Weight Loss Tip: Do What Works for You Not What Works for "Them"

We are all different and sometimes that means what works for one person, ie our teachers, parents, best friends, co-workers, doesn't work for us.

This is true for just about every facet of our lives, including successful weight loss.

I firmly believe there is no one plan, diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle that will work for all of us. What is universal is how much our attitude plays a role in our weight loss success.

One of the best weight loss tips I can offer is for you to find something that helps you to feel good about yourself and moving towards your health goals...in other words, be loving towards yourself...and you will have success.

On the other hand, if you are constantly criticizing yourself and the progress you are (or are not) making, comparing yourself to others then you will not have success. At least, not permanently.

Don't "should" yourself into further failure, as in

• It should work for me, it is how Sue/Mary/Bob lost weight
• I should be able to stick with this

Criticizing ourselves and "shoulding" ourselves only makes us wrong and puts our focus on what we don't want. Shift that focus to what you DO want.

So look at what you are doing a little more objectively and with love. Evaluate it as you would help your best friend out...without judging her as wrong or bad. And if you find that what you have been doing isn't working, then be open to the possibility that something else might work for you and it is time to try a different path.

Begin to focus on positive things that work for you, help remind you of your success, how you deserve health, what your goal is, and that you can do it.

Here are some ideas or tools that have worked for me or people I know

• Daily affirmations
• Dream board (or vision board) with images that represent the body & life you want
• Meditation, or visualize your healthy body
  
• Pictures of yourself when you were a healthy (healthier) weight
• Post positive messages on your mirror
• Picture of a bikini
• Find a weight loss (or walking) buddy
  
• Loving notes in or on the cupboard/freezer/frig reminding you to think before you eat
• Listen to (or watch) positive body image messages
• Write in a journal WHY you want to change your body, your successes & challenges
• Express gratitude for the current level of health you have & the possibility of even more

You don't have to do them all...and not all of these techniques will work for you, so feel free to use what feels good and throw away the rest! Or use them to springboard an entirely different idea that helps YOU...and if you come up with one, let me know what it is--post it in a comment here so other people who are struggling can benefit from your weight loss success!

Love Yourself to Lose Weight

The way to start to lose weight--and to keep it off--is by loving yourself.

I don't mean that you are stuck up...or think you are better than anyone else (that isn't love!)...just have an honest love for the being that is YOU...

It is often so much easier for us to love other people than ourselves. We often feel that we don't deserve it. Maybe we even think that "if people only knew the truth, they wouldn't love us"...

Well, lots of people have that thought...and the REAL truth is that we are not perfect AND we are still loveable. Most of us have not done anything that is all that horrible, and the reasons we feel we are not worth of love are pretty superficial, or are false messages that we have ingrained into our heads from childhood!

It is a simple thing...not to be confused with an easy thing...but it does start with love. When we love ourselves we take care of ourselves...after all, we care for things we love, right?

If "love" is too difficult a word, then start with appreciating or respecting yourself...or even start by being open to the possibility that just maybe you ARE worth it.

Look, if you have struggled with your weight and been on lots of diets without success, then what you are doing isn't working...so maybe there is a different way to go about it that will work. This is how I started and I have successfully lost 125lbs, so I KNOW that it works!

Loving yourself is going main stream, too...if you want help remembering to love yourself you can even get a t-shirt that will help remind you! Shirts are available at retailers, if you want to learn more you can visit the site www.loveyourself.com

Weight Loss Tip: Focus on the Positive

How many times do we find fault with ourselves? We're too fat, our hips are too big, our belly sticks out, we're out of shape, we eat too much...

Instead of finding fault with ourselves, if we really want to achieve health, we want to turn our focus on the positive.

So, think about what is working in your life? What is good about your body? What blessings do you have that you can express gratitude for freely?

I could choose to bemoan that my build is such that I will never be a beauty queen (I'm too short, or my bones are too big, or, the list could go on) or I can choose to be grateful that I have good strong bones and muscles that carry me through life easily!

