Weight Loss Guru

 Hi there 

Please have a look at my latest new video post about how to deal with the pressures at Christmas. 

A problem human beings share is a tendency to fall for the ‘see food’ diet.  Our primitive genetic coding sometimes tells us when food’s available, just incase there’s a shortage tomorrow – and if crispy, golden, succulent goodies confront us at every street corner, we don’t always stop to ask our stomach if we are genuinely hungry.

Of course this weakness has been fully exploited by the big diet companies and the supermarkets too.  The shops are full of products claiming to be low fat or low calorie, but they aren’t really the slimming solutions that they appear to be.

How do you define slimming food? An orange? An avocado? A chicken salad? Or is it a pre-packaged ready meal with low-fat written all over it that looks very much like high-fat, deep fried product we’d actually prefer to eat? Are we really going to change our eating habits permanently by drinking three imitation chocolate milkshakes everyday for a month? Or are our bodies going to be even more confused when we finally give up the pretend party food and start introducing weird stuff like fish and tomatoes and brown rice?

Another problem with special diet foods is that, in order to make them taste as good as real food, a lot of sugar or chemicals have to be added.  So a low-fat label often means high sugar.  A Sunday Times article in February 1999 by Steve Farrar and Tom Robbins revealed that many leading slimming products (including diet drinks) are simply loaded with sugar which can be addictive as well as harmful; according to the same article, refined sugar consumption could be responsible for the deaths of 3000 British women a year with heart disease.

And for chemicals, well, that’s a controversial subject and the jury is still out on a lot of them.  But in the meantime it’s safer to stick with the simplest and most natural basic ingredients instead of putting stuff in our bodies that we haven’t  learned to deal with.

So, weighing up the evidence, it seems that the best thing about diet meals is that they are much more expensive than real food so you probably can’t afford to buy as many of them.

So Why Do We Keep Doing It

The great thing about banging your head on a brick wall is that it’s so wonderful when you stop.  Of course, you may already have caused yourself a permanent injury…

People with problems are anxious and afraid that things will get worse – so the one thing they are reluctant to do is change, which, of course, is exactly what they most need to do.

In spite of the fact that dieting makes them miserable and doesn’t provide a permanent solution, it’s familiar territory.  It can also be expensive and difficult, and that gives them confidence.  Desperate people will believe anything – and if nothing’s worked in the past it’s reasonable to assume that they have to try harder and spend more money next time round.  Of course, this opens the door to a lot of bizarre and even fake diet plans, as well as the usual calorie cutters.

What do you think?

Hi everyone 

It seem people and especailly woman are constantly reminded that being beautiful is more important than anything else in the world. We are told that in order to be happy, successful respected and to have good relationships, we have to look good. And, sadly, the desire to be beautiful undermines our self-esteem because it values us by standards we can't control. Age catches up with everybody in the end – although if you're wealthy you can hold it at bay for a bit longer than everybody else.


Here are some alarming facts;


Pressures To Be Perfectly Slim

Over a twenty year period, the Playboy centrefold lost 25 pounds until she weighed 18 per cent less that the medical ideal for her age and height. The weight of fashion models plummeted even further to 23 per cent below that of ordinary women. In the Miss World contest a few years ago, the average contestant was below the US standard weight for anorexia according to height.

Recent BMA research found that many currently popular models and actresses only have 10-15 per cent of their body composition as fat compared with 22-26 per cent for a normal, healthy women.

It's estimated that 85 per cent of Americans have dieted. Hundreds of thousands of other women are undergoing cosmetic surgery, stomach stapling and liposuction.

In the 1994 Glamour survey of 33,000 women, three-quarters of the respondents regardless of age, income and education, reported feeling overweight, although only one quarter could be classified as truly overweight.

In a study done in a hall of distorting mirrors it was found that women were much more likely to believe the mirror that made them look fatter than the mirror that accurately reflected their size or made them thinner.

And the tragic part of it is ideal women get smaller, real women get bigger, so the dissatisfaction gap is widening all the time.


Winners and Losers

The reason why some people succeed and some people don't is less to do with luck or talent than how they think. Obviously, in sport, some people have more potential than others, but at the top, the physical gap between the champions and the also-rans is very small. It's the mindset that makes the difference.

So what's the difference that makes the difference between success and failure? Well, there isn't one, there are quite a few.

