Weight Loss Success and Happiness Linked

I graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo back a few hundred years ago...and even then the city was a great place to live, work and study.

Today, SLO or "SLO Town" as we lovingly called it, is ranked the No. 1 city in the United States for overall emotional health. Not surprisingly, physical health also ranks high there as well, including low rates of obesity...some 9% points below the national average in fact!

Coincidence?

I think not.

Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones, a book that teaches us how to live longer, healthier lives, long touted by Dr. Oz, has a new book soon to be published entitled, Thrive. You can preorder the book through Random House by using this link. The book isn't actually available until Oct. 19, 2010.

In Thrive, Dan connects happiness to our health and fitness...and what may surprise some folks, connects art with happiness!

Being a sculptor myself, I find this as no surprise. Art has a way of tapping into our emotions, often without our conscious awareness of it. Looking at a sculpture or painting can bring our feelings of joy or anger...and artists have long used that ability in order to engage audiences and patrons.

In the book, Dan mentions the former mayor of SLO, Ken Schwartz, and that he likes to quote a Persian proverb:

If you have but two coins, use one for bread to feed the body and the other for hyacinths to feed the soul.

Dan continues that art is like flowers, that both feed the soul and claims that,

Happy people usually have access to art--painting, film, sculpture, theater, music--and live in places that are attractive to the eye.

It is a natural extension then, that if we want to be happy, healthy and more slender that we should take time to appreciate things that nourish our soul. What nourishes your soul? Are you energized or calmed when looking at flowers (hyacinth or other blooms)...the mountains or the sea? The grasslands? Beautiful trees reaching for the skies? Cloud-filled vistas? Or paintings or sculpture?

Or are you touched by listening to music? Poetry? Watching a theatrical performance? Film? A dance?

Beauty is, as the saying goes, in the eye of the beholder...but finding beauty around you and appreciating it is more than just a treat for the eye!

Just goes to prove my theory that weight loss is not just about what you put in your mouth, it is truly what you put into your mind and spirit.

Mixing Up How I Move It to Lose It

This week has been hectic...but then if I'm being honest it seems like every week is hectic!

That means I have to make a conscious decision to move my body more and to set that as a priority...

In the past, it was easy for me to say I was "too busy" to exercise...or I was "too tired" because it had been a long day.

Because I have shifted my mindset for weight loss and now look at this as a health journey and that I deserve to have a healthy, energetic, slender body I know that I must make being more active a priority.

Really, this turns out to be a selfish thing...I just feel better when I move every day. Sure, some days I'm tired or it doesn't seem like I can fit it in...that is when a little creativity and determination come in. It is easy to get out of the habit if we don't make our health a priority.

So this week I committed to walking every night and doing at least 15 minutes in the morning. Every night I've gone for a nice long walk. By going with a friend who has a naturally quicker pace than I do it is easier for me to push this to a brisker, slightly-hard-to-breathe pace than my usual casual stroll! And one day this week I actually pushed her, which was a fun turn around!

Every night we drove to a different location for our walk. This gave us variety in the terrain and also in the views. One night we saw this incredibly beautiful, vibrantly colored bird that neither of us recognized. (Well, I recognize things like robins, herons, pelicans and not a whole lot more!) This inspired me to do a little research online...I found it...we say an Oriole...and since birding isn't my thing I have already forgotten which type of oriole it was! Oh well...I didn't know we had orioles here in Colorado, so I learned something and I am definitely on the lookout for it again!

Today I will be working in the yard most of the day, so my morning routine was just to stretch and get prepared. Tonight I might just have a casual stroll...again, to stretch out a bit...since I will have been digging and hauling for many hours during the day.

By having this variety...and even more...I keep it interesting and keep myself motivated. I make moving my body fun and therefore I keep at it! I love walking in the cool evening air and enjoying the sunset or dusk falling over the mountains. It is just one of my favorite times of the day. It also has the added benefit of getting me up off my chair (where I am most days since I work at a computer)...instead of moving from computer to couch and watching television, I am outdoors!

