Archive for health – Page 6

Ready to Feed Your Soul?

03/15/13 Monika Comments (0)

Do you ever wonder why things aren’t easier in your life?  Why you can’t just get the job done, have your kids do what you want them to, lose the weight you want to lose?

When it comes to losing weight and eating better you may think it’s about what you are eating but really it’s much more than that!  The real story is not only about what you’re eating but rather what’s eating you!  And that’s why finding out what Feeds Your Soul is vital if you want to have success.  You must commit to digging down deep if you want to figure it out.  It can be scary to look deeper on your own – you may end up just skimming the surface looking for superficial reasons why you are not getting what you want.  Getting to the bottom of what makes you tick takes courage, patience and love. Getting there is never easy and almost always requires some assistance. Arriving at a deeper understanding of yourself, your life and how it all fits together is necessary for change to take place in your life.

I encourage you not to wait until a disaster hits before making healthy changes.  As you know my husband suffered a stroke nearly a year ago.  He’s still healing from it and it’s been a long year. Had he paid attention to the signs and symptoms earlier he may not have had such a set back. Health and weight challenges that present themselves are a great opportunity to get clear about what needs correcting and what you truly need in order to feel fed, fulfilled and healthy.

So How Can You Feed Your Soul & Stay on Track:

Here are 5 Tips:

Tip #1 – Appreciate your Uniqueness:  You are a unique and beautiful individual and you do not need to be like anyone else.  Some may not appreciate your uniqueness and that’s Ok – really it’s OK.  Some will get you and some won’t.  You are not here to please everyone – that is an impossible and unnecessary task.  The most important person you need to please is YOU.  That may be a difficult thing to come to terms with, after all haven’t you spent most of your life being told you need to consider others before yourself.  Aren’t you suppose to get along with others and make others feel good and comfortable in order to be loved?  What you need to be is yourself 1st   and foremost.  Love is always available – especially if it’s coming from you.  Those who love, respect, admire and appreciate your uniqueness are to be cherished. Everyone else may or may not be part of your cheering squad – and again that’s OK!  It’s not your job to convert them.

Tip #2 – Know Your Limitations:  Reality Check – yes you are great but identifying your limitations is a good step towards achieving your most authentic goals.  Having the wisdom to know you can’t be everything you thought you once could is a step in the right direction.  Perhaps you’re not ready to give up on a lifelong dream, but I ask you here again to dig a little deeper.  Is your goal actually yours or someone else’s?  Sometimes your goal is so deeply ingrained that you may be unable to know where it actually came from. Is it really yours or your mother’s, friend’s or society’s?   Take some time to get clear and remember you can always course correct at anytime and at any age.  Try not to waste your time doing something you’re not good at. For more information about learning what your true strengths are check out the book “Now Discover Your Strengths” – it’s excellent.

Tip #3  Eat to your Heart’s Content:  Well, I’m not going to say you should eat whatever you want, whenever you want – no I won’t say that.  However I would like you to get used to the idea that eating healthfully does not mean depriving yourself.  There is a skewed perception in our culture about what deprivation really is.  Not having food or the ability to move your body (for example being in a wheel chair) now that’s deprivation.  You need to re-frame your concept and know that avoiding candy, french fries or bread placed in front of you while dining in Restaurant X is not deprivation. Saying no and feeling certain those foods will not feed your soul or your body requires discipline and boundary setting.

Tip #4   Feel Comfortable in Your Own Skin:   Do you feel comfortable in your body?  If not than you need to make some changes.  I have seen so many of my clients over the years in tears when speaking of their weight or health issues.  I’m not saying these challenges are simple to conquer but admitting you’re off track and that you are willing to take A STEP is often all it takes to get you started.  Hiding your head in the sand is not a way to live.  First admitting a change is needed, getting help and then learning how to take control is the route you want to take.

Tip #5   Early Morning Exercise:   Studies show that if you exercise early in the day you are more likely to continue the habit long term.  As you proceed with this new habit you’ll find yourself being encouraged and having more energy, better sleep and an ability to manage your weight.  If you wait until later in the day chances are you can easily find some more appealing (or not) distraction taking you off track.  All of a sudden your new exercise habit ends up last on your list To Do List for the day.  I’m not saying that if it’s impossible to exercise early in the day that you just blow it off – no – fit it in whenever and however you can.  Generally I am more of a late afternoon exerciser however, I feel when I do get into the early morning habit I tend to be more consistent and feel better about myself.  So fit it in you will good about it and good about yourself.

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5 Keys to Putting Yourself First

03/13/13 Monika Comments (0)

Working with my clients on a regular basis I see an interesting and obvious phenomenon – they often come last. After the kids, job and spouse – there might be a little left over for them. And sometimes nothing is left over.

