Speaker: Josephine

Hi everyone, welcome to the Love to Live Healthy show. I’m Josephine Fitzpatrick. Happy April everyone. 

For the month of April, we are focusing on the importance of appreciation. Today’s podcast is about working for what you want while appreciating the life you have and the body you live in. I don’t think we realize how important these things go together. 

I want you to think about this question Can you appreciate yourself and your life if you do not feel good about yourself? Seriously, don’t just answer a quick yes or no. Really think about it. Can you really truly appreciate what is going on in your life if you are not in a good place with your mind and body, if you don’t feel good about yourself? Well, I can tell you after dealing with thousands of clients, the answer for most is no. You can never truly appreciate where you are in life, or appreciate all the big and little happy things that go on in your life, if you do not feel good in your body and mind. 

You have to feel good about yourself to really appreciate what’s going on around you. Think about all the big things that are going on right now. So many people have so many things going on, planning Summer vacations, graduations, bar mitzvahs, communions, sweet 16. Whatever’s going on in your life or your world, will you really appreciate that day or that week when you don’t feel good in your body? How can you really appreciate any experience when you don’t feel good in the body you have? 

Now listen, I’m not talking about being a size zero. I’m talking about feeling your best in your body, and whatever that means to you. For some it’s feeling fit, feeling strong, feeling thin, maybe it’s just feeling in control with your food, which always gives you control in your life. Whatever that feeling is, you need to have that in order to really appreciate all the things that are going on in your life, even the little daily things like going to the beach or barbecue with friends, waking up and appreciating having a day in front of you to enjoy with your husband, or with your significant other, or with your family or friends. You will only truly appreciate these things when you feel your best in your mind and body. 

So I decided for April that, while we are working really hard for what we want, we are also going to stop and appreciate what we have, from big to little things. We are going to take notice of it and appreciate it. Listen, you know how I love to keep things positive. I mean, really, what else do we have to live on than our own positive thoughts and actions? And for some they are in real tough times and finding appreciation for anything can be a real challenge when times are really tough and things aren’t going well in your life. And listen, it’s inevitable that we all will face hardships and challenges throughout our life from health to family, money, career, kids.

Life can be really hard, and for some so much harder than others, and it is in these scenarios that you really have to learn how to appreciate everything you have and what’s around you, the big and little things you know. I tell my kids all the time it’s life challenges that not only make you stronger, it really also helps you appreciate all the good things you have in your life, the little things that you didn’t even notice before, that not everyone else has. For example, being able to go for a workout. It sounds so simple, but it takes time, it takes money and it takes a healthy body. Not everyone has all those things. We forget that. We sometimes take so much for granted that we forget to appreciate the smallest things that keep us going every day. It’s a fact that embracing, celebrating and appreciating your life can greatly enhance your well-being and your overall happiness.

Cultivating a healthy relationship with yourself is definitely not easy, trust me. I see clients every day and I know when they don’t feel good about themselves and it changes their mindset of what is in front of them, how they’re going to handle it when they don’t feel good about where they are at. You have to have your mindset positive. You know you’ll either go to a negative or a positive, and I’m telling you that you have to keep that mindset positive to get to where you want to be, because if you let it go to the negative, you will not only be able to not appreciate anything, but it will keep you stuck where you are or put you in an even worse place. So how do we keep the mindset positive so we can keep ourself in a good direction and appreciate what is going on in and around our life?

You need goals. Yes, you need some good April goals, because that will help you continue working for what you want. And when you’re working for what you want, feeling good about the future is one of the keys to success and happiness. We all need goals to motivate us. It should be challenging enough to excite you, but also achievable. But choosing an ambitious but realistic goal will give your life direction and bring a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. When you get close to it and finally achieve it, and when you feel good, you will be able to appreciate everything in your life and what’s ahead of it.

Think about it If you’re on program and you have goals that you’re working toward, you’re going to feel in control and when you feel in control, it gives you control in your whole life. Clients tell me all the time, even when they’re losing slow or weak, they didn’t see any weight loss. Being on program is so much better than being off program. That is because it’s a sense of control of your day, your food, your body and when you’re doing the right thing you feel better. You know the weight loss will follow, but you feel better eating on program and following your meals and snacks because you know it’s going to get you to where you want to be. Plus it just makes you feel overall lighter and healthier. And even when you are not at goal and just have that sense of control and feel good working towards your goal, that is going to help you appreciate everything you have going on and in and around your life.

