I hope you don’t think we forgot about the challenge! We didn’t! We were just trying to give everyone a chance to settle back into the routine again after the Winter Break! Looks like everyone is back on track and moving along nicely. With only 3 weeks until Spring and 2 weeks left of the challenge it’s a great time to think about where you are today and where you thought you would be.

Whether you are in the challenge or not take a moment to reflect on how you have been doing – and where you are today. Is it where you thought you would be? Think back to when the Challenge started in January. You thought by March you would have lost at least 5 or 10 lbs, and many of you hoping for more! If you didn’t start or you keep yo-yoing back and forth, you better start taking it serious because it’s only going to get harder as the nicer weather approaches.

I can tell you the very first thing you have to stop doing – STOP MAKING EXCUSES and just DO IT ALREADY! Seriously, it’s something you want and something that’s going to make you happy so why are you not doing it? The time is now…It’s not tomorrow, it’s not next week and it’s definitely not next month. The only way you are going to get your life, your health and your happiness in a good place is if you start with your weight. Because it’s the first thing you think of when you wake up and it’s the last thing you think of before you go to sleep. So start making your days happy and stop putting off what needs to be done. You are the only person who has control of this. You see your friends, neighbors, co-workers all on plan and losing weight. You should be losing it too! There are no excuses except the ones that you give yourself.

CONGRATULATIONS – 2 WEEKS TO GO….

Andrew S:    19

Aaron T:       17

Beth M:        16.6

Joann B:      14.6

Mike R:        14

Alison A:      12.2

Steve K:       12

Sheryl G:      9.6

Troy M:         9

Mike N:         9

Sandra W:    8.8

Raquel R:     8.7

Marlie G:      8.5

Dorey K:       8.5

SEO:            8.4

Paul N:         8

Scott S:        8

Amanda C:   8

Lauren G:     7.4

Kimberly S:   7

Cara B:         6.4

Dena E:        6.1

Samantha M:   5.8

Donna F:        5.5

Shari K:          5.3

Jamie K:         5

Melanie B:      5

Bonnie K:       5

Alyssa M:       5

Dawn S:         4.6

Lori N:            4.6

Emily D:         4.4

Theresa G:    4.2

Leslie O:        4

Dana S:          3.6

Deirdre C:       3.6

Jamie H:         3.5

Beth F:            3.4

Robyn M:        3.3

Heather C:      3.2

Ann C:            3.1

Jillian G:         3

Stacey B:        3

Jessica M:       2.4

SS:                  1.5

It’s March 1st, and after most of you were on vacation last week, and some really beautiful days here on Long Island, you have to wonder are you ready for spring? Because I think we can all agree – Spring is coming early this year. Whether you were off program last week for vacation or kept it together and ate clean – what is most important today is that you are right back on track and doing all the right things to get you where you want to be. Because once summer is here – your chances of losing are a lot less than they are today. Right now is when you should be working hard everyday and staying on program and exercising and doing all the right things for your body so when your next vacation/spring/summer comes around you are ready. Don’t wait to get ready the week before – it’s now that you should have all your focus on where and who you want to be when the time arrives.

We go through different stages in different times of the year.  We have our months that are full of holidays and summer vacations and BBQ’s – They are full of maintain days.

Then we have days where there really isn’t much going on. We are on our regular schedule of work, kids, friends, family…These are the days we should be losing. These are the days we work hard and make a difference.

Of course there will always be temptation, but the weight loss days are the days that you have to make it happen. Right now coming off a week of vacation you would think the last thing you want to do is eat more. But unfortunately that is exactly what you want to do – is eat more! The reason is – whenever you feed your body unhealthy choices and you stuff it to the extreme – it gets use to it and it wants more. Your stomach has stretched out in more ways then one and it wants you to keep filling it. The more you stretch it the more hungry you will be. The more unhealthy food choices you put in your body the more hungry it makes you.

Whenever it is that you return from vacation always remember this – it will take one week to get right back to feeling good and two weeks to feel great! Consistency is the most important part of your program. Continue to keep choosing the right foods and stay on your program meals and snacks – stick to your menu. Before you know it, by the end of the first week you have all the bloat gone and by the end of the second week you are back to losing. We all pay a price when we go away but you can keep it a positive by enjoying while you are there and getting right back to a healthy place when you return. This is life and while it’s meant to be enjoyed it can only be enjoyed when you put your hard work in. That goes for weight loss, jobs, family and friends. There is and should always be a time that you enjoy your hard work. But it’s only enjoyable when you work hard for it. If it came easy it wouldn’t be as much fun. And if it’s important enough to you then it should be worth the work! Health, family, friends, your career. They are and should all be amazing and the harder you work them the more satisfaction it will bring.

CONGRATULATIONS LYNN!!

WE ARE ALL SO PROUD OF YOU!!

