Out with the old, in with the new (you)

December is an awesome month! It is a month of excitement, of reaching out to others, of parties and family gatherings. My three year old told me today that, "We need more Christmas!" And, who could argue with that? The downside to December though tends to be in how we feel towards the end of the month. After the presents have been opened and the parties have died down, often the panic starts to set in with the realization that you have eaten your weight (and then some) in fudge. After so much gluttonous behaviors, most people are more than ready to start their New Year's resolution to lose weight and be healthier. In fact, this resolution is so popular every year that it is consistently in the top 3 resolutions that most Americans make.

With December and the whole year of 2010 coming to a close, I am naturally looking to all of the possibilities of 2011. I have made the goal to run a full marathon in March...which obviously means a lot more running for me. But, I have also made the goal to be more careful about the fuel that I use to power these runs. I mean really, oreo balls (my favorite holiday treat) can only take me so far before I crash and burn. So, note to self, I will better power my runs (and my days in general) with power-packed nutrition that not only supports my energy output but also helps my mental well-being as well.

My friend calls the weight loss program that I endorse, "Weight loss for dummies" because it is that simple. You don't count anything, you don't have to spend all day planning, and shopping, and cooking. You just follow the simple eating plan and you lose weight. Of course, it does require a little discipline but with immediate results, one can't help but follow the program. Don't you love a fresh start, a new beginning? I do! It is so motivating. So with the new year right around the corner, this is a great time to get started with whatever your goals may be. If it involves weight loss and fitness, let me know. We can support each other! So, out with the old you of 2010 and in with the new you of 2011. This is going to be a great year!

Funk

So, you know how sometimes in life you get into a funk that is just hard to get out of? I've been there lately. After running 2 half marathons in six weeks, I kind of put my weight loss/maintenance efforts on hold. Who would have thought that while training and running 2 half marathons one could gain weight? And I'm not talking about "muscle weight" but that muffin top kind of weight.

Well, it happened to me. I found that when I was restricting my calories and carbs, my long distance running suffered. So instead, I ate whatever I wanted and was able to run well but I also picked up a few pounds on the way. Bummer! And with all of the busyness of the holidays and fun of holiday eating, I had pretty much made a decision...a very bad decision I might add...to just write it all off...to just give up. I'll pick it all back up in January, I've been telling myself. Who wants to diet in December? Definitely not me!

But, lucky for me, I have surrounded myself with great, supportive friends and I have to say that I've had a change of heart, thanks to two of them. They are both so motivated to exercising and eating smartly this month. And their motivation is rubbing off on me. So, instead of giving up this month, I am going to recharge the batteries. Don't get me wrong...I'm still going to have some fun, but I am no longer planning on gaining weight this month. At the very least, I am going to maintain. I know it is possible! Here is a simple list of how to have a more successful December! I'm going to do it! Are you?

Top 10 List for a Healthy Holiday
1. Plan holiday celebrations around activities.
2. Concentrate on quality, not quantity of holiday foods and activities. Keep your portions in proportion!
3. Give yourself the gift of planned physical activity. Current recommendations are to walk 10,000 steps, or about 5 miles, a day.
4. Never skip meals before or after a big celebration, this creates a famine- feast-famine cycle.
5. Put eating in perspective! Your attitude is your strongest asset.
6. Spend less time in the kitchen.
7. Rethink the food gifts you give. Consider fruit and nuts instead of homemade candies.
8. Go to the back of the line. Practice being a slow eater.
9. Get adequate sleep! Being tired also affects your mental ability to resist temptations.
10. Plan ahead. Schedule time for yourself and physical activity on a daily basis.


Here's a pic of me and "the hot pink mamas" at our last 1/2 marathon on Nov. 6th.

