Well first of all, I want to tell you, YES IT IS WORTH THE EFFORT!

I’m going to tell you right now, this happens to me on a regular basis, but I’ve learnt ways of tackling the dreaded ‘falling off the wagon’ issue over the years and try and look at it in a different way (which I’ll come onto shortly). In this post I’m going to reveal to you my own personal strategies, and then some ideas and thoughts that may work for you.

You may be wondering why I decided to write the post. Now I do mention this a lot, but there’s good reason for that. At the end of 2011 I setup a private VIP group for those who decided to invest my Lunch Box Diet fat loss system. I really didn’t expect to be as useful as it is. Not only has it given me the chance to get to know my clients much better but I regularly watch the comments and find out what day to day struggles they’re having – since the area is private, everyone can be very open and share their struggles without the worry of the world seeing in. It really does give me a great insight and just makes me want to find a solution to the sticking points and challenges. That gives me a huge buzz. Most of all I care about each and every one person who’s using my system. It’s not just a one hit wonder. I’m riding the same wave everyone; day in, day out.

‘I’ve fallen off the wagon’ is  something that has cropped up in the VIP area on more than one occasion. Now you may be thinking, why would I go and tell you that those using The Lunch Box Diet are ‘falling off the wagon’ from time to time? Well frankly, it’s completely normal and if you are the same, don’t worry. I’m here to help!

It’s just a case that a few spikes in the wheel of your life are out of place, we just need to put new ones in and make the wheel roll more smoothly. Some people have more spikes out of place than others and as you develop, you’ll look back and notice what’s changed for the better.

Eventually, you won’t end up falling off the wagon half as much and you’ll have a super smooth journey on the road to your ideal body.

But, ‘falling off the wagon’ is different for everyone. One person’s wagon is very different to somebody else’s. So in noticing this pattern, I asked the main Lunch Box Diet face book fans the question ‘what is your major reason for falling off the wagon?’, and it was surprising to see some of the answers and also the most common areas that most of you are struggling with. I noticed a few common themes which you’ll discover in this article.

What I want to do today is provide a short, fast solution to each of these and I’m hoping that you will notice one category that you fit into. I want you to make the solution I give you the top of your priority – you could find that it will change everything for you.

Then you will find that my diet, or your fitness or your life, just runs that little bit more smoothly! Well, that’s the idea anyway…

But before we go into these short, quick-fire tips (I’m going with the wild west wagon theme here, can you tell?) I want to first make a few observations about the whole ‘falling off the wagon’ topic.

You may actually find it useful to ‘reframe’ this sentence. By even using this phrase internally in your mind and verbally, you’ve told yourself what you don’t want, rather than what you do want. This is the law of attraction at play. Start to train yourself to say to yourself ‘I’m looking forward to getting back to my normal routine tomorrow and I know I’ll feel fantastic when I do’.

It’s just a change in focus, just like from going from ‘I don’t want bills’ to ‘what strategy can I use to pay off this debt’.

Let’s look at a more targeted example based on a fictional character…

Jill is a 39 year old mum with 2 children, she’s married and wants to stay healthy, has had great success on the Lunch Box Diet. Of course she has challenges, but on Friday afternoon this is her thought pattern and reflection on the week…

or the alternative way to look at exactly the same week could be:

Can you see how exactly the same week has been framed differently?

Chances are that when you do ‘fall off the wagon’ it’s actually not so much about what you ate, but actually that you’re disappointed at your lack of willpower and the more times you ‘fall off’ the more you get annoyed at yourself, so the next time you feel worse. Sound familiar?

Okay, so you may have eaten that cream cake that the office worker put in front of you, or you munched through a family size packed of crisps. It’s simply not that big of a deal and you can easily rectify this situation by continuing to eat from your box and have a healthy meal in the evening. Or, if this ‘incident’  (as you have labeled it) was after dinner, you can start your box again the next day.

Typically if you have a bad morning, this can set the rest of the day in a bad motion, but separate up your days and start a fresh from ‘lunchtime’ or ‘dinnertime’ instead of sabotaging the entire day. Remember, if you messed up the routine at breakfast / early morning the rest of the day can still be awesome for you, the same applies at lunch.

Why is it that when children play games, some lose and cry and stop playing and others just keep on playing until they win? Mental strength? Upbringing? Whatever it is for you, you can develop the mental muscle.

It’s the same situation about reaching your goal, you just need to keep on going, making sure you make more positive moves than negatives ones, the problem is that you’re taking one negative move and turning into a massive downward spiral and it doesn’t need to be that way.

This is why tracking your progress is so useful and why now all my dieters get a 90 day tracker to print out where they can mark off a ‘Healthy Breakfast’, ‘Lunch Box’, ‘Healthy Evening Meal’ and ‘Exercise’. It’s proving extremely beneficial since I implemented it.

They can quickly see in what direction they are moving… and the key is not to weigh yourself. Go on how you feel in yourself, this is KEY to keep your motivation up. Go on how your clothes fit and your waist measurement on a monthly basis.

There are one of two categories that you may fall into when it comes to ‘falling off the wagon’, these are:

• Relapsers
• Maintainers

Relapsers don’t tend to have a conscious awareness when it comes to dealing with stressful situations and can automatically reach for ‘comfort foods’ and then only realise after this has happened and then the guilt sets in. In addition, relapsers have trouble finding alternative ways at dealing with stress and difficult situations.

Considering that 70% of relapsers actions are unconscious, it makes sense that we use tactics to tab into the subconscious mind which is exactly why Weight Loss Mind Power For Life is so powerful, using self hypnosis and NLP to reprogram the mind. This will however only work if you have a strong desire to change. In fact the trick about ‘reframing’ I just gave you was a NLP trick and many more can be found in the ‘Motivation Mindset’ audio.

Maintainers are those who use alternative ways to deal with their issues and problems and seek self help, use exercise, taking out problems with friends, meditation and so forth. They may still fall off the wagon, but not quite as often and when they do, they know they are doing it.

I wasn’t always the person who used to exercise to deal with stress, but I certainly have always been the type to seek an expert more qualified than me for a solution.

I can see the same situation of relapsers and maintainers in relationships. You get one person in a relationship who thinks that it would be a great idea to see a relationship counsellor and the other has no interest. Now I’m no relationship guru, only from what I’ve learned from experts (there you go!), but it’s obvious that there will always be a conflict where when one person is a relapser and another is a maintainer.

So ultimately the solution is about behaviour change. Once you chance your behaviour you’ll start to see some amazing results, and yes that will take some work and ‘personal development’, but like I’ve said before, it’s better to spend time learning on how to create a better you than read the latest celebrity gossip or watch dreaded Jeremy Kyle. Invest in yourself sensibly wyith your time, energy and money. Get your life sorted and then spend out on the treats. Many people cover up the problems with the treats as satisfaction and never tackle the problem. This is why I’m dead against anti-depressants etc. It’s just covering up an underlying issue that can be delt with with self-help, NLP, counselling, CBT, any number of methods. But not a pill with possible long term side effects.

Okay, so now let’s look at the main reasons many of you are ‘falling off the wagon’ and how to deal with it in the future.

Top ‘Falling Off The Wagon’ Complaints:

1. Heading For Sweets / Chocolate When Upset / Depressed

SOLUTION: This is very common one. Maybe you have experied a tough time emotionally and then without thinking, you’ve tucked into a jumbo bar of Galaxy or whatever is your ‘signature comfort food’. As I mentioned earlier, you may not be aware of this until afterwards, it just kinda happens. What you can do from now on is ensure that those types of foods aren’t around you. So if you’re at home, get the foods out of the house, if it’s at work, chances are these foods are either in your drawers, so remove them too. There’s no need to have that kind of food near you. But now we’re dealing with it, so get rid!

If you have to venture to the vending machine to get your ‘signature food’ then put something in your purse or wallet that will trigger you to remember that this is happening because of the emotional situation and redirect yourself to another solution such as time with a friend, exercise, a relaxing bath, a walk. But let’s now change this HABIT that you have because remember this, that short term high is giving you long term pain and maybe, just maybe the reason you’re getting upset could be related to your lack of confidence – and that will dissapear when you have the body that you feel good about.

If after trying this it continues without success I want you to get hold of my Emotional Eating Eliminator Hypnosis session as well as the Kill Your Sugar Parasite hypnosis sessions or check out the full 7 day pack and see if the other audios would be of use. This will help to tap into your subconscious so you’ll avoid these natural patterns.

You may also want to check out my post about called Help! I’m Struggling With My Diet & Exercise Due to External Emotional Issues.

2. Lack of Planning & Organisation

SIOLUTION:

Remember this: “It’s not about how much time you have, it’s about how you manage it”

Another massive one and this will happen for both relapsers and maintainers, but actually it’s very easy to combat. Something which has changed my life quite a bit since I implemented it has been organising my days differently. I have my own business coach and I’ll be honest, he’s the one that got me doing this and credit to him. So here’s what I used to do. Get up when I wanted (I am fortunate to be able to do that), work intensively for hours with no structured time out, burning out, fit an exercise session in, come back and work, yes I’d eat from the box still, but i’d work late until sometimes 1am or 2am in the morning and then couldn’t get to sleep. My planning and organisation of my life was completely out of whack and as a result, my energy was actually quite low, despite training every day. I’d binge drink on the weekends to change my ‘state’ from the stress of the week. Manging your energy is essential for optimum performance, period. If your energy isn’t up, you’ll overeat, you won’t want to exercise, you’ll get tired and stressed.

