Give your body a positive boost with my super Summer Challenge https://t.co/RzM1FNuozY

Give your body a positive boost with my super Summer Challenge https://t.co/RzM1FNuozY

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) Jun 14, 2021

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

Give your body a positive boost with my super Summer Challenge

OUR super Summer Challenge starts today (Monday June 14) so get set for summer and boost your body positivity by taking part in my three-week challenge!

This could this be the push and focus you need to get into those smaller summer clothes. Take some action now and max your motivation.

It’s all very simple (of course!) and free (of course!) The challenge is going on in our private Slimpod Club group on Facebook, so if you’re not part of that, now’s your time!!

Just look in Level 1 of your Gold programme and you’ll find easy instructions on how to join Slimpod Club.

Each week for three weeks, we’ll set a new challenge for you.

The word ‘challenge’ can sometimes be scary, so first of all I want to assure you that the next three weeks are going to be a hugely positive, enjoyable and motivational experience!

The only condition of joining in is that you stick with it!!  We’ll be doing our bit to help you with that part!

You can take part in my Summer Challenge on your own or if you’re part of Slimpod Club, you can join in with the rest of the community and we’ll be doing some special motivational stuff in there, too!

The Summer Challenge is all about having clarity about what you want to achieve and then focusing on the process which will get you there.  It’s about taking action and being accountable.

Now I know some people struggle a little with taking consistent action so I’ve found a very simple and effective way of holding you accountable and that will involve simply posting pictures or videos in Slimpod Club.

Don’t panic, they won’t be pix of yourself in your swimwear or anything (I know what kind of response I’d get to that request!!!). 

Just show everyone a nice pic or video of where you’re out taking exercise in the summer fresh air. Lots of pix of lovely scenery will be a real tonic for us all.

The Summer Challenge is about body positivity and feeling good about yourself, because this is at the heart of our Slimpod system.

So let’s get some positive energy going! The idea is to keep listening to your Slimpod and stay engaged in the challenge for the next three weeks.

Please give the Summer Challenge a Like on Facebook if you’re taking part and let’s get cracking! Most of all ENJOY yourself!!

Try Slimpod Free For 10 Days

If you haven’t got a Slimpod yet, there’s never been a better time to grab one and start losing weight the enjoyable way!

Slimpod proves that it’s a myth that weight loss has to be hard.

Here’s where you can find out more about trying Slimpod free for 10 days

 

 

The post Give your body a positive boost with my super Summer Challenge appeared first on Slimpod.

At 63, Bridget proves weight loss IS possible post-menopause https://t.co/lTp5hNXBTh

At 63, Bridget proves weight loss IS possible post-menopause https://t.co/lTp5hNXBTh

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) June 2, 2021

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

At 63, Bridget proves weight loss IS possible post-menopause

EVERY now and again, a Slimpodder comes along with a story about weight loss post-menopause that makes my jaw drop. The lovely Bridget Bartlett is one such person and I know that so many of you will be inspired by what she’s achieved.

At 63 years young, Bridget has lost 35 inches off her body measurements in the 11 months she’s been listening to Slimpod – and she’s gone from an 18/20 to a size 12 and taken it in her stride!

She’s living proof that weight loss post-menopause is possible providing you retrain your brain to make healthy food choices.

She’s a beacon of hope for everyone because she’s smashed her limiting beliefs and is now aiming to be a size 10. I just know she’ll do it, too!

Bridget and I chatted over Zoom to produce this inspiring video for you. I loved it when she told me: “I see my reflection in a shop window now and think ‘Ooh, she looks alright for an old bird’.”

Bridget tells her full story of weight loss post-menopause in the video and has some great tips for anyone who’s just starting out or whose weight loss may have hit a temporary plateau.

Click on the picture below to watch the video on The Slimpod Channel on YouTube.

Here’s a recap of Bridget’s weight loss post-menopause story in her own words, plus some extra details which aren’t in the video:

“As a teen and young woman I was normal weight for my tall frame and size 12 no matter what I ate. The weight gain started in my mid thirties and as I have three  older sisters I could see what my genes had in store as two of them were very overweight.

“I started with the F Plan diet, then Rosemary Connolly, cabbage soup etc and continued on this yo-yo for many years…faddy diets, Metabolic Weightloss plan (very expensive ), magic smoothies, meal replacements, personal trainers.

“Finally I resorted to the weekly humiliation of Slimmimg World and lost a stone quickly.

“Disappointed as ever it all went back on so I tried WW on an app, at least there was no weekly meeting ! I knew the calorific value of any food.

“My wardrobe had three sizes, 14, 16, 18 depending on where I was on the up and down see-saw of dieting. When the 18s got too tight I borrowed from my larger sister, determined not to buy a size 20.

“Every holiday and celebration was a tug of war with food, I was depressed.

“I suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.  osteoarthritis and osteoporosis and take a heavy dose of toxic medications, including steroids, which increase my hunger levels and lead to bloating.

Weight loss post-menopause – it was a chore

“I was told to expect weight gain and that certainly happened. That, coupled with the normal slowdown of metabolism during the menopause, made my battle with weight a daily chore.

“However it also coincided in 2008 with a new job, a new man and a house move out of London !!

“The job was  exciting , involved international travel and a lot of black tie dinner events, but I had little time for exercise except weekend walks .

“When stressed I relied on alcohol and chocolate. I dieted strictly for the next “big event ” be it our wedding in 2010 , an international conference or a family occasion.

“My body suffered and I had a period of hospitalisation with kidney problems and three surgeries. I was wiped out.

“I knew my body was telling me to take better care so I reduced to part-time  and took a serious look at my rheumatoid arthritis and improved my lifestyle. I joined a gym and did yoga and Pilates, which I enjoyed.

“My husband and I retired four years ago and we travel a lot, so dieting is often challenging . We spend winters in Spain usually where life is very good, and a holiday mentality leads to over indulgence.

“I was 13st 9lbs when we returned in June 2020, the heaviest I had ever been. I was disgusted with myself and when faced with all my old diet remedies I was lost and confused.

“I found Slimpod on Facebook late one night in July 2020 and what struck me most was that Sandra was working with NHS; this gave credibility and hope.

“I saw immediate changes in my attitude to food when I started listening. I engaged with the FB group and really enjoyed the mutual support.

Weight loss post-menopause – my goal map

“I lost weight easily in first couple of months, which gave me hope. With lockdown the gym was closed so I started doing longer and longer walks and my knees coped.

“I found inspiration in Sandra’s videos and lives. I completed Gold and progressed on to Extra and started to believe that I could be fit and slim again. I’m really enjoying weight loss post-menopause.

“I signed up for a half marathon hike for Macmillan Cancer Support and started training for that with gusto. I found a lovely Buddy, Tina who is 74,  and inspired by Ava Brodie’s story, we supported each other to give up sugar – and succeeded.

“My goal map is focused on health and fitness. Three of my siblings have diabetes so this is a big driver for me.

“In Slimpod Club, Lynn and Kate have always been there with helpful advice and kind supportive words when I have had wobbles and long plateaus.

“Now nine months later my life is very different: I manage pain well, I move a lot more and make healthy choices 90 per cent of the time. There is no chocolate in my home!

“I jump out of bed and into my gym gear, do Lucy Wyndham-Read and floor exercise with weights before my first cuppa!!!! Who is this sweaty woman???

“I still enjoy a glass or two of wine at the weekend and I still eat carbs most days as I find it too diet like to deprive myself of them, but small portions.

“I have added all the additional healthy foods from Michelle Budd’s special project in Slimpod Extra and my weight continues to go down.

Weight loss post-menopause – results so far

“So far I have lost a smidge under two stone and 35 inches from my body, seven inches from my bust and eight inches from my waist.

“All the 18s and 16s in my wardrobe have gone to the charity shop. My 14s are baggy and my 12s are now very comfortable.

