How often we say it.  How often we promise to do it.  Yet, how rarely do we actually do the best we can? When we do — when we use all our efforts, when we push through old and new boundaries — the satisfaction is enormous and the rewards are sweeter because we earned them.  But the first thing you have to come to terms with is your best really your best?  Mindset is everything when it comes to weight loss.  When you wake up in the morning and tell yourself —  “That’s it!” — You are tired of giving every one else your best,  NOW you are going to give yourself your best too!!  You are going to put yourself in a place that no matter what —  you will do the right thing.  You will make sure you walk away when you have to and you will plan, prepare and follow through each day.  You not only promise yourself — but you fight through the tough times and you don’t let anything  or anyone set you back.  So don’t just SAY you are going to try your best THINK IT, BELIEVE IT AND DO IT.  Because if you believe that you are going to be amazing then you will be amazing and if you think it’s too hard you can’t do it — you won’t do it.

Halloween Pumpkins, Ghosts, Thanksgiving, Fall Shopping, Leaves Changing….

What is not to Love about Fall?!

FALL IN LOVE WITH TAKING CARE OF YOUR BODY:  Sometimes it’s not enough to just take care of your body.  When you FALL in love with taking care of your mind and body it can be life changing.  It doesn’t matter where you are right now — if you are just starting, have been on program or returning…  wherever you are the most important thing to start with is to remind yourself daily how important it is to feel good about yourself and how happy it makes you when you are doing the right things —  and you are the only person that can make that happen.

DON’T JUST DO THE PROGRAM — LIVE THE PROGRAM

In the beginning of the program (the first couple of weeks) you just need to get through the weeks to get to your cheat day.  The Cheat Day is life saving as it helps you stay on program the other six weight loss days.  but after a couple of weeks and after seeing some really nice changes — it should start to become more than getting through your six clean days to get to your cheat day.  In fact, it should start to reverse.   You should start to live for the six clean days.  The Cheat Day is fun and always look forward to it, but your body and mind should begin to understand and take notice that you feel your very best on your six clean days.  Mentally you start to look forward to them — at the end of your Cheat Day you can’t wait to eat clean the next day.  You can’t wait for a couple of clean days to pass — so you can feel better and get back to the lighter and cleaner feeling you love.  You can’t wait to get back on the track of eating clean knowing that you are back to fueling your body with healthy and clean eating and in return it’s working your numbers in the right direction.  By mid week you should begin to get excited wondering what you will lose this week.  The closer you are to your menu the more weight you will lose.  Will you see a new number and will it be the lowest one you have seen in a long time?  It is so exciting to take care of yourself to the point of loving it.  Loving how you feel and loving how it’s changing you mentally and physically.  When you love feeling good, healthy, lighter, fitter and thinner there is truly no better feeling and no better way to live.  It’s a positive addiction that you should want and love.

TRUE STORY:  Clients literally text me all the time and say “I have to start sending my food again”, or “I have to get back on program.”  A client just texted me yesterday and said “I have to get back on program.  I don’t know why I go off program every time I am off program I am miserable and when I’m on program doing the right things and taking care of my body I am so happy.  My husband told me last night it’s time to get back to Josephine.  He didn’t say it because of the weight he said it because he knows how happy and good I feel when I am on program and he sees how miserable I am when I’m off.”   MY RESPONSE: YAY!!!! — that of course makes me so happy!  I never want anyone unhappy but it absolutely thrills me when clients realize that being on program is when they are the happiest.  They are the happiest because they feel the best.  So why do we go off program when being on makes us so happy?  The answer is simple — no matter how great being on program makes us feel we will always have little slip ups and hiccups because life gets in the way.  And once it’s in the way and we lose that control —  our brain takes over and it can take days, weeks and sometimes months to get back on path.  But the most important thing is that you do get back on path because you know that is when you feel the absolute best!

