This is a holiday that you want to Navigate through with control.  You do not want to play around with it because what follows Memorial Day Weekend? …  SUMMER!  This is a  holiday that when it’s over — it’s really just beginning.  The very last thing you want to do is throw away everything you have worked so hard for.  And we all know it doesn’t take much to do that.  Listen, I would love to tell you that you can go and enjoy your weekend and not worry about your plan— go ahead and eat whatever you want, life’s short. But you can’t because you will not only gain the weight back you will be miserable come Tuesday morning.  Not only will you be miserable, I can guarantee if I asked you to tell me what was so amazing that you ate you wouldn’t be able to tell me.  Because truthfully, if anything is amazing that you “NEED OR WANT”  then you will have it on your Cheat Day.

Having fun, celebrating and doing all the things you want to do this weekend can be done without over eating.  You need to have a plan and stick to it.  Because if you don’t and you try and wing it I can promise you that Tuesday morning will come around and you will be miserable looking for some quick fix (that doesn’t exist) to make it all better.  Instead, let’s try to do the right thing that will work for you this whole weekend.

DRINKING:  If you are drinking — and it’s not water— you save your snacks for the alcohol.  If you know that you lose control after two then only sip one through the day or night.  OR have two far apart with lots of water in between.  Losing control with the alcohol is not good for you, your weight loss or the people trying to enjoy the party around you.  If you want to be the talk of the party then make sure the only thing they are talking about is how great you looked.

It’s a long weekend and it will be a challenge.  But you constantly have to remind yourself what you want and how you want to feel come Tuesday Morning.  here are some easy options to follow:

ONE CHEAT DAY:  If you want to continue to lose this weekend and treat it like its any other weekend then you will have ONCE CHEAT DAY and you will be very mindful through the other days.  You will go and have fun and enjoy and do all the right things like it’s any other day that you are celebrating with family and friends that you love.  But you will not eat like it’s a cheat except for one day over the weekend.  It is very doable and you will continue to lose and continue to feel great if you follow this.

MAINTAIN:  Do you want to maintain through the holiday weekend?  Maintain can be tricky because you need to know your boundaries.  You choose to eat clean all day and only go off for dinner and dessert or dinner and drinks or just drinks.  Remember, just because it’s a cheat doesn’t mean you can’t order a beautiful clean fish and steamed vegetables OR a grilled chicken on the bbq with a garden salad — and enjoy either your drink or ice cream.  Cheats don’t have to be all out cheats.  They are supposed to be special.  Make sure you are cheating on things you love and miss.  Never cheat just to cheat.  If you follow this and do it Friday, Saturday, Sunday OR Saturday, Sunday, Monday — then you will maintain and when Tuesday morning comes you will feel like you stayed in control and you are not starting over but just continuing on to your weight loss week.  After the weekend you give yourself a solid week of being back on program and by the next weigh in you will be the same number as the week before.

GAIN:  Do you want to gain through the holiday weekend?  This sounds like a question that should have an easy answer.  But what is really disturbing is that it’s even easier to gain than it sounds.  You can’t have a Cheat Day and then cheat meals.  You can’t have cheats through out the weekend with no plan and you can’t do a Cheat Day and then a bunch of taste this and hand full of that.  Trust me — you will think you weren’t that bad— when in fact you were really really bad.  We all forget after the damage is done.  When it comes to weight gain I can promise you that if you are overdoing it every day and lose control you will gain weight and it may be more than you can imagine.

What you need to do is know what your plan is and stick to it.  Don’t be influenced by those around you.  Always remember no one knows how hard have worked and what your goals are.  You know it and I know it, and if you want to reach your goals you have to stay strong and stick to the plan.  make sure you have what you need with you to stay on program.  Make sure you are ready for the sabotages (including you sabotaging you),  and make sure you know your triggers and be prepared for them when they are in front on you.  No one is going to have to live with Tuesday Morning but you.

MOST IMPORTANT – don’t set yourself up.  If you don’t want it and you don’t need it — SAY NO AND WALK AWAY.

LOOK AROUND YOU AND BE INSPIRED by those who make their health, body, and mind a priority.

THIS WEEKEND YOU NED TO PROVE TO YOURSELF how strong you are and what really matters to you AND that you can have fun, enjoy what’s around you— without it always being about food.

IT ALWAYS SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE UNTIL IT’S DONE.

~LOVE TO LIVE HEALTHY WITH JOSEPHINE FITZPATRICK

Another Holidays has passed and Spring Vacations are over – this leaves us with just about 9 weeks until 4th of July.  I always focus on the 4th of July because it’s when the graduations are over, kids are back from college and the younger ones are off to camp.  It’s when summer really begins and the BBQ, Festivities, and vacations are back in full force.  It’s one of the hardest times of the year to lose weight because it’s not just about plans on the weekends.  Invitations and plans can happen any day of the week at any time.  Summer is a time that you want to go into feeling really good.  So how do you get to a good place in the next 9 weeks?  It’s not as hard as you think.

Be Consistent – 6 days on and one day off.  The more you do it the easier it is and the better your body responds.

Eat Clean and Eat Less – The cleaner the food the better your body processes it.  The less you eat the less it needs to process.

