Drop a Size for Life: Fat Loss Fast and Forever!

Drop a Size for Life: Fat Loss Fast and Forever! Joanna Hall The UK’s most respected diet and fitness expert introduces the follow-up to her top ten bestseller, Drop A Size in Two Weeks Flat! Joanna Hall explains not only how to lose that extra weight, but how to keep it off for good in the face of the many changing factors and pressures that affect our lives.• Joanna Hall builds on her Drop A Size In Two Weeks Flat diet and explains how to achieve the shape you want and keep it throughout those inevitable lifestyle changes.• The step by step plan starts with mental preparation to help you stick to the three stages of eating and exercise guidelines that follow.• Once success is achieved, learn how to drop that size for good and stop the rebound pounds with a 12-month plan.• Includes strategies and tips for dealing with the various lifestage, emotional and environmental factors that could threaten your new slimmer figure:– Pregnancy – Marriage – Menopause –Illness or injury – Stress – Social pressure – Holidays• This book is ideal for those people who yo-yo diet, as it gives you the ammunition to maintain your success in the face of changes that would previously have derailed your new healthy eating habits.• Joanna’s philosophy: "Diet and Fitness is part of our every day life. More and more research is throwing forward the link between health, activity and life quality. This is a book which inspires the mind to make those changes. It’s all about being the best that you can be whilst living the life you wish to live." JOANNA HALL DROP A SIZE FOR LIFE FAT LOSS FAST AND FOREVER! CONTENTS Introduction Getting Started How the book works Section One: Preparing to Drop a Size Step 1 Train your brain Step 2 Befriend the mirror Step 3 Think, say and do as one Step 4 Make friends with the enemy Step 5 Establishing the here and now Step 6 Get on that pedestal Step 7 Finding the elusive G spot Section Two: Dropping that Size The 10 Fundamentals Follow the Carb Curfew Eat more fibre Cut your sodium intake Fit in some exercise – with and without your trainers Get savvy about fats Don’t skimp on the protein Beware of alcohol – the hidden pound piler Keep up your water intake Get to grips with portion control Follow the 80-20 rule The drop a size eating plans The Recipes Drop a size for life foods Troubleshooting some commonly asked questions and problems Section Three: Keeping Your New Size for Life The child-bearing years Pregnancy Reclaiming your body after pregnancy Midlife Perimenopause Menopause Growing older by the same author Copyright (#litres_trial_promo) About the Publisher INTRODUCTION (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) So you want to drop a size? Well, it’s easy! It simply entails making some changes to your diet and stepping up your activity levels – both of which you’ll learn how to do in this book. Where the real challenge lies is in maintaining that ideal size – not for a week, or a month, or even for a year, but for life. Imagine how wonderful that would be – to achieve the body shape and size you want now and still have that figure in a decade’s time. Well, you can do it – but, like most things worth having in life, it’s going to take a little time, effort and know-how. Dieting is a lot like relationships. What we’re looking for in a relationship and what we’re prepared to put into it influence the kind of relationship it will be. Quick-fix diets are the equivalent of a one-night stand: you get what you want fast and it feels great – but it doesn’t last. You may hope for something a little more permanent but inevitably you soon realize that the man or woman of your dreams isn’t all you thought they’d be and your interest wanes. Similarly, that ‘revolutionary’ new diet that was going to get the weight off, once and for all, soon becomes a slog and leaves you feeling disillusioned and disappointed. Now think of a long-term relationship. Anyone who has experienced a good, lasting partnership knows that it involves a bit of work and upkeep. It’s not always earth-shatteringly exciting, and there are inevitably problems along the way, but it feels right, it makes you happy and, most of all, it feels like a permanent part of your life. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t evolve along the way, however. More than likely, both parties change, or circumstances change, and a period of adjustment follows. The likelihood of long-term success is determined by how you navigate this sometimes tricky road. This principle applies just as much to your relationship with your body as it does to the one you have with your partner. Things change due to circumstances, ageing, environmental and social factors, the key is to be in tune with – and responsive to – your body’s needs as they arise. Dropping a size is about weight management, not about fixing a figure on the scales and perceiving anything above that as failure. The clinical definition of successful weight management is that you stay within 20 per cent of the original weight loss. You shouldn’t expect to maintain the exact same weight for life. Weight fluctuates and there are times when it is healthier to gain a little weight; times when life dictates that the effort involved in staying in shape simply can’t be made. Think of it this way: if you want to stay at a weight of 91? stones for the rest of your life, you’ll need to exercise religiously and eat strictly all the time – but if you aim to stay within 20 per cent of your optimal weight, you can adopt the principles and strategies you’ll learn in this book and still enjoy your life, too. Let’s go back to relationships for a moment. There are times when we think we’re embarking on the ultimate relationship – ‘the one’ – and it turns out to be just another fly-by-night fling. At first, we can’t stop thinking about our new partner, we want to talk about them all the time, we think about the future, devote loads of time to them. Then, gradually, little problems and disappointments arise, it all becomes a little mundane and we realize that they’re not quite so perfect after all. Generally we carry on with the relationship a little while longer but without really giving it the care and attention it deserves to develop and improve. Inevitably a few weeks later the relationship ends – and the search for Mr Right or Mrs Right begins again. It’s a familiar enough story – but can you see how similar it is to the quest many of us are on to lose weight? Compare it to the following all-too-common scenario. You’re in the coffee shop with your work colleagues and one of them tells you about this great new diet – it involves bizarre food combinations, no alcohol, no this, no that, no life but hey, it worked for Maggie in accounts and she looks fab! So you decide to leap in and really give this a go – this will be the diet for you! This diet is going to last! One month later, sitting around the same coffee table, you’re back to normal eating. That diet? Well, you lost weight initially, but you really missed your red wine and bread and you felt so devoid of energy that you couldn’t possibly get to aerobics. Now you’re 8 pounds heavier than when you started and a whole dress size bigger. At this point, Maggie from accounts walks past and she’s most definitely gained at least two dress sizes. Ah, well, you’ve heard the Brussels sprouts diet is very good … Sometimes what we think is the right diet, or the perfect relationship, really isn’t. When it comes to relationships, okay we can’t help it if we fall for the wrong person, or misjudge someone – and hey, we all make mistakes – but as we get older we hopefully learn from our mistakes and begin making better judgements, putting in the right kind of time and effort to the relationships that really could work. So why can’t we seem to do the same with dieting? Many of us just seem to keep making the same mistakes over and over again. We keep choosing these ‘Mr Right’ diets and when we can’t make them work we feel more and more despondent. This repeated cycle of failure creates self-fulfilling prophecies. In other words, because you’ve failed before, you expect to fail again right from the outset, so you embark on your weight loss regime with ‘I bet this doesn’t work’ in the back of your mind. With this mindset, failure is hardly surprising – and of course having proved that you are a failure, your self-esteem and confidence are further undermined. This can actually have a negative effect on how you see yourself – on your body image. Research has shown that women who have low self-esteem have a less accurate picture of what their bodies look like than women who are more confident about themselves. Unfailingly, the under-confident women see themselves as larger than they are in reality. So not only does repeating the same mistakes fail to produce results, it may also make you feel worse than you did at the start of the whole process! Dropping a size for life is about putting an end to this negative cycle of behaviour. This involves learning how to target your efforts to where they’ll really count and about forging and nurturing a positive relationship between your body and your brain. Losing weight isn’t physically hard. You know what you have to do – eat less and exercise more! However, to keep that weight off, you will need to learn how to develop mental strategies and the right mindset so that you can tackle all the challenges that life throws at us – whether it’s life stages such as pregnancy, the physical effects of growing older, dealing with different emotional situations, or coping with all those everyday crises that seem to be an integral part of life in the 21st century. GETTING STARTED (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) WHAT IS THE RIGHT SIZE? The old adage ‘you can never be too rich or too thin’ is one that is held in much too high a regard in our society. Of course you can be too thin and striving for a size that is not realistically achievable is not only a soul-destroying business, it’s also a dangerous game. You’re dicing with your health and are at risk of developing disordered eating behaviours or even a full-blown eating disorder. So what is the right size? Well judging from a recent survey, which revealed that 63 per cent of people lie about their weight, with 22 per cent not even telling their partner, most of us think it’s smaller than whatever size we are! Realistically, the majority of us know when we’ve put on a few too many pounds, and have a clothes size we secretly hanker after or have something hanging in our wardrobe that we’d really like to fit into again one day. This plan is geared towards dropping a clothes size, but it can still work for you if you need to drop more than one