YOU DON’T HAVE TO HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS – Life isn’t supposed to be easy. You don’t reach a certain age, a certain social status, a certain position in your career, and suddenly have it all. There isn’t a secret potion, a lucky token, or even a prayer that will change the course of your life with a snap of your fingers.  And sometimes not knowing can be uncomfortable. But when it comes to weight loss – what we can find comfort in is that when you plan – prepare and follow through with your menu – and when you don’t eat in between your meals, and you work really hard – and be consistent – you will absolutely see results. And you know this because you have seen the results of so many clients around you.[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]

RESULTS: When it comes to weight loss the best way to see results is to just start. You have to work hard, push yourself and be okay with being outside of your comfort zone. Sometimes we feel we need to have all the answers or it has to be the perfect time but the truth is there is no perfect time and you will never have all the answers. What is most important is to just start – follow and be consistent. What you need to know is that every day that you follow you will learn more. Every day that you are consistent you will see results. It’s okay to feel out of your comfort zone. Many of you who first started the Innovation program and now the Ketovation program were completely out of your comfort zone. Yet, you trusted me, you listened, you followed, learned – worked hard-and the results have been absolutely amazing. [dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]

YOU CAN GET PAST THE CHALLENGE: Life is supposed to be challenging – and when we talk about challenges Weight Loss is right there at the top of the list. But we must remember it’s the challenge in life that makes you learn so much. And it’s the challenge that makes it so exciting. As you succeed with each challenge, you trust yourself to overcome future obstacles. You gain great advantages when you overcome your challenges – most of all discipline and control.  [dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]

CAN YOU DO IT: You know deep down you can do this. You can do anything you want if you put your heart and soul into it. It takes a positive mindset, hard work and consistency and you will get to where you want to be. You have to learn to talk yourself into it and stop talking yourself out of it. Instead of looking for excuses to go off program you have to make all the excuses why you should stay on program. [dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR YOURSELF: Aside from the fact that they are probably not true – more important is when you say them or when you think them, they are causing you to limit yourself. These excuses keep you going down the same old path, preventing you from reaching your goals.  If you really want to lose weight, feel great and have control over your life and your happiness – then stop making excuses of why you can’t do it and just do it. [dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]

WHAT DOES IT TAKE: It takes following your menu – not eating in between meals and snacks – having the the discipline to want it more than just wishing for it and talking about it – it takes planning, preparing and following through with your day – it takes not making any excuses on why you should go off program. It takes consistent hard work – And most of all it takes you loving yourself enough to walk away from the temptations. You have to be willing to put your “immediate wants” aside for your “future results”. When you can do that you will see the very best results. [dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]

STOP BEING AFRAID AND START BEING EXCITED

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

1. Make your dreams deeply enrooted and emotional. Making a committed decision about who you want to become and then working every day to become that person. It has to be emotional to you. Once you start living in harmony with your emotions it will create the actions needed, you’ll no longer have to rely on willpower. Because it’s so emotionally important to you – you’ll know what you need to do and just do it. The time you used to spend thinking if you should or shouldn’t will not exist. When you are obsessed about it – you just do it.
2. Don’t let yourself get distracted. Obsession with improvement means that every day, without fail, you will relentlessly focus on completing your day and reaching your goal. You will do whatever it takes.
3. Your obsessions should be what you are craving for. You know when you have a craving – your focus becomes on satisfying the craving. Let’s say you wake up in the morning with a craving for a latte. It’s the only thing you’re currently concerned about. As a result, you grab your keys and head to your local coffee shop to satisfy your craving.  Successful people have this feeling on a daily basis. But the cravings are on their dream and goals. When they want something, they devote their entire focus and energy to making it a reality. Until they achieve their goal, they’re not focused on anything else. Make your obsession your craving. If you want to lose weight don’t only want it crave for it. Crave for it like you would anything else in your life big or small. Make it your obsession to reach it.
4. Make yourself a priority and stop blaming time: One of the  most common excuse people will often make is, “I don’t have enough time” but the last time I checked everyone lives by the same 24 hours. So why is it then that some people are able to accomplish so much more than others? The answer is because they live by their priorities and do only that which is most important. So make yourself a top priority. It’s not selfish it’s necessary.
5. Stop the Excuses. I can never say this one enough…. like all other thoughts, excuses are only our perception of reality. They are not the truth, but rather just the reasons we tell ourselves for why we did or didn’t do something. Excuses are the little stories we try to make ourself believe why we decided not to do something and why we didn’t follow through with what we planned. Stop making them.

As we travel through the last two weeks before the Holiday Break  many of you are very much on your healthy weight loss path and others are still struggling a little to get to where you want to be.  Wherever you are today and moving into this week I want you to be positive and confident about what you can achieve and why you want to do it.  Don’t only focus on your number — instead focus on staying on program, having the control that makes you happy, and how much it all makes you feel good.

FOCUS:  With so many holiday parties and gatherings before vacation if you are struggling focus on doing the very best you can because at the end of the day maintaining is better than gaining.

