Your Word for 2013

We have a tradition at The Healthy Weigh...choosing a word for the year. As 2012 comes to a close, we've been working on our word choices. We've each been deciding on a word, that if studied, focused on, or mastered, would alter our lives in 2013.

Words carry enormous power to move us to a greater level of living. Words create impressions, images and expectations. They build psychological connections. Words dictate how we think, and since our thoughts dictate our actions, there's a powerful connection between the words we focus on and speak, and the results we get.

Poorly chosen words can kill enthusiasm, impact self-esteem, lower expectations and hold people back.

Well chosen words motivate people, offer hope, impact thinking, and alter results. Do you want altered results in 2013?

Choose a word, just for you...then become an expert at it. Select a word that creates a visual of the desired outcome. Choose your word as if it matters...because it does. Research it, become a student of it, and display it all year. Let your friends and family know about your word. Allow your word to alter you in 2013.

I Thought I would post a few of my clients word choices with their explanations as to why they chose that word. It might help get you started on your own word choice.

My word is TRANSITION.
Meaning the process of changing; passing from one condition to another. Its an exciting word for me in many ways; my weight, my fitness goals, and my job. This year I became eligible for early retirement and I get excited thinking about all the things I could do and change the season of my life to a new and exciting chapter but I haven't done anything towards making that happen. I found it interesting to look up and see that opposite words are stagnation, sameness (wow, that's where I've been). While I may not mentally be ready to completely let go I do want to take steps that direction such as cutting back hours and responsibilities to focus on personal goals and interests. Yep, I like the word meaning the "process" of changing and setting goals in all areas of my life in that direction will make it happen!

Peggy

I've had a problem with my word for the last couple of years and finally decided to adopt it. It's not a pretty word like "hope" or "believe" or "understanding".
My word is TENACIOUS
Meaning "persistent in maintaining or seeking something of value", "holding fast", "not easily pulled asunder", "unyielding". I Will Be Tenacious This Year!!!

Susan

My word is FREEDOM.
The state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint 2. exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc.
3. the power to determine action without restraint.

Kimberli

My word for the year is TRIUMPH or TRIUMPHANT
depending on how you are using it. Triumph/Triumphant...the act, fact, or condition of being victorious or triumphant; victory; conquest, a significant success or noteworthy achievement, exultation resulting from victory; joy over success, to be successful, to be elated or glad; rejoice proudly, the feeling of exultation and happiness derived from a victory or major achievement. What makes this word even better is having the word REJOICE (another great one) in the definition! This is so my word!!!!

Karen

I hope these words have inspired you to start this powerful and life changing tradition for yourself! I'd love to see your comments and hear about your words for 2013!

Always encouraging you,

Letha                                                                    

Oh, and by the way, my word for 2013 is...MOVE!

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

Garbage In...Garbage Out!

I am always looking at ways to keep motivation alive. Losing weight and keeping it off for life is a difficult task, and if we don't keep motivation alive and well, we're going to have a tough go of it! Motivation; the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way. I have found that my thinking has a huge effect on my motivation.

I don't know about you, but the bad news and the tragedies of this world get to me and affect my thinking. I have to make conscious decisions to take in good news and positive thoughts to keep my mind renewed. I believe in the phrase, "garbage in, garbage out," and that is why I always encourage clients to pay attention to what they are reading, what they are watching, what they are listening to and who they're hanging out with!

One of the keys to keeping motivation alive is to absorb GOOD NEWS through books, tapes, the internet or however you can wrap your mind around it!

This last few weeks have been difficult for me. I have struggled with grief and fear because of personal situations in my life. It seemed that all the tragedies happening in the world and on the news and were adding to my already dark feelings. I knew that the circumstance were not going to change, so it was time that I made the choice to change my thinking.

My usual practice when I'm feeling this way is to walk into my office and slowly look over my book shelf. I have lots of books that have made a difference in my life over the years. I look until one jumps out and screams, "read me again!" Well, this week it was a winner..."As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen. A powerful, classic book that I have not read in over 15 years!

I was on page 2 when I felt my mind turning around. "A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all of his thoughts."

Allen goes on to say, "Man is made or unmade by himself; in the armory of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself; he also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself mansions of joy and strength and peace."

There it was! The truth that I needed to hear to turn my thoughts around! Changing your thinking is hard work, especially during difficult times in your life but I am convinced that these are the times when our mind grows the strongest.

What are you reading? What are you listening to? Is the garbage that the world is presenting to you on a daily basis consuming you? It's up to you to find the balance in this world. As we face the hard things of life we also must keep focused on the good. Do everything you can to absorb GOOD NEWS to keep your mind strong and thinking rightly.

