Think Slim, Issue #024 - Do You Struggle with Losing Weight?

June 30th, 2006

Look great, feel great

Hi

It's the last day of school for my 2 boys today (they're 8 and 16). It feels like a holiday to me too - no morning chaos getting them out of the door with the right books, money, forms and sandwiches, no watching the clock for the school pickup at 3:30 in the afternoon. That feeling will last until the first "I'm bored. What can I do?" about week 2...but I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

I'm thinking of teaching them to cook dinner this holiday because the school cookery lessons don't seem to cover much and it's a skill I think everyone needs to have. They didn't seem too anti the idea when I mentioned it so we'll see how it goes. Anyone had any success teaching their children to make simple dishes?

Have a great month

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 : Do you Struggle with Losing Weight?

Losing weight doesn't have to be a struggle.

But maybe you don't believe that because you've struggled with it for so long?

The problem is that we make things harder for ourselves than they need to be by following a diet or exercise plan (or even both) that are not right for us. We choose to wear our weight loss efforts like a hair shirt and let them take all joy out of life.

We even feel like we have to "start on Monday" because to start right away would mean depriving ourselves of a good weekend. 

We go on and off our diets because they are just too much to bear and we are constantly looking for "the one" which will work i.e. the one that we can actually stand to stick to for long enough to lose the weight and then keep it off.

On the other hand I'm not saying that weight loss success is easy although many of the ads for the big diet companies will say it is if you just follow this plan or that.

All weight loss involves change and human beings simply find change difficult whatever anyone says. We are creatures of habit. We're used to eating certain foods. We're used to a certain level of activity (or non-activity). And we're comfortable with that.

The struggle comes for most people when we try and change all of that, all at once with some new-fangled diet plan.

Of course some highly-motivated and focused individuals are able to do it. You only have to witness the transformation of the stars in the media who have worked with a personal trainer and a dietician to see that it's possible but it sure doesn't make life easy when you have a busy life to fit in somewhere as well.

If you know you're not the highly-motivated, focused type (at least not for more than a few days at a time) try the gradual approach.

The key is to stretch your comfort zone just a little at a time as you edge towards a healthier life-style.

Eating twice as much as you should? Cut your portion sizes but by no more than 10% at a time. Get used to the change before you do more.

Not doing any exercise? Take a ten minute walk every day rather than instantly training for a marathon. Then when you're used to the 10 minutes, do 15.

The bottom-line is, being successful takes work. Any change takes work. You have to be consistent or you'll get no results. And anything worth having is worth working for. But if you take baby steps you're more likely to find that those changes stick - for life.

If the instant transformation approach isn't working for you then try losing weight step by step. Quit the struggle and simply lose weight one tiny change and one pound at a time.

Copyright 2006, Janice Elizabeth Small

This month's tip : The Turkey Walk

Sometimes it's difficult to understand what it feels like to lose 15lbs and therefore to get motivated. If you're finding that's the case, take a turkey walk the next time you go to the supermarket.

Pick up a hand basket, load it with a 15lb frozen turkey and walk around with it for just 5 minutes. You'll soon see the benefits in leaving that 15lb load behind you! And you can remind yourself of how you felt lugging that 15lb turkey around any time your motivation needs a boost.

Thanks to http://www.turkeywalk.com for that tip!

Recommendation : Free EBook - Ultimate Fitness Secrets Revealed

Global Health and Fitness are offering a free 154 page ebook which normally sells for $27.97. You can see the details here on my blog

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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