If you Don’t Need It Don’t Eat It – Less is always better when trying to lose weight.

ABSOLUTELY NO EXTRAS – This is a life changing rule.  No taste, sips, bites or pieces.  The more you learn to live by this rule – the easier it is.

Everything Matters – Nothing is free and everything you put in your mouth matters.  When it comes to weight loss you have to be accountable for everything that passes your lips.

Plan – Prepare – Follow Through – I can’t say it enough, when you plan prepare and follow through is when you will get the best results every single day.

You have 9 weeks and in that 9 weeks you can really do a lot of good and make a lot of changes.  Starting with consistency.  I can’t say it enough how important it is.  You have to eat clean, eat less and you have to do it everyday for six days.  I know it’s hard and life can get in the way.  But if you think it’s getting in the way now just wait until you see how much life gets in the way in the summer.  You have to learn to be able to go out and order only what you decided before you walked in.  I know how easy it is to be sitting at the table and something comes over you and before you know it you are reaching for the breadbasket or the extra drink.  You can tell yourself every excuse in the book — I didn’t want to be that person who wasn’t drinking— I didn’t want to be the only one ordering clean — The conversation was flowing I didn’t even realize I was eating it.  Whatever excuse you come up with is not going to change the result.  — My point is it really doesn’t matter if the excuse is valid or not- you are still going to end up with the same result.   When you sit down and go off program – you are making yourself unhappy because the result you are giving yourself by cheating is what is making you unhappy and keeping you in a place that you do not want to be.  So if it’s a good excuse then you are going to be off program and unhappy with a good excuse and if it’s a bad excuse then you are going to be off program – unhappy with a bad excuse.  Either way you are not losing weight that day and have put yourself a day behind.

One thing to remember that we can all agree on is no matter what is going on in your life if you feel good in your body and in your skin – it makes everything easier to get through.  Think of it this way.  If you have a problem with your job and you are at a happy healthy place with your food and your weight – it makes the problem easier to get through.  But if you have that same problem with your job and you are in an over-weight unhealthy body you will deal with it a lot differently.  —  That goes for just about anything and any problem or issue that is in our path.  Everything starts with how we feel and how we feel is going to determine how we deal with the problem/issue at hand.

Remind yourself that in 9 weeks you will either feel amazing or you will look back and wish you felt amazing.  We all don’t want to live with the could have and should have — especially when the DOING IT is right in front of you.  You have all the tools and the only thing that is standing in your way is you.  Your willingness to walk away – and to say NO- THANK YOU.  Try not to complicate it.  Don’t make it harder than it has to be.  Once you are firm and tell yourself that you are sticking to it 100% – there is no alternative- you will do it.   But if you give yourself even the slightest glimpse of doubt if you can do it – then you are already setting yourself up to go off program.

Be firm in your decisions.  It’s not about the food it’s about the discipline.   From the time you wake up and open your eyes to the time you are at work or the kids are coming off the bus – to the time you might be sitting at a table ready order food.  Constantly remind yourself that you must be firm in your decisions.  What you decided from the time you woke up was that you were going to stay on program. Because you want to feel good and you want to look good.   –You are going to stick with your meals and snack(s) and you are going to do that because sticking to your menu  is what creates the weight loss.  — And the weight loss and feeling good and feeling healthy and lighter is all what makes you happy – and that is what you want and that is why being firm in your decisions is so so important every single day.

Mark it on your Calendar – 9 weeks.  It can feel like a long time and it can feel super short.   It’s going to feel like a long time if you are doing great and sticking to your program – losing weight every week.   But it’s going to feel super short if you are cheating a little everyday and constantly yo -yo up and down on the scale.  Your choices = your results

My final thoughts for you –  I see the clients every day in every state.  Every one of you is capable of weight loss.  None of you are any different than anyone else.  Yes some have more money, some are home, some working, others eat out every day and other eat home all the time.  Whatever your situation is I can promise you that it feels harder than everyone else’s.  But they are all equally as hard to the person who has them.   If you want to lose the weight you can do it.  We know it’s hard and we know it’s even harder to stick to eating less, and eating clean and not grabbing for the extras when everyone around you seems to be eating everything.  But at the end of the day you can only control what you are doing and your choices.   It’s only food and it will always be there .   If you want to change your life for ever and live in a happy healthy place –then stay disciplined in your choices and what you want– and focus on only the decisions and choices that you can control and will bring you happiness.

Discipline Is Doing What Needs To Be Done, Even If You Don’t Want To Do It

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

As we approach Passover, Easter and Vacations – there are a few things I want you to think about when it comes to your Weight Loss, Health and Feeling your best.  

Let’s start with remembering that the Holidays are about celebrations with two beautiful meanings behind them:  Freedom and the Resurrection of Life.  We never want to forget why we are celebrating and spending time with family, friends and loved ones.  It’s about the celebration and the people – not the food.  It’s not about who has what or what you are eating, or how much you can eat.   Sometimes we take the wrong perspective on what is really important.   Like we forget to think about how lucky we all are to have this time together and to share in the family togetherness, traditions and memories we are making today and remembering those who passed.  This holiday make it about new and old memories shared with laughs, stories and always about the love that is around you.  We live in a rush -rush world that we easily get tied up in negative stress instead of all the amazing positives we work so hard for everyday.  Keep your holidays and vacations about the positive.  Because it’s the happy positive times in life that get us through the stress and negative times.

