Top Sante Photoshoot!

After losing 3 stone and battling my eating demons with Thinking Slimmer, I have become a little bit of a minor celebrity in the world of weightloss!  After my feature in the Sun, I was approached by Top Sante to do an article along with Ian, my long suffering husband, to look deeper into my issues with food and how the Slimpods have changed our lives.  We had a 2 hour interview and today we had our photoshoot.

I was sent two gorgeous dresses from Debenhams (size 12 Yay!  Still can't believe I'm not a 16 anymore!) and had a make-up artist arrive at my house to get me ready for the photoshoot with photographer Thomas Skovsende.  We were on location at a local hotel, Goldstone Hall.

Thankfully the weather was incredibly kind and so we didn't freeze or get rained on.  Apart from my high heels sinking into the lawn, there were no problems and me and Ian enjoyed having a professional take photos of us.  We've never had professional pictures taken of us, not even when we got married, so we enjoyed the experience.  Thomas was an artist who knew exactly what he wanted to achieve and wasn't afraid to tell me I was looking "freaky" when a concept wasn't working!  I don't know how his "au naturel" shots will look, he favours taking photos of real people doing real things rather than staging unnatural poses. (Very different to the Sun where it was all 'pop your hip' and 'bend that knee' etc)

Here's a couple of photos that were taken on my own camera of me and Ian in our outfits.  I have to wait until the magazine comes out to see Thomas's shots of us.

The Top Sante magazine article is due to be published in February, all going well.  

This is Day 4 of #NaBloPoMo 

My Moment of Fame in The Sun

Today was the day when my photos appeared in a national newspaper!  I had done the photoshoot in London a couple of weeks ago and had been simultaneously looking forward to / dreading the article on my weight loss appearing in The Sun.  You always wonder who might end up seeing it...ex-boyfriends for example. *shudders* But as soon as I saw the article I stopped worrying about those things.

I am really proud to be helping Sandra with promoting her product.  The Thinking Slimmer Slimpod has definitely changed my attitude towards eating.  Unlike other times when I have religiously and obsessively dieted, the Slimpod allows me to take days off  to enjoy special meals without slipping down the slope to gluttony and impending failure.  My appetite is more controlled and my old tendency to craving foods has disappeared.  My mind has definitely been retuned.  It makes it so much easier to eat well and not obsess about food 24/7.

I hope the article helps other people who have had a similar bad relationship to food to seek new methods to solving their problems.  So many people are resorting to extreme methods of weight loss such as diet pills or even gastric band surgery.  Everyone with a weight problem or an issue with food should at least try the Slimpod first.  There really is nothing to lose (except weight!!).  It's non-evasive, safe and so very easy.  It has helped me battle my demons. You have to want it and work with it...but you do it willingly without feeling deprived or miserable. My weight gain over the years has been completely self-inflicted...turning that on its head has resulted in sustained weight loss and increased confidence.

I am enjoying being a size 12 again!

If you want to read the whole article this is the link.

Thinking Slimmer Review

Anyone who reads my blog will probably know I have been trialling Slimpods since last November. My success has not always been long lasting because things have got in the way (like Christmas, illness and generally losing my Chi for dieting!)  However, Sandra the CEO of Thinking Slimmer has taken it upon herself to really help me. I've received personal phonecalls and direct messages on Twitter, and between us we have come up with my current programme.  She has been wonderful. Also I think the time is now right and the supportive #mumentum group has been the final piece of the puzzle, giving me the motivation to succeed once and for all!

I am using the Drop 2 Jean Sizes Slimpod at the moment.  Previously I had used one that referred to dress sizes, and although it is a subtle difference, I couldn't relate as well to the visualisation of myself in a frock!  So this one is tailored to suit me better.  There are lots of different options so you can find one that fits your own personal needs.

