The First Step You Take
Is Always
The Most Important One
“The first few steps you take on any journey
won’t get you where you want to go.
But without those first steps
and the many more that follow,
you would always be standing
right where you are,
looking towards the future
and wondering what it would
really be like
to see your world
the way you always dreamed it could be.”
Nick Santana
Interesting quote. It makes me thing about how a baby gets up and tries to take that first step. Sometimes they fall down and other times they take a few steps and then fall down. They keep trying until finally they can walk across the room. I remember my daughter Jill’s first steps and the smile on her face when she was able to walk across the room.
I am thinking we never lose that ability to keep trying until we succeed, it only gets buried under our ego, thoughts and fears. How can we awaken the desire to continue taking those first steps?
What usually works is a desire to make a change. Let’s take for instance you want to lose 20 pounds by Christmas. Your ego and thoughts want to protect you from failure so they tell you, “It is impossible to lose 20 pounds by Christmas, so why even try and look at all the fun you will miss by not eating your mother’s Christmas cookies.” Listening to your ego and thoughts you decide not to go on a diet until after New Years.
Let’s change the situation. Your ego and thoughts still tell you the same story, however, you want to lose some weight before Christmas. Your first step is to read the “Getting Off the Diet Merry-Go-Round Blog and find some tools you can use to change your behavior. You re-read the November 7, 2007 article and like some of the steps that were suggested. Making a decision you are going to try the following two steps:
1. STOP dieting and eat one healthy meal a day.
2. Look in the mirror every morning and tell myself out loud, “I love you.” At first it may be hard and as time goes on it gets easier.
By taking any small steps it will renew the same ability you had as a baby to keep striving until you reach your goal. It does not matter if you fail only whether you continue taking the steps until your new behavior becomes a habit. As Nick Santana states in his quote, the first steps are the most important because it starts you on your journey of taking the required steps to see your dream come true.
I invite you to start taking one to two small steps and continue taking them everyday until they become a habit before changing your plan or adding additional steps. It has been proven that it takes 21 days to change a habit. Please let me know how you are progressing and if you need any support. I can be reached by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Showing posts with label dieting tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dieting tips. Show all posts
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
Struggling with Food
Look on the Bright Side
‘For every negative that consumes your happiness,
Affirm two positives that sustain you.
For every “Should’ve” you wish you’d done,
Acknowledge something you’re glad you did.
For every loss that has altered your world,
Count from it something you have gained.
For every limit that has ever beset you,
Consider your possibilities.
You can’t always change the way things are,
But you can change the way you wish to see them.
Never stop looking
For the brighter side and beyond.’
Eric T. Moore
Change how you think about things creates miracles in your life. The quote above sums it all up. Instead of focusing on not being able to lose weight think about what you are doing to make your life better. This may seem like an impossible task. Let’s break it down into small steps.
The small steps you can take as suggested in the quote above:
For every negative that consumes your happiness,
Affirm two positives that sustain you
Small Step:
Acknowledge yourself for not being able to lose weight. Then think about 2 funny situations.
For every “Should’ve” you wish you’d done,
Acknowledge something you’re glad you did.
Small Step:
Acknowledge yourself for have eaten junk food instead of a healthy meal. Then think about what made you happy yesterday. Eat healthy at your next meal.
For every loss that has altered your world,
Count from it something you have gained.
Small Step:
Acknowledge yourself for the weight gain. Then think about what you like about yourself..
For every limit that has ever beset you,
Consider your possibilities.
Small Step:
Acknowledge yourself for not having the willpower to lose weight. Then think about the professional support available to help you lose weight.
You can’t always change the way things are,
But you can change the way you wish to see them.
Small Step:
Acknowledge yourself for not being able to lose 10, 20, 50 pounds today. Then think about how you can reach out for support. Leave a comment on the blog or send an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Never stop looking
For the brighter side and beyond.
Small Step:
Acknowledge yourself for who you are! Remember there is always a solution for every problem. The first step is to reach out for support.
