weight loss

This year, no matter what…

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Decide to have the body you want.

No matter what 2020 brought. No matter the uncertainty of 2021. You don’t control any of that. You control you. Even when you think you don’t.

What’s possible for your weight and health in 2021?

If you base your answer on what you’ve done or haven’t done in the past, please stop. Your past doesn’t equal your future. Unless you let it.

It feels hard to believe that you can do something you haven’t done before. My clients always start out in some form of disbelief:

“After turning 50, I’d given up on losing weight,” said Teresa who lost and kept off 20 lbs. for over two years now.

“But I hate exercise, and I love sugar,” said Chris who’s down 23 lbs., and enjoys her regular walks and healthy eating, even leaving room for cookies 😊.

“I’ve never been able to lose any more than 20 lbs. before I put it right back on,” said Holly who’s lost close to 50 lbs. while still enjoying food and wine.

These clients didn’t use willpower. They changed what they believed was possible. One small step at a time.

Decide to have the body you want and keep weight off, no matter what. What’s possible for your weight and health in 2021?
Photo by Andrew Wilus from Pexels

I challenge you to do it, too. Ask and answer these three questions:

  1. What do I believe is really possible for my weight and body?
  2. What thoughts do I have most often about my body and ability to change it?
  3. What’s the most positive thought that I can believe about my body and my capabilities?

That last one is key. The goal isn’t to fake it. If a positive thought is too hard – doesn’t feel true – move toward neutral. Try something like this for a start:

  1. I’m not a fan of exercise (a move away from “I hate exercise”)
  2. My body might surprise me (rather than “I’ve never been able to keep weight off”)
  3. I’m open to making progress
  4. I have a strong body
  5. I can learn from my success in other areas to help me lose weight and keep it off

This is your starting point. It’s not what you eat, your exercise…any of it. (That was your focus in the past, right?) You’ll only be consistent with those actions – and I mean really consistent, not a few weeks or months – when you start out with the right mindset. And keep that mindset throughout all the hard stuff.

This is your year. Yes, you can do it this time. It will be worth it.

You never have to end up “back here” again. The actions are easy. You know what to do. Start managing your mind to get it done.

The 10 Best Holiday Hacks

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Can you to savor the holidays? And get to the other side with healthy habits intact? Without regrets?

Absolutely.

Even during COVID?

Abso-freaking-lutely.

I’ve done it for years and I’m sharing my 10 Best Holiday Hacks so you can, too.

  1. Let go of New Year’s resolutions. Why? They’re a surefire road to over-indulging and letting your healthy habits take a dive. Who wants to wake up January 1 feeling like you’re behind? Not you.
  2. Instead, “resolve” how you want to feel on January 1st. And let that drive your choices this month. Say you want to feel strong or energized, what would you do throughout December to make that come true as you’re singing Auld Lang Syne?
  3. Practice gratitude. For all of it. Even COVID. What?! Yes. Go crazy with gratitude, large and small. Make it a daily awareness.
  4. Be picky. Treats abound during the holidays, but not all are “worth it.” Eat only the best and savor it without guilt. Let all the others go. And think about making treats special, like drinking hot chocolate while driving around town looking at holiday lights, rather than having it become an everyday habit.
  5. Avoid drama. Prepare a graceful response to remove yourself from unhelpful situations. You don’t need to get hooked into other people’s crazy. And, you don’t need to make any of your own. 😊

    Can you to savor the holidays without regrets? I’ve done it for years and I’m sharing my 10 Best Holiday Hacks so you can, too.
    Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
  6. Beyond food. In what innovative ways can you enjoy the holidays beyond peppermint mochas and Christmas cookies? Think cheesy movies, ice skating, blasting Christmas music…let food be ancillary to your overall enjoyment of the season.
  7. Be kind to yourself. This is true at all times, but especially when stress is high. Remind yourself that you’re doing the best you can (and so is everyone else).
  8. Identify what’s most important. And don’t let it get overshadowed by shiny objects this time of year. In fact, this may be one of the biggest gifts of the pandemic. With less distraction, focus is easier.
  9. Define healthy. What does it look like for you during the holidays? Identify the habits you want to maintain and those that may need to shift. Plan ahead.
  10. Re-think traditions. Another COVID reality…what new traditions will you create for yourself? For your family? Take this opportunity to notice what previous ones you stuck with out of obligation.

There you have it, my 10 Holiday Hacks to savor the holidays with your healthy habits intact.

Feel harder than it sounds? Schedule a strategy session and I’ll help you enjoy the holidays and wake up January 1 with pants that fit (and are maybe even a little loose!).

Weight Loss as a Happy Side Effect

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It’s probably not what you want to hear. But once you believe it, and live it, you experience it. I promise.

You see, I lost 12 lbs. last year without trying.

At 51.

In menopause.

Damn.

How? I decided what taking even better care of myself would look like, gradually implementing new behaviors and altering old patterns. It sounds simple. And it was. Seriously.

I’m not saying to never have a weight loss or “size” goal. But if that’s the only thing you’re going for, it’s hard to stay motivated. If weight loss is the only effect, and not a side effect, it’s too easy to quit the minute your friend brings over cookies as a thank you for loaning her your car last week.

Or, if despite all your efforts, the weight isn’t coming off fast enough, or not at all, thoughts like “I’m not losing weight, so I might as well have another glass of wine” start traipsing through your mind.

And you’re back to square one.

What if instead you focused on non-scale victories. I asked a group of clients recently about the effects they were noticing and they said things like increased confidence. An ability to sit with uncomfortable feelings and not get swallowed up by them. A health problem was no longer a problem.  A quieted mind. Feeling like herself again.

Try it. Go ahead and keep the number goal, but focus on all the things. Imagine, you start exercising consistently. After a few weeks you can keep up with your best friend on your walks together. Two flights of stairs up to your office that used to wind you are now effortless.

Or you keep hydrated with water and remove sugary snacks, noticing you’re no longer jittery and on-edge at work.  Your choices give you steady energy that don’t mess with your blood-sugar.

Make a detailed list of all the benefits. In that way you literally build the case for your desired behaviors, as though you’re an attorney arguing the benefits of healthy habits.

Here’s the thing: the more short-term benefits you identify, the easier it is to keep taking the actions that will produce the results you want. Including the side effect of weight loss.

I lost 12 lbs. without trying. At 51. In menopause. But, my focus wasn't on the scale. Weight loss was a side effect of my actual focus.

Back to the 12 lbs. I didn’t try to lose it, but if you’d asked me back then I’d have said “I wouldn’t mind losing a few pounds.” Had my focus been on the weight, I never would have lost the weight. Partly because I didn’t think I had it to lose (“this is just how my body wants to be”) and because it happened gradually. (I don’t weigh myself regularly, which I’ll talk about in my next post on “Are you using the scale wrong?”)

I focused on all the non-scale victories because they were truly what I wanted. I’d keep up with my habits with or without the weight loss. Because I’m stronger. Because all my blood work shows I’m in incredible health. Because I feel amazing. The 12 lbs. are a happy side effect.

Do you want to lose weight without trying? Let’s talk!

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