Weight Loss : It's Routine

Losing weight is a battle, a struggle, a pain, right? That's most people's experience whatever diet they follow.

And nearly everyone finds keeping the weight off is even harder.

There's no doubt about it, the majority of diet and fitness regimes are hardly a bed of roses. And those pills, patches and potions, which are supposed to make it easy, are either dangerous or don't do what they promise.

So how CAN you make this easier?

The answer lies in your routines.

What you habitually do shapes you - quite literally. If you habitually go without breakfast and stuff your face at 11am with cookies because you're starving, you'll end up with one kind of body. If you habitually have a yogurt and fruit on waking and take an apple to eat at 11am (when you'll still be starving) you end up with another kind.

If you habitually walk everywhere your shape is likely to be different than if you jump in the car to go a mile down the road.

Routines are just patterns of behaviour. Things we feel comfortable doing once we get used to them. We don't even have to think about them. They're easy for us - automatic.

The answer to easier weight loss AND KEEPING IT OFF then , is in adopting the right routines and habits so that we don't even have to think - we just do whatever is good for our shape - automatically.

The skill is in moving from one set of routines (the kind that keep you overweight) to another - the kind that will result in weight loss and then weight maintenance for the rest of your life.

An all-out drastic lifestyle change rarely works, but if you gently change your habits and build them gradually, taking on changes that you are happy to live with for life, then you WILL find a permanent automatic solution to your weight problems.

What routines are you following today? What small changes could you make which would be your first steps to permanent natural weight loss?

Now it's time to take action and change your habits step by step to lose that weight!

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Get her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

Weight Loss : Are you Determined Enough to Succeed?

Determination separates the winners from the also-rans in almost every field. Without the strength of will to succeed, it's difficult to make the effort when you just don't feel like it.

And with the pace of modern life there are generally a lot of times when our energy is flagging and it's easier just to sit on the sofa in front of the TV and order take-away than do anything like cooking a delicious healthy meal or going out for a walk after dinner.

If you think back, you'll probably see that whenever you succeeded at anything, you were determined to achieve whatever it was you set out to do. You decided to do whatever it took and you did it.

This may even have applied to times when you lost weight in the past. You lost weight by being determined to do so, but the problem is you just put it all straight back on again unless you were equally as determined not to gain weight.

So how do you increase your determination? Or is it just something you are born with and can't change?

Your level of determination is not fixed at birth, but it does have to come from you. No one else can be determined to lose weight and keep it off on your behalf. But there ARE ways in which you can increase it.

• Be absolutely crystal clear about what you will gain from losing weight and staying slim. Why do you want this? Think about all the reasons you want it for you and not just for others. Write down your list of reasons and review it morning, noon and night.
  
  
• Whenever you have a spare moment visualise how you will look when you lose weight and imagine how you will move, what you will wear and, above all, how good you will feel.
  
  
• Strengthen your belief in your ability to succeed by telling yourself often that you CAN do this. Success is up to you and you can do it. It doesn't matter what has happened in the past - you can succeed this time.

Reinforce your determination in these ways several times a day. It takes very little time and effort for something that makes so much difference.

But the real trick comes with what you do next and this is a missing step in many self-help/success type processes.

Straight after you run through these little exercises to strengthen your determination, take some kind of action towards your goal. It needn't be a huge step or take much time at all.

You can look for and plan healthy meals, go shopping for healthy food, get your gym kit ready, get changed into your running gear, do a few tummy squeezes, climb a flight of stairs or whatever. Just seize the moment.

This then generates momentum all of it's own. Reinforcing your determination and belief leads to successful action which leads to being more motivated and having even more belief in your success. A happy "unvicious" circle!

Try it and you'll see your determination (and with it your chances of success) soar.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Get her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

Easy Ways to Lose 10lbs

Each pound of fat is made up of about 3,500 calories. Eating just 50 calories less than you need each day and you'll lose 5lb in a year without really trying. And if you move just a little bit more each day (50 calories worth of exercise is not hard for anyone to fit in) another 5lbs will disappear.

Each of the following will save or use at least 50 calories (and often a lot more)! Of course if your weight is slowly creeping up with your current habits these changes may just stop the weight gain in its tracks - but they will still mean that you weigh 10lbs less than you would have done had you made no changes. Remember and check with your doctor before you start any diet or exercise program.

10 easy ways to eat less

1. Stop putting butter, margarine or mayonnaise on your sandwiches.
   
2. Measure just one tablespoon of dressing on your salad and toss instead of pouring on liberally.
   
3. Choose the child's meal when you eat fast food.
   
4. Drink water or herbal tea instead of alcohol, sugary drinks or juice.
   
5. Get used to no-fat skimmed milk in your coffee and on your cereal.
   
6. Trim the fat from all meat and avoid eating the skin on poultry.
   
7. Have a slice of pizza with salad instead of the whole pizza.
   
8. Have a single chocolate after dinner instead of dessert.
   
9. Give up baking and buying pastry, cakes and cookies.
   
10. Reduce your portion sizes by just 10% - you won't even notice and it will save a whopping amount of calories.

10 easy ways to move more

1. Walk for 10 extra minutes a day.
   
2. Go window shopping in your lunch hour.
   
3. Climb stairs (or use a step) for just 7 minutes - you don't even have to do it all at once.
   
4. Clean and tidy your home for 15 minutes every day.
   
5. Do 15 minutes stretching or yoga every morning.
   
6. Have a swim.
   
7. Play a ball game with your kids for 10 minutes.
   
8. Get a dog.
   
9. Go dancing.
   
10. Do some strength-building exercises during the commercial breaks on TV.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Get her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

The Best Fat-Burning Exercise for Couch Potatoes

If you're a committed couch potato, it's no good pretending you are going to get yourself to the gym five days a week starting from Monday.

As much as I would like to give you a whole gym routine to perform - a balanced blend of cardio, strength training and stretches - I know that this is too much for most people to cope with in one fell swoop.

The amount of effort involved may be so alien and overwhelming that you would not begin at all or you might very well follow the routine this week or this month then quit defeated and retire to your couch vowing never to exercise again. To go from couch potato to regular gym-goer overnight takes a will of iron (or a personal trainer on hand to keep you hard at work for every session).

Instead, I advise baby steps for couch potatoes - literally - because the very best fat burning exercise for beginners is to put one foot in front of the other - it's walking.

