The Game is Afoot!

Hello, my name is Helen (hello Helen). It has been four weeks since my last confession, on my honour! Or may I be chopped up and made into soup.

In the words of Sam Beckett oh BOY!!! Yes my friends, these are indeed exciting time!

First a re cap since the last posts. Tomorrow marks my next blood test encounter , interested to find out the numbers as frankly I feel no different, but hey, let's see what the numbers say.

Slimming World is going ok - I would say great, but frankly I would have liked to have seen bigger numbers by now. I know what I am capable of, and I know where my weaknesses have come from on several occasions. That aside though, I am pleased to announce that in just four weeks I have lost a whopping 13lbs!! (whoop whoop!!). Very pleased as this means I am well on target.

On target for what? Um, well ok confession number two, other half and I have actually booked a holiday for the end of the year! If that wasn't enough, I have also brought myself a size 12 (yes, that is a 12) Bikini (yes I said the word Bikini!!). Am aiming to be able to slim down and wear said Bikini on said holiday! Have worked out if I can lose on average 3lbs per week, I will be well and truly at target by the time said holiday comes - which will be nice!

On a semi related topic (I'm saving the absolute zinger until last ya know), aforementioned fella and I have also been discussing potential dates for up and coming tied knot! I've said we will start looking seriously at venues around May / June time, gives me a chance to shift another couple of stone before a date is actually cast in one! Very excited, have already got shortlist of first dance songs, disco songs, pre ceremony classical tunes, style of dress, overall colour scheme, nominated maid of honour (ta Jen!) & bridesmaids, the beginnings of a guest list, various dance routines to attempt at aforementioned disco and roughly what we'll be doing day before, on the day, and where we'll be going on honeymoon! (Not that I've been thinking about this or anything!) Really excited, but again, it is all weight dependent, as I refuse to walk down the isle looking like a beached whale - pre wedding beauty health & fitness regime officially starts here guys & gals! I think that calls for another whoop whoop!

Aaaaaaaaaaand finally!! NLP course & Life Skills course remains ongoing, HOWEVER! have discovered that I have enough qualifications to apply for SHTC membership, which is like a governing body type thing for coaches, so today I have applied, and initial feedback looks good! Waiting for payment to clear naturally, but barring that, I could be a fully fledged (associate) member!

Once membership is approved, there is literally nothing (I don't think) stopping me from turning around and screaming to the world "Hello, my name is Helen, and I am a certified coach!!!!!!!!!"
 omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg and breeeeeeeeeeath!!

If I could do back flips then seriously right now I would be! Four years it has taken me to get to this point, and finally a dream today has begun to be realised, I am so so happy! Of course now the hard work (and the fun) really begins! Whilst I am polishing off my remaining courses, I can legitimately market myself and try and get some clients in!

I'm off now to run around the garden screaming yipppiiiiiiiieeeeeeee!!

Weight Loss Diary - 6th Sept 2010

Did I ever tell you how much I am loving life at the moment? Oh I did? Ok stuck record alert!

So yesterday then, can definitely say yesterday was fabulous! Firstly, other half was out selling himself at a wedding fair for most of it. Usually when he's out, that's my subconscious cue to eat like a pig and over stuff myself. Ah ha! but not this day! For breakfast I indulged myself and had cheese on toast. That's 1 slice of bread, 3 very thin slices of cheese, and nada else. I enjoyed every single scrummy bite, and about half way through I started to feel full, so put my knife & fork down and stopped.

Yes it taunted me, 'ah go on, just one more bite, you know you really want to'. But actually no I didn't, I listened to my body, and ignored that silly little voice inside my head that always wants more. To ensure I didn't get tempted into finishing it off I quickly put the rest of the toast in the bin - I didn't fancy eating cold cheese on toast later in the day! :P

What a buzz! Sounds daft that, getting a buzz from knowing when your body has had enough, and simply listening to it, and stopping.

In other news, yesterday I also started to go through my pc and have had a bit of a clear out. Bit random? no, still on topic I promise!!

You see, on my pc, I have created for myself so many diets, weight loss thermometers, weight loss records, and excel spreadsheets working out if I lost so many pounds then I'd reach my goal weight by such and such a date. I literally did a day by day weight loss forecast. These have all been deleted, and my goodness, not only did it feel weird doing so, it felt quite therapeutic!

