The Test That Tells If You Are A Workaholic

Revealed: the test that tells if you are a workaholic

Psychologists have developed a test that claims to differentiate between workers who are merely keen and those who are addicted to being in the office.

While one group may simply be seeking to impress the boss, the other could be risking their mental and physical health, as well as their relationships, the study found.

The 'Bergen Work Addiction Scale' looks at the kind of behaviour that is displayed by all kinds of addicts, from drug users to alcoholics, but related to the workplace. Those who, for instance, free up time to fit in extra work or feel guilty if they don't stay late on a regular basis may be full blown workaholics.

Test subjects are asked to rank themselves in seven categories to see whether they are "driven to work excessively and compulsively" - the definition of an addict. These are salience, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, relapse and problems.

[Related feature: Five ways to cope with digital stress]

The scale was designed by psychologists from Norway's University of Bergen and from Nottingham Trent University.

Work addiction is getting worse, they believe, because the boundaries between home and office are becoming blurred.

Being in constant touch through mobile phones and laptops and tabled computers means it is harder to 'switch off' and easier to work from home. Employees of globalised companies are under pressure to stay in constant touch with colleagues in different time zones.

The test, sampled on 12,000 workers from 25 industries, was published in the Journal of Psychology.

Take the test

Look at each of the following statements and rank yourself on each one according to the following:
1 = Never; 2 = Rarely; 3 = Sometimes; 4 = Often and 5 = Always.

1. You think of how you can free up more time to work.

2. You spend much more time working than initially intended.

3. You work in order to reduce feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness and depression.

4. You have been told by others to cut down on work without listening to them.

5. You become stressed if you are prohibited from working.

6. You deprioritize hobbies, leisure activities, and exercise because of your work.

7. You work so much that it has negatively influenced your health.

If you score 'often (4)' or 'always (5)' on four or more of these seven statements, it 'may suggest you are a workaholic.'

 

Reference- The Daily Telegraph

Diet or Exercise What To Do First.

I sometimes watch the biggest loser and cringe, overweight people being made to do hard physical activity, it puts severe strain on joints,the spine and the heart, its definately a sure fire way to damage yourself for good.

Being overweight often goes hand in hand with lethargy and tiredness so starting a physicaly challenging work out program will not only be impossible to keep up mentally, but physicaly it will hurt, and often is the reason most of us never get very far.

Diet is the best starting point, find the fuel your body craves, thats right your body actualy craves the correct food, when you find this food your body will naturaly shed the unwanted weight and even better the very toxins that make you feel lethargic, tired and even ill will be flushed form your body.

The toxins in your body come form poor food choices, fast food, burgers, unhealthy mass produced sandwitches, really the list is endless, a rule i use is - " if i didnt make it then i dont know whats in it"

When you get your diet right, you head will clear, your attitude will change, you will feel clean and healthy on the inside, you will feel light and refreshed every day,your skin will look healthy, your eyes will be bright and your hair will be full of life, then and only then you will probably feel like exercising.

One important thing to point out here, this will take time, just consider how long it took you to put on your weight, so it makes sense that it will take a while to lose it again, the good thing is though, it is often quicker to lose the weight than it was to put it on and in a matter of weeks you will see the changes, drop a drees size and just start feeling like a new you.

A few years ago i was a candida suferer, i had serious fungal overgrowth, my treatment consisted of a sugar and yeast free diet, exercise was banned as it released sugar stored in the body, this sugar would have fed the fungus, my diet was a pure natural foods diet, i lost 3 stone/48 pounds in three months, and felt the best i had in years.  Just remember this was with no exercise at all !

To sumarise, to get yourself ready to exercise firstly prepare your body physicaly and mentally with a good healthy natural diet, its all about clearing the body of toxins and getting your body to run efficiently, dont ever feel its too late for you, your body has an amazing ability to survive and recover when fed the right fuel.

If you want information on Healthy living, diets and detox you can get it free on this page, look for the green box at the top right hand corner of this page for details, also i really recomend the two books near the top left hand side of this page by Jason Vale - "7lbs in 7 days " and" Turbo charge your life " these are fantastic books, and very resonably priced.

Forget expensive Gym membershipsjust eat natural, and let nature take its course with your body, you will be suprised how much money you save and how much more enjoyable natural foods are than the junk we normaly put into our bodys.

