Don’t panic! Keep calm and carry on losing weight

WE’RE approaching the end of the Summer in the UK and I know it’s probably been one of the worst times of year to stay on track with weight loss goals – apart from Christmas!  I’ll bet anything that routine has gone out the window and you’ll be panicking because you think you’ve lost the plot yet again!

But hold on!  This is TOTALLY normal and you need to know that you’re not alone.  I’ve had a ridiculously busy August too and I know exactly how you feel. I seriously do!

I’ve had so much going on during the holiday season and August is also full of birthdays, anniversaries, cake and alcohol! I’ve let normal routine and habits go a bit and my trousers are probably a little tighter than when the Summer began.

BUT the difference is – I don’t panic.  I know I can get back to my normal eating habits quite easily when I set my mind to it – and more to the point, for me August is just an obstacle that gets built into my life.

It isn’t a normal month! So my brain knows how to deal with it and I don’t panic about gaining a few lbs because I know they will go as quickly as they came.

But this attitude and mindset has come with time, consistency and practice.  It’s not because I’m any different to anyone else, or I’m superhuman.

My eating habits are not perfect, but most of the time I eat healthily and I don’t panic if I overdo it for a few weeks.  I certainly don’t think I’ve blown it and all is lost!

I look to the future and work out my next goal.

That goal for me happens to be to fit comfortably in my size 10 trousers by the end of September and I know I will.

So how do you feel about joining me?

Start with re-setting your goal.  Make it a small one – say 21 days or max 30 days.  Set a goal that’s totally achievable – like feeling more comfortable in something that’s become a bit tight.

You know what you have to do but If you need help, ask below or if you’re a member of Slimpod Club take part in the community challenge that will begin on Monday September 10.

To help with your motivation and to give you a boost, I thought I’d share a lovely story with you that really made me smile.

I’d like to introduce you to Wendy who sent me a little note with her progress after seven weeks on her Slimpod Programme. This is what she wrote:

“I was hooked on day one and from the very next day I have not eaten any snacks or sugary foods, I have not weighed myself and never will.

“I have eaten healthy and not dieted. I have exercised about four times a week at the gym and when on holiday I walked or had a little run. 

“I have stayed away from anyone who I think will try and sabotage me (drains) and stayed close to my radiator friends who encourage me.

“The first 10 days were not so much hard with willpower but more about the voices of Angel and the Devil getting along with each other and helping me.

“These chats would be quite frequent as I started to retrain, but after 10 days I seemed to settle and not be reliant on listening to them.   

“Now all three of us are getting to used to this new life of mine of thinking slimmer, eating healthy and moving about. 

“I have sent a photo from July 3 when I started and a photo from six weeks (half way). The difference is profound.

Wendy’s selfie on Day One

Wendy on Day 42 – “profound difference”

“I know it’s only week seven but I feel so grateful , this is a life saver for me and next week I go back to the doctors to see if my blood pressure has reduced.

“I could write a huge list of this journey so far like the help, videos, pods and programme –  it’s so clever. My only downfall is the success log, which I will pick up again as it is useful.

“My advice to people is you have to WANT to lose weight and you have to be READY, if you don’t have this then the pods get blocked in the brain.   

“If you follow the rules it really works but you must WANT to and not expect a magic wand

“Thank you, thank you. I am looking forward to the next five weeks :)”

How wonderful is that?  If you’ve got a similar story that would help motivate others in our community please do let me know below.  Would love to hear from you.

The post Don’t panic! Keep calm and carry on losing weight appeared first on Slimpod.

Summer eating and drinking – hot tips for staying cool about it

WE’RE seven days into August and the holiday season has well and truly started (unless you’re reading this in Australia, New Zealand or South Africa!) I’m constantly hearing people say “I’m a little bit worried about how I’m going to cope with food when I’m on holiday – I usually pig out and I love having a cocktail or two in the evening.”

So I thought it might be a good time to give you a little help on how to get through all the temptations of Summer and stay in control of your weight.I’m sure you know the story – it’s almost as if your mind is saying “Woo hoo we’re on holiday and that means I have permission to eat anything you want to eat – and lots of it!”

