Monday! Yay! Hope everyone had an amazing Mothers Day! We had some super super weight loss numbers this week both locally and online from all over the world. Yes everyone seems to be doing the right thing, in the right direction and living the Innovation way. It’s always a lot easier when you know what works for you and then of course you do it. When staying on program – eating clean – eating less and having only one Cheat Day a week gives you the results you want then you do it. You make it happen and you work hard until it happens. Then before you know it, you start to experience week after week of weight loss. Week after week of feeling better, looking better, feeling happy, healthy and lighter – and in control. Everyone starts telling you and it feels great. You are in control of what you want and more importantly in control of your happiness. All the things you work so hard for come together and make it all worth it. Let’s face it – it is the results that make us motivated to do it again week after week. But not just the results on the scale. The results of feeling it, seeing it and hearing it. It makes it all worth walking away when we know it’s the right thing.

I love the happy texts and happy faces in the studio when clients do the right thing. Seeing the numbers go down every week makes everything you work so hard for so worth it. It’s not always easy – but sometimes our circumstances can make it easier than other times. For example, it’s always easier when it’s sunny than when it’s raining. It’s easier when we are heading into vacation than coming out of one, and it’s always easier before summer than in the middle of it. What it all comes down to is when we really want something we make it happen. When it means a lot to us – we do what we have to and stay on program, we follow our menu and we make sure nothing gets in our way. The key is to always make it the most important thing for you. If you know it’s what makes you happy then it should be first on your list. I can’t say it enough that while it may seem selfish to make your weight a priority, you have to reverse it and think how selfish it is to make those around you unhappy because you are not doing the right thing to make yourself happy. It’s a snowball affect. When you are making it the most important thing to you then you are happy and when you are happy you can make everyone around you happy too. Our choices don’t only reflect what we want and what we do to ourself but also those around us that love us.

If you have been amazing and on program think about your happiness. Has it changed you in a positive way? Do you not only feel better, do you act better to those you love? Even to strangers! Because when we are happy and feel good we walk around with a smile. We give out compliments and we want our happiness to be contagious to others around us. Think about it – do those around you seem happier? If they are happy it’s because you are happy. When you do the right things for your body and mind it makes you happy – and when you are happy you can truly enjoy others’ happiness. From little things to big things, you can enjoy and truly be happy for what is going on around you when you are truly happy with yourself.

If you haven’t been doing the right things you need to stop and think if it’s been affecting you mentally as well as physically. Are you grumpy, unhappy and short tempered because you don’t feel good? Does everything hurt from the time you wake up until you go to bed?  Are you living on tums and advil from over eating? Are you moving slower and feeling sad? If this is you and you don’t want it to be you, then only you can change it. I can be here for you and give you all the tools but you still have to do it. So take one moment today and think about where you are right now. Get a pen and paper and write down how you want to feel and what you need to do to change where you are. If summer is motivating for you then write down how you want to feel when summer arrives. Think about the clothes you want to wear and how you want to feel in them and write it down to remind yourself everyday of how important it is. Compare your feelings right now to how you wish you felt. Remind yourself of how you are the only person who can make it happen and think about all the successful people around you and learn from them that it really is possible to look and feel amazing everyday. And all it takes to feel that great every day is staying on your program all week. Follow your menu and it will take you to where you want to be. And remember, the only thing that is standing in your way is the temptation and the mindless eating. Whether it’s from boredom or stress of the family, work, business, life. Unfortunately those stresses will always come and go. It’s part of life and if we are lucky they will never be life threatening. Don’t make them life threatening with the foods you feed yourself to make you feel better. Because it’s always going to be the same food you grab over and over and still to this day doesn’t make you feel better or make the stress go away. It only makes it worse. In order to change your happiness you need to change your habits.

 

 

 

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

211 E 43rd Street Manhattan, NY 10019

You know what the best thing is about the Innovation program? You can literally go back on and follow your menu and within a couple of days you already feel lighter and healthier. You instantly get that self control back and you know that if you stay on, then in just a couple of weeks you will lose weight and feel great again. Sometimes the problem isn’t how to lose the weight but it’s how to stop falling into the temptations of life around you and gain the weight.

