No products in the cart.

Tag: family vacation

FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle

Get Right Back on Program

 

April is finally going to bring spring! By mid week we will be in the 50’s and by the end of the week 60’s!!!!! And before you know it, 70 and 80 degrees will be quickly following.  The weather has really thrown so many for a loop this year. It felt like the ever lasting winter, especially if you didn’t get the chance to fly away from the cold for a spring break. And on the flip side, if you did go away it’s not always easy to go from beautiful weather back to this very unpleasant cold. Either way, I just want you to know that if you are struggling because you just came back from vacation or struggling from the tough winter – you are not alone. But I also want you to know that you have to snap out of it because once it gets warm – it’s going to just get warmer and warmer.

 

REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU FEEL TODAY – YOU WILL FEEL BETTER TOMORROW

 

The first couple of days after vacation are always tough. You feel bloated, thick, and just not in a good place from over doing it on vacation. Then you have the challenge of going back to eating on program which of course is always less than when you are away. But the bottom line is – over eating and drinking is only fun when you don’t feel big and it’s only satisfying when you feel thin and healthy to enjoy it.  That’s what Cheat Days are for. If you feel you over did it and are struggling – there is a very simple cure. You remember how you felt before you left for vacation and you get right back on program. In a day you will feel better, and in a week – amazing. Getting back on program is one of the most important things you can do when you don’t feel your best. It can often be the hardest, but it’s the one thing that will make you feel amazing. In a week you will have that feeling that you love and you will already be looking to enjoy your Cheat Day. Just get right back on. You had your fun and now it’s time to work. That’s why they say work hard, play hard. It’s Monday and it’s time to work hard!

 

ASK YOURSELF…
 

 

Are you ready for the warm weather? Have you at least started? If you have, that’s awesome. Keep eating clean and keep exercising and your body will return the favor by looking and feeling great. Every week you will get to a better and better place. If you are struggling for any reason, you have to remind yourself that the longer you put it off the more you are going to struggle. As hard as it is to start it’s harder not to start. Being on program is what is going to HELP you with the struggle. Getting in control quickly is what is going to make you feel better both mentally and physically. You can’t keep putting it off. You need to remind yourself of what is important and how good you want to feel. How feeling good changes everything about you into all positive things. When you do the right things and you treat yourself the right way you feel good, you have confidence and you want more and more of it. You are happy and everyone around you is happy. But you need to start. Don’t put it off another day. Just get on your program and your healthy path because the faster you do it the quicker you will feel better and the faster the results will be. I know it’s not always easy to do the right thing – but it always pays off when you do. If you want to look and feel good you have to put the work in. I can promise you it’s all about putting the work in and staying on your program and working hard every day.  Don’t just sit and wait for something to happen because it won’t. If you are not doing the right things you will not just wake up one day and be thin. Fat will never magically disappear. In fact, you will just keep growing and growing – and all of a sudden everything is so tight you don’t know what to do. Sometimes it really happens so gradually, you can be shocked. New Clients come in my office everyday and say “I don’t know what happened I was thin and then all of a sudden I wasn’t”. You don’t want to get to that place, but if you are already there – you need to be on program and on your healthy path. Yes, it’s hard. Anything worth having is hard. But it’s also very doable and, more importantly, it’s very worth it. Who doesn’t want to feel great in summer clothes?? Who doesn’t want to be and feel healthy?? Who doesn’t want that control and that lighter feeling?? Most of all, who doesn’t want to slip on summer shorts and feel amazing in them?? Just remember, every day you put it off is another day you could be closer to your goals – closer to feeling good and closer to fitting in your clothes again.

