CHOICES – we all have them and what path we choose to take in our lives is predominantly down to us as individuals.
Naked Leader’s Fight!!! – Change Curve v Choice Curve NL Week, illustrates the fact and that belief can be shared by people in all walks of life.
One such person is Lee Janogly, founder of Talk Yourself Slim and an acclaimed diet counsellor, author, magazine feature writer and broadcaster. Lee has built a career on helping people make better choices by creating a mindset that staves off craving. Lee has three top tips to share, which her clients have told her have been the most help.
1. Plan ahead what you are going to eat for the coming day and stick to that.
2. Eat regularly during the day to avoid hunger; don’t let more than three hours go by without putting something in your mouth, even if it’s just a drink.
3. When you go out, always take a little snack in your bag, such as a small packet of nuts, in case you get caught in traffic or are delayed.
Lee’s books, Only Fat People Skip Breakfast and Stop Bingeing! have literally altered the way people think about themselves and helped them make the right choices for better health and fitness.
“The sugar you eat is the fat you wear” is a compelling title for a chapter and one woman, after reading ‘Stop Bingeing!’ was moved to write to Lee and say: I just wanted to say thank you so much for your wonderful life-changing books. I’ve had a couple of lapses along the way but I’ve finally got it! I am so looking forward to living the rest of my life as a slim person. I cannot recommend your books and method highly enough. Although very reasonably priced, they should be free on the NHS to everyone.
Wow, there was one satisfied customer!
So, what’s the secret? Well, it’s rather like the Naked Leader ethos, there is no secret to unlocking the tools you have within you to achieve your goals.
In Lee’s case, she quite simply tells people the facts. If you choose a chocolate biscuit over an apple, you are choosing to be fat. It is a message which is simple and effective and isn’t that the art of powerful and illuminating communication?
With her diet counsellor hat on, Lee runs a six-week Living Slim Course for private clients.
She explains: ‘The first part of the course is to work with each client to explore what has prevented them losing weight in the past, why they make the wrong choices and how they can make changes that fit with their lifestyle.
‘This is not a conventional ‘diet’ in that I don’t tell people what to eat – there are no recipes filling my diet books! I get clients to tell me what they are going to choose to eat now – thereby encouraging them to take responsibility for their eating choices.
‘I was sent a copy of David Taylor’s Naked Leader and the blurb on the back cover echoes my attitude towards my clients – the words in the brackets are mine, when David says, “Imagine if you simply could not fail [to lose weight]. What would you do [if you were slim now]? Where would you go [to buy clothes]? Who would you be [as this slim, fit, attractive person]?”
Lee continues: ‘I also strip away the myth and hype by telling people if they constantly eat food containing fat and sugar they are going to be fat. That’s the reality.’
Perhaps the most thought-provoking perspective from Lee is this: ‘YOU are the only one who puts food into your mouth. No-one is holding you in a headlock and stuffing doughnuts into your mouth. Therefore the only person who can change their shape is YOU – if you choose to.’
‘Yes, chocolate tastes nice but it doesn’t make you happy because you are not happy when you’re fat.’
The Naked Leader mantra strikes a chord with Lee and she adds: “Like David I think that life is about choices, although I understand that the choices some people make are often motivated by frustration or avoidance.
‘Many women, for instance, binge on chocolate and biscuits when they are anxious, tired or fed-up, they “haven’t got time” to exercise – but seem to have time to get their nails done and watch Corrie! – and then moan that they can’t lose weight.
‘I use humour and encouragement to help people identify their own patterns of eating and formulate a plan to counteract those “crave” times. For example if you always eat chocolate biscuits at tea-time, your body will expect that and set up a craving. Therefore, change this to something healthy like fruit and yoghurt and you will soon look forward to that instead.
‘Gradual changes in the way people think soon encourage the weight to go and more importantly, stay gone.’
Of course, some people might not agree with Lee and prefer the motto ‘live to eat’ rather than ‘eat to live.’
That’s their choice. What’s yours?
Read more about Lee at www.talkyourselfslim.co.uk