You can start at any level. You can walk anywhere (even around your home). You can walk with anyone - take your dog, your partner, your kids or go it alone (as long as you keep to safe places). You need no special equipment other than your normal clothes and a comfortable pair of shoes. You don't have to get to the gym, get changed and showered afterwards. You can fit it into your day easily even during your lunch break. Check with your doctor if there's any doubt about your health but there are very few who would not benefit from walking.

Start with as little as 10 minutes (or even 5) a day. It doesn't matter - everyone has to start somewhere. Make it easy for yourself to get the walking habit by starting gently then very gradually increase your distance and your speed. You'll feel the benefit in your fitness levels very quickly as you do so.

Right from the start you'll be burning additional calories every minute you walk and you'll gradually reach the optimum level of exercise for fat burning too - it only takes walking at a moderate to brisk pace for 25 to 30 minutes or so to be in the right range for burning fat.

You'll be amazed at how good a few minutes walking makes you feel about yourself if you don't usually exercise. And it's a very simple way to get the exercise bug. Who knows - before long you may be hankering to try the gym too!

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

Feeling Down about Having to Lose Weight?

Do you have that sinking feeling about needing to lose weight and being forced to go hungry and eat nothing but dull diet food?

There's no need to be gloomy - you can eat deliciously and have more than enough food to stop you from being hungry all the time and still lose weight.

1. Divert your Food Budget

Whatever money you save by not eating out, buying take-aways or splurging on chocolate and snacks, spend on special healthy foods from the delicatessen such as exotic fruits, smoked meats or lobster. Delight your taste buds with the finest foods instead of bombarding them with sweet or salty fattening snacks and meals.

2. Try New Recipes

Avoid boredom by eating a variety of foods and not going for the same old safe diet options. Try new foods and recipes. Actively seek out light dishes you'd like to try and experiment a bit. Look for new ways to serve everyday foods you like and you'll end up eating more delicious meals than you ever did before.

Vary your lunches as well as dinners. Replaces the boring old sandwiches you usually buy at the local shop with home-made healthy mixed salads including lean protein and whole grains.

3. Choose Filling Food

It's important that you don't get too hungry while you lose weight. Raging hunger and no healthy food on hand is a situation guaranteed to have you reaching for the nearest fattening snack. Make sure your meals are filling enough to last until your next meal or snack without overloading on calories.

Typical dietary advice is to fill up with vegetables or salad but that's difficult if you're not a fan. If you don't like vegetables, get a healthy filling quota anyway by adding them to soups and stews (in pureed form if they're really not for you).

Also eat the whole grain varieties of carbohydrate foods so that you get the advantage of a slower release of energy along with the bulk they add to your diet. For snacks choose fruit and a little lean protein to provide a balanced slow-release of energy to keep you going to your next meal.

4. Make every Meal an Occasion

When you're trying to lose weight it helps to focus on the food you're eating, to eat it slowly and enjoy every mouthful. You have to register that you are eating. We often fail to do that when we mindlessly pop food into our mouths standing at the fridge - we feel unfed and still hungry in our minds.

Always sit down to eat and avoid distractions like reading, TV and answering your email during your meal. Set the table every evening, use your prettiest china and glassware and make your meals something to look forward to - an occasion rather than just an opportunity to wolf down whatever is available and quieten hunger pangs as fast as you possibly can.

5. Plan to Succeed

Before you go food shopping plan ahead for the next few days so that you know exactly what you need to buy. Don't let yourself get diverted from your list. It's a lot easier to avoid the temptations of buy-one-get-one-free pizza if you have a range of delicious, nourishing and filling foods to look forward to by sticking to your list.

Include at least one emergency meal on your list for those occasions when you find you get home unexpectedly late and are too tired to cook the one you'd planned. If you always keep eggs in your fridge and whole meal bread in your freezer you can whip up an omelette on toast. Or choose some of the better ready-made meals that keeps well in the fridge or freezer such as the quality chilled soups or pasta sauces now available in the shops.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

"Kaizen" for Weight Loss

The Kaizen method was developed in Japan as an effective way of achieving huge improvements in business. In it's simplest form, it just means implementing small improvements one after the other. Each tiny step in the right direction builds to a significant improvement over time but without the business having to handle the chaos of a massive transformation.

The method works, because businesses are run by people and it is in the nature of people, in general, to feel uncomfortable with sudden massive change.

And what works for the transformation of a business works for the transformation of a person too!

Diets fail, exercise programs fail for most people - we know that. They fail because they demand you take huge steps to transform your life.

Nevertheless you give it your best shot, because you want the end result. You go from eating fast food and fries with everything to wall-to-wall lettuce and cucumber. You give up spending your evenings on the couch in front of the TV and work out on the equipment at the gym 5 nights a week instead.

You're highly motivated when you start. But soon your enthusiasm wanes and you slide back to how things were. Making huge changes overnight is just too difficult.

The "kaizen" way of losing weight, on the other hand, means making a single small change at a time. You just keep going with it until it feels quite natural. Then you add another and another and another. Don't you think it would be easier to transform your body and your life permanently like that?

If the "make-sudden-mega-changes-in-your-lifestyle" diet and exercise programs you've tried in the past have never actually worked for you on a permanent basis, then why not try a different approach?

This time write down a whole list of all the changes you want to make. Break those changes down into tiny achievable pieces then put them in place one step at a time - the "kaizen" way. It just has to be the easiest way of achieving a new shape.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

Dieters: Are you Feeding your Inner Rebel?

Many diets and weight loss programs impose strict rules about what you can eat and what you must avoid at all costs. They tell you when to eat and how much. They say fat (or carbohydrate) is the enemy of a slim body, and that it must be counted and limited. They tell you to avoid snacking or to eat every 2 or 3 hours, without fail. They specify cabbage soup every day for a week or allow you virtually nothing but grapefruit or eggs. And they want you to exercise 5 times a week when you haven't moved a muscle in a decade.

But you know that rules are meant to be broken. The very fact that they are rules imposed by an outside weight loss "authority" means that they will be.

Rules bring out the small child in you who wants to touch the forbidden ornaments on your aunt's hall table and stay up when its bedtime. You become the rebellious teenager who wants to party when there's homework to do.