He told me to read a book called The Power Of Full Engagement (New York Times Bestseller) which is an ESSENTIAL read if lack of planning and organisation is you. I mean it, don’t just ignore this. Get it, order it now, read it as soon as it arrives. It’s actually more about why energy is essential for optimimum performance and it backs up my little and often way of nutrition, but will really change the way you think about how you plan your fitness and rest to get the most out of your life. GAME CHANGER!

Now, given, chances are my days are probably more flexible than yours, but the same principles are in place whatever time you have available (all will make sense when you read the book). I now (on most days where I don’t have meetings etc), get up at 8am, have breakfast (within 20 mins of waking) am at the gym by 9pm (structured session, which I record on paper) and am back by 10.30. I make my box then and have it ready for my first work session of 90 minutes which begins at 11am. I work for 90 minutes and and then rest for 30 minutes in between, up until 6pm at which time I stop and prepare for my second gym session. I’m back at 7.30 at which time I have dinner. My last work session is between 9pm-10pm at which time I have an hour of relaxation time (bath, tv, book) which puts me to sleep and i’m normally asleep by 11-15 or thereabouts. I’m up again at 8am and the day repeats.

Here’s a screen shot of my actual daily calendar on my iphone / ipad which is synced. Everything is in place and timers even go off at my rest times. This may seem extreme, but it REALLY works. Again, you may be thinking, this won’t work for me, but read the book I mentioned, and you will discover how it can work for you, even if you’re so busy you can’t even imagine how you would find 5 minutes. Sometimes it just takes a bit of restructuring. TRUST ME ON THIS ONE! I guarantee this WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE but only if you do it.

Plan out your fitness and nutrition for optimum success

So if for example you’re not making your lunch boxes in the evenings for the next day, you’d put a reminder in your phone to do that. If it’s because there’s not healthy food in the house, then make sure you change your shopping days around. Change your priorities and start doing what is going to make you happy in the long run!

3. Having Such A Long Way To Reach My Goal

SIMON’S SOLUTION: I can totally understand this. You start off well, and then maybe something happens and you’re thinking to yourself, my target is so far away, ‘I just can’t do this!’.

Here’s where you have to shift your thinking to the pain and discomfort that you will have in five year’s time if you carry on the way you’re going, and then 10 years time. What about 20 years time. Will you even be around then if you keep destroying your body? It’s harsh, but very true. And you are destroying your body if you’re not exercising and feeding it crap. Your body needs nutrients, not the toxins that are put into the system even things like makeup, let alone a microwave meal, but that’s a whole other story. Lack of exercise will slow you down, reduce your energy, motivation, mental focus and boost your stress. You’ll find it hard to lose fat in this state.

Chances are you may not have yet experienced a ‘fat loss’ result yet. So you’re still waiting for that big figure to hit the scales, you may not have yet exercised properly, and so you don’t even have the first ‘baby step’ under your belt. It’s important to break down your big goal into sizeable chunks. First I want you to listen to the blog interview I did with Biggest Loser 2011 Winner Will Graham, he talks about this with me in the hour long chat.

Then come back and do this, draw a line down a piece of paper with you at the bottom and you at the top (your goal). Now mark out about 10 lines in between and these are your new milestones. Your first job is to reach your first milestone, when you get to this, you will get such a massive sense of satisfaction (this could be a fat loss target, a jean size target, a distance target, you can even have a few on the go!), it will almost be like reaching your end goal. You’ll get a rush of adrenaline in your body and you’ll want to reach milestone two, in fact you’ll work so much harder for it once the first is reached. Now put this piece of paper wherever you will see it daily, as a reminder. BOOM! Also pin to it a picture of how you look now and how you want to look like (find a pic).

You will find the ‘Motivation Mindset‘ audio as a useful initial booster and top up which is part of the Weight Loss Mind Power For Life pack.

4. Lack of Cash

SIMON’S SOLUTION: I’m sorry to have to say this, but this one is an excuse. I have dieters in my VIP area talking about how their monthly shops have reduced by £30 or so, and from personal experience I know that eating healthier isn’t more expensive. A lot of the time (not in all situations), it’s becuase healthly eating isn’t the priority of the person / family.

In fact, there are so many deals to be had in supermarkets these days for all of the Lunch Box Diet food groups, A, B, C and D that if you’re using the LBD, you really can save money (even MSN Finance reported it in this article). Yes, you may have to look for the cheaper cuts of meat, use the more cost effective supermarkets, make some of your meals up with tuna, lentils, close to use by date etc, but more often than not, the grubby, crap food that we’re filling our baskets with isn’t cheaper, it’s more expensive, it’s actually based on what the family WANTS not NEEDS nutrition wise. If for example you’re always buying certain brands for the kids because they always want them then that’s going to put up your weekly costs.

In addition, I just want to mention that rather than putting your focus on saving money, it’s far more productive to shift focus to making MORE money. Now many of you are going to scream at the screen and tell me that we’re in tough times, and that’s true to a certain extent, but the only different between the ones making double your salary is what they know. We can all develop ourselves into a higher paying career or even start our own businesses. The formula? Find your passion = teach other people about your passion, make more money. If you can read a book, you can earn more money. Go out and start investing your time in finding ways to get yourself out of debt. That way you’ll be able to reduce your stress. Become time efficient, use the spare time to invest in securing your financial happiness and thinks will start to fit into place.

Here’s an example. I have a friend who’s a carpenter and he’s not happy about his job. He loves it, but he’s not paid enough, he’s finding it hard to get work at the moment and I gave him some inspiration. I sat him down and asked him what he wanted to do. He said he’d like to work on TV shows and maybe film sets.

So after about half an hour of getting his motivation and belief in himself up, the next day he took his spare time and called around film and TV studios and a little secret I gave him was if they say no or sorry, you say these words ‘okay thank you very much, but since i’m passionate about doing this, could you suggest where I would go next?’ 9 out of 10 times you’ll get a useful next step. Rinse and repeat until you get to your goal. You will encounter hurdles all the way, but an Olympic athlete would never win a hurdle race if he stopped at the first one, turned around at walked away, would they? They’ve got to lift they’re legs, you’ve got to lift a phone, or a finger, a book, or something!

He’s now spending his spare time looking for new ways to make his career more satisfying and it’s this little shift that can take people out of debt and money problems. Facebook is a great place. Start asking friends questions, for openings in new companies. If you’re not happy in your work, write down a big list of things you want to do and get out there and get what you want. You can do it! Again, this is stuff I’ve picked up from my mentors over the years.

Now you might not think that this has anything to with getting the body you want but it has everything to with it, if financial constraints are holding you back. Again, the difference between the winners and losers here is how much you want it.

I just wanted to cover these four areas in today’s post and get your feedback in the comments below which could prompt a ‘Part 2′ of this… What are your reasons for falling off the wagon? Do you agree with what I’ve said above, or do you disagree? Did this post help? Please do comment and show me you’re alive!

They say any publicity is good publicity and to be fair, I don’t think this will do them much harm, it’s just incredibly funny and most of all, I hope it brings a smile to your day…

Apologise to those who take offense, but going on the 300 or so likes already it’s had on facebook and the equal amount of shares, I don’t think it’s offending too many of you!

Let me know in the comments below… If you were the head of marketing for Waitrose now, what would you be thinking?

I never normally write blog posts on a Sunday, but today is different. My new year detox is going surprisingly well. Where normally I might be wandering around feeling sorry for myself, today I have a spring in my step. No hangover! No alcohol has passed my lips (or entered my blood stream and causing me to walk around like a zombie) since around 2am on New Year’s Day, when the ever hilarious photo was taken of me on the sofa covered in bottles, shoes and party popper string asleep! Classy!

Hey, I’m a guy… I like going out with my friends, but I still try and be healthy most of the time and train hard during the week. I start a new exercise routine from tomorrow, so this weekend I haven’t trained and have had a full weekend of rest, but am really looking forward to the week ahead.

So myself and my housemate went to Cribs Causeway today in Bristol, a big mall and to be honest I wasn’t expecting to come back with the purchase I’m about to talk about.

I walked past Holland & Barratt and was drawn inside by some interesting looking self service oil containers that I haven’t seen before. I’m a fan of my healthy oils, especially over my lunch box.

So I headed over and made my selection, which you can see below. These are to spice up my boxes during the week. If you follow me on the facebook page or are in the VIP area then you will know that I try and keep my boxes as varied as much as possible. The variety of ingredients ensures I’m gaining a broad range nutrients and the variety mainly stops me from becoming BORED… which is why most people stop healthy eating in the first place.

So, in-between preparing to cook the roast (pork) I thought I’d tell you about what I bought.

So first all all I picked up a:

1. Tomato Balsamic Vinegar

I love balsamic vinegars because when splashed over the rest of the box, it just brings out loads more flavours. Health benefits include being rich in minerals, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and manganese. It’s good for the heart and circulatory system. Most of all they’re great because for few calories you can get a infusion of flavour where normally you might opt for a salad option that is fat less healthy.

You can find these everywhere and just a small amount will help you to really increase the taste sensation. Many of you who are getting creating with your boxes will know that just one ingredient like this, or some fruit can turn a normally dull box into one that completes blows you away (surprisingly today I DIDN’T buy any hot sauces, but I did yesterday!).

Now this vinegar was £1.65 for the bottle and £1.65 for the oil, but if you go back you can just pay for the refill. If i’m honest, I probably won’t take the bottle back because I won’t remember, and I’m lazy like that, but it’s a great option if you want to save the pennies…

2. Pomegranate Vinegar

I picked this one up because I love the taste of pomegranate and is classed as a super food when it’s not in a ‘Pomegranate Cereal Bar’ form or something else that’s coated in sugar and trans fats.

Same cost as above.

