Weight Loss Success Despite No to Workout (or Desire to!)

Some days on my weight loss success journey are harder than others. And sometimes the idea of working out exhausts me. When that happens, I ask myself a question before moving on.

Could this "exhaustion" be mental or emotional rather than physical? If I wasn't exhausted before the idea of a workout then the answer is almost always "YES!"

Rather than appealing to my intellect with all kinds of facts about how exercise will actually energize me, or if I want to be healthy I have to move my body (all true), I fight fire with fire--I go for an emotional response.

No, I don't yell or cry, cajole or beg, but I apply my '1 jumping jack approach.' Somedays, it is literally,

"OK, so just do 1 and if you are still exhausted you can quit"

...and somedays I repeat "and 1 more...and 1 more...and 1 more" until I have completed a good healthy workout!

This morning part of me wanted to do my 15 minute routine, but another part of me clearly did not. 3 minutes in and that part was ready to quit. So I told myself "1 more set, then if you really want to stop, you can." Suddenly, I was at 10 minutes, so I said, "awesome! 2/3 of the way there, you can do 5 more minutes!" And I did. :-)

This journey to health and permanent weight loss success is not a straight line. Sometimes we have to learn how to maneuver our hearts and minds, as well as our bodies, along the path.

Weight Loss Success Resolutions for 2012

Resolutions are not really my thing. They remind me too much of diets--which are definitely not my thing! That being said, so many people believe in resolutions and that the best thing to drop unwanted pounds is to write resolutions for weight loss success I decided to give it a go.

I actually made 12 weight loss success resolutions. Seems like an appropriate number for 2012. I know that by following these resolutions my health will be better.

I divided my resolutions into 3 categories with the most important category being having the right mindset for weight loss, followed by resolutions for moving my body in order to have weight loss success and finally (and arguably least important) resolutions about what goes into my mouth.

But don't look for a list of specific exercises I will do, or a list of foods I will eat, or a list of foods to avoid. All of my resolutions deal with attitude, because I know that my positive attitude is much more important for my weight loss success than following a litany of rules and regulations about how much/when/where I will exercise or eat.

If you want to read the full resolutions, you can hop over to my main site RefuseToDiet.com.

I'd love to hear about your weight loss success resolutions--or if you didn't make any resolutions I'd love to hear what your thoughts are about them and how your weight loss journey is going!

To a healthy, happy New Year!

Weight Loss Pledge: Making and Keeping It

Have you noticed we tend to make the pledge to lose weight at night (again? finally? once and for all? for real this time?)? Okay, maybe it is mid-afternoon...but it seems like we never pledge to lose weight early in the day. And when we do make the pledge we always want to start "tomorrow."

I figure we make the pledge to start the next morning because we want the fresh slate of a new day...or maybe because we want the head start not eating while we sleep gives us!

But how many mornings arrive where we find our resolve has vanished. Maybe we wake up hungry, or maybe it is something else.

My theory is we feel fatter later in the day. Our bellies distend a bit further from food not yet digested. We swell from water retained in our not properly flushed systems.

We wake feeling less bloated and gravity hasn't worked its black magic on us...weighing us down all day long yet. This can lead us to thinking that maybe our situation isn't really that bad. Poof, our best laid plans from the night before disappear on the cool morning air.

So why is it that there is an abundance of weight loss pledges made and so few kept? It has got to be more than the difference between evening and morning.

I believe one of the reasons the pledges slide away so easily is because the night before we were committing to a diet and all the negative connotations behind that word hidden by the shadows of darkness are strong in the light of day.

Instead of dieting, (we do know that diets don't work, right?) let's commit to Refusing to Diet.

And let's do it right now.

No matter what time it is. Don't say "tomorrow."

If you are feeling compelled to say "I really want to lose weight" then the time to start is NOW not in the morning. Not tomorrow. Not Monday. Not on the 1st. Not next year. It is NOW. This instant.