During your weight loss program, nothing makes you want food more than forbidding it. "Can't have chocolate cake. Can't have fries" leads you to think of nothing else. Enforced salad or soup means that these are the last things you actually want to eat.

And when you do succumb, as you inevitably will, to the chocolate cake, you feel guilty rebellious pleasure in breaking the rules you feel have been unfairly imposed on you. "Why me?" you ask yourself "It's not fair. Why do I have to follow these rules? Everyone else gets to eat cake."

So forget the rules!

"Forget the rules?" you cry "I'll go mad and shovel in everything in sight. I'll be fatter than ever."

Somehow it doesn't work like that if you treat yourself as the adult you are.

Take responsibility for learning about healthy food and nutrition. And once you have the information you need, make your choices from the huge range of delicious food out there. Don't label any food good or bad. Just select from all that's available with a mindset of being good to you, good to your body and how you want to feel.

And yes, sometimes you will select the chocolate cake. But once you treat yourself as a responsible adult rather than a child to be kept in line and punished, you will find you enjoy the cake and go on to make healthier choices at your next meal, happy in the knowledge that nothing is banned, that there will always be more cake if you want it in the future.

Feed the adult in you and not the rebel child!

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

Weight Loss : 7 keys to success

Successful weight loss is about much more than buying the latest diet and exercise program. You have to have the right mindset to make any weight loss program work. Without the right attitude you will have an uphill battle to succeed - but if you get your head together before you begin, and keep yourself in the right frame of mind throughout your program, you multiply your chances of losing weight successfully.

So what is the right attitude to ensure you succeed? Ideally you need all of the following:-

1. Absolute desire

You have to want a new slim figure and better health more than that piece of chocolate cake. Work out why you want to lose weight and remind yourself every day (every meal time if necessary) why you are doing this.

2. Willingness to change

You have to want to lose weight so much you're prepared to change your attitudes and your lifestyle little by little until you're living the life that keeps you slim and healthy forever.

3. Commitment to do this for once and for all

Make a firm decision to achieve your target, put it in writing and re-read it every day. Constantly renew your commitment to yourself.

4. Knowledge of yourself

No matter what your circumstances, you need to accept that you are responsible for your current weight. Only you can say what passes your lips and what doesn't. Only you decide how much or how little you move every day. You need to understand the reasons why you put on weight in the first place so that you can undo those habits. You need to know your weak spots and look for the best ways to work around them, knowing what you know about you and your lifestyle.

5. Self-belief

You must know in your heart of hearts that you can do this, that you can rely on yourself to follow through your commitment and not let yourself down. Everyone can lose weight, but you must believe it too.

6. Self confidence

You need self-confidence to keep your commitments in the face of pressure from others, self-confidence to do new things, to try new forms of exercise, to join a gym or a new class. Surprisingly you also need to have self-confidence to face the world as a slimmer person because you will attract attention and admiring glances that you're not used to.

7. Determination and perseverance

When the going gets difficult the successful just keep going. If you choose the right weight loss program, one that is balanced, and fits your life your level of fitness and circumstances and just keep going with it, you'll succeed. So don't give up.

The great thing is that you can choose to have these personal qualities and attitudes today, simply by changing the way you speak to yourself, being more positive and acting as if you have these characteristics already. You can choose to change your attitude for weight loss success or you can choose to carry on as you are. It really is up to you (and your mind) to make your weight loss program a success!

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

The 5 Beliefs about Food that keep you Fat

1. Food should not be wasted

We have learnt not to leave food even though we don't really want it. If we cooked it, bought it, served it up on a plate or ordered it in a restaurant it has to be eaten because "it's a sin to throw away good food". So we use our bodies as a kind of human waste disposal unit and pile unwanted pounds onto our hips.

We learnt to clean our plates when we were kids, mostly from well-meaning parents who wanted to make sure we got enough nourishment and tried to make us feel guilty about all the starving people in the world. We learnt to eat stuff we didn't really want or need to please our parents and sometimes we got more food as a reward ("Eat your dinner or you won't get dessert").

Now you're an adult you can take a different approach. Buy less, cook less, serve up less and order less but if it's still more food than you need, throw it out rather than down your throat. It's a greater waste to over feed your body than it is to throw out excess food.

2. Food equals love

We learn from birth to link love and comfort from our mother with being fed and that feeling is reinforced throughout childhood. We equate food with being cared for. So it's often the first thing we turn to when we want to experience those feelings of love and comfort again.

But food is not love. A double-chocolate chip cookie or plateful of fries will never love you back. Only people can do that.

If you need love, you need contact with other living breathing humans. Call up a friend and talk, don't eat.

3. Slim people can eat as much food as they like

This one is actually true but not in the way we often believe it. Slim people eat as much as they like but they don't live for food. They like to eat as much as they need and they do. Sometimes they overeat. That's when you see them eating chocolate cake and pizza and you think they have it made. But other times (more likely when you're not seeing them on an evening out) they're satisfied with soup and a salad. It's a balance thing. If slim people ate too much all the time they would be overweight too!

Even so, you may find that your friend can eat more than you and not get fat. You may put it down to the luck of a fast metabolism but actually the slight variances you find in metabolism make very little difference. Naturally slim people simply move around more during the course of the day even if they don't take regular exercise. They're forever on the go. They're up and down more. And they fidget more. Studies have shown that they use up more calories than others in that way.

If you eat and move like your slim friends you will have little to envy.

4. Healthy food doesn't make you fat

You can get fat eating anything - although, granted, it would be difficult to overeat lettuce. But some natural foods are high in calories - in particular nuts and seeds - so you can easily take in too many calories with these. And fruit juices, smoothies and shakes can really pile on the pounds. Too many complex carbohydrates, whole grain though they are, will go straight to your hips too. Healthy foods are great but they still have to be eaten in moderation.

Having said that, true healthy natural real foods are not generally the real problem. The main culprit here are those foods which are branded as healthy by food manufacturers - the foods that are "full of goodness" or low in fat or carbs or whatever. They offer so-called healthy options for cookies, cakes and pies that you could do well without eating. They just tempt you to eat more because you think they are healthy or low in calories. Check the labels and give them a miss.