So start your energy filled lifestyle today for FREE by putting your name and email address in the green box on the top right hand side of this page and you will receive 4 fantastic ebooks that will give you all you need to find the new energy filled healthy you, from DETOX, DIET to healthy lifestyle choices.

The Flat Belly Diet May Be One Of The Best Diets Ever!

Sick of carrying around extra pounds? Its time to get rid of them, using the all-new Flat Belly Diet. This new diet may be one of the best diets of all time, as it is easy to follow,healthy , and a plan that you can follow the rest of your life.
You may have heard about it on Good Morning America. Or, a friend may already be raving about it. It's the amazing new diet called the "Flat Belly Diet". The reason you've heard about it is because... it works! Even better, it's simple and easy to follow. What better way to lose the extra pounds you gained over the Holidays?
The diet was created by the folks at Prevention Magazine. It was created by Prevention magazine's Editor in Chief Liz Vaccariello and Nutrition Editor Cynthia Sass. A number of dieters have raved about the diet. For example, one 46 year old lost twelve pounds in just over a month... and over 11 inches!
The mantra of the Flat Belly Diet is "A MUFA at every meal". What's a "MUFA" you ask?
A MUFA (MOO-fah) is a term that nutritionists have used for years. It's an acronym for "monounsaturated fatty acid"... the "good" kind of fat. A MUFA is a type of heart-healthy, disease-fighting, "good" fat found in foods like almonds, peanut butter, olive oil, avocado, even chocolate. MUFAs are an unsaturated fat, and have the exact opposite effect of the unhealthy saturated and trans fats you've heard about in the news. According to exciting new research, MUFAs can actually help you lose weight, specifically around your middle.
According to the folks at Prevention Magazine, a number of studies have shown that a diet rich in MUFAs is linked to a reduction in LDL cholesterol, the kind that clogs up arteries, and a boost in HDL, the kind that sweeps cholesterol out of the arteries and clears it from the body. They can also lower the risk of heart disease and improve insulin.
But that's not all. Not only are MUFAs healthy, but they are also satisfying and delicious in and of themselves. Eating a MUFA with every meal makes sure that you are satisfied, healthy, and don't feel deprived in this diet. Foods packed with MUFAs include delicious foods such as olive oil (use it as a delicious salad dressing), chocolate chips (dessert on a diet? Yes!) These delicious foods (and many others) are what make the Flat Belly Diet different. This is a diet everyone can stick to, and see awesome results.
Here's a brief overview of what the diet involves:
- Start with a Four-Day Anti-Bloat Jumpstart, and add
- A daily dose of Sassy Water and
- A Mind Trick at every meal plus
- A Four-Week Eating Plan, comprised of
- Three 400-calorie meals a day of your choice and
- One 400-calorie Snack Pack of your choice and
- One daily Core Confidence reflection
- An Optional Exercise Program, plus
The foundation for a way of life you can continue for decades.
The Flat Belly diet centers around five foods that have these good fats in them naturally and those five food groups are oils, chocolate, nuts and seeds, olives, and avocados. You simply need to eat one serving from any of these groups at a meal. All meals should be around 400 calories, enough to curb your hunger but not to stuff yourself. This diet will give you energy and will melt off the stubborn belly fat.
One of the key features of the Flat Belly Diet is its flexibility. The meals and foods have been selected to accommodate our hectic lives. If you are short on time, you can easily assemble healthy and delicious meals without breaking your diet. Many of the meals require little or no cooking. Other meals are more complex and can be enjoyed by the whole family or even guests on special occasions. You can even get creative. If you don't like a suggested meal, mix and match other meals. Flexibility is one reason why this diet is one of the best diets ever!

Reference - Kurt Lehman   

Daily Aspirin Cuts Bowel Cancer Deaths

Reduces the risk of dying by nearly a third

© Mara Zemgaliete - Fotolia.com

Taking a daily aspirin after being diagnosed with bowel cancer can reduce the chance of dying from the disease by nearly a third, according to new research.
Patients who took a daily dose of aspirin - 80mg - for at least nine months after being diagnosed with the disease cut their chance of dying by 30 per cent, a Dutch study found.
Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK. Each year, around 41,000 people are diagnosed with the disease, and around 16,000 die from it. It is the second most common cause of cancer death after lung cancer.