Because it isn't about a diet. It isn't about restricting yourself for chunks of time known as days or weeks or months. Losing weight successfully is about making small changes that you can live with--for a healthy lifetime.

So raise a big glass of water and toast to your health--from this moment:

I choose to regain my health and drop this excess weight. I Refuse to Diet and here's to my healthy, energetic, slender body--I deserve it!

Cheers to that!

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.

Cruising for Weight Loss

If you want to improve your health, whether that is by losing weight or healing an illness or injury, and you like to cruise, then consider the

I Can Do It! Caribbean Cruise!

January 28 – February 4, 2011

The cruise is a private charter by Hay House...the publisher of many of my favorite books, CDs and DVDs...(if you want to see just some of their offerings that I recommend, click here)

Explore the beautiful Caribbean with these Ports of Call: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Half Moon Cay, Bahamas, Philipsburg, St. Maarten, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Spend a week with your favorite authors who inspire, motivate, and challenge you to reach your greatest potential! Choose from five extraordinary workshop programs throughout seven incredible days at sea.

My friends at Hay House are offering my readers 20% off registration! Cabins are limited so click here to register!

Speakers include:

• Dr. Wayne Dyer
• Gregg Braden
• Sonia Choquette
• John Holland
• Denise Linn
• Caroline Myss
• Cheryl Richardson
• Brian Weiss, M.D.
• Reid Tracy
• Lisa Fugard
• Margarete Nielsen

For more information about the cruise, click here...but to get your 20% off, be sure to to put Priority Number 156 on the registration form...or call call 888-259-9191 ext.1239 Ericka or ext.1262 Adam and mention Priority Number 156

*Please note: this offer is valid for new bookings only and cannot be combined with any other discounted offer. The discount is applicable to those attending the seminar programs only. Offer applies to the first two passengers in the cabin and is not applicable to third or fourth passengers sharing cabin. $650 cancellation fee applies through 11/11/2010. No refunds from 11/12/2010 through date of sailing.

Changes Take Time for Computers and Weight Loss Success

Gosh I haven't been here in almost 2 weeks...so what has been going on that has kept me away? And has that affected my health routine?

First and foremost, I had a computer crash. Again. Bummer.

Restored it. Again. Lost internet access. Lost USB connections...my old laptop was dying a not-so-slow but certain death.

Before it entirely gave up the ghost I bought a new one and was able to salvage most of what I needed. Needless to say, (at least it should be needless to say...) this was not a quick process for me. I don't let go easily! It isn't that I don't like change...ok, maybe I don't like change all that much, especially when it comes to "tools"...it is like I expect them to work forever. I'm not technologically inept, at least not entirely, but getting your FIRST computer is much simpler than getting a NEW computer.

There is the new operating system. New peripherals. Rearranging the office because things just don't fit quite the same way. Then there is loading all the software. Getting all the updates. Making all the settings work the way you want them to, so it "looks" as much the same as possible. There is just an adjustment to doing things a new way.

Hmmm...this all sounds vaguely like adjusting to a new way of healthy living.

Let's see, new computer...the goals are to be more efficient, run faster, be long lasting. Healthy life...to have a body that works efficiently, that moves more easily and quickly, and hopefully also is long lasting!

A lot of the challenges are the same, too. On our computers, we are used to things looking a certain way and finding them in a certain place. When we get a new computer suddenly things may be (temporarily) harder to find...just because they aren't where they always were. The good news is that because we have to now think about where things are, we can also take advantage of the thinking process and toss out some things that we no longer need, and we can develop new habits of finding and storing things that make our lives easier in the long run.

Same is true when we change our health routines. When we stop living on auto-pilot we can use that opportunity to get rid of old stuff that no longer serves us. And we can develop new habits of moving our bodies and preparing foods that will ultimately make us healthier, fitter, and make our lives easier. But in the mean-time we have to think about it!