Like I said before DOWN WITH DIETS!! ah ha! To follow through on that philosophy I get to free up quite a lot of computer disk space!! (as well as head space). So what was for dinner? Steak and chips ta! Served on a tea plate so yes it was a much smaller portion that I'd usually have, and yes I ate every last bite - and yes I kept double checking with my body to see when I was getting full. It was just by luck I think that the portion size I gave myself was just enough to satisfy the physical hunger.......Score!!!

This morning I will admit, a tiny part of me wants to hop onto the scales, I mean it's been three days now since I freed myself from the evil that is fad dieting! Thankfully that little voice was silenced almost as soon as it was raised. Tut tut little voice you should really know better than to interfere like that!

I can tell you now that the part of me with 'the little voice' is actually curious to see whether this new way of doing things will work, and in the very back of my mind probably thinks this is just another 'fad' and I'll end up my biggest yet.

However, the more dominant 'voice' (let's call it my inner coach), is somehow able to scream over little voice, and know jolly well that if I carry on the way I am doing, then not only will I be happy, and living life as full as I want it to be, but I'll also be losing weight and WILL reach that healthy weight / body shape that is right for me. In fact the coach voice is so strong inside my head, I have little choice but to listen and believe it!! And I can't even describe how good that feels, how good that makes ME feel about myself.

I think success is quite addictive, although to be perfect honest I'd rather have that as an addiction than getting on the scales every single day and getting depressed because the magic weight loss fairy has yet again failed to make me 9 stone over night.

So how do we start experiencing success? Well you have to start somewhere, so why not start by doing something small.

I challenge you today to seek out success, no matter how small. You've been putting off doing the ironing, but you've got off your bum and finished it - SUCCESS! You ate two slices of toast for breakfast instead of the usual three or four - SUCCESS!! You decided you would by pass the bakery and not have your usual mid morning sausage roll / cake / packet of crisps etc - SUCCESS!!! (one less spoon of sugar in your tea, making that phone call or sending that email you've been meaning to, paying that outstanding bill, turning off the TV and doing something else with your spare time this evening - all adds up to success!! BUT it HAS to be what YOU really want and what is relevant for YOU!(and not because someone else said that you 'had to'))

It doesn't matter how small it may feel at the time, if you have been able to do something that you have either been putting off, didn't think you had the will power, or just something you don't usually do but have now done - mark it up on the chalk board and give yourself a well deserved pat on the back for a job very well done!

There is another part of this challenge - once you have achieved that first success, don't brush it under the carpet. You have GOT to take a step back, and really appreciate what it is you have done - even if it's 'only' getting the vacuum out and vacuuming the carpet! The point is that this is YOUR achievement, YOUR success and you should not only feel proud of yourself for achieving it, but you ARE ALLOWED to bathe in the shiny glory that is your brilliance!

Because believe it or not, you are brilliant - you just may not have realised yet.

So go on - how are you going to be brilliant and achieve your own success today?

x-x-x

Weight Loss Challenge - Final Review

I will warn you up front this will be one of my longest blogs yet!

Almost 40 days ago now I began my weight loss journey. As far as weight loss is concerned, I've lost half a stone, and I can say hand on heart I look no different. To me half a stone is just a drop in the ocean. Yes it's a start, not a very good one, but a start none the less. In that time I would have liked to have at least doubled that figure, but I didn't, and despite this, the challenge did achieve a necessary change!

When looking back at myself at the beginning of the challenge, on a psychological level I am looking at a completely different person. I see a person with numerous emotional and psychological ties that each in turn took a chunk out of my own personal happiness and overall well being.

Where these ties came from, well some I have my suspicions, some I'm sure if I sat and dwelled long enough I'd discover a deep and meaningful under lying cause and some I'm sure have no base in reality what-so-ever. Who knows, but more importantly, who cares!

Beware the ties that bind - for these are the restrictions you place upon yourself. Hang on a mo, I'll fetch the scissors.

So there I was back then, hating myself, hating the scales, hating food, and generally dissatisfied with life. Now there's a pretty picture ain't it!

I knew, as I still know now, my desired end result, not just with weight loss, but in life, career, home etc. The problem is knowing the destination is simply not good enough, even thinking you know how you're going to achieve your goals isn't enough. If you don't release that which is really tieing you down, even though you may think you're moving in the right direction, you're not.

I thought I had the answer. I was going to lose 1 lb every day, reach my goal weight quickly and be happy ever after. I was going to achieve this by restricting my calorie intake and exercising like there was no tomorrow. Before you all start tutting or shouting at me, I want you to note the over use of 'past tense' in the paragraph.