FOCUS:  This week try focusing on your six clean days instead of focusing on your Cheat Day.  Think about each  day and how good you feel when you go to bed because you followed the program and stayed 100%, and think about how amazing you feel when you wake up.  Whenever we do the right things for our body it changes us as people.  We are happier, and proud of ourself and how we are treating our bodies.  We are proud of the way we look and feel.  I don’t think anyone can say that they don’t feel anything but amazing when they get dressed in the morning and feel great in their clothes.  If you want that to be you then you need to work for it.  If you want to feel good all week then you need to stay focused and positive about your clean days.  Don’t focus on the one Cheat Day — focus on how you feel the six clean days…  you feel lighter, healthier, thinner — and how you feel when you followed all week and at the end of that week you step on the scale — so proud, super happy, like you want to jump around and tell the world you did it — you followed you lost weight and you feel great!!

FALLING IN LOVE WITH WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WHAT IT’S DOING FOR YOU:  When you do the right things for your body, and make the right choices, and fuel your body with the right foods, you feel better.  Some weeks will always be harder than others but if you stay true to what you want and what makes you feel the best and keep positive everyday knowing this is what makes you happy — then you will start falling in love with what you are doing and what it’s doing for you.  When this happens you will never want to go back to treating your body unhealthy — because you know feeling like that makes you unhappy.  Why would you want to do anything that makes you unhappy or not feel good?  Stay positive and remember what makes you feel your best and what makes the changes in your body the best it can be.  Stay focused and positive on your six clean days and how they are changing your body and then you will truly enjoy your cheat day.

LOVE THE RESULTS:  As much as you love and enjoy the Cheat Day you realize that every consecutive six clean days that you complete is what is changing your body.  It’s changing how you look, it’s changing the scale and most important, it’s changing how you feel.  When you fall in love with taking care of our body and fall in love with feeling the very best that you can — it no longer is about the one Cheat Day a week.  It’s about the six clean days that you are fueling you body with healthy clean portioned foods that make you feel your best.

There is no better feeling than taking care of yourself.  There is no better feeling than doing the right thing for your body and your mind.  There is no better feeling than being the best you can be.

“LOVE YOURSELF INSIDE AND OUT”

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

This past weekend was pretty awesome.  We had so many clients losing weight and reaching numbers they thought they would never see.  Super super exciting!  I love that I can just see, hear, and feel the excitement in the clients.  Everyone is really working hard and in a “hardcore”state of mind to reverse the quarantine weight, and/or reach new goals or see numbers they have not seen in years.

For most of you, the Innovation Program is not a diet — it’s a way of life.  You live it and you love the way it makes you feel.  And this is the time of year — especially after quarantine that you know how important it is to give it that little extra hard work that really pulls it all together so you get the very best results every single week.  For others, this is all new and while you may be just starting or in it for a couple of weeks — it will come together and you all of a sudden realize how hard you have to work to lose weight but you also realize when you do work hard and stay on your path and eat clean 6 days at 110% consistency — that’s when you will get the best results.  I say it all the time… in all aspects of life if you work hard you will get the results.  Weight loss is something you should not mind working hard at because it’s for your health both mentally and physically.  — My clients love to send me pics (and I absolutely love getting them) and I can’t begin to describe the changes in clients when they lose weight and eat clean — and how it gives them an extra bounce in their step and personality — it’s sheer happiness that is beaming from their healthy hydrated skin.

It’s mid – July  and everyone is just so excited to be losing weight and really excited to be feeling great and doing the right thing.  It’s truly when you can enjoy the most is when you feel great.  So if you want to enjoy the vacation out east or the extra drinks throughout the week you must stay on program because you can enjoy and lose weight — and when you do both that is when you feel great.  When you feel great is when you truly enjoy everything you are doing.  You ever notice when you feel great how contagious it is — everyone wants to be a part of feeling great.  There is so much sadness is the world — today you have to make sure you appreciate and enjoy every bit of happiness that comes your way.  Most important is to make sure you are creating your own happiness everyday.  That’s what you do on the Program — you do the right thing and lose weight and feel great and it gives you happiness that you have 100% control over.

