Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Quitting smoking and weight gain

Dear Charlotte,

I have been trying to quit smoking for the last 5 years. In fact, I have quit several times, but I always start up again, and one of the reasons is because when I am not smoking I feel hungrier, eat more and then gain weight. What can I do so that I can quit smoking, but not put on a bunch of weight?

Sally


Dear Sally,

Many people transfer the addiction of smoking to eating. Eating for emotional reasons. What I teach is not a weight loss program. It is not the weight that is your problem. It is what is eating you. When you learn to make peace with food and accept yourself as you are right now, that is when you will melt down to your ideal weight. I’d love to help you strategize stopping smoking Sally.

Please call me at 800.496.7710 or email charlotte@secretsofslimpeople.com.
You may visit my website at http://www.secretsofslimpeople.com/.

Charlotte Smith
Eating Consultant and Life Coach

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Traveling, restaurants and eating right

Dear Charlotte,

I travel a lot for work and so I spend a lot of time in airports, restaurants and going from time zone to time zone. What advice would you have for a person like me?

Judy


Dear Judy,

I know it seems hard when we travel. However, it doesn’t have to be. I would recommend always having foods you love with you at all times. If you checked in my purse at any time, you would find almonds, fig bars, wasabi peas, peanut butter crackers, etc. If you have foods you like, you will not be tempted to eat something you really don’t necessarily want.

I love eating in restaurants and remember you can eat whatever your body wants when you are physically hungry. It all goes back to checking in with your body. The same applies to the different time zones, check in with your body and get the needed rest. You have to learn what “tired” feels like in your body and what your body needs.

Many times we are eating when we really need rest. Call me to talk further at 800.496.7710 or email charlotte@secretsofslimpeople.com. You may visit my website at www.secretsofslimpeople.com.

Charlotte Smith
Eating Consultant and Life Coach


Become The Real You will instruct you on how to listen to your own body.
Learn how to eat whatever you want to achieve and maintain your perfect body weight! No more diets, no drugs, no counting calories. It’s simple...and it works!

Become The Real You is a process is for anyone who:
--Is tired of yo-yo dieting
--Wants to return to their natural shape
--Wants to come to peace with food and their body
--Wants to lose weight permanently
--Wants freedom from food obsession

Contact Charlotte today to learn more at 800.496.7710.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Eating together...Losing weight together?

Dear Charlotte,

My husband and I are both considered “obese” and have been for some time. We know that part of our problems are that we eat together—so if my husband is hungry, I eat, even if I am not and vice versa. And we have tried every diet from grapefruit to Adkins and nothing has worked. In your coaching program, is it possible to work with two people at once? We believe that in order to be successful, we will have to be on the same program together.

Jennifer and Jack


Dear Jennifer and Jack,

Absolutely you can do the program together. I have worked with many couples. You are able to support and encourage each other and understand. You will both learn that you eat when you are hungry and not when the other person is hungry. There is also a way to pace yourself so that you may enjoy meals together. However there will be times that perhaps you will say to your husband “Jack, I’m just not hungry right now, but I’d love to have a glass of tea and talk to you while you eat”.

Please call me for more information 800.496.7710 or email charlotte@secretsofslimpeople.com. You may visit my website at www.secretsofslimpeople.com. I look forward to hearing from you and being able to help you, as a couple, achieve your weight goals.

Charlotte Smith
Eating Consultant and Life Coach

Sunday, September 21, 2008

I want Ice Cream! Is it OK?

Hi Charlotte!

This all sounds very interesting, but how do I know my body is asking for the right things? If I think it wants ice cream, should I give it ice cream? Won’t I gain weight?

Wendy

Dear Wendy,

The answer to your question is no actually. If you have been in deprivation for many years, your fear and judgment about the ice cream will make you gain weight. The goal is to make peace with food. It’s just ice cream. When your body is physically hungry it generally does not want just ice cream. It will want other foods. However you have to give yourself permission to have the ice cream. If you do that, the obsession vanishes. Please talk to me about this, I understand how scary that can be.

Please contact me at 800.496.7710 or email charlotte@secretsofslimpeople.com. You may visit my website at www.secretsofslimpeople.com.

Charlotte Smith
Eating Consultant and Life Coach

Seeking More Information, Seminars?

Dear Charlotte,


Can you tell me a little more about your program? Do you have any upcoming seminars in the Charlotte, NC area or is there a book that I can read?

