Some folks just seem to be lucky enough to eat whatever they want, and never seem to gain an ounce of weight. Well, it has nothing to do with luck. It’s all to do with our individual metabolic rates. And when it comes to metabolisms, we’re all very different.

Some of us have fast metabolisms, whilst others seem painfully slow. Many people blame their weight gain, or their slow weight loss on their metabolisms, but in actual fact, it usually has more to do with the foods you eat, and how many calories you’re burning.

The first step you need to take is to look at your daily intake. Men need around 2000 calories each and every day, whilst women only need 1500. If you regularly consume more than your recommended allowance, you’re likely to gain weight. If you’re already overweight, there is a good chance that you’re eating more than you daily allowance.

Counting your calories is a great way to find out if you’re eating too much. All you need to do is write down what you eat each and everyday, and work our how many calories those foods contain. When people start counting calories, they’re often surprised at just how much they’re over eating. Our bodies don’t need huge amounts of food, and this excess daily intake is what makes us fat, and can make us ill in the long run. So, if you eat less, or burn enough calories throughout the day, you’re far more likely to see some healthy steady weight loss.

Don’t worry, if you do have a sluggish metabolism, there’s a quick and easy way to speed it up and boost your weight loss efforts… exercise. The more you exercise, the more likely you are to increase your metabolic rate naturally, and kick start your weight loss efforts. By turning your fat into muscle you will make your body far more efficient, and this will help you to maintain a healthy weight.

The great news is… just one hour of exercising each and everyday can be enough to help you burn away excess calories, and help you to start losing weight. But, the bad news is… the older we get, the slower or metabolisms get. This is why many people pile on the pounds as they age. If you want to stay thinner for longer, all you have to do is watch what you eat, and keep exercising. Not only will this help you live longer, but it will help to keep you metabolism nice and fast.

The act of discussing problems out loud, without fear of judgement, is in itself a healing and cathartic process. However, with the help of a trained professional, the issues at the heart of the problems can be addressed and dealt with, giving a positive outcome allowing the person to move on with their life, free of what was previously holding them back.

The decision to undertake counselling is not one that anyone takes lightly. Many consider the idea for months or even years before deciding to take the plunge.

The main hurdle anyone must overcome before opening themselves up to counselling is accepting they have an problem that needs dealt with. Whether it be an addiction, a mental health illness, suffering abuse or an eating disorder, no one likes to admit they are struggling. Often friends and family will try to encourage the person to accept they need help, but the decision must ultimately come from the person themselves.

One of the most common questions someone asks before attending their first counselling session is simply ‘what will it be like?’ This is a difficult question to answer – there is no such thing as the ‘average’ counselling session – in a situation so dependent on the individual’s (client’s) thoughts, reactions and ideas it’s impossible to follow any kind of procedure. Counsellors themselves all work in different ways with different methods, all tailored to the individual.

There are, however, several ‘standard’ approaches that counsellors use. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is perhaps the most common form of counselling, and refers to the way the counsellor will address the issues. Focusing predominantly on the present, the ‘here and now’, this form of therapy will help the client to move forward, often through setting goals, and then helping the client to achieve them.

Whilst this method does not completely ignore the past, it focuses on what kind of situations the client may find themselves in in the future, and how to deal with recurring thoughts that may trigger unwanted emotions, in order to eradicate the problem.

Freud’s ideas and methods are now almost considered as pop-psychology, but psychoanalysing still prevails as an effective and common form of counselling. Unlike Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, it does focus on the past, helping to uncover and explore buried and unconscious ideas and memories. These thoughts can help the individual to understand themselves more, revealing why they think, feel or react they way they do.

The humanistic approach has been popular for the last 50 years, and deals with, as the name suggests, the human, – their strengths, weaknesses, and how they perceive themselves. There are four strands to humanistic counselling, – Person-Centred, Gestalt, Transactional Analysis, and Transpersonal Psychology and Psychosynthesis. Each strain is based around the goal of the client realising their skills, how to achieve their full potential, and who they really are. They range from helping the client to analyse and change their behaviour to achieve their full potential, analysing thought processes, growth and development, and encouraging the client to discover who they really are.

Some approaches require a very strong relationship between the counsellor and the client, and whilst deciding to have counselling is arguably the hardest part of the process, finding the right counsellor is could be considered the most important part.

