Guilt; stress and frustration is the cause of many diet failures, perhaps I should add to that list boredom with the same old same old foods. Frustration at percieved restrictions and a learned response of catastrophising failure or mistakes and overlooking all the positives and sucesses in our lives. We all do this to some extent and many people never notice exactly what they do. They do notice that they never seem to get things right, they do notice that it seems very depressing to start anything new because they feel that it will all turn out badly in the long run.

What a depressing start to to-day’s post! but for many people that seems to be the pattern that they percieve in their daily living. Life becomes hard for them as they notice more and more failures and problems. Happy positive friends tell them to lighten up and think positive. Other firends tell them that they are creating their own bad luck, many will give advice that is ignored or misunderstood causing even more problems.

So how do you change this pessimistic attitude into one of positive pleasure, I titled this post “More on Snacks/Intention/ and Hypnosis – let me explain in a very Ericksonian way where I’m coming from, my last couple of posts have been on diet related issues, due in part to it being summer and in summer we wear lighter more revealing clothes so that extra weight that slipped on during winter suddenly became visible much to our annoyance and in some cases horror! So I have been talking about how to let those extra unwanted kilos go during our delightful summer season.

A good diet makes you feel better, our unconscious mind controls every single unconscious process within our physical bodies and so when something is not working effectively we feel it, even though we often do not realise exactly what is wrong, we just feel a bit off and not quite right. Our body is telling us to make some changes and put things right, this can be frustrating when we do not understand what needs to be done, or how to go about fixing ourselves this is where hypnosis helps.  Good food especially fresh foods actually feeds your body in the correct way, providing slow release nutrition that gives you the right amount of energy at the appropriate time.

I have talked about this in different ways in past posts, however, I continue to talk about food issues because bad eating habits are often the foundation of other health issues, both physical and mental health. Too much of anything can cause problems even too much of good things, so, lets get back to snacks. Snacks can be used in a healthy way to provide sufficient energy in any busy life, however, other meals need to be adjusted to take snacks into consideration and to allow you to maintain portion control.

It can be easier than you think, our senses can be tricked, you may have read diet tips where you reduce the size of cups, bowls and plates so that it seems as though you are eating a large meal when in fact you have begun to reduce your portion size. This is a very good tip and it is easy to use, another good tip is to put foodstuffs away, the old saying out of sight out of mind is actually very true for many of us. If we are not reminded about that bag of chips or sweets we probably will not eat them. So simple preventative measures can save you a lot of anxiety and frustration, if you allow yourself to make some simple easy changes to your patterns and routines.

To make changes we need to have an intention; not just day dream about the possibility and how nice the result will be, we have to drive those results. It’s a bit like my intention to up-date my facebook page….. I find myself remembering to write a blog even when I’m rather busy with clients, or developing workshops or writing my new series of snack books that I expect to publish on the kindle medium during next month, but somehow I forget  to check and do something on facebook.

So to have intention and to turn intention into action we need sufficient motivation, often we need to feel that our efforts will be not just worhtwhile but enjoyable to. So back to snacks, change your mind if you currently feel guilty about snacking, change your snacks into healthier options. I have already written up the outline of my first book in my snacks series the working title is “A is for Apple – an NLP approach to weight loss” now it will be easy for me to post one of my apples as snacks ideas onto my facebook page early next week. So check my site out and comment please. My daughter suggested that I give away a free copy to each 100th like that I recieve, I will have to check out how to do this. Until next blog, keep well.

I wrote about the percieved need to eat outside of normal mealtimes in my last post, I was thinking about how we eat and what we eat, how we think about food, it got me  looking at a few different web sites to get some insight into snacks and how to use them effectively within a diet structure. This line of thought opened up a literal can of worms for me, allowing me to think in a very different way about eating habits, I feel that this new more open perspective that I am beginning to develop will help me to help clients percieve thier eating patterns and habits in a very different way.

For starters; what do we percieve as normal eating patterns, this seemingly obvious question and answer is highly affected by our own cultural beliefs and expectations, what I might consider a snack, someone else might consider a meal or a treat or even medicine! we all speak literally from our own background and we speak only for ourselves we cannot speak for others, so to reconsider the humble snack is actually like taking a breath of fresh air.

I come from an english background and a quintessential snack for me when I was growing up was a nice fresh apple picked from one of our trees in the back garden, not even washed just given a quick rub to make it shine and then eaten, the core thrown into the compost. An apple a day keeps the doctor away as the old saying goes, and it did and it still does, research has swung back around to now extol the virtues of fresh fruits, apples in particular, a beautiful fresh apple for someone who lives or grew up in a climate where they did not grow; would certainly be a special treat, certainly not something to be taken for granted like I used to. And apples do make a perfect snack; either to start off the day if you are not a big breakfast eater, or to provide a boost for flagging energy mid-afternoon, or to fill a gap and stop the munchies at any time of the day or night.

So in my blog on my facebook site tomorrow morning I intend to begin the discussion on snacking and snacks starting with A for apple and who knows maybe ending sometime next month with Z for zinc and in between talking about all sorts of healthy options and hopefully allowing some of you to have new and healthier insights into just what is available to you when you just need a littel something to tide you over between meals. I intend to include comments on studies, forays into other internet sites and perhaps even engaging in some Q and A if it seems appropriate.

Hypnosis always allows you to change your perspective, trance states do not need to be deep to have effect, sometimes the lightest trance which is simple introspection allows you to begin to look at something very ordinary in a very different way. So with that thought in mind until my next post I wish you all the very best.