Try as you might to convince yourself that is the way things work in your life and let’s go even further – in society – you carry on. For whatever reason, you believe you are not ever going to have time, energy or the ability to focus on yourself, after all – there’s so much to do!

Here are YOUR 5 Keys on How to put Yourself First:

Key #1 Don’t Wait. If your spouse works late, try to serve yourself earlier so you don’t get stuck eating too late in the day, which can often be a problem potentially causing weight gain, disrupted sleep or digestive distress. Of course, if you want to share some special end of the day time with your spouse you can always opt for joining them at the dining room table once they sit down to enjoy their evening meal. Always make sure you’re taken care of. This same rule applies to your older children who are involved in after school activities as well.

Key #2 Have What You Want. When out with friends, family or colleagues forget about seeing what everyone else is having. Make sure you’re having what you want and ultimately need – a healthy meal, good company and enjoyment. Don’t worry that you may be missing out on something – remember you don’t want that food (type and/or quantity) to go from your eyes to your thighs. It can be especially difficult if one of your dinner mates is the type presumably that can eat whatever they want without gaining a lb. Unless you live with them you really don’t know what they are doing on a daily basis anyway. And you need to also consider their level of exercise, rest and genetics which can be significantly different from yours.

Key #3 Make Everyday Your Birthday. Why not? Feeling special is a basic human need. Treating yourself like you are the most important person in your life is a good idea. Upholding yourself without judgment is foundational to the work I do with clients. An amazing side effect of treating yourself well is that others will feel it, too. Just by association they will feel special. You and those you surround yourself with will benefit from your positive approach to life – it’s contagious. After all how can you be miserable if you feel special?

Key #4 The Gift of Nourishment. Giving yourself the gift of nourishing foods and enriching activities is extremely important. To function optimally you need to engage in, at least 80-90% of the time, things that invigorate and have meaning for you. Yes, even something as simple as a healthy balanced meal. The meal of salmon and asparagus for example, may not be exciting, but it’s definitely a healthy and nourishing meal.

Just last night my husband and I prepared our dinner together – something we don’t do often. It’s usually my husband who prepares the entire meal. But last night was different. I prepared the shrimp and he prepared a kind of simple almost pad thai type of sauce – curry powder, onions, garlic and Chinese-Vietnamese hot chili sauce called Sriracha and steamed asparagus. Voila – simple, healthy and oh so yummy! An example of nourishing foods and enriching activities all in one.

Key #5 Appetizers, Please. You don’t need to have a full meal when dining out. You can choose smaller plates like a small salad, sashimi or tuna tartar. Avoid the fried, greasy pre-meal bites often found in restaurants. Choose healthy, fresh and small. And remember even if you do have a main course you can always split it in half the minute the waiter brings it to you. You can physically separate it right away or at the very least visually – staking out your plate territory determining what goes in your tummy and what goes home with you to enjoy for tomorrow’s lunch possibly.

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Getting Better with Age? – You Bet

03/11/13 Monika Comments (0)

Is it possible to Get Better with Age?  You bet!  As baby boomers climb the success and numerical ladders they are becoming even more concerned than ever about how they look and feel.  Med-Spas are booming with “Botoxing Boomers”.  It’s even becoming attractive for the under 30 crowd.  Not that I agree with this but like it or not its here to stay.  Even men are getting in on the action – wanting to look good long term.  Getting Better with Age doesn’t mean disregarding your age – not at all – it’s all about embracing you and your age.

How is the Anti-aging Industry addressing the need and demand?

Last week I wrote about an Annual Doctor & Lawyer Dinner I attended.  There was a passionate conversation going on amongst the panel about the potential of a possible shortage of physicians in the future.  If that be the case, I thought, then perhaps more people will want to prevent the ravages of time and take better care of themselves now. I’m sure you want to be as slim, fit and healthy for as long as possible – don’t you?  My very good friend Gerri and I have promised that we will be enjoying the beaches of Rio De Janeiro at 90 – years of age that is.  We created our “Rio at 90” Pact about 15 years ago and gleefully refer to this future dream of ours often.

Gerri & I in Pismo Beach – getting ready for the Rio Beaches

Here are 5 Secrets Helping YOU Get Better with Age:

Secret #1 – Eat Right!:  OK, Ok – I know you hear me say this over and over again.  But naturally it’s my thing – my profession to be exact.  If you want to age well you need to put anti-aging materials in your body.

Feed your body junk and your outside (& inside) won’t be able to fool mother nature for very long. 

