THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SOLUTION

So far we have concentrated on the physical elements of cellulite; the point of the Psychological Solution is to give yourself a big mental makeover. Eventhough cellulite is a purely physical problem, a positive mental attitude will maximize the chances of the whole process succeeding. According to research, those who had successfully managed to lose weight after failing said they were really motivated and committed to their behaviour. The same goes for execises, every fitness trainer will tell you the one way to succeed with a new exercise programme is by committing yourself to it. Sticking to diet and exercise programme will be easy and that guarantee results.

But there is more to the Psychological Solution than just a pep talk. It has been conclusively proven that the way we think and the way our bodies act are intrinsically linked. The reason we are more likely to get sick when we are feeling stressed is because long-term stress actually suppresses the immune system. Conversely, the chemicals produced when we are excited actually block the cold virus from entering the cells, making it less likely that any bugs will make you sick. Taking this mind-body connection one step further, many diet experts believe that the way we think also changes the way our bodies respond in the presence of food. Awareness of this can help maximize weight loss and help beat cravings and lapses.

And last but not least, as part of the mental makeover, we will tackle the problem of bad body image. It does not matter how much weight you lose or how much your cellulite improves. If you have a bad body image, you will still would not feel happy with yourself. To truly succeed on the plan, you therefore need to turn this around.

POSITIVE THINKING

The first step in the Psychological Solution is to get your brain thinking positively about what you can achieve and how you can do it. Many psychologists believe that your brain will strive for what it thinks you want in life, so you need to send out the right messages.

How many times have you looked in the mirror and thought 'I am too fat', 'I look terrible' or even 'I am never going to get rid of this cellulite'? Many psychologists believe that if you tell yourself these things, your brain will see them as commands and think 'No, you would not'. They also believe that the brain cannot differentiate between yourself 'I am not going to fail . I will not give up', your brain hears 'I am GOING to fail and I WILL give up.' It, therefore does not encourage you to make healthy choices and would not keep you motivated to carry on after the first week.

What is more, negative feelings are stressful, and long-term stress can be a trigger for cellulite, as it incsreases levels of cortisol (a fat-storage hormone). However, short-term stressors may also cause problems. If you are miserable because yu have just broken your diet, the more you dwell on this, the more stress you are putting yourself under. This causes the release of a whole host of chemicals in the body (including , potentially, cosrtisol), increasing the chance that the calories in the food you are eating are more likely to turn to fat.

Negative emotions also put our brains out of balance as they are linked to lowered levels of the happy hormone serotonin. One of the fastest ways to get serotonin back into your system is through sweet or starchy food. Perhaps, then negative thinking actually triggers food cravings that make it less likely you will stick sto your diet plan.

BEATING NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

So, how do you get out of the negative thinking trap and into the positive? The simplest way is to use affirmations - every day repeat to yourself what you wand to achieve and how you are going to do it. Do this in a positive way; for example think 'I am going to exercise today'. Then you should spell out how; for example, 'I am going to do my 30 minute walk faster than yesterday. I am going to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables and I am going to treat myself to a proper aromatherapy massage.' Tell yourself that three times, then take the first step to achieve one of those things - grab an apple or make that massage appointment. Remember not to use negative phrasings as they would not inspire your brain to help you.

However, your positive thinking does not stop here. You need to affirm what you have achieved at the end of each day. Look at what you wanted to do that day and tick off everything you achieved. If you find something you did not do, do not beat yourself up; instead look at why and come up with a solution to succeed next time it happens. The more you come up with solutions, the more successful you will be.

CULTURAL EFFECTS

Many of us have been trained to think negatively - in many cultures it is more acceptable than thinking well of yourself, which is seen as bragging or unattractive. It has been estimataed that by the age of 18, most of us will have been praisedf 25,000 times (most of these before we were three) , but that we will have received 225,000 negative comments!!!

BODY IMAGE

It will be much harder to achieve positive thinking if, every time you look in the mirror, negative feelings creep ito your mind because you think you are fat or that you will never succeed because you are a hopeless case. What makes the difference between thinking you are fat (whether you are or not) and knowing you have a few pounds to lose. Do not beat yourself up about it, is extremely important when it comes to the success of this plan or any other.

ADAPT YOUR THINKING

• Think of your trigger factor. Most people with a poor body image did not develop it themselves. It may have been something said at school or the way your parents nicknamed you as 'chubby' as a child. Look back and try to identify your trigger, then see if it is truly relevant today. Nine times out of ten, it is not.
• Stop the voice. If a colleague critized you every time they saw you, you would probably tell them to shut up or stop listening to them. So, why do you listen to yourself? Next time you tell yourself that you are fat, start humming, get on the phone or do a few sit-ups to take your mind off your thoughts.
• Spend two minutes a day standing in front of the mirror looking at yourself, most people who hate their body do not look at it. You will become more neutral about it, and less likely to judge whenever you do catch a glimpse.
• Get rid of your 'skinny wardrobe'. Sell or give to charity any clothes that do not fit any more. Everytime you see them it just reinforces the fact that you are not as slim as you were, and this makes you feel a failure, when in fact you are just normal.
• Push yourself on the Exercise Solution. You will find that just six weeks of exercise , it will boosted your body image. This is not because the bodies improved, but because the women started to judge their bodies on what they could achieve, not how they looked.
• Actually look at other women . Many of us only see other women's bodies in magazines or on tv, and they are not normal. Look at other women at the gym, on the beach, anywhere and everywhere, you will soon realize that we are supposed to come in sizes both big and small, and that nobody is perfect.

The reason is that if you do not have a healthy body image before you start losing weight, whatever success you have with your cellulite you would not thinki is good enough. You will still think you have failed, when in fact you have lost 80 per cent of your dimples and look slimmer and trimmer all over. Or while you will be happy with your thighs, you would not be happy with your saggy tummy, which will take the joy out of what you have achieved. Both of these reactions make it less likely you will maintain the results after the six weeks are up.

CHANGING YOUR IMAGE

Once you are into this success-failure cycle, changing your body can be very hard. Everytime you start a diet and exercises, you assume (even subconsciously) that it will fail and this makes it harder to start with the positive attitude you need.

Beating a poor body image is therefore vital to success, but it would not be changed overnight. You will probably have felt like this for some time, so it will take a while to adapt your thinking. There are, however, many techniques you can use over the next six weeks to start you on the road. The final part of the Psychological Solution is to carry out one (or more) of the above exercises everyday or whenever you feel you need it.