Pick a couple different places where you can walk (or ride your bike or whatever)...how can you get more variety into your activity? What fills you with awe or wonder or joy? What inspires you so you want to do it again? Those are the sorts of activities that, even if they aren't officially "exercise" can count...they get you moving your body, exchanging oxygen, and break you out of the rut of being at home or indoors.

I think I'm ready to tune up my bike and try that next week--how about you?

For Weight Loss Success Let Go of Control

We stuff our faces in an attempt to control our feelings. We arrange our days and our lives to control our environment and interactions with others. Then when other people don't follow our plan, we feel out of control...and when we feel out of control we eat.

It is ironic that our desire to be in control leads us to overeating and being overweight...and feeling like we are out of control! At least regarding food. We may feel in control about everything else in our lives, but weak when it comes to chocolate, ice cream, pasta...or whatever poison soothes the savage beast inside of us.

Because we become overweight others may seek to change us--to control our appearance or actions. It may be because our appearance is unpleasant to them, or because they are concerned for our health. Whether you are a model told by the industry you would look better and get more jobs if you just lost 10 pounds, or you are a stay-at-home mom being told by her doctor she needs to lose 100 lbs, it is no one else's business to tell you what you "should" do or who you should be. It is your business and yours alone to decide who you are and what you want in your life...

That being said there are times when we can you some help. When we have addictions (to food or anything else) our judgment can be clouded. In that case it can be helpful to seek input from others...but still, the decision is ultimately our own to make...it is our life, our choice, our decision.

Make the decision that you will no longer attempt to control the outside world. Face that you cannot control conditions and others. It will amaze you at how liberating that decision can be!

You only have to control our reactions to your feelings...with the goal of feeling good about yourself...your body, your life, your being.

It does not serve anyone...not you, not your family, not your employer, not the world...for you to suffer and be miserable in an attempt to reach a goal--whether that goal is self-inspired or imposed upon you by others.

Look down the road a bit. See yourself as the happy person you want to be. Focus on that feeling...every day and every moment. Focus on feeling good, feeling healthy and expect improvement...and you will receive and achieve it...without having to control anything!

Letting go of the need to control will actually be the ticket to freeing you to actually get what you want in the first place--a healthy, energetic and slender body!

Lose Weight Naturally by Having Fun

Last night a good friend came to visit...well, actually the husband of my very good friend Diane. He was in town on business and stopped by for a couple hours...we had a fantastic visit...enjoyed a great meal...it was really good to see him. One of the things I noticed was how much longer our meal lasted...because we were all so busy chatting...our hunger was satisfied and we had a lot of fun, too. It reminded me that enjoying life is part of the secret to losing weight naturally!

An interesting thing happened during the course of the "tour" of the house (it was his first visit since I moved to this house) he saw a galley copy of my book, Refuse to Diet...now, he's seen the physical changes in me and not said much...but at seeing the book his eyes lit up.

He was really impressed that I actually have a book that is "real" and asked how and when I did it. Lots of other people have been asking about my book, too (which will be available next month--soon, very soon!)

So I wanted to share some info with you in case you have a book inside you that is ready to come out, but you just aren't sure how to do...

Writing a book is a very exciting thing...and it was a lot of fun...and I think we all deserve to have as much fun in our lives as possible! By having fun we fill our lives with joy and, frankly, we are less apt to overeat when we are loving life! So, you can write a book and lose weight, too!

Don't think you have to be a "great writer" in order to write a book...I'll share a few tips I learned from my "writing coach" Donna Kozik that helped me get over the fear of the red pencil (remember high school English class--YIKES!)

Book Writing Tip 1: Select a topic that's an "inch wide, mile deep." It's easier and faster to write, and readers like books that are very topic specific.

Book Writing Tip 2: Keep your book short & powerful-it doesn't have to be your version of "War and Peace." The upside of this type of book is that it's easier for people to read in one sitting or while on a plane ride.