Gravity alone will be against you but if you work with it – you may defy the ravages of time.  Forget about making a deal like Dorian Gray did.  We all know what eventually happened to him – don’t we? He made a pact with a demon and ended up staying young while everyone else didn’t – finally his blessing (& curse) came to an end and he became an old, ravaged man in seconds.  Luckily – time, reality and good choices are on your side.  Make smart food and healthy lifestyle choices every day.  If you do so 80% of the time you should be able to beat the clock.

Secret #2 – Sleep More  Here’s another piece of medicine that will hold back the hands of father (or mother) time.  Without sleep you are bound to stimulate aging stress hormones.  Not only stress hormones but also brain chemicals get out of whack as well.  Without sleep you also tend to make poor food choices and don’t have the stamina for daily exercise.  You actually, more often than not, end up making poor choices in every part of your life.  You start craving stimulants in the form of sugar, caffeine to rev you up and alcohol to calm you down enough to make you drowsy.  It might do the job to relax you initially but will end up disturbing your sleep more than you think.  Best you learn strategies to help naturally calm you down at night.  For one turn off the computer a couple hours before sleep.  Take the TV out of your bedroom and avoid eating late at night.  Honor your slumber needs.

Secret #3  Worry Less:  Not an easy feat – our culture requires it of us.  We are not normal if we don’t worry and fret about something – right?  As easy as it is to tell you not to worry you probably will.  I suggest you reduce your addiction to this behavior, however.  The best anti-dote to worry is gratefulness.  How can you possibly feel full of worry if you are feeling grateful for all the wonderful people and things in your life?  Impossible, really.  Go ahead and try it.  Imagine 5 things you are feeling most blessed about in your life and in the next moment think of something you are worried about.  How did that go?  Well your worry scale went down a notch or two didn’t it?  This requires practice.  I suggest you get in the habit of focusing on the things you’re grateful for in your life – list 10, 30 or 50 or more things. Get in the habit. This works for worry’s favorite cousin anxiety, too.   As you are mastering this technique you’ll find your  tendency for stress eating should start diminishing.  You will feel better and look younger – guaranteed!

Secret #4   Take care of Your Skin: Even though eating good food, sleeping well, exercising drinking enough water all contribute to slowing down visible signs of aging.  There’s nothing better than your skin being a good thermometer of healthy aging.  You must do all the inside work in order to have something to work with, of course.  But also taking good care of your skin on the outside is essential.  Cleansing, toning, moisturizing and wearing a good sun screen (at least 30%) is going to help you get better with age. Invest in good high quality products and speak with skin care specialists about your particular unique needs.

Secret #5   Supplement Your Life:  I wish I could tell you that you will get all the nutrients you need from your diet but you can’t. Stressful lifestyles depletes key nutrients out of your body rapidly leaving your body insufficient.  The food supply is not what it used to be with foods being processed more, not allowed to ripen naturally, shipped long distances from its source, and  nutrient depleted soils never being allowed to lay fallow to re—fortify themselves.  Supplements are necessary to maintain good health.  Anti-aging supplements include good anti-oxidant formulas, Omega 3 Fish Oil, CoQ10 and so many more.  Taking the right supplements will help you get better with age and prevent health challenges down the road.  Isn’t it better to have nutritional supplement therapy rather than the possible side effects of prescription medications?  Get professional guidance when you’re unsure of what to take.

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7 Revolutionary Lean Laws To Live By

03/08/13 Monika Comments (0)

You say you want a Revolution?  Well, maybe not!  Revolution requires an immense amount of focused effort.  I was recently asked by woman who was interested in our programs that if she did everything right and still didn’t lose all the weight she expected to would she be charged.

I feel as though I need to educate my readers and interested clients a little more.  It’s never about a number on the scale although we are very often led to believe that’s all that matters.  Revolutionary changes often take place on the inside.  The scale is not the only indicator of success in a Health, Weight or Wellness Program.  By far it’s so much more than that!

If you start out expecting a certain outcome and another one happens that could possibly be even better, deeper and more long lasting than the original expectation – wouldn’t you be happier? I would think the answer would be yes.

Let’s get to the 7 Revolutionary Lean Laws:

Law #1   Make a Promise to Yourself.  You probably find yourself keeping promises to everyone else but yourself.  If you plan to go to yoga tonight – go.  If you plan to stick with your healthy foods choices while out of town – do the best you can to keep this promise to yourself.  Don’t let other’s priorities influence your choices.

Law #2   Eat Slower.  Did you know eating slower not only helps your digestion but you also will eat less?  This does take practice but you can do it.  Take time to taste, savor and enjoy your food.  Do as the Europeans do “respect food” rather than overeating – possibly shoving it down and eating while doing something else.  Make believe you’re in a Paris Café if that helps.