5. Only unhealthy food tastes good

You may have spent years assaulting your taste-buds with fat and sugar confectionary, salty snacks and fried foods and that is what they have learnt to know and love. But actually many foods that you eat have sugar and salt added to give them appeal they wouldn't otherwise have. Once you start tasting quality natural foods and delicious healthy recipes you will never look back. Become a true gourmet and learn to love good natural food in moderation. Take the time to prepare and enjoy it properly and you will find your taste buds dancing with delight.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

Top 10 Christmas Day strategies when you want to Lose Weight

1. Decide to have a lighter Christmas this year

You have a choice between stuffing yourself silly and enjoying the delights of Christmas more modestly. Eating too much will leave you feeling uncomfortable and remorseful. Eating just enough will leave you feeling great. It's up to you to decide how you want to feel at the end of the day.

2. Eat what you really want

So much of the food on Christmas Day is eaten "because it's there" even though you don't really want it. Eat when you're hungry, choose what you really want and eat just enough to satisfy.

Don't feel you have to fill up on nutritious food before you get to the chocolate gateau you hanker after. Save room for dessert if that's what you really want. You'll not suffer from vitamin deficiency by not eating properly for a single day! Don't pile your plate with anything and especially not with food you do not care about.

3. Don't let boredom set in

The other reason we eat food we don't really need is because it passes the time. Cooped up in a roomful of relatives, gradually losing the will to live, can have you nibbling away before you know it at whatever's on offer.

Instead of sitting around, get active. Help with the preparations. Concentrate on trying to make a meaningful conversation with your old aunt. Suggest a walk after lunch or a game of charades. Keep busy even if you land with the washing up!

4. If you are the cook

Look for some lighter foods to serve and offer these as an option, for example strawberry pavlova or fresh fruit salad as an alternative to Christmas pudding. And choose a light salad based starter too. Look online for hints and tips about reducing the fat content in a typical Christmas lunch. You can reduce the calories by half and still serve up a delicious meal. At the very least remove the skin from turkey and any visible fat from meat and make the gravy ahead of time so that you can skim the fat from the surface when it cools.

5. Go easy on the alcohol

Alcohol is not only full of calories but it also lowers your inhibitions about eating everything in sight, and, lets face it, there will be a lot of temptation around. Sip your drink slowly and drink plenty of water so you don't end up drinking a lot just because you're thirsty.

6. Shrug off hurtful comments

Families are not always the most tactful bunch and whether you're overweight or not and whether or not they mean any harm, their comments and probing questions can sometimes hurt. They won't change just because it's Christmas, no matter how many messages of "Peace and Goodwill" they send out on cards.

When the barbed comments hit their mark, avoid drowning your sorrows in drink or a faceful of cake. You are only hurting yourself more. Remind yourself before the event of the likely comments you'll get - they may be the same from year to year - and think about how you'll deal with them. At least have some positive things you can say to yourself when someone gets you down. And smile to yourself whenever someone comes up with one of the things you thought they might say. So predictable!

7. Forget Perfection

Your Christmas like my Christmas and everyone else's Christmas will not be perfect. We have real families who, apart from making comments, will have their own idiosyncrasies. They might very well annoy you, fall asleep after lunch, argue and make boring conversation. That's families for you! Decide how you want Christmas to be and do all you can to make it as you want, but just enjoy it for what it is, in the end, for it will never be perfect.

8. Looking good

Wear your best clothes and do your make-up and hair so that you feel at your very best. A beautiful fragrance and good grooming will make you feel special, help lift the day out of the ordinary and make you feel that it really is worth watching what you eat, even just a little.

9. Wrap it Up

Sometimes we spend ages choosing and wrapping special gifts for others only to be disappointed when we open our own parcels. Make sure there's something you really want under the Christmas tree this year by buying yourself a gift and wrapping it beautifully. Show yourself you deserve the very best - because you do!

10. And the Day After?

Whatever you ate or didn't eat on Christmas Day is immaterial. What's done is done. Get rid of the leftovers (throw them out or give them away) and get right back on track by eating normally again. Don't starve yourself to make up for eating too much, you'll only set yourself up for a binge. But it won't help you either if you decide that you might as well wait until January to work off the excess pounds you've gained over Christmas. Another week of overeating will simply add to the pounds you have to lose. Unless you still have wall-to-wall parties to cope with, the day after Christmas is a great time to start planning your new trim figure for next year and making an early start on your weight loss goals.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach and slimming club owner with a no diet approach to permanent weight loss. Subscribe to her FREE weekly "No More Diets" ezine full of tips and recipes and receive a 24 page special report "How to have a Great Christmas without piling on the pounds". Subscribe at http://www.SimplySlimming.com/Christmas TODAY!

Weight Loss Tip : A Glass of Wine

It's amazing how one little innocent glass of Chardonnay or Shiraz can do so much damage to your waistline but it can if you don't take care. A small 125ml glass of wine contains around 100 calories - the equivalent of over 10 pounds of pure body fat being added to your body if you have one every day for a year.

Wine won't fill you up and it may even increase your appetite and lower your inhibitions so that you end up eating more than is good for you. Many people find that after a glass or two all caution goes to the wind.

If you do like a glass of wine with dinner then you need to make sure that you only have one and that you eat less or (preferably) exercise more to make up for those extra calories. When you find out you have to jog for an extra 12 -15 minutes a day to make up for each glass you might think twice.

As a compromise you may like to

• have half a glass to enjoy the taste without all the calories
  
• turn your wine into a spritzer to reduce the overall calories
  
• save your wine drinking for weekends or special occasions

This is a time to use a quality not quantity principle. Why not treat yourself to better quality wines and sip your glass slowly to get the full enjoyment?

And if you have friends round to share the bottle, remember champagne is no more calories than other wines, yet it's hard to feel that you're deprived and "on a diet" when you have a glass.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

Weight Loss Tip : Treat yourself like a Child

Whenever you feel your motivation slipping give yourself a boost by treating yourself like a precious child.

1. Talk to yourself kindly

You encourage your children to do their best and to have another go when they fail. You don't say "Might as well give up then, you're useless at this. You'll never succeed". If they're learning something new, you encourage them to keep practising until it becomes second nature. Give yourself the same wise words when you're trying to lose weight! You can do this! You really can!

2. Nourish yourself

Would you let a child stand at the fridge wolfing down a whole tub of cookie dough ice cream? Would you let them ask for a chocolate biscuit and then eat the packet empty? Why not? You know what's good for them, that's why not!