Some of my old software programs don't work with my new computer...they are not compatible. But there is always something else available that will do the job...probably better. Sometimes it is even free, so it isn't necessarily a cost burden. The only thing is I have to learn the new system!

Some of my old food and exercise (or lack of) programming isn't compatible with my health goals and my new body. For example, I used to relax by watching TV and downing a pint (or two) or Ben & Jerry's. Definitely not something I can do and maintain 125 pound weight loss! I can have ice cream once in a while...but consistently trying to eat the way I used to is the equivalent of trying to make my computer run old software. At best, it can do it, but it will slow my fast machine down to a sluggish pace. Hardly the best choice for optimizing either my life or my computer.

So, my goal is to be open-minded and flexible in adjusting to my new computer. I know I could choose to look at this as a pain in the rear...that I am having to give up old favorites for things I don't like. On the other hand, I can choose to look at this as an adventure...recognizing that some days I won't feel very adventurous...but that if I am open to it, I will find new and exciting ways to do things and fun new tools that will make my life easier.

I'll adjust my thoughts about my new computer like I did my mindset for weight loss. My goals are attainable. I just have to take one step at a time. I won't learn it all overnight, but I will learn it! I'm not stupid...and if I remember that, and keep to the little steps then maybe I can relax and not revert to eating a ton of Ben & Jerry's out of frustration!

Yosemite and You: National Treasures

I was seated next to a delightful woman from Oklahoma on the flight to visit my mom the other day. Now normally I am pretty quiet on planes. I'm friendly, but I generally stick my nose in a magazine or a book. This flight was different.

I don't remember how we first started talking, how the connection was made. Some trivial thing, I'm sure. But shortly into the flight we were talking like we had known each other for years. Frankly, I've never had an experience on a plane quite like it!

Not only did the flight go by more quickly, it was exciting and fun...and we saw things out the window that so amazing...I've done this flight Denver to San Jose hundreds of times over the years, but this was the very first time I could actually see (and recognize) Yosemite National Park from the air! I was so excited! I could really see the valley, Half Dome and even Yosemite Falls! I don't know if we were closer to the Park then I've ever been, if the air was more clear, or if it was a combination of both...but there it was...revealed...

What does this have to do with weight loss? Why am I writing about an airplane ride and seeing Yosemite?

Because, weight loss success is often like seeing Yosemite from the air. It has always been POSSIBLE to see the Park...I mean, it was always THERE...just sometimes it was hidden beneath clouds or atmosphere, or we were just a bit too far away...or I was preoccupied by a book and didn't notice.

Losing weight and achieving our ideal body is like that. It has always been possible to drop fat and improve our health...but sometimes it SEEMS like that goal is unattainable...the body we want is hidden from our view by excess fat, weight loss success is clouded by cravings and habits...our goal seems too big, too far away...or life just gets in the way and we don't have (or take) the time to see the possibility.

Take a few minutes today and think about what is keeping you from seeing your own What are the clouds that are hiding your personal treasure (a healthy, energetic body)? What is keeping that goal out of your reach? What are you allowing to keep you from seeing the beauty that you have inside? Are you taking the time to even be open to the possibility that it is there, or are you so busy focusing on other things that you don't even recognize the gem that YOU are?

You are every bit as beautiful as our National Parks. You are just as valuable. Just like each Park has its own personality and points of beauty, so do each of us. It isn't our job to all become Yosemite...some of us are Rocky Mountains or Sea Shores or Deserts or Old Faithful!

It is our job to recognize that what makes us different is what makes us special, and the world deserves to see and experience us for our uniqueness...just like the world deserves the opportunity to experience a broad range of beautiful places.

Figure out why you are hiding your treasure. Decide that you are worth a little spit and polish. Then take small steps every day to get our next great national treasure in shape--YOU!

Don't Believe that Middle Aged Weight Loss is Impossible

I'm really frustrated. I keep hearing people say it is impossible to lose weight once we hit mid-life. Of course I hear it from people who have struggled with their weight...at least they have some reason to feel that way.

