Think Slim, Issue #019 - Don't Stop It, Replace It

January 31, 2006

Look great, feel great

Hi

I can't believe that 2006 is a twelfth of the way through already. Where is the time going? I thought things would become a bit quieter after the mad rush of the festive season but everything seemed to spill over into January. At least the children are finally back at school now after a prolonged "holiday" due to flu for son number 2.

And how are you doing with those New Year's resolutions? Keeping going or not so good?

Whatever you do don't give up completely - Rome wasn't built in a day but brick by brick....This month's article should help you get started again if you've lost heart a bit.

Love

P.S. There are quite a few postings on the Think Slim blog this month. See them all at http://smallchange.typepad.com/thinkslim.

Contents

Feature article : Don't Stop It, Replace It

Whenever we go on a diet we tend to think about what we have to give up. And as a result, we get an immediate sense of deprivation.

In the past whenever I tried to order myself to stop doing something - eating whole packets of cookies at once, biting my nails or whatever, I have not been that successful.

But I've learnt to take a different approach these days.

I now use positive steps to create a new habit rather than struggle to stop a negative habit and it works much better - somehow the bad habits fall by the wayside as a side effect.

Let me explain.

Take the habit of eating too many unhealthy snack foods. If you tell yourself to stop eating them, will it stop you for long? Probably not and it won't be long before you are guiltily tucking into your snacks again.

But if, on the other hand, you give yourself a positive challenge and decide that you will aim to eat 7 portions of fruit and veg a day, you have a much better chance of success.

You will be working out how you can possibly fit in so much. You will be filling up on salad or vegetables with meals. You will be making soup and salads and cutting up raw veggies to nibble on when hunger strikes. And you will be choosing to eat fruit for snacks. The important word being "choosing" because you are not following some rule which deprives you of what you want, you are doing something positive for yourself.

You will feel good about meeting your challenge. Your health and weight and skin will benefit. And as a side-effect you will have less opportunity to shovel in the snacks you wanted to stop - every time you get a little bit peckish you are thinking how you can use the opportunity to get more fruit or vegetables inside you.

Of course, it works best if you take the challenge seriously, keeping a log of how you do each day - even dots for every portion you eat on your calendar or gold stars on a chart. And give yourself a small reward or a pat on the back every time you do 7 days in a row.

Other ideas which you could try are challenging yourself to drink 8 - 10 glasses of water or cups of herbal tea a day to help replace a coffee or soda (or wine) habit. Or you could try making your own lunch each day and walking at lunchtime rather than visiting the snack-bar or fast-food place. Or even doing 30 minutes stepping or rebounding in front of the TV every day instead of being a couch potato all night.

And if you really can't think of anything to replace your bad habit, add a good habit to make up for it. What if you made yourself walk for 30 minutes for every cookie you eat? or climb a flight of stairs every time you nibble your nails? or give 10 dollars or pounds to charity every time you have a cigarette or eat a take-away.

Make every change in habit a positive one for the best chance of success.

Copyright 2006, Janice Elizabeth Small

If you want to discover the 24 step by step changes I use with my clients who want to permanently lose weight take a look at the Weight Loss Handbook This is an online coaching program which helps you start thinking and acting like the slim person you are inside. You'll learn how to take on those slim habits and slot them easily into your life.

Click Here for more information.

This month's tip : Apple Magic

Apples are one of the best foods for people watching their weight. They are naturally sweet and a great source of vitamins without containing a lot of calories and they fill you up because they are full of fibre. The magic is in the pectin they contain.

Pectin is a carbohydrate that has no calories. It sticks around helping you to feel fuller for longer and causing your stomach to empty more slowly and it has a role to play in lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Try eating an apple half an hour before each meal and see how much less it helps you eat.

If you're not fond of apples you can also find pectin in strawberries, peaches, carrots, sweet potatoes and beans.

Last 2 Places - Make 2006 Your Year

If you think you would like to make 2006 the year that you lose weight for good, why not make sure you succeed by treating yourself to the personal encouragement and support that make all the difference.

I have 2 remaining personal coaching slots at a greatly reduced rate for those of you who would like to give yourself the best gift ever - a slim and healthy shape.

You'll get four 1-2-1 telephone coaching sessions to kick start your success for just £99 - half the normal cost - and you'll also receive my "Diet Exit Plan" program and 3 months membership to the Simply Slimming online slimming club (currently priced at £47) as a bonus giving you a whole three months coaching support.

Be good to you and treat yourself to a new body in 2006 with this opportunity to get off the diet treadmill forever.

For more details see

SORRY COACHING OFFER NO LONGER AVAILABLE

Wishing you a fantastic month, looking and feeling great

Janice Elizabeth Small

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this newsletter. If you have any comments or suggestions for future issues, please let me know. I'd love to hear from you. Just reply to this ezine.

P.P.S.Know anyone else who might enjoy it? Please pass it on. If you received this from a friend you can sign up for your own copy at....

www.weight-loss-motivation-program.com

copyright © 2006, J. Small. All Rights reserved.

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