Phil -- Charlotte, NC


Dear Phil,

Please check out my website at www.secretsofslimpeople.com for my upcoming lectures. My weight loss program is individually customized for everyone and is not for everyone. I’d be happy to speak with you, I’d love to hear your story. A book will be forthcoming and as soon as I have information available, I will be sure to post it here.

Please contact me at 800.496.7710 or email charlotte@secretsofslimpeople.com. You may visit my website at www.secretsofslimpeople.com.

Charlotte Smith
Eating Consultant and Life Coach


Become The Real You will instruct you on how to listen to your own body.
Learn how to eat whatever you want to achieve and maintain your perfect body weight! No more diets, no drugs, no counting calories. It’s simple...and it works!

Become The Real You is a process is for anyone who:
--Is tired of yo-yo dieting
--Wants to return to their natural shape
--Wants to come to peace with food and their body
--Wants to lose weight permanently
--Wants freedom from food obsession

Contact Charlotte today to learn more at 800.496.7710.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Emotional Eating

Dear Charlotte,

I know that eating is something that I do whenever I feel sad or depressed, or even anxious. I understand waiting to eat until I “feel” hungry, but I feel like I “need” to eat to feel better. How can I get past this dependence?

Alana D.

Dear Alana,

Many people use food like a thermostat. You get too happy you eat, you get too sad, you eat. You use food to keep you at an even emotional level. It is different almost every time you use food to cope with emotions. Emotional eating is caused by anxiety. I teach my clients to identify the hunger they are feeding. There are five hungers: spiritual, mental, social, physical, emotional. Then once we know the true hunger, I help them identify solutions to implement instead of eating.

I’d love to give you some examples and talk with you further if you would like to contact me at 800 496 7710 or email charlotte@secretsofslimpeople.com. You may visit my website at www.secretsofslimpeople.com.

Charlotte Smith
Eating Consultant and Life Coach

Become The Real You will instruct you on how to listen to your own body. How to eat whatever you want to achieve and maintain your perfect body weight! No more diets, no drugs, no counting calories. It’s simple...and it works!

Become The Real You is a process is for anyone who:
--Is tired of yo-yo dieting
--Wants to return to their natural shape
--Wants to come to peace with food and their body
--Wants to lose weight permanently
--Wants freedom from food obsession

Contact Charlotte today to learn more at 800.496.7710.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Depressed about Eating

Dear Charlotte,

I have a food question that I hope you can help me with... Why do I sometimes feel depressed about eating when I should be happy about it? There are times that I feel dread before I eat and even worse after I eat. I want to feel good about food and the way I enjoy it as if it were a gift instead of a vice.

Lawrence

Dear Lawrence,

I so understand what you are saying. We would have to look at what the “dread” is about to find the real answer to this question. Have you dieted many times before and then when you eat you hate yourself for eating and so therefore the dread comes up? Are you afraid to eat, afraid of gaining weight or afraid of being hungry? What is the story you are telling yourself. I would really like to explore this with you further. Eating is a gift and a pleasurable one. When you eat when you are physically hungry food tastes so wonderful. Let’s talk.

Call me at please contact me at 800 496 7710 or email charlotte@secretsofslimpeople.com.

Charlotte Smith
Eating Consultant and Life Coach



We welcome your comments and emails.
Please note that if you email Charlotte Smith and we post your question here, we will may edit the text, change the name or use initials to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know. If you use the "comment" feature below, your post will show exactly as you wrote it. If you have any questions, please let us know -
(The Charlotte Smith Team)



Life-long Weight Problems

Dear Charlotte,

My weight has been an issue all of my adult life. I cannot tell you what it is like to feel physical hunger? If this is not something I recognize, how will I know?

George K.



Well George, it is different for everyone. You have to start learning to listen to your own body and see what it is for you. When you are truly hungry, your hunger will scream at you. I can tell you what hunger is not:

--It’s breakfast time – time to eat
--It’s noon, must go eat
--Everyone is eating, must eat
--I’m not going to get to eat for several hours, better eat now
--It’s TV time, let’s eat

Many people eat by the clock or when everybody else is eating. Hunger is a real sensation. It is a real physical sensation. If my clients tell me they don’t know if they are hungry, I tell them they are not. Too often we feed ourselves out of habit, or to fulfill another need. You would not sit there are say “I don’t know if I have to go to the bathroom” would you? If you don’t know what it feels like to be hungry, wait until you do…that will be the time to eat.