You have insecurities and doubts on your heels at all times just ready to take you down and wipe away any success that you have worked hard for. The temptations and excuses are always there so that anytime they can sway you from doing good to bad. Your doubts and anxiety are there because life is hard and it’s just so much easier to give in then to work hard everyday and do the right thing. But you always have to remind yourself – is that what you want? Yes, it’s easy to give in – but only after you give in and you find yourself in the place of uncomfortable misery of being bloated, thick and over weight is when you realize it’s not easy anymore. In fact, now you made it harder than it was before. You see, the truth is when we are hungry we want to believe that eating more will make it better. But it does’t. It will just make you look for the next thing and the next thing. You think that you will just go off and then go right back on. But reality is there is no “off” and “on” there is only “six” and “one”. Six is to stay on program and be the best you can be. Stay mindful, make the right choices, lose weight and when temptation hits and the little devil on your shoulder tells you to do the wrong thing that is when you have to be the strongest – you need to be a SHARK. It’s at that time that you have to remind yourself that it’s not the food that you want. What you want is to fit in your bathing suit this summer and go to the beach without feeling like you wish you were someone else.

LIFE IS EASIER ON PROGRAM: Everyone has social lives and everyone goes out all weekend. Kids, family, friends, holidays. Everyone can come up with at least 3 different days on the weekend to Cheat. But not everyone does. The clients who are successful keep it to one day. No matter what – it’s one day off. There is no difference from you and all the clients that have had so much success. They are just like you – yet they do it. It’s that important to them. When temptation came they fought hard and got passed it.  They Cheat one day a week and do not find reasons why they deserve more. They don’t give in. They know what is important to them and it’s not the food on the table. They know eating off program is not the answer to their happiness. That doesn’t mean it’s not hard. Life is hard and success is harder. But they fight for what they want and they stick to it and stay on the healthy path. They know that if they see something they really want they will save it for their Cheat Day. They don’t think maybe – should I Cheat? They just don’t Cheat. It’s six days on program and one day off. Because they know and have learned that when they live like this and stick to it is when the cravings go away, the struggle is gone and the Innovation program has become their healthy way of life that they love to live.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

211 E 43rd Street Manhattan, NY 10019

If you listened to our Radio Show last Saturday on 103.9FM – you know it was about Motivation and how important it is to have in your life. We all need it! When it comes to weight loss it’s especially important. Just think about it – you are in a controlled state 6 days a week following your menu like a soldier and on top of that you are hungry. Motivation is what will keep you on track every week. For some, motivation might be the Cheat Day – It’s the light at the end of the tunnel. For others, it might be a pair of pants they want to fit into or a special party they want to attend – a vacation or celebration! Maybe your motivation is even an old picture of someone you use to be. It’s so easy to lose track of who you once were that sometimes we settle for anything better than where we are. But that’s not always good. Because better is not our best and with one life that you are given why wouldn’t you always want to be your best!

WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? A client recently came in and we were talking about how important it is to follow your menu and really understand that anything over the amount is going to make a difference in your weight loss. She said to me, “I see so many of your clients who have lost so much weight and they are so thin but they act like it’s a job and they treat it like it’s a job – is that good?” I said you have to treat it like that. But it’s doesn’t have to be negative job – it should be a positive job. It’s a job that you love to do. You want to eat clean and be healthy and yes treat it like an important job in your life or you will just keep gradually gaining and before you know it you are not in an easy place to get out of.

WHAT YOU DO TODAY WILL REFLECT TOMORROW: The bottom line is if you are asking if it’s good to treat your health and weight loss like a job then ask yourself this question – Are you happy where you are? Because I can tell you first hand that my clients who obsess about it and treat their health and weight loss like it’s a job are very happy! They wake up happy because getting dressed is not an issue. They go out and have fun because they feel good. They are excited for summer and even more excited to go shopping for it. So yes, while they may be obsessive and work hard and treat their weight and health like it’s a job – the pay off they get for it is priceless. So ask yourself right now, are you happy with the effort you have put in to yourself, your health and your weight? Are you excited to go summer shopping and excited for all the outdoor parties and barbecues that will be coming your way soon? Do you wake up excited and happy and full of energy? Understand that this is all real –  I am not exaggerating at all. I hear the clients who do not do the right things and continue to make it a struggle on themselves because they constantly put food ahead of their happiness. I see how it makes them unhappy. Then I see the clients who make it a priority to stay on program. Yes they all have their own struggles, it’s not easy for anyone but they still do it. They have learned to love how they feel more then they love the instant gratification of feeding into a craving. You have to constantly remind yourself which is more important to you and what will make you happy.