Achieving the Insurmountable Goal

Losing weight often seems like an insurmountable task. You know that you want to look better, you know that you want to improve your health, but getting from point A to point B may seem impossible to you. I know the feeling. Recently I took up running. I have NEVER been a runner but one of my friends invited me to her running group and since I had been losing weight, I decided that joining the group would reinforce my goal to remain healthy. Those first few miles were HARD! But, little by little it got easier. Then we decided to run a 10K. After the 10K, we signed up for a half marathon! I honestly didn't even know if I could do a half marathon but I made it my long-term goal. I broke my training down into smaller, achievable goals. Each week, I increased my training just a little bit and before I knew it, I was ready for a half marathon.

The goal that seemed so insurmountable, turned out to be achievable because I broke it down into baby steps. In order to achieve the goal of running a half marathon, I had to 1) Do some things that I didn't necessarily like doing (like waking up before the sun to run every Saturday morning) and 2) Not do some things that I like doing (like sleeping in). I had to push myself by making choices that I didn't necessarily enjoy, but that ultimately supported my goal. Was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY! When I crossed that finish line last Saturday, I felt like I could achieve ANYTHING that I set my mind to.

You can do the same on your weight loss journey. You will for sure have to 1) Do some things that you don't necessarily like doing (like eat more vegetables, pay a little more money for quality food, and possibly move more). You will also have to 2) Not do some things that you like doing (like eating french fries, baking cookies, or eating mindlessly). But you will be making choices that will support your overall goal...to lose weight and become healthier. And you will be SO GLAD THAT YOU DID!

My program provides you with lower-calorie, nutrient-dense foods in proper proportions. This gives you a constant, stable energy source, which will take control of your cravings and put your body into a fat burning state. The pounds will melt off, I promise. If your weight loss goal seems insurmountable, I assure you that it isn't. Start with the goal to lose 10% of your body weight. You'll find that on my program, you will lose 2-5 pounds a week. You could lose up to 20 pounds in 1 month! This program works! It is recommended by thousands of doctors for safe and effective weight loss. Call or email me today to get started on your journey to a healthier you!


Here I am smiling as I am about to finish 13.1 miles of running!

Perseverance Pays Off

I went running this morning and I hated it. My friend didn't show, my music died, and my body ached. It. Was. Torture. At least for the first part of my run it was. I kept thinking of all of the reasons why I should quit and go home. (And believe me, I came up with plenty of them.) But then I started thinking of the reasons why I should continue on. Slowly, my inner dialogue shifted from being negative to positive. And do you know what happened? My body didn't seem to ache as much and I started to actually enjoy (o.k. maybe the word enjoy is a bit of a stretch...how about tolerate?) being outdoors and feeling my body push itself. As I turned into my neighborhood, finishing the miles I set out to run, I passed an old man. He had white hair, was somewhat overweight, and was walking with a cane. I felt proud of myself for accomplishing something that was hard for me to do and I also felt proud for that man who likewise, was accomplishing something difficult for him. I thought about how we are all at different levels and stages in our health and weight management, but as long as we are doing something, whatever is reasonable for ourselves, we can accomplish our goals.

So, here's my analogy: My run is like weight loss. It isn't always fun. Many times we want to quit...we even come up with lots of "good" reasons why we should. But, lets face it, I will never regret persevering and finishing those miles that I ran. And you will never regret the investment of time, money, and energy that you put into your weight loss efforts either. Because through your perseverance you WILL see results and that is what makes the difficult journey worth it in the end.

Got cash?

It's time to focus on expanding my health coach/weight loss business. I'll give you $10 cash for every new client referral you send to me after they order their first month's supply. I'll send you the money whether you are doing (or not doing) or ever have (or never have) done the program. Easy!

If you are a current client, I'll give you $10 cash plus $10 towards your food for each new client referral who orders a month supply. (Or you can opt for all $20 to go towards your food). Either way, it is easy to earn cash.

I referred lots of my friends to my good friend, Jacqui, before I ever even tried this program. I just knew that she had lost plenty of weight, was looking awesome, and was really happy. I knew her program was safe and effective so when my friends talked about wanting to lose weight, I referred them to her site. Now you can do that for me! And, I'd love to show my gratitude by sharing the love (or cash, in this case!) Thanks in advance! Now that I have been successful on this weight loss program, I believe in it! I want to maintain my weight loss, help others to achieve their optimal health, and keep my stay-at-home-Mom lifestyle while growing my business, too. Thanks for your help!

