Weight Loss Motivation - What to Do When 'Life Happens'

Last week was one of those testing ones - you know, the ones with lots of lessons in them! The fact of the matter is that 'life happens'. Because we are only human, and not perfect, we err from our focus of comfort loving and return to comfort eating. Keeping a focus on happiness at these times is a lesson in itself.

So we turn to food when the going gets tough. Worse still, we then give ourselves a good mental beating for having eaten inappropriately. As all our negative messages flood back with vengeance, our focus on happiness and self-love disappears. How helpful is that? The stress that this causes only leads us into more inappropriate eating. It is all a vicious circle!

What we actually need is love, understanding and compassion from ourselves. We also need to refocus on the thoughts and actions that make us happy. The steps to take at these trying times are easy but unfamiliar so they require practice.

Remember, this is a new mindset, abundant with love and so if you have reached out inappropriately for food try the following steps...

1. Switch off the 'Negative Natterer' that fills you with guilt and shame.

2. Reflect on the situation with empathy and understanding.

3. Reflect on what learning you can gain from your present situation.

4. Make a list of all the positive signs of love that surround you.

5. Consider the actions you can take that are self-loving.

6. NOW TAKE ACTION

7. Praise yourself for your change of thoughts and actions.

No more berating yourself for being human. That is a certain way back into the trap of long-term comfort eating. Life is too short to be trapped in such a vicious cycle. Life is for living and for loving. And that means loving yourself enough to fill your life with happiness, not pain and torture, where food, weight and size are concerned.

The remarkable thing is that the more self-loving you are and the happier you make your life and thoughts, the more your lose weight. Watch how quickly you get back on track with your healthy eating when you practice this 7 step action plan. Watch the happiness flow back to you - you deserve it.

Chrissie Webber is a published author, business coach and leadership trainer. As Managing Director of Life-Shapers Ltd she is developing her online weight-loss motivation company http://www.lifeshapers.co.uk into a franchise of Life Shapers Weight Management Coaches.

Her track record in the area of weight management is firstly a personal one. Following a lifetime of weight issues - at her heaviest, over 21 stone and a massive size 30 - she has personal experience of diets and their devastating effect on size and psyche.

With a background in nursing, psychology and business coaching, coupled with a lifetime of dieting, she developed and successfully used a series of models and tools that enhance weight loss motivation. Now over 5 dress sizes smaller and having sustained her weight loss for several years she has written a book about her motivational journey. Weight Loss, Life Gain - A Motivational Journey to Permanent Weight Loss was published in January 2008 by Accent Press.

Her Blog http://www.chrissiewebber.co.uk and free monthly eZine now offer support to others.