CHOICES WE MAKE
We have a choice either we can think about what is going wrong in our lives or think about what is going right in our lives. I have found that most of the times our minds make the choice for us. This morning as I was waking up my mind started thinking about an upsetting situation which made me feel bad and took all my energy. After thinking about it for awhile I realized either I could role play this situation in my head or think about something that puts a smile on my face. Making the choice to change my thinking took awhile and slowly my thoughts started to change.
Why do we automatically start thinking about upsetting thoughts instead of happy ones? Thinking about this for awhile I came up with the following ideas:
Benefits of Thinking Upsetting Thoughts
1. Familiar feeling.
2. Not having control over the outcome of the situation we start thinking of ways in which we are the controllers.
3. Feels good to feel sorry for ourselves.
4. Gives us an excuse to procrastinate.
5. Looking for sympathy from others.
Benefits of Thinking Happy Thoughts
1. Makes us feel good and gives us plenty of energy.
2. Motivates us.
3. Puts a smile on our face.
4. Self-confidence and we feel proud.
5. Creates commitment
We have a choice either we can walk around feeling good or trying to think of ways to change a situation that has already happened. For today which choice do you make? I know that thinking happy thoughts will give me more energy, motivation and put a smile on my face. The next question how do you change those thoughts. Following are some ideas:
1. Acknowledge the thought and when the thought stops start thinking about something that made you happy.
2. While thinking the unhappy thought give yourself a big hug and say out loud, “I feel sorry for you and I love you.” Giving ourselves sympathy sometimes makes us feel better.
3. Journal about the situation and think of ways you can let go of the negative thoughts.
4. Put a smile on your face while you are thinking and usually the negative thought will disappear.
5. For today, don’t talk about your unhappy thoughts only what makes you happy.
Have a beautiful day and make a choice to think happy thoughts.
Showing posts with label food struggles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food struggles. Show all posts
Friday, December 14, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Food Choices
CHANGE
Change can cause such unhappiness in our lives. Most people want to change something in their lives and when the opportunity presents itself to make this change they become upset and unhappy. What happens is our routine is altered.
I was on vacation in Las Vegas last week and experienced a change in my food plan. For the past nine years I have been basically eating the same foods with very little change. The first night we went out for dinner and to my surprise there was nothing on the menu I could eat. After talking to the server I was shocked to hear there were no salads or vegetable platters. Not planning ahead I panicked and wanted to leave the restaurant. My husband in a calm manner asked the server if there were any meals with a lot of vegetables and chicken. Her reply was she would have something made for me. I felt better and thanked my husband. When our meals arrived I was shocked to see two big pieces of lettuce and chicken. We both started to laugh. I ate what was in front of me and assured myself I would not die because I did not have enough food.
The next morning I woke-up in a state of panic and wanted to go home. I called one of my friends and after talking about the situation she simply said go to buffets and that way you can get what you want. We started to go to buffets and I was able to get the foods I wanted, felt confident and enjoyed Las Vegas. I learned an important lesson plan ahead and ask for help. Others have suggestions we never think of in time of stress.
Please let me know about your experiences regarding changes in your life. What tools did you use to comfort yourself? Let’s build a list of tools we can all use to share with others. Please leave your comments on this blog or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Change can cause such unhappiness in our lives. Most people want to change something in their lives and when the opportunity presents itself to make this change they become upset and unhappy. What happens is our routine is altered.
I was on vacation in Las Vegas last week and experienced a change in my food plan. For the past nine years I have been basically eating the same foods with very little change. The first night we went out for dinner and to my surprise there was nothing on the menu I could eat. After talking to the server I was shocked to hear there were no salads or vegetable platters. Not planning ahead I panicked and wanted to leave the restaurant. My husband in a calm manner asked the server if there were any meals with a lot of vegetables and chicken. Her reply was she would have something made for me. I felt better and thanked my husband. When our meals arrived I was shocked to see two big pieces of lettuce and chicken. We both started to laugh. I ate what was in front of me and assured myself I would not die because I did not have enough food.