Take any or all of the small steps above and send me an email about your experience letting me know if I can support you in anyway. I love hearing from you and by leaving a comment on this blog we can start a support community for people struggling with food. I can be reached by leaving a comment below or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
What are you going to do nice for yourself today?
Helen
‘For every negative that consumes your happiness,
Affirm two positives that sustain you.
For every “Should’ve” you wish you’d done,
Acknowledge something you’re glad you did.
For every loss that has altered your world,
Count from it something you have gained.
For every limit that has ever beset you,
Consider your possibilities.
You can’t always change the way things are,
But you can change the way you wish to see them.
Never stop looking
For the brighter side and beyond.’
Eric T. Moore
Change how you think about things creates miracles in your life. The quote above sums it all up. Instead of focusing on not being able to lose weight think about what you are doing to make your life better. This may seem like an impossible task. Let’s break it down into small steps.
The small steps you can take as suggested in the quote above:
For every negative that consumes your happiness,
Affirm two positives that sustain you
Small Step:
Acknowledge yourself for not being able to lose weight. Then think about 2 funny situations.
For every “Should’ve” you wish you’d done,
Acknowledge something you’re glad you did.
Small Step:
Acknowledge yourself for have eaten junk food instead of a healthy meal. Then think about what made you happy yesterday. Eat healthy at your next meal.
For every loss that has altered your world,
Count from it something you have gained.
Small Step:
Acknowledge yourself for the weight gain. Then think about what you like about yourself..
For every limit that has ever beset you,
Consider your possibilities.
Small Step:
Acknowledge yourself for not having the willpower to lose weight. Then think about the professional support available to help you lose weight.
You can’t always change the way things are,
But you can change the way you wish to see them.
Small Step:
Acknowledge yourself for not being able to lose 10, 20, 50 pounds today. Then think about how you can reach out for support. Leave a comment on the blog or send an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Never stop looking
For the brighter side and beyond.
Small Step:
Acknowledge yourself for who you are! Remember there is always a solution for every problem. The first step is to reach out for support.
Take any or all of the small steps above and send me an email about your experience letting me know if I can support you in anyway. I love hearing from you and by leaving a comment on this blog we can start a support community for people struggling with food. I can be reached by leaving a comment below or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
What are you going to do nice for yourself today?
Helen
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Support From Others Creates Miracles
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.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Loving Yourself
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
How to Lose Weight the Fun Way
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
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
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Focusing On One Day at a Time
‘We never have more than we can bear.
The present hour we are always able to endure.
As is our day, so is our strength.
If the trials of many years were gathered into one,
they would overwhelm us…
but all is so wisely measured to our strength
that the bruised reed is never broken.’
H.E. Manning
What great advice H. E. Manning’s quote illustrates, to only focus on the present moment instead of thinking about what happened in our lives and what the future brings.
Jan (name has been changed) was at her wits end, trying to control her binge eating at night. Every day she would skip breakfast, eat a salad for lunch and a bagel for dinner. Then around 7:00pm every night she would become very hungry and promise herself that she would only eat half of another bagel. Guess what happened, once eating the bagel she would start eating ice cream, cookies and anything else she could get her hands on. After finishing eating she would get into bed and hate herself. The next morning she would exercise for 2 hours and promise herself today would be different. Jan continued this routine for three years.
One day deciding to find another way of living she called me. We started working together and she took very small steps to change her behavior. Today Jan follows a healthy eating plan and is committed to her new lifestyle. Following are some of the small steps Jan takes everyday to ensure she maintains her recovery from binge eating.
1. Getting out of bed each morning Jan writes down a menu of all the foods and beverages she will eat during the day.
2. Eating only the food on her planned menu.
3. Drinking a cup of tea while preparing her meals.
4. Eating meals sitting down either in her kitchen or in a restaurant.
5. Cleaning-up after she is done eating and never eating anything while she is cleaning.
6. Taking a 10 minute mini-vacation everyday. Doing something for herself she really enjoys.
7. Writing in her beautiful Happiness Journal what made her happy during the day and a short sentence describing the event.