3. Walnut Oil

I was hoping that they would have had some extra virgin olive oil but they didn’t so for my boxes, I wanted to have a slightly different flavour. Now I wouldn’t use balsamic and this oil at the same time and you will just need a splash of walnut oil on your box to really give it a kick, especially if you do the Lunch Box Diet ‘tremor’. For those of you who aren’t on the diet yet, the ‘tremor’ is when you put all of the ingredients in your box, put the lid on and then shake everything up. Now agreed, your box will now go from looking very ‘camera ready’ to a bit of a mess, but for what you get back in taste, that’s all cool!

Walnuts offer one of the best source of anti0xidants from the tree nut variety and they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids as well as vitamins b-1, b-2, b-3 and vitamin-e and niacin.  They are also useful in controlling blood fat levels, so useful to prevent diabetes.

The cost of the oil is slightly more on the 100ml, £2.49, but the same applies with the bottle. Rather than buying really big bottles, because I want to vary the taste of my boxes as much as possible, I want to keep them small and buy different ones and spread my money that way… Much like those little samplers of fragrance, instead of buying the massive bottles and using the same smelly all the time. I like change. But, each to their own.

4. Whole Almonds

I like using nuts in my box for a few reasons. On your non gym days when you don’t include active carbs, they fill you up for longer and also give a great texture variety to the box. A selection of veggies and protein is great, but splash over a small handful of nuts and you’ll really get a whole different dimension. So if you say have two boxes per week with nuts, that’s a really good simple switch that give A LOT of variety.

Of course, the health benefits of reducing cancer risks along with being a healthy fat, reducing heart attacks and no cholesterol are all good reasons to get nutty about almonds.

Also, I get asked a lot about post evening meal nibbles: “what should I eat if I’m peckish late in the evening… well instead of filling yourself up on a chocolate bar (if you do they go for 75% or over coco) then go for a small handful of nuts such as almonds.

I grabbed a big 500g bag for £6.99.

5. Macadamia Nuts

Full of essential vitamins and minerals and considered a super food, these have an acquired taste for sure, but try them once and you might not go back. They are high in fibre, have no cholesterol and have a high proportion of monounsaturated fat (85%), so the type of fat that won’t make you fat, as long as you don’t sit there eating pack after pack (which would be very expensive anyway). Perfect to throw a few onto your lunch box.

It’s also worth mentioning that if you can get hold of Macadamia oil to use for cooking, it’s one of the best, because of its high heat temperate. Holland & Barratt didn’t have it, so it’s worth checking for online retailers.

I picked up a small 100g bag of the nuts for £2.85, so I will just be using these in probably one box over a week, so they will probably last about a month, maybe a bit less.

6. Superfood Sprinkles

I’ll be honest I was drawn to the name of this product… I think that a lot of foods these days are branded ‘superfood’ so you do have to be careful, but in this 250g packet (£2.89) I have got a great selection which will really add something special to a box over the next couple of weeks.

Contents include blanched peanuts, raisins, dried cranberries, walnut halves and dried blueberries. The contents in that order by volume so this means that 25% of the content is peanuts with the blueberries having the least quantity.

On reflection, I should have looked on the ingredients because there’s also vegetable oil and sugar added and this is the main difference with the mixed nut packs and the almonds and macadamia nuts. A bit of a slap on the wrist for myself, but on a plus side it’s a lesson that I can now bring up and pass to you. I’ll still use the product, but will be more careful next time and probably put together a mixture myself.

7. Organic Golden Linseed

Also called flaxseed, these tiny seeds have double the potency of of most sources of essential omega-3 fatty acids which are an essential part of health for maintaining a healthy weight, improving your hair, skin and nails as well as fighting off disease.

I’ll be honest with you, I haven’t used these in my box for a while, purely for the fact I didn’t have any in the house, so I grabbed a 250g bag which since the seeds are the size of a pin head lol, should last me at least 6 months, probably longer. I will aim to start using them in most of my boxes from now on, so don’t be surprised if you start seeing them in more recipes in the VIP area. Of course, if for some reason you don’t like them, just remove them from the recipe, no biggie. Actually while I’m on that, a lot of people can get hit up on not liking a recipe that I put out purely because it has just ONE ingredient they don’t like. Simple replace it with something you do like.

The reason I think many people are like this is because some diets are so strict, where as you’ll discover my lifestyle plan IS NOT!

These are PERFECT for vegetarians and it’s well worth looking up ‘benefits of linseed’ on the old googly for more health benefits.

8. Whole Green Lentils

I think many people avoid lentils because I they think they taste bland and the truth is, they do if you haven’t got other foods with them. So, from today, reshape your opinion of lentils because they are a great low cost source of protein, and in your lunch box are great with the other flavours, plus you can also fill a small bowl with them and mix with herbs, hot sauce, some pepper, garlic, or balsamic and you have a new, exciting lentil that you would be proud to call your friend lol!

A 500g bag will set you back all of £1.39. Most supermarkets have these in BIG OLD bags, so well worth picking up, you can get them in a variety of colours and for those of you who haven’t got the time to cook them and just want to put together a 3 minute box… you can buy them tinned. I have a couple in the cupboard. Always have an emergency supply of these so that you can eat them instead of the bad stuff!

9. Organic Quinoa

Definitely a super-food, quinoa is the cream of the crop when it comes to pasta and rice alternatives. Per 100g you get 13.0g of protein and 68.0g of carbs, perfect as the active carb in your lunch box.

In addition, it’s a complete protein which means it has all 9 of your essential amino acids and is a super source of magnesium (stabilising your blood pressure) and fibre, to keep your colon running at optimum efficiency… .

I use this like the lentils, either cook it up and spread over the top of a box and then shake, or make it more flavourful using herbs and spices and do the same. Also great as an addition to an evening meal instead of as mentioned, using rice or pasta which will spike your blood sugar levels and stop you from losing fat properly.

A 500g bag of this costs £3.49 and I picked up two bags, which should last me a couple of months depending on usage, I will probably use it twice weekly, maybe more if I include it with evening meals after training sessions.

10. Acia Super Fruit Juice & Pomegranate Super Fruit Juice

Okay so these aren’t for the box (well actually I could splash some over the box, I’ll try that), but I did want to pick up some high potency super-food drinks so went for Ransom’s make which can be taken direct from the bottle or cap as a shot, or can be watered down.

I think a lot of people have a lot of negative feelings about Acai due the scams around. As soon as a new ‘super food’ is ‘discovered’ a lot of companies come out with subscription plans, which are hard to get out of without many calls, letters etc. But by going to a health food shop you can pick up the ingredient.

I was hoping to find some frozen acia pulp packs which are expensive, but the quality of the fruit as taken from the rain forest is right there. This is the best second option in my opinion.

Each 20ml dose contains 17.8mg of Acia berry complex. The bottle is 500ml and will cost you £8.75. Now of course you don’t drink this like you would a soft drink so it will last you for a while.

I will be taking a shot every other day for next 30 days and see how my energy changes because as well as being a great antioxidant which will fight of disease, the energy properties are meant to be better than coffee.

The pomegranate version offers many of the same benefits, but is cheaper at £6.85 for the same volume. I bought both to vary the shots daily.

The difference for the price of these two products will be purely down to how available the fruit is, not necessarily how much better for you one fruit is than the other. Ultimately varying your fruits and vegetables is the best option, which is why the Lunch Box Diet is so healthy… You simply have so many colours and so much variety in the contents, you’re hitting your health from so many angles. Another reason people report more than weight loss. More energy, improved hair, skin and nails! Woop.

So there we have it, I wasn’t really expecting to do a blog post, but I’ve been sitting here now for over an hour going through everything for you. Didn’t expect that!

Total bill from the girl at the checkout: £51.38.

A bit expensive you might say, but my night’s out (if I’m not detoxing) can easily hit £100 so I’m not worried, and this will take me just one step closer to optimum health. Tomorrow is the start of my new training plan, so with all this stuff and the detox in full swing, I’m all happy!

Let me know below in the comments how many of these you currently have in your diet and whether you’ll be including them more? Are there any foods that you have tried that you’ve noticed a significant change in your health? I’d love to know, maybe I’ll start including them more. Remember this is your community and blog, I want to hear from you!

Have a fantastic week!

Si

I was in the VIP area today and a dieter had this very problem and it can become very frustrating, maybe it’s happening to you?

For many the issue simply isn’t conscious and it’s a massive first step to even recognise that the problem is there. Once you have done this, you can put in the steps to find a solution, because the same thing may happen again…

This may be a cycle for you…

1. Pick a diet / exercise plan

2. Stay motivated

3. Emotional issue raises once again

4. Blame diet / exercise

5. Pick new diet / exercise

6. Repeat cycle

This can be another reason for yo-yo dieting. Actually, we need to step back, think about why we have stopped eating well and exercising as we planned and find and deal with the problem.. So for example, this could be about ‘worry’.

You are worried about a past issue, something you think is going to happen. Let’s put it under the bracket of ‘Worrying’.

Until we focus on this issue and either soften or eliminate the problem to a level where you can successfully put your energy stores into focusing on healthy eating and exercise (your energy will have been pulled from this to your ‘worry’) then you’re going to find it very hard to reach your goal and especially as the stress hormone will prevent your body from losing fat. Even more reason to drill down on the problem.

It’s just like when someone has repeat relationship problems and instead of seeking professional advice, continues in a cycle of needy, problem filled relationships, often caused by just one bad relationship years ago.

So we’ve established that in this instance, the ‘sticking point’ to the fat loss goal has been ‘worry’ - in this instance.

Now it’s time to take the first BASIC level step which is to go and ask good old friend Google for the solution.

