1. Don’t call it a diet!

The language we use when talking to ourselves has a massive influence on our mood and on our ability to succeed. As soon as we talk about “going on a diet”, that immediately sounds like hard work and unpleasant. The focus is on restricting the foods you really want to eat, which just makes you think about them and crave them more, so it’s not setting you up for success.

Instead, think about weight management as part of getting healthier and looking after yourself. Spend time focusing on how you want to be and visualising yourself looking and feeling fit and healthy once you’ve achieved your weight loss goals. The idea is to make this a lifestyle change – and a positive choice – that you really want to make and are happy about. (Rather than a chore and a denial).

2. Am I full?

It’s a really good move to tune into your body and notice when you’re hungry and when you’re full.

Often when we’re busy, we eat on the run or while working. Sometimes we eat while watching TV or playing on our phones. These habits disconnect us from our natural signals telling us we’re hungry or full. If you open a family sized bag of crisps while engrossed in a film, you may well get to the bottom of the bag without even realising it.

Also, as children we often had it drummed into us that we must finish everything on our plate. A better way to approach meals is to eat until we are satisfied. Take your cue from babies – you’ll see a baby turn their head to one side when they’ve had enough. Babies are in tune with what they need before they’ve had to absorb the cultural “clean your plate” messages which programme us to carry on eating regardless.

It is good practice to eat more mindfully, focussing on what you’re eating, and to tune in to when you’ve actually had enough – rather than when you’ve finished whatever’s in front of you or are stuffed!

3. Move it move it!

It might be tempting to let exercise slip when it’s cold outside and you’re busy, but upping your exercise levels is superb for dropping weight. Exercise is also a great way to reduce stress, improve mental health and boost your immune system. Joe Wicks has shown us that even if circumstances scupper your normal forms of exercise, you can move it indoors with YouTube videos. And December is a fantastic time to get started if you don’t exercise regularly already – don’t wait until the New Year; now is always better than next month!

Even if you’re not formally exercising, a really easy way to burn calories is to up your movement levels generally as you go about your day. Stand up more. Even if you have a sedentary job, you can maybe get a desk riser so you can type standing up, or have some meetings as you walk – in person or by phone. Also, take the stairs, park further away if you’re not walking the whole way, and even tapping your feet, pacing on the spot and fidgeting all help.

4. Hydrate

Drinking more water can help you feel satiated and combat sugar cravings. Studies have shown that drinking 2 cups of water half an hour before a meal can help with weight loss – it simply makes you feel more full so you consume less food.

Also, seasonal socialising can include more lattes and alcohol, but both are high in calories… sometimes as much as a small meal. Learn to love water. Herbal teas are also good for hydration and can be soothing and tasty. You may start off thinking that herbal tea is a poor substitute for a creamy coffee, but, like anything, if you drink herbal teas often enough, they will become more and more familiar and you’ll start to like them. And coffees may start to taste too rich for your palette. You can literally change your tastes through making certain foods or drinks familiar. So change them to the healthy stuff!

5. Party Strategies

It’s really important to eat healthy meals at meal times. Don’t be tempted to skip meals with the view to indulging later at a party. This will simply mean you don’t get the nutritious stuff and you feel hungry by the time you get to the party so you’ll overeat.
Drinking a couple of glasses of water before a party where you know there will be unhealthy nibbles will help fill you up so you’re less tempted.

When you’re out a lot over the festive season, it can feel like you don’t have time for food shopping so might reach for a take away menu… Make it a priority to stock up on healthy staples so you always have something healthy and easy to cook at home when you need it. And if possible, batch cook when you do get some time and stick these healthy meals in the freezer.

If you’re having a meal out, look for the healthy options. And if you have a sweet tooth, bring a couple of squares of dark chocolate with you to eat after the meal rather than ordering a huge pudding.

6. Sleep

Prioritising a good night’s sleep is one of the best ways to look after your general wellbeing – and studies also show getting enough sleep helps in maintaining a healthy weight.

It may be tempting to cut back on sleep when you’re busy over the festive season but this will likely leave you feeling burned out and irritable, as well as disrupting your hormones which messes up your appetite, leaving you hungrier throughout the day.

A good rule of thumb is to aim for 7-9 hours sleep a night, in a regular schedule; and to stop work 3 hours before bed, stop eating 2 hours before bed and stop the electronics 1 hour before bed.

7. Food or Mood?

We’ve all heard of “comfort food.” But it’s not really a comfort. I find emotional eating is the biggest issue in sabotaging people’s weight loss and healthy eating goals.

People don’t tend to turn to carrots or celery as “comfort food”. But the stuff we do turn to only brings some emotional relief, if any at all, for a couple of moments. And then it destroys the good effects of the rest of the day’s healthy eating and can also bring the opposite of comfort – self loathing and disappointment.

So if you’re feeling stressed, bored, lonely, tired or anxious.. recognise that emotion and instead of reaching for food, reach for something that’s actually going to bring you comfort. You can get a real feeling of comfort from stimulating the flow of oxytocin – the hormone associated with love, connection and other warm fuzzy feelings. The fastest way to do this is by using your sense of touch – getting a hug or a kiss from a loved one, stroking a pet, or self-soothing by stroking your own arms. You can also have a video call with a friend, recall fond memories or listen to music to boost your mood.

If you are actually hungry, eat. If you are having negative emotions, identify and accept those emotions and then ask yourself “what do I need to do?” and give yourself what you really need. If you’re not hungry, food isn’t the answer.

Overcome Emotional Eating Fast

Emotional eating can be an ingrained, deep seated issue that’s difficult to shift with willpower and good intentions alone. I have helped many people overcome emotional eating rapidly and easily with one round of Rapid Transformational Therapy. By engaging your subconscious mind, we can very quickly uproot the emotional response that drives you to “comfort eating” and other unhelpful habits and adopt healthy eating patterns and feel motivated to exercise. Do get in touch for a free, no-obligation call.

Here’s a couple of examples of the types of texts I get after an RTT session:

“Cravings and rebellious snacking are a thing of the past, it’s such a relief.
And these stopped immediately after the session, literally right away. Incredible! I do still eat the odd piggy thing, like a bit of birthday cake, but that’s a non-emotional, rational decision and I don’t hate myself afterwards”.
Georgie

“My eating has changed 100%. No urge for junky carbs or sweet stuff – I’ve not been in the slightest bit tempted ever since I saw you. I’m eating much more vegetables (and enjoying them!) and I’m definitely no longer viewing food as a comfort blanket.”
Carrie