Upswing for 2009 Reported Now

You know that’s the way we need to think of the year we are carving out right now. Never mind about what the media, your Uncle George, or neighbors are saying. Stay positive. I’m not suggesting you isolate yourself and not help each other. What I am suggesting is you remain calm, light in your heart and mind, regardless of what your “reality” might be telling you at this time. You know things will change—they always do.

I went through a challenging time a couple of months back. What I did to calm and center myself was to first, not deny my feelings. I allowed myself to feel the good, bad, and the ugly. However, I didn’t allow myself to wallow in my intense emotions. I felt them deeply and then moved on. I started looking at my accomplishments, I started reviewing how far I’d come. I looked at the times when it seemed like the sky was falling and I always came through a much richer and stronger person.

Please try not to indulge yourself in self-defeating or self-loathing behavior. This can become a negative habit.

Unlike the Biggest Loser, I ask you to think of yourself as the Biggest Winner. No matter what your present challenges are, stay in the in the light, whether it’s regarding your weight, health, finances, or relationships. Even in the darkest night, even if you don’t feel like it, you must take care of yourself. Increased stress only causes undue stress on your body and mind, so make sure you do what you need to—eat well, exercise, and sleep enough.

Speaking of the Biggest Loser, you know I’m all for healthy weight loss and being the best you can be; however, my approach is slightly different than the Biggest Loser. My approach to health and wellness is much gentler and nurturing with an eye on long-term success, and helping you build a healthy relationship with yourself. When you get to the heart of the matter and get to know yourself better, your life changes. The obstacles that once burdened you become a thing of the past.

This month’s Teleseminar is about feeling like a failure, when you think you finally found the answer to the biggest problem in your life and suddenly it rears its ugly head, again! Ala Oprah. You just feel like a failure.

I’ve always said whatever you focus on is what you will get, which is the essence of the Law of Attraction made popular by The Secret Movie a couple years back. So, if you focus on weight loss versus having a healthy weight and being healthy—inside and out—you will always be trying to lose weight, which is a never ending battle. If you always focus on not having enough money, you will always have not enough money.

So instead of focusing on weight loss again, think of having a healthy and physically fit body, mind, and spirit. Instead of focusing on lack of money, think abundance, think of all the opportunities that are right in front of you, waiting for you to take advantage of them.

Always think of the opposite to the negative thought you are presently thinking. For example, “I can do this;” instead of “I can’t do this.” That’s a very simple example, but the point is you always look at the negative thought and think of the opposite. That will definitely make you start feeling better. It’ll be a way of easing your mind and moving you forward in the direction you want to be going.

It does require discipline to calm your mind down and focus on the good things in your life, and your vision for a bright future. It requires skill and training. As many of you know, when I work with you one-on-one, we spend a lot of time working on your mindset and your emotions. It’s so crucial to get a handle on this part of your life. We all can feel a sea of emotions at times, feeling overwhelmed and out of control. When you reach this state, it is precisely when you stop considering yourself and stop taking care of yourself.

The warning signs of reaching this state are eating too many refined carbohydrates like sweets and breads, which creep back into your diet. You start drinking more alcohol, and the gym—what gym? You start becoming lax in your boundaries, saying yes to everyone and everything except saying yes to you! You become more irritable and may start having more arguments. You don’t feel very attractive. Your sleep is off. You start putting more on your plate—figuratively and literally. Everything gets in the way. Everything gets out of balance and you cry out, “Why bother? I can’t get this right and it’s easier to give up and not take care of myself.”

As I close, my challenge to you is what one thing can you do for yourself today, tomorrow, and every day this week? Write it down and stick to it.

Self care is really a way of saying I love you. One of my goals this year is to help you fall in love with yourself by taking care of yourself.

Until next time—be well.

(c) Monika Klein, B.S., C.N. is an award winning clinical nutritionist and weight loss expert. Monika is the “Compassionate and Practical Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach.” Her company, Coaching For Health, offers life transforming weight loss and wellness programs, classes and products throughout the world. To learn more about Monika’s services and programs, visit www.coachingforhealth.com.

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