Parents who care for their children don't feed them a lot of junk food, coffee, wine and cigarettes. Aside from the legalities of it all, they want their children to grow up healthy, fit and strong. Why would you want any less for your own health?

Give yourself the very best nourishment you can. Eat lean meat, fish, healthy carbs and vegetables and allow yourself the odd treat. Don't spoil your appetite for healthy meals by eating unhealthy snacks all day - give junk food the thumbs down.

3. Play

Children's bodies cry out for physical activity so we take our children out and give them lots of active play. But what are we doing for ourselves while we are running around chauffeuring them from one thing to the next? Are we just complaining we haven't got time to exercise? Carve some time out of your schedule every day to do something active, even if it's just a 10-minute walk at lunchtime. No child deserves to be cooped up all day and neither do you. You can't expect to perform at your peak if you only ever move between your desk and the coffee machine or the sofa and the fridge.

4. Stick with It long term

When you have a child, you're in it for the long haul. You're not here one day and gone the next. You commit to taking responsibility for the child's welfare at least until they grow up and probably for long after that. So why should it be any different where your own health and welfare is concerned? You deserve long term care, not a two-week crash diet "that's all I'm giving it" before going back to abusing your body. Make a commitment to care for your health forever.

5. Be Consistent

You care for a precious child day in day out. You don't give the child lots of love and care on Monday only to neglect him or her by Friday. That's exactly how you treat yourself when you start a new diet every other week. You need to be consistent in treating yourself well to get great results.

6. Make it routine

Children thrive on routine. Despite their protests they love the security of knowing the rules of the house and someone caring whether they keep to them or not. They like order and certainty about how things are done.

Adults are no different. Everyone is a creature of habit to some extent.

When we have good habits we eat healthily and move our bodies without thinking about it. And we reach our weight loss and fitness goals as a result of following our habits - almost automatically.

If you don't have a good routine, like any child you need some discipline to keep to the habits which are for your benefit in the long term. But after a while you will find you settle into your new routines without a fuss - after all they feel so natural and they're doing you good.

It takes just 21 days of consistent practise to form a new habit. So start today and create a slim, healthy and fit new you one habit at a time.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

How to Have a Happy Christmas

1. Forget Perfect

Don't tie yourself in knots trying to have a Christmas like you see on the pages of a magazine. These are stage managed by a team of people and shot in August. You have a real house and a real family living in it, not a stage set full of models who only have to look good for a photograph. Real families argue and burn the gravy - so don't try and live up to a media image you have in your mind.

2. Live in the Moment

Sometimes there's so much to do that you spend the whole time feeling anxious and planning ahead. Take time to enjoy the delights of the festive season otherwise there's no point. If you don't make space to enjoy the company, the food, the decorations and the carols you lose the chance of sharing the magic which makes Christmas special.

3. Avoid overwhelm

Make a list of all you have to do and cross off anything which does not make you smile (or which others would not miss). That should get rid of a lot from your list. If you have too much to do then ask for help. No one says you have to do it all. Do a little each day of whatever you have left on your list to avoid getting in a panic at the last minute.

4. Budget Wisely

Everyone spends more than usual at Christmas but make sure you stick to what you can afford. If you will have to spend the next 6 months paying for the extras, then you are better off without them. Do the best you can with the money you have.

5. Halve the Cost, Double the Fun

Christmas has become very commercial in some respects but it doesn't have to be. You can cook great food without spending a fortune. You can have fun with your family too playing old-fashioned games such as charades or cards. You can bake or make decorations together to get in the spirit of the season and enjoy all the old family movies they put on at this time of year.

Presents can be a problem if you're low on cash. Suggest a Secret Santa present swap where everyone draws lots and buys for only one adult or agree a very low spending limit for gifts so that you buy each other something fun rather than a costly item.

6. Find the Meaning

Christmas is about togetherness, having a good time, peace and goodwill to everyone, being loving and joyful. It's not about spending so much you go into debt, eating so much you put on 5lbs or decorating your house with more lights than everyone else in your area. Decide what Christmas means to you and don't lose sight of that when you're immersed in the pressure to buy and eat!

7. Show the Kids

Today most kids over 6 think Christmas means getting stuff. They have lists of toys and games and designer gear they want - and yet they are also open to enjoying other aspects of Christmas. Help them experience the true meaning by sharing special moments. Bake cookies with them. Decorate the tree together. Sing carols and collect money for charity. Let them parcel up their outgrown toys (or buy some items together) for the needy.

8. Give Yourself

Give in ways other than buying presents to experience the magic of Christmas. Offer to baby sit so parents can go and buy gifts for their offspring. Take an old lady shopping at the supermarket in your car so she can stock up for her family coming instead of struggling on the bus. Be kind to those serving in shops - it's a busy time for them and they often receive the brunt of others' stress and bad temper. You'll get back as much joy as you give.

9. Consider Yourself

When buying gifts for everyone else, buy a few things for yourself. Wrap them up and share the fun on Christmas Day. Make sure that you take your wishes into consideration about how you would like to spend Christmas too. If you don't want to spend the whole time travelling between relatives, plan to stay at home next year. If you want to make something other than traditional food, make it! No one creates a rule that says Christmas has to be this way or that.

10. Communicate

If you decide to change things let everyone know ahead of time. You don't want any sulking on the day. You may not know how important a particular tradition feels to someone until you try and change it. Ask what everyone likes about Christmas and try and accommodate as many wishes as possible without compromising your own happiness. You may find you can drop some old traditions without a qualm and you may start to feel great about others once you know how much they are appreciated.

Copyright 2005. Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", the system that promotes permanent healthy and AUTOMATIC weight loss through making small changes to your everyday habits. Visit http://www.SimplySlimming.com/Christmas today to get the Simply Slimming FREE ezine full of tips and recipes and a 24 page special report "How to have a Great Christmas without piling on the pounds".

Dieters: What gift will you give yourself?

What kind of December will you give yourself this year?

You choose!

You can drop all pretense of trying to lose weight and let yourself go for the whole month, making the most of every opportunity to wolf down more calories. Or you can carry on eating when you're hungry, stopping when you're full, making the best of the food choices available to you - even at parties. And you can eat extra healthily on the days when there's really nothing special happening.

You can give up exercise for the month and slump down on the sofa every night watching your waistline expand. Or you can keep active (even if you don't have time for your usual routine) by putting lots of energy into your preparations, keeping moving as you go about your day and fitting in 10 minutes of exercise (a walk, a stair climb, a few stretches) here and there.

