Posts Tagged ‘weight loss’
Living in the Present Moment
“Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best for the next moment.”
Oprah Winfrey
Today is a new day and we have the choice to either dwelling in the past or future or become aware of the opportunities that are presenting themselves in the present moment. You may ask yourself, “How do I live in the present moment?”
Living in the present moment takes practice. Most of us are busy doing THINGS which we feel are very important and do not take the time to slow down and see what is happening around us.
My husband, Bob, would always say, “Look at those birds singing in the trees and isn’t it a shame most people don’t even see them.” Bob always took the time to enjoy nature. I on the other hand was always rushing around and never took the time to enjoy my surroundings. Slowly I began changing and noticing the beauty around me.
Some of the steps you can take to start living in the present moment are as follows:
1. Every so often take a deep breath and close your eyes.
2. Open your eyes and look for the beauty around you.
3. While sitting quietly listen to your inner voice.
4. Acknowledge yourself for taking the time.
Performing this exercise on a daily bases helped me to start living in the present moment. Today I am in touch with my inner voice and aware of the opportunities and gifts I am receiving on a daily basis.
The opportunities and gifts I have received today are as follows:
• Opportunity: I was able to fill the birdfeeders with food and then watch the birds out my office window.
• Gift: During this difficult time I am learning that people are very special and want to support me in anyway they can. I am also learning how to support others.
Please share with others who read this blog the steps you take to live in the present moment and what gifts and opportunities you are receiving today. Helen
Everyone Has Many Special Gifts
Are you thinking I wish my life was easier, can’t lose weight or want a new job? Welcome to the human race. Most of us go through our day doing the things we have to do and wishing for our lives to be better. We never take the time to acknowledge the special gifts we already have in our lives.
What comes to mind is how Dorothy’s friends in the Wizard of Oz spent most of their time looking for the Wizard to give them what they wanted. The Lion was looking for courage, Tin Man for a heart and Scarecrow for brains. After meeting the Wizard and seeing what a fraud he was each one realized they already had the gift they were looking for.
We are no different than Dorothy’s friends. Most of the time we are looking for something we already have. Let me give you an example: Jane just moved into a new neighborhood, was feeling very lonely and felt she had no friends. What Jane did not realize was that she already knew many people. During Jane’s coaching session she decided to play a game that night at her office party and count the number of people she spoke to. Jane was amazed when she realized she knew and spoke to over 10 people that night. Her next plan was to invite some of her peer co-workers to coffee after work.
If Jane did not play that game she would be still looking to meet people instead of realizing she had already met them.
Now is your turn to play a little game which will prove you already have what you are looking for.
Create a game to determine whether you already have your special gift.
1. At the top of the page write what you want.
a. Example: My job is boring and I want a new job.
2. Draw a line down the center of the page.
3. List in the first column everything you would like in a new job.
3. List in the second column everything you like about your current job.
4. Compare both lists and see what items appear on both of them.
5. Journal what you have discovered.
Most of the time you will realize there are many things you like about your current job.
After completing the exercise please let me know what you have discovered. I can be reached by leaving a comment on this blog or sending an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Taking Care of Yourself
Most of us keep thinking, “I wish things were different then I would be happier.” How would you feel if your wishes, (i.e. perfect weight, fantastic relationship, no debits or loved your job) happened today?
Let me tell you a little story, Marge (name changed) was very unhappy with her life. She felt fat, was always fighting with her husband and daughter and there was never enough money for a vacation. She always felt if she lost the weight and got a better paying job everything would be better. Marge only wished for these things and never took the small steps to make them happen.
She went around complaining until one day, she was buying coffee at WAWA and heard someone saying, “I learned if I want my life to be better I had to make changes and start taking care of myself.” Marge heard what the man said and thought maybe if I want my life to be better I have to start taking care of myself.
When she got home she decided to surf the web, found this blog and started reading the different articles. She found suggestions for how to take care of herself. The suggestion she liked best was taking a mini-vacation by spending 10 minutes a day doing something nice for herself. The next day Marge took a mini-vacation by taking a long bath and felt 100% better. The experience of taking care of herself was so rewarding she tried other suggestions and not only felt happier, and also had a better relationship with her family and started losing weight.
What can you do today to take care of yourself? Remember we are the CEO of our lives and either we can try new behaviors or only wish for things to change.
It was great hearing from Marge and how reading my blog was making such a difference in her life. I would also like to thank everyone else for leaving their comments or sending me emails on how the blog is helping them. By working together we can support each other in taking the small steps that will change our lives.
