Quick Weight Loss: Inspiration or Deception?

Stories of people who have lost 30, 40, 50, 100 pounds and more are pretty darned inspiring! When I hear stories about people who have lost that much in an extremely short period of time it has a different effect.

Maybe it is just me. Maybe it is because I have done it. And maybe, because I have done it and gained it all back (and more)and seen lots of other people have similar results...just maybe that is the reason red flags shoot up whenever I hear about these amazingly fast results.

I think on the one hand hearing these kinds of stories may make it possible for some folks to say, "Wow, if they can do it, then I can too!" On the other hand, it could seem like a Herculean effort (like in the Biggest Loser) that is beyond most of us mere mortals.

Can I say on the other hand again? I mean, how many hands do I get? Well, on the other hand, if you do work hard and don't achieve massive results fast it can easily lead to thoughts of doubt, shame, guilt and worthlessness...hopelessness. That can't be a good thing for anyone!

The fast results are often more deception than anything else. A deception in that we have not changed our thinking about food and our bodies...and when that is revealed we will not be able to maintain the weight loss.

I realize it is not as "sexy" to lose weight over time...but like a lot of other goals, when we take small steps on a consistent basis we WILL get results. And truth be told, we will have the results faster in the long run because we keep plugging away at it--and we have made the changes that are necessary to sustain our new bodies--and those changes start with our minds, not our mouths!

I'll Thank You to Keep Your Sugar Levels Even

When we allow ourselves to eat excessive sugar--especially the pure stuff...white sugar, corn syrups, etc--we are setting ourselves up for a roller coaster ride.

Not only is this ride not fun for us...well, the highs might be, but the crash down sucks!...Truth is, it is no picnic for our friends, family and co-workers either. And the folks at the next table at the restaurant...or your neighbors...you get the picture.

Rather than "solving" the problem by rushing to get even more sugar, grab some more natural sugar in the form of fruits and vegetables. These complex carbohydrates still break down into sugar in your blood stream...and many taste sweet...but the sugar that is produced by our bodies affects us at a slower, more consistent rate.

So we can have the sweet tastes without the roller coaster ride. I am personally convinced that a large number of people are on antidepressants when what they really need to do is get OFF sugar!

I say that because I was one of them! When you are depressed you grab anything that helps boost your feelings...and sugar will artificially do that...for a while. But it is like any other drug...you end up needing more and more, and more frequently.

Look, I still love sweets as much as the next person...probably more...but I hate how they make me feel. So I make the effort to keep my sugar levels balanced out as much as possible.

By doing that, by taking control of my food, I have not only lost 120lbs, I am completely off anti-depressants and have been for over a year! And that is something to celebrate!

Weight Loss: Set Backs Happen

It can happen that we have set backs--maybe you aren't losing as quickly as you would like...or maybe you even gain a couple pounds.

Sometimes this happens because we "fell off the wagon". Other times if just happens and we are left to wonder why. When I choose to focus on the number on the scale rather than the improvement in my health that "why?" can turn into a negative, self-pitying "whhhhhiiiiiiyeeee?"

As frustrating as it is when you are working really hard and you don't see the results you expect...it is important to remain confident--as much of the time as possible.

That is one of the reasons having a support team is important.

Lance Armstong never won the Tour de France on his own...he had a huge support team helping him. Sometimes they would pick up the pace, other times they would slow it down. At times they let him draft behind him. And that is just the other riders! Then there were the people providing water and snacks. The folks who made sure his gear was ready every day...

Lance also had to keep his head in the right place. He had to think positively and so do you. Just because you are positive and say affirmations doesn't mean you don't have to put in effort...Lance still had to get on the seat and peddle up those hills! But the affirmations and mindset help you to take the right steps and to take them with the confidence you get from knowing your outcome!

Keep pedaling and making the right choices...easily and with confidence because your head is in the right place.Use your support system to help you over the hills and through the valleys.

I Made Myself Fat

In order to get rid of my excess fat I had to realize and accept that I was the one who made me fat.

No one else.

I used to love to blame my mother. Or my genes. Or advertising. Or society. Or illness. Or injury.

How liberating it was to realize that I am responsible for being fat--to realize it and really accept it.

Sure there are outside influences...ones that don't serve us...but every choice that I made that was unhealthy was just that, my choice. Including the times I chose to listen to the outside influences--whatever their message was about my appearance or worthiness or whatever!

