Josephine (Host)

Hi everyone, welcome to the Love to Live Healthy show. I’m Josephine Fitzpatrick. Today we have two very special guests, Tracey and Jennifer from Westchester. So excited I’ve not even met them visually in person, only through online, and I’m really excited to meet them visually myself. So let’s see if we can see who’s waiting to come in first. I think Tracy’s waiting. Let’s see. 

Tracey (Guest)

Hi, hi, how are you? Oh, there I am.

Josephine (Host)

Good, how are you? This is so great.

Tracey (Guest)

Sorry, I was actually getting my hair colored and it just ran later than I expected. 

Josephine (Host)

Well it looks beautiful. 

Tracey (Guest)

Thanks. Thank you, well, it’s nice to meet you.

Josephine (Host)

Me too!. I love it so great. It’s so funny because for so long I deal with people I feel like I know them and then when I see them I’m like, oh this is amazing

Tracey (Guest)

Well, we definitely feel like we know you because I’ve listened to your podcast and I follow you on Instagram, and love to Live healthy. . But it’s more of a surprise for you because you don’t hear our voices. 

Josephine (Host)

Yes, exactly, exactly. It’s so funny, even when you were doing the program, like when you send your weight, I’m like I always know everyone’s feet. Lol But I never see their face. 

Tracey (Guest)

(Laughing) That’s funny, 

Josephine (Host)

Okay So we are waiting for Jen, so I’m gonna bring her in. 

Jennifer (Guest)

Hello, yes hi, how are? 

Josephine (Host)

Hi. How are you. I love this so much. So, you’re both from New Jersey, right? 

Tracey (Guest)

No, Westchester. 

Josephine (Host)

Westchester. Okay, why did I say New Jersey, I think Jeff told me that. 

Jennifer (Guest)

Then he’s sending all our food to the wrong place. 

Josephine (Host)

Hahaha. No that was totally my mistake. (all laughing) I blame Jeff for everything. 

Tracey (Guest)

(laughing), So funny. that’s a good thing to blame the man for everything (all laughing).

Josephine (Host)

Okay, tell me everything you want to say. It’s just free talk. 

Jennifer before you came in I was telling Tracy I feel like I know you guys forever, 

Jennifer (Guest)

Because we nag you (laughing) 

Josephine (Host)

No not at all. I love hearing from you both. It’s why I feel like I know you both so well. I always feel like I know clients forever then they will say to me, NO, it’s only been in like a 6 months or a year. And I can never believe that. I am like that can’t be I feel like we know each other forever. 

Tracey (Guest)

Josephine how long have you been doing this

Josephine (Host)

I have been doing this for over 15 years

Tracey (Guest)

What about the food and store

Josephine (Host)

Over 12 years. Yea, it’s been a long time. 

Tracey (Guest)

Yes it has been a long time. Wow.

Tracey (Guest)

Sorry, Jen, you were going to say something. 

Jennifer (Guest)

I was saying Tracy’s the reason why, how we got to you and because she’s more social media savvy than I am. And I said to her I can’t lose weight post covid. I did a post COVID diet and I got my weight down but only because I was exercising a ton but then it came right back. But you know, like north of 50, it doesn’t come off the same. So, tracy’s like literally like my sister from another mother, I was like I just can’t get a hold of my weight. I don’t generally have a weight issue but you know, with you know menopause and all that. 

Josephine (Host)

Right. I get it

Jennifer (Guest)

And I just felt like, should I just get accustomed to being a bigger person? And that didn’t feel right to me. So, you know, I kind of reached out to Tracy and Tracy said well, I’ve been following, Josephine Fitzpatrick and I think this is something we should try, And so that’s when we connected with you. Instagram really was really instrumental. 

Josephine (Host)

Love to hear that. Makes me so happy. That’s awesome. 

Tracey (Guest)

And I would say that you know, for me I was. I think I told you in the beginning that I used to teach a class called SLT, which was also on Long Island right, but I taught it in Westchester for eight years and then last year I had a really bad back issue and I couldn’t work out and I was really nervous. I mean, I had gained a little bit of weight over covid and like Jen I felt like oh, maybe you know this is my new norm now that I’m not teaching anymore, my activity level went down and so I just, you know I’m not going to be in the shape that I was in with my back. I couldn’t do anything with my back and I was scared because, to be honest, I always worked out. I know you can’t out train your diet but I always kind of was able to be okay.

