Your Attitude Carries a Lot of Weight in Your Success

Whether you are talking about food or exercise, if you are wanting to drop some excess pounds, you attitude matters.

It really isn't a simple matter of mathematics. You have to have your head in the right place or it will never work.

Here's an easy example...let's say I tell you I have found the perfect food...that if you eat it every day for the rest of your life you will have achieve your ideal weight and be able to maintain it. Would you eat it?

Don't everyone run for your wallet, this is a hypothetical question!

Did anyone even stop to wonder if this just might be a trick question? In our mad desire to have our ideal body we don't always think...instead we react. That is why there are so many diet books on our shelves unfollowed and diet foods in our cupboards unopened...or totally opened with portion side completely ignored and contents consumed in one sitting.

What if I told you the ideal food was broccoli? (or lima beans? or...fill in least favorite food) Would you still be eager to eat it every day? Probably not. You might tolerate it for a while, or you might decide it isn't worth it. Some of you would decide that broccoli wasn't so bad after all...and some people would actually decide they like broccoli. These last people might actually lose weight eating broccoli...pretty much everyone else I predict would not.

What made the difference? The broccoli didn't change. The difference is in how you felt about broccoli.

OK, you're safe, broccoli isn't a big green magic fat eraser.

The bad news is, if there is one I haven't found it!

The good news--you don't need one! All you need is your attitude to change...about what foods you like, the idea that you can lose weight, that eating healthy can be easy and pleasurable, that you can enjoy exercise. If you can adopt these attitudes then you will achieve your health goals--and have a lot more fun while you are at it.

Weight Loss Tip: Start Where You Are

This may sound like an obvious statement, start where you are. Where else are you going to be when you start, right?

The truth is most of us try to start losing weight from just about any place EXCEPT where we actually are.

The idea is that you are who you are right now and you will move to being who you will be...but only if you do what you can right now. Maybe that didn't help...let me try saying it another way...

I used to be consumed with thinking about what I "should" do. What this book, that expert, this video and that teacher told me were the right exercises to do and the right foods to eat. As long as I allowed all those other peoples' voices to dominate my head I made little progress. At least not on a permanent basis.

I'm not saying they were wrong...it was just that they were coming from THEIR place and I was trying to force myself into that place. And I found that didn't work.

I was a very, very round peg...and I wasn't fitting into their less round holes!

When I felt bad because I wasn't able to work out as long or as hard as I was told to...it was completely self-defeating. I ended up feeling bad about myself which in the end, led me to stop exercising and to eat more and gain more weight.

When I felt guilty or deprived, or wondering why I wasn't satisfied by the "snack" of half a macademia nut (no joke! in one of the many "fitness" programs I bought, that was a snack!)...in those moments I was making myself wrong, or less than someone else.

Making ourselves less than, whether it is less beautiful, less smart, less fit...or any other adjective...is our way of keeping ourselves down.

Instead, let us have the goal of lifting ourselves up! We do that by recognizing we are all unique, beautiful, powerful beings. We each have our challenges and our gifts. We deserve to shine our light in the world and the world deserves to feel that light!

The place to start is wherever you are...right now. Know in your heart, deep in your spirit, that you are worth the effort...that you do deserve health, energy, vitality.

If you are in a lot of physical pain, like I was when I started, then start moving more while you are sitting on the couch or even lying in bed. Don't plan to run a marathon next month if you can barely walk to the mailbox!

If you don't have the knowledge about what foods are healthy for you to eat, start to learn. Don't expect to become a gourmet chef overnight if you have been the take-out queen for the past 30 years!

Start by making one small change. Believe that it is possible. I know it is, and I know you can do it...one step at a time...it you live your life and start where YOU are. Your path will be revealed to you and you will have a wonderful, healthier life...for the rest of your life!

Weight Loss Tip: Count Blessings Not Calories

The universe loves gratitude. I've heard that so many places--from many, many

teachers including Louise Hay, Wayne Dyer, Abraham-Hicks, Bob Proctor and so many

more.

I have found this to be true regarding health and fitness and weight loss, too. Which leads me to this weight loss tip about counting blessings.

When I am grateful for the health I currently have it actually sets me up to

experience improved health. When I feel the gratitude in my heart that I no longer

have cravings controlling my life, that I can eat what I want and achieve and

maintain a healthy weight...that feeling is so liberating that it reinforces that I

have a "normal" relationship with food.

Start wherever you are now and be grateful for that. Be grateful for your desire for

health. Be grateful for your willingness to change. Be grateful for the potential in

your body for perfect weight.

We are so tempted to live in the future...not remembering and aknowledging where we are right now...and what we have right now. This is where we tend to come from when we count calories. Instead of enjoying and savoring where we are, we are thinking about the future outcome.

When we count calories we are being restrictive.

When we count blessings we are open to abundance.

I am so blessed to have this healthy body that moves easily and carries my spirit throughout the day. I thank God for the energy I feel in my body, for the clean air that fills my lungs and water to quench my thirst. I am grateful for my reliable feet, my strong legs and arms that enable me to accomplish so many things every day.