It is all about choice and how you want to look at it...so why not choose an attitude that is supportive and positive? Not only will you feel better, you will be more fun to be around AND you will find that you start to lose weight as you are more positive and loving about your body!

I love that my taste buds let me experience a variety of flavors, I am grateful that I have a strong body, I am thrilled with the progress I have made in achieving health, I give thanks that my eyes see the beauty around me...

I am strong, generous, kind, loving and gifted...

How about you? What will YOU choose to focus on today?

Wash Away the Fat

I was washing my face this morning and had a realization...how many times when I wash my face am I looking for the imperfections? Instead of focusing on what is "wrong" in the mirror, how about I put my attention on what is "right?"

I like to do affirmations in the mirror...I do that most days. This morning I did not...because I was enamored of the sunrise, so I did my mini workout and affirmations in the glory of the view outside.

So when I went to wash my face, it was my first "visit" with my image today. I noticed that my first reaction was to be self-critical! Wow! That was an eye-opener! I've been working at being loving towards myself and positive...and still these thoughts do come up.

Was it because I had not already done affirmations in the mirror that the less-than-positive thoughts came up? Or was I just more aware of my thoughts this morning.

I'm going to guess that my awareness level was up...

Fortunately, because I was aware I was able to change my thoughts right then.

This is my goal whenever I have any thought that is less-than...of course sometimes I am more successful at it than others, but it is a great goal.

I apply this process to my image--not just my face, but my entire body. That is one of the main ways I have been able to lose 125 pounds. Weight loss and mindset really do work together! When I think that I ugly or notice some fat that is hanging around and feel negative about it...when I do that, it tends to hang around longer!

On the other hand, when I notice some fat and recognize that it is just a remnant of some past thoughts and focus on the strength and health of my body...then I notice that the fat tends to release and disappear. And in the meantime, I feel emotionally a lot better--talk about a win-win situation!

Losing weight through positive attitude and positive thinking is possible. It may not happen overnight, but it will provide you with lasting health. Sometimes losing weight starts with washing your face!

Letting Go Leads to Lightness

Continuing on with the story of my cleaning up the basement and how that is similar to my weight loss story...

Sunday I found it easy to sort through the documents and photos...I kept a handful that had special meaning and the rest went either into recycling or the trash.

It felt so wonderful when I went to the recycling center and dropped off 3 large boxes and bags of papers. It was a bit sad that photos end up in the landfill...double prints seem to be the environmental equivalent of "super size me!"

I feel lighter and more positive as a result of this housecleaning. THis is how I feel when I take care of my body by eating well and moving more.

Since I don't believe in coincidences I KNOW there is a connection. I let go of "stuff" Sunday...and the emotional attachment to the stuff...this allowed me to lighten my literal load as well.

I started Sunday doing forgiveness exercises and so I started psychically lighter...and then I finished physically lighter.

That is a direct correlation to how it has worked with my weight loss success! Start with the mind and the body follows!

Are Your Memories Making You Fat?

Are you holding on to the past? Here's a weight loss tip: let the stuff go and the fat will follow!

I was cleaning out some boxes in the basement yesterday--old papers from when I was hired at jobs I had left behind years ago.

And photos. Lots of photos. Of scenes I don't remember. Some common. Some beautiful. None significant enough to place in an album, but here they were 10, 20 years later still being lugged around...still filling up my space.

In the trash (or recyling) all this stuff went...and I feel so much lighter!

What does this have to do with weight loss? Well, losing weight is a very similar process.

I can't tell you how many times I looked at those boxes and said I "should" go through them. And how many times I started to and stopped because "I might need them some day" or "I might WANT that SOME day".

How many times did I pretty much say the same thing about losing weight? I "should" and "some day" were favorite phrases.

It wasn't until I was ready mentally to shed my physical excess baggage that I could do it.

Holding on to "stuff" is what keeps us fat...cluttered in our bodies, our minds and our environment.

Let go of the past. Release the memories that no longer serve you...the stuff that is just hanging around not helping you. When you are ready to do that, you will find the fat starts to melt away.

Ego Keeps Itself Safe and You Fat

Eckhart Tolle teaches us that our ego's job is to survive and therefore it will do just about anything to do that...including having us play "roles" that may not serve us in the long-run. Playing these roles can lead to overeating...continued from yesterday's post...Fattening Roles to Drop

When I would overeat (aka binge) I would then tell myself I was stupid or I had no willpower or that I was a fat slob. Those were all judgments, not facts.

Now if I feel the urge to stuff my face, I can look behind that feeling and (sometimes) figure out WHY. Turns out it isn’t because of some giant personal flaw! Typically I find that when I have this temptation it is because I am doing something that doesn’t feel good or authentically me...or I am not taking care of myself and am over fatigued.

At that point, the point I realize this, I have the opportunity to choose. I can choose to be more authentically me in the best way I can, given the situation. I can choose to separate the situation from myself by recognizing that it just IS...and that my thoughts and emotions are independent of it, and then I can work to change how I’m feeling...as Abraham teaches to “reach for a better feeling thought.” Or I can choose to suppress my feelings by drugging myself, whether that is with food, alcohol, drugs or even over exercising!

What helped me when I did choose to overeat in order to hide from my feelings was to consciously acknowledge that was what I was doing. I would literally say out loud “I know that I am eating to push down my feelings of fear (or discomfort or pain or anger) and I give myself permission to do this...this is a way I have developed to protect myself and right now, at this moment, it does serve me”

By giving myself permission to overeat I accomplished 2 things. 1) I tended to actually eat less and 2) I stopped beating myself up for doing it!

This is a wonderful place to start. From here it is possible to build up other coping skills.

This may sound strange, but I am actually grateful for my past overeating and the fat that resulted from it. Why? Because I know this was a tool that I used, one that my ego developed, to protect itself. It kept me alive at times. It also was, admittedly, a way for me to get some attention that my ego obviously wanted.

I no longer want that attention and I no longer need fat to protect me. But when I didn’t know anything else, my fat shielded me and helped keep me safe. How can I possibly be angry about that? I was doing the absolute best I could at the time.

Our minds and bodies are incredibly amazing things. They will work extremely diligently to keep us alive...they will creatively find ways to get this done...that is their number one priority.

It is OUR job to be as conscious as possible so we are in control of how we are living. When we actively choose our actions, our thoughts and thereby our emotions, then we can truly have the healthy, slender body that we are designed to have...and that we all deserve.

Fattening Roles (Not Rolls) to Drop

What roles are you playing and how does that affect your weight?

“In many cases, happiness is a role people play, and behind the smiling façade, there is a great deal of pain”

Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth

This is a common role in the US where sadness and anger are not acceptable. We ask “how are you?” or “How’s it going?” but we don’t really want an honest answer...it is really a long way of saying “hi.”

We can become so immersed in this role that we aren’t even aware of our own unhappiness. Sometimes this role is magnified by other roles we take on like, “The good girl” or the “perfect wife and mother”. These are common roles for women who struggle with their weight.

We want to be liked and approved of...Tolle teaches that this is the ego—a very natural response. The trouble with this desire is that we often allow it to overshadow our true selves. When our efforts to please others, or to be perfect, or to be liked, cut us off from our true inner nature we will at some point rebel...and either punish or comfort ourselves someway...or both.

For me, this was accomplished by overeating and drinking. I was not being authentic, so my falseness and my dishonesty was quite stressful... I use food to calm myself and I got fat too, as a way of proving to myself and the world that I wasn’t perfect.

Tolle tells us to acknowledge our feelings, even the ‘negative’ ones. In the teachings of Abraham we are also taught his. Don’t pretend to be happy if you are not.

Figure out why you are having these feelings. Is there a situation that is influencing the emotion? Can you do anything about it? Can you remove yourself form the circumstance? If you cannot literally remove yourself then perhaps you can do it mentally.

The events around us do not CAUSE our emotions. We are 100% responsible for them. If we choose to keep thinking negative thoughts about an event and therefore feel bad about it...well, that’s up to us.