size – provided you stay with it for long enough. And if you are significantly overweight – and more than half the UK population is now classified as such – you’ll be doing yourself a huge favour by taking steps to lose those excess pounds. Obesity is now recognized as a serious medical condition with many associated health risks, including heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, gallstones, osteo-arthritis of weight-bearing joints, sleep apnoea, reproductive disorders and some cancers. Professor Philip James, chairman of the Obesity Task Force, describes obesity as ‘the biggest global health burden for the world’. And while the UK may lag behind the US in rates of obesity, we’re gaining ground rapidly. In 1980, the average British man weighed 73.7kg; for a woman the average was 62.2kg. By 2000, those figures had increased to 81.6kg and 68.8kg respectively. ASSESSING YOUR BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) BMI is a simple way of assessing your body weight status. It’s not foolproof, however, as it does not distinguish between fat and muscle. It’s also not a good measure of progress as you get fitter, as increased muscle mass may actually make you heavier rather than lighter, although you will be substantially fitter and trimmer and slipping into a smaller clothes size. Use the formula below to determine your BMI and then check this against the BMI categories to see whether you are already a healthy body weight or if you have a more significant amount of body fat to lose. To obtain you BMI, measure your weight in kilograms and your height in metres and then divide your weight by your height squared: W/H = BMI. For example, if you weigh 63kg and are 1.70m tall, you multiply 1.7 by 1.7 to give you 2.89, then divide 63 by 2.89. This gives a BMI of 21.79, which, as you can see from the categories on page 8, would put you within the normal weight range. (If you want to make life easy, you can calculate your BMI automatically without having to do the maths at my website www.joannahallonline.com) BMI CATEGORIES Underweight = under 20 Normal weight = 20–24.9 Overweight = 25–29.9 Obese = 30+ WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE Although BMI has been widely used since the 1980s to estimate body shape change and the risk of various obesity-related diseases, using the waist circumference measurement is simpler and has been shown to indicate obesity-related risks just as well as BMI. Developed by an expert panel on obesity and health risks, the waist circumference method of indicating health risk classifies a healthy waist circumference as being below 102cm/40in for men and 88cm/34in for women. As well as being simple, the waist circumference measurement also gives a more accurate picture of an individual’s body fat distribution. And since the Drop a Size for Life plan is concerned not solely with measuring weight on the scales but more with clothes size, girth measurements are the best way to monitor your progress as you follow this plan. TAKING YOUR GIRTH MEASUREMENTS The charts opposite shows the usual measurements that are taken – if you wish you can use it to record you own details when you begin the plan. The body fat measurement is not essential but it is helpful. Body fat can be measured using skin fold calipers or, more conveniently, using a body fat monitor – these are similar to bathroom scales but they determine your percentage body fat, giving a truer idea of what is going on in your body. HOW TO MEASURE Chest – measure with the tape flat across the nipple line Waist – measure around the narrowest part of your midriff (for men, pull your tummy in for the first reading and let it go for the second) Navel – measure around the midriff directly over the belly button Hips – measure across the top of the buttock cheeks Thighs – stand with feet together, measure 20cm/8in up from the top of your kneecap and take a circumference measurement of your thighs SOME COMMON QUESTIONS Can I drop a size just on my bottom half? Unfortunately, you can’t choose where the weight comes off. You might want to lose a size on your hips and gain one on your bust – no can do! The body loses fat from all over, not just from where you want it to. And the idea that you can ‘burn’ fat from specific areas – a concept known as spot reduction – is a myth. In fact, in one study, subjects performed a vast number of sit-ups over a few weeks and lost not a single gram of fat from their abdominal regions. However, an appropriate exercise program will help to firm up slack muscles and create a streamlined, balanced silhouette. This is one reason why exercise is such a crucial part of your DAS plan. How long will it take to drop a size? To drop a dress size, you need to lose at least 2.5cm/1in off your bust, 4cm/1.5in off your waist and 4cm/1.5in off your hips – that’s a total of 10cm/4in. Men need to lose at least 2.5cm/1in from the waist and the same from the chest – a total of at least 5cm/2in. The amount of effort and time you are willing to put in will dictate how long it takes to drop a size (you can read more about this in section two) but don’t be too impatient for results. Bear in mind the story of the tortoise and the hare. You can drop a size very quickly if you want to and if the time is right for you. All the volunteers who took part in the research for my previous book, Drop a Size in Two WeeksFlat!, dropped a whole size in just 14 days – and many of you have written to me to tell me you have too. However, it may not be the right time for you to drop a size in just two weeks and you may find it a lot more pleasurable and attainable if you take it a little more slowly. If you do it slowly you’re also more likely to sustain the weight loss. Will I always be able to stay at my new size? In a word, no. As we age, physiological and metabolic processes slow down, often resulting in weight gain. This doesn’t mean you’ll inevitably gain weight, never to lose it. Life is continually changing and there will be times when it will be very hard to stay at your new size – you may even find that occasionally you gain a size. Conversely, there are times when the weight seems to just fall off without much effort. Learning how to respond to your body’s needs, both physically and mentally, will enable you to stay within a healthy weight range – and to return to your ideal size – throughout your life. TAKE A REALITY CHECK It is important to realize that how much weight you want to lose and how much is realistic in a given time frame may be two different things. Being realistic about what you can achieve is vital. How much time are you willing and able to put in? How many changes can you make at once? Weight loss isn’t an all or nothing thing. Just because you won’t fit into a size 10 by your next holiday, does that mean it’s not worth doing at all? Think of approaching weight loss in terms of bite-size goals. What can you do right now? Now may not be the right time to go the whole hog, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything towards dropping a size. Imagine you’re relaxing with a group of friends, enjoying a bottle of wine and a bowl of tortilla chips while discussing the latest diet you’ll start next Monday. The good intention is there, but it isn’t a ‘now’ intention. Ask yourself what you can do now? Well for a start you can stop hogging the wine and eating most of the tortilla chips! You can ditch the sugar from your tea. At lunchtime, forgo the mayonnaise, butter and other added fats. Ask for skimmed milk in your cappuccino. Walk to school to pick up the kids instead of driving. It’s the drip-drip effect – all these small things are positive steps towards your ultimate goal. Do what you can do now – and praise yourself for it. HOW THE BOOK WORKS (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) Drop a Size for Life will help you master, develop and sustain the skills you need to lose weight and keep it off – and it will help you feel good about your body. I have written it in three simple-to-follow sections. Section one is all about preparing to drop a size. It looks at how to get yourself mentally in the right place to lose weight. Many people want to drop a size, but in reality they are not in the right state of mind to do it. They may have a fear of failing, or have experienced great frustration with their weight loss efforts in the past, or they may simply be convinced that weight loss is some sort of losing–gaining, losing–gaining process. Such people resign themselves to starting a new diet every spring, rather than accepting that it is possible to lose weight and keep it off. Finding the shape and size you are happy with is as much about your brain as your body. If you view your weight loss efforts as open warfare against your body, you’ll be fighting against your best ally. Section one is about mastering six simple and easy-to-follow steps that form the foundation for you to drop a size for life. They centre around building your self-esteem, making friends with your body so you can work with it, strengthening your resolve and empowering you to be in control of your efforts. Achieve that and you’ll not only look great but you’ll feel good about yourself, too – and of course, you’ll reap the rewards from the myriad health benefits of a nutritious diet and active lifestyle. Section two is about dropping a size. This is the practical stuff about actually shedding those excess pounds. It includes eating and exercise plans that will provide you with a template to drop a size. As we go through the year our tastes change so I’ve provided summer and winter eating plans to help you keep that weight off all year round. When it comes to exercise, you’ll find a ‘workout wedge’ that is suitable, whatever your available time and energy level. This section also includes ten vital strategies that underpin the plan – you can adopt these to whatever extent you feel necessary to make this work for you. And to help you stay in great shape, you’ll find the drop a size for life foods and recipes offer you loads of ideas to keep you bursting with health and energy. Section three is about staying at your new size throughout your life. As we age, our bodies naturally change shape, but how we manage the ageing process, our changing emotions, social lives and environment directly affects our bodies. Section three will take you through the changes associated with the different life stages, explaining what happens so that you don’t feel that your body has suddenly turned against you. It will arm you with skills and strategies that are easy to slot into your life and that will help you navigate your way healthily and successfully through changing times. You’ll also find helpful references to point you in the direction