New
Year 2020 has come and gone, and many of the resolutions undertaken with such
gusto have already been abandoned. It doesn’t take much to derail the train,
does it?

There
is an abundance of sensible advice about all the ‘tips’ to make changes to long
standing behaviour, but as the good old saying goes: It’s easier said than
done.

Sure,
it can all start so well, but it can come undone just as easily, leaving us
frustrated and wondering why we seem to lack the strength of character to
resist the sudden urges that sabotage our efforts.

#1 Resolution – Weight Loss

Weight
loss almost always makes it to the top – or close to it – of any new resolution
list, often along with drinking and smoking, but chances are that unless you
possess a will of tempered steel, it won’t take long before you revert to old
habits.

As
guilty as the rest, I have been beguiled by the promises of the latest diet
only to find that after an enthusiastic start, which could even last a couple
of weeks or months, there is a sudden, irresistible, irrational pull back to
the old habits.

I
myself have discovered just how loudly chocolate cake can call from across the
room! Fortunately, there is a natural and healthy solution.

True Steps to Weight Loss

There are 3 steps to weight loss that I’ve
found very helpful, so let me share them with you.

Ditch the Diet

Extensive
research over the years (which people seem to be determined to ignore) shows
that diets make you fat.

Neuroscientist
Sandra Aamodt refers
to some of that research and cites mindful eating as the solution to
getting rid of excess weight. She is right, of course, but people still struggle
to stay on track:

• They can’t tell the difference
  between hunger and appetite.
• They let mood dictate when they
  eat.
• They allow themselves to buy
  things that can sabotage their efforts.
• They don’t pay attention to
  when they are satisfied/full.
• They don’t get enough sleep.

Discover Your Trigger and the Off Switch at the Same Time

There
is a surprisingly simple way to
rewire your brain to co-operate. People who have experienced the benefits of
hypnosis – the singer Adele recently amongst them – have been amazed at how easily they can sail
past what was once irresistible and make better choices about what they feed
their bodies.

It’s
essential that you become mindful of what prompts you to eat when you’re not
even hungry. It can be any number of emotions: possibly boredom, anger, depression,
anxiety, feelings of worthlessness, perceived scarcity, etc.

Identify
your trigger – the cause of your overindulgence – and this will let you deal with what has become
an ingrained habit.

Take Control of Yours Thoughts Now

Our
thoughts, which we revisit repeatedly every day (95% of our daily thoughts are
the same as they were yesterday!), ultimately control our feelings, which
control our beliefs, which in turn control our actions.

Once
we decide to break the cycle, we can deal with the destructive habits that
determine our actions.

Change
your thoughts and discover how the call of chocolate cake need not determine
your eating habits!

How often do you eat when you aren’t really hungry? Do you
contemplate having a treat more often than you need it? How many diet plans
have you followed to date? Do you think there’s a correlation between eating
habits and the brain? Please share your thoughts with our community.