How The 5:2 Diet Works So Well For Me.

I must start by saying that I don't like the word 'diet' as most people associate it with a period of time when they starve themselves of food and eat stuff they don't like so they can lose weight. You keep this up for a short period of time and then return to eating the way you were before and put all the weight back on and more!

I changed my approach to food and now view it as a lifestyle change. I found this really hard for the first few years but after time, eating healthily everyday and having a stable relationship with food become my norm. It is a huge relief to me to not feel dominated by desiring food and to comfortably chose to eat when and what I want to eat.

I personally found elements of the 5:2 food approach helpful and I recommend it when working with particular clients that is suits. It's really important to only use this style of eating if you feel attracted to it. I have learnt that goals will only work if your heart is in it. So, if the idea of having your normal calorie intake on five days and then seriously cutting back for two sounds like a good plan, this could work for you!

After being a food addict, I don't agree with 'eating whatever you want' for five days of the week, which is what the diet suggests in many references.  In my experience this just reinforces the concept that it's OK to overeat. Instead, I find it works really well to have two cheat days out of the five. On my cheat days I enjoy a main course that is more indulgent than usual and may have some alcohol and some snacks that I wouldn't otherwise do. Friday and Saturday nights can be good times to choose. For the other three days of the five, I stick to around my 1500 daily calorie intake. If you can not roughly calculate the amount of calories on your plate when you eat then I would recommend using The Fitness Pal app. It's easy to use and will teach you so much about your food intake.

On my two low food intake days, I aim for around 500-700 calories a day. I like to plan these days before and after my cheat days so I get focused again and back on track. I have found this approach to be successful and with many clients too as it keeps our self control monitored.

As you can hear, I am a fan of this 5:2 day approach to food and I think it encourages a healthy balance and self control towards eating habits.The key is to find the food approach that suits you and next time I will write about the results I see when clients use a weight loss club approach to getting slimmer and healthier.

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It's About Changing Your Relationship With Food.

Have you been stuck in a pattern of yo-yo dieting? Do you find yourself motivated for a number of weeks or months, as you follow a new diet, to then only find yourself losing motivation and going back to your old eating habits and putting even more weight on?

Do you eat food when you are not hungry and wish you didn't do it but cant stop yourself? Do you get annoyed and wonder why on earth you eat food when you don’t really want to? In fact, many people raid the fridge or food cupboards and eat the food so quickly that they only realise afterwards that they have just had a mad food consumption moment!

Do you wake up every day and find food is on your mind from the moment the day starts? Does it consume your thoughts and overwhelm you? Do you find yourself fixated on the next meal time or the food that is lying around?Do you wish you could just eat food when you were hungry and stop overeating for good? Would you like to lose weight, not put it back on again and be rid of your frustrating relationship with food?

Diets will not bring about permanent weight loss if you struggle with the sorts of suggestions I have written about above. For you, the answer is to address your relationship with food and learn how to change it for the good! If you could lose weight by dieting you would have been successful by now. After all there are endless diets to choose from but none of them will cut it if your relationship with food is similar to an addiction or one of comfort and habit. By addressing these mindset and behaviour issues you can make changes that will last for a lifetime.

If you apply behaviour change alongside healthy eating then you will lose weight for good!

Change your behaviour, thoughts and feelings! If you would like to know more about my Mind n Body Programme for weight loss, drop me a line and we can arrange for a phone chat and discuss in more detail.

Kathy Bell.

5 Tips to Begin a Lifestyle of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is about being present in the moment and allowing your thoughts and feelings to drift past you without judging them. Mindfulness can be experienced anywhere and anytime, whilst walking, running, sitting still meditating and more. The key is being aware in the moment.

For Example: -

Picture yourself walking and then realising that you have just spent the first fifteen minutes of your walk, in the pleasant surroundings of the countryside, yet not appreciated any of the sights or sounds of the environment. You are not in the moment but instead, worrying about the jobs you have yet to do or your fears about a difficult relationship that causes you worry. On realising this, you could become annoyed with yourself for being lost in thought and missing out on experiencing and living in the moment. The way of mindfulness is to not judge yourself for having wandering thoughts but to just bring yourself back into the awareness of the moment.

So to begin……….

1. Consider joining a mindfulness group or completing a mindfulness course. Take a look at this online course http://www.bemindfulonline.com/

2. Set aside a time each day where you chose to make it a time of practicing mindfulness. This could be when walking the dog, on waking and setting aside 15 minutes mediation or planning another point in the day where you chose to take some dedicated time.

3. It is important to set realistic goals when you start. Make sure it is a SMART goal.

Don’t set yourself up to fail by setting a goal you can’t maintain!

4. Use mindfulness apps or Cd’s to support your journey of learning and discovery about mindfulness.

5. From time to time throughout your day, check on your breath and assess the tension levels within your body. Grade the level of tension by 1-10 to remain aware of the state of your body. Focus on your breathing to help you remain in the present.