The next morning I woke-up in a state of panic and wanted to go home. I called one of my friends and after talking about the situation she simply said go to buffets and that way you can get what you want. We started to go to buffets and I was able to get the foods I wanted, felt confident and enjoyed Las Vegas. I learned an important lesson plan ahead and ask for help. Others have suggestions we never think of in time of stress.
Please let me know about your experiences regarding changes in your life. What tools did you use to comfort yourself? Let’s build a list of tools we can all use to share with others. Please leave your comments on this blog or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Handling Food on Thanksgiving
On Thursday we will be celebrating Thanksgiving in the United States. It is a time to get together with family and friends. The food is on everyone's mind. Some of us have thoughts of how can I not eat the fattening food, others are thinking I feel so fat and don't want everyone to see me like this. Holidays always brings up feelings that are sometimes buried.
Let's play a little game and make this year different. We have a choice either we can make ourselves sick about going to the Thanksgiving get together or have a good time. We can eat everything in site and then complain about feeling stuffed or we can create an action plan before we go to the party.
Following are some small steps you can 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. Create a grateful list by asking others what they are grateful for.
4. Talk to at least three people before eating.
5. Don’t sit near the food.
6. Take only a small amount of the different types of food with plenty of salad.
7. Have fruit for desert.
8. Never go back for seconds.
9. After you finish eating take another bottle of water.
10.Walk around and talk to everyone.
11.Don’t stay late.
12. At home do something nice for yourself.
This Thansgving 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.
I will be on vacation for a week and wish you all a Happy and Fun Thanksgiving.
What are you doing nice for yourself today?
Helen
Let's play a little game and make this year different. We have a choice either we can make ourselves sick about going to the Thanksgiving get together or have a good time. We can eat everything in site and then complain about feeling stuffed or we can create an action plan before we go to the party.
Following are some small steps you can 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. Create a grateful list by asking others what they are grateful for.
4. Talk to at least three people before eating.
5. Don’t sit near the food.
6. Take only a small amount of the different types of food with plenty of salad.
7. Have fruit for desert.
8. Never go back for seconds.
9. After you finish eating take another bottle of water.
10.Walk around and talk to everyone.
11.Don’t stay late.
12. At home do something nice for yourself.
This Thansgving 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.
I will be on vacation for a week and wish you all a Happy and Fun Thanksgiving.
What are you doing nice for yourself today?
Helen
Thursday, November 8, 2007
The Interview with God
I received an email with a link to watch a video clip with an Interview with God. It was so beautiful and meaningful I wanted to post the link on my blog so others could enjoy the video clip. The link is www.theinterviewwithgod.com and then click on “view presentation.”
Please let me know what thoughts you had while listening to the short clip by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. Enjoy!
Please let me know what thoughts you had while listening to the short clip by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. Enjoy!
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
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Being Your Own Best Friend
"If you are distressed by anything external,
the pain is not due to the thing itself but to
your own estimate of it; and this you have
the power to revoke at any moment.”
Marcus Aurelius
When I read the above quote, the thought that popped into my mind was how as a child I always felt fat, but when seeing the pictures today I look thin. Our perception of ourselves causes us more pain than we should experience.
I was with a group of people the other day and we were discussing how important it was to be our own best friend instead of our enemy. Someone was mentioning how easy it was to beat themselves up and then feel sorry for themselves. I am sure we can all identify with this situation.
Everyone started discussing what they don’t like about themselves. After giving them time to enjoy the conversations I asked what we can do about the problem of not supporting ourselves? The conversation turned around and we all came up with solutions. Some of the solutions are as follows:
1. Every time you have a destructive thought to stop acknowledge it and then say out loud something you like about yourself.
2. Once a day give yourself permission to feel sorry for yourself and then think about how grateful you are for your life now.
3. Every night make a list of at least three things you like about yourself.
4. Every morning look in the mirror and tell yourself, “I love you.”
5. Once a week call a friend and tell each other one thing you like about each other.
6. Every day take time out to do something nice for yourself. (Example:
take a long leisurely bath.)