So, head to google and type in something along the lines of ‘How to stop worrying’, starting off with ‘how to’ is a good place to start but then you could add variations if you don’t get anything useful such as just the main keyword ‘worry’ or ‘worrying’.

Now this means that you’ve done one thing that most people just don’t do, you’ve taken action and a first step to solving the problem…

So after some research and clicking on a few links, I find this useful article…

http://helpguide.org/mental/anxiety_self_help.htm

It gives A LOT of useful information on how to stop worrying, whether it’s a long or short term worry.

My next step would be to go to youtube.com and use the same search parameters to find a video… This may put you on to an expert… The best way to know who to go with is if you get instant value from the video you are watching and you get a ‘gut’ feeling that the expert would be right for you. You could then approach them for help, or buy their system or program to help you.

Another step is to head to for example amazon and use the same basic keyword ‘worry’ or ‘worrying’ to find a book on the topic, reading through the reviews to see what the feedback is like from others who have used the book.

I found:

How To Stop Worrying & Start Winning

You may also want to search around the main keyword. So for example, worrying would also fall under the ‘anxiety’ keyword too.

Panic Away is a very well known program with good testimonials for those who have overcome panic attacks. This is what you want to be looking out for. People who have used the program and got the same results as you want.

If sugar cravings, motivation to exercise, staying focused, emotional eating and sleep are something that are concerns then check out Weight Loss Mind Power For Life for the Harley Street developed system and you can get your first sleep session FREE. Sleep results in energy loss, which stops you from eating proerly and as a result having the desire to exericse. Just this free download alone could help you tremendously. Click here.

I’m sure that the testimonials of The Lunch Box Diet played a part in whether you decided to start the plan (or are looking to start) or not. So remember, either a recommendation or testimonials from users are a must.

Now you’ve already:

Searched for an article

Searched for a video

Searched for a book

Searched for an expert

You’re already 4 steps ahead than you were 10 minutes before.

Now it’s time for you to use your free time (or reschedule your days to find time), to work hard to eliminating the problem.

I have sticking points all the time, in my personal life and business. Each time I focus on the problem and get it out of the way, it enables me to move onto the next milestone to my goal. YOU CAN DO THE SAME!

I don’t want you to be held back by these little ‘sticking points’ that when tackled correctly can be sorted out within a reasonable time period. You can get back on track to eating healthy and exercising quickly.

Let me know in the comments below whether you found this useful. Will you be now using this strategy for your sticking points? I hope so, this is the EXACT system I use to help me and it will help you too!

To your happy future, free from worries and whatever is holding you back today!

Simon x

Article by Justin Lord
Transformation Coach

Okay so a lot of you are asking….“Why is my friend losing more weight than me?” and “I lost 7lbs in my first week of dieting, and I’ve only lost 1lb this week. What’s going on?”

Amongst many of my circles it it’s widely accepted that I’m not the biggest fan of the term ‘Weight Loss’ and for very good reason. You see, the scales measure you as an entirety and don’t take into account that your body is made up of many different constituents, for instance:

•    Water inside your cells
•    Water outside your cells
•    Muscle mass
•    Bone density
•    Fat

With that in mind then, looking at the above 5 points, I’m guessing you know instantly which one of those you actually want to lose, right?

What you do and the choices that you make in your quest for the body you’ve always desired can have either a positive or a negative effect on those 5 points therefore changing the ‘weight’ on the scales. So, it goes without saying that NOT ALL WEIGHT LOSS IS GOOD WEIGHT LOSS and NOT ALL WEIGHT LOSS IS NECESSARILY FAT.

Factors That Affect Weight Loss

We can never compare our weight loss results to another individual unless by some freak coincidence that person matches us genetically, metabolically, enzymatically and completes EXACTLY the same workout routines as you…….the chances are slim!

Several factors play a role in your ability to lose weight and the good news is that many of the points listed below are factors that YOU, as an individual, can have some degree of influence over! Let’s take a look at them now.

Breakfast choice

Cereals are one of the worst breakfast choices an individual can make! Society (or clever marketing) has conditioned us to believe that we are a nation that has very little time and that making this choice of cereal in the morning is the best option and will deliver important nutrients and heart healthy whole grains. The reality is that many of these so called ‘foods’ serve to provide us with sugar, additives and processed carbohydrates. Add in some fruit and a nice glass of orange juice and there you have it, a massive insulin spike followed swiftly by fat storage and a feeling of tiredness!

The key here is to chuck in some protein first thing in the morning. Eggs were a staple breakfast for many years and provide beneficial fats to help you with fat loss. Other things to consider are Quinoa (keen-waa), nuts, seeds with a good helping of fresh veggies or crudites.

Exercise Approach

Let’s look back at my 5 points from earlier. If two individuals are eating exactly the same diet, one has chosen to spend 60 mins on the X-trainer three times per week and the other chooses a full body weight training routine three times per week then the effect on the body’s composition is very different therefore having a very different result on the scales.

You see, when you weight train you stress the muscle and force it to adapt. The body adapts by adding more muscle to be able to cope with the added load forced upon it. Another way in which the body adapts is by increasing the bone density, again, to allow the body to cope with the added load. By increasing these two things, yes, your weight on the scales may stay the same or go up but its NOT a bad thing. Firstly, an increase in bone density can help ward off osteoporosis and osteo-arthritis and enables you to have a nice store of beneficial minerals in times of need and secondly, and increase in muscle mass will speed up your metabolism therefore you will keep burning fat even after you leave the gym!

So you see, the person doing the weight training may not be losing much weight on the scales but is probably losing more of the wobbly stuff……FAT!!

Stress Levels

I’m going to be honest with you here. You might be doing everything right, grazing on your lunch box, drinking loads of water and lots of exercise but if your stress levels are high, it just isn’t going to happen!

Cortisol is a stress hormone released by the adrenal cortex in the adrenal glands. Cortisol is a FAT STORING HORMONE making the body insensitive to insulin and it particularly contributes to fat storage around the tummy!

Enough said, find ways to reduce your stress and start losing fat.

Age

As we age our metabolic rate slows due in part to a reduction in muscle mass. Another reason to add in a full body weight training routine!

Sex

I’m not going to tell you to go have more (although it might add to your total daily energy expenditure!), but males have a much higher metabolic rate than that of females. You know what I’m going to say here……start weight training ladies.

Water Intake

You hear it all the time ‘drink more water’ but you don’t know why. This is a simple one. Your friend might simply be drinking more water and although it might put more weight on the scales, you’ll actually burn more fat. The liver is an important organ heavily involved in the oxidation of fat (fat burning) and an efficient liver is a hydrated liver and a hydrated liver that is efficient will burn fat like there’s no tomorrow!

Medications

Some of us have to take medications but unfortunately due to the fact that they are foreign to the body, there will be side effects. Some of these can cause weight gain or make it very difficult to lose weight.

Common drugs that can cause weight gain and slow weight loss are insulin, corticosteroids, beta blockers.

Gut Health

Many of us are deficient in Hydrocloric Acid (stomach acid) hindering our ability to absorb all of the important nutrients that help us to lose fat, Protein, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin B to name a few. The reason? Stress!

Our food and the nutrients contained within it will remain, putrefying in the gut causing bloating and gas. Not a good feeling and certainly not helping with that number on the scale or giving you the proper nutrition to achieve your fat loss goals.

Try supplementing with HCL (Hydrocloric Acid) and a pro biotic and of course, stop stressing!

There you have it, a good number of reasons why your weight loss results might be different to someone else’s. So, when you’re down or disheartened about your results on the scales it’s important to remember that you may actually be losing fat AND achieving your goals. Remember, we don’t walk around with our weight written on our foreheads! People see YOU, your BODY SHAPE and that spring in your step with that new sense of vitality and health!

Yours in ‘FAT LOSS’

Justin Lord
Transformation Coach
www.facebook.com/justinlordcoach
www.justinlord.co.uk

I was in a supermarket the other day with a friend and I had those dreaded cravings. I went in with the full intention of eating healthy, and then I was walking down the isles with the foods I love and my emotional state completely changed… I was hungry because I was shopping. But I manged to still leave the supermarket without the bad stuff? How?

Well, I just stood there and waited for the feelings to pass and battled the thoughts in my mind, reminding myself about my goal, thinking about the body I wanted and all of the benefits associated about why I wanted to be healthy in the first place.

I was talking to my friend Mark afterwards it and then he said something to me ‘Cravings Training’. Yes, you can perform’Cravings Training’ as well. I would encourage you when you’re in a supermarket next and hungry to do exactly the same thing. Stand there, feel the feeling you’re getting, the rush, the excitement (go to the isle that you know will get that rush going the most) and then fight it, with everything you have and win the battle. Leave with a massive smile on your face being the winner. Rinse and repeat…. until you have it under control fully in the future…
If you find it doesn’t work for you and you’d like some more mind tricks then head to www.weightlossmindpowerforlife.com and watch the video and put in your details to get some free stuff!

I’ve included a full transcript from my audio interview with Wil below, so feel free to play the interview in your browswer, download to itunes or read it. Oh and I’ve made a PDF printer friendly version too!

Interview correction: I said in the interview Wil won Biggest Loser 2010, it was of course 2011. My error!

Simon Lovell:  Hi everyone. It’s Simon Lovell here, author of The Lunch Box Diet and also from ihealthpod.com, the new podcast for health. I am very, very excited to be on the call with Will Graham, winner of The Biggest Loser 2010. Wil, welcome to the call.

Wil Graham:  Hi Simon. How are you doing?