“So I am smashing my limiting belief that size 10 is impossible….watch this space. At 63 I have finally found the right solution to weight loss post-menopause.

“I am enormously grateful to Sandra , Trevor, Lynn, Kate and all the lovely supportive Podders who have helped me get here. I am enjoying helping others as a mentor now.

“I love Goldgatherings which was a social lifeline when shielding through lockdown two. I am thrilled  to be just 5lbs from my goal weight – and I know I’ll hit that soon!

Bridget’s story is so wonderfully inspiring and remember, if you need help we have LOTS available.  Just hit the ‘Need Any Help?’ button in the members’ area.

If you’re on Facebook – hit the Like and Share buttons on the main Slimpod for weight loss page and it will then notify you when I’m live.  Also please connect with me on Instagram – I’d love to see you over there if you’re on that platform.

The post At 63, Bridget proves weight loss IS possible post-menopause appeared first on Slimpod.

Simple steps you can take to control your hormones and your weight https://t.co/lG2dAHuQzY

Simple steps you can take to control your hormones and your weight https://t.co/lG2dAHuQzY

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) May 18, 2021

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

Simple steps you can take to control your hormones and your weight

CONTROL your hormones! You might think that’s easier said than done – but our minds are funny things.  They can lead us to amazing success or they can keep us stuck in the same old, same old.

One thing I’ve noticed in the 10 years since I launched Slimpod, is that many people get stuck in a pattern of doing the same thing over and over again but expect a different result each time.

That’s why the Slimpod programme is so different.  It opens up your mind to help you see different routes to go down and helps you find solutions to why you’ve been stuck.

It helps you look at things from a different perspective because instead of throwing in the towel and screaming ‘It’s not working’ – I’m confident the answer is there for you.

You just have to allow yourself to become unstuck and then look in a different direction.

So if you’ve been a bit stuck and the fat isn’t budging as quickly as you’d like it to be doing, this week’s video about how to control your hormones could well be exactly what you need to watch!

Control your hormones – Nicki’s expert advice

Recently I asked my friend and hormone expert Nicki Williams to share her knowledge with our Slimpod Extra group and what she told them about how to control your hormones is so useful, I felt I needed to share with my whole Slimpod community.

Even the edited version is over 40 minutes long so I highly recommend you find a good chunk of “me time” and settle down for a fascinating and valuable bit of viewing.

Nicki is an award winning nutritionist, the author of It’s Not You, It’s Your Hormones, a podcaster and founder of HappyHormonesFor Life.com, so she certainly knows her stuff about how to control your hormones.

We have more than 100 hormones pumping through our bodies but in the video, Nicki identifies what she calls the Feisty Four hormones because they seem to rule the roost!

When you’re heating healthy food to control your hormones, it really is so useful if this becomes a habit.

Join me on my live chat tonight (May 18) on our main Facebook page (Slimpod for weight loss) at 7.30pm UK time when I’ll be talking about how to make healthy habits stick.

If you like to FB page you’ll get a notification when I’m live!

Also, do follow me on Instagram where I post an IGTV every week which will also help to keep you on track.

Now click on the image below to watch Nicki’s video on The Slimpod Channel on YouTube:

Nicki explains the role each of the four hormones plays in your body and how you must get them all into balance. Once you can control your hormones, you will improve your physical and mental wellbeing.

Nicki is such a fountain of knowledge that my interview with her just seemed to fly by and I’m positive everyone will find it extremely useful.

By the way, there’s an additional pod you can buy called Balancing The Menopause. There’s £25 off if you use the discount code GOLDTHANKS, making it yours for just £14.99. Click here to try it

Control your hormones – it’s for men, too!

One important point, by the way: we tend to associate hormones with the menopause and so we assume they’re just a cross we ladies have to bear. But in fact, much of Nicki’s advice about how to control your hormones and their effect on your weight applies to men, too, so don’t be put off watching, fellas!

While you’re watching the video on The Slimpod Channel on YouTube, make sure you hit the Like and Share buttons. And if you’re new to Slimpod, please follow me on Instagram.

And please leave a comment below to let Nicki and I know what you think of our interview.

The post Simple steps you can take to control your hormones and your weight appeared first on Slimpod.

Losing the desire for sugar is all about freedom of choice https://t.co/j4HGezKsoS

Losing the desire for sugar is all about freedom of choice https://t.co/j4HGezKsoS

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) May 4, 2021

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

Losing the desire for sugar is all about freedom of choice

I WAS so proud and excited to appear on the ITV Tonight programme Giving Up Sugar For Good last Friday. It was all about the crucial role Slimpod has played in transforming the health and well-being of staff at Tameside hospital, Manchester, and how we changed the restaurant into a sugar-free zone.

My dream is for every hospital in the UK to follow Tameside’s example because our wonderful NHS staff need all the help they can get when it comes to losing the desire for sugar and staying healthy.  But sadly hospitals are full of sugar which is making them sick.

If you work in an NHS hospital and would like us at Slimpod to help make your workplace healthier, just like we did at Tameside, please ask your occupational health department to contact me and I’ll be glad to help!

On ITV, Tameside’s director of transformation, Angela Brierley, who’s a type 2 diabetic, told her inspiring story of how Slimpod helped her lose six stone and keep it off for over two years. She’s now been able to drastically reduce her diabetes medication.

If you missed the programme you can catch up with it on the ITV hub.

But good as the programme was, it wasn’t able to tell whole story in just 30 minutes so I thought it would be a good idea to explain some of the background.

This was me on the ITV programme

 

I was asked to run a Slimpod weight loss project at Tameside for 100 hospital staff to change their eating habits and help them lose weight by losing the desire for sugar.

To support the project, a “Slimpod Special” healthy menu was offered as an alternative to the other things on the menu.  This was a roaring success. The staff loved it!

This was then extended gradually over six months, as the head chef Simon Smith severely reduced the unhealthy food on offer.

The desserts disappeared from the menu for a trial period of three months and Simon says no one missed them.

They’ve now gone for good, being replaced with fruit. Finally, confectionery and sugary fizzy drinks have also disappeared for both staff and visitors.

Here’s one of the special recipes Simon created for Slimpodders.

A happy Angela Brierley on the ITV show

 

Tam Fry, Chair of the National Obesity Forum, said the initiative was “trailblazing” and should be spread across the whole of the NHS.

You can read lots of the Tameside staff’s success stories and watch a whole host of videos the nurses made by clicking here: Making a difference in the NHS

Losing the desire for sugar – the explanation

But there’s always a lot of confusion and debate about sugar and I’d like to explain in a bit more detail the way Slimpod gives people the freedom of choice about cutting down – and in many cases, cutting out – sugar and how this differs from making a conscious decision to stop eating sweet things by using willpower (as you would on a diet).

Remember, the sugar we’re talking about here is refined, processed sugar, not the natural sugar that comes from fruit and vegetables (in which the healthy nutrients and fibre more than compensate for the small amounts of sugar they contain).

For a start, should sugar be cut out or cut down?

The answer is that refined sugar has no nutritional value and the body is perfectly happy without it.

But even if you only reduced your intake by half, you’d be making a significant contribution to better health.

If you cut down or cut out – surely that’s dieting and restrictive behaviour, which is the opposite of what Slimpod is all about?

Well, if you were on a diet then you’d be using willpower, or conscious control, to restrict your sugar intake. This creates cravings and it all becomes very hard.

But Slimpod is very, very different. It works with your subconscious and your brain’s reward centre to make sugar less attractive – so you find it far easier to reduce your sugar consumption and stop snacking.

Slimpod helps you with losing the desire for sugar.  It flicks a metaphorical switch so your brain learns it can get pleasure from healthier food and exercise, rather than just sugar.

Then having a piece of cake or some chocolate becomes your choice rather than something you have no control over or which is banned by a diet.

But two things may make losing the desire for sugar a little more difficult.

ONE: If you’re in an environment where you’re constantly surrounded by sugar and snacks – for example, hospitals!

