Are you being kind to yourself? Today is a new day and we have a choice to either continue doing the same thing and hoping for another result or do something different.
I was thinking about why we are the hardest on ourselves. The thought popped into my mind the reason being we want to look perfect and to achieve that we have to be hard on ourselves. How can we change this situation and be kinder to ourselves. I asked my clients, coaches, friends and family members what they do to make sure they were kinder to themselves. Following are some suggestions:
1. Before getting out of bed in the morning decide what you are going to do nice for yourself that day. Make sure you do it!
2. Be kind to yourself.
3. While taking a shower sing your favorite song.
4. After putting your make-up on look in the mirror and tell yourself, “You look pretty.”
5. After shaving looking in the mirror and tell yourself, “You look handsome.”
6. Today only eat healthy meals.
7. Spend time alone each day daydreaming.
8. Spend time with your family members sharing what made you happy today.
9. Reading your “Happiness Journal.” A journal listing all the things that made you happy in the past.
10. Keep telling yourself, "I am perfect just the way I am."
What ideas can you add to the above list? Please let me know and together we can create a list of suggestions to ensure we are the number one in our lives. You can leave your suggestion on the blog or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Affirmation: I am the number one person in my life today!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Exercing Motivational Tools
Do you like to exercise? I always say, “I wish I could give up everything as fast as I do exercising.”
I had taken a break from exercising for the past two weeks. Just could not bring myself to put on my exercise clothes and go for a fast walk. During the day I felt sluggish, overwhelmed and had no motivation. I kept wondering what was wrong.
One day I felt very tired and thought about my low energy level and no motivation. After thinking about it for awhile I realized that I was not exercising and could that be the problem. Yesterday morning I decided to try an experiment and see if I felt better after exercising. Guess What?? I went for a two mile walk and came back feeling energized and motivated. I found the answer!
This morning I did not want to exercise and reminded myself about how great I felt yesterday after exercising. That was the motivation I needed, got out of bed, put my exercise clothes on and exercised for 45 minutes. When I finished I felt 100% better.
What tools do you use to motivate yourself to exercise? Please let me know and I will create a list of Exercising Motivational Tools we can all use. I can be contacted by either leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I am looking forward to hearing from you. Helen
I had taken a break from exercising for the past two weeks. Just could not bring myself to put on my exercise clothes and go for a fast walk. During the day I felt sluggish, overwhelmed and had no motivation. I kept wondering what was wrong.
One day I felt very tired and thought about my low energy level and no motivation. After thinking about it for awhile I realized that I was not exercising and could that be the problem. Yesterday morning I decided to try an experiment and see if I felt better after exercising. Guess What?? I went for a two mile walk and came back feeling energized and motivated. I found the answer!
This morning I did not want to exercise and reminded myself about how great I felt yesterday after exercising. That was the motivation I needed, got out of bed, put my exercise clothes on and exercised for 45 minutes. When I finished I felt 100% better.
What tools do you use to motivate yourself to exercise? Please let me know and I will create a list of Exercising Motivational Tools we can all use. I can be contacted by either leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I am looking forward to hearing from you. Helen
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Changing Eating Habits
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.
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.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Changing Behaviors
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.
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.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Commitment Always Works
Yesterday I realized that making a strong commitment to accomplish your goal and not letting anything stand in your way is a guarantee that your dream will become a reality.
On Sunday, July 22, 2007 the 2nd Annual New Jersey State Triathlon was held. My daughter Mindi participated in the Olympic Event and my son-in-law Adam in the Triathlon. Jeffrey, my grandson, and I were volunteers.
It was so exciting watching the athletes swimming, biking and running. Jeffrey and I directed the Olympic runners. Jeffrey was giving everyone a “high five” as they passed him and I was encouraging them on with “you are doing great.” We brought many smiles to the runners’ faces. After the race a few of the runners thanked Jeffrey and I for giving them the added energy they needed.
Talking to the athletes after the race, they were all telling me how they trained and did not let anything get in the way of their dream. One of the participants had his daughter in a carriage and was pushing her as he ran. His daughter had cerebral palsey. Other groups were there to support other children with incurable diseases. What dedication and commitment these athletes and their family and friends had. It was a celebration of life and taking care of yourself.