Previous studies have shown that taking a daily dose of aspirin for several years can help to lower the risk of developing a number of cancers, including bowel and oesophageal cancers.
But this latest research, published in the British Journal of Cancer, looked at the use of aspirin as a treatment for bowel cancer.
The study involved 4,500 bowel cancer in the Netherlands diagnosed between 1998 and 2007.
A quarter of the patients were not aspirin users, a further quarter took aspirin after being diagnosed with bowel cancer and the remaining half took aspirin both before and after being diagnosed with the disease.
The researchers found that patients who took aspirin for any length of time after being diagnosed with bowel cancer were 23 per cent less likely to die from it compared with patients who took no aspirin at all.
Patients who took aspirin and still got bowel cancer could have had a particularly aggressive form of tumour that did not respond as well to aspirin, the researchers said.
Study leader Dr Gerrit-Jan Liefers, from the Leiden University Medical Centre, said: "Our findings could have profound clinical implications. In this study, we showed the therapeutic effect of a widely-available, familiar drug that costs mere pennies per day.
"It's possible that some older people may have other health problems which mean that they are not well enough to have chemotherapy," he said.
"Bowel cancer is more common in older people so these results could be a big advance in treatment of the disease, particularly in this group. But we need further research to confirm this."
The research team are planning to start a randomised controlled trial across the Netherlands later this year, specifically targeting the over-70s population.
Sarah Lyness, executive director policy and information at Cancer Research UK, said: "This latest study adds to the growing evidence about the benefits of aspirin.
"But we are not yet at the point where we would recommend people start taking aspirin to reduce their chances of developing cancer.
"There are still questions we need to answer about the side effects, such as internal bleeding, who might benefit most from taking aspirin, who might be harmed, what dose and how long some people might want to take it for.
"Anyone thinking of taking aspirin to cut their risk of cancer should talk to their GP first. People with cancer should be aware that aspirin can increase the chances of complications before surgery or other cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and should discuss this with their specialist.
"In the meantime, there are many ways we can take to lower our risk of developing cancer - not smoking, cutting back on alcohol and keeping a healthy weight can help stack the odds in our favour."

Reference - Mara Zemgaliete

Be Aware Of The Signs Of Depression

A devastating illness, affecting one in four women and one in 10 men at some point in their lives

© Dmitri MIkitenko - Fotolia.com

Black dog, the blues, down in the dumps, the vapours – whatever you call it, it’s a rare human who doesn’t feel low from time to time. But occasional sad days are a million miles from true depression.
Though many casually use the term “depressed” to describe their glum moments, the condition is much more than simply feeling melancholy.
The fact is that depression is an illness, where sadness is persistent and intense and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness are accompanied by debilitating physical effects.
As Depression Alliance notes, these include disturbed sleep, loss of energy and even physical aches and pains.
Contrary to what some may believe, “snapping out” of a true depression is impossible: the only way to escape its clutches is to seek proper medical advice.
UK health charities are keen to share the warning signs of this devastating illness, which affects one in four women and one in 10 men at some point in their lives.
“Sometimes people may not realise how depressed they are, especially if they have been feeling the same for a long time, if they have been trying to cope with their depression by keeping themselves busy, or if their depressive symptoms are more physical than emotional,” explains Depression Alliance.
“As a general rule, if you have experienced four or more of these symptoms, for most of the day nearly every day, for over two weeks, then you should seek help.”
They include:

• Tiredness and loss of energy
• Persistent low mood or sadness
• Loss of self-confidence and self-esteem
• Feeling hopeless and helpless
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling tearful
• Feeling guilt-ridden
• Not being able to enjoy things that are usually pleasurable
• Sleeping problems - difficulties in getting to sleep or waking much earlier than usual
• Avoiding other people
• Finding it hard to function at work/college/school
• Loss of appetite
• Loss of sex drive
• Physical aches and pains
• Thinking about suicide and death
• Self-harm