So let’s talk about some April goals. A great short-term goal for April is where do you want to be by May 1st? You know, think about it. That is so doable. Where do you want to be by May 1st? It’s four weeks. Do you want to do one pound a week? Two pounds a week? Is it a certain number? Do you want to fit in a certain outfit? 

So let’s start by setting a short-term goal. That’s the first thing you have to do, because that short-term goal is going to start you and you’re going to feel so good going in a direction that you feel you have control in.

Now, listen, if you have been on program, which so many of you are, it’s still a great time to set some monthly goals. Think about where you wanna be May 1st. It will not only continue to give you direction, but it will also help keep you motivated each month. You just continue on your path, continue doing the right things, and you know that every day, you are one day closer to your goals and the body you want. And in the meantime, you have the control over yourself and your life, and there’s no better feeling or way to appreciate what you have today and what is in front of you.

If you have not been doing the right thing and not been on program. You need to get back on. Regardless of where you are right now, one solid week sometimes is all it takes to get back on track, to feeling great. That should be your first goal is to commit to one solid week. When you have a week that is 110% clean and on program, it really doesn’t take much to start seeing the loss and feeling immediately better. It takes one solid week of commitment and you want to start it by setting your goal for April. Where do you want to be May 1st? More importantly, where do you want to be in a week from now? First, you want to have a solid week behind you that you were amazing, and then work toward your goals for the month.

Let’s go over some tips on how to stick with your goal for April. 

First is promise and commitment to yourself. Don’t think about the actual goal. Instead, remember that your goal is a promise and commitment you made to yourself. It’s easy to say who cares? All right, who cares? I went off, or I ate that extra snack, no big deal, I didn’t run or I didn’t exercise this week. But, it’s not the actual goal that you gave up on, though. You made a promise to yourself, a promise and a commitment to yourself to do this. You know how happy it will make you and it will be a lot happier than any extra you’re going to feed yourself to take you out of your promise and commitment. Remember you want to keep the commitments and the promises you make to yourself because once you break those promises, once you break those commitments, you are giving yourself the excuse and lack of discipline to break other promises and commitments. Every time something gets challenging in your life, every time something gets hard, the most important promises and commitments in life are the ones you make to yourself. Those are the ones you need to keep, before any other promises and commitments.

Number two don’t give up. Remember, before you give up on your goal because you are stressed or because anything that is not going on right in your life, remind yourself giving up on your goal is going to make it worse, not better. The one thing you can control is completing your goal. If you don’t give up and you do one solid week, it’s going to make next week even easier. If you finish your goal for the month, it’s going to make the next month even easier. Every week and every month, you will feel more motivated and stronger to handle what’s in front of you, it gets easier. It doesn’t get harder. The longer you are on, the better you do. It gets easier, it doesn’t get harder.

Number three don’t allow setbacks to destroy your goals. Unfortunately, many things don’t go as expected, no matter how much planning we do. When you can be patient with yourself, that is key to approaching bumps in the road in a positive way. Accept the hiccup in your day or week and just get back on. Even if you had a moment of weakness, the most important thing you can do for yourself is to get right back on program. All the clients you see that look amazing, I promise you. They have had hiccups, they have had really bad cheat days, they have had setbacks, but they get right back on and that is why they look the way they do. That is why you never notice their hiccup, because it only affects their moment, not their week, or their month.

Number four plan, prepare and follow through. I will preach this forever because you don’t always overeat when you are hungry. In fact, it’s almost never about the food, it’s about everything else that’s going on in your life. So when you can plan and prepare, when something comes up, good or bad, you just follow what you planned and prepared and that will keep you moving forward. That will keep you where you need to be.

Number five push yourself. Without pushing yourself to your limits, you will never know how far you can go and what you can really achieve. I say it all the time it’s okay to be a little uncomfortable. That usually happens because you’re pushing yourself and if you’re not a little uncomfortable, you’re not pushing yourself hard enough. This month, give yourself that extra push every day to complete your goal and don’t let yourself make any excuses why it’s not important. We don’t like to be uncomfortable, so a lot of times we’ll put an excuse in place, but you have to decide how important this is to you. How hard you push is going to determine how much you want it. That extra push and being a little uncomfortable can make all the difference. Remember, this is a journey and it’s your journey. You have to do what makes you happy.