Book Writing Tip 3: The key to getting finished is getting started! It sounds simple, yet it's very true. There's power just in getting started.

Book Writing Tip 4: Start writing where you're most passionate. It might not be Chapter One and instead could be Chapter Five. Again, the key is to get started and build momentum.

Book Writing Tip 5: Don't consider yourself a writer? "Talk" your book. Record, transcribe, edit and - wah lah - you have a completed manuscript.

Another thing that freed me up was when Donna really encouraged me to write like I talk...to be myself. After all, when you are writing it is YOUR book...not one written by Hemingway or Dickens or by fill-in-the-blank-with-name-of-your-favorite-author!

For more book writing and book publishing information, join in a special teleseminar series being conducted by my coach, colleague and friend, Donna Kozik. You can find out more here, plus see a cool video Donna put together with a tip on how to build buzz for your book-before you even start writing it!

Experience more joy in your life--write what you love and you get to experience that passion again and again...and share it with others! Have fun, Refuse to Diet, and lose weight naturally!

Weight Loss Tip: Feel LIFE

I have fought my emotions for a large part of my life.

I thought I was unique, but I have learned that lots of people are uncomfortable with emotions.

We have emotions...that is part of being human. And we are taught early on not to express them...or not to express certain emotions...at least in public.

Little boys are taught not to cry. Little girls are taught not to be angry. Stereotypes of course...but you get the picture. We are pretty much taught to try to keep it calm all our lives. Like that is possible!

We are hushed if we get too excited, perked up if we are too quiet. We are soothed if we are upset.

We are made to feel like our emotions are wrong...or bad...or by extension we are wrong or bad.

Our emotions aren't good or bad...they just are. We were given emotions for some reason...so I'm sure they serve a purpose. I don't have to enjoy the roller coaster that I sometimes feel, but it does seem that I have to take the ride from time to time.

I used to try to squelch my emotions. I thought I could control my feelings...love, hate, fear. All I did was keep them at bay temporarily. When they got really big I ate to feel better. Trouble was I had to eat more and more just to get by...not to feel good...just to not feel bad.

That did not work out well for me. I wound up fat. Really fat. Then I still felt bad...and I was fat.

That is when I decided I had to make a change. I started to allow myself to actually feel life. I started to feel joy...to actually seek it out. I stopped to watch a sunrise and feel the peace that rose in my heart--joining the sky on it's journey across the sky.

I found little things that brought me pleasure...the details in a flower, the tenacity of a bug, the shifting shapes in the clouds through my window, the sun on my cheek.

I also began to allow myself to feel some sadness, some disappointment...without eating...without drowning it.

What surprised me is the sadness was short-lived. It might have been more intense without a pint of Ben & Jerry's numbing effect, but it lived and died quickly...no longer held captive by the sugar it did not have to linger. And I didn't add to the disappointment...by adding my regrets about what I ate to the mix.

Life happens. We cannot truly appreciate the joys if we never experience any lows. Do I wish people to be unhappy? For as brief a moment as possible. In order to do that, you have to feel it and let it go.

Stop self-medicating your life away. You will have more joy...and you will lose weight, too!

Weight Loss Success Tip: Stretch It Out

"Stretch It Out" is a great over all mantra for weight loss success. It can be applied to lots of different circumstances.

Muscles--stretch it out...okay, them out, but you get the idea. Stretching is really important. It is what enables us to remain flexible...or regain flexibility that we have lost. Gentle stretching works your muscles and lubricates your joints--and just plain feels good!

Meals--stretch it out...okay, again, them...instead of racing through our meals, we will have better digestion and feel more satisfied if we stretch the meal out over a longer period of time. Rather than cramming food down in 5 minutes, try to take 10. Then go for 15. This is an area I am still working on, but slowing down does help.