FOCUS:  Even being on program between holiday parties is better than being off program all together.  Just keep reminding yourself if you weren’t on program and weren’t watching and being mindful where would you be.  That’s a scary thought for many.  But knowing that you may not be doing your very best but doing the best you can right now is what matters and what will keep you from gaining — and sometimes that is enough.

What’s the point? — The holiday is in less than two weeks and I have so many parties in between what is the point of trying right now?  The point is very simple you are either going to go in a happy positive place where you at the very least feeling  de-bloated or a place that you feel out of control and very uncomfortable — choose your hard!

FOCUS:  You can still lose a couple of pounds before you leave but even more important you will leave and start the holiday feeling lighter and in control over your day and that can really make the difference in how you feel, act and enjoy  your holiday, vacation and everyone that loves you.

FOCUS:  Don’t worry about where you weight is today — don’t even think about it.  Just follow your program and you will feel better tomorrow.  Whether you are leaving in one week or two — if you stay on program and keep moving forward everyday  you will feel better and better.  Whether you are staying home or going on vacation — feeling lighter and in control is where you want to be and how you want to feel.

The Journey — Something I think is important to share is how important your journey is.  I know I say it all the time but it’s very easy to get caught up in feeling sorry for yourself and bad about the mistakes and choices you make. But the Innovation journey of weight loss is based around real life. That’s why we have a cheat day.  So we don’t beat ourself up when we want to enjoy something we love.  We have to remember we are not always going to be amazing every single second of every day.  But what I want you to focus on is how happy you are on the journey to feeling your best.  Every step you take in the direction of eating clean and losing weight is one more step to feeling great both mentally and physically.   And while you are taking those steps — (slow or fast – turtle or shark) — keep the focus on all the happiness in your life —and start with the Happiness of the Holiday Season and being around those you love.

A Positive Mind Gives You A Positive Life

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

With St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow, we wanted to share some healthy tips to keep in mind whether you are celebrating tomorrow, over the weekend or not at all. It seems as though everyone becomes Irish during this holiday, but even if you don’t feel the need to celebrate there are still some things you can do to stay safe and healthy. 

1) Don’t go overboard with festive foods. For those who don’t know, corned beef and cabbage is the traditional meal for St. Patrick’s Day. Corned beef is high in fat and sodium and if you choose to enjoy it as part of your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, use the tasting method. Start with just a small portion just to taste it. Unless tomorrow is your cheat day this week, there are other ways to celebrate without loading up on corned beef. Cabbage, on the other hand, is full of nutrients such as fiber, calcium, magnesium, vitamin A and vitamin K. As long as it is prepared cleanly, you can embrace this St. Patrick’s day tradition. You may also come across Irish Soda Bread, a traditional Irish bread that is made with baking soda as a leavening agent instead of yeast. This food will also be best enjoyed with the tasting method unless it is your cheat day. Another thing to watch out for is food coloring. You will see a lot of foods dyed green – frosting, drinks, cookies, dips, pasta, bagels, and anything else you can think of. While having a little more food coloring than usual isn’t harmful, there are plenty of ways to get festive with food without artificial food coloring. There are plenty of green fruits and vegetables that would make great snacks or appetizers such as cucumbers, green peppers, grapes, honeydew, peas, salad, kale, apples, pears, celery, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green olives, avocado, asparagus, green tea, cabbage and much more. 

2) Drink in moderation. Unless it is your cheat day, alcoholic beverages are still one snack each. This means that 4oz of wine, 1oz of alcohol or 2 light beers are each a snack. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. 

3) Watch a parade. If you have the time, a St. Patrick’s Day parade is a great way to get the family out of the house and doing something fun and active together. If you drive to a parade location, try and park a couple blocks away and enjoy the walk. 

4) Be safe. This is our most important tip for everyone tomorrow whether you are all out celebrating or just trying to avoid the chaos. No matter how safe you plan to be, tomorrow is a day where you should be extra careful. Many people will be drinking and celebrating in large crowds, so just be careful when going out, watching a parade and driving home. 

Have fun, be safe and Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

There are so many reasons to take it easy this season but now is not the time to hibernate! Excuses to stray away from your weight loss plan are everywhere. But this year isn’t going to be the same as the last. It may feel impossible to spend your time and energy on getting fit, but now really is the best time to focus on your weight loss.

The final holiday of 2014 is just around the corner. It is hard to believe that this year is about to come to an end! Whether you plan to celebrate the coming of the New Year out on the town or watch the festivities from the comfort of your home, take this time to make one last healthy push this year. New Years is typically a night of partying and leaving this year behind for a fresh start, but don’t let it fool you. You don’t get to press a magical restart button when the clock strikes midnight. The rules still apply, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate these past 12 months to the fullest. Make this week extra healthy – eat clean and exercise in preparation for New Years Eve celebrations and to get a step ahead on your New Years Resolution, instead of letting Christmas and Hanukkah holiday eating spread out over this week. The time after the big holidays is crucial. It may seem like a constant uphill battle, but once you are able to bounce back after such a hectic and heavy eating schedule you will be so glad that you put in the extra effort now. Enjoy that party and a bubbly drink knowing you earned it.