Law #3   Have a “Vacation State of Mind”.  Don’t wait for Summer Vacation to relax and feel good – start now.  If you are constantly thinking about the future well, of course, you will not appreciate today.  As with food begin to savor the day’s richness and flavor. Plan for smoothness in your life versus always having complications, delays or misunderstandings.  It’s often just as simple as focusing on having ease in your life.  Difficulties create undo stress.  Why not choose to re-route these perceived difficulties and take a detour instead?

Law #4   Things I Miss List.  A client told me today that she’d like to start a “Things I Miss Journal” while doing her Skinny Jeans Program.  I thought that was a brilliant idea. I asked her to add not only food she missed having, which was her original idea, but also habits, activities or experiences that were not part of her life while on her Program.  This is an exercise in awareness. What I have noticed is that list changes and is replaced by a “Things I Like Doing that I didn’t Before”.  Like going to bed earlier, eating regular meals, having 6-9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day or drinking more water.  It’s a sure sign that mind shifts are occurring and starting to anchor in.

Law #5   Falling From Grace.  Another client shared with me today that she’d fallen from grace and started eating foods that she hadn’t eaten in months. She consciously started eating candy, cakes and pasta again.  Her guilt was evident after all she’d reached her goal and had spent a lot of time and money to get there.  But her curiosity got the best of her and she wanted to know how those foods tasted again and also how much she could get away with without gaining any weight.  Well she did gain weight and didn’t feel so well which leads me to our next Law.

Law #6   Your Body Doesn’t Lie. Your body can speak to you loud and clear. Even if you get off track and do gain a few lbs you may find other things are going on in your body as well.  All of a sudden rashes, stomach aches, fatigue, irritability and hot flashes re-appear.  You thought you were done with these annoying symptoms once you lost the weight and now they are back with a vengeance.  It’s most likely due to you re-introducing foods that are not your friends back into your diet.  You may not have a full blown food allergy but rather a subtle and not so subtle food intolerance.  You just don’t feel as good as you did.  Cut out the food culprits whether it’s wheat, sugar, dairy or eggs for a couple of weeks and slowly re-introduce them one food at a time.

Law #7   Trust Your Gut. Digestion is key to having a long and healthy life.  If you suffer from digestive distress such as acid reflux or GERD, IBS, constipation or diarrhea it’s vital you correct this condition as soon as possible.  While visiting Canada last week my niece thanked me for introducing her to Probiotics.  She had been plagued with digestive “issues” and now with one simple remedy taken daily she is transformed.  She feels happier, lighter and healthier.  If you are not digesting properly you aren’t making the best use of the food you are eating.

These “revolutionary” Lean Laws can help you, too.  Take one step today.

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Did You Quit

03/06/13 Monika Comments (0)

I’ve just created a new saying “If it Doesn’t Fit You Must Have Quit!”  And it’s so true – we all do it – we quit on ourselves.  It can be devastating, depressing and cause a related lack of confidence about ever being able to work on your goal again.

So why do we Quit and what can we do about it?

Here are your 6 Reasons and their Solutions:

#1  Not fully committed to ourselves.  Whether it’s your program or whatever you say you want if you are not on board and totally “All-In” you will sit on the fence and not move forward. The Solution: Committing to yourself starts with believing you are worth it.  If you don’t have that belief you need to hire it.  Get support from a professional who will provide you with all the belief you need until you have it on your own.

#2  Distractions.  Other things take priority which is often a huge issue for women.  You know the re-model, the kids, housecleaning, caring for everyone else (and not yourself.).  The Solution: Just say no to distractions.  Start your day with pen in hand and write down your 5 priorities – nothing else matters until you get these done.  Be laser focused.  It’s the same with bigger goals, too.  If you want to lose weight and be healthy then the next time the cheesecake floats past you at your family dinner let it pass you by.  On a good program you should feel nourished and balanced enough to forego any of these environmental triggers.  Make yourself and your goals a priority.  Unless you have small children everyone else can take care of themselves – really, they can.

#3  Lose Faith.  You are full of self doubt . You wonder “Will this really work?  Is it working? Will it ever work?”  Second guessing by not trusting yourself or who you’re working with is very self sabotaging.  The Solution: A funny thing about health and wellness is it doesn’t come from out of the blue.  Sure when you’re young it doesn’t require much effort to stay healthy and lean.  But as you get older more effort is required.  So if you take the necessary steps to lose weight and/or stay healthy by eating well, having 3 meals a day, eating fresh fruits and vegetables, exercising – you will get the results – there is no doubt.

