Some people are fat and some people are thin. And the reasons why aren’t solely to do with food.

Some people eat to fuel their body, some people eat to savour the tastes and some people eat to bury their feelings.

Some people can eat one piece of a chocolate bar and for some people one bar will never be enough.

Some people must eat it all now and some people would rather be slim and healthy and will eat only what they need.

Its the same battle within for those who struggle with instant versus delayed gratification. And for most people who struggle to reach and stay at their ideal weight; their attitudes to food were formed in childhood and its challenging to confront the reasons why we succumb to poor food choices such as eating too much or eating the wrong food.

Food isn’t love, respect, influence yet its often used as a substitute. The urge to eat rubbish food and to eat too much is often driven by a desire to feel comfort when we’re lonely or bored or sad. Or overeating is used as an anesthetic to numb feelings we don’t want to acknowledge never mind accept and deal with.

If you worry about your weight, take a lesson from the ‘live slow, die old’ philosopy which means stopping to think before you act. Mel Robbins talks about her ‘54321 rule’, and it can be adapted to support your dietary and habit changes.

If you stop to think before you order that takeaway, and count backwards 5,4,3,2,1, you break your old habit momentum and allow space for yourself to think. And in that space you can decide that no, you don’t actually need it or want it, that the act of phoning for a takeaway was an impulse, a hangover from before you committed yourself to change.

Eating habits aren’t unbreakable, they can be hard to change but they can be changed with a little effort and a lot of commitment.

Its a good idea to be open with your friends and family about your changing dietary habits and eating goals. Ask them to help you stay on track with healthy eating, to query you when you’re piling food onto your plate or buying pastries, cakes and chocolate. Don’t be cross with them when they do this, they have your best interests at heart and they can be your best defence against your old thinking, reminding you of the change you have committed to and supporting you on your way to making that change long lasting, even permanent.

Set a target. It helps to visualise the outcome you are working towards. Be realistic about your timeline and keep track of your progress. And remember even 1lb off is going in the right direction. So don’t get disheartened when progress feels slower than you would like, all progress is good and worth celebrating.

If you spend money on a particular ‘treat’ everyday, rethink it. Firstly, its not a treat. its a threat to your wished for outcome, so start calling it what it is, a threat, a diabolical no-good trap to keep you stuck in old bad habits. And secondly, save that money for a real treat, something truly indulgent that feels good to you and is good for you. A mani/pedi, a massage, a private yoga instruction, whatever feels good like that for you.

Change how you think about food by starting to see that you not eating food for the same reasons naturally thin people eat. Explore why you eat the way you do, be gentle with yourself in this process. Be compassionate and yet be disciplined, as you would with a small child. Say no to a cookie as a treat for being good, for having survived a tough day at work, because you deserve it. Say yes when the cookie is just a cookie and nothing more.

If you want to learn about my ‘Ideal Body Hypnosis’ get in touch here.

And you can read more great information about how to change your thinking to change your weight here.

Have you got stuck on your weight release and body confidence journey?