Our challenge is to keep the situation—the actual facts—distinct from our thoughts about it. Our thoughts lead to our feelings, you see?

Stuffing ourselves with food in order to suppress our emotions does not allow us to separate from them. In fact we will, consciously or not, create more negative feelings as a result. This is the key reason emotional eating leads to obesity.

By breaking that pattern and observing our emotions and the triggers of them we can free ourselves from the unhappiness that pushes us to overeat.

continued tomorrow

Exercise Your Attitude

I hear people saying all the time about how much they hate to exercise.

Even Oprah will tell us how she hates it--she does it anyway, but that she hates doing it.

I think it is time we really take a look at that.

Are we likely to keep doing something we hate? No. If we merely dislike it, or don't derive great pleasure from, perhaps. But hate? Not likely.

So how can we make exercise more fun?

First, don't think you have to workout for hours every day. I just don't believe that is necessary for most people. But if you believe it is--then it will be!

I work out for about 15-20 minutes in the morning, do some stretches, all told about 30 minutes. Then most evenings I go for a brisk walk. A nice break, some fresh air, beautiful skies. And some exercise, but it isn't like it is work or anything.

I enjoy moving my body in the morning. Some days I just play with it. I might sing songs or dance. I've been known to make silly faces while I move around...just to elicit a smile from myself.

Smiling and feeling good about what you are doing will help you reach your goal much more than trudging along on that treadmill, sweating and counting the seconds until you get off.

SO if you exercise routine is a real drag, then dust off the attitude and find a way that you can move more AND enjoy it.

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!

Celebrate Your Independence From Fat

Claim your independence from the chains of restrictive diets and the shackles of cravings.

Make your declaration that you can drop those extra pounds and no longer be a slave to food.

Celebrate your freedom from the bondage of fear, doubt, regret and recrimination.

It is possible for you to gain liberty and have your health!

You can drop those unwanted pounds off like tea in Boston Harbour.

Not by restriction, but by refusing to diet and instead changing your beliefs about yourself and standing up for your own truth. This is how we gain our independence and claim our sovereignty over our own bodies!

Don't Try Driving Forward Looking in the Rearview Mirror

Judging your weight loss success on the scale is like driving forward while looking in the rearview mirror.

The number on the scale is merely evidence of what you have done in the past. Set your sights on what you can do now. Change your thinking, be positive, know that you deserve health.

In order to make forward progress we have to look through the windshield!

Look forward to achieving your health!

You don't have to be able to see the entire route, just the next few steps ahead of you!

Relax, Refuse to Diet and Let the Sunshine In

Whatever action you take in a state of negativity will create more outer resistance and the universe will not be on your side.

If the shutters are closed, the sunlight cannot come in.

When you yield internally, when you surrender, a new dimension of consciousness opens up. If action is possible or necessary, your action will be in alignment with the whole and supported by creative intelligence.

Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth

When we diet becase we "should" we are approaching our health from a state of negativity. Everything seems harder. Our cravings may increase, we may have more aches and pains or injuries. We may find more situations come up that seem to thwart our goals.

When we come from a state of peace about ourselves, wanting the best health, to be in alignment with our inner being, then these challenges seem to melt away.

Do they actually appear less often? Are we just less aware of them? Or are we better able to handle them when they do arise?

I can't say for certain and to me it really doesn't matter. It FEELS like they come up less and that they are less strong when they do.

I notice that thte times when I have the biggest challenges in maintaining my healthy choices, these are the times when I feel my aches and pains more, or when I feel the pull to overeat. These tend to be the times when I have "too much to do" and neglect my spirit.

Maybe I don't do my affirmations. Perhaps I don't stretch my body. Or I don't sit in quiet. I might not write.

When I don't do the things that feed my soul, when I am not being that person, that is when the "Old Laurie" shows up and brings with her doubt and fear.

I am so blessed to have wonderful friends, family and teachers who help me to recognize when she arrives so I can send her on her way before she unpacks all her baggage!