PREPARE FOR PASSOVER

Since Passover is more than one day you want to incorporate your Cheat day into your celebrations. Here are some helpful tips:

THE WEEKEND BEFORE: If you are planning on cheating for Passover you want to skip your cheat this coming weekend 20th or 21st. And save it for one or two of your passover nights that you are celebrating.

IF YOU PLAN ON CHEATING MORE THAN ONE DAY:  If you are cheating multiple days you want to be very mindful and taste the food you really want to try and pass on anything you really don’t need. Keep portions extra small so you can enjoy both days.

VACATION: If you are going on vacation – do not cheat before you go. Stay on program and pick and choose your cheats while you are away. Plus you will feel so much better leaving if you do not cheat before you go.  There are always on program passover options

Chicken, Gefilte Fish, salads, Matzah, Fruit, one drink if you are over 21 🙂

*PASSOVER FOOD IDEAS & CHOICES TO KEEP YOU ON TRACKINCORPORATE PASSOVER CHOICES IN YOUR DAYBREAKFAST & LUNCH CHOICES YOU CAN INCORPORATE PASSOVER WEEK:

• MATZAH-2 Matzah with 1tbsp of peanut, almondor SunButter, or 1/2avocado

• MATZAH AND FRUIT: 1 Matzah with 1 tsp of pb or sunbather with 1 piece of fruit 

• MATZAH AND EGGS- one Matzah with 3-4 egg whites and 1 cup of veggies

• ANY Kosher Meat no sauce no marinate no butter

• Light tuna or chicken salad or egg white salad with 1 matzah

• Chubby Potato: 1 large white potato or sweet potato with 1 cup of veggies on top and 1/4 cup of cheese and bake 🙂

• 1/2 cup park skim Cottage cheese with 1 cup of fruit 

• Popcorn

• 15-20 Any nuts

• Think Thin Bar

• Matzoh ball soup without the Matzoh ball

• 2 slices of low fat cheese or 1 light part skim cheese stick with 1 Matzah

 • non fat greek yogurt with 1/2 cup of berries

• 1 cup of any berries with 2 tbsp of cool whip

**NEW ITEMS IN THE INNOVATION STORE STARTING THIS FRIDAY 4/19 FOR PASSOVER WEEK

Gluten Free Quesadillas 

Honey cake

Mandelbrot

Sponge Cake 

Coconut and Almond Macarons 

KETO peanut butter cups 

Keto blondies 

Keto cookies

*Current Innovation Passover friendly products

— All our Gluten Free Muffins, GF CookIes and Gluten free bars 

— Our Entire Ketovation line contains no wheat or flour 

Gluten free pasta 

Gluten free crab cakes

Gluten free quinoa burgers

Quinoa salad

Grilled chickens salad

Shrimp and rice 

Chicken and rice

Steak and rice

Swedish meatballs

Salmon and veggies 

Cauliflower Pizza

Turkey Taco

Chicken Salad

Tuna Salad

Sweet potato fries 

Tomato Soup

Broccoli cheddar soup 

Bisque Soup

Pudding

Rice Sticks and Hockey Puck Rounds 

Chocolate mousse cake, & Cheese Cake & Gummy Bites

All Innovation nuts regular, chocolate and mixed

Popcorn

Licorice

Detox

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

WWW.INNOVATIONWEIGHTLOSS.COM

INNOVATIONHEALTHYMARKET.COM

00:00 – Speaker – Josephine 

Hi everyone, welcome to the Love to Live Healthy show. I’m Josephine Fitzpatrick. This week’s topic is stop being afraid, and I know in today’s world that sounds so much easier than it feels. I mean, look at last week. In one week we had an earthquake, we are in retrograde and we experienced an eclipse. It’s a lot for people. We have been through a lot with world destruction, political issues. It can go on and on. But the truth is it’s life and it’s not always supposed to be easy and we’re not always going to have all the answers. But what we do know is we are here and we are so lucky and blessed to be here, and that is one thing we can and should never forget. 

00:42

When it comes to weight loss, it’s very easy to be afraid. I see my clients all the time. I see what they’re afraid of. They are afraid of failing, they are afraid of self-sabotaging, they are afraid of being hungry, they are afraid of temptation, they are afraid of working so hard and being disappointed. And that’s okay. It’s okay to be afraid, but what’s not okay is to not try because you’re afraid, because everything I just said failing, self-sabotage, being hungry, temptation you’re in control of most of them. 

01:16

I know it’s not easy and we will never have all the answers. We’re not supposed to have all the answers. You know no one does. You don’t reach a certain age, a certain social status, a certain position in your career and suddenly have it all and have all the answers. It doesn’t work like that. There is no secret potion, there’s no lucky token and there’s no prayer that will change the course of your life in the snap of your fingers. You will never know all the answers and sometimes, because we don’t know all the answers, that’s what makes it so uncomfortable. But when we talk about weight loss, what we can find comfort in is that you have a plan, you know what you have to do, you know if you prepare and follow through your menu you don’t eat in between your meals and you work really hard and you are consistent you will absolutely see results. And you know this because so many of you have already done it and those of you who haven’t done it know clients that have done it and you see the results. 

