Archives 2013

Who doesn’t love a new year?

That crisp, clean, shiny new-ness of it.

Breathe in the possibilities….oooooh yeah!

But, before you leap into your 2014 resolutions, here’s something you should do. It’ll help you sweep clean all the virtual noise and clutter from 2013.

Drowning in clutter

It’s super important that you eliminate the accumulated clutter from this last year. You see, clutter blocks EVERYTHING.

Blocks our thinking.
Stymies our flow.
Drains us of our energy.

It literally weighs us down – physically and emotionally mentally – suffocating us.

So, if you want clarity, inspiration and sparkle in 2014, join me in this simple exercise for the final days of December.

Clearing the virtual clutter. Or stop drowning in email.

It’s the technological age. With all our mobiles, iPads and computers our virtual worlds are very noisy. Our inboxes are chokers – all those emails, newsletters, blog posts et cetera.

Sure, we’re blessed to have so much information at our fingertips, but it definitely doesn’t feel blissful or invigorating when your inbox overloaded.  Bing ding ding, you have a gazillion unread messages.

All those unread newsletters sit there, goading us. Their un-read-ness reminding us how much there is to get through. They fester in our inbox, while we hope that, “Tomorrow, I’ll have more time”. We don’t.

The truth is even when we do get a moment, we don’t read them. Because we all know there’s never enough time to read all the emails that we don’t actually want to read!!!!! And we don’t need to…..so let them go.

Here’s how to streamline your inbox…

There are two types of email. The first type make me physically cringe as they appear in the Sender’s Column. What the heck was I thinking when I subscribed?

In hindsight, the emails that make my stomach contract, I subscribed to out of fear. Fear of not being enough: good enough / smart enough / successful enough.

Enough of feeling ‘not enough!’

Over the course of the final days of December, those emails – the ones the you never have time to read or make your stomach contract – are going to go! Immediately.

A simple click on the unsubscribe line at the bottom of the page is all it takes. Done. Gone.

The second type of email is completely different. These are newsletters I subscribed to because they make me laugh, offer a fresh perspective and make me feel nourished and supported. Those notes are always welcome into my inbox – no matter how busy I am.

My inbox rule: only love and nourishment is allowed to come into my inbox. Anything that’s preachy or I’m-not-enoughy is unsubscribed to and deleted immediately.

So, between now and January 1st (or as long as it takes), I’m setting aside a couple of minutes each morning to unsubscribe to any of the emails that make me feel heavy.

You know what I mean, darling. Just let them go so that you can create space for what you do want in your inbox. And life.

And by next year, I’m going to have a stream-lined, loved-filled inbox with only emails of nourishment and inspiration.

Aren’t you ready to enter 2014 clear-minded, fresh and ready for your best year yet?!

Love etc, Avril

P.S. I’m going to get really brave here and say this – I certainly hope that you feel the love in my blog posts, but if you do decide to unsubscribe, I wish you well.

I only want to be in your inbox if it helps you make the changes in your life that you want to make. If you choose to let me stay, I have something fun-filled coming up for the New Year. If you’re tired of the usual dull resolutions, you’re going to love this adventure!

Hooray – the holiday season is nearly here….fa la la la la…time to celebrate!

But, since food and drink take centre stage at most of our celebrations, it can be easy to overeat without even realising it.

How can you avoid the dreaded holiday weight gain – but still enjoy festive indulgences?

Here are 5 holiday survival tips to help you navigate the chaos of the festive season:

1. Eat slooooooooooooooooooowly

I hear you! I get that it sounds very, very low tech.

But you see, we all have an enzyme in our gut that tells our brain when we’re full. Thing is – this enzyme takes 15 minutes to travel from our gut to our brain. So if you’re speedily shovelling in the Christmas turkey or frantically scoffing the hors d’oeuves, it’s oh so easy, to go from famished to absolutely stuffed, before your brain even has a chance to register the “I’m done!” signal.

One of the easiest ways to slow your eating is to put your knife and fork down between mouthfuls. Slooow down, chew your food and be present.

Who knows – you might even the opportunity to converse and engage with others around the table. How civilised!

2. Alternate your Christmas tipple

All those free cocktails at the work do, and the bottles of bubbly at the neighbour’s BBQs can be a culprit for unwanted excess. In the spirit of Christmas, one glass can swiftly become, um, well…..substantially more.

But who wants to be a teetotaller? Not me!

A simple way to address the excess holiday drinking is to alternate your alcohol with a glass of water.

Again, I get it – it sounds pedestrian. But it works (and your head will thank you in the morning when you wake up, hangover-less).

3. Connect with family and friends NOT food

Instead of focusing on the inevitable food and drink during the festive season, I encourage you to spend focus on connecting with people gathered around the table.

At the party, make a conscious effort to seek out a conversation with your out-of-town colleague. Have a chat with your favourite aunt and really connect with them.