Food intake--stretch it out (finally an "it"!) over more mini meals. Dieters often think they are "saving calories" by skipping meals. Truth is, most people eat more if they skip meals. On the other hand, if you eat 4-6 mini-meals instead of the normal 3 meals, you can actually take in more calories and still lose weight! That's a nice bonus!

Pleasure--stretch it out--definitely! The more pleasure we experience in our lives...the more joy we have...the better we feel physically. When we feel better we enjoy life more...and when we are enjoying life we are less apt to try to fill the void with empty calories!

Treats--stretch it out--when you want to have a treat, because after all, there are no forbidden foods, take your time. Savor the flavors and textures. Let it melt on your tongue. The more thoroughly we enjoy these treats, the more satisfying they are and the smaller quantities we feel we "need"...enjoy them and don't beat yourself up about it!

Whether you are talking about food or muscles, "stretch it out" is a good phrase to remember. Take your time, enjoy life, and stretch it out...for your health and weight loss success!

Playing on the Stairs for Health

I've talked in the past about how we can enjoy exercise, appreciating the experience and finding fun ways to move our bodies as part of our weight loss success plan...well, here is an example of a city helping her people to do just that...watch and enjoy!

Take a tip from these Swedes, feel the joy of being alive and play a little today...whether it is on the stairs or walking around the block...whether there is music in the air or just in your head!

Weight Loss Tip: Get Gruntled

Sometimes we eat because we are bored or unhappy...or even if not unhappy, not filled with joy.

A friend of mine used to say he wasn't exactly disgruntled, but he was "far from being gruntled"...it is that feeling of gruntledness (I love making up words!) that we deserve to feed. And by feeding it, we are less apt to need to overeat.

With that in mind (in mind, body and spirit, actually!) I am heading to the Loveland Colorado sculpture shows this weekend!

I know that by feeding my spirit with great art, catching up with old friends, and meeting new artists I will be so filled with joy that I will be on an entirely different plane and I will not need to overeat.

Hey...that's not to say I won't have a food treat...I might choose to...but I won't be applying a food binge salve to my soul--cuz it won't need it!

Do things that feed your spirit and you will be less inclined to feel the urge to overeat in an attempt to fill the emptiness you feel that has nothing to do with physical hunger.

Celebrate Weight Loss Successes

I never really liked trying on clothes before...now I realize that was because it was hard work and uncomfortable when I weighed 100+ pounds more!

I am having fun trying on clothes that I had put away because they were too small--and now I'm finding they are too big!

Woo-hoo! Yay me!!!

Be sure to celebrate your weight loss successes! Find a supportive friend or support system and brag about what you are doing right, rather than beating yourself up for what you have done wrong. It is about changing your mindset...you will begin to notice more and more what you are doing right and that will reinforce those behaviors and you will be more apt to continue to make those good choices (and changes)!

There is SO much to celebrate in this life!

Focus on the Positive Changes Not What is Left to Be Done

I am feeling positively wonderful...

Interesting thing how ones outlook or attitude can affect your entire day...and choosing different ways of looking at something can make all the difference.

For example, you know that I've lost over 100 pounds (over 120 now)--what you may not know is that I still would like to drop a few more.

In the past, I would have allowed the "fact" that I have not accomplished my goal to diminish my ability to celebrate and embrace the success to date. Maybe I haven't lost 100 pounds before, but I have lost 50 pounds before--and not respected that achievement or myself enough and instead of maintaining that loss I actually put it all back on AND MORE!

So as I look in the mirrow while exercising I notice and love my body--even with some extra fat jiggling around. I am not perfect. May never have the perfect body--however, I am PROUD of what I have done. I am enjoying seeing the changes in my body.

Instead of focusing on the remaining fat, I am choosing to focus on my emerging muscles that I can see and feel . I am focusing on their growing strength and that they are coming out of hiding from beneath layers of fat.

I am choosing to focus on noticing my bones--seeing my skeletal structure. How strong my bones are! How loyal have they been as they carried my body around.

