“Interview with Ros Astaire from Weight Expectations”
We have reached the moon, managed to solve countless quantum physics problems, yet weight loss is a subject that is a mystery to a lot of us and what has been written about it could fill the Albert Hall!! Which is why I enjoyed chatting to Ros , an expert in weight loss and behavioural change. As a youngster she admits that she was “chubby”, (her words not mine! ) and often felt disheartened with her shape and body image. Her parents had a restaurant and that made food and over eating very available.
After getting divorced and re marrying Ros took charge and took herself off to a course in Slimming World. She lost 10lbs, but felt that they were not addressing the real issues of long term weight loss, and so embarked on her own personal journey of discovery. In 2009 she launched Weight Expectations, and resolved to teach a way to break free from the dieting cycle.
The most important thing for me is that you are happy with your own body, and that means that you feel healthy and look healthy too. The obsession with becoming a certain size can be all consuming, and often sends you down a course of repeated disappointment so how do we break free of that cycle? Ros told me her top 3 most important tips:
1) You have to be ready for a change in your life, and be in a mind set that supports your goal. ” Many people have come to me that are just not ready for the changes that are needed, and my job is to equip clients with the right tools so that they can understand what is needed and be prepared for that long term change.
2) Learning to understand hunger. Babies are the perfect example of how nature intended, when they have had enough milk they will turn their heads away instinctively. As adults we sometimes lose this innate ability and need to re learn that process, I help people to learn that.
3) Your Plate: We cant blame everything on our friends in the US, but portion sizes is one cultural habit we could have done without copying. Everything from coffee to fries is now huge and we have lost the true picture of what amounts we should be eating. Our plates are invariably overflowing. I teach people to understand what meal times and snacks should look like.
(Kimberly) “Do you think we just all want a magic bullett, and that the reality of real dieting is just too much for most people?
(Ros) “Yes, I do think if there was a magic pill a lot of people would just take it. However whilst it does take longer, there is a huge satisfaction in being in control of your life and your health. Realistically you can turn yourself around pretty quickly if you have the right support.
(Kimberly) “So if those are the top 3 things to get right, what in your experience are the top 3 mistakes that you see in your clinics?”
(Ros) ” There are quite a few to choose from, but these are the most common I think”
Top 3 Mistakes people make:
1) Focusing on the scales: I suggest putting your scales away in the beginning, and judge how things are going by your clothes. If you can start exercising you may well lose an inch of your waist, put on some muscle and although your scales could say the same your body shape has improved so much.
2) Eating too late: Do most of your eating in the day if possible, then eat a light protein meal in the evening.
3) Skipping breakfast: This is a very common one, especially with women. If you dont set yourself up for the day and balance your blood sugar, you are fighting with one hand tied behind your back.
(Kimberly) ” Thank you so much for your advice and good luck with all your work”
Ros runs both private sessions and group ones, check out her courses here: Weight Expectations
What would you love to do? 