Weight Loss Guru

When I was at school, our biology teacher told us a story of what happens when you put a frog in boiling water. I have no idea why he did, but it’s interesting from a behavioural perspective. In the same way as if you or I were put in a bath of boiling water, the frog will jump straight out. He will then be petrified of going anywhere near the water because he knows how hot and uncomfortable it is, which is understandable. So how do you get a frog to stay in boiling water, assuming you have a good reason for doing that? Well, you put the frog in water of a comfortable temperature and then gradually heat up the water: the frog gets used to the rise in temperature so stays there even when the water is at boiling point. Unfortunately the frog is unlikely to be able to survive and will die but doesn’t jump out because he doesn’t realise how much danger he’s in because he’s got so used to it.

With the hundreds of people with whom I’ve worked, I see a similar pattern in how people look after their health: people collect unhealthy habits, none of which seem that bad in isolation but over time they add up to be really painful. Just as the frog doesn’t realise how the temperature of the water is getting dangerous, many people don’t realise how their gradual decline in health is dangerous. For example, someone may start by putting on a bit of weight; then their excess weight makes it harder for them to breathe; this is followed by high blood pressure; and they then end up with Type 2 diabetes. At each stage, it’s ‘one more thing to cope with’, ‘a bit of bad news’, or, simply, ‘bad luck’: but, rather like heating up the water one degree at a time, this person eventually finds themselves in boiling water but doesn’t realise how serious it is. If they had suddenly gone from fine to poor health overnight, they would have noticed the significant change in how they felt: but because their health problems have been gradually building up, they don’t realise how far removed they are from perfect health. The good news, however, is that, even when you’re sitting in boiling water, many health problems can be reversed simply by changing your behaviour

I do come across some strange things in my life - one of them was the other day when I walked past a sandwich shop only to see these packages of food. It kind of takes synthetic, processed foods to another level!

I am sure the real sandwiches in this shop were great but it got me thinking that so many people don’t realise that if they eat lots of packaged and processed foods that they’re probably not getting the necessary nutrients to be healthy.

You may have heard that apparently there are about as many obese people in the world as there are those who are starving. The difference between these groups is that one is overeating and one is under-eating: the similarity is that both are malnourished. Whilst those of us in the developed world have more than enough to eat, the food we’re eating is less nutritious than it used to be. In addition, we lead more stressful lives than we used to and our bodies need vitamins and minerals to help us recover from stress: so we are suffering both from how we live and what we eat, or rather what we don’t eat. Every process that takes place in our body (such as digestion, fat burning, thinking, breathing, walking and talking) requires vitamins and minerals. If we fill up on junk foods, processed foods, sugary foods, deep fried foods and takeaways all we deplete our body’s stores of nutrients. If we don’t replenish our stores, over time, we suffer from poor immunity and, ultimately, ill health; we’ll find it harder to concentrate and process information; we’ll have less energy; and we’ll find it more difficult to metabolise food and burn fat. The good news is that we can reverse this process. When we eat fresh, natural foods, we top up our stock of vitamins and minerals.

Let’s imagine for a minute or two that it’s mid-afternoon and you are hungry. You fancy a snack and you have two choices: an apple and a chocolate bar. What does each option give you? The apple will give you a steady release of energy; vitamin C, which is good for your skin, bones, blood and building immunity; potassium, which helps to regulate your water balance, blood pressure and your heartbeat; and fibre, which keeps your digestive system healthy and helps reduce the risk of colon cancer. The chocolate bar, on the other hand, will give you a sugar hit, which will cause your energy levels to crash; saturated fat, which increases your risk of heart disease – and nothing of any value. When you look at foods like this, don’t you think there’s little competition between them?

Food manufacturers refine foods to make them last longer and so they’re more profitable; but you deserve better than that. No matter what you might think about your body or how long you’ve been abusing it with poor quality food, your body deserves to have fresh, nutritious, natural food.

If social pressures to eat have brought you down in the past and you find it hard to say “NO” it doesn’t matter. You’re free to make up a whole new set of rules for dealing with situations in the future. Your circumstances might not change, the people around you might not change. But you can change!

So why do we find it so hard to say NO when we are offered tempting food? There are few reason for this, one being that we don’t want to hurt other peoples feelings when they offer us something. Another reason is the simple fact that these foods taste great and give us a high. In the western world most people eat, not because they are hungry, but because food stimulates their senses and makes them feel good.

We're biologically driven to feel good and our brain seeks out pleasure. Food fits the bill for a lot of people a lot of the time and this is why so many waistlines are expanding.  To help you, the next time someone offers you something and you are not hungry, stop for a moment and ask yourself the question “Do I like this food enough that I want to wear it?” Then picture this food on your thighs or on your backside. I am sure this will make you think twice and make it easier for you to say the magical word “NO”

In my last post, I was discussing the stuff we are made of and how important it is to eat food that helps our minds and bodies work to their optimum.

