OK the Title is a bit obscure but I'll explain myself. I came across an article today entitled Six Signs of Emotional Blockage. Blockage......All Bran.....get it??
The causes of excess weight are many and varied and emotions play a big role in whether we have our hand in the cookie jar all day. And the "shoulds" do an incredible amount of damage, whether they're directed to others or ourselves.
So read the article and see if you need a metaphorical bowl of All-Bran today. And if you do, have it with low fat milk!
http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/life/six-signs-of-emotional-blockage-20120830-251ye.html
Have a terrific weekend.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Self-compassion. What a concept!
I find so much self-directed anger and self loathing in clients when they first come to me. They are extremely harsh on themselves but would never be as unforgiving and inflexible towards other people.
This article talks about the benefits of self-compassion, and challenges the notion that if we are kind to ourselves we'll just mess up even more.
Take it to heart - it just might help you get where you want to go.
http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/article/developing_self_compassion?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRoivq3AZKXonjHpfsXw7OgqXaeylMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4JSstjI%2FqLAzICFpZo2FFcG%2FSUboFU8%2BNUH0S5VjTojKTeaIRLYg%3D%3D
This article talks about the benefits of self-compassion, and challenges the notion that if we are kind to ourselves we'll just mess up even more.
Take it to heart - it just might help you get where you want to go.
http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/article/developing_self_compassion?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRoivq3AZKXonjHpfsXw7OgqXaeylMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4JSstjI%2FqLAzICFpZo2FFcG%2FSUboFU8%2BNUH0S5VjTojKTeaIRLYg%3D%3D
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Yo-yo....so-so
We have been told in the past that yo-yo dieting can adversely affect one's ability to lose weight and keep it off. Well the jury's gone out and come back in on that theory now.
A recent study found no significant difference between those who yo yo dieted and those who didn't with their ability to successfully lose weight in the future.
"A history of unsuccessful weight loss should not dissuade an individual from future attempts to shed pounds or diminish the role of a healthy diet and regular physical activity in successful weight management," said the study's senior author Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D., a member of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division."
Woo hoo!!!! Phew! Now there's no need to give up before you start. You are not handicapped by past instances of weight loss and regain.
And just a little bonus....here's Yo Yo Ma (get it, huh, huh, get it??) playing one of the most beautiful cello pieces I've ever heard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCicM6i59_I&feature=related
A recent study found no significant difference between those who yo yo dieted and those who didn't with their ability to successfully lose weight in the future.
"A history of unsuccessful weight loss should not dissuade an individual from future attempts to shed pounds or diminish the role of a healthy diet and regular physical activity in successful weight management," said the study's senior author Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D., a member of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division."
Woo hoo!!!! Phew! Now there's no need to give up before you start. You are not handicapped by past instances of weight loss and regain.
And just a little bonus....here's Yo Yo Ma (get it, huh, huh, get it??) playing one of the most beautiful cello pieces I've ever heard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCicM6i59_I&feature=related
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Crazy Diets...with crazy creators
Dr Dukan - only opens his mouth to change "les pieds" (the feet) it seems. And the ones he's criticising are the ones he wants to buy his book and system. Despite the fact that lots of French people don't eat anything like the Dukan Diet and still keep trim - its their habits around eating (no snacking, no guilt, a "bit" of red wine, a good sense of self etc. etc.) that keeps them that way, not his steak and salad regime.
Hmmm, they've even decided he can't call himself a doctor anymore.
Any diet will work, temporarily. The multitude of rules and restrictions will get to us in the end, though. And then we'll blame ourselves, not the diet, when its really the diet at fault. Too complex, too restrictive, very "all or nothing" and so on.
Maybe the "mental problem" obese people have is that they don't believe what weirdo Frenchmen say!
http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/the-obese-have-a-mental-problem-20120821-24joa.html
Hmmm, they've even decided he can't call himself a doctor anymore.
Any diet will work, temporarily. The multitude of rules and restrictions will get to us in the end, though. And then we'll blame ourselves, not the diet, when its really the diet at fault. Too complex, too restrictive, very "all or nothing" and so on.
Maybe the "mental problem" obese people have is that they don't believe what weirdo Frenchmen say!
http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/the-obese-have-a-mental-problem-20120821-24joa.html
Now here's an interesting comparison...
"People in war zones tend to have more negative perceptions of their bodies." A quote from an article in Medical News Today that I spotted today.
This is an interesting point. And I imagine living in a war zone to have many more impacts on people's mental health, as well as the obvious physical health risks.
But, in a similar sense, aren't overweight and obese people living in a sort of "war zone"? (believe me this is not in any way an actual comparison - merely a philosophical/illustrative one) The constant rating related to size, the images in the press, the stares and judgement of strangers, is this not a sort of war zone? Then there's the workplace and employment discrimination.
And I've just received my Psychological Society magazine in which there's an article that mentions the increased sexual objectification of men - just like women have been experiencing for many years.
We are SO lucky not to live in a war zone. Why don't we refuse to make it a body image war-free zone too?
This is an interesting point. And I imagine living in a war zone to have many more impacts on people's mental health, as well as the obvious physical health risks.
But, in a similar sense, aren't overweight and obese people living in a sort of "war zone"? (believe me this is not in any way an actual comparison - merely a philosophical/illustrative one) The constant rating related to size, the images in the press, the stares and judgement of strangers, is this not a sort of war zone? Then there's the workplace and employment discrimination.