Simon:  Yeah, I’m good, thank you. I’m really excited about this call, not only because obviously we’ve got The Biggest Loser currently airing at the start of January. Depending on when people listen to this, it may have already aired. But you have already gone through that process. So, how are you now, first of all, before we talk a little bit about where it all started? What are you getting up to now?

Wil:  I’m in a really good place now Simon. I’m very happy. I’ve got a really good job. I’m working and I’m more involved in fitness and nutrition. I’ve even got my own show starting on the Active Channel at the end of January, 2012. So things are really, really looking up. But the whole thing has changed not just my life physically, but the direction that I’m taking has changed as well. So I’m really grateful. I’m so glad that I put myself through the show. [laughs]

Simon:  Excellent. Let’s move back a little bit, because not everyone who is listening is going to have seen the show and seen you on that. But I’m sure a lot of people listening would have done. Let’s go back to about six months before The Biggest Loser show started. Where were you, emotionally and physically, then?

Wil:  Oh, six months before The Biggest Loser started, I was in a really low place. I felt completely helpless. I was about 30st. I was 29st 6lb the last time I weighed myself. That was in January, 2010. The show started filming in August, 2010. So I went up and down between there. I just felt like life had started and finished without me even noticing. I just felt like that was what I was supposed to be doing. I was supposed to be overweight. I was supposed to feel depressed and unhappy.

Although I felt like food was my best friend, it was probably my worst enemy as well. So yeah, I was in a really bad place, Simon, really bad.

Simon:  What do you put the main things down to that caused that?

Wil:  Well, for me, I think my situation might have been a little bit different to some other people. But the trigger was probably very similar. I was a really fit and healthy teenager. Then, when I hit 19 or 20, I put on a lot of weight over a really short period of time. That was for a combination of reasons. It was because I changed my lifestyle. I went from studying and playing sports all the time to working really antisocial hours and doing a job that I thought I could just…it was doing birthday parties for Laser Quest. [laughs] I used to join in with every birthday party.

It was fine to begin with. But if you have 10 parties, that’s 10 slices of cake and 10 hot dogs. It all piles up. So I put on weight really, really quickly.

Simon:  Sorry to interrupt. So essentially, you had an environment change. Your environment changed and, as a result, the weight changed.

Wil:  Yeah. It was two factors. It was the environment change of my day‑to‑day life going from school to work. I also became very depressed, because I lost my gran. My nana actually passed away. I didn’t realize at the time, until I went through the show and had the counseling and everything that they provide you, that that was a trigger for me. So yeah, it was environment and also depression as well that made me put on weight very quickly. I put on over 10st in about a year and a half.

Simon:  What kinds of things were you eating during that time? What would be the average day for you?

Wil:  I was eating everything. I was like a Hoover. I would get up in the morning. I’m not exaggerating. I would have probably a whole loaf of bread with butter. I would make six or seven slices of toast and I would eat bread with butter as it was cooking. I’d have a full tin of beans and probably five or six eggs with that. That would just be for breakfast. I would probably have cereal and crisps as well. Then I would be snacking throughout the morning on whatever I could get my hands on, whether it was chocolate bars or more crisps or biscuits.

I would have a massive lunch, sometimes two. Where I worked for the last eight years before the show, they had a canteen. I was probably their best customer. I would go down and, if they had chili con carne and spaghetti Bolognese, I couldn’t choose. So I would just have both. I would have a dessert as well.

Then I would snack for the rest of the day. I would go home and order a couple of family sized pizzas or something like that. I would eat those on my own as well. So, I was in a bad place. I think, as well, I used to drink a lot of pop, like Coke and Cherry‑Aid, probably four or five liters a day.

Simon:  Not many associate that with putting on weight, do they, with the drinks? People instantly think it’s the food.

Wil:  Yeah. Oh, it’s definitely both, Simon, because of the amount of sugar in Coke and things like that. It didn’t hit me, again, until the show. You have to keep a diary and things before you go on there. They actually poured the amount of sugar I was having from soft drinks into a bowl. It overflowed out of the bowl onto the table and onto the floor. It hit me like a brick in the face. I thought, “Oh my God. I’m actually killing myself.” I had no idea. I didn’t care. Or maybe I didn’t know, but I just didn’t care.

Simon:  First of all, what exercise were you doing during that time?

Wil:  Before the show I had a gym membership. If I’m very honest with myself, it was just a card in my wallet. I would go to the gym. I actually remember going to the gym with some friends. I wanted to brag and say, “I’m doing something about my weight. I’m going to the gym.” I was crazy, Simon. I actually took a Snickers bar and ate it when I was on the treadmill once. I was in a really bad place. I used to kid myself and say I did exercise and this and that. But, if I’m honest with myself now, even going up and down the stairs was a bit of struggle.

So I didn’t really do anything. When you get to the way that I was, obviously I’m not making excuses, but when you are as heavy as I was, you probably can’t do exercise anyway. Your blood pressure would hit the roof. You would end up doing yourself more harm than good.

Simon:  So where was the tipping point for you in terms of the show coming about? Where did you hear about it? What was the motivation for you to actually want to do that?

Wil:  The honest answer is I don’t know. I didn’t know about The Biggest Loser in the UK. I always watched the American show. I always watched Australian show. I was a religious viewer. It sounds like a contradiction. I feel silly for saying it. But I would watch it whilst I was eating my takeaway or my kebab or whatever it was I was eating that night. Then I would think, “Oh, they are so lucky. I wish I could do that.” For me, there was a trigger and a realization. The trigger was that my brother had a son. To begin with, I started thinking, “Well, hold on a minute, I’m not going to be around to see my nephew grow up.”

That manifested into me thinking, “Well, what if I actually wanted kids myself? I can’t have children.” Number one, I wouldn’t find anybody, partly because of the way I looked. But it was more so because of the way I felt about myself. I really hated myself.

I decided to do something about it. I just said, “Right.” I tried every diet and failed. I went to NHS and I was approved for surgery. It normally takes six to 10 months to get approved and get funding for an NHS operation like bariatric surgery.

For me, I went at the beginning of March for my consultation with my GP. They refused me for a gastric band initially, because they said I was too heavy. I think my BMI was over 60. So they said it wouldn’t help me. I would just liquidize food and stuff like that. But I got the funding within four weeks for a gastric bypass.

So what they were going to do was remove 90% of my stomach and then, after I lost a bit of weight, I would go back and have a full bypass. So I got approved for that at the very beginning of April, on the Friday. I went over to my parents on the Sunday, just to tell them, “Look, I’m having surgery. I’m going to change.”

My mum and dad hit the roof. They said I was being lazy. I was like, “I’m trying to help myself.” They said, “But you don’t need this. This isn’t for people like you. You are being lazy. You can change.”

Genuinely Simon, to get away from them, I went to use their PC and a banner came up for The Biggest Loser. The rest is history. I applied. I didn’t expect to hear anything. About four months later, I got my date through for the surgery. I had to choose either way if I go onto the show or take the surgery.

I thought, “You know what? I’m going to go on the show and give it one last try. If I can’t do it without surgery, then I’ll have it afterwards.” Very luckily for me, it worked out.

Simon:  It’s one of those sliding doors moments. Have you seen that film?

Wil:  Yeah. [laughs] I have seen that film. Yeah. It was totally a decision point for me in my life. I’m glad that I made the decision I did. But I know that surgery is the right choice for some people as well. Just luckily for me, it wouldn’t have been the right choice. I’m so glad that there was that voice in the back of my head, which probably sounded a lot like my mum’s. But I’m glad I took a chance, because, if you can do it, you should.

Simon:  Definitely. So, we were talking about the darker side. Now you hit the show. You are in. You are exercising. We have seen that on the telly. It’s intense. Obviously the training was hard on screen. What about some of the things we didn’t see when the cameras weren’t rolling?

Wil:  I got to be honest with you, watching and to go back was pretty difficult. But one thing that really hit me was the fact that they don’t show you the half of it. What they do show you is that everyone is working hard. What they don’t show you is that you get up every morning at 6:30, seven days a week, whilst you are there. You work so hard. You’re interviewed for hours and hours every day as well. But, you are in that gym six, seven, eight, nine hours a day minimum on top of doing challenges. You’ve got temptations.

It is emotionally and physically draining. It’s hard enough for somebody, who’s an athlete, to do the amount of exercise that we were doing. We were all super morbidly obese. So, without looking for the sympathy vote, it’s that much harder.

When you find it difficult to get up in the morning without aching from exercise, because you are overweight, it’s really difficult to really push yourself to get out of bed and know that you’re going to be filmed crying and vomiting and being shouted at and told you are the only one who can change.

It’s not for everybody. I’ll be really honest. A lot of people said, “I don’t know why you did that.” It was just right for me. It’s not the path that everybody should or would want to take. But for me, it was perfect.

Simon:  Some people listening may be thinking, “Well, they had trainers all day. They were working out six, seven hours a day.” Someone may be in the situation now, sitting there thinking, “I’m overweight. I’ve got this body and I need to change it. But I haven’t got that time on my hands.” What would your advice be to them?

Wil:  I think the advice I would give to them is probably the advice that I have given to a lot of people since I realized I should have listened a long, long time ago. You need to really think about that word selfish. You need to think about whether or not it has to be bad. You sometimes need to put yourself first. It’s all very well and I totally understand some people have jobs and families. I was lucky that my job was quite understanding and I didn’t have a family, who were relying on me.

But people get through things. I would much rather have gone through what I went through and come out the other end knowing that I’m going to be around a lot longer to support the people that I can than have not done it, because I’m scared of change, which is a big thing.