The benefits of counselling can quite literally be life-changing. In the case of addictions, counselling can literally save an addict’s life, allowing them to overcome something that could potentially kill them, and more importantly, help them to recognise what makes them an addict to prevent relapses in the future. The results are obvious, giving the individual a greater quality of life, getting themselves back on track and allowing them to live the life they want.

Over an average year, around one in four people will experience some kind of mental health problem – whether it be work-related stress, a family crisis, or something more serious like abuse. Depression is the most common mental illness, affecting one if five people. Counselling provides a welcome alternative to medication, and encourages people to deal with their issues rather than continually suppressing them, which can lead to more serious problems.

As mentioned earlier, finding the right counsellor is essential, and there are many things to consider. Counsellors often specialise in certain areas, so it’s important the individual finds one that addresses their specific needs, with an approach they’re comfortable with.

There are practical considerations too, such as location. Despite assured complete confidentiality people may prefer to see a counsellor that is perhaps outside their local area, but still in surroundings they are comfortable in.

In the current climate, price is becoming more and more of an issue. Many counsellors are now offering reduced rates for those unemployment or claiming benefits, and many are very accommodating so that all those that need help can have access to it.

Perhaps most importantly is ensuring the counsellor is fully qualified to practise. Currently there are no laws to regulate counsellors. However, there are accrediting bodies and qualifications guidelines suggest counsellors should obtain. There are academic qualifications in counselling – under-graduate, post-graduates and doctorates. Being accredited by a professional body – such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy – means that the counsellor will have met several criteria, such as a certain number of hours of training undertaken, and hours practising under supervision.

If you’re looking for a counsellor, or want to know more about counselling, or mental illness and other types of distress, then have a look at the Counselling Directory website. A comprehensive searching tool, the site allows postcode, town and country searches, and produces a list of counsellors registered in this area. Each counsellor has a profile, listing a bit about themselves, their approaches, what areas they deal with, and all their training, qualification and experience and fees. The site shows which counsellors are registered/accredited with a professional body, and full profiles are only displayed after insurance and qualification documents are checked or membership with a professional body has been verified.

This means the individual can acquire all the information they would need from one place, allowing an informed choice to be made.

This article should be regarded as a reference source only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Seek the advice of your doctor before beginning any protocol. The author disclaims any liability arising from the use of information on these pages.

Many of us often want change in areas of our lives where we are not completely satisfied, but are unsure where to start. As a Coach I am often expected to come up with fantastic ideas and suggestions about how clients should go about transforming themselves into the dynamic individuals they would like to be. That’s when I point out to people that they know their own situation better than anyone, therefore they are far more equipped than I am in realising what is needed to make those dynamic changes. In truth, I act as a sounding board for clients to bounce ideas from. My role is to motivate, encourage and help clients to reach their goal through a gradual process. Together we work as a partnership through the small steps to that ultimate goal, regardless of what that goal may be. Coaching allows clients to think deeply and reflect on their lives in ways that they may not have done before. Coaching is all about questioning oneself. Have you ever taken time out of your busy life to question what you are achieving by doing the same things you have always done and achieving less than you are worth? It is about being totally honest with yourself and placing a higher value on your life purpose or even finding out what you do best. Coaching can help in almost any area of your life once you consider what it is you want.

When I was invited to write an article for Diet Debate I was very excited as I felt that this was an opportunity to shout to its readers that ‘success lies within you’. Think about it! Who knows you more than yourself and on the same note who can say what is best for you but you? Sometimes when we are searching for an answer we have to realise that we do not have to look very far. We all know ourselves better than anyone else. I often speak to people who are at a crossroad in their lives for one reason or another. People may desire a home of their own, a higher paid job or they may want to lose a few pounds. As their coach, together we establish an ultimate goal and work through a set of smaller targeted goals to reach the final objective. Experience tells us all that taking things in bite size chunks helps us to get through any obstacle to reach that fundamental goal. There are four basic steps to coaching. The key thing here is to have a hard think about what you would like to achieve in your life. What would make you feel happier? The next step is to think about where you are currently in light of your chosen goal. Then you may want to think about what obstacles or challenges lay in your path of reaching your objective. Finally, what steps are you prepared to take to in order to get there.