My very best wishes George, please don’t hesitate to call me at please contact me at 800 496 7710 or email charlotte@secretsofslimpeople.com. You may visit my website at http://www.secretsofslimpeople.com/

Charlotte Smith
Eating Consultant and Life Coach




Become The Real You will instruct you on how to listen to your own body. How to eat whatever you want to achieve and maintain your perfect body weight! No more diets, no drugs, no counting calories. It’s simple...and it works!

Become The Real You is a process is for anyone who:
--Is tired of yo-yo dieting
--Wants to return to their natural shape
--Wants to come to peace with food and their body
--Wants to lose weight permanently
--Wants freedom from food obsession

Contact Charlotte today to learn more at 800.496.7710.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Eat when you are hungry - Eat what you want!

Dear Charlotte,

I have read your blog and website and I am very interested in learning more, but what about nutrition, shouldn’t I eat my veggies and fruits?

Sally W.


Dear Sally,

Absolutely you should eat your fruits and veggies if you want them. You should also eat cupcakes and bread and butter if you want them, when you are physically hungry.

They did a study where they took very young children and told them they could eat whatever they wanted to eat for two weeks. For the first two days they ate cracker jacks. That was all they wanted. Then you know what happened, they started craving what you and I would consider pretty healthy balanced meals. Their body knew what it wanted.

If you listen to your body when you are hungry, it does not usually want sugar and processed foods, it wants real foods. You also listen to how your body feels when you eat certain foods, “If I eat pancakes, and I give myself permission to eat them. After I eat them I feel sluggish, bloated and almost have to take a nap.” Notice how your body feels after you eat certain foods. It will tell you, and has been trying to tell you. Once you learn how to listen to what your body is saying it wants and needs, you will find that not only are your eating what you want—when you want—but also that your diet will be balanced.

Best of luck, and if you are interested in speaking with me one on one, please contact me at 800.496.7710 or email charlotte@secretsofslimpeople.com. You may visit my website at www.secretsofslimpeople.com.

Charlotte Smith
Eating Consultant and Life Coach



Become The Real You will instruct you on how to listen to your own body. How to eat whatever you want to achieve and maintain your perfect body weight! No more diets, no drugs, no counting calories. It’s simple...and it works!

Become The Real You is a process is for anyone who:
--Is tired of yo-yo dieting
--Wants to return to their natural shape
--Wants to come to peace with food and their body
--Wants to lose weight permanently
--Wants freedom from food obsession

Contact Charlotte today to learn more at 800.496.7710.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Charlotte's Program: Too Good to be True?

Dear Charlotte:
I have been reading about your system and it sounds too good to be true. You are saying I can eat whatever I want and lose weight? I have tried a hundred different diets, and they all restrict something, and then I end up cheating. I have been overweight most of my life and I really need to make a change. Can you help?
-Susie M.


Dear Susie,
Susie, my program is not a weight loss program. It’s not about the weight. I teach people to make peace with food. When you do that you will melt down to your ideal weight. What’s good and true Susie is that you can eat whatever you want when you are physically hungry and stop at satisfaction and your body will melt down to whatever it’s ideal weight is. Your body knows what size it wants to be just like it knows what height and shoe size you are. Your body knows what size it wants to be to function optimally. You have to learn to listen to it.

We’ve been eating from the neck up, listening to our minds, letting other people (medical experts), diet experts tell us what we should and shouldn’t eat. Your body knows exactly what it wants to eat, when and how much. You just have to tune in to it. This is what I do for my clients: teach them how to listen to their bodies so that they learn to control when they eat. If this is something that you are interested in, I would be happy to talk to you, please contact me at 800.496.7710 or email charlotte@secretsofslimpeople.com. You may visit my website at www.secretsofslimpeople.com.


Become The Real You will instruct you on how to listen to your own body. How to eat whatever you want to achieve and maintain your perfect body weight! No more diets, no drugs, no counting calories. It’s simple...and it works!

Become The Real You is a process is for anyone who:
--Is tired of yo-yo dieting
--Wants to return to their natural shape
--Wants to come to peace with food and their body
--Wants to lose weight permanently
--Wants freedom from food obsession

Contact Charlotte today to learn more at 800.496.7710.

Become the Real You