I am choosing to notice how my arms and legs, and even my fingers and toes, are appearing to grow longer. The truth is they are less round than they were before--the shortness was an illusion that I am shattering.

What an exciting discovery this "new" body is!

Celebrate Success Now

It is important to remember to celebrate each and every success you have on the path to improved health.

Remember it is the journey--not the destination. You will keep having new goals and therefore you must appreciate what you have accomplished along the path or you will be setting yourself up for disappointment and discouragement.

Instead, enjoy your life and feel the JOY of your health and fitness by recognizing and celebrating your achievements...every single little one!

What am I celebrating right now? My noticeable increase in stamina! I love going for my walk and realizing that I am easily going faster than ever before. What used to require a lot of effort is easy...and I am able to "step it up!" That feels AWESOME!

What can YOU celebrate today?

Am I Moving in the Right Direction?

How do you know if you are taking the right steps to achieve your health goals? The great teachers all tell us to tap into our feelings and they will tell us if we are moving toward or away from the goal.

So whether you get the guidance from angels as Doreen Virtue says, the Teachings of Abraham through Esther Hicks, affirmations from Louise Hay, Meditations with Wayne Dyer or Life Makeovers with Cheryl Richardson (or any of the other wonderful teachers out there) or you happen to read something that feels right and true to YOUR heart and spirit...listen and it will steer you true.

My dad always used to say, "If you take a step and it feels good, you must be headed in the right direction." What he wanted us to understand was that we needed to measure our progress against an inner compass, using our feelings, our comfort level, and our knowledge of ourselves as the ultimate guide.

I've spent most of my adult life trying to hear that inner voice above the noise around me...It says softly that happiness is as simple as having something to look forward to in the morning...It says, in a low murmur I sometimes have to strain to hear, that now is the time to have fun.

~Linda Weltner, No Place Like Home

Let me remember to listen to (and hear) that inner voice as it reminds me to follow my bliss--to look forward to my healthy body, my increased energy and all the other wonderful changes I am experiencing! It is time for FUN--I can move my body in ways that I couldn't before and I am having fun. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

My Reward Yesterday

Yesterday I got a great reward for keeping up with my exercising and eating healthy choices.

We went for a walk at our favorite spot--and I was able to complete our normal walk so much more easily and quickly than ever before! Hurray!!!

While on the walk we met some other people who were very friendly, saw beautiful scenery and even got to love on a big dog! It was a wonderful time.

Next time, we'll be able to go further than we've gone before!

Social Networks and Obesity and Health

We've all heard the phrase "birds of a feather flock together"...well this is an old-fashioned way to talk about social networking. Today we call it Law of Attraction!

Social networks typically mean a group of people who gather together...who spen time in each others' company...for the purpose of having fun--socializing.

When we do this, typically we seek out people with whom we have something in common...

What does this have to do with obesity and health? All too often, we will associate with others who are of similar size and/or have similar health habits. If you love junk food, you might not have much in common with a person who is a total health food nut. Of if you don't exercise, your path might cross that of a fitness buff.

Our task is to broaden our scope of friends as we narrow our girth! Surround yourself with people who are generally happy and healthy and it will increase your chances of being happy and healthy, too.

Scientists have actually documented this phenomenon and claim that these habits are actually "contagious"...so if you don't want to "catch" unhealthy habits, minimize your time around people who participate in them and increase your time with people who have healthy habits.

If you are having trouble locating people in your area to support your healthy lifestyle, go ahead and check out some of the social networking trends online--like this blog, and places like Facebook, and forums. Finds groups of like-minded people who will support you in your goals!

Feeling Good and Grateful

I am just feeling so good!

I'll confess that I'm not thrilled with how early it is getting dark these days, but other than that life is pretty darned good!

Walking in the morning is more enjoyable when it isn't dark and it has gotten a few degrees warmer. Maybe that helps balance out the dark afternoons (Hey--4pm is still afternoon and it is getting dark here by then!)