#4  Wanting a Quick Fix.  Sometimes the problem with healthy weight loss is it takes longer than you’d like in order to see results.  There may be deep complex issues going on whether biochemical or behavioral. The Solution: There is no such thing as a Quick Fix. Even though I call one of my Weight Loss Programs Quick Fix, it isn’t really, it’s very healthy, but it’s a catchy name – don’t you think?  Losing 10 lbs over 2 days is only temporary and the more you engage in this kind of fad the more damage you will do to your body.  Your body’s resilient but you can not continually abuse it without consequences.  Your body most likely will stop losing weight and functioning well.  Do the right thing the right way – slow, gradual and supportive change is the only way to go.

#5  Bright Shiny Object Syndrome.  Also called the Grass is Greener Syndrome. or “I want what she’s having” the classic line from  When Harry Met Sally.  You start something and quit when you see something else then you try that for a short period and quit – setting up this vicious cycle. The Solution: Decide to honor your decision and stick with it.  There will always be something out there that appears better, quicker and easier.  It’s more tantalizing.  You need to stick with your health regimen.  Starting and stopping will never give you what you need and want and it’s hard on both your mind and body.  It will only deplete and depress you.  So decide, do it, get the help you need and see your life change

#6  Listening to Everyone Else.  You think you’re committed but then 5 friends or family members have a better idea and offer their opinion.  You end up being confused and without consulting an expert you quit.  The Solution:  Stop listening to everyone and anyone.  Everyone has an opinion “you should do the Belly Fat or Cookie Diet”  says Aunt Shirley.  Stop the confusion it will only paralyze you and you’ll never get started.  You may not want to tell anyone what you’re doing initially.  Get used to the new program you’re on, work with someone who’ll help you stay the course.  Then let others come to you and ask YOU what YOU’RE doing and what advice YOU can offer THEM.  You have now become the expert of YOU – congratulations!

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Are You Designed to be Lean?

03/01/13 Monika Comments (0)

Can you really have a Lean Gene Pool or ever win The Skinny Lottery?

Well we all know that your genetic blueprint plays a big part in how you come out and how you develop.  So maybe we should just sing the happy tune by Lady Gaga “I Was Born This Way”. Yes you need to be proud of who you are – maybe a little heavier, having bigger bones, shorter, taller, smaller. You name it – we are all unique and we all have many attributes.

“I’m beautiful in my way cause God makes no mistakes. I’m on the right track baby I was born this way!” go Gaga’s lyrics – and they are so true!

Here are my 5 Ways to Learn to Love, Appreciate and Honor Your Uniqueness:

Way #1  There’s No One Like You:  That’s a huge statement yet very rarely do we really think about how profound it is.  No one else is exactly like you even if you had an identical twin you both still will be very different in many ways.   I started off talking about Lady Gaga – although there may be similarities drawn to Madonna.  Lady Gaga however is still unique unto herself -just as you are.  One of my favorite all time exercises I have clients do as we embark on a Weight Loss Journey is to go home and starting writing about 20-30 things you like about yourself.  This can be daunting but my goal is during our time working together you will find over a hundred + things you like about yourself.

Way #2  Your Environment Can Shape You:  Regardless of genetics your environment plays a significant role in who you become.  Were you nurtured as a child?  More importantly do you nurture yourself today?   I don’t mean spa treatments (although lovely) or 5 Star Hotel Stays.  I am talking about how you talk to yourself.  Do you criticize, judge or blame yourself?  Do you despise what you see in the mirror.  Perhaps despise is too strong a word – Ok – how about agonize over what you see? Of course it’s not simple to embark on a healthy eating or weight loss program and it takes time to see results.  You must start a process of learning new self talk techniques even before you begin to change what and how you’re eating.  Often the 2 happen simultaneously when I work with individuals.

Way #3  Treat Yourself Very Well: One of my husband’s favorite saying is “Be Kind to Yourself”.  It’s one of those salutations that you may not really think deeply about when you hear it.  But how many of us actually are kind to ourselves – really? This is similar to Way #2 but let’s take it a step further.  Do you push yourself too hard, not eat well, deprive yourself of proper sleep, overwork, overeat, start arguments?  All of these are ways of not treating yourself well.  Giving into cravings after you told yourself you’d be strong.  And just for the record strength has nothing to do with it – commitment to a higher goal is what it really takes. Know you are treating yourself well by sticking to healthy food choices – you are worth the extra effort it takes to shop and prepare these virtuous meals.

Way #4  Laugh all the Way Back to Yourself: It’s so vital to laugh daily. It’s THE best medicine there is. Taking yourself too seriously is another way of not appreciating your humanness. You can get so caught up in your routine daily activities and maybe never bother to stop – smile, appreciate and just feel alive! There have been numerous studies showing the many healing benefits of laughter. Did you know that children laugh approximately 200 times per day, adults about 17-20 times. Shocking isn’t it? Start exercising this muscle today.