Good in theory? well no, but I thought it was. So on day one, I stepped on the scales, 2lbs off - great! Day two, I stepped on the scales, 1 lb off - still great! Day three, I stepped on the scales, another 1 lb off - this is going so well. Day three - um, so hungry I end up eating that blasted horse, now hung up on the fact that I've just undone the past three days. Day four, I stepped on the scales - oh bugga, I have. Feel really depressed and like a complete failure. Vow to do another week of the above before I step back on the scales. And so we go on. This is literally the rut I had gotten myself in.

Weighing yourself every single day, no matter how you try and dress it up, is an unhealthy obsession. It's an addiction, pure and simple.

So when Paul McKenna suggests as part of his I can make you thin plan, that maybe you only weigh yourself once every two weeks, or even just once a month, well in theory I could see the logic. But getting off those scales were really hard!! I had a real battle with myself, and in the beginning I'd justify to myself that I was having 'just a quick check' on my weight loss progress. So what happens, when the scales didn't move, or it went up (because I wasn't actually following the plan and reverted back to old habits), I'd get disheartened, feel like a failure and vow to do better. Which let's be honest, I never did.

I took some much needed time out this morning to reflect on my life and I suppose if I had made any headway what-so-ever.

Actually, when looking at where I am as opposed to where I was:

- I'm more aware of the feeling of actual hunger, and can recognise when the hunger is physical or emotional.
- I'm learning to accept that actually, I'm not so bad after all
- I've banished the scales. I don't need them right now, and I have no desire to continue to be dictated to by the results they show.
- I'm learning more about the correct portion sizes for me, and accept that smaller portions are not only fine, but normal!

Frankly this list could go on for quite a bit! But the most important revelation of all is that I will NEVER touch another so called 'diet' ever again!

I'm listening very carefully to what my body needs, and what it doesn't need is another 'crash diet'. It doesn't need to be told that it can only have liquids, or a combination of liquids and so called 'meals'. It doesn't need to be told that it can only eat certain foods on certain days, or count calories or 'points' or fat content or weigh and measure every thing!

My father once said to me 'everything in moderation', and you know, I never really appreciated this little saying - until now.

Beware the ties that bind - my true ties were feeling as if I had to 'diet' and constantly weigh myself in order to gain acceptance in the world.

Well I will tell you right now - NOT ANY MORE!!! My body knows what it wants, and you know what, I'm jolly well going to work WITH it and give it exactly what it wants, instead of working against it and trying to starve or restrict the energy it needs to live.

Don't think for one minute I have completely potty and am on the road for gaining a million pounds in weight and become Britain's fattest female! Oh no, on the contrary, I have every intention of only eating when I'm hungry, stopping when I'm full even (gasp!) throwing away food I can't eat, or at least storing the left overs until such a time my body is physically hungry again.

My future is bright. My future is very shiny. My future involves reaching a healthy weight which is perfect for me. My future is freedom from those negative ties, freedom from diets, freedom from constantly weighing myself and obsessing that I 'Should' be this weight by this date.

I am putting my 'weight loss challenge' to bed now, once and for all. I'm not going to stop blogging by any stretch of the imagination, I enjoy it! so why stop!!?

And yes, I'll still report on my weight loss, and share, perhaps in more detail, all the things I'm learning and experiencing along the way.

Today I have realised that without all these binds, my future has suddenly become so squeezabley good! It's crazy but all this weight has been lifted completely from my shoulders!

I've got my zest for life back - and frankly I'm now just itching to go out and just live!

x-x-x

Weight Loss Challenge - Day Twenty Eight

When they were up they were up, and when they were down they were down. Oi vey! Right now I guess you can really say that all positivity has gone right out of the window.

Yesterday was a slip up, I'll admit that right now. Had 2 slices of toast for lunch, and didn't eat them consciously. If I had of done I would have stopped half way through the first slice and chucked the rest in the bin. Consequently I felt bloated and quite sluggish afterwards. Dinner was exactly the same as I didn't chew the food slowly enough, and then I had the cheek to have a couple of slices of toast for supper. Ok, so my daily food intake is in reality less than what was the norm, but still, it doesn't take away the fact that I over filled my body unnecessarily.

The key to my self presumed failure yesterday I believe was actually not drinking enough water. Usually I'm sipping all day, but yesterday I only had one 750ml bottle. No where near enough! I'm used to having two or three of these! And on that note, I've just gone and grabbed my bottle and had a couple of sips.

On top of all this, I didn't fill in my success journey either - arrrgggghhhhhh what is going on with me!! I refuse to let myself self sabotage as I am doing so well!! I've lost almost half a stone already and it's only the 1st week! Breathing deeply, and getting a grip now.

