5 Ways To Lose Weight Easily

Being overweight has a huge impact on your life. As well as the negative health implications, it also affects your self-confidence. You worry more about how people judge you and how you look in certain clothes. Perhaps your clothes feel uncomfortable as they dig in. Or maybe there's a huge percentage of your wardrobe that you just can't fit into.
We all know that to lose weight we just need to eat fewer calories than we use. It's simply a matter of eating less and exercising more. So, why is it so difficult?

The reason it is so challenging is due to your mindset. It is the way you think about food and exercise, which is holding you back.

Here are some simple strategies to change your mindset and make weight loss easy. At the end of the post there is also a chance to download my Hypnosis For Weight Loss MP3 absolutely free.

1)   Stop "All Or Nothing" Thinking

A very common thought distortion amongst people attempting to lose weight is "all or nothing" thinking. Typically you will be sticking to your diet religiously. Then you'll get too hungry and eat a biscuit. Then think,

"Sod it! I've messed up the diet now. I might as well eat half the packet."

Sound familiar?

Notice when this thought distortion crops up and make a conscious effort to think more logically. A single biscuit is not going to undo all the good work you have done. Instead, identify what led to the lapse.

Was it that you skipped lunch and were too hungry?

Were you stressed or angry?

Once you identify the trigger, find a solution to prevent it happening in the future.

Using a programme such as WeightWatchers is good as you are allowed sins so can still have the odd treat here and there.

2)   Notice Your Language

The way we speak, both to in our own mind and to other people, has a huge impact on our actions and behaviours. Often people use words such as "try," "should" and "need to." For example,

"I really should lose weight because it's not healthy to be this big."

The problem with these words, is that it makes our subconscious mind think we are being told what to do. It sounds like someone else is telling us what to do. When this happens we naturally want to rebel.

Change your language to words which are more positive and put you in control. "Can," "choose" and "want" are good examples. For example,

"I choose to go to the gym today because I want to lose weight, so I can feel confident at the party."

3)   Use a visual image

Your subconscious mind understands visual images very well. Find a picture which represents how you want to look when you have lost the weight. This could be an old photo of yourself or even a photo of a celebrity or a certain outfit you'd love to wear. Put this image somewhere you will regularly see it. This is a great motivator.

4)   Make a specific goal and tell others.

With any goal in life, it is important to make it specific. Instead of telling yourself that you want to lose weight, specify how much you would like to lose. This could be a specific number of pounds or a number of clothes sizes. Once you have clarified your goal, tell other people. You don't need to take out a billboard ad! But tell family and friends. This adds an extra level of motivation.  

5)   Set yourself up to win

To stay on track, you need to feel successful. If you haven't exercised in 15 years, don't aim to go to the gym for 2 hours a day. You will fail to reach your target and will feel disheartened and give up. Set yourself up to win. Aim for 10 minutes of exercise per day. Then anything above this is a bonus.

Here is a lovely comment from one of my recent clients about how hypnotherapy helped her.

 "After years of battling with my weight and yo-yo dieting, I came across a recommendation to visit Catherine to see if hypnotherapy really could work.

After just one really enjoyable visit Catherine has already successfully enabled me to not only give up chocolate, but also to stop snacking between meals.

Catherine is extremely smart, professional, understanding and empathetic. The hypnotherapy session itself was so relaxing, I came away feeling energised and motivated. 

I had a second session just to bolster the first and this time concentrated on exercising without dreading it and making healthy food options at all meals. I came away from that session and went to a High Intensity Interval Training Class with my daughter and I am 61!!! Totally enjoyed it and this is all thanks to Catherine.

There is extra help outside of the sessions provided too. I simply couldn't recommend her more highly."

As promised, you can have access to my Weight Loss MP3 (usually £10) absolutely free. Just email me here.

If you would like more information about hypnotherapy, well-being and personal development, please subscribe to my newsletter in the top right.

Walk to Calm

I have always enjoyed exercise, particularly aerobic classes. However, recently, I have discovered the wonderful benefits of walking and running outside.

There are numerous physical benefits to walking. It is great exercise, a fantastic to lose weight, it is free, it is low impact and an exercise you can do with friends. Exercise releases endorphins, which are your feel good hormones. If you do not do much exercise, walking is a great way to build up your fitness.

