No More Rabbit Food

Feature Article

The Goldilocks Eating Plan Is Not A Good Strategy

We all know what we need to do with dieting – eat less and exercise more. But it’s so-o-o-o difficult!

Of course there are all sorts of wheezes and tricks you can use to make it easier on yourself.

Eat regularly throughout the day so you don’t go hungry and then overeat (saving your calories for evening does not work).
Have protein at your main meals – this seems to help with appetite control.
Eat real food, not processed stuff. If it doesn’t look as if it grew on a plant or ran around a field, don’t eat it.

But for many of the people I work with this is not enough. I can understand why. They are people who, in other spheres, are extremely successful, competent and organised. They have their lives under control apart from eating.

And as they are successful people they are used to doing things well. They want the perfect diet (should I eat 3 big meals a day … or six small ones?), the perfect exercise plan (Aerobics? How much? How often?).

The trouble is, seeking perfection gets in the way of getting stuff done. They can only do it if it is “just right”. This kind of thinking was fine for Goldilocks – all she was choosing was a bowl of porage and a bed for the night. And she didn’t have that many choices open to her.

But wanting your diet plan to be “just right” before you change your eating habits may be a way for you to avoid change. Your eating plan doesn’t have to be perfect – if it wobbles either side of OK it will do the job.

Your exercise plan doesn’t have to be honed with the precision used by an Olympic athlete. Putting one foot in front of the other a bit more quickly than you do now would be a start.

You can refine your plan as you go along, but if you wait for it to be perfect before you start you’ll never get anywhere.

Find a sensible plan (you don’t really think those “lose 20lbs in a week” diets work, do you?) and get on with it. Just get on with it and success will follow. You wouldn’t follow Goldilocks’ example in other areas of life (Going uninvited into other people’s houses? Raiding their kitchen supplies and snooping round their bedrooms?) So don’t wait for it to be “just right”. Eat well and get the exercise you can – better to start now than wait until you can work out the perfect plan.

With a background in biochemistry I was initially interested in how to boost metabolism to promote weight loss and how to feel satisfied after eating – what the nutritionists call “satiety”. All of these things are important for weight loss but for many people the biggest change comes about when they conquer their emotional eating.

I know this because as a child I was stocky, and then became chubby, then fat! I hated exercise and loved food. And my love of food went way beyond physical hunger.

I still love food, but now I know how to enjoy and how to set limits around it – all without feeing deprived.

With a training in coaching and NLP as well as my knowledge of biochemistry and nutrition, I am ideally placed to solve your problems with emotional eating.

Liz’s credentials…

Degree in Natural Sciences form the University of Cambridge (that’s where I get my biochemistry knowledge).
Degree in Nutritional Therapy (that’s where the nutrition knowledge comes from).
Module leader in Masters Level Module Tackling Obesity at the Centre for Nutrition Education & Lifestyle Management. On this module I lecture on the biochemistry of eating and starvation, satiety mechanisms, stress and obesity and emotional eating.
Fifteen years experience as a herbalist and health coach.
Practitioner level qualification in NLP, Coaching and Stress Management.

And, most importantly, a love of food and a passion for health, wellness and vitality!

The information in this newsletter is not intended to replace medical advice. If you feel you need to lose weight and you have any medical problems please consult your doctor before starting a diet.