As a man thinketh...so is he.

What will you read this weekend to keep your mind thinking rightly? What will your conversions sound like? What will you listen to? It's exciting to know that what you choose to put into your mind will make all the difference in your motivation!  Here's to a weekend of smart choices!

Always encouraging you,

Letha

High Quality H2o

It seems like this time of year when the weather changes from hot and muggy to crisp and cold, it's harder to drink water, but water is a secret weapon for weight loss...all year round!

If you eat right and exercise at the intensity, frequency and duration proper for you, but still can't get rid of those extra pounds, you're probably just not drinking enough water.

You're actually quite normal. Most people don't drink enough water. Most people are also carrying around a few more pounds than they would be if they did drink enough water. If you can't seem to get that weight off, try drowning your sorrows in nature's magical weight-loss mineral. It works, and here's why: "What on earth is 'metabolism', anyway?" People use the term all the time, but ask them what it means and you'll get all kinds of answers. Webster defines it as, "The process by which a substance is handled in the body." A little vague, but that's really all it means.

There are many forms of metabolism going on in your body right now, but the one everyone is talking                    about it the metabolism of fat. This is actually something that the liver does when it converts stored fat to energy. The liver has other functions, but this is one of its main jobs. Unfortunately, another of the liver's duties is to pick up the slack for the kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do their work along with its own, lowering its total productivity. It then can't metabolize fat as quickly or efficiently as it could when the kidneys were pulling their own weight. If you allow this to happen, not only are you being unfair to your liver, but you're also setting yourself up to store fat. "I've tried it and I couldn't stand it!" The problem is that, though many decide to increase their water intake, very few stick with it. It's understandable. During the first few days of drinking more water than your body is accustomed to, you're running to the bathroom constantly. This can be very discouraging, and it can certainly interfere with an otherwise normal day at work. It seems that the water is coming out just as fast as it's going in, and many people decide that their new hydration habit is fruitless. What is really happening is that your body is flushing itself of the water it has been storing throughout                    all those years of "survival mode." It takes a while, but this is a beautiful thing happening to you. As you continue to give your body all the water it could ask for, it gets rid of what it doesn't need. It gets rid of the water it was holding onto in your ankles and your hips and thighs, maybe even around your middle. You are excreting much more than you realize. Your body figures it doesn't need to save these stores anymore; it's trusting that the water will keep coming, and if it does, eventually, the flushing (of both the body and the potty) will cease, allowing the human to return to a normal life. It's true. This is called the "breakthrough point." One recent finding, as irresponsible as it may be, that caffeine increases the body's fat-burning potential has many people loading up on coffee before going to the gym. This finding may hold some degree of truth in it, but caffeine is, in essence, a diuretic, and diuretics dehydrate. Caffeine may increase the heart rate, causing a few more calories to be burned, but this is at the expense of the muscles, which need water to function properly. This isn't doing your heart any favors, either. It's already working hard enough during your workout. Never mix caffeine and exercise. In fact, your best bet is to stay away from caffeine all together. It's a big bully that pushes your friend water out of your system. Water is the best beauty treatment. You've heard this since high school, and it's true. Water will do wonders for your looks! It flushes out impurities in your skin, leaving you with a clear, glowing complexion. It also makes your skin look younger. Skin that is becoming saggy, either due to aging or weight loss, plumps up very nicely when the skin cells are hydrated. In addition, it improves muscle tone. You can lift weights until you're blue in the face, but if your muscles are suffering from a drought, you won't notice a pleasant difference in your appearance. Muscles that have all the water they need contract more easily, making your workout more effective, and you'll look much nicer than if you had flabby muscles under sagging skin. "Eight glasses a day? Are you kidding?!" It's really not that much. Eight 8-ounce glasses amount to about two quarts of water. This is okay for the average person, but if you're overweight, you should drink another eight ounces for every 25 pounds of excess weight you carry. You should also up this if you live in a hot climate or exercise very intensely. This water consumption should be spread out throughout the day. It's not healthy at all to drink too much water at one time. Try to pick three or four times a day when you can have a big glass of water, and then sip in between. Don't let yourself get thirsty. If you feel thirsty, you're already becoming dehydrated. Drink when you're not thirsty yet. Do you think water is yucky? Drinking other fluids will certainly help hydrate your body, but the extra calories, sugar, additives and whatever else aren't what you need. Try a slice of lemon or lime in the glass, or if you really think you hate water, try a flavored water. Just make sure you read the labels. Remember that you're going to be consuming a lot of this fluid. It's probably a good idea to stop drinking water a good three hours before you go to bed. You know why. "How cold should it be?" This is debatable. Most experts lean toward cold water, because the stomach absorbs it more quickly. There is also some evidence that cold water might enhance fat burning. On the other hand, warmer water is easier to drink in large quantities, and you might drink more of it without even realizing it. Do whatever suits you, here. Just drink it! When you drink all the water you need, you will very quickly notice a decrease in your appetite, possibly even on the first day! If you're serious about becoming leaner and healthier, drinking water is an absolute must. If you're doing everything else right and still not seeing results, this might just be what's missing. Drink up! Always encouraging you, Letha