TWO: If you have a strong emotional connection with sugar and your brain is getting intense pleasure from it. In other words, sugar is an addiction.

Losing the desire for sugar if you’re addicted

If you discover you’re a sugar addict, Slimpod will still help to reduce the desire but you may have to go one step further and decide you have to eliminate sugar completely.

This can be difficult for a few days but then it gets so much easier and eventually you’re free.

In Phase Two of the Slimpod programme you’ll find lots more information about the neurotransmitter dopamine and how the brain gets hijacked by sugar.

In my Live tonight on our public Facebook page tonight (May 4) at 7.30, I’ll be explaining in a lot more depth how Slimpod helps you to ditch sugar automatically.

I’ll also be diving deeper into how you can tackle sugar addiction.  If you’re new to Slimpod, do follow me on Instagram too.

And please let me know in the comment section below how you’re getting on with cutting down – or ditching – sugar for good.

 

 

The post Losing the desire for sugar is all about freedom of choice appeared first on Slimpod.

Break the hold food and stress have over your life in lockdown https://t.co/fpQXwTQMUg

Break the hold food and stress have over your life in lockdown https://t.co/fpQXwTQMUg

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) April 21, 2021

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

Break the hold food and stress have over your life in lockdown

FOOD and stress are inextricably linked in a remarkable way that most people would never imagine. This is especially relevant right now because lockdown has been super-stressful for most of us.

We’ve just been through the double whammy of winter AND a pandemic. Work lives have changed for lots of people, and we’ve been cut off from family and friends.

Many people have been homeschooling as well as working and we’ve been denied so many of the normal pleasures of life. All the time, the threat of the virus has been hanging over us.

The toll on our bodies has been immense and stress will have had a huge impact on the hormones cortisol and insulin.  These are both literally fat storage hormones!

They cause weight loss resistance which means the fat stays around your middle and is very slow to leave.

I call this lockdown belly!

But the good news is you CAN do something about it!  Watch my video and find out how…

Food and stress – the weight gain link

Food can change how we look, how much energy we have, what mood we’re in, how much sleep we get, how well our brains work.

If you’re going to get your hormones in balance then look at food as one of the main things to help you!

Don’t look on food as calories but as information for your brain. Yes, food IS information! It sends messages to the part of the brain that controls your cells and your hormones.

Food can tell you to burn fat or to store fat. It can tell you to be happy or to be sad. It can make you feel more energetic or it can make you feel lethargic. It can change how your brain functions. And it can even switch on the genes that cause disease.

Using your Chillpod (which is one of of the Slimpod programme tools) regularly will help to overcome the effects of stress. But one of the quickest and most powerful things you can do is to restore nutrients to your body.

The best nutrients are oats, nuts ,seeds, leafy veg, meat, fish and dairy.  These contain the B vitamins.  Then the C vitamins are crucially important.  Eat plenty of fresh fruit and veg, especially bell peppers, kiwi fruit, citrus fruit and green leafy veg.

Magnesium is also super important and is found in dark green leafy veg, avocado, brown rice, dark chocolate and again most fruit and veg.

Food and stress – the 28-day challenge

Here’s my stress-busting, fat-burning challenge to you:  For the next 28 days, add healthy superfoods to your shopping trolley. It’s as easy as A-B-S…

Avocado, Broccoli, Spinach.

Then every day make a superfood salad that will boost your entire system and help create more of the natural chemicals like glutathione which encourage the body to burn fat instead of storing it.

Are you up for the challenge? Let me know by leaving a comment below. And do share your tips for relieving stress – other people will find them very helpful, I’m sure.

Food and stress – making a superfood salad

Start with a handful of spinach. Add some chopped carrot, cucumber, radishes and some shredded little gem. sprinkle a teaspoon of flaxseed over it.

Chop some celery, pickled cucumber then add a touch of mayo, a little beetroot and a spoonful of sauerkraut

Try topping it off with half a pear, half an avocado and a chopped Brazil nut. Add a twist of salt and you have a delicious superfood supersalad.

Food and stress – your way ahead

Stress severely affects your immune system and causes all sorts of illnesses. The most important thing now is to prioritise YOURSELF.

During the past year, we have been all things to everyone and we often come way down the list.  But please take some time now to look after yourself.

If we’re not looking after ourselves and our mental health, we’re no good to anyone else.

Join me on our live chats

I’ll be talking about food and stress in my live chat in our members-only Slimpod Club tonight (Wednesday April 21) at 8pm so please do join me there. And I’d love you to connect with me on Instagram.

Last of all, when you’re watching this week’s video on The Slimpod Channel on YouTube, please subscribe and you’ll get priority notification every time I post a new video. And do hit the Like and Share buttons as this helps spread my important messages to lots more people.

The post Break the hold food and stress have over your life in lockdown appeared first on Slimpod.

Denise’s amazing online brainwave boosts her Slimpod success https://t.co/GwSzNHwDky

Denise’s amazing online brainwave boosts her Slimpod success https://t.co/GwSzNHwDky

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) April 7, 2021

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

Denise’s amazing online brainwave boosts her Slimpod success

GOAL-SETTING is such an important part of the Slimpod programme because it’s proven to contribute considerably  towards your success.  I frequently talk about it on my live chats and I know a lot of people don’t attempt to set goals because they trigger all sorts of fears and anxieties about previous attempts to lose weight.

So when I was on a Zoom call with Slimpodder Denise Flower and chatting about how she had got into a size 10 dress, I was blown away by the amazingly effective online tool she used to help her. What a brainwave!

It’s called Trello and Denise tells you about it in the video we made together. Click on her picture to watch the video on the Slimpod Channel on YouTube…

This is Denise’s Trello board

Denise says: “I use the Trello board as a goal map/nerve centre of Slimpod which I love looking at and adding to. I can access links to my workouts and that sort of thing on this board.

The board is split into various sections in which she posts pictures of herself and her clothes, notes  her innermost feelings and records her inspiring thoughts and ambitions. The sections include:

WHY?

THIS IS HOW I LOOK

WHO AM I IN THIS OUTFIT?

THIS IS HOW IF FEEL

HOW I’M GOING TO REACH MY GOALS

GOAL MAP

HELPFUL/INSPIRING NOTES

THOUGHTS

MY REFLECTIONS

THINSPIRATION

To give you a flavour of the posts, the WHY? column says: To be confident to do anything. To have healthy habits as I get older. To be normal around food.

The THOUGHTS column includes: Challenge fears and identify limiting beliefs. Turn the obstacles into something you learn from.

Denise joined Slimpod in September 2020, so her six-month anniversary is coming up.

She says: “I haven’t ever really been super heavy, but over the last few years I got to a point where I just assumed I was heavier because of my age.

“I’ve never really had a regular sweets/cake/bread/chocolate habit, but I love cooking and I love drinking.

“I also went crazy over lockdown one – as much booze and as many delicious meals as I could fit in because I thought it would only be for a few weeks at most (wrong!).

“I hated the look of the fat on my face and hanging over my bra etc but thought I just had to live with it, but one day I was reading Popbitch and saw an ad for Slimpod. Clicked on the link and, to my surprise, signed up right away.

“I set what I thought was a bit of a cheeky goal of 9st 6lbs by Christmas and made mini goals on the way to fitting into a few outfits. I extended the deadline to the end of March as I started to be kinder to myself.

“But when I weighed myself at the end of January after cutting out booze, sugar/sweeteners/dairy/grains/legumes for the January Whole30 challenge, I was 9st 6lbs!

“I would not have been able to cut all those things out without the support of Slimpod. I actually found it easy and enjoyable. And I have only had a couple of drinks three times this whole year  – the alcohol pod is amazing.”

(There’s a special discount for this pod at the end of the blog).

Denise says: “The most thrilling thing is that I fit into size 10 tops. And also lots of lovely dresses that I was keeping because they are beautiful – didn’t think I’d wear them again. I still haven’t got my head round that because I didn’t believe it was possible.

