Category: goals

12 Stone Lighter!

Here's some truely amazing feedback from Diane Stephenson - what a success story! Thanks Diane for sending this through and becoming an instant inspiration!...

12 stone weight lossDIANE WRITES: In August 2002 I finally started to get to grips with my weight issue.  I’d either been overweight, or perceived myself to be, for all of my life and at that point weighed almost 24 stone.

My first step on the journey was to give up my major vice – chocolate.  By having to think about what I wanted to snack on, as I couldn’t just grab for my automatic panecea to all ills.  This meant I started to lose a little bit of weight and I joined a gym and started going 3 or 4 times a week.

In April 2003 my job was made redundant and I knew I would have more time available for a while, until I found another job, so I started working out with a personal trainer to make sure I was working in a way that would help me achieve my goals.   I also had time on my hands and found a book that had been recommended to me called Slimming with Pete by Pete Cohen.
I found this book amazingly helpful – it was light, entertaining reading but also drove home some powerful points including:

  • Are you really hungry?  For me this was really helpful as historically I was an emotional eater – angry, scared, depressed – chocolate would sort that out!!!?
  • Think about what you eat – don’t do something else at the same time.  Since doing this I really notice that I eat much quicker when I’m watching TV than if I’m sitting at the table and putting my cutlery down.?
  • Avoid habitual eating – do you need to eat popcorn at the cinema because that’s what you always do?

There were many more helpful points but 5 years on these are what have stuck in my mind.  I was always determined not to go on a diet – I knew I needed to eat in a more balanced and healthy way and stop obsessing about food, whether it was good or bad or, in eating it whether I was good or bad.  I needed to learn that food is just that – it’s how we think about it that gives it so much power.  There are very few foods that are “bad”, mostly it’s just about balance.

Pete’s book Life DIY is also really helpful from a goal setting point of view and helping to think about where you want to be.

Five years down the line I’m 12 stone lighter and far fitter than I ever thought I could be.  I’ve run two half-marathons and run regularly, often for relaxation as I find it to be a great stress-buster.  My average week includes running, spinning classes, Body Attack and Body Pump classes, Pilates, Tai Chi, horse-riding as well as working out in the gym.

The whole process has led to a passionate interest in health through food and I am currently studying for a diploma in Nutritional Therapy with the Institute of Optimum Nutrition with a view to helping others. 

Diane Stephenson

 

 

P.S. Sorry i haven't been around much this mad month of May - so busy...
More blogging in June i promise!! :)

Money Money Money

Does it make the world go round?
Is it the root of all evil?
Can it not buy you love?

One thing certainly is for sure: Too many of us are in debt!

Commercialism and consumerism have become the alters that we all kneel to and increasing personal debt is price we now pay. It is estimated that our personal debt is increasing by  £1 million every four minutes!

Such is our urge to spend on the latest gadgets, exotic holidays, ideal homes and those ‘must have’ shoes, thousands of us are looking at a debt sentence of 77 years before we’re back in the black.  According to research giants Mintel, UK consumer spending has hit the £1 trillion mark for the first time. From this evidence it would appear that we are happy living in debt, whilst toiling hard to pay off our mortgages, loans and credit cards. Yet the dramatic increase in personal bankruptcies and the high rise in those seeking counseling for debt suggests the contrary.

Let's examine your relationship to money and finances.

I'm not setting out to give you tips on how to reduce your debt or increase your income as there are numerous books and television programs dedicated to such issues. Instead I will focus on your attitudes towards money, wealth, debt and abundance. My aim is to facilitate a change in the way you think and feel about money. This shift in consciousness can help manifest a change in your actions, which in return will provide a change in your rewards.



M is for MONEY

I can’t take HIS money
I can’t print MY OWN money
I have to work for money, why don’t I just lay down and die?

Homer Simpson



Some people see money only as energy, it’s neither good nor bad, it is neutral. The economic world attributes a value to it and as a society we place a value upon it. As an energy it follows a path that we lay down for it, if we allow a flow it will create more, if we let the flow stagnate, then so does our financial health.

Without money the western world would not survive and so it follows that the more money you have the more choices you will have in life. Below I have listed some statements relating to money, read through them and note how many resonate with you.

