This week we have been focusing on NOT PLAYING THE VICTIM IN OUR OWN LIFE. To me that is such a powerful statement that we sometimes forget we have power over. That it’s actually up to us how we choose to use our energy in the challenges that we have. Do we play victim or are we leaders.

 When I say to a client stop playing the victim in your life they always respond with a questionable look – Like what are you talking about – but then within seconds they realize what I am saying and what they are doing. They are playing the victim in their own life. It’s a realization that is something we don’t always want to see about ourselves. And it’s certainly not easy to admit or even say out loud. Because the answer determines who we are. When we play victim we blame others but when we are leaders we take the responsibility. It’s two different types of people that only you can decide who you are and which person you want to be.

A VICTIM – is when something is done and it wasn’t your choice. But playing the victim – is when you choose to live your life based on that bad experience. Not playing the victim is when you look at the bad experience and think – I didn’t like it and I wished it wouldn’t have happened but I have to believe I was meant to go through it because it was a learning experience for me or an opportunity to grow in some way. That takes you out of playing the victim. Now understand this in no way has anything to do with those who victimize you. They have to deal with their own Karma. Whether it’s today or tomorrow it will always come around to them. So don’t put your energy into them. The universe will do it for you. Let go – Let God. 

Most of the time we don’t even realize we are playing the Victim. This could be in any part of your life it doesn’t matter whether it’s weight, family, career. Think about the words you say to yourself. They made me; I couldn’t walk away; I had no choice; I have no time…. It can go on and on. When I say I have heard it all I really have. But when I switch the roles and I put the realization on you to stop playing the victim. — Yes you can walk away, you do have time, and you do have choices – in fact not only do you have choices – you are the person who is writing your own story. It is then that we see our life in a whole different light. 

Of course this will only work if you want to change. Many times we play the victim in our life because we don’t want to put the energy in to make the changes that need to be made. You see whether you are playing the victim or you are playing the leader — how you use your energy is going to make the biggest difference how you live your life. And that difference could be good or bad depending on which way you choose. 

Think about the people around you. Who would you consider a person who plays the victim. Now think about the energy he/she brings into the room, into conversations. Even if you love them or love spending time with them – a person who plays the victim always has a negative tone of what happened to them or how someone did them wrong and why they can’t accomplish something – it’s never their fault.  You feel the negativity in the room and depending on the person and the energy it can sometimes be exhausting to be with them. 

Now think about your own life – what kind of energy do you manifest. What kind of energy do you distribute into a room, your family, friends, and universe. We all have challenges and bad experiences. Some worse than others. But how you learn from them, and how you use the energy from that learning is going to determine not only who you are as a person but also how you write the story of your own life. 

So I ask you to look at your life and ask yourself that question

What is the story I am writing about my life. 

You are the one who is solely in charge of your life, you hold the keys to your success, you can create the life of your dreams, you can live in whichever way you choose. Sometimes I think we forget that we dictate how we live. 

Every single day you write your story and you not only write the story you can change it at any time. The job you work in, the weight you are, the health you are in, the way you live, the people you surround yourself with is all your choice, you are the creator of your life, so why not create the best possible life for you. Yes of course there are some things which are destined for you, which you can not change or do anything about, but there are so many things about your life that you are in charge of as long as you put the work in.

So from this point on I want you to demand the best from yourself, raise the bar and push yourself, and stay consistent. We can get easily distracted and lose focus on our goals, but i’m telling you if you don’t demand the best from yourself no one is going to do it for you. You must get up everyday and write the story you want to live. You are not the victim you are the lead role in your life and you will learn from your experiences and you will put good energy into your body, mind, family and universe. You will keep moving forward everyday knowing the you want more and deserve the best life possible. You are willing to work hard and put the effort in everyday to reach your goals and create the life that you want. I really believe we are all capable of achieving anything, it does not matter where you are, or who you are, you have everything within you to become the person you want to be. 

Dream, believe, achieve. Live life to the limits.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

HOW IMPORTANT IS WATER FOR WEIGHT LOSS? Staying hydrated encourages proper metabolic function. Your body is up to 60 percent water and needs water to function properly. Being dehydrated prevents your metabolism from running at peak capacity. That’s definitely not good when you’re trying to lose weight.

DID YOU KNOW:  You should aim to drink at least half your bodyweight in ounces. For example if you weigh 160 pounds you should aim to drink about 80 ounces (10 cups) of water each day. Keep in mind that’s a minimum. If the weather is hot and humid, you will sweat more. This means that you need to consume higher levels of water. And, if you are doing any type of activity that makes you sweat, you need to consume additional water to replace the fluids that you lose. Yes, you’ll probably pee a lot more than you’re used to when you first starting upping your water intake. But trust me, there are so many health and weight loss benefits that come with water intake.

