Archives December 2019

Heeeeeeeeeeeello!

How are you?

I wanted to pop in to share an encouraging idea with you.

Because, at this time of year, it’s very easy to put our lives under the microscope and find ourselves lacking in some way.

But I’ve realised – as I reflect on the ups and downs of this decade – that no experience is ever wasted.

– If I hadn’t experienced an emotionally abusive relationship, I’d not fully appreciate the truly amazing man I have the pleasure of being with today.

– If I hadn’t struggled with food addiction, and experienced the self-criticism that accompanies being at war with your body — I wouldn’t be able to help change the lives of hundreds of women struggling on their own weight journey.

– If I hadn’t experienced the emotional exhaustion that comes with being a ‘high-achieving people-pleaser’, I’d not understand the inner peace that comes from taking back my own power.

While each of these experiences felt excruciating at the time, they all led to a deeper sense of self-worth, connection and freedom.

So, how can you view the past decade in a way that allows you to feel more joy this Christmas Day?

Because everything is working out for YOU.

Sparkle on, lovely.

PS: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting me in to your inbox.

PPS: I’ve got a special offer coming in January for women wanting a helping hand with their health in 2020, so join the notification list and you’ll get the details as soon as that opens in early January.

At this time of year, there’s a question on many women’s lips.

“What can I do to avoid the dreaded holiday weight gain?”

Firstly, I encourage you to question the idea that it’s “compulsory to gain weight over Christmas”.

Remember, our unconscious mind always seeks to prove us right. So, if you’re telling yourself it’s inevitable, guess what, you’ll prove yourself right.

Now here are three practical eating tips to help you navigate the festive season:

1. Enjoy your favourite foods

There’s this crazy idea that if we’re carrying additional weight, then we need to avoid the crisps, the chocolate, the sweets – all those Christmas yummies.

But those foods are not just for slim people.

And we know very, very well, that when you tell yourself you mustn’t have certain foods, we crave them because what we repress, becomes the obsessed.

So eat your favourite foods. But eat them in moderation, savour them, and really enjoy them.

Do not push them away. That’s when overeating, bingeing and feeling out of control becomes part of your holiday experience. So enjoy your favourite foods.

2. Stay mindful when you eat

Nothing will make you gain weight more quickly than if you eat when distracted or doing something else, like watching telly.

Make sure you pay attention to your body. Are you eating because you’re tummy-rumble hungry or are you eating “just because it’s there”?

Your body isn’t a rubbish bin, and tossing food into her when she doesn’t need it is a form of self-harm.

3. Aim to be the last to finish at the table

Not because you’re eating the most in quantity but because you’re eating the most slowly.

I encourage you to make it a competition in your own mind – to be the last to finish. Nobody else needs to know.

By eating slowly, it helps you to tune into your tummy so you know when she’s satisfied.

Bonus tip: Stop eating to make other people happy.

I know it sounds crazy, but so many of us women do. We’ve been conditioned to placate other people by eating what’s put in front of us.

By doing this, we ignore our body’s “no” (just to make other people feel comfortable.)

Remember, you’re not four years old anymore. You don’t have to eat two pieces of Aunt Murriel’s cake to validate her baking skills. Listen to YOUR body!

Have a super Christmas lovely and enjoy time off with family and friends or whatever it is you’re doing. I’ll see you next week for another making peace with food tip.

If you want to re-learn how to listen to your body and step into the new decade feeling confident and control around food, virtual gastric band hypnosis can help.

C’mon over to Lighten Up.

Are you a mum?

And are you worried about the eating habits of your child?

Many mums share that nothing they do – no amount of nagging, no amount of worrying, no amount of restricting what goes in the lunch box– seems to change their kids eating habits.

So what’s a mum to do?

What I encourage you to do – and this might not be what you want to hear – is get up close and personal with your own eating habits.

For example, are you sneaky eating when you think no one’s watching?

Are you denying yourself foods you love, then bingeing later.

Do you talk about good foods vs bad foods?

Little eyes watch everything

While it might seem that our children don’t listen to what we say because they’re busy learning, growing, playing, goofing off being a kid – they do watch everything you (and dad) do.

E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.

So next time you ask them to “leave that chocolate alone because dinner’s on its way”, but then you sneak some chocolate before dinner, get curious about what example you are setting.

Our kids watch everything we do. Which is why I love working with women create change in their own eating habits. Because when we women create peace with food so does the next generation.

I hope you found that helpful. If you’re ready to dive deeper into how you can reset your eating habits you might like to know that Lighten Up – my online, six-week virtual gastric band programme opens shortly. Why not pop on over and add your name to the waitlist so you’re in the know when doors open. Otherwise, I’ll see you next week for another making peace with food tip.

Today I want to talk about the photograph.

You know the one.

It’s that photo of you at your heaviest. That photo of you at your lowest ebb. You at your most unflattering.

Maybe you’ve plastered it to the fridge in the hope that it’ll stop you in your tracks when you’re tempted to go back for seconds?

Sure, many weight loss coaches do talk about harnessing the power of the unflattering photo as a motivational tool.

But I disagree. Here’s why.

It’s very hard to create change from that feeling of shame. Let that sink in.

Sure the threat of the photo might feel motivational for a couple of days – but for most women, shame is exhausting, and it doesn’t work in the long term.

For example, a client I saw this week mentioned how she’d used the photo of herself at her heaviest – after the birth of her fourth child – as a bookmark for the last eight years.

Had that motivational bookmark worked? Nope!

That unflattering photo was the last thing she saw before she fell asleep at night. Is it any wonder she woke up feeling despondent and unmotivated!

Shaming behaviour makes us feel miserable. And what do we do when we feel miserable? We eat!

So stop using those unflattering photographs as a way of trolling yourself.

Becoming your happy shape and size is all about re-learning how to listen to your body. And we’re much more likely to listen to someone we feel safe with. Allow your body to start feeling safe with you.

I’m not suggesting you need bury or burn all your unflattering photos – because there is a time and a place for them – but only use photos in a gentle, loving way.

Discovering how to trust your body again is exactly what we cover in Lighten Up. Lighten Up is my six-week online virtual gastric band programme for women.

If you want to reconnect with your body and lose weight from a place of love, virtual gastric band hypnosis can help.

C’mon over to Lighten Up!