No More Rabbit Food Weight Loss Tips For People Who Love Food 6 June, 2008 Issue 6
In This Issue... A Note from Liz: Get ready for summer... Feature Article: The Goldilocks Eating Plan Is Not A Good Strategy Liz Recommends: Sunshine! Recommend No More Rabbit Food Find this ezine valuable? Why not recommend it to a few friends? If you know of a friend or colleague who'd enjoy this newsletter, simply click on this link to tell them! Forward-to-a-Friend A Note From Liz Hello! Today I’m going to introduce you to summer, or at least what summer we get in between showers. Our road is an official public footpath (there is not a separate footpath to keep people and cars apart) and in the rain it turns into a river! But I’m hoping that now it’s June we’ll get some sun between the showers. Fortunately my weight loss strategy is all year round, so read on! Liz Feature Article The Goldilocks Eating Plan Is Not A Good Strategy** We all know what we need to do with dieting – eat less and exercise more. But it’s so-o-o-o difficult! Of course there are all sorts of wheezes and tricks you can use to make it easier on yourself. Eat regularly throughout the day so you don’t go hungry and then overeat (saving your calories for evening does not work). Have protein at your main meals – this seems to help with appetite control. Eat real food, not processed stuff. If it doesn’t look as if it grew on a plant or ran around a field, don’t eat it. But for many of the people I work with this is not enough. I can understand why. They are people who, in other spheres, are extremely successful, competent and organised. They have their lives under control apart from eating. And as they are successful people they are used to doing things well. They want the perfect diet (should I eat 3 big meals a day … or six small ones?), the perfect exercise plan (Aerobics? How much? How often?). The trouble is, seeking perfection gets in the way of getting stuff done. They can only do it if it is “just right”. This kind of thinking was fine for Goldilocks – all she was choosing was a bowl of porage and a bed for the night. And she didn’t have that many choices open to her. But wanting your diet plan to be “just right” before you change your eating habits may be a way for you to avoid change. Your eating plan doesn’t have to be perfect – if it wobbles either side of OK it will do the job. Your exercise plan doesn’t have to be honed with the precision used by an Olympic athlete. Putting one foot in front of the other a bit more quickly than you do now would be a start. You can refine your plan as you go along, but if you wait for it to be perfect before you start you’ll never get anywhere. Find a sensible plan (you don’t really think those “lose 20lbs in a week” diets work, do you?) and get on with it. Just get on with it and success will follow. You wouldn’t follow Goldilocks’ example in other areas of life (Going uninvited into other people’s houses? Raiding their kitchen supplies and snooping round their bedrooms?) So don’t wait for it to be “just right”. Eat well and get the exercise you can – better to start now than wait until you can work out the perfect plan. Liz Recommends Sunshine! Or at least daylight. Don’t bake in the sun but do get yourself out in the sunshine each day. You’ll be able to make some vitamin D, which helps make our bones strong and may help prevent certain cancers. Sunshine also makes you feel good. For extra health benefits, take a walk while you make your vitamin D. Try 10 minutes at lunchtime. About Liz I have been looking after people’s health for over fifteen years. With a background in biochemistry I was initially interested in how to boost metabolism to promote weight loss and how to feel satisfied after eating – what the nutritionists call “satiety”. All of these things are important for weight loss but for many people the biggest change comes about when they conquer their emotional eating. I know this because as a child I was stocky, and then became chubby, then fat! I hated exercise and loved food. And my love of food went way beyond physical hunger. I still love food, but now I know how to enjoy and how to set limits around it – all without feeing deprived. With a training in coaching and NLP as well as my knowledge of biochemistry and nutrition, I am ideally placed to solve your problems with emotional eating. Liz’s credentials… Degree in Natural Sciences form the University of Cambridge (that’s where I get my biochemistry knowledge). Degree in Nutritional Therapy (that’s where the nutrition knowledge comes from). Module leader in Masters Level Module Tackling Obesity at the Centre for Nutrition Education & Lifestyle Management. On this module I lecture on the biochemistry of eating and starvation, satiety mechanisms, stress and obesity and emotional eating. Fifteen years experience as a herbalist and health coach. Practitioner level qualification in NLP, Coaching and Stress Management. And, most importantly, a love of food and a passion for health, wellness and vitality! The information in this newsletter is not intended to replace medical advice. If you feel you need to lose weight and you have any medical problems please consult your doctor before starting a diet.
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		Weight Loss Success Tips No Ice Cream But Try This... I love ice cream, especially the home made, rich in cream and vanilla pod kind. One day I’ll go wild and include a recipe. But for now (calm down there) try this. Mash a ripe banana and freeze in a small pot. You can eat this from frozen as a substitute for ice cream. Banana is rich in potassium and fibre. I don’t normally recommend very ripe bananas as they are too sugary, but this is an occasional treat. For extra oomph add one drop of good quality vanilla essence before freezing. Enjoy! Bad Joke! Very bad joke heard at the college where I lecture: (If you get offended by bad taste jokes look away now) Q. How do you lose ten pounds instantly? A. Chop your head off. Ouch!! Geek fact – the human head weighs about 10 pounds. After that joke I want to publicly state I love you all and do not think that you need to lose bits of anatomy to lose weight.

		Foodie Fact While on the subject of porage, take a look at oats. They are rich in fibre, fill you up and will keep you full till lunch and could lower your cholesterol. If you don’t like porage, use raw uncooked oats and add to muesli (which tends to be very wheat-based). Even better, make your own muesli – a handful of oats, a couple of teaspoon of raisins and a nut/seed mix of your choice. Be careful about quantity – this stuff is very filling. But it’s a great way to start your day!
		Bust Bad Food Habits Does that Danish have your name written on it? (I mean the pastry, not some Scandinavian hunk). Bad food habits can be real diet busters. Try the Bad Food Habits Buster. This is available as a stand-alone session or as part of the Weight-Less Health Plan. Take a look at the Bad Food Habits Buster now, and be on the way to a slimmer you.
©Tranzformations 2008 www.tranzformations.co.uk

Weight Loss Tips For People Who Love Food

6 June, 2008 Issue 6

6 June, 2008
Issue 6