If you want to be that happy person and you want to put your clothes on and feel good and go out and feel amazing, if you want that happy feeling of control in what you are doing — then you need to be 110% committed to the program and to yourself.  If you are, I promise you that you will feel the best and you will l look the best you every thought possible.

My last thought for you on this beautiful day …. IT’S HARD — weight loss is hard — BUT IT’S SO WORTH IT.  Will you feel hungry?  Yes, you will feel hungry but think about it — you feel hungry even on the days you are over eating.  So at least when you have a little hunger now you know that it’s because you are losing weight and getting results from it.  The clients that have done amazing and continue to do amazing know how tough it is and when it get’s tough they remind themselves how much they want this and how important it is to them.  If you want it then don’t let anything or anyone get in your way.  Don’t look back and wish you did better over quarantine – because it doesn’t matter that time has passed and the only thing you can do right now is stop making excuses and move on to a better today, tomorrow and week.  Don’t bother looking back — only look forward because that is what you have control over.  Don’t let another week go by without doing the right thing because it will only add up and the longer you delay it the harder it will be.  If you do it right now and focus on a better today, then tomorrow will be easier and by next week you will feel amazing and in control. If you want to feel great, happy, lighter and enjoy your summer feeling inspired, motivated and in control — then you have to put the work in starting today and you have to commit to yourself and live the program.  Eat clean 6 days a week and enjoy your once a week cheat day.  Before you know it  you will be the happy, excited, inspired person waking up, jumping out of bed and excited to get dressed.  Because you feel good and there is nothing better than feeling good about yourself especially when you know that YOU are the one who made it happen.

It’s not something you can wish for — it’s something you have to WORK for.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

4TH OF July Weekend has arrived — it’s time to make your choice and stick to it.

As many of your know it doesn’t take much to gain weight.  All it takes is not thinking, not planning, and frequently over indulging — very easy to do any time of the year but especially over a long holiday weekend.

THIS WEEKEND

you have 3 choices — Lose, Maintain, or Gain

WEIGHT LOSS:  If you are really motivated and the weight loss means everything to you and you don’t want anything in your way of reaching your goals then you will continue to stick to your menu and ONLY HAVE ONE CHEAT DAY THIS WEEKEND.  That means no extras at all.  Simply stick to your meals and snacks and only cheat the ONE cheat day.  If you do this and treat this weekend like any other weekend you will continue to stay on your path and lose weight.  Will it be easy — that depends on how much you have going on  — it also depends on what is most important to you.  While some can go to a BBQ and focus more on how they feel others are challenged by what is around them.  These are choices only you can make.  There are always options — if you are going out make sure you bring what you need or make sure they will have what you need available to you.  Plan before not after.  Don’t give yourself reasons to do the wrong thing.  If you want to stay on program and feel your best then follow your plan and stick to your clean meals and snacks.  The most important thing is to make your choice before you go and stick with what you plan.

MAINTAINING:  If you have a lot going on this weekend and you feel really good about where you are and you want to enjoy a little extra then you will split your days.  You pick 2 out of the 3 days and you stay on program for breakfast and lunch and cheat dinner, drinks and/or desserts; and you do it Friday and Saturday OR Saturday and Sunday or Friday and Sunday (you choose 2 days of the long weekend and cheat any one meal, drinks and/or desserts and the rest of the day you are 100% on program).  If you follow this you will maintain your weight through the holiday weekend — very doable.  But again the most important thing is to make a choice, plan for it and then stick to it.

WEIGHT GAIN:  Very easy to do but NEVER an option!

We always talk about planning and how important it is. But what is more important is following through on the planning.  Do the right things and make sure that if you planned on being 110% today — then you are 100%.  If you planned on cheating for dinner and dessert and then right back on the next day — make sure you go right back on the next day — no excuses.  If you planned on being off program 2 nights but clean all day then make sure you do it.  Always think things through — what is tomorrow going to feel like, and what the end result of your choices will be.  Will it make you happy? Is it worth it? Think about where you are today and where do you want to be come Monday.  Learn to live and enjoy today but plan for what you want and where you want to be tomorrow.

