While I’m in Charleston, South Carolina, for a retreat, I’m sharing some of my favorite blogs from the past. One of the ways I used to trip myself up was to second-guess everything I was doing. While doing one workout, I was wondering if another might be better. I’d spend a lot of mental energy debating between taking the elevator or stairs, and mentally chastise myself over what I ate. Being wishy-washy about your decisions—or downright critical—is the mental equivalent of letting the air out of your tires. It is an energetic leak that will slow the success you really want. While debating your decision when the choices are fairly similar will slow your progress, you will give yourself a flat tire in a second if you choose something you believe is actually harmful. Negative thoughts and emotion can literally impact your metabolism and other weight-related systems making it easier to gain and harder to release weight. Actually doing the action you believe to be detrimental—and the resulting guilt, shame, etc.—increases the negative effects. Remember this the next time you are having a thought such as, “That cake is so fattening. I really shouldn’t eat it,” or “I know fried chicken is bad, bad, bad.” Don’t eat it! Unless you can soften your thoughts and beliefs about it, pick something else! Every action is preceded by a thought and belief, all of which have energy. Think of each step as increasing your momentum. Aligning the energy of a thought . . . with the energy of a belief . . . AND the energy of your action in the direction of your goal is like a train gaining speed towards your destination. It has the full […]
Your Guarantee to Get the Body You Want
What if you knew that: Your goal of getting slim was supported by the power of the entire Universe? The Creator of Everything is aware of the body you are going for and wants you to have it? Your Higher Coach is providing you with everything you need to make your fit, strong, and slim body a reality? If you not only believed that, but you KNEW it in your heart: Would you let go of doubt? Would you let go of fear? Would you give releasing the weight your all knowing that what you put energy into is guaranteed to succeed? Would you see the opportunities in obstacles instead of giving up? What if that doubt and fear is all that’s keeping you from creating the body—and life—of your dreams? The gap between where you are now and your releasing the weight—for good—is one of allowing yourself to believe not only that it’s possible, but that it’s guaranteed. That’s how close you are to the healthy, slim, and sexy body of your dreams. You are one belief away. Can you see how your beliefs impact your actions? It is because you don’t believe your are worthy of getting the body you want that a part of you holds back. That you get discouraged. That you believe getting the body you want is impossible. A belief is just a thought you keep thinking. And you can change it! Beging to practice feeling confident, assured, and supported. Do that by remembering how feeling confident and supported feels. Think of times you have felt that way. Imagine how feeling that way feels. Train your mind to begin to look for and expect your success. Notice how that impacts your actions–and your results. Together […]
How to Turbo-Charge Your Weight Loss
Imagine. . . Being at—and easily maintaining—your optimal weight. Appreciating, and feeling fully comfortable and confident in your body. Waking up every morning energized and eager to start your day. Feeling physically well. Thriving—body, mind, and spirit. Maximizing your self-care so that you have the energy and spaciousness to lovingly care for others. Feeling va va voom attractive. Laughing freely and often. Marveling at the beauty in and around you. Having fun in the process of achieving your goals. Having control over hunger, cravings, and emotions. Delighting in every bite of food that you take. Thrilling in the feeling of moving your body—and being inspired to move it daily. Playing freely and often. Looking in the mirror and liking what you see. Easily finding clothes that look and feel good. Being fully you, no matter who you are with, or what you are doing. Appreciating your full range of emotions. Knowing your heart and following your passion. Living a life filled with only things you want to do. Completely trusting your body wisdom. Feeling so full of love that you easily give the true you to others—whether they can appreciate it or not. Being fully conscious of creating a body—and life—that you love. Feels good, doesn’t it? If you were able to get into a positive feeling as you read that list, you just harnessed the vibrational energy of your thoughts and emotions, which will make taking action to achieve your weight-loss goals that much easier. And when you are faced with a choice, think about and decide how the fit, strong, and slim You would react, and then do that. Practice these thoughts and feelings daily and you’ll turbo-charge the actions you are taking to […]
3 Tips to Increase Your Weight Loss Success
Here’s a secret to weight-loss success. You have to commit to what you are doing. That means no second guessing. That means waiting to look for results. That means putting your self-criticism away. If during your workout you are questioning what you are doing and wondering if another might be better you are subtly sabotaging your results. It is the mental equivalent of letting the air out of your tires. Now that doesn’t mean that you don’t periodically plan to assess what you are doing to make sure you are headed in the direction you want. What it does mean is choosing a course of action and giving it your all. Can you feel the difference? If you are being wishy-washy in your decisions—or downright critical—and are looking for evidence of success every 5 minutes, you are not fully focusing on what you are doing. It is an energetic leak that will slow—and could derail—your success. Believe me. That firm decision and unwavering commitment is not something I was naturally born with. I’ve had to cultivate it through persistence, practice, and patience. In the past, I spent a lot ofmental energy looking for that one “right” diet or exercise program that would be the magic bullet, wanting instant results, and beating myself up for being where I was. You have to fully commit to see if what you are doing is actually working. Here are 3 tips to increase your weight loss success: Be present and committed to what you are doing in the moment. For instance, put all of your energy into the workout you are doing right now. Plan when you are going to check your progress. Instead of looking every day (or multiple times […]
How to Change Your Luck in Getting the Body You Want
Not long ago, a friend of mine who struggles with her weight commented on how slim I was looking and said with a heavy sigh, “You are so lucky.” Does this feel like a familiar sentiment? You may think having the body you want is just a matter of what you were blessed with when you were born. You may feel that you got the short-end of the gene-pool stick. You may believe that when it comes to your body, you are unlucky. Truly, luck has nothing to do with it. I didn’t say anything when my friend made her comment, but I thought her perspective was interesting since she knew me four years ago when I was at my heaviest weight ever and has witnessed me not only getting the weight off, but keeping it off for the first time in my life. While it’s not sexy to hear, what I discovered is there is more determination and action than luck in having the body you want. This doesn’t mean it has to be hard! But it does mean letting go of the belief that optimal wellness is about luck, and beginning to align the small decisions you make throughout your day with your vision of the body you want. This may be hard to hear, but truly it is NOT luck. It is those small decisions you make all day every day that are creating the body you have. Wellness is something that I focus on and strive to achieve. I’m not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I am committed to regularly moving my body and eating healthy food most of the time. Most importantly, I changed my relationship with my body—and myself. I […]
What Would Your Slim-Self Do?
Imagine you are at your optimal weight. How would you feel? Confident? Radiant? Vibrant? Attractive? Powerful? Sexy? Now imagine looking in the mirror. Describe the reflection looking back at you. What does she look like? What does she wear? What does she say to herself? Take it a little deeper. What decisions does she make? For instance, what foods does she eat? How does she exercise her body? What people does she hang out with? What does she do for fun? How high a priority is her self-care? What does her self-care include? What is her life like? Can you envision it? Allow yourself to feel how being your Slim-Self feels right now. Feels amazing, doesn’t it? Now, as you go through your day and make each small self-care decision, tap into that feeling and ask, “What would my Slim-Self do?” How would she handle the temptation of the candy on your co-workers desk? What decision would she make when it came time to move her body? What would she say to herself when she was less than perfect? Begin making your decisions and choices from the mindset and vision of where you want to be. If you can’t envision her, write down the answers to these questions: What does optimal wellness mean to you? Does it include how your body functions, as well as looks? What about your Spiritual connection? Is it included? What about how you show up in your relationships? Is that a part of your definition of optimal wellness? Why do you want to be at your optimal weight? Go deeper than looking good in a pair of jeans. Find the core reasons that feel exciting and inspiring. It will be those […]
You Have the Power to Choose Optimal Wellness
One of my clients yesterday was talking about their life path and feeling like they didn’t have a “choice” about past decisions they made. The truth is, you always have a choice. Granted, you may really not like the perceived consequence of an action, but you still have the power to choose. When you approach creating your body—or life—as if you have no choice, it throws you into victim energy. You are not in control of life. Life is in control of you. You will never achieve the body—and life—you want if you are continually a victim. This victim-energy can leave you feeling stuck treading the path laid out before you. You may even feel hemmed in by your to-do list or calendar. This leaves you feeling like you don’t have time to take care of you. Your self-care drops to the bottom of your priority list. You then dutifully trudge through the negative feelings this creates because you don’t feel like you have a choice. But what if you did? A woman I used to work with was feeling the stress of going non-stop all day. She found herself running late to a meeting that she was dreading. As she drove to the site, she thought about the distraction of her late arrival, and how bad that would make her feel. But what choice did she have? As she pulled into the parking lot, she decided to just skip the meeting completely and go back to her office and get caught up with her work. As soon as she made the decision, her mood elevated and the rest of her day was more in-balance and productive. Now for argument’s sake, let’s say if […]
Your Weight Loss Success Is Reflected In How You Dress
Next week I’m heading to Sedona, Arizona, where I will be experiencing my first professional photo shoot with the amazing Lindsay Miller. I’m super excited—and a little nervous. And I’ve been thinking a lot about appearance. One of the quickest ways to achieve our goals is to imagine how the person with that success would think, feel, and act—and then to think, feel, and act that way right now. This makes sense when you think about the Foundation Principle that “Energy Attracts Like Energy,” also known as the Law of Attraction. This means you get what you project. If you are thinking negative thoughts about yourself, you will get more opportunities to think negative thoughts. If you are feeling bad about yourself, you will get more opportunities to feel bad. Even what you are wearing impacts what you project. Many of the women that I work with unknowingly perpetuate the cycle of losing and regaining the same 30 pounds by wearing sloppy clothes, or clothes that are too small and don’t fit well because they don’t want to “give in” to their weight gain. But this actually perpetuates the weight rebound cycle because it impacts how they think and feel about themselves. This is true no matter what your goal. In my case, if I want to be a successful author and entrepreneur, I need to cultivate the thoughts, feelings, and actions that go with that. This includes looking like a successful author and entrepreneur. So I’m about to head out the door to go find an outfit for the photo shoot that not only makes me feel fabulous while wearing it, but projects the success and goals I want to achieve. How you dress […]
That Wasn’t Necessary
I love discovering situations around which I have some practiced thoughts and beliefs that are not helping me be the person I want to be, or create the life I want to create. Because if you don’t know the negative catabolic thoughts, feelings, and beliefs are there, you can’t change them. Saturday morning provided me the opportunity to come face-to-face with negative expectations, fear, and prescribed beliefs—and to make different choices. For those of you who know me or read this blog regularly, you know that my husband and I have two dogs and two cats who truly are our children. Buffy, the oldest of our two Keeshonden, will be turning 10 on July 13. Buffy is a bit of a trash mouth, meaning if something hits the floor, she eats it. As we stroll through the park, she’s trying to grab bites of weeds along the path. She’s a dirt connoisseur. So it was a bit surprising, but not terribly unusual, to wake up Saturday morning and find some evidence that she had expelled something nasty in the night. We cleaned it up and didn’t think more of it. While I was writing my blog, she threw up breakfast. While I was upstairs working out, she threw up again. When my husband found that she had thrown up yet again, I discovered her having dry heaves and shivering. We knew something was seriously wrong and called the emergency vet who said to bring her right in. What’s the best mindset for heading to the emergency vet—or dealing with any difficult situation? While it’s probably the most common reaction, I would suggest that it’s not fear and jumping to the worst case scenario. You might […]
You Have the Keys to the Queendom
Here are the top 10 ways people give away their power: 1. Asking others what they should do. 2. Thinking God decides who gets what. 3. Worrying about how their dream will come true. 4. Thinking they have dues to pay. 5. Attaching to unimportant details and outcomes. 6. Believing in soul mates. 7. Thinking karma or spiritual contracts are absolute. 8. Fear of anything, especially falling in love. 9. Waiting for their ducks to line up before acting. 10. Choosing to be unhappy. Understand the truth, little bird, and you will soar. Caw-caw, The Universe To be happy or not is always a choice. Do you think it’s hard to make changes on the inside? Do you believe your life is somehow separate from your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs? Do you feel that those negative internal patterns are stronger and more powerful than your desire to change? These are all signs that you are not being the leader of your body and life. It’s time to step into your role as the alpha female of you. It’s time to accept your power. You are hereby granted sole proprietorship of your inner Queendom. The key is deciding–deciding to take responsibility, deciding if it’s going to be hard or easy, deciding to be steadfast and persistent in your internal leadership role. The internal changes may not be instantaneous, but little-by-little, decision-by-decision, moment-by-moment, each time you focus on what you want, who you want to be, and how you want to live your life and then make the decision to reach for that regardless of the fear or negative self-talk, you will be changing your interior landscape to one that will support and celebrate your […]
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