of relevant exercises and tips from sections one and two. So, if you’re ready, let’s make a start and prepare to drop a size. SECTION ONE (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) PREPARING TO DROP A SIZE (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) INTRODUCTION (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) Many people want to lose weight. What’s the first step? I guess you’d expect to hear something about reducing calories and getting down the gym, however, my experience with the thousands of people I’ve helped over the years suggests that the first step should have nothing to do with diet or exercise – instead it should involve sorting out your state of mind. Getting in the right ‘head space’ – being mentally ready – is something you’ll need to master for successful long-term weight management. Why? I see many clients with the keenness to achieve their weight loss goals, but they set off with false ideas – about how much they need to lose, how quickly it can be lost and how easy it will be. Attempting to achieve unrealistic goals means you are more likely to fail – either by not getting the result you wanted or by finding the plan too difficult to stick to and giving up. Either way, setting yourself up for failure in this way is bad for your self-esteem and confidence. In contrast to those who are very keen, are the clients who have been through the weight loss mill so many times that despite saying, ‘I really want to lose weight this time’, at the back of their mind they are in fact saying ‘here we go again – don’t expect this will work but I’m desperate, so I’ll give it a go’. In effect, they are setting themselves up to fail. The subconscious mind is a very subtle but persuasive thing and you only need to suggest failure for it to become a likely part of reality. Many individuals report feelings of great self-esteem once they have lost weight. Why is that? Does being thinner make you a better person? Or is it more to do with the good feelings associated with achieving what you set out to do? Obviously losing weight doesn’t make you a better person but whatever you think, I believe that building self-esteem initially is pivotal to successful weight loss. Self-esteem is not a product of weight loss but the foundation for it. After all, you have to believe you are worth the time, effort and work involved in achieving and then maintaining your goal size and weight. Take your clothes off – go on, take them off right now. I’m absolutely serious! Go and take them off and stand in front of a full length mirror completely naked. Take a good look. Look at yourself from the front and then from the side and back. What do you see? The chances are, what you see and the body you have are two completely different things. How you see yourself is described as your ‘body image’. This isn’t something fixed in concrete and it isn’t necessarily grounded in reality. In fact, body image can be affected by all kinds of things. For example, in one interesting study, subjects who were made to consume a bowl of ice cream before having to choose a body silhouette most like their own opted for a larger outline than the women who ate nothing. It’s as if those women felt they’d done something wrong by eating the ice cream and therefore judged themselves more negatively. If you’re anything like the average woman, you aren’t at all happy with what you see in the mirror. A recent survey showed 95 per cent of women are unhappy with their body shape. What’s more, we think that our inability to look as slim and fit as we want to is down to our own failures. Most disturbingly, ‘failing’ in one area of life (i.e. not having the ‘perfect’ body) has a knock-on effect on confidence and self-esteem in other areas of life. A negative body image is closely linked to poor self-esteem. The point here is that deciding to accept your body, right here, right now, how it is, is crucial to your success. Okay, so you might want to make some changes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t think positive about some aspects of yourself. See if you can guess which of these percentages goes with which question. Such widespread dissatisfaction with our bodies makes shocking reading, doesn’t it? You are more than what you see in the mirror and to move beyond the crash diet–weight gain cycle, you need to accept yourself and value yourself enough to instigate some positive changes. Making an enemy of your body is a losing battle, as you will only be fighting yourself. So, before we even begin to look at diet and exercise, we’re going to work on getting you into the right mental space to drop a size for life. This section is literally about stripping things back to the bare bones and then building back your self-esteem, layer by layer, in order to give you the appropriate foundation for dropping a size. And the great thing is, layering these simple skills and techniques will not only get you dropping a size, it will also have a knock-on effect in other aspects of your life, too. 60% 5% 90% 56% 0% 48% 1 A survey asked, ‘would you change anything about your body if you had the chance?’ What percentage said ‘I’m happy as I am, thanks.’ 2 What percentage of women overestimate their size? 3 What percentage of normal weight women report themselves overweight? 4 What percentage of British women are dieting at any one time? 5 What percentage of the female population can achieve the current media ‘ideal’ of thinness? 6 What percentage of survey respondents when asked, ‘would you rather be thinner or smarter’ said they’d prefer to drop pounds? The answers are 1 (0%), 2 (90%), 3 (56%), 4 (60%), 5 (5%), 6 (48%) HOW TO USE SECTION ONE This section takes you through seven strategies that will help you understand the importance of engaging your mind – and not just your body – in your weight loss efforts. Each strategy builds upon the next, making each new one easier to understand and implement. Layer by layer the strategies build up, leading you towards your goal of creating the sort of mindset needed to drop a size for life. Because each strategy builds the foundation for the next, you will need to go through each one methodically, and feel happy with it, before you can successfully tackle the next. You may find some of the steps easier to master than others, but do not be tempted to skip any – each one is an important aspect of your journey to drop a size and keep it off. This section isn’t something you’ll go through once and then forget about. As you go through life there will be times when your weight fluctuates – when events in your life may knock your confidence, affecting your mindset – and you need to get back on track. At such times, you may find you need to revisit this section, because what was originally an easy strategy to master, could, at a different point in your life, become more significant and challenging. STEP ONE: (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) TRAIN YOUR BRAIN (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) The point of training your brain is to increase mind-body synergy – which basically means that your brain and body should be singing from the same hymn sheet! If you are trying to force your body to do something without your brain’s support, you are much more likely to fail. We are all aware that in order to lose weight we need to make some big changes to our energy intake and expenditure. But for us to see a change in our bodies and to actually drop that size we need to work on the relationship between brain and body. For our bodies to lose weight, yes, we have to eat less and exercise more, but for the mind’s eye image in the mirror to change, we need to get our brain on the winning side, too. The mind is a crucial factor in weight loss success because what we think about ourselves can give significant momentum to our efforts and hence directly affect the result of those efforts. If your brain is not on the same wavelength as your body then your weight loss efforts will flounder. I have seen it time and time again with my clients – however, once they have mastered these seven simple steps they achieve greater success and it lasts longer too! Not getting your mind sorted out before you embark on your weight loss plan is a bit like setting off on holiday without any preparation – you can’t wait to get there and you’re so excited about arriving quickly you don’t bother to check the oil, water and petrol gauge before you set off and end up breaking down. You might have been raring to go, but the car wasn’t and the upshot is you end up stuck on the hard shoulder for 2 hours waiting to be rescued. If you’d taken a little time to ensure the car was as ready for the journey as you were, you’d be well on your way. Instead, the journey that you were so excited about has become tediously long, disappointing and irritating. Of course, in reality, few of us would set out on a long and important journey without checking the basics, yet many of us embark on our weight loss journey without seeing to the fundamentals first! The action points for step one are all about getting your brain to register what you are feeling within your body, thus forging a closer link between mind and body. ACTION POINT 1: TIME YOURSELF WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Time how long it takes you to eat your meals. Time each meal separately – your breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. You may find you wolf down your breakfast and lunch, but have a more leisurely dinner. Alternatively, dinner may be a hurried affair as you try to eat your main meal while simultaneously feeding the kids, or you simply race through it so you can collapse on the sofa and have a rest. Once you have recorded your times, try to give yourself longer to complete each meal. Start off by aiming to increase the amount of time it takes to eat each meal by 50 per cent. Try to do this for each meal for one whole week. In the following week, try to add a further 50 per cent of time to complete each meal. THE LOGIC It takes 20 minutes for the stretch receptors in your stomach lining to send a message to the brain registering there is any food inside. As a result, when you are full there is a gap before the brain actually receives a message to that effect – by that time you may well have eaten more calories than you actually need. Eating too quickly is itself unwise. It can cause digestive problems and has been acknowledged as a factor in irritable bowel syndrome. In reality, your life may not allow you to devote more time to all your meals, but even the process of doing it sometimes will make you more aware not just of what you are eating, but how much you are eating. Eating will become more of a conscious process rather