02:14

But again, it’s not easy because you also know the results won’t come unless you try. So, whether you’re afraid or not, you have to try, you have to start, you have to work hard, you have to push yourself. You have to be okay with being outside of your comfort zone. Because think about it that’s why it’s so scary, that’s why you’re afraid, because you’re outside of your comfort zone. 

02:37

You feel like you need to have all the answers because you’re outside of your comfort zone, but the truth is, like I said before, there’s no one who has all the answers. There’s no perfect time. There’s no perfect situation. What is most important, you have to just start. You have to follow and be consistent. You don’t need to know all the answers. You just have to put the work in. That’s what gives you the results. 

03:01

And what you need to know is that every day you follow, you will learn more and more. You will see more and more results. Every day that you are consistent, you will feel better and better. You’ll feel better outside of your comfort zone. You will no longer be afraid. Think about it, for those of you who were always on the innovation program, when I introduced the five-hour and the detox program, you were completely out of your comfort zone. 

03:26

Yet you trusted in yourself, you listened, you follow, you learned, you worked hard and the results have been absolutely amazing. I mean, I have clients who have never been so thin in their entire life and all ages 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, even eighties. I have a client yesterday it was her birthday, 85th birthday she texted me and she has been at her goal with me for some time. That’s incredible. I just love that. But again, it doesn’t mean that it’s not scary, it doesn’t mean that you’re not going to be afraid. You won’t be afraid if you keep trying. If you keep trying, you will see how you get less and less afraid and will believe more and more in yourself and the results.

04:07

This is a game. You know life is a game and I mean that in the very best way. You put the time in, you work hard, you learn, you learn the rules, you see how it goes, you see the results, and this is in all aspects of your life. You have to try and work hard, you have to get over the fear if you want to reach any goal. And when you do that and you try really hard and you put the work in, I truly believe that, even if they are not the exact, 100% results you wanted, you will still get results, results that make you so much happier than doing nothing at all. Is it challenging? Yes, of course. Everything in life can be challenging, especially if you think of it that way. 

04:47

You know for those of you who know me, you know I’m a big believer in mindset. I believe that what you believe in, what you put your work into, what you put your energy into, that’s what’s going to happen. Dreams and goals are not always supposed to be easy. And everyone’s dreams are different. While it might be weight loss for you, that is your dream, to be a certain size or number, for someone else it’s another dream entirely. But all dreams and goals are challenging, no matter what they are. And the only way to succeed at them is to work hard at it every day. To have a positive mindset, believe in yourself, put your energy into it and work hard at those dreams and goals every day. And if you do that, I can promise you will see results every day and every week you will get closer and closer to what you want. And remember when I say you’ll see results every day it might not be on the scale, but you’ll see results in how you feel, how your clothes fit you, and eventually it will be on the scale, but you have to look at all your results. 

05:50

Let’s remember it’s in the challenges we face every day, every week, every month. That’s where we learn the most and it’s also what makes it so exciting. You know, as you succeed with each challenge, you’re trusting yourself to overcome the next challenge, the next future obstacle, because every time you do it you’re getting stronger and stronger. You gain great advantage when you overcome your challenges because you’re also learning discipline and control. You know, and we have to remember that learning discipline and control is going to help us in every area of our life. 

06:36

I want to quickly tell you about one of my clients that I have that I won’t go too deep into because she’s planning on doing a podcast with me when she reaches her goal, and it will be soon. So I really don’t want to get into the story, but just to give you an idea about her. She came to me about 10 years ago, probably more, and she lost all her weight, got to numbers she never thought possible and she stayed there for a really long time. But then, of course, things happen in life as they often do, one thing or another and you know, like I said, I’m going to leave the details to her. But right before she came back, you know she started gaining weight and in the beginning she was kind of ignoring the extra weight and she would ask me and then eventually she couldn’t ignore it anymore. So when she started back, you know it was really difficult. You know my point is through the story. It wasn’t easy for her. You know she lost a pound, she lost two pounds, but just going back so strict, after not having to be so strict for so long because she was basically maintaining for years, so going backs trick again, she struggled. You know she questioned it, she questioned me, she questioned the food. I kept telling her to trust me, trust the program, trust the food. Everyone eats it, everyone loses. And now she’s just doing amazing. You know she got through the hard part and that’s my point. 

07:46

You have to get through the hard part. It’s not the first week, the first week is not the hard part, it’s the second through like the fifth week. It’s really tough because you have weight to lose. And the second through the fifth week week is you’re really not seeing what you want to see for all the work you feel like you’re putting in, but then all of a sudden, all those pounds add up, all those ones and twos, they add up and by the sixth week you are feeling amazing. Then, all of a sudden, you start to see the better number, you start to see the difference in your clothes. You start to see how you feel. Your body image is better, your confidence is better and you know you can do it. You’re working hard, you’re putting the time in, you’re seeing the results and you feel confident. You’re no longer afraid. So you really have to give yourself that second to fifth week. Get through that. That’s the hard part. It’s gets so much easier after that.