By following this Loving Yourself Plan and only focusing on the present moment Jan is able to maintain her goal weight and live a live filled with self-respect, happiness and the knowledge she is taking care of herself.
As usual, I would love to hear from you. Please let me know how you are doing 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.
The present hour we are always able to endure.
As is our day, so is our strength.
If the trials of many years were gathered into one,
they would overwhelm us…
but all is so wisely measured to our strength
that the bruised reed is never broken.’
H.E. Manning
What great advice H. E. Manning’s quote illustrates, to only focus on the present moment instead of thinking about what happened in our lives and what the future brings.
Jan (name has been changed) was at her wits end, trying to control her binge eating at night. Every day she would skip breakfast, eat a salad for lunch and a bagel for dinner. Then around 7:00pm every night she would become very hungry and promise herself that she would only eat half of another bagel. Guess what happened, once eating the bagel she would start eating ice cream, cookies and anything else she could get her hands on. After finishing eating she would get into bed and hate herself. The next morning she would exercise for 2 hours and promise herself today would be different. Jan continued this routine for three years.
One day deciding to find another way of living she called me. We started working together and she took very small steps to change her behavior. Today Jan follows a healthy eating plan and is committed to her new lifestyle. Following are some of the small steps Jan takes everyday to ensure she maintains her recovery from binge eating.
1. Getting out of bed each morning Jan writes down a menu of all the foods and beverages she will eat during the day.
2. Eating only the food on her planned menu.
3. Drinking a cup of tea while preparing her meals.
4. Eating meals sitting down either in her kitchen or in a restaurant.
5. Cleaning-up after she is done eating and never eating anything while she is cleaning.
6. Taking a 10 minute mini-vacation everyday. Doing something for herself she really enjoys.
7. Writing in her beautiful Happiness Journal what made her happy during the day and a short sentence describing the event.
By following this Loving Yourself Plan and only focusing on the present moment Jan is able to maintain her goal weight and live a live filled with self-respect, happiness and the knowledge she is taking care of herself.
As usual, I would love to hear from you. Please let me know how you are doing 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.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
A Word of Advice
A Word of Advice
By Marsha Reid
I want to tell you
to go ahead and reach out
for what you want.
I want to tell you
to go ahead and try;
try to make the things happen
that you want to happen.
Along the way
there may be some pain,
disappointment and doubt,
but if you never try,
you’ll never know
what might have been,
and you’ll always wonder
“what if” and “if only…”
Even though you
might be scared,
you’ll have reason to be
proud of yourself
and glad that you dared
to reach out
for the dreams
that only you
can make come true.
The above poem signifies the reason and courage we all need to get started today on our new healthy lifestyle journey. All it takes is one little step to get started. One small step you can take today is compliment yourself at least once a day.
After reading this poem and maybe taking the small step of complimenting yourself, please let me know what feelings and ideas formed. I am looking forward to hearing from you. You can reach me by leaving a comment on the blog or sending an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
By Marsha Reid
I want to tell you
to go ahead and reach out
for what you want.
I want to tell you
to go ahead and try;
try to make the things happen
that you want to happen.
Along the way
there may be some pain,
disappointment and doubt,
but if you never try,
you’ll never know
what might have been,
and you’ll always wonder
“what if” and “if only…”
Even though you
might be scared,
you’ll have reason to be
proud of yourself
and glad that you dared
to reach out
for the dreams
that only you
can make come true.
The above poem signifies the reason and courage we all need to get started today on our new healthy lifestyle journey. All it takes is one little step to get started. One small step you can take today is compliment yourself at least once a day.
After reading this poem and maybe taking the small step of complimenting yourself, please let me know what feelings and ideas formed. I am looking forward to hearing from you. You can reach me by leaving a comment on the blog or sending an email to helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
If Only I Could be Thin!
Do you ever think, “The only thing that will make my life better would be losing weight?” Join the club; this is a constant thought that hundreds or maybe millions of people have during the day.
