“It’s a constant source of amazement to me how poorly people know themselves.”
Dr Larocque, Motivation’s founder could see in his patients that people accepted their behaviours as normal, believing they were in control of their lives. He recognised that for many, far from being in control they were in fact victims of their reactions.
Dr Larocque’s greatest disappointment in life has been “meeting people who are suffering in their body and soul and who have the potential to make things better, but who give up and become paralysed. It runs the whole gamut of excuses and objections. I’ve realised that human beings have perfected the art of lying to oneself, and it works. People come to believe their lies. Unfortunately I have seen a lot of people fail, but I have seen very few people who truly could not succeed. His greatest pleasure “is the look and smile of a person who by using the Motivation method, has taken control and gained serenity.”
When asked the reasons why people regain their lost weight, he replied:
“I would say there are four main ones.”
1. Reactive hypoglycaemia caused by going back to poor diet habits, namely taking in too much sugar and leaving too much time between meals or snacks not containing enough protein.
Our studies report that over 60% of people who are overweight and come to lose weight suffer from the physiological condition of reactive hypoglycaemia.
The symptoms vary from person to person and include:
– Cravings or an almost uncontrollable urge to eat
– Fatigue or a sudden feeling of being drained
– Irritability, bad moods or low frustration tolerance almost always present and confirm the diagnosis
– Headaches
– Nausea
– Inner tremors
– Cold sweats
These symptoms appear suddenly and often at specific, but variable times of the day: before lunch, most often at the end of the afternoon (before dinner) or late evening. Basically when the gap between two meals is longer than four hours.
The symptoms may disappear quickly after eating something, but they will come back within two hours. Reactive hypoglycaemia often starts early after an unsubstantial breakfast and lunch, low in protein and high in carbohydrates.
The treatment for this condition is to prevent attacks by reducing carbohydrates (especially refined sugars), eat carbohydrates along with a source of protein, eat a sufficient amount (between 60 and 100 grams) of dietary proteins at each meal and never go longer than four hours (for some people three) between two meals or snacks containing a source of protein.
The secret is to eat before you get hungry or just as you feel slight hunger coming on. Never wait, as once an attack has been triggered, it is almost impossible to control what you eat.
2. Poorly managed emotions coming up – In psychology, the school of cognitive therapy explains all human behaviour, healthy and unhealthy in four steps. These steps always take place, one after another. Each step automatically triggers the next.
Step A – (Something happens to me) triggers
Step B – (What I tell myself in my head – My thought) triggers
Step C – (What I feel – My emotion)) triggers
Step D – (What I do – My behaviour) often automatically
The keywords in this sequence are My thought, My emotion, My behaviour.
This means:
– That I am solely responsible for MY behaviour
– That everything I do (MY behaviours) come from MY emotions (C triggers D)
– That it is not what I am experiencing (the event) that triggers MY emotion but rather MY thought (Step B)
You cannot be responsible for the emotions of others, nor is it recommended that you give others power over your emotions.
3. Not carrying out motivational exercises – The person takes for granted that he/she no longer needs to be motivated or do mental jogging.
Each day you awake as a new person. You can’t take your progress for granted. The secret of maintaining weight is monthly follow-up and the Mental Weight Questionnaire regularly completed in order to keep goals in clear sight. This also works as a warning as you can see old thinking patterns re-emerging and change them BEFORE your habits and behaviours slip back.
4. Motivational blocks that are rooted in the past, often in childhood – Dr Larocque said that 80% of his patients suffer from perfectionitis, the unhealthy quest for perfection.
There are two types of unrealistic thoughts at the root of perfectionitis: those about your parents and those about yourself. It is impossible to be perfect, to expect other people to be perfect or to expect life to be perfect. Idealist thoughts that do not reflect reality, are often unrealistic and generate negative, unhealthy emotions and behaviours. The five emotions that can be felt are:
Anxiety: This is often felt as fear where you feel a danger is threatening you and you feel you can’t face it.
Anger: This is towards others, ranging from disappointment and frustration to aggression.
Guilt: This is felt as shame as you tell yourself you shouldn’t have done what you did.
Depression: This is felt as undermining yourself, feeling worth nothing or worthless.
Sadness: This is felt as boredom/apathy or feeling alone, telling yourself that if life were different, you’d be happier.
There you have it, the 4 reasons why people regain their lost weight. It may sound straight forward; in many respects it is, but our weight loss consultants have been down this road many times before and are ideally placed to help you Not to put the weight back on.