I can tell you what I see. When clients feel their best, when clients are doing the right thing and they’re following their program and they have goals and they know they’re moving forward, they appreciate everything going on. I see it everyday. I see it in the way they text. I see it when they come in my office. You’re a different person when you’re doing the right thing and living in a healthy body, feeling good about yourself. That makes all the difference. Every month you have choices lose weight, maintain gain.

How you live, how much work you do, how much time you put into what you want it all determines your outcome. No one else can do this for you. No one else can make it happen except for you. It takes more than just saying you want it. You have to work hard for it every day. You have to remember. It’s easy to say the words I appreciate, but living in appreciation, it’s two different things. And in order to live in appreciation, you have to feel good about yourself.

I think life is way too short to not appreciate everything you have and everything that’s in it. It’s not comparing to what everyone else has. It’s about you and only you. What you have in your life, how important it is to you and how you feel about it is going to make all the difference in how you live. We know the very best way to appreciate the life you have and the body you live in is by taking care of yourself. When you take care of yourself from the inside out, you will create a positive mindset and feel good and excited about today, tomorrow and what is to come in your future.

So let’s set an April goal and get yourself in a good, positive mindset and keep moving forward to what you want. When you are in control in your body, it gives you control over your life and that is when you can truly appreciate everything that’s in it. 

Okay, that’s all I have for you today. So remember, next week is a client story of her weight loss and I can’t wait for you to hear her journey. I’m wishing everyone a healthy, happy week full of love. Thanks for tuning in. Hugs from me to all of you.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Speaker Josephine

Hi everyone, welcome to the Love to Live Healthy show. I’m Josephine Fitzpatrick. Today’s topic is being incredible can sometimes be uncomfortable. We know this right. If you want results, you have to be willing to do what it takes, and this is what it takes. It takes getting up every day and working towards your goal and agreeing that some days will be very, very uncomfortable. And that’s okay, because it’s those tough, uncomfortable days that you get through that make the biggest difference in your outcome. When those uncomfortable times or days appear, you need to work harder to get past them. Don’t waste time thinking of an easier way, because there is no easier way than doing the right thing. The time you actually spend trying to find an easier way or a shortcut could be the time that you already invested into the work that would be getting you to where you want to be. 

Now. Listen, I even tell my kids this all the time. For most of us, life is so simple if we don’t complicate it. If you want to do well in life, you must get up every day and work hard toward what you want, what makes you happy, toward your goals. Don’t waste time looking for shortcuts or easy. Just get up, work hard, make good choices and you will reach your goals. We all have to work, and it should be at multiple things in life – at our jobs, families, school, at our love life, at our health and our body. Everybody has to work hard to get to where they want to be, to make good things happen in their life. But the point is, no matter what it is in life that you are working for, if it makes you happy, you get up every day and you put the time and effort into it, I promise you you will reach your goals. You will make it happen. Yes, it may happen slower for some, but slower, or fast, it will happen if you keep doing the right things. 

Now, when we talk about everyday life, this applies to everything. Right, consecutive days, hard work, making good decisions will lead to incredible results, no matter what you’re putting your time and effort into, and when you continue to do the right thing, the journey is always going to be just as exciting and rewarding as the outcome. Every day you are closer to what you want. Every day you feel better and better mentally, physically. Every day you are closer to what you want. Every day you feel better and better mentally, physically. Every day you have more and more control, and this should apply to everything in your life the more it makes you happy, the more likely your success will be. 

I will tell you one thing, if you haven’t already started working towards your goals and toward where you want to be, I suggest you start now. Spring is here and it is not waiting for you to get ready for it. If you want to be amazing and feel amazing this summer, there’s one simple solution Follow your program. Do the right thing for your body, do it for your mind. Stay on your program. As you know, there are all types of people in the world. There are those who do and those who talk about doing. You have to decide who you want to be. It’s up to you if you want the very best results. It’s up to you if you want to be thin or you just want to talk about how you wish you were thin, how you wish you were eating better, how you wish you were healthier. If you want to be a talker, be a talker. If you want to be a doer, start working towards it now. 

We know one of the very worst feelings is having a party, an event, an occasion and not being ready for it, and looking back and saying I should have, I could have, why didn’t I? You know, some things come up out of the blue and we just think, oh, I wish I would have known, I would have had more time, I would have made sure I was ready for it. But spring is here and summer’s around the corner. And we go through spring and summer every year, so it’s not like you didn’t know it was coming. So you’re either going to be ready or you’re not going to be ready. Right now you have the time to get yourself in motion and make the changes you need to make, to see the differences you want to see. And while many of you still might not reach your goal by summer, if you start now, you will know you’ll be closer to it than you are today. If you start now, you are going to be so much in a better place by the time summer comes than you are today. 