HOW DO YOU REALLY FEEL? There is no faking it and you can even feel it in your own mood  – when you take care of yourself and you eat right and you lose weight you FEEL GREAT! You have more energy and you spring out of bed. You are excited to feel that lighter feeling that you know can change your day from bad to good. But if you are not feeling all these amazing things then it’s time to take your health and weight loss seriously and treat it like the important job that it is. Because then and only then will you get the pay back of feeling happy, healthier, lighter, fitter, energetic and strong. It’s not always about the number on the scale – it’s about doing the right things and feeling good. You feel good and your personality shines – you feel like crap and your personality reflects it. Sometimes it’s not only just about how you want to feel, but also how you are presenting yourself to your family, friends and co-workers. Eeyore or Tigger – who do you want to be and how do you want the world to see you.

IT NEEDS TO BE ABOUT YOU: What we don’t always realize is weight loss is so much more than just the number on the scale. Because everything in our life stems from how we feel and how well we take care of ourselves. Feeling good or bad will result in having a good or bad day. Feeling good and treating your body well is going to result in how you approach life and all the good an bad obstacles that come with it. If you are feeling happy, healthy, fit and strong you are going to get through the rough days a lot better than if you are feeling heavy, bloated, sick and depressed. In fact, studies show that overweight people have an 80% higher rate of depression than people of a healthy weight. Why? Because you always feel better about yourself when you are taking care of yourself. Sometimes just having the feeling of control over what you are and are not eating can change your day from bad to good. You have to decide what is important to you. Find a motivation to help get you there and make a commitment to make your health and weight loss a priority! A job that you are excited about doing.

I know you have heard this before from me but I need to repeat it – you need to start somewhere. If you are already in a good place then I am super excited for you to continue to be amazing! If you are not feeling great and have no control then you need to get right back on program TODAY! I promise you, after one week you will feel good after two weeks you will feel great and a month in you will never want to go back to your old eating habits.  But you need to start because in order to be happy with everything else in your life you need to start with YOU!

If the weekend has caught up to you and you are having a hard time facing Monday, I want you think of one thing: The faster you get your body and mind back on program, the faster you will feel human again, and the faster you will feel lighter again and the faster you will feel in control again. Weekends are hard for many reasons – but most of all you lose control of your food and your schedule. Monday put us right back to reality – but they are also amazing because it gives you a chance to get back on track and in control of everything that is important to us. Summer is around the corner so every day counts with where you want to be right now and how quickly you want to move forward. I can’t say it enough – you don’t want to waste any time doing the wrong things. Make every day count toward where you want to be this summer.

Are you ready for a great weight loss week? Have you planned your meals and snacks? If you want to be a shark this week and get the very most out of your weight loss efforts then planning your days are #1!  Here is a great trick to help you achieve your the best numbers this week! Take a piece of paper, a small notebook or write it on your “notes” in your smart phone. Write down exactly what you plan on eating today and repeat it every morning. Or do it the night before. Here is an example:

As the day goes on cross off what you ate. If you add anything write it on the bottom of the page under “EXTRAS”. This way you know how well you stuck to your plan and if you added anything in you weren’t planning on. By the end of the day you will see if you had a Weight Loss day because you followed exactly what you planned OR a Maintain Day (added some healthy unexpected choices) OR a Weight Gain Day (added unhealthy unexpected choices in). This doesn’t only give you your own accountability each day but at the end of the week you need to look back and add up all your “extras” from each day. You might really learn more about your eating habits then you thought.

The reason this works so well is because it’s really important to be accountable to yourself. It’s so easy to remember ONLY what we want to remember and just like it’s easy to FORGET what we want to forget. This helps you be accountable to what you “really” ate in a day vs. what you remember you ate. Only you will know if you write it all down and if you find yourself making excuses for not writing the “extras” – you will also know that you are only hurting yourself. If you don’t write it, then you don’t own it and then you can never change it. This exercise is important because until you can be truthful with what you are doing you will never get to where you want to be. The first week might even be a little tough to handle. When you realize that you have all these little “extras” – a couple of french fries, a few olives, a couple of cookies, a few bites here and there… the list can go on and on. One week of a lot of little “extras” can make the difference between you losing and maintaining. Write it – Own it and Change it!

 

 

 

We made it through another Holiday and now our focus should be strictly on Memorial Day and the start of Summer. We have 6 WEEKS until Memorial Day and approximately 10 WEEKS until the FIRST DAY OF SUMMER. Summer shorts, bathing suits, dresses and wearing them to the beaches, BBQ and vacations. 10 Weeks is a long time and a lot can be done. But just like any other time of the year, you have to focus and decide what you want and what you will do to get there.

NO MORE HIDING: There is one thing about summer – regardless of how much weight you gained, you are not hiding under clothes anymore. Summer makes you put out there what you have done. Good or bad it’s for all to see. This is the time – right now – to make a difference.