What can you do today to make sure your commitment to lose weight becomes a reality? Some suggestions:
1. Make time to exercise.
2. Write down what you are going to eat today and stick to that plan.
3. Take a ten minute mini-vacation. Example: watch your favorite television program.
4. Call a friend and have a good laugh.
5. Write in your “Happiness Journal” what made you happy today.
As usual I would love to hear what you are doing to strengthen your commitment to lose weight and create a vibrant life. If you need any support please let me know by leaving a comment on the blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
On Sunday, July 22, 2007 the 2nd Annual New Jersey State Triathlon was held. My daughter Mindi participated in the Olympic Event and my son-in-law Adam in the Triathlon. Jeffrey, my grandson, and I were volunteers.
It was so exciting watching the athletes swimming, biking and running. Jeffrey and I directed the Olympic runners. Jeffrey was giving everyone a “high five” as they passed him and I was encouraging them on with “you are doing great.” We brought many smiles to the runners’ faces. After the race a few of the runners thanked Jeffrey and I for giving them the added energy they needed.
Talking to the athletes after the race, they were all telling me how they trained and did not let anything get in the way of their dream. One of the participants had his daughter in a carriage and was pushing her as he ran. His daughter had cerebral palsey. Other groups were there to support other children with incurable diseases. What dedication and commitment these athletes and their family and friends had. It was a celebration of life and taking care of yourself.
What can you do today to make sure your commitment to lose weight becomes a reality? Some suggestions:
1. Make time to exercise.
2. Write down what you are going to eat today and stick to that plan.
3. Take a ten minute mini-vacation. Example: watch your favorite television program.
4. Call a friend and have a good laugh.
5. Write in your “Happiness Journal” what made you happy today.
As usual I would love to hear what you are doing to strengthen your commitment to lose weight and create a vibrant life. If you need any support please let me know by leaving a comment on the blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Support While Struggling With Food
Do you feel alone on your journey as you are struggling with food? This is a very common feeling among us riding the roller coaster of weight control. There is a very easy solution, get support. Easier said than done!
At 3:30am this morning I was sleeping peacefully when a thought popped into my head and woke me up. Start a Monday morning group call supporting each other to make life easier. What a great idea and I jumped out of bed and started typing. I felt this was a message from the Universe.
Every Monday, 7:00am to 7:30am EST
Monday Morning Intention Setting Calls
Share time with other successful people while announcing your intentions for the week and what small step you are going to take. You also have a choice of simply listening and just writing down your intention and small step.
The calls start by taking a few moments to silently think about what you want to focus on during the week. Then as a group we can share our intention and the step we are going to take during the week. An example: My intention this week is not to binge when I come home from work. The small step I am going to take: Every day at 5:30 pm I will light a candle, make myself a cup of tea, and listen to music for just 10 minutes. Then prepare dinner.
Come join and receive support from others. Monday Morning Intention Setting calls are ongoing ~ join every Monday morning. Mark your calendar to be with us on the calls. The calls are starting Monday, August 13, 2007 at 7:00am.
Please email me at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net for details regarding the call.
At 3:30am this morning I was sleeping peacefully when a thought popped into my head and woke me up. Start a Monday morning group call supporting each other to make life easier. What a great idea and I jumped out of bed and started typing. I felt this was a message from the Universe.
Every Monday, 7:00am to 7:30am EST
Monday Morning Intention Setting Calls
Share time with other successful people while announcing your intentions for the week and what small step you are going to take. You also have a choice of simply listening and just writing down your intention and small step.
The calls start by taking a few moments to silently think about what you want to focus on during the week. Then as a group we can share our intention and the step we are going to take during the week. An example: My intention this week is not to binge when I come home from work. The small step I am going to take: Every day at 5:30 pm I will light a candle, make myself a cup of tea, and listen to music for just 10 minutes. Then prepare dinner.
Come join and receive support from others. Monday Morning Intention Setting calls are ongoing ~ join every Monday morning. Mark your calendar to be with us on the calls. The calls are starting Monday, August 13, 2007 at 7:00am.
