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Our mothers told us that if we washed our hands, ate our vegetables and spent more time playing outdoors that we would grow up to be healthy and happy adults someday. But did we always listen?

For many people, being concerned about losing weight started somewhere in our teen years as we put a few extra pounds on while going through puberty and trying to fit in with our peers. We wished we could lose weight to be part of the popular crowd and get invited to more parties. We wanted to find a date for the prom and we wanted to be considered “normal”. But it was a struggle because we didn’t want to listen to our mother when she told us it wasn’t a good idea to go back for seconds at mealtimes.

Today, there is so much more information about weight loss and what to do about it. While our mothers had the right intentions for us, they often had no understanding about what to do when a child became obese. They felt it was their fault for being a bad parent and this guilt often ended up being carried by the overweight child, which only added to their weight problems when they became adults.

Weight issues have become a national obsession so much that there are loud commercials on television that promise weight loss miracles and cures that just don’t work. Everywhere you look, the media is promoting a new product or surgery that guarantees weight loss, but at a high personal and financial cost to those who suffer from obesity. People are told how they should look and if they don’t then they just couldn’t possibly have a good life or be happy in their oversized bodies. The world has become less tolerant of “imperfect” people it seems.

What does cause weight loss is eating a healthy diet, eating in moderation and getting plenty of regular exercise. A healthy diet means eating lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, balanced meals that include all the food groups, and not skipping meals. Then getting enough exercise so that the body is burning off more calories then it is taking in. Being able to take responsibility of our lives is part of being an adult. Sometimes it just takes time for grown ups to realize that they can lose the weight once they lose the guilt and start doing something about it.

How much weight is appropriate to gain during a pregnancy? If you are a somewhat healthy woman during your pregnancy, you can expect to gain 2 to 5 pounds in your first trimester and about 1 pound for every week following. Women gain an average of 25-40 pounds during pregnancies. But losing that extra weight in the postpartum period can be difficult, especially for busy moms who don’t have time to work out. But a new study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that three simple choices can help shed those unwanted pounds. The study conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School followed more than 900 women who had babies in the 6 months prior. They interviewed each woman about her exercise habits, dietary intake, television time, and weight. Then overall weights one year after delivery were used as a final outcome. They found that women who watched less than 2 hours of TV a day and walked just 30 minutes a day were less likely to have extra weight after a year. The reduction was by more than 75 percent. It was promising to observe that women did not need to be out at the gym 6 days a week working out strenuously for more than an hour to have adequate weight loss. They could be active mothers, accomplishing daily tasks, with a quick 30 minute walk thrown into the mix. Take this time to push your baby around in a stroller and get some fresh air for both of you. This news should encourage all women, once able, to get up, take a stroll around the neighborhood with the baby. It may be the easiest activity they do all day. Also, turn off the TV. The study also found that limiting the intake of trans fats, such as those in most snacks and processed foods, improves weight loss at one year. So following a few simple daily life modifications, you can lose the unwanted weight gained from your pregnancy. Its very motivating to know that women don’t need a gym membership and 8 hours a week of intense exercise to lose weight. It just takes a few simple modifications to your daily habits and getting in a routine that works with your new schedule and your new baby. Here is a quick summary of what was discussed: Limit the amount of time you watch TV to less than 2 hours per day, go on a brisk 30 minute walk everyday (this will be a good chance to get your baby some fresh air in a stroller), and avoid snacks and processed foods. An easy way to start avoiding snacking is to get a healthy weight loss shake (avoid high sugar, low protein shakes) that has at least 15g of protein per serving. You can also drink more water when you get hungry, this often curbs the urge to snack. Follow these tips and you should be back on your way to a slimmer and healthier body.

Guarantee weight loss results? I bet you think I’m out of my mind! I’m serious though. You as a personal trainer or a coach can and should guarantee results.

Now, I know what you are thinking…

“But, don’t results depend on your clients and how well they follow your program?”

In part they do.

And then there’s the issue that everyone is different, and an approach that works for one person won’t necessarily work for another. Case in point: low-fat vs. low-carb. Some people put on weight with the very same diet that helped others lose weight, if only temporarily.