We have all heard that saying, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’. Often, when we speak about things we can put them into perspective and air ideas we never had before. Someone other than you who believes in your abilities is fundamentally important. This person will listen to you without judgement or prejudice and motivate you when that extra push is needed. There you have it…This is what a Life Coach does. Coaches help you to become more self aware by using prompts and asking questions to allow you to think deeply about where you are in any given situation and realise where you want to go and the options that are open to you in order to get you there.

You probably will have heard the saying about ‘The best laid plans….’ How many times have you started something and not been motivated enough to follow it through? This happens to all of us, as it’s often a challenge to keep the momentum going by always encouraging a client and reminding them of their goal. Coaching helps us to exercise responsibility and realise that our success ultimately depends on our determination and keeping ourselves on track in order to achieve our goals.

No woman or man is an island. Therefore, more often than not we all need a helping hand. After all, one hand alone cannot clap. Increasing awareness helps us to think about the resources that we can utilise to obtain the extra help that we need. If for example you want to lose weight, but are daunted by the concept of going it alone, you may consider as some of the many options available such as enlisting the help of a gym instructor or a dietician. At the end of the day, no one stands alone. We all need a step up in life, regardless of the situation in hand.

Coaching helps us to move forward and not dwell on the events of the past, which may often frustrate and at worst stagnate our progress. If you concentrate on what you did not do well in the past, how will you progress in the future? It’s not about past mistakes and what we did not do well or about having regrets and beating ourselves up about them, but rather loving ourselves unconditionally, getting back ‘on the wagon’ and striving for a better outcome.

When we fell down as children in the playground we all got up and ran along again despite the cuts and bruises. Ask yourselves what the difference is now that we are adults? All in all life is about finding a way forward and doing what suits us. It is always possible to have what we desire once we work towards it. Live life by making positive choices and always value yourself.

By Lisa Roberts

This article should be regarded as a reference source only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Seek the advice of your doctor before beginning any protocol. The author disclaims any liability arising from the use of information on these pages.

I do a range of treatments that hopefully can offer something suitable to a broad spectrum of people. The majority of my work is massage in the form of Aromatherapy, Hot Stone Treatments and also Indian Head Massage. I am also a practitioner of The Bowen Technique, which is a very light touch therapy that has a profound effect on a whole range of conditions from neck and back pain, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, asthma, migraine, constipation and lots more. It triggers or prompts the body’s own healing abilities in a subtle way that helps the body ‘to heal itself’. I also offer Reiki treatments – this works with our energy field and harnesses ‘Universal Energy’ to restore and rebalance our body.

I approach my treatments from a holistic point of view, which simply means that the whole of the body is taken into account, rather than an isolated area. The emotional and spiritual needs are considered as well as the physical. In many ways it is not practical to isolate various areas as everything is interconnected. A lot of what we think and feel is reflected in a physical way in our bodies. For example, if we are angry with someone our body will reflect this by becoming tense, we may clench our fists or grind our teeth. If we are feeling anxious this may produce a churning feeling in the stomach or butterflies in the chest.

We are all aware of how the pressures of everyday living can create stress and pressure. This is very often translated into stiff, tight shoulders but because it builds up very slowly and gradually over days, months and years, we are often unaware of just how much tension is being held in this region. If we woke up suddenly with tight shoulders one morning it would be obvious but these things can just creep up on you over long periods of time without you noticing.

The beauty of massage is that it can teach your body, or should I say, remind your body how to relax and let go of the tension in a way which is soothing, calming and feels totally luxurious. For those who say ‘no gain without pain’, I say they obviously havn’t tried a Hot Stone Massage. If someone comes to me complaining of headaches and lack of movement in the neck and shoulder area and they wish to have a touching therapy then I would suggest a combination of aromatherapy oils, hot stones and massage. The stones are warm and very smooth and feel wonderful as they glide over the skin. The heat from the stones transfers into the muscles which helps them to relax and this increases the blood flow to the muscles bringing oxygen and taking away any toxins. At the same time, the aromatherapy oils are absorbed into the bloodstream and go to work easing tension from the muscles. All this is just helping your body to carry out its normal functions more effectively and all you have to do is lie down and enjoy it!

The same technique can be applied to the stomach. A stomach massage feels wonderful but at the same time is able to stimulate the digestive system to work more effectively. Oils such as peppermint and fennel have a calming and soothing effect on our digestive system and by massaging them into the stomach area will go quickly to the right spot.