Please email me at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net for details regarding the call.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Attitudes Create Your Day
Are you struggling with food and feeling frustrated with your life? You are not alone!! I am finding, from working with clients, talking to my friends and my own personal experiences that our attitude determines whether an experience is good or bad. Let me explain.
Let’s take an example. You start the day off eating a healthy breakfast and an hour later you start eating pretzels. After the third pretzel some miracle happens and you decide to stop eating. At that point you can either determine that you are having a bad day and feel sorry for yourself or just say you had a slip and continue eating healthy for the rest of the day. Just thinking you had a slip and what lesson you learned will create a good experience. On the other hand, when you dwell on what happened and feel sorry for yourself you automatically think it was a bad experience. Therefore, our attitude determines if we had a bad or good experience.
I invite you to try a little experiment. Today be aware when something happens whether you consider the situation to be a learning experience or you start to feel sorry for yourself. The first step is awareness of what is happening and then you can make changes in your behavior and thinking.
As always, I would love to hear from you about your experiences while on your life’s journey. Please feel free to contact me with your discoveries from today’s experiment, by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net
Let’s take an example. You start the day off eating a healthy breakfast and an hour later you start eating pretzels. After the third pretzel some miracle happens and you decide to stop eating. At that point you can either determine that you are having a bad day and feel sorry for yourself or just say you had a slip and continue eating healthy for the rest of the day. Just thinking you had a slip and what lesson you learned will create a good experience. On the other hand, when you dwell on what happened and feel sorry for yourself you automatically think it was a bad experience. Therefore, our attitude determines if we had a bad or good experience.
I invite you to try a little experiment. Today be aware when something happens whether you consider the situation to be a learning experience or you start to feel sorry for yourself. The first step is awareness of what is happening and then you can make changes in your behavior and thinking.
As always, I would love to hear from you about your experiences while on your life’s journey. Please feel free to contact me with your discoveries from today’s experiment, by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Happiness Habit
‘The happiness habit is developed by simply practicing happy thinking. Make a mental list of happy thoughts and pass them through your mind several times every day. If an unhappiness thought should enter your mind, immediately stop, consciously eject it, and substitute a happiness thought. Every morning before arising, lie relaxed in bed and deliberately drop happy thoughts into your conscious mind. Let a series of pictures pass across your mind of each happy experience you expect to have during the day. Savor their joy. Such thoughts will help cause events to turn out that way.’
Norman Vincent Peale
Happiness Thoughts:
1. Feeling proud of yourself while eating only the food on your healthy eating plan.
2. Exercising and laughing with someone next to you.
3. Eating a delicious healthy meal with good friends.
4. Thinking about all the great accomplishments you have achieved in my your life (i.e. graduated from college, being a loving and supportive wife or husband, great mom or dad to your kids, the time you made a difference in someone’s life, etc.)
5. Talking on the phone with a good friend.
6. Sitting under a big tree and watching the world go by.
7. Watching the birds, squirrels, chipmunks and rabbits play in your backyard.
8. Riding in a car with your young grandchildren and playing monster games.
9. Listening to music and reading a fun novel.
10. Reading happiness memories from your “Happiness Journal.”
Enjoy your happiness day!
As usual, I would love to hear from you. Please let me know how you are proceeding on your journey of life or if you need any support. You can either leave a message on my blog or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Norman Vincent Peale
Happiness Thoughts:
1. Feeling proud of yourself while eating only the food on your healthy eating plan.
2. Exercising and laughing with someone next to you.
3. Eating a delicious healthy meal with good friends.
4. Thinking about all the great accomplishments you have achieved in my your life (i.e. graduated from college, being a loving and supportive wife or husband, great mom or dad to your kids, the time you made a difference in someone’s life, etc.)
5. Talking on the phone with a good friend.
6. Sitting under a big tree and watching the world go by.
7. Watching the birds, squirrels, chipmunks and rabbits play in your backyard.
8. Riding in a car with your young grandchildren and playing monster games.
9. Listening to music and reading a fun novel.
10. Reading happiness memories from your “Happiness Journal.”
Enjoy your happiness day!