“Even though I reached my first goal weight, I wanted to keep going so I can wear sleeveless things and maybe even confidently wear a bikini again! Strangely, even though I usually lose off my belly first, this time it has been coming off my difficult top half which makes me so happy.

“I have a deadline but it shifts if it starts feeling too soon! Also, when I get there it won’t be over. This is how I live now.

“I have never missed listening to pods at night, written down at least three wins a day, watched all the videos, at least attempted all the exercises, watched every live, and engage on Facebook. A few of my affirmations are: I am light and agile (my favourite), I have very beautiful arms and I crave exercise.

“I decided to trust Slimpod – when I thought ‘this isn’t working’ I said to myself ‘what’s the alternative?’

“I am going to be a butterfly coming out of lockdown – my skin looks lovely, I have been buying size 10 tops and dresses from eBay which I need to show off, I have never been this fit since childhood. I have a new lease on life.”

Please let Denise know how you’re going to reach your goals by leaving a comment below. I love reading them all and I know they inspire others.

Save £25 on our alcohol pod

Gold and Extra members can use the code GOLDTHANKS to get the alcohol pod for £14.99, a saving of £25.

 

 

The post Denise’s amazing online brainwave boosts her Slimpod success appeared first on Slimpod.

I lost four stone and changed my life in just six months https://t.co/J1xWBUJnqd

I lost four stone and changed my life in just six months https://t.co/J1xWBUJnqd

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) March 24, 2021

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

I lost four stone and changed my life in just six months

THE absolute highlight of my working week is hearing the inspirational success stories of our Slimpod members, and I’m so excited to be able to share another wonderful one with you here.

Rachael Buckett started her Slimpod journey six months ago, and is now over halfway towards her goal after losing an incredible four stone in that time. She has gone from a size 26/28 to a 16/18.

She is rightly proud of what she has achieved, and knows the changes she has made are for life.

Rachael’s story offers some valuable lessons that I just know will help so many others, no matter what stage you are at in your weight-loss journey.

I chatted with Rachael on Zoom about how she lost four stone and this is the video we made.

Click on the picture to watch it on The Slimpod Channel on YouTube. Make sure you hit the Like and Share buttons!

I lost four stone – Rachel’s story in her own words

Even before I discovered Slimpod, I had made a list of foods that I knew I had an addiction to and had decided to stop eating. They were sweets, bread, crisps and potatoes.

I was lucky and after listening to the Slimpod only once, I was instantly repulsed by crisps.

Before Slimpod I was more than eight stone overweight, convinced I had some kind of undiagnosed condition. and was walking only about 3,000-4,000 steps a day.

I was working from home and bingeing off buttered toast, crisps and pork scratchings. It was a struggle to move – to get off the sofa, to put on my shoes.

Rachael before starting Slimpod

Then I was made redundant and I suddenly had the time to truly get my eating and exercise in order. It was the best thing that ever happened to me!

I started off quite simply, by restricting the foods listed above and walking my dog for longer in the mornings.

After the first month I had lost a stone and was regularly walking over 10,000 steps a day. I had also naturally fallen into 16:8 intermittent fasting.

I found delaying the first thing I ate in a day restricted the amount I was eating overall. I stuck to my eating window of 12 noon till 8pm and ate far more vegetables and salad.

I found my exercise was also giving me a buzz and took away any hunger I was feeling.

New-look Rachael now

I went on a two-week holiday and walked every morning – I came home 6lbs lighter!

In October I started listening to the sugar pod. This initially made me crave sweet things, but I found that they tasted disgusting.

I started to eat a lot more fruit and now only drink water (apart from prosecco on Christmas day and my 50th birthday).

Another big change I made was to introduce some Lucy Wyndham-Read workouts. Then, in November I was lucky enough to get a new job.

I panicked initially: how was I going to fit my exercise in? It was an 8am-5pm desk job, in an office full of men – above a bakery!

I made the decision that I would get up earlier every morning and do exercise before work. So every workday I set my alarm at 6am and do three LWR workouts before work.

I found that instead of making me more tired it actually really gave me a boost and I started each day with such enthusiasm that I never even yawned at work.

At lunchtimes I powerwalked every day, stuck to intermittent fasting and took my own lunch in two small tubs – one tub had overnight oats, and the other salad or just chicken and oatcakes. I only ate what was in my two small tubs plus a few tangerines.

In December I learned more about HIIT exercise and decided to buy a rowing machine. I started rowing 5k every morning after my workouts. I felt amazing!

At Christmas I hit just over three stone weight loss. I enjoyed lovely food at Christmas and some treats – but religiously kept to my exercise and intermittent fasting.

In January I decided to sign up for the challenges of rowing 100k and walking 175 miles – both of which I easily achieved. I started walking home from work (2.5 miles).

I also bought a mini trampoline – a great way to start couch to 5k – and I also use weights.

In February I decided to start walking to work – some days I walked and ran! My goal was to maintain an average of over 14,000 steps a day throughout the month, which I achieved.

During March I have continued to get up at 6am, do two lots of 20 squats, row 5k and then walk to work every day – a power walk for a mile at lunchtime and then the walk home. My goal for the month is 200 miles in total with 100km of rowing, and I have just started cycling.

I consider now that my eating has been “fixed” – my diet is spot on, varied and delicious. I love every meal I make. I no longer emotionally eat or eat because of stress.

My exercise is definitely what gives me the buzz – every day. I always feel better after exercise. I never yawn at work – and usually sleep brilliantly and it completely stops any feelings of hunger.

Sensible eating and good exercise habits go hand in hand for success, together with meal planning and being organised.

If there is something I fancy eating, I never deny myself, but plan it in for the next time I go shopping. Delaying the gratification makes such a difference and puts you in control.

Last week there were two days that I couldn’t walk at lunchtime at work (due to icy conditions) and I felt so sluggish and hungry – it was obvious what a benefit the lunchtime walk is.

I do still obviously listen to Slimpod every night, and always write my three wins. I have lost four stone so far and Slimpod has made this process easy…I just needed to add my determination and planning.

If I can achieve this, while working full time, anyone can do it. The main thing is making a start!

What I eat now I’ve lost four stone

• I still practise intermittent fasting and don’t eat until after my lunchtime power walk.
• I never snack after 8pm
• I still haven’t had potatoes
• I have had three takeaways and really enjoyed them
• I very occasionally have bread
• I have a very small bar of 85% dark chocolate every night
• I have at least three vegetarian meals every week
• I meal plan and only buy what I need.
• I’ve only had two bags of crisps since September
• My shopping trolley is mainly fruit and vegetables.
• I don’t eat low fat versions of any food – they have more sugar
• I am 95% sugar free
• I don’t eat pasta
• I choose wholemeal rice, grains, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa
• I don’t worry about eating cheese.
• I love broccoli, avocado and spinach and have them every day
• I have never been to the bakery downstairs at work.
• I still only drink water

She’s lost four stone – let her know what you think

Please let Rachael know what you think of her achievement and how she lost four stone by leaving a comment below. And do please tell me about your successes and how Slimpod is changing your eating and exercise habits.

Come over and say hello by following me @sandraroycroftdavis on Instagram . I’ll be talking about Rachael in my Slimpod Club live chat at 8pm this evening (Wednesday March 24) so if you’re a member I look forward to seeing you there.

The post I lost four stone and changed my life in just six months appeared first on Slimpod.

Slimpod vs Noom: what’s the difference? https://t.co/aRihuod9uq

Slimpod vs Noom: what’s the difference? https://t.co/aRihuod9uq

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) March 9, 2021

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

Slimpod vs Noom: what’s the difference?

One of the questions I have been asked more and more frequently lately is about the differences between Noom and Slimpod, so I thought I’d take time to address them here.

Behavioural change and its link to weight loss is being over-used right now because lots of big slimming companies have decided to distance themselves from dieting, which has become a dirty word.