Once your body has remembered what it feels like to be loose and relaxed you can take this experience away with you. Now you are more aware of holding tension and so can develop ways of dealing with it. I find it can be helpful as a client to speak to your therapist about your daily habits so that you can work out ways of improving or alleviating problems. When you are in a space where your body is the focus of attention it is easier to look at how problems with posture, for example, may have arisen. If you always carry a heavy bag on your right shoulder then it is likely that you will have some discomfort in this area and it may be worth changing your bag. If you always sleep on your stomach then it is likely that you will have neck problems because your head is twisted to one side for long periods of time.

If you often feel anxious or worried then keying into the physical sensations that this anxiety brings about can make you more aware of what triggers these feelings and then perhaps you can look at ways of dealing with it.

There are so many ways that your body tries to alert you to problems and it is so easy to ignore or simply pass over these warning signs. Massage gives a bodily awareness that enables you to stop and consider in a non-emotional way, just what is creating these tensions, and so can help you resolve them.

There are also treatments which help to stimulate the digestive system so that it can work in a more effective way. Over the years particles of semi digested food can be left in your digestive system that clogs up the colon and prevents effective digestion. Treatment of this area of the body through either a massage or a Bowen Treatment will stimulate the muscle walls and remove the debris thus bringing about a more effective way to process what you eat. This detox will lead to higher energy levels, a clearer skin and a more alert mind.

So, as you can see, there are many ways we can help our body to carry out its normal everyday functions, but to do it better. We all want to feel healthier and more energetic and the therapies I offer really do help in a very natural way. I am based in Farnham, Surrey and work from home. If you need any further information look on my website www.relaxandrevitalise.co.uk.

This article should be regarded as a reference source only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Seek the advice of your doctor before beginning any protocol. The author disclaims any liability arising from the use of information on these pages.

As consumers we have access to food contents, sugars and so on. It has never been easier to budget our calorific intake! So why it that some of us are having trouble in achieving is targeted goals we often employ with our dietary requirements?

The answer could be that our dietary goals are far too rigid and unrealistic which will end in goal deprivation and not achieving any of the set objectives we set.
Cognitive behavioral therapy, (CBT), can help in achieving these objectives as it works on the premise that we evaluate our cognitions or thoughts realistically, against objective reality. It also recognises that we all have cognitive errors and blind spots that assist in negatively appraising differing variables, such as dieting. Cognitive distortions are inaccurate thoughts or ideas identified in cognitive therapy and its variants, which maintain negative thinking and help to maintain negative emotions.

One cognitive error is, “All or nothing thinking”. This is defined as thinking of things in absolute terms, like “always”, “every” or “never”. Few aspects of human behaviour are so absolute. This may include embarking on unrealistic diets that would not stand up to objective reality. For example an ex colleague of mine decided to embark on a crash diet that consisted of allowing herself only to drink water that was mixed with maple syrup. She pursued this diet for 5 days. In the process she made herself very weak which also had a negative impact on the way she could mentally process information. The end result was that she had lost some body weight which was only short term gain. This diet was dangerous and impaired her functioning and judgment. She had displayed elements of,” All or Nothing”, thinking in her approach to the dieting which was not sustainable in the long term. The diet was also unrealistic and did not take into account any of her long term goals. Goal setting is of paramount importance when embarking on any behavioural change.

Another cognitive error to be aware of is Emotional reasoning, defined as making decisions and arguments based on how you feel rather than objective reality. For example a person may be suffering from low self esteem and seek solace in eating. What the person needs to do is pro actively change his or her behavior, realistically.

The important message to get across here is that when embarking on a diet for health or medical reasons you should be aware of the behavioural issues that are motivating the dietary change.

Do the dietary changes stand up to be tested against objective reality? Meaning is it realistic and goal driven? If so it is more likely to achieve the desired long term goals and cumulate in success.

Cognitive behavioural therapy will help you achieve your desired dietary changes that can be tested against objective reality.

About the Author

After working in the Oil Industry for many years Paul Horan decided to qualify as Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and Addictions Counsellor. Paul is currently practicing in Earls Court and Ealing. Visit Paul’s site at www.cbtwestlondon.co.uk.

This article should be regarded as a reference source only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Seek the advice of your doctor before beginning any protocol. The author disclaims any liability arising from the use of information on these pages.