This time of year can be a challenge for me--or has been historically. Since I started the Mars Venus Wellness Solution 13 months ago I have been through an entire year. SO, I expect that this late fall/winter will not be the issue for me that it has been in some years past.

I am shocked and amazed at how different I am about food. I literally still have HALF A BAG OF HALLOWEEN CANDY in the house! It is not "calling my name" at all! I am so happy. It means that the rest of the household does not have to suffer just because I don't have control--because NOW I DO!!!!

Making Exercise Fun

What can we do to make our exercise fun? How do we mix it up to prevent getting bored?

Across the street from my house is a pasture that during the winter is home to about 30 head of horses. I love watching them play. I always get a big smile across my face when I see them.

The other morning I walked over with some small apples I had leftover from visiting my brother. I had used the bigger ones and made myself a treat and decided the tiny ones were too small to make the effort worthwhile.

Of course they loved the treats! The horses got loving, great rubs and some nice eats. And I got to enjoy feeling their soft lips and warm, furry bodies. What a marvelous energy exchange.

I'm not saying that feeding the horses is great "exercise"! What was great was that I got out in nature, got some energy and moved my body in a different way, in addition to walking to the part of the pasture where the horses were. Yes, I walk on a regular basis and no, this was not a long walk, but it was different, fun and I feel happy and energized as a result!

Sometimes that is all we have to do to keep ourselves on our path to health! After all, if we aren't having fun, we won't do it!

No Forbidden Foods

Rather than having a bunch of "forbidden foods"--something I used to do all the time--I now allow myself permission to eat anything that I truly want.

Rather than causing my weight to balloon out of control, I have found that I am actually losing weight with this philosophy.

I found that the forbidden foods were always the ones I loved best, the ones that gave me great pleasure to eat. Making them "off-limits" led to feelings of deprivation, resentment, restriction, discomfort, and sadness.

What was my behavior when I felt sad or resentful? Why, to eat, of course! I was setting myself up for an endless circle. Now when I ate as a result I would eat my favorites (the forbidden foods), naturally--I was also feeling guilty, weak, undisciplined, oh the list goes on and on.

This cycle of eating and feeling bad then led to either binging to push down the feelings or just quitting my diet altogether.

Now instead of having the hands-off list, I allow myself small joyful indulgences. This means that I savor the experience rather than stuffing my face with treats. While I allow myself to eat anything, I make an effort to be completely aware of what I am eating. Unconscious eating does not produce joy--maybe a sugar high, but not real joy.

This savoring gives me positive energy, feeling of abundance, freedom, comfort, satisfaction and empowerment.

These feelings lead to more healthy eating and activities. So now I have replaced a negative downward spiral with a positive, uplifting one!

I used to be afraid that by eating one bite of chocolate I would go crazy and not have any control over food. By letting go and taking off the negative labels I found that I don't go crazy and I have better control and am enjoying food and life more overall.

Which sounds better to you--feeling guilty, frustrated, weak and fat, or feeling happy, empowered and getting thinner? I'll take the latter every time!

Feeling Joy and Having an Ideal Body

Feeling joy is so important in our lives.

The feeling of joy leads to our best possible health, including having an ideal body.

If you are not feeling joyful about your body, it doesn't not preclude you from having an ideal body--as long as you are feeling joy about other things in your life and you are not "tipping the scales" towards feeling negative overall, you can achieve your goal.

The first step is to determine what it is you want in your life. Then break that into small bits that you can believe. If you affirm that you love your body and you don't, it isn't going to work.

If your ultimate goal is to have a slender body then what can you accept and affirm right this second that supports that ultimate goal? That is the place to start. Your affirmation may even be that you know other people have had a weight problem and have been able to have success therefore you know it is possible to do. (If this feels bad or you start beating yourself up because you haven't done it yet, then don't use that affirmation!)

Go for joy and when given a choice between two thoughts, decide which one feels better to you (not which one "should" you choose) and go for the one that brings you closer to joy!