Noom says it is a behavioural change app and Slimpod is too.

So what’s the difference?

Before I begin, I want to just make clear that I’m not disrespecting or criticising any other weight-loss programmes. I’m not saying Slimpod is better than Noom – just giving you the facts on the differences to help allay confusion.

Noom vs Slimpod: the key differences

Let me begin with the single biggest difference:

1. Noom works with the conscious mind, which means you have to put conscious effort into behaviour change. Its system uses mindfulness and some other conscious cognitive techniques, but you have to spend time focusing on changing your behaviour and beliefs, etc.
   A lot of people feel happy with doing it this way because they feel they’re in control when they have to input daily information on an app.
2. Slimpod works with your whole mind and some of your brain too! And yes it works with your conscious mind through the coaching, but, importantly and uniquely, it works with your subconscious which is where habits are generated and processed and your automatic and instinctive behaviours are “stored”.
   The subconscious is also where limiting beliefs and emotions are stored.
   Slimpod gently changes your behaviours without you even knowing much about it.
   This is why we ask you to record your changes, feelings and wins at the end of each day.
   You are effortlessly changing your eating habits. Also over time Slimpod REVERSES your limiting beliefs and bad habits that you’ve accumulated over the years.
   It also helps to take the emotion out of eating to give you a fighting chance to take back control
3. Noom focuses on food and calories, and you have to track what you eat every day.
   Slimpod doesn’t ‘tell’ you what to eat OR include a food plan because we believe that deep down inside you’ve learned what’s healthy and what isn’t, you’ve just stopped trusting yourself.
   I know there’s a lot of confusion about food, but Slimpod gently guides your subconscious to help you WANT to choose healthier options and helps you lose the desire for the snacks and sweet stuff, naturally and automatically.
   Also the way the mind works is that what’s on your mind is brought to mind. If you’re focusing on food most of the time by tracking, food is on your mind constantly – including the food you can’t have. Because really whether it’s good food or bad food it’s all food – your subconscious doesn’t differentiate. So Slimpod helps put food at the back of your mind.
4. Noom asks you to step on the scales as a way of tracking your weight loss.
5. Slimpod asks you to stay away from the scales unless you find they motivate you. For the vast majority of people the scales become a trigger and this interferes with your mood.

We believe there are plenty of other ways of tracking how you’re doing that don’t trigger emotions.

What do Slimpodders say about Noom?

But don’t just take my word for it! I asked those of our members who have had experience of both programmes to give us their honest views too. Read on…

“I signed up for Noom and cancelled it very quickly when I realised that it is actually a calorie counting plan with a fairly tight allowance supplemented by advice and colour coding for foods to encourage you to eat less energy dense foods to fill you up. You have to enter your food into the food diary and literally the first thing I entered, a yogurt available in all UK supermarkets was not on the list. There is also some counselling/advice but it’s all computer generated. Not like our Sandra who puts so much time and effort into supporting us, along with Lynn and Kate.”

“You have to count all your food with Noom, so it’s a diet you have to follow. They do have support but not in the same way as Slimpod, which feels more personal and is definitely not a diet. Plus Noom doesn’t have Sandra.”

“I did Noom for a while but it’s pretty basic calorie counting and because it’s American it doesn’t recognise all of our English products .There is supposed to be support on line too but I had to wait a long time for someone to get back to me. You are asked to weigh yourself every day in order to take away the fear of stepping on the scales but it’s no way to live.”

“I liked the concept of Noom but I couldn’t be bothered with it so I didn’t make it past the free trial. Slimpod is the complete opposite, you don’t track your food and you don’t weigh yourself, the whole point is to forget about food and behave like a slim person – just eat when you are hungry, smaller portions etc. I’m sure everyone here has calorie counted for years and we all know what food is bad for us, just need to stop craving it all the time which the pods help with by retraining your subconscious.”

“Noom takes quite a different approach. Focuses on calorie density as a way of planning and managing food intake, emphasising foods with low calorie density without banning those with a high calorie density. The app tracks your steps and tells you the number of calories your steps have burned. You weigh in daily – which is intended to gradually desensitise you to the horror of the scales. You have a personal coach and a support group of other Noomers. It offers daily coaching in psychological tools to help manage all the various kinds of wobbles and weaknesses one encounters. Although the two take rather different approaches, I’m finding that from the two of them I can synthesise something that seems to work for me.”

“I signed up for [Noom’s] free trial about 2 months after Slimpod, just wanting guidance on “good” food choices. Cancelled within an hour, saw the “weigh yourself everyday” thing and went NOPE! I don’t have an obsession or unhealthy relationship with the scales and that sounds like a really good way to get one!”

“I joined Noom for the 2 week trial back in early October – but gave up during the trial and moved to Slimpod. It drove me crazy! I hadn’t been food or calories obsessed before, but I certainly was on Noom.”

“Initially Noom was quite good as you have an article to read every day, cones with a recipe book too (fundamentally low carb) but I quickly felt like I fell behind… plus I didn’t like the daily weighing. This is much better.”

“Loved both Noom and Slimpod equally – and have kept a mix of both approaches.”

“I tried Noom earlier this year but it all got a bit much with all the reading and logging and everything. At least with the slimpod videos, they’re far quicker to engage with.”

“I lost a bit of weight using Noom a few years ago, but I found that once I plateaued it all came back on and the constant food diaries made me think about food all the time. I’m so much happier without it.”

Head over to our YouTube channel to watch my video here on the differences between Slimpod and Noom, or browse the ‘how it works’ section and the rest of our blogs for more information on Slimpod.

As always, I love to read your comments about the issues discussed in my blogs; please share your thoughts with me in the space below.

 

The post Slimpod vs Noom: what’s the difference? appeared first on Slimpod.

Slimpod has freed me from emotional eating and given me back my life https://t.co/mrosbvG9c1

Slimpod has freed me from emotional eating and given me back my life https://t.co/mrosbvG9c1

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) February 23, 2021

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

Slimpod has freed me from emotional eating and given me back my life

This week I thought I’d hand over my usual blog spot to a very special guest: Slimpod Community Manager Lynn Haddrell, who has written a wonderfully inspiring summary of her Slimpod journey so far and what it has meant to her. It’s about SO much more than weight loss!

Last weekend (Valentine’s Day, to be exact) was my official Slimpod birthday and I thought I’d take time to reflect on the past 12 months.

Well, where to begin? I could write a novel about the positive changes that have happened for me over the past year but I’ll try to keep it to a synopsis or at least a short story.

Some of you may only know me as one of your Community Managers but I’m also a Podder, just like you, on my own Slimpod adventure and I joined the day after my lovely friend and fellow Community Manager, Kate Morris. Happy anniversary sweetie!

One thing that was key for me in the beginning was that I was ready for change and open to learning about a new way of living. I was also determined to make a conscious effort to stop comparing myself to anyone else and follow my own path.

I was wrung out from 40 years of yo-yo dieting, calorie counting, starvation, feeling miserable and craving love and approval anywhere I could find it (those tubs of Ben and Jerry’s, box after box of Magnums and truckloads of sweets and chocolates lied when they said they loved me).

From craving to be thin and beautiful I’d then eat my way to undesirability and oblivion. Food was my morning, noon and night. I was ruled by my all-consuming secret binge eating and riddled with guilt. I was weary from the constant self-loathing, the self-harm, the terrible black depression that never went away and chronic physical pain. I was weary from pretending to be happy and fun when actually my first thought on waking every morning was disappointment that I was still alive and then a feeling of terror deep in the pit of my stomach at having to get up and go out into the world. On the rare occasion I looked in the mirror I was vile to the poor woman in the reflection. As someone who has experienced both physical and mental abuse, it now makes me so sad to think how, ultimately, I was abusing myself in such a horrific way. I’d never talk to another living soul in that way and I’m so grateful to have learned I’m worthy to love and be loved.

