Most people who decide to try out a “diet” either find one in a book or magazine or are given one by a nutritionist or personal trainer, follow that diet to the letter for 12–16 weeks, then switch straight back to the way they were living beforehand. Then — to their shock/horror — they start gaining weight again. Which is the reason why so many sceptics claim that low carb diets don’t work — because they tried one, lost weight, but put all the pounds back on again. This is typical of human nature: when something goes wrong, the last thing we blame is ourselves. The truth is that people regain the weight they lost because they start eating in exactly the same way they were prior to following the low carb diet.
But what if those people had possessed greater willpower — would this have helped them stick with the low carb lifestyle? The answer, sadly, is no: willpower is a weight-loss myth. If willpower by itself helped us lose weight then the first diet plan we ever followed, combined with the strength of our willpower, would have done the trick. So if willpower isn’t the key, what is? In my opinion, the answer lies in behavioural change, and this is something that takes time and also requires careful planning and training. There is ongoing argument in the educational and psychological fields over whether changing one’s habits can by itself lead to behavioural change — but years of experience has convinced me that habit change can most definitely lead to effective behavioural change.
Drawing from my personal observations of the previous nine years (assisting approximately 7000 low carb weight-loss clients plus another 20,000 or so sports nutrition clients since 1995), in this chapter I outline solutions to some of the many habits that may contribute to weight gain or poor weight management. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of responses to every single weight gain habit that exists — there are just too many to cover — but it will help you master the main types of habits that lie at the core of the problem.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
The power of visualisation
Willpower does not work in regard to weight loss because the human imagination is much more powerful.
Words are extremely powerful, so to ensure successful weight loss you must use positive, empowering words to uplift your spirit and define your goal. For example, if you state your goal as:
“I just want to get rid of that nasty, ugly cellulite, podgy stomach and flabby arms.”
This is a perfect example of what I describe as a goal described in a negative manner. Stop for a moment and consider what comes into your mind when you say words like “ugly”, “nasty”, “cellulite”, “podgy stomach” and “flabby arms”? Conjure up a mental image of yourself with ugly cellulite, podgy stomach and flabby arms. What does that do to uplift your spirit — nothing! It might even encourage you to think that it is impossible to get rid of those unwanted features of your body, and this is when that little voice inside your head speaks up and says: “If I can’t get rid of them, I might as well have fun and eat that king-size bar of chocolate and I might feel better.”
If words weren’t so powerful, do you think restaurants would go to all the trouble of writing such delicious descriptions of the fantastic meals on their menus? For example:
A thick, juicy, organically raised sirloin steak, grilled to your satisfaction, served with garden salad and fresh asparagus, topped with mozzarella cheese.
Descriptions like that are extremely inviting and appetising — and have me salivating just while reading them (I’m biased, by the way, I’m a big steak lover!).
But what if the restaurant had written:
Slaughtered cow, burned and arranged with dead vegetables and covered with fermented milk.
Is that description as inviting as the previous one?
Visualise
Now that we have discussed some of the theory behind goal setting, I want you to stand in front of a mirror, visualise yourself at your goal weight, and picture yourself running along the beach with your partner at a Bali resort, inhaling the fresh sea air, feeling your partner’s hand in yours, the warm sand beneath your feet . . . Feel the body, the new you and STOP. Remember the feeling and write it down
Words are extremely powerful, so to ensure successful weight loss you must use positive, empowering words to uplift your spirit and define your goal. For example, if you state your goal as:
“I just want to get rid of that nasty, ugly cellulite, podgy stomach and flabby arms.”
This is a perfect example of what I describe as a goal described in a negative manner. Stop for a moment and consider what comes into your mind when you say words like “ugly”, “nasty”, “cellulite”, “podgy stomach” and “flabby arms”? Conjure up a mental image of yourself with ugly cellulite, podgy stomach and flabby arms. What does that do to uplift your spirit — nothing! It might even encourage you to think that it is impossible to get rid of those unwanted features of your body, and this is when that little voice inside your head speaks up and says: “If I can’t get rid of them, I might as well have fun and eat that king-size bar of chocolate and I might feel better.”
