What Are You Telling Yourself?

Psychologists and behavioral therapists have long known the effectiveness of using positive affirmations in producing behavioral changes.  Our behavior is due in large part to how we subconsciously feel about ourselves. For many of us, our subconscious "programing" is counter-productive. This is especially true when weight loss in concerned. Past experiences, past feelings of failure and frustration can sabotage our sense of expectation in a new endeavor, including losing weight.

For whatever reason your present "programming" is keeping you from reaching your goal, you can change the old tapes.  The subconscious mind will accept anything that is fed into it on a regular, disciplined manner and accept it as reality.  Your subconscious is the creative, goal oriented part of the mind.  The conscious mind, on the other hand, does the "talking" and interprets information from the environment. The subconscious mind depends on experiences, real or imagined, and programs that as it's reality.

For this reason, positive affirmations or positive self talk promote change in behavior.  They program the subconscious mind with positive, productive thoughts which in turn lead to positive productive behaviors.  If you want to change and stay with your slim eating style, you need to first change how you think of yourself.

These positive affirmations are powerfully effective. Repeat each of them aloud three times every morning and evening. Create your own affirmations, becoming as specific as you need.

• I can become the person I want to be.

• I am in charge of my life.

• I have the motivation and am learning the skills to reach my goal.

• I am learning and growing and improving each day.

• I am responsible for my actions, and I am now taking action to get what I want.

• I desire an abundant, happy life, and to be the person I want to be.

• My desires are so strong that my feelings and thought processes are changing.

You may want to write these and other positive affirmations on a card and tape them on your bathroom mirror or carry them in your car or purse.

Change your thinking...and you will change your life!  Positive affirmations, speaking right thoughts over yourself, is a great step towards changing the way you think.  Try it!

Always encouraging you,
Letha

Fifteenth Season of The Team Challenge About to Begin!

One snowy day in 2006, stranded at home without a car that would travel on the icy streets, I  took advantage of the situation and read a book. The book was a gift from one of my sisters and had been sitting on my bookshelf for quite some time. That cold day in January seemed like the perfect time to read it.  It was The Travelers Gift by Andy Andrews. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down.  My only regret at the end of that day was that I hadn't read it sooner. It was that good. It changed me.  I've haven't quit thinking about it since.

With The Healthy Weigh about to begin their 15th season of the Team Challenge, I'm always looking for ways to inspire people to live their best lives.  When it came time to choose a theme for the Winter Challenge I remembered The Travelers Gift! I couldn't shake the strong feeling that THIS would be the GREATEST theme ever! We've climbed Mt. Everest, gone on Road Trips, Camp Outs and Cruises (to name a few), but nothing will be as powerful as the theme we're about to experience.  I'm convinced that the clients enrolled in this 10 week challenge will walk away from these weeks believing in permanent change...for real, because of The Travelers Gift!!

The book takes us on a journey through history and teaches us about 7 DECISIONS for personal success. We're going to go on that journey together at The Healthy Weigh this winter!  It's going to be powerful!

As I celebrate my 31st year of helping men and women lose weight, I'm sure of one thing..."IT'S NOT ABOUT THE FOOD!!"  (I'm sorry...did I raise my voice???)  I'm a little passionate about that! It seems we all know what to do...we just don't do what we know! The Team Challenge isn't about a diet or recipes, or exercise...it's about finding out WHY we don't do what we know! I belief The Travelers Gift will help us do that.

Oh, you can bet that my clients are going to follow the best nutritional plan available in the next ten weeks and they are going to receive recipes and learn all kinds of things about healthy eating and proper nutrition. They are going to lose a TON of weight in the next ten weeks too.  Some of them will lose 50 pounds or more...but that's not the best part! :-)

The best part is that they are going to change their thinking! From the important lessons I'll teach each week to the CD series they'll listen to with homework, every client will come through the 10 weeks making DECISIONS differently than when they arrived because of changed thinking! First we make DECISIONS ~ then our DECISIONS make us!  For weight loss to be permanent..we MUST change our thinking!

If you are already enrolled in the Winter Team Challenge...be glad! You are going to experience a life changing 10 weeks! Invest all of yourself to the process and you'll reap MAJOR benefits! If you're still undecided...there's still time!  Tuesday, January 22nd is our first weigh in and kick off!  You can join us at Noon, 5:30 or 7:00! You'll seriously thank God that you did!

I told my sister the other day that she was responsible for the theme of this Team Challenge! Her gift of The Travelers Gift not only changed me...but it's going to change a lot of other people too! How cool is that? She was pretty excited.  You never know when you reach out and share a good thing with someone else, how far reaching your influence will really go. Thanks Nancy...from all of us at The Healthy Weigh!

I'll see you on the journey.

Always encouraging you.
Letha

The Year in Review!

It's that time of year again! Time to celebrate all that happened in 2012 and anticipate 2013! Exciting things happened at The Healthy Weigh last year and I'm anticipating GREAT things for 2013!

Join me for a look back at 2012!

We offered 4 Team Challenges this year. We not only lost over 9,000 pounds in 2012 but we had fun doing it! All of our Challenges had their own theme and their own fun!