When I realized that I had the control...the power...to choose to be fat, a big lightbulb went off. If I can choose to be fat, I can choose to be healthy!

That was the beginning of a wonderful new fork in my journey of life!

While I am not perfect (and maybe that is a good thing!)...I am pleased to say that more often than not I am making healthy choices and my body is reflecting that.

By accepting responsibility for my results, I am claiming my power!

Stop blaming and claim your power! Make your choice for health and know that you are the one who is responsible for where you are right now and where you will be tomorrow and the next day and the next!

Weight Loss Hindered not Helped by Competition

It is my experience that competition (yes, I'm still ranting about the Biggest Loser) hinders rather than helps in weight loss.

Of course different people react differently...so maybe for some it is a good thing...

I think that collaboration and cooperation is a better solution than competition when it comes to our overall health and fitness. When we compete than it is necessary that someone win and therefore someone loses. Ego gets involved. We are either better or worse than another person.

My proposal is that we support and encourage one another...let's not vote one another off or worry about who is the biggest loser! Let's all be big winners!!! We can help each other--sometimes we gentle nudges, sometimes with loving kicks in the behind...and sometimes by leaving each other alone.

The truth is, it is harder to support and encourage with love because we have to put ourselves into the other person's shoes and really listen to them. It is much easier to focus just on ourselves and what we like, how we react...

I have certainly been "guilty" of this--even with this post...so if competition serves you--then use it! I ask that you please use it with others who also thrive on the competition. For like-minded people, competition can be the motivation they need...especially if they truly respect each other!

Competition about my physical appearance has set me up for failure in the past--because I was then comparing myself to others. It seemed that I always came out on the low end of the comparison, no matter what it was about. I was never good enough, pretty enough or my hips were too big or my eyes were crooked..whatever. The comparisons reinforced my negative feelings about myself.

Truth is, I competed just fine in other areas where I had more confidence. But comparing myself to others about my weight and appearance was too personal, too emotional...I was too sensitive about it.

The end result for me was that I gave up! I wasn't making as much progress as "Sue", or my hips were bigger than "Diane's" or because I was fatter than "Joan" or because I was a girl I couldn't lose weight as quickly as "Joe"...all of these comparisons led me down the path of despair and I lost confidence, faith and the desire to even try. If I couldn't be the best, what was the point of trying???

I have been able to shift a lot of my feelings and thoughts...about myself, my value as a human being, being worthy...and that is what allows me to be successful with my weight loss goals...and I still know that I am better served to come from love and support and allow my body and my spirit to be different from Sue, Diane, Joan and Joe...and to allow theirs to be different from mine.

So if you are a winner for health join me in supporting everyone else in their efforts to be healthy and fit and live the best life they possible can!

Biggest Loser Big Lie?

I have never watched the tv show the Biggest Loser...last night I turned the television on to watch a show I had recorded and BL was on...so I checked it out for a bit...

The reason I got "sucked in" was because they were weighing in and Kristin had actually gained 1lb. The shock that registered on the faces of everyone--including her trainer--hit home.

What that one show demonstrated to me was that it is not just a simple equation of calories in vs calories out.

If it was that simple then Kristin would have lost weight that week. Her trainer said she worked really hard and did really, really well that week.

So why didn't she lose weight?

She admitted that she was really stressed and put a lot of pressure on herself and that she was concerned about not making it.

Those mental conditions can be enough to have our bodies "hold on" to some fat. That is a component to weight loss that defies the community that insists it is strictly a mathematical formula.

Look, anyone who has made the effort to lose weight knows that sometimes you drop pounds even if the calorie equation says you shouldn't. And other times you don't when you "should"...

Is it that things balance out in the end? Or is it that the mind is a powerful part of the equation...the hidden factor that like adding a zero to a multiplication table can negate all your results?

I was glad to see the show cut to Kristin a few months later and see her positive attitude was back. My wish for her (and for all of us) is that she continues to see the goodness that is inside her. May she keep tapping into her personal power and keep that dream alive!

As Kristin said, "Change is possible--and you are worth it!"

Yes indeed. We are all worth it. You go, girl!

Positive Self Talk

It is easy for us to think and say negative things about ourselves...we have lots of practice at that. I know I sure have!

Now it is time to practice saying positive things!

Remember getting gold stars in school? Or maybe earning a badge in scouts? Well, you have to give yourself the gold stars now!!!

