Have you ever really wanted to do that?

Probably because you had worked really hard, been eating well and exercising but that little metal box told you were a failure.

I was eighteen and a half stone, obese and unfit in August 2009, today I have lost six of those stones, I’m now fit, healthy and very happy.  And I have never owned bathroom scales and I didn’t weigh myself at all until I’d lost three stones.

I didn’t have scales when I was big for obvious reasons, I knew how big I was, I could see it every time I looked in the mirror, or put on my size twenty four jeans.  I’d been weighed for some surgery a while ago, had told the nurse I didn’t want to know the figure; I did though have a sneaky look, gulped and then buried my head firmly in the sand. I didn’t need scales to tell me how bad things had got.

So why do you need to throw your scales out of that window?

My reasons are very simple:

If you are eating well, maybe exercising too, you get on the scales and the first week you lose two pounds, you pat yourself on the back, you’ve done well, it was worth all the effort. The second week, you do exactly the same positive things; you may have been trying even harder, however the metal box tells you ‘one pound lost’.

How do you feel, I can almost guarantee that you will feel deflated, unmotivated and wondering why you are bothering?  You’ve lost the celebration of your achievement of losing three pounds and wondering what you’ve done wrong.

So if you hadn’t got on the scales for four weeks and found you’d lost seven pounds, how would that feel?  Fantastic, it’s half a stone, you’ve done really well and you’re motivated to carry on because you’ve succeeded!

What you didn’t of course see were the fluctuations in your weight across the weeks, this is a perfectly normal pattern. You won’t necessarily lose the same amount every week whatever you do.   For women your hormonal cycle will really affect this too.  Also if you lose seven pounds across a month, you will feel it too, your clothes might feel just that bit looser, if you’re doing the right things why do you need the scales to tell you that? If you eat less and healthier and move more you will lose weight, that’s guaranteed.

And if you weigh yourself every day, well the issue is just amplified massively!

There’s something else too, when you lose weight, at the back of your mind is the total amount to want to lose or the weight you want to reach, it may be an enormous number.  So every time you get on those scales, you are reminded just how big that challenge is. Whilst knowing what you weigh at the beginning is important, we may perhaps need a shock to get us to change. To be reminded constantly can take the focus away from what you are actually achieving each week.

It’s too much to ask of yourself; you need to focus on much smaller goals, those that you can see as being achievable, losing a dress size or not getting out of breath going up stairs for example.  Try to find things that you could do in a month or so, it’s far better to succeed at a smaller goal than fail at a bigger one.

At the beginning you won’t be able to visualise what losing the big figure will look like, and the more you have to lose the more relevant this is.  If I had started out with the goal of losing six stones, it would never have happened, it is too big, it would have felt impossible, however getting into a pair of size 22 jeans seemed reasonable and achievable.  And to be reminded all the time how much I still weighed and how far off twelve and a half stone was, I don’t think that would have motivated me in the slightest!

So try weighing yourself only every month, if this is too hard at the beginning, the minimum should be every fortnight but do try to increase the time intervals if you can!

The figures you’ll then see on the scales will be much bigger and far more motivating.

If you start off not being a slave to the scales then you stand a much better chance of being able to sustain weight loss too, I know that my weight will fluctuate now, I’ve had periods of doing a lot more exercise or times when there have been holidays or events where I probably eat more than I would normally do, however by not getting on the scales I’m not feeling ‘punished’, my clothes might feel a bit tight, so I adjust my exercise and food again!  So I still don’t own any scales and a year on from the initial weight loss, it’s all still off and I feel wonderful!

I don’t need a pair of scales to tell me that! Go on, give it a go and see if it works for you!

I‘m Trudy Kelly, I’m 43, and I lost 6 stone in 14 months not being on a diet, I just followed a commonsense, very simple approach. I’m not a health guru, I’m an ordinary girl who has achieved what I even thought was unachievable. And I’ve written a blog about it. http://loseweightandkeepitoff.wordpress.com/

Well here you go then!

These tips will give you the edge to fuel your body, gain a little muscle and become leaner.

The basic building blocks of muscles are basically what are called amino acids, and these are found in protein rich foods. The best quality of protein you can get that is the protein that contains the most amino acids comes from eggs but you can also obtain quality protein from meat, fish, dairy products and soya. If you’re working out on a regular basis or simply would like to get leaner you need to be eating around 1.5g to 2g of lean protein per kilogram of your body weight per day and this is one of the reasons that protein shakes are so popular as they are an easy and convenient way to take in protein without having to chow down all the time.

To be able to power and also fuel your way through your workouts you also need carbohydrates and it always makes sense to have a post workout shake that contains two kinds of carbs, namely slow release low GI (glycaemic index) and also quick release carbs, high GI. Try to get most of your carb intake throughout the day from a low GI source as in wholemeal foods but after a workout you’ll find that a high carbs mixed with protein in the form of a shake is the quickest and easiest way to replenish empty muscles.

Believe it or not you also need a sufficient supply of minerals in your body in the form of metals. No I’m not talking about eating iron filings but eat foods rich in minerals like red meat and spinach. Having enough iron in your diet is important as it helps to oxygenate your blood which improves oxygen levels in your muscles and increases fitness. Zinc is also an essential component for energy and you can find it in shellfish, nuts and seeds. Magnesium is also a great idea and can be found in wholegrains, nuts, seeds and soya.

Timing is everything and the sooner you down your combined protein and carb shake after a workout the better. Your body is crying out for nutrients immediately after a workout and is also at its most receptive and try to eat a nice balanced meal about two to three hours after your workout to help the building and “leaning” out phase.