We started out 2012 climbing Mt. Everest with our winter Team Challenge, "Beyond the Limits."  It was a powerful 10 week challenge. Our clients had to have attitude with altitude, a courageous spirit, a willingness to change and a heart that said "I'll never give up." We lost over 2000 pounds as a group and 6 of our climbers hit their 100 pound weight loss mark! What a way to start the New Year.  We also had 15 Alumni participate, which added great support and encouragement.  Glenda was our Sherpa, "Mingma" and helped us all reach the summit! Our top three teams went home with prize money, however all the climbers went home with changed lives! Our 10 weeks was concluded with a great finale, celebrating all the climbers and the posting of our flag at the summit of Mt. Everest! A group of  our climbers took it to the next level after being motivated by this theme and trained together to climb a real mountain.  On July 7th of 2012, a group of our clients climbed Mt. St. Helens!

In the Spring, we went on a "Camp Out."  We had a lot of fun with this theme! Our teams learned that to change permanently, "YAGODDAWANNA!" You've Got To Want To! :-)  We wore our wood cookies as name tags, had walking sticks for our "immunity idol" and even went on a camp out together at the end of this 10 weeks!  All 80 teams were greeted each week with a camp fire, camp songs and pup tent to keep us in the mood! Again, we lost over 2000 pounds and this time had 4 clients reach 100 pounds, along with many others reaching their personal best! Glenda wore the name tag "Ranger Rikki" and supported us again along with a even bigger group of Alumni! Seeing our Alumni wear their ORANGE shirts each week was an inspiration to all the clients!

Summer brought "The Olympics." Our Alumni marched in on the first day of the games and lit the torch that burned for the ten week challenge! The London Olympics celebrated some amazing participants with perseverance and fortitude...and so did The Healthy Weigh! We took on the motto of the Olympic games. Citius ~ Altius ~ Fortius! Faster Higher Stronger! Not only did our teams lose over 2200 pounds over the summer, but 5 of our Olympians reached 100 pounds!   We learned from former Olympians and were inspired by the current ones. We learned that if you have the Olympic spirit inside of you, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to! The London games had "Wenlock" as a mascot...so of course, we had "Glenlock."  Glenda was a good sport once again!
Along with 4 more clients reaching their 100 mark, our Alumni  surprised the Olympians by giving two full scholarships to the Fall Team Challenge to deserving team mates! There wasn't a dry eye in the place as we celebrated all the great accomplishments at the closing ceremonies and snuffed out the Olympic torch!

Our final challenge of the year took us on a 10 week cruise!  "Sail A Weigh" was our theme as we set sail on the maiden voyage of THW DINAMI!  Dinami, our ships name, was Greek for strength and power! Our passengers showed a lot of that as we closed out 2012 losing over 2500 pounds and having 2 more clients reach 100 pounds!   We had a ship board photographer shooting film for the 10 weeks as we sailed to Hawaii and Mexico! We even had a holiday party with midnight buffet recipes! A few emergency drills allowed us to get to know each other better in our perspective muster stations! Luckily, even though we hit some rough seas, we had no great emergencies! Every good cruise ship has a cruise director. Julie McCoy was an old favorite from the Love Boat.  Well, we had one too, Glenda McCoy. As always, Glenda offered her support and wisdom to this group of Sailors.  At the finale we celebrated great weight loss and great life change! Our Alumni did it again and paid the way for 3 more clients to attend the Winter 2013 Team Challenge!  What a group!

The Healthy Weigh believes that if you change your thinking...you can truly change your life!  Although the clients lost close to 10,000 pounds this year at The Healthy Weigh and look totally different on the outside, I'd say the real change, happened on the inside!  It was a fun, exciting,  but powerful year!

As I look back at 2012, I'm so thankful to have used my creativity and my inspiration to make a difference in the lives of so many people. I always give my best to the program and expect outstanding results because of it.  What I'm always surprised at  however, is the overwhelming community support that the clients at The Healthy Weigh give each other.  We've got some talented and inspiring people participating in the program and they made all the difference in the success of The Healthy Weigh this last year!  I'm honored to be a part of such a great group of people!

We are preparing now to enter our 15th season of the Team Challenge on January 15th. Our theme for this 10 week challenge is "The Travelers Gift ~ Seven Decisions That Determine Personal Success." I read this book by Andy Andrews about 6 years ago and was changed by it's content.  I've always wanted to travel through it with a group of people! So...that's exactly what we are going to do starting in January!  Our Team Challenge themes have been powerful, fun, challenging...this one is going to go down as "life changing"  I'm just sure of it!

We have plans in 2013 to offer 4 Team Challenges again and are so excited about the number of clients who are reaching goal weight and keeping it off by participating in our Alumni program.  Here's to another year of permanent weight loss, lives being changed, and the ripple effect that all of that change brings!

If you are reading this and you haven't participated in a Team Challenge yet, don't wait! Come join me on Tuesday, January 8th at noon or 6 PM to hear all the details of our upcoming Winter Team Challenge!  I hope to see you then!  Go to www.healthyweigh.com to find out more or to sign up!

Always encouraging you,
Letha