I’m certainly not saying that everybody should do it or everybody should apply. But, if you have got it in your mind that it would benefit you, then really, really think about whether or not there are reasons why you shouldn’t do it. Ultimately, health and fitness are the most valuable things in your life.

You are no good to anybody if you don’t have them. So, be selfish. It’s not a bad word. Make choices that will benefit you and your loved ones in the long run.

Simon:  Fantastic advice. So, tell me what the toughest challenge of all was, during the show, and why.

Wil:  The toughest challenge of all for me and probably the most rewarding as well was one we did at RF Cranwell. My dad was in the Army. His dad was in the Navy. They probably wanted me to go in one of those. I never did, because of my weight or for whatever reason. But, we had to go to RF Cranwell and complete what they call The Ultimate Challenge, which is something that all pilots have to go through before they can pass their initiation to join the RAF. They must’ve wondered what was going on.

There was a bunch of really, really overweight people. There were seven of us left at that point. We were going to be doing exactly the same as what they did. Obviously we did it a lot slower. It was a lot harder for us. But that was definitely the toughest challenge.

We had to drag a trolley, which, in total, I think weighed about 300 or 400 kg, between the three of us. We had to drag it for miles and miles. In between there were obstacles and things like that. For me, that really, really stood out, just because it was physically demanding. But, fundamentally, if you didn’t envisage yourself finishing, there is no way you would do it.

For me, I had a little bit of an agenda in my mind as well that I could maybe one day be fit enough to do things like my dad and stuff like that. So, it was the toughest one and the most painful. I had blisters, not even for days, but for weeks afterwards. But it was so rewarding.

The feeling you get when you finish something that is beyond your comfort zone is unbelievable. Unbelievable. Six months before that, I wouldn’t even have been able to walk to the bus stop. [laughs]

Simon:  Definitely. Can you remind people what your starting weight was, before you started the show?

Wil:  Yeah. Before the show, I was 29st 6lb. Even though you are not fit, you have to prove your fitness to get on the show. So I actually, luckily, lost a little bit of weight before I started the show. But, when you are over 24 or 25st, you can gain a stone and lose a stone in a couple of days anyway. So, I started the show at just under 25st. 24st 7lb I think I was.

Simon:  When you were talking about that challenge, you hit on a couple of keywords, which were comfort zone. I think that, especially when people first start exercising, they don’t want to take themselves out of that comfort zone I think almost because a lot of people think that it’s dangerous, don’t they?

Wil:  Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Simon:  What would you say to someone that is going into the gym at the moment, just going on the cross trainer at a normal pace, watching the tellies or working out at home and not really getting their heart rate up? What is the little point of no return that you think is great for just getting people over the edge and actually realizing that you do need to push yourself out of your comfort zone to develop?

Wil:  I can say this completely honestly, because it used to be me. If you are at the gym and you are going through the motions, you are not increasing your heart rate, you’re not sweating and you are not finding it difficult, then you might as well just go home, because you will be burning exactly the same amount of calories being at home as you are in the gym. I really do believe in self visualization and setting yourself targets. I think that, for people who are starting out at the gym, if you have got a lot of weight to lose for example, don’t go there and think, “Well, I’ve got 10st to lose.” You’re never going to lose 10st.

But, if you break it down into one stone or even half a stone, and you focus on that first goal, and then you reward yourself for that goal when you get there, the next one will be that little bit easier and a little bit more rewarding. Genuinely, before you know it, you’re halfway there.

Then a couple of weeks or months later you are within grasping distance of your goal in the first place. So, be realistic with yourself. But also be honest as well. If you’re going there to lose weight, then make sure you are losing it whilst you’re there. Because otherwise, all you are doing is wasting your time and money and you will hate yourself all that little bit extra for doing that. So, be honest with yourself is the best advice I can give.

Simon:  What about people, who, when January comes or whatever time of year, go on a fad diet and don’t want to incorporate exercise? I think a lot of people do that, don’t they?

Wil:  I did it a lot of times. You wouldn’t believe it. I used to go on a cabbage soup diet and this diet and that diet. If I’m really honest with myself, they all worked at the time. Any diet will if you do it for a short period of time. But the problem is, when you stop, your body is used to such a small amount of calories or it is in starvation mode, that all you’re going to do is put back on the way to you have lost, unless you are very lucky. Some people might be. I don’t know.

For me, a fad diet is exactly what it says. It’s a fad. There is no way that you can benefit in the long run from doing something that is making you use your body in a way that it is not built to be used. So, I think January is a perfect time of year to really start.

Just make changes. Make one change at a time. Continue with that change until you are comfortable with it. But, if you go on an extreme diet, the rebound is just as extreme afterwards.

Simon:  It has got to be sustainable, hasn’t it, something that is healthy, something that you can maintain and just continue doing on a long‑term basis?

Wil:  This is it, yeah. You have to do something that is sustainable. It’s not about the quick wins. It’s about the long‑term benefit. There is a massive difference between losing 10 pounds in a week to fit into that top or that dress or whatever it is for some people, for one night. That’s fine, if that’s what you want to do. But a long run, you need to be honest with yourself and think, “Am I going to keep that 10 pounds off?” Think of the long‑term and put yourself first. Just make those changes that are going to benefit you and that aren’t going to be too impossible to keep on going with.

Simon:  Definitely. What would be your average day of eating now? What would you do nutrition wise?

Wil:  An average day for me is probably balanced luckily. I still love my food. I have to be honest, I do watch what I eat, probably about 80% of the time. A typical day during the week, I will get up. I will have a banana. I’ll go to the gym and do my cardio. I come back. I have something like muesli, not a massive portion, but not a tiny one either. I’ll eat enough to know that I have the fuel that I need for the day, usually with milk. I might also have some egg whites or, depending on how hungry I am, some nuts.

I have a snack during the morning. It’s usually fruit in the morning, because the sugar keeps you going. I do like my coffee as well. I have to be honest. For lunch, I have something light, maybe a jacket potato. I prefer sweet potato now, to be honest with you. It tastes like you are having something a bit naughtier.

Simon:  It does, doesn’t it? Yeah. Definitely.

Wil:  Yeah. It does. I love it. I genuinely love sweet potatoes. I wish I knew about it years ago. [laughs]

Simon:  It is. I think, once people change from normal potatoes to sweet potatoes, they are very surprised that actually how much better it tastes, especially with a few herbs and some black pepper and just mixed all up into a nice little combination. It’s tasty, yeah.

Wil:  Oh, it’s immense honestly. Super foods are super foods for reason. So yeah, I’ll have maybe sweet potato with either tuna or I might have a bit of mayonnaise or something like that. It really depends, or chicken. Then I have another snack again probably, if I’m very honest with myself, later on in the day, not for any other reason but that it keeps me awake, because of the sugar.

Simon:  Yeah, because of your blood sugar. Yeah, definitely.

Wil:  Yeah. Yeah. Then, for a meal in the evening, I probably lay off the heavier potato and pastas in the evening and have something like fish with loads and loads of vegetables. I absolutely love them. There are so many vegetables that I’ll make and I’ll eat them all until I am full up.

Simon:  What would you say to someone, at the moment? Obviously, for example, my diet is very vegetable and protein‑based. But a lot of people have this taste bud thing, don’t they, where they even think about vegetables and they don’t want to eat them. What would you say to someone, who is not including vegetables in their diet?

Wil:  I would say they are crazy and just give it a go. Please, just give it a go. It’s not because I’m saying vegetables are amazing. They are. But that’s not what I’m saying to you. Basically, they do taste nice. But more than that, they make you feel better. The following day or two days later, if you continue to eat things like vegetables you will start to enjoy them, because a tame vegetable is very different to a vegetable that is cooked a certain way with pepper. I’m a real stickler for chili. I love chili. I don’t know why.

Simon:  Oh, I love it. I love all hot food. Even my housemate Paris got me a massive bag for Christmas of these chilis, jalapenos, hot sauces. Honestly, you can take a normal vegetable, a normal vegetable combination and you can completely transform the taste just by adding some different flavors in, like chili, can’t you?

Wil:  Yeah. Oh, I love it. I love it. So, anything with spice I think makes the vegetable not just bearable, but it makes it tasty. I’ve got to be honest, before I would always eat my meat first. I’d be like, “Oh, I’ll leave the vegetables until last, because hopefully I will be full up and I won’t have to eat them.” It’s the first thing I go for now, because when you get to appreciate… parsnips as well are another thing for me. I just love them with garlic. There are so many combinations that you can have. Just give it a go, because I think you’ll surprise yourself.

You don’t have to have mashed this or mashed that. You don’t even have to have it raw all the time. There are so many different things you can do with vegetables. They are amazing, genuinely.

Simon:  So, how did it feel on that final weigh‑in?

Wil:  Oh, to be honest, right up to the point where I found out how much I had lost, I didn’t know that I had won. I’m being very, very truthful here. I wasn’t in it to win. The only thing I wanted to win, the only person I wanted to beat was myself. When Davina said to me, “You have lost this much,” I was just over the moon. I went completely numb. Then I went from being numb, to being just ecstatic. My family was there. They were in tears. I was in tears.

All of the other contestants were really, really happy for me. I just thought, “Wow, I’ve done it. I’ve done something I never thought I would be able to do. I am a more reasonable weight.”

It wasn’t even about the money, Simon. It was just the fact that I had changed my life. It didn’t hit me until I knew that I had won, that I had actually changed it.

Simon:  When you finished the show, obviously you then go into a new routine completely. You have obviously been in isolation essentially for all this time on the show. How was it getting going into normal life and implementing what you had learned? Did you find it easy?