Working with my clients, talking to friends and from my own experiences it has become pretty evident this thought will not solve the problem. What works is being kind to yourself! If you take time during the day to compliment yourself and relax, not only will you reduce your stress levels, you may want to start taking care of yourself.
A few years ago I started taking daily mini-vacations. This daily vacation is taking 10 minutes a day to do something nice for myself. Some mini-vacations my clients and I take during the day are as follows:
1. Sitting on your porch reading a fiction novel and drinking a glass of ice tea. My favorite author is James Patterson.
2. Taking a leisurely walk. I like to take leisurely walks with my husband and we have an agreement not to discuss anything upsetting.
3. Going to a coffee shop for coffee and talking to some of the friendly customers.
4. Just close your eyes and think about a time you felt relaxed and content.
5. Drinking a cup of tea, a candle glowing and music playing in the background. My favorite artist is Josh Groban.
You are the CEO of your life so give yourself permission to enjoy it. What mini-vacation are you going to take today?
As always, 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.
Have a Beautiful Day on Your New Journey!
Working with my clients, talking to friends and from my own experiences it has become pretty evident this thought will not solve the problem. What works is being kind to yourself! If you take time during the day to compliment yourself and relax, not only will you reduce your stress levels, you may want to start taking care of yourself.
A few years ago I started taking daily mini-vacations. This daily vacation is taking 10 minutes a day to do something nice for myself. Some mini-vacations my clients and I take during the day are as follows:
1. Sitting on your porch reading a fiction novel and drinking a glass of ice tea. My favorite author is James Patterson.
2. Taking a leisurely walk. I like to take leisurely walks with my husband and we have an agreement not to discuss anything upsetting.
3. Going to a coffee shop for coffee and talking to some of the friendly customers.
4. Just close your eyes and think about a time you felt relaxed and content.
5. Drinking a cup of tea, a candle glowing and music playing in the background. My favorite artist is Josh Groban.
You are the CEO of your life so give yourself permission to enjoy it. What mini-vacation are you going to take today?
As always, 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.
Have a Beautiful Day on Your New Journey!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
LOVING YOURSELF
Did you eat healthy yesterday? If you did, please acknowledge yourself for taking care of YOU. On the other hand, if you just indulged today is a new day. I once heard someone say, “How lucky we are to be able to start our day over anytime during the day.”
I remember waking up in the morning and thinking today I will follow my new diet. Then something would happen, I was eating everything in sight and thinking I will wait until tomorrow. This situation happened everyday, until one day I thought this is enough and I am going to get professional help with my problem.
The next day I found a nutritionist, worked with her, lost 70 pounds and kept the weight off for over eight years. Something in my thinking changed; I realized I was the only one who could take care of me and there was no magic pill.
I am working with a client who came to me in desperation because she was not able to stay on a diet and lose weight. She was looking for that magic pill that would make her thin. Jeanne (named changed) was willing to try anything that would help her lose the weight. Nothing helped to change her thinking. During one of our discussions I asked, “Was there something she was not telling me?” Jeanne then told me she felt unloved most of her life and was always trying to make people like her. We discussed the small actions steps she could take to feel loved. By implementing the following ideas Jeanne was able to change her thinking, follow a healthy eating plan and start exploring her dream career.
1. Look in the mirror everyday and tell yourself, “I love you.”
2. Give yourself a big hug before getting out of bed.
3. Tell your family members that you love them.
4. Write down what made you happy during the day before going to sleep.
The beautiful thing about our lives is that we can start our day over whenever we want. Today is your special day and you have the right to make it a beautiful day. Just for today tell yourself, “I love you” and be kind to your best friend YOU.
I would love for you to join me in writing “Getting Off the Diet Merry-Go-Round Blog," by sharing your special gifts with the world. All it takes is one little step, leave a comment expressing your ideas and experiences.
A special note to anyone who is struggling with food, please leave a comment and I will address your concerns in my blog. Together we will create a plan that will enable you to live a vibrant life.
What are you doing nice for yourself today?