Please leave your successes, lessons learned and questions in the comment section below or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Inner Beauty
‘Remember that beauty works from within, it cannot be put on and off like a garment.’ Elizabeth Cady Stanton
The Elizabeth Cady Stanton quote above illustrates that it is more important to be true to yourself instead of worrying about outside appearances.
I would like to share a story with you. Susan (name changed) was overweight, decided she would stop focusing on her weight and buy expense clothes and makeup to make herself feel better. Buying the clothes and new make-up, it did the trick for a short period of time. Then Susan was back to her old way of thinking, “I must lose this weight before I can be happy.”
What the underlining message was that Susan did not like herself and was looking for something to make her happy and feel comfortable. As illustrated in the quote above until we find a way to, “Remember that beauty works from within” we will always look for the outside magic fix to make us feel better.
One day Susan was talking to a friend about her challenge and how she felt. Together they took the following steps during their morning walks and a miracle happened they started to lose weight.
1 Planned their own healthy eating plan before meeting for the walk.
2. Shared their plan with each other.
3. Discussed the challenges they were facing regarding their eating plans.
4. Brainstormed different tools they could use to ensure they would remain committed to their new lifestyle.
5. Promised each other they would follow their eating plan, no matter what happened during the day.
6. Shared for the last five minutes their successes and what made them happy the day before.
7. Each Saturday after their walk they would treat themselves and have breakfast at a local restaurant.
This routine went on for many months and what happened they both felt supported, liked the person they were inside and out and started losing weight.
What could you do today that will help you start liking yourself from within?
Remember I am here to support you in your journey. Please let me know about your challenges, stories and concerns. This is a community where we can support each other on our life’s journey. I can be reached by leaving your comments on this blog or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I really am looking forward to hearing from you.
I was with a group of people this morning and someone made the comment, “My not taking for an answer is hurting me.” When he made this comment, I thought his ability to persist was a special gift and not a trait that was hurting him. It is amazing how we all think in different ways.
After the meeting I approached him and shared my feelings of how my persistant nature and not giving up on something I value has made such a difference in my life. We discussed this for awhile and then others joined the group. We ended the conversation by recognizing what a special gift we had by not taking “No” for an answer when we felt it was important to continue pursuing our commitment.
I would like to share Jerry’s (name changed) story with you and how important it was not to take “No” for an answer. Jerry weighed over three hundred pounds and was not able to lose the weight. He tried different diets, affirmations, therapy and nothing helped. He felt the only way to start losing weight was to go to an eating disorder rehab. The only trouble was that every rehab he called specialized in alcohol, drugs, or women with anorexia. He started to become disillusioned, but something within gave him the willingness to continue. After several more calls he found an eating disorder rehab that worked with men and Jerry took a leave of absence to go there. Going changed his life. What would have happened if he took “No” for an answer?
In what situations have you taken “No” for an answer and miracles have happened? I know in my case if I do not say, “NO” to myself every time I want to eat something not on my food plan, I would still be struggling with my weight and not maintaining it.
It is your choice to never take “No” for an answer and pursue your commitment for living a healthy lifestyle. I am extending a special invitation to join a community that realizes saying “No” is a special gift that could help you achieve your goal. Together let’s plan ways we can make sure we are living our best life. I can reached by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Do you like who you are? How you feel about yourself makes such a difference in the way you interact with people. This statement was very evident to me this past weekend. My husband and I went away for a few days. Feeling very relaxed and confident, I found myself talking to everyone around me.
Finding out where people lived, their concerns and plans for the weekend. My husband made a comment about how friendly I was and that people felt relaxed talking to me. What a gift to be able to talk to everyone without the fear of being rejected.
Thinking back before I started on my journey of self-love I would go out of my way not to talk to anyone. I was so very fearful of people. Once I started on my journey of discovering who I was my personality changed. Today I can say without thinking twice I really like myself.
What can you do today to start feeling better about yourself? Following are some steps my clients and I have started taking daily?
1. While brushing your teeth in the morning look in the mirror and say out loud one thing you like about yourself.
2. Before leaving your house create an intention that you will brighten someone’s day.
3. When you make eye contact with another person, smile and say hello.
4. Call someone you have not spoken to in awhile just to say hello and see how they are doing.
5. At the end of the day make a list of all the times you made someone smile and how you felt.
Have fun with the experiment and let me know how you felt when you brought a smile to someone’s face. I am always available to support you in making your life a little brighter. You can reach me by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Does this story sound familiar? I was speaking to someone the other day about her struggles with food. She was almost in tears while sharing with me about not being able to lose weight. Susan (named changed) had tried every diet on the market, unable to maintain the weight she lost and usually gained an extra 5 pounds after she went off the diet. Tears started rolling down her face as she explained, “There is nothing I can do to keep the weight off and maintain it.”
