1) It’s not about calories in v calories burned. If it were so straightforward we’d all be within our BMI. One reason why diets don’t work is because of the complex way our minds and bodies behave. We are genetically evolved to seek out variety and complexity in our diets, especially where high calorie foods and fat are concerned because up to 50 years ago we were always on the verge of running out of food.
2) Up until 50 years ago most of us cooked our own food each day. It wasn’t until the 1960’s that processed foods came onto the market and to make them palatable they had to add sugar. Eat a bowl of cornflakes and they are the most boring food on the planet – smother them in sugar and they become a tasty snack. Instead of bought cereal for breakfast try one of Mrs Beeton’s Victorian recipes.
Grate one apple into a bowl, mix 2 dessert spoons of porridge oats and leave over night to soak. In the morning you can either eat this cold, or heat it up to make Swiss Porridge. Add a handful of dried fruit and nuts, a dessert spoon of non sweetened natural yogurt. To get you through to lunchtime you could add banana and to really make a difference I add ground linseed that has added cocoa. This does not have added sugar, you just get Omega 3 from the crushed seeds and flavinoids from the cocoa. The natural sugar in the grated apple adds the sweetness. If you use apple juice that’s no good, but grated apple is ok as your digestive system has to work more effectively.
3) Silvia Maier, of the University 
of Zurich’s Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research discovered that stress can alter the brain to impair self-control when we’re confronted with a choice. Individuals we asked to choose between different food options after experiencing a stressful situation. They discovered that people were more likely to choose an unhealthy food compared with those who were not stressed. – I saw this recently in a client who was out on the road a lot. They were tired and stressed much of the time and so grabbed a bite to eat whenever they could. Result – several stone heavier they realised something had to change. They changed their job, but there were several other things they could have done as well.
4) Diet companies which provide you with tasty low fat snacks are just reeling you in. They are getting richer but they don’t make you thinner. There is always interplay between your mind, your emotions and your environment. Becoming aware of your emotional behaviour allows you to know when you are more susceptible to eating the wrong food. Often we turn to manufactured diets because it’s easy, we don’t have to do anything, think about it, we just follow the plan we’ve been given and lose a stone. Then 3 months later we’re back to our bad habits and we’ve gained a stone plus some more. It’s time to ditch the diet companies.
5) We are all Pavlov’s dogs – we become conditioned to expect food at certain times, but we can also un-condition ourselves so we become grazers, snacking on food all through the day, particularly when we’re bored. Watching commercial TV to alleviate boredom is probably one of the worst things you can do – just note the adverts in the evenings – beer, pizza, snacks, ice cream, yogurt (yes how luxurious that boring yogurt is – no doubt it’s packed full of sugar to make it so) they make it appear fun, invite your mates around to watch TV or play bingo – they are just reminding you of how dull and unfulfilled your life is, you feel bad and so go off to find something to eat which makes you feel better.
6) Keys to weight management are:
- Plan your meals
- Give yourself the option for small treats
- Do a decent amount of exercise
- If you’re vulnerable to buying the wrong thing at a supermarket, purchase online and get it delivered – you can spend that time in the gym.
- Always make sure you have something healthy to eat at hand so you don’t become over hungry and eat the wrong things.
- Have meals at set times and stick to them.
- Sort out your emotional stuff – that is the number one key to weight management. This is where I come in. Call 07508 658934 or fill in the form or email to find out more.