7. Once a week don’t exercise and congratulate yourself for taking the day off.
8. Once a month buy yourself flowers.
9. Once every few months send yourself a letter listing the reasons why you love the person you have become.
10. At the end of the day write in your journal how liking yourself is making a difference in your life.
I invite you to try some of the above suggestions and let me know about the difference they are making in your life. Also, I would love to hear about the tools you use to guarantee you are your own best friend. After trying some of the suggestions above please leave your experiences and techniques you use on this blog, or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Do something nice for yourself today! Helen
the pain is not due to the thing itself but to
your own estimate of it; and this you have
the power to revoke at any moment.”
Marcus Aurelius
When I read the above quote, the thought that popped into my mind was how as a child I always felt fat, but when seeing the pictures today I look thin. Our perception of ourselves causes us more pain than we should experience.
I was with a group of people the other day and we were discussing how important it was to be our own best friend instead of our enemy. Someone was mentioning how easy it was to beat themselves up and then feel sorry for themselves. I am sure we can all identify with this situation.
Everyone started discussing what they don’t like about themselves. After giving them time to enjoy the conversations I asked what we can do about the problem of not supporting ourselves? The conversation turned around and we all came up with solutions. Some of the solutions are as follows:
1. Every time you have a destructive thought to stop acknowledge it and then say out loud something you like about yourself.
2. Once a day give yourself permission to feel sorry for yourself and then think about how grateful you are for your life now.
3. Every night make a list of at least three things you like about yourself.
4. Every morning look in the mirror and tell yourself, “I love you.”
5. Once a week call a friend and tell each other one thing you like about each other.
6. Every day take time out to do something nice for yourself. (Example:
take a long leisurely bath.)
7. Once a week don’t exercise and congratulate yourself for taking the day off.
8. Once a month buy yourself flowers.
9. Once every few months send yourself a letter listing the reasons why you love the person you have become.
10. At the end of the day write in your journal how liking yourself is making a difference in your life.
I invite you to try some of the above suggestions and let me know about the difference they are making in your life. Also, I would love to hear about the tools you use to guarantee you are your own best friend. After trying some of the suggestions above please leave your experiences and techniques you use on this blog, or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Do something nice for yourself today! Helen
Monday, October 1, 2007
Blaming Our Circumstances
"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are.
I don’t believe in circumstances.
The people who get on in this world
are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want,
and, if they can’t find them, make them."
George Bernard Shaw
Do you sometimes think, everything was going along fine and then all of a sudden everything changes in a matter of seconds? Welcome to life!!
We are so quick to blame our circumstances for our misfortunes. I remember saying I binged last night because my husband was on a business trip and I was lonely. Another night I might have thought it is quite in the house, I can get in bed and read a good book. It all depends on your thoughts and in this case have nothing to do with circumstances.
Jack, name changed, was at least 100 pounds overweight and felt because the members of his family were all obese he could never be thin. He tried all different diets and after awhile just gave up. Jack’s doctor suggested he call me.
While I was working with Jack he started acknowledging all the things in his life he was proud of and realized he had special gifts his family members did not possess. This realization made him stop and think about his theory, because the members of his family had a weight problem meant he would always be struggling with his weight.
Once Jack understood he had his own journey to travel and not his families, he started looking at life from a different perspective. He took George Bernard Shaw’s advice and created the circumstances he wanted and was able to lose weight. Today Jack has been maintaining his goal weight and manages a local sports gym.
What challenge have you been blaming on circumstances? I invite you to explore the situation and see if there is another way of looking at it. Please let me know about your experience. I can be reached either by leaving a comment on this Getting Off the Diet Merry-Go-Round Blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
I don’t believe in circumstances.
The people who get on in this world
are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want,
and, if they can’t find them, make them."
George Bernard Shaw
Do you sometimes think, everything was going along fine and then all of a sudden everything changes in a matter of seconds? Welcome to life!!
We are so quick to blame our circumstances for our misfortunes. I remember saying I binged last night because my husband was on a business trip and I was lonely. Another night I might have thought it is quite in the house, I can get in bed and read a good book. It all depends on your thoughts and in this case have nothing to do with circumstances.
Jack, name changed, was at least 100 pounds overweight and felt because the members of his family were all obese he could never be thin. He tried all different diets and after awhile just gave up. Jack’s doctor suggested he call me.
While I was working with Jack he started acknowledging all the things in his life he was proud of and realized he had special gifts his family members did not possess. This realization made him stop and think about his theory, because the members of his family had a weight problem meant he would always be struggling with his weight.
