Little steps to great changes

There are a few trends in society that have not been positive for us. Amongst these negative trends I number:

• The growth of the consumer society where everyone expects instant results and easy off the shelf solutions that minimise the effort and input needed by the individual. People want to pop a pill to lose weight or have an operation - instead of looking at the problem and making effort and taking responsibility for resolving underlying issues that caused the problem in the first place.

The problem with this "quick fix"trend is that the real causes of the issues stay and often the solutions cease to be solutions and the issues resurrect themselves. The hard truth is that genuine and long term solutions to many problems usually actually requires individual effort and hard work and a lot of honesty and self examination to make changes that stick. This is particularly the case with weight loss.

This is why I particularly like the Back to Life project - because it makes the members take a long hard look at their PERSONAL reasons for wanting to lose weight and it focuses on THEM doing the work to make changes and get the results. One of the key things you are encouraged to do on the programme is to decide on, practise and create new "Healthy Habits" to replace your old unhealthy habits.

It takes on average 28 days to embed a new habit if it is practised religiously.

I chose to plan and shop healthily first - to ensure that all my meals and the ingredients and what was available to eat matched the healthy eating plan. It has proved beneficial as I can't cheat if the bad food is not available at home and also I have everything to make some delicious recipes. To eat I have to cook.

It has meant that I have found that I have stuck to the diet most of the time ( I am only human!). If you keep adding healthy habits eventually your life is colonised with embedded healthy habits and the bad habits are nudged out.

So what are the results - I have lost 5lb in a month but I have also lost inches all over my body as a result of the exercise plan. Fat is being burnt off and is being replaced by muscle.

You may think that 5lb does not seem much but actually the recommendations are that you lose steady small amounts over a long period to succeed on any diet. Those that lose huge amounts in a short time are usually doomed to failure as they have usually starved their bodies and followed unrealistic and unsustainable short term diet plans that reverse once they are over. The pounds quickly pile back on.

Also, as our instructor says, we all focus too much on the scales and weight Per Se but this is the wrong focus. There are many other important factors we should focus on. I have therefore also been looking at my health Per Se - my body fat % is dropping rapidly, including the visceral fat around organs ( the dangerous fat that can cause or trigger more serious health issues). My Blood Pressure is reducing, my BMI is reducing to a healthier level. Cumulatively this all adds up to a longer, happier and healthier life for me and my family which is a great result. I am using a set of health tools to chart my progress and outcomes over time. I can see my Diabetes risk and Heart Health improve and my Weight and exercise stats. If you want to try them out follow this link to register:

http://yourdoc.frogboxmarketing.com/

Finally not all the things you measure relate medically or scientifically to your health but are also great indicators of your well being :

• My energy levels are increasing and I am getting more active all round. as I re discovering the energy to do other sports and activities. I am even looking at starting to dance again ( I have not done this for years)
• I am feeling more motivated
• I am sleeping a lot better - as this was a factor that triggered my weight gain. I needed a sleep plan and I am activating it.
• My skin and hair looks better
• My family are all eating better and are getting more active as well - which I love.

If you too want to get Back to Life you can apply to join the programme. For more information contact Tanith@Tanithlee.co.uk or call 07941093170

Peeling back the layers...

It is not often that I am surprised in the world of Health and Wellbeing. I have read loads and have met and learnt or tried many therapies, diets and fitness programmes. So I kind of thought I knew a lot. I have therefore been pleasantly surprised and interested about how much I have already learnt on the Back to Life Programme.

I don’t want to bore you with all the details, there is so much to tell, so I will get to the nub of the main insights - what I call the gold - which may help you if you are considering changing your lifestyle and are stuck or have tried and failed in the past and so have given up trying. If this describes you then read on:

1)      Inability to lose weight is not necessarily about lack of knowledge about diet, exercise and health.

 So most people know what is good or bad for them but continue anyway. I believe they carry on because they simply don’t know how to exit the cycle they are in and the underlying causes and, having failed before, not surprisingly, they give up.