ALCOHOL – THINK BEFORE YOU DRINK:  One drink you are okay — TWO drinks you are forgetting what is important to you — THREE drinks you are done. It’s not the alcohol that is the issue it’s what the alcohol makes you do and what it makes you forget.  It’s fun to have but it can be very damaging on so many levels.  Remember to think before you drink.  Like everything else have a plan and know how many you are having and stick to what you plan.  Drink water throughout it’s hydrating and it keeps your hands busy.

FINAL THOUGHTS…. whether you want to lose weight this weekend or maintain you can do it.  You follow your plan and decide before so you know what you are doing and what the outcome will be.  Think things through and always remember that just because it’s a holiday weekend that you want to enjoy and celebrate doesn’t mean that you need to cheat at everything you go to or everyday of the weekend.  You can enjoy and celebrate everything without constantly indulging unhealthy weight gaining foods.  We know you will feel better mentally and physically and have a happier time staying on program.  When you can be amazing and on program do it because every good healthy clean choice can make the difference between maintaining and gaining.  And all the choices you make as the weekend progresses will make the difference in how you look and feel each day.

You are the only person who can make the excuse of why you are going off program and you are the only person who can give yourself a better excuse of why you are staying on program.  Monday is only 4 days away — think about how you want to wake up and feel when the weekend is behind you.

Make good choices today so you don’t have regrets tomorrow

Innovation Wishes everyone a Happy, Healthy and Safe 4th of July

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick 

With the holidays approaching and schedules are full I know many of you are already thinking — how am I going to get through this coming week— when in reality it shouldn’t be that difficult.  Holidays should be about you being surrounded with family and friends and celebrating love, health, happiness and the New Year and the blessings it brings.   Just like the mind controls the body — how you treat and celebrate Rosh Hashanah will reflect the rest of your year.  With that said you do not want to go in saying one thing and doing another.   So if you plan on staying clean do it and if you plan on cheating enjoy it.  The important thing is to follow through on what you plan.

I think one of the most important things about the Innovation Program is it gives you the opportunity to have a cheat day once a week.  It’s meant to be a day where you can enjoy without guilt.  However, we sometimes get caught up in when we want it that is most convenient for us VS. when we should use it.  Let me explain further….  if you normally have a cheat day on Saturday  — but you are celebrating Rosh Hashanah on Monday because that is when you will be with family and friends then you should use Monday as your cheat day.  Instead what we tend to do is go on about how we don’t like the food that is going to be served, and we don’t want to waste a cheat day on a holiday.  So instead you have the Cheat Day on the Saturday like you normally do so you can indulge in what you want — but then you end up having Matzo Ball Soup, Challah bread and a couple of drinks on the holiday…. all while telling yourself it wasn’t that much.  And you will justify it by saying you did not want to be that person who couldn’t eat.  But in reality you didn’t have to be that person — you could have just chosen to use your cheat day on the holiday as that is exactly what it is for.   So now you have had two cheat days and you could have easily had one and saved it for the holiday to enjoy with those you love —  or as we know family and holidays are tricky — you could have enjoyed your cheat day on the holiday with a couple of extra drinks if you happen to be surrounded by those you love but drive you crazy 🙂

If we are going to ask something from the Almighty then we should be prepared to help him out.  — If you want the right things in your life then you have to do the right things to make it happen.  Rosh Hashanah is about starting your New Year with asking G-d to grant a year of peace, prosperity, and blessings of health and happiness.  But we must remember even when we ask for blessings — it’s up to us to do the right things to make them happen.  If you ask for positive in your life but take all negative steps after asking — then 9 out of 10 times you will get negative results.  One of the most important things we learn in any religion is that asking is not enough —  and it shouldn’t be enough.  Anything you ask, pray or hope for has to be followed up with positive work to receive what you want.  It’s not ask and you shall receive—  it’s ask, and then follow that request up with hard work and positive steps.  Only then will you have the greatest chance of achieving the most precious life changing results.

