You shall drop a dress size!



Author: Jayne Hildreth

Today's blog is about York counsellor Jayne Hildreth whose new diet book is inspired by fairytales!

DO you step on the scales and wish you could wave a magic wand to make your dream weight appear?

If only life were like a fairytale, then we could ask our fairy godmother or the genie of the lamp to “Abracadabra” away those excess pounds.

Anyone who has successfully dieted will know that no magic potions or spells can beat the bulge and that healthy eating and an active lifestyle are the keys to success.

But sometimes words are easier than deeds.

A resolution in the New Year to ditch chocolate for carrot sticks and nights in front of the telly for Zumba classes can easily come undone when willpower fails.

Jayne Hildreth knows this only too well. She piled on weight during her two pregnancies. She lost two stone but struggled to maintain her weight loss.

“So I started going to the gym and that helped level my weight,” says Jayne, a 46-year-old mum of two, who is also a counsellor and coach.

Working with two other coaching professionals, Jayne has published a book aimed at helping people achieve their weight-loss goals.

Inspired by fairy stories, it is called Who’s Broken My Scales? and even features cartoon pictures of much-loved characters such as Cinderella, Aladdin and Snow White.

“We wanted to get our message across in a fun and light-hearted way,” explains Jayne, who lives in Wigginton and is also a tutor in coaching and counselling at the University of Hull.

Using well-known stories and characters also allowed the authors to weave psychological theory about change into the chapters in an accessible way, she added.

The Frog Prince is the first character to appear in the book and his lesson, says Jayne, is to introduce the psychological stages of change. In the following chapter, Mirror Mirror, the Snow White saga is used to examine issues of identity. In Cinderella, the rags-to-riches tale reminds us of the resources we can use to help us on our quest.

Resourceful: Cinderella

“Cinderella is very resourceful,” begins Jayne. “She never thinks she can go to the ball or marry a prince but she finds ways to do just that.

“We can look at our external resources and ask: ‘who out there can be supportive, and who is not very helpful?’ Is it the friend who tells you that you look OK or the one that invites you to go with her to the gym?”

Aladdin is the perfect vehicle to look at goal setting successfully, insists Jayne. “It is not very helpful to say something general like: ‘I must lose weight’. You have got to be more specific about what you want.”

Through dialogue between Aladdin and the genie, the authors make this point – finishing with the disgruntled genie disappearing back into the lamp with a “Yah boo to you, Sir! Come back when you know what you really wish for!”

The authors also consider the issue of commitment, encouraging readers to get back on the weight-loss bandwagon after a lapse.

“It’s really important people don’t punish themselves and feel bad when they have a lapse. It can be a vicious cycle,” says Jayne.

Finally, although the book is light hearted, it has a serious intent. Jayne understands that for many, many people, being overweight blights their lives. “I’ve worked with people whose self esteem and confidence is very low in relation to their weight.”

Jayne is organising a series of events around the book.

The first is at Brown’s department store on Wednesday, January 18, from 7pm-8.30pm (tickets cost £5 and are available from the Estée Lauder counter at Brown’s or from Jayne via email: enquiries@jaynehildrethconsultingltd.co.uk).

She is also running an introductory workshop at the Park Inn Hotel, North Street, York, on Wednesday, January 25 from 6pm-8pm; tickets £6.

Both men and women are welcome. “Men find it more challenging to access support for many things, not just weight loss,” says Jayne. “So it would be fantastic if we were able to engage men too.”

At the Brown’s event, Jayne will be joined by co-author husband-and-wife team Jan and Graham Dexter.

Each has their own story to share about losing weight, says Jayne. While Jan took up walking, Graham managed to loose weight without a rigorous exercise regime, but enjoys snooker, golf and walking the dog.

He says he managed to lose two stone “effortlessly” – surely an encouragement if ever there was one.

Who’s Broken My Scales, The Weight Management Approach with the Fairytale Ending, by Jan Russell Dexter, Jayne Hildreth and Graham Dexter, from lulu.com (£2.99 for e-book or £5.94 for hard copy) or from Jayne directly: enquiries@jaynehildrethconsultingltd.co.uk