For me it was not until I sat down and wrote about the key "Why" reasons that I was wanting to lose weight that the pennies began to drop. As I set out a list of the reasons I may struggle and focused on me (a rare occasion) that I realised that the underlying issues were something completely different. The Back to Life project has taught me to be more “mindful”

 and self aware about my wellbeing. Let me explain:

As a Back to Life Babe you make a commitment to the programme. You sign a pledge to commit to the programme and you have to write out your "Why" reasons for doing it and the potential things that may put "Brakes" on your progress. This may seem like unnecessary paperwork but it is not, it is crucial.

·         It actively brings to the front of the conscious mind why you are embarking on this process and what it means to you and what may stop you.

·         Also by signing it and formally agreeing it, you set your commitment in stone. You make it a firm reality. Rather than a limp commitment which you can wriggle out of at the first opportunity (anyone recognise this?).

·         In addition when writing your "Brakes" you actually admit all the possible pitfalls and even as you write them you find yourself thinking of how you can avoid these. So it is an upfront way of preparing yourself to avoid them.

Very simple, but really effective.

So back to me I discovered by writing and recording on this programme that my real issues were 1) lack of sleep and 2) stress.

It was these two issues that were the primary culprits sabotaging my inability to lose weight and in fact were making me gain weight. I was trapped in a vicious cycle. I was exhausted but too stressed and tired to find the motivation to change my behaviours. 

The irony was that the tiredness made my body think I needed energy fast and was promoting cravings for the wrong type of foods (sugar and carbs and caffeine) which then held me in the cycle of weight gain and tiredness and highs and lows.

I had an opportunity change.In addition to doing a diet and exercise plan ( I will write more about this next time) I have also begun to address the things that were sabotaging me. I am using simple steps that anyone could do - but the impact has been significant:

Improving your sleep:

· Going to bed earlier and reading a book to get you off to sleep in relaxed way.

· Making the bedroom a comfortable and soothing haven - no TV or computer.

· Consider having a hot bath or herbal tea  before bed.

· No computer after 9.30pm at night as it does not promote sleep.

· No caffeine after mid day ( virtually no caffeine at all if you can). I have replaced tea, coffee and diet coke with Water and herbal teas - which I am beginning to love.

Avoiding or reducing stress in your life:

· Actively avoiding occasions and incidents, when it is possible, that you know cause you stress. Also if you cannot avoid these incidents or occasions have a think about what you can do to reduce the stress they cause you.

· Asking for help when you need it.

· Getting support from Friends and Family that you know will help you willingly.

· Organising yourself better so events and situations don’t become unnecessarily stressful. (time management)

· Giving up being a people pleaser all the time. So for example - I am taking time to think "is this right for me" before I agree to do things. I am not advocating becoming selfish but simply being willing to do things for yourself and not to do things that actually actively harm your wellbeing just to please others.

· Giving time and gifts to yourself without feeling guilty. So  - for me this means I can go to the gym, have a massage, play a game of tennis and I make it happen and organise childcare without feeling like I am letting people down.

By following these simple steps I can honestly say that I have slept better in the past two weeks than I have in years. I am feeling a whole lot less stressed already. OK - it is early days and I need to make these changes permanent new habits but the results so far have certainly incentivised me!.

Next time I am going to talk about the diet - it is delicious and I have hardly felt hungry and my family are enjoying it too. Even the children. My son got his own spoon and sat next to me to eat my soup as he loves it so much - he is six and a fussy eater. I have been amazed.....

Getting back to life!

A friend of mine Tanith Lee has started a weight loss programme with a difference - she wants it to actually work and for the participants to change their lifestyle and poor behaviours permanently. Its called the Back to Life project. In my humble opinion it is genius and she has got it right. Mainly because, unlike the patterns created by some of the other dieting companies, she does not want repeat business or a cycle of failure and return. If we BACK TO LIFERS succeed she has done her job. The programme therefore has real integrity.