So here are some things I want you to do to remember when you are trying to be the best you can be. 

-You will see the best results when you have six consecutive on-program days every week

-One Cheat Meal and dessert a week

-Exercise is amazing, but only if your food is amazing as well. You can’t eat more because you’re exercising, not when you’re trying to lose weight. 

-Stop making excuses. You are only hurting yourself. 

The bottom line is if you want to be amazing, look amazing and feel amazing, then you have to put the work in. You have to follow your program, you have to be a little hungry and you have to want this more than anything. Temptation will always be in sight, but you have to be stronger than what’s in front of you. You have to look at yourself and visualize. What do you want in two weeks from today? Where do you want to be? Where do you want to be in four weeks from today? Two months from today? Every weight loss day is one day closer to the person you want to be. 

You can only fight the addictions, the habits and the poor choices if you recognize. You have them, so own them and move on from them. If you have been amazing, then continue to be amazing, and if you’ve not done the right things to make yourself happy, then start today and make yourself happy. Make it happen. You are the only person who has control over your happiness, just like you are the only person who has control over being unhappy. We have the same control to be happy as unhappy. It’s always in our choices. You are the only person who can get in your own way today. So make it happen. Don’t be a talker, be a doer. You can do this if you really want it. 

Okay, that’s all I have for now. I want to tell you in two weeks from now, we will have another fabulous story from one of our successful weight loss clients. I can’t wait for you to hear her journey. So please make sure you subscribe to the podcast, because if you subscribe, then you will immediately get notified every time we have a new show, so you don’t have to keep checking. Subscribe. Give it a thumbs up. It helps the program, it helps you. It’s a great way to find all our shows and be notified immediately. I want to thank you all for joining me and listening to the Love to Live Healthy show. I’m wishing you all a happy, healthy week full of love. Hugs from me to all of you. 

~Love to Live Healthy With Josephine Fitzpatrick

Josephine (Host)

Hi everyone, welcome to the Love to Live Healthy show. I’m Josephine Fitzpatrick. Today we have a very special guest, Stephanie Luft from Merrick. I’m going to bring Stephanie in now. Hi, stephanie, hi, how are you? How are you Good? So thank you for joining us. I’m so excited. 

Stephanie (Guest)

Oh, my pleasure, take it easy. 

Josephine (Host)

So you are definitely like one of my long time clients, right? 

Stephanie (Guest)

I think I’ve been following your program over eight years. Yes, eight and a half years now.

Josephine (Host)

That’s amazing. That’s so exciting. I love that. So, how much did you lose? 

Stephanie (Guest)

Yes, so originally I lost about 11. That was my original goal weight was to lose 11. Total, I’m probably down about 17 or 18.  

Josephine (Host)

That’s amazing, yeah. So your total is 18, but your original goal was 11. But what’s funny is, once you got to this new number, now that’s your number. 

Stephanie (Guest)

Yeah, and now I think about that number. Like what do you mean I was seven pounds more at one point. How could I have been 7 lbs more than this number.

Josephine (Host)

It’s so funny how that happens. 

Now, what’s different? I think, too. And what I love about your story and I wanted to share is you go through times because it has been, you know, almost nine years where you have little instances of maybe like something going on in your life or whatever, and you go up a couple of pounds and you come in, and immediately, as soon as you come back in and you’ve done it so many times you lose it in like the first or second week.

Stephanie (Guest)

So it’s funny because I came into the office like two months ago and you put me right back on track. I lost it in two weeks. 

So I went through some medical things so I couldn’t really work out the way I wanted to, and also accepting age too. I mean, I started this journey nine years ago, so there’s a big difference between being in your early 40s and being in your early 50s, Right, like the change of your body and everything else that’s happening along with your diet and your exercise, but also your hormones right. 

Josephine (Host)

Yes, exactly, a big difference.

So what everyone doesn’t know. Stephanie makes me laugh all the time. Every time she’s in the office. Since I’ve known her, she’s just hysterical. So when she doesn’t feel good about her body, she will not walk into the bathroom, she backs into the bathroom. 