RECAP…   getting through the weekend and the holidays shouldn’t be stressful when it comes to food.  You pick your cheat and you follow your plan.  It’s like any other weekend — you can’t cheat more than one day and expect to lose weight that week.  If you stick to your 6 days on and 1 day off you will lose.  Keep it all in perspective.  If you want to ask, pray or hope for a great healthy year then follow it up by starting the holiday with doing what you planned.  If you are cheating then cheat and enjoy, and if you are staying on program — then plan it and follow through.   There are always options and having the cheat day gives you the flexibility to stay on program or have your cheat day and enjoy.

Whether it’s weight loss, happiness, health, love, career, prosperity OR all of the above — regardless of what or who you believe in it all  comes down to doing the right things, working hard and staying on your healthy path.  Because as we all know positive actions = positive results.

Don’t ask G-d to guide your footsteps if you are not willing to move your feet

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Hi Everyone!  This is your Mid-August Check in!  I just want to make sure that everyone is on the right path because we all know how easy we can take a wrong turn.  Seriously, the end of August is so dangerous for so many reasons.  Vacations, no schedules, the feeling that the end is coming or the very common and damaging — Im just gonna “wait” until September to get back on track—   I’m reminding you not to do it to yourself.  I’m not saying that I want you to be perfect.  I know in August that is not realistic for so many of you and that is okay.  But what I am reminding you is that regardless of where you are right now if you have a plan and stick to it you will feel so much better than going completely off the cliff and then trying to climb back up in September.

Put everything aside regardless of what you have done up until now.  Good, bad or somewhere in between let’s continue to move forward in a very positive mindset.  From now until Labor Day have a plan and follow it through. 

Planning is so important because it helps us understand what we are actually capable of at this moment.  Different times of the year we are capable of different things.  Some may be more strict in the winter or the summer or right before vacation.  For others they are strict because they are getting married or turning a certain age, or planning big parties and celebrations.  We all want to look and feel our best when big exciting things are going on in our life.  It creates motivation that comes on more urgent and rapid.  And that’s great because we can use it to our advantage when we have it.  But when you don’t have that sudden urgency is when you have to maybe have more of a realistic plan.  One that fits you right now.

What I want you to think about is where you are right now.  If you are struggling to stay on program then change your day.  Maybe your plan is too strict for what your life is right now.  Maybe you need an extra on program snack or to add in a  drink or two or an extra cheat meal on the weekends when it’s not your cheat day.   Remember whatever changes you make right now are not forever.  They are for right now.  So add an on program extra snack or change whatever part of the day or week you are struggling with to give yourself a little extra.  Im always here to help you navigate your day.  But the point is to have the plan so you know what you are trying to achieve.  Even if you won’t lose as much the key is you will follow through on your planned day and even more important you won’t gain.  Once you get through your planned day you will feel more accomplished and then maybe next week or the week after you can start to make it even more of a weight loss day by getting rid of the extra snack or extra cheats.  Make the plan realistic for you this week and once you get a solid week of following your plan then you will feel better and more confident moving forward.

REMINDER:  For those going on vacation it’s so important to follow through with your plan.  If you don’t follow your plan you know by mid vacation you are going to be miserable with how you feel.  Stick to your plan – even if the plan includes when you are cheating it’s still a plan and will keep you in a great place mentally which is what vacation is about.  Vacation is not about going and sabotaging yourself – putting you in a place of feeling bloated, heavy and miserable.  Vacation is about resting the mind, having some fun with those you love and staying in a great place of happiness — making happy memories.

Maintain – Follow your program and have planned cheat meals when needed.  When you do this you must follow the 80-20.  Eat clean 80% of the time and 20% of the day you are off (maybe dinner and drinks or dinner dessert or for the breakfast lovers you cheat breakfast and clean the rest of the day).  Plan it and follow through and I promise you will feel so much better come September.  You may not be exactly where you want to be but you will feel so much better than where you could be.

