Drop a Size for Life: Fat Loss Fast and Forever!. Joanna Hall

BIG G SPOTS

      I want to drop a size …

       to enjoy better health and energy levels

       to be around to enjoy my children

       for health reasons – one parent died through heart disease/diabetes/stroke, all of which are associated with carrying excess weight

       to increase my chances of avoiding breast cancer, as there is a family history

       to keep fit and well so that I’m able to play with my grandchildren

      Don’t panic if your G spot starts small, because whatever initially starts you off on your journey to dropping a size for good, is great. However, to keep that momentum throughout your life you will need that big G spot.

      Your G spot may, of course, change as you go through your life. When you’re younger, getting in shape for a holiday or that date with a special person can be of more significance than your health in later life, as this seems a long way off. So your G spot may be smaller then. However, as you progress through life and your priorities shift, your G spot may naturally get bigger.

      Step seven action aims are about finding your true G spot.

      ACTION POINT 1: WRITE DOWN YOUR PREVIOUS MOTIVATIONS FOR WANTING TO LOSE WEIGHT

      WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

      You may have tried every diet in the past – you could wax lyrical about this regime and that regime till the cows come home – but however many you’ve tried I want you to write down your motivation for each one. Next to this write whether you felt your G spot motivation was a small one or a large one.

      THE LOGIC

      This enables you to see what motivates you to lose weight and, in the process, it reveals what – and how big – your G spots are. You may find that by adding small G spots together you can create one bigger one.

      ACTION POINT 2: IDENTIFY PREVIOUS MOTIVATIONAL MOMENTS

      WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

      Identify an event or period in the past when have you been really motivated to do something – perhaps it was to get through your professional qualifications, recover from an operation, or plan a surprise party for someone – and you succeeded. Think back to how strongly motivated you were and how you can reach that level of motivation again.

      THE LOGIC

      If you were strong enough to have the motivation to accomplish those things, then you can equally apply the same level of strength to dropping a size. This action point is about tapping into that motivational strength so that you can use it to help you reach your goal.

      ACTION POINT 3: PLAY CUT AND PASTE

      WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

      This is a simple game that helps you identify how large your G spot is. Make two lists: in the first, make a note of all your bad lifestyle habits; in the second, write down all your good lifestyle habits. (If you have trouble with this you may find it helpful to look at section two, which will give you ideas on how many good and bad habits you have.) Now decide which bad habits you are prepared to cut and which good habits you are prepared to paste over them with. Next, ask yourself how long you are prepared to do this for – is it a day, a week, a fortnight, a month or longer?

      THE LOGIC

      If you are prepared to cut and paste all of your bad habits for a short period of time this indicates that your motivation is more of a small G spot – you want the gratification, but it looks like it will be short-lived. However, if you find it more comfortable to cut and paste a few of your bad habits with a few good habits and, crucially, keep doing this for a longer period, then you’re the lucky owner of a big G spot!

      Case study: Kath’s Success

      Kath was a client who had previously recovered from cancer. Her strength and motivation in aiding her recovery helped her to drop a size and keep it off. Whenever she felt she was heading for an intimate encounter with a gallon of ice cream, she would say to herself ‘if I was motivated enough to help myself recover from cancer, I can most definitely be motivated enough not to stuff my face with ice cream’.

      Case Study: Ceinwen’s Success

      ‘I found university really stressful and ate copious amounts of food as a means of coping. Over 31½ years I put on 30kg. No matter how hard I tried to motivate myself, the stress of studying won. Then I saw a TV documentary about a woman who lost the same amount of weight in 40 weeks as part of a bet she made with a public betting agency. I decided to make the same bet myself – to lose 30kg and keep it off for 12 months. This gave me the motivation I needed and I followed the carb curfew eating plan, incorporating tips from slimming magazines, books and clubs. I now weigh 73kg and will lose another 5kg over the next few months while I finish my degree.’