As usual, I would love to hear from you. Please let me know how you are proceeding on your journey of life or if you need any support. You can either leave a message on my blog or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Loving Yourself Daily Action Plan
I was thinking how can I help my clients by supporting them in eating healthy. I created the following "Loving Yourself Daily Action Plan" which they could use daily to help them take care of themselves. I would love to share the following plan with you.
Loving Yourself Daily Action Planner
Date:
Healthy Eating Plan:
Breakfast:
Snack (Optional):
Lunch:
Snack (Optional):
Dinner:
Snack (Optional):
Triggers: (eg. stress, argued with your spouse, overwhelmed, unhappy, bored, etc.)
Support System: (Who are you going to contact today for support?)
Mini-Vacation:
(What are you going to do nice for yourself today for at least 10 minutes?)
Accomplishments and Lessons learned from the previous day.
Accomplishments:
Lessons Learned:
If you have any questions regarding the "Loving Yourself Daily Action PLan" please leave a comment below the article or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Loving Yourself Daily Action Planner
Date:
Healthy Eating Plan:
Breakfast:
Snack (Optional):
Lunch:
Snack (Optional):
Dinner:
Snack (Optional):
Triggers: (eg. stress, argued with your spouse, overwhelmed, unhappy, bored, etc.)
Support System: (Who are you going to contact today for support?)
Mini-Vacation:
(What are you going to do nice for yourself today for at least 10 minutes?)
Accomplishments and Lessons learned from the previous day.
Accomplishments:
Lessons Learned:
If you have any questions regarding the "Loving Yourself Daily Action PLan" please leave a comment below the article or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Friday, July 13, 2007
People Helping Each Other
Do you feel good when someone helps you? If you answer, “Yes” to this question you are in the majority. The reason being we are feeling special at the time and someone takes the time to acknowledge us.
Yesterday was an example of someone going out of their way for me and how grateful I felt. While my grandson Jeffrey was in karate and sparing with another child his elbow was hurt. After making trips to different hospitals and doctor’s offices we learned that his elbow was dislocated and maybe broken. His entire arm was put in a dark blue cast (his choice of color.)
The hospital where the specialist was located was in a very bad neighborhood. My next thought after finding out Jeffrey only needed a cast was that there had to be a safer way to get back to the highway. I asked different nurses and doctors for directions to the highway. The surgeon who took care of Jeffrey lived near us and led us back to the highway. What I learned from this situation was to ask for help.
This same situation can be applied when we are struggling with food. In most cases, changing your eating habits is a monumental task if you do it alone. With support the task becomes easier. Please ask yourself the question, “Who can I contact to help me with my struggle with food?” Then take the next step and contact that person. I am also available for support. You can either contact me by leaving a comment on this blog or send an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. You have options so why do it alone?
Yesterday was an example of someone going out of their way for me and how grateful I felt. While my grandson Jeffrey was in karate and sparing with another child his elbow was hurt. After making trips to different hospitals and doctor’s offices we learned that his elbow was dislocated and maybe broken. His entire arm was put in a dark blue cast (his choice of color.)
The hospital where the specialist was located was in a very bad neighborhood. My next thought after finding out Jeffrey only needed a cast was that there had to be a safer way to get back to the highway. I asked different nurses and doctors for directions to the highway. The surgeon who took care of Jeffrey lived near us and led us back to the highway. What I learned from this situation was to ask for help.
This same situation can be applied when we are struggling with food. In most cases, changing your eating habits is a monumental task if you do it alone. With support the task becomes easier. Please ask yourself the question, “Who can I contact to help me with my struggle with food?” Then take the next step and contact that person. I am also available for support. You can either contact me by leaving a comment on this blog or send an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. You have options so why do it alone?
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Reaching Out to Others
Do you ever feel you are alone in the world? You are not alone! This is one of the biggest complaints many people express. We just don’t realize that all it takes is one little step to change this situation and talk to someone.
Sometimes we find it easier to hire a professional, discuss with them our challenges and find a solution. Other times all it takes is calling a friend and scheduling time to have a cup of coffee or tea together. Also, there are 12 Step meetings you can attend, especially Over Eaters Anonymous. What you are doing is interacting with others so you don’t feel alone.