BENEFITS OF WATER:

• Water acts as a natural hunger-blocker. If you think you’re hungry you might just be thirsty.
• Drinking more water will help cut down on false hunger pangs.
• Drinking water helps reduce drinking other high-calorie drinks.
• Water is the best zero calorie drink around. Trust me when you drink a gallon of water a day there’s no room for other liquids.
• By drinking ample amounts of water day-in and day-out, you can slowly tighten your skin and maintain a healthy glow.
• Drinking water will flush out the toxins in your body, especially the harmful toxins that can take a toll on your overall health.
• Water keeps your body hydrated and refreshed and helps maintain your skin’s elasticity. People who drink large amounts of water are less likely to suffer from scars, wrinkles, and soft lines and they won’t show as many signs of aging as those who drink little amounts of water. As you grow older, it is tougher for your body to retain water, so by inputting more water into your system, you are helping your body and your skin stay hydrated.
• It improves blood oxygen circulation. Water carries helpful nutrients and oxygen to your entire body. Reaching your daily water intake will improve your circulation and have a positive impact on your overall health.
• It helps fight off illness. Drinking enough water can help prevent certain medical conditions – including constipation, urinary tract infections, hypertension and kidney stones

How can you tell if you are hydrated? Areas such as the skin under your eyes can become dark if you are not hydrated. If you have a lack of elasticity in your skin, it may be that you are dehydrated. To check your skin’s elasticity, gently pinch your skin and see if it bounces back. If it doesn’t bounce back, you are dehydrated.

I LOVE WATER! I credit everything to my water intake. I wake up at 5:30am every morning – and by 7am I have already consumed 4 – 16oz bottles of water. I drink it throughout the day and I always drink another 4 – 16 oz bottles right before bed which is usually around 1:30-2am. Maybe it’s because I am a pisces and spiritually a fish I love everything about water. I love to drink it, and swim in it. It’s so fresh and clean for my body inside and out. I love how it makes me feel and look.

FINAL TIP:  Drinking water is like washing out your insides. The water will cleanse the system, fill you up, decrease your caloric load, and improve the function of all your tissues. If you want to live your healthiest self – drink your water and make it a priority in your life for you health, weight loss, your body and mind. Everything runs and looks better when you are continuously hydrated.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Now that the end of July has approached us I want you to look back and think about where you are today and where you thought you would be. Four Weeks ago on July 1st I asked you where did you want to be at the end of July…. Did you reach that goal? Did you put the work in like you promised yourself? Sometimes these can be very tough questions to answer especially if we know we didn’t do what we wanted – but they are even harder when we know we didn’t even try.

Yes we can all agree Summer is hard. But if we really think about it – weight loss is always hard. It’s a time that we are taking in less than our bodies need so we are hungry. It’s a time that we have to walk away from temptations that always seem to be there. My point is if you keep waiting for it to be easy – it will never happen.

I want you to remember while you are contemplating and waiting for an easier time – I have thousands of clients who are doing the right things and losing the weight and feeling great. I tell you this because I want you to always remember you are no different then they are – the only thing different is you keep stopping yourself from what you really want. When you decide to start working a little harder, being okay with being uncomfortable, and committing to walking away from temptation – I promise you will see the results. You have to stop getting in your own way.  Stop waiting and start doing .

SECOND LOOK: Think back on July. How did you feel? Was it making you happy? Did you feel healthy and in control. If the answer is yes you feel great and you are doing great – then I’m super happy for you because there is no better feeling. If the answer is you are not feeling good in your body and mind and you have lost control – then you need to change it.

HOW TO MOVE FORWARD: Lose the weight now. Start today. Stop thinking that it’s summer and using it as an excuse that requires you to over indulge in food and alcohol – because it doesn’t. What you need to do is commit to making yourself feel good. Put the time and real effort into it. Work hard for what you want and walk away from what you know doesn’t make you feel good. It doesn’t mean you can’t go and enjoy with others – it just means you have a plan walking into where you are going and what you are doing when you get there. If it’s not your cheat day then you stay on program and plan what you are eating, and if you are drinking you are giving up your snacks it’s that simple. Have a plan and follow through with it – and know in your heart that when you stick with it that is what is going to really make you feel your best. Don’t make it harder than it has to be. I promise you everything you walk away from and deny yourself from having – will still all be there when you have your cheat day.

YES IT’S HARD TO STAY ON PROGRAM IN THE SUMMER

BUT IT’S SO MUCH HARDER TO NOT FIT IN YOUR CLOTHES. 