You can get completely frazzled leaving everything until the last minute and set yourself up for a huge amount of stress and comfort eating. Or you can spend just a few minutes each day on preparations and cut out last minute panics.

You can make yourself sad and depressed by comparing your family party with the ones portrayed in the media or you can just decide to enjoy it, knowing that the media parties are the figment of the producer's and the designer's imagination (and the pictures were shot in August in a studio).

You can spend all your energy and time finding great gifts for everyone else and set yourself up for disappointment by just hoping something nice comes your way. Or you can make sure that you have something you really want this year, by dropping hints, asking directly (some people would love to know - it takes the pressure off!) or even just buying whatever it is you want and wrapping up the perfect gift just for yourself.

So you choose what kind of December to have. You can come out of it frazzled, overweight and disappointed or happy that you've enjoyed the break and haven't done too much damage to your waistline.

Which will it be this year?

Choose wisely, give yourself the gift of a great December and have a fantastic time.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach and slimming club owner with a no diet approach to permanent weight loss. Subscribe to her FREE weekly "No More Diets" ezine full of tips and recipes and receive a 24 page special report "How to have a Great Christmas without piling on the pounds". Subscribe at http://www.SimplySlimming.com/Christmas TODAY!

How to Lose Weight Permanently - in 3 Steps

For many people losing weight is not so much the problem as keeping it off. You may find that you have the willpower to stick with your diet and reach your target weight. But although you feel great having achieved your goal, somehow the weight always creeps back on.

The fact is to lose weight permanently you need to make permanent changes to your lifestyle. After all your lifestyle made you overweight - so if you don't change that lifestyle you'll get right back to your overweight state no matter how much weight you lose.

1. Set your standards

Decide right now to stop putting up with the standards you've set for yourself so far. Is how you treat your body and how you spend your time really how you want to live your life? Are you satisfied with how you are looking after your health? with the food you eat? with your energy levels?

You don't have to put up with a flabby out-of-condition body, junk food and lack of physical activity. You can have a life where you eat delicious nourishing food all the time, where you have plenty of energy, a sparkle in your eye and a spring in your step and where you are toned, fit and healthy.

Decide right now to raise your standards and play in a new league.

2. Squash your limiting beliefs

You may want to change your lifestyle but you'll never succeed unless you believe you can. Failed diets and abandoned exercise regimes (and maybe you've had many of those) can destroy your confidence in being able to make changes. But actually all you need is the right strategy and anyone can succeed at making quite far-reaching changes without backsliding.

If you've not succeeded before you just haven't found a way to make changes which is right for you. It doesn't mean you can't ever succeed.

Start by imagining yourself living to your new standards. How will you look, how will you move and how will you feel? Become comfortable with these images so that they will feel less and less foreign to you. The more you use your imagination the more you start to accept in your subconscious mind that this could be a realistic future for you and it will give you the motivation you need to make changes.

3. Make changes stick

We all have a comfort zone which consists of everything that we are used to in our lives. To make permanent changes that you are happy to stick with forever you have to expand the things you are comfortable with.

The problem with standard diet and exercise regimes is that they ask you to make huge changes all at once - they have you stepping miles away from your zone of comfort.

If you are happy making drastic changes - go ahead. If you can stick with it you'll lose weight quickly and permanently.

But chances are you've tried this - probably many times - and although you start out with great intentions you just can't keep those changes up. It's no wonder - because they work right against human nature.

The secret of making changes permanent is to expand your comfort zone gently. Make one or two small changes and get used to them before you try and change anything else.

Only you will know the scale of the changes you're happy to make and how long you'll need before those changes feel like part of you. Research suggests it needs about 21 days to form a new habit.

If you create new healthier habits one after the other in this way, the weight loss will follow automatically. And because you have become comfortable with each change you will lose that weight permanently too.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

Keep up your Weight Loss Motivation in December

Wanting to lose weight in December is the pits, isn't it? While you may struggle the rest of the year with not eating too much and choosing healthy foods it's that bit more difficult when all around you are wolfing down goodies of every kind with seemingly total abandon.

Everyone you visit offers you tempting treats and no doubt you have more than enough food at home to sink a battleship for the visitors you get. And the food doesn't always stay "just for guests" once it calls your name from the cupboard.

But if you want to avoid regret with even more pounds to lose by January then you need to be stronger than ever.

1. Daily reminder

Every day remind yourself of your reasons for losing weight. Why do you you want this? Why is that important to you? Ask yourself whether any temporary pleasure from food is worth the regret you will feel at going backwards in your plan.

2. Set an intention

Before every meal set an intention that you will enjoy it and have what you want but that you will eat just enough to satisfy your hunger and no more.

3. Enjoy the special foods

Don't deny yourself your favourites but have just a little of those things which you know are full of calories. Enjoy a little as much as a lot by eating the food slowly and really tasting it.

4. Stock up

Treat yourself to some healthy foods that you might not normally buy, such as smoked lean meats and fish, exotic fruits and vegetables, caviar. Make food special without the calories so that you don't feel deprived at all.

5. Quality not quantity

Buy the very best of everything you can afford and savour it. If you're going to buy chocolate get a small box of handmade exquisite Belgian chocolates and not a multi-pack of cheap chocolate bars. That way you really feel you are celebrating in style but you won't go too overboard.

6. Make a Game of "No"

If you tend to eat just because food is offered without even thinking about it, now is a great time to practise saying "No thanks not just now" or even "Thanks - I'll take a piece for later" because food will be offered everywhere you go! Look at this like a game you are playing and keep your score. How many times can you say "no" in December?

7. Deal with lapses

If you over-indulge at any time, don't abandon all hope and give up until the party season is over. One meal won't do much damage - after all you have to eat an additional 3500 calories to gain a pound. It's when you do this day in day out for the whole period that you start piling on the pounds. So just get right back on track and start again at the very next meal - eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full.

8. Keep up your exercise

Even if you're too busy to go to the gym, do a little every day at home. Even 10 minutes walking or stair-stepping a day will help remind you that you are taking active steps towards your goal and will help you avoid thoughts of giving up for the month. If you can fit in several sessions through the day so much the better. When you keep as active as possible as you go about your day you will be gently reminding yourself that you care about your shape and your health and it will be easier to keep things in check.