I've been listening for about a week now and it really is facilitating some amazing changes in the way I eat.  For example today I was in Starbuck's with my husband.  By habit, he bought me a Mocha and a Skinny Lemon Muffin.  I was thinking 'what the hell, I'll eat it anyway...it's skinny!' but I just couldn't.  I really didn't want it.  It just didn't appeal to me at all. I wrapped it in a napkin and brought it home for the kids!  I have said no to the offer of food using will power, but this was different.  I just did not want it and it was there on a plate in front of me.  It actually scared me a little bit!!  This was massive!

No thanks!!

I've lost 5lbs already and I'm not having to do anything apart from listen to my MP3 player at bedtime.

If you think hypnosis could help you, take a look at their website.  It's not just a place to purchase a downloadable Slimpod.  There is information, success stories that are really motivational, advice and support. It's a real community and after you become a customer you get access to the VIP area.

I love the soothing voice of Trevor Silvester who uses WordWeaving to gently talk to your unconscious mind, influencing you in a natural way.

I'd say give it a go...there is nothing to lose...except your excess weight!!!

Mumentum...My Journey to Being Slimmer

It's been just a week since I hooked up with Liska and the other #Mumentum girls.  I'm already 5 lbs lighter, more positive and my attitude to food has changed.

I've restarted my Thinking Slimmer Slimpods, listening to the 10 minute recordings at bedtime every night.  It has really helped me.  I am listening to the yet to be released "Lose Two Jean Sizes" slimpod, along with the "Chocoholic Cure".  They help by reprogramming the unconscious part of your mind to see food as a fuel that is there to be burned.  It makes you aware of the feeling of fullness and makes you open to change habits of a lifetime.  It encourages you to do 'anything more than nothing' to achieve your goal everyday and visualise the person you want to be.  The person you CAN be!

It really is incredible that after just a few days I am no longer craving treats or binging.  It's easy to say no to food or just have a little taste of things and then stop.  I genuinely don't feel like I'm being deprived of the things I used to want, because the desire for them has gone.

So far so good!!  But I do believe that the support of you #Mumentum ladies is really instrumental in the effectiveness of my ability to allow myself to succeed this time.  I feel that I'm not alone, that other people care and are rooting for me, like I'm rooting for them!  Motivational chats on Twitter and comments on blog posts have raised my spirits immensely and I'm so grateful for the support and friendships that are developing online.  Everyone has different motives for their weightloss or fitness goals.  Everyone is taking a different approach...but we all want the same thing.  To get back the control and be as healthy as we can be for our families.

I'll be thrilled to meet up with some of our group at Cybermummy.  And I really hope that we get the opportunity to attend an event together as the #Mumentum Ladies!  We could get T-Shirts and everything!!  Poster girls for fabulous Mummies working on reducing their tummies together!

Liska's group is snowballing as other people on Twitter see the hashtag and realise what a great group it is.  I'm so glad that I joined in and proud to play a part in it!  This is exactly what social media should be about...enabling like-minded people to link up and connect.

My one concern is that my lack of exercise will eventually call a halt to my weightloss.  I've done all kinds of things in the past. Yoga, pilates, holistic toning and going to the gym.  In every one of these attempts I've put my back out.  I couldn't walk for 3 days following one Pilates class!  I was diagnosed with scoliosis after the birth of baby number 3.  I had a year of restricted movement and pain following Ella's birth.  There is definitely something amiss in my spine.  Instead I will try to walk the school run more often and do activities with the family that gets my blood pumping. Fingers crossed it will be enough.

I start week 2 with a positive outlook and I can really see where I want to be.  Using Cybermummy as the first marker enables me to set a date for my first target.  I'm not entering into any mass hysteria regarding the Cybermummy event as some people have suggested to other people's attempts to lose weight etc.  But it is an event that is punctuating my year and therefore provides an opportunity to lose a bit of weight and is a focus for my efforts.  Feeling like I'm doing well is a huge confidence boost.  There is no harm in that whatsoever!!

Thinking Slimmer...a Battle with my Body!

My weight has always fluctuated.  Ever since having my daughter in 1991 when I developed pre-eclampsia and put on five stone.  Before then I was always very slim, and in my mind I am still that person.  Sometimes I look in the mirror or catch a glimpse of myself in the reflection of a shop window and I feel quite horrified that my physical appearance doesn't match my mental image of myself.