Wil:  Yeah. I was really worried about that. No. Well yeah, I did actually. But I was really, really worried about it. When you are there you think, “Well, there is a list and you’ve got an advisor and you see a doctor and you’ve got the other contestants, who help you as well.” But afterwards, actually I was really well‑equipped. I haven’t always lost weight, every single week, because I don’t need to particularly. But, I’ve always had an awareness for what I’m eating. I know that, first and foremost, food is a love of mine. I love food. But it’s also fuel.

If I want to feel good and I want to have a good day, then I need to make the right choices. Like I said before, probably 80% of the time I’m really, really good. The other 20%, I’m being very honest, I will eat what I want.

If I want a slice of cake, or I want something that I know is not really going to benefit me, but I’m being sociable or I’m at the cinema or whatever it is, I’ll have it. I’ll just need to work that little bit harder when I’m in the gym next time so that I can enjoy it again. There will always be a reason to have something. If you stick to a diet 100% of the time, then my hat goes off to you.

But if you can’t, it’s not the end of the world. You can get back on it afterwards. Have your cheat day or have your good time. Just crack on. I found it empowering, to be honest, the first time that I went out and I had a dessert, even though I had known I had eaten what I needed that day.

The next day I got up. I didn’t feel bad. I went the gym and I got back on my routine. I think I’m fortunate to have gone on the show and been equipped the way that I was. But I’m in a place now where I can take some of the credit myself, to be honest. It’s still a choice that you make every time.

I’ve obviously got the ability to be really overweight. But I won’t do it. I trust myself to know that I’m happier the way I am than the way I was. That just keeps me going.

Simon:  Aside from obviously the weight, which is fantastic, once you got out, what other things did you start to notice had changed, like, for example, obviously your confidence? What else just fell into place and you were like, “Oh my God. This is amazing”?

Wil:  To be honest, about everything changed. I had been overweight all of my adult life. I just felt like the world owed me something. I felt that people were judging me. They probably were. But only half of that was because of the way I looked. The other half was because of the way I acted, because of the paranoia that I had, because of my size. But after the show, and after reaching a normal weight, it’s really amazing. It sounds silly. But the big things, obviously for me are that I can spend more time with family and friends, because I don’t make excuses. I’m not ashamed of how I look.

But the little thing and probably the more important thing is that I can get on a bus. I can sit on a bus seat. If the bus is packed someone will come and sit next to me. Before, if I ever was on any form of public transport, if mine was the only seat and the person who came on had not sat down all day, they just would not sit next to me.

Like I said, that was 50% because of them. But the other 50% was because of me. I made them judge me by the way that I acted and just the aura that I gave off. Everything. Shopping, when I would go shopping before, I would not look at the close. I would look at the sizes, because I had to take a five, six or seven XL and there aren’t many shops that do clothes that would have fit me. It’s horrible.

So you go in and you wear the same clothes over and over again. Whereas now, it was really alien to me. I actually bought something from ZARA, that’s for really skinny people. I went there, and obviously I’m not a medium now, I’m an XL in ZARA, but I’m an L in other shops. I can pick what clothes I want to wear and it’s really empowering and it makes the sweat and the tears worth it. It really, really does. I wish I’d known I’d feel this good, because I would have done it years ago.

Simon:  You’ve obviously, probably, found now, as I teach people, that once they lose weight, you get a shift in terms of helping other people. Then that gives you a sense of satisfaction as well. Obviously you’ve inspired a lot of people, can you tell us a little bit about that and how that’s really helped and how you can shift from it being about yourself to other people?

Wil:  Yeah, for me one of the things I’m most grateful for from doing the show is the fact that I have been able to do a lot of charitable things and I’ve been able to help a lot of people who are in the same situation as me and the way that I was before. Facebook and Twitter is just outstanding. I wish I’d used that more because I’m so touched by the well‑dones and the congratulations and things like that.

But I’m also really grateful when people come to me and they ask me about what I did to change because they’d love to be able to do it for themselves. It’s a really nice thing and I’ll give you a really quick example.

I spoke to a mum and her son quite a few months ago, nearly 10 months ago now, and they were both really overweight. Her son was 15 and he was 28 stone and she was 26 stone. Just from speaking to them and from them knowing that they can come and talk to me and I know how they feel… I know how hard it is.

They’ve lost a lot of weight. Her son’s 18 stone now. He’s still heavy, but he’s able to do what everyone else his age does. She’s down to 20 stone.

She’s still doing the things that she has to do as a mum as someone who works and things like that. So on a personal level I just feel really grateful that I’m able to pass on the things I’ve learned to people that will benefit from it.

And hopefully they’ll benefit from it in a way that I would have benefitted from as well if I’d had known that I could go to someone.

So I love it when people approach me. It’s not just about the well done. I also get people coming up to me in the supermarket and say to me, “You should have cake in your trolley.” And I don’t mind that either.

[laughter]

Wil:  Because it means they care. But I don’t put the cake back. But it’s really, really amazing to know that I can help people.

Simon:  Right. So tell us, just quickly, what your seven‑day exercise routine is at the moment and also a good workout that you really enjoy that someone could quickly get into.

Wil:  I’ve got to be honest, one of the biggest things I thought I’d never say but I really stand by is cardio and resistance. I don’t think one should go without the other. So for me a typical day, Monday through Friday, I will go to the gym every weekday in the morning before work. It’s just a habit that I’m in. It sounds a bit excessive but it’s just because I enjoy it more than because I feel that I need to do it. There’s no excuse. You can make time if you want to change. So I go five days a week in the morning and then I’ll go two or three times in the evening.

And I’ll make sure that every morning I do something cardio based, spinning or an ab circuit. Then in the evenings I’ll do something more resistance‑based.

So I’ll do things like resistance circuits or power bag classes. I’m really lucky that [audio skips] were really well equipped. For me though, running or even starting out walking is the best standard exercise you can kick start with, simply because anybody can do it.

When I started, Simon, I was too heavy to go to the gym because the treadmill was only 26 or 27 stone. You can walk in your garden, if you’ve got a big garden. You can walk around the block. When you feel comfortable and that level of fitness is there a little bit more, you can start to jog for five seconds or ten seconds and just build it up that way.

So I really stand by jogging, I think it’s a great, free and a really useful exercise to get into the habit of doing. I can’t do it without music though. So if you’re going to jog I’d recommend you get an mp3 player or something.

Simon:  Oh, tell us what your power songs would be, or your album. We need to know this.

Wil:  Do you know what? You’re going to think I’m weird because it’s almost a bit of schizophrenic. I listen to quite slow music when I jog.

Simon:  Really?

Wil:  Yeah, there’s a reason for it. It’s because the beat means… James Morrison…

Simon:  Oh, I went to see him live in Bath, absolutely brilliant.

Wil:  He’s awesome, isn’t he?

Simon:  Mm‑hmm.

Wil:  But if you listen to his music, it’s actually ‑‑ if you [audio breaks up] it, all of his music is the same as running at about 10 kilometers and a half. [audio breaks up] into the beat. So I’m into a lot of soul music. But if I’m going to really, really blitz it, if I’m doing a cardio blast… I love my boxing as well, by the way, I absolutely love it. If I’m going to do a cardio blast I’ve got to say the best music for me is definitely hip hop music. Just, again, because of the beat. It keeps me going and it just keeps me interested as well. I sometimes forget that I’m in a gym and I’ll just try and think I’m Eminem and stuff like that.

I obviously get funny looks, “Now, remember, there are people around me, you need to stop it.” But yeah, I listen to a lot of [audio cuts out] music when I work out. And when I’m running I’ll listen to, probably, James Morrison, anything soul‑based, Otis Redding, just because that music keeps me calm.

It’s probably not the same for everybody because some people prefer really, really fast‑paced music to go with [audio cuts out] …

[crosstalk]

Wil:  But for me it just keeps me constant.

Simon:  For me it’s dance music. So I probably wouldn’t listen to anything slow depending on the type of workout. So I think, yeah, you are right, everyone’s different. But it’s quite interesting to hear your thoughts. And thumbs up to James Morrison, he’s great.

Wil:  Oh, he’s awesome. Yeah. I like dub step music, actually. I feel like I shouldn’t be listening to it because I’m 30, but I do like dub step music. I’m starting to get into it. I’d never buy dub step, but when it’s on and you’re running, that’s another one that just… If you’re there, you want a strong finish, something really dance [audio cuts out] is really, really good to get out a strong finish.

Simon:  On the night plus thing they have the power song thing, don’t they? So you just hit a button and it’s a “when you need it” kind of song, which is like Bat Out of Hell or something for most people.

Wil:  Yeah. [laughter]

Simon:  What would you advise be to someone who’s finding it really hard to just get started?

Wil:  I think my adice to someone to just trying to get started is, again, it’s about putting yourself first. If you’re ready to make a change then don’t wait to do it. For me, it sounds quite harsh but I just wasn’t ready to make the changes that were offered to me up until last year. There was no point in anybody telling me anything because I just didn’t want to listen. I wasn’t ready to change. I was scared because being overweight was my identity and all that sort of thing.

But for anyone who does want to change, just do it. Don’t think about it, make those changes. Put yourself first, think about the end result, and keep envisioning yourse the way you want to be. lf the way that you want to be. Because if you get [audio cuts out] every time you compare yourself, periodically, to how you want to be and where you are, you’re just a little bit closer. And it becomes a little bit easier.

You have to put yourself first. You have to be a little bit selfish. And you have to start making choices that are going to benefit you tomorrow rather than feed your stomach today.

That’s the biggest thing. I wish I’d done it years ago. I really do, Simon, because if I had I wouldn’t have wasted my 20s feeling sorry for myself and hiding away from everybody.

