Merry Guilt Free Christmas!

It's the Friday before Christmas and I just sat and read through my clients face book posts. I've been inspired to write this morning because of them. I love face book for that reason. It gives me a peek into their lives this Christmas. I read about their struggles and their desire to stay the course. Let's face it, the holiday season isn't an easy time for people who have decided to lose weight and eat healthy.

I guess I want to give a new perspective on eating healthy through the holidays this morning. I could make a list of the top 10 ways to "stay on your diet," I could give a list of "diet recipes" to take to your holiday parties or I could give one of my motivational talks about what it looks like to "make a decision!" Instead I'm going to give you a new way to look at this wonderful time of year!

Have you ever noticed that thin, healthy people go through the holidays and come out on the other side thin and healthy? It's not because they are staying away from EVERYTHING that's not on their program, it's because they are making healthy choices for the most part and then enjoying a few bites of "sometimes foods." Those are the foods that we don't have every day...or even every week. They are the foods that we should have "sometimes" in our diets. Those sometimes foods show up more often during the holidays!

What would happen if you (who are on a weight loss diet) made sure that you were exercising, drinking water, getting in your important food groups, had a bite or two of those "sometimes foods?" I'll tell you...you'd probably STILL lose weight over the holiday!

But here's what happens! Instead of eating your basic, nutritional foods, you start saying yes to the sometimes foods and no to your healthy foods. You don't have a bite of something yummy, you finish it off! Guilt sets in because you were "off program" and to make matters worse, you feel physically sick as well! That sets in motion more of the same and you throw in the towel! You gain weight over the holidays and have to climb out of that hole after New Years and "start over."

What if you gave yourself permission to take a bite of Aunt Judy's fudge? What if you gave yourself permission to eat the prettiest sugar cookie on the plate? What if you gave yourself permission to eat like a thin, healthy person on Christmas Eve? I'll tell you. You'd feel great, you'd be really proud of your choices and you'd probably lose weight over the holidays!

If I had a list of things to do to stay healthy over the holidays it'd look like this:

  

Make sure you are eating ALL your program food! Don't miss a meal.

Put cranberries or frozen strawberries with lime in your water and drink a ton of it!

Before you start your holiday cooking/baking, eat a meal!

Don't run out of healthy/program food!

Get outside and MOVE!

When you choose to have a bite of a "sometimes food"...pick the best! Don't waste a calorie on something that isn't GREAT!

GET RID OF LEFTOVERS! Don't let the celebration continue for days!

I know for some of you this perspective will be a relief, for others it will feel stressful! Living in extremes is a similar characteristic of over weight people; it's all or nothing. What if you gave yourself permission to live life in the balance this Christmas?

I'm making sugar cookies today. The sparkly snowflakes are my favorite! I'll be having one with my Christmas Eve dinner.

To you and yours I say Merry Christmas my friends. Have a healthy, balanced, guilt free Christmas!

Always encouraging you,

Letha

Don't be a Grinch this Christmas!

No one wants to be a killjoy at a Christmas party or a family get-together. But when it comes to dealing with the temptations of the season's high-calorie bounty, you don't have to be a Grinch,

But you do need a plan. Whether you’re trying to lose weight or maintain your weight loss over the holiday, these are some practical lessons for anyone to try.

It Just Keeps Going 


The holiday season consists of nearly two months of celebrating, with goodies appearing in homes and offices at Thanksgiving and continuing until the beginning of January.

By Christmas, most of the plans to eat less and exercise more have dwindled, and it's easy to gain a significant amount of weight, even seven to 10 pounds. One way to monitor your intake over time: Keep track of your daily habits and set weekly goals around food intake and exercise.

Realize the Challenge


At any time of the year, losing weight and keeping it off is very difficult, holidays are an especially high-risk time. Set achievable goals.

Write It Down


When you've figured out your goals, write them down and keep a diary of what you eat. When researchers talk to people who are successful at losing weight and keeping it off, they inevitably say that writing everything down made the biggest difference. It's that willingness to stay in touch with what you're eating that's important.

Even more critical is keeping track of your weight:  People say this accountability factor makes a big difference. Often, people avoid the scale because they don't want to come face-to-face with the news. But if you detect a two to three pound gain, there's still time to get back on track before things escalate.

Buddy Up


It's easy to underestimate the toll that the season takes — physically, psychologically, and emotionally. To avoid gaining weight, you need commitment and awareness. It's best to do this with a group of people — even one or two friends or a close buddy — whom you can call upon to talk about eating concerns. Get specific when providing one another with support, preparing strategies for potentially troublesome situations coming up that week. For instance, how would someone manage her food intake with three holiday parties in a row?

