– If you are even thinking of pushing off your starting day another day or week you need to refocus right now and realize that life is never going to stop for you to lose weight. Start now and make it happen. You will always have a party, an event and dinners out. You need to make this a way of life and the only way to do that is to incorporate the parties and the dinners and learn how to eat at them.
– If you have a lunch or dinner out and it’s not your Cheat Day – You should NEVER EVER be THINKING…“Should I stay clean or go off?” – WHAT?! Never should that even be a thought. There is no should I or could I. There are no deals to be made with yourself. You have done plenty of that and look at where it has gotten you. You need to be in SHARK mode and if it’s not your Cheat Day then you are on program regardless of where you are or what you have going on in your life.
– If you are ever feeling a little weak – Take out your skinny pants and try them on. Look online for a bathing suit you want to be in. Shorts and sun dresses – because the next vacation along with spring will be here in a blink of an eye. This is the time you get in shape. You start now – you don’t wait for it to be here and then try and start. You do it now so when vacations and warm weather arrive you are ready!

1. Chia fills you up quickly and will keep you feeling full and satisfied for hours. This is due to it’s swelling nature. Chia swells up to 9 times its size when placed in any liquid and so it grows and this expanding quality gives you a full feeling without high calories.

2. Chia gives you energy. It is called the “runner’s seed” and is well known for giving strength, endurance and stamina to those who consume it.

3. Chia balances your blood sugar levels, making it great for diabetics and those with hyperglycemia.

4. High protein. Chia has all 9 essential amino acids in proper proportions as well as many non essential amino acids. It’s a muscle building superfood!

5. EFA’s. Chia has a similar essential fatty acid profile as flax seed, with an ideal ratio (3:2) of it’s omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.

6. Fiber. Chia has a high fiber content which helps with elimination and is beneficial in that it sweeps the toxins out of your body. Chia contains both soluble and insoluble fiber. The interior of the seed is coated with soluble fibers which gel, making you feel full, and is beneficial in keeping the colon hydrated. The exterior is protected with insoluble fiber, which does not contribute calories or break down, but aids the movement of food and keeps the digestive process flowing smoothly.

7. Chia is high in antioxidants, which is unusual for most seeds, but chia has them!

8. High in nutrients. Not only is chia considered a complete protein, have an abundance of EFA’s, beneficial fiber but it also is packed with minerals and vitamins. It is a true nutritional superfood!

9. Brain power. Chia has a great combination of nutrients and EFA’s to make it great for your thinking, memory and focusing abilities. It will help to make you smart!

10. Weight loss. The combination of making you feel full quickly for hours and getting high levels of nutrition in addition to lots of fiber make it an amazing weight loss food.

Although we look forward to this time of year for weeks and months, the holidays can bring a special kind of stress into our lives. Our to do list can get out of control, and time seems to fly by twice as fast. We hardly have time to sleep or get our thoughts together, let alone eat healthy or go food shopping. We wish that we could stay on our path and feel fit and in control during the holidays, but we feel like life can get in the way. The truth is, we have to be extra vigilant and committed in this time, because as much as we feel like it’s impossible to lose or maintain during the holidays – it is possible. Keep an eye out for these holiday sabotages that can throw you off your path.

Stress

All of us feel stress at some time or another, but the holidays can push us even further. Between shopping, cooking, planning, visiting family, traveling, weather and holiday breaks, many of us are thrown off our game. Disruption to our daily routines can distract us, so we have to find ways to stay grounded and in control. Make sure you are stocked with all the healthy foods you need, and look to the future to make sure you are prepared for holiday parties, events or other plans. Whether you are spending the day shopping, going out with family, hosting or attending a party or any other festive plans – be prepared! There are two weeks until Christmas and Hanukkah so there shouldn’t be any surprises.

Snacking

Having healthy snacks on hand is essential. When we are driving around from store to store shopping, spending hours walking around the mall, or spending time with our family and friends, a healthy snack will save you. We’ve all been there – we are shopping at the mall, completely exhausted and starving, low energy and just spent. That’s when we see it – the chocolate display at the checkout:

Just when we are feeling weak, we are faced with temptation. It’s a trick – they want you to think you are buying it as a gift, but moments later you’ll be eating it yourself. We are looking for sugar, energy or something to pick us up and this seems like the perfect thing. We think, “it’s okay, just a little bit of chocolate just this once” or “I did so much walking around the mall today so it won’t matter” – but it does. The only thing you can do is just say no. Make sure you have a bottle of water, and nuts or a protein bar or an Innovation snack in your bag so when you hit a low point you have options. It will also help you stay on track because you don’t want to skip eating all together then come home starving and binge. Make your shopping days healthy weight loss days.

Be Picky

These next few weeks are all about choices. We can let distractions or stress get in our way and derail us, or we can persevere and be successful. Just remember that it’s not all about the food. Pick and choose your Cheat Days and opportunities to indulge, and remember that you can have fun and embrace the holidays without giving up your healthy habits. When faced with a buffet or dinner, know all your options before digging in. Look for salad, veggies and simply cooked protein. Even if you snack on something healthy then wait and have a meal when you get home, you will be glad you were selective. When it comes to office parties or shared treats, summon your willpower and find a nice way to say no thank you. If you wouldn’t normally eat it, don’t give in because it’s dressed in festive wrappers.

The holidays will be here before we know it – this year, make sure you are in a good place and you will see what really matters. It’s not the food on your plate but the people who surround you.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

When you are hungry it most likely means that you are losing weight. That’s how your body tells you it wants more because it’s used to having more. It means that you are taking in less food than what your body is use to – and that’s why it’s hungry. But it’s also why you are losing weight. If you give it anything extra than what is on you program you will go from a losing day to a maintain day. In order for you to maintain, your body needs to get the amount of food you need to sustain your current weight. But if you feed it a little less, just enough to be a little hungry – that’s when you know you are losing weight. Because the bottom line is you need to take in less than what your body needs to lose the weight.

• STAY AWAY FROM THE SCALE! The best thing you can do right now is stay away from the scale. It’s going to take a couple of days before you should even begin to look at the number. The first couple of days are deflating days. By Wednesday/ Thursday you should be fine to see where you are at. But just know you will still have a couple of days left after that to see the numbers go down. By Saturday you will be in a much better place mentally and physically. You will be back in control and your numbers will reflect it.
• BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MENU- I said it before and I will say it forever. I know it’s very tempting to do something really drastic to get the weight off. But you have to remind yourself, if it was that easy then everyone would be thin. The best thing to do is go back to your meals and snacks that you were doing before you went off program. You can’t go from eating everything in sight to eating nothing. So go back to your meals and snack and follow your plan. I promise in a couple of days you will be back to feeling in control and on your path.