Way #5   Be Bold:  Don’t shy away from what you really want to have in your life.  You need to claim your wishes and then convert them into reality.  Avoid continuously saying you want something and not take the necessary steps to make them come true.  Boldly go where you must! Your steps don’t need to be leaps.   

Steps are from point A to point B; Leaps are from point A 

You may be ready for a Leap but it’s not necessary to get you to your goal.  If you want to be Lean then claim it for and to yourself first.  And don’t push it off to the side and make it not important – it is! You can have what you want – guaranteed.

So if you are not Lean and want to be the first steps on Your Journey to Leanness are sited in this article the 5 Ways above.

 

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Are You Up To Your Old Cat Tricks?

02/22/13 Monika Comments (0)

Recently I noticed my 2 cats, especially my little girl Mitzi, getting kind of round around her middle.  She couldn’t be pregnant – she’s been fixed and so has Brian, my male cat.  He is like all males – more muscle and looks leaner than my female feline.  So some food restrictions needed to be implemented in our home.  Did everyone get excited about the new changes – No!  Did she realize or even care that eating less would mean being leaner and prettier?  Nope, Mitzi really doesn’t have any insecurity around her looks. She knows she’s wonderful –sweet and purrrfect! 

We can all learn a great deal from our wonderful pets. So she really had no clue why her loving human parents wouldn’t give her what she wanted – FOOD – lots of it and all the time.  And don’t get me started on her gargantuan “need” for cat treats.

I got to thinking how similar we are to these furry friends.

You don’t really want to eat the things you should.  You really don’t want to have to follow any food lists, count grams or control your portions – right?   You want none of that!  “It’s crazy making!” you claim and yet – what are your options?  You know you have to do SOMETHING, because your weight and your eating have gotten out of control or worse yet you are doing “everything right” but nothing’s changing – your clothes are tight, you feel unhappy.  Welcome to the world of discipline and determination which, believe it or not, can breed a true sense of comfort.

Here are some of the ways you may think you are on the right track and but you really you aren’t.  It’s the old playing cat tricks and, essentially, only fooling yourself.

Here are some ways you may be fooling yourself:

#1  I’ll think about it tomorrow.  Remember this classic line from Gone with the Wind?  It was virtually Scarlett O’Hara’s mantra.   Scarlett hoped all her problems, challenges, and things that upset her would disappear in the morning.

The only problem is if you keep pushing what you need to take care of today to tomorrow, hoping  and praying things will change, the awful truth is it probably won’t.  You need to make a concerted effort to do something about your situation.  In the end, Scarlett, learned to increase her humility and take charge of everything life threw at her. She became stronger and wiser.

#2  Are my friends sabotaging me?  Do you ever find that pleasing your friends is more important than pleasing yourself?  Even though they say they are your friends they may secretly, or not so secretly, be threatened by your new resolve to take better care of yourself.  They may shoot down your plan even before you start your healthy eating, exercising, or getting to sleep earlier. Keep your new plan to yourself or the very least share it with those who you know will support you.  Be really clear about what it takes for you to feel supported.  Don’t fool yourself into thinking someone is on your side but they really aren’t.  Do they criticize you?  Do they tend to be jealous of you or what you have?  Do they have unhealthy habits they either don’t realize they have or don’t want to change?  These are all questions you need to ask.

#3  I’ll buy bigger clothes.   I seriously know this is not on the top of your list but you may find yourself using this excuse as a safety latch just in case you end up doing nothing. Do like the French women do – they have their simple, classic, well made wardrobe and if anything feels tight they automatically cut back on their eating.  You may say it’s easier to do when it’s only 1 or 2 lbs – what if it’s more – what do you do then?   That’s where it begins.  By taking better care of yourself today, with discipline, you can take pride in yourself by maintaining your healthy body.  And by doing all the right things to get you to your ideal weight and stay there you, too, will be able to use this exquisite French Method.

#4 Crying over Spilled…  No sense looking at your past.  Starting today you will be making some changes.  Forget about any past “mistakes” or past “failures”.  They were a necessary part of your journey – they got you to where you are right now.  Just move on – start fresh.  Really it’s much easier if you take a fresh look at yourself and your life rather than dwelling in the past.  You have a tremendous opportunity right in this very moment.

#5 Too much complaining.   My cat Mitzi has been doing a lot of that lately – she meows, whines, crooks her neck in her oh so cute way.  I used to give into to her pleading – after all she looked so sweet and her meow – well, enough to make any frustrated parent melt.  Nonetheless she needed to be reigned in and restricted.  After all it was for her own good.  Remember this, too.  It is for your own good.  You are not doing this – healthy eating, creating new healthy habits or losing weight – for anyone but yourself – please remember that.