Start with knowing what you are doing and have your plans going in so you can feel great from the start of your positive Holiday/Vacation to the finish of it.  Sometimes when we go in with our focus in the right place – we stay on path and really celebrate and enjoy what we should.

Here are some choices to follow to keep your Holidays and Vacation on Path:  

1. Celebrating Easter:  This is an easy one.  Clean all week and use your Cheat Day  to eat all your Chocolate Bunnies and feast on Easter Day.
2. Passover Celebrating Friday /Saturday:  Eat Clean all day (on program) and only cheat at dinner – make sure you know what you are cheating with.  You don’t want to eat a whole days worth of food in one sitting.  Plan where you are going – what they are serving and what your cheating with and include drinks/or dessert.

VACATIONS:  This is where it can get a little tricky.  If you are going on Vacation following the Weekend Holiday(s) or you are celebrating the holidays on Vacation – you have a couple of choices.

• Leaving for Vacation after Holidays:  You have the choice of Cheating Friday and Saturday holiday dinners and continue this through vacation with one Cheat meal a day (breakfast, lunch, or dinner & drinks or dessert).  You eat clean all day and only one cheat of choice each day.    If you do this you will maintain your week.  — you do not have one full cheat day when you have a cheat everyday.
• Stay Clean Friday and Saturday and make sure there is chicken / and or clean fish at your holiday dinners and allow yourself a drink of wine, vodka or tequila (if you drink).  Stay on program so you can enjoy but go into your vacation feeling your very best.  Once you are on vacation you will follow the one Cheat Meal a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks/dessert).  You eat clean all day and only one cheat of choice each day.  — you will maintain the week.
• Cheat Meal every other day.  When it comes to weight loss – less is always best.  So if you don’t have to cheat everyday – don’t.  Pick a cheat meal every other day or whenever you really need it.  Remember you feel so much better when you are eating clean so if you can do less cheat meals through the week – do it.
• Cheat Day.  If you choose to stick to the one cheat day a week and stay on 110% clean the rest of the week home or on vacation – that will make you feel your very best and give you the best weight loss results.  If you choose this – try and have your cheat day more toward the end of the vacation.  Once you cheat you are more likely to cheat again.  If you can hold out until the end of the vacation you will more likely only have one cheat day – and come home feeling as good as you left.

Regardless of which one you choose – your body needs time to adjust. No scale until after you come home and get right back on program and have a solid 110% week and then go on the scale.

Whether you are home or away incorporate some exercise.  Get out and walk.  Do it before breakfast and again before dinner.  Play miniature golf; swim; hike; row; play tag or “I got you last” (our favorite:). ;

When you are 100% all week you really enjoy your cheat treats.  You enjoy it because you are not cheating everyday and everything taste so much better when you don’t do it all the time.  Same goes for vacation.  Enjoy it and all that comes with it.  We don’t have them every day so you want to feel the best  and live the happiest you.  Don’t do anything or make any choices that you know is going to make you feel uncomfortable or take you out of that happy vacation feeling.  Think things through and make the right choices that keep you in a happy place.  You are the only person in charge of your happiness.   Keep yourself feeling good – because how you feel will determine your day.

Everyday you are in charge of your happiness

Before you make a choice make sure it’s one that will make you happy 

Happy Holidays

Much love and happiness from the staff of Innovation

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

What does the word commitment suggest?  It usually evokes a strong sense of intention and focus.  It typically is accompanied by a statement of purpose or a plan of action.  Very often, we utilize this word in regard to proclamations we may make about the seriousness of something like weight loss, work or relationships.  The difficulty is that we’re making promises to our-self about behaviors and outcomes, but when it comes to weight loss we sometimes ignore the process necessary to achieve that goal. If we learn to commit fully to the process then the outcomes will be what they should be.  But, if we commit merely to the outcome and ignore the process – then you will be left frustrated and uncomfortable in your skin.

The process is actually more important than the commitment and the outcome.  Because without the process nothing takes place.  This is the exact reason why I say over and over — you must live the program.  You can’t just do it and get it over with.  You have to learn to do it and live it and only then will you see the lasting results.   When you just do the program you are mentally waiting for it to end so you can go back to your old habits.  When you learn to live the program it’s the process of living it that makes losing weight easier.  You are no longer waiting for it to be over – instead you have truly committed to living clean, healthy and being the best you.  When you are committed you love your clean days as much as your cheat day.  You don’t look for an excuse to cheat you look for an excuse to make the best choices to stay on program

One of the most important part of making a commitment is staying true to yourself.  Obstacles will naturally arise that will try to knock you off your path.  But being true to yourself means facing all obstacles, fighting through them with good decisions and continuing on your path even in the face of the most difficult adversity.  You must continue to be guided by what you want your outcome to be.   — Choose your hard.  Is it harder to fight through the obstacle but be happy with the outcome. Or give in to the obstacle and be miserable with the outcome.