The symptoms of depression can have a knock-on effect on daily life, with work suffering, social contact falling away and increased difficulties in home and family life.
As the NHS Livewell site notes: “Depression can come on gradually, so it can be difficult to notice something is wrong.”
Often it takes a friend or family member to suggest there may be a problem. And while there is no single cause, it can be triggered by a host of different factors – from bereavement to divorce, illness, job worries, money issues or a combination of things that lead to a “downward spiral”.
There are some genetic factors, too, and hormonal changes, such as giving birth, can lead to increased instances of depression.
But what can you do if it is blighting your life? The key thing is to see a GP: while there may seem no way out of the mire, the fact is that the sooner you seek help the sooner the depression will lift.
Treatments vary from simple exercise and talking therapies for milder depression, to antidepressants or a combination of the above if symptoms are more severe.
As Patient UK points out: “Treatment takes time to work but has a good chance of success.”
There are also some simple self-help tips to follow that can stop depression from getting worse. They include:

• Don’t bottle things up – tell people close to you how you feel
• Don’t despair – most people with depression recover
• Try to distract yourself with simple things such as watching TV or listening to the radio – especially if sleeping is a problem
• Eat regularly and healthily even if your appetite is lacking
• Try to take regular exercise in the open air, even if just a brisk walk
• Don’t drink too much alcohol, which can make problems worse
• Avoid making major decisions while depressed – for example quitting a job, moving house or finishing a relationship. Seek treatment first
• Tell your doctor if you feel you are getting worse, and particularly if suicidal thoughts are troubling you

Reference - Womens health magazine

The Science Behind a Juice Fast

Theoretically speaking, juices have necessary nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are required for detoxifying our body. The juice for fasting process is counted as an extreme way of detoxification and is done for about one to three days in a stretch. Also the amount of juice you take will decide the intensity of cleansing. Taking a small amount of juice will give lesser calories and expand the detoxification. Other than detoxifying body, this method is also very popular for losing weight or natural healing of our body.

Cleans Out Toxins - Most of the toxins in our body are results to unhealthy eating habits. Juices of fruits and vegetables have many vitamins, minerals and enzymes, which safely detoxify body as they have cleansing properties.

Enhance the immune system - Fruit juices are easy to digest and therefore body has more time to focus and work on healing and repairs of internal parts. The diets also carry different antioxidants and phytochemicals, which contribute a lot in disease prevention thereby enhancing the immune system of our body.

Helps You Lose Weight - Fruit juice helps to reduce weight by increasing the body metabolism and reducing the hunger pranks. Any kind of fasting is a good way to burn the fat stored in the body. Extra fat gets burned whenever the body requires more calories to work. While giving you a wide spectrum of nutrients, the fasting will remove the excess fatty tissues giving advantage over any weight loss program.

Increase Vitality � Increases your vitality irrespective of your age. Most of the fruit and vegetable juices are locked in the fiber. Requiring very little digestive efforts, the essential nutrients get directly absorbed by the body. A mix of fresh, raw fruit or vegetable juices will give all the enzymes, vitamins, minerals, protein and fats required for an increased vitality.

Heals the Body - Eliminates all the mucous forming foods from our diet keeping our digestive track active. The reduction of irritating substances, dead cells, excess mucus and other entrapped foreign material will allow the body to absorb more of the nutrients enhancing the energy levels which can be utilized to heal the body.

Eliminating the life robbing toxins and adding nutrients that expands the body's natural regenerative abilities is the reason that many people have started a juice fasting. The regenerative effect that it gives help healing illnesses such as cancer, leukemia, arthritis, high blood pressure, kidney disorders, skin infections and liver disorders. The time period of juice fast can vary from three to forty days. Most of the well-known therapies being used around the world use a thirty days juice fasting schedule. You can find it difficult during the start but will surely get in the grind so try it and lead a healthier lifestyle.

Reference - Samantha Dillard

Let Your Energy Filled Lifestyle Begin !

Re Discover The Old You or Find A New You Today free

Turbo Charge Your Life In 14 Days

Fat Loss Factor MUST see video

Click here to see a really good video                                                                    http://a36099xepf1gti1by-q7h5truk.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=itsanthony

7lbs in 7 days super juice diet

Fat Burning Furnace

7lbs in 7 days the best diet ever !

Jason Vale, is otherwise known as the 'Juice Master' and is an author, motivational speaker and lifestyle coach. Jason is the best-selling author of nine books on health, addiction and juicing and his message is to empower people to change their health and life by realising the nutritional benefits of raw fruit and vegetable juices. His books have sold over 1 million copies around the world and have been translated into many languages.

