Think about the use of the expression ‘treat yourself‘ in this context. It’s unlikely to involve carrot sticks and apples now is it? So how can eating fatty, sugar and salt laden food that will only serve to increase your waistline and cause potential health problems be a ‘treat’?

What would it be like if you could treat yourself with something other than food?

Food for thought (so to speak).

They talk about it all the time, they read books on diets and dieting, they buy magazines on dieting and they buy all sorts of dieting paraphernalia over the years. The only thing is …  I thought you were meant to enjoy your hobbies.

Time for a different one?

Posted by Stephen

Now whether they’re doing it for religious reasons or because it’s a way of helping them diet I don’t know, but what strikes me is that they often follow the public declaration with a moan about how much they don’t really want to, or with a comment about how hard it will be.

Either way it shows how much power they give to this food and how much it will be in their thoughts right up to the time they allow themselves to eat it again.

No food should have that much control over anyone.

Posted by Stephen

What will it take before you accept that being slim has nothing to do with the latest diet you decide to temporarily go on?

Recently I was working with a client who insisted that all they needed was to be able to stick on a diet and they would get to their goal. What they really did not want to recognise was that they were the one who did not stick to the diet.

I asked them how the diet was meant to do it for them as they seemed to want to think that it was the diet’s fault.

Owning up to the fact that we are responsible can be tough but it is the only way to change anything.

Shall I ask the same questions next Monday?

Posted by Stephen

Just how long do you spend thinking about food, calories, diets etc?

I used to be the kind of person who would research a diet, buy the book, make a list of all the food and ingredients I would need, shop for these foods, make a menu planner for the week, diarise the times I was going to the gym etc etc  Did it help? NO!  I got slim when I stopped thinking about food as something that had to be denied and controlled.

Pick a diet that works for you, stick to it and start thinking about something more interesting than food!

Posted by Dawn

Is it right away? The very moment you decide to get slim because you want to be slim now, or do you have one last day of eating ‘normally’ (and we all know that means a day of overeating, right?)?

Or maybe you tell yourself you’ll cut back over the next few days because there’s no point trying to diet yet because you’ve got that party/wedding coming up next weekend, so you’ll start properly after that….

How many excuses can you give to put it off and stay fat?

Successful dieters decided they wanted to be slim and start now, not tomorrow or next week (or worse still Monday) but now. So when do you want to start getting slim?

Posted by Dawn

I would put money on nearly all of you starting a diet because you feel so utterly fed up with the way you look and feel right now.

I know how it feels to sit there feeling your tummy bulging over your jeans and opting for a more ‘casual’ look as those clothes don’t tend to be tight.

These feelings can be a huge motivator – to begin with, but what happens when you lose a stone and those jeans don’t feel quite so tight anymore?

As soon as you can you need to change the image in your head from one that you don’t like – you a few weeks ago – to an image of you in a few months time when you’re even slimmer than you are now and feeling wonderful because you finally managed to follow through with your plans to be slim.  Focussing on this positive image will be what will help you achieve your goals.  Mmmmmm just imagine how good it’s going to feel………

Posted by Dawn

With people feeling bad from Christmas excess it’s time for the marketing boys and girls to jump in and tell you that you can lose those pounds if you just follow their diet.

Sorry, but if it didn’t work last year it won’t this year either.

It’s NOT about the diet you use and it NEVER will be. It is WHY you over eat that has to be changed.

Posted by Stephen

Posted by Stephen

This makes me smile because I used to do exactly the same.  I would be looking through the cupboard or the fridge for something to snack on even though I wasn’t hungry.  I told myself that it was ok, because I was going to do this just one last time and then I’ll get right back on track!

What rubbish!! If you are telling yourself this, then once again you’re kidding yourself.

When it comes to being slim tomorrow never comes

If you want to be slim it starts now, not tomorrow or worse still Monday!

The most successful dieters I know didn’t start their diet on a Monday.

To understand the reasons why you find yourself zombie like in front of the food cupboard or fridge then see Chapter 3 – Mind of a Dieter in the Toolkit.

Posted by Dawn. Read Dawn’s story