Josephine (Host)

You maintained your diet because you at the time you weren’t overweight or anything and you didn’t have any issues. So you worked out and maintained your weight even if it wasn’t the weight you were 100% happy with. Then when you hurt your back I remember us talking about how you wanted to lose your coivd weight but also you were scared you couldn’t do it without working out because of your back. 

Tracey (Guest)

I was scared and really your diet, was the way for me. It’s very simple and easy to follow, first off and second it really retrained my feeling towards food really for the first time. And both Jen and I have tried things together we work out together. We’re the best of friends and have very similar mentalities. When we gain weight, we don’t let ourselves get past a point, but for us both, after covid we felt like we were heavier than we wanted to be. A little bit goes a long way, you know, and you and your diet just really connected with us. 

I think for both of us, but for me especially, that it’s really about your diet and learning you know to have to eat in the calorie deficit. Weight loss, for everyone I mean, it is a roller coaster. I think it continues to be a roller coaster for us, right? 

Josephine (Host)

Yes absolutely it’s a roller coater for everyone that is all part of real life.

Jennifer (Guest)

For me, I mean, I almost wouldn’t call your plan a diet per se. I think we’ve all been on like diets (air quotes).  I think it’s a way to have a better relationship with food, Because, you know I tried everything. I even did intermittent fasting before you and then, as soon as the fast was over, I ate everything in sight and I always couldn’t understand why I was not losing weight. (Laughing).  

And so, you know, with your fast, it helps me to structure my food intake and, you know, even with the regular innovation I felt like the food and choices never got out of control for me. 

In the past like I would just pick, pick, pick, pick, pick, and it was just like a blob of eating day and this structures with the innovation or the fast is like, okay, this is my snack, this is my morning meal, you know, this is my breakfast, or this is my lunch and this is my dinner, and I get another snack and It’s just a better relationship with food regarding portions and structure and I know what I am always doing. 

Josephine (Host)

I love that. That’s great. And I do agree because I do think the control that you get from innovation, the 5 hour fast or the detox is what helps you the most because its not so many choices you know what you are doing and that’s it. Because sometimes it’s not just the amount of food, but it’s also all the choices, because when you know like, okay, this is it, this is what I am having – it does give you that sense of control. 

And that is really why I think you said it perfect Jen, the relationship with your food is so much more because you’re actually enjoying what you’re eating instead of thinking like what am I gonna have next? Sometimes all we think about is what is next instead of enjoying what we have in front of us. So when you know this is it. Well this is it.  

Tracey (Guest)

I love that and OMG your muffins. 

Jennifer (Guest)

I mean your muffins. 

Tracey (Guest)

I mean, those muffins are so super filling. I just actually, even before this call, today I’m doing the cleanse (detox) and I had my juice earlier. And it’s interesting, Jen and I we talk all the time. Part of this journey is that we have each other, which has been very helpful, And so we talked about this. But she, you know, drinks her juice quickly. But I actually, you know, like I started my juice today at 11 30 and I didn’t finish it until 145. I drink it slowly and I drink water in between, but then right before getting on this call, I hadn’t eaten. You know, 3:45 pm. I was hungry, and I ran and I had my muffin and now I’m so full. There’s something about those muffins that are so filling they are so amazing.  I don’t know that I’ll ever live without them. 

Josephine (Host)

That makes me so happy that you enjoy. I know you listen when I say – if you’re eating less, you better love what you’re eating. You know really love it and look forward to it and it has to fill you. You know it has to fill you to a certain extent. And that makes me so happy when clients tell me how filling they are. 

Tracey (Guest)

You know I have a sweet tooth which I’ve never, ever, really get over, no matter how many times I’ve tried, I’m always gonna have a sweet tooth. It’s just ingrained in me. And you, I don’t know how you make your products, but you know you make them great and they really work.  

And I would say the other thing that I think is really impactful, at least for me, is that you know you’re kind of in my brain. I don’t always follow it, but you’re in my brain, in when you one of your podcasts a long time ago talked about, if you cheat and even when we were working together, you would text us and say those little cheat bites are going to make a difference and you’re not going to get to where you want to be. And it’s a hundred percent true, because when I follow your program, the program to a T, it is, it works 100% . And when I have a little bite of this and a little bite of that, I think it’s nothing. The scale doesn’t move. It’s amazing. 

Josephine (Host)

I love that is so great. You don’t understand, like right now, everyone that’s going to be listening to this it makes such a big difference when they hear it come from you more than me, because they always hear it come from me but when they actually hear that you say it and have experienced it. That makes all the difference. 

