September is upon us; summer is over and it is likely that you have a few pounds to get rid of from the holidays, the break in your routine and the enjoyment of food fare. This month is an opportunity for you to take a new look at your approach to a real weight-loss goal.

People are different, and what works for one person may not work for another. Each of us knows where we are weak and what we can do, realistically. Some systems for weight loss we have tried and failed, but, if you begin to look at what you tried and conquered in that diet or exercise practice, you may see that there was one thing that you were successful doing. Start from there, because looking at your new code for losing weight with a positive view can change your whole outlook and give you the drive to keep pushing for success. If you can take a few tricks and begin to apply them one at a time, commit to trying a new trick each week, you will see that after six weeks, the results are real. Using someone else’s code for living as your roadmap can be an effective strategy to help you to establish a complete lifestyle system that sticks. Make it a goal each week to try something new from their code.

Many people assume that celebrities have chefs and personalised menu planners that they can afford to hire for the continuity of their lifestyle, and that is valid. But the truth is that if you want to have a structure, you can, and there is always something that you can do for yourself that can put the healthiest option in place. The success that has been proven by another could help you to establish your own code that works for you, even if you have to tweak it a bit to suit your lifestyle.

Using myself as an example, I can’t tolerate breakfast. Every nutritionist in the world will say that breakfast is the most important meal, but for me it just doesn’t work. So, the way that I work around this is that by twelve o’clock I say, “OK, now it is time for me to eat,” and whether I feel like eating or not, I eat. After that, I make sure that I eat small portions often to kick my metabolism back into gear.

Using a celebrity as your inspiration is still a good thing, even if you stick with SOME of their secrets. It could mean big changes for your body and you can incorporate some things that they are doing into whatever works best for your life.

This week we will focus on Elle Macpherson, who graced the cover of Sports Illustrated for three consecutive years: 1986, 1987, 1988. She kept her programme going and was pregnant and still bikini- worthy to land the coveted cover again in 1994. In 2006 she landed the cover for the fifth time, setting the record for Sports Illustrated cover models, 20 years after her first cover spot. Clearly, she is doing something that works. Today, at 47 with two children, her lifestyle code has kept her in supermodel shape over the years, and even now Macpherson is still as worthy of a cover spot on Sports Illustrated as she was 20 years ago.

Diet

Elle eats a largely natural diet. That is, she will make choices that come from the earth rather than from a package, wherever she can. Her diet guidelines are that she eats twice a day, so after a small breakfast of a fruit, she then chooses between lunch or dinner. She avoids most dairy products and unnecessary snacking. To keep her blood sugar balanced she avoids processed carbohydrates like pasta and picks more whole foods in her diet like potatoes and quinoa, cooked vegetables, brown rice and buckwheat.

Exercise

Her top exercise choices are Pilates, light weights, swimming, treadmill, and horseback riding. One of her routines has been 500 sit-ups a day, and a five-mile cycle, or running for 40 minutes. Elle exercises five days a week for one hour. With two kids, I am sure she keeps very active as well, on the remaining two days. Taking a holistic approach to her fitness, she listens to her body and decides which type of exercise to do each day.

Secrets

She drinks eight glasses of water a day.

Change Your Outlook To Change Your Life

I call a diet the inception of a new lifestyle. It can appear like a tall mountain to climb, or an exciting new path to try. A simple change in perspective which makes your goals possible is a great strategy to have for fighting the lows of a “diet”. Here’s a simple exercise I want you to take a few seconds to do right now. Just read the four items below and see the changes taking place… It may seem silly, at first, but go with me here. Just read these four items, close your eyes and visualise these changes taking place:

1. Visualise yourself as the one being envied for your sexy new shape, and getting tons of compliments.

2. Picture yourself wearing all kinds of new form-fitting clothes… looking trim and toned and hot, just in time for bathing-suit season.

3. See yourself comfortable and confident — able to meet challenges at work, at home, anywhere — with a great attitude and plenty of confidence.

4. Feel yourself taking pride in your great-looking figure and the wonderful new dimension to your intimate relationships — there’s a spring in your step!

Now close your eyes and visualise these changes taking place.

Stop this endless cycle of cutting yourself down, then getting frustrated with yourself when your plan doesn’t work! The first thing we want to do is to get rid of the weight FAST because what you really want to get rid of are the feelings of self-defeat and low self-worth for having failed at your last weight-loss attempt.

A Diet Mentality Doesn’t Work

The traditional meaning of the word “diet” comes along with a whole lot of myths. We need to “un-learn” what we know about the word diet and start to use a new meaning of the word to our advantage. A diet is the process of relearning how to eat, and a new code of living. Begin to reacquaint yourself with the word “diet”. Discard the myths and see how it can work FOR you instead of AGAINST you.

So forget “low carb”, “low fat”, “high fibre”, “low glycemic” or “high protein”. Forget about quick weight loss, too. These diets have been marketed by the diet and weight-loss industry to sell their concepts, books and products that defeat you, do not work and will keep you fat. As long as you believe in the old meaning of the word “diet” the industry will have you and you will stay defeated. Relearn the word, rethink your strategy and discover what works for you!