If you are really honest with yourself you know that when you stay on program that feels so much better than cheating. When you are cheating it’s for the moment when you stay strong and on program it’s for the results. I can’t say it enough – do the right thing and you will feel so much better – whether it’s weight loss, work, family, relationships, or vacations – life is about planning and following through and doing the right things. The reason we do this is because it’s what makes us happy. We feel accomplished, and we want to be our best, we want to feel healthy and yes we want to look good. We have one life and we want to have that balance of enjoing it but also working hard and being your best while you do it. When you have a plan you can accomplish all those things. Yes some days are going to be super easy and other days will feel like the most difficult days, but if you stick to your plan you will always get better results both mentally and physically.

DO WHAT IS RIGHT NOT WHAT IS EASY

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

SCALE NOT MOVING?

If the scale stopped moving it’s most likely because you stopped moving too!  Rainy days and quarantines can make for a very unhealthy lifestyle for weight loss and health!

DID YOU KNOW…. Based on a study of more than 220,000 people, researchers found that the longer you spend sitting down every day, the higher your risk of dying prematurely, even if you engage in regular exercise.  And if that isn’t scary enough then you should know sitting down for long periods of time isn’t just bad for your metabolism, it can also make you age quicker too.  New research has found that sitting down for long periods of time even with regular exercise can make a person’s cells age prematurely.  Yikes!

Why does this happen?…  Because you are not meant to sit you are built to stand upright.  Your heart and cardiovascular system work more effectively that way.  Your bowel system also functions more efficiently when you are upright.  You are also meant to move!  When you are moving, your overall energy levels and endurance improve, and your bones maintain strength.  Moving your muscles helps your body digest the fats and sugars you eat.  If you spend a lot of time sitting, digestion is not as efficient, so you retain those fats and sugars as fat in your body.  — Yikes again!

Interesting fact…. Your legs and gluteals, are the biggest muscles in your body and when used they burn the most calories.  That’s why runners, long distance walkers, and lower body training will always have and create leaner bodies because they are working their legs and gluteals, and burning the most calories. These large muscles are important for weight loss and overall strength to help stabilize the body.  Sitting for long periods can lead to weakening and wasting away of the large leg muscle and gluteal muscles.  What happens when your leg muscles waste away?…  you don’t burn as many calories because you no longer have the biggest muscles in your body and if that isn’t bad enough you end up with all fat and cellulite.  Because prolonged periods of sitting reduce blood flow and that creates fat and cellulite.  Just another big reason to get up and go…..

Live Longer!… Physical inactivity contributes to over three million preventable deaths worldwide each year. It is the fourth leading cause of death due to non-communicable diseases.  It’s also the cause of approx. 30  per cent of breast, colon cancers, diabetes and heart disease.   So next time you are at your desk and working 8 hours straight think about the damage you can be doing to your body.  Set the timer and make sure you are moving.  It’s something you have complete control over to change.

Feeling Sad?…  We don’t really understand the links between sitting and mental health as much as we do the links between sitting and physical health.  But we do know that the risk of both anxiety and depression is much higher in people that sit more.

Have I made my point yet?…  if not, let me make it clear — it’s time to stop sitting and start moving! And walking your plate to the sink doesn’t count.

Move More In Quarantine…..  An hour of exercise a day is just not enough in quarantine.  Before quarantine you were exercising an hour a day and then you were running errands, work, sports, shopping, kids etc…  Now you exercise and hour a day and you sit a lot more than you used too.

A SIMPLE FIX:

1. Add one extra hour a of exercise a day (walk, bike, hike, HIIT workouts, or just dance with your family around the house for an hour — so much fun and good for everyone!).  If you do it consistently for 7 days along with your current one hour you will see a big difference in your body and the scale.
2. Don’t sit for longer than 30 minutes at a time.  Get up do jumping jacks or jog in place.  Do anything to get the blood flowing and the body moving.  Just keep thinking sitting too long = loss of muscle, and lots of fat and cellulite.

Today is more challenging than ever because you are not always on the go.  Being sedentary is definitely going to play a part in how your body looks and functions. So whether you are cleaning, playing with the kids, walking, biking, jogging, …. find the time to move and make the excuses to keep moving as much as you can.  It will help you mentally and physically feel so much better today, tomorrow, next week and next month.