Being committed also requires short term and long term goals and staying on your path to meet both.  An example:  Short term is to lose 2lbs a week and long term is to lose 20lbs by June 1st.  To reach your short and long term goals  it will require that you be prepared at time to leave your comfort zone.  We have spoken about this before – there is no way around it.  If you want to keep reaching goals you will have times that you will have to abandon the place of mental and physical comfort.  They will be short periods and through these short periods you will remember to embrace the mental and physical hunger that comes your way because that is what is going to help you reach your next goal.

Being committed entails a power of will to do whatever it takes to fulfill and follow through on the responsibility to stay true to your goal.  I find this is the most challenging for so many clients.  It’s okay to say “no” it’s okay to walk away and it’s okay to go to dinner and order what makes you happy without worrying about what everyone else thinks.  You are the  one who has to walk away with the results of your choices.     There will always be temptations, obstacles and mental weakness but if you are truly committed you must go into this with the strength that you will do whatever it takes to reach that goal.   And anyone that is truly your friend or wants the best for you will always understand and accept your decisions with comfort.  — We all see the clients and customers that come in the store on program.  Or a friend or acquaintance that is on program.  The ones that  just make it look so easy to do the right thing and they look amazing, feel amazing and are so happy because of it.  — you know the one you try to avoid when you are not doing the right thing —    I can tell you firsthand it’s not that its always easy for them but it’s because they choose to be and stay committed no matter what because they know that is what makes them feel good.  It doesn’t mean they never had slip-ups.  They have been there and done that and because of them they remind themselves that one moment of indulgence is never as important as their happiness.  They also know that it’s not just about them.  Because when they feel good and are happy that makes their family and friends happy.    We tend to often forget that our negative choices don’t only affect us.  Our happiness or unhappiness affects everyone around us.   —

One thing we all know is that when you are in a good place mentally and physically you are a happier person.  When you are committed to living healthy and eating clean and feeling amazing in your body – it’s life changing.  I see it everyday the transformations that take place week after week.   It’s the most amazing sight to see someone who goes from being unhappy in their body to loving how they look and feel.  — And if you want to feel that –  there is absolutely no reason you shouldn’t have it.    The only thing that is stopping you is your commitment to yourself.  You have to stop making excuses.  You have to work hard and give it 100% everyday.  Because your health and happiness is one thing that is always worth working hard and staying committed to everyday.

Commitment is an act, not just a word

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

IS EATING AT NIGHT OKAY?

April’s Myth and Fact question is one of the questions that have the most confusion.  The reason why we are so confused is because when we read things we often get half the details and information of why we should or should not do something.  This week we are going to answer the question — is eating at night okay?

The answer is simply – YES.  You can eat at night.  It doesn’t matter what time you eat.  Your body doesn’t stop when you go to sleep.  In fact, your brain and body stay remarkably active while you sleep.   Your body actually works harder while you are sleeping and burns more than when you are awake/sitting/resting.  — It burns more at sleep because it has to work harder to keep everything alive while you are sleeping.  That’s why sometimes you might wake up sweating.  Your body and brain are running 24 hours a day.

MYTH:  it’s a complete myth that you won’t lose weight if you eat at night.  And also a Myth that you will lose more weight if you don’t eat at night.

FACT:  You can’t eat at night if you already ate all your food during the day.  Most people consume more than they need to during the day.  So by the time night arrives you are more than done.  And yes if you are over eating you will gain.  But if you are eating for weight loss and following your menu – it doesn’t matter what time you eat.

I often explain we have weight loss, maintain, and weight gain days.  —If you follow your menu and eat all your food that’s allowed from your menu during the day and still grab something extra at night you will go from weight loss- to maintain.  If you grab more than something extra it will eventually be a weight gain day.  However, if you stick to your menu and you save a snack or two for nighttime it doesn’t matter how late you eat it — you will still lose weight.

RECAP:  If nighttime comes and you didn’t save any of your snacks — then you are done and you can’t eat at night.  But if you know you like to eat at night then it’s up to you to give up a snack or two during the day and save it for nighttime.

Most people love to eat at night.  Why?  Because we are in our comfort zone.  The outside world no longer exists.  The kids have settled down, and you are done with work and you can finally sit and relax in bed or in front of your favorite show.  When the sun goes down and dinner has ended – what’s the first thing you do— you find yourself in the pantry or refrigerator looking to grab something to relax with whether it’s a drink, snack or dessert  — we reach for our favorites at night.  Night time is also when many will go out for a drink or two.  Whatever the case the most important thing is to make sure you save your snacks/desserts/drinks for when you need them.  It doesn’t matter what time of the day or night you have them.

— We sometimes get into these mindsets – Im going to force myself to not eat at night — and then what happens you end up bingeing.  So now you ate your food all day and ate all extra food at night.  You wake up in the morning feeling defeated.

FIX:  it’s so much easier to plan and prepare.  If you like to eat at night – save your snack(s) until night time.  You can get through the day a little hungry but if you know night time is too hard – save the snacks.  If you know you are going out for a drink with friends at night then you have to give up a snack during the day.  It’s an easy fix if you plan for it.