Stephanie (Guest)

So my husband can see the better parts of me. It’s so funny because you know my whole life I was always hung up on like having a big, you know, big ass, like when I gain weight that’s where it goes, but like I needed to be born after the Kardashian error, and the JLO error. So when we were younger, you know that was always the thing. Right.

(Both Laughing)

Josephine (Host)

Yes. Right. So Funny.

And just so you know this is her talking, because if you saw her, you would be like, oh my God, that’s what I dreamed to look like. 

Stephanie (Guest)

Thank you, thank you, but everybody has their hand up. 

Josephine (Host)

Everyone has them

Stephanie (Guest)

And when I started working with you and my goal weight was like six pounds more than I am now, it was like I could never imagine the number that I’m at right now. That was like I don’t even think I was this number in high school. 

But you know, everybody puts pressure on themselves and like we talk about, I think there’s a pressure where we live. 

Josephine (Host)

Yeah, right, Of course yeah, and that’s a big thing. But the other sense too is sometimes if you don’t have that little bit of obsession it can so easily get out of hand. 

Stephanie (Guest)

It did and you totally brought me back. So I felt so much better because I left and it was like shocking to me and you just said to me just you know, change one snack and it immediately worked. And it really did make all the difference.

Josephine (Host)

It’s always the little details that make the most difference. 

Stephanie (Guest)

You know you and I have discussed this before. How many times at work I’ve been skinny shamed at work, I think. I think more at work than outside of work. I had one person actually and we spoke about this too was she at one point like, shook my pants and she’s like Are you okay, are you sick? These are so big on you. And I was like, first of all, didn’t ask you and, second of all, what was that about? But I think a lot of it is just, you know, through jealousy.

Josephine (Host)

Yeah yeah, and I do think the worst comes out when someone’s jealous. And listen. We always have to remember weight loss is one of the hardest things to do. We’re surrounded by temptation all the time and when you see someone jealous of course because it’s so hard to lose weight. I think like to your point before when you said when your coworker said that to you I think it just sometimes, when you’re in such a good place and you look so good, it can make other people very uncomfortable.

Stephanie (Guest)

Yeah. You are right I didn’t think about it like that.

Josephine (Host)

Yeah, that’s when you force people to look at themselves and a lot of times when someone’s not in a good place, they don’t, don’t want to do that you know,. 

Stephanie (Guest)

Yeah. But you’re right, there’s so much temptation. So every time I’m at a meeting at work, there’s the one who I said to you. She comes with a huge, huge bowl of candy and sticks it like right in the middle of the table. And usually I’m in the middle and the other day I took like a paper towel and I stuck it on top and put something else on top so I didn’t have to see it. And they’re like what are you doing? I’m like I can’t sit here and stare at peppermint patties when they’re like my favorite. 

And that same group would sometimes just if there was a party and they’re having cake like just because it’s your birthday doesn’t mean I have to eat cake on a Tuesday, right? And they’re like you’re not gonna have a bite. I’m like I’m good and they are like but you could afford it. You’re so skinny. 

Josephine (Host)

That is why you look the way you do, because you’re not doing the cake on a Tuesday just because it’s there. 

But you know, I love that. I think it’s so important for people to hear, like, what other people go through when they’re when they’re trying to lose weight, because while you handle it so well, I have clients who really get so upset they cry. You know, I had one client recently who cried at the table because her friend supposedly was skinny shaming her at the dinner. And you know it’s hurtful because you’re trying so hard to lose weight and when you get to a good place, instead of people going well, you look great. And understanding that’s why you look great and all the positive things that you’d want to hear from your friends, and instead it’s reverse, or the opposite, and it can really be hurtful. So it’s good. I love the way you handle it. I think that’s so great. 

So tell me one thing as far as like how you feel, especially because you’ve been on for so long. Give me an idea of like what you do when you go on vacation. Like how do you handle that? Because these are questions clients ask me all the time. So, of course, when I tell them, it’s one thing, but when they hear from you or a client, it’s a big difference. 

Stephanie (Guest)

So it’s funny because some people say, oh, you’re on vacation, but I’m like, okay, I need to. There’s so many things like swirling around in my head. So it’s funny because sometimes we go on vacation or sometimes you know, we have our vacation place and it’s like being at home and for some reason, I don’t know it’s harder for me sometimes now to be there than if we just were on vacation and going to restaurants all the time. I do think to myself like, yes, I’m on vacation, but I know that at the end, if I’m gaining four pounds, three pounds, two pounds, it’s not making me happy. Like recently when we were away, I tried to do the best I could and we were, you know, in our apartment and I was really sticking to it, 

Josephine (Host)

Which it’s funny because if you gain a pound or two, you know you’re going to lose it. 