Jason was a heavy smoker (40-60 cigarettes a day), heavy drinker, ate lots of junk food and a chronic sufferer of psoriasis, eczema, and hay fever. Jason was then influenced by early juicing pioneer Norman Walker and began juicing to improve his health. In his book Slim 4 Life, Jason emphasizes that he lost weight, gave up smoking and drinking, and stopped eating junk food by changing his mindset to his addictions.

This really is a diet that fits all, its the most healthy tasty and fun diet i have ever tried, and it does exactly what it says in the books.

This is my personal testimony, i have followed "7lbs in 7 days" and the follow up "turbo charge your life in 14 days" and have lost a total of 30 pounds, not once did i feel run down or tired, in fact the very opposite from day 3, more energy a clear head and after the 21 days were up i just carried on with the lifestyle, i feel the best i have ever felt in my life, no more joint pain,or  excessive tiredness, and a new positive outlook, but the best thing i can now cope with my children without going into mind fizz.

Dont take just my word for it, click on the amazon links on the left hand side of this page to see lots of other happy juicing testimonys from satisfied lifstyle changers, its free to look and inexspensive to give it a go.

Happy juicing--Anthony

Jason Vale, is otherwise known as the 'Juice Master' and is an author, motivational speaker and lifestyle coach. Jason is the best-selling author of nine books on health, addiction and juicing and his message is to empower people to change their health and life by realising the nutritional benefits of raw fruit and vegetable juices. His books have sold over 1 million copies around the world and have been translated into many languages.
Jason was a heavy smoker (40-60 cigarettes a day), heavy drinker, ate lots of junk food and a chronic sufferer of psoriasis, eczema, and hay fever. Jason was then influenced by early juicing pioneer Norman Walker and began juicing to improve his health. In his book Slim 4 Life, Jason emphasizes that he lost weight, gave up smoking and drinking, and stopped eating junk food by changing his mindset to his addictions. Jason claims that as a result of daily juicing he lost four stone and is now free of his skin conditions and hay fever. He says 'juicing changed my life' and his mission is to 'Juice The World'. He has worked with many celebrities including Katie Price (aka Jordan).
Jason works closely with electronics company Philips as he endorses their range of juice extractors (including the best selling Philips Alu juicer) around the world. Jason has been featured heavily in the press in the UK & Ireland, Nordic countries, Turkey, Dubai, Italy and USA.
Jason and his company Juice Master Ltd has branched out into running seminars, retreats and juice bars. Jason opened his first juice detox retreat in Turkey in 2005 and he organises health seminars across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Now in 2011 Jason has opened juice bars in the UK, Ireland, Dubai and Canada.

Print this

Facts every woman over 40 should know about fat loss

Did you know the average woman gains between 12 and 15 pounds between the ages of forty and fifty five? Here nutritionist and weight management specialist, Rachael Anne Hill explains why and reveals how to side-step age-related weight gain.

40+ fat loss fact: You store fat more easily
As your ovaries produce less estrogen, your body attempts to find the hormone elsewhere. One place it can find it is within fat cells, so the body becomes better equipped at converting excess calories into body fat.
Fat loss fix: Get to grips with portion sizes
Your body will only store calories as fat if they are surplus to your requirements so the secret is to make sure you don't eat more than you actually need. The best way to do this is to get 'serving size savvy'. Below is an indication of how much an individual serving should be according to the Department of Health. (Note that a cooked serving of pasta, rice and cereals is equal to just one cupped handful — not the piled high bowlful that many of us have become accustomed to tucking into!)

• A serving of milk, yogurt, lettuce or green leafy veg = 2 cupped handfuls
• A serving of cooked pasta, rice, breakfast cereal, couscous, bulgur wheat, beans, pulses, fruit or vegetables = 1 cupped handful
• A serving of bread = the size of your hand
• A serving of meat, chicken, fish, poultry or cottage cheese = the size of your palm
• A serving of potatoes, bread = the size of a clenched fist
• Nuts and seeds, hard cheese = the size of 2 fingers
• Margarine, butter and spreads = the size of the tip of your thumb

40+ fat loss fact: your metabolic rate decreases
Your metabolism slows by 5% each decade. This means that, compared to age 25, you'll burn about 100 fewer calories a day at 35 and 200 fewer at 45. It might not sounds like much but be warned, do nothing and you could wind up weighing up to 20 pounds more a year!