Then you get disappointed because you feel like you’ve fallen off the wagon and you beat yourself up.

This time of year can be really difficult and create all sorts of challenges, concerns and anxieties about food and your weight. Most people coming to my Slimpod programme do so after years of unsuccessfully trying to lose weight and have almost been conditioned to what I call “seasonal dieting”.

Here’s how it goes (and do let me know below if you recognise it!).

In January the media lures you into the latest “amazing” weight loss revelation (it’s a diet).  You are into it for four to five weeks, lose some weight and then lose motivation – because willpower doesn’t last, sadly.

Then you’re feeling a bit rubbish for the next few months until May/June comes and – yes, you guessed it – the next revolutionary, all singing, all dancing Summer bikini diet is launched!

You’re on that until your summer holiday (around now) and then you just can’t keep it up because it’s Summer and dieting is miserable and boring in the holidays isn’t it?!

All those nice things you’re depriving yourself of while everyone else is having fun and enjoying themselves. So rather than feeling rubbish you break the diet and blame your Summer eating again on your own lack of willpower!

Then you limp along and around October time the media starts up again!  “Lose two dress sizes in time for those Christmas parties,” the headlines shout!  You hop on because basically you’re losing it to put it all back on again over Christmas…and so it goes on!  Nightmare!

If you’re on a Slimpod programme, this may well have stopped already and you’re noticing you’re far more in control.

You’ll also be noticing you don’t want much of the sugary stuff – which is great. However I do know that dieting behaviour is really hard to shift and can sometimes be triggered if you’re not aware of it.

Summer eating and drinking – how to handle it

So here’s a few tips on Summer eating which will give you a boost!

ONE: Summer puts you into what I call a “Summer diet trance state” – in English, this means you’ll be out of routine and be in a very different state of mind. “l’ll just put my weight loss on hold and enjoy myself for a few weeks” kind of trance state!!  If you feel this is you – and I know I’ll get lots of comments saying I’m reading your minds – PLEASE PLEASE wake up from that trance and shake yourself off!  You don’t need to eat for Britain this month!

TWO: You can still ENJOY the summer AND lose weight. Just be in the right mindset.. The CRUCIAL thing is to build little rewards into your life over the next four or five weeks and don’t let ice-creams, cocktails etc become obstacles to your success and derail you. Lots of people think they’ve blown their healthy eating regime just because they’ve had some ice-cream. This then becomes a very useful excuse to eat, too.

The important thing to remember is this is an automatic pattern of behaviour that’s been running in your life for quite a while and you need to be aware it’s happening before you can do something about it. So if something like this is happening now – chill!. Stop thinking it’s the end of the world because it isn’t! Recognise it’s happening and do something about it.

Use the treats to help with your success instead of letting them make you feel guilty. It’s all in your head after all! Use the treats as a little reward for reaching a mini goal – which could be anything you choose.

If you’re going on a trip then rather than feeling bad after having an ice cream, give yourself permission to have one. It’s truly not going to be the end of the world and when you do this you change your mindset from throwing in the towel and “struggling” to being kind to yourself and honouring the time of year.

Summer eating and drinking really is that simple. If you want a cocktail, have one. You may be surprised and one might be enough. It’s really all about flipping your mindset from “I’ve blown it and I don’t care” to “I’m going to have these little treats but I can still be in control.”

There are people coming back from holidays and rejoicing in the fact that they’ve enjoyed themselves and put on no weight when they would ordinarily have pigged out and be at least 8lbs heavier. The lovely Elaine, one of our Tameside nurses, recently came back from holiday and was so happy because she put no weight on.

Keep up your activity because in the summer we tend to be a bit lazier if the weather is hot. Raise your heart rate for just 15 minutes a day! This will really help to manage the treats too!

So have fun and enjoy your holiday and your Summer eating without worrying!

The post Summer eating and drinking – hot tips for staying cool about it appeared first on Slimpod.