Rachel Recommends …

Why am I thanking Oprah?

Because through her magazine I was introduced to Eckhart Tolle.  Have you heard of him?

Add odd looking fellow, but that’s not the point.  The point is that I’ve gained yet another understanding of life - how important it is to remain mindfully aware of the present.

So how does Eckhart Tolle a German born author help me get back onto my weight loss programme?

Having read just one article and watched 2 videos on YouTube I have understood another basic truth.  Who we are is not our body and is not even our thoughts.  We are the deeper than that - who we are is who has produced those thoughts.  Those thoughts are just that - thoughts.

So if we can simply observe our thoughts and observe our bodies we are in a far better place to do something about the body we are in.

If our thoughts have lead us to producing the body we are living in, and if we realise that we don’t have to abide by our thoughts, we can change them.

So, here I am in the now about to eat.  I am present and I am aware of my thoughts.  I listen to them and decide whether or not to abide by them.

Will I eat healthily so that my body is nourished, or not?

Will I observe the desire for sweet food?  Will I wonder where the desire is coming from?  Will I observe my thoughts?

Quite simple but quite powerful.

I’ll let you know how I get on.

I’m not sure if anyone else is using Eckhart Tolle’s teachings for weight loss particularly, but I am.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Well, I’m now slap bang in the middle of a crisis stage in my weight loss program.

You know what it feels like when you’ve been away for the weekend and the weather’s beautiful and sauntering along the river’s edge with a group of friends you just wanted to join in so you had an ice-cream.  Then you find a little tea shop with exquisite home made cakes.  Your friends happily order gooey sweet food without a care in the world (or so it seems) and you just want to join in, don’t you?

A little voice inside your head says - go on, everybody else is enjoying the moment - it won’t harm.

But it DOES harm doesn’t it?  I don’t mean the ice-cream or the cake.

I mean the mind change.

Your mind is ready to slip back into its old pattern, and just when you’re enjoying your new body it starts slipping away again.

 STOP !  That’s what I’ve got to do.

Stop and think about what’s happening.  How did the mind do this?  One minute you’re feeling strong and happy, next minute you’re angry and fighting yourself again.

So, what’s the answer?

Writing it down.

Write down how you feel and why.  Then write down what you REALLY want.  Do you REALLY want to enjoy the summer without having to cover up and hide away?

I know I do - so I’m reigning myself back in again.  The ice-cream and cake was a very short lived satisfying moment but the long term anguish is simply not worth it.

That’s how I feel today.

Yes, I’m struggling.  So I think I’m going to listen to a weight loss hypnosis CD to see if I can recapture the strength I had back in December.

Here’s hoping.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

I’ve had a bit of a lapse.

But it’s good news really although at first I felt frustrated.

You see I haven’t lost any weight or any inches for over a month now.  I’m precisely at the stage that I usually give up.

You know what it’s like, when you’re beginning to enjoy your new body and it becomes the normal you…  Which is great except the normal you begins to eat bigger portions and the odd unhealthy snack. 

The good news is that for a month now I haven’t put ON any weight although I’m paying less attention to my food.

The even better news is that now I’ve stabalised I’m in a great position to begin stage two of my inch loss program.

It’s like starting again only I’m already half way to my goal. 

A great place to start.

I tell you what - having a blog to “talk to” is also a fantastic way of sticking to any change in habit.  I thoroughly recommend it.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

How was it?

Easter’s quite a difficult time if you’re watching your weight isn’t it?  Especially if you love chocolate.

I have to admit, I “cracked” - the egg, that is.  You see, it’s the irrisistible snap of the chocolate that you only get on a Cadbury’s easter egg that torments me.

So, yes I had some chocolate and thoroughly enjoyed it.  BUT and the big BUT is (well perhaps mine is still a big BUTT but it’s getting smaller) I didn’t abandon all hope and come off the healthy eating regime.  Read the rest of this entry »

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Click play if you’d like to watch my weight loss video diary.  Oh yes - Happy Birthday me !  43 today and loving it (no, really I love being in my forties.  I’m in control of my life at last.)

Watch Now:

 Flash Video [2:11m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

I’d only ever tried blueberries in muffins.

But, I’m trying all sorts of new food to keep the tastebuds happy while I shed the fat.  And blueberries hit the spot.

Why?  Well, it’s more the texture than the flavour which is pleasant enough but doesn’t pack much of a punch.

But the results are so satisfying when you sink you teeth into them.  A very satisfying pop.

Put a bit of pressure on and then the skin suddenly gives and the flavour hits your tongue.  Yes, very satisfying.

Take chocolate for instance.  For me, the best part is the snap before the smoothness.

I’m beginning to understand textures in food now which is a whole new world.

OK - time to glug down a smoothie…..

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

OK - I’m ready to gloat.

I am beginning to collect compliments wherever I go and I’m loving it.

Well, wouldn’t you?

One of the best was yesterday morning.

It’s half term so my sister and I met up for a coffee and a chin wag in the park while keeping an eye on her 2 youngsters.

I was a little late so Deb was already seated and waved hello but with a puzzled look on her face.   Read the rest of this entry »

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

I discovered a deceptively  simple little rule to follow which takes the headache out of choosing which foods to buy when you’re out doing the groceries.

You know, the days when you just didn’t get your act together so you’ve no meal plan for the week, and worst of all, no shopping list.

Well, first of all don’t even go down the tempting aisles - just don’t go there (but if you must, hold your breath so you can’t smell the bread, cakes and pastries).

And if you haven’t the time or energy to cook fresh food just this once then make a habit of checking the packaging of anything you pick up.

 What you’re looking for is the nutritional information.

Look at the list of nutrients and the typical values for the per 100g serving.  Now look for the fat.  Anything UNDER 5g (5%) fat content is OK to buy.  This is a low fat food.  Anything over 5g - put it back on the shelf.  No hesitation.

If you can train yourself to pick foods below the golden 5% fat rule, combined with a low GI rating (I’ll talk about that another time) then you’ll be well on your way to shedding those unwanted flabby bits.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Funny really, but despite being very interested in human psychology I’ve never really given much thought to hypnotherapy.  Perhaps I’d simply never come across the subject over the years until now.

I was reading a great book the other day and I wanted to share a few observations with you.

In this book it stated that the subconscious is where we get creativity and intuition, as well as emotion and rational/irrational behaviour.  The subconscious mind often has influence over the conscious mind.  One of the bad parts of the subconscious mind is that it sometimes draws illogical rationalizations that lead to dysfunctional negative behaviours.

It’s true isn’t it?  We have that little voice inside our head or sitting on our shoulder whispering all sorts of nonsense into  Read the rest of this entry »

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Here are a few more tips and tricks that keep me on track and I’m literally watching the thighs deflate!

It feels wonderful.

Here’s what I’m doing:

Read the rest of this entry »

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!