Surely I can’t mean that, can I?

Weight loss - fun?

Mmm, maybe for a few nutters out there but lil’ ol’ you?

Yep. Let me tell you more…

I just read about an interesting blog from a guy who wanted to lose weight. He sorted out his diet but couldn’t be bothered to exercise.

As it turns out, at about the same time he bought himself a Nintendo Wii. Of course, the Wii is a video game system that is controlled using physical movement. Rather than pressing buttons to control what’s happening in the game, you move the whole controller. You can play tennis, 10 pin bowling and so on.

And much to his surprise (and delight) this guy discovered he could lose as mcuh weight as he wanted to, simply by playing several hours of video games (that he loved) each day.

How great is that?

Two things to take away from this…

1) Consider getting a Nintendo Wii if you like video games and want to lose weight.

2) It goes back to what I keep saying - find an aerobic exercise you *love* - tennis, swimming, cycling etc. - because then it won’t feel like you’re depriving yourself, you’ll actually be having fun first and losing weight second.

Check out the blog I mentioned here.

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On days off last year, or when I managed to start work late or finish early, I used to take pleasure in visiting the gym outside of “peak hours” - 5pm-8pm I would suggest.

This peak time is when most people come out of work and the gym brims with people. It can be a great networking time but it can also be so frustrating because there is so much competition for so few resources.

Your workout takes twice as long as you stand around for weights or machines to free up.

And if you’re unlucky, while you’re working out, someone will be hovering around you like a fly waiting for *you* to get off that machine so *they* can use it.

Not my idea of fun I’m afraid.

In the past I have visited the gym in the early morning - as in 7.30am in the early morning. You find the real hardcore there. It’s quiet. And the people there have dragged themselves up at 6am to work out before they begin a days work. That’s dedication for you.

I loved those early mornings, but I’m naturally a night owl. Given a choice, I won’t be up till 10am.

So it is with great pride that I can tell you I have just become self employed. I won’t tell you about what I’m doing - that’s not the focus of this blog. But what *does* matter is that I can now go to the gym at *any* time of day.

That means I can get a cheaper monthly subscription by going off-peak, everything is much quieter and I can go at a natural pause in my day.

It’s such a pleasure! The mums who go to the gym while they’re kids are at school don’t know how lucky they are

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We’ve all been there - a new member at the gym - and you know how out of place you look.

It just doesn’t feel “natural” to be there.

But if you’re keen to get over that “bump” and start looking like a gym pro as quickly as possible then there are a few things you can do:

1) Get Yourself A Proper Workout Kit

Many gym newbies haven’t yet quite decided if it’s for them or not so they wear an old t-shirt and pair fo shorts from the back of their wardrobe.

Appreciate that you are going to get hot and sweaty, and that the majority of the serious gym goers will be wearing “proper” gym stuff and go buy yourself something so you blend in. Best bet - pay a lot of attention when you’re shown round the gym before you actually sign on the dotted line so you can get an idea of what the other members are wearing.

2) Get Inducted Out Of Peak Hours

Most new gym goers will have a gym induction - in many gyms it’s one of the rules.

So don’t aim for peak time. Struggling trying to learn to use the various machines and do the various exercises with a instructor right next to you while the gym is packed couldn’t scream “newbie” any more if you tried.

So go some time between 10am and 4pm on a weekday for the quietest times and do your induction then. If you want to be smart, even ask them when you’re being shown round when the quietest times are and make a mental note.

3) Focus On Your Workout Not Other People

Serious gym goers tend to be there to work out. Newbies tend to feel self conscious and spend a lot of time looking around the gym watching what other people are doing. Sometimes even mimicking them. It’s OK to go ask someone what that exercise is that they’re doing and what muscles does it work - but try in general to focus on what you’re doing not what everyone else is doing.

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I travel quite a bit - for work and for pleasure - and that means I’m often away from the gym for days, sometimes weeks at a time.

You obviously can’t go taking barbells and running machines with you for a week away, but what can you do to keep up with your fitness plan?

Well firstly of course many of the better hotels these days will either have a gym or at least a pool you can use so consider trying to locate one of these in your target destination.

Otherwise, you can take a few small, lightweight supplies with you to help you keep in shape.

Here is a list of accessories you might like to consider. Some are bigger and bulkier than others so it’s a matter of personal choice what you decide to go for but hopefully this list will give you some food for thought…

Workout Mat - Padded mat so you can do crunches, situps etc. in comfort.

Skipping Rope - Easy aerobic exercise whenever you need it.

Dumbells - Heavier so you wouldn’t want to carry these on the train but you could take them in the car to do bicep curls, flyes and so on.

Chin-up Bar - Fits into the frame of a door allowing you to exercise back, shoulders and arms.

Swiss Ball - Deflate before you go then reinflate when you get there. Hassle, but useful for all sorts of exercises.

So there you go. Also remember you can do crunches on the bed, you can do press-ups and so on (and just go for a run) which requires no real equipment apart from your workout clothes.

Consider what you are currently trying to achieve with your fitness regime and therefore what exercises are going to help you best achieve that goal.

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If, as I claim, the biggest factor in your success or failure when it comes to weight loss and your fitness program is in your mind, then can hypnosis really help?

After all if, as some people claim, you can quit smoking, meet your mate *and* become a millionaire after a few relaxing minutes whats to say dieting is any different?

Well I’ve had the pleasure of talking to quite a few people who have used hypnosis for various purposes - I myself have been hypnotized twice at the time of writing - though not for weight loss.

Firstly, let me tell you from my first hand experience roughly what to expect from your hypnosis session…

You will start off with a chat so the hypnotist can get to know you better. They will try to make you feel comfortable whilst gently prodding you for details. Why do you want to lose weight? What have you tried in the past? Why don’t you think this worked? What are you most concerned about? And so on.

It’s a reasonably pleasant 10-30 minutes but beware - if the hypnotist is truly to help you then they *really* need to get to know you. So answer every question with 100% honesty. Saying you want to lose 10lbs when you want to lose 50lb, or saying you find dieting easy you want a helping hand when it’s not true won’t help them or, ultimately, you.

It may be this brutal honesty is hard to begin with, and some of the hypnotists questions may take quite a bit of thought before you can answer them truthfully.

But eventually the hypnotist will feel they have enough information to help you.

Then the actual weight loss hypnosis will begin.

You can’t be hypnotised without wanting to be so you need to be aware you are 100% in control of this situation. But in my experience it is one of the nicest experiences around. It’s one of the few times I’ve felt totally, unbelieveably relaxed. I have no cares in the world. Nothing could stress me out. I find myself sinking deeper and deeper into a feeling of relaxation.

During one session I completely “zoned out” and had no idea after going into the trance what was going on. In the other I was fully aware and could have stood up and walked out if I wanted to so you could experience either.

Either way, you will eventually be gently awoken from your trance and will re-enter the room consciously feeling a wonderful, sleepy peace with the world.

So that’s the process, the question is will weight loss hypnosis actually work?

I have heard cases of hypnosis working for some people but not for others. It worked for me both times.

I think your success will depend on two factors:

1) How open and honest you are with the hypnotist at the consultation.

2) How much you really *want* the outcome. Speaking to people for whom hypnosis did nothing, almost invariably they weren’t overly worried about the end result. They didn’t have a burning desire to lose weight or quit smoking.

If you think you can master the above two points I would say go find yourself a hypnotist and give it a try. As I said, I am a firm believer and have gotten some great results over the years - many, amny times my money’s worth.

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