IT’S NEVER ABOUT HAVING THE TIME — IT’S ABOUT MAKING THE TIME

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Hi Everyone!  This is your Mid-August Check in!  I just want to make sure that everyone is on the right path because we all know how easy we can take a wrong turn.  Seriously, the end of August is so dangerous for so many reasons.  Vacations, no schedules, the feeling that the end is coming or the very common and damaging — Im just gonna “wait” until September to get back on track—   I’m reminding you not to do it to yourself.  I’m not saying that I want you to be perfect.  I know in August that is not realistic for so many of you and that is okay.  But what I am reminding you is that regardless of where you are right now if you have a plan and stick to it you will feel so much better than going completely off the cliff and then trying to climb back up in September.

Put everything aside regardless of what you have done up until now.  Good, bad or somewhere in between let’s continue to move forward in a very positive mindset.  From now until Labor Day have a plan and follow it through. 

Planning is so important because it helps us understand what we are actually capable of at this moment.  Different times of the year we are capable of different things.  Some may be more strict in the winter or the summer or right before vacation.  For others they are strict because they are getting married or turning a certain age, or planning big parties and celebrations.  We all want to look and feel our best when big exciting things are going on in our life.  It creates motivation that comes on more urgent and rapid.  And that’s great because we can use it to our advantage when we have it.  But when you don’t have that sudden urgency is when you have to maybe have more of a realistic plan.  One that fits you right now.

What I want you to think about is where you are right now.  If you are struggling to stay on program then change your day.  Maybe your plan is too strict for what your life is right now.  Maybe you need an extra on program snack or to add in a  drink or two or an extra cheat meal on the weekends when it’s not your cheat day.   Remember whatever changes you make right now are not forever.  They are for right now.  So add an on program extra snack or change whatever part of the day or week you are struggling with to give yourself a little extra.  Im always here to help you navigate your day.  But the point is to have the plan so you know what you are trying to achieve.  Even if you won’t lose as much the key is you will follow through on your planned day and even more important you won’t gain.  Once you get through your planned day you will feel more accomplished and then maybe next week or the week after you can start to make it even more of a weight loss day by getting rid of the extra snack or extra cheats.  Make the plan realistic for you this week and once you get a solid week of following your plan then you will feel better and more confident moving forward.

REMINDER:  For those going on vacation it’s so important to follow through with your plan.  If you don’t follow your plan you know by mid vacation you are going to be miserable with how you feel.  Stick to your plan – even if the plan includes when you are cheating it’s still a plan and will keep you in a great place mentally which is what vacation is about.  Vacation is not about going and sabotaging yourself – putting you in a place of feeling bloated, heavy and miserable.  Vacation is about resting the mind, having some fun with those you love and staying in a great place of happiness — making happy memories.

Maintain – Follow your program and have planned cheat meals when needed.  When you do this you must follow the 80-20.  Eat clean 80% of the time and 20% of the day you are off (maybe dinner and drinks or dinner dessert or for the breakfast lovers you cheat breakfast and clean the rest of the day).  Plan it and follow through and I promise you will feel so much better come September.  You may not be exactly where you want to be but you will feel so much better than where you could be.

Losing Weight Is Always an Option –  Now of course if you want to lose weight you can do that!  I can’t tell you how many clients have continued to lose weight this summer.  Just to mention a few we have very exciting — Joe just reached his 50lb weight loss this past weekend!!  Woo Hoo!!! So proud of him!!  And Lauren reached her super awesome 25lb loss and Ilene is at her new low since she started!  I can go on and on about the clients that lost weight this summer.  They went into the summer with a plan to stay on program and lose weight and they are following through with it.  So if that is something you want to do- don’t wait — start now and do it.

Do the right thing and you will feel so much better – Whether it’s weight loss, work, family, relationships, vacations — life is about planning and following through and doing the right things.  The reason we do this is because it’s what makes us happy.  We feel accomplished, and we want to be our best, we want to feel healthy and yes we want to look good.  We have one life and we want to have that balance of enjoing it but also working hard and being your best while you do it.   When you have a plan you can accomplish all those things.  Yes some days are going to be super easy and other days will feel like the most difficult days, but if you stick to your plan you will always get better results both mentally and physically.

Final Thoughts –  Just because it’s a plan doesn’t make it easy.  We all have difficult days and it’s on the hardest days tha you have to find your strength to follow through.  Reach down and find it and talk yourself through it.  You are capable of so much more than you might be willing to work for at that moment but if you get past that one moment of weakness you will feel so much better and it will make such a big difference on so many levels.