You see, when we have an enjoyable connection with people, we change the biochemistry in our body. During social engagement with loved ones, the ‘good-feeling’ hormone oxytocin is increased, which decreases our desire for food.

So, connect with your cousin and get the naturally-occurring appetite suppressants flowing!

4. Move your body, every day

Set the intention to move your body every day. It’ll help with processing any extra food, and it’ll also help with holiday stress.

Perhaps it’s a brief walk after your meals with the family. Maybe it’s a solitary stroll after your meals to avoid the family (!!!). Maybe you could toss the football outside with your grandkids for some fresh air.

The key is to keep it simple – do not overcomplicate it. Just get your body moving – even a 10-minute stroll does wonders for your body.

5. Express your gratitude

We all have much for which to feel grateful.

Even if you’re going through a tough time – maybe Santa didn’t deliver or maybe your dearly beloved is absent. Perhaps money / time / nerves feel stretched. You still have oooooodles for which to be grateful.

Remember, that when we focus on gratitude, we feel more grateful, and we start to have the realisation that – there’s an awful lot that we want ….. that we already have!!!

So, keep focusing on the aspects in your life that bring joy, and a smile to your lips.

The festive season is a time of celebration, love and gifts. Why not use these five tips so that you can give yourself the gift of health?

Wishing you all happy, healthy holidays!

Love etc, Avril

PS: If you’d like a helping hand so that you can start your 2016 with weight loss momentum, maybe hypnotherapy is exactly what you need. Why not come on over and start a conversation?

We’ve all had that conversation.

You know the one.

The one we women have in our heads – any given Sunday.

It goes something like this:

“That’s it. I’ve had enough. I’m starting tomorrow. Tomorrow I’m starting a diet. I’m going to lose this weight, once and for all, because I’m reeeeeeeally sick of feeling …. exhausted, frustrated, frumpy…and I wanna feel gooooooood.”

You know the one, right?!

This conversation is often triggered by a comment from an unsuspecting friend or family member. Sometimes it’s triggered by the sight of our double chin in the unforgiving light of a Facebook photo. Or, maybe, even our ‘fat jeans’ have started to feel tight.

So, it’s Sunday night….

And post-conversation, we’re positivity bursting with motivation, commitment, and will power – because this time, this Monday, this diet, is “going to work”.

“Forget about all those other diets”, we confidently tell ourselves, “they were just practice sessions for this Monday – woot woot!”

And, because we’ve all been here before, we know how that scenario ends, right?!

By Wednesday (Thursday, if we’re lucky), we’re struggling with cravings for ‘naughty’ foods, as we find ourselves elbow-deep in the family-sized packet of chips, wondering where all that will power and motivation – that was so abundant on Sunday night – disappeared to!

True or true?

Now, if you’ve read me for any length of time you’ll know I have little time for diets.

They fail for a number of reasons: they work against our bodies own natural wisdom, they create the yoyo cycle and they’re fun-free.

The thing about “I’ll just start the diet on Monday”…or,”after the holidays”…. or, “in the New Year”….or any other arbitrary starting point is that those dates are meaningless.

What we’re really saying is ‘not now’ or “I just can’t commit right now.”

And therein lies the problem.

We can imagine committing to a healthier way of being sometime in the future, but not now.

And here’s the kicker: that future date never happens.

Because when Monday or New Year’s Day actually arrives, we then let some other hiccup delay our start date again.

And again.

We become more helpless.  Even more stuck. We lose our confidence. We procrastinate.

And our weight continues to climb.

So what can you do instead?

Always start now.

In this breath.
In this moment.
Right now.

No matter the day, the date, the year or the holiday season.  As soon as you find yourself wandering (or bolting!!!) away from your healthy way of being, simply come back. And then continue.

No big start required.
No fanfare.
No drama.

Darling, all you need to do is start. And keep on starting. Starting today.

Love etc, Avril

PS: If you’re sick of the same old Sunday night conversation, hypnotherapy might be exactly what you’re after. Why not  drop me a line over here, today.

How would you like to learn the most common mistake that we women make when we decide to drop a dress size, or three?

You do?

It’s the “I Want It Right Now” syndrome.

Aha. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you!

This ‘urgency’ sets us up for failure – right from the outset – because we’re rush, rush, rushing our weight loss.

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

Or, having regularly overindulged at the dinner table for a significant period, we shock our bodies as we start drinking dull-as-dishwater diet shakes, that promise “5kgs lost while you sleep”, three times a day.

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

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

Seeking immediate results on the scale is tantamount to planting a seed in the ground, then digging it up every morning to see if it’s growing yet. The seed does a whole lot of changing, developing under the ground, out of sight.

And you, digging it up each morning to check on progress, at best, impedes progress, and at worst, kills progress.

Mad at ourselves

Sounds crazy, but this ‘rushing’ is just another word for fear. When we rush our weight loss, 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.

I sooooo get it! Who hasn’t been there?

“Overnight weight loss”

Let’s be honest. The “overnight weight loss” promised by many diets is neither safe, nor in most cases, possible. It’s a major reason why 95% of diets fail.

When we rush our results, the process becomes joyless – something to be endured – our willpower vanishes, and surprise, surprise the diet fails. Or in truth, the diet fails us: for more on that see here, here and here.

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 the scales.

Go gently.
Go patiently.
Go kindly.

The weight didn’t arrive overnight. It will not shift overnight. You know this – you’re a smart woman, right?!

Allow yourself the gift of time and ‘keep on keeping on’, so that you can become the shape and size you choose to be.

Set a goal, and in small, consistent steps, work to reach it. Get support from your peers when you start flagging. Repeat.
You will change. —Seth Godin

Or, in other words, allow those seed to bloom – unhindered by crazy-pants-self-imposed deadlines.

So, start now sweetheart. In three months time – in 2014 – you’ll be pleased you did.

Love etc, Avril

PS: If you’re sick of the madness hypnotherapy might just be the answer you’re looking for. By harnessing the power of the unconscious mind you can drop a dress size gently, easily and naturally. Why not give me a call – there’s still time to drop a dress size by Christmas.

I learn soooo much from my clients. Sometimes, it’s what to do, sometimes what not to do. A client once shared that she used to weigh herself …… three times per day.

Here’s what she did. When the needle moved up, she’d feel deflated, head straight for the pantry, where she’d commiserate with chocolate.

Conversely, when the needle dipped, she’d be all “yahooooooo”, and – you guessed it – make a bee line for the pantry to celebrate with some chocolate!!!

We’re hilarious – the crazy pants stuff we do!!!

Irrespective of what the needle said, she’d use that number on the scale as the perfect excuse to sabotage, making progress impossible.

According to that notebook that lay by her bed, three times per day for the last two years, her weight had steadily increased.

We’ve all been there, right?!

Metal, plastic + inanimate and oh so demotivating

Even though the scale is an inanimate object made of metal and plastic, it has this enormous power to ruin days, create binges and keep us very, very stuck in self-sabotage.

Most of us relate to the scale in one of two ways.

Which are you?

1. The scale addict

If you’re a scale addict, you’ve probably got a little procedure that you observe before you delicately step on its surface.

You probably undress. Maybe you go to the loo. Chances are you quickly calculate whether you’ve been “good” or “bad” over the last couple of meals. Maybe you say a silent prayer. You definitely exhale, even though you know logically that air weighs zip.

Then you take that step onto the scale (still praying).

And, depending on what the scale says, your day is either woot-woot-woot-happy, or it bombs.

You can see that scale addicts give their power to this inanimate object. They abdicate all responsibility for how they feel to the scale. If you’re a scale addict, you’re giving it the power to determine your worthiness as a person, to set the tone for your day.

On the other hand, maybe you’re a scale avoider.

2. Scale avoider

You know this is you if you go to great lengths to not step on that scale. Or, as a recent client put it, “My daily exercise is stepping up and over the scale!!!”

Some people take this avoidance to dangerous extremes. They skip doctor appointments to avoid hearing their number. Or, when being weighed at the doctors, they actually face backwards so that number remains unknown.

By avoiding that number, these good folk get to stay stuck in that unhelpful state – denial. Because, if you never know your number, you might be ignoring important clues to the state of your health.

So where do you stand? Are you addicted or an avoider?

To be fair – there is no right or wrong answer.

The key question to ask yourself is this: is it working? As in, am I moving closer to my goal?

The 3-times-per-day weigher had watched with increasing frustration as the number gradually crept higher and further away from where she wanted to be – so, definitely not working.

Freedom from the scale

Many of us, who have become entrenched in the scales-as-the-boss way of life, find it hard to ditch the scale completely. I get that.

But to these clients, I suggest that they give themselves the ‘gift of space’ from the authoritarian number on the scales, by weighing themselves a maximum of once per month.

A monthly weigh-in allows them to track their progress, without the daily ups and downs of fluid retention or time-of-the-month heaviness, which can be de-motivating.

However, the real goal is learning to listen to our bodies. What that means is learning to track our progress by other measures, e.g. how lose your knickers become, how easily your jeans button up, or how invigorated your energy levels feel.

Clients realise that they don’t need a scale to tell them they’re making progress – they can feel that bounce in their step, they can see their silhouette changing shape in the mirror, they feel in control and confident.

But, in order to create these changes, they firstly needed to give themselves space to change – away from the scale. They take back their power by back by allowing the scales to gather dust in the cupboard.

Can you weigh yourself without letting it ruin your day?

How often you weigh yourself really is up to you. You’re an adult, it’s your choice.

There’s no need to be obsessive about it.

But no need to be in the dark, either.

You decide.

Just don’t make it mean more than it does. It’s just a number.

Love etc, Avril

PS: If you’d like to experience freedom from the scales and be able to weigh yourself without letting it ruin you day, hypnotherapy might just be the answer for you. Why not drop me a line so you can experience the freedom from the scale obsession…