This past week I have been feeling alone and isolating myself from others. My daughter and I share a family membership at a local organic farm and Tuesday is our scheduled day to pick-up our vegetables. My daughter this Tuesday asked if I would pick-up our share of vegetables at the farm. I really did not want to go and out of guilt I told her that I would be happy to pick-up our share. A few minutes later I called my grandson Jeffrey, who hates to go to the farm, and asked if he would like to go with me. I bribed him by saying we would get him a cold drink before we went to the farm. That did the trick and 30 minutes later we were on the way to the farm.
Driving in the car we played games, sang songs and had a great time together. While Jeffrey and I were picking the vegetables there was a photographer from a local newspaper taking pictures. He asked if he could take Jeffrey and my picture. I will let you know if our picture is in the paper.
Not only did I have fun going to the farm, it made me realize that being with someone else I did not feel alone. Who can you spend sometime with today and not feel alone.
As always, I would love to hear about your different experiences, stories and challenges. Together on this blog we can build a community to support each other on our journey of getting off the diet merry-go-round and into a vibrant life. The way to build this community is by leaving comments below this article or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I would love to hear from you.
Sometimes we find it easier to hire a professional, discuss with them our challenges and find a solution. Other times all it takes is calling a friend and scheduling time to have a cup of coffee or tea together. Also, there are 12 Step meetings you can attend, especially Over Eaters Anonymous. What you are doing is interacting with others so you don’t feel alone.
This past week I have been feeling alone and isolating myself from others. My daughter and I share a family membership at a local organic farm and Tuesday is our scheduled day to pick-up our vegetables. My daughter this Tuesday asked if I would pick-up our share of vegetables at the farm. I really did not want to go and out of guilt I told her that I would be happy to pick-up our share. A few minutes later I called my grandson Jeffrey, who hates to go to the farm, and asked if he would like to go with me. I bribed him by saying we would get him a cold drink before we went to the farm. That did the trick and 30 minutes later we were on the way to the farm.
Driving in the car we played games, sang songs and had a great time together. While Jeffrey and I were picking the vegetables there was a photographer from a local newspaper taking pictures. He asked if he could take Jeffrey and my picture. I will let you know if our picture is in the paper.
Not only did I have fun going to the farm, it made me realize that being with someone else I did not feel alone. Who can you spend sometime with today and not feel alone.
As always, I would love to hear about your different experiences, stories and challenges. Together on this blog we can build a community to support each other on our journey of getting off the diet merry-go-round and into a vibrant life. The way to build this community is by leaving comments below this article or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I would love to hear from you.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Benefits of Positive Thinking
What are you grateful for today? It is time to start focusing on what you are grateful for instead of what is not going right in your life. By acknowledging yourself for your successes it will change your outlook on life and miracles will start to happen.
I always remember the story, when your car won’t start a person with a positive outlook will call AAA and the negative thinker will go back to bed and feel sorry for themselves. By calling AAA the car can be fixed and you go on with your life. This story can also be applied to us. Whenever you eat something not on your eating plan you can either keep eating or acknowledge what you did, stop eating and start eating healthy food at your next meal. We have a choice!
I have a client, Cindy (name changed) who has been working with me for a short period of time. During our coaching sessions we briefly discussed her challenges with food and mostly focused on other issues in her life. This past week we were discussing what has been going on in her life and she was telling me how taking care of herself, was making life easier. I asked her if taking care of herself was helping with the food challenges.
She felt she was more aware of what she was eating and was still struggling. We brainstormed what was holding her back from succeeding. While we were having this discussion, Cindy realized she was not giving herself permission to eat healthy food and wanted to continue to feel sorry for herself. What a great realization!
Her next step was to devise a Loving You Plan, which included a healthy eating plan, exercise program and 10 minute mini-vacation. A mini-vacation is taking at least 10 minutes a day to do something nice for yourself. I requested she email me everyday with her successes and lessons learned. By emailing me she was learning to become accountable.
I have been receiving emails from her, she is so excited about her Loving You Plan and has been eating healthy food, exercising and taking her 10 minute mini-vacation. She feels very successful and fulfilled.
Your Loving You Plan would include the following:
1. What you are going to eat today.
2. What tools are you going to use if you want to eat something not on your plan? (Example: Brush my teeth and take a ride in the car or a walk.)