If words weren’t so powerful, do you think restaurants would go to all the trouble of writing such delicious descriptions of the fantastic meals on their menus? For example:
A thick, juicy, organically raised sirloin steak, grilled to your satisfaction, served with garden salad and fresh asparagus, topped with mozzarella cheese.
Descriptions like that are extremely inviting and appetising — and have me salivating just while reading them (I’m biased, by the way, I’m a big steak lover!).
But what if the restaurant had written:
Slaughtered cow, burned and arranged with dead vegetables and covered with fermented milk.
Is that description as inviting as the previous one?
Visualise
Now that we have discussed some of the theory behind goal setting, I want you to stand in front of a mirror, visualise yourself at your goal weight, and picture yourself running along the beach with your partner at a Bali resort, inhaling the fresh sea air, feeling your partner’s hand in yours, the warm sand beneath your feet . . . Feel the body, the new you and STOP. Remember the feeling and write it down
Monday, December 10, 2007
Goal Setting
Goal setting
Once you have replaced your old negative belief system with your new empowering belief system, the next stage is to set your goal/s.
Step 1: Set realistic goals — health first, self-image second
Have you ever wondered why you have never achieved your goal weight/body fat percentage or have achieved them but was still not happy with your appearance? Could it be that you are trying to attain a body shape that is totally unrealistic?
Every day we are confronted on television and in magazines with the apparently “perfect bodies” of Hollywood stars and supermodels. Not only have a lot of these images been digitally “touched up”, there are even “beauty lenses” that give the models/stars slimmer thighs and buttocks! Surely no one thinks these women look that good first thing in the morning before putting on their make-up? Not likely! And if you believe that the bodybuilders and male models with “six-pack abs” look like that all year round, think again! I have helped hundreds of bodybuilders (and some male models) get in shape for their various competitions and events, and I can assure you that their midsections look far from perfect even just two to four weeks afterwards.
Thus, to set a realistic goal for yourself, apply the following rule:
Health first, self-image second.
To start with, go to your local gym or nutritionist, get your body fat percentage measured (for a description of the various methods of body fat measurement available, please refer to Appendix A). Listed below are some suggested goal body fat percentages:
Female:
Normal range: 20–28%
Average: 23–24%
Slim: 18–20%
Athletic: 15–16%
Minimum body fat percentage for women above 40 years of age: 23%*
*Note: Due to the risk of osteoporosis and stress fractures, I recommend against females over 40 years of age reducing their body fat below 23% — a low body fat percentage may lead to a low oestrogen level, and subsequently calcium may leak from the bones.
Male:
Healthy body fat percentage: 15%
Athletic: 10–12%
“six-pack abs”: 7%
Once you have replaced your old negative belief system with your new empowering belief system, the next stage is to set your goal/s.
Step 1: Set realistic goals — health first, self-image second
Have you ever wondered why you have never achieved your goal weight/body fat percentage or have achieved them but was still not happy with your appearance? Could it be that you are trying to attain a body shape that is totally unrealistic?
Every day we are confronted on television and in magazines with the apparently “perfect bodies” of Hollywood stars and supermodels. Not only have a lot of these images been digitally “touched up”, there are even “beauty lenses” that give the models/stars slimmer thighs and buttocks! Surely no one thinks these women look that good first thing in the morning before putting on their make-up? Not likely! And if you believe that the bodybuilders and male models with “six-pack abs” look like that all year round, think again! I have helped hundreds of bodybuilders (and some male models) get in shape for their various competitions and events, and I can assure you that their midsections look far from perfect even just two to four weeks afterwards.
Thus, to set a realistic goal for yourself, apply the following rule:
Health first, self-image second.
To start with, go to your local gym or nutritionist, get your body fat percentage measured (for a description of the various methods of body fat measurement available, please refer to Appendix A). Listed below are some suggested goal body fat percentages:
Female:
Normal range: 20–28%
Average: 23–24%
Slim: 18–20%
Athletic: 15–16%
Minimum body fat percentage for women above 40 years of age: 23%*
*Note: Due to the risk of osteoporosis and stress fractures, I recommend against females over 40 years of age reducing their body fat below 23% — a low body fat percentage may lead to a low oestrogen level, and subsequently calcium may leak from the bones.