Do you think you don't deserve it because you haven't got it perfect yet (whatever "it" is...and whatever "perfect" is for that matter) ?

Think back...for me it is a long way back...getting the badge didn't mean that I mastered the task. It meant that I learned something new.

Keep learning and keeping giving yourself badges! Some days those badges will be for pretty little things...other days you'll see you made a huge leap. It doesn't matter right now how big the accomplishment is. What is important is to develop the habit of positive self talk and recognizing when we do "good stuff!"

Sometimes we actually have to look for reasons to celebrate or pat ourselves on the back.

By remembering the positive things we did--it might be that we made a healthy food choice, or we took the stairs, or we did something nice for someone, or we accepted a compliment graciously...see, it can be just about anything...by remembering them we will plant in our brains that we are good and loving...and it will be easier to remember them every day in the future.

Remembering your good stuff helps you to recognize that you are good and worthy...and that you deserve to have your perfect health!

Here's my challenge: at the end of the day come up with at least 5 positive statements about yourself or what you accomplished that day. Remember--they don't have to be health or fitness related...they sure can be, but look at your whole life. 'Cuz that's what it is all about--your whole life.

Then come back here and let me know how you did!

It is Never Too Late to Reach Your Dream

I was blown away when I first saw the YouTube video of Susan Boyle singing on Britain's Got Talent.

In fact, I still get "goose pimples" as Amanda would say...and I've watched that video at least a dozen times.

I find it so inspiring!

Here is a woman, a few years younger than me, stepping out onto a stage (in front of Simon Cowell no less!) and going for her dream!

People in the audience--and the judges--didn't expect much. You could see some were hoping she wouldn't stink...or embarrass herself...others were rolling their eyes--probably thinking "who does she think she is?"

There is a lot of society pressure for us to all "fit in"...but wasn't it wonderful to see the crowd and judges' expressions and reactions the minute that incredible voice came out of Susan?

As people struggling with our weight we have a lot of things in common with Susan.

• We are judged based on our appearance.
• People presume that we are something that we are not.
• We put off going for our dreams because we aren't sure we can--or that we are good enough.
• We have a huge potential inside us--just waiting to bust out!

I am inspired by Susan...to let my light shine...my gift to the world is not singing (boy is that for sure!)...and I don't think I could be that cheeky to Simon Cowell (!) but we each have our own gifts and talents.

Even if we aren't sure we are good enough.

Even if we aren't positive what those gifts are!

What is your dream? And what has been holding you back from achieving it so far?

Let's all commit to taking a step to reach our dreams and live the life that is inside us!

Thank You Oprah! Celebrity Weight Loss Show

This is the conclusion to a series sparked by the recent Oprah Winfrey Show episode on celebrities struggling with their weight, featuring Valerie Bertinelli, Marie Osmond and Star Jones.

Thank you Oprah for the continued inspiration you provide for us to be healthy--physically and emotionally.

I applaud you for putting a spotlight on an issue that plagues many of us. Whether we struggle with 10 pounds or 100.

It is wonderful to have a pubic example of a successful person who "has it all" and yet still faces this challenge.

You allow us to be a bit gentler on ourselves while still encouraging us to take steps towards our best health.

You demonstrate for us that we can be beautiful and successful at any size. That we can love ourselves and still push to make ourselves even better.

By having guests of different sizes, following different programs you help us to remember there is not one single right answer for everyone (as much as you love Bob Greene.)

While we can learn from all of your guests, the diversity you bring to us gives us the opportunity to find someone who we resonate with and can emulate.

Let us all be loved and love ourselves, no matter our size. At the same time, let us love ourselves enough to want to be around enjoying life for many, many years to come.

With that desire and goal in mind, we can and WILL achieve our health goals.

Thanks again Oprah--we love you!

Oprah Celebrity Weight Loss: Healthy Size is Not about a Number

Part 4 of a series sparked by the recent Oprah Winfrey Show episode on celebrities struggling with their weight, featuring Valerie Bertinelli, Marie Osmond and Star Jones.

Marie mentioned a couple of times that she is now a size 2/4. At first I rankled at that, because I knew a size 2/4 is not realistic for many women and because she mentioned it several times. Then I really listened and heard her say "that is a healthy size for me."

