Get that Summer Body
The
days are longer, the sun is warmer (when it actually shines) and thoughts are
turning to the holiday that will be upon you before you know it.
No
matter whether you have the job of your dreams, are about to apply for a promotion
or are in the process of looking for a new job, the holiday is a vital part of
life and needs to be prepared for.
If
you are like me, it is about now that the weight loss goal from January (long
forgotten) becomes a bit of a priority. Some actions have been taken, but the
weather has been cold and there was Easter, with cakes and chocolate, then the
weather was cold again – and wet. No more excuses. The time has come to tackle
this one, but absolutely NOT
by dieting. There are much better ways.
Ask
yourself some searching questions.
“Why
do I want to lose weight or tone up?”
“What
have I done in the past to create the reality of being the size I am?”
“What
were the reasons for it?”
“What
can I do to change it?”
“How
much do I want to change it?”
“What
difference will losing some weight make to my life?”
We
all know that to lose weight we need to take in fewer calories than we use. So
the overall aim is to eat a little less and do a little more. It is also a fact
that even eating one biscuit a day more than you use in energy can result in a
substantial weight gain. So presumably, if you eat one biscuit less each day
than the energy you use it will result in a substantial weight loss. So if you
can work out where the extra calories are coming from and why, you can develop
ways to divert your attention so you forget to eat them!
The
important aspect of this to remember is that you are NOT going to be on a diet. They rarely work long term and in
his book ‘I Can Make You Thin’ Paul McKenna states
“ Diets are no more than training courses in
how to get fat and feel like a
failure……..If you continue to diet, you will gain weight and keep it on
for life.”
All I
suggest is that you change a few old habits that are no longer serving you and
replace them with new, more enriching ones.
Some
years ago I was shown this formula
E + R =
O
Which is an Event + your Response to it = the Outcome
you experience. Well, if you change your eating response to events, the outcome
of your weight problem will change. In the past you may have reacted to
situations by eating, or by eating the wrong food. The outcome is a body that
you are not happy with. So changing your response (R) will achieve a new
outcome (O). Make new habits that will support your newly prioritised goal.
I am
sure you are aware that you have choices about what you do because you are take
100% responsibility for your life. Your daily decisions about whether to eat
that packet of crisps when watching the television (or even whether to watch
that programme at all), or have a few biscuits with your cuppa when you get
home from work are having an effect on your body and your long term happiness.
Every small decision like this either supports you in creating your healthy new
body, or it doesn’t. You choose which actions to take. You are in charge of
your life.
You remember the old saying
“If you always do what you’ve always done
you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”
Well,
that applies to eating and exercise habits too. The odd biscuit or packet of
crisps, justified with the promise that you’ll do better tomorrow or what harm
can it do, have created the person you are now. As has the decision to not take
the exercise that your body craves.
I
know from experience that will power won’t do it, so we’re not going there.
Instead we (and yes, I am doing it too ) will change our habits and do things
differently. And there will still be no diet.
The
first step is to know the reality of your situation. When do you eat those
extra calories – in what situations? What time of day? Why? Do you eat from
boredom, stress, habit or because everyone else does? Once you know the when
and the why you can begin to tackle the problem – so be honest with yourself. I
snack from boredom, out of habit, because it is there and so I may as well eat
it, because I ate my meal too quickly and so my body hasn’t had a chance to
register that I am full or because I am putting off doing something I don’t
want to do. I expect some of these will sound familiar.
The times
I snack are when I sit down in the evening, when I am procrastinating (any time
of day) and at break times when I am not at home. A few weeks ago I discovered
how easy it is to develop a bad eating habit. In just two days I was in the habit
of eating a biscuit with my break time drink because I was away from home on a
course and the biscuits were there. Try as I may, I had to have a biscuit if
they were there.
So
since I clearly don’t have any, we won’t be using willpower here!
I
want you to brainstorm what else you could do instead of eating, at your snack
trigger times. Is there something that would help you achieve one of your other
goals? What could you do to take your mind off your habit of snacking?
I
don’t usually have tea breaks when I am working from home, but if I do I get
out a magazine to read and reaching for the biscuit tin is futile as I no
longer have one. (We have already established that I lack will power, so I
simply don’t put that temptation in my way any more). After dinner, I wash up
straight away. If I am still hungry I phone a friend for a chat – it takes my
mind off the thought of snacks until my stomach realises that I am not hungry. I
may even go for a walk. My biggest problem was crisps when I sat down in the
evening. I thought long and hard about a new habit I could develop, then it
came to me. I’ve gone back to an old hobby of knitting. It’s great. I can’t
knit and eat crisps at the same time and the knitting is creative and gives me
a sense of achievement. I also stopped buying crisps!
So
think about what you could do. At work could you take fruit or a yoghurt or
some cucumber and carrot sticks and start eating them before the biscuits
arrive? Could you take your drink back to your desk or sit in a different
place? At home maybe phone a friend for a chat, read a book or magazine, go for
a walk after dinner, swim or do an exercise DVD or hire a personal trainer? You
could take up a new hobby or craft or cook the next day’s dinner. You could be
so engrossed in the activity that you forget about snacking.
Challenge
yourself to break old habits that aren’t supporting the new you and try
something radically different. I know someone who has a large exercise ball.
She balances on it to watch television – that combines exercise with making
eating difficult. I’ve even tried rebounding while watching television. Try
things and see what works for you.
I
have mentioned before that I sometimes ask myself,
“What
would a successful person do in this situation?”
A better question to ask in this situation is
“What
does the new slim and successful me do in this situation?”
One
answer you may come up with is to take more exercise. Well, if you live in the
Portsmouth area (about 20 mile radius) you are very lucky because I know a
wonderful personal trainer by the name of
Lara Geall. She develops personalised programmes for her clients,
beginning with an assessment of where they are so they have a benchmark to
measure from. As Lara says
“Ultimately, my aim is to train your body and
mind, by teaching you the fundamentals of fitness to help you establish a
realistic fitness routine - one which gives you the body and the lifestyle that
you desire."
If you would like to speak to Lara to find out how working
with her could help you achieve your goal then she can be contacted at
07747 014459
Focus
on your successes each day – one biscuit missed, some potatoes left on your
plate at dinner, an exercise session with Lara or someone similar in your area
– and list them in a journal, along with how you feel about yourself for
achieving it. Also write about how good your new habits make you feel too. Read
them often to keep you going.
Get
family and friends to support you, not taunt you with treats. Trudie Styler
(Mrs. Sting) is careful what she eats all week but has one day a week when she
can eat cakes and biscuits and have extra portions. Only you can decide what
will work for you.
You
will notice that I haven’t mentioned scales, target weight or target size. That
is because they aren’t important here. You are aiming for a slim, fit, fabulous
and confident new you, on your terms. The size and weight that happens to be is
not important. You will notice the changes as you become fitter, happier and
more energetic. The weight will come off slowly and naturally because you
aren’t focused on it.
If
you need more motivation then pin up a picture of the holiday and a description
of how you want to feel and be by then. When the going gets tough ask yourself:
What will happen and how will you feel if
you do keep it up?
What won’t happen and how will you feel if
you do keep it up?
What will happen and how will you feel if
you don’t keep it up?
What won’t happen and how will you feel if
you don’t keep it up?
Visualise
the fun, fit and fabulous new you and then go and do something different to
take your mind off those snacks!
Get
out and walk, get a personal trainer or join a Zumba class – whatever works for
you.
Just
remember that you are responsible
for the results in your life –
nobody else. If you don’t take action to get the body and the life you want,
nobody else can do it for you.
Ascot here I come!