So at the end of the day – it doesn’t matter what time you eat.  What matters is you are only eating what is on your menu and never more.  Plan it out.  Each day know when you are eating and if you like to have something after dinner or night time – plan what you want to save for that time.  When you do this you are giving up something during the day.  This goes back to when I tell you that it’s okay to be a little hungry.  You need to be a little hungry at some point in the day but it doesn’t matter if it’s Morning – Noon – or Night.  Plan and embrace the little hunger and skip the snack when you know you can get through it.

TIP:  Don’t skip the snack/dessert/drink when you really enjoy it or need it.  Skip the snack/dessert/drink and embrace the hunger for when you are busy and it’s easier to get through with tea, water, coffee.

We do our best to stay 110% on program 6 days a week so we can enjoy our cheat day.  And when we do stay 110% on program all week long we really look forward to our cheat day — you can use this same mental strength for your days.   Pick a snack, dessert or drink that you love to have at night and mentally you will stay on program all day knowing you have a yummy treat at the end of the day to look forward to.

You are the only one who has the power over your own mind

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

CHANGE IS HARD!

I think one thing we all know bout losing weight – IT’S REALLY HARD!  It’s hard work if you want to see results it has to be treated like a job and a priority.  Many of the clients who are on the path of losing consistently and those who have reached their goal say it over and over – IT’S HARD!  It takes constant thinking and planning.   There is so much temptation in the world that if you stop thinking about it for one second you can lose it all very quickly.

While it would be nice to live in a world where we can eat what we want and not let it bother us when we are overweight and unhealthy – the truth is we can’t and it’s really not what we want and more importantly it’s not how we want to feel.  We want to be healthy and we want to feel good and we want to put on the size that makes us happy – and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.  You were to put on this earth to indulge in everything in front of you whenever you feel like it.  There are all kinds of temptation everyday that we have to walk away from and food and alcohol should be no different – especially since it has such a big influence on your mental and physical health.

We know how amazing eating clean feels and we know how awesome being on program is and the results are beyond amazing – but at the end of the day it’s still very hard.  It requires a life change and it requires walking away from temptation.  It requires being out at parties and/or celebrations and choosing the right options.  Having one drink instead of 3.  All the things that you would normally do that didn’t make you feel great to begin with now have to be controlled.  These are the habits that need to be broken.  The only way to break them is to be consistent in what you are doing.  Eventually it all gets easier and it becomes a way of life.  While you are learning that life you are losing weight and feeling great.  Again it’s not always going to be easy – but it is always going to be worth it.

I can tell you first hand – we talk to thousands of clients everyday.  Both Men and Women and it’s always the same – the clients that follow are just so happy.  They feel great, they look great, and their confidence is so high.  It shows in how they live, work, and most important in how they feel and treat others.   Weight loss and/or gain is something that is 90% of people have to deal with daily.  I think we can all agree when you don’t do the right things by yourself and your body it’s not going to only affect you – it’s going to affect how you feel about yourself inside and out, and that will affect how you work, your family, how you treat others and how you love others.  Everything starts with you and how you feel and how you are treating your body.  If you are doing the right things for yourself mentally and physically it will be life changing on how you feel, your happiness, and how you live your life.  But it doesn’t  make it easy.  Life is full of challenges and while eating clean is a challenge – it’s the results that you want to focus on.  The results of how it makes you feel to live healthy and in a body that you love.

My final thoughts today:  Constantly remind yourself what you want and where you want to be this summer.  This is the time of year that should be most inspiring and motivating to you.  We have shorts, bathing suits, tank tops and sun dresses coming out in jut a couple of months and depending on Mother Nature it could be weeks.  You want to be be ready and feel good.  you want to be in a bathing suit at the beach and you want to walk around in shorts and a tank top.  Most important you want to be and feel healthy from the inside out.  You want to live the life of balance every week.  The only way to do this and to get the results you want is to stay on program.  When you do you lose weight every week.  Stay on your path, enjoy the journey, and you will get to a happy place and you will feel great.

The program is life changing but you have to be willing to change your life to see and feel the results

When it comes to weight loss sometimes it’s easier to do something when you fully understand why you are doing it.  So as part of our SPRING INTO WEIGHT LOSS i’m going to explain a FACT and/or MYTH every week so you can understand what works and what doesn’t and most importantly why.

THIS WEEK FACT:  You need to be a little hungry to lose weight.  

When it comes to hunger and being uncomfortable I think it’s pretty obvious no one likes to be either.  I hear it all the time – “I had an extra handful because I was hungry.”  or “I was starving I needed an extra snack.”  I have said it many times and will continue to say it – 99% of us don’t even know what starving is. We use the word so loose that we forgot what the true meaning is.  When you feel a little uncomfortable it’s not starving it’s just a little hungry.  Yes you will absolutely have a little hunger on program.  You have to if you are losing weight.

THIS IS WHY:

WEIGHT LOSS – in order to lose weight you need to take in less than the body currently needs.  If you are currently 150 and want to be 140 you have to eat like someone who is 140.  Because if you eat like someone who is 150 you will maintain and not lose.  But when you are 150 and you are eating like someone who is 140 then of course you are going to be hungry because you are taking in less than you body needs to maintain and that is what creates the hunger.  And of course this goes for if you are 125 trying to get to 110 or if you are 200 trying to get to 180.  Regardless of where you currently are you need to eat less than your body currently needs to lose weight.