than an unconscious motion that happens as life rushes on around you. ACTION POINT 2: EAT UNTIL YOU ARE 80 PER CENT FULL WHAT YOU NEED TO DO You know what 100 per cent full feels like, so back off before you reach that point. At first, eating until you’re about 80 per cent full may feel an alien thing to do – perhaps you were always told to finish everything on your plate as a child, or your body just really likes that feeling of being very full – but persevere with this, it has multiple benefits. THE LOGIC Your schedule may not allow you to always take as much time as you would like over each meal or snack, so learning to eat until you are 80 per cent full is a back-up plan that works hand-in-hand with taking more time over your food. This allows your brain to become aware of the food entering your body, which stops you from over-eating and actually energizes you more. Eating too much food decreases your immediate energy levels, as your body has to work harder through a process called the ‘thermic effect of feeding’ to digest your food. This can leave you devoid of energy and feeling as if you need to reach for that chocolate bar for an instant energy fix. In addition, you should start to feel empowered as you feel more in control of your food volume. Saying no can be very powerful. ACTION POINT 3: EAT WITHOUT DISTRACTIONS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Try to eat your meals without any distractions. In your lunch break, stop trying to finish off a report as you munch at a sandwich; at breakfast, avoid grabbing mouthfuls of toast in between applying your mascara and ironing your blouse for work. Okay, okay, I hear you say – where am I going to find the time to do this? Well, I do understand that you may not be able to do it for all your meals for the whole week, but do try to do it at least once for each meal during the course of your first week. Try to focus entirely on the food on your plate – look at the colours before you start to eat, feel the texture of the food in your mouth and chew your food completely before you swallow. THE LOGIC Today’s fast-paced lifestyles mean that eating meals gets put on the ‘to do’ list as we multi-task with other aspects of our busy day. However, eating should not be a task – it should be an enjoyable experience that you share with friends or take time over. Sadly, it has become so rushed that we no longer seem to appreciate what we are eating or the actual sensual pleasure eating can give us. Eating can be sexy! Taking the time to really concentrate on and relish your food will heighten your awareness and sensuality of food. Focus on both the amount you are eating and the way it feels as it enters your body. ACTION POINT 4: BELT UP! WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Stop wearing elasticated waistbands. Replace them with fitted waistbands or belts. Do this straightaway, not tomorrow, not next week, but straightaway. You need a reference point that tells you how much space your body takes up and this will help your brain to become aware of this. THE LOGIC Elasticated waistbands lull you into a false sense of security. They encourage your abdominal muscles to become lazy, as there is no reference point for your tummy muscles to press against. Although it sounds rather insignificant, changing to inflexible waistbands is a very effective act. Firstly, by changing to a rigid belt you are able to mark your progress on your belt notches. Secondly, the act of changing to a rigid belt is a positive step towards getting to know your body better. If your clothes only have elasticated waistbands, tie a thick piece of ribbon around your midriff under your clothes. Fix it firmly so you can feel it around your waist without it digging into you – this will give you a reference point of where your body ends and the belt begins. If you are a man, your task is to stop lowering your waistband so it lies under your beer belly. This only further lulls you into a false sense of security that your belly really isn’t that big. You don’t have to wear your trousers under your ribcage but you do need to start accepting the ‘real waist’ situation. And, as a bonus, doing this will improve your posture. THE BOTTOM LINE Like any relationship worth sustaining, the brain-body link needs attention and care in order to remain strong. Don’t become lazy in maintaining mind-body awareness. Once you have fostered a closer relationship between your brain and body, you are ready for step two. Case Study: Rebecca’s Story ‘Although I was desperate to lose weight, all the diets I had read about involved cutting out all the foods that I enjoyed the most: chocolate, biscuits, pies, chips, lasagne, cheese, mayonnaise, quiche etc. To have to consider giving them all up was just too daunting. Then I read the Drop a Size plan. First of all I increased my water intake – that alone gave me energy. I didn’t feel so groggy all the time and was able to think more clearly. Within a couple of weeks my body began to ask for water – it had become automatic. I made up my mind that, while I would make healthier choices, if I needed a chocolate fix I would have one, but a small one. By Christmas I was close to being ready to start dieting. January 2nd was ‘D’ Day – Diet Day. But I didn’t go all out. I wanted to be kind to myself and ease myself into the process in a way considerate to my needs. I knew myself, and my limitations, and I wanted to succeed, so I made it challenging but not scary. For the first couple of weeks of following the Carb Curfew I went to bed in the evening with a light feeling in my stomach that was alien to me. Before, my usual evening meal was meat, sometimes vegetables (not always) and potatoes or rice or pasta. I was so accustomed to feeling heavy, lethargic and sometimes bloated that I thought it was normal. The extra energy I had in the evenings gave me the motivation to exercise. It was all beginning to snowball and I was feeling really good. Only when I began to feel some of my clothes a little looser did I venture on to the scales. I had lost 4lbs. It was the incentive I needed to carry on.’ STEP TWO: (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) BEFRIEND THE MIRROR (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) As we cast a critical eye over our bodies in the mirror, many of us focus on one particular body part. When you stripped off and assessed yourself, did you find yourself honing straight in on your much-hated hips or tummy? If so, you probably felt pretty negative about yourself by the time you turned away from the mirror. That’s why it’s important to look beyond the mirror and acknowledge that your reflection is not all you are. Think about all the things your body can do, the pleasure it can provide, the miracles it has performed, the strength, endurance and power it has. Think how great it feels when you get massaged, or when you stretch after waking up or after a workout; how good it feels to slip into a hot bath, eat something delicious or dance. All these things are about your body and the way it feels, the way it performs, the way it can be challenged. Your body is so much more than that reflection you are so critical of. Imagine seeing yourself through the eyes of one of your friends. How would you describe your body if you were to look at it as an outsider? Write that description down now, being as honest and accurate as you can be. The chances are if you’re looking at yourself through someone else’s eyes you’ll be a lot kinder, so use these more realistic judgements when you’re casting a critical eye over yourself and determining your goals and objectives. The reality is that everyone has good and bad points. Having a big bum, a beer belly or flabby upper arms doesn’t make you a bad person, a failure, or in any way a lesser being than the supermodels that pout at us from the pages of countless glossy magazines. ACTION POINT 1: ACKNOWLEDGE THE POSITIVE WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Look at your reflection in the mirror and find one physical thing about yourself you like. It can be anything from the shape of your little toe, to the way your nose wrinkles when you smile, or the shape of your ankles. Whatever it is, find one thing and tell yourself out loud why you like it. THE LOGIC Acknowledging something you like about your body shifts the emphasis away from the bits you don’t like. By doing this you start to see your body as a whole rather than as a collection of isolated bits. This will help you feel more positive about your body and, because you feel better about it, you will use it in a more positive way. ACTION POINT 2: BUILD UP YOUR GOOD POINTS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO As the days pass, find another aspect of your body you like and say it out loud, along with the bits you liked from previous days. For example, if on day one you said ‘I like my little toe’, then on day two repeat this out loud together with the next body bit that you like. Continue to add a new ‘like’ each day until you are repeating a lengthy list of aspects of your body that you like. THE LOGIC Reinforcement is a powerful tool in helping you believe in something. ACTION POINT 3: MAKE IT YOURS! WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Think about precisely why you like each body bit and repeat these reasons out loud as you look in the mirror. THE LOGIC Personalizing why you like these good bits helps you develop a closer relationship with your body and encourages you to like your body for reasons beyond conventional beauty. This will help you challenge your thought process on what makes someone beautiful or acceptable. Quirkiness can actually be to your benefit, so learn to embrace all the parts of your body so you can make friends with what you see in the mirror instead of criticizing it. ACTION POINT 4: PAY YOURSELF A GENUINE COMPLIMENT WHAT YOU NEED TO DO I want you to pay yourself a genuine compliment each morning as you look in the mirror. Choose a different compliment each day – it can relate to you physically or be about something you have accomplished in your life. Whatever it is, you need to say it out loud as you look at yourself in the mirror. THE LOGIC Seeing your reflection is about facing up to who you are physically, but it is also about acknowledging that there are many facets to the person you see in the mirror. Accepting and praising yourself for all your qualities helps you to accept yourself physically, mentally and spiritually. Being content with yourself is not just about whether you are beautiful, but about whether you pulled off a great project at work, hosted a fab dinner party, dried your hair really nicely, were patient with the kids this morning or didn’t shout at your boyfriend for