Did you catch that? A healthy size for her!!! She points out she has a delicate build. And frankly, in an industry where a lot of her colleagues are a size zero she is not considered skinny. OK...I am feeling better.

Another point that I caught--did you?--is that she said a size 2/4. That's not ONE size, that is a range! She said she fluctuates between the two sizes. Pretty liberating, isn't it?

Look, Marie and I are about the same height. She's 5-5" and I'm 5-6" (almost). That's about where the similarity ends.

I will never be a size 2/4. I am sure I have said that before. That is not a healthy size for me.

When I was extremely skinny (that lasted about 5 minutes in college) I did fit into a size 4 tennis dress--but my shoulder bones demanded a size 12 blouse!

So while a size 14 for Marie was what she wore at her heaviest--almost 50 pounds overweight--a size 14 for me would be a very healthy size for me!

Go for what is healthy for you. Don't aspire to be a size 2/4 if your build demands a 10 or 12 or 16!

Don't let anyone else tell you that there is some magic number on the scale or the rack that you have to fit into.

Please, let's all appreciate and love the diversity of our bodies!

Keep this in mind--Marie is a size 2/4 and weights 125lbs. My mother weighs 119lbs and is a size 10. I don't know what size Oprah was at her "skinniest" but she will tell you in photos where she is showing off her abs she was about 150lbs.

So go for and achieve healthy for YOU. It isn't about a number. It is about how you feel!

Oprah Celebrity Weight Loss: Mindset First

Third in a series based on a recent Oprah Winfrey Show featuring celebrities who have struggled publicly with weight issues.

It was great to see other women roughly my age (okay, in their 40s) successfully lose weight. So many of us have bought into the idea that once we hit 40 we won't be able to achieve a healthy weight--I applaud these women for their success and providing proof that it is indeed possible to lose weight in our middle years.

Although the three celebrities featured, Valerie Bertinelli, Marie Osmond and Star Jones all used different tools on their journey they all had one thing in common that jumped out to me--they all said they had to change their mindset in order to have success!

You MUST become the healthy person in your mind FIRST so that you can maintain that weight. This process will continue to evolve and strengthen as you lose weight.

As Star Jones pointed our, she didn't even know what she would look like because she had been obese her entire adult life.

You don't have to see yourself as a size 2/4 ala Marie. Start by seeing yourself a size or 2 smaller than you are now. See yourself making healthy choices. See yourself happy and energetic.

This is truly where any successful, permanent weight loss program must start.

From there, you can choose a healthy food and or exercise plan (including surgery) that fits your needs, your goals, your life situation, to help accelerate your progress.

No matter what plan you choose--you have to ultimately learn how to eat on your own. There is no magic pill or surgery that does that for you.

Get education and tools to help you make healthy choices. This education may be part of a food program, or it may be separate.

Again, the most important place to start and to continue to focus is your mind...by putting the emphasis there you will empower yourself and ensure you success!

I'll repeat myself a bit because it is so important--Visualize yourself healthy. See yourself doing things free from the pain or challenges that the excess pounds create. Feel in your heart the joy and energy you have in your life and the gratitude for this 'new' life!

Tomorrow we'll continue this series with a discussion on what is a healthy size for you.

Oprah Celebrity Weight Loss Show: Public Accountability

Following up on yesterday's post about the recent Oprah Winfrey Show episode on Celebrity Weight Loss Struggles...

Both Valerie Bertinelli and Marie Osmond chose to make their weight loss very public when they chose to be spokes persons for Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem, respectively.

This public declaration has some risks to it. It did put some added pressure on them to stick with the program...and subject them to possible criticism if they didn't lose weight "fast enough" or lose "enough" weight or, Heaven forbid, they actually failed--dropped out of the program and gained weight!

It also provided them with a level of support! There were lots and lots of people really rooting for them and celebrating their success with them!

Well, you can make your own public declaration! The big advantage you have is that you get to choose who that public is!!!

You may want just one "accountability partner." Or you may prefer to announce your decision to a small (or large) group at work or in your neighborhood.

Unlike Valerie and Marie (don't you love that we are now on a first name basis?) because you get to select your 'public' you also get to tell them your goals and what support you want from them.

• Do you want people to monitor what you eat? (that doesn't work for me, but some people thrive on it)
• Do you want a cheering section?
• Do you want someone to call when you are facing a challenge?
• Do you want someone to call YOU on a regular basis to check in and see how you are doing?
• Do you want a workout buddy?