I’m lucky, I will make up for it, don’t get me wrong. But I wish I hadn’t done that. And for anybody who listens to this and thinks, “I’m ready to change,” if you’re ready, do it. Don’t waste another day feeling unhappy. Start achieving, believe in yourself, and go for it, because you’ll do it. You will do it. I really, really believe that.

Simon:  That’s fantastic advice. You were saying, just then, that you’re not going to waste any time and you’re quite assertive about that. And that’s great. So tell us and everyone that’s listening about what is happening now. What is Wil Graham moving forward into 2012? What impact are you going to be making?

Wil:  I’ve been really lucky. I’ve been quite picky, not in a rude way. But I have been asked to do a few different things since the show ended back in March. But I made a decision to only do things that would benefit myself and other people. So I’m going to be doing a lot of work for Unicef and they’ve asked me to be UK ambassador. I’ll be doing events for them, things. The first one I did was actually The Royal Parks Half Marathon back in November. They were a great charity.

I’m also starting to write for Workout Magazine. So I’ve got a monthly column with them. That’s basically just my opinion as someone who ‑‑ I’m not a fitness expert. I’m a fitness user. And there are a lot of experts out there, personal trainers.

But I’m actually someone who’s benefitted from it and I actually will continue to benefit from it. But the biggest thing, the thing I’m probably proudest of is the fact that I’ve also been given my own show on the access channel. That was cool, Wil Graham No Excuse [audio cuts out] at the end of January.

It’s going to be a weekly show and I’m contracted until the end of April, which is promising. Then I’m basically going to go and meet people who are struggling with fitness and nutrition and I’m going to help them. Initially it may be overweight people, but it will also be people whose situations are different.

I come from a background, we were not well off. I still [audio cuts out] knowing what I know now I can help people equip themselves to make choices that will benefit them with fitness and nutrition. That’s a big thing [audio cuts out] be doing next year. So I can’t wait.

Then, on top of that, I’ve also been asked to go back on the next few Biggest Losers and stuff like that as a motivator and stuff. Yeah, there’s so much happening next year. I really, really can’t wait for it. I’m genuinely excited.

On top of that, I do some motivational speaking and I’m hoping to go on a circuit for that, definitely in UK, but potentially in North America as well. I’m in talks for that at the moment. So there’s just a lot going on. And I’ve still got my day job because I’ve got bills to pay.

[laughter]

Simon:  Wow, that’s some amazing stuff you’ve got going on. You’re going to just rock on in 2012. Well, it’s been a fantastic amount of information for everyone. If anyone’s listening and hasn’t been motivated by that I would be incredibly surprised because some of the information there is just awesome.

Finally, wrapping up, if you could put together your ultimate lunch box, five vegetables, one source of protein, and some dressing, what would it be?

Wil:  OK. Five vegetables, it would definitely be broccoli. I’d have some sweet potato in there.

Simon:  Boom, active carbs. Great.

Wil:  Parsnip, is that too many carbs? But I just love them. Spinach.

Simon:  Yeah, lot of greens. One more.

Wil:  And I think probably my next favorite one… Am I allowed to have lettuce?

Simon:  Yep.

Wil:  I love lettuce. So I’d probably have lettuce.

Simon:  It’d be a very leafy box, but yeah.

Wil:  In fact, I”ll swap the lettuce for beet root. I like beet root.

Simon:  OK. Love it. Then what would your protein be?

Wil:  My protein would definitely be turkey.

Simon:  And what about your dressing? Any kind of pepper or hot sauces or cheese?

Wil:  I’m into my spice, so it would definitely, 100 percent, be a hot chili sauce with some pepper.

Simon:  Awesome. Great. That was Will Graham’s lunch box, right there. So you get making that and then I’ll have that tomorrow. Awesome. Well Wil, thank you very much. We’re looking forward to seeing you on screen again. And with your new program.

Any websites you want to tell people about or how they can get in touch with you?

Wil:  Yeah, I’m on my Twitter. So that’s wil‑‑graham. I’m also on Facebook, feel free to look me up, it’s just Wil Graham, again. And my website is basic but it’s wilgraham.co.uk. So if you’ve got time I’d love for you to have a look. And please feel free to get in touch. I would really love to speak to anybody who has any opinions or advice or anything at all. Please feel free to get in touch.

Simon:  Great. And guys, if you want to comment in the comments box below. Also, I’m sure Wil will pop on the lunch box type page and also the iHealth pod page and be involved there as well. Again, Wil thank you very much for your time and to everyone that’s listening.

Wil:  All right. Thank you, Simon. And guys, trust this man. What he’s telling you is right. [laughs] I wish I’d known, genuinely, it’s amazing. Thank you so much for having me, Simon. Have a really

Well it’s time to put all of that behind you. It’s time to make 2012 the best year and one that really is a fresh change for you. Maybe you want to change your job or dump other things in your life that have been holding you back. And although some of that may come, it’s first a good idea to make sure that you pick the right diet and nutrition plan so you don’t find yourself yo-yo dieting within a month and back to the same old you.

In my opinion there are few key factors that make up what we could determine as the best diet of 2012, or any year of that matter.

1 – Sustainable
Here’s the most important off all. If the diet you’re planning on using isn’t sustainable then chances are you will revert back to the old you at some point. So, watch out for fad diet plans that just don’t ‘feel right’. If your gut is telling you something, listen to it. So, a diet with baby food, one where you can only eat carrots, or some soup – can you sustain that for life? No. 2012 should be the tear when you make this a LIFESTYLE CHANGE for you, once and for all. I’ve been told many times that The Lunch Box Diet has become a ‘way of life’ which is just another word for sustainable which is fantastic. In fact, the email I get over and over again are these words ‘it doesn’t feel like a diet’. Awesome!

2 – Fun
Okay, so onto number two and if the diet you pick in 2012 isn’t at all fun, then what are the chances of that diet becoming sustainable? The same goes for exercising! My dieters who are always interacting on the facebook page of The Lunch Box Diet know that it’s fun because they see me doing it and also report to me how different it is from other diet plans out there. Plus, because there are so many different ingredients to choose from and the lunch boxes are so tasty, going shopping in the supermarket becomes a fun mission, when you’re always thinking ‘what can I have in my box tomorrow’. You can find, exciting new ingredients / combinations to try out. Then comes the box creation part, and that’s where you actually get to taste a fantastic box and lose weight at the same time.

3. Never Hungry
The death of a diet comes very quickly when you’re restricted on calories so much that you’re always wondering when the next meal will come. Imagine it, you’re sitting there at work on your horrible diet that says you can only eat so much. Not only does this get you frustrated, but it also affects your work and stress levels. Oh no, a healthy diet will allow you to never become hungry and that happens by allowing you to eat THE RIGHT FOODS more often than the WRONG FOODs not very often. So, yes on The Lunch Box Diet you will be eating vegetables and lean proteins and mouth watering dressings, but because of this you can eat more of it.

4. Gives You More Than Weight Loss
Imagine if you started a diet in 2012 and yes you started to see some weight loss results, but then after a short amount of time, you started to really notice other benefits. Almost like a secret bonus in your pay packet. Well any ‘lifestyle plan’ should really bring a host of other benefits such as health (strangely, some diets aren’t healthy at all), energy, improved skin and hair condition and much more.
You see, when you’re losing weight, you need all of these because ultimately when you reach your ideal weight (which you will, don’t worry), you want to feel more confident. Confidence comes when you’re energized, looking and feeling good. So, when you finally pick the best diet for you in 2012, make sure it’s not about getting weight off you so quickly that it makes you unhealthy, slows you down and makes your skin and hair look bad, because we both know that you won’t be happy at all then! Fortunately Lunch Box Dieters are ones that have all of the above and more.

5. Easy
The best diet for you is also one that is easy to follow. You’ve been there. You find a diet you think sounds good, but then after just a week or a couple of weeks you find yourself back to square one. Why? Well, chances are you found it too hard to follow. Silly meals, ingredients you couldn’t find in the shops, it didn’t give you the points in tip section 4. When a diet is easy, you’re much more likely to stay at it for a longer time, and as a result you’ll start seeing results. When that happens you become more motivated to carry on. The Lunch Box Diet was called ‘the easiest diet’ by best selling woman’s magazine Woman’s World in America when they featured it on their cover and their readers lost 19lbs in 2 weeks, and then kept it off. Amazing – and that’s something that you can get too. So, yes, make sure you pick a diet that is easy!

6. Keeps You Motivated
Okay, so I kept this for the last tip because this one actually comes as a result of all of the above tips working together in synergy. If a diet is sustainable, fun, you’re never hungry on it, gives you more than weight loss, and is easy then you will be motivated more than you have ever been before on a diet plan, and that’s exactly how you will finally lose the weight and stay motivated.

2012 is going to be the best year for you, but only if you ensure that the diet plan for you has all of the above, if it doesn’t than you may find yourself reverting back to old ways and I don’t want that for you as much as you don’t want it. But remember, you’ll only get on that positive mental path if you take massive action and get going now, not tomorrow. That’s what holds most people back from their goal. I’ll start tomorrow or next week is the biggest sign that the person will not end up reaching their goal. The first step to success is by taking action right now, in the moment.

Here’s the video on how I made the box below. Enjoy! It’s soooo tasty!

Please click the like button top right if you like this recipe, and please make a comment below if you would love or hate this box?

Mixed Salad, Chessnuts, Mushrooms, Deli Turkey, Stuffing Mixed Herbs, Red Onion, Cranberries

You really can't miss out the stuffing mixed herbs on this recipe!

Make some extra cranberries and instead of pouring the water away that you boiled them in, drink it down, it's great for you!

Let me know what you think in the comments x