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Weight Loss

Day #27 The mind trick that helps you slim

Today’s Tweak comes courtesy of Martha Beck – one of the worlds leading life coaches who counts Oprah as a client – who has a mind shift to help you stop comfort eating.  Okay, she’s got our attention…

There’s a saying that happy people plan actions, they don’t plan results. The same goes for those who try to lose weight. That’s why best-selling author, Martha Beck, created SALVE: self-acceptance, love, value and esteem. Happiness and weight-loss go hand in hand with SALVE.

Self-loathing tends to increase stress eating and the production of fat-storing hormones, like cortisol, Beck says. Cortisol signals the body to store fat because the body is going into ‘fight or flight’ mode and trying to protect the body from a threat – a primal response.

A study from Yale University found that women developed abdominal fat in connection with stress, and the individual’s response to stress played an extremely important role. Not only can cortisol cause us to gain weight but it increases release of another stress-induced hormone, insulin which can also lead to weight gain and can spike blood sugar levels. In turn, our body craves sweet foods to balance out our blood sugar levels. Beck – in her adorable way, says that after all, ‘stressed’ does spell ‘desserts’ backwards. Who knew?

In her work with clients over the years, Beck has found that those who apply SALVE to their lives find it much easier to stop unhealthy eating. In fact, Beck says that years ago she noticed that her clients started slimming down – effortlessly – as their self-acceptance increased.

Beck’s advice: ‘Every time body shame hits, slap on some serious SALVE.’ When we look in the mirror, we often tend to criticize ourselves, and become more prone to having a few extra pieces of unhealthy foods to console us.

woman mirror

In order to get the most from SALVE, find body parts that you admire and remind yourself what you like about your body – constantly. The sooner you make this a habit, the sooner your mindset will change the less you’ll want to reach for whatever sugary comforting thing you can find.  The happier our outlook on our bodies, the less we want to overeat, the more we treat our bodies with kindnesses such as eating well and moving more.

1761_beck_marthaMartha Beck is the author of several books, most recently Finding Your Way in a Wild New World
(Free Press, £8.58)

 

 

 

Got a favourite diet tweak you wouldn’t be without? Tell us in the comments

JUST JOINED THE HEALTHISTA JANUARY TWEAK DIET? here are some guidelines to get you started

What is the Tweak diet? Designed for anyone who doesn’t want to go on a big starv-y diet during January, we deliver you one new small change to make to your diet or lifestyle on each day in January. You continue each change throughout the month and come February, be on your way to weight loss and new healthy habits you can keep all year. You in?

1. Start anytime. Some of you will be starting on January 1st, but that’s not compulsory. If you’re joining us after January 1st, simply go back to Day 1 and start from there.

2. Continue with each of your small changes throughout the month and come end January, you will have built up a heap of new healthy habits and will be well on your way to losing weight and feeling better.

3. If you fall off the wagon just get back on asap If you don’t manage to keep up all your small changes every day, don’t worry. Just get back on the next day or even better, at the next meal.

4. Measure once at the start and once at the end. That’s all Take your waist, hip and bust measurements at the start and end of your tweak-a-thin journey.

5. Send us selfies of your tweak-a-thin journey Post them to Healthista on TwitterFacebook and in the comments below. At the end of January we’ll publish them and you’ll be in with a chance of winning a Healthista exclusive pamper hamper handpicked by yours truly.

6. Do what you can Obviously you don’t have to do every single tweak we suggest. Even just one will make a difference as we’ve handpicked each change to be small but powerful.  The more you do though, the better your results.

 

 

More posts in Healthista’s January Daily Tweak Diet

Day #1 Record everything you eat

Day #2 Drink two litres of water daily

Day #3 Your at-a-glance portion guide

Day #4: Have a protein breakfast for weight loss

Day #5 Cut back on sugar with these simple tips

Day #6 Burn an extra 500 calories a day (without the gym)

Day #7 Snack on 40 almonds a day

Day #8 Is it real hunger or a craving?

Day #9 Take the stairs – five times

Day #10 Add flavour without calories

Day #11 Weigh yourself once a week

Day #12 Drink four cups of green tea a day

Day #13 The 4 words that can stop emotional eating

Day #14 Eat fat-burning foods

Day #15 Have a bitter green salad before dinner

Day #16 Blend it at breakfast

Day #17 Add vinegar to your food

Day #18 Put your fork down

Day #19 Do short workouts most days

Day #20 Make healthy Ready Meals

Day #21 Turn down the heating

Day #22 Have a cup of veg in the AM

Day #23 Use skinny crockery

Day #24 Shop online, lose weight

Day #25 Walk 12,000 steps a day for weight loss

Day #26 Have 3 apples a day

 

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