Losing Weight Is Always an Option –  Now of course if you want to lose weight you can do that!  I can’t tell you how many clients have continued to lose weight this summer.  Just to mention a few we have very exciting — Joe just reached his 50lb weight loss this past weekend!!  Woo Hoo!!! So proud of him!!  And Lauren reached her super awesome 25lb loss and Ilene is at her new low since she started!  I can go on and on about the clients that lost weight this summer.  They went into the summer with a plan to stay on program and lose weight and they are following through with it.  So if that is something you want to do- don’t wait — start now and do it.

Do the right thing and you will feel so much better – Whether it’s weight loss, work, family, relationships, vacations — life is about planning and following through and doing the right things.  The reason we do this is because it’s what makes us happy.  We feel accomplished, and we want to be our best, we want to feel healthy and yes we want to look good.  We have one life and we want to have that balance of enjoing it but also working hard and being your best while you do it.   When you have a plan you can accomplish all those things.  Yes some days are going to be super easy and other days will feel like the most difficult days, but if you stick to your plan you will always get better results both mentally and physically.

Final Thoughts –  Just because it’s a plan doesn’t make it easy.  We all have difficult days and it’s on the hardest days tha you have to find your strength to follow through.  Reach down and find it and talk yourself through it.  You are capable of so much more than you might be willing to work for at that moment but if you get past that one moment of weakness you will feel so much better and it will make such a big difference on so many levels.

THERE ARE PLANNER AND DREAMERS

PLANNERS MAKE THEIR DREAMS COME TRUE.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

MARCH IS THE MONTH OF TRANSITIONS

This week has been mentally tough for everyone.  With the threats of snow and the cold weather it can be challenging to remember why we are restricting ourselves from all the comforting foods we could be having.  but this is the time you have to constantly remind yourself that summer is going to sneak up on you and when it does you want to be ready.

In only a couple of short week we will be taking the coats off.  Think back to a time when you were not ready to reveal yourself.  It could have been last spring or last week on vacation.  When everyone is taking coats off and you wished you could keep yours on because you were not mentally or physically ready to reveal what was underneath.  March and April are transition months when the weather changes from Cold-to Warm – to Some very Hot Days.  Think of this as your transition months as well.  you want to take where you are right now and continue on with where you want to be.  When it’s hot you want to be ready for it and when coats come off and shorts go on you want to be following the same transition from winter to spring to summer.  you don’t want to be that one person walking around with a winter coat on or a long sweater because you didn’t do what was good for you right now.

Think about and motivate yourself for what you have coming up in the Spring and Summer.  Whether it’s Graduation parties, Vacations, Bar Mitzvah or Sweet 16.  Keep reminding yourself that you are preparing right now to be and feel the best you can for what’s ahead.  Shop online for spring and summer outfits and bathing suits.  It doesn’t always have to be a special occasion it can just be that you want to be prepared for the BBQ and Beach season that you love and want to be ready to enjoy.  When it’s 90 outside you don’t want to be in cover ups and long jeans.  You want to be feeling good and confident in your skin and your clothes.

Living the program makes you happy.  When you get through these tough weeks you will feel so much better and you will feel the mental strength that comes with staying strong and on your path.  When you follow your program and you get through these tougher weeks the results will be amazing.  The sun will be warmer and you feel better and you look better and act better.  We have had a lot of returning clients in the last two weeks. Some come back just to reboot – others may have let vacations and holidays get the best of the them  — some just feel better when they come in.  But what I have learned from all of them is one thing they all seem to say — Being on program feels so much better than being off program.  It doesn’t matter if they weren’t cheating everyday – it’s really not about that.  It’s about having the control, and that amazing feeling of lightness in your body that you feel when you live the program.  As soon as they had the feelings of being off for an extended period of time whether it be 2 weeks or 2 months they realized that they started to not feel well — feeling sluggish, out of control, and just not as happy as when they are on program.  It doesn’t take long both mentally and physically to learn that your body responds best to living the program.

When you don’t do the right thing by your body it takes away confidence and self control.  You quickly fall into sabotages and bad habits and before you know it you look back and think why did I do something that made me unhappy/  I was so happy on program and doing the right things for my body and mind.  Yes – just like this week – it may sometimes feel restricting but that is such a better and easier feeling than not being able to get your pants on or feeling the lack of confidence when you are walking into work or attending a party.  Or most important just feeling miserable in general because you just don’t feel good about yourself or your health.