forgetting to put the rubbish out. ACTION POINT 5: PLAY TO WIN WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Acknowledge the great things you have achieved in your life. Take credit for your accomplishments and don’t belittle your achievements by dismissing your work as merely ‘okay’ or ‘not bad’ – use bold, positive words that truly reflect your accomplishments. Shout it out! THE LOGIC Too many of us down play our triumphs – particularly professional ones – so others feel more secure. At school we are taught to be modest – a ‘good girl’ was one who promoted the people around her and not herself. This modesty can actually undermine and sabotage confidence, because as we progress through our lives, fewer and fewer of us receive compliments or feedback on our performance. If you lack the ability to acknowledge and even shout about your own accomplishments, they can start to go unnoticed by the most important person – YOU. If you don’t value what you do, it’s a cue for others to do the same. THE BOTTOM LINE Making friends with the mirror is a two-pronged strategy. It’s about accepting what you see and also about acknowledging that being you isn’t simply about squeezing into a particular size. The mirror can never reflect the myriad aspects and depths of your personality and being. Once you have accepted this, you are ready to move on to step three. Case Study: Diane’s Success ‘When I met Joanna Hall in November 2002 at the This Morning studio, I had reached an end point. I was unhappy with my weight – I wanted to lose at least 2 stone but the thought of dieting was intimidating. For a lot of my adult life I had been plagued by depression and one of my comforts was to eat. I was ashamed of myself and that turned the whole situation into a vicious circle. If you asked me what was the most important factor in my successful weight loss, I would have to say a positive mind. I needed encouragement, but more than that I needed to be able to believe in myself. Joanna suggesting coming at it from a different angle and helped me to build my self-esteem and confidence, showing me how important it is to like, even love, myself. She gave me the building blocks to change my mindset to one that was able to take on the challenge of losing weight.’ STEP THREE: (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) THINK, SAY AND DO AS ONE (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) This step is about making the relationship you’ve now established between your brain and body work. When you do something it involves a three-stage process: you THINK about it, you SAY you’re going to do it and then you take the necessary action – you DO it. So, for example, with weight loss, you think about your dissatisfaction with your current size and how you would like to change it, you talk about introducing diet and exercise into your life and then you take the appropriate steps to help you reach your weight loss goals. Or do you? It seems obvious enough that all these three things need to be going in the same direction, but do we actually do it? Take Susan’s story: Susan thought she had great big wobbly bits that stuck out from the sides of her thighs like saddlebags. In fact, her thighs only measured 90cm/36in but, to her, they were very large. She wanted to lose weight, so she gave herself a talking to and told her friends – when they were out at the cinema having ice cream – that she would be starting her campaign in earnest the next day. She had bought the latest diet sensation – it came with a government health warning, but what the heck! Oh, and she was going to get up and run every morning, and again when she came home from work. Yet despite all this positive talk, Susan felt deep down that she would still have her saddlebags. What Susan thought, said and did were not all going in the same direction. She said she was going to take action and she did do what she said she would, but since she believed that she would fail, and still have her saddlebags at the end of it, her thoughts were going in a different direction to her words and actions. After a time, this would inevitably sabotage her efforts. When what you do, or what you say you will do, is based on negative thoughts about yourself – a limiting belief – this negativity can only grow. It’s like feeding a fire. When you want to light a fire you get your kindling, some dry newspaper, wood and some firelighters and as the fire starts to burn you apply a little more air to fuel it. The more air you provide at the base, the fiercer the fire grows. Your thoughts are the same – they fuel the fire of your actions. Therefore if your fundamental belief is that you are going to fail, then you are more likely to – and of course each time you do, it will only serve to fuel your negativity and make it stronger, which makes losing weight harder each time you try. Think about where you were five years ago and imagine a straight line from there to here, the present moment. Now extend that line into the future – by continuing to do as you do now, you’ll be where in five years time? If that place isn’t where you want to be, you need to change direction by addressing your thinking, saying and doing right now. ACTION POINT 1: ESTABLISH THE PAY-OFF WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Make a list of at least five ways you think you will benefit by dropping a size and being more physically active. Be specific about what the benefit will be to you and how it will personally affect you. For example, having more energy is a common benefit, but to empower this statement and make it personal to you, you may need to write something like, ‘When I drop a size, I will have the energy to enjoy more intimacy with my partner.’ THE LOGIC Writing things down makes you embrace your thoughts and the visual images this creates can reinforce what you think. Personalizing your benefit also allows you to see how your actions will directly affect you. Keeping these benefits personal rather than general makes them more appropriate to you and hence they become more powerful motivators. So stop being general and be more specific! ACTION POINT 2: LIST YOUR SUCCESSES WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Make a list of all the things you have previously thought you would like to do in your life and have since accomplished. This list can cover small things such as cooking your first three-course meal or changing your own flat tyre. As long as you saw it as a challenge and you succeeded, it counts. THE LOGIC The action of recalling events or situations in which you have overcome a challenge helps reassure you that you have the potential to translate your thinking and saying into a successful action. ACTION POINT 3: FIND YOUR MANTRA WHAT YOU NEED TO DO This is about making belief part of your thoughts. Think of five positive affirmations for yourself. You need to be able to really believe in them – and they must be positively stated. Here is one of my client’s mantras: ‘I am going to do this for me. Steve Redgrave is my age and if he, as a man of my age, can take responsibility for his health then I can take responsibility for mine.’ THE LOGIC Mantras can provide the positive momentum to get you where you need to be. They help strengthen your self-belief and build a strong foundation for your actions. ACTION POINT 4: COMMIT TO PAPER WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Write your mantras down and place them in your underwear drawer, in your office drawer, on the mirror that you look at first thing in the morning, on a scrap of paper in your purse – anywhere that will reinforce your thought line. THE LOGIC Reinforcement works, even at a subconscious level. ACTION POINT 5: TRACE YOUR ACTIONS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Draw a table with three columns. At the top of each column write what you have thought, said and did with regard to diet and weight loss in the past, then write down your intentions this time round (you may find it helpful to revise this once you’ve read section two). On page 44 is an example of thinking, saying and doing not going in the same direction, followed by an example of when they do go in the same direction. THE LOGIC Committing your thoughts, aims and actions to paper allows you to see whether they are all heading the right way. Your past experience may also offer some clues as to pitfalls to avoid. If your thoughts are undermining your aims and actions, go back to your mantras, ensure they are positively stated and that you are saying and seeing them every day. THE BOTTOM LINE Ensuring that what you think, say and do are all heading in the same direction means your mind and body are primed for positive action. Achieve this and you are ready for step four. Case study: Maxine’s Success ‘Joanna’s approach is so easy to implement – for us, it’s become a way of life. We’ve made small changes and haven’t missed the carbs in the evening. Aside from the practicalities, it’s worked because it has helped me look at myself differently. In the past I always felt low when losing weight, but this time I’m so much more positive. Before I felt a nobody, a nothing – now I feel like somebody and worth something. I used to hate myself, but Joanna has helped me build my self-esteem so that I now actually like myself. I may still beat myself up a bit if I have a “bad day” but Joanna has taught me to put this in proportion and not let one blip ruin everything or make me feel like a failure. Now I feel nice in some of my clothes – and I’ve never felt like that! My mantra was “I’m going to like what I see – this is me” now it’s “I like what I see – this is me”! And Joanna’s tip about making my mantra my welcome note on my mobile is great – now it’s always there for me to see! My husband has even followed the plan and he’s a butcher! He’s gone from 18 stone 2 pounds to 16 stone – a weight he never expected to achieve, and he’s managed to stay at it too.’ Maxine lost 30lbs and dropped from a size 24 to 16–18. STEP FOUR: (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE ENEMY (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) This strategy is about embracing whatever issue has stopped you from successfully losing weight in the past. Body weight can be closely linked to emotional issues, therefore both gain and loss can be directly affected by and associated with events in our lives. Traumatic or highly significant events and turning points can trigger an unhealthy relationship with our bodies, and with food and dieting, all of which can culminate in a decreased level of self-worth and self-esteem. The step four action points are about facing up to your fears and enemies. ACTION POINT 1: REVISIT PAST ACTS OF BRAVERY AND FEARLESSNESS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO If you are feeling demoralized or unable to face a situation for fear of rejection or failure, then recounting previous acts of bravery can help you see that you are a brave person and that you can face up to difficulties. To trigger these memories sketch out a time line spanning from kindergarten to adult life. Try to jot down ten courageous acts. If you cannot remember, ask a friend or older member of the family. Make a list of events you have feared in your life and beside them write down the outcome of the event or situation. THE LOGIC Revisiting the past and citing even the smallest of brave acts can remind you of your bravery. As we get older our brain often forgets these small acts and instead we tend to focus on what we feel we have not been able to address and overcome. Even the most timid of people will have had fearless moments – the trick is to remind yourself. ACTION POINT 2: SAY YOUR MANTRA WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Once you have your bravery time line, you can use it as a springboard to a powerful mantra such as ‘I was brave once, I can be brave again’. Repeat your mantra every morning and also write it down and place it in an area where your confidence is most challenged. If this is at work, for example, keep it in the top drawer of your desk. Alternatively, you could make it your welcome message when you switch on your mobile phone. Wherever you choose, make sure it is somewhere where you will see it regularly – the more you see it, the more powerful its effect on you. THE LOGIC Mantras are powerful sayings but they can only be put to good effect if you use them wisely and allow them to reinforce your feelings when needed. ACTION POINT 3: STEP INTO THE TARDIS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Make a list of past situations or events that you were fearful of or worried about. Next, write down whether you feel you dealt with that situation or event successfully or not. Now write down how you dealt with the situation and, finally, note how you think you could have improved the outcome by using a different approach or strategy. THE LOGIC Addressing situations that have caused you hurt or problems in the past, and how you have dealt with them, allows you to accept that your attitude to weight management needs to involve a series of strategies and approaches to achieve the outcome you want. It also enables you to see how you have been able to work through various other situations in your life, and that the outcome has not always been immediate. ACTION POINT 4: THINK CHALLENGE, NOT PROBLEM WHAT YOU NEED TO DO This relates to whether you see your glass as half full or half empty. Decide right now that it is half full. This outlook will motivate you and provide you with more energy to address the issue. THE LOGIC How you view a situation can have a significant impact on how you feel about it and how you deal with it, so stop looking at the difficulties life throws at you as problems and instead see them as challenges that present new ways for you to look at your life and learn about yourself and others. ACTION POINT 5: STOP WORRYING WHAT OTHERS THINK WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Observe any young child and you will see them playing silly games, or dancing as if they’re the latest pop sensation, with no regard to how silly they look. When was the last time you did something silly or put yourself in an unfamiliar situation without worrying about what others thought, or how ridiculous you may look? Fear of embarrassment can limit your experience of life. So take up belly dancing, audition for a part in a local theatre group or sign up for that evening class you have been thinking about for months. Go out power walking, or join the gym – and remember, the only person who is really focused on you is YOU. THE LOGIC Not caring what others think is a liberating experience. It opens you to new experiences, building your confidence and self-esteem, and shows you that falling flat on your face once in a while isn’t the end of the world. You’ll be surprised how little attention others really give to all the small things you worry about. ACTION POINT 6: DARE TO DO WHAT YOU FEAR WHAT YOU NEED TO DO As adults, many of us tend to protect ourselves emotionally and physically. Yet if you allow your fears to spin out to their worst-case conclusions, you’ll find that the potential consequences are usually manageable. What is the worst thing that can happen? Thinking it through can eliminate fear and provide you with the courage to move forward. Make a list of small things that would take you out of your comfort zone and try to do one a month for the next six months. Start with really tiny things, then make each one a little tougher. THE LOGIC When you are young you think you can do anything and not get hurt, but as we get older our limitations become instilled. Once you realize you are breakable and could end up in a plaster cast – or with a broken heart – it can dissuade you from trying anything more daring or stepping outside your comfort zone. Facing fears head-on will build your confidence and help you embrace change and challenges with improved confidence and vigour. ACTION POINT 7: BE AN EARLY BIRD WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Each day, aim to do the things you least want to do, but have to do that day, first. It’s like a child who leaves their favourite food on the plate till last and then eats it. If you tackle things in this way, you won’t need to nag yourself all day about not getting it done – instead you will be able to deal with it and your positive action will empower you through the other activities in your day. THE LOGIC As well as avoiding the negative situation of having something unpleasant looming all day long, research shows that we are better able to deal with challenging situations in the morning, as levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline are naturally higher at this time. So make the most of your biochemicals! THE BOTTOM LINE Acknowledge that sadness, fear and other negative emotions can help you learn and heal, as well as helping you to celebrate and get the most out of life. Once you have made friends with the enemy you are ready for step five. Case Study: Nikki’s Story Nikki, who was a victim of physical abuse, put weight on as a protective mechanism, a way of hiding behind the pain. She felt that if she made herself larger then the pain would be less and if she made herself, in her eyes, less attractive, then the physical abuse would stop. Repeatedly Nikki used this strategy whenever she hit difficult times in her life – when she was unhappy in her job, in her other personal relationships, had a row with her family or felt depressed from a family bereavement. Only when Nikki began to acknowledge what had happened to her, could she begin to see that overeating was her way of dealing with it. In this way she began the process of understanding her feelings and building her self-esteem. By mastering this step, Nikki went on to lose 18 pounds and drop 3 dress sizes. Case Study: Elaine’s Story Elaine had always been slim and sporty as a teenager and in the early stages of her relationship with Chris. When Chris was asked to move to a new town with his job, he assumed Elaine would go with him and threatened to end the relationship if she didn’t. As a result, Elaine gave up her own job and moved. However, with no social circle of her own and no work, her confidence suffered and she soon began taking comfort in food. Having gained nearly 13kg/2 stone, she found Chris was constantly criticizing her appearance and their sex life became nonexistent. To make matters worse, he hardly included her in his own social life. It wasn’t until Elaine had to move back to her home town to look after her mother, who was ill, that she was able to look at the situation calmly and see that her eating was a way of hiding her fear that without Chris she was nothing. She began exercising again and joined a slimming club and is now restarting her life without Chris. STEP FIVE: (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) ESTABLISHING THE HERE AND NOW (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) There are two phases to this strategy: the first is establishing where you are and the second is doing a reality check. You may have an event in the not too distant future that you want to lose weight for – perhaps it’s a wedding or a beach holiday. You know what you want to achieve – where you want to get to – but, before you embark on any plan, you need to establish where you are right here, right now. Losing weight and keeping it off is about what you do in the future, but it is also what you can do at this very moment, right here, right now. Yes, long-term weight loss is about what you carry on doing, but many people live in a twilight zone of not appreciating what they can do now, in this actual moment, to improve their health, feel better about themselves and lose weight. Focusing too much on the future causes unhappiness because it prevents us from enjoying the moment. The brain is whirling ahead, thinking about dinner that night or worrying about little Johnny’s report at the parents’ evening next week, or your appraisal with your boss at the end of the month. All this chatter going on in the brain can dull your experience and enjoyment of what is happening now. It builds to create a toxic thought process that blocks your enjoyment of the moment and masks your perception of what you could do right now to help you towards your goal. Once you have mastered the here and now skill, dropping a size becomes a sequence of ‘now’ moments that act as building blocks to successful long-term weight loss. When you have accepted that life is a series of ‘nows’, all joined up, you need to do a reality check and think about what is possible right now in terms of your weight loss efforts. Losing weight and keeping it off is a journey. It may be that life is very hectic for you at the current time – perhaps you’re starting a new job and you’ve got the builders in – and you’re not in the right ‘space’ to lose weight with as much effort or as fast as you would like. That’s all right – don’t beat yourself up about it. While I don’t want to give you an excuse to put off what you can do today until tomorrow, there are many situations that can make it difficult to drop that size as quickly as you would like. That’s just life – you need to do what you can when you can. In fact, perhaps you need to simply accept that staying the same size, rather than gaining a size, is a more realistic interim goal. If you’re trying to lose weight in a specific time frame and your life is not in the right space to allow