I know that, for so many people, this is easier said than done because as the pressures of modern day living increase, we can be left feeling squeezed from all directions. Many people respond to these pressures by reaching for food as a means of changing how they feel and a way of gaining an energy high. In a working environment, this may often be sugar or caffeine-laden, which can set in place an energy roller-coaster of highs and dips. If we use the motor car analogy, it is easy to ‘fill up’, but that doesn’t mean that we are nourishing ourselves. In essence, we are storing problems for later life.

Just because these products generate instantaneous energy and people use them, doesn’t mean they’re good for you. Relying on sugar doesn’t move you in the direction of generating energy from within. Sugar takes your power away by making you believe that you can’t do it alone. Before our minds became tainted with ideas of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods, we were able to tell what our body needed. I want to share with you a technique that will help you to regain this ability. Like any exercise, this needs to be practised until you naturally make healthy food choices based on your body's needs.

Think Before You Eat

First of all, think of a possible portion of food. Imagine smelling that food, tasting it, feeling it in your mouth and then imagine swallowing it.

• How would this food make you feel half an hour after you’ve eaten it and then an hour afterwards?
• What do you imagine this food looks like inside your body?
• Does it give you energy or take energy away?
• Do you feel tired or bloated?

If you think this is a food choice that your body needs and you think it will give you energy, put the item on to a mental list. However, if you don’t think this food will see you happily through the next few hours, then discard it.

Repeat the process with two or three other portions of food, or until you find something that feels right for you right now.

People who have used this technique over a period of time have found that they have rediscovered a better relationship with food and make better food choices.

You might also want to check out the 'Think Before You Eat' video resource from my weight-loss-program here at YouTube
See you again soon. Pete :)
 

Did you know that each one of us is made up of roughly:

63% water
22% protein
13% fat, and
2% minerals and vitamins

And, did you realise that every single molecule in our body comes from the food we eat and the water we drink. So eating the highest quality food in the right quantities helps us achieve our greatest potential for health and vitality.

Yet among the big news stories of the new millennium was this: the number of starving people in the world is now roughly equal to the number of clinically obese people. But the irony is that many people in the developed world are actually eating less than they used to, so what’s going on?

I have seen, over the last twenty years or so, that the quality of food we’re eating has got worse and there is now more focus on highly processed foods. The people I see in my one-to-one clinics and in workshops and seminars seem to be more stressed and very inactive. It appears that we are more obsessed with how we look rather than what we eat.

The sum total of this behavior is that we are gradually eating ourselves to death and, believe it or not, many people who are overweight are actually suffering from the same condition as people who are starving. Yes, MALNUTRITION, The reason being that the processed packaged food is often so heavily refined that it’s lacking in the vitamins and minerals we need for our bodies to work well.

Just as the quality and type of fuel used in your car influences both the performance and longevity of the engine, so the quality and type of food you eat influences the health, performance and longevity of your body.

If your diet contains lots of packaged and processed foods then chances are you are missing out on vital nutrients - so it’s time to cleanse your body. Every  single process that takes place in your body - including digestion, fat burning, thinking, breathing, walking and talking - requires vitamins and minerals.

When you eat fresh, natural foods, your stock of vitamins and minerals gets topped up: quite simply, when you eat well, your body works well.

As we lose touch with real ‘live’ food, it becomes harder to form the association with the vitamins and minerals in food and the realisation that we are alive because of them. Our body requires them to survive, so if we keep eating food that is lacking in them, our body’s stocks of these nutrients become depleted so we will start to malfunction and it will become increasingly harder to concentrate and process information. The  body will have less energy and it will find it more difficult to metabolise food and burn fat. That’s why junk foods are often called ‘anti-nutrients.’ They literally attack your stores of nutrients and damage your health.

So commit to giving your body what it needs, including good food and plenty of activity, and I will help you along the way, giving you encouragement, support and guidance.

Until next time

THE AVERAGE BRIT SPENDS 5 ½ MONTHS IN THEIR LIFETIME WORRYING ABOUT THEIR SNACKING HABITS!

I was recently asked to be a spokesman for The Fair Trade Nut Company. They wanted me to comment on their research that reveals Britain is a nation of ‘underground snackers'. The research shows that the average Brit spends an astonishing five and a half months in their lifetime worrying about these ‘indulgences’.

Snacking has become a well-hidden secret for the nation with nearly one in two (49%) of respondents admitting that they consciously choose to eat between meals when no one else is around. More than a quarter (27%) go a step further to conceal their covert snacking by hiding wrappers from loved ones.