Tracey (Guest)

It’s amazing. We don’t realize how just the little bites makes a difference, but it really does impact you and if you just stick and be more mindful about eating these things, it works and it is filling and satisfying. j I have tried other diets and you know, once I try it I can’t go back to it. And this is the only program me and Jen can go back too. Like when we fall off we can’t come back but we are excited to come back to Innovation. 

Jennifer (Guest)

Yes. It was nice to go into the holidays, you know, feeling like you always say I can enjoy, and then, knowing that, okay, I’m going to enjoy and then go back, and it’s funny my husband said to me you really earned those extra pounds this holiday season. Because I really enjoyed myself. But I knew that when I returned I was going to go right back to my innovation and, you know, work on it and get myself right back and get the number right back down. it didn’t feel hard and I didn’t feel deprived. I was never out of control or like I was on this merry-go-round of up and down.

This really is so easy to do. And, like Tracy said that you know the muffins are amazing. I’m on the cleanse but I didn’t get to my muffin until like 245 today, just by virtue of my schedule, right, but I mindfully ate my muffin. I’m, you know, satiated. I’m drinking my water and then, you know, have my juice, probably in an hour, and my dinner, and you know that’ll be it. 

Josephine (Host)

Right, I love that. That’s great. I love that you said mindfully ate my muffin. 

Jennifer (Guest)

I savored it. it was delicious. (Laughing)

Josephine (Host)

That is so important. I love that. 

Tracey (Guest)

Josephine I think you talked about once that you eat the crumbs off your muffin.

Josephine (Host)

I do I actually just had mine before the call

Tracey (Guest)

I actually cut my muffin into five thin slices and I eat a slice at a time and sometimes I don’t eat it all at the same time. I’ll eat like maybe two or three slices and then wait a bit. So it’s really been helpful listening again to listen your podcast and hearing how you enjoy the muffins, and like how you eat these innovation foods. I’ve learned so much from you really. 

And one of the other things that I was going to just say is that during the holiday time, both Jen and I, you know, we go out a lot. We go out to dinners a lot, and you know I like my cocktails. 

Josephine (Host)

Yeah, that’s great you have to live that’s a big part of it. 

Tracey (Guest)

And you know, but we were very nervous that you know we were starting to gain a weight that was going to be really hard to come back from, and so we collectively said let’s start doing what we did with Josephine and let’s text each other in the morning and at night the way we did with you. Right, Try to keep ourselves just on track. And it helped. 

Josephine (Host)

I absolutely love that. It’s great. It’s really great because you’re motivating each other, which honestly there is nothing better than that and nothing makes me happier. 

Tracey (Guest)

So I think that for me, especially when it comes to trying to lose weight, which I think is probably one of the hardest things to do, I think actually having someone else to be able to talk to and not be alone in it is really, really helpful. Because, you know, jen and I both have the same situation. We still have kids at home that we have to make dinner for. We have husbands that we’re making dinner for and my husband is never gonna say I wanna do this with you. So, and neither are my kids, although I do have to put a sticky when I would take a muffin out of the freezer and leave it on my counter. 

Jennifer (Guest)

(Laughing) I also have to put a sticky that says do not touch, so my children don’t touch it either. Or when I’m eating them, they’ll say, ooh, can I have some of that? And I say no. Do not touch my food. I only get this much to eat (laughing) 

Josephine (Host)

Yes you only have this much you can’t share (all laughing)

Tracey (Guest)

But having each other and having a friend is helpful and helpful really in the hard times, because there are hard times. It’s not easy. You’ve said that. 

Josephine (Host)

There’s always going to be hard times. You know there are days when it’s easy and days when it’s tough. You have to take advantage of the easy days and try your best on the hard ones.

Jennifer (Guest)

Yes we are doing really well with them.

Josephine (Host)

Yeah, when you can control the days it’s amazing. So Jen what are you doiing now the cleanse (detox)

Jennifer (Guest)

Me. Yeah, I just started the cleanse (detox). I was a not sure about the cleanse because I’m not like the juicing type. And I can’t drink a green juice. But Tracy said no, they’re really good. And so I took the plunge and I had the banana strawberry, yeah, and I like gulped it down. It was so delicious and I’m going to do the apple fire after today.

Josephine (Host)

Okay, good, let me know what your favorite one is. 