08:45

It’s funny, as I was just telling you that story, I’m thinking to myself. I can guarantee there’s so many of my clients that are listening to this and they think I’m talking about them, because I didn’t realize. But, as I was talking about the story, there are so many clients in the last couple of months that went through this and now they’re in such a great place. Not all of them are at their goal, but very close and very happy and in a place where there’s no turning back because they got through the hard part. They’re so happy about where they are. They’re so happy being back on program. They’re so happy feeling good again. Their clothes are fitting. You know, they all had to restart for one reason or another and they got through the challenge of starting. They got through the second and fifth week and when you can do that, it’s going to make such a big difference. It’s going to take the scariness out of everything. 

09:25

So again, my point is if you can get over being afraid, being afraid of failing, afraid of the hunger, afraid of the temptations, you will do it. You know deep down you can do this. You can do anything you want to if you put your heart and soul into it, if you put your energy and beliefs into it. Yes, it takes a positive mindset, hard work, consistency, but you will get to where you want to be. You have to learn to talk yourself into it. Talk yourself into it and stop talking yourself out of it. 

09:56

And, especially in the beginning, instead of looking for excuses to go off program, you have to make all the excuses why you should stay on program, why you want this, why it’s important to you. You know, again, when we’re talking about mindset, if you keep yourself afraid, you will stay afraid. If you make excuses for yourself why you can’t do this, then you won’t do this. Your negative mindset will keep you stuck. You don’t want that, because when you keep yourself afraid or tell yourself excuses why you can’t do something, it’s causing yourself to limit yourself. I really believe that tell yourself excuses why you can’t do something, it’s causing yourself to limit yourself. I really believe that. That’s why you’re staying stuck immediately. It’s going to give you reasons to go off and do the wrong thing. This fear and these excuses keep you going down the same old path, preventing you from reaching your goals. 

10:46

And if you really want to lose weight, feel great and have control over your life and your happiness, then you have to stop being afraid and stop making excuses why you can’t do it. When you start to struggle, I want you to remember me telling you this, Life is hard. It’s supposed to be hard, but it’s also the challenge that makes it fun and exciting. Don’t be afraid of it and don’t make excuses for it. Instead, live it. Live your goals, live your dreams. That’s what’s going to make you happy. Get through being afraid. When you’re through being afraid, it’s going to be life-changing. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about going after what you want and making sure you’re working hard to do it, put your energy in it. So, if you’re one of the clients that are doing all the right things which I know so many of you have been, and I’m so beyond proud of every one of you Keep going, keep working hard. Every day, you are closer and closer to your dreams and goals. Every day you feel better and better, and I love that. 

11:50

Now, if you are someone who has not started or has not been doing the right things and want to start, this is your motivation today. You have to start by following your menu, not eating in between meals and snacks, having the discipline to work through your challenges and fears. 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, and when you can do that, you will see the very best results. It’s time to stop being afraid and start being excited. Start today 

Okay, that’s all I have for you today. I hope this helped. Thank you so much for tuning in. I really appreciate all the feedback. It truly makes my day. I’m wishing everyone a happy, healthy week full of love and blessings. Hugs from me to all of you. 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Speaker: Josephine

Hi everyone, welcome to the Love to Live Healthy show. I’m Josephine Fitzpatrick. Happy April everyone. 

For the month of April, we are focusing on the importance of appreciation. Today’s podcast is about working for what you want while appreciating the life you have and the body you live in. I don’t think we realize how important these things go together. 

I want you to think about this question Can you appreciate yourself and your life if you do not feel good about yourself? Seriously, don’t just answer a quick yes or no. Really think about it. Can you really truly appreciate what is going on in your life if you are not in a good place with your mind and body, if you don’t feel good about yourself? Well, I can tell you after dealing with thousands of clients, the answer for most is no. You can never truly appreciate where you are in life, or appreciate all the big and little happy things that go on in your life, if you do not feel good in your body and mind. 

You have to feel good about yourself to really appreciate what’s going on around you. Think about all the big things that are going on right now. So many people have so many things going on, planning Summer vacations, graduations, bar mitzvahs, communions, sweet 16. Whatever’s going on in your life or your world, will you really appreciate that day or that week when you don’t feel good in your body? How can you really appreciate any experience when you don’t feel good in the body you have? 

Now listen, I’m not talking about being a size zero. I’m talking about feeling your best in your body, and whatever that means to you. For some it’s feeling fit, feeling strong, feeling thin, maybe it’s just feeling in control with your food, which always gives you control in your life. Whatever that feeling is, you need to have that in order to really appreciate all the things that are going on in your life, even the little daily things like going to the beach or barbecue with friends, waking up and appreciating having a day in front of you to enjoy with your husband, or with your significant other, or with your family or friends. You will only truly appreciate these things when you feel your best in your mind and body. 

So I decided for April that, while we are working really hard for what we want, we are also going to stop and appreciate what we have, from big to little things. We are going to take notice of it and appreciate it. Listen, you know how I love to keep things positive. I mean, really, what else do we have to live on than our own positive thoughts and actions? And for some they are in real tough times and finding appreciation for anything can be a real challenge when times are really tough and things aren’t going well in your life. And listen, it’s inevitable that we all will face hardships and challenges throughout our life from health to family, money, career, kids.