LONG TERM: One of the things I notice so many people do is they think long term. Which is great when you are planning your savings account but not for your weight loss. It’s too overwhelming. You think – “I can’t eat like this forever” or “It will take me so long to lose the weight”. Instead you should be thinking short term and follow your menu and lose the weight. Don’t think about long term because as you lose the weight your thoughts and body change. You physically need less and will want less but right now every day is a struggle. Your body is used to doing what it wants and now you are training it to do what you say. Just take it day by day and you will see the changes and that will make you motivated to keep going. We can all do the right things to make sure we end up in the place we want. But in order to do it you have to be willing to put your words into actions. It’s easy to say it – now you have to prove it and you have 6-10 weeks to do it.

 

You know how I love to break down the numbers because sometimes when you see what each week can get you it makes it real. What happens in our crazy life is we are so busy that the days and weeks pass by so quickly we don’t spend them as wisely as we should. It’s all about multi-tasking. While you are working at home or the office; while you are planning parties, or events; while you are taking the kids to school, sports, and end of the year celebrations; and while you are planning your next trip. Whatever you are spending your time on in the next 10 weeks you should also be eating clean, eating healthy and losing weight. It’s that simple. You need to do it – you want to do it – so stop making excuses and make it happen. If you do – this is what you can accomplish in 10 weeks:

* This is so beyond doable.  Follow your menu with your meals and snacks and have your ONE cheat day a week and you will absolutely lose 1 lb a week resulting in 6 lbs by Memorial Day or 10 lbs by Summer! Consistency is key – if you want to get off that roller coaster ride then do it every week and it will add up.

 

*Still very doable.  Follow your menu of meals and snacks and simply cut out a snack when you don’t need it. The current menu that you have that you are following, either take it back one snack a day or one less snack every other day. It’s usually that snack that you know you don’t really need but have it anyway – get rid of it and it will change the numbers. Make sure everything else is 110% to menu consistently through the week!

 

*Challenging but doable. This requires your meals and one snack a day and no mistakes at any time. It requires you to follow and do the right things for the next 6 or 10 weeks without fail. You need to feel a little hungry everyday. Not starving but hungry. One Cheat Day a week and your other 6 days super super clean with no bites, sips or crumbs. You need to be mentally strong and on program and this has to be the most important thing to you at all times. If you treat the program like it’s a job that you want to be amazing at then you will see this kind of amazing loss every week.

 

 

I have received many emails and text messages today from those of you who thought or hoped they would do better than they have been doing. I want you all to think for a moment about where you are right now. Are you in a good place both mentally and physically? If you have been a Shark or even a Snail this week then continue on and continue to be amazing! If you have been struggling or frustrated with what the week has become for you – stop beating yourself up and finish out the week strong.

Many clients have celebrated the First Seder and found themselves falling prey to temptations around the table. Other clients are away and indulging in temptations that surround the beach, some are eating Easter bunnies before their time. What you have to do is just stop for a moment. Think about what you have done and where do you want to go AND ALWAYS STAY WITH THE POSITIVE THOUGHTS:

Whatever has happened between Sunday and yesterday can’t be changed. What can be changed is what you do from Today until this coming Sunday – MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Whether you are home or at the beach, go right back on program. Have your clean meals and snacks. Remember that right now, today, tomorrow and the next day are about being happy! Not about what you can and can’t eat. Do what is going to make you happy.

Don’t throw the rest of the week away because you have Easter on Sunday or because you are going out this weekend. It’s better to salvage the next couple of days and then have a Cheat Night. You will feel so much better if you are super clean Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Cheat on Sunday – if you are really good, clean and on program – you may even make this into a maintain week!

OF COURSE YOU FEEL HORRIBLE, YOU JUST CHEATED FOR MORE THAN ONE DAY – If you feel horrible, bloated and heavy the very worst thing you can do is prolong getting back on. Don’t do the – “I will go back Monday!” Do it right now. Yes, it will be hard because not only do you feel bloated, heavier and horrible but now you will feel hungry on top of it.  But I can promise you that if you get through the next couple of days on program – you will FEEL AMAZING BY SUNDAY! You may not be at your lowest numbers but you won’t feel like you do today. The longer you wait to go back on program – the harder it will be. Jump right back into your meals and snacks today and by the weekend you will be so happy you did.

Right now you can change your week from a Weight Gain to a Maintain. You may feel like you can’t, but I promise you if you go right back on 110% you will be amazed at how fast it comes off. It’s new weight and it will come right off if you go right back on program. You won’t lose weight but you will end the week where you started.