Jennifer (Guest)

I will. I’m trying them all. But Tracy’s like the juice person. That wasn’t me. But I started it yesterday and I found it to be very easy and also the juice also very satiating. Did not really feel hungry. I’ve been enjoying that too, and it’s nice to switch it up, because I was doing the five hour for a while and getting a little bored with it, and then maybe this weekend I’ll do the regular innovation. 

Josephine (Host)

Right, right, good, I love it. I love how you mix them all up. Tracey, you’re doing the juice too this week, right? 

Tracey (Guest)

Yeah, well, I actually I think from one of your recent podcasts, when you talked about doing Doubling Down the five hour fast for three days and then the cleanse for two days, and so that’s what I did last week and that’s what I’m doing this week again. It’s really working great. So I did the five hour fast the first three days of the week and this is the second day of the cleanse and I guess for the weekend I will do the regular innovation. 

Josephine (Host)

Perfect. I love that. What would you say is the best advice you can give someone. That’s listening. 

Jennifer (Guest)

You know what I think, and you’ve said this many times and this occurred to me. You know I work but I, like you know, I also exercise in the morning and then I play tennis sometimes and I remember doing the five hour fast and wondering can I get through all the exercise ? You know, like you know, it was one of those days I was light on work and heavier on physical activity and, you know, during the match I’m wondering can I survive on this? And I basically whizzed through everything and didn’t feel like you say this often, I did not feel like I was in deprivation at all and I think it makes you realize you don’t need as much food as you think you do, and you say that a lot. So I would just say you know, try, you know, start with regular innovation and to mix it up, the five hour fast is a great way to show yourself that control. 

Jennifer continues: 

And you say this all the time, and I catch myself with this is one thing is I catch myself wanting to go for food and I say do I need this or do I want this? So when I realized that 99.9% of the time I just want it because there’s nothing else going on, it’s an easier way to stick to the program and walk away from it, because if you really think about stop and mindfully say, do I need this or want this, and you answer that question honestly, you can really stick to the program quite well

Josephine (Host)

I absolutely love that. Wow that is really great. What about you Tracey what would be your advice.?

Tracey (Guest)

I would say two things. The first I would say is to trust the program, to trust the process, because I think that’s the hardest part for people is to really trust, like, a new program that it’s gonna work, to really buy into it. And then the second thing I would say is to not be too hard on yourself, and I think that was the one things that was so important with working with you, is that you were there for accountability, but you were supportive and you were constantly telling me not to beat myself up if I had a bad day, but to try harder next time. And this is what I should be doing. 

Tracey Continues (Guest)

And I think that I tend to be the type of person that if I fall off, and I do think this is common you know, I would go dark and I would avoid the scale or I would go away, as opposed to regrouping and saying, okay, big deal, so I had a bad weekend. I need to move on. So fften it’s a weekend right, not just the cheat day and it’s okay. And now I’ve gotten to a point where I know, if I’ve had a big weekend, and I’m not going to get on the scale on Monday, because that’s only going to make me feel badly and I’m going to get up on Monday and go back to innovation and I’ll weigh myself on Tuesday. But I think that those two things are the most important thing, because I think a lot of people fall into that of having a bad couple of days and then feeling like I got to throw my hands up and I’m done. 

Josephine (Host)

That’s great. Both great advice. I love it. Thank you .

Jennifer (Guest)

Oh my God. Well, it’s all from you. 

Josephine (Host)

Oh, thank you so much makes me so happy to hear that. It’s so, so wonderful.

So now are you guys going away together at the end of the month. 

Tracey (Guest)

I wish Jen was coming. She has to go visit her son at college. 

Jennifer (Guest)

Yeah, it’s Traceys big birthday but it’s also my son’s mom’s weekend at college with his fraternity, and there are only so many of those in life, so I felt like that’s right. 

Josephine (Host)

Yes absolutely you have to go with him. I’m sure you’ll have many celebrations with Tracey in the future. 

Jennifer (Guest)

That’s right. God willing, we’ll be around for many, many more years

Josephine (Host)

Yes, absolutely. Well, that’s so exciting. So you’re ready to go Trace. 

Tracey (Guest)

Well with the weather here in New York. Yes!. That’s the other thing I would say. It’s very hard. Where we live, you know, being it’s cold in the winter. I tend to be a person that when it gets cold and I think a lot of people feel this, you know you feel like you need to eat more becuase it’s cold out, right. So it’s been very hard to stay really on program, you know fully, but I’ve gotten to a number that I’m really happy with. 