you to achieve it, you need to change the time span you set yourself to lose that size. Step five action aims are about learning to live in the NOW. ACTION POINT 1: FORGIVE YOURSELF WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Start right now by saying sorry to yourself. Say sorry for the way you have given yourself a hard time over an issue in your life, no matter how big or small. For example, perhaps you feel that your lack of time and effort led to the breakdown of your relationship or you feel bad that you got caught up at work and were late picking up your child. Stop beating yourself up over it – acknowledge why it happened and forgive yourself for it. Then move forward. THE LOGIC Criticizing and blaming yourself is like telling your subconscious mind that you are a bad human being – and it will believe you. Everyone screws up sometimes, but the important thing is to acknowledge the error or mishap and move on. The scary fact is that giving yourself a hard time and getting stressed over it can, in the long term, make you fat. Negative emotions, such as depression, guilt and cynicism, are associated with higher levels of abdominal fat according to a study from Pennsylvania State University. Harbouring negative feelings won’t help you achieve anything, but building and nurturing your selfesteem will. Feeling guilty or angry with yourself about small things or day-to-day events is one thing, but if your whole life is dominated by negative emotions related to something that has taken place in your life, you may need the help of a counsellor or therapist in addressing these issues. However, remember one thing; whatever you did then, and whatever you do now, you have a responsibility to yourself to do the best you can – with the resources available to you – to boost your self-worth. ACTION POINT 2: EMBRACE REALITY WHAT YOU NEED TO DO This is about doing a reality check to see where you are in your life right now. Perhaps you want to drop a size in two weeks, but since you have a major report to write for work, your tax return to do, and oh – you forgot – the in-laws are coming to stay …. it really isn’t a realistic option. However, dropping a size over the next three months and taking what action you can right NOW, is possible. So assess where you are – is it the right time to go all-out, or is your current lifestyle more conducive to a longer-term approach? Whatever is right for you, you will find the appropriate strategies to help you in section two. THE LOGIC One of the most prevalent weight loss blunders that people make is embarking on a weight loss plan when the time simply isn’t right. By doing this, they set themselves up for failure and, as a result of failing, reinforce any deep-seated feelings that they aren’t capable of losing weight. However, this doesn’t mean I’m giving people carte blanche to succumb to a tray of chocolate ?clairs because the time isn’t right to lose weight! At difficult times you need to set yourself small, realistic goals that you can achieve in the here and now. The next action point will tell you how. ACTION POINT 3: OPEN YOUR DIARY WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Look at your diary and write down what you can physically do today that will help you to drop that size. Perhaps it is getting that 10-minute walk in before you eat your lunch, or meeting your friend to look around the shops rather than sitting in the coffee shop eating chocolate cakes. Plan a positive action for every day of the week – even if it’s simply doing squats while the kettle boils or drinking a glass of water for each cup of coffee you drink. THE LOGIC Opening your diary makes you face your day, helping you to plan ahead and make a written commitment to yourself. It also demonstrates that even though you aren’t on a full-on diet and exercise program, you are still taking positive steps towards improving your health and, ultimately, dropping a size. ACTION POINT 4: PRESS THE PAUSE BUTTON WHAT YOU NEED TO DO When did you last take five minutes just for you and did nothing, absolutely nothing – and that includes writing of lists (I apologize, as I have asked you to write a few so far in this book) or planning. When was the last time you actually let your brain be still? Start by finding three times a week (every day would be fab – but I am realistic) just for you. This can be difficult, but if you really cannot find five minutes in your existing day then I encourage you to set your alarm early to have this sacred time. Yes, your sleep is important but so is your sanity! THE LOGIC Finding space in your day to simply stop and ‘be’ rather than ‘do’ may seem difficult, or even a waste of valuable time, but pressing the pause button can actually be energizing and help you use your time more effectively later on. Case study: Anita’s Story ‘It took me a while to get my head around the idea of following a specific weight loss program as I had just come out of feeding my second child – after 18 months of not being allowed to eat/drink my favourite things, I was suddenly voluntarily depriving myself! But since I’d gained 41? stone since my second pregnancy, I wanted to go slow but remain in for the long-term – rather than do an incredible quick fix, rest on my laurels and then slip back again. My current weight/body fat shows that this approach has been a great success – it has really worked for me. It’s been a fantastic kickstart to better all-round health and energy levels.’ THE BOTTOM LINE Many of us spend our lives waiting for the perfect moment to lose weight, join the gym, embark on a difficult project … However, that time may never come so do what you can, now! It might not be what you’d like to be able to do, but it’s infinitely better than doing nothing because it empowers you – it means you are taking control and moving closer towards your goal. Once you’ve learned to work with the here and now, you are ready for step six. STEP SIX: (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) GET ON THAT PEDESTAL (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) This strategy is about raising yourself up your priority list. Where do you figure on your list of priorities? Ask yourself the following series of questions and write the answers down. Who is the most important person in your life? After that, who is the next most important person in your life? Ask yourself this question seven times. Next, take a piece of paper and play hangman, adding a new piece to the gallows for each name that appears on your list. If you get to six or seven before you reach your name, you’re done for! Why? Because if you are that low down on your priority list, then your weight loss attempts will fail – they’ll fail because your needs are not important enough for you to give them the time and energy they require. Quite simply, you do not value yourself enough. Now ask yourself who is responsible for keeping all those other important people or things going and working in your life – chances are it’s you. Let’s get one thing straight: if you feel low about yourself, your health suffers through a lack of quality sleep and too little physical activity and this in turn makes sensible eating and other lifestyle choices harder. However, it’s not only you who suffers as a result of this, but your family and anyone else you’ve put above you on your priority list. Case Study: Katie and the hangman Katie took part in one of my group weight management courses. A mother of three, she was frustrated about not being able to lose the weight she had gained since having Jessie, Amy and Matthew. She wanted to lose the weight, but kept getting sidetracked by all the other demands on her attention. She felt exasperated and upset that although she was doing so much for her family, she was also silently begrudging them for it. Playing the hangman game showed Katie how she needed to raise herself up the priority list. This is the list Katie came up with: Michael my husband Amy – as she was born with a heart condition Matthew and Jessie Mum Sister In-laws Best friend Sue Me Seeing a visual depiction of the situation helped Katie put things into perspective. She knew she would never be number one – that was not her nature – but she knew by carving out a little time for herself and building even a small pedestal for herself would help with her weight loss efforts and help her feel less exasperated with the rest of the family. TAKING AND MAKING TIME Many people complain that they do not have enough time to eat healthily, take regular exercise and manage stress, but the issue is not about making time it is about taking time. Taking time is only possible when you feel you are worthy of it. Being happy to take time involves you raising yourself a few rungs up the ladder. Even if you are not at the top of the list, getting higher is important. Step five action aims are about getting you to put yourself on a pedestal. ACTION POINT 1: REPEAT AFTER ME – TAKING TIME FOR ME IS A WIN-WIN STRATEGY FOR EVERYONE WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Stop thinking that taking time out for you is selfish. Self-neglect is one of the most common issues I see in the women I work with – they are successful, run a happy home, excel at work, the fridge is full and family is always fed, but they end up going to bed way after everyone else, toss and turn worrying about all the things they need to do and end up even more tired the following day. Taking time out for you does not mean you are neglecting others – see it as looking after the main cog in the wheel of your family. THE LOGIC Saying this mantra will act as a powerful springboard to help you want to make self-care part of your schedule. It will help you make time for it, as opposed to simply finding time for it. Taking time out can help you, your family and others realize the pivotal role you play. ACTION POINT 2: REBEL! WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Go on, do it – be a rebel. Stop loading yourself with pressure to be perfect. Go against the grain, step out of line, be edgy, say something shocking – anything that makes you feel you are being non-conformist and takes you out of the role others see you in. THE LOGIC Challenging others to view you in a slightly different light can help you look at yourself in a different light, too. This will illustrate how important your actions are within your world and in turn help you place yourself higher on the scale. ACTION POINT 3: TRIM AND SWITCH WHAT YOU NEED TO DO One of the main barriers to raising yourself up your priority list is often a lack of available time. So, each day, if you find your ‘to do’ list is longer than five items long, trim it so that you have no more than four tasks outside of work that need to be completed