By being grateful for what I have now, it does not mean that I don't want more! I can always desire increased health, more endurance, strength. Part of our human nature is to want more and to be better. There is nothing wrong with that.

My gratitude reminds me that there are so many things in this world--including my body--that are miraculous and amazing...things that are to be loved and cherished...cared for and nurtured.

Gratitude then sets in motion a glorious cycle of love which then brings us more to be grateful for.

Thank you, God, for all the blessings I have in my life. And thank you, readers for your love and support.

To your health! You can achieve it. The potential is in you. Claim it with your gratitude and you will be amazed to see your weight begin to drop.

Weight Loss Insights from a New Perspective: Up on the Roof

I was up on the roof the other day...we had a minor leak that I figured I could handle. Believe me, getting up on the roof is much easier now that I have 120 fewer pounds to hoist up there! And I am a lot less concerned about falling through!

Oh, I digress! The point was really that this experience gave me a couple of insights.

Insight #1

Just about anything can remind me of food!

Possibly this is partly because I am always looking for things I can blog about...but I also know that I have always had a strong visual connection with food.

Some people have thoughts triggered by smells or sounds, but my biggest trigger is sight.

That is why even now where I can have food in the house I find I feel more tempted if I SEE the food. So I put things on higher shelves or deeper back in the freezer, so they are “out of sight out of mind.”

Anyway, even the tar that I put on the roof reminded me of food! As I applied it I thought it was like frosting a cake...and I also noted the consistency was more like brownie batter.

What was great about this insight was the realization that I noticed the observation but was not consumed by it. I was detached from it and therefore I did not start craving either cake or brownies.

Insight #2

More is not always better.

I found in applying the tar that I could really ladle it on thick. But when I did that it tended to ooze out to places I didn’t want.

What worked better was several thinner applications and taking some time to allow each layer to settle.

In the end, the total amount of tar used was maybe the same...but the end result was much better.

I find this is true for eating as well. When I choose to eat large quantities at one time, I feel uncomfortable, bloated...and fat literally oozes in places where I don’t want it—on my body!

If I eat smaller amounts more frequently, the total amount may be the same, but by giving my body and mind time to let it settle I process it better. The end result is that I feel and look better.

Like the roof that does its job of keep things dry when I apply several thin coats of tar, my body does its job of keeping me energized when I feed it several smaller meals throughout the day.

Coffee: Love it or Leave it

I really, really, really like coffee. I mean, I love my coffee. I guess you could say I feel pretty strongly about coffee...

I had my first sips of coffee when I was just 2 years old. Drinking the drops left by adults visiting my parents made this laid-back kid just a bit (!) more hyper.

I didn't start a coffee habit at two, but I do believe the groundwork was probably laid back then.

My first espresso machine was purchased in the 1970s while I was in college. At one point I was literally quite addicted to coffee. I could have...no, it is more accurate to say I had to have...two large espressos (no little demi-tasse for me) before I went to sleep. Then in the morning two more to chase away the headache from lack of caffeine during the night.

I no longer drink such vast amounts of coffee. I have one cup...still, a very large one, not a "regular" mug...pretty much every morning. Occasionally I will have a second. As much as I love the flavor and the experience I know that my body doesn't react well if I have more than that so I resist the temptation to grab a third or fourth.

What has changed about my coffee habit is my consciousness--my mindset about coffee. I used to drink coffee all day long like it was water and as a fuel. Completely unconscious about the quantity I was consuming. It was a zero calorie drink...that was the excuse when I first started.

Of course that went out the window when I started adding milk to my coffee after a trip to Europe where I was exposed to cafe au lait, lattes and cappucinos.

The truth was I liked the flavor and I really liked the energy boost I got from the caffeine. I am still less than hyper and the jolt helped me feel more alive, more productive, more like everyone else in my family!

These days I savor my coffee much more. I don't just have coffee while I'm at my desk working. I enjoy the coffee in the morning. I may be reading...or watching a video...usually some positive affirmations or positive thinking...my personal development time. It is not so much about caffeine...I drink a blend that is very low in caffeine...I enjoy the taste, the feel of the coffee in my mouth and the smell as it reaches my nose just before the liquid touches my tongue.

Ahh.

I know that coffee may not be "the best thing" for me to drink, but my philosophy is that there are no forbidden foods. I know that if I deprive myself then I will tend to go overboard and binge down the road. So I choose to have these treats.

Coffee for me is a treat and a ritual...and a very conscious decision.

You may not like coffee...but there is probably something that you have been told you "shouldn't" have (even if you just told yourself that) but that you get a lot of pleasure out of.

Instead of making that off-limits, consider making it a very special part of your day. Or maybe it is a special once a week treat. Make it a celebration and savor every moment of it. Enjoy the tastes, the smells, the texture...as well as the experience. What steps do you take to prepare it? Incorporate those steps into the enjoyment process. visualize yourself enjoying the experience and allow yourself to anticipate it.

By elevating some simple pleasures in this way we give ourselves a more complete experience. We allow all of our senses to experience the event as well as the food or beverage. This enables us to be more fully satisfied with less than we would if just grabbed it by rote.