3. Get support. (Example: call a friend or leave a comment on Helen’s Blog)
4. Take a 10-minute mini-vacation. (Example: read a James Patterson novel for 10 minutes.)
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.
Today's Affirmation: I am not my negative thoughts and am succeeding.
I always remember the story, when your car won’t start a person with a positive outlook will call AAA and the negative thinker will go back to bed and feel sorry for themselves. By calling AAA the car can be fixed and you go on with your life. This story can also be applied to us. Whenever you eat something not on your eating plan you can either keep eating or acknowledge what you did, stop eating and start eating healthy food at your next meal. We have a choice!
I have a client, Cindy (name changed) who has been working with me for a short period of time. During our coaching sessions we briefly discussed her challenges with food and mostly focused on other issues in her life. This past week we were discussing what has been going on in her life and she was telling me how taking care of herself, was making life easier. I asked her if taking care of herself was helping with the food challenges.
She felt she was more aware of what she was eating and was still struggling. We brainstormed what was holding her back from succeeding. While we were having this discussion, Cindy realized she was not giving herself permission to eat healthy food and wanted to continue to feel sorry for herself. What a great realization!
Her next step was to devise a Loving You Plan, which included a healthy eating plan, exercise program and 10 minute mini-vacation. A mini-vacation is taking at least 10 minutes a day to do something nice for yourself. I requested she email me everyday with her successes and lessons learned. By emailing me she was learning to become accountable.
I have been receiving emails from her, she is so excited about her Loving You Plan and has been eating healthy food, exercising and taking her 10 minute mini-vacation. She feels very successful and fulfilled.
Your Loving You Plan would include the following:
1. What you are going to eat today.
2. What tools are you going to use if you want to eat something not on your plan? (Example: Brush my teeth and take a ride in the car or a walk.)
3. Get support. (Example: call a friend or leave a comment on Helen’s Blog)
4. Take a 10-minute mini-vacation. (Example: read a James Patterson novel for 10 minutes.)
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.
Today's Affirmation: I am not my negative thoughts and am succeeding.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Secret for Losing Weight
This is a continuation of yesterday’s Getting OFF the Diet Merry-Go-Round article, discussing your commitment to take the necessary steps to lose weight or have “the diet” do the work for you.
Are you hoping “the diet” will allow you to lose weight and you won’t have to change your thinking about food or eating habits? If you answer “Yes” to this question, you have taken the first step in realizing what is stopping you from succeeding. This realization is an opportunity you can explore and then develop a plan to change your thinking and habits. In a way this is a miracle!
If you would like to start exploring what is stopping you from succeeding please answer the following questions. Remember there is no right or wrong answers. The only thing we are doing is exploring what is hold you back from succeeding.
1. How many diets have you been on in the last year?
2. What successes did you have while on any one particular diet?
3. While on any of the diets did you change your think about food?
4. What happened to change your mind and start a new diet or just take a break from dieting?
5. What eating habits do you still follow when you either changed diets or stopped dieting? (Example: I never eat standing up.)
After completing this exercise what thoughts and ideas did you come up with? Please share your ideas and thoughts by leaving a comment or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
I need your help in building a community where we can support each other in our journey. Please let me know if you are interested by leaving a comment or sending me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.
Affirmation Today: There is a solution and I am losing weight.
Are you hoping “the diet” will allow you to lose weight and you won’t have to change your thinking about food or eating habits? If you answer “Yes” to this question, you have taken the first step in realizing what is stopping you from succeeding. This realization is an opportunity you can explore and then develop a plan to change your thinking and habits. In a way this is a miracle!
If you would like to start exploring what is stopping you from succeeding please answer the following questions. Remember there is no right or wrong answers. The only thing we are doing is exploring what is hold you back from succeeding.
1. How many diets have you been on in the last year?
2. What successes did you have while on any one particular diet?
3. While on any of the diets did you change your think about food?
4. What happened to change your mind and start a new diet or just take a break from dieting?
5. What eating habits do you still follow when you either changed diets or stopped dieting? (Example: I never eat standing up.)