What makes me really mad is when I hear the media saying it.

We are overwhelmed with messages that indicate we are doomed to be fat once we hit forty.

I'm here to tell you, it is possible to be fit and fifty plus!

It starts with your mindset. You have to stop listening to all those experts who tell you it can't be done.

Just as important...and for me, personally, it was more important...you have to stop listening to yourself!

Stop telling yourself you can't do it. As long as you say that, you won't be able to have the weight loss success you are looking for. You must shift your mindset to get the results you want.

Today's homework is to find proof for yourself that it is possible to lose weight in middle age. How do you do that? Find one person who has lost weight after 40. There's your proof.

>>Hint<< You already found your proof by finding this site!

To YOUR healthy, energetic, slender body! I know you can have it. I know you deserve it! I know you will achieve it, once you change your thinking and adopt the mindset for weight loss!

Self Acceptance Leads to Weight Loss

If you want to lose weight then you have to start by accepting where you are today.

Lots of people have a misconception about what self-acceptance means. They think...or fear...that by accepting themselves as they are they are actually saying they don't want to change.

That's not it at all.

Think of your body as a scientist would who is studying it. They would be detached. They would observe but not criticize or judge it.

By accepting yourself you release judgment. You let go in your head. This letting go in your head is what then sets you up to let go in the body.

This is simple, but it isn't easy. After all we have lots of years of practice at NOT accepting ourselves. So start today. Cut yourself a little slack. Observe where you are. Take stock. But don't beat yourself up over it.

After all, you've probably beat yourself up over your weight in the past...and where did that get you? So try something new and see how that works for you.

It worked for me!

Stop Comparing: Weight Loss Tip for New Year

It is really common for us to compare ourselves to others. We are encouraged to from a very early age. Some of it is through subtle messages and other times it is shouted in our faces.

Whether quiet or loud, these messages that we are not enough...that we must be better than or we are less than...these messages are internalized and we take them on as our own.

Women in particular are subject to the body image comparisons...not being pretty enough or thin enough are probably the two most common.

No one benefits from these comparisons...by comparing ourselves we are making someone wrong...and based on the experiences of most of the women I know, the person who is wrong is usually US!

Even when we are trying to better ourselves we compare...if we want to lose weight we compare our numbers to everyone else's...we beat ourselves up if we do it slower than someone else...or if we don't have as big a result.

Instead, let's focus on what we want to achieve...we want to improve our health. How does that feel? What does that look like for you? Not what does it look like for your sister, your mother, your best friend or the super model in the magazine at the check out stand--YOU. What will you be able to do that is a challenge now? How will that feel when you can do that?

Now, visualize yourself doing that...feel how happy you are in accomplishing this goal...see yourself celebrating the accomplishment.

That is what this is about. Focus on you, your success. Measure your success against your desires and your goals--and forget what anyone else is doing!

Weight Loss is a Process...Thanks...Tips on Exercise for Losing Weight

I want to thank the folks who take the time to read my blog and let me know their thoughts and feelings about what I write, their questions and what is working for them.

For example I got a very nice email today from "Bonnie" today...who was thanking me for a post I wrote back in September...about how weight loss is not a straight line...

...it reminds me its ok to have a detour but get back on track... I enjoyed reading it and I was reminded not to be hard on myself as I didn't work out today...I will move forward and remember I did 11 miles on the bike yesterday which was a first for me.

First--congrats on the 11 miles on the bike yesterday...I hope it was a fun and exhilarating experience and that you will continue to have fun moving your body.

Second--I am so glad you will be gentle on yourself for not working out today. If perhaps you were a bit sore from yesterday's ride and that's why you didn't work out today, then remember to stretch before the ride, and maybe make the ride a tad shorter next time!