The truth is feeling good about yourself and eating healthy is the most important thing you can do.  It sets up your day anyhow you perform in it.  From taking care of your family, to being productive at work.  When you don’t do the right things and you don’t feel good about yourself it affects everything including your confidence.  It’s not always easy but you must make it a priority to stay on your path.  I see you all and read the texts and I know when you are on and feeling good you are completely different from being off and not feeling good about yourself.  So while March may be challenging and difficult I can assure you that the challenge of staying on program is going to be a lot easier than the challenge of entering into Spring and Summer in a body that you don’t feel good in.

The First Step to Transitioning is Deciding that you are

Not Going to Stay Where you Are!

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

With just a hop skip and a jump you will be on Holiday Break.  As fast as it arrives it will be gone.  So make sure you enjoy every second of it and do tithe way that will make you the happiest – with No Regrets.

Here are some Holiday Tips and Advice I would like to share with you:

1. Whether you are on the beach, the mountain or home you should be drinking water throughout the day.  Dehydration can cause hunger, headaches, constipation and fatigue.  Plan your water intake throughout the day.  for example a great practice is to drink an 8oz bottle of water when you wake up first thing.  Your body is dehydrated from sleep and the activities from the night before – whatever that may have been.  So wake up and drink.  Every time you plan a meal or a snack drink 8 oz of water before you eat.  You will not only consume less but you will feel and look so much better throughout the day.  ** Did you know that alcohol and caffeine are diuretics.  If you are drinking alcohol or any caffeinated drinks – make sure you have a glass of water in between every drink.
2. Stay of the gym BUT stay active on Vacation.  You want to change it up of your mind and body and vacation is the perfect time to do that.  On the mountain go skiing, sledding, shoe walking, or horseback riding.  On the beach take a long walk or jog on the sand.  Go swimming.  Do an outdoor yoga or bootcamp.  Enjoy your surroundings and plan activities according to the weather you are in.  If you are staying home with the family play hide and seek or tag.  Go bowling or ice skating.  Take long walks in the park or go hiking.  It will be enjoyable and nice change for the mind body and great family time.
3. Always always plan your meals and snacks.  Regardless on vacation or home you need to plan your meals and snacks because believe it or not while it’s uncomfortable to over do it at home it’s even worse to over do it on vacation.  Whether you are home or on Vacation you want to choose one of the following to keep you on track:

• STAY ON PROGRAM:  and follow your 6 clean days and 1 cheat day.  If you do this you will of course lose weight and feel great.  Plan your food and snacks in advance each day.  if you are drinking then that is your snacks.  if you follow the 6/1 I would recommend having your cheat day at the end of the week before you go home.  All week long you can make a list of the foods/snacks/desserts you see that you want try on your cheat day.  If you save the Cheat Day for right before you return you will have a much better chance of sticking to the 6 clean days.
• SPLIT THE HOLIDAYS:  We have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and New years eve and New Years Day.  If you split them and stay clean all day and only off at night – Dinner and Drinks or Dinner and Dessert.  You do it for both Holidays with super clean days in between.  You will absolutely maintain but for many will still have a great chance of losing if you have SHARK DAYS in between.
• MAINTAIN YOUR VACATION:   If you feel you need the break from the everyday mindsets vacation is a good time to take advantage of it.  Whether you are homer away you will choose one meal and one dessert/drinks each day.  The remainder of the day keep clean. So for example you might do Muffin for breakfast and bar for lunch and then cheat dinner and dessert/or drinks (desserts are your drinks.  The next day you might decide to cheat at breakfast and eat clean the rest of the day with cheat dessert.  It’s up to you to choose each day your cheat.  The key is not to have a full cheat day that week.  You come home and you go right back on program.  No scale.  You go back on program for one week and then you go on the scale and you will see your  pre-vacation weight.