After completing this exercise what thoughts and ideas did you come up with? Please share your ideas and thoughts by leaving a comment or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
I need your help in building a community where we can support each other in our journey. Please let me know if you are interested by leaving a comment or sending me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.
Affirmation Today: There is a solution and I am losing weight.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Finding the Answer for Losing Weight
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.
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.
Friday, July 6, 2007
This Too Shall Pass
Do you ever think, “I will never lose this weight no matter how hard I try?” This is a reoccurring thought that may surface many, many times a day. We have a choice, either we can focus on this thought or acknowledge it and let it pass. This is easier said than done.
Sometimes it is easier to ride the wave of throwing in the towel and enjoy the ride. We are all human and every day is not a perfect day. The most important thing to remember is that feeling sorry for yourself is a luxury for only a short period of time. Once you fully engage in your unhappiness for awhile it is time to move on and think of other solutions. I find that by taking action I feel better and start to live in the solution.
I love the following quote it always gives me inspiration and hope:
“… knowing that, in the grand scheme of things, we live in a world where rainy days eventually give way to sunnier skies.” R. L. Keith
Once your time allotted for enjoying your unhappiness is over; it is time to be very kind to yourself and take some of the following steps:
1. Take your child or grandchild or niece or nephew to the movies. This morning I was in my feeling sorry for myself mood and invited my grandson, Jeffrey to go to the farm with me. We had a fun time together and my mood changed to happiness.
2. Make yourself your favorite low calorie drink and sit outside enjoying the cool breeze. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate.
3. Read a fun novel. My favorite authors are James Patterson and Mary Jane Clark.
This a special invitation requesting that you join me in writing a blog together where we can share our special gifts and concerns with each other. Today, take one little step by leaving a comment or sending me an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Remember: You are the Director of Your Day and Can Change It Any Time You Want!<em>
Sometimes it is easier to ride the wave of throwing in the towel and enjoy the ride. We are all human and every day is not a perfect day. The most important thing to remember is that feeling sorry for yourself is a luxury for only a short period of time. Once you fully engage in your unhappiness for awhile it is time to move on and think of other solutions. I find that by taking action I feel better and start to live in the solution.
I love the following quote it always gives me inspiration and hope:
“… knowing that, in the grand scheme of things, we live in a world where rainy days eventually give way to sunnier skies.” R. L. Keith
Once your time allotted for enjoying your unhappiness is over; it is time to be very kind to yourself and take some of the following steps:
1. Take your child or grandchild or niece or nephew to the movies. This morning I was in my feeling sorry for myself mood and invited my grandson, Jeffrey to go to the farm with me. We had a fun time together and my mood changed to happiness.
2. Make yourself your favorite low calorie drink and sit outside enjoying the cool breeze. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate.
3. Read a fun novel. My favorite authors are James Patterson and Mary Jane Clark.
This a special invitation requesting that you join me in writing a blog together where we can share our special gifts and concerns with each other. Today, take one little step by leaving a comment or sending me an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Remember: You are the Director of Your Day and Can Change It Any Time You Want!<em>
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Thinking Like a Winner
Thinking as a One-Hundred-Percent-of-the-Time WinnerGive yourself a special fourth-of-July present today and celebrate your beauty, qualities and gifts you share with the world. Today is your special day and enjoy it!!
Thinking like a winner means not always having to defeat someone else.
It means being able to grow from a situation in which you fail to reach your goal.
It involves not demanding perfection from yourself in every single thing you do, but, instead, thinking of yourself as perfect and thus capable of growing.
It means reminding yourself that perfection doesn’t mean staying the same; it means being able to allow yourself to grow.
Thinking as a winner means not coming down on yourself; it means refusing to allow self-negative thoughts into your head.
It involves pushing out the wanting to evaluate yourself in comparison with others, and giving yourself permission to be the unique person you are.”
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
I would love to hear about your special day and how you celebrated your beauty. I can be contacted by leaving a comment below this article or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Nothing Works and I Can't Stop Eating
I received a call from a client a few days ago saying she tried different tools to stop herself from eating and nothing worked. Do you ever have this problem?