How many of the following resonate with you?


•    A penny saved is a penny earned
•    Money only comes from hard work
•    Money doesn’t grow on trees
•    Save some for a rainy day
•    Money is the root of all evil
•    My parents were poor, and I will be poor
•    Money goes out faster than it comes in
•    Rich people are crooks
•    I will never get a good job
•    I will never make any money

If any rang true for you, they may well be getting the way of you reaching prosperity. REMEMBER: you only manifest in your life what you consciously think about and focus on.

Now your task is to question where those beliefs came from and why you still choose to hold on to them.

 

And the result of my weigh in is...

From another highly-inspirational petecohen.tv weight-loss programme member:

"And the result of my weigh in is - - - I've lost 11.5lbs in 4 weeks! Only another 16.5 lbs to go till I reach my previously unattainable goal, now it is so close I can feel it, I just want the time to pass so I am "there", but I have already waited 20 years, I can wait a bit longer. In 8.5lbs time I will be the lightest I have been for 19 years and that is my next mini goal. This is fab, espeically as I had to kick myself up the butt to get myself moving and scream at that lazy duck to shut itself up many times. I already have got in to my tight work trousers, and today you probably heard my whoop of joy as I got in to a pair of cargo pants I bought a couple of years ago and have not been able to get in to previously. I measured myself also and have lost 2" off my bust (dropped 2 bra sizes!), 1.5" each off waist and hips and 1.5" off each thigh. To say I am pleased is an understatement, Pete you are a miracle worker, what you have done for me is just wonderful. I am repeating the programme again as there is so much in it, I hear new things every time I play one of your videos. It was the best "click" I ever made that led me to find your programme. Thank you so much!"

I can't wait to hear more! :)

Wish List

Well January 2008 is well and truly here. How goes it in your world?

Have you set any new resolutions yet?
Add them to the comments if you have!

A while back, I set out my mini-guide for a great year, which included making a commitment to look after yourself, making yourself a priority, and having loads of fun. With that commitment in mind, I encourage you to put together a wish list of all the things you would like to achieve this year.  Something amazing happens when we write down what we want.  I remember about ten years ago, I was at a workshop and we were asked to write down all the goals we wanted to achieve. I wrote down:

I want to write several books.
I want to live in a quiet and peaceful place.
I want to appear on TV,  inspiring and motivating people.

 

Now the strange thing is that I didn't really think about this list very often until a few years ago, when I was clearing out some of my possessions.   Amongst them, I found the book that I had written this list in and, to my amazement,  nearly everything I had written down as a goal had come true.

Let me tell you about a study by Yale University on goal setting that was carried out in the 1950's. The researchers surveyed those who graduated in 1953 to determine how many of them had specific, written goals for their future - only 3% of them had. Twenty years later, the researchers surveyed the surviving members of the original group and found that the 3% who'd set goals had accumulated more personal financial wealth than the other 97% of the class combined! Whilst goal setting and happiness are not all about money, this anecdote shows how powerful we can be when we set our mind to something.

The Challenge

This can work for any kind of goal, no matter how small it may seem. So I challenge you to get a piece of paper and write 'The sky is the limit' at the top of it: then take five minutes to write down a list of all the goals you want to achieve.  Whatever they are, just get them down on paper and then put it away somewhere safe. You can look at it every now and again but, as you can see from my story, you'll probably forget about it after a while: but it doesn't matter. Your focus will be set on those goals and, before you know it, they will become reality.

One small action

Some people feel intimidated by their own desires and, if they've experienced failure in the past, they might even feel anxious that they can't achieve them. If you're one of those people who feels worried or scared about your goal, just take a small step towards it. Do one thing - no matter what it is - that gets you that little bit nearer to what you want.  By taking even the smallest action, you will build momentum and confidence in yourself and, before you know it, you'll be on a roll.

Let's work together - as I hope to provide you with inspiration and tips over the next year to help you achieve your hopes, dreams, goals and ambitions. 

What's Goin On

Happy New Year to you all!