LYNN’S STORY

Take a look back at Sandra’s interview with Lynn from November, where she discussed her new-found freedom from emotional eating:

One year on and I’m still me, but a me I could only ever dream about; a me I used to think was destined to remain hidden forever.

LYNN’S WINS

I don’t eat in secret any more, ever!

I overeat occasionally but when I do I tell someone and it’s OK because I know I’ll get back on track

I enjoy exercising every day (who knew!)

I cook from scratch and enjoy that too (I thought chefs were weird, I mean why bother with all that faffing about making sauces when you can simply buy them pre-made in a jar filled with sugar and who knows what other gut destroying and addictive additives)

I’ve had maybe a dozen drinks in the last year. I haven’t tried to give up the booze, I just don’t crave alcohol at all

I’ve dropped three dress sizes

My scrubs that were splitting at the seams are now hanging off me and it feels great not having to worry that my backside might burst out every time I have to get down on my knees and wrestle a Rottweiler! My boss has ordered me a size SMALL

I’ve melted away lots of fat on the inside and the outside… over 7 inches gone from my waist and loads more from everywhere else

My BMI is now in the healthy range

I have loads more energy

My physical body hurts so much less and even with osteoarthritis and osteoporosis I’m fitter now than in my 30s and 40s

I’m kind to myself

I can look in the mirror and smile

I’m brave and have confidence in my own ability

I believed I had the skills and personal attributes to begin a new chapter as a Community Manager for Slimpod and made it happen!

I’m happy in my own skin (even the saggy bits)

I no longer take or need antidepressants because I have the self-awareness and tools to help myself in other ways and the courage to ask for help if I’m still struggling

I’m positive and happy

I am good enough

I’m hopeful for the future

AND WEIGHT LOSS TOO…

For anyone new to the programme you may be confused as to why “lost ‘X’ amount of weight” isn’t included in my list of highlights. I understand you’ve joined to drop weight; so did I – after all it’s not called ThinkingHappier, ThinkingKinder, ThinkingConfident, ThinkingPositive or ThinkingResilient… it’s ThinkingSlimmer! But I feel all of these things. I didn’t feel any of them before Slimpod and the weight loss has become secondary.

But yes, I have lost a lot of weight. Quickly initially, then much slower, with a few blips and long plateaus along the way. But it doesn’t matter how much I’ve lost, this is my journey not yours. I’ve usually weighed every 2-3 months because reaching a healthy BMI was my goal. Over Christmas I could tell by the feel of my clothes I’d gotten a bit bigger, but for the first time I didn’t panic and I certainly didn’t weigh! I told my inner saboteur to bog off! By January 14 I weighed again knowing whatever the scales said wouldn’t affect me and was thrilled to weigh the same as on my previous weigh-in on November 14. For comparison, between Christmas 2019 and joining Slimpod in February 2020 I’d piled on 2 stone, so I’m taking maintaining with a slight swell in the middle as a huge win!

Well, I’ve had a great month, but I’ve worked for it! Emotionally it’s been one of the toughest. Being separated from my children due to Covid has become harder than I could have imagined and the realisation that my brother who passed away in September is never coming back is really sinking in and I’m still heartbroken. I miss my friends. I miss hugs so much. I’m fighting against agoraphobia as I used to have panic attacks in crowded places and even the current semi-empty supermarkets can still put the fear of God in me. My other job at the vets is relentless and exhausting at the moment. We wear full PPE all day and aren’t permitted to take our masks off unless we are outside and away from the building. We need to keep our staff and clients safe. I get dehydrated. I eat lunch in my car. I will forever be in awe and full of gratitude for everything every single carer and NHS worker does and will never take them for granted again.

Having a great month has meant that rather than turning to my old ‘friend’ food, I’ve pushed on with eating less, moving more and choosing better. I’ve dropped 7lbs and another inch off my waist. How? I did a new goal map, have started a new journal, listen to my pods, put aside time every day for self-care, upped my exercise, drink more water, read up on healthy eating, choose not to eat refined sugar and cook everything from scratch. But although I’ve worked for it, I haven’t deprived myself. I’m not on a diet! It’s so easy to slip back to diet mode when you think of restricting certain foods or ‘having’ to exercise but the penny has finally dropped that healthy eating and exercise isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle choice and by thinking of it this way I genuinely don’t feel deprived at all.

And I’m not scared of feeling hungry anymore. I was always hungry as a child and somehow as an adult this turned into making myself believe that I needed to feel full to bursting all the time to feel safe. Feeling hungry was really bad and meant bad things would happen. Now if my belly rumbles I’ll have a drink, maybe focus on an activity, wait a bit and if I’m still hungry, guess what, I have something to eat. It wasn’t easy and I messed up plenty of times but with time and patience I think I’m there.

I chose not to eat chocolate, sweets or Magnums (yum) for a month as I was feeling sluggish after enjoying myself but overindulging at Christmas. I wanted to see what I could do to feel better but I still ate ‘normal’ food, including a rather large gluten-free pasty that hubby bought back from a business trip to Cornwall last week and it didn’t enter my head to worry about the pastry (horror) or the number of calories (double horror). It was delicious and it was no big deal. I also made a batch of cakes this month and ate them too (just not all at once). Normalising the way I feel about food has set me free. It’s about balance. It’s about trusting yourself but not beating yourself up when things go a bit off track because sometimes they will. And that’s OK. It’s about keeping calm and carrying on.

EMBRACING THE MAGIC

I often call Slimpod magic, and it is, but I think of myself as the magician, Trevor and Sandra as my glamorous assistants and all you lovely people as the best audience ever, smiling and clapping and willing me to do well! And Slimpod is magic, it gives you the tools to succeed and a gentle nudge in the right direction, but you do have to choose to pick up those tools and do some work. You do need to take responsibility for yourself and the choices you make. You’ll get out what you put in. After all, even the best magicians need practice every day to fine tune their performance. Any time you put on your own magical FB extravaganza I’ll be in the audience rooting for you. And if things don’t always go to plan don’t worry, you can take a break, have a kind and honest conversation with yourself and see what you can do to make things better. Nothing is ruined, no wagons have been derailed, it’s just a blip, a rubbish moment or even a rubbish day. But that’s OK. It’s just a day and tomorrow is a new one. You might just need a bit more practice. And if you’re still not sure what to do, you can reach out for support here. There’s no shortage of that in this wonderful community! Either way, I’ll be here with the rest of the Group cheering you on and clapping like a demented seal!

Thank you so much to Sandra, Trevor, my dear Buddies (you know who you are) and also every single one of you lovely Podders. You are all truly fantastic and being here with you has made all the difference. I have never known such a kind, safe and supportive place. When someone is happy we love to celebrate with them. When someone falls down, we help them get back up with ideas, encouragement and positivity.

Please, please always look for the bright side. Even on days when it’s really hard. The dark side is not a nice place to be. The sun never really goes away and will always appear from behind the clouds, shining brightly once any storm has passed.

I am finally happy in my own skin and glad to be alive. I can feel joy and find it in the simplest of things. It’s taken 40 years, so maybe I’ve been a slow burner but this is who I am now and I’m never going back.

Take inspiration from Lynn’s journey!

Whether you’re considering signing up to Slimpod, you’ve just begun your journey with us or you’re an ‘old hand’, I’m sure there will be much of Lynn’s account that rings true for you too.

Don’t forget, if you’re already a member you can join me on our Slimpod Club page for a Facebook Live tonight at 8pm UK time.

If you’re a Slimpodder who’s not on Facebook or Instagram, there’s free Zoom support especially for you. Join Kate every Wednesday at 10am at www.goldgatherings.com

I love to read all your comments, so if Lynn’s journey has resonated with you, please let me know in the space below.

The post Slimpod has freed me from emotional eating and given me back my life appeared first on Slimpod.