When you're down, your brain really does start to come up with some crazy stuff. For example, I told myself that I had lost control over the house and haven't 'settled into country living as well as I hoped to'. More precisely, I'm not spending nearly enough time in the 'farmers wife' roll. You know, wearing my apron, baking, pottering in the garden, chasing the dog up the garden waving my rolling pin because he's stolen something freshly baked off the window sill whilst cooling. I have quite a romantic ideal of country life, and now I'm here, I don't find myself living it! It's not life how I imagined it to be, but that being said, It's up to me to live and take those actions which is in keeping with the life I want, and at the moment, simply I am not.

When a negative thought or emotion comes your way, you must grab your rolling pin and bash back a positive one. Sort of like the saying, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

As I am here, I may as well deal with my own demons!

1. Yesterdays slip up. Ok, so bread intake was a little higher than normal, but that's ok. PM did say we were bound to have slip ups. The thing to do is to forgive ourselves, and move on. Well, ok. I have forgiven myself for yesterday, and am now more determined to keep on the right track. Just keep in mind that my first YouTube weigh in is in three weeks and I want it to be phenomenal! Besides which, I am feeling a huge difference in my eating habits, and portion sizes now. I don't need or want to eat so much, and I feel fuller and more satisfied a lot quicker. I have begun to actually enjoy food and think of it in a positive light. It has begun not to be in control of me, which frees my mind up to concentrate on other things - the void is a wonderful thing! We know what we did incorrectly yesterday, which is great because at least we really do know! Today, we just get back on the horse, and ride of into the sunset once more :D

2. Didn't drink enough yesterday? This is an easy peasy one! Yes ok so you didn't, just make sure you always have a bottle of water to hand again today and hey presto! problem solved :D

3. Didn't fill in the success journal - do it now then!...... Done!! Well that was easy. Oh and just remember you DID listen to the CD, so you haven't fallen off the wagon by any means!

4. The country life. So what do I really want from it? This isn't one for the blog, this is something I need to do on pen and paper, which I will do after I've finished blogging.

As you can see, the process is actually quite a simple one. Identify the negative, turn it into a positive and take the necessary action. Ok, so I didn't fill the journal in, BUT I listened to the CD, AND I can fill the journal in now (and I really honestly did! I put the laptop down, went upstairs and grabbed the journal, came back downstairs, filled it in, then carried on blogging). It really is that simple!!

Hey I'm feeling a lot better already :)

Weight Loss Challenge - Day Twenty Four

When I said I wasn't a slave to the scales any more, I lied! Oops! Maybe it was because I didn't listen to PM's CD yesterday, maybe my 'craving' to hop onto the scales is too great. Whatever you call it, this morning I could resist them no longer I had to just very quickly have a preview as to how I'm doing. After all, this morning I don't feel any different, and couldn't believe that what I had been doing over the past couple of days had made any difference what so ever.

So the results? Well I had to do a double take as the scales have shown me to be 3lbs lighter than when I started PM's programme! Great result, so maybe this thing does work after all!?

One thing is for sure, I know I have an unhealthy obsession with the scales, which must STOP. After all, I really enjoyed the mental freedom from thinking scales? PAH! don't need them every day, I'm fine as I am thank you very much!

I don't know what changed in my psychology this morning. But, what I do know is that PM has provided a couple of techniques in his book regarding cravings, and despite this being more directed at certain foods, I think it's about time I gave it a bash for the scales, hey it's a craving right!?

The other thing I am determined to crack today is no longer being part of the 'clean plate club'. Whether I can detect whether I am full whilst eating or not, I am determined to leave something at every meal, even if it's only a mouthful. Why? apparently it helps you to keep in control of your food, and not the other way around. I can see the theory behind this, but unfortunately I am still well and truly part of 'the club', and very aware that leaving things on the plate will be frowned upon.

Hey ho, for these occasions I must keep telling myself 'I'd rather be slim and in control, than a fat person with a clear plate'.

Priorities for tonight really have to be to listen to the CD, and try out the mirror test (which I haven't even looked at yet and basically involves lots of looking at yourself in the mirror (funny that!)trying to connect with the slimmer you, and produce feelings of love and well being (or something)).

Any how, it's on my list of things to tick off in the 90 day journal, so I really should give it a go.

Right, it's almost time I should be making a move, busy day at work calls so let's just get it over and done with and so I can get onto the fun stuff! (you know, ironing, housework, cooking the fellas tea, you know, the really fun stuff! tee hee).