9. Looking good

Wear your nicest clothes throughout the period. Make the effort with your hair, nails and makeup and show yourself that you deserve the very best. Instead of giving yourself food as a reward or when you you need cheering up, give yourself the best possible care and attention.

10. Gift of health

If you have a tradition of giving presents in December (or even if you don't) ask for or treat yourself to a few gifts that will help motivate you. An exercise video, a voucher for a personal trainer or a piece of home gym equipment ( such as a rebounder, step or balance ball) are great to help kick start a new exercise plan.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach and slimming club owner with a no diet approach to permanent weight loss. Subscribe to her FREE weekly "No More Diets" ezine full of tips and recipes and receive a 24 page special report "How to have a Great Christmas without piling on the pounds". Subscribe at http://www.SimplySlimming.com/Christmas TODAY!

Is your workplace a hazard for your diet?

It can be easy to overeat at work. Your colleagues bring in treats every day because it's always someone's birthday or leaving party. There's a culture that people eat muffins or doughnuts every Friday or even every day. The staff restaurant is full of fried food or mayonnaise laden salads and the nearest place outside work serves nothing but fast food.

Here are 8 tips to immunise yourself against unwanted workplace calories.

1. Bring your own healthy lunch and snacks

You know it makes sense. If you have something healthy and delicious to eat you'll be less tempted by all the other unhealthy stuff around. It takes a bit of planning when you do your weekly shop but you'll reap the rewards. Choose food which is easy to prepare and get as much as you can ready the night before to avoid last-minute panics in the morning.

2. Say "No" nicely

You can get a lot of pressure from others to sample the snacks they bring in so this one may take some practise but it does get easier after a while. Just say "No thanks not just now" or "No thanks, I'm just about to have an apple" or "No thanks I've just eaten" or simply "No thanks" - no need to explain or apologise.

Saying you're on a diet seems to make some people try and persuade you more forcefully. ("One won't hurt", "Surely you don't need to lose any more weight you'll fade away" etc). Before you know it you're giving in. If you really can't stand the pressure say "Thanks I'll save it for later", take it home and throw it out.

3. Keep your desk clear of food

It's asking for trouble to keep food on your desk. Put the lunch and snacks you brought out of sight so that you have to go and get something from the kitchen or locker room when you're hungry. On the other hand, if the kitchen at your place of work tends to be loaded with treats people have left for sharing, you may be better keeping your food at your desk. But at least keep it out of sight in a cupboard or drawer.

4. Stop to eat

Don't nibble food unconsciously at your desk - it's the easiest way to overeat. Pause in whatever you are doing whenever you decide to eat and take time to really taste the food. If there's somewhere you can go away from your desk to eat then do that, otherwise just stop working on your report or reading your emails for 5 minutes and be fully aware of the food you are eating.

5. Stay away from vending machines

Vending machines tend to be full of unhealthy calorie-laden food. Having your own snacks should help you resist the temptation to treat yourself. But, in any case, keep away from the room with the machines and if you really can't resist, stop bringing any change to work - it's the only way!

6. When you need a break

Don't eat just because you need a break. Instead, take a quick walk or have a glass of water or herbal tea - even coffee is better than eating food you don't need. If you find that there are times you just have to nibble on something make sure you always have plenty of healthy snacks with you. You can nibble quite a bit on carrots sticks, cucumber and celery without doing any damage to your waistline.

7. Team up

If you have a colleague who is also trying to lose weight, join forces and help each other stay on track. It's great to have someone to go for a walk with at lunchtime or to commiserate with when everyone else is wolfing down cakes someone has brought in.

8. Choose wisely

You don't have to turn down social invitations from colleagues to be able to succeed at losing weight so go ahead and join in. But you do have to select what you have to eat and drink carefully when you eat out on a regular basis. Choose the smallest portions you can and get to know the menus at the local restaurants so that you can plan what to eat ahead of time. Even fast food places now have healthier options but remember it's often the extras which are the most fattening - condiments, dressings and sugary or milky drinks can more than double the calories in a meal.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

Automatic Weight Loss

Losing weight can seem like an uphill struggle at times. You battle with foods you can eat and foods you can't. You resist your cravings for chocolate and cake and cookies all day only to give in while you watch TV in the evening. You huff and puff at the gym for two weeks or two months until finally you just can't drag yourself there any more.

Sometimes you lose a load of weight with a lot of hard effort only to hit a plateau. And then you can't seem to shift any more.

Finally you give up on whatever plan you're on, relax for a bit and all the weight comes straight back on. All that effort for nothing.

Life should be easier than this. Why does losing weight have to be so hard?

The answer is that we make it hard on ourselves!

We want to lose weight and we want it now and we think we're willing to do whatever it takes.

But we quickly change our minds when the rubber meets the road and we actually have to follow that diet regime we signed up for.

You could make the whole process much easier by taking the automatic route.

The secret to losing weight automatically is not by making big changes to your diet or exercise routines. These routines never stick in the long run because they are way out of your comfort zone.

Yes, you may very well suffer them for a week or two while your motivation to lose weight is high but it takes iron willpower to stick with them until you lose all the weight you want.

And let's face it unless you stick with them forever that weight all comes straight back on doesn't it?

Because you go right back to the habits you had before you went on your weight loss program. The ones that caused you to put all that weight on in the first place.

No, the secret to losing weight automatically is to make small changes to your routines. Ones which will be barely detectable to others - only you will really know the difference. You make changes like taking time to enjoy your food more, moving a little bit more as you go about your day, learning how to deal with pressures from others to eat, stopping eating whenever you're satisfied. And before you know it you are losing weight. Not only that but you have habits which you can stick to for life and which you'll never need (or want) to change.

What small changes could you make today which would mean that you eat a little bit less and move a little bit more? Could you live with those changes for life? Then start right now to make them a habit.

Habits are built by repetition and like having a shower or brushing your teeth become an automatic part of you without having to think about it. To be slimmer forever you simply need slimmer habits - habits which keep your metabolism high enough to deal with the amount you eat over a period of time. That doesn't mean that you can never over-indulge - it just means that in your normal day to day life you are using your slim habits and as a result the odd huge meal or chocolate bar really doesn't make any difference.

Why make it hard on yourself when this can be so much easier?