In addition to the physical benefits of walking, there are numerous psychological benefits. It alleviates stress. When we feel stressed our body releases adrenaline, preparing us to run or fight. Walking works your muscles, using the stress response in the way it was designed, thus alleviating stress.

Walking also allows you time to think. I find that going for a long walk is a very meditative experience. I think and resolve problems while I walk. The result being I feel calmer and more accomplished by the end. While you are walking your mind can drift and wander, often finding solutions to issues you had been struggling with.  It also feels good to see how gorgeous the world is. I appreciate that I am very fortunate to live in an incredibly beautiful part of the world, but almost anyone can find somewhere pretty to walk, reasonably close to where they live.

So how do you motivate yourself to get outside and go for walks?

1)      Start small. If you are very new to exercise then plan a half hour walk

2)      Make it beautiful. Walk somewhere with varied and interesting scenery.

3)      Make it social. Arrange to go walking with a friend. That way you’ll enjoy it more and by making a commitment to someone else, you are far more likely to stick to your plan.

So far we have talked exclusively about walking. However, running is also a wonderful form of exercise. It has all the physical and psychological benefits of walking. In addition, it also raises your heart rate so you are improving your cardio-vascular system.

Why not challenge yourself? Register for a fun run such as Race for Life. It will motivate you to train and you will feel an amazing sense of accomplishment when you are finished. I know I do after a race.

In September, I am taking part in a 25 mile walk, near Stonehenge, to raise money for Alzheimer’s sufferers. This is a wonderful cause. If you would like to sponsor me, please donate via the following link.
https://www.justgiving.com/Cat-Swatridge1

Are you struggling to lose weight? Or to manage stress? You can download great hypnosis MP3s for free (usually £10) to help with these issues simply by clicking the word "weight" or "stress" above. For more information about hypnotherapy get in touch on www.cs-hypnotherapy.co.uk

If you would like more information about hypnotherapy, well-being and personal development, please subscribe to my newsletter in the top right.

Seven Secrets to Weight Loss

Many of us would like to be slimmer. As obesity becomes an increasingly common problem, we are more aware of the health risks associated with being overweight. As well as the health risks, there are the emotional problems associated with being overweight, such as:

• feeling self-conscious about the way you look
• avoiding social situation and new relationships
• being unable to find any clothes you want to wear
• feeling breathless and tired
• worrying about being judged by others or being a bad role model to your children

We know that in order to lose weight we need to eat fewer calories and exercise more. However, we can often find it difficult to apply these strategies. Why is this? What stops you from losing weight and being your ideal size and shape? The problem lies within our own minds. 

The good news is that these problems can be overcome and you can gain control of your eating habits, your exercise and ultimately your weight.

Over the years working as a hypnotherapist, helping many people to lose weight, I have discovered the following seven secrets to weight loss.

Secret 1 – Have a clear goal in your mind

People often say “I want to be slimmer.” However, without a clearly defined goal, it is difficult to ever achieve this. Make a specific weight loss goal and apply a time frame to it.

For example, “I am going to lose twenty pounds by July.”

We are much more likely to reach a goal if it is clear in our minds. A great way is to find a photo of yourself at your perfect weight, or else, a celebrity you would like to look like. Then, put this photo somewhere you will see it frequently. This helps to get the goal firmly embedded in your mind. In addition to this, write out your weight loss goal and read it back to yourself each day. This increases your focus and determination by a huge amount. Research shows that you are more likely to achieve your goal if you make it public. So, if you are comfortable with doing so, then tell family and friends about it.

Secret 2 – A simple way to increase your determination

If you are struggling to stay motivated, this technique is wonderful. It is best done in hypnosis but can be done without. First of all write a list of all the ways your life will be better when you are slim. Write as many things down as you can think of. Then, write a list of all the consequences if you do not lose weight. List all of the detrimental effects that being overweight will have on your health, emotions, relationships and everything else.

Once you have done that enter hypnosis or simple get yourself into a relaxed state. A free guide to entering hypnosis is available here.

Then really imagine your life if you do not make the changes. Make it as real and vivid as possible. Then imagine how good your life will be when you do lose weight.

Secret 3 – A diet that works for you

It is so important to have a diet that works for you. This sounds obvious, but often people just use the latest fad diet. Spend some time researching different diet plans. Notice the differences between them. Perhaps ask friends who have lost weight, which diet they used. It could even be worth working with a nutritionist to develop your perfect diet plan.

Secret 4 – Exercise you enjoy

There is such a range of exercise available. If you hate the gym, don’t plan to lose weight by going to the gym. Find an exercise that suits you. Think about what you like. Do you prefer being indoors or outside? Do you prefer to exercise alone or to go to classes? Also think about which exercises you can easily fit into your life. If you used to enjoy exercise, but have found that over the years you find it difficult to motivate yourself, think about how you originally started to like it. Then, follow that same path again.

Secret 5 – Identify which needs you are fulfilling

There are many reasons why we eat. Of course, we eat to satisfy hunger. However, we also eat for reasons such as:

Boredom

To be sociable

Comfort

As a reward

To feel happier

Tiredness

A good way to identify which needs food is fulfilling, is to keep a food diary. As well as recording what you eat, record WHY you eat. Once you have identified the needs you are satisfying by eating, you can find other ways of satisfying those needs.

Secret 6 – Changing ‘All or Nothing’ thinking

All or Nothing thinking is a very common negative thinking pattern among people who struggle to lose weight. A good example of this is when you are eating healthily for weeks and losing weight. Then you have some chocolate and think, “that’s it the diet is ruined, I may as well each another three bars of chocolate.”

Sound familiar?  Lapses do happen. When they occur it is important not to beat yourself up too much. See each lapse in isolation and find what you can learn from it to stop it from happening again.

Secret 7 – Changing limiting beliefs

If you were asked why you are not your ideal weight what would your answer be? The following answers are all examples of limiting beliefs:

·         I’ve always been fat

·         I don’t have time to cook good food and exercise

·         I’ve had children

·         I will lose weight when I get more time

Any reason you state as a reason why you have not yet achieved your perfect body, is a limiting belief. Limiting beliefs are usually false and not based on real evidence. Once you have identified these limiting beliefs you can find more logical ways of thinking. A great blog for finding out more about weight loss and fitness is http://resolution-healthandfitness.co.uk/category/blog/.

By applying these seven secrets you can greatly improve your chances of success. I can work with you on a one to one basis in my therapy centre, using hypnotherapy. If you would like a free initial consultation get in touch on cs@cs-hypnotherapy.co.uk or 07725255896. You can also download the Hypnosis for Weight Loss MP3 here.

If you would like more information about hypnotherapy, well-being and personal development, please subscribe to my newsletter in the top right.

The secrets to keeping your New Year's resolutions

New Year is upon us and this is the time of year when we traditionally make resolutions and set goals. Frustratingly, we often fail to obtain these goals. How many times have you started a new year with good intentions to lose weight / find a partner / make more money / see friends more, only to find yourself back to your old habits very quickly?

I’m going to teach you how to reach your goals, whatever they may be.

First of all, buy yourself something to write your goals in. This could be a pretty little notebook or even just an app on your phone. Write down your goal for the New Year. Make it as specific as you can. Include precise measurements and time frames.

For example, instead of writing,

“I want to be rich,” write “I will earn £70,000 by the end of 2014.”

Or, instead of writing,

“I want to lose weight,” write “I will lose 1 stone by July.”

Once you have written the goals down, read them aloud to yourself twice a day. This might feel a little strange at first. However, by reading them aloud you are embedding the goals, in your subconscious mind, in two places. You’re embedding them in the part that processes visual stimuli (the writing) and the part that processes sound (the words being spoken aloud.)

This process, when repeated daily firmly embeds the goal into your subconscious mind.

By doing this you are focussing your mind on achieving your goals. Try doing this for just a few days and you will see the difference it makes. You begin to notice opportunities you had not previously noticed. You will also change your mind set with regards to your goal.

Research shows that people are more likely to stick to their plans when they have written them down. The same research also showed that people who make their plans and goals public are far more likely to achieve them. This makes sense. If you tell people what you hope to achieve then it adds an extra pressure. We also do not like to appear incongruent, either to ourselves or to others. Therefore, when we make a public affirmation we stick to it for fear of appearing false and untrustworthy.