Helen
I remember waking up in the morning and thinking today I will follow my new diet. Then something would happen, I was eating everything in sight and thinking I will wait until tomorrow. This situation happened everyday, until one day I thought this is enough and I am going to get professional help with my problem.
The next day I found a nutritionist, worked with her, lost 70 pounds and kept the weight off for over eight years. Something in my thinking changed; I realized I was the only one who could take care of me and there was no magic pill.
I am working with a client who came to me in desperation because she was not able to stay on a diet and lose weight. She was looking for that magic pill that would make her thin. Jeanne (named changed) was willing to try anything that would help her lose the weight. Nothing helped to change her thinking. During one of our discussions I asked, “Was there something she was not telling me?” Jeanne then told me she felt unloved most of her life and was always trying to make people like her. We discussed the small actions steps she could take to feel loved. By implementing the following ideas Jeanne was able to change her thinking, follow a healthy eating plan and start exploring her dream career.
1. Look in the mirror everyday and tell yourself, “I love you.”
2. Give yourself a big hug before getting out of bed.
3. Tell your family members that you love them.
4. Write down what made you happy during the day before going to sleep.
The beautiful thing about our lives is that we can start our day over whenever we want. Today is your special day and you have the right to make it a beautiful day. Just for today tell yourself, “I love you” and be kind to your best friend YOU.
I would love for you to join me in writing “Getting Off the Diet Merry-Go-Round Blog," by sharing your special gifts with the world. All it takes is one little step, leave a comment expressing your ideas and experiences.
A special note to anyone who is struggling with food, please leave a comment and I will address your concerns in my blog. Together we will create a plan that will enable you to live a vibrant life.
What are you doing nice for yourself today?
Helen
Monday, June 18, 2007
DIETING TIPS FOR PARTIES
Are you tired of eating everything in sight all weekend and feeling disillusioned? As they say, welcome to the human race. I was at my granddaughter’s graduation party on Saturday, watching everyone continuously eat and then complain about feeling stuffed. It took me back many years ago, how I felt at parties. Either I ate so much and felt stuffed or ate nothing until I got home, then the flood gates would open and would eat continuously. There has to be a better way!
As my husband and I were driving home, I was thinking what small steps you could take to end the cycle of compulsive overeating at parties. For the past nine years I have been taking the following steps:
1. Never go to a party hungry.
2. Take a bottle of water when you get to the party and drink it before eating.
3. Talk to at least three people before eating.
4. Don’t sit near the food.
5. Take only a small amount of the different types of food with plenty of salad.
6. Have fruit for desert.
7. Never go back for seconds.
8. After you finish eating take another bottle of water.
9. Walk around and talk to everyone.
10. Don’t stay late.
11. At home do something nice for yourself.
Next time you go to a party, just try some of these ideas and let me know what happens.
I would love for you to join me in writing “Getting Off the Diet Merry-Go-Round Blog, by sharing your special gifts with the world. All it takes is one little step, leave a comment expressing your ideas and experiences.
A special note to anyone who is struggling with food, please leave a comment and I will address you concerns in my blog. Together we will create a plan that will enable you to live a vibrant life.
What are you doing nice for yourself today?
Helen
As my husband and I were driving home, I was thinking what small steps you could take to end the cycle of compulsive overeating at parties. For the past nine years I have been taking the following steps:
1. Never go to a party hungry.
2. Take a bottle of water when you get to the party and drink it before eating.
3. Talk to at least three people before eating.
4. Don’t sit near the food.
5. Take only a small amount of the different types of food with plenty of salad.
6. Have fruit for desert.
7. Never go back for seconds.
8. After you finish eating take another bottle of water.
9. Walk around and talk to everyone.
10. Don’t stay late.
11. At home do something nice for yourself.
Next time you go to a party, just try some of these ideas and let me know what happens.
I would love for you to join me in writing “Getting Off the Diet Merry-Go-Round Blog, by sharing your special gifts with the world. All it takes is one little step, leave a comment expressing your ideas and experiences.
A special note to anyone who is struggling with food, please leave a comment and I will address you concerns in my blog. Together we will create a plan that will enable you to live a vibrant life.
What are you doing nice for yourself today?
Helen
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Special Breakfast Treat
Getting out of bed this morning were you thinking, “I am so tired of eating healthy and all I want are pancakes with chocolate chips, whipped cream and fresh strawberries?” Then your other voice yells, “STOP THINKING LIKE THAT, you will be the only one to suffer.” Which voice is the winner? They both can be!! Following is a recipe I use to make myself pancakes that are absolutely delicious:
Ingredients
2 packages of Quaker Instant Grits, Original Recipe.
1 egg
¼ cup of non-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup of plain, non-fat yogurt
1 cup of strawberries
Cooking Instructions
Mix cereal, egg and ricotta cheese together.
Spray frying pan with a small amount of oil
Cook pancakes until brown on both sides
Topping
Mix yogurt and strawberries together.
Place on top of pancakes
Enjoy your breakfast!!!
What I am learning is that I don’t have to suffer to eat healthy and take care of myself. There are many different healthy recipes that are low in fat and calories. Take an excursion today to the nearest bookstore and browse through the cookbooks to see which one illustrates recipes that are healthy and look delicious. Then give yourself a gift and buy it!
As always, I would love to hear about your special recipes and which cookbooks you thought were exciting. Write to me through my blog at www.theloveyourselfcoach.blogspot.com
Ingredients
2 packages of Quaker Instant Grits, Original Recipe.
1 egg
¼ cup of non-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup of plain, non-fat yogurt
1 cup of strawberries
Cooking Instructions
Mix cereal, egg and ricotta cheese together.
Spray frying pan with a small amount of oil
Cook pancakes until brown on both sides
Topping
Mix yogurt and strawberries together.
Place on top of pancakes
Enjoy your breakfast!!!
What I am learning is that I don’t have to suffer to eat healthy and take care of myself. There are many different healthy recipes that are low in fat and calories. Take an excursion today to the nearest bookstore and browse through the cookbooks to see which one illustrates recipes that are healthy and look delicious. Then give yourself a gift and buy it!
As always, I would love to hear about your special recipes and which cookbooks you thought were exciting. Write to me through my blog at www.theloveyourselfcoach.blogspot.com
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Dieter's Thoughts About Going To A Party
Does this situation sound familiar? You are invited to a party and will be seeing many friends you have not seen in over a year. The first thought that comes to your mind, “I wish I was 10 lbs lighter and what am I going to wear that will make me look good?”
These thoughts are very common among people who are struggling with food. Does this sound true, the last diet only worked for the first couple of weeks and then either you did not continue to lose weight or started to eat again? I hate to say this is a natural occurrence in our lives.
Let’s look at this situation in another way. Be kind to yourself! Go to your closet and pick out the outfit you feel comfortable wearing and put on a pretty necklace or earnings. When the thought comes up, “I don’t want to go” – STOP – and take a deep breath and thank your thought. Then immediately think about a friend you have not seen in awhile who will be at the party. By stopping the negative thought and thinking about something else changes your attitude. Another tool I use is to put a smile on my face and tell my cat “I look beautiful.”
I have been working with a client who has been on a new journey of eating healthy, exercising and losing weight. She was going to a Woman’s Networking Event and telling me if only she lost another 20lbs she would want to go to the event. We started to discuss the situation and she realized going to gatherings made her feeling uncomfortable. Then we discussed new tools she could use in changing her attitude. Some of the tools are as follows:
• Acknowledge her thought.
• Choice an outfit which made her feel comfortable.
• Think about her friends that were attending the event.
• Determine which marketing materials she would bring.
• Practice on her introduction speech.
• Before leaving for the event, read the following affirmation, put it on a piece of paper in her pocket and everytime a scary thought appears touch the affirmation:
“I am fabulous just the way I am and am having a great time.”