Male:
Healthy body fat percentage: 15%
Athletic: 10–12%
“six-pack abs”: 7%
Thursday, December 6, 2007
How to identify your negative beliefs
Identifying your negative beliefs relating to your weight
Set out a table on a piece of paper, it will help you organise and replace your negative beliefs. In the left-hand column write down all your negative beliefs about your weight. For example:
• I will never be able to lose weight because I have no willpower.
• I will never be able to lose weight because I will end up putting it all back on again anyway, so why bother?
• My parents are fat; my brothers and sisters are fat; I was just unlucky to have been born into a “fat” family; I will never be slim.
Then in the right-hand column replace them with positive, empowering thoughts. For example:
• I will be able to lose weight; I don’t need willpower just reprogramming.
• I will be able to lose weight, and by reprogramming my life and changing my habits I will be able to achieve my goal weight and maintain my weight FOR LIFE!
• Sure, genetics may play a part in my struggle with weight but I also share the same eating habits as my family: THE LEGACY WILL STOP HERE, I will change my eating habits and STOP this “fat” legacy. And so that my children will not suffer from the same weight issues, I will also empower them with good eating habits.
Once you have identified all those negatives beliefs and replaced them with positive, empowering thoughts you need to rehearse them to yourself daily. Make it the first thing you do in the morning — after your daily meditation, of course
Set out a table on a piece of paper, it will help you organise and replace your negative beliefs. In the left-hand column write down all your negative beliefs about your weight. For example:
• I will never be able to lose weight because I have no willpower.
• I will never be able to lose weight because I will end up putting it all back on again anyway, so why bother?
• My parents are fat; my brothers and sisters are fat; I was just unlucky to have been born into a “fat” family; I will never be slim.
Then in the right-hand column replace them with positive, empowering thoughts. For example:
• I will be able to lose weight; I don’t need willpower just reprogramming.
• I will be able to lose weight, and by reprogramming my life and changing my habits I will be able to achieve my goal weight and maintain my weight FOR LIFE!
• Sure, genetics may play a part in my struggle with weight but I also share the same eating habits as my family: THE LEGACY WILL STOP HERE, I will change my eating habits and STOP this “fat” legacy. And so that my children will not suffer from the same weight issues, I will also empower them with good eating habits.
Once you have identified all those negatives beliefs and replaced them with positive, empowering thoughts you need to rehearse them to yourself daily. Make it the first thing you do in the morning — after your daily meditation, of course
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Conditioning and weight related issues
Conditioning
Take the example of a circus elephant that from an early age has been chained to a large timber pole buried deep in the ground. The young animal will pull, push and struggle against its constraint but will never be able to escape. Eventually, after long years of this conditioning, when the young elephant is fully grown — and has become one of the strongest creatures on the planet — even though the heavy pole cannot withstand their enormous pulling power, the elephant will not even attempt to escape. It will stay within an area equal to the length of the chain.
Just like we have with our weight-loss attempts, elephants conditioned in such a way also live in daily fear — the fear of being unable to escape from their predicament which has conditioned them to accept the status quo even though the power of freedom lies within them.
Tomorrow
A wise person once said; “If you go into a battle with the intention to lose, you have just lost the battle!”.
For example, you have just lost 10 kg and attained your goal weight, but have been invited to a friend’s house for dinner. This person is famous for their apple pie, which just happens to be your favourite dessert! After dinner, you keep saying to yourself, “don’t eat the pie, don’t eat the pie!”. But what is on your mind the whole time you are saying this to yourself — APPLE PIE! And this is where your fear sets in — fear of gaining weight, but also equal fear of turning down the apple pie and never being able to enjoy food. So you decide to treat yourself this once and have a few pieces of the pie. Then the “all-or-nothing” mindset comes into play — since you have just “broken” your diet, you give yourself permission to eat whatever you want today and start “fresh” again tomorrow. But guess what — tomorrow never comes!