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Need Some Healthy, Effective, Skinny Tips Today?

02/20/13 Monika Comments (0)

I learn so much from my clients every day. Our sessions are so rich, nourishing and life transforming. One of my clients wrote the following 24 tips without any prompting from me. It wasn’t a homework assignment, it just came to her. While on her Inner Journey to Well Being she is continually discovering who she is in relation to her weight, health and overall view of her life.

Here are Some Skinny Tips for YOU:

1. The first step is the hardest…it starts with YOU!

2. Start a list of foods you think you miss.

3. Find a fun way to package your meals.

4. Spices are friendly. Make a new spice friend.

5. Practice your weighing skills. Man versus machine.

6. If you were inspired by someone let them know.

7. Start your own Skinny Tips List.

8. Try some new combination of foods.

9. Find a role model or be a role model.

10. Tell someone you admire their success.

11. Take a break for YOU!

12. Play with your kids or your grand kids.

13. Call an old friend and ponder your past antics.

14. Curl up with a good book or a challenging puzzle.

15. Take a power nap.

16. Watch a cartoon or kids show.

17. Make a list of your favorite kids meals.

18. What is the next piece of clothing you want to get rid of?

19. Take a pair of Skinny Clothes with you when you go to a party – a great reminder!

20. Share a recipe with a “Skinny Pal”

21. Make a goal and monitor your commitment daily.

22. Give a Tip to a friend.

23. Give yourself a day away from your electronics.

24. Make an extra effort today and stretch to meet the challenge.

Sounds like good advice. What are your Skinny Tips? Please share them with us.

 

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Categories : Diet, Self Improvement, Wellness
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Why aren’t you losing? Are you stuck?

02/18/13 Monika Comments (0)

It’s a frustrating place to be – you feel you are doing everything right but the scale has stopped moving or worse still it’s going in the wrong direction!  What is happening – you cry out in a fit of disbelief, self-deprecation and woe!   How can this be? You wonder… Maybe you aren’t being as diligent or as “good” as you could be.  Maybe you had too much fat the other day -which would be the wrong reason as fat alone doesn’t cause weight gain.  Well, in today’s article we will look at some of these “Scale Sticking Factors”.  Some may surprise you.

Here are the major reasons you may be stuck:

#1  Stress. Yes, you probably knew I’d say this all along – didn’t you?

There is no getting around it stress is a killer to your continued weight loss efforts.  The more you reduce it or find effective ways to manage it the better.  Getting control of your stress is the best way to move the scale and start losing fat again.

#2  Exercise is NOT a Weight Loss Strategy.   You may be thinking you need to actually start exercising or worse yet – exercise more to lose the weight.  Wrong, although exercise is essential for overall health and helps to maintain weight loss it does not help you lose weight. Exercise only accounts for 20% of a healthy regimen the remaining 80% is all about your nutrition.  What you put into your mouth is the ultimate key.  You must make changes first in your diet and then add a suitable exercise program.

#3  Sleep. You must make this a priority!  It’s directly tied in with stress.  If you don’t get enough of your Vitamin S (Sleep) your stress hormones such as Cortisol kicks in preventing healthy weight loss. With adequate amounts of sleep you can accomplish much in your day and be able to create a healthy body.  Your mind or body will not function without it.  You will not lose weight and will most likely gain if lack of sleep becomes a habit.

#4 Eating “Healthy” Junk Food.  Never heard of this?  Well I have now classified these foods into this new category.  You think it’s a healthy food but think again.  This category contains the “Heart Healthy” Cheerios, the “Probiotic” sugar laden yogurts, the “Protein” Bars – which are anything but protein, again, usually loaded with sugar and unpronounceable ingredients.  Beware these packaged foods will not help you lose weight and are not a healthy alternative to Real Foods – you know the ones found in Mother Nature?

#5 You really haven’t decided to: You really aren’t focused even though you think and say you  are. You want to lose weight and be healthy but your actions are not saying that at all. Your actions are saying you aren’t serious, you aren’t committed and that being healthier and losing weight is really not that important to you – especially right now.  If not now – then when? Take an honest look at what you are doing and what you are saying you want – is there a conflict?  Remind yourself and even tell another person that you are worth it and will do what it takes.  Promise this to yourself and let your buddy help you stick to it. Be dedicated to yourself. 

This is what you need to focus on daily:

I hope some of these will give you clues as to where you are getting stuck.  If you need more help getting unstuck call us for a quick review.