Now. I have two weeks and I’m just really like trying to stay really good for the next two weeks and not cheat, and I’ve actually did one thing that was a choice to just not drink this month, and I think that is very helpful, because that’s the other piece of this is that I think when I do have a drink even though I love that the program allows me to have a drink I often will have two, and then that leads to not having as much discipline. 

Jennifer (Guest)

We have to make it out to to you to Innovation on Long Island, we have to make it out to see you. 

Josephine (Host)

OMG I would love that. You both haven’t been in the old store or the new store right?

Jennifer (Guest)

No We haven’t. We’ve got to get out there. 

Tracey (Guest)

Oh my God, I want you to open a satellite store in Westchester, so your stuff would be here and would sell great. Your next business?

I do have a one question for you. so, like Jen, and I never really know, like, what maintenance is, and I feel like you haven’t really talked so much about maintenance. So like I know it’s like you can be a little more, but I’ve never felt that I’m at a maintenance point even though we have both made it to our numbers because we aren’t sure what maintenance is,

Josephine (Host)

Right, okay, so that’s a great, great question and it’s definitely something I should incorporate more, even when I’m doing like my little talks on instagram, I think you are right it would be helpful because a lot of people have been with me for a long time and are in maintenance, you know, but everyone does it so differently and you have to see what works for you.

I would say this is probably the majority Monday through Friday clients are 100% and Saturday and Sunday they’re not full out cheats, but they kind of like are mindfully cheats through the weekend and they go through the weekend and have what they want and enjoy. You know, that’s definitely probably the most popular as far as maintaining. If you do that, remember you may not be the same number on Monday, but you should be the same number by the following Friday. So every Friday your number should be the same if you’re going off on the weekends and then go back on 100% program Monday through Friday. 

Jennifer (Guest)

Oh okay that makes sense so every Friday it should be the same

Tracey (Guest)

Also can maintaining be for someone like me and Jenn the innovation 3 meals and 1 or 2 snacks. 

Josephine (Host)

Yes, absolutely that would be a great maintenance. Im going to do a podcast on all the ways to maintain but those are two great starts

Tracey (Guest)

Got it Okay. 

Josephine (Host)

Have you guys been, you’ve been on vacation doing the program. Or when you went on vacations while you were on program, did you go off completely? 

Jennifer (Guest)

I think I haven’t, I think I haven’t gone on vacations on program.  You know, on it, I usually, like you know, buckle like Tracy’s, like buckling down preparing for vacation. Then I go and I, you know, just, I try and be mindful and make choices but not, you know, like I’ll have a few cocktails, right, and then, knowing that you know I’ll, I’ll reel it in, you know, when I get back. So I don’t weigh myself when I get back, I wait, you know, I wait a few days and then get a baseline and see where I am and then adjust from there, 

Josephine (Host)

That’s perfect, okay. Good. What about you, Tracy, when you go away? Do you ever stay on it? 

Tracey (Guest)

I think that what I do is try to wait to eat my first meal, if I can on vacation and I’m not where you know, my family is having breakfast every morning I will be mindful to make my first meal at lunchtime, you know. So not quite the five hour but a version of it. 

Josephine (Host)

Right. A version of it. That’s good.

Tracey (Guest)

So that I know that I’ll have less control of what my choices are, but I’ll have less meals. So in my mind, that’s still eating in somewhat of a deficit, definitely, without a doubt. I learned so much from your program and Instagram stories, 

And now with the meals and snacks the info you sent me with whats a meal 1,2 or 3 and a snack. I felt like I was always asking Jeff, you know what is this? Is this a meal, is this a snack? Before, and now it’s very well and clear. So thank you for sending that

Josephine (Host)

Oh good, I’m glad. Of course makes me happy that it helps.

Tracey (Guest)

Yes, I have everything printed out, all in different places around my kitchen. And I’m like oh, I’m not doing five hour. Where’s the cleanse (detox) ? 

Jennifer (Guest)

or where’s my regular innovation? (All laughing)

Tracey (Guest)

I need to make a notebook with it now it’s just all in one place. I love it all because of you. Because I love that you really talk about being able to switch it up and going back and forth. That’s what I think, honestly, is the greatest thing. It isn’t just one plan. It’s really like three different options and you can go to either one of those options and have success or keep switching them up as much as you want.