Once Jack understood he had his own journey to travel and not his families, he started looking at life from a different perspective. He took George Bernard Shaw’s advice and created the circumstances he wanted and was able to lose weight. Today Jack has been maintaining his goal weight and manages a local sports gym.
What challenge have you been blaming on circumstances? I invite you to explore the situation and see if there is another way of looking at it. Please let me know about your experience. I can be reached either by leaving a comment on this Getting Off the Diet Merry-Go-Round Blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Struggling With Food
You Are the Important One
‘This life is yours
Take the power
to choose what you want to do
and do it well
Take the power
to love what you want in life
and love it honestly
Take the power
to walk in the forest
and be a part of nature
Take the power
to control your own life
No one else can do it for you
Take the power
to make your life happy’.
Susan Polis Schutz
Do you ever feel you don’t have control over your life? You are not alone. There is a solution. All you have to do is decide enough is enough and start taking the little steps to take care of yourself. It is easier said than done.
Why is it that we always put ourselves last? I remember when my children were very young I would continually buy them expensive clothes which they out grew in a few months. Since I spent most of the extra money on them I did not buy myself any new clothes for years. Who was the loser in this situation? ME
I continued to put myself last for many years until one day I realized this is not working and I had to change my thinking and behavior. As luck would have it, I went to a training which taught me how to take care of myself. The most important phrase I learned at the training was “I am Important.” To this day I have a sign on my bathroom mirror which reads, “You are Important” and read it everytime I look in the mirror.
Today I take the following steps to make sure I continue to take care of myself on a daily basis:
1. Thank myself for being who I am.
2. Eat healthy and never take that extra bite.
3. Say I love you to my family members and friends.
4. Take my min-vacation everyday, by doing something nice for myself.
5. Relax at the end of the day by getting into bed with a good book before I go to sleep.
As always, I would love to hear what steps you are taking to take care of yourself? Remember as a team we can support each other in taking the small steps to stop using food to make us feel better and start treating ourselves with respect.
I can be reached by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I am looking forward to hearing from you and building a community to support each other on our journey.
What are You doing nice for yourself today?
Helen
‘This life is yours
Take the power
to choose what you want to do
and do it well
Take the power
to love what you want in life
and love it honestly
Take the power
to walk in the forest
and be a part of nature
Take the power
to control your own life
No one else can do it for you
Take the power
to make your life happy’.
Susan Polis Schutz
Do you ever feel you don’t have control over your life? You are not alone. There is a solution. All you have to do is decide enough is enough and start taking the little steps to take care of yourself. It is easier said than done.
Why is it that we always put ourselves last? I remember when my children were very young I would continually buy them expensive clothes which they out grew in a few months. Since I spent most of the extra money on them I did not buy myself any new clothes for years. Who was the loser in this situation? ME
I continued to put myself last for many years until one day I realized this is not working and I had to change my thinking and behavior. As luck would have it, I went to a training which taught me how to take care of myself. The most important phrase I learned at the training was “I am Important.” To this day I have a sign on my bathroom mirror which reads, “You are Important” and read it everytime I look in the mirror.
Today I take the following steps to make sure I continue to take care of myself on a daily basis:
1. Thank myself for being who I am.
2. Eat healthy and never take that extra bite.
3. Say I love you to my family members and friends.
4. Take my min-vacation everyday, by doing something nice for myself.
5. Relax at the end of the day by getting into bed with a good book before I go to sleep.
As always, I would love to hear what steps you are taking to take care of yourself? Remember as a team we can support each other in taking the small steps to stop using food to make us feel better and start treating ourselves with respect.
I can be reached by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net. I am looking forward to hearing from you and building a community to support each other on our journey.
What are You doing nice for yourself today?
Helen
Friday, August 31, 2007
Life Struggles
Looking At Life In A Different Way
‘Look at life as a journey and enjoy the ride. Get the most out of the detours and realize they’re sometimes necessary.’ Donna Fargo
The above quote has a lot of meaning for me. When we see life unfolding as a beautiful gift, instead of judging what is happening in our life we allow ourselves to enjoy the ride instead of fearing it.