It seems as a nation we have cause to worry; over two thirds of UK adults admit to regularly helping themselves to crisps, biscuits and chocolate between meals. The majority (84%) snack once or twice a day but a very peckish 12% snack three or more times a day.

Despite all the worrying and secrecy, snacking makes just a quarter of people happy, 32% said their between meal treats made them feel instantly guilty, a further 23% said it made them feel naughty.

It appears that the healthy eating messages we all see and read every day haven’t had the required effect. They have sent the average snacker underground, sneakily eating when no one is around with some even stashing their wrappers out of sight, rather than encouraging us towards healthier eating habits. The underground snackers make it even worse for themselves by worrying themselves silly about their diet. The truth is; there is nothing wrong with having a couple of snacks a day. But, if people want to lose weight and eat healthier then more of these snacks need to be a healthy protein-based snack like nuts, seeds, or fresh/dried fruit. By replacing your un-healthy snacks you’re giving your body an excellent nutritious boost between meals, which keeps you alert and energized, rather than the super-high followed by an energy-slump that you get from eating snacks that are loaded with calories, are often processed (packed full of nasties), and will spike your blood sugar levels.

The research highlighted that the main trigger to snacking is not hunger but boredom – nationally 51% of respondents claimed they reach for a quick bite when tedium gets the better of them.

It’s important to eat when you are hungry and not go for long periods without eating foods, as this causes our blood sugar levels to drop and our bodies then desire instant energy. These quick energy foods including; fizzy drinks, cakes, chocolates and crisps are so readily available and just too easy-to-grab in times of need. I suggest that you carry with you, or have to hand, snacks that will keep you satisfied and give you good energy and nutrients when you need them. I keep a mixture of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit in a little plastic container in my car and in my bag, and I always make sure I keep it topped up.

Remember to only eat small amounts of nuts at one time as they tend be high in fat. Also it’s best to go for the unsalted and un-roasted variety.

What's in your snack stash? Or do you admit to being an unhealthy 'underground snacker'?
And what about in the US? - Surely you're a bit more chilled-out about this sort of thing? Or not?

This'll make you laugh, or perhaps not... Includes The Tapeworm Diet, The Russian Air-Force Diet, The Hallelujah Diet and many more shockers

Published on Tuesday February 26th , 2008, By Jessica Hupp
Some people will do anything to lose weight, even if it means defying common sense and nutrition. But just because your best friend's cousin lost 20 pounds by drinking hot-peppered lemonade doesn't mean you should do the same. These 25 diets are not only ridiculous, they're ineffective and even dangerous.

It's just extraordinary the lengths some people are prepared to go to to lose weight!

From a petecohen.tv weight-loss programme member:

"I have realised that I AM a couch potato. When I was younger, I was aways running, jumping, dancing - I was never still and I was a lovley and slim size 10 (this was in my thirties so I know it is achievable again). But the past few years I have developed this habit of sttiing completely still watching TV or working on the PC - I have become a totally immobile, couch potato. What is my exercise of choice? Watching TV with a glass of red wine and snack - cheese / salami / crisps - easy to see how the weight slips on, isn't it? And the half hearted exercise I was doing served no purpose other than to maintain my late night drinking and snacking habit. God, thsis hard to write, feels almost like a confessional........... I am trying to say I am finally off my a*se and using the exercise tool - I did 30 mins on the cross trainer last night. after about 10 miutes the duck had to be firmly shut up - it was whispering to me "you've done enough now, deal or no deal is on TV..So I shouted " SHUT UP!!!!!! And I did it, the full 30 minutes, I DID IT!!!!!And I am going to do it again every other day. It's a real breakthough for me and I am so grateful to Pete for getting me moving again. The rest of it is going great, got in to those tight trousers hanging in my wardrobe. Not weighing myself till end of January as I feel the scales have very negative connotations for me. I am measuring waist etc as some clothes feeling loose now."

This girl gets a very well deserved Pat On the Back from me! Live the dream :) 

Scary Stuff: 

LONDON (AFP) — Britons are the world's biggest fans of fast food, just ahead of Americans, while famously gastronomic French are the least attracted by quick meals, according to a study published Wednesday.

America's reputation as the home of fast food is under threat from the British, who are more addicted to burgers, chips and pizza than any other nation in the world.
    
Despite fears over an obesity epidemic, a survey has found that Britain's relationship with junk food has become even stronger than that enjoyed by the US, traditionally known for its devotion to all things deep fried.

A poll of 9,000 people in 13 nations found almost half of British respondents would be unable to give up fast food.

Some 45 per cent of those surveyed in the UK agreed with the statement "I like the taste of fast food too much to give it up", while 44 per cent of Americans said they would be unable to shun burgers, pizzas and chicken wings.

Telegraph article >