Happy to help - you also have to help yourself!

If you wear out your body – where are you going  to live?  Take care of you.

Well it snowed, not too bad by the looks of it from my window, but boo I’m not a fan and from the look on most of the faces I weighed yesterday and this week for that, you’ve all had enough of this weather too and from what you were telling me, its leading you to the kitchen for comfort food!  Despite this you still managed to lose 624lb (45 stone) between you, which was an average of 1.1lb per person.  So well done everyone I’m really impressed.  And think positive, the clocks go forward on the 25^th March, which is also the start of British Summertime, so that’s not too far away, keep smiling.

Now I think it’s time we all stopped with the miserables, me included because it’s not fun, we need to get happy and positive and that will have a knock on effect with our weight loss!  If you want inspiration, check out Rachel’s photos on our facebook wall yesterday of her wearing the jeans she was wearing before she joined Weight Watchers, wow she’s done so well lose 113lb so far.

It’s too easy to feel sorry for ourselves and sulk when things aren’t going our way, and I appreciate it takes real effort to stay positive, but it really is the only way to turn things around.  If you’ve had a few bad weeks, or you’re not losing and don’t know why - let go of self-pitying self-talk and negative questions, ask: “What can I do to solve this problem?” “How can I turn it to my advantage?” “What more do I need to know/do?”  These questions get your subconscious working for rather than against you. 

Don’t exaggerate the problem.  Problems are blown up by anxious thoughts, anger, guilt and looking for someone or something to blame!  Don’t underestimate the problem either, nor your capacity to deal with it.  Many problems are handled badly because they aren’t taken seriously enough.  Don’t delude yourself.  See reality as it is.

Take action now.  You solve problems by doing something about them now, not in the future.  Don’t be too proud to ask for help.  You’ll find people love to lend a hand, or offer advice – it makes them feel useful and boosts their self-esteem. 

If you’re doing fabulously right now and losing that’s fantastic and well done you, so share your success, next week in your meeting, talk to someone who’s struggling and help motivate them, or get on our facebook wall and offer some tips. 

If you gained this week, or didn’t lose, learn from all your so-called failures.  From the moment we’re born life presents us with a series of learning curves, each building on the other.  A baby has to fall many times before walking, and, as adults, sometimes we feel as if we’re about to topple over before recovering our balance and getting back on our feet again.  Failing at something doesn’t make us a failure as a person.  The only real failure is giving up or not trying at all.
Successful people see setbacks as valuable lessons, teaching them about what they need to alter within themselves so they can achieve what they want.  This explains why so many of them ultimately bounce back completely transformed. 

Every setback contains within it the seeds of success, providing you can spot them.  Deal with problems as they arise and turn difficulties to your advantage.  Hardly anyone gets everything right first time.

There is no such thing as failure – only actions and their consequences, so see those setbacks as learning opportunities, stepping stones to your success.

Life is unlikely to ever be hassle free so learn to welcome your problems, setbacks and difficulties and embrace the learning opportunities they offer.  But keep your feet on the ground; don’t deceive yourself into thinking your making progress when you’re not.  (Equally, don’t talk yourself into thinking your not making progress when you are.)

If what you do works, do more of it, do it more often, do it for longer, do it on a bigger scale.  If is doesn’t think again.  Stay flexible, be willing to adjust your strategy, or if necessary, go back to square one and start again.

Remember, if you’ve had a good week your meeting needs you, if you’ve had a bad week YOU NEED YOUR MEETING.  I cannot help you if you walk away from the scales muttering to yourself or someone else that you’re not coming anymore, it doesn’t work etc, when both you and I know it does.  I am more than willing to help each and everyone one of you as much as I am able to BUT the deal is - you also have to help yourself.

NOW as much as I dislike that white stuff outside, I’ve just promised myself I’m not going to moan about it once today because it gets me down, I’m looking at it now and saying to myself, “It is what it is and its here – DEAL WITH IT!”