I am tall (5ft 11") so I carry my weight all over, rather than storing fat on my bum or belly in isolation.  Sometimes this makes it harder to diet, because any weight-loss is more subtle so less gratifying. I waiver between a UK size 12 and a 16...my wardrobe is full of clothes, only a fraction of which fit me at any one time.

Me in the kitchen!

At the moment, I'd like to lose a stone in weight.  I can do it, when I put my mind to it I find the challenge of self-denial quite enjoyable.  But by its very essence, self-denial does not work.  The second I let something calorific pass my lips, the spell is broken and I'm back on the biscuits.  I'm an all or nothing dieter!  The idea of permissible sins just would not work on me.

I also suffer from having no sensation of being full.  I can eat and eat.  Whereas my husband leaves stuff on his plate or refuses seconds, I can plough my way through any amount of food.  I won't feel stuffed, sick or have any need to stop.  This makes food control really hard unless I am 100% committed.

This is not a satisfactory or healthy way to conduct myself.  I need a total change of lifestyle forever, not a quick fix diet.

When Thinking Slimmer offered me the chance to review their Slimpod hypnosis program, I accepted hoping it could be the key to unlocking my problem.  It promises to re-tune your mind to shift the focus of your unconscious, to make you feel fuller and more satisfied quicker.

I started the trial back in November and had some success really quickly.  I felt full for the first time ever, and felt ecstatic to leave food on my plate. It was really working! Unfortunately, for me it went wrong.  After losing 7lbs, 14 days into the trial, something changed.  I'd feel full and just eat through it.  I ended up binging and although still listening to the Slimpods, I felt distracted.  I sabotaged my own success by ignoring what my body was telling me.  Christmas's temptations and a heavy cold sabotaged my efforts.  Over the festive period I put on the weight I'd lost.  The Slimpod was shelved.

Then in January I received an email from Thinking Slimmer asking how my trial had gone.  I told them what had happened, but rather than making me feel like a failure, I received huge support and encouragement.  The Slimpod was obviously working for me until something inside me stopped it from doing its job.  I was also a bit lazy with my success log, I thought that losing weight was enough, so I wasn't giving it full committment.  I just had to get back on it and not be too hard on myself!

 I was even given a phonecall from Sandra Royston-Davis, a top Harley Street hypnotist and founder of the Slimpod. She is very knowledgeable and explained a bit about how the Slimpod works in conjunction with the brain to achieve results. She talked me through what I was doing and decided that my best course of action was to start again completely from scratch and to fill out a weight loss 'contract' with myself setting three achievable goals.  I've chosen:

1: Lose a stone before my birthday in April.
2: Enjoy walking with the family at weekends...I've already got a book of family friendly walks in Cheshire and a pair of walking boots.
3: Buy myself a new pair of new jeans that actually fit well and get a haircut after losing a stone...both things I have avoided doing for way too long!

I was also advised to commit to filling out my 21 day Success Log, to record changes I notice.  The changes don't just happen to your weight, but also to your self-esteem and confidence.  I was encouraged to listen to the Slimpod everyday for 21 days and then how ever often I needed to after that until I reach my target weight.  Then I can switch to a maintenance Slimpod.

Sandra reminded me about the website which is rich in advice, support, recipes, tips and testimonials.  It is quite inspirational and makes you feel like you are not alone in your attempt to lose weight.  Membership to their VIP area is included in the cost of the Slimpod.  It is a total package for one inclusive price.

The fact that my glitch was acknowledged has given me even more confidence in the product.  This is a program for life, it is permanent and not just a faddy, quick fix scheme!

Last night I listened to my Slimpod.  Today I feel really positive.  I've had no urge to snack today and didn't even look at the cakes when I was in Tesco.  I also didn't finish Freddy's lunch leftovers which I usually do without even thinking.  I will keep blogging about my weight-loss journey...let's hope I succeed!  With the support that is available to every Thinking Slimmer customer, I know I am not alone!

Check them out on Facebook, Twitter or on their website for friendly advice and information!