Can You Just "Flip The Switch?"

You know the switch I'm talking about. The one that when flipped, you are ON PROGRAM! You are fired up and nothing can break your resolve! You are excited, motivated and driven to follow the nutritional plan and see results. That switch!

I've spent time in the last 30 years discovering ways to flip that switch in my own life. Not only in regards to my eating habits, but in other areas of my life that require excellence as well! I've gotten really good at it!

There are really two things you need to invest in, to flip the switch...time and emotions. Oh, I can hear the sighs right now! :-) You're always short on time...and you avoid those emotional moments really well!

Do you want to flip the switch? Do you wake up each morning and say "This day is going to be better" and by the time you lie down at night, you are discouraged with your self again? If you are willing to spend some time, and feel some feelings, you too can flip that switch and TODAY can be the start of a great fall and a content holiday season!

TIME...we rarely take the time to get to know ourselves. We race through this life, taking care of other people and obligations without the important connection with our selves! Can you stop at a coffee shop today and sit in a corner by yourself? Can you drive to a big parking lot and sit in your car on your lunch hour? Can you go to a room in your house that never gets used and spend some time there today? Get alone with yourself! Invest some time in YOU. Some of us are alone a lot...but are we alone, focused on ourselves? Flipping the switch requires time and focus on you!

EMOTIONS...I can promise you, if you have been eating off program, unable to follow through for even one day, you are stuffing your emotions! It's time to look at them and allow them to surface. The first question I ask my self is "Letha, What's up?" I ALWAYS get an answer! You will too. (that's why you're afraid to ask it) If you have a journal...start writing in it. If you have junk mail in the floor board of your car, that works too. Get something down on paper!

Another effective tool I use is the pain and pleasure list! I hope you have all used this "power tool."

Make a list of the pain, over eating is causing you...go for it! Don't stop, get real, get painful...allow it to take you all the way to gaining ALL your weight back, feeling miserable, and overwhelmed with medical problems and personal pain that choosing food has caused you! Don't skip ahead fast...if you have an hour, spend at least 30 of it on this list! Don't forget to include family, children and spouses in this list. How has your overeating affected them. Your overeating has caused you to be irritated, mad at the world and not very fun...how's that working for you and your family? Your clothes don't fit, you feel frumpy, and you don't want to do much of anything! Your overeating is affecting EVERY area of your life!

Now...if you have done a good job on that list... it's time to move ahead...if you haven't, you are not really serious about flipping the switch.(or you're just scared)

This list is a lot more fun! This is the list that includes all the emotions that you feel when you are on program, eating healthy, and setting limits for yourself! Have fun, spend time on this list too. Don't forget to include your family, children and spouse also. How has eating healthy, feeling attractive and in control, made a difference in those relationships? How's your wardrobe? How much energy do you have? Are you fun? Do you laugh more? Do you take pride in how you look and enjoy going out? Is EVERY area of your life affected by how you eat and what choices you are making? Don't stop short dreaming as you make this list. Allow the good feelings to overwhelm you and fill you with hope.

Look at those two lists...ask the all important question now. "Why am I living here...when I could be living here?"

If no tears are involved with this project...you might be dead!:-)

I've had clients tell me, "Ive done the pain and pleasure list thing and it doesn't work." I'm wondering have they REALLY done it. Have they really taken the time to look at the way their eating is affecting their life and the lives of all the people around them? Have they asked them selves, "Why am I letting food win?" "Why am I letting food be the boss of me?"

My friends...to lose weight and keep it off, you must be able to use pain as your friend. Flipping the switch when you are living on maintenance is crucial to you keeping your weight off for life.

I wish I had time to sit in your car with you...but I guess you wouldn't be alone then would you? Take time, allow your emotions to come forth...and flip the switch. Don't wait...today is the perfect day to change the direction of your life!

Always encouraging and pushing you,

Letha