Weight Loss Challenge - Day Twenty Three

Yesterday I completed my first successful day of Paul McKenna's I can make you thin programme.

I was a little apprehensive as we had my other halfs family over for a BBQ, and I was adamant that this would not cause me to fall 'off the wagon'. Before deciding to commit to this programme, I had originally planned to not eat anything at all, as I have in the past over indulged when presented with lovely BBQ food!

However, according to the golden rules of this plan: 'when you're hungry EAT'. 'Eat what you like so long as you are hungry', 'when you're full, STOP eating' (I'm paraphrasing slightly here, but you get the gist). So with this at the forefront of my mind, I decided that I wanted to have some BBQ food, but I would chew slowly, and stop eating when satisfied.

Amazingly it more or less worked! Essentially I had a burger in a bun and a sausage in a roll. That's it. On the negative side, I could have easily stopped at just the burger, but felt as though I 'should' have the sausage as well so I ate it, it was nice, but I didn't get real enjoyment from doing so.

On the positive side, after eating the sausage in a roll, I didn't feel horrible & bloated, I just felt 'full', and when the chicken came out I didn't think twice about refusing. After the BBQ everyone had chocolate ice cream, everyone apart from me! I didn't fancy it, I was full enough! Instead I busied myself tidying the kitchen (ok not very social, but at least I didn't have to look at everyone eating icecream).

The other great thing is that I didn't feel for a single second that I was 'missing out' on anything, I ate what I felt I wanted and needed, and then simply stopped. That was quite a liberating experience!

What I found slightly difficult yesterday, and what I am trying to practice today, is actually gauging my hunger levels. This may sound odd, but I have spent my whole life either in starvation of completely bloated / over filled with food, so the real hunger signals my body tries to send me are a little feint right now! But that's ok, with practice I am sure I'll get better at this! But like PM has suggested, in these early stages if you don't know you are hungry, guess! If you have two mouthfuls and then find you are full, just stop.

So for now, I am going to follow this philosophy :)

Another thing worthy of note yesterday was that my other half asked whether I was 'on target' for the holiday. My response? I have no idea! This caused him a little concern as it gave him the impression that I had fallen off the wagon and had my head in the sand. But really nothing was further from the truth! Following PMs plan means I have to give the scales a wide berth for a while. By doing this I really have no idea how my actual weight loss is going (but please, it's only been 1 day give me a break!!).

Usually I measure my weight loss success by the scales alone. But with them out the picture how else do I do it? Simple answer is, I don't. I just crack on with life and in 30 days, then we'll see how successful I am.

For the first time in my life, I feel like these chains have been cut. I don't feel right now that I am a slave to the scales, and I feel so much happier and 'lighter' for it!

Weight Loss Challenge - Day Twenty Two

Last night I delved into the world that is Paul Mckenna 'I Can Make You Thin', and started by watching the half an hour DVD that came free with the book.

As with most people, I have seen him on the television doing his hypnosis stuff, and yes it was mildly amusing for a Saturday night, but it didn't have that 'wow' factor for me, so you can understand my slight scepticism prior to pressing the play button.

And the conclusion? In all honesty it was the funniest half an hour of my life! Funny, but more importantly he actually succeeded in making that all important connection with me. A connection that now makes me very eager to proceed through the 90 day programme whole heartidly! (which is odd, because I'm not usually this easy!)

The DVD starts with him on stage, in front of a small(ish) audience, most of whom are over weight. He goes through a few basic principles of the plan, asking leading questions i.e put your hand up if you've ever done / felt / thought etc. By the hand I was laughing my head off and raising my hand! (so glad it was only the dog & I in the room!!).

Now don't take the laughter the wrong way, it wasn't in jest, it was of relief! What he was saying made so much sense. It was so simple, so straight forward, and so logical! He reinforced his key points perfectly - 'what are you going to do when you're hungry' EAT!!! Yes I was shouting it out with the audience! What are you going to do when you're full - STOP!! even now I am chuckling to myself as I replay the DVD in my mind. :D

Towards the end he asked the audience to raise their hands if they weighed themselves everyday (oh for goodness sake, yes ok, my hand went up!). This was something that had to stop throughout this process. Put those scales away! Um, I beg your pardon? put them away? Er, ok you're the boss I guess.

What I experienced on the DVD wasn't your average Saturday night light entertainment 'hypnotist'. I saw a professional man who had the ability to whip up and motivate the audience (and me), and who not only talked sense, but more importantly made it clear that he could give you the tools, but ultimately the responsibility is yours to follow through with the plan.