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU EAT LESS THAN WHAT YOUR BODY CURRENTLY NEEDS:

When you eat less your body goes into a deficit and it doesn’t want to be there.  It’s going to tell you that it’s in a deficit by giving you hunger signals.  It knows you are not giving it enough food to maintain it’s current weight.  So it gives you hunger signals to tell you it’s looking for more food.  but when you don’t feed into that hunger and ignore it the body is very smart and it will get what it needs from somewhere else – it will get it from your fat reserves.  The extra fat you have on your body is received for exactly these times.  Our body stores fat to protect us from hunger and famine.  Since you are not going to feed it what it needs — it starts using your stored fat.  That’s a good thing!

RECAP:

When you eat less and you feel that little hunger your body can’t get what it needs so it taps into your stored fat reserves. — This is exactly why I tell you to embrace the hunger.  It’s good to feel the little hunger here and there because it means you are talking in less and your body is going to get what it needs from your fat reserves and that is how you lose weight.  you are losing real fat.  Embrace it!

HOW TO GET THROUGH IT:

When I say that the little hunger will pass and you should go have tea or drink water or go for a walk – It may feel a little challenging at the moment but it will pass.  Why does it pass?  Because once the body taps into your stored fat reserves it’s happy again.  The hunger signal goes away.  you just have to give it a chance to do that.  So when you tell e you felt hungry but didn’t feed into it and it passed this is why — because it took from your reserves and it’s happy again.  Just always remember before it takes from the stored fat it’s going to send a signal to your brain to feed it first.  When you don’t immediately feed it then it will take from the stored fat.

** This is only going to work if you are feeding your body properly with your meals and snack(s).  Depending on where you are on program and weight you menu is designed to feed you nutritionally and help you lose weight.  If you just stop eating all together you won’t lose weight because the body will go into starvation.  But if you eat the right amount of food for where you are with your weight and where you want to be with your weight loss  — only then the body will go to the fat reserves when it’s hungry.  This is why it’s so important to follow your menu 100%.

CONSISTENCY:

Now in order for the body to continue to tap into the fat reserves you have to do this consistently – the word I use so often CONSISTENT.  When you do it consistently for 6 days is when your body has the opportunity to lose real fat and that equals pounds.  Your body will keep going to reserves and the more it goes to the reserves the more pounds you lose.  YAY!!!!  So everyday when you feel a little hungry you must remind yourself that you are eating enough and following your menu and when you don’t feed into that little uncomfortable hunger is when it will take from your fat reserves — and that’s exactly what you want it to do.  EMBRACE IT!

Self-Discipline is the magic that makes dreams into reality

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

www.innovationweightloss.com

MARCH IS THE MONTH OF TRANSITIONS

This week has been mentally tough for everyone.  With the threats of snow and the cold weather it can be challenging to remember why we are restricting ourselves from all the comforting foods we could be having.  but this is the time you have to constantly remind yourself that summer is going to sneak up on you and when it does you want to be ready.

In only a couple of short week we will be taking the coats off.  Think back to a time when you were not ready to reveal yourself.  It could have been last spring or last week on vacation.  When everyone is taking coats off and you wished you could keep yours on because you were not mentally or physically ready to reveal what was underneath.  March and April are transition months when the weather changes from Cold-to Warm – to Some very Hot Days.  Think of this as your transition months as well.  you want to take where you are right now and continue on with where you want to be.  When it’s hot you want to be ready for it and when coats come off and shorts go on you want to be following the same transition from winter to spring to summer.  you don’t want to be that one person walking around with a winter coat on or a long sweater because you didn’t do what was good for you right now.

Think about and motivate yourself for what you have coming up in the Spring and Summer.  Whether it’s Graduation parties, Vacations, Bar Mitzvah or Sweet 16.  Keep reminding yourself that you are preparing right now to be and feel the best you can for what’s ahead.  Shop online for spring and summer outfits and bathing suits.  It doesn’t always have to be a special occasion it can just be that you want to be prepared for the BBQ and Beach season that you love and want to be ready to enjoy.  When it’s 90 outside you don’t want to be in cover ups and long jeans.  You want to be feeling good and confident in your skin and your clothes.

Living the program makes you happy.  When you get through these tough weeks you will feel so much better and you will feel the mental strength that comes with staying strong and on your path.  When you follow your program and you get through these tougher weeks the results will be amazing.  The sun will be warmer and you feel better and you look better and act better.  We have had a lot of returning clients in the last two weeks. Some come back just to reboot – others may have let vacations and holidays get the best of the them  — some just feel better when they come in.  But what I have learned from all of them is one thing they all seem to say — Being on program feels so much better than being off program.  It doesn’t matter if they weren’t cheating everyday – it’s really not about that.  It’s about having the control, and that amazing feeling of lightness in your body that you feel when you live the program.  As soon as they had the feelings of being off for an extended period of time whether it be 2 weeks or 2 months they realized that they started to not feel well — feeling sluggish, out of control, and just not as happy as when they are on program.  It doesn’t take long both mentally and physically to learn that your body responds best to living the program.