Stephanie (Guest)

Yes, but I don’t want to go through the pain of like agonizing over it,. Like the other day when we were away, we were in our apartment and you know my husband, he’ll weigh himself to most days and I was like tempted to get on the scale. So I get on the scale and and he’s asking me questions and I’m not responding. I said do me a favor, just don’t even talk to me. I’m not in a good mood and I’m not answering anything. This is just a warning for you. 

Josephine (Host)

(Laughing) Oh it’s always good to give warnings. 

Stephanie (Guest)

I was like don’t talk to me, because I got on the scale and I was pissed off. (Laughing), yes so I gave him the warning.

Josephine (Host)

Do you think it’s harder now for you to get back as quick. 

Stephanie (Guest)

I think so, but I think I’m also mentally struggling, like I said, with the change of body because of the medical reasons why I couldn’t work out the way I wanted to. You know it’s just cardio. And I know that I’m thin because of the sizes that I wear because of what the scale says. 

Josephine (Host)

Cardio is very good for you mentally. It really does help you. It’s like a different level, a different feeling. So even if your weight stayed the same, I don’t think you would necessarily feel the same without it, because your body is so used to doing it. 

Stephanie (Guest)

Yes, you are right and that makes me feel better. But like it’s so funny. So this is, it’s like it’s either. You know, we used to say I either have a full face and a big ass or small face and a small ass, because I lose my weight from there. Now the conundrum, as I’m sitting in the sun and I don’t want to get it on my face, so I sit up and then I look at my stomach and I have these like lines from where the rolls are tanning, that everybody really has. And now it’s either I have a pale face and I have these lines in my stomach, or I’m going to have like a good tan stomach the way it should be, and my face looking like leather.  So, we just catch a break here when you’re losing weight and trying to get to where you want to be (laughing)

Josephine (Host)

(Laughing). So true, But also, I think the biggest thing is, what we’re talking about, too, is age, because how much more do we worry about getting a tan now than we did when we were younger? 

Stephanie (Guest)

Yes, right exactly. Now when I sit in the sun I’m on to the umbrella and I don’t care, because then it’s like all right. Well, you know, I’m trying to use every product to get rid of the sunspots. 

Josephine (Host)

Yes, right and as soon as you go out in the sun they all come back. I agree. As we get older, it’s just such a different mindset, because we used to be like, I can remember pictures of you in your bathing suit on the boat. But now it’s like you don’t even want to go in the sun.

Stephanie (Guest)

(Laughing) But that picture was like the ideal day I said to my husband and to my sister and to my kids see this picture. This is a picture you’re going to use it if I ever go missing. This is what’s going to be on all over channel seven. She is missing and she looks like this. (Laughing)

Josephine (Host)

(Laughing) That is hysterical, you are so funny. But I think that was actually before you got to your thinnest. 

Stephanie (Guest)

It’s probably before I was at this weight, Yeah.

Josephine (Host)

That was before you lost the last 6 pounds, and look at how you loved, how you looked. Now look at what you just said. And now you’re six pounds lighter. 

Stephanie (Guest)

Yeah. You are right. 

Stephanie (Guest)

I never old you this so other people would say you know, who is Josephine. Because sometimes Danny will reference, you know, like if the kids are over, oh, Josephine says don’t eat that. And they are like who is Josephine, And Danny says, it’s the little person that sits on her shoulder during meals, and pipes things into her ear (laughing)

Josephine (Host)

(Laughing) Oh my God, that is so funny. I love that.  So this is at your lowest weight. 

Stephanie (Guest)

I’m sure you’re going to want me to say this, okay, so I have my low number that I aim for, and then, for whatever reason, I got like two pounds lower than that and it scared me, my body scared me, like I’m seeing bones and I’m like I cannot look like that. So you know, when they say you can’t be too rich or too thin, like for me, like I was.

