WV11.co.uk

Earlier this week we introduced local NHS health trainer John Russell who is going to be contributing to WV11.co.uk with tips on health and fitness.

This post if the first of two this week covering John’s “Six Short Steps to Weight Loss Success” – today we’ll cover steps 1-3, with 4-6 following later in the week.

Six Short Steps to Weight Loss Success (part 1) by John Russell

Let’s face it, sometimes it’s pretty hard to motivate ourselves. We all have those days when we’re super motivated, we feel like we can do anything. We go to the gym with a spring in our step and resist that chocolate cake as if it wasn’t there. Then there are those other days where everything goes, well… wrong.

Assuming you need to lose weight, what is it that keeps us motivated? For some people it’s all about health reasons, for others it’s about being able to play with their kids or grandchildren, or looking and feeling better… everyone’s reasons are different.

Before you start, take 30 seconds now to think about what’s motivating you to lose weight.

Ready? Okay, let’s get into it.

Step One: Set Yourself a Weight Loss Goal.

It may sound silly, but most people don’t know what they want, all they know is that they don’t want what they’ve got right now!

So what do you want? To lose one stone? Two stone? More? Make it specific, realistic, achievable and time based. Below is an example of an unrealistic goal…

“I will lose three stone by next month”

If you’re losing weight, target yourself to lose 1 – 2 lbs (pounds) per week. Based on this you could expect to lose anywhere between four and eight pounds a month. This means you can realistically look to lose up to a stone every two to three months! This might not sound a lot, but if you lost 1llb a week starting from today, this time next year you’d be almost four stones lighter. It all adds up.

This means your Ideal Goal might look something like this…

“I will lose one stone by 1st November 2010” or…

“I will lose one stone in the next 60 days”

We call this goal your “Main” Goal or your “General Goal”.

Step Two: Set Yourself Mini Goals.

A “Mini Goal” is a smaller goal you use to achieve your “Main Goal”. First of all you need to know what you’re going to do, for example a mini goal might look like this.

“I will exercise at least 5 times a week”

Why not make it more specific by saying where you’re going to do it, who (if anyone) else you’re going to do it with and when you’re going do it and for how long for example:

“I will exercise for at least 30 minutes a day on at least 5 times a week by walking around the park with my colleague Karen on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday immediately after work”.

Try it with yourself and apply it to your own situations.

Step Three: Keep a Diary.

Keeping a written record of your Mini Goals and knowing how close you are to achieving your Main Goal is a great motivational tool.

A diary will also help you to keep track of how successful you’ve been in the past.

Keep your diary in a visible place, this will keep your goals in the forefront of your brain! Some common places to keep your diary include, your bag, on your notice board, or on the kitchen counter.

Check back later in the week for the next instalment and you want to make sure you don’t miss it, you can sign up for Wv11.co.uk email notifications here.

Whilst attending the recent Wednesfield Community Fayre at Wednesfield High, Wv11.co.uk bumped into NHS health trainer John Russell.

John was very interested in the website and offered to write a monthly(ish) column with tips on getting fit and staying healthy.

Although this won’t appeal to everyone, we’re pretty sure there’s a few people out there (ourselves included!) who would welcome some handy tips on getting fit and most importantly, motivating yourself to get fit!

So this week we’ll be bringing you John Russell’s “Six Short Steps to Weight Loss Success”.

Check back later in the week for the first instalment, with the second one following shortly after.

These links are either news stories we’ve spotted elsewhere or articles that we think our readers may find of interest.

• 500 Internal Server Error – 500 Internal Server Error

As reported by Wv11.co.uk last night, the travellers who have occupied the Colman Avenue / Ellards Fields site in Wednesfield for the past 10 days have now vacated the area.

Wolverhampton City Council today confirmed on Twitter that the travellers have left the site and the clean up operation, which should see playground equipment put back in place, has begun in earnest.

The Express & Star are reporting that the travellers left a sick puppy tied to a tree, along with Mattresses, old tyres, gas canisters and clothes.

Tim Clark, spokesman for Wolverhampton City Council, said: “Our staff are now on site to carry out the clear up. We estimate this will take one to two days. I can confirm a puppy was left tied to a tree.

“They have also left a lot of rubbish on the site, including rubbish bags, industrial residue, tree prunings, branches, some excrement and faeces.”

The travellers left the site on the evening of Wednesday, 11th August shortly before Wolverhampton City Council were due in court to gain an eviction notice on Thursday, 12th August.

These links are either news stories we’ve spotted elsewhere or articles that we think our readers may find of interest.

• Pensioner in attack with axe, jury told « Express & Star – A pensioner attacked his elderly next door neighbour and his son with an axe and a mop in an alleged row over wheelie bins, a court heard.

A 16 year old school boy suffered serious injuries and subsequently died yesterday after being involved in a collision with a skip lorry.

Tyron Allen, from Ashmore Park, was cycling along Sandbeds Road, Willenhall at about 10.30am when the accident happened.

Paramedics and police at the scene attempted to save the youngster but he was pronounced dead shortly after the accident.

Tyron, a student at Coppice Performing Arts School in Wednesfield was due to pick up his GCSE exam results later this month.

A Facebook group has been set up in tribute where many of Tyron’s friends have left messages.

Police have issued an appeal for witnesses to the tragedy which happened as the skip lorry was travelling towards Bloxwich.

Anyone with information should call police on 0345 113 5000 ext 7841 6014.

It seems just across the border in WV12, Walsall residents are having similar problems as us in WV11.  The Yam Yam is reporting travellers have moved moved onto open land off Coppice Farm Way.  The field, which is located at the bottom of the “Black Path” and divides Ashmore Park from Coppice Farm/New Invention is adjacent to the back entrance of Coppice School of Performing Arts.

Liberal Democrat Councillor for Willenhall North, Ian Shires had this to say on his website:

“Phone calls from constituents living in the area began coming in early yesterday evening…I have contacted Walsall Council officers and the Police in order to start the process of moving them on as a matter of urgency.

As well as the nuisance and inconvenience suffered by residents in the area there is the cost of cleaning up the site once they’ve gone so the sooner they’re moved on the better”

These travellers are believed to be a different group to those who last week moved on to the Ellards playing fields off Colman Avenue in Wednesfield.