With the DVD still in mind, I woke up this morning with a very large void in my brain. Why? well ok, so I can eat what I like, as long as I only eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. What I need to practice today is recognising when I'm actually hungry and not dehydrated and just think I'm hungry. If your eating habits are all out of sync, like mine, you may find this a very strange concept to grasp! Having being used to 'you must eat 3 or 6 times per day, and you must only eat or drink xyz' etc.

The other reason for the void is mainly to do with the scales. I'm 'not allowed' to weight myself now until I'm 30 days into the process. In one way it's odd, as I am so used to hopping on every day, or every other day just to 'check' how things are going. In another way, I do feel a very strange sense of freedom - no more hopping on the scales at any given moment! My what am I going to do with myself!! (Um, that'll be actually have a life then!).

As I said in my previous post, I will follow this 90 day plan faithfully and to the letter, including dumping the scales! (tee hee I feel like such a rebel). I'll include reviews on my progress when I do my usual weekly weight loss challenge review - and hey, you may actually start seeing YouTube videos appearing too!

Weight Loss Challenge - Day Thirteen

Two days to go until weigh in, and have to say I am a little nervous. From this mornings results I doubt whether I will reach the 7lb goal, however, if I am sensible, there is no reason why I couldn't reach 6lbs - to be frank it fantastic anyway!

This week overall I have been quite proud of myself. I have continued to wake up at 6am, and all but 1 morning I have completed both a toning and an aerobic workout - although saying that, I've done toning exercises only so far this morning so after I have finished this I really have to get on that treadmill.

Despite changing my morning routine to include exercise, it is difficult to see at the moment what physical effect it has on my weight loss. I have begun to change my eating habits, and I know that this alone would have caused me to lose the amount of weight I have already done. Although I do realise that this is extremely early days, and with persistence, the results will become apparent.

That being said, I have noticed a rather obvious change in me emotionally. There are moments where I 'feel' less like a bowl of wobbly jelly, and more like a stick of celery (did you like the food reference there!). My moods have lightened and I'm generally feeling a slightly more happier and confident person.

If this is how I feel after almost a weeks worth of exercise and a little weight loss, imagine how I would feel when I do eventually reach my goal weight - imagine if I really did reach it by the cruise.....my goodness there really would be no stopping me!

So let's for a brief moment put my weight management coach head back on. Why wait to feel like that?

Being slim has more to do with state of mind than body fat. If you think and behave like a healthy person, your thoughts and actions will naturally follow suit, because this is what your mind is focusing on. If you think like a fat person, then a fat person you will be.

I've seen and experienced many times diet clubs / weight loss 'gurus' harping on about how it's important to visualise being at your goal weight.

Great! Well, I've seen myself at my goal weight for the past fifteen years or so, my image of what I'll look like, how I feel etc it's so crystal clear! And yet, here I am, still tackling this problem. Why?

Having a visual image, for me at least, is not enough. Mainly because deep down, perhaps I don't really believe I will ever attain that picture in my minds eye. Perhaps really I believe I am a resounding failure, doomed to spend my life 'trying' but not really trying to lose weight. Maybe I'm not meant to be happy and at my ideal weight......and that is a good demonstration of what I call my 'victim' voice. We all have one - it's that voice inside that says 'there is nothing we can do about it' (oh woe is me, why does this always happen to me, why can't I ever be happy / find the perfect partner / earn enough money etc etc). Pah!

Despite what miss victim voice thinks, in every situation you have the freedom of choice. Whether you believe it or not the only person in control of you is YOU. If you let your boss walk all over you - at the end of the day, you have chosen to put up with it - you don't like it, do something about it! Harsh? ah, but it's so true!!

So what choices does a girl like me have then?

I could have the state of mind that i am 'on a diet', put my life of hold until I've lost the weight, then magically everything is going to be alright. I will be slim, vibrant, and the happiest girl in the world. I will have an abundance of confidence and self belief, doors will be opened, and suddenly, the world has been filled with endless possibilities.

OR

I could believe, right now, that everything is going to be alright, of course I will be slim, but already I am vibrant and the happiest girl in the world. I already have an abundance of confidence and self belief. All doors are open and the world is just bursting with endless possibilities and opportunities.

And if you don't truly belive it yet? easy - blag it! It wont take long at all before you find yourself really believing, living and shaping your life the way that YOU want it to be.

Given the choice - which perspective would you rather take?