Josephine (Host)

Right, right, which I’m glad. I’m glad that you feel that way, because it’s easy to get bored. And you can’t be bored with weight loss. That’s why, even with the innovation food, I’m constantly changing the food, because you know, when you’re trying to do the right thing, you need the change, you need to feel like you have other new options and it’s something different, you need something new to look forward to, or just something different to look forward to. I realized it’s really important for my clients and customers. I guess if you really think about it that it’s actually the whole name behind innovation. That’s what Innovation means. It means new and change. 

Jennifer (Guest)

Absolutely. Yeah, well, you’re doing that. Thank you, my other piece of advice would be use Josephine. 

Josephine (Host)

Oh, thank you, Thank you. 

Jennifer (Guest)

Consult her, ask her questions, and you’re always so kind and you know, like Tracy said, so you know, when we’re not forgiving with ourselves, you are forgiving with us, Like that means everythinggggg….

Josephine (Host)

Zoom what are you doing to me? Okay, for some reason Zoom cuts us off just while she was saying all these amazing things about me 🙁 How horrible zoom!. 

But I really, really appreciate it. I really appreciate you both. I appreciate you both for being on. Thank you so much. I probably had the time set wrong and it gave us a half hour instead of an hour, but I really do appreciate you both being on. I appreciate all kinds of words. You both look gorgeous, amazing, you’re doing so wonderful and I’m so happy that you feel so good in your body and that you are loving and living the innovation program. Nothing makes me happier all the way from Westchester. So thanks again and I will be talking to you both soon. And happy birthday, Tracey. 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Hello everyone, welcome to the Love to Live Healthy show with author and weight loss specialist, josephine Fitzpatrick. Our focus is weight loss and losing it with healthy and clean living. Join us every week to hear answers to questions from our clients all over the world, who text and email thousands of weight loss questions daily. Listen and learn how Josephine answers questions to help you lose weight, eat healthy and feel great. 

JOSEPHINE

Well, it’s great to see you Susan, you too. So we’re on the Love to Live Healthy show, and I have a very special guest, Susan Parker, who is one of our biggest success stories. Hi, Susan, So tell us. Tell what’s your total weight loss? 

SUSAN

I think around 53 pounds, 54 pounds 

JOSEPHINE

WOW, that is amazing. So proud of you

SUSAN

Thank you. 

JOSEPHINE

You are so tiny now! So what I love about your story is so many things. But the first one I still remember is when you first started. And actually we didn’t meet in person at the time because you started online. And you told me that your husband didn’t want you to do the program. Tell us about that. 

SUSAN

Well, I was a lifetime member of Weight Watchers at 12 years old, so I have been unsuccessfully dieting forever. I’m now a senior, so it’s been lifelong. And my husband and I have been together since we were in college and he saw me. You know all my ups and downs as I tried new things and you know you try something and you’re all excited and then it works for a while and you’re all excited and then eventually, no matter what program I was on, the weight would start coming back and I would get so upset and so depressed and he didn’t want to see me go through that kinds of anxiety. We have been married a long time we have 3 kids so he has been through it all with me.

JOSEPHINE

54 LBS LATER! He is happy you did it. 

You started with the regular innovation program. Then towards the end, where you thought like you would never go past a number – I think at the time it was like 125 or something, but it was a time you would never thought you’d go past it 

SUSAN 

It was 130. I lost all he weight and we couldn’t get past 130 

JOSEPHINE

And then you started with the detox AND the five hour and that really got you to a weight you have never been at in your life, right?. 

SUSAN

Right, I’m the lowest weight in my adult life. 

JOSEPHINE

Wow, that’s amazing. You really did really good. And you always lived the program. Because when we got you to the 130 you were there for a long time and you were happy but we both thought with your height and weight and body frame you could even go lower. And we were right. 

SUSAN

Yeah, yeah, long time. I thought 130 was my goal, weight, I mean. I never really had in my mind a number that was a goal weight because I never knew what my body was capable of being. Right. So I was at 130 and I felt, you know, good, yeah. And then, um, although I wanted to be lower, I was happy. . But now, if went back to 130 I would be very upset. (Laughing) 

JOSEPHINE

It’s funny how that happens. But the truth is and I see it all the time. You don’t realize how much you had to lose until you lose it and you see your body now and how healthy you are. Like right now 54lbs later you are at a very healthy weight and like we said, you looked great at 130. So if you would have stayed there you would have been happy but you kept working hard and where you are now is where your body should be. We can see that from your health and how you look. 

And that was another what? 15 lbs from the 130? 