To lose weight successfully and permanently, you need to change your personal belief system about your ability to lose weight. I am going to help you reprogramme your personal belief system for weight-loss success.
Take the example of a circus elephant that from an early age has been chained to a large timber pole buried deep in the ground. The young animal will pull, push and struggle against its constraint but will never be able to escape. Eventually, after long years of this conditioning, when the young elephant is fully grown — and has become one of the strongest creatures on the planet — even though the heavy pole cannot withstand their enormous pulling power, the elephant will not even attempt to escape. It will stay within an area equal to the length of the chain.
Just like we have with our weight-loss attempts, elephants conditioned in such a way also live in daily fear — the fear of being unable to escape from their predicament which has conditioned them to accept the status quo even though the power of freedom lies within them.
Tomorrow
A wise person once said; “If you go into a battle with the intention to lose, you have just lost the battle!”.
For example, you have just lost 10 kg and attained your goal weight, but have been invited to a friend’s house for dinner. This person is famous for their apple pie, which just happens to be your favourite dessert! After dinner, you keep saying to yourself, “don’t eat the pie, don’t eat the pie!”. But what is on your mind the whole time you are saying this to yourself — APPLE PIE! And this is where your fear sets in — fear of gaining weight, but also equal fear of turning down the apple pie and never being able to enjoy food. So you decide to treat yourself this once and have a few pieces of the pie. Then the “all-or-nothing” mindset comes into play — since you have just “broken” your diet, you give yourself permission to eat whatever you want today and start “fresh” again tomorrow. But guess what — tomorrow never comes!
To lose weight successfully and permanently, you need to change your personal belief system about your ability to lose weight. I am going to help you reprogramme your personal belief system for weight-loss success.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Personal Belief System
Conditioning
Take the example of a circus elephant that from an early age has been chained to a large timber pole buried deep in the ground. The young animal will pull, push and struggle against its constraint but will never be able to escape. Eventually, after long years of this conditioning, when the young elephant is fully grown — and has become one of the strongest creatures on the planet — even though the heavy pole cannot withstand their enormous pulling power, the elephant will not even attempt to escape. It will stay within an area equal to the length of the chain.
Just like we have with our weight-loss attempts, elephants conditioned in such a way also live in daily fear — the fear of being unable to escape from their predicament which has conditioned them to accept the status quo even though the power of freedom lies within them.
Tomorrow
A wise person once said; “If you go into a battle with the intention to lose, you have just lost the battle!”.
For example, you have just lost 10 kg and attained your goal weight, but have been invited to a friend’s house for dinner. This person is famous for their apple pie, which just happens to be your favourite dessert! After dinner, you keep saying to yourself, “don’t eat the pie, don’t eat the pie!”. But what is on your mind the whole time you are saying this to yourself — APPLE PIE! And this is where your fear sets in — fear of gaining weight, but also equal fear of turning down the apple pie and never being able to enjoy food. So you decide to treat yourself this once and have a few pieces of the pie. Then the “all-or-nothing” mindset comes into play — since you have just “broken” your diet, you give yourself permission to eat whatever you want today and start “fresh” again tomorrow. But guess what — tomorrow never comes!
To lose weight successfully and permanently, you need to change your personal belief system about your ability to lose weight. I am going to help you reprogramme your personal belief system for weight-loss success.
Why do our belief systems need reprogramming?
Since the beginning of time human beings have desired those things that are “off limits” — this is the essential wisdom contained in the story of Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit.
However, willpower is something that will generally last only between two to four weeks — it is the short-term motivator that helps you to look good at your brother’s wedding, for instance. And what do you do at your brother’s wedding? Let me guess — stuff your face with food! Why? Because you have prohibited yourself from stuffing your face in the build-up to the event.
Consider this scenario. If I say to you “Don’t think about the colour red” and then ask “What colour are you thinking about now? Let me guess — RED?” I will most probably be correct. If your answer wasn’t red, then you are obviously a person that is completely in control — even though I have yet to meet such a person — and you can put this book down right now because you don’t need my help. Otherwise, I suggest you read on . . .