When you don’t do the right thing by your body it takes away confidence and self control.  You quickly fall into sabotages and bad habits and before you know it you look back and think why did I do something that made me unhappy/  I was so happy on program and doing the right things for my body and mind.  Yes – just like this week – it may sometimes feel restricting but that is such a better and easier feeling than not being able to get your pants on or feeling the lack of confidence when you are walking into work or attending a party.  Or most important just feeling miserable in general because you just don’t feel good about yourself or your health.

The truth is feeling good about yourself and eating healthy is the most important thing you can do.  It sets up your day anyhow you perform in it.  From taking care of your family, to being productive at work.  When you don’t do the right things and you don’t feel good about yourself it affects everything including your confidence.  It’s not always easy but you must make it a priority to stay on your path.  I see you all and read the texts and I know when you are on and feeling good you are completely different from being off and not feeling good about yourself.  So while March may be challenging and difficult I can assure you that the challenge of staying on program is going to be a lot easier than the challenge of entering into Spring and Summer in a body that you don’t feel good in.

The First Step to Transitioning is Deciding that you are

Not Going to Stay Where you Are!

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

I was originally going to put this blog out on Tuesday but I really thought that you would and could relate to it more today since we are starting super bowl weekend.  Think before you grab before you eat :).  Everything has a result.

THE STRUGGLE IS REAL!  First I have to start off by giving compliments and credit to so many who had such amazing weight loss numbers this past week.  I was so so happy to hear that last weeks blog “Being Comfortable with being Uncomfortable” helped make a difference.  Actions create results and in this case you read the blog and followed it and it worked!  I was so beyond thrilled to see the results of it.  Thank you!  I know how difficult it is to walk away from temptation.   But you got to feel and see the amazing results this past weekend by walking away, and embracing the uncomfortable.  YAY!!!

EVERYONE HAS WEAK MOMENTS:  We all have weak moments.  Sometimes they are random, and other times they are specific.  You step on the scale mid week and it throws you into sabotage, or you have one glass of wine and it triggers you to have the bottle.   It could be at the end of the day at dinner or before bed when you are just so tired from the day and don’t have the same mental strength you had when you woke up.   Most of the time weak moments occur right before cheat day.  It’s the time of the week where you would think you would be the best but the truth is you are the most mentally and physically exhausted.

FUNNY STORY:   A good example is my husband John.  Last Saturday night out of the blue he says to me at 8pm – can I start my Cheat Day now?  When I gave him a blank look like –is he really asking me this right now?–   he went on to explain (as if I never heard this before) — I can start now and go 24hours and end my cheat day Sunday night at 8pm.  He was so proud of this new idea!  As he was saying it I was visualizing my clients text messages literally being printed in the air as he spoke the words – CAN I SPLIT MY CHEAT DAY AND START RIGHT NOW.—   It’s a text that we get minimum 20 times on a the weekend.  First I had to break it to him that he wasn’t the first person to think of this amazing idea.  Then I explained that this was a moment of weakness that so many clients have at random times and they usually are the day before the cheat day.    You made it all week long and now it’s the end of the week and you are tired and hungry and you are just done.  You are mentally and physically weak and it’s easy to give in.  But I explained it’s the night before cheat day and this is when you have to be your strongest because it’s when all the magic happens from all your hard work all week.  You don’t want to throw it all away for a slice of pizza.  But he clearly wasn’t feeling the same passion that I was expressing.

I said — I’m sorry but no you can’t do that.  You didn’t even weigh in and you won’t have the same results tomorrow if you cheat now.  You can wait until tomorrow.  I promise you will be happy if you wait–.

Needless to say he wasn’t happy waiting and he wasn’t happy with me or my response at that moment.  But I new he was just mentally weak and it was easy to just throw all his hard work away.  Instead I walked to the refrigerator and heated him up Innovation meatballs and a spring roll and some string beans.  He made it through the night and lucky he did because he ended up having a great weight loss week losing over 2lbs.  — he was so beyond happy with his weight loss Sunday morning.

What I did notice that helped a lot was once the meal was heated up and put in front of him he was fine.   Because of my crazy schedule John always heats up his own meals.  It’s always an Innovation meal and a side.  It’s simple, healthy and he loves it.  But because he was mentally weak Saturday night and his mind started taking over his thinking he became obsessed with the idea of Pizza.  So instead of heating up his dinner he was too busy thinking of a way he could start his cheat day early.  But once I saw his mental state and I heated it up and put it in front of him he was totally fine.  He was hungry and when he ate he was okay and was able to think more reasonably.  If I wasn’t there – who knows what would have happened- probably pizza!.  I was super proud of him for staying strong through it and a the same time I realized what so many of you go through.  Even the most perfect week it’s so easy to fold in a moment of weakness.

The point of this story is whether it’s food or alcohol –  it’s important to not let yourself get to the place where you have no control.  The place where you are past the point of thinking clearly.   Especially at the end of a day or the end of a week when we are most exhausted, tired and hungry it’s so easy to let our guard down.   In the begining of the week you have more mental and physical energy  and are more likely to get through the challenges.  But at the end of the week when you know you are both mentally and physically  exguasted is when you have to be stronger and more on your guard from sabotaging yourself.