This time is always a bit of strain for so many people.  To me, it's always been a bit of an anti-climax. I can remember festive periods gone by when everything seemed to slow down, people had fun and enjoyed some rest and some time with friends and family. It was a time where many people had a chance to reflect and think about the year ahead. This seems to be almost impossible today because of the crazy pace of life we live. There are so many pressures in this commercial world we live in.  I couldn't believe, on Christmas Eve, reading a newspaper advert for a sale in a big store that was starting on Christmas day on-line. What's going on?

In the past, I've gone away at this time of year and had a quiet time escaping the parties and spending some quiet time with close friends. I always take time to think about the year ahead and focus on what's important.

"What's Going On" is a song by Marvin Gaye, it's about the difficulties and hardships people face in this sometimes mad, bad and crazy world. One of the lines in the song is "there's got to be another way"

So let me ask you, "What's going on in your life?" and "How do you feel about your life?" These might seem like deep questions but what I am encouraging you to do is to reflect and ponder about your life and what's important to you. Check out my mini-guide to a great 2008 because there is another way:

 

What about you? Have you got anything that you think would be fundamental to making your '08 Great? I look forward to your comments...

Take care,
Pete

New Year - New You

Hi there to you all and I hope you have had a good Christmas and are looking forward to 2008.

This is the time of year when many of us think about New Year resolutions. The common-most being to lose weight and get fit.

If this is one of your goals and if you haven't already checked out www.petecohen.tv, then have a look. It's a unique 21 day programme designed to help you develop the powerful and positive habits that will not only help you lose weight, but give you the tools you need to keep the weight off.

It's a great time to take a free trial and join up as the price is going up on Jan 1st.

Have a look at what some of the people who have been following the programme for the past few months have said:

"In 21 days I've lost a couple of pounds and a some inches, but, more importantly, I've learnt more about myself, particularly that I can do things differently. New habits are forming and I am nurturing them..."

"...I am relaxed and discovering new pleasures. I deeply dislike diets. I like to eat. I have never ate with such pleasure. I learnt to eat slowly and this made all the difference. I also love freedom. In this sense, I am much more free. I decide what I will eat instead of eating without choice.."

 

New Year's Goals

I recommend that if you do want to break a habit this year or achieve a goal or goals then your first port of call would be to write down anything you want to achieve.

When we truly focus on something, we are much more likely to achieve it  - whether it's gaining a job, buying a house, acquiring a qualification or having a harmonious relationship. By sending a message of desire to our brain, we start to make pictures of what we want and, in turn, we begin to take action in order to make it happen. Similar to a builder having an idea of what a project will look like when it's complete or a hairdresser knowing what style they want to create before they start cutting, we can all design the future we want - and then set out to obtain it.

If your goals are about things that you need in your life and will benefit you and others, you'll feel happy when you achieve them. But if you set goals just because you think you should, or to please other people, you may not feel that special even when you do achieve what you set out to do. It's important to ask yourself "What's in it for me?" and "What will happen if I don't manage to do this?"

I really hope you have a good New Year's and and even better 2008!

Set Goals

How to achieve your goals

Hi, I've got something for you to try:
Imagine stepping out of your front door not having a clue where you want to go.
Try it...

I'd probably just stand there for a bit, feeling vacant and not knowing which way to turn, maybe I'd wander aimlessly round in circles a bit (if no-one was watching) before slipping stealthily back indoors (if anyone *was* watching)

Now, is this a slightly mad thing to do? Maybe, yet so many of us amble through life in this way without any kind of direction or purpose. You can let life 'take care of itself' and you may well be OK; but most people would like a bit more of a guarantee that life will not only be OK - but that it will be great!

So, you know that when we focus on something, we are much more likely to get it - whether it's a job, house, car, weight loss or even a relationship. By sending a message of desire to our brain, we start to make pictures of that and, in turn, we do what we have to do to make it happen.

But, unfortunately, not all of us are focused on positive outcomes. Most people are obsessed by what's wrong with them and what's missing from their life - why is that!? They don't put their attention on what's great, what's working and what resources they have to create even more happiness and success.

We should all try setting more goals so we don't end up feeling vacant on the doorstep again :)

Special thanks to Raymond Camden for this blog platform: BlogCFC.