Fat loss fix: find your inner strength
As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass which is why our metabolic rate decreases, but it doesn't have too. Doing some simple strength training (working your muscles against a resistance such as free weights, your own body weight or resistance machines) to a level where you can't do more than eight to ten repetitions of each exercise, two or three times a week will prevent this loss and keep your metabolic rate in tip top condition.

40+ fat loss fact: your appetite increases
According to a recent study conducted at Oregon Health and Science University, the natural drop in oestrogen and progesterone production that occurs around this age can increase your appetite by up to 67%.
Fat loss fix: fill up on high 'SI' foods
Researchers at Sydney University created a 'satiety index' by testing over 200 different types of foods to see which ones were more filling. The results showed that fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, pulses, fish, chicken and meat were far better at curbing appetite than others. This is either due to their fibre, water or protein content. Fibre curbs appetite by slowing the rate at which we digest food. Water adds bulk and volume helping is to feel fuller for longer and protein triggers the brain to feel full far sooner than fat or carbohydrate.
40+ fat loss fact: you gain more weight around your middle
Oestrogen generally directs fat stores in women to the hip and thigh area. However, 'middle aged spread' occurs as the decrease in the production of this hormone results in excess weight depositing around your tummy area instead. This can be bad news for your health too because abdominal fat increases the risk of diabetes, hypertension, certain cancers and heart disease.

Fat loss fix: focus on fats
Gram for gram, fat has twice as many calories as protein or carbohydrate so even a small reduction in the amount you eat can have a big impact on your overall calorie intake.
Saturated fats found in foods such as cakes, crisps, biscuits, full fat cheeses, red meats, chocolate, chips, processed foods, ready meals and take outs will increase your cholesterol too. This, coupled with a decrease in oestrogen can treble your risk of heart disease so cut back wherever possible. Instead, switch to reduced fat or low fat dairy products, snack on fresh or dried fruit, nuts and seeds instead of crisps and biscuits, switch to using balsamic vinegar instead of salad dressings, chutneys and relishes instead of mayonnaise and get into the habit of checking food labels.
Fat is usually shown on packaging as fat 'per 100g' of the product. It may also be shown per serving and/or per pack. Food with 20g of fat per 100g of the product is high in fat, whilst anything below 3g of fat per 100g is considered to be low.

40+ fat loss fact: you burn off fewer calories
Research shows hormonal changes leading to breast soreness, bloating, hot flushes, insomnia and chronic tiredness can all result in women becoming far less inclined to exercise around this time of life.

Fat loss fix: phone a friend
According to the Women's Health Study which looked at the diet and exercise habits of over 34,000 women, those who choose not to cut back on calories needed to do at least 60 minutes of exercise a day to prevent weight gain. If, however, you do eat a little less, 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity such as brisk walking, cycling, swimming or running should do the trick. Oh, and if you struggle to find the motivation to get moving rope in a friend. According to a recent survey, those that exercised regularly with friends shed up to ten times more weight than those who exercised alone and found the whole experience of exercising much more enjoyable.

Reference - Rachael Anne Hill.

Identify your ‘eating triggers’ and watch the pounds drop off

In an ideal world we'd all only eat when we're hungry. However, in reality we eat for a whole host of different reasons — because we're bored, tired, stressed, lonely or maybe just out of habit. To determine your eating triggers take a look at some common eating styles below then try out the survival tips and tricks that will help you shed weight easier than ever before.

The emotional eater
You often eat in response to emotions such as feeling happy, sad, anxious, angry and bored. Stress or uncomfortable feelings can lead to comfort eating, especially when you are alone. You regularly find yourself in a negative spiral of feeling bad, so you eat more which causes you to gain more weight which in turn makes you feel worse. Before you know it this negative spiral has you spinning out of control leaving you feeling powerless to do anything about it.