And I've just received my Psychological Society magazine in which there's an article that mentions the increased sexual objectification of men - just like women have been experiencing for many years.
We are SO lucky not to live in a war zone. Why don't we refuse to make it a body image war-free zone too?
Monday, August 20, 2012
The Motherlode!
All the daily dieting tips from the Beck Diet Solution in one location. Heaven!
http://www.beckdietsolution.com/daily-diet-solutions/
Enjoy!
http://www.beckdietsolution.com/daily-diet-solutions/
Enjoy!
Happiness vs. Unhappiness
This is a little off my usual target - but I like its simplicity and I also know how easy it is for overweight/obese people to make themselves unhappy.
The pursuit of happiness is as old as modern civilization. Books, elixers, religions, and philosophies are all devoted to it. Happiness is a quest, an obsession, and a universal aspiration.
But what does it take to be unhappy?
In some ways, it's easier than happiness itself. New research and much life experience offers a simple recipe for genuine discontent.
***
Buy things you can't afford or don't want. Either choice is a sure fit for unhappiness. When you buy things you can't afford, you go into debt, which limits the other choices available to you. When you buy things you don't want, you lie to yourself about the real source of your unhappiness.
Compare yourself to others. The love of comparison is the root of much misery. Therefore, judge your success or worth based on other people, especially those with a different background from you. Do this on a continual basis, always looking for a new idol or competitor in which your ideal unhappiness lies.
Take no joy in the journey. Focus only on the destination without appreciating the ride. Fail to celebrate small successes, and neglect to pause for reflection on how far you've come.
Respond instead of initiate. Take no responsibility for your schedule or preferences. Let other people set the agenda for your life. Take the lead for your schedule from your Inbox, voicemail, or someone else's demands.
Allow other people to determine your values and priorities. Set no compass point for your life. Drift in the wind. For best results, allow your values and priorities to shift as you waver between bosses or role models.
Refuse to challenge yourself. Take it easy and settle into routine. Choose to believe that all stress is bad and seek to live as relaxed a life as possible.
Whine and complain to anyone who will listen. Explain how the world isn't fair and how you would do things differently if you were in charge. Bonus: this practice also allows you to contribute to other people's unhappiness.
Focus only on yourself. Refuse to forgive. Hold on to grudges. See the worst in people. Do not give out free lunch.
Settle. Accept things as they are no matter how unsettling they might seem. It could always be worse, right? Live in the complacency of your situation and refuse to fight for something better.
***
Happiness may require more than pithy quotations on Twitter and a good sleep cycle, but unhappiness is fairly simple.
What would you add to the list?
The author is Chris Guillebeau who is a generous and clever online writer and entrepreneur.
So if he's succinctly identified what causes unhappiness, we only need to reverse it to grasp what will help lead to happiness.
Thank you Chris - sometimes we know something but need to see it written down to have it sink in. Plus I love the picture of the muddy, abandoned teddy bear!
The pursuit of happiness is as old as modern civilization. Books, elixers, religions, and philosophies are all devoted to it. Happiness is a quest, an obsession, and a universal aspiration.
But what does it take to be unhappy?
In some ways, it's easier than happiness itself. New research and much life experience offers a simple recipe for genuine discontent.
***
Buy things you can't afford or don't want. Either choice is a sure fit for unhappiness. When you buy things you can't afford, you go into debt, which limits the other choices available to you. When you buy things you don't want, you lie to yourself about the real source of your unhappiness.
Compare yourself to others. The love of comparison is the root of much misery. Therefore, judge your success or worth based on other people, especially those with a different background from you. Do this on a continual basis, always looking for a new idol or competitor in which your ideal unhappiness lies.
Take no joy in the journey. Focus only on the destination without appreciating the ride. Fail to celebrate small successes, and neglect to pause for reflection on how far you've come.
Respond instead of initiate. Take no responsibility for your schedule or preferences. Let other people set the agenda for your life. Take the lead for your schedule from your Inbox, voicemail, or someone else's demands.
Allow other people to determine your values and priorities. Set no compass point for your life. Drift in the wind. For best results, allow your values and priorities to shift as you waver between bosses or role models.
Refuse to challenge yourself. Take it easy and settle into routine. Choose to believe that all stress is bad and seek to live as relaxed a life as possible.
Whine and complain to anyone who will listen. Explain how the world isn't fair and how you would do things differently if you were in charge. Bonus: this practice also allows you to contribute to other people's unhappiness.
Focus only on yourself. Refuse to forgive. Hold on to grudges. See the worst in people. Do not give out free lunch.
Settle. Accept things as they are no matter how unsettling they might seem. It could always be worse, right? Live in the complacency of your situation and refuse to fight for something better.
***
Happiness may require more than pithy quotations on Twitter and a good sleep cycle, but unhappiness is fairly simple.
What would you add to the list?
The author is Chris Guillebeau who is a generous and clever online writer and entrepreneur.
So if he's succinctly identified what causes unhappiness, we only need to reverse it to grasp what will help lead to happiness.
Thank you Chris - sometimes we know something but need to see it written down to have it sink in. Plus I love the picture of the muddy, abandoned teddy bear!
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