THE CONVERSATION OF THE WEEK:  The funny thing through all of this which I know so many of your will relate is Sunday John didn’t even want the pizza.  In fact, he said he didn’t even want to cheat.  He was so excited with his weight loss and he felt so good that he couldn’t even think of what he wanted to cheat with.    — The conversation from clients in my office and on text is always

 “Why does everything look so good all week long except on Cheat Day?!”   During the week you want everything in sight.  But when it’s cheat day and you can have it – you don’t want any of it.  Why???  The answer is simple – it’s because it’s the mental part of the program that teaches – we always want what we can’t have.  But when we can have it we don’t always want it.  

I think that goes for a lot of things in life.  But when it comes to Cheat Day sometimes just knowing that you CAN have it is enough.  So next time you have the mental challenge and you feel a little weak minded – before you cheat ask yourself if it was cheat day would I eat this or do I just want it because I can’t have it.?  The answer might help you get through your next moment of weakness.

The struggle you feel today develops the strength you need for tomorrow 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

It’s not easy being uncomfortable.  One of the biggest things about weight loss and getting results is we have to be okay with being a little uncomfortable.  Both mentally and physically being uncomfortable takes getting used to.  Mentally it’s not easy to say NO to something we want.  Especially when the only one holding us back from it is us.  Physically we have to be okay with not having what our body physically feels it needs at the moment – reminding ourselves that we feel a little hungry because we have to eat less than what we currently need to have weight loss.  When your body is used to eating more of course you will feel little hungry.  Not all day but there will be times when your body realizes you are taking in less and it’s going to want you to feed it so it doesn’t feel uncomfortable.  Not an easy thing to get through – yet very doable.

We live in a society that prefers instant gratification and pleasure.   You see it and you want it.  We almost never think of the consequences until after we did it.  When we are uncomfortable we want to get rid of the feeling and we do what makes us immediately comfortable – regardless if the result is going to make us unhappy.

CHOOSE YOUR HARD:  UNHAPPY vs. UNCOMFORTABLE – What you have to remember is the uncomfortable is temporary.  It will be gone and you will get past it and the results of it are what makes you happy.  If you choose the easier path and grab without thinking or caring you will be unhappy and bloated and that’s a whole different kind of uncomfortable.  So which is it?  You want to be uncomfortable a little hungry or uncomfortable in your clothes?

Here are some things to remind you why it’s okay to be uncomfortable:

• Nearly everything that generates any kind of value requires effort, focus and discomfort.
• It’s the fear of discomfort that drives us away from our goals
• It’s this fear of discomfort that drives us to search for endless shortcuts.  How can we make this all easier. How can we achieve success without the hard work?
• The truth is the only real way to get comfortable is to realize discomfort is where your success is.  Follow it, embrace it and you will get it.

If you think about how society today is so terrified of pain and discomfort.  Many will do anything to avoid pain and suffering.  We have endless pills and alcohol to make all manner of discomfort go away.

• Don’t fall into the trap of becoming comfortable with simply existing. You must want and love putting the work in to get results. It’s okay to feel both the pain and pleasure from working hard for something. For example let’s take weight loss – It’s uncomfortable and there are days you have to walk away from what you really want. I think we can all agree there is pain involved. Both mental and physical pain. It’s not easy to walk away from something you want. But the results of doing it are beyond amazing. The feeling of waking up healthy, light and thin. Grabbing anything in your closet and it fits and feels good. Your confidence is high and your days are always great. You feel healthy. You feel like you can face anything and get through it. And you feel this way all because your body and mind feel good. When your body is in a good place your mind is in a happy place. When you feel good you are happy and when you are happy you always look amazing. There is nothing more beautiful then a happy confident person. When you are comfortable in your own skin – it makes all the little uncomfortable times worth it.  Who wouldn’t want this.  We see people all the time that have it and we want it.  But in order to get to this amazing feeling you need to work hard and feel the little pains of being uncomfortable.  When you are willing to do that you will get the results.

What I want you to think about for the remainder of January and into February – is becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable.  It’s okay to be a little hungry – you won’t starve.  It’s okay to go to a party and not indulge .  It’s okay to feel a little mental pain without having to numb it. Face your fears and embrace them – it’s the only way to get through them.   I want you to embrace it and be happy that you can embrace it and happy that you can work for what you want.   Nothing in life comes free.  You must put the work in.   Don’t wait for the perfect time – it doesn’t exist.  There is always going to be something – it’s all part of the uncomfortable.    You have to get past it.   It’s not always going to be a perfect day or situation – but you  keep moving forward and keep working hard.   Do what you need to and get to where you want to be.  Think about it -if you don’t do it now -when?   Start now and make it happen.  You will feel the joy of being uncomfortable because you will see the results it brings.   Remind yourself that uncomfortable is where your success is!!  When you work at it and embrace it – the toughness of being uncomfortable passes and you find yourself in a place of control and happiness.

It's only when you see the positive changes in your mind and body 

is when you feel the most comfortable and genuinely alive


~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick