I Can't Believe I Ate the Whole Thing!

We crunch. We stuff. We say, "Seconds, please." And most of the time, we haven't the faintest idea how much we're eating-or why.

We make about 250 food decisions a day. Should I have coffee? Should I put milk in it? Whole or skim? Sugar or Splenda? Do I pour my juice into a short, wide glass (you'll drink more) or a tall, narrow glass (you'll drink less)?

If we knew why we ate the way we do, we could eat a little less, eat a little healthier, and enjoy food a lot more.

Last night I sat with a group of people who are getting ready to start the stabilization phase of their weight loss programs. Stabilization is the process of adding food back into your diet gradually to increase the body's metabolism until you reach your maintenance calorie limit.  I believe it's the most important part of the program at The Healthy Weigh. Losing weight is very simple at THW... Eat the foods on the list you've been given and you'll lose a ton of weight.

Maintenance is another story...because now that list of foods just blossomed! Our clients go from a manageable food decision day to that 250 food decision kind of day! Healthy Weigh clients go from a somewhat limited balanced diet, to unlimited choices!  More choices mean more decisions! And more decisions mean we have to be mindful about our food choices.

I read a great article this week from Brian Wansink, from Cornell University. He has conducted more than 300 experiments proving that most people have no idea how much their putting in their mouths or for what reason.

Here are 7 essential tidbits from the article:

1. People who stock up at discount stores eat up to 48% more. If you buy in bulk, put pretzels and other snacks in portion-size baggies. NEVER eat out of the box or bag!

2. The longer you sit at the table, the more you'll eat. Dine with one friend, you'll eat about 35% more. With a group of seven, you'll eat 96% more. If you're trying to lose weight, eat alone or with the smallest group possible, and pace yourself with the lightest eater.

3. If you pre-plate your food in the kitchen, you'll eat 14 % less than if you serve yourself and then take seconds.

4. When you eat at a buffet, put only two items at a time on your plate. Even if you make repeated trips, you'll eat a lot less.

5. Always eat in the same room of your home. (but not in front of the TV or computer) You won't snack as much.

6. Don't leave serving dishes on the table unless they're filled with vegetables.

7. A Butterfinger or a hug? What do you really want? Physical hunger builds gradually. Emotional hunger develops suddenly.

I like some of his thoughts! Mindful eating is so important not only to help you lose weight, but definitely to help you keep it off.

Weight loss and weight maintenance always comes down to calories in and calories out so being mindful about those calories is crucial!  How many food choices will you have today...and will you be mindful about them?

Always encouraging you,
Letha

What Does It Take?...A Compelling Vision!

I've been doing a lot of thinking about what it takes to lose weight and keep it off for life!  I've spent the last 30 years helping people do just that. I often ask my self, "Why do some people "just do it", follow the program, lose their weight, change their eating habits for good, keep motivation alive, and others don't?"  There are so many answers to that question, but I believe when it comes down to it, there are two kinds of people...those who have an exciting compelling vision of what they want their lives to look like/be like...and those who don't!

A compelling  vision... something that is compelling is forceful, convincing, persuasive and gripping. When something is compelling it holds our attention.  A vision is a dream, idea, mental picture, image or visualization. It involves the imagination and is a glimpse of a desired future. When these two definitions are combined, we see that a compelling vision is an idea of a desired future that grips our attention and inspires us to action!

To lose weight and keep it off for life (the hard part) it is vital for you to create your own personal compelling vision for your life.  I've learned in my own life and in working with thousands of people over the years that if you don't identify your vision, others will plan and direct your life for you.

A compelling vision is what you want to create of yourself and the world around you. What does your  compelling vision include? Making a change in an area such as health, technology, or the environment? Raising happy, well-adjusted children? Writing a book? Owning your own business? Living on a beach? Being very fit and healthy? Visiting every continent? Helping others with their spiritual growth? What are you good at? What do you love to do? What aren't you good at now, but you'd like to be? All of these important questions are part of identifying your personal compelling vision.

Here are some questions/thoughts to help you create your compelling vision. Use these as a tool to get your thinking started!