If you don't tell people the type of support you want (and do not want) then you are leaving it up to them to decide. And they will most likely decide based on what THEY would want. So you might find yourself with your own food police or National Enquirer exposes--even if that embarrasses you or sets you up for a feeding frenzy.

So make your "public" declaration, choose your support team and help them to help you by letting them know what support you want to receive!

Tomorrow I'll touch on one of the points that all three women had in common for their successful weight loss...

Oprah Celebrity Weight Loss Show

I rarely watch television live...my schedule just doesn't allow for that. So I tivo shows that interest me...like the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Recently Oprah featured three celebrities who have struggled with their weight--Marie Osmond, Valerie Bertinelli and Star Jones.

This single show has sparked several things in me and so this is the start of a series based on that one show and the stories these three women shared.

I get that this struggle about weight is tough for them because they are in the public eye. However, I really don't believe their struggles are any different than our own. Like everything else in the life of a celebrity, the scale is bigger--and I'm not talking about the one you step on Star.

Their very public struggle was precisely what gave them the opportunity to be on this show and to be a spokes person (or poster child) for a program. So while they didn't like the publicity when they were heavy, they chose to have it during this part of the journey. This may have been partly to keep them on the path (pubic accountability) and partly to help inspire others.

Whether you are in the view of the entire world, your town, your place of work, or just in view of your family and friends, the stresses of weight loss and gain are the same.

Some people will support you. Others won't believe you will make it--and if you do, they won't believe that you can keep it off. And still others will try to sabotage your efforts--either by bringing you "presents" or by pointing out your flaws--maybe 'thunder thighs' in a certain outfit--one that you were so proud to fit into. This would be our equivalent to the unflattering photos in the National Enquirer!

The bottom line is that you have to be the one who determines IF you will lose weight.

Someone else may help give you a wake up call, but you have to do it for yourself. Marie Osmond's kids may have told her that they want her to be around for her grandkids, but she had to want to make the change for herself in order for her to persevere and succeed.

Tomorrow we'll talk more about this public accountability and choosing your support group!

Sadly I Will Eat the Carrots

It isn't that I don't like carrots...I do...it is just that my favorite way to enjoy carrots is by feeding them to the horses that winter over in the pasture across the street. I buy carrots in bulk at Sam's Club. Take a few or a bag over and get some horsey-love.

Well, these long-legged buddies were trailered away to the mountains this week.

The trailer came earlier than usual...so now I have carrots left.

So I guess it is all up to me now!

I eat raw carrots from time to time...but not daily. Too many negative associations with carrots as low-calorie food to fill the belly and keep the mouth busy--from years (and years) of less than stellar dieting attempts!

These days I no longer have the need to chew or otherwise keep my mouth occupied (although people who hear me talk might beg to differ!) And I no longer adhere to diets. Nor do I count calories...so having a frig full of carrots has a really positive connection to my buddies.

So I will go into mini-mourning. Happy for them as they are in the gorgeous canyon enjoying their retirement. Missing the sight of them as they frolic in the fields nearby.

Here's a toast to the herd--with carrot juice, of course!

Smiling Leads to Weight Loss

Not because you burn more calories when you smile (although maybe we do), but the act of smiling can actually help you lose weight.

How's that you ask?

Smiling and feeling joyful are great positive aspects of our lives. When we are smiling we are appreciating something in our lives.

This morning I was smiling as I was walking...I was so grateful for the glorious day, the sunrise, the horses in the pasture, the pink reflections in the clouds, on the water on the mountains, and even on the houses in the neighborhood.

I believe that by feeling joy and being grateful for what we have, whether it is that we have the energy and ability to walk in the fresh air, or that we are able to get out of bed today, or whatever little or big thing you can find to be grateful about...we are opening ourselves up to receiving more things to feel grateful about. Including a healthier and more slender body!

This gratitude and happiness helps us to release the emotional bonds that are keeping the fat stuck to us--even if we are "doing everything right"...I don't know how else to explain it...but the calories in vs calories out model does not always work, so there has to be some other component!

When I am truly appreciating what IS, then I am not worrying about what might be or what was. I find that I gain weight when I am more focused on the past or the future rather than enjoying the moment.

On the other hand, when I am in the present and I am wrapped in that pleasantness...when I allow those feelings to seep into my body I feel a satisfaction that is...well, as good as chocolate slowly melting on my tongue! With a whole lot less in calories!