In a matter of minutes her attitude changed and she was looking forward to going. I got an email from her the other day saying, “Had a great time and only touched the affirmation 3 times.”
Is this the time in your life when you are tired of struggling with food and want to get into a vibrant life? As your coach I help you identify and connect with what in your life is more important than food. Support you in reconnecting with your forgotten dream or discovering what will truly make you happy and give you joy.
Please send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net and we can explore together ways of getting off the diet merry-go-round and into a vibrant life. How vibrant do you want your life to be?
These thoughts are very common among people who are struggling with food. Does this sound true, the last diet only worked for the first couple of weeks and then either you did not continue to lose weight or started to eat again? I hate to say this is a natural occurrence in our lives.
Let’s look at this situation in another way. Be kind to yourself! Go to your closet and pick out the outfit you feel comfortable wearing and put on a pretty necklace or earnings. When the thought comes up, “I don’t want to go” – STOP – and take a deep breath and thank your thought. Then immediately think about a friend you have not seen in awhile who will be at the party. By stopping the negative thought and thinking about something else changes your attitude. Another tool I use is to put a smile on my face and tell my cat “I look beautiful.”
I have been working with a client who has been on a new journey of eating healthy, exercising and losing weight. She was going to a Woman’s Networking Event and telling me if only she lost another 20lbs she would want to go to the event. We started to discuss the situation and she realized going to gatherings made her feeling uncomfortable. Then we discussed new tools she could use in changing her attitude. Some of the tools are as follows:
• Acknowledge her thought.
• Choice an outfit which made her feel comfortable.
• Think about her friends that were attending the event.
• Determine which marketing materials she would bring.
• Practice on her introduction speech.
• Before leaving for the event, read the following affirmation, put it on a piece of paper in her pocket and everytime a scary thought appears touch the affirmation:
“I am fabulous just the way I am and am having a great time.”
In a matter of minutes her attitude changed and she was looking forward to going. I got an email from her the other day saying, “Had a great time and only touched the affirmation 3 times.”
Is this the time in your life when you are tired of struggling with food and want to get into a vibrant life? As your coach I help you identify and connect with what in your life is more important than food. Support you in reconnecting with your forgotten dream or discovering what will truly make you happy and give you joy.
Please send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net and we can explore together ways of getting off the diet merry-go-round and into a vibrant life. How vibrant do you want your life to be?
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
BEAUTIFUL DAY
This morning as I watch my friends the birds and squirrels, I realized how lucky I am to have such a beautiful view from my office window. The sun is shinning and the leaves and backs of the squirrels are shimmering from the sun light.
Thinking about the beauty surrounding me, I started to think of all the miracles in my life. Some of the miracles I have in my life are as follows:
• Today I am in recovery from my food addiction.
• Great friends who support me.
• Alfie, my cat, is sitting next to me as I work on the computer.
• Exercised this morning.
• Beautiful day planned with many unsuspected golden moments.
As I read my miracles, I realized that being in recovery from my food addiction enables me to live a vibrant life. Thinking back over eight years ago, weighing close to 200 lbs. the only thing on my mind was how am I going to lose the weight. If I was thin everything would be different and I could start enjoying my life.
One day I made a decision that I was going to stop taking diet supplements, reading all diet books and get the support I needed. I found a nutritionist, therapist that specialized in addictions and went to an OA meeting. These first steps on my new journey supported me in designing and living a new healthy lifestyle free from food obsession. Eight years later I am still on the same journey and weighing 70 lbs. less. Some of the small steps I take are as follows:
• Eating Healthy using quantity control.
• Exercising
• Receiving and giving support to my friends
• Working with a coach so that I continue living a vibrant life.
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?
Thinking about the beauty surrounding me, I started to think of all the miracles in my life. Some of the miracles I have in my life are as follows:
• Today I am in recovery from my food addiction.
• Great friends who support me.
• Alfie, my cat, is sitting next to me as I work on the computer.
• Exercised this morning.
• Beautiful day planned with many unsuspected golden moments.