Susan felt desperate and was unwilling to start a new diet plan. She asked what other options did she have? I put on my coaching hat and asked, “What other area in your life could you focus on instead of the food?” Susan was not happy in her present job and was thinking about looking for another position in the company. I then asked, “what small step could she take to start researching a new position? Susan’s face brightened as she said, “I will check the “Positions Wanted” Board in the cafeteria.” I requested that she let me know what happens. I also asked if she was interested in a coaching partnership.
If you are struggling with your weight, think what other area of your life you are concerned about? Taking a small step to finding a solution for the other area in your life will help you with your struggle with food. It has been proven if we focus on something else we unconsciously find a solution for our biggest problem.
Here’s my invitation to you; Experiment by taking the following small steps:
1. Make a list of all the other challenges you have in your life besides food.
2. Decide which other concern you would like to work on.
3. Write a short description of the challenge.
4. Brainstorm ideas that would solve your problem.
5. Decide which small step you will take to solve the challenge.
6. Write down the step you are going to take and a date when you will start.
7. Enjoy the journey.
Have fun with the experiment and let me know about your challenge and what small step you are going to take to solve your concern. I am always available to support you in getting off the diet merry-go-round and making your dreams a reality. You can reach me by leaving a comment on the blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
How to lose weight, dieting tips, food struggles, food, loving yourself
You Are Fantastic Just the Way You Are!
Do you sometimes feel like crying because you can’t seem to lose weight? You are not alone! Many a morning I would think to myself, “I will never lose this weight; I always be overweight.”
Sheila (name changed) was a very successful business owner, loving wife and super mom. She was about 40 pounds overweight and was thinking about losing weight all the time. She tried every diet imaginable only to gain the weight back every time she stopped dieting. Even though she was succeeding in the other areas of her life she felt like a failure and had low self-esteem.
We started working together and the first area we focused on was building Sheila’s self-esteem. She took the steps below to feel confident, lovable and proud of herself. Sheila lost the unwanted unhealthy weight while focusing on her forgotten dream of dancing. Today Sheila is maintaining her weight, taking jazz lessons with her daughter and loves her life.
Some of the steps Sheila took to build her self-esteem are as follows:
1. Before getting out of bed in the morning she gave herself a big hug.
2. While taking a shower in the morning she keep repeating, “I am fantastic just the way I am.”
3. Gave someone in her family a big hug in the morning and told them she loved them.
4. Before eating wrote down what she was going to eat and only ate the planned menu.
5. Took at least 10 minutes a day to do something nice for herself.
6. Exercised for 30 minutes a day, four times a week.
7. Practiced her dance routines.
8. Before going to bed made a list of the things that made her happy that day.
9. Continued to remind herself during the day that she was safe, felt confident and lovable.
10. Asked for support whenever she felt alone and her fears were surfacing.
I invite you to experiment today and try at least one of the above steps. By taking a small step you will begin a new journey which leads to making your dreams come true.
As always I am here to support you. I can be reached by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
How to lose weight, dieting tips, struggling with food, food, loving yourself
Autobiography in Five Short Chaptersby Portia Nelson
Chapter I
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost… I am helpless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter II
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I am in this same place.
But, it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter III
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it there.
I still fall in… it’s a habit… but,
my eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.
Chapter IV
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
Chapter V
I walk down another street.
Every time I read this autobiography, it makes me think of my behavior when it came to my denial with food. I would always tell myself, “This time I will only eat a small portion of a muffin and save the rest for later.” Who was I kidding? Me of course because one bite always led to many muffins. This behavior continued for most of my life until one day a miracle happened and I was able to realize that one bite leads to a thousand bites.
Would you like to try an experiment today? Whenever you want to eat something not on your eating plan read the poem above and see what happens. Please let me know what happens by leaving a comment on the blog or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Are you always working and don’t have time to relax? Welcome to the human race! The best part is we are able to change our behavior anytime we want.
Yesterday was one of my special days! My grandson, Dillon and I spent the day in New York City. We shopped, had an expensive lunch and saw a Broadway show, “Les Miserable.”
While on the train I was watching someone working and saw myself. When he got on the train he took out his Blackberry, laptop computer and notes. He composed a document from his notes, scheduled appointments and had conversations with various people. This all took place within 45 minutes. It was quite amazing.
While watching him, I thought about my work habits and spending a limited time relaxing and having fun. To make matters worse, while in one of the stores, I stood on a beam of light and my personality trait was, “I think too much and should eat more chocolate.” How true, I am always thinking and never relaxing.
Today is a new day and I am going to take a small step in changing my work habits. I will only work 4 hours today, enjoy myself relaxing and spending time with Dillon. By being the CEO of my life, I can always start a new behavior anytime I want.
What behavior would you like to change today? Remember all it takes is one little step to start the process of changing the habit. Have fun with the experiment and let me know about your new behavior and small step you are going to take. I am always available to support you in making these changes.
I would love to hear about the behavior you would like to change and the small step you are going to take. You can leave your new plan on this blog by hitting the commitment button at the bottom of this article or send an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Are you tired of trying almost every diet on the planet? This is how I felt most of the time. I was always trying different diets and hoping one of the diets would make me thin. Notice I said, “This one will make me thin.” It is the diet that has to do the work not me.
As usual, after a week or two I felt the diet was not for me. Then I would try another one and the worst part was, I was spending money, the books were piling up and I was feeling more of a failure with each new diet. There had to be a better way! What did I have to do?
The answer finally came when I decided to make a commitment to do the work, instead of expecting the diet to do it for me. It was a turning point for me. I found by working with clients, taking different trainings and my own experience, the only way for a diet to work is by em>making a commitment to take the steps and not expecting the diet to do the work for you.
Following is a short quiz you can take to determine if you are committed to taking the steps or want the diet to do all the work:
1. Are you willing to follow a diet plan, even though you don’t lose weight quickly, you will continue to follow?
2. Are you willing to get help from a professional who specializes in weight control?
3. Losing weight is a major concern in your life and you will take whatever steps necessary to make it happen.
4. Realizing there are no magic fixes and the solution is in your hands.
If you answer “Yes” to the above questions it seems possible that you are committed to losing weight. If you answered “No” to any of the questions it may appear you are looking for the magic fix.
If you are committed to taking any steps to make your dreams come true. Congratulations! Today is a special day for you by taking that first step and following a healthy eating plan that works for you. If you need help in creating that plan I can be reached by leaving a comment below or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
If most of your answers were “No” don’t give up hope. Even though you may expect the diet to work for you there is an easy way to change your thinking. Creating a Loving Me Plan which includes easy steps to follow will enable you to make a shift in your thinking.
I will continue writing on this topic and would appreciate any ideas you may have. Please send me your ideas either by leaving a comment or sending an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Working together we can help each other realize our goal of living a healthy lifestyle and maintaining our weight.
Do you ever think, “Wouldn’t it be great to sit down with a large bag of pretzels, ice cream and a large bottle of soda with sugar and caffeine?” Join the group!!! I then ask you the question, “Will doing this really make you feel better?” At first the answer would be ‘YES’ and then thinking about it, your rational thoughts would say, “NO.”
I was watching the movie “The Holiday” last night, which is about two women in dead-end relationships who decided to swap homes. In one of the scenes Los Angeles resident Amanda (Cameon Diaz) tells her employees that she is taking a week off to get away and eat as many carbs as she wants. After arriving in England, she goes to the food store and buys all the carbs she can find. While paying for her food the person asks, “Are you having a party tonight?” I have been there and done that. It is so embarrassing I wanted to hide.
Going back to the house, eating everything, feeling sick she realizes that the food will not make her feel better. I thought, welcome to reality; food will never make you feel better!
When you are lonely here are some steps you can take to put a smile on your face:
1. Write yourself a love letter and mail it to yourself.
2. Write a list of things that make you happy and try one of them.
3. Call a friend.
4. Go to a local coffee shop or bookstore, buy a cup of coffee or tea or a bottle of water and look at the books.
5. Play a game with your children.
6. Call your grandchildren or nieces and nephews. Calling my grandchildren always make me feel better.
As always, I would love to hear what you are experiencing on your life’s journey. Please feel free to contact me with your stories, comments, and ideas. Write to me by leaving your comments at the bottom of this article or send an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
MIRACLES HAPPEN BY PUTTING ONE STEP IN FRONT OF THE OTHER
TODAY IS MONDAY AND I AM GOING TO START MY DIET TODAY!!! Does this thought sound familiar? Don’t worry you are not the only one who thinks this way, we all do. What can you do today that is different from every other Monday? One thought is to start living in the solution instead of the problem.
Ok let’s look at the idea of living in the solution not the problem. One practice my clients and I use to live in the solution is to focus on other areas of our lives instead of the food.
Yesterday was a very special time for my grandsons,their parents and grandparents. Both Jeffrey (6 years old) and Dillon (13 years old) participated in their second triathlon. We arrived at the Swim Club at 8:00am in time for registration. The event is organized and managed by a young girl whose sister had cancer. All the proceeds are donated to cancer research. There were about 60 people there and everyone was excited especially the young kids. The event started around 9:00am.
The first group was the 5 to 7 year olds. The bell rang and the kids jumped into the water and swam across the pool, onto their bikes and finished with a run. My heart was beating so fast and I was yelling while Jeffrey was participating. He finally finished with the top participants.
Dillon participated in the last group. The bell rang and he jumped into the water and had to swim 8 laps. We were all screaming and cheering him along. Dillon finally finished the swim towards the end of the group. He jumped onto his bike and made up time while riding and running. He also finished with the top participants.
Jeffrey and Dillon’s participation in the event demonstrates the willingness to finish no matter what happens. They trained before the event and during it put one step in front of the other until they finished.
Living in the solution is the same thing. The willingness and commitment to continue taking the next step until you reach your goal. What is your dream and let’s make it happen.
As always, I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment on my blog or send an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Today’s Affirmation: “I am living in the solution and taking small steps towards my goal.”
Today is a new day on your journey of life. We have a choice either feeling sorry for ourselves for not losing weight or trying a new eating behavior. Our thoughts of losing weight can be like an old friend. The thought is always with us and never challenges us to try something different. Until you are ready to make a commitment that things will be different and have the courage to move in a new direction nothing changes.
The following quote from the book, “Time for Joy”, By Ruth Fishel and Bonny Van de Kamp, illustrates how walking through your fears enables you to live a vibrant life.
It takes great courage to go in new directions.
It takes great courage to try things that others around us have not tried.
One can have courage while one has fear.
Courage does not mean the absence of fear.
To open new doors, to take new steps while walking through our fear
takes the greatest courage of all.
Each new door opened gives us confidence to open the next door.
By trusting the goodness within us and going beyond the fear,
Life is an exciting, satisfying and fulfilling place to be.
As your coach I support you in taking small steps that will make you very strong while making changes in your life. I have found that working with my clients in identifying what is more important in their life than food and reconnecting with what really makes them happy enables them to lose weight and live a vibrant life.
I have a client, lets call her Terri, who originally hired me as a coach so she could lose weight. Instead of only focusing on the food we started exploring what really made her happy and fulfilled. During the coaching sessions, we created the following game she could play:
1. Explored different tools and techniques she felt comfortable implementing while changing her eating behavior.
2. Asked friends and family members what they thought her perfect job would be.
2. Explored the list of professions and narrowed them down to two or three.
3. Performed informational interviews with people in the different fields.
4. Decided she would like to pursue the field of travel.
5. Worked for a Travel Agent on Saturdays as a tour guide in the historic area of her town.
As Terri was pursuing her dream job she stopped focusing on the food, started eating healthy with quantity control, exercising and losing weight at the same time. Today Terri, is at goal weight, founder of a business that plans tours for different groups.
If your deepest desire is to get off the diet merry-go-round and into a vibrant life, I am here to support you. How vibrant do you want your life to be? I can be reached at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net
SOLUTIONS FOR ENJOYING THE SUMMER
Are you thinking, “Summer is officially here and I will not put on a bathing suit and go to the beach this year.” Welcome to the human race! Most of us with weight issues have this thought and blame ourselves for not losing the weight over the winter so we could wear a bathing suit this summer.
Having this thought is living in the problem instead of the solution. You might be thinking there is NO solution to this problem. Let’s spend some time brainstorming ways of enjoying this summer and the beach.
1. Buy a bathing suit that feels comfortable and a pretty cover-up to go over the bathing suit.
2. Start today taking a small step to change your eating behavior. What small step can you take? An example: just for today light a candle and have a cup of tea or coffee instead of grabbing something from the refrigerator. Tomorrow repeat the same lovely experience.
3. Go to the beach early in the morning when it is less crowded. Early in the morning, I love having a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper on the beach.
4. Take a walk on the beach at sundown.
5. Sit in your backyard sun bathing using a heavy sun blocker.
6. Take a long walk early in the morning; this is my favorite time of day.
7. Schedule time with a good friend to have lunch in an outside café.
8. Invite family and friends over for a picnic and invite everyone to bring a healthy dish. An example: Salad, vegetable sticks with flavored yogurt for dipping, grilled skinless chicken, baked potatoes, fruit and other low calorie dishes. Please let me know what dishes you served at the picnic.
9. Take your children or grandchildren, or nieces or nephews to a water park.
10. Set-up a birdbath and watch the birds and squirrels take a bath.
I would love to hear your ideas for living in the solution for enjoying this summer and spending time on the beach.
Older Posts »