Identify Difficult Situations


One of the best outcomes of a support group or buddy system is to identifying the situations that cause you to overindulge.  You might have a plan that says…"I eat raw vegetables or a piece of fruit before I go out, so I have something in my stomach. I don't drink any alcohol; instead, I try to hold a glass of sparkling water, so I feel like I'm doing something with my hands. And I try to talk more than I eat.” Let your buddy know before the event and then stick to it!

Avoiding alcohol is a big key to being successful with your healthy eating. You can still serve everyone champagne to toast the holiday, but have sparkling water in your champagne flute. It's not the champagne that matters; the real deal is that you're celebrating with your good friends.

Planning ahead, knowing what you want and how you want to feel on January 1st, is the start of having a healthy and happy holiday season. Take complete responsibility for your choices and then celebrate the outcome! You'll for sure, have a happy holiday!

Always encouraging you,

Letha

Walk & Knock for the Hungry

Today I'm filling up my brown paper bag with items to feed the hungry. I'm always a little bit convicted as I fill my "Walk & Knock" bag each year with food I'll never miss.

I can't help but think about hunger, and question myself as to whether or not I've ever really been hungry.

I visit with clients every week who are afraid that they'll be hungry if they eat 3 servings of protein, 4 servings of vegetables, 3 servings of fruit, 2 servings of starch and 2 servings of milk...every day.

Hunger is defined as; a discomfort caused by a need for food.
I guess the next question I'd have to ask my self is... what is the need? Is my need for food related to physical hunger or something else?

With so many families being effected by the struggling economy and the storms across the US, this year,  more than ever, it feels so good to give.

University of Oregon recently did a study about giving. They gave 20 women, $100 each, then tracked their brain activity as they watched the women parcel out money to local charities. The good deeds increased activity in the brain areas associated with enjoying good food and sexual activity. I guess if you want a warm glow...give often!

We live in a part of town that doesn't have a front door pick up like some others.  I'll be dropping off my donation at the Fire District 6 Salmon Creek station!  I encourage you to do the same this weekend.

Visit http://www.walkandknock.org for more information.

Always encouraging you,
Letha

Keeper of the Keys

I sit on the day after Thanksgiving thinking. Thinking about the holiday weeks coming up. Thinking about my job as a motivator of people; just how am I to help people think rightly about taking care of themselves during the busiest time of the year? 

I've learned over the years that I can do my VERY best to inspire, motivate and encourage people...but the decision to do the work lies right inside of each one of them. I can't want it (health and wholeness) more than they want it!


You can't be around me for very only without hearing me say that it's all about your thought life!!! How we think determines how we act.  So on this day after Thanksgiving, as we head into "the most wonderful time of the year," but a difficult time for people making healthy choices, I'm posting this wonderful poem about our thought life! It's so reassuring to be reminded that WE hold the keys to our thought life! We have COMPLETE control over how we think!! I'm thankful for that today and every day!

"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

I encourage you to be the "Keeper of the Keys" to your mind today and every day for the rest of 2012! Choose to think rightly and guard your thoughts. Who will you let in today? 

Always encouraging you,
Letha

Happy Thanksgiving!

Next week probably doesn't go down in history as the best week of the year to be on a diet! Just the thought of Thanksgiving can put you on a journey down a road of over indulgence and weight gain.

I want to tell you today that there's another road to go down. You just have to choose the road you'll take.

Next week you have the blessing of eating 21 meals...that's 3 a day for 7 days! One of those meals out of 21...could be a little more challenging than the rest.

You have the opportunity to follow your nutritional plan and lose weight next week. You can make the choice to stock up your fridge with the best of foods on your plan. You can eat fresh, healthy, wonderful food and have complete control for 20 meals next week! Then...you can face the challenge on Thanksgiving day, to make fresh, healthy, wonderful choices and end out the week...giving thanks for your health and your weight loss.

The day AFTER Thanksgiving can be difficult for some people as well. We gear up for the big day and then let our guard down on the weekend following. "People don't plan to fail...they fail to plan." What's your plan for Thanksgiving day, AND the weekend afterwards? What will you do to prevent regret this year? 

Make new history this year...go down a new road, look back at the end of next week and feel proud of your accomplishments. Start today by making a plan and don't forget to reward yourself when you follow through with your plan! 

I hope part of your plan is to truly give thanks for the great blessings of your life.  I count all of you when I count my blessings.

Always encouraging you,

Letha

I Do My BEST On The Weekends!

The weekend is here, the sun is going to shine, (positive thinking) there are still some beautiful colored leaves on the trees ...how prepared are you to follow your nutritional plan all weekend long? Have you given any thought to the days ahead and planned your strategy?

Weekends pose different problems than week days. During the week, we have routine and it makes it "routine" to follow program. It seems that we are better prepared with program foods during the week too, out of necessity with our busy schedules.

The weekend rolls around and we have no routine to speak of, and we've run out of the good program foods! That means trouble! 

There are a few easy things you can do to make your weekend days as successful or even more successful than the week days.

1. Preplan a menu for the weekend on Thursday night (with contingencies.)

Put the menu up on your fridge to remind yourself that you DO have a plan for the weekend. It helps to have it written down so you are not making so many emotional decisions about what you "feel" like eating.

2. Stop on your way home on Friday night to stock up on the very BEST program foods.
The weekend is the time when we can take more time to make a beautiful breakfast or even a special dinner. Buy the best ingredients and look forward to your meals instead of eating what's left over from the week! Pick up  a bouquet of falls flowers as a reward while you're there.

3. Use the extra time to be more active.

If you have time to walk out the front door...do it! Take time on the weekend to go for a walk, a hike or a bike ride with your family. You can burn more calories on the weekend! 

4. Above all else (you guessed it) think rightly about the weekend.

Your attitude about weekend foods and weekend activity will make ALL the difference in your success! Try repeating out loud many times a day..."I do my best on the program, on the weekends." See what that does for your thought life! 

Your determination to turn hard weekends into opportunities for more weight loss will make a great difference in your weight loss success.

Plan ahead, go shopping and above all else, think rightly, then have a terrific on program weekend!

Always encouraging you.
Letha

Hope For The Holidays!

Hope... a feeling that what is wanted, will happen.

So what is your hope for the holidays? What do you hope for as you stand looking ahead to 2013? Do you want to have experienced the holiday season differently than you have before? Do you want to have control over your eating and feel fabulous in January? Do you want to have celebrated the holidays for the right reasons? Do you want to feel closer to your friends and family by the end of this holiday season?

What are your hopes for the holidays? 

For some of us, we're feeling the squeeze of our cultures expectations, to shop, to eat, to bake, to GO!

For others, this holiday season may hold fears and sorrow. This might be the 1st holiday season without a loved one or it's a holiday full of change.

For some, you're just mad because it's the most wonderful time of the year and you're on a diet!

The great news of this holiday is that you have a choice. No matter what your circumstances, this holiday season can be one you look back on a remember that your soul (mind, will and emotions) was fed! This can be the year that you blaze a new trail! You can chose to have this holiday season look different and be wonderful all at the same time!

As we look together at hope and making this the most wonderful time of the year, I thought I'd help you take a look at some holiday goals for body, soul and spirit!

BODY:

What are your physical goals in the next 8 weeks? What will you weigh on Christmas day? What will you weigh on Jan 1st 2013? Be specific. Set those goals.

How many times are you going to exercise between now and 2013? The benefits of exercise are so important all year, but especially during the holidays. 

Exercise;

Brightens your mood

Causes you to sleep better

Burns calories

Feeds your soul if you exercise with a friend!

SOUL: (Remember, your soul is made up of your mind, will and emotions)

You can spend your holiday season stuffing yourself with food and still feel empty...or you can work to fill up emotionally and feel more full than you've ever felt! What does it look like to set emotional goals?

How will you spend your holidays? What activities with family and friends can you do this year to feed your soul? Our community is full of events that feed the soul with music and theater during the holidays. Start traditions with your family that bring you closer together this holiday season.

Set a goal to give this holiday season! Studies have shown that the brain activity when giving, is associated with the parts of the brain that enjoy food and sexual activity! Want a warm glow this holiday season??? Give often!

Take the time to reflect on your year. Make a list of the things that happened in 2012 that you are grateful for. Start looking ahead to your goals for 2013! Feeding your emotions takes time and purposeful planning!

Cozy up with a good book. (fill your holiday season with stories of hope, miracles and fun!)

SPIRIT:

Tis the season, to look at the spiritual part of you! Some ideas to revive your spirit during the holidays;

Keep a gratitude journal starting today...Nov. 2nd.

Look at a daily devotional to start your day now through Jan 1st.

Attend a Christmas Eve service that you've not attended before, invite a friend to join you.

If you celebrate Christmas, read the Christmas story for yourself. Luke 2:1-20

Record your prayers for the rest of the year.

What ever you do this holiday season, be purposeful about your goals; body, soul and spirit. I promise if you look for ways to feed your soul, you'll feel full throughout the holidays.

I am convinced that this weight loss journey has little to do with food and everything to do with being full. :-)

There is truly hope for the holidays and It can be the most wonderful time of the year!

Always encouraging you,

Letha