THERE ARE PLANNER AND DREAMERS

PLANNERS MAKE THEIR DREAMS COME TRUE.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Don’t let the rain fool you in NY today.  — Can you believe we are another week closer to summer.  Another week closer to vacations, staycations, camp, beach and many social days and nights. Yes another week closer to bathing suits and shorts.  If you haven’t already I think it’s time you set some goals!  Don’t ever feel like there is no more time.  There is always time to make a change and if you want it bad enough you will do it.  Just remind yourself that it’s the journey is where all the changes happen.  I have seen clients start two weeks ago and they already are so happy they began.  Even when they are not nearly as close to goal as they want to be it doesn’t matter – they feel lighter, no bloat and they are on their way to feeling better and better every week.  Sometimes we put things off when really we should just be starting.  No excuses just do it.

Where do you want to be in a week — 2 weeks— a month?  Where do you want to be by July 21st?  August 1st?  or when the kids return home from camp?  Maybe even September or Labor Day can be your a goal for you.  Yes summer is hard to lose weight– but getting through summer feeling out of control and over weight and staying that way is even harder.  Don’t ever feel like it’s too late and don’t ever give up on yourself and never ever give up on your goals and dreams.  Because it really doesn’t matter what time of the day or year it is.  If you start now by mid July you won’t be at goal but you will be so happy you started and you will feel so much better than you do today.  The bottom line is if it’s something you want and you are willing to work hard for then you will make it happen.

HERE ARE 3 MINDFUL STEPS TO HELP YOU STAY ON TRACK OR GET BACK ON YOUR HEALTHY PATH:

1. STOP MAKING EXCUSES:  you can tell yourself that friend came by or your kids have been out of control or you’re so busy packing for camp or work is just crazy… the bottom line is you are still using them as excuses to cheat and go off your program.  And regardless of how true your excuse may be, it doesn’t change the fact that if you went off your program you will not lose weight.  So remember even the best excuse in the world you are still putting yourself in the wrong direction.  Think before you grab before you eat.  Most of the time it’s a moment of chaos and then it’s over and you can get through it without cheating.  Always make sure you have on program snacks around so at the very least if you eat you are eating an extra on program snack it’s still better than eating something that is extra that is not on program.   This way you won’t give yourself the excuse that you went off program and now it’s a cheat day.  Even an extra on program snack is much better than an extra cheat day.
2. EAT TO LIVE — don’t live to eat.  Stop making food the focus on your life.  Have a plan in place each day of what you are eating from your program and then move on.  It’s fuel for your body.  It’s meant to help your body run the best it can.  Cheat day is exciting.  Honestly the Innovation store gives you so many opportunities to incorporate yummy clean delicious choices that help you lose weight and still feel like you are indulging — there is no reason of you to be cheating unless it’s  Cheat Day.
3. HUNGRY TIME— this is one of the most important things to figure out about your day.  When are you the hungriest that you have the hardest time controlling.  For some it’s when they get home from work or school and head right for the pantry.  For others it’s night time when the world is quiet and they are in the comfort of their home.  For some it’s first thing in the morning when they wake up.  — Whenever your hungry time is you have to have a plan to get through it.   You have the option of planning your snacks for that time.  Make sure you save a snack for the time that is most challenging.  Or you can break the habit and make a new one.  For example if you get home and you know you go right to the pantry –  grab a water and go right out for a walk and tell yourself that if you are still hungry when you get back you will have a snack.  Or maybe get home from work and shower or go in the back yard and sit with your kids or dog.  If it’s first thing in the morning split your breakfast and have 1/2 when you wake up and 1/2 an hour later.   Do something different and do it for a week straight and you will see how quickly you can make a new habit to replace the old one.

I really can’t say it enough you have to plan your day.  Know where you are going and what you are eating.  You should never be at a time when you are without a snack on you in case you need it.  When we try to wing it we end up sabotaging ourself.  We start with having a little handful here or there and before you know it you are taking in twice as much as you would have with a meal and on program snack and you are still not satisfied.  PLAN- PREPARE-FOLLOW THROUGH.  When you have your meals and snacks planned and prepared you will have success!  There are plenty of things in life that are really hard and we have no control of making them easier.  Eating clean, losing weight and feeling great are all things that if you do the right thing, plan your day, and make the right choices then they become easy.  They become second nature and most important they become a way of life.

Summer is literally around the corner.  Keep it simple.  Stay on your path and do the right things and life will simply become easier.  Because even if you have obstacles in your life that are challenging and hard — when you feel healthy and fit even the hardest obstacles will become easier to deal with.  We all know that when you can put on your summer shorts and bathing suit and feel comfortable and confident — there are not too many problems that can come your way that you won’t be able to deal with a smile on your face.  Because at the end of the day when you are in control and you feel good about your body and you are feeding your mind and energy healthy — everything in your life is just lighter, easier and happier.

You can’t always control what goes on outside but you can always control what goes on inside

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick