HAPPY TUESDAY! Yes, it’s back to life and back to reality. I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend. I have to say I was very very impressed with the amount of clients this year that stuck to the PROGRAM and the one Cheat Day and followed the other 6 days 100%. Even with the long weekend they set their mind to it and did it! I love love love it because I know how much better you will feel today when you wake up and get back to real life. It doesn’t mean you enjoyed any less, in fact for many of you I think you enjoyed more. You were thrilled with your numbers and nothing was going to get in the way of that. I am super proud of you all.

For those of you who have not done the right thing for yourself this past weekend…For whatever excuse you have told yourself that – “I got sucked in :(” – “I thought I had control but I drank too much and it was too late ;(” – “One chip ended in a two day binge ;(” or if you just weren’t great and just feel horrible…If you see yourself in one of the previous descriptions I want you to think about something. I want to think about all the places you were this past weekend and all the people you saw. Think about how you treated your weekend with food and alcohol. Be honest with yourself because at the end of the day –  this is really between YOU and YOU. Did you do the right thing? Could you have done better?

TAKE A MOMENT AND REFLECT: I want you to think about all the people that you have come across this past weekend at the parties, clubs and BBQ’s that you attended. Whether you were in the Hamptons, the shore, or Fire Island. Did you see a person or people walk into the party, and you saw how good they looked and felt. They are the people that everyone automatically looks at when they walk through the door. They are the people who everything looks good on them regardless of what they wear. It could be a stranger, friends, family member. They are the ones that have confidence just flowing from them as they walk in. They are the people who you look at and think WOW they really have it all together! You know the person I am talking about. When you see them – what is the first thought that comes to your mind – YOU WANT THAT! And you should want that! Why wouldn’t you want that! Why wouldn’t you want to look and feel amazing in your skin and clothes and feel so good that it radiates when you walk in room. When we see someone so healthy, fit, in shape and full of confidence you have to ask yourself – what is more attractive than that? They are the people everyone want to be around. And it’s not only because they are thin —— it’s because they are happy and they feel good and it’s contagious to whoever is in their presence. They are like magnets that you want to look at and be near. They radiate health, happiness, success – all the things we all strive for everyday. When you think – THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO LOOK AND FEEL LIKE and that is how I want to act and that is how I want people to look at me — Then you have to understand just how possible that is.

I will tell you first hand it’s possible – because what you don’t know about that person or people – is they have their struggles and they have their weaknesses just like you do. You just don’t see it. And you don’t see them because they fight everyday to get past them. Just like everyone else, some days are easier then others. But they don’t let their food control who they are and what they want. They don’t let their stress make them eat into a frenzy. They are disciplined and strict with their one day off and six days on. It’s not that they don’t want the indulgences any less than you do, but they love to look good want to feel good more. Because they know that when they eat clean and stay on program it keeps them in control and that’s how they love to live. The way they feel and look is more important to them then any food or alcohol can temp them. They fight on their weaker days and they make it a priority to stay on program even when the path is bumpy. Even when they have hungrier days they reach out and we figure out how to get around it or what their best options are to get through it. They know and have learned these weaker days are temporary and everyone has them. They have their struggles in life but they make sure no matter what comes at them their priority is their health and the way the feel.  Because they know and have learned when they feel great they can fight anything else that comes their way. And when you look at them wishing you had that strength to get to where they are  – I am telling you that you do. I know better than anyone they were once you. But they fought, and learned, and kept fighting to get what they wanted and to feel how incredible they do today and everyday. Yes, you do have that strength – you just have to want it as much as they do and you have to want it all the time. You have to get past the tough days and understand they will always be there. We will always have long weekends and parties and stress. It’s all part of life. But you just need to stick to what you know at the end of the day gives you strength and happiness which is eating clean and feeling good in your own skin. When you learn that feeling healthy, thin and fit makes you happy and that happiness helps everything else in your life, that is when you will make it a priority everyday.

What it all comes down to at the end of the day is – It’s always a choice – YOUR CHOICE – Do you want it or do you want to talk about it. Do you want to sit and think about it or are you willing to work hard at it everyday. Every possibility is out there for you. No one can make you be overweight and no one can make you be successful – you have to want it, work for it and fight it. Don’t make excuses – you are no different than anyone else. If you are willing to fight for what you want and put the work in everyday then you can have it too. First decide what you want in life, what makes you happy –  and then go after it. You need to want it and work for it everyday. It will never just happen if you are not working for it consistently. So if you want it, plan it and make sure you are ready to put the work in 110%. Successful people don’t work at things when they feel like it or when it’s convenient for them – They work all the time – 24/7 that’s why they are successful. While you are sleeping they are working out. While you are watching TV – they are preparing their meals for the next week. Success is about putting in 110% and getting 110% out of it.   If it sounds like a lot then you don’t want it enough. If it’s something you really want eventually it won’t even feel like work. It will be a part of your happy life. Start now – life is short make sure every minute of your day counts toward something that is important to you and your future.

 

 

 

 

I know many of you think you have this under control. Just like all the other holidays – Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years…you get my picture? But this holiday is not one you want to play around with. Because what follows Memorial Day weekend?… SUMMER! This is not a holiday that if you go off for 5 days you will have time to reverse the damage. NOPE! This is a holiday that when it’s over – it’s really just beginning. The very last thing you want to do is throw away everything you have worked so hard for. And we all know it doesn’t take much to do that. Listen, I would love to tell you that you can go and enjoy your weekend and not worry about your plan – go ahead and eat whatever you want, life is short. But you can’t because you will not only gain the weight back that you lost but you will be miserable come Tuesday morning. Not only will you be miserable, I can guarantee if I asked you to tell me what was so amazing that you ate you wouldn’t be able to tell me. Because truthfully, if anything is amazing that you “NEED OR WANT” then you will have it on your Cheat Day.

Having fun, celebrating and doing all the things you want to do this weekend can be done without over eating. You need to have a plan and stick to it. Because if you don’t and you try and wing it I can promise you that Tuesday morning will come around and you will be miserable looking for some quick fix (that doesn’t exist) to make it all better. Instead, let’s try to do the right thing that will work for you the whole weekend.

DRINKING: If you are drinking – and it’s not water 🙂  – you save your snacks for the alcohol. If you know that you lose control after two then only sip one through the night or have two far apart with lots of water in between. Losing control with the alcohol is not good for you, your weight loss or the people that are trying to enjoy the party around you. If you want to be the talk of the party then make sure the only thing they are talking about how great you looked.

ONE CHEAT DAY: If you want to continue to lose this weekend and treat it like any other weekend then you will have ONE CHEAT DAY and you will be very mindful through the other days. You will go and have fun and enjoy and do all the right things like it’s any other day that you are celebrating with family and friends that you love. But you will not eat like it’s a cheat except for one day over the weekend. It is very doable and you will continue to lose if you follow this.

Do you want to maintain through the holiday weekend? Maintain can be tricky because you need to know your boundaries. You choose to eat clean all day and only go off for dinner and dessert or dinner and drinks or just drinks. Remember, just because it’s a cheat doesn’t mean you can’t order a beautiful clean fish and steamed vegetables and just enjoy your wine or ice cream. Cheats don’t have to be all out cheats, they are supposed to be special.  Make sure you are cheating on things you love and miss. Never cheat just to cheat. If you follow this and do it Friday, Saturday, and Sunday – or Saturday, Sunday and Monday then you will maintain and when Tuesday morning comes you will feel like you stayed in control and you are not starting over but just continuing on to your weight loss week.

GAIN? Do you want to gain through the holiday weekend? This sounds so simple right! But what is really disturbing is that it’s even easier than it sounds.  You can’t have a Cheat Day and then cheat meals. You can’t do cheating throughout each day with no plan. Trust me, you will forget and think that you weren’t that bad – when in fact you were really bad. While every one of us is different and what we can tolerate is different, when it comes to weight gain I can promise you that if you are overdoing it every day and lose control you will gain weight and it may be more than you can imagine.