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

Beat the Bloat to look Great at Christmas

If you want to look good in your Christmas party dress the last thing you need is a swollen tummy. Plan ahead with these tips so that you look the best you can on the night

1. Avoid salt

Salty food causes you to retain water which often concentrates around your mid-section. If you want your tummy to be as flat as possible avoid salty snacks and meals for a few days before the event. Chinese food is especially heavy in sodium (the key ingredient in salt which causes you to swell) so avoid that if you want to look your best. Look out too for processed foods and ready meals which tend to be high in salt (to make up for the lack of taste). Stay well away from fast food, family restaurants and pizza places too which salt food like it was going out of fashion. Eliminate salt completely on the day of the party for best results.

2. Choose low GI foods with some protein

Starchy foods like bread and pasta tend to puff you up because they cause you to produce excess insulin. Eat only small quantities of carbohydrate foods and choose those which release energy more slowly into the body, the so-called low GI foods. These tend to be whole grains rather than white processed products. Eat some protein with each meal to keep your insulin levels steady.

3. Don't swallow air

Drinking through a straw and chewing gum introduce a lot of air into your system which ends up in your tummy causing you to bloat up. So leave them well alone. And avoid foods which you know cause you to feel "gassy".

4. Drink Water

All fizzy drinks, even diet soda will cause you to swell up due to the amount of sodium and air they contain. Instead, drink lots of water to help flush out your system - about 8 glasses a day.

5. Eat fresh Fruit and Vegetables

Fresh foods (which contain a lot of fibre) will help sweep your system clean ready for your big night out. They tend to be high in potassium too which helps regulate water balance in the body.

6. Keep your digestion healthy

Ensure you are digesting your food properly by eating your food slowly and chewing it well. Don't eat too much at one meal - smaller more regular meals are easier to digest. Also avoid drinking with your meals - drink water half an hour before or an hour afterwards. Peppermint tea may help your digestion if you have problems.

7. Help from your wardrobe

Once you've done everything you can from the inside, get all the help you can from your clothes. You can get great tummy controlling undies these days and they don't have to look like something your granny would wear. Also make sure your clothes fit your properly and skim rather than cling if you have more curves than you would like.

8. It's a wrap

If you want to look your very best, you could try a body wrap treatment at your local spa or beauty salon. They can work magic. Unfortunately these treatments are expensive and the results are only temporary. So save this one for a really special night out.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach and slimming club owner with a no diet approach to permanent weight loss. Subscribe to her FREE weekly "No More Diets" ezine full of tips and recipes and receive a 24 page special report "How to have a Great Christmas without piling on the pounds". Subscribe at http://www.SimplySlimming.com/Christmas TODAY!

How to Stop Eating Too Much at Christmas

With all the tempting food available in December, it's difficult to resist eating too much - yet if you don't you'll regret it later. One or two bouts of over-indulgence won't make much difference but if you throw in the towel for the whole month you'll end up quite a few pounds heavier in January.

But how do you resist when there is so much on offer? And without feeling that you're missing out? Here are 10 tips to guide you through the holidays.

1. Have what you really want

When you're faced with wall-to-wall goodies, don't feel that you have to get your nutrition before you indulge. You'll only end up with more calories than your body needs. In other words, if you know you're going to have the apple pie, don't fill up on meat and potatoes and then have it! One occasion is not going to make you malnourished.

2. Take three bites

If the chocolate cake looks good but you know 800 calories is not going to look great on your hips, have a tiny piece. Have three bites, eat them as slowly as you can and really taste what you're eating. Satisfy your taste buds without wolfing down a huge portion.

3. Quality counts

Instead of buying cheap fattening treats at Christmas indulge yourself and your family with the best delicacies you can afford. Buy the best and treat yourself that way rather than picking your way through a mountain of unmemorable junk.

4. If you lapse

If you do over-indulge, don't give up all semblance of watching what you eat for the whole festive period. It's only one meal, one snack and you're unlikely to have done much damage. Just go right back to eating when you're hungry and stopping when you're full - right from your next meal.

5. Pace yourself

If you're going to a party or dinner later don't starve yourself or you'll fall ravenously on the buffet table or bread basket. Do, however, eat moderately during the day with lower calorie but filling foods. Have soup and bread or salad and a baked potato for lunch and have a small snack such as an apple or some toast later in the afternoon so that you don't arrive too hungry at the party.

6. Stay away

Whatever you do don't position yourself near the buffet table - you'll nibble all night. Put one or two things on a plate and get away from there - you can always go back if you're still hungry. By the same token don't leave snack foods lying around at home. Put them out of sight as much as you can.

7. Keep busy

The more you do the less time you'll have to sit around eating, so get busy around the house (you can make it spick and span for Santa). Get all your preparations done early so that you're less stressed and less likely to turn to food to soothe your frazzled state.

8. Plan ahead

No matter how much you have to do, make sure you take a few minutes out of your schedule to plan your meals each day. It would be even better if you could organise yourself to do this on a weekly basis. If you don't plan your meals you'll end up eating out or calling for take-away more than is good for you. Also if you know you've got big meals or parties on particular days plan some lighter meals (but not starvation rations) on the days before and after to help balance out the amount you are eating.

9. Low calorie options

If you are in charge of cooking use all the tricks you know to reduce the calories of the food you provide without reducing the flavour. Look up some low-calorie versions of the dishes you normally cook online and use these. Or try some new lighter recipes. They may be an improvement on what you usually cook. Your family and guests will think that you are serving them something special rather than something low-calorie. In any case provide alternatives for any particularly fattening dishes - fruit salad as well as Christmas pudding for example. Your health conscious guests will thank you.

10. Be Mindful

We put so much in our mouths without thinking about it, without even noticing it or enjoying it. This is easy to do with so much food available and lying out on display. Make sure that whatever you eat, you serve it properly. Put it on a plate or in a bowl, sit down and enjoy it. Even if you intend to do this, you'll catch yourself nibbling from packets, standing up in the kitchen or whatever - but awareness is half the battle - just notice how much you do this so that you can gradually start to change this habit.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach and slimming club owner with a no diet approach to permanent weight loss. Subscribe to her FREE weekly "No More Diets" ezine full of tips and recipes and receive a 24 page special report "How to have a Great Christmas without piling on the pounds". Subscribe at http://www.SimplySlimming.com/Christmas TODAY!