Michelle Hastie - Have Your Cake and Be Happy, Too: A Joyful Approach to Weight Loss

Have Your Cake and Be Happy, Too: A Joyful Approach to Weight Loss

By Michelle Hastie

A book by Absolute Love Publishing

Absolute Love Publishing

Have Your Cake and Be Happy, Too: A Joyful Approach to Weight Loss

A book by Absolute Love Publishing

Published by Absolute Love Publishing

USA

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording, nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private use other than specific rights afforded the reader through purchase or fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews without prior written permission of the publisher.

2017 Michelle Hastie Thompson

Photo Pinkcandy on Shutterstock

Cover design by Logynn Hailley

United States of America

By Michelle Hastie

Have Your Cake and Be Happy, Too: A Joyful Approach to Weight Loss

The Chakra Secret: What Your Body Is Telling You

The Weight Loss Shift: Be More, Weigh Less

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my incredible little family. To Rome, the happiest, silliest little boy who has made me a proud mama for the rest of my life. To my husband, Nick, whose selflessness and kindness grants me the ability to do what I love while feeling as loved as any woman possibly can. Lastly, to Lola and Jackson, the two sweetest pit bulls who were always willing to share their love, cuddles, and kisses as I wrote this book.

Praise for Have Your Cake and Be Happy, Too

"E very so often a book is written that finally gets to the root of an issue. Michelle Hasties Have Your Cake and Be Happy, Too is exactly that. Hastie not only decodes the mystery of why diet after diet seems to fail, but she also lays out her simple solution. Its an easy-to-follow method that shows you exactly how to lose weight and keep it off, WITHOUT having to deprive or starve yourself. A great read that can transform your life I highly recommend it! Alex Bratty, Online Business Strategist and Bestselling author of From Chaos to Clarity: Getting Unstuck & Creating a Life You Love

This refreshing approach to weight loss is a must-read for anyone who wants to be free of dieting, shame, and guilt for good. Our minds and bodies work better when they're in sync, and Michelle shows us exactly how to stop fighting with ourselves and start living our best lives. Rebecca Reynandez, Founder of Spring Media Strategies

One of the things Ive always admired about Michelle Hastiebesides her inestimable knowledge of what it really takes to lose weight and the crucial role of the inside job thats needed to create lasting resultsis her unparalleled belief in her unorthodox approach to weight loss and her faithfulness to what she knows will help people. Have Your Cake and Be Happy, Too: A Joyful Approach to Weight Loss is one of the best books Ive read that takes an effective, holistic approach to weight loss and transforms this challenge into a joy. Geoff Laughton, Your Relationship Architect and author of Building a Conflict-Proof Relationship and Built to Last: Designing & Maintaining a Passionate, Loving, and Lasting Relationship

Authors Note

As a doctoral student, it is important for me to back up the theories and statements in this book with research, and you will find those sources cited. However, I have been studying psychology and weight since 2006. Along the way, I have picked up information and knowledge from credible sources that I cannot necessarily reference now, simply due to length of time. I also refer to personal experience and anecdotal evidence that is not necessarily endorsed by the natural science community. However, the scientific community has not yet studied every aspect of weight loss and psychology that I address here so I am using personal experience and anecdotal evidence where there is no hard scientific data.

Some of the information offered in this book also is intuitive. Not everything in life and weight loss can be explained scientifically, and accepting a little mystery allows me to live with infinite possibilities. I invite you to keep an open mind when reading this book, even in the instances where traditional science has yet to make an appearance. As much as I adore the process of research, I am completely open to a little magic as well. It is my belief that youll go much further with your weight-loss journey if you are, too.

With Love,

Michelle

Have Your Cake and Be Happy, Too: A Joyful Approach to Weight Loss

By Michelle Hastie

Absolute Love Publishing

Introduction

I ts a typical weekday . You wake at 6 a.m. to a blaring alarm or your son jumping on the bed, demanding breakfast. You sigh, stretch, and with a deep breath make your way out of bedonly to pass yourself in the mirror.

There it is , you think, the 30 pounds I just cant seem to lose .

Most days you attempt to avoid the mirror altogether, but sometimes your eyes wander, and the whirlwind of emotions begins. You think about how much you desperately want to see a different body. You focus on each perceived flaw, every roll and dimple in your skin. You imagine how a smaller, lighter body would cause all of your pain to go away, making it magically disappear along with the extra weight.

Your son interrupts your persistent thoughts.

Cheerios! Cheerios! Cheerios! he squeals from his place outside the door.

So you sigh again and turn from the mirror, leaving the room with a flick of the light. You walk heavily toward the kitchen, just like you did the morning before and the ones before that, all the while dreaming of an alternate body, where rolls and dimples dont exist.

Most days, youre lucky if you manage to grab a bite before piling the kids into the car and heading to school and then work. If youre feeling extra hungry, you may consider grabbing something fast: a croissant or a breakfast sandwich. A small moment of pleasure, inhaled hastily with one hand still on the wheel.

A short while later, coffee cup in hand, you push upon the door to your office. You know as long as you stay busy, you wont think about food so you do your best to fill the time. As soon as a lull hits, though, the food starts to call to you.

Just a small bite , you think. No, dont be silly , you immediately admonish. Im not hungry. I just ate .

You try to stay focused on your work, but your brain keeps going back to food.