While I wish food and drinks didn’t play such a big part in how we feel – the reality is it does.  And Im a big believer in addressing things rather than ignoring them.  Since what we eat and drink affects our mindset and personality, I think it’s super important to think through how you want to feel and what is going to make you happy.  Do not cheat everyday if you  by mid week you will be miserable because that will use make everyone you are with miserable.  As hard as it may feel to stay on program – think about how hard it will be to feel bloated and uncomfortable in your own skin.  In not suggesting you stay 110% clean on vacation.  I know you all so well that I really believe there is a different option for each one of you.  But what I am telling you is that while going off program makes you feel free of stress and structure – if you over do it you will begin to feel uncomfortable and out of control and I don’t want you to have that feeling on your vacation.  Think about it and plan how often you can cheat and still feel okay.  Because when you start out in a bathing suit or snow pants and end up mid week in a cover up or feeling like frosty you have to be okay with it.

FINAL THOUGHTS:  Remind yourself two things.  It doesn’t matter how amazing you were up to this point.  You will feel the effects of daily over doing it and you will feel it quickly.  Smoke the choices because this vacation isn’t only about you it’s about your family and what mood they have to deal with when you lose control.  I know it’s the harsh reality but I’m telling you now so you don’t look back and feel like you should have made different choices.  You have all been on vacation before and you know what it does to you mentally and physically the you are consistently off program.  Some are okay with it and can just deal with the affects of it and go right back on program when they return — others will let it ruin the holiday/vacation mid way through.  Don’t do it.  this year you are going to THINK BEFORE YOU ACT and make sure your choices are what is good for you and all those you love.  And always remember if you lose control and you realized you over did it and start to feel uncomfortable there is a simple solution –  the very best thing to do is regardless of where you are you just go right back on program to a 110% shark day.  After one solid day back on program you will feel so much better.  We are always here for you if you need guidance – simply reach out.  Remember this isn’t about being perfect it’s about being happy.

HAPPINESS LOOKS AMAZING ON EVERYONE!

The most wonderful time of the year!  I thought today would be a perfect time to talk about the WEEKEND!  You know that really difficult time that everyone has keeping to one cheat day.  Yes I know we are in the most festive and the busiest time of the year.  I know we had parties every week. That’s why they call it the happiest season of all because everyone is eating and drinking!  But I also know how fast weight comes on and how much longer it takes to come off.   That’s why it’s important for me to remind all of you – the next two weekends are super important.  If you keep it to one cheat day a weekend you will see the number go in the right direction.  If you cheat a little the night before or the day after you will maintain.  It’s that simple.  to see the number go in the direction you want you must keep it to ONE CHEAT DAY A WEEK.  That includes No Extra’s at all.  Stick to your menu and you will feel the best and get the best results.

ALL THE MAGIC HAPPENS THE NIGHT BEFORE

If you weigh in Friday morning and your Cheat Day isn’t until Saturday you should not be cheating ” a little” Friday night.  Just because you weighed in does not give you the freedom to cheat Friday night.  If you cheat a little Friday night that will reflect in the following week.  You should not be drinking extra drinks or eating extra snacks you should stick to your meals and snacks on Friday like any other weight loss day and Cheat ONLY on your Cheat day.  Again this is only if you want the very best results every week.  Remember that all the magic happens at the end of the week so even if you weighed in Friday morning but your Cheat day is Saturday you stop the weight loss and the magic as soon as you are “off program” Friday night.

THE NEXT TWO WEEKENDS

There are only two weekends left until Break.  whether you are celebrating the holidays or vacationing or just hanging with the family – the real challenge will be from December 24th through Jan 1.  So for the Next week and two weekends keep it laser focused.  Live the program – 110% six clean days and only one cheat day.  You will go into the Holiday week feeling mentally and physically amazing, strong, healthy, thinner, happier and full of life!  Because when you do the right things it shows in everything about how you look feel and act.

THE STRUGGLE  THAT YOU FIGHT THROUGH

IS WHAT GIVES YOU THE RESULTS.