Overindulged over Christmas? Already feeling you need to start that New Year’s resolution to lose weight?(Day 4)

Here are two more simple yet effective lifestyle changes which will support you to become your desired shape and size.

Lifestyle Change Number 6 – As soon as possible go out and buy yourself a new item of clothing in a size smaller than you are now.

From a psychological perspective it is more powerful if you do actually buy something new and don’t use an item of clothing that you already may have in your wardrobe that is too small for you.  It doesn’t have to be expensive.  Once you have your new item, you need to display it somewhere you will see it everyday e.g. on the back of your bedroom door or on the front of your wardrobe. 

By buying and displaying this item of clothing which is one size too small for you, you are supporting yourself by constantly reminding yourself of your weight loss goal.  Also, the Law of Concentrated Attention argues that if there is something in life that you really want, then you have to behave in a way that you already have it (i.e. buying clothes in a size too small represents your weight loss) – and you are very likely to actually get it.

Lifestyle Change Number 7 – Use positive affirmations to support your weight loss.

Positive affirmations can help you to reach a better state of life in many areas. You don't need to believe them 100%. Affirmations work by repetition in a similar way to the Law of Concentrated Attention mentioned in Lifestyle Change Number 6. Simply put, when you repeat affirmations with belief (positive emotion or conviction), your subconscious picks up on them and starts acting as if they were true.  Therefore affirmations need to be repeated on a daily basis.  Affirmations should always be positive and stated in the present tense, for example;

• “I am relaxed around food”
• “I care for myself” 
•   "I do not over eat. I leave food on my plate when I am full" 
• "I practice good portion control" 
• "Body fat falls off of me fast" 
• "I maintain a healthy weight" 
• "My body is beautiful, and it is more beautiful each day”
• “Losing weight comes naturally to me”
• “I choose nourishing, healthy foods”
• “I think before eating”
• “I drink lots of water”
• “Losing weight is fun”
• “Healthy foods taste better”
• “I am motivated by both successes and failures”
• “I accept and love my body as it is, and work to make it better”
• “I love challenges and embrace them”

Overindulged over Christmas? Already feeling you need to start that New Year’s resolution to lose weight?(Day 3)

Today I am sharing with you another simple yet very effective way to become the size and shape you desire without having to go on a restrictive diet.

Lifestyle Change Number 5 – Eat only three small meals a day.

Often when I first tell my clients this, many of them feel that this will be a difficult change to manage.  However, after the first week it is usual for my clients to report back to me that they are consuming a quarter to a half of what they previously ate. 

It is very important that you eat 3 meals a day - no snacking or skipping meals especially not breakfast. You may eat whatever you want for these meals – no food is forbidden, however, you must abide by Lifestyle Change Number 4 and stop eating before you are full. 

You may experience something that can be described as “head hunger”, basically cravings, especially if you are not used to a set eating regime.  Acknowledge this head hunger for what it is – a conditioned response and there are several ways to deal with it;

• Have a drink of water to ensure that you are not dehydrated
• Wait it out – it will pass
• Do some exercise to take your mind off it
• Always make sure that you have small nutritious snacks to hand in case you really do become famished between meals.  If you are really hungry your body won’t mind what you eat - an apple will be appreciated as much as a biscuit, crisps or chocolate.

Overindulged over Christmas? Already feeling you need to start that New Year’s resolution to lose weight?(Day 2)

Are you feeling uncomfortable?  Are your clothes too tight?  Have you overindulged that bit too much over Christmas? Today (day two) I am sharing with you two more tried and tested ways to support you in becoming the size and shape you desire without having to resort to the restrictions of a diet.

Lifestyle Change Number 3 - Eat slowly and consciously.

It is generally well-known that those who wolf their food down tend to put on more weight than those who spend time over their food and chew each mouthful 20 times or more. In fact a Japanese study that monitored the eating habits of 3,000 people found that men who eat fast were 84 per cent more likely to be overweight.

A lot of us learn to eat quickly as children, a skill necessary to ensure that we get second helpings or so that we can leave the table as quickly as possible and get back to more exciting pursuits. It could well be the shortage of time that we all now suffer from that is a major cause of our current obesity crisis.

It is easy to learn to eat as a gourmet, enjoying every mouthful of food and slowing your eating down, chewing your food thoroughly and thinking about the mantra “a mouthful a minute”.  Put your knife and fork down between mouthfuls; put your sandwich down between mouthfuls.

Wherever possible, always eat sitting at a table.  Do not eat in front of the television or whilst reading as you will not be conscious of what you are eating.  If you are at work and have to eat at your desk, turn your computer screen off or close your laptop.  Sit down and focus purely on the food in front of you.

Lifestyle Change Number 4 – Stop eating before you feel full.

Aim to stop eating as soon as you feel comfortable.  This rule will be a lot easier to stick to if you adhere to rule number 3.  The slower you eat the easier it is to become in tune with how full you feel.

You may have heard or read about Alan Sugar’s Tiny Fork diet.  There is one basic principle behind this – if you eat using a small fork you will eat more slowly and therefore be better able to recognise when you have had enough to eat and stop eating before you are full.

There are many other techniques you can use to support you with this such as eating from a smaller plate or halving your portion size.

Overindulged over Christmas? Already feeling you need to start that New Year’s resolution to lose weight? (Day 1)

Over the next five days I will be sharing with you simple, yet extremely effective lifestyle changes which if adhered to will support you with your weight loss goals.  At no stage will I be mentioning that you need to go on a diet or tell you which foods you can or cannot eat.  The changes I will be suggesting you make are realistic and achievable.

Lifestyle Change Number 1 – Drink 2 litres of mineral or filtered water throughout the day.

Often your body cannot distinguish between feelings of hunger and thirst; therefore to ensure that you don’t feel hungry when you are actually dehydrated it is important to drink water.  These 2 litres need to be in addition to any other drinks that you may drink e.g. tea, coffee, soft drinks. 

Lifestyle Change Number 2 – Ensure you get enough sleep.

On average we need between 7-8 hours sleep per night.  Strange as it may sound, if you are sleep deprived you will be prone to weight gain because your metabolism will not function properly.  To support you with weight loss, aim to get your full quota of good quality sleep at least 3-4 times a week.

Tomorrow I will share with you 2 more lifestyle changes that will support you to become your desired size and shape.