 

KNOWING WHAT YOU WANT IS EASY
GETTING WHAT YOU WANT TAKES WORK

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797
211 E 43rd Street Manhattan, NY 10016
FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle

On Vacation? Choose Your Battles

I have to first say I am so so proud of so many of you! I really see how hard you are working and so many of you did all the right things getting right back on after New Year’s and have not looked back. New, old and returning have made a commitment and have stayed with it. Some are sharks and others snails but both doing amazing at their own pace! Now we are in a place where so many are going away – sand or snow. I know it sounds crazy hard to be able to maintain while you are away but if you are mindful and really think about what you are doing it’s not as hard as you may think. Here are some things to remember and follow when on vacation:

 

CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES ON VACATION: I know I have said it over and over but I like for you to think it in your sleep – In order to maintain you can actually add food or drink into your program and still lose. The reason for this is because when you are trying to lose you need to be in a state of restricted. You need to have LESS than your body needs. When you are maintaining you get to have more food than when you are trying to lose. You get to have enough food – the amount that your body needs to maintain and not lose and not gain.

 

  • One meal and dessert off OR alcohol but not both. So if you are a foodie then you will eat clean all day and choose one meal a day and one snack/dessert and have that as an off program choice. OR if you are over the age of 21 and like your alcoholic beverages on vacation then you can do clean meals and snacks and have your drinks when you want them.
  • Stay away from the nachos! When you are at the pool or the beach or after the slopes – you will order fresh raw veggies with hummus or light ranch. These veggies will help keep you munching and maintaining while you are laying around enjoying the sunshine or relaxing at the lodge after you ski.
  • If you choose to have one meal a day off program then you do not get a Cheat Day at the end of the week. Remember, the Cheat Day only works when the other 6 days are 110% on program. So if you know you are “off” each day then you are using that and not your Cheat Day. You can’t do both because if you do you won’t maintain you will gain.
  • You can’t run, exercise or ski off a bad food day so any exercise you do, make it in addition to your controlled food day.

     

    The most important thing to remember is how hard you have worked to get to where you are today. You have sacrificed and have gotten yourself to a place where many of you no longer have cravings through the week. When you work so hard to get here you want to be able to enjoy it. Just because you are on vacation or a “stay-cation” doesn’t mean you just go back to your old habits – and trust me they will want to come back. It’s up to you to remember how AMAZING you feel when you are doing the right things. It’s up to you to think about how hard you worked to get to this amazing place.

     

    DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN: Most people start vacation feeling amazing. You work hard and you do all the right things to get there and then all of a sudden by mid vacation you start to think “I can have that – I’m on vacation” and  “I can have that – everyone keeps telling me how great I look” and “I feel soooo good – I’m just gonna have it this one time.” And then slowly you start incorporating more and more and throughout the day you are picking and tasting and sharing…before you know it you are bloated and your clothes are starting to tighten. And if that’s the worst of it that would be enough but it’s not. Because then all of a sudden your mood starts to change. You went from starting the vacation so happy to now you are slowly becoming miserable. You can’t believe you let it get you again. You are starting to feel that heaviness. And you were so happy when you were lighter why did you let it happen…now your whole mood has shifted. You think the kids are driving you crazy but the truth is you are driving them crazy! You are feeling bloated and you are upset and short tempered. All because you feel bigger and bloated because you are no longer in control. When you are not feeling your best everything starts to bother you. And you keep thinking I was just so happy. I shouldn’t be doing this we are on vacation – but you can’t help yourself because your sugar levels are dipping and rising with every unhealthy meal you have. Then you have a drink or a bad meal to numb out the fact that you did it again and the drinks / unhealthy meals just make you eat more and before you know it you are waking up even worse then the day before! Then you start thinking you just can’t wait to get home! But wait it was only a couple of days ago you couldn’t wait to get here!  – DON’T DO THIS TO YOURSELF!  There is no food or alcohol that is worth this. Stay in control and think about what you are eating and putting in your mouth before you do it.  Have a plan everyday so you can enjoy your vacation.  

