.

Go kindly.

The weight didn’t arrive overnight. It will not shift overnight.

But if you allow yourself the gift of time and keep on keeping on, you will become the shape and size you choose to be.

When women discover I’m a weight loss hypnotherapist, one of the first questions they ask me is, “What foods should I avoid to lose weight?”

My advice around food is incredibly simple.

It’s so simple it’s often overlooked.

Ultimately, I believe ‘forbidden foods’ lists or ‘eat this not that’ lists actually set us up for weight loss failure.

Why?

Because…. we all know that what’s repressed becomes the obsessed!

Perhaps you know what I mean!

As soon as certain foods are declared “out of bounds”, we immediately start obsessing about the exact thing we’ve been told to avoid.

Right?!

For example, you don’t even fancy chocolate but now you’ve decided to go sugar-free…. mmmmmm chocolate…

Clearly there are some foods which are more nourishing, more healthy and more alive than others.

We all know that.

But the way I like to look at food is….

nothing is actually off the menu.

For example, an apple is healthier than a Snickers bar. But sometimes the exact thing your soul needs is a Snickers bar….

So what I do want you to do is eat the Snickers bar. Savour it, eat it slowly, eat it mindfully and enjoy every single delicious mouthful.

The curious thing is that when nothing is off the menu, so many of our cravings fall away and we find ourselves seeking out fresher, direct-from-the-garden, healthier foods.

Yay!

Permanent, long term weight loss comes from listening to our own beautiful body.

She has so much wisdom.

So, rather than accepting someone else’s Forbidden Foods List (and failing to stick to it!) and then beating yourself up, I’d encourage you to tune into your tummy.

She has so much wisdom.

I hope you found that useful and I look forward to seeing you next week with another making peace with food tip. Byyyyyye.

Now, we all know that other people’s weight loss stories are supposed to be all inspirational — “woohoo, if they can do it, so can I!”

But let’s be honest.

Sometimes, their weight loss joy – especially if you’re experiencing your own personal plateau – they can make us feel terrible.

Am I right?!

So here are 3 things that you can do when other people’s weight loss joy puts you in a self-sabotaging strop.

1. Recognise that the comparison is a no-win game. (Ever)

Since when was losing weight a competition or a race?

Their weight loss jounrey is about them.

Your weight loss is about you. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

You stick with your own journey.

And hearing about another woman’s weight loss joy is NOT an excuse for you to quit YOUR journey.

2. Persist. Persist. Persist.

Stay committed to yourself.

I know consistency is really unsexy, and it’s not what you want to hear — but it is the way.

Consistency is what separates women who shift weight from those who don’t. If you keep taking old-fashioned consistent action….. Your. Time. Will. Come.

I promise!

3. Celebrate the small wins

Be relentlessly encouraging of yourself every single step of the journey.

Be RELENTLESSLY encouraging and keep on keeping on.

I hope you found that helpful and I look forward to seeing you next week with another making peace with food tip.