Stop focusing on the WHY DID I DO THIS AGAIN! This is all part of life. We have holidays and vacations and things that we want to celebrate and enjoy. You need to realize what is important – it’s not about you going off, it is about you going right back on. That’s the key here – the faster you go back the quicker you feel better. The faster you go back on – the faster the weight comes off. The longer you wait, the harder it is. Two or three days off doesn’t mean the whole week is gone. It just simply means you stopped, you enjoyed and now you pay the price and go back on 110%. And if you finish out the week amazing and enjoy a Cheat on the Weekend –  then you may even feel that sometimes the price is worth paying.

MAINTAIN:

 

If you want to have a Cheat Meal on any of the nights of Passover then you must stay clean all day and only go off at night. If you choose this option you will have a Maintenance Week. All other days must be clean and on program. You can only do this if you give up your Cheat Day and replace it with cheat meals for the week.

 

Remember, when you go off at night it doesn’t mean you have to eat everything in sight. In fact, a great way to enjoy is to take a large spoonful of everything you like. This way you get to taste everything but you won’t over do it. Sometimes a taste is all you need to feel satisfied and not stuffed.

 

*If you are going away on a trip during the holiday week it might be best to plan to maintain to limit your confusion and stress. Many of us start a vacation with the best intentions but when we get there we can’t stay in control. Eat clean all day then treat yourself to one off meal, dessert OR drinks. If you do this you should give up your one Cheat Day and have only cheat meals throughout the week when you need them. REMEMBER: It’s a meal, dessert or drinks each day. Not all three. Choose what works for you and stick to it. You can still enjoy everything about your trip and be able to come back and get back on track. You can even switch it up each day and choose which option to cheat with (drinks one day, meal the next, etc.).

 

If you decide you want to keep this Passover Holiday a Weight Loss week then you must stick to only one day cheat day. On the remaining day(s) that you celebrate Passover you can incorporate some of the suggestions below to keep you on track and stay true to your holiday traditions.

 

 

 

Shakshuka is a middle Eastern dish traditionally made with poached eggs in tomato sauce and spices. In this clean version, it features egg whites, onion, spinach and spices. Perfect breakfast option!

 

Ingredients:

•1 onion

•1 lb bag of spinach (fresh or frozen)

•1/2 tsp paprika

•1/2 tsp cinnamon

•1/2 tsp coriander

•2 tsp cumin

•Salt to taste

•1 tbsp oil

•Egg whites (depends on size of skillet)

 

1. Dice the onion.

2. Heat skillet and add onions and spices. Cook until onion is soft.

3. Add spinach and allow all to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Make spaces in the spinach to hold the egg whites so they don’t run all over. Cook on low-medium heat until eggs are cooked thoroughly.

5. Remove skillet from heat and serve. 4 egg white is 1 meal serving.

 

 

Bring together traditional root vegetables in this new way for an exciting and delicious festive dish.

 

Ingredients:

•2 red onions, diced

•2 cloves of garlic, chopped

•2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

•1 lb carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces

•1 lb beets, peeled and cut into wedges

•1 lb celeriac, peeled and cubed

•Zest of 1 lemon

•Zest of 1 orange

•2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

•2 tbsp chopped fresh savory

•1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

•Salt and pepper

•1/2 tsp ground coriander

•Cooking spray

 

1. Heat oven to 375 F and coat large casserole dish with cooking spray.

2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, spray with cooking spray then add onions and garlic. Sauté until soft and starting to brown, about 10 minutes.

3. Transfer this mixture to a large bowl then add sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, celeriac, lemon zest, orange zest, thyme, savory and tarragon. Season with salt and pepper and toss. Spoon into casserole dish.

4. Bake for 1 hour, or until vegetables are tender. 1/2 cup serving is one side.

 

Please note our upcoming schedule:

The Innovation Store and Studio will close at 5pm on Monday April 10th instead of 6pm.

The Innovation Store and Studio will be closed April 11th through the 16th for the Passover and Easter Holidays.

We will re-open on Monday April 17th with normal hours.

Please make sure to place your food orders!

Email all orders to Nora InnovationNora@gmail.com or visit our webstore at https://innovationweightlossandfitness.com/product-category/healthy-food/

*For all of our Manhattan delivery clients, please send in your order by the end of the day today if you would like to receive an order with our hand delivery service this Wednesday April 5th. This will be our last delivery day before closing for the holidays.

If you would like to place an order to pick up or ship on Monday April 10th make sure your order is submitted by Saturday April 8th – but the sooner the better!

We wish you all a Happy Passover and Happy Easter!

The Staff at Innovation

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

211 E 43rd Street Manhattan, NY 10019