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Love is in the Air

02/15/13 Monika Comments (0)

Valentines, Hearts and Roses – full of special feelings.  It’s such a healing power to be whole and healthy…

There is nothing like feeling on top of the world – feeling focused, radiant and on fire!  Have you ever felt like you are in the zone?  Like you could do no wrong?  Magnetic and full of life?  What a way to live!  For some of us we have a few days like that in a row, for others it’s a few years and for others – it’s all the time – a very blessed life – wouldn’t you say?  A whole life that is easy, breezy – is that really possible?  Well for some it’s not a fantasy at all – but in fact describes pretty much how their lives are. For most of us, however, life brings with it challenges – and sometimes not just a few but many.  I always say – we are not handed anything we are not strong enough to handle.  So in those times when we face a little more than our share of struggle, temporary defeat or soul searching here are some Tips on How to Love Yourself no matter what’s going on.

5 Ways to Love and Support Yourself All Year Long (and not just on Valentine’s Day)!

1) Sign up for a Course – whether it’s Knitting, French Cooking, Samba, or Film Buff 101 – do something new – go for it!  It’s important to stretch your mind in other ways that just intellectually – but artistically as well.   It’s important to learn new ways of moving your body or “getting into your body”.  What I mean by that is that we live in a very sedentary world – all day long sitting at our computers, reading, TV, etc – for the most part we pretty much live in our heads and forget that our bodies are attached.  We often view our bodies as just a vehicle to get from point A to point B.  A docking station for our heads – our brains.  Here’s something perhaps daring – when was the last time you moved your hips – as in a figure 8? Go ahead try it.  How about even trying it more than once how about doing it for 5 minutes?  On a regular basis?  Try it – it feels totally liberating and you might even feel like a whole new person after doing it for awhile.  Hoola Hoop anyone?

2) Put Fun into your Calendar Every Week – I have this great tool I use on a weekly basis.  On a sheet of paper I have 8 colorful boxes drawn up taking up the whole page.  Each decorative box has a various category title like Relationships, Physical Health, Work, Family, Spiritual and Fun.  I have noticed recently that my FUN box is often the least full.  I realized that I needed to balance my life a little more and start adding things into this box – a few weeks ago I put Ice Skating in the FUN box.  Well, I put on my skates and away I went – I had a blast!  I can hardly wait to do it again. So what’s on your Weekly FUN list?

3) Pick on Your Own Size.  A Style Consultant shared with me today that most women, in particular, wear clothes that are actually TOO BIG for them.  She felt that women are just not comfortable with their bodies and want to hide.  The weird thing is the bigger the clothes the bigger you actually look and not the other way around.  I suggest you try wearing flattering clothes no matter what your size.   Take a chance and show off a little – get into the freedom of feeling beautiful and OWNING (as many an Italian Woman understands) your womanhood proudly! You will feel great using this simple, yet powerful, tip.

4) Eat less – Yes, I know this is nothing new especially coming from me.  Of course, I’m not talking about depriving yourself nor starving yourself – but actually eating less than you think you should or can get away with.  Eating enough, not like a bird or on the way to developing  any type of disordered eating but just eating enough. I know for many of you it’s easier said than done and needing expert guidance is often called for.  Learning to pay attention and checking in with your body does require a re-training.  Here are a few simple tools you can use – slow down your eating, serve yourself in the kitchen instead of at the dinner table.  Studies have shown that if you leave bowls of food on the table you tend to eat more.

5) Go to bed.  I know what I’m about to say may seem incredibly obvious but I need to stress it – when you are tired ALLOW yourself to go to bed.  It’s OK if it’s 8 p.m. or even 6 p.m. This can be a great opportunity for you to learn how to pay attention to signals your body is giving you.  Case in point – I just got back from a wonderful but intense weekend workshop. The day after I felt a little sleep deprived but I was so excited about everything I learned that weekend – I couldn’t stop trying to implement everything and by the end of the day I pushed myself to at least get a walk in before the sun went down. I really didn’t pay attention to what my body was telling me. I ended up tripping on the sidewalk and bruising my hand enough to cause pain for a few days.   Had I been really listening to my body, I might have taken a little nap and forgone any exercise until the next day.   Granted this is an example of something we have all experienced on occasion.   If, however, you are constantly feeling tired and wanting to crawl under the covers early every day something deeper or more chronic may be going on.  You may be suffering from adrenal exhaustion or even depression.  These symptoms can be remedied excellently with a healthy diet, targeted nutritional supplementation and lifestyle changes – consider these changes as your first line of therapy before ever starting on any medication.

So loving yourself can be as simple as these 5 Tips and by regularly listening to your body.  Develop the skill and awareness of checking into your body.  Ask yourself – how am I feeling? Do I need to be fed, pampered, soothed or energized?

Every Day – give yourself the tender loving care you need!

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