This is a summary of the key factors which make what she is offering really different, by combining all these factors:-

Firstly it is holistic: this does not mean we sit in circles humming to crystals, it means it is looking to deal with the issues as a whole that contribute to the problem . So the physical, emotional, psychological, physiological and structural problems that may contribute to the issue of weight gain and inability to lose weight.

Secondly she has structures in place that support us to make changes and to get committed to making those changes. Some of these are obvious and some are more subtle but they add up to a web of support for the participants.

Thirdly she has the expertise and has been able to put in place a programme that actively includes a dietary and exercise plan and also gets you to actively participate in them.

Fourthly it is not a generic programme - it is individual and inherently tailored to you. She encourages you to participate in setting up your own programme and for you to make your own commitment to it.

Finally and most importantly the programme makes people take a firm look at their well being from every angle and it makes them start embracing personal responsibility for it in a safe and supportive environment.

I am one of the participants and I will be blogging about its impact.

Who am I - I am being a stand for achieving total Well being in my life and for my family so I can
authentically be a stand for this for all our clients.

I look forward to telling you about my journey.

Week one is about making the commitment and beginning to adjust your diet. I will tell you how I get on.
If this programme is of interest to you and you live in and around Sussex she is doing a talk and presentation about the project on Friday 8th February 2013 - at St Wilfrids School, Haywards Heath at 7.30pm email tanith@tanithlee.co.uk for more information.

Reasons to be grateful

If you do decide to make some New Years Resolutions or decided, failed and are remaking them (it happens) then I would like to suggest one that could be incredible useful for you and your families emotional and psychological Well being.

Why not resolve to set up and use a gratitude jar or book. It could be something just for you or something you do as a family.

If you do it personally then get yourself a lovely notebook and pen and keep it by your bed.

Step 1 -Every night before you go to sleep sit down and think about what things you could be grateful for that day. Write them in your note book.

It could be anything as simple as having a delicious meal or that your car got repaired on time  did not cost an arm and a leg. Equally you could list some more astounding things such as winning new business or getting a promotion. You can always find something to be grateful for.

Step 2 -Every morning, when you get up, the first thing you do is read what you wrote the night before. It will set up your day in a positive way.

The positivity then just builds up for you all year. It trains you to celebrate all your successes rather than focus on all the negatives in your life. It can help change your whole outlook on life.

The whole family could do the above notebook suggestion and learn to be grateful collectively.

Or each of you gets a notebook with tear out pages . Then get the children and yourself to write down what you are grateful for and put them in the jar, you could do this on a daily basis or a weekly basis.
Or can just do it as and when things come up.

At the years end you cold as a family tip out the jar and review the years bounty. It can be quite a joy.
You can also look at the jar filling up and visually count your blessings. Many of those old cliches do really have a value.

There is so much doom and gloom around at the moment that it is very easy to forget how lucky we are and how much we all actually have.

This technique is particularly useful for those of us who suffer from low mood or low self esteem. You will be able to quieten that negative voice in your head and turn up the volume of the celebratory, positive one.

We all have many reasons to be grateful so really see and learn them.

Cold Comfort or winter warmers?

I love this frosty, chilly weather. I like the contrast between the warm cosy house and being wrapped up as you go outside into the crisp crystalline environment. I find it refreshing and cleansing.

I know however that not everyone feels this way about winter. This is the time of year when SAD strikes. The darkness and lack of sunshine or light affects those with a propensity to depression. It is also a time when people huddle indoors and hibernate and exercise/fitness reduces. I think, however this is the opposite of what people should do despite the tempations. In fact to counteract and fight against the misery of this time of year it is better to maximise your exercise and sunlight opportunities.

Increase your exercise as Serotonin released during exercise improves your mood.