I had a lovely client come in to see me during last week wanting help with weight loss. She had a good attitude towards her body, and towards fresh food and exercise but snacking let her down so she came in for some hypnosis to help her direct her attention in a more effective manner.

It got me thinking about the food we eat and when and how we eat; food is so much more than just staying alive or stopping that hunger response. Food really can make the difference between good health and a life of discomfort and ailments even serious disease. Our choices about what we buy, cook/prepare and eat make a huge diference in the life we lead. Healthy people have more energy, less pain or discomfort, more intention towards fun and enjoyment and often find it cheaper as well as easier to live.

Food is so much more than just fuel for our physical bodies and snacks can play an important role in allowing you to change poor food choices around and become more flexible and adventurous with your eating style. So I decieded to write a couple of articles about what is good to snack on and also why snacking can actually be good for you.

For some people eating smaller more frequent meals works better than eating two or three large heavy meals each day. For others mixing things around and eating small and light once or twice a week might be all that is needed to shift a couple of stubourn kilos from their waist or hips/tops of legs. Everyone has different energy requirements, take the time to consider yours, ask yourself what might suit you?

If you are not a breakfast person, if that one cup of good quality coffee is all you want to break your fast and if that makes you feel ready to go, then stick with that habit until you find something that works even better. However, make sure that if you eat a snack when you get to work, or return from taking children to school or after your first lecture of the day, make sure that snack is a good healthy one, and of a type that suits you.

Some people actually thrive on carbohydrates, they digest them easily and feel full of energy after they have eaten this type of food, remember to include exercise with carbs, as they are stored as fat if not quickly burned up in useful movement, so take a walk at lunch time, or make time for the gym or the dog, play a round of tennis or golf and make sure that your body has used all that easy energy and does not need to pack it away around your thighs hips or stomach.

Get into healthy ways of making use of everything you do, make it enjoyable and then it will be easy to do. Protien like fat is filling and gives our bodies longer and slower energy that lasts longer and allows our bodies to run slower and cooler. If you prefer protien to carbs there are lots of healthy snacks that you can prepare of take with you to eat as needed. I will be running a series of posts on my face book site with suggestions for healthy snacks, if you eat breakfast and still look to snack, or eat a solid lunch and need something around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, begin to think about reducing the size of your normal meal, a reduction of around 10 to 15% is easily adjusted for and will not be noticed in a very short time. your can east 5 or 6 or 7 meals a day just make them smaller meals, mini meals or snacks, sometimes a very small amount of food is all we need. I will be writing about all the seasonal choices and including a few recipies for those of you who find cooking a bit of a chore.

Well until the next blog, keep well.

I read a comment my first day back from holidays about the BIG Y and the author asked the questions:

why are you doing what you are doing? he asked this from a personal/work/relationship and future direction perspective. It got me wondering about MOTIVATION and about INFLUENCE> What we let influence our decisions and how we connect with motivational aids and how we continue to find motivation to do the things we need to (or think we need to do).

So, sometimes we need to ask ourselves just what it is that motivates us to do things or to move in a particular direction. Often when we take the time to think more deeply about where we are in our lives and what we do and why we can begin to question our motives (emotional involvement) and our commitment (beliefs about what is worthwhile) to particular courses of action and activity.

Do you love your job? were you reasonably happy to go back to work after your break? Did you enjoy your holiday destination and the people you spent your free time with? All of the responses should be in the positive when we consider our actions in a logical manner, however, we often please others rather than ourselves, and then we become resentful and less than satisfies with how our lives shape up.

Hypnosis and also NLP techniques and EFT allow for a deeper connection and closer observation of the Y’s and also the hows…..I tell clients that when you are motivated towards what you truly desire then there is no effort, you just move and you move easily and quickly to get what you want, it’s not being selfish, it’s more about living the life you can and should have.  Look about you in nature, nature is about growth, about flourishing and changing, responding in the best possible way to whatever occurs within your environment.

Nature is a wonderful teacher if you want to understand about life. While our weather remains warm (hot and wet for some) give yourself every oportunity to get out into the real world, take in the warmth of the sun, use every opportunity to enjoy a swim or a walk. Make the most of what is freely available. With those thoughts in mind I also want to spare a thought for those people here and around the world who are battling the effects of nature and natural disasters. The recent fires were frightening and a reminder for all of us to be careful when camping, driving (especially butts being tossed out of car windows) Careful when travelling with the sudden floods that have engulfed many areas and elsewhere in the world, flood, cyclones and high winds, mud and snow.

Anything in excess can be problematic, anything in lack can be devistating, whether its rain, food, insects; like the recent problems for our bees not having enough flowers available for them to harvest their pollen. Any imbalance creates stress, however, there is often a lesson for us to learn and when we can learn to live with nature in all is beauty and its fearful passion, when we can understand how to live comfortably and profitably with this wonderful planet of ours, sharing every aspect and helping each other to make the most of what we have, then we can have the life we want and the life we deserve. Best wishes to you all for this new year.

Log onto Selfgrowth.com and see the latest post I have written about relaxing your body and mind over the holiday break.

You can also go onto Goodreads.com and check out my new book “The Cause and Effect Diet.” which is full of usefull information and guidance about dropping excess weight and maintaining a good healthy weight. Remember not to over eat during celebrations it actually takes away from your overall enjoyment and satisfaction. Eat small amounts often and exercise frequently as well as taking those well earned rests, afterall its your break make it work for you.