Not everybody likes peaches. You are a peach. Now what?

Caring what other people think of you?

Caring what others think – Photo by charlesdeluvio on Unsplash

I have been thinking lately about how many things in the world do not happen because we are too afraid of what others think of us if we do them.

How many times do we end up not starting new adventures because we worry what others say before even attempting it (e.g., changing jobs, changing city or country, changing things that are important to us).

I know it is the reason I haven’t started, or has taken me longer to start, new things.

The fear of what others think of us is the best censorship. It is self-imposed.

Continue reading “Not everybody likes peaches. You are a peach. Now what?”

Why coaching helps with weight loss: it is not magic

Because you do not need more food advice

The causal coaching I do addresses the cause of the excess weight – Photo by Ross Findon on Unsplash

If you have a weight loss goal, you may not think that coaching is the help you need.

We tell ourselves we do not know how to lose weight.

We tell ourselves that we need more advice, more information.

If only I had that new piece of information, the latest superfood, the right microbiome, or that eating pattern that solves it all, I would lose all the weight. The truth is you know that is not true.

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Brain’s negative bias (II): best hack ever

Plan for the opposite of you want to achieve and then reverse it

What is missing? Make the brain’s negative bias work for you not against you – Photo by Pierre Bamin on Unsplash

We already know about the brain’s negative bias and how it pops up pretty much everywhere.

Last post was about how to compensate for it to avoid focussing exclusively on what is missing.

These were: start with positives first, and use curiosity instead of judgment.

I hope you have been practising them.

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How to stop wanting sugar

From saying no to sugar to not wanting it, and what has 100 to do with it

It is not about saying no to sugar, which you need to do. It is about knowing you will want it but will say no – Photo by Wouter Supardi Salari on Unsplash

When will I stop wanting sugar? Or is it savoury for you?

Never?

If you like or have liked sugar, wanting to eat it is unlikely to magically vanish.

Sugar creates a biological reaction in your brain. Your brain will want more and is incredibly creative getting you to give it to it.

“You deserve it”

“You’ve been so good”

“One piece will not matter”

“Nobody will know” (like the only person that matters in all of this, you, will not notice 😊).

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What if feeling hungry, feeling uncomfortable, is the answer?

We avoid feeling hungry because it feels uncomfortable.

Feeling uncomfortable, feeling hungry

Feeling discomfort is hard.

We avoid it at all costs.

At its essence, it is an instinctive reaction.  If we feel the heat of the fire, we instinctively remove our hand. This is our brain and the nervous system working as we want them to. To protect our body from physical harm.

What happens when the danger is perceived rather than real? Public speaking? Asking for a promotion?

Our physical reaction is very similar. It is equally dramatic. It feels like you could die. The brain thinks the danger is real and creates what it thinks it is an appropriate reaction.

Except, we are only speaking. In front of people, yes, but only speaking.

What do we do? It feels so bad that we prefer to avoid doing the thing we know it could help us, the thing we want to do. Just to avoid experiencing that physical reaction, that negative emotion.

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When is the ‘best’ time to start?

The best time to start is now

What if the best time to start losing weight is now?

When did you decide you wanted to lose weight? Was it a new years resolution? Probably not the first time you set this new year goal. Was it just before going on holiday?

Chances are, if you are reading this, it hasn’t happened for you. You are not alone.

In the UK and elsewhere many people have put on weight during the lockdowns. I was one of them. It had started early on and only got worse.

I’ve now lost 10 kg (approx. 22 pounds). It’s been more than a year and a half ago. I am finally able to keep to my desired weight, and what’s even better is that I know I can do this easily and permanently.

In this post series, I’ll show you how you can also do it. All of it, including the ‘being easy’ part. I’ll explain why it hasn’t worked before and how to make this the last time you do it.

The first question is, when is best time to start?

Continue reading “When is the ‘best’ time to start?”