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I’m Linda McCroft, complementary therapist and weight loss coach.

For some this may seem an unusual combination.

Perhaps you’ll begin to see how the two are connected if I tell you that I don’t give advice on diet, nor what you can and can’t eat, but I use two of the most effective personal change methods available today, namely Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) to help people lose weight without dieting.

Have you repeatedly been on a diet, lost the weight and then put it all back on again and more as well?

This is very common as most ‘diets’ are built around quite a strict regime and after the initial motivation they quickly begin to generate feeling of deprivation and guilt.

It is very difficult to keep up this kind of eating for long periods, and once the diet is ditched people return to their previous eating habits.  In truth, nothing has really changed which is why the weight gradually piles back on and you start all over again.

Diets don’t work!

We all know this really.  If they did we wouldn’t have the only multi-million pound industry built on failure.  Each diet relies on the last one not to have worked and begins to reel you in with promises of losing large amounts of weight quickly.

“If you always do what you’ve always done – you’ll always get what you always got!” This is a well know phrase quoted by personal development gurus.  In other words, if various diets haven’t helped someone lose the weight and more importantly keep it off, do they really think a different/new diet will help?  Maybe it would be more helpful to try a different approach.

Diets have a fundamental part missing – they don’t tackle the reasons why people may overeat. More often than not those reasons are emotional, such as guilt, anxiety, anger, grief, boredom, sadness, overwhelm etc.   Those who eat as a result of emotions are looking for something, but not sure what and food fills the gap – at least for a short time.  But as the emotion itself hasn’t been dealt with the cravings soon return and the cycle continues.

The two kinds of hunger

Desire for food is driven by two distinct forms of ‘hunger’, physical hunger and emotional hunger.  The easiest way to tell the difference between physical and emotional hunger is to notice how long it took to become evident.  Physical hunger comes on gradually as your body gradually uses the energy provided by the last food/drink and then ‘asks’ for more.  Emotional hunger can come on in an instant. For example, you are busy and have no thoughts of food, then all of sudden you are distracted and your mind wanders to food. Perhaps you see someone else eating, or pass a bakery, or see an advert for a snack food.   You then think about what you really fancy and before you know it you have a craving that only chocolate, biscuits or some other comfort food will fill.

If you are really serious about losing your excess weight, give yourself a break.  Learn how to have a little of any food you want without feeling guilty.  Learn how to notice if you are physically or emotionally hungry and resolve to deal with those emotions that are causing you to over eat.

If you do this you will be much more likely to reach your target weight and keep the weight off for good as you will gradually develop the habits and behaviours similar to a naturally slim person.

You don’t need to deprive yourself….

How many slim people do you know who eat chocolate and desserts?  Lots!  Yes, because they only eat when their body needs fuel and not when emotions or other triggers induce cravings and allow foods to yell from everywhere ‘Eat me, eat me’!

You don’t need to deprive yourself or ban any foods, all you need is the ability to eat those foods only when you are physically hungry and be able to deal with your emotions in other way.  And the good news is there is a way to do just that, a way that is natural, safe and pain free.

Some tips to get you started

Do you want to finally be free to eat the foods you want, and still lose weight? Here are a few things to get you started.  Whilst they may sound like common sense, ask yourself truthfully how often you apply these principles of a healthy attitude to food.

1. Eat only when you are physically hungry. If you are not sure when this is then keep watching this blog site.
2. Sit down and eat everything from a plate – yes even a chocolate bar!  And eat slowly, paying attention to the flavours and textures of your food.  Don’t eat while watching TV as you may miss the signal that you have had enough.
3. Stop eating when you feel satisfied. If you are not sure, then you are full enough for this session of eating.  You can have more when you feel the sensation of physical hunger again.
4. Eat the foods you really want to eat. Yes, this also means chocolate and sweet things provided you only eat it when you feel physically hungry.

I have created this new blog site to share with you some of the best ways I know to help change you mindset so you can lose weight without deprivation. So to avoid missing out on all the tips and strategies I have in store please sign up to receive regular updates.

Until next time,