How Gill rediscovered her weight loss mojo https://t.co/o1MHogCHrg

How Gill rediscovered her weight loss mojo https://t.co/o1MHogCHrg

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) February 10, 2021

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

How Gill rediscovered her weight loss mojo

This week I’m SO delighted to be bringing you a Slimpodder’s weight loss experience with a bit of a twist. It’s one that I’m sure will resonate with lots of you as we all struggle with the ever-changing landscape of lockdown and uncertainty about when it will all end.

Gill Lawrence flew through the Gold programme and joined Extra as a natural progression in her weight loss journey. However, one day she woke up and realised that the magic had just ‘disappeared’ – literally overnight!

Luckily, she recognised it for what it was: a temporary blip. Through her own resilience and with help from the Slimpod community, she was able to recover and get back on track. I just know that her story will help those of you who are feeling overwhelmed by life and things you feel are beyond your control!

Click on the image below to watch my video chat with Gill, which is on The Slimpod Channel on YouTube. Please remember to hit those Like and Share buttons too!

Gill’s story!

Gill says: “Pre Slimpod I had become completely disillusioned about weight loss and getting fit. I had grown to hate with a passion any slimming group which had made me feel like a loser and a misfit.

“I had done Lighter Life twice and the Cambridge diet twice. Each time I successfully lost stones but just as quickly gained them again – with just a little extra too.

“A doctor had advised me to go down the bariatric surgery route and so I went for my appointment. I was half the size of everyone else there and knew how to diet, so decided not to go through with it.

“Exercise was a constant battle due to my osteoarthritis and ruptured inoperable Achilles. I live with pain and walked slowly in agony just walking the dog.

“Even though I’m a positive happy person, the whole fitness situation was bringing me down. I have four young grandchildren and was struggling to keep up with them.

“For a few months I tried to go it alone, mainly by calorie counting, but could still binge and secret eat – particularly if I was bored or feeling lonely.

“I saw Slimpod keep coming up in my Facebook feed and thought ‘what have I got to lose?’

“The magic happened for me from the very first week.

“I’ve done absolutely everything that has been asked of me, actively enjoying following the programme.

“I’ve lost two stones, many inches, walked 100 miles in one month, exercise every morning, walk fast and through the pain. I really feel in charge of my own fitness and I’m keeping up with my grandchildren and feeling happier.

“I suddenly lost the magic!”

“So when the morning came when I felt the magic had deserted me I slightly panicked! What would happen to me now? It did coincide with the second lockdown so was probably my worrying brain overriding the good stuff.

“With support and advice from my Slimpod ‘Buddy’ and after talking to Sandra I managed to reframe my mind. After a few days I can honestly say I’m back on track with my weight loss.

“The main things that helped were faking it until I made it: making myself do the exercise and eating a little more but forgiving myself.

“I jumped straight onto Lynn’s ‘Jump Start January’ challenge from the Facebook groups and started adding in Michelle’s ‘Superfoods’.

“Perhaps the best motivator though is the ‘done by 1’ goal, as this really focussed my activities and means I now have the afternoons for self care.”

Take inspiration from Gill’s story!

If you too are feeling like you’ve hit a bit of a roadblock, watch this video. Gill’s no-nonsense attitude and pragmatic approach to getting back on track is an inspiration to us all!

You can also join me on our Slimpod Club page for a Facebook Live tonight at 8pm UK time.

If you’re a Slimpodder who’s not on Facebook or Instagram, there’s free Zoom support especially for you. Join Kate every Wednesday at 10am at www.goldgatherings.com

As always, I love to read your comments, so if Gill’s story has struck a chord, please let me know in the space below.

The post How Gill rediscovered her weight loss mojo appeared first on Slimpod.

Winning the day will keep your weight loss moving! https://t.co/Jj3fbhC25y

Winning the day will keep your weight loss moving! https://t.co/Jj3fbhC25y

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) January 25, 2021

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

Winning the day will keep your weight loss moving!

I DON’T know about you but I’m finding this lockdown the hardest one yet.  So many people are saying the same – even the most positive of people who are used to winning the day are finding it a struggle getting out of bed some days.  It’s literally groundhog day every day.

I spoke to a lady last week who was doing so well with her wonderful new lifestyle habits, had dropped two sizes and was feeling SO motivated.

Her new way of eating and exercise had become wonderful feelgood habits, she was loving it – until the January lockdown happened and then she felt something stopped.

It was like a light in her brain had been turned off. She became so apathetic and the motivation was sucked out of her soul.

Then fear of failure reared its ugly head and she panicked. 

She was paralysed with worry that she’d lost the magic and all her fabulous new habits were going to be undone.  She felt she was going backwards.

She’s absolutely not alone.  I know so many people in the same boat and this week I want to help you stop this and get you moving forward and happy again.

First of all, if this is happening to you, I want to assure you that you’re really not going mad and that this can totally be solved!

Let’s stop fear in its tracks!  Weight loss shouldn’t be a fearful experience, but the fear has been created because of years and years of battling with food and diets.

Slimming club weigh-ins cause a lot of anxiety because you get worried about whether you’ve “lost” weight and whether you’ll feel humiliated.

Throughout the years layers and layers of anxieties and worries build up and become so big that it eventually means the very mention of losing weight brings on anxiety.

And then there’s fear of self-sabotage or falling off the wagon –  you begin worrying about whether you’ll fall off the wagon before it actually happens and then it becomes inevitable because you can’t get it off your mind. 

Other people worry why they’re not losing weight as quick as they’d hoped, but then give up and stop losing weight altogether because it’s easier that way!  Fear of failure can be a deep-rooted fear.

But fear is a mind game and we’ve never taught ourselves to deal with it.  The motive behind fear is avoidance.

Keep winning the day

Fear doesn’t help you commit to something – it stops you succeeding.  Fear stops you challenging yourself.

So the trick is to master your fear because that’s the greatest leap towards freedom and lasting weight loss.

Just think about what fear has cost you in your life because if you worry about not losing weight, I’m betting you’ll also worry and have fears about other things too.

If you had more courage and less fear, what would you do? Just imagine what that would do to your motivation! If fear is winning in your life, it’s because you keep choosing it over courage, bravery and strength.  When you’re trying to lose weight and something causes you to be fearful, you have a choice. 

You can cave into the fear or you can be strong and get past it.

The greatest battles in life are between fear and freedom. Either fear wins or freedom wins.

How many times have you run away from something uncomfortable rather than looking past it for the possibilities, potential and freedom?

Keep winning the day

What about if the next time you were confronted with the fear you stayed strong – what’s the worst that can happen?  Make a decision now to stop letting your fears win.

You don’t have to be a slave to your history. You can be free.

The great efforts to move life forward comes down to one moment in time when we interrupt the fear and activate our freedom by choosing to think and feel differently.

Yes, it’s about choice!  We all have a choice.  We don’t have to be held hostage by our own minds!

Make decisions and choices that will take you forward into believing and trusting new things. All you need to do is know it’s possible.   Don’t let your fears define who you are.

So your task this week is to think about whether fear of failure has sabotaged your weight loss in the past – and now confront it.

Don’t let it win this time.

Keep winning the day

So many of us are doing ridiculous hours and home schooling, too.  We’re stressed and that isn’t helping either.

But please take care of YOU in all this.  Be realistic about what you want to achieve in the short term.  Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals.

Take one day at a time. And take one baby step at a time, too.

Set small goals you can achieve within 24 hours.

Get involved in the motivational challenges that are running nin Slimpod Club.

Success at the moment is all about winning the day!

Join me on our main Slimpod for weight loss page for a Facebook Live on Tuesday January 26) at 7.30pm UK time, when I’ll be doing a deeper dive into all this and I’ll be helping you to stop self-sabotage in its tracks!

I’m also live on Instagram on Wednesday at 7pm.