SUSAN

Yes,15 pounds, no I actually lost 17 lbs more from the 130. 

JOSEPHINE

That’s incredible. One thing I really love about that is you really have learned to enjoy your life like this. 

SUSAN

You know I have never been healthier. I rarely, if ever get sick, knock on wood, and my doctor is a real fan of my diet and all you do, and everything I accomplished. attended, and you know it’s just a 

JOSEPHINE

I think it had a lot to do with always planning. Which is really important, which I think you were always so good at, you know, really, even from going out to dinner to staying on your five hour, and even planning your cheat day. 

SUSAN

 yeah, I always did

I mean now that I am maintaining I have more flexibility.  My cheat day has always been like my most sacred day. My kids will even say to me, like, if we’re going out to dinner, is this your cheat day? (Laughing) 

JOSEPHINE

I think, when anyone has such a challenge of losing and sticking to a program, I really believe the cheat day is something that helps you. You know it’s that. It’s the light at the end of the week. It really helps keep you on program. 

 But you did it and you always consistently lost.

SUSAN

and I’m a very slow loser. Probably because I dieted my whole life and then with menopause. 

JOSEPHINE 

Everyone does do it at different rates. You know I have so many people who lose fast and so many who lose slow.

I have one client right now who she’s going to do a podcast in a couple of weeks with me and she literally lost a pound a week. She’s lost 25 pounds. She reached her goal, she looks amazing, but it was a pound a week and there were weeks where it was nothing, and you know those are the weeks where you got to go on. The most important thing is that you just have to just keep moving forward. 

Which brings me to my next question, what would your advice be for someone who’s trying to lose weight and gets frustrated? 

SUSAN

Well, Planning.  It’s almost nine years later. I started in 2015 and I still know every single morning what I’m going to be eating that day. Still, to this day. Um, I still look up restaurant menus before I go out. I’m not as nervous that there won’t be something I can eat, you know, because I’m on maintenance, so I have a little bit more flexibility, but I still always know what my meals are going to be and what I’m bringing with me, if anything. 

Where ever I go I always know I’m going to be eating, and so that sense of you know control makes It feel possible. If you plan you will never be without even if you have to bring something on your own.

JOSEPHINE

Planning is key. It’s one less thing you have to think about and worry about, because you know what you’re going to be doing and eating. And I do agree having the control over your day is the most important thing you can do for yourself. 

SUSAN

Absolutely it is. You know I used to, as you remember, always be afraid I was going to run out of food, so I never left the house without, like you know, an on program snack. And you know, now, now I don’t have that worry anymore, so I know that I can always find something. But you know, even when I flew down on my last trip to Florida, I left my snack at home by accident. And It’s a three hour flight, I thought I can wait until I get there. 

But I bought a bag of skinny pop, and I bought one of those think bars just to have it even though I knew I wasn’t going to eat it. And I’m laughing at myself because you pay more money for those at the airport and I knew I wasn’t going to eat it on the plane. 

JOSEPHINE 

But you just mentally needed to have it on you just in case.

SUSAN

Yes, I mentally needed it. Even though I wasn’t eating it

JOSEPHINE 

That is preparing even when you aren’t prepared. Just in case you wanted something, you wanted to stay on program so you made sure you would have something and not be tempted with anything on the plane. I think that’s the discipline that you have learned through this whole thing. 

JOSEPHINE

Well, I have to say you are a sexy looking grandma. 

SUSAN

Oh, (laughing) thank you. I owe it all to you. You know, and that’s an advice I would give to people on the program too, they need to reach out to you. That was key for me. I mean, I miss not reaching out to you all the time now. 

I found that when I texted you my food every day. Then it I was done, you know, we planned what I was eating, and once I ate it and I said what I was going to eat and I accounted for it, and it’s just, it frees up so much of your energy and so much of your brain. When that’s just one less thing that you need, it’s done, I texted it off. It felt so good. 

JOSEPHINE 

Yes, you text it and you are done. And you knew that was it. You were not eating after that.  

I love that and honestly you ate majority of all innovation food for a long time. I remember reading what you wrote each night (laughing). Now you’re in Florida and we don’t see you as much in the store, we miss you.

SUSAN

But I have a whole freezer full of Innovation food in my Florida house. I bring it all on my carry on bag which goes through TSA. The whole bag it’s all just innovation food. 