Then again, isn’t it your job as a coach or trainer to help your clients achieve results? That’s what they pay you for. And you’ll be able to deliver too, once you tap into the right kind of strategies.

Sure, I understand why you may be wary. Your track record is probably not as good as you’d like, and you’re far from alone. The weight loss industry practically thrives on failure and seems to depend on yo-yo roller coaster results.

They also would like to keep it that way since it guarantees repeat business as desperate dieters continue on their weight loss merry-go-round, moving from one approach to the next, always hoping that the latest one will actually work.

But there’s a different way – a way that can help you get repeat business while attracting new business. The system I’m about to share with you will close the revolving door.

How Changing the Way You Look At Food and Your Body Will Help Your Clients Lose Weight

Einstein used to say that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. And so if you truly want deliver different results — permanent weight loss that can be guaranteed — you need to change what you’re doing.

Here’s how:

1) Go Beyond Diet and Exercise

Sure, diet and exercise may bring short-term results for some of your clients as they put in a huge effort. But most of them will eventually put their weight back on.

Instead, start paying more attention to your clients’ mental and emotional issues first. The fact is that once you help them adjust their mindset and resolve their emotional issues with food and their bodies, losing weight will become much easier. They will then start following a healthier eating and lifestyle plan.

2) Help Your Clients Understand That Food Is Not the Enemy

Many dieters have been brainwashed into dividing food into two categories — good and bad. According to that system, the “bad” category contains all the tasty food worth eating, while the “good” food category is often equated with rabbit food. This leads to a very distorted approach to eating, resulting in an endless cycle of self-deprivation and overeating, followed by guilt and more self-deprivation.

Food is not the enemy. We need food. Unlike alcoholics who can simply stop drinking alcohol, we cannot forsake food for good. So we have to learn to approach food in a healthier way. And we absolutely have to stop using food as reward or punishment.

3) Help Your Clients Manage Emotional Eating

Accept that much overeating happens in response to emotional issues. Life is stressful, especially for those clients who are struggling with their weight. To soothe their uncomfortable feelings and make themselves feel better, even though it may be just temporarily, they overeat.

On the other hand, some clients might overeat to punish themselves. As the trainer or coach, you need to provide your clients with strategies that help them manage their emotions without resorting to food.

4)Teach Your Clients Self-Acceptance

Most people with weight problems hate their bodies and themselves. And when you think about it for a moment, you can see that such self-hate is a set-up for dietary failure. How much effort are you going to put into doing something for someone you hate – especially if it involves a lot of effort?

Not much!

So even though it may be difficult, you need to help your clients feel more accepting and loving towards themselves. Self-love is a crucial first step toward weight loss success.

5) Help Your Clients Visualize Success

With failure almost a constant in traditional weight loss approaches, your clients might find it difficult to even envision themselves at their goal weight. Yet, it’s crucial that they get a clear picture of where they want to go and what it will be like to get there.

If you follow these strategies and tips, along with those you find in the MindBody FX Program, you’ll start noticing that your clients will achieve permanent weight loss results.

My files are filled to overflowing with testimonials like the one by Mary Frey:

“You helped me regain my confidence, learn healthy habits and lose 30.4 lbs! I have control over my eating and my life again. And I fit into a pair of jeans which I haven’t fit in for 5 years.”

We all need motivation to make changes in our lives. But some motivations can have short-term effects whilst other motivations can have long-lasting, life changing effects. This article takes a very quick look at how we can cut to the core of making the long-lasting, life changing decisions easier.

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Why do you want to lose weight? Do you want to make someone else happy? Your kids, your husband? The only way to lose weight in the long-term is to lose weight for you.

While some or most of this article might sound like pointless new-age psycho-babble, at its core are valid, solid ways of changing your life. Do not give in, it may well be a life changing experience.

Whilst these are all valid reasons for losing weight they may actually be the reasons why so many people fail to lose weight or lose weight but then put it all back on with a little extra just for desert. In order to understand long term weight loss we need to look at the nitty-gritty at how the mind works and how we become, and remain motivated, to do something.

When we want to change something about ourselves we need to look deep. Not just “Because the doc said I need to lose a few pounds” deep or “I want to look nice when I lie by the pool” deep. We need to look at where we are now, where we want to be and the difference between the two. That is where the deepness lies.

Ok, let’s take any weight measurements out of the equation and look at body size and shape. We might imagine ourselves to look a long way from the way we want to look. But how does that make us feel? Pretty miserable right. But that’s where your change begins – connect with the feelings caused by the difference between the two you’s. The discrepancy between the you now and the person you want to be is the reality and sometimes the reality hurts! The difference between where we are and where we need to get to needs to be bridged.

You need to imagine what it would feel like to be the person you want to be. Stop for a second and think about it. Close your eyes. Really think about it. Think about the person you want to change for. Because this is only a short article I will give you the answer you need to come up with.

The only person you want to change for is you. There are just so many reasons you could have come up with for changing. Kids, husbands, wives, parents, friends, pets, teams – the list is endless.

The only person you need to change for is you. If this sounds too selfish and self-centred for you then I’m sorry. However, the chance of you changing long-term for anybody other than yourself are minimal. If you think about it another way, what would make the person you are changing for happy? Would they be happier to see YOU happy or would they be happier watching you trying to make THEM happy? So if we want to change we have to look at ourselves and see ourselves as we really are. We need to look to the person we want to be. From then on the person you want to be is going to be the person you are.

If you want to lose weight you need to do it for yourself, no-one else. Not only do you get to be the person you want to be but everybody else gets the benefit of basking in the glow of your happiness and success.

Are you interested in formulating an exercise plan that will assist you to remain trim and help you to get thin? Studies regularly show that there are two basic types of exercise that are both extremely efficient and successful. Of course, it stands to reason that you must be motivated in the first place, and that is why therapeutic hypnosis can help solve your problems.

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If you’re like most people, you are interested in creating an exercise system that will assist you to remain healthy and slim. It may shock you to find out that research studies usually demonstrate that only two core kinds of exercise are useful — which suggests that you can’t just choose any type of exercise to become trim.

Due to the fact that so many people have trouble with the motivation to exercise, performing the most efficient kinds of exercise is imperative, since the less time you spend exercising – and the less time you waste on low efficiency exercise – the more likely it is that you will persist in your exercise routine and therefore achieve your personal weight and strength target.

Our first type of exercise which has been regularly proven to aid people to lose weight and get trim is progressive resistance. In brief, progressive resistance is one type of strength training. It functions by progressively ramping up the pounds lifted, the number of sets, and number of repetitions performed. As a result, your muscles are never strained or subjected to damage – instead, they slowly and steadily strengthen without any setbacks.

Our second type of exercise that has been scientifically studied is cardiovascular training. This is any type of exercise that gets the heart rate up to 60 – 85 percent of its maximum rate. Some kinds of cardio training may involve jogging, jumping rope, aerobics, or treadmill, among other types of exercise, but it is your choice.

Although progressive resistance and cardio training by themselves have been found to be very efficient forms of exercise, scientists now know that performing both of these types of exercise is the best bet for success. If you combine both progressive resistance and cardio training, you will increase the strength of your muscle groups and increase overall endurance. According to a recent scientific study, exercisers who used both cardio and progressive resistance during a two month time period lost 45 percent more weight than exercisers who did cardio training or progressive resistance alone.

Just as important as the type of exercise you perform is, the way in which you exercise is also important. It probably will be unsurprising that being consistent is the name of the game. Exercising inconsistently may strain your muscles and will probably not aid you to build strength and endurance. In addition, it is unlikely to improve your whole-body health. According to most scientists, the best regime is to exercise for forty minutes to an hour three to five times per week.

Unfortunately, it turns out that for a significantly sized subset of the population, getting sufficient exercise is not as easy as attending the health club a few times every week or listening to what scientists claim. For this group of people, the motivation to exercise is the primary issue – this group of people simply doesn’t have the motivation to go to the gym. Actually, they might resist any and all exercise, to the point of severe anxiety.

Nobody knows what percentage of the population suffers from problems with the motivation to exercise, but scientists say that up to 20 to 40 percent of people claim that they “hate” or “dread” exercise. An even larger percentage of people might have more mild problems with the motivation to exercise, finding that even though it is simple enough to commit themselves to an exercise regime for a week or two, motivation eventually degrades, leaving them where they were initially – unhealthy and heavy.

If you are one of these people who struggles with the motivation to exercise, the good news is that there are some easy strategies to deal with the struggle. In a recent research study, volunteers who needed to start an exercise program were provided with a brief learning program that aided them to decide on the right kinds of exercise, were provided with a therapist who specialized in exercise motivation, and were given a brief course in hypnosis. After six months, they were asked to evaluate their progress. It turns out that over 85 percent of the participants had adhered to an exercise program throughout the whole six months. Even better, they generally lost an average of fifteen more pounds than the control group.

If you have an interest in this study, it might make sense to look into locating a motivational therapist, habit control therapist, or therapist who deals with hypnotherapy. These therapists are provided with special training in helping people to transcend anxieties, build the motivation to exercise, and reinforce the creation of good habits. One more choice for exercise motivation is self-hypnosis – which is a simple and inexpensive process that often helps people take control of their own inborn abilities to be motivated.

Hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis are risk-free ways of increasing motivation that have been proven to provide success in the case of exercise motivation. Hypnosis works by using hypnotic relaxation to enhance the powers of the unconscious mind to influence the modification of behavior and habit development. Hypnotherapy is a good choice for the exercise adverse because it can help increase the drive to get trim and lose weight easily and effectively.

Are you tired of the yo yo effect? These simple 5 steps can help you KEEP the weight off once you do lose it

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Why do some dieters suffer the endless frustration of losing and then gaining weight again and again, while others lose weight and keep it off forever?

And we know you don’t want to be the latter group?

Here are 5 very simple tips successful dieters implement – and you can easily adapt these good habits yourself.

1.) You know that old conventional wisdom that goes “The scale doesn’t matter when you’re dieting”? For a long time experts scorned the idea of frequent weigh ins, pointing out that the scale can be inaccurate because of fluctuations caused by water weight. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat. So if you’re exercising you may be gaining muscle and that will throw the scale off.

However, it turns out that weighing yourself every day is actually an excellent motivator for dieters. A study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that dieters who weighed themselves every day lost the most weight, and kept it off more successfully, compared to a group of dieters who did not weigh themselves regularly.

2.) Keep a log of everything you eat. When you log everything you eat you will feel MUCH more guilty when you cheat because you have to see it and read it.

3.) Do at least 1 15 minute activity everyday. ANYTHING. Walk your dog, go jogging, do tae bo. Most of us work at desks and sit at home all day – then do it at least three times a week. You will lose weight quicker and this is one of the big contributors of keeping the weight off.

4.) Plan ahead. If you are going out to dinner with friends or to a holiday office party or even to the movies, what are you going to do when hunger pangs hit? Eat something before you go and decide BEFORE you get to the party or movies.

5.) Schedule the occasional indulgence. Most weight loss experts suggest and encourage a cheating day. When you get to eat some pizza, brownie or some ice cream at some time in the week your chances of ditching your plan is much less likely. This can also be a day when you throw in some more activity.

For those of you out there who believe that you can only lose weight through fasting, you cannot be more wrong! Facts have shown that it is not how much you eat but actually what you eat that results in weight gain in most people. If you decide to eat correctly, you will surely be eating your way to weight loss naturally.

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In the developed world today, a whole lot of people seem to be struggling with a particular challenge common to them all and that is the issue of how to lose weight so as to live a healthier life. In the same vein, a good number of the people concerned tend to believe that the only way to lose that excess fat is by starving themselves or fasting. Nothing can be further than the truth in this case. It has been proven by the experts that one can achieve weight loss naturally through correct dieting.

In order to lose weight naturally, the main thing one has to keep in mind and practice is to eat wisely, take enough water and do some regular exercise. This combination of actions will surely help you get rid of that unwanted fat as well as give you a fitter and sexier physique.