I have found that why I try something new, or that I haven't done in a long time, it helps me to do the same exercise two days in a row.That may seem a bit odd, but maybe it is because the muscles are sore and tend to tighten up...so now you stretch them again. The BEST exercise for losing weight is any exercise...that you keep doing...whether it is the same exercise or different one...it is just about moving more...and if you hurt too much you are apt to not want to keep it up!

Celebrate your accomplishments...and keep making small steps in the direction you want to end up at and you will get there.

Does 11 miles seem like too much to you? That's okay...do what YOU can do easily and then just a tad more...even if that is walking to the mailbox.

It isn't about keeping up with Bonnie, or me, or your spouse, colleagues, or kids...it is about being the best YOU that you can...and to do that you have to start where you are right now!

It is easy to think about what we want to do, or what we used to do...and that can be a great place to start...as long as we keep it in our minds in a positive way and then use that to catapult us to taking an action that will get us where we want to be. Weight loss starts with our minds...not our mouths!

Thanks to Bonnie and to my other readers for keeping in touch and helping to inspire me every day!

My New Year's toast to you:

To your healthy, energetic, slender body--You deserve it!

Love and Trust Lead to Weight Loss Success

Support yourself in you goals to lose weight and gain health. Now and always. Especially now with the holiday season upon us.

Start by knowing you deserve to have a healthy, energetic and slender body. Learn to love yourself enough to know this! This positive attitude is essential to your weight loss success. It is a mindset change for many people who are overweight. We are very practiced at beating ourselves up over our weight, our appearance, our failed efforts to change. We have done it so often that we begin to believe that we cannot succeed...that even when we want to and promise that we will, we cannot keep those promises. We do not trust ourselves.

Gain trust in your abilities by making small promises to yourself--and then keeping them. Make them super easy to keep in the beginning so that you can and will keep them. Each time you keep a promise to yourself you are building a new pattern...and a pathway in your brain...a belief that you can do it.

Make this holiday season a glorious, healthy, and happy one. It starts with loving yourself--not beating yourself up for what you have done in the past...even if that past was just an hour ago, or 5 minutes ago. Love yourself in THIS moment.

Make one small promise that is loving and that supports your health goals--it could be to move the treats somewhere out of easy eyesight...it could be to do 1 jumping jack...it could be to walk 20 extra steps...it could be to drink 1 glass of water...it could be to look yourself in the mirror and say one loving thing about yourself...it could be to write down 5 successes you had today before you go to sleep.

What the promise is, or the size of the promise, is not what is important...it is the keeping it. So if you never drink water, don't make a promise that you will drink 8 glasses every day this week. Start with one glass. If you have trouble getting in exercise, don't commit to doing an hour, start with 5 minutes. If you don't like vegetables, don't say you will eat 5 servings every day, add in one.

Then, at the end of the day, look at yourself in the mirror and repeat the promise you made and say "I kept my promise to myself, I did ____!"

Good job! Be joyful that you kept your promise. If it was easy, then you can make a little bit bigger one tomorrow. If it was at all a stretch, you can keep the same one all week long.

If you didn't keep the promise, was it because it was too big? Or did you simply forget?

If it was too big, then make the promise smaller.

If you forgot, either make a promise that you can keep right away, or do something that will make it easy to remember--a big note, get help from someone to remind you, tie a string around your finger...whatever it takes.

It is by making and keeping small healthy promises to ourselves that we build trust. Building that trust helps us to feel worthy of good things. Feeling worthy is a start for loving ourselves. As we strengthen one, we strengthen them all...and we are on our way to permanent, healthy, weight loss success!

Is Your Weight Loss Success Hindered by Junk Food Addiction?

I heard for years that it takes will power to lose weight. My mother was an advocate of the "Push yourself away from the table hungry" diet...talk about needing will power!!!

I hear over and over people who say they can't lose weight because they just don't have the will power. Some people joke that they have "will power" it is "won't power" they need. Well, losing weight is not a matter of will power (or won't power, either.)