that day. Once you have your four, switch one of them so it is a ‘to do’ task for you! Build in self-care. Do unto yourself as you would do unto others. Also have a look back at action point 4 in step five. Learning to press the pause button works hand in hand with this action point. THE LOGIC Altering your ‘to do’ list in this way enables you to put into action the thoughts that accompany the notion of prioritizing and valuing yourself. The previous action points may have helped you realize that you are not addressing your own needs. Acknowledging this is the first step, but trimming and switching your daily tasks gives you the opportunity to do something about it and build in some time for you. Make it a habit. ACTION POINT 4: STICK UP FOR YOURSELF WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Learning to stick up for yourself is an important pedestal-climbing skill. Contrary to what many people believe, this doesn’t mean you have to become aggressive or confrontational; instead, a good way to start is by expressing yourself constructively. Use ‘I’ statements instead of focusing on the other person’s failings. For example, instead of ‘You’re so critical’, try ‘I feel criticized’ – you’ll make your point without putting the other person on the defensive. If the person still explodes and makes you feel unworthy, avoid caving in and backing down; instead tell them you’ll talk when they are ready, then go for a walk, call a friend or pick up a good book. Stand by your feelings, even if it takes some time for them to come round. While talking openly may cost you false relationships it will deepen your genuine ones. THE LOGIC If you are low down on your priority list others may start to view you as being less important too. People perceive what you project and will project that back at you – so value yourself, your opinions and your needs and then others will, too. ACTION POINT 5: LEARN TO SAY NO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO It’s as simple as it sounds – learn to say no. Practise in front of the mirror; get used to the sound of the word in your mouth. ‘No’ is a word women don’t say often enough – taking on more and more tasks and responsibilities simply because they are asked or expected to. Start by saying no to small things that you don’t want to do, or don’t realistically have time for, and then build up to more important matters. THE LOGIC Ever heard the phrase ‘if you want a job done, ask a busy person’? The idea is that the busy person won’t turn you down, no matter how many other things they have on their plate. Don’t become that busy person that others see as a place to deposit all the stuff they need to get done. Whether it’s your boss, your husband, the kids, the in-laws or your mother, learn to say ‘no’ firmly but nicely and free yourself from chores and commitments that leave you with no space for your own needs and desires. THE BOTTOM LINE You don’t have to be top of your priority list; it’s about balance and developing a symbiotic relationship with yourself, your actions, your family and friends. Once you are standing on your pedestal, you are ready for step seven. Case study Making time for yourself is easier said than done. I have found that for many of the highly successful professional women and celebrities I see, taking that time out can be just as hard as it is for the rest of us. One particular client, who was on a board of directors, found that the only way she was able to take time out was by booking herself a weekly facial. As luxurious as this sounds, she explained to me that this was the only time when her mobile phone was turned off and she could pay some much-needed time and attention to herself. Finding and making time for yourself can take many forms. One of my favourite strategies, especially when I am writing my books, is to factor in a duck session! What’s a duck session? There’s a route near my home that takes me past a duck pond, so as part of my walk I always pack a small bag of stale bread to feed the ducks. I find this simple act very therapeutic and grounding, as it takes me back to the simple pleasures of life. Even if I’m only there for five minutes, I feel so much better. So, whatever does it for you, do try to find that buffer, that small snippet of time when you do something just for you. STEP SEVEN: (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) FINDING THE ELUSIVE G SPOT (#u0ce09cbd-d8b0-596c-8d62-1a2010e4f3fa) Look along the rows of women’s magazines and there will inevitably be numerous articles on sex and at least one that revolves around sexual satisfaction and finding your G spot. Finding your G spot heightens your enjoyment of sex and, naturally, once you enjoy something you start to want more. Finding your G spot is therefore a great motivation for sex. If you want to drop a size for life you need to find your G spot for weight loss. What is your long-term motivation to keep your weight down? For many, finding their true G spot for weight loss, as in sex, can be difficult. Many of us can fake it and convince ourselves we’ve found it, giving the equivalent of the Oscar-winning When Harrymet Sally performance – but we can’t keep up the performance forever! Our weight loss G spot can be elusive, but tapping into it is essential if you want to keep that weight off for life. Weight loss G spots can be big or small. A small G spot may be to lose weight for a summer holiday, a special occasion or maybe your wedding day. Small G spots are short term. If you want to stay at a smaller size for life, you have to find your big G spot. TYPICAL SMALL G SPOTS I want to drop a size to … wear that string bikini this summer holiday look fantastic in a little black dress for the office party see my friends again at the school reunion lose the 5 pounds I gained over Christmas find myself a partner look better than the new girlfriend/boyfriend I was dumped for TYPICAL BIG G SPOTS I want to drop a size … to enjoy better health and energy levels to be around to enjoy my children for health reasons – one parent died through heart disease/diabetes/stroke, all of which are associated with carrying excess weight to increase my chances of avoiding breast cancer, as there is a family history to keep fit and well so that I’m able to play with my grandchildren Don’t panic if your G spot starts small, because whatever initially starts you off on your journey to dropping a size for good, is great. However, to keep that momentum throughout your life you will need that big G spot. Your G spot may, of course, change as you go through your life. When you’re younger, getting in shape for a holiday or that date with a special person can be of more significance than your health in later life, as this seems a long way off. So your G spot may be smaller then. However, as you progress through life and your priorities shift, your G spot may naturally get bigger. Step seven action aims are about finding your true G spot. ACTION POINT 1: WRITE DOWN YOUR PREVIOUS MOTIVATIONS FOR WANTING TO LOSE WEIGHT WHAT YOU NEED TO DO You may have tried every diet in the past – you could wax lyrical about this regime and that regime till the cows come home – but however many you’ve tried I want you to write down your motivation for each one. Next to this write whether you felt your G spot motivation was a small one or a large one. THE LOGIC This enables you to see what motivates you to lose weight and, in the process, it reveals what – and how big – your G spots are. You may find that by adding small G spots together you can create one bigger one. ACTION POINT 2: IDENTIFY PREVIOUS MOTIVATIONAL MOMENTS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO Identify an event or period in the past when have you been really motivated to do something – perhaps it was to get through your professional qualifications, recover from an operation, or plan a surprise party for someone – and you succeeded. Think back to how strongly motivated you were and how you can reach that level of motivation again. THE LOGIC If you were strong enough to have the motivation to accomplish those things, then you can equally apply the same level of strength to dropping a size. This action point is about tapping into that motivational strength so that you can use it to help you reach your goal. ACTION POINT 3: PLAY CUT AND PASTE WHAT YOU NEED TO DO This is a simple game that helps you identify how large your G spot is. Make two lists: in the first, make a note of all your bad lifestyle habits; in the second, write down all your good lifestyle habits. (If you have trouble with this you may find it helpful to look at section two, which will give you ideas on how many good and bad habits you have.) Now decide which bad habits you are prepared to cut and which good habits you are prepared to paste over them with. Next, ask yourself how long you are prepared to do this for – is it a day, a week, a fortnight, a month or longer? THE LOGIC If you are prepared to cut and paste all of your bad habits for a short period of time this indicates that your motivation is more of a small G spot – you want the gratification, but it looks like it will be short-lived. However, if you find it more comfortable to cut and paste a few of your bad habits with a few good habits and, crucially, keep doing this for a longer period, then you’re the lucky owner of a big G spot! Case study: Kath’s Success Kath was a client who had previously recovered from cancer. Her strength and motivation in aiding her recovery helped her to drop a size and keep it off. Whenever she felt she was heading for an intimate encounter with a gallon of ice cream, she would say to herself ‘if I was motivated enough to help myself recover from cancer, I can most definitely be motivated enough not to stuff my face with ice cream’. Case Study: Ceinwen’s Success ‘I found university really stressful and ate copious amounts of food as a means of coping. Over 31? years I put on 30kg. No matter how hard I tried to motivate myself, the stress of studying won. Then I saw a TV documentary about a woman who lost the same amount of weight in 40 weeks as part of a bet she made with a public betting agency. I decided to make the same bet myself – to lose 30kg and keep it off for 12 months. This gave me the motivation I needed and I followed the carb curfew eating plan, incorporating tips from slimming magazines, books and clubs. I now weigh 73kg and will lose another 5kg over the next few months while I finish my degree.’ Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес». Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию (https://www.litres.ru/joanna-hall/drop-a-size-for-life-fat-loss-fast-and-forever/?lfrom=688855901) на ЛитРес. Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.