If strict diet and exercise routines are not for you and just
make you feel like a failure because you don't seem to be
able to keep them up, then why not try a new approach?
Start with something you know you can do, which needs no
special equipment and which you can do anywhere. This is
something which is so powerful, so simple it will serve you
all your life. I call it a "Power Pause" because it means
using a moment to regain power over your decisions about
what and when you eat.
To make the "Power Pause" part of your life ask yourself
just 3 questions before you eat anything
* Am I physically hungry right now or could I wait?
* How will I feel after I have eaten this?
* Is there a better choice?
The Power Pause is a tool you can use whenever you're
faced with food. You can use it before you buy food in a
restaurant or shop. And you can use it before you open the
fridge or freezer, before you reach into the cupboard for a
snack, before you have a second cookie. You can even use
it during a meal to help you think about whether you have
eaten enough. Use it to remind yourself to stop eating
whether or not there is food left on your plate or on the
table. It simply helps you avoid eating when you're not
hungry.
We all tend to eat food without thinking. We see food, we
eat it. We get offered food, we accept it. We pass a burger
bar. We suddenly feel "hungry", go in and order. We
anesthetize our minds with food when we're upset. We
hardly notice the food going in.
And eating food without needing it is the primary cause of
our weight problems. We eat and eat without thinking
whether we're hungry right now or whether that food is the
best choice we can make for our bodies and our health. We
eat without thinking about our desire to look good on the
beach this year, to do something about our threatening
health problems, to feel good about ourselves.
But what does it take to pause for a moment before you
make a decision to put food in your mouth, to think twice
before you add those calories to your hips? A few seconds
at most! Certainly less time than you will spend regretting
your bout of over-eating.
You may not succeed in stopping yourself every time
especially at the beginning of using this tool - so don't look
for perfection from yourself - look for progress. Keep going
because it will eventually become second nature - a habit
for the rest of your life - one which will help you stay slim
forever.
Copyright 2006, Janice Elizabeth Small
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