Exercising against resistance is also ideal for increasing bone density so make sure you’re also taking on board enough calcium which can be found in cheese and other dairy products. Just don’t overdo the double cream.

Just because you’re working out hard and regularly doesn’t give you an excuse to eat all and everything as it’s counterproductive to take in empty calories. Ditch the junk as every excess empty calorie will trigger a hormonal response of insulin and take it straight to your fat stores.

Taking regular doses of creatine have been scientifically proven to help get you leaner and work out for harder and longer in the gym and also help your muscles to look and feel fuller.

Try to avoid having a truly empty stomach as the energy stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen burns off after about 45 minutes of intense exercise and it’s looking for fuel sources. Body fat is hard to break down so your body will go to your hard earned lean muscle tissue for fuel first, that’s why it’s so important to fuel up before and after your workouts as this will preserve your muscle (your lean tissue) and help to burn fat!

Caffeine has long been proven to give you an energy boost pre workout and is also a fantastic fat metaboliser, so have a double espresso before you hit the gym.

Fitness and strength are fantastically good for you but all that exercise can also release free radicals into your body so it makes sense to eat your five a day because of the stress you’re putting on your body and system. It’s important to eat high levels of fresh fruit and vegetables for their high levels of anti oxidants which will help to repair any damage.

Best wishes as always Garth.

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continued….

1. If you find your energy levels beginning to flag in the afternoon go and take a walk in the fresh air. Physical activity oxygenates the brain faster than a chocolate biscuit and energises your cells for the rest of the day by supplying your brain and body cells with fresh oxygen. Hup two three four!
2. Might seem obvious but if you’re overweight, lose weight! Carrying too much weight around is hard work and can leave you prone to tiredness and irritability. Eat a sensible, healthy, balanced diet and feel those energy levels increase! Be good to yourself!!
3. In scientific studies it was shown that peeps with chronic fatigue were also likely to have blocked sinuses of all things! Clear those nostrils baby!
4. If biscuits, crisps and fast foods raise your LDL levels of cholesterol, why do it, bin the junk! These kinds of junk foods block the arteries and the flow of oxygen rich blood to the cells around your body. Dump the junk!
5. Socialising with your mates is an immediate feel good escapade. Socialising makes you feel happier, just remember not to overdo the partying and alcohol intake dudes!
6. Wahay! Here we go, have a laugh! Laughter has been proven to be the undoubted king of banishing depression and lifting moods. Laughter pushes away the energy sapping chemical neuroendocrine out of your brain. Chuckle brothers anyone?
7. If you’ve got high blood pressure it could be a cause of chronic fatigue and up to 60% of people have it without even realising it! Get yours checked today!
8. Vitamin D from sunlight which helps to boost your immune system, strengthen your bones and increase your energy. Go take a walk in the sunshine!
9. Stress is a killer and should be labeled public enemy numero uno! Next time you’re feeling under pressure or swamped at work or at your desktop feel better instantly by closing your eyes and breathing deeply for sixty seconds. Relax!!!
10. Keep reading my blog for excellent advice and tips! WAHAY!!!

If you’d like an impartial chat about anything relating to your lifestyle, confidence, stress, nutrition or wellbeing, please feel free to email me for an appointment and a NO OBLIGATION chat and we’ll see what we can sort out!

Like to know how your eating is affecting you? Gimme a call

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Want to turn your body into a fat burning furnace?

Want to do it fast, easy and as cost effective as possible?

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You ready for this?

1. I know you’ve heard it before but cutting back on the booze doesn’t do you any harm at all. The odd glass or two of beer or wine may be good for your heart and also relaxing you but as soon as you overdo it alcohol becomes a depressant and will also disturb your sleep. Even if you feel as though you’re passing out quite nicely booze prevents you from entering REM sleep the restful sleep phase and will probably give you disturbing dreams. Or is that just moi?
2. Studies have shown that being pummeled to oblivion by a woman in a white coat or even better your other half in a white coat (and nothing else) can seriously help you to overcome, headaches, anxiety and muscular soreness. Enjoy the pain pain!
3. To really fire up your metabolism and set you up for the day, exercise first thing in the morning, (no not that type of exercise). It will also release those wonderful feel good endorphins into your brain. Hit those weights!
4. Whatever time of day you do it, cycling, running, swimming or any form of cardio vascular exercise increases massively the energy producing mitochondria that fuels your cells. Go for it!
5. Science has proven that taking a cold shower (Brrrr) will flush lactic acid out of your stiff sore muscles after exercise and help to stimulate you for the rest of the day by increasing your circulation. Could be worth freezing for a few minutes!
6. And the complete opposite! Have a hot shower as again it’s been proven that more than two thirds of people feel much more energetic afterwards and it will probably make you happier than the cold one. The lesson here…take a shower!
7. Going to beddy byes and even just getting gone extra hour of sleep can help to counteract most kinds of sleep deficit and power naps definitely boost your brain power and improve your mental alertness and performance. Time for a kip?
8. Here’s the best part, having S E X definitely helps to increase your fitness and also energy levels. Wahay!
9. In this day and age of MP3s music is never far away. Music can relive stress. Until that tune that you always hate comes along!
10. Worrying about your age can help to increase those worry lines by all that frowning you keep doing. Think about all that S E X you’re going to have later and that will stop you worrying! If you’re lucky!

If you’d like an impartial chat about anything relating to your lifestyle, confidence, stress, nutrition or wellbeing, please feel free to email me for an appointment and a NO OBLIGATION chat and we’ll see what we can sort out!
Like to know how your eating is affecting you? Gimme a call

Subscribe or miss out!

Want to turn your body into a fat burning furnace?

Want to do it fast, easy and as cost effective as possible?

Subscribe to my newsletter and grab this great report – for free.