Bottom line, my suggestion is to love what you are drinking or eating. Savor it. Celebrate it. Or leave it alone!

Emotional Eating: Grief

I got news on Sunday that a good friend passed away. My friend Alice was a powerful force in this world and I will miss her greatly.

Somehow, even though I knew it wasn't literally possible, it just didn't seem that someone so dynamic could actually die. So even though she would have been 89 this month, this loss has hit me hard.

I'd known Alice for more than half my life--since my freshman year at Cal Poly when she took me under her wing.

While I know she had a wonderful and exciting life--she'd be the first to tell you she had "a good, long run" I will miss her. It doesn't seem to matter how old a person is--when people we care about die we suffer grief at the loss.

How do you handle the grief when you lose a loved one? Unlike a lot of emotional eating, when we grieve, often our reaction is to NOT eat...at least in the beginning.

Because we naturally go numb a bit with grief it is easy to not hear our body's cues about eating. Perhaps this is how the tradition of bringing food to the families of the deceased started.

One of my challenges is till to allow myself to feel my emotions. In this country where you may only have a few days off for the death of a family member and no time for even attending funerals of friends, we are encouraged to push our grief down and to carry on.

While our initial reaction may be to not eat, we often fall back to our old ways of pushing down emotions once the numbness wears thin...to eat unconsciously.

Both behaviors are natural responses and we don't serve ourselves or others to beat ourselves up for either over or under eating at these times. However, we do deserve to remember to care for ourselves as we would want our friends and family to care for themselves.

There is no time limit on grief...it will lessen with time...how much time varies widely.

The best way to get through grief is to feel it. Be gentle with yourself during this time. Eat as healthily as you can because this will better serve you.

Don't be surprised if you feel the pull of comfort foods...either old standbys or new or different foods. I found myself wanting graham crackers and Cheerios...carbs, but not my usual desire for rich and creamy ice cream.

The grief will be temporary and you will, when the time is right for you, come back to your ideal healthy patterns. In the meantime, listen to your body and your spirit and take care of yourself as best you can--and allow others to care for you, too...and know that you are loved.

Self Acceptance Key for Weight Loss

I am really enjoying being on Twitter. If you haven't already gotten an account, go out to Twitter and sign up now. (If you have questions about how to get started let me know--but relax, it is really easy!)

One of the reasons I like Twitter is that I have been able to meet some fantastic people from around the world--people I would never have had the chance to cross paths with otherwise.

One of the great "Tweeps" I have met is Karen Anderson. Her thoughts about weight loss and fitness are fantastic and I want to share them with you. Following is a snippet from a blog post that she wrote that I thought was exceptional. At the end of the "teaser" I've included a link so you can read more that this wise woman wrote (OK, it should be has written but I like the way this sounds!)

In Quest for Health, Self-Acceptance Comes First

...as 2008 came to a close, I was in a pretty bad place. Deep down inside I knew that more than anything, more than a diet or a magic pill, what I needed was to love and accept myself.

Then I heard about a class being offered by a local registered nurse and holistic health counselor. Called “Living Lighter: A Holistic Approach to Weight Loss,” the 12-week class was described this way: “get motivated and find inspiration to keep you on track; leave with tools to help you through your week, including menus, logs, and reminders; learn how to keep your metabolism on all day; let go of the emotional blocks that stand in your way; learn self hypnosis techniques to get your subconscious mind in line with, and supportive of, what you really want; and get started on some physical movement, including isotonic exercises, tai chi, hula-hooping and more.”

My first reaction was, “But I know all of that already! I know how to count calories. I know what healthy food is. I don’t need menus, and I exercise at least five times a week.”

My second reaction was, “yeah, I know all that, but I don’t want to do it.” So the idea of being able to let go of emotional blocks and get my subconscious mind in line with what I really want, attracted me.

I signed up for the class, but many of my old fears surfaced: I was afraid to set a goal and I was afraid it wouldn’t work. I was, at the same time, accepting of practical advice, but also resistant to it. I was not, however, afraid of doing the emotional work. In fact, doing the emotional work resulted in my blog – Why Weight: One Woman’s Journey From Struggle To Acceptance.

Karen's blog is Why Weight: One Woman’s Journey From Struggle To Acceptance
This specific post was written as a guest post to another great blog FitWoman.com, you can read the entire post by clicking HERE.

One of the things that resonates with me about this post is how Karen realized that her emotions were her biggest stumbling block to her weight success. I love how she finally accepted that she had fears and was willing to move forward anyway. How many times have I faced these fears and allowed them to be stronger than my desire for health? It is something we have all done...all of us who are on this journey to health!

I also appreciate her willingness to state that she KNEW what to do already but hadn't been actually DOING it. That is a boat we frequently find ourselves in. Finding the motivation to do what we know is best for us is so frequently the key to our ultimate success!

Thanks Karen for sharing your words and wisdom with me and the world. I know I am better off for having met you...

BTW, you can follow me on Twitter, my handle is Laurie_Tossy. I look forward to hearing from you.

Tweet ya later!