Changing your personal belief system
As I said earlier, all human beings operate with a set of beliefs (good or bad) or a belief system. According to popular motivation guru Tony Robbins, an opinion is like a tabletop with no legs while a belief system is a tabletop supported by four legs. Those legs are the experiences you have had in the past that support your opinion. So if you have lost weight before but ended up putting it all back on, then your weight-loss opinion is supported by experiences/legs that tell you that there is no point in even trying to lose weight in the future because you will end up failing to maintain that weight loss again anyway.
At this stage you might be wondering how all this psychoanalysis is going to help you lose weight. Well, here’s the answer:
You cannot change what you are not aware of.
A lot of the negative beliefs we have about our weight operate at a subconscious level. All I have been doing is to make you aware of them. Once you are aware of them, I can then help you change them.
To be continued......
Take the example of a circus elephant that from an early age has been chained to a large timber pole buried deep in the ground. The young animal will pull, push and struggle against its constraint but will never be able to escape. Eventually, after long years of this conditioning, when the young elephant is fully grown — and has become one of the strongest creatures on the planet — even though the heavy pole cannot withstand their enormous pulling power, the elephant will not even attempt to escape. It will stay within an area equal to the length of the chain.
Just like we have with our weight-loss attempts, elephants conditioned in such a way also live in daily fear — the fear of being unable to escape from their predicament which has conditioned them to accept the status quo even though the power of freedom lies within them.
Tomorrow
A wise person once said; “If you go into a battle with the intention to lose, you have just lost the battle!”.
For example, you have just lost 10 kg and attained your goal weight, but have been invited to a friend’s house for dinner. This person is famous for their apple pie, which just happens to be your favourite dessert! After dinner, you keep saying to yourself, “don’t eat the pie, don’t eat the pie!”. But what is on your mind the whole time you are saying this to yourself — APPLE PIE! And this is where your fear sets in — fear of gaining weight, but also equal fear of turning down the apple pie and never being able to enjoy food. So you decide to treat yourself this once and have a few pieces of the pie. Then the “all-or-nothing” mindset comes into play — since you have just “broken” your diet, you give yourself permission to eat whatever you want today and start “fresh” again tomorrow. But guess what — tomorrow never comes!
To lose weight successfully and permanently, you need to change your personal belief system about your ability to lose weight. I am going to help you reprogramme your personal belief system for weight-loss success.
Why do our belief systems need reprogramming?
Since the beginning of time human beings have desired those things that are “off limits” — this is the essential wisdom contained in the story of Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit.
However, willpower is something that will generally last only between two to four weeks — it is the short-term motivator that helps you to look good at your brother’s wedding, for instance. And what do you do at your brother’s wedding? Let me guess — stuff your face with food! Why? Because you have prohibited yourself from stuffing your face in the build-up to the event.
Consider this scenario. If I say to you “Don’t think about the colour red” and then ask “What colour are you thinking about now? Let me guess — RED?” I will most probably be correct. If your answer wasn’t red, then you are obviously a person that is completely in control — even though I have yet to meet such a person — and you can put this book down right now because you don’t need my help. Otherwise, I suggest you read on . . .
Changing your personal belief system
As I said earlier, all human beings operate with a set of beliefs (good or bad) or a belief system. According to popular motivation guru Tony Robbins, an opinion is like a tabletop with no legs while a belief system is a tabletop supported by four legs. Those legs are the experiences you have had in the past that support your opinion. So if you have lost weight before but ended up putting it all back on, then your weight-loss opinion is supported by experiences/legs that tell you that there is no point in even trying to lose weight in the future because you will end up failing to maintain that weight loss again anyway.
At this stage you might be wondering how all this psychoanalysis is going to help you lose weight. Well, here’s the answer:
You cannot change what you are not aware of.
A lot of the negative beliefs we have about our weight operate at a subconscious level. All I have been doing is to make you aware of them. Once you are aware of them, I can then help you change them.
To be continued......