LYNNE CONTINUES TO LOVE THE LIFE SHE LIVES AND LIVES THE LIFE SHE LOVES

~Love To Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

211 E 43rd Street Manhattan, NY 10019

• 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

Yay! It’s Monday!!! It’s the start of another healthy week. Another week where you can see a new low by the end of it. Another week where you can make all the right choices and feel amazing! Don’t look at Monday like it’s the start of just a boring work week – look at it like it’s the beginning of another week where you are learning to love to live healthy!!!! Everything in life is a cycle. When we ride it the right way we can live it the best way. You start your week off amazing and you continue on that path regardless of what gets in your way. You need to make the right choices so that by the end of the week you accomplished another healthy, happy week where you know your numbers will reflect your hard work. Every day is an opportunity to do the right thing for yourself, your mind and your body. Only you can make today a GREAT DAY! Only you can make today a HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS DAY! Only you can do the RIGHT THINGS AND STAY ON YOUR PATH TO REACH YOUR GOALS! Remind yourself how important it is to you and remind yourself how much you want it. How you look at the day and the week will reflect on how your results will be.

THE INNOVATION WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE starts TODAY!

Participants must be an active client. To sign up for our program and become an active member, email Debbie at innovationdebbie@gmail.com.

Already a client and want to sign up for the challenge? – Email innovationthea@gmail.com and send in your starting weight if you haven’t already.

Because of the high volume of participants, everyone who wants to be part of the contest has to have their weight submitted today in order to participate. There will be no exceptions. GOOD LUCK!

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

211 43rd Street Manhattan, NY 10017

While the holiday song plays “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”, Innovation clients are singing “It’s the most challenging time of the year”. There is no doubt about it, between Christmas/Hanukah and the New Year is the hardest time to just maintain never mind lose weight. The fact that the celebrations are on a weekend are a positive. If you want to continue on your program and do the right things then keep reminding yourself how important this is to you.

Today is Wednesday! Whether you are away or home you should be on program. Just because the New Year is next week doesn’t mean you throw all your hard work out the window and try and make up for it in 2017! The best way to get through this week is to either maintain or continue on your weight loss program. You will feel so much better maintaining control of where you are rather than winging it into the New Year. Here are some hints and tips to keep you on track this week.

If you are working this week then of course you will feel like a regular schedule. Use it to your advantage and stay on program as if it were any other week. If you are off – It’s a beautiful week to spend with family and friends. But it’s also a great week to stay focused so you can go into the New Year with a sense of control. Regardless of where you are or what you are doing you can always make a healthy choice – always think things through. An extra on program snack is better than going off and cheating a whole day. Remember what you do today will reflect on how you feel tomorrow. Keep it simple. BE GRATEFUL! How amazing for those of you on vacation with friends and family. Don’t make this all about food and drinks. Appreciate where you are and what you have and remember what you are working toward. Make your vacations and your time off about family, friends, rest, and fun! It’s not all about food. The food is exciting when you are not over doing it everyday. It’s exciting when you look forward to it and it’s exciting when you have your cheat day…on all the other days, it’s simply fuel for your body to run at its best. Keep your days and nights focused. It’s either 6 days on and 1 off to stay on program and continue to lose or NO CHEAT DAY and clean all day and one meal off and you will maintain. There are always healthy options so make sure you ask. Remember what makes you feel great for the moment and what makes you feel amazing tomorrow. You feel your best when you are on path and eating your On Program meals and snacks. Stay focused.

THE MESS: BLOATED AND OUT OF CONTROL. “I did it again!”, “I have to go back to work with and nothing fits me!” OR Everything is so tight you can barely breath never mind get through the day — You will look back and think  “why?” “What was so important that I did this to myself?” “When will I feel better….?” “Please I just want it off.” One treat lead to a full holiday cheat week(s). Why didn’t I just do the right thing. I never feel good when I do this. Now I have to start all over…..

SNAIL: I feel good! I made sensible choices. Not 110% on but not off either. I may have gained a pound but I know it will come right off. I enjoyed and stayed On Program and in control with my one meal off a day when I needed it.  —Your objective was to maintain and that’s what you did. Everything still fits and you feel really good. You are going into the New Year in control and feeling like you got through the holidays in a happy and healthy way. You are ready for the New Year and to go back to your 6 days on and 1 day off.

SHARK:  You stayed on your path and did not go off for even a second. You had and enjoyed your one cheat day a week and the other 6 days you were 110% in control. You feel best like this and you know it works best for you. Everything fits you – in fact you lost weight over the holidays and January 2nd is here and you feel amazing and ready to continue with your healthy life. Everything for you is easier to just always do the right thing

Regardless of where you are right now the very best thing for you is to think about where you want to be Jan 2. If you have been off and have not done the right thing for you body, health, weight loss…It’s only Wednesday and you still have plenty of time to at least feel great going into the New Year. Many of you know that a couple of good solid 110% consecutive days can change your week from a very off and bloating week to a feeling good and feeling lighter week. The most important thing about going into the New Year is feeling in control. Do it today! Get back on track and remember that Jan 2 is less than a week away. Everything you do from now until then should be about enjoying who you are with and activities you can do. Switch your recent bad habits with healthy ones. No excuses just do it. When New Year’s Eve comes you can still enjoy and have your Cheat Day. But from now until then keep it clean – stay focused and remember what is important to you and what makes you feel good! Make the most of this week by treating yourself the way you want to be viewed – Like a healthy happy fit person who works hard for where you are and what you have.