Life can be really hard, and for some so much harder than others, and it is in these scenarios that you really have to learn how to appreciate everything you have and what’s around you, the big and little things you know. I tell my kids all the time it’s life challenges that not only make you stronger, it really also helps you appreciate all the good things you have in your life, the little things that you didn’t even notice before, that not everyone else has. For example, being able to go for a workout. It sounds so simple, but it takes time, it takes money and it takes a healthy body. Not everyone has all those things. We forget that. We sometimes take so much for granted that we forget to appreciate the smallest things that keep us going every day. It’s a fact that embracing, celebrating and appreciating your life can greatly enhance your well-being and your overall happiness.

Cultivating a healthy relationship with yourself is definitely not easy, trust me. I see clients every day and I know when they don’t feel good about themselves and it changes their mindset of what is in front of them, how they’re going to handle it when they don’t feel good about where they are at. You have to have your mindset positive. You know you’ll either go to a negative or a positive, and I’m telling you that you have to keep that mindset positive to get to where you want to be, because if you let it go to the negative, you will not only be able to not appreciate anything, but it will keep you stuck where you are or put you in an even worse place. So how do we keep the mindset positive so we can keep ourself in a good direction and appreciate what is going on in and around our life?

You need goals. Yes, you need some good April goals, because that will help you continue working for what you want. And when you’re working for what you want, feeling good about the future is one of the keys to success and happiness. We all need goals to motivate us. It should be challenging enough to excite you, but also achievable. But choosing an ambitious but realistic goal will give your life direction and bring a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. When you get close to it and finally achieve it, and when you feel good, you will be able to appreciate everything in your life and what’s ahead of it.

Think about it If you’re on program and you have goals that you’re working toward, you’re going to feel in control and when you feel in control, it gives you control in your whole life. Clients tell me all the time, even when they’re losing slow or weak, they didn’t see any weight loss. Being on program is so much better than being off program. That is because it’s a sense of control of your day, your food, your body and when you’re doing the right thing you feel better. You know the weight loss will follow, but you feel better eating on program and following your meals and snacks because you know it’s going to get you to where you want to be. Plus it just makes you feel overall lighter and healthier. And even when you are not at goal and just have that sense of control and feel good working towards your goal, that is going to help you appreciate everything you have going on and in and around your life.

So let’s talk about some April goals. A great short-term goal for April is where do you want to be by May 1st? You know, think about it. That is so doable. Where do you want to be by May 1st? It’s four weeks. Do you want to do one pound a week? Two pounds a week? Is it a certain number? Do you want to fit in a certain outfit? 

So let’s start by setting a short-term goal. That’s the first thing you have to do, because that short-term goal is going to start you and you’re going to feel so good going in a direction that you feel you have control in.

Now, listen, if you have been on program, which so many of you are, it’s still a great time to set some monthly goals. Think about where you wanna be May 1st. It will not only continue to give you direction, but it will also help keep you motivated each month. You just continue on your path, continue doing the right things, and you know that every day, you are one day closer to your goals and the body you want. And in the meantime, you have the control over yourself and your life, and there’s no better feeling or way to appreciate what you have today and what is in front of you.

If you have not been doing the right thing and not been on program. You need to get back on. Regardless of where you are right now, one solid week sometimes is all it takes to get back on track, to feeling great. That should be your first goal is to commit to one solid week. When you have a week that is 110% clean and on program, it really doesn’t take much to start seeing the loss and feeling immediately better. It takes one solid week of commitment and you want to start it by setting your goal for April. Where do you want to be May 1st? More importantly, where do you want to be in a week from now? First, you want to have a solid week behind you that you were amazing, and then work toward your goals for the month.

Let’s go over some tips on how to stick with your goal for April. 

First is promise and commitment to yourself. Don’t think about the actual goal. Instead, remember that your goal is a promise and commitment you made to yourself. It’s easy to say who cares? All right, who cares? I went off, or I ate that extra snack, no big deal, I didn’t run or I didn’t exercise this week. But, it’s not the actual goal that you gave up on, though. You made a promise to yourself, a promise and a commitment to yourself to do this. You know how happy it will make you and it will be a lot happier than any extra you’re going to feed yourself to take you out of your promise and commitment. Remember you want to keep the commitments and the promises you make to yourself because once you break those promises, once you break those commitments, you are giving yourself the excuse and lack of discipline to break other promises and commitments. Every time something gets challenging in your life, every time something gets hard, the most important promises and commitments in life are the ones you make to yourself. Those are the ones you need to keep, before any other promises and commitments.

Number two don’t give up. Remember, before you give up on your goal because you are stressed or because anything that is not going on right in your life, remind yourself giving up on your goal is going to make it worse, not better. The one thing you can control is completing your goal. If you don’t give up and you do one solid week, it’s going to make next week even easier. If you finish your goal for the month, it’s going to make the next month even easier. Every week and every month, you will feel more motivated and stronger to handle what’s in front of you, it gets easier. It doesn’t get harder. The longer you are on, the better you do. It gets easier, it doesn’t get harder.

Number three don’t allow setbacks to destroy your goals. Unfortunately, many things don’t go as expected, no matter how much planning we do. When you can be patient with yourself, that is key to approaching bumps in the road in a positive way. Accept the hiccup in your day or week and just get back on. Even if you had a moment of weakness, the most important thing you can do for yourself is to get right back on program. All the clients you see that look amazing, I promise you. They have had hiccups, they have had really bad cheat days, they have had setbacks, but they get right back on and that is why they look the way they do. That is why you never notice their hiccup, because it only affects their moment, not their week, or their month.