What Color is Your Kitchen?

Did you know that the colors RED and YELLOW have been shown to INCREASE appetite while the color BLUE has been shown to DECREASE appetite? So maybe I can blame my weight struggles on the fact that I've either had a yellow or red kitchen for the past 8 years! Because surely it was the color of my kitchen walls that led me straight into the arms of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food ice cream, right?

I've been reading this book:


It has all sorts of interesting facts on weight loss, weight maintenance, and achieving optimal health. Here are a few:

-30% of the time that we feel hungry, our bodies are actually signaling for water.

-Better (healthy) food costs more, but your body needs less of it to work well. And in the end, a healthy body requires much less medical attention, thus saving more money in the long run, too.

-Small amounts of nourishment at regular intervals (about every 3 hours) is better than the same amount of food concentrated in three big meals. Feeding the body at regular intervals sends a signal to the body that it doesn't have to store calories, thus having a positive impact on our metabolism.

-Restaurant portions are now as much as 8 times the standard serving size in the FDA's dietary guidelines!

-Americans consume an average of 135 pounds of sugar each year...an increase of 26 pounds per person in just the past 20 years.

-Surveys indicate that at least 66% of American adults are now overweight or obese, and that obesity is increasing at an even faster pace among children. As a result, the coming generation may actually have a SHORTER life span than their parents for the first time in American history.

-Over 90% of us will be overweight or worse by 2032 unless we significantly change our behaviors.

I lost weight by following low-glycemic, low fat, and lean-protein guidelines. Eating this way every 3 hours (during your wakeful hours) provides your body with a consistent supply of nutrients, which keeps it from using muscle as a fuel source, but rather uses your fat as a fuel source. That is why the pounds literally melt off because your body is turned into an efficient fat burning machine. And who doesn't want THAT???

When I first started losing weight, it was all about LOOKING good! But, the more I learn and incorporate healthy habits, the more I want to FEEL good, LIVE longer, and LIVE healthier. I know I am on that path to longevity and optimal health. And it feels GOOD!

Oh, and I might as well head on over to Home Depot to browse the BLUE paint section. Anything that helps, right?

Motivation

This is a light and frothy pool-side type book that I enjoyed this summer. It is full of all kinds of insider jokes that the chronic dieter can appreciate. In a nut shell, it is about 3 overweight 30-something year old best friends who make a "Cinderella Pact" to transform themselves from frumpy, plump women into happy, thin beings. They've already been on every diet there is but this is their one last try to make a change pact.

I know that when I have been most successful at achieving my goals, it is usually when I have lots of support surrounding me. For example, while getting my college degree, I was surrounded by other people pursuing their degrees. It was hard for all of us to study, go to class (especially after some late nights) and pass our exams but we were all doing the same thing and so we understood each other and that made it a little easier. This past year as I was losing weight, many of my friends also had weight loss as their goal. We checked in with each other, supported each other, and talked each other off of the 450-calorie-cookie-ledge many a time. And when we "had a bad day" (or a bad week), we helped each other get back on track and re-focus. I created my own Cinderella Pact with out even realizing it.

So, what can you do to keep your motivation going while changing habits and trying a new way of eating, thinking, and behaving? Surround yourself with positive people who support your weight loss efforts. Stay positive yourself and realize that every meal is an opportunity to get back on track if you've been derailed.

All good things come at a cost. It wasn't easy to work towards my college degrees, but graduation (and employment) made all of that hard work worth it. Changing your eating and exercising habits isn't easy either. But remember why you are doing it...(to be healthier, to look better, to feel good) and when you get there, you will be so happy you were persistent through the hard times. When things get hard, I like to tell myself, "This is hard. But you can do hard things."

You DESERVE to be the best you there is. Go for it! You CAN do it! You have nothing to lose (except for the weight) and everything to gain (like a smoking hot new wardrobe, self-confidence, and better health). Call or email me if I can be a part of your "Cinderella Pact".