Survival tips
Keep a food diary to notice times when situations or feelings may cause you to overeat. See if you can identify any 'triggers' to your negative feelings. Once you have identified what these triggers are take time out to develop strategies to deal with them in ways that don't involve eating.
Remember; if you don't help yourself no one else will so be bold and if the real cause of your weight gain is a job, friendship or relationship that isn't working don't be afraid to move on.
Make a list of things you can do instead of eating when dealing with uncomfortable feelings. De-stress by taking a bath or booking a massage, vent angry feelings by writing a letter to the person that has upset you (you don't have to send it), have a good cry at a sad film or talk through you anxieties with friends of family.
Include enjoyable things on your list too such as calling or sending an e-mail to an old friend, taking a walk or listening to music.

The erratic eater
You would love to be a really healthy eater but somehow 'life' just seems to keep getting in the way. You have plenty of good intentions about improving your diet but your busy lifestyle makes it extremely difficult to put them into practise for any period of time.
You tend to eat quite erratically, often on the run. You skip meals and then find yourself eating whatever happens to be available at the time. You invariably go too long between eating which leaves you feeling really hungry and often results in overeating at the next meal time.
You have a tendency to snack rather than make proper meals and often get by on quick fixes like tea, coffee, cola, bags of crisps or a chocolate bar here and there.
Survival tips
Make sure you always eat a healthy, low-fat, high fibre breakfast such as All Bran and fruit, porridge or muesli. This will help to reduce the likelihood of becoming really hungry mid morning and snacking on high fat, high sugar quick fixes.
Always have at least two healthy snacks with you at all times such as a bag of dried fruit, a banana, yoghurt or a wholemeal teacake or scone.
Take a few minutes out to sit down and eat. Try not to do anything other than simply enjoy your food.
Reduce the temptation to skip meals or indulge in high fat quick fixes by devising five simple, healthy, low fat meals that you really like and can be made in less than five minutes then make sure you always have the ingredients in the house to make them.
The restrictive eater
Your answer to losing weight and improving your eating habits is to regularly take control by restricting your diet in some way. You may cut out wheat, limit your calories, put a ban of certain foods or simply try a diet that you haven't done before but you invariably find that after a while you become disillusioned and often respond by over indulging, often in the very foods you have been denying yourself.
This cycle may become worse during periods of stress. As a restrictive eater you have placed so many embargoes on your eating habits that you have lost the skill to identify when you are truly hungry.
You many also have a lot of foods that you simply will not eat for various reasons. You can be very hard on yourself where eating is concerned and tend to be quite self-critical.
Deep down you know that the real key to long-term weight loss is to eat a balanced and varied diet and to exercise but you just can't help believing that by cutting out certain food groups or restricting your diet in some way you will one day hit on a magic solution that will finally result in the body of your dreams.
Survival tips
Change your approach to weight management. Take a longer term view. Focus on eating a healthy balanced diet and getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day.
Eat smaller meals at regular times with lots of fruits and vegetables to fill you up.
Variety is the first step to achieving a truly healthy, nutrient packed diet. As a restrictive eater variety is likely to be very limited in your diet. Try to overcome that by making a list of all the foods that you don't like. See if there are any foods that you might be able to re-introduce to your diet. Try cooking them in a different way or eating them accompanied with another food that you do like.
The supermarkets are full of fruits and vegetables from all over the world. Increase the variety in your diet by eating at least one new one that you have never tried before every week.
Forget about foods being 'bad' or 'good' but remember that all foods are fine as long as they are eaten in moderation.
The absent minded eater
You lead a very busy life which means that eating healthily isn't always as high on your priority list as you'd like it to be but on the whole you feel you eat fairly well. The majority of the food you eat is done so whilst standing up or doing something else. You do admit to snacking on the odd biscuit at work, sometimes finishing the kids leftovers, having a bit of a taste whilst cooking or nibbling while cleaning up after a meal but you are convinced that there must be some physiological reason why your weight is as it is because you just don't eat that much!

Survival tips
Make a pact with yourself that for the next four weeks you will not do anything else whilst eating. Put a ban on eating in the car or in front of the TV. Every time you eat anything, even if it's only a small snack make sure you sit down and really take the time to enjoy your food. That way your body will get a chance to register the calories that you are taking in and you will feel far less inclined to over eat.
Encourage the whole family to sit down at the table for meal times. Try to limit the amount of opportunities you have to eat on the run. Don't keep snack foods such as crisps or biscuits in the house, in the car or by your desk.
Limit yourself to three regular meals a day. If you still feel hungry in between meals snack on fruit.


Reference - Rachael Anne Hill