Number four plan, prepare and follow through. I will preach this forever because you don’t always overeat when you are hungry. In fact, it’s almost never about the food, it’s about everything else that’s going on in your life. So when you can plan and prepare, when something comes up, good or bad, you just follow what you planned and prepared and that will keep you moving forward. That will keep you where you need to be.

Number five push yourself. Without pushing yourself to your limits, you will never know how far you can go and what you can really achieve. I say it all the time it’s okay to be a little uncomfortable. That usually happens because you’re pushing yourself and if you’re not a little uncomfortable, you’re not pushing yourself hard enough. This month, give yourself that extra push every day to complete your goal and don’t let yourself make any excuses why it’s not important. We don’t like to be uncomfortable, so a lot of times we’ll put an excuse in place, but you have to decide how important this is to you. How hard you push is going to determine how much you want it. That extra push and being a little uncomfortable can make all the difference. Remember, this is a journey and it’s your journey. You have to do what makes you happy.

I can tell you what I see. When clients feel their best, when clients are doing the right thing and they’re following their program and they have goals and they know they’re moving forward, they appreciate everything going on. I see it everyday. I see it in the way they text. I see it when they come in my office. You’re a different person when you’re doing the right thing and living in a healthy body, feeling good about yourself. That makes all the difference. Every month you have choices lose weight, maintain gain.

How you live, how much work you do, how much time you put into what you want it all determines your outcome. No one else can do this for you. No one else can make it happen except for you. It takes more than just saying you want it. You have to work hard for it every day. You have to remember. It’s easy to say the words I appreciate, but living in appreciation, it’s two different things. And in order to live in appreciation, you have to feel good about yourself.

I think life is way too short to not appreciate everything you have and everything that’s in it. It’s not comparing to what everyone else has. It’s about you and only you. What you have in your life, how important it is to you and how you feel about it is going to make all the difference in how you live. We know the very best way to appreciate the life you have and the body you live in is by taking care of yourself. When you take care of yourself from the inside out, you will create a positive mindset and feel good and excited about today, tomorrow and what is to come in your future.

So let’s set an April goal and get yourself in a good, positive mindset and keep moving forward to what you want. When you are in control in your body, it gives you control over your life and that is when you can truly appreciate everything that’s in it. 

Okay, that’s all I have for you today. So remember, next week is a client story of her weight loss and I can’t wait for you to hear her journey. I’m wishing everyone a healthy, happy week full of love. Thanks for tuning in. Hugs from me to all of you.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

OH CHRISTMAS TREE OH CHRISTMAS

I hope your branches are not made of CHOCOLATE! 

Yes December is here and it’s the most challenging time of the year. But is it really? Personally I don’t think it is. First of all it goes way to fast and second it doesn’t even compare to summer that is 2 months long and full of all social activities. December is quick and cheerful and bright but of course it’s also filled with lots of goodies, baking, parties and alcohol all squeezed into 31 days. And if you are mindful you will be fine and if you are amazing you will do great but if you are mindless you will be really upset come January 1.  

One thing we know for sure – the results are always up to you. 

Yes it’s hard but think about how many times you say that throughout the year. It’s always going to be hard. There is no easy time to lose weight but how you handle the situation in the month will determine if it’s going to be hard or easy. Do not put yourself into the mindset that it’s going to be too hard because of the holidays. If you tell yourself that then you are already telling yourself that you don’t believe you can do it. And I can tell you right now if you don’t believe you can do it – you absolutely won’t do it. 

I Believe – I Believe – I Believe

The first thing you need to do is want it and believe 100% you can do it.

Let’s be honest. I have clients who will do amazing through December and it’s not that they are not enjoying – trust me they are. But they also know the importance of keeping it to one cheat meal. When they stay on 6 days a week and enjoy the one cheat meal a week they not only enjoy their food but they enjoy how they look and feel. They know the importance that if they want to lose weight and feel great they have to stay on 6 days a week consistently. It doesn’t mean they can’t go to holiday parties mid week it just means they have a plan for when they do go to holiday parties mid week. When you have a plan and stick to it you will see the results you want.

When you have a plan for the good days and 

a plan for the most challenging days

that is when you will see the best results. 

Whatever holiday traditions you are celebrating we know that every piece of chocolate and every holiday cookie and every holiday drink looks better when it’s wrapped in holiday cheer! So it’s important to always have a plan and to really do your best to follow through on it. Its important to make the choices that are going to make you feel the best today, tomorrow, next week and next year.

You can absolutely lose weight in December if you want too,

 You can maintain in December if you want to 

You can gain in December even if you DON’T want to. 

When it comes to temptation one thing that I think really helps is to not think about what you feel in the moment, instead think about how you are going to feel later that night or the next morning. Ask yourself this question – Is it something that is going to make you happy or is it something that is just there and you are grabbing and eating it because of the moment or the holiday environment. If you are honest you will know the answer before you ask it. 

I know I am constantly reminding you that the better you feel the better you will do. I am a true believer in if you are doing the right thing and feel good you are more likely to choose the right options to keep you feeling that way. When you are around a holiday dinner or party and feel amazing — you will want to do everything you can to stay that way. 

When you feel good you look and you do good

Final Thoughts: Have your plan and follow through with it and I promise you will enjoy December, enjoy how you look and feel, be so happy with your results and enjoy keeping the control that makes you feel so good.  

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick 

I just wanted to put out a little message to everyone who is struggling. It’s okay. Don’t compare yourself to those that are doing great – I promise your time will come. But for now while you are struggling just keep moving forward. Don’t give up because that is only going to make you gain more weight on top of the weight you already want to lose. Instead just take it one day at a time. Try to get through each day the best you can. 

The most important advice is try to make this a healthy competition between you and you. Every single person is unique and special and that includes you. While I know you can be the best version of yourself that might not be today – but what you can absolutely do today is have a better day than yesterday. Even if it’s not perfect make it better than the day before. Because we don’t want our bad off days to become new bad habits. Instead keep trying to do something better every day to make it better than the day before. Maybe one less snack or do a detox meal or incorporate a longer workout or exercise.  I see clients struggle everyday – but they keep trying, and eventually they have amazing days and amazing weeks. When we keep trying to move forward and keep trying to be better than the day before – eventually you will have more and more good days. 

One mindset to help get you back on track. I can’t stress this enough – as we can already see in the NY weather. It’s not going to be cold for much longer. There are so many people who are working extra hard right now to become the person they want to be for this summer. It’s not easy for them either they are just doing it because they already know in only a few short months they do not want to deal with the feelings of not fitting into their summer clothes. So think about today and where you want to be when the coats come off and there is nothing to hide under. Make sure you are doing everything you can right now to feel your best – even if it’s not perfect be the best you can be because that is all that you need to do today. 

My final thought is to make sure you plan prepare and try your best to follow through on each day. When you fall off your path with an extra snack or meal just get right back on and continue your on program. Do not focus on what you did wrong focus on what you are doing great. Keep everyday as positive as you can because the more positive the mindset the more likely you are going to stick to your weight loss day. 

Some days will be easier than other – on the harder days is when you need to really use your strength to keep it together and push through. Stop making excuses why you can’t and find all the excuses why you can and most of all why you want to. I know you are capable of doing it – and when YOU believe that you can do it is when it’s really going to happen for you – and that is when it will become your time to be the best version of you. 

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF & YOU WILL BE UNSTOPPABLE 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

INNOVATION WEIGHT LOSS

& HEALTHY FOOD MARKET

8031/8037 JERICHO TPKE

WOODBURY, NY 111797

516802-5055

INNOVATIONWEIGHTLOSS.COM

We can get so much accomplished in March. With 5 weeks and no holidays to speak of it’s time to put your weight loss into full gear. And we do this by staying committed to our goals. Doesn’t matter if you want slow progress or fast progress the key is to always have progress. 

6 Weeks until Spring Break 

14 weeks until Memorial Day 

20 weeks until 4th of July 

You can look at these dates and get as much accomplished as you want to. But you have to set yourself up for success. The only way to set yourself up for success is to have a goal and to plan, prepare and follow through to reach it. In this blog we are going to focus on the next 6 weeks until Spring Break. Think about where you want to be and what you are willing to do to get there. 

6 Weeks 

1 lb a week = 6 pounds – Very very doable

2 lbs a week = 12 lbs – Very doable

3lbs a week = 18 lbs – very doable for some

for others it will be more challenging

If you are looking for slow steady and healthy – you simply plan prepare and follow your Innovation Menu.  But if you are looking to lose the most weight in the 6 weeks….

Here are some tips to try to incorporate into your weeks:

1. You have to be willing to follow your menu 100% 6 days a week

2. Add in detox days once, twice or up to 3x a week

3.  Control your cheat day and make it a cheat meal and dessert once a week instead of a cheat day

4. Do the 5 hour fast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-rtwAmNOGM

5. Do the Lose 5-7 lbs in one week menu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBSQB5kN5l0

6. Add daily exercise – every day including cheat day 

6. Stop Making excuses for yourself

7. Keep every day as positive as you can in every area of your life. 

8. Have a specific goal – a specific amount you want to lose; or a bathing suit or outfit you want to fit in;

9.   Plan your day the night before – don’t leave it until the last minute or the morning. Know what you are doing in advance. 

10. Say this affirmation every morning 5x before you get out of bed:

  I LOVE THE FEELING I HAVE WHEN I WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AFTER A CLEAN WEIGHT LOSS DAY 

FINAL THOUGHTS: Everyone is different and every body is different. So do you. Figure out what you are capable of and follow through with it. I have thousands of clients – sometimes they want balance in their week and other times they need to get it off quickly. Decide where you are right now and what will work for you. If you want slow and steady that is fantastic. Looking for a little quicker than follow some of the tips above. Either way the most important goal for March is to do you. Figure out what makes you feel good both mentally and physically – and most of all what you are capable of doing. We all are going through different things at different times. Figure out where your mental space is right now and that will help you decide what you can accomplish. Small steps or big steps the key is to keep moving forward and always working toward being your best self and living your best life. 

THE SUCCESS OF YOUR FUTURE IS IN YOUR DAILY ROUTINE 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

INNOVATION WEIGHT LOSS

&HEALTHY MARKET

8031/8037 Jericho Tpke

Woodbury, NY 11797

516802-5055

www.innovation.com

I love this phrase. I am not sure who came up it with but I love it. Don’t get me wrong I know it’s not always easy to do the right thing. At times it can be hard to even know what the right thing is. And while I think we can all agree it’s not so easy to confuse the right thing from the wrong thing – It’s very easy to confuse the right thing with the easy thing. Most of us know right from wrong. But right from easy can be a minute impulse because we are so used to living in the moment of immediate satisfaction that we forget that everything we do and decide in the moment usually has a longer term effect. 

When we choose to make a decision in the moment it’s easy to make the decision that is easier because we are looking for temporary relief of uncomfortableness. We are not thinking of long term or even tomorrow we are thinking right now at the moment of temptation. What is easier and will make it all feel better. 

A great example would be — let’s say for the last 15 days you have been amazing on program following your 6 days on program and 1 cheat day a week. Now you are out to dinner with friends or family and everyone is ordering drinks, pasta’s, desserts- it’s not your cheat day but you smell the pasta, it looks amazing and you are already hungry from eating less on your diet. So you make the decision in that moment to drink the alcohol and eat the pasta and desserts even though you know the other 1439 minutes of that day you wanted to lose weight – but in that one minute you made the choice to eat it – Why? Because you wanted to be out of the uncomfortable feeling of not having what you wanted – so you gave in. At that moment losing weight wasn’t as important as the other 1439 minutes of the day so you made the fast and easy decision to eat it even though you knew 2 minutes after you would regret it. Not the right thing – but the easy thing.

What we have to remember is most of the time, the fast decision is the wrong decision. The easy decision is the wrong decision. The decision that fixes “right now” is the wrong decision.

Most important – every time you choose to do the easy thing, instead of the right thing, you are shaping your identity and becoming the type of person who does what’s easy, rather than what’s right. Is that who you want to be? 

I think when we fall into these instance we have to remember- Doing the right thing is always the right thing. Deep down you know what the right thing is. And you know it because in this example above for the prior 15 days when you were doing the right thing you saw the weight loss and felt great – lighter healthier fitter. You did the right thing and you saw and felt the results of it. 

If you were going to take away anything from this blog it would be —The knowledge you need to make better decisions always comes from doing the right thing and seeing the results.  And 99% of the time the hardest thing and the right thing are the same. How do we stop doing the easy thing – we must look beyond immediate gratification and see the big picture. The results that come from doing the right thing are crystal clear and they’ll give you the evidence and results every time to prove to you that you need to keep on doing the right thing. You stay on program – make the right choices – exercise – walk away from temptation – you get the results. 

Another great example — One of my clients – I love her dearly but she knows the right thing from the easy thing because lately she chooses the easy thing all the time — and then she gets so upset when she sees her number on the scale. But just to be clear she knows it and gets upset over it because she has also had straight months of doing the right thing and seeing those results which she loved — Which is why she gets so upset. She has done the right thing and loved when she felt great and her number was down — but lately she just isn’t choosing to do the right thing and easier is winning out over right and she is paying the price both mentally and physically. 

So the bottom line –– choosing the right thing or the easy thing is the life changing moments that will ultimately decide on whether or not you will reach your goals and how you feel in the process.  

Final Thoughts For You: The right thing may be the toughest and most painful thing to do, the more reason why we should keep doing it. We have to remember that nothing good comes from anything easy.  Whatever success you are looking for – I promise you doing the right thing will get you there faster. 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss

& Healthy Market

8031/8037 Jericho Tpke

Woodbury, NY 11797

516 802-5055

www.innovationweightloss.com

“YOUR FUTURE IS CREATED BY WHAT YOU DO TODAY” and when you apply this beautiful quote to your life you will get the best results: 

IT IS TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TIME and opportunity for all people. It’s about planning and preparing and having goals to reach. And most of all it’s about time. One of our biggest mistakes in our life is that we think we have more time. Time is free but it is priceless. You can not own it but you can use it. You can not keep it but you can spend it. Time is flying faster than 186,000 miles per second and nobody can stop it and if it is lost, you never get it back. So you can get more money, you can buy more food, you can purchase many beautiful clothes and drive multiple awesome cars and buy beautiful homes. But you can never get more time. 

What I am trying to say is you all have the same chance time and potential to reach your goals if you want to. We all have the same 24 hours in a day – it’s really a matter of how you want to use them that will determine your success. If you do not want to work hard you will not see results and if you are willing to put the time in you will see great results. So think about the time you are using everyday. Are you throwing it away or are you using it to be successful and reach your goals. Only you can answer that question and only you can change the answer. 

DON’T KEEP MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE OVER. Successful people learn from their mistakes. Always remember a mistake is the normal process of learning and the more you make mistakes the smarter you will be – but only if you learn from them. But if you keep making the same mistake over and over then you are not learning you are just wasting your time. You should apply this to all areas of your life- but as an example for Health and Weight Loss: you want to plan prepare and follow through with your day. When you have a hiccup and it throws you off your path – figure out why you had it and how you can prepare for it so it doesn’t affect you next time. Now you won’t have to worry about that one thing throwing you off your path anymore. You have learned from the mistake that made you fall off your path and you have come up with a strategy for the next time it happens again. This way you won’t make that same mistake twice and it’s one less thing you have to worry about. 