Let me tell you a little story about Oscar whose name has been changed. Oscar had just opened a new restaurant and was worrying constantly about making sure his customers were happy and attracting new ones. When business was good, he was on top of the world and if it slowed down he felt anxious and fearful. Oscar’s advisors told him this was normal and not to worry. Then one night a customer complained about the food in a loud voice and would not pay the bill. Oscar was distraught and was thinking about selling the business because he could not take all the pressure.
After the last customer left he sat down with his manager to discuss the incident which happened that night. His manager who had worked in the restaurant business for many, many years explained what happened was not out of the ordinary. Instead of looking at it as a horrible incident what could they learn from the situation?
After discussing the situation for awhile they both realized the customer was right, because he ordered his steak well done instead of medium. What they both learned was that the chefs had to pay more attention to what was ordered instead of just guessing. They both decided to have the waiters underline in red if a customer ordered their food in a special way.
Oscar learned that sometimes when things happen in our lives they are necessary. He started to relax, welcomed the learning experiences and enjoyed his customers. Today Oscar owns two very successful restaurants.
How would your life be different if you enjoyed the ride and learned from your not so pleasant experiences? I invite you today to take one of the small steps below, to change your perspective about life.
1. If you start to worry about something, stop for a moment and acknowledge the thought.
2. Give yourself permission to worry about it for awhile.
3. Ask yourself what can I learn from this situation?
4. Think about one thing you can do to change the situation.
5. Take action.
I would love to hear from you about your different learning experiences. Together we can support each other by contributing to this community our experiences, successes and wisdom. You are invited to leave comments on this blog or send me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Saying "No" Is a Special Gift
I was with a group of people this morning and someone made the comment, “My not taking for an answer is hurting me.” When he made this comment, I thought his ability to persist was a special gift and not a trait that was hurting him. It is amazing how we all think in different ways.
After the meeting I approached him and shared my feelings of how my persistant nature and not giving up on something I value has made such a difference in my life. We discussed this for awhile and then others joined the group. We ended the conversation by recognizing what a special gift we had by not taking “No” for an answer when we felt it was important to continue pursuing our commitment.
I would like to share Jerry’s (name changed) story with you and how important it was not to take “No” for an answer. Jerry weighed over three hundred pounds and was not able to lose the weight. He tried different diets, affirmations, therapy and nothing helped. He felt the only way to start losing weight was to go to an eating disorder rehab. The only trouble was that every rehab he called specialized in alcohol, drugs, or women with anorexia. He started to become disillusioned, but something within gave him the willingness to continue. After several more calls he found an eating disorder rehab that worked with men and Jerry took a leave of absence to go there. Going changed his life. What would have happened if he took “No” for an answer?
In what situations have you taken “No” for an answer and miracles have happened? I know in my case if I do not say, “NO” to myself every time I want to eat something not on my food plan, I would still be struggling with my weight and not maintaining it.
It is your choice to never take “No” for an answer and pursue your commitment for living a healthy lifestyle. I am extending a special invitation to join a community that realizes saying “No” is a special gift that could help you achieve your goal. Together let’s plan ways we can make sure we are living our best life. I can reached by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
After the meeting I approached him and shared my feelings of how my persistant nature and not giving up on something I value has made such a difference in my life. We discussed this for awhile and then others joined the group. We ended the conversation by recognizing what a special gift we had by not taking “No” for an answer when we felt it was important to continue pursuing our commitment.
I would like to share Jerry’s (name changed) story with you and how important it was not to take “No” for an answer. Jerry weighed over three hundred pounds and was not able to lose the weight. He tried different diets, affirmations, therapy and nothing helped. He felt the only way to start losing weight was to go to an eating disorder rehab. The only trouble was that every rehab he called specialized in alcohol, drugs, or women with anorexia. He started to become disillusioned, but something within gave him the willingness to continue. After several more calls he found an eating disorder rehab that worked with men and Jerry took a leave of absence to go there. Going changed his life. What would have happened if he took “No” for an answer?
In what situations have you taken “No” for an answer and miracles have happened? I know in my case if I do not say, “NO” to myself every time I want to eat something not on my food plan, I would still be struggling with my weight and not maintaining it.