Josephine (Host)

Yes, I remember when that happened. And there is a fine line you have to be careful at. And that’s why I said before, you know which I don’t even think you’ve ever realized like when you were talking about, like your picture on the boat, like you said, that was the best you felt at the time, like you’d never look better. Meanwhile you ended up losing six pounds more. Now, after that, I know what you mean. Like when you go to that fine line of another two pounds more, it can really change how you look in a bad way, you know. You just start losing everything you know, and that’s not good either. But that’s when you know, like you look at yourself and you say, okay, wait. Because I do know unfortunately Women tend too, and men, I’m sure do too, but they tend to go on what other people say. So sometimes you’ll get someone who’ll say, oh, don’t lose any more weight, you look too thin and you really don’t. But I know I have clients who, if people don’t say to them you look too thin, they don’t feel thin, they’re like why isn’t anybody saying it to me? I hear that all the time from them because it kind of reaffirms that they feel like they’re in a good place. But it doesn’t always mean that, because sometimes people are like you’re too thin and you really might be. I’ve said it to clients you can’t lose any more weight and sometimes, like you said, it’s not even on purpose. Your body’s in that weight loss mode and I know people are listening going I wish I had that. Your body has been losing weight for a while so it just keep losing. But it doesn’t last, it will stop and eventually it’ll balance out. And then all of a sudden you find yourself like oh, I just I want to be that one number again. But it’s very hard to be that one number and that’s why I always say you need those two or three pounds that give you flexibility in your weight it can never be just one number. 

I wanted to say too, which I love you with your cheat day. Now, a lot of times I have actually in the last, I guess, couple of years, two years I’ve been putting people on cheat meal because they just cannot handle a cheat day, and a lot of times it is because they’re not being 100% during the week, which you know, when you have that cheat day, you have to be 100% during the week. 

Stephanie (Guest)

Yes totally. 

Josephine (Host)

But your stories with your cheat day are just by far the best. 

Stephanie (Guest)

I’ll tell you one because I don’t think I’ve ever shared this with you. So you know, typically my cheat days are on a Saturday and typically when you get together with friends it’s on a Saturday. So you know, I save it for dinner and during the summer we’ll be with friends at the beach or we go to their house or a pool. We have a couple that we’re very good friends with, and when they first met me and I would do my cheat day, I think that he was shocked, right. So he makes a barbecue and while I’m eating the ribs with all the guys, all the other women are eating these dainty salads, and he’s like Stephanie, eats like a gavone. 

So they tell that daughter that. And she’s like you said that to her. He is like, yeah, I shouldn’t have. She’s like no woman wants to hear that they eat like a gavone. (Laughing).  And I’m like, I’m good with it, I’m proud of it, because you know I can wear a bikini and eat like that on a Saturday (both laughing)

But yeah, then Sunday morning comes and I get right back, because mentally, Sunday just resets me, right, it’s just right back and then I’m good. Yeah, I just, I really can discipline and get right back, on Sunday.

Josephine (Host)

Yes that is so important. I really keep trying to tell people that is like one of the best things you can learn from this program, for example, the way you just said it, like you almost embrace getting back on every Sunday, like you can’t wait. I love that.

The best part of this whole thing is you’ve been on so long and you really live the program. 

Stephanie (Guest)

Yes, I really do.

Josephine (Host)

You really do and I love that. I am So thankful that you shared your story, I’m telling you that you don’t even realize how much these help everyone. Every time I do a podcast, people come in. They’re like I love that. I learned so much. Just learning how to deal with people, and the strategies you use helps so much. Especially since you had such a rough year with medical issues.

Stephanie (Guest)

Yeah, and you know, just because I’m talking to you now doesn’t mean that even during the outside of this rough year, that I haven’t bounced up a few pounds at certain times and bounce back down.

Josephine (Host)

(Laughing) Yes, I know that is when you come back in and I get to see you.

Stephanie (Guest)

(Laughing). I love you and I so appreciate you having me. 

Josephine (Host)

Thank you so much. I love you. I appreciate you. Have the best weekend. 

Stephanie (Guest)

Thank you so much. 

Josephine (Host)

Thank you so much, stephanie. That was an amazing story. We appreciate you. We appreciate your time and we appreciate so much of sharing your journey with us, how you’ve dealt with going up and down in the last nine years and how you deal with all the outside circumstances that go on in almost everyone’s life. So thank you.

And we want to thank everyone who’s listening today and has been sharing the love to live healthy podcast. We appreciate it. We appreciate the likes, we appreciate the comments. Please, any questions you have, leave down below. We’re here for you. We want you to live healthy and love living your best life. Much hugs and loves from me to all of you. Have a great one everyone. 

~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