It is pertinent at this stage to note that when I talk of losing weight naturally through correct dieting, I am not talking about some very strict diet but simple ones that can be found in some cook books such as the Metabolic Cooking. I am also not talking about a particular diet for the whole day but an intelligent mix of recommended diets that will end up giving you a healthier body through weight loss.

I suppose that at this stage some of you out will want to know exactly how to eat wise and reap the benefits of losing weight naturally in the shortest possible time. It is not rocket science but simply doing what is right as already suggested. For an example, the diet experts claim that our ability to shed fats is eighty percent correct dieting and twenty percent how much exercise we give to our body. This also means that you need to steer clear of that attractive and sweet junk foodstuff you have been destroying your system with only to go back to the gym to try to burn the fat you got from wrong dieting practice.

Another important aspect of correct dieting is the issue of the water intake level. It is a fact that taking a good amount of water on a daily basis helps in ensuring a clean body system. As a matter of fact, the experts have made it abundantly clear that in order to keep our body system in a clean condition we need to take as much as sixty ounces of water daily. This is much better than the sugary drinks that many people use to replace water in their diet. It is recommended by medical experts that every adult should drink at least eight glasses of water in order to enjoy a healthier life devoid of obesity.

In summary therefore, anyone who wishes to enjoy the benefits weight loss simply needs to combine a correct diet with a good water intake and do some exercise. That also means such a person needs to as well avoid taking junk food and replace that with the consumption of lots of fruit and vegetables. When fruits are added to your meals, it is easier for you to ward off the cravings for sweet since you are ingesting natural sugar instead of the artificial one. You are advised to take fruits such as oranges and or apples in between your meals as a means of eating your way to weight loss and good health.

You can begin to lose weight by reducing your stress level. Here’s how!

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There may be many reasons why you engage in the behavior of overeating. Overeating helps some people gain a sense of control over their lives. Other people overeat when they are stressed or upset. Think about the times that you have had a binge eating session? What was the motivation behind it? Do you turn to food when you are upset or have a stressful day? Do you find a sense of comfort in the food that you eat? If stress is a major factor in your eating habits, finding ways to help reduce stress can help you lose weight.

1. Find a Support System

Having people that you can rely on is a great way to start reducing stress. Call on your friends or family when you are in a stressful situation. They can be a great source of advice or just a shoulder to cry on. Sometimes going out with work friends after a long stressful day can work wonders to melt the stress that you feel. We all need to rely on our friends and family at some point. Being able to talk about your stress is a health alternative to overeating.

2. Post Positive Mantras

Think about the negative comments you make about yourself when you are feeling stressed. Most people struggle with negative self-talk at sometime in their lives. Begin to challenge your old ways of thinking. Replace those old thoughts with positive thoughts that will help you push through stressful times. If a long stressful day at work leaves you thinking that you are “no good at my job”, change your thoughts. Think about how hard you worked today. You put in your all and achieved a goal you had set. Whatever your new thoughts are going to be, post them around your house. This will help you stay focused on them even when you are headed for a stress out moment. Thinking positively can help curb overeating.

3. Find Time to Relax

It is important that you take a few minutes everyday for relaxtion. There are many different things you can do in order to relax. If you had a busy day at work and spent the evening running errands, take a long soak in a tub. If you find yourself working late one night, close your office door and read a chapter in a book. On the weekends, go for a walk around a nature trail. The activity can last five minutes or five hours; the important thing is to take some time to relax.

4. Meditate or Journal

Another great way to reduce stress is to be alone with your thoughts. This can help you sort out what is going on in your life in a healthy way. One way to do this is to meditate. Another way is to write in a journal. Writing in a journal is a great way to begin organizing your thoughts about the stresses in your life. Dealing with your stress in this productive way makes it less likely that you will overeat.

5. Listen to Your Body

Stop beating yourself up for overeating. Move forward into a new way of thinking about eating and food. By listening to your body, you will learn when your body is telling you it is full or hungry. Know the signals that your body gives off in order to begin recognizing the difference between hunger and emotional eating. You can pull through this struggle and be on your way towards a natural weight loss.