Successful Slimmers know when they've had Enough

A lot of successful slimmers finally win their battle when they eventually get fed up with feeling fat and guilty. They've had enough so they are left with no choice but to change.


Successful slimmers are willing to take responsibility for what they eat and how they live. They don't need external rules; they eat and exercise accordingly to how they feel. And they can do that because they are back in touch with what their bodies need.

What do you think?

Hi there 

The following article was published on the web site Medical News Today

According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), eating a meal quickly, as compared to slowly, curtails the release of hormones in the gut that induce feelings of being full. The decreased release of these hormones, can often lead to overeating. 

"Most of us have heard that eating fast can lead to food overconsumption and obesity, and in fact some observational studies have supported this notion," said Alexander Kokkinos, MD, PhD, of Laiko General Hospital in Athens Greece and lead author of the study. "Our study provides a possible explanation for the relationship between speed eating and overeating by showing that the rate at which someone eats may impact the release of gut hormones that signal the brain to stop eating." 

In the last few years, research regarding gut hormones, such as peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), has shown that their release after a meal acts on the brain and induces satiety and meal termination. Until now, concentrations of appetite-regulating hormones have not been examined in the context of different rates of eating. 

In this study, subjects consumed the same test meal, 300ml of ice-cream, at different rates. Researchers took blood samples for the measurement of glucose, insulin, plasma lipids and gut hormones before the meal and at 30 minute intervals after the beginning of eating, until the end of the session, 210 minutes later. Researchers found that subjects who took the full 30 minutes to finish the ice cream had higher concentrations of PYY and GLP-1 and also tended to have a higher fullness rating. 

"Our findings give some insight into an aspect of modern-day food overconsumption, namely the fact that many people, pressed by demanding working and living conditions, eat faster and in greater amounts than in the past," said Kokkinos. "The warning we were given as children that 'wolfing down your food will make you fat,' may in fact have a physiological explanation." 

Other researchers working on the study include Kleopatra Alexiadou, Nicholas Tentolouris, Despoina Kyriaki, Despoina Perrea and Nicholas Katsilambros of Athens University Medical School in Greece; and Carel le Roux, Royce Vincent, Mohammad Ghatei and Stephen Bloom of Imperial College in London, United Kingdom. 

What do you think?

HI everyone 

There can only be one member of the month for this month and that's Mandie. She is an inspiration and goes from strength to strength.

Mandie has done so well on the programme and has given her words of wisdom and support to so many people on our blog weightlossjournals.petecohen.tv/.

You can hear Mandie in her words by listening to a pod-cast I recored with her recently.

Please make any comments for Mandie below

Hi everyone 

Welcome to the third in a series of three pod-casts  with Health and Fitness Professional, Ben Pratt.

The  first pod-cast is called "What is an Exceptional Diet " and  the second is called "Are Carbohydrates Making you  Fat".

The last in the series is called "Is Stress Making You Fat". Here we discuss how stress affects the body and in addition we look at how eating different types of oils can affect your health and well being.

To find out more about Ben and his products and service then have a look at his web site 

www.naturalfoodfinder.co.uk

www.nutritions-playground.com

Please make a comment if you find this pod-cast useful

Hi everyone 

Welcome to the second in a series of three pod-casts  with Health and Fitness Professional, Ben Pratt. In the first pod-cast we discussed "What is an Exceptional" and I highly recommend that you listen to that one before you listen to this on.

In the pod-cast below we discuss why eating certain types of carbohydrates can seriously effect our ability to lose weight and effect out health and well being. 

To find out more about Ben and his products and service then have a look at his web site 

www.naturalfoodfinder.co.uk

www.nutritions-playground.com

Please make a comment if you find this pod-cast useful

 What’s a Weight Loss Athlete?

Athletes can either be good, great or exceptional. The same is true for people who lose weight.

GOOD

GREAT

EXCEPTIONAL

    * Listen to the pod-cast.  Click here to listen

Well Done Gem!
You are April's Member of the Month!

There are so many great success stories on PCTV  at the moment and there are many worthy winners. This month one of our regular bloggers has caught my eye. Her name is Gem and she is our member of the month...

She has lost 12lbs. 8.5 inches from Hips, Waist & bust.

This is her testimonial in her own words:

I can remember my brothers challenging me to beat them in the "Who can eat more Weetabix" competition when I was a little girl..... I won of course! and my prize?? well now I realise my prize was bitter sweet because I have now pin pointed that as the starting point in my life's struggle with overeating. 
 
I was such a skinny little thing but by the time I was 10 years old I was like a squashy little ball all curly hair and rolls of puppy fat.  By the time I was 16 I was 5ft 3" and 12.5 stone.  My brothers called me their "Circular Sister" and kids in school used to sing "Return to Slender" & shout "Is it a bird? is it a plane? Nooooo it's Germaine" ...... taunts which I laughed off in great spirit outwardly whilst I sobbed inside.
 
Ay 16 I decided enough was enough, I joined a slimming club with my mum & Dad and with strict calorie counting and my eyes firmly on the prize "A Boyfriend" I shed 3.5 stone from May to September. GREAT!
 
I kept at a healthy weight until I was in my mid 20's when due to a crazy social life the weight started to creep back on.  I got married to my husband in 2000 and walked down the isle having panic shed 2 stone in about 8 weeks (not very healthy)  I put on over half a stone in the first week of my honeymoon, I just dived head first into that great trough of mindless eating. 
 
Just after our wedding I was diagnosed with a prolactinoma (an imbalance of the Pituitary Glad) ... I'm still not sure if the condition itself caused my weight to shoot up OR more likely I used it as an excuse to feel sorry for myself and seek comfort in food Hmmm???  Following a short course of treatment I found I was pregnant with our first son Reuben (now 5) having a bit of an obsession with the scales, (you might find it odd that I insisted on getting weighed every day), I weight in at 15st 4lbs, just before he was born weighing a tiny weeny 5lbs 6 oz!! ..  Three years later (May 07) I gave birth to our youngest son Gabriel, again I hauled myself onto the scales, my eyes nearly popped out when I saw that I weighed 16st 3lbs!!! WOW!  Gabe was born weighing 7lbs, 8oz.
 
I spent a lot of last year asking myself questions and thinking about a solution. I looked into every diet under the sun, dismissing them one by one for the simple reason I LOVE FOOD and I didn't want to give up eating what I wanted.
 
I can't remember what I was doing on my computer but On Friday the 13th of Feb 09 (Always been a lucky number for me) I was googling something and up popped a link for Pete Cohen, head cocked to one side I thought hang on a minute this looks like it could be what I've been searching for.  Half an hour later without a seconds hesitation I bypassed the free trial and signed up there and then for six months worth of 21 day cycles.
 
Three hours later and a mountain of ironing lighter (PHEW) I clicked on the activate button.  Every day I wake up and the first thing I do is go to my emails where I know an email will be sitting waiting for me from Pete, I click on the link which takes my to my members area where I will spend about 5 to 10 mins watching the video of the day, followed by the Brilliant Relaxation & Transformation MP3 either straight after or later in the day (depending on time) I spent the 1st Cycle ....... more to follow

Here's Gem's entries on the weightlossjournals at petecohen.tv

To be in with a chance of winning next month - all you need to do is to keep blogging and I'll be looking out for people who are making progress and positive changes in thier lives.

Take Care,
Pete

 Dear Friends,

I've got some really exciting news for you. I have been working on a series of fantatsic new audio products focusing on different areas of your life to give you all-round support in helping you have the life you want.

In these turbulent times - we all need a bit of support and encouragement to help us achieve our goals and overcome those things that are holding us back.

Here are some of my exciting new titles that can do just that and they are at credit crunch prices which will help you get the most out of your life at an affordable price...

• Goal Setting and Raising the Bar on Your Health >>
  
  
• Sort Yourself Out >>
   
• Ditch the Diet and Think Yourself Slim >>
  
  
• Have Supreme Self Confidence and Boost Your Self Esteem >>
   
• The Secrets to a Happier and More Fulfilled Life >>
   
• Your Guide to a Super Healhier Life >>
   
• The Secrets of Exercising to Lose Weight and the Power of Movement >>
   
• Sort Your Life Out Slimming - 3 part series >>

For more information on this products and to download them now simply click on the following link

http://www.audible.co.uk/aduk/site/audibleSearch/searchResults.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&Ntt=Sort+Your+Life+Out+Ltd&Ntk=S_Provider&N=0&source_code=SYLP0001WS111808UK

     
             

I'd love to hear what you think of them so please do leave a comment on this post and let me know

All the best,
Pete.