Sunday, December 2, 2007
The true reasons behind weight related issues
Mind control
Everybody you meet, all the TV weight-loss programmes you watch, and most of the diet books you read will tell you that if a person is motivated with endless amounts of willpower they will be able to lose weight. My message to you is that weight loss has nothing to do with willpower.
At this point, you might be saying to yourself “this guy is crazy — he doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”
So let me ask you a simple question:
Pretend for a moment that I’m a skilled magician and that merely by snapping my fingers I can make you wake up tomorrow morning slim, trim and at your goal weight — will you be happy for me to transform you?
Assuming the answer is “yes” my next question to you is:
Once I have snapped my fingers and you have lost all the weight you wish to lose — will you be able to maintain that goal weight for the rest of your life?
If your answer is “yes” then put this book down now. However, if your answer is “no”, I recommend that you read on . . .
Personal belief systems
Whether we are aware of it or not, we all have a personal belief system which underlies how we go about our everyday tasks. We “absorb” our past experiences and translate them into the gospel truths of our lives. This is the reason why — time and time again — someone who has lost weight ends up putting all or some of it back on again. They may have lost weight but they have not transformed what is at their core — their eating habits.
Does everyone do this? Yes, almost everyone. Basically, we believe that our past experience equals our future reality. In other words, because we have lost weight before and ended up piling it all back on again — and more — we have been conditioned to believe that the same thing is going to happen every time we lose weight.
Fear factor
Some say that human beings strive on hopes and dreams. Unfortunately, in my professional experience, the majority of weight-loss attempts are motivated by something much more primal — fear. The fear of your partner leaving you for a slimmer and younger person; the fear of rejection by the opposite sex; the fear of being ostracised by society.
It’s a sad truth that Western society has labelled fat people as being lazy, unmotivated and lacking in willpower. Nowadays, people are even being turned down for jobs just because they are overweight. On the other hand, even if a person has achieved their goal weight, he or she will still live in a state of constant fear — for example, fear of putting the weight back on, or fear that their goal weight is still not good enough for their partner. It’s easy to see why plastic surgery is so popular in our age — it’s an industry fuelled by our fears.
to be continued.......
Everybody you meet, all the TV weight-loss programmes you watch, and most of the diet books you read will tell you that if a person is motivated with endless amounts of willpower they will be able to lose weight. My message to you is that weight loss has nothing to do with willpower.
At this point, you might be saying to yourself “this guy is crazy — he doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”
So let me ask you a simple question:
Pretend for a moment that I’m a skilled magician and that merely by snapping my fingers I can make you wake up tomorrow morning slim, trim and at your goal weight — will you be happy for me to transform you?
Assuming the answer is “yes” my next question to you is:
Once I have snapped my fingers and you have lost all the weight you wish to lose — will you be able to maintain that goal weight for the rest of your life?
If your answer is “yes” then put this book down now. However, if your answer is “no”, I recommend that you read on . . .
Personal belief systems
Whether we are aware of it or not, we all have a personal belief system which underlies how we go about our everyday tasks. We “absorb” our past experiences and translate them into the gospel truths of our lives. This is the reason why — time and time again — someone who has lost weight ends up putting all or some of it back on again. They may have lost weight but they have not transformed what is at their core — their eating habits.
Does everyone do this? Yes, almost everyone. Basically, we believe that our past experience equals our future reality. In other words, because we have lost weight before and ended up piling it all back on again — and more — we have been conditioned to believe that the same thing is going to happen every time we lose weight.
Fear factor
Some say that human beings strive on hopes and dreams. Unfortunately, in my professional experience, the majority of weight-loss attempts are motivated by something much more primal — fear. The fear of your partner leaving you for a slimmer and younger person; the fear of rejection by the opposite sex; the fear of being ostracised by society.
It’s a sad truth that Western society has labelled fat people as being lazy, unmotivated and lacking in willpower. Nowadays, people are even being turned down for jobs just because they are overweight. On the other hand, even if a person has achieved their goal weight, he or she will still live in a state of constant fear — for example, fear of putting the weight back on, or fear that their goal weight is still not good enough for their partner. It’s easy to see why plastic surgery is so popular in our age — it’s an industry fuelled by our fears.
to be continued.......
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