     

    I’m telling you this today before it happens. Choose your battles –  I want you to read this on the plane. I want you to read it on the beach or in the lodge. You are not there to eat out of control. It’s okay that staying in control and on plan makes you happy. Don’t get in the mindset that you need to eat everything because you are on vacation. Because that will make you unhappy not happy! You are not there to be unhappy. You are on this beautiful trip with your family and/or friends and you are there to have an amazing time that should not revolve around food. It should include food but not revolve around it. There is always a healthy choice – MAKE IT! You can’t have the whole cake but you can have a slice everyday and that should be enough. Your “slice” might be dessert, meal, alcohol etc. but choose it and have it everyday – but the rest of the day must be clean. Because you will feel so much better THE WHOLE VACATION if you do. You can have your cake and eat it too you just can’t have it morning noon and night everyday. Choose your battles and know what is important to you. If it’s your alcohol then make a place for it in your snacks. If it’s your desserts then that is what you have each night with the rest of the day clean. If it’s your food then you choose which meal each day you are going off on. You should have an amazing time and you should enjoy everything you want – but that doesn’t mean you go there and you treat everyday like a Cheat Day and it doesn’t mean you go there and lose even a little control because you know better where that will lead. Staying in control makes you happy and makes you feel good. That’s what your vacation should be about – feeling good! When you go on vacation you are supposed to come home feeling better than when you left – make sure you are doing what it takes to feel that. I always tell you that when you come home I will get you back to feeling amazing. But the truth is, you want to be away and feeling amazing. So think about your choices and make sure they are worth it. Because at the end of the day – In the reality of it all, it’s not very hard – IT’S TEMPTING. BUT YOU ARE STRONGER THAN ANY TEMPTATION.<

     

    CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES AND YOU CHOOSE YOUR HAPPINESS.

     

    ~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick
FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle

Summer Transition

 

Memorial Day has come and gone and with the rising temperatures it is really starting to feel like summer is here, even though the first official day of Summer isn’t until late June. Many more changes are just around the corner, with school coming to an end and new routines coming in. For kids and families it can mean family trips and travel, graduations, summer school, jobs and internships, college visits, driving tests, camp and much more. And for adults it can mean quiet time without school and sports constantly driving our schedules. Parents look forward to summer just as much as kids in this way because we can all let loose and enjoy ourselves. But this can also be a time when we unknowingly start to gain. We attend parties and barbecues where we eat and drink and celebrate. We go out and treat ourselves more than we usually would. Start thinking about your plans for summer now before any negative choices start adding up. 

 

Even if we stay at home, summer can still feel like a vacation. We have less responsibilities and obligations so it feels like a holiday where nothing counts. But in reality, every decision does count and they can add up quickly. Stick to your healthy routine as much as possible. If you exercise, don’t skip it. If you plan your meals, don’t throw it all out the window if you eat out more. When you go shopping, stick to your healthy food list. Remember that drinks count and they can affect us in many ways, as we said in last week’s blog.  

 

The good news is that summer is a great time for eating clean and losing weight. There are so many delicious and healthy fruits and vegetables that are back in season, providing the perfect snack to satisfy and hydrate. Fruits like watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew and many others are made up of at least 90% water, so they can keep you hydrated and also satisfy your sweet tooth in a healthy way. Vegetables like cucumber and celery are also great options. You can even add fruits and vegetables to your water to give it a refreshing twist. Summer also means grilling, which is a great way to prepare chicken, seafood, vegetables and more for healthy meals. Fish and avocado are prefect healthy fats that are great summertime options. No more heavy sauces and dressings that are popular in fall and winter.

 

Summer also offers a lot of activities that can help you stay fit. Going to the beach, swimming, walking, biking and even walking around a carnival or amusement park will get your heart pumping and help you stay healthy. Always remember to stay hydrated, and save the funnel cake and cotton candy for your cheat day. 

 

The last thing to remember is accountability. Wearing less clothes in the hot weather means we are feeling more exposed and aware of our bodies. Instead of falling into a negative spiral, use this time as a motivator to push for your goals. How did you feel last summer? Were you feeling self conscious? Or were you healthy and fit but lost your way during this past fall and winter? In the colder months, it is easy to hide inside under sweaters and jackets, but now there are no excuses. Don’t let it stress you out – tell yourself that this summer will be different, starting now.

 

Congratulations Caitlin!!!! You did absolutely amazing!!!

 

Screen Shot 2016-05-30 at 10.48.48 PM

 

Caitlin loves the life she lives and lives the life she loves! 

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018