Trying to make losing weight a matter of will power puts the person who is making the effort into a power-LESS position instead of a power-FULL one. It implies that we are weak when diets fail us...and they DO fail us!

Food is a drug...it is probably the most commonly used and abused drug there is. It is legal, easy to get, relatively inexpensive, and comparatively a socially acceptable drug. But drug it is.

I've joked in the past about being a "chocoholic" and we've all known people who say they are addicted to sugar...

Put the jokes aside! Sugar can be addictive...not just a bad habit that can be broken by sheer will power. A new study suggests that junk food may actually be as addictive as cocaine or heroine!

The study was conducted at Scripps Research Institute. Researchers gave rats unlimited high-fat, high-calorie foods that we would call "junk food"...items readily available at the corner store or gas station. The rats became compulsive overeaters, and became obese, just as people do. What the scientists showed was the rats' brains became less and less responsive to the pleasure received from the junk food...so the rats had to eat more of it for the same thrill.

The rats used their foot to get the good. When the scientists gave the rats a slight shock to that foot, the rats still went for it.

Both the need to eat more for the same pleasure, and eating despite the shock, are indicators of addiction.

In addition, after having had unlimited amounts of junk food for 40 days, the junk food was replaced with a nutritious food. With no junk food available to them, the rats chose to starve rather than eat the healthy food provided.

"Not only did we find that the animals' brain reward circuits became less responsive as they continued to overeat and become obese, but that decrease in responsiveness was similar to what our laboratory has seen previously in rats as they become addicted to cocaine or heroin."
--Paul Kenny, associate professor of molecular therapeutics

So eating junk food can be addictive...but that doesn't mean that it is impossible to lose weight. It does mean that "will power" is not the answer.

Be gentle with yourself when/if you are drawn to eat junk food...beating yourself up for your addiction is not going to serve you...you will have lots of opportunities to eat junk food--it is all around you. So don't expect to be "perfect" in your eating. Make small changes gradually rather than trying to go "cold turkey"

Have other plans for handling the situations when you want to eat...to help break the cycle.

And since our pleasure centers may be a bit depressed, we must give ourselves other rewards...stimulate the pleasure center in our brain through means other than food.

We can have weight loss success, by changing our mindset. We have to first believe we can lose weight and also that we deserve to lose weight. This is the beginning to losing weight, permanently, safely, and naturally.

Enjoying Exercise For Weight Loss Success

Yesterday I went to the dentist...it had been a long time since my last visit so there was a lot of catching up to do!

Of course, one of the things we talked about was my weight loss and exercising. I was asked (one of the top 10 questions I get when people learn I've lost 125lbs) "Do you exercise a lot?"

The short answer is "No"...but if you've read much of my blog you know there is a long version!

It is so important that we do something, to move more, get oxygen pumping in our bodies...but it is NOT important that we slave for hours at a gym. In fact, "slaving" is detrimental to our weight loss goals.

To have success in weight loss it is essential to do something that you enjoy and will keep with. That's one of the reasons I recommend you have a couple alternatives--to keep from getting bored. It is also why I like the "bounce and shake" program so much--it is an easy exercise that works wonders for losing weight.

My routine takes me 15-20 minutes in the morning and it is so flexible it really works for my life and schedule. This morning I did my routine while basking in the beautiful sunrise.

WOW.

I was filled with such gratitude for being able to witness that beauty. I noticed the leaves in their rainbow of colors, the birds flying against the sky...at first a silhouette and then with more detail as the light grew brighter. I watched the clouds turn golden and pink and dark as the sun moved higher in the sky.

All the while I was bouncing, shaking, moving my body and breathing in oxygen.

What a fantastic way to start the day--moving, and moved. I felt part of nature and the beauty and natural health I was witnessing this morning. I know this positive attitude or "vibe" will serve me well today. My exercise program was effortless and quite pleasurable...it was almost like when I moved my arms I was the bird flapping its wings...

Not all mornings do I get this sensation, but it is great to be open to feeling so positive while moving our bodies. Whether you are doing the bounce and shake program, walking in nature, practicing yoga or lifting weights...whatever works for you, aim for feeling positive while you do it. Know that you are improving your health, that you will realize the benefits of your routine for years to come.

And by focusing on your health--improving your health every day--you will have weight loss success, too!

To your health!

For Weight Loss Success Don't Diet

This has been my motto...and the secret to my weight loss success--I refuse to diet. Hence the name of this blog. I have "not dieted" my way to a healthy body, dropping 125 lbs. I feel great!

It seems that I am on to something...even "experts" are supporting the no diet philosophy. Well, doctors may know a lot, but the real experts are the people who have actually been there--people like me and you!

I know first hand the appeal of dropping weight quickly. I also know first hand that it doesn't work. Not for the long haul.

As much as I didn't want it to take months or years to achieve a healthy body, once I came to terms with the notion of 'what if it was okay that it takes a long time to reach this goal?' then I started to drop weight.

Was it a miraculous drop 50 pounds overnight result? Nope. But here I am able to maintain my healthy weight AND enjoy foods I love. I no longer feel tortured by food. I feel free of the constant cravings. Food doesn't seem to leap straight from the shelf to my hips. I feel like I finally have a "normal" relationship with food...and that was what I really wanted.

Does it involve changes? Of course it does. But the biggest change starts with your mind. With positive thinking and a shift in your mindset you can lose weight and have the same healthy relationship with food that I do. Starting with this change, the other stuff falls into place...pretty much automatically.

Changing how you feel about your body and your ability to lose weight is important, simple...and not necessarily easy. Come on, how many times have you tried to lose weight and not succeeded? Or you lost weight only to regain it, and more? I've done it so many times I couldn't keep track. So I started to believe that I could not have a healthy body weight. I believed that I would never be slender. I believed that I was destined to be fat.

I believed these things and so they were true. I gave myself permission to be fat...but then I beat myself up over it! I was in a perpetual cycle of loathing myself and not believing in the possibility.

University of Colorado Center for Human Nutrition's director Dr. James O. Hill recognizes this and says "when people try and repeatedly fail, they begin to feel defeated [to lose weight] and will eventually give up."

I finally decided that maybe I could lose SOME weight...I didn't really believe at first that I could drop 100 pounds, but I could at least get down maybe 20 pounds. No deadline. No pressure. Just drop some excess fat to become healthier.

I started focusing on believing that losing 20 pounds was possible. I repeated to myself that I deserved that improved health and that I could achieve it. I wrote notes to myself to help me remember to stop and think before I just grabbed food. I gave myself permission to eat anything I really wanted--as long as it was a conscious choice.

That made the difference!

Don't starve yourself. Don't restrict yourself. That only leads to feeling deprived. That feels like punishment. And you will rebel at some point. Instead--refuse to diet...choose food consciously and enjoy it. You deserve to enjoy food AND have a healthy body.

You CAN have both!

No One Put a Gun to My Head

If we want to achieve health then we must decide to accept responsibility for our bodies, for the condition they are in right now.

Rather than blaming others--our parents, the media, friends, family, spouse, stress, our genes, our busy schedules--we must realize that the common denominator in our situations is US.

I chose to put every bit of food into my mouth. I chose to react by overeating. No one put a gun to my head and forced me to swallow! I imagine the same is true for you...you chose what, when, how much and why you ate...

I'm not trying to lay a guilt trip on anyone, or make you feel bad. It isn't about being wrong or "bad"! Accepting responsibility doesn't mean beating yourself up over it. It is done, over, finito. Feeling bad about it now won't change anything.

When we accept responsibility it is so empowering. If you are responsible for where you are now then you are responsible for where you will be. That means you have the POWER! You are IN CONTROL! You are not a victim of anyone or anything!

Remember, we have the power to change our lives! One thought at a time! One belief at a time! One bite at a time!

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!