I explained to her that as human beings we are not perfect and sometimes the desire to eat overpowers us. The first step after we eat is to forgive ourselves. This step for her was very hard. We then discussed the fact that if she constantly beat herself up over eating, the thoughts of food would be on her mind and what happens she will start eating again.
We discussed different options she could take at this point, she decided to acknowledge herself for eating and take a 10 minute mini-vacation. A mini-vacation is doing something nice for yourself for at least 10 minutes. Her 10 mini-vacation after our conversation was to light a candle, listen to music and just relax.
During her next scheduled coaching session she told me, “After taking my mini-vacation I felt relaxed and was able to enjoy the rest of the day.” Later during the session we brainstormed ideas which might help her when the desire to eat was very strong. Following are some of the ideas she discovered:
1. Brush her teeth and take a walk.
2. Light a candle, listen to music and make herself a cup of tea. One of my other clients makes her favorite blueberry smoothie.
3. Call someone for support.
4. Check Helen’s blog for ideas.
The most important thing to remember is that we are all human beings and not perfect. This journey we are on is a learning experience and working together we will change our eating habits.
Please let me know what tools and tips you use when the desire to eat overwhelms you. I would love to post on my blog as many tips as possible so when the desire to eat is very strong all you would have to do is check my blog for some ideas.
You can reach me by leaving a comment under this article or send an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I am looking forward to hearing from you. Helen
I explained to her that as human beings we are not perfect and sometimes the desire to eat overpowers us. The first step after we eat is to forgive ourselves. This step for her was very hard. We then discussed the fact that if she constantly beat herself up over eating, the thoughts of food would be on her mind and what happens she will start eating again.
We discussed different options she could take at this point, she decided to acknowledge herself for eating and take a 10 minute mini-vacation. A mini-vacation is doing something nice for yourself for at least 10 minutes. Her 10 mini-vacation after our conversation was to light a candle, listen to music and just relax.
During her next scheduled coaching session she told me, “After taking my mini-vacation I felt relaxed and was able to enjoy the rest of the day.” Later during the session we brainstormed ideas which might help her when the desire to eat was very strong. Following are some of the ideas she discovered:
1. Brush her teeth and take a walk.
2. Light a candle, listen to music and make herself a cup of tea. One of my other clients makes her favorite blueberry smoothie.
3. Call someone for support.
4. Check Helen’s blog for ideas.
The most important thing to remember is that we are all human beings and not perfect. This journey we are on is a learning experience and working together we will change our eating habits.
Please let me know what tools and tips you use when the desire to eat overwhelms you. I would love to post on my blog as many tips as possible so when the desire to eat is very strong all you would have to do is check my blog for some ideas.
You can reach me by leaving a comment under this article or send an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I am looking forward to hearing from you. Helen
Monday, July 2, 2007
STOP The Diet Thinking!
Are you ready to put your diet thinking to sleep once and for all? I have been getting emails from people who are frustrated and tired of worrying about how they are going to lose weight and keep it off. Don’t give up hope, there is an easy answer.
While working with clients and from my own experiences, I have found by following some of the small steps it will make a difference in your thinking and behavior:
1. Leave a voicemail on your phone at least once a day, thanking yourself for who you are. It might sound crazy and after a few days you start looking forward to the message.
2. Acknowledge yourself for your accomplishments.
3. Prepare a special meal for yourself at least once a week.
4. Schedule time in your calendar to have fun with your children or husband/boyfriend or a good friend.
5. Research different diet plans and don’t start a new diet until you feel it is the right one for you.
The bottom line is being kind to yourself. I love the following quote:
“Be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars.
In the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.”
Max Ehrmann
While working with clients and from my own experiences, I have found by following some of the small steps it will make a difference in your thinking and behavior:
1. Leave a voicemail on your phone at least once a day, thanking yourself for who you are. It might sound crazy and after a few days you start looking forward to the message.
2. Acknowledge yourself for your accomplishments.
3. Prepare a special meal for yourself at least once a week.
4. Schedule time in your calendar to have fun with your children or husband/boyfriend or a good friend.
5. Research different diet plans and don’t start a new diet until you feel it is the right one for you.
The bottom line is being kind to yourself. I love the following quote:
“Be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars.
In the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.”
Max Ehrmann
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