Weight Loss Tips

One of the mistakes people make is turning a lapse into a relapse.

We all have lapses.

How well you manage it depends on how you think about it, what you focus on and what you do afterwards.

First, think about it as a temporary lapse, not as a relapse that erases everything you have been working for. If you think about it in this way, you will be less likely to go into a downward spiral with eating.

Second, focus on getting back on track as quickly as possible. Do not give yourself permission to keep eating since you “have already blown it”.

This is an excuse.

Be realistic - we all get off track many, many times over the course of getting to where we want to be.

Accept it.

This is a normal and natural path.

There is also a lot to learn in getting OFF the path.

You can learn what DOESN’T work, what triggers your eating, and you have an opportunity to create a new strategy for that situation in the future.

So don’t sabotage yourself.

Third, just like when you have an angry outburst, what you do afterwards is often more important than what you have already done.

That means thinking clearly, acting rationally, being kind and recovering as quickly as possible. You may be upset or frustrated with your own behavior, but it is not the end of the world.

It can be fixed.

You can get right back on the path without too much damage done. So FORGIVE YOURSELF and keep taking steps toward your goal.

Count as a win your ability to recover quickly, and keep going.

Carol Solomon, Ph.D. is a psychologist and personal coach who specializes in helping people who want to lose weight and eliminate food and weight issues.

By going from food obsessive to charge neutral (i.e. Did I eat today?), she became dedicated to making it easy for others to step off the vicious cycle and live free of anxiety about food and weight.

She is the author of “Lose Weight Now Stay Slim Forever,” a practical “how-to” manual for learning to lose weight without dieting.

Sign up for her free email newsletter, Slim Forever at: http://www.lose-weight-now-stay-slim-forever.com
http://www.LoseWeightWithEFT.com
http://www.MoreMoneyWithEFT.com

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Research has shown that change occurs through a process, through a series of stages.

There is a certain “readiness” to the change process.

Knowing what stage you are in is helpful to create success with any kind of change.

If you attempt to make a change you are not ready for, you are setting yourself up to fail.

If you think about the way you have accomplished change in the past, you don’t just go out and make it happen. You may not be aware of the process, but it is still there.

Here is a brief description of the stages of change (Prochaska, et.al.):

1. Precontemplation - You don’t see that you have a problem. You are in denial. People in this stage have no intention of changing themselves and usually only seek help with strong pressure from others. They resist change and are often demoralized as well because they view the situation as hopeless.

2. Contemplation - You acknowledge that you have a problem and begin to think about solving it, but you feel “stuck”. People with food and weight issues often hang out in this stage. You know you have a problem. You may even know what you need to do to change it, but you are not ready to commit to action.

It is not unusual for people to spend years telling themselves that “someday” they will lose weight.

Fear of failure (or focusing on past failures) can keep you stuck in this stage for a very long time. It can look like searching for the perfect solution and reading lots of diet books, but not actually doing anything about it.

3. Preparation - You are planning to take action within the next month. You start focusing more on the solution than on the problem. You also start thinking more about the future than the past.

You are committed to action, but haven’t necessarily resolved all of the mixed feelings you may have. For instance, losing weight requires letting go of some behaviors that may have provided temporary comfort in the past.

4. Action - You take visible action steps. You may purchase certain foods you plan to eat or remove foods from your home that you plan to avoid. You take the steps you have been preparing for. However, the change process does not end here.

5. Maintenance - You work to maintain the strides you have made in the previous stages. If you don’t have a strong commitment to maintenance and a support structure in place, you can relapse back to a previous stage.

It’s the stage that no one wants to think about for fear of relapsing. If you go on a crash diet, you are ignoring the fact that maintenance is a long, ongoing process.

6. Termination - the ultimate goal. Your former problem behavior is no longer an issue and you have complete confidence that you can cope without fear of relapse.

Successful people often cycle through these stages several times before they finally exit the cycle.

Most people struggle for years to find effective solutions. While it may seem hard to appreciate the process, recycling through the stages gives you opportunities to learn.

If you take action and fail, you are much more likely to succeed the next time around than if you take no action at all.

So if you feel like you have been here before, you are not alone - and you may just be on your way to getting out of the cycle for good!

Carol Solomon, Ph.D. is a psychologist and personal coach who specializes in helping people who want to lose weight and eliminate food and weight issues.

By going from food obsessive to charge neutral (i.e. Did I eat today?), she became dedicated to making it easy for others to step off the vicious cycle and live free of anxiety about food and weight.

She is the author of “Lose Weight Now Stay Slim Forever,” a practical “how-to” manual for learning to lose weight without dieting.

Sign up for her free email newsletter, Slim Forever at: http://www.lose-weight-now-stay-slim-forever.com
http://www.LoseWeightWithEFT.com
http://www.MoreMoneyWithEFT.com

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Yes - I finally got around to watching the documentary that
came out about a year or so ago. Even though it’s a
documentary, this film is far from boring.

This film is not only educational and eye-opening, but
entertaining.

If you rent it (I got it from the library), be sure to watch all
the bonus features as well, to learn what happens to
McDonald’s(tm) french fries after 2 months!

It’s no secret that America is now the fattest nation in the
world. You have read the statistics . . . obesity has doubled
since 1980.

*Direct* medical costs have doubled in 5 years. Projections
now predict that 1 out of 2 people will develop diabetes in
their lifetime. 20% of children are showing abnormalities in
liver function, etc, etc, etc.

The surgeon general has said that left unabated, obesity
will soon overtake smoking as the leading preventable
cause of death.

Fast foods are often blamed for these statistics. After all, 1
in 4 Americans visits McDonald’s(tm) every day.

McDonald’s calls those who eat their food at least once a
week “heavy users”.

Car manufacturers have had to increase the size of their
cup holders to accommodate super size drinks.

This is the story of a man who ate nothing but McDonald’s
food for 30 days. Doctors predicted that all that would
occur would be an increase in triglyceride levels.

In fact, in a 30-day period, his weight, cholesterol and body
fat all skyrocketed. His liver function started to fail. His risk
of heart disease doubled. He felt exhausted and
depressed.

And it took him 14 MONTHS to lose the weight completely.

The average person at 4 pm has no idea what they are
going to have for dinner. I can relate to that - too many
demands, too little time. We don’t even have time to think
about ourselves, much less plan something.

But if this paradigm is going to shift, it is up to us.

Watch the movie. You will be inspired. Then think about
what changes you can make in your life, and in the lives of
your loved ones.

Together, we can make a difference.

With love,
Carol

Carol Solomon, Ph.D. is a psychologist and personal coach who specializes in helping people who want to lose weight and eliminate food and weight issues.

By going from food obsessive to charge neutral (i.e. Did I eat today?), she became dedicated to making it easy for others to step off the vicious cycle and live free of anxiety about food and weight.

She is the author of “Lose Weight Now Stay Slim Forever,” a practical “how-to” manual for learning to lose weight without dieting.

Sign up for her free email newsletter, Slim Forever at: http://www.lose-weight-now-stay-slim-forever.com
http://www.LoseWeightWithEFT.com
http://www.MoreMoneyWithEFT.com

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