Breathe Right for Weight Loss

Take a deep breath, in and out.

Breathing is not only essential to life, it is an important part of our fitness and weight loss routines!

In order to achieve the best benefit we must breathe correctly!

You mean there is a wrong way to breathe????

We all breathe unconsciously...that is one of the wonders of the human body. But most of us take shallow breaths which don't gather in all the oxygen our bodies crave. And if we take a deep breath we often focus on expanding our lungs--by raising our shoulders. Check it out in the mirror. Take a deep breath. Did it look like you were shrugging?

Expand our lungs, raise the shoulders--seems logical, doesn't it? But it is wrong...

To get a good, deep, fully oxygenated breath, we must breathe from our diaphragm--that area above your belly button. To train yourself into breathing correctly, sit down or lie on your back. Place your hand on your stomach--and think about pushing your hand forward with every breath in.

Practice breathing this way every day for a minute or two...or five is even better. With practice, breathing from your diaphragm will be 2nd nature. These deeper breaths get more oxygen to your bloodstream--and more oxygen helps our bodies to process our foods, burn body fat and use more calories...so just by breathing correctly we can accelerate our weight loss!

Now take that correct breathing and add fresh air as suggested by my friend Dr. Linda (Wellness Tips from Dr Linda: #3 Healthy Habit) and you have a winning combination!

My Time is NOW and I am Ready

This is a quote from Dr. Barbara DeAngelis...I was listening to a talk she gave a while back and it really resonated with me. She wasn't talking about weight loss and health goals, but she was spwaking generally about anything and everything. Her emphasis typically is about love and relationships...and during this talk she was talking about our purpose and inter-connectedness.

The key point to come away with is that it is YOUR commitment that matters.

Declare that you are ready. Repeat with me, "My Time is NOW and I am Ready!"

Let's try that again--with more feeling. Put your hand on your chest so you can really feel the words as they resound through your body, "My Time is NOW and I am Ready!"

Much better! Now you are ready. To be the person that YOU are meant to be.

You can do ANYTHING. You can BE anything. Follow your heart and you will create YOUR best, healthy, fit body.

"My Time is NOW and I am Ready!" That is a great general, positive affirmation! OK, now it is time to go workout.

Confessions of a Reluctant Exerciser

It is a wet snowy, rainy morning.

To be honest, my hip hurts, my shoulder hurts, my back hurts and I don't really feel like working out

And I thought, I don't have to. I get to take a day off every week. I could take today off. And I almost did.

And then I said you--no, just be gentle with yourself and your workout. Do extra stretching. Walk inside since it is cold and snowy outside. Don't do some of the strenuous stuff you do a lot of days. Just some gentle walking and go for at least 15 min. Do 15 minutes and then if you want to stop, stop.

Think how much better you will feel because you have stuck to your routine of even just a little more exercising, a little more movement than doing nothing at all.

I am proud that I stuck to the word to myself. I made the commitment to better health and I am sticking with it--even when maybe I don't really feel like it. Yay me!!!

It doesn't take a lot of effort. It is the small changes and being consistent in implementing those small changes.

Program Your Mind to Lose Weight While You Sleep

One of the keys to help you lose weight, or make any positive changes in your life, is to program you mind to think in new ways.

Here's a tip from Mark Victor Hansen, co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books:

Give yourself "thought commands" before you go to sleep.

Basically, this is setting your intention for the next day and making positive affirmations. Do this as you lie in bed and are drifting off to sleep.

By doing this, you are putting positive information into your subconscious (your metaphysical bank account) and giving it time to go to work on that information. You wake up having already earned interest on that account--even if you are not consciously aware of the process or result.

For example, you set the intention that you are moving forward with your health goals. State your affirmations in the present-tense, first person.

Here are some examples, pick a couple that feel good to you.

• I desire healthy foods.
• I love myself and take care of my body.
• I make healthy food choices easily.
• I move my body effortlessly throughout the day.
• I exercise joyfully on a regular basis.
• I am open to the possibility that I can achieve my ideal body weight.
• I have perfect health.
• My body burns fat efficiently.
  

If you find yourself negating what you are saying, keep repeating the affirmation...or try one that you can say without having any negative responses. Be sure to keep your thoughts positive as you drift to sleep.

Sweet & healthy dreams!