So:

• Get out in the middle of the day. Take a brisk walk and enjoy some fresh air.
• Put your thick tracksuit and jumper on and jog round the local park.
• Play some tennis - once the frost has melted off the court. Or find somewhere with indoor courts.
• Swim at the pool - they are heated so its like a soothing bath. Take a bone warming sauna afterwards - it really revives you.
• If you really suffer why not buy a Lightbox as there is a proven link between increased light exposure ( which decreases Melatonin production linked to depression) and an improvement in people's SAD symptoms. You only need to have exposure between 45 mins and 1 hour per day to improve your symptoms.

Also:

Keep your diet good and balanced despite the weather. Try to keep up your in take of fruit and vegetables and do not over indulge in heavy carbohydrates. I keep a bowl of Satsumas and apples to hand for snacking.

Finally - if all else fails and if it is possible for you go and get some winter sun. We are off overseas next week so we hope we will be blogging in a sunny and warm location. Fingers crossed.

Listening and not talking

I lost my voice for several days and could not really speak well for nearly two weeks. At first it was hell and really inconvenient. Clients could not talk to me, I could not do any marketing and I could not tell my children off. I hated it and felt so frustrated.

However - slowly but surely some real fringe benefits emerged as I began to listen and observe as opposed to speak and do all the time. I learnt a lot but I just want to focus on a few key areas as follows:

• People often say one thing but mean another. You can see it in their body language and tone of voice. I became acutely aware of Yes's that meant No and vice versa.

• That if you listen rather than talk people tell you far more and you learn far more useful stuff that you would previously have missed out on. Sometimes people are quiet and unassuming but this does not mean that they do not have loads to contribute. It is not necessarily those that shout loudest that have the best things to say either.

• I saw and experienced my children in a completely different way too. I had to listen and my youngest took full advantage  telling me long and convoluted opinions and ideas on multiple topics. I saw clearly how he was growing up and developing and it was really amazing. I really had no idea who he was until that week and it was a wake up call. DO NOT MISS THIS BECAUSE IT IS TRULY AWESOME.

• I got a lot of other work done because I did not waste time chatting. I do love a good gossip!. Christmas is well and truly organised now.

So being ill had benefits and I was actually humbled by the experience. I may have to take a monthly vow of silence so I don't miss this obvious life benefit ever again.

How to stay well if you are sick

This week I have been sick. Despite a healthy diet, regular exercise, a good sleep pattern and a stress reduction programme - sometimes we will get sick. That is just life.

However I have been frustrated this week as being sick has totally disrupted all of the above:

When I am ill I want comfort foods because quite frankly I felt miserable and wanted to creep back into old habits and the link between what I eat and my mood.

I could not do my normal exercise pattern and had to post pone starting a boot camp as a chest infection does not tally with an intense outside exercise plan.

I could not sleep well as I was coughing so much I kept waking myself up.

I could not sing, excercise or chat to friends as I totally lost my voice and did not want to expose people to my bug. So none of that relaxation and therefore stress reduction policy.

So what to do to counteract all this when everything is going against you!!!.

Let yourself have a little bit of what you want but do not let it get out of control and undermine all your hard fitness and diet work. So I had a low fat cocoa with some marshmallows and some cake. Just not too much so I did not wallow in it.

Look for alternative comfort foods. I had more porridge and honey or bananas than normal. It was warming and slow release. Plus the honey and bananas gave me stuff that helped my throat and mood levels.

I am also drinking plenty of fluids and vitamin C juices etc to promote getting better.

I am doing some alternative exercise. Walking the kids to school rather than driving all the way. Some gardening and today a little gentle tennis. Some that I can cope with whilst keeping myself wrapped up.

I cant sing so I am listening to more music and I have rediscovered my sewing and (sad but stimulating) online scrabble with friends on facebook.

I cant talk so I am socialising through social media. My fingers are flying off that Keyboard. It is not the same as face to face communication but it is a temporary stand in!!.

One fringe benefit of not being able to talk - I am listening and observing more. It has been a useful lesson. But thats the next blog!!