JOSEPHINE

I love that. I really believe it helps clients stay on program. It really does, and that’s just another part of the control. It really helps when you know that you can eat food you love and still lose weight, which I always. I preach that because I think that’s so important. I’d rather eat less and love what I’m eating than eat more and be, you know, bored or disappointed in what I’m having. You need to look forward to your food. 

SUSAN

I do believe that’s such a big part of how I lost this and kept it off for so long.

JOSEPHINE

You lost majority of it in the first year. and then it took us a while because we really needed to figure out how to get those last 17 lbs off. I actually just said this in my last podcast it’s why I created the five hour and the detox because, you get to a point where you’re like kind of stuck, you were happy at 130, but we knew you could go more. 

You wanted more and we need to attack those resistant last 17lbs. 

SUSAN

And we did. I always did whatever you gave me. Even before the detox and the five hour, we had all those various restrictive menus. Like you were so great at always changing up the menus and there were some weeks when I would look at this menu. I’m like is she kidding? I thought she must be going to sleep at night and thinking of ways to torture her clients. (Laughing)

JOSEPHIINE

That’s so funny but so true. I always say when my ears are ringing it’s my clients. (Laughing)

SUSAN

But the truth is those kind of menus are for only a brief time that I had to stay on them. So I would look at it and you’re like you know what it’s four days. I could do this for four days and it really always helped, it always helped move the weight loss along. You were always so good at that. Changing up the menus every time I needed it to keep everything moving and keep it all interesting. It really helped. 

JOSEPHINE

It does help mentally and physically, because it also shrinks your appetite, and your stomach. 

SUSAN

You know it really did. It was all those little extra things, not even just the amount that changed but it also helped so much mentally helped me eat less.

JOSEPHINE 

Yes, I agree. I just had a client in here and she really did a number to herself over the holidays and now i of course we’re focusing on the weight loss, but for me I’m focusing on her just to get her to shrink her appetite again, because you know, how it goes.. you have to shrink your appetite first and the weight loss will follow, you know. 

SUSAN

Yeah, I do notice that with the five hour fasts and I don’t know if other clients feel this, I’m sure they have. But I could go without eating for a long time. I drink tons of water, but now I can go for a long time without food when I want too, but once I start eating I feel like I’m very hungry. 

JOSEPHINE

Right, yes, yes, and actually that happens no matter what time you start eating. If you are doing the 5 hour or not. I have clients tell me that are not even on the five hour, but they say I won’t even start eating until lunch, beccause if I eat breakfast I’m hungry all day. The hunger signals get activated and it’s hard to turn them off. 

SUSAN

Yeah, it’s like your brain is immediately looking for more once you start eatiing.

JOSEPHINE

But if you don’t feed it, you’re okay. A lot of it is the mental part of weight loss. I always say it’s 90% mental because once we do that and we we feel like we can’t stop eating, it’s because we’ve activated that in our brain and we’re like, okay, now I’m eating, you know what’s next, what’s next. So I think that’s what a big part of the five hour is to get that sense of control, or the detox, like you’re controlling yourself again, and you are controlling your appetitie. You are realizing I don’t need that much food, 

SUSAN

Exaclty, you realize I don’t need as much as I’m eating. 

JOSEPHINE

Yes, you realize you are eating just to eat and not because you are actually hugnry.

SUSAN

right, right, so you’re surprised you know, and I also now I try whenever possible the day before my cheat day to do a detox day with the fasting. It makes me feel better for cheat day. And you know I love to see my happy number. 

JOSEPHINE 

I know, I know you do and that’s good. There is nothing wrong with that

SUSAN

So you figure out ways that that help you mentally to get through, and it’s mentally, because you know, honestly, if you get on the scale and it’s up a pound, at the end of the day you still look the same

JOSEPHINE

Exactly, I say it all the time. It a pound up but nobody knows but you, 

SUSAN

Yes, nobody knows but you. 

JOSEPHINE

Well, I thank you. Thank you, thank you for doing this. It’s so inspiring to people when they see what someone’s capable of. You know and you did it. You did amazing and you feel amazing. You look amazing

SUSAN

Oh, thank you. Yeah, no, I feel fantastic and I get a lot of compliments and when I show people my before picture they’re like whoa, that was you. Yeah. 

JOSEPHINE

That’s awesome. I love that. We’re going to try to get that up on do your before and after when we post this video, which I think will be so fun. Again, thank you so much

SUSAN

Oh, you’re very welcome . It was such a so nice to see you. 

Thank you everyone for joining the Love to Live Healthy Show. We will see you all next week. 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick