Monday, July 09, 2012
Stress and Your Weight
When we become less aware, we tend to overeat, crave junk food, drink too much alcohol and feel that we have no time for exercise – or no time for anything! Yes, stress is destructive. It can totally destroy any efforts to lose weight and even if we succeed we tend to find ourselves putting the weight back on again.
So what’s the answer? In a nutshell anything you can do to reduce your daily stress will help. One good approach to stress control is through the practice of mindfulness: This is a form of meditation that is becoming very popular in the western world today.
Mindfulness meditation has its roots in Buddhism. Of course, you don’t have to be a Buddhist to practice it, anyone can benefit from this highly useful technique. So what does this have to do with weight loss? The answer: EVERYTHING!
When we develop mindfulness our lives change: we become much more aware of how we feel and our body’s real needs. We eat slower. We enjoy our food more. All this dramatically contributes to lasting weight control.
So if you’re interested in finding a practical way of bringing a bit more calmness and tranquillity into your life, along with the added advantage of easier weight control, why not try `Mindfulness meditation`.
I recommend you read this book: http: //www.amazon.co.uk/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861713214/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b
Until next time.
Marcus
Monday, June 11, 2012
Gastric Band Hypnosis - Can it Work For You?
You might be reading this because you’ve heard about gastric band hypnosis. You might even be considering it, but scepticism is holding you back, right? Well hopefully this article will help you decide whether, or not, it’s for you.
Hypnosis as an aid for weight loss is nothing new. Thousands of people have successfully used it to shed unwanted pounds of fat, but what about the “gastric band approach?
The theory of gastric band hypnosis can be explained like this: while in a deeply relaxed state you imagine yourself going through the gastric band surgery procedure…seeing, hearing and feeling the whole process. As a result part of you feels as though your stomach is smaller and you need less food. So you eat less and you lose weight…
…but does it work?
Well, that depends on how good your imagination is and your level of hypnotic suggestibility. There is, of course, the question of how motivated you are to lose weight too. In a nutshell it works! But most people need a little more extra work.
Let me explain…
…the best approach when working with weight control is to use a variety of different techniques…not just imagining having a gastric band fitted.This might include suggestions to eat slowly, your stomach feels smaller, visualising your self at your perfect weight and parts therapy (dealing with inner conflict).
So yes, hypnosis is a fantastic way of assisting weight loss, but you need an experienced therapist/coach who can creatively tailor the session to fit your individual needs…
…you never know it might be the best decision you’ve ever made.
Until next time
Marcus
Monday, April 30, 2012
The Low Carb Diet Myth
Let me ask you this: Can you imagine living the rest of your life without bread, rice, or pasta? Would you be happy not eating porridge or cereals EVER again. I wouldn’t and I don’t think many people would. The truth is, there’s no point in starting a diet that you are not prepared to follow for the rest of your life. It makes no sense.
Yes, you will lose weight, but unless you have a will of iron you’ll just put it all back on again
…let me explain:
There’s been a lot of interest in the low carb diet approach in recent years. But of course it’s nothing really new, it’s only the names that change: “South beach”, “Atkins” and there are many others.
In fact, many of the new so called wonder diets are based on low carb approaches, but the results are ALWAYS the same: People stick with them for a while and then usually rebel and pig out on any sweet thing they can get their hands on. Of course, there’s always a few who will stick with the plan— but the truth is — most don’t.
Some people reading this blog might want to point out that you can gradually bring carbohydrates back into the diet, but I tell you now it’s tough to get the balance right.
Here’s the important thing to remember: if it’s not a diet approach that you can see yourself following for the rest of your life, it probably won’t work! Not for long anyway.
Until next time
Marcus
Monday, September 19, 2011
How to master weight control
…most never master the art of lasting weight control…here’s why:
Human beings in general tend to be motivated by the quick fix. We are not into delaying gratification. We want it now. Not tomorrow, or next week, but now. We’re too busy, too stressed and life’s just too short. That seems to be how it is for many, but there is a better way…
…the path to mastery (of anything) is not always easy. It takes commitment, patience, and it takes desire. But when we’re able to do this our life starts to change—for the better— and with it, our self-esteem too.
So how do we master the habit of weight control? First we have to find out what works and what doesn’t: For example, science tells us that the number 1 reason we gain weight is because we consume more calories than we need. We also know that the best form of exercise for burning fat is high intensity exercise.
To master control of our weight we need a plan that we can follow for the rest our lives—not some fad diet that we get bored with. When it comes to exercise, we have to be realistic about the routine we follow. We can’t expect to “suddenly” work out every day for 2 hours, 7 days a week. Or can we expect to “suddenly” live on 600 calories a day. It’s a lifestyle change we need.
So to summarise: Get the facts about what really works. Forget fad diets. Choose a way of eating that you can follow for the rest of your life. Find a mentor, or coach who can show you the way, then practice, practice, practice…that’s how you become good at anything, and that includes controlling your weight.
Until next time.
Marcus.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Valuable NEW insight into effective weight control
There’s an old saying that goes “There’s no such thing as mistakes in life, just lessons”.
Most of us have made the common mistake of looking for the quick diet fix. And many of us have launched ourselves into an excessively hard exercise programme only to become injured, or just plain bored, usually within weeks. Or, we’ve gone on some fad diet that’s almost impossible to stick too.
Yet we seem to repeat the same mistakes again and again, that is, until we finally learn our lesson:
“There are no shortcuts to lasting weight control”. But there is one thing you can do to ensure your weight loss success and” its back up by scientific research”.
Before I tell you about it let me share something with you: About eighteen months ago I had a bit of a health scare: One Saturday, halfway through a tough gym session I become very disorientated and confused. It was a pretty scary experience, but it turned out to be to a positive episode in my life: Here’s why…
…This event led to a series of health checks…heart scans, brain scans, you name it. But nothing, I’m pleased to report, showed up. Anyway, this motivated me to make major new changes regarding my health. I’ve always been a bit of a health nut anyway, but during recent years I’ve noticed my weight has slowly ballooned. So here’s what I did about it:
“I exercised once every 7 days for just 20 minutes!”
Yes, that’s right, 20 minutes once each week. What’s more I did no cardio. That’s no running, walking, swimming, or cycling. So what did I do?
I performed 5 exercises every 5- 7 days. These exercises were done in a gym using machines and dumbbells. All these exercises had one goal, and that was to make me stronger. But what does this have to do with weight loss you might ask, the answer is—everything!
Recent research has proven strength training to be a major part of the fat loss puzzle. This is particularly true as we grow older, because after the age of around 30 years we start to lose muscle. But what most people don’t’ realise is that the more muscle we have the more fat we burn. This is because— muscle is active tissue— it burns calories. That’s why the more muscle we lose the fatter we get.
So as we age we need as much muscle tissue on our body’s as possible. By doing this, we stay leaner, healthier, and of course, we look better. But remember, diet still plays an important role: we still have to reduce the number of calories we consume.
I believe building stronger muscles will be the future cure for obesity. My personal experience has convinced me of this: “25 pounds of fat gone— in just 3 months”— and I’m keeping it off!
Now here’s the exciting thing: Research shows that it’s safe to strength train with weights, even if you’re 85 years old…
So if you’re interested in using strength training to reduce your fat levels speak to a personal trainer at your local health club or gym. It just might be your solution to lasting weight control.
Until next time.
Marcus.
Monday, August 16, 2010
How Just One Simple Change in Your Thinking can make You 100% Happier and Healthier!
…here’s why…
I’ve recently discovered the number one reason why most people get anxious, sad, and depressed.
It’s NOT lack of money. And it’s NOT being in a job you hate. It really is, much, much, more simple than that. And when I tell you, you’ll be stunned! Because, it’s such an obvious thing.
And you’ll be pleased to know that you can make yourself HAPPIER—IMMEDIATELY once you have the secret. You’ll instantly feel like a HUGE weight has been lifted from your shoulders. You find you’ll be able to focus on what YOU want. You won’t be re-active to the actions of other people any more.
You’ll be FREE—and in control of your life again.
In fact, I’m 100% sure that if you were to make this quick and easy change today, you’d get rid of 80% of your daily stress.
Just imagine, you’re feeling stressed and anxious. You’re not sure why. Then all of a sudden, you remember the secret. You make one tiny shift in your thinking, and then to your amazement, you relax…you feel at ease…and it seems like you don’t have a care in the world.
The Secret
Okay, I’ll put you out of your misery. ALL UNHAPPINESS IS CAUSED BY COMPARISION.
Before I explain, here’s a question: Are you in the habit of comparing yourself with others? If the answer is yes, then you’re probably making yourself more unhappy than you need to.
So what do I mean by comparison?
Here are a few examples:
“Why does Bill make more money than me? He's in the same business as I am”
Or, “Why is my figure not like Susan’s, I go to the gym just as much as her.” Or “All our friends have BIGGER houses than us— we’ve got to move.”
I’m sure most of us have had this kind of internal dialogue going on inside our heads at some time or another. But, when it becomes a habit, that’s when anxiety and unhappiness creeps in.
The curse of comparison
So now you know what I believe to be the no.1 reason we make ourselves anxious and miserable. Of course, I didn’t invent this idea, much has been written over the centuries about this subject. It’s just that now more than ever before, people tend to make themselves miserable with this negative way of thinking.
So, next time you catch yourself comparing yourself to others, just STOP, BACK UP, and remind yourself that it’s not about what others have got, it’s about what you have, and what you want to achieve in life. It doesn’t matter what everyone else has or what everyone does, it’s about YOU and your life.
Try it. You’ll be much happier. You’ll have less stress. And you’ll live a longer and healthier life too.
Until next time!
Marcus.