Power Tools!

Last week I asked the participants of the Team Challenge to write a letter to their future self! I received over 140 letters this week! This is a powerful tool to help you stay focused as you reach for a new life. Below is one of the letters I received, thought you'd be moved by it.

Letha

Dear Future Self January 23, 2011

**You are at the Clark County fair with your kids. It is warm and the sun is just disappearing. One of the kids, I think it was your daughter, wants to go on a ride together with you. You give the toothsome "carnie" your tickets, find your seats, and wait in anticipation. He comes around to lower the bar and yours won't go down. The safety bar can't click into place because you are too big. You are so embarrassed you want to fade into the seat so no one can see you. But you can't. You look at your daughter, and see the disappointment in her face. She won't go on the ride without you. You slowly get out of your seat, take her by the hand, and walk towards the midway. You apologize to her trying to keep your voice steady, and she squeezes your hand three times very quickly... your secret way of saying I love you to each other when you are in public. It is all you can do to not burst into tears for the rest of the night.**

Please remember this moment. As painful as the memory is, it is important for you to keep it fresh in your mind. You never want to go back to this place and all the other ones just like it. You want to be able to go shopping and try on clothes without breaking a sweat. You want to run up a flight of stairs without losing your breath. You want to actually WANT to look in a full length mirror. You don't want to be the girl that hides behind her layers of fat to keep herself safe from all the men in the world. You want to be healthy, and to be able to get on a bike without instantly worrying that you've flattened the tires. You want to be able to lie on the beach and feel completely relaxed without wondering if people are looking at you and feeling disgusted.

Most of all, you want to set a good example for your son. You want to show him that eating right and taking care of your body is important. You DON"T want him to go through any of the embarrassing moments that you have lived through. The time is now. The opportunity is here. There is no tomorrow. There is only TODAY.

Dear Future Me

I've been inspired over that last few years by watching "The Biggest Loser" TV program. I'm not a supporter of 6 to 8 hours of working out to lose weight because that doesn't seem very realistic for a life time of maintenance. However, I do believe that sometimes it takes a drastic change in a life style to see results and begin to believe in your ability to change.

A few weeks ago on the show, they aired videos of the contestants. They were filmed at the very beginning of their journey. Each person talked to the camera as if they were speaking to their future self. Their future self that had met their goal weight. Their future self who was healthy, fit and living the life they always wanted to live. It was powerful and emotional! They spoke to themselves and pleaded with themselves to "NEVER come back to this life again." They not only spoke about what life was like being heavy and unhealthy, but they were able to speak about what life was going to look like when they were living in a new body, with a new thought life!

I was moved and inspired! This week at the Team Challenge I challenged our "contestants" to participate in a variation of this same exercise; Write a letter to your future self. Your future self who is healthy, at goal weight and living the life you've always dreamed of. Your future self who is in control and has a new healthy relationship with food.

I'm looking forward to reading the letters. As powerful as the videos were on The Biggest Loser, I think that this exercise will be equally motivating for our clients at The Healthy Weigh.

How would your letter read? What would you say to your future self, not just about weight loss, but about any area of your life? Finances, relationships, life style...what would you say to your future self?

I invite you to join us in this activity this week. I know that it will make a difference for you.
The first step to any change is knowing what you want. Your future self...knows. Write him/or her this week.

Always encouraging you,
Letha

Keeper of The Keys

I recently taught a class, "Life Principles." My class was inspired by life principles that have helped me during times of great change in my life. My last week was titled, "You are what you think." I found this poem that I shared at my class. I thought it would be good to post.

"Keeper of the Keys"

You are the Keeper of The Keys.
You are the Guard at The Gate.
Waiting in line to get through that door
Is LOVE and also HATE.
In line to enter is GENTLE PEACE.
And also VIOLENT WAR.
You must choose who may, and who
May not come through the door.
INTOLERANCE tries to sneak on through
On wings of FEAR, or PRIDE.
It hides behind DREAMS of BELONGING,
And tries to sneak inside.
Oh! Be alert! You're the Guard who decides
Who GOES and who may STAY.
You are The Keeper of The Keys to Your Mind.
Who will you let in today?

Guy Gilchrist

As I think about the change that our country is experiencing and the personal ways that we are all being challenged, I encourage you to be the "Keeper of the Keys" to your mind. Choose to think rightly and guard your thoughts. Who will you let in today?

Always encouraging you,

Letha

Is it what you're eating...or what's eating you?

This week I talked to a lot of clients about how to stabilize and then maintain weight loss for life. Although I have gained tremendous knowledge about food, calories and nutrition over the past 29 years working in the weight loss industry, you'll rarely find me talking about those things in this blog. The amount of information available to the public about dieting is overwhelming and plentiful. If you have a question about food, calories or protein...you can get that question answered 100 different ways.

My experience has taught me this...it's a lot more about what's eating you...than what you're eating! As I sit with clients every week, I'm continually reminded of that.

Today I visited with clients who seem to be "bored with the food" on the Healthy Weigh weight loss diet, but with further examination discovered that discontentment was at the root of "needing" more or different food.

Being content isn't easy. If you've studied contentment at all you find it gets harder before it gets better. Contentment is being satisfied with what you have and where you are; a feeling of calm satisfaction. The problem with contentment is that we look for the circumstances to change, when being content is really learning to be satisfied with things just like they are.

The rub comes when we feel those feelings of discontentment and we don't know what to do with them. Food so often becomes the drug of choice to numb, avoid, or escape that uncomfortable feeling of discontentment.

The answer is ALWAYS to identify those feelings and then process them. That might look like journaling, talking to a friend or choosing gratitude for what you have and where you are right now.

Choose contentment this weekend. Challenge yourself to process feelings of discontent and be grateful. See if finding contentment in your present circumstances doesn't just make following your diet a little easier.


Always encouraging you.
Letha