Things I really enjoy doing:

What brings me joy/happiness:

What were the two best moments of my past week:

Three things I'd do if I won the lottery:

Ideas or causes I care deeply about:

Things I can do at the good to excellent level:

What I'd like to stop doing or do as little as possible:

What are my most important values:

What does the "best me" look like/feel like:

Discovering or creating your own compelling vision takes time and focus. Are you willing to take the time and spend the mental energy to get to know yourself and to dream about your future? 
I believe that losing weight and keeping it off is one of the most difficult things people try to accomplish. Having a compelling, gripping, exciting vision is a MUST to accomplish this great task.

Take some time to create your compelling vision and I promise you'll have success at weight loss and much more!

Always encouraging you,
Letha

Body Soul Spirit ~ The Spiritual Perspective

This week we concluded our 6 week CD series by listening to and reviewing the last, and I believe, most important Personal Control Guide. We looked at the spiritual perspective of weight loss.

We were created in three parts...body, soul and spirit. Our body, the physical part of us which relates to the material world. Our Soul, made up of our mind, will and emotions, our personalty you might say, which relates with people. And our spirit, the deepest place of who we are, which relates with God.

To live completely healthy lives, we need to submit our body to our soul, our soul to our spirit and our spirit to God.

The problem lies, when we have an unhealthy soul; a mind that is negative, a will that says, "I do what I want" and emotions that are wounded and have not been healed from past and present pain. You can imagine what a body would look like that comes under that kind of influence.

God makes our spirits new when we invite him in and surrender to him.

Our work, is the work of the soul; renewing the mind, submitting the will and healing the emotions.

I continue to see men and woman work so hard at dieting, losing weight and will power, all while their souls are ravaged. When we focus on the work of the soul; renewing, submitting and healing, the body comes under the influence of a healthy soul and this journey of weight loss gets a lot easier.

We continue at The Healthy Weigh to challenge you in areas of soul work. How many times have we talked to you about renewing your mind..saying no to the bad and yes to the good, and healing those emotions that are keeping you from an abundant life? It's all soul work, at The Healthy Weigh!

We have a society of excess! As we grow older and deny past pain, empty places begin to develop in our souls. We do a great job of trying to fill those empty place with things. Food, clothes, cars, houses, money, and busyness. Excess of anything, is about our emptiness. All those empty places are addictions waiting to happen.

The belief I have says this...many of our empty places can be closed up, healed, with God's help and our soul work, but many of those empty places are holes that only God can fill. He created us for relationship with him and until we surrender to Him, we will always be looking to "fill" those holes.

Whatever your faith background is, I hope that you are able to see the importance of submitting your will regarding your weight loss and your maintenance journey over to God, as you understand Him.

Always encouraging you,

Letha

Exercise and Weight Loss ~ It's a Math Problem!

We spent a couple of emotional weeks looking at the things we're responsible for and then coping skills. It's always good for the soul to throw in a little logic after spending time on our emotions! Our Math assignment did just that!

Sometimes math can be hard too. The simple fact that our bodies need a certain amount of calories to maintain weight can be a difficult truth to accept. The amount of calories we burn compared to the amount we take in, is the story problem.

As we look back to the generations before us, there is a big difference between the amount of calories expended in a day compared to now. That's where the problem lies. Our lives have become more automated and we still want to consume the same amount of calories as the people generations before us did. That's where weight gain comes in!

It takes 3500 calories to lose or gain a pound. We are either saving up calories to add a pound on our bodies, or we are working to have a deficit of 3500 calories to lose a pound off our bodies. It truly is a math problem.

Lesson #5 talked about exercise and the ability to turn up our bodies thermostats to have a speedier metabolism. Keeping close track of all calories consumed and working to burn more calories by being active is the goal!

With so many unknowns in our world today...it's somehow comforting to know that weight loss really is a math problem!

Knowing your maintenance calories and becoming aware of the calories in food is the first step to maintaining your goal weight for life! It truly is a math problem!

Always encouraging you,
Letha