If you feel comfortable doing so I recommend telling people about your goals and resolutions.

 We move towards goals if we have a very clear view of them. Take some time to imagine you have already achieved your goal. Imagine you are rich or slim or confident, whatever your goal is.

Really enjoy this exercise. Take your time, close your eyes and imagine, in as much detail as possible, what life is like when you have achieved your goal.

What is the different and what is the same?

What do you see?

What do you hear?
What do you feel?

What do you taste and smell?

Who is with you?

How do you know that you have achieved your goal?

This is a fun exercise so repeat it as often as you like.

The purpose of this exercise is to focus your mind on achieving what you desire. It also changes your mind set. As you really think of yourself as being a slim / rich / more organised person, you change the way you think and behave to fit with this new version of yourself. You will find that by doing this exercise you begin to think and behave in a way which is consistent with your goals.

Often, we start the year with big, ambitious goals. Of course, it’s good to aim high. However, very large goals can be daunting and sometimes it can be helpful to break down big goals into a series of smaller short term goals. For example, if your goal is to save a deposit for a house, perhaps break this down into bi-monthly saving goals.

One of the biggest obstacles we can face when trying to reach our goals is the fear of failure. Often, people avoid aiming high, because they think it is better to cruise along where they are, rather than aim for better and risk failing.

This is a ridiculous way to think. Often, the worst case scenario is simply a bruised ego and a few “I told you so” from other people. The risks associated with not fulfilling your goals are often not that bad. Whereas the potential benefits of achieving our goals can be fantastic. Do you find yourself fearing failure?

From now on adopt the new belief that there is no failure only feedback.

No failure only feedback is a great motto. Any time we encounter obstacles or make mistakes, we can use these as learning experiences. See any issues in isolation, a small lapse. Do not view any setbacks as proof that the goal is unachievable.

Whenever you do encounter an obstacle or setback, take the time to evaluate what happened and how you can do things differently next time. For example, if you are losing weight but one day eat a box of chocolates, don’t think “that’s it, my diet is ruined.”

Instead think about what triggered the chocolate eating.

Was it that you were sad / stressed / tired?

Did someone offer them to you and it was sociable to eat them?

Then think about what you could do differently next time.

 As children, we learn how to behave by copying the actions of others. Many of us assume this learning process ends with childhood. However, this learning process, called modelling, continues through our adult lives. We can use modelling to our advantage.

Identify someone who has achieved the goal you are aiming for. It may be someone you know who has a good marriage or job. Someone who is slim and healthy. I’m sure you can think of someone you know who has reached the point where you would like to be.

Now, learn from them. Observe their posture, the way they act and speak. What do they talk about? How do they respond in different situations? If you know them well enough you can even ask them how they achieved it. 

Imagine stepping into their shoes. Imagine thinking, acting and feeling like them. At first this feels very strange and fake. However, as you absorb the idea of being that better version of yourself, you change your thinking patterns to move towards where you want to be.

 Sometimes we can put obstacles in our own way and subconsciously stop ourselves from reaching our goals. Think hard and honestly about this next question.

What are the disadvantages to achieving you goal or resolution?

If you stop smoking will you miss out on the social breaks at work?

If you lose weight will you receive unwelcome attention from the opposite sex?

Are you worried that having more money will make you a nasty person?

Sometimes we have beliefs which prevent us from achieving our goals. Firstly examine each of these beliefs to see if it is logical. It is illogical to think that simply because you have more money you will become a nasty person.

If your worry is logical then think about ways you can overcome the problem. Using the example of smoking, could you swap cigarette breaks for tea breaks at work?

The New Year is a great opportunity to set goals and make improvements in your life. What will your goals and resolutions be?

Increase your chances of achieving your goals by:

Making them specific and writing them down

Make them public

Vividly imagine you have already achieved them

Break the goal down into short term and long term goals

Embrace the fear of failure

Model other people

Identify any disadvantages of achieving your goal and find a way to deal with that.

If you would like more information about hypnotherapy, well-being and personal development, please subscribe to my newsletter in the top right.