If you’re a Slimpodder who’s not on Facebook or Instagram, there’s free Zoom support especially for you. Join Kate this Wednesday at 10am at www.goldgatherings.com

Tell me below if you know what stops you from succeeding and I’ll make sure I discuss it on an upcoming live

And by the way, the lady at the start of the story has taken back control and will be telling her story soon!  I do love a happy ending!

The post Winning the day will keep your weight loss moving! appeared first on Slimpod.

Stop falling off the wagon and keep your weight loss going https://t.co/mm4DpMRn9x

Stop falling off the wagon and keep your weight loss going https://t.co/mm4DpMRn9x

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) January 19, 2021

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

Stop falling off the wagon and keep your weight loss going

IF you started the New Year full of good intentions to commit to Project YOU but now find yourself struggling to stay motivated, you are not alone.

The thing I’ve noticed most during over a decade of helping people to lose weight is that after a few weeks the excitement and buzz wear off and fear and panic set in.

So many people then start blaming themselves for sabotaging their own weight-loss journey. They say:

“What’s wrong with me?”

“Why can’t I just do this?”

“What’s my problem?”

The destructive little voice in their head starts up again:

“You’ll never succeed”

“You always fail, what’s so different this time?”

“What if I don’t lose weight?”

“What will people think if I fail again?”

Well, if this happens to you, I can tell you that you’re not alone, and it’s not your fault.

I’ve created this video on The Slimpod Channel to give you some helpful guidance:

How to stop falling off the wagon

The first thing to do is stop blaming yourself. Negativity and self-sabotage are common problems but they CAN be stopped.

This has probably been happening over and over again for many years because things that you’ve put your trust in have let you down.

But it becomes a huge stumbling block for so many people.

So I thought I’d explain why people do this  because I think i will help you to stay on track.

It’s well documented that people who follow diets or other strict eating regimes only last about four or five weeks,  if they’re lucky, and then they stop. This is mostly because they’re depriving themselves and their brain has said “I’ve had ENOUGH.”

If you do this repeatedly – and the majority of people do – it  becomes a destructive habit and creates a negative anchor.

This destructive “giving up” habit is why people fail at dieting because you lose motivation and it just becomes too much effort – mainly because you’re depriving yourself of the food you enjoy and then you naturally want those things more.

How to stop falling off the wagon

BUT the great news is that falling off the wagon doesn’t happen when you’re on a Slimpod because unlike diets there’s no wagon to fall off.

The programme is actually working with your mind not against it and if you’re one of those people who constantly stops a weight loss effort after four weeks, then please be assured that this is something completely different and you really don’t have to repeat that behaviour any more.

You see, around this point in a traditional weight loss programme the old behaviour creeps in because it’s conditioned behaviour and people just can’t help repeating the cycle.

This deep-rooted conditioning really frustrates me because I hate seeing the repercussions.

SO if you think this is happening to you, the most important thing you need to do now is to keep listening to your Slimpod every day.

The people who do this come out the other end and feel great because they know they’re on the road to lasting weight loss – and you can be one of those people, too.

Watch me live for more guidance

I’ll be on Facebook this evening at 7.30 talking about how to stop falling off the wagon! Tomorrow night I’ll be on Instagram at 7pm .

Do leave me a comment below AND on YouTube after you’ve watched the video on The Slimpod Channel. Please help me spread the word by smashing the YouTube Like and Share buttons.

By the way, if you hit the Subscribe button on The Slimpod Channel as well you’ll get priority notification every time I post a new video.

 

 

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Slimpod’s put me in control and my full signal has returned https://t.co/gblX4pOXMR

Slimpod’s put me in control and my full signal has returned https://t.co/gblX4pOXMR

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) January 11, 2021

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

Slimpod’s put me in control and my full signal has returned

I ALWAYS like to use my blog to give you a boost when you need it most – and I think this is one of those times!  You’ll absolutely LOVE the interview I have for you this week.

Sarah Shakespeare is part of our Slimpod community and is constantly making us all smile with her warmth and fabulous sense of humour!

But that’s not all.

We’ve all witnessed the physical changes in her since she started Slimpod on July 7, 2020.  On that day she weighed 17st 1lb.  Now she weighs 13 stone.  Her waist measurement has reduced from 41 inches to 32 inches!

But just as importantly, she FEELS great and is brimming with health, vitality and confidence!

Here’s Sarah’s video, which is on The Slimpod Channel on YouTube. Click on her image to start the video (and please help by hitting the Like and Share buttons!)

Sarah says: “I inhaled food, I didn’t even enjoy it. So I thought I’d try Slimpod because I had nothing to lose.

“Today my relationship with food is totally different. Food is fuel and I eat when I need to eat. The best thing is that my full signal is back and that’s what Slimpod has given me.

“I’m mentally better than ever before. I’m sleeping well, looking after myself and feeling good about me.

“Slimpod has given me control over what I eat and how I feel about food and life. I’m no longer obsessed with weighing myself all the time – today I went to weigh myself for the first time in weeks and I couldn’t even find the scales!”

So for a large shot of inspiration and motivation, watch this video – I guarantee it will put a smile on your face!

Please leave a comment below to let me know what you think of Sarah’s story. I love reading them all.

 

 

 

The post Slimpod’s put me in control and my full signal has returned appeared first on Slimpod.

Weight loss goals that work – my three top tips for setting them https://t.co/37SzFMeKbV

Weight loss goals that work – my three top tips for setting them https://t.co/37SzFMeKbV

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) January 4, 2021

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

Weight loss goals that work – my three top tips for setting them

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  This is a very special January for me because TEN years ago I launched Slimpod to the world!  Can’t quite believe it!

When I set out in 2011 I felt there was something huge I needed to share with the world.

I felt passionate about releasing people from the torment of years and years of dieting which led to failure frustration, hopelessness and despair.

I knew I could help people with diabetes and do something to reverse the obesity crisis.

I had a system which would enable people to take back control and trust themselves to make healthier food choices therefore lose the need to rely on diets or food plans.

I’m all about personal empowerment and freedom of choice. My dream was – and still is – to enable people to be happy, confident and be full of hope.

I want them to be guilt-free, gain freedom over their food choices and take back control over their appetite. I want people to feel proud of themselves and feel beautiful from the inside out.

Ten years ago I set my first major goal and that was to partner with the NHS and I’m so proud to say I’ve been doing that for the past four years.

I’m a serious goals fan because when done properly they really work – I know I wouldn’t have achieved what I have done if I hadn’t set goals, which are proven to work.

Setting weight loss goals that work

If you set weight loss goals that work, the hugely powerful  subconscious mind loves them.  When done properly they activate the part of your brain called the Reticular Activating system which is effectively a goal seeking missile!

But I know a lot of people have limiting beliefs and fears around goal setting so I’m addressing this and much more in my video today.

Learn how to set weight loss goals that work (and while you’re on The Slimpod Channel, please help me spread the word about weight loss by hitting the Like and Share buttons. To get priority notification of new videos, also hit the Subscribe button):

In our private Slimpod Club group on Facebook, we’re kicking off the 10 year anniversary celebrations today with a Jumpstart January challenge!

If you’re not a member of the group and need some motivation to boot out the old year and kickstart 2021,  join the group and take part in the challenge!

Over 500 people in Slimpod Club have already said they’re taking part and it will be a lot of fun!

Also join me on my live chats this week when I’ll be doing a deeper dive into weight loss goals that work and things that might be stopping you from setting them.

I’ll be live on Instagram on Tuesday at 7pm, on our public Slimpod for Weight loss Facebook page on Tuesday at 7.30 and in our private Slimpod Club as usual at 8pm on Wednesday.

Let me know below if you’re a goalsetting fan!  Also let me know if you have limiting beliefs around the whole subject of weight loss goals that work and I’ll make sure I’ll use the feedback to help you by discussing the topics on my live chats.

If you’re not already a Slimpod user, learn how you can Try Slimpod Free For 10 Days in my no-risk, no-obligation trial!

The post Weight loss goals that work – my three top tips for setting them appeared first on Slimpod.