Similar to an exercise programme; the more you practice, the more natural and easy it becomes! Once you stop you lose the benefits over time!

5 Tips to Begin a Lifestyle of Mindfulness

5 Tips to Begin a Lifestyle of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is about being present in the moment and allowing your thoughts and feelings to drift past you without judging them. Mindfulness can be experienced anywhere and anytime, whilst walking, running, sitting still meditating and more.  The key is being aware in the moment.

For Example: -

Picture yourself walking and then realising that you have just spent the first fifteen minutes of your walk, in the pleasant surroundings of the countryside, yet not appreciated any of the sights or sounds of the environment.  You are not in the moment but instead, worrying about the jobs you have yet to do or your fears about a difficult relationship that causes you worry. On realising this, you could become annoyed with yourself for being lost in thought and missing out on experiencing and living in the moment. The way of mindfulness is to not judge yourself for having wandering thoughts but to just bring yourself back into the awareness of the moment.

So to begin……….

1.       Consider joining a mindfulness group or completing a mindfulness course. This is an online course organised by the

2.       Set aside a time each day where you chose to make it a time of practicing mindfulness. This could be when walking the dog, on waking and setting aside 15 minutes mediation or planning another point in the day where you chose to take some dedicated time.

3.       It is important to set realistic goals when you start.  Make sure it is a SMART goal.

Don’t set yourself up to fail by setting a goal you can’t maintain!

 

4.       Use mindfulness apps or Cd’s to support your journey of learning and discovery about mindfulness.

5.       From time to time throughout your day, check on your breath and assess the tension levels within your body. Grade the level of tension by 1-10 to remain aware of the state of your body.  Focus on your breathing to help you remain in the present.

Similar to an exercise programme; the more you practice, the more natural and easy it becomes! Once you stop you lose the benefits over time!

Your Guide to Successful Goal Setting

Maximising Your Potential with Goal Setting

1. Clarity of Direction
How can you reach your destination if you don’t know where you are going?
Many people amble through life in a kind of ‘victim’ status. We can take control of our lives and set goals. When you can’t see a way forward, it’s time to call on the help of a life coach. A personal coach will help you to see your route of change, step by step. Knowing where you are going and then learning to focus only on the next few steps, will prevent you from feeling overwhelmed, like it’s all impossible and that giving up is the best thing you can do.

2. Goals Maximise your Potential
Goals bring out the best in you. They cause you to search yourself within and establish what you want to achieve. By using the SMART approach to goal setting, you can be confident you have set a well thought out goal to aim for. Not having a goal is like setting off for a hike into unknown territory without a map. You would end up just wondering about without a point to head towards. You need a goal for direction so it draws the best from you, maximising the potential.

3. Accountability
Owning and setting your gaol causes you to agree to a level of commitment to yourself. It enables you to measure your achievement. Once you have named a goal you have something to live up to and assess yourself on.

4. Targets
Goals are targets for you to aim at. They will stretch you and take you out of procrastination, complacency and trigger you to become focused and motivated towards a specific point. Targets can be stepping stones towards the end goal that regularly keep you on track with a measurable outcome.

5. Purpose, Goal and Vision
Purpose gives a meaning for a direction and the goal states the end of the destination and the vision gives the ability to imagine and activate the inner desire seen in your mind’s eye.

6. Rewarding
The sense of achieving a goal is empowering. This success can motivate you to set more goals. The accomplishment boosts self confidence and releases a feel good factor.

7. Measure Your Success
Goals give you a personal reference point, which you can measure your success by. Regularly assessing your goals will help you to see whether you are on track and pushing forward with your desires. If not, you can take stock, refresh yourself of your targets and push on with fresh motivation towards your goal.

7 Ways to Remain Motivated

Seven Ways to Remain Motivated

1. Focus on your goal - List the reasons for your goal and refresh yourself each day until it’s naturally at the forefront of your mind. Being mindful of the reasons for wanting to lose weight will help you to make smart food choices.

2. Negativity – Stay on top of negative self talk and weed out your lies that fool you into giving up. Take time each day to reflect on your self talk.

3. Procrastination – Do it now not tomorrow or next week. If you catch yourself putting it off, you know you are procrastinating! Act now if you mean it!

4. Distractions – Don’t lose your focus and fall out of ‘the zone’. Don’t slacken off and justify it.

5. Positive self talk – Surround and feed yourself with positive people and resources. Take time each day to remain in-tune with your internal talk and check you are upbeat and positive. Negative thoughts lead to negative feelings which will lead to negative actions.

6. Have a plan in place at all times – Without a plan you do not have a direction towards your goal. Plan your reflection, exercise and food for each day of the week.

7. There will always be hurdles to get over in order to reach your goals. Apart from all of the above, illness and unforeseen circumstances can occur. Only perseverance will get you beyond this point. Like motivation, perseverance is a skill in itself to be mastered. Never give up. Learn to overcome your obstacles and gain strength and understanding from each one.

“People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing -- that's why we recommend it daily.” Zig Zaglar