It is your choice to never take “No” for an answer and pursue your commitment for living a healthy lifestyle. I am extending a special invitation to join a community that realizes saying “No” is a special gift that could help you achieve your goal. Together let’s plan ways we can make sure we are living our best life. I can reached by leaving a comment on this blog or sending me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Commitments Make Changes Happen
What happens when you make a commitment to accomplish your goal? Take a few minutes and think about it before reading further.
Sheila (name changed) was very unhappy with her weight and facing the challenge of trying on clothes for the winter. She was worried because her summer clothes were feeling tight and guessed nothing would fit her in the fall. Sheila was very angry at herself and expressed her anger in many different ways.
One night Sheila woke up with the idea that nothing was going to change unless she changed her lifestyle. The next morning Sheila made a commitment that every morning she would write down her menu for the day and never eat anything not on her plan. As the day proceeded she kept her commitment and by the end of the day had accomplished her goal. Sheila kept accomplishing her daily goal for a few weeks. Then one day after realizing she was losing weight the old thought crept in suggesting just have some ice cream today, it won't hurt. At first Sheila felt it was a good idea until another thought reminded her of the commitment she made to herself. A miracle happened and she continued following her planned menu for the rest of the day without the ice cream. What Sheila learned was that her commitment to lose weight was more important than anything else in the world and she could not change her eating plan in anyway.
Reading the story above illustrates making a commitment to lose weight and not changing your original plan you will lose weight. Some other ideas you can use to ensure you keep your commitment to yourself:
1. Every morning or evening, renew your commitment to yourself. Reminding yourself how important your commitment is to reaching your goal.
2. During the day acknowledge yourself for taking care of you.
3. Keep telling yourself that it is easy to keep your commitment. Fake it until you believe it.
4. Keep a record of how you felt when you kept your commitment.
5. Reward yourself every few days. (Example: Take a long leisurely bath with your favorite bath salts and light a candle.)
6. Visualize your desired outcome. (Example: Seeing yourself as if you already lost the weight.) This suggestion was provided by Mark. When you get a chance browse his blog, "The Naked Soul" he has such wisdom.
As always, I would love to hear what tools and techniques you use to make sure you keep your commitment to yourself. 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 me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Remember YOU are the most important person in your life!
Sheila (name changed) was very unhappy with her weight and facing the challenge of trying on clothes for the winter. She was worried because her summer clothes were feeling tight and guessed nothing would fit her in the fall. Sheila was very angry at herself and expressed her anger in many different ways.
One night Sheila woke up with the idea that nothing was going to change unless she changed her lifestyle. The next morning Sheila made a commitment that every morning she would write down her menu for the day and never eat anything not on her plan. As the day proceeded she kept her commitment and by the end of the day had accomplished her goal. Sheila kept accomplishing her daily goal for a few weeks. Then one day after realizing she was losing weight the old thought crept in suggesting just have some ice cream today, it won't hurt. At first Sheila felt it was a good idea until another thought reminded her of the commitment she made to herself. A miracle happened and she continued following her planned menu for the rest of the day without the ice cream. What Sheila learned was that her commitment to lose weight was more important than anything else in the world and she could not change her eating plan in anyway.
Reading the story above illustrates making a commitment to lose weight and not changing your original plan you will lose weight. Some other ideas you can use to ensure you keep your commitment to yourself:
1. Every morning or evening, renew your commitment to yourself. Reminding yourself how important your commitment is to reaching your goal.
2. During the day acknowledge yourself for taking care of you.
3. Keep telling yourself that it is easy to keep your commitment. Fake it until you believe it.
4. Keep a record of how you felt when you kept your commitment.
5. Reward yourself every few days. (Example: Take a long leisurely bath with your favorite bath salts and light a candle.)
6. Visualize your desired outcome. (Example: Seeing yourself as if you already lost the weight.) This suggestion was provided by Mark. When you get a chance browse his blog, "The Naked Soul" he has such wisdom.
As always, I would love to hear what tools and techniques you use to make sure you keep your commitment to yourself. 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 me an email at helen@loveyourselfcoaching.net.
Remember YOU are the most important person in your life!
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.
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.
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?
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