As I read my miracles, I realized that being in recovery from my food addiction enables me to live a vibrant life. Thinking back over eight years ago, weighing close to 200 lbs. the only thing on my mind was how am I going to lose the weight. If I was thin everything would be different and I could start enjoying my life.
One day I made a decision that I was going to stop taking diet supplements, reading all diet books and get the support I needed. I found a nutritionist, therapist that specialized in addictions and went to an OA meeting. These first steps on my new journey supported me in designing and living a new healthy lifestyle free from food obsession. Eight years later I am still on the same journey and weighing 70 lbs. less. Some of the small steps I take are as follows:
• Eating Healthy using quantity control.
• Exercising
• Receiving and giving support to my friends
• Working with a coach so that I continue living a vibrant life.
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?
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
COMMITMENT, The Key to Success
According to the Encarta Dictionary the word “Commitment” means, “Loyalty, devotion or dedication, for example, to a cause, person or relationship.”
What I have heard over and over again and found for myself, is that having a COMMITMENT to living a healthier lifestyle is the key for success. By focusing on that commitment you will do anything in your power to succeed.
Every morning for years I would wake up and say “today would be different.” My plan was to eat three healthy meals a day and exercise. I would eat a plain bagel or a small muffin with regular coffee for breakfast. An hour latter I was still hungry and have another small muffin with coffee and before I knew it the day took off and I was eating all the time. Around 5:30pm I would start exercising to get rid of all the calories I had consumed. Then I would eat a healthy dinner and get into bed so I would not continue eating. This process continued day after day.
Then one day I went to a 12 Step Recovery Meeting and heard everyone telling my story. The next day I called someone in the program and made a COMMITMENT to change my eating habits for one day. That was over eight years ago.
What I found that by making that commitment to change my eating habits was the key to my recovery. Even though I am following a healthy eating plan that works for me, my strong Commitment to not eat anything outside my plan is the only thing that maintains my recovery from compulsive overeating.
Some of the tools I use to maintain my commitment everyday are as follows:
Each morning before I get out of bed give myself a big hug and ask my Higher Power for the willingness to stay on my eating plan just for today.
Call a friend and share with them what is going on in my life.
At the end of each day acknowledge myself for my accomplishments and lessons learned.
Would love to learn what tools you have learned to help you stay on your journey of healthy eating.
I know together we can fight this obesity problem. Please let me know if you are interested in joining a group whose commitment is to educate people about what steps they can take to stop focusing on the food all day and start living a healthier lifestyle.
What I have heard over and over again and found for myself, is that having a COMMITMENT to living a healthier lifestyle is the key for success. By focusing on that commitment you will do anything in your power to succeed.
Every morning for years I would wake up and say “today would be different.” My plan was to eat three healthy meals a day and exercise. I would eat a plain bagel or a small muffin with regular coffee for breakfast. An hour latter I was still hungry and have another small muffin with coffee and before I knew it the day took off and I was eating all the time. Around 5:30pm I would start exercising to get rid of all the calories I had consumed. Then I would eat a healthy dinner and get into bed so I would not continue eating. This process continued day after day.
Then one day I went to a 12 Step Recovery Meeting and heard everyone telling my story. The next day I called someone in the program and made a COMMITMENT to change my eating habits for one day. That was over eight years ago.
What I found that by making that commitment to change my eating habits was the key to my recovery. Even though I am following a healthy eating plan that works for me, my strong Commitment to not eat anything outside my plan is the only thing that maintains my recovery from compulsive overeating.
Some of the tools I use to maintain my commitment everyday are as follows:
Each morning before I get out of bed give myself a big hug and ask my Higher Power for the willingness to stay on my eating plan just for today.
Call a friend and share with them what is going on in my life.
At the end of each day acknowledge myself for my accomplishments and lessons learned.
Would love to learn what tools you have learned to help you stay on your journey of healthy eating.
I know together we can fight this obesity problem. Please let me know if you are interested in joining a group whose commitment is to educate people about what steps they can take to stop focusing on the food all day and start living a healthier lifestyle.
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