THIS ALL 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 healthy — is going to result in how you approach life and all the good and 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. Think about what motivates you. Is it when you feel lighter, healthier, fitter? Or maybe it’s when you feel in total control of your thoughts and days. Maybe it’s when you are getting dressed and everything fits or feels big, or maybe it’s your vacation or big event coming up and you know exactly how you want to look and feel. Whatever your motivation is you have to focus on it to help you reach your goals. The more consecutive days the easier it all becomes. 

I KNOW YOU HAVE HEARD THIS FROM ME BEFORE 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 you will never want to go back to your old eating habits. I can’t even begin to tell you how many people wrote to me that they were just so happy they got back on program right after vacation. Trust me if you have not started do it now. Whatever day you start it’s always going to be hard. It was hard to start during the holidays, and now it’s hard to start after vacation – no matter when you begin it will always be hard. The longer you delay it the harder it will be. Just do it – start today you will be so happy you did.

DO IT NOW

SOMETIMES LATER BECOMES NEVER

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

INNOVATION WEIGHT LOSS

& HEALTHY FOOD MARKET

8031/8037 JERICHO TPKE

WOODBURY, NY 1797

516 802-5055

WWW.INNOVATIONWEIGHTLOSS.COM

I have a Healthy 2023 New Years Challenge for you. It’s for you to become the very best version of yourself. I just did a podcast on the importance of your resolutions and goals and part of the importance is to know what you want and make sure you are doing what it takes to get it. You can listen to it here:  LISTEN HERE

What does it mean to be the best version of yourself? Being your best self means living authentically. To be your best self, you need to stay true to yourself and your values. You also need to make sure you’re doing what brings you a sense of happiness, purpose, and meaning.

How do you start – First you have to Imagine what your best self could be like?  Living your best life is really learning how to step into your own control, your own power and really owning who you’re being. Even if you’re not the ideal person that you want to be yet, knowing that you are on your way and working towards being that best person is how to start becoming the best version of yourself.

It’s also important to remember that the best way to live your life and become the best version of yourself is not how others tell you, including me. If living your best life and being the best version of yourself is living fabulously and spending money, then go and do that. If it means you want to eat everything in sight then go do that. The only thing you have to remember living your best life and becoming the best version of yourself is not only in the moment — you have to be okay with the results. For example if you are living fabulously and spending a ton of money on parties and clothes – well you have to be okay with paying for it. You can’t cry you have no money in a month. Or if you eat whatever you want because it makes you feel good in the moment or you don’t want the restrictions of being in control to lose weight well then you can’t cry when you go on the scale and it’s not what you you want to see.  Living your best life and becoming the best version of yourself isn’t only living it in one moment or one day or week. It’s learning to live it daily and continue building on it. It means being in your power and happiness in what you are doing and how you feel and most important you want to LOVE THE RESULTS of everything you are doing and who you are becoming. At the end of the day everything you do and work hard for should result in building on the person you want to become. It should be a life long aspiration of always working in the right direction improving everything you want to improve.

HOW TO START BEING THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF.

1. Start by Doing some inner work. When we don’t do it we have no idea how powerful it is. Two of my favorites are:

Journaling: Just like When you were a teenager, you might have kept a diary hidden under your mattress. It was a place to confess your struggles and fears without judgment or punishment. Now it’s called journaling. It’s simply writing down your thoughts and feelings to understand them more clearly. And if you struggle with stress, depression, or anxiety, keeping a journal can be a great idea. It can help you gain control of your emotions and improve your mental health.

Meditation: Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit both your emotional well-being and your overall health. Journaling is putting it on paper and Meditation is doing it in the mind. Both meditation and journaling create an “open-hearted space of discovery, learning and building.

2. BE YOURSELF – BUT BETTER:  Be yourself, have courage, have confidence, take calculated risks, improve yourself daily, know what you’re after, and go get it.

3. USE THE POWER OF YOUR MIND:

If you only get one thing from reading this, let it be your understanding that whatever you think and fill your mind with most is what you will become. The power of the mind is not a joke! You are what you think and your future will become what you think to yourself most consistently. We all think– but we all think differently – the difference is some think negatively about themselves and others think positively about themselves. If you think negatively you will be negative and not reach your full potential in life. The last thing you want to be doing is negatively comparing yourself to people and habitually finding faults with others and yourself – Don’t do that.

Instead work hard to always be positive and look for the positives, that way you will be surrounded by positivity and peace. If you think positively and optimistically you will naturally become the best version of yourself and become your best you

4. BELIEVE STRONGLY IN YOURSELF AND NEVER GIVE UP ON YOURSELF

At the end of the day stick to what you’re true to and do not waiver. And if you have a hiccup you just get right back on your path. Whether it’s food, spending or even thinking – when you find yourself stumbling into that negative mindset – you push yourself to get back on your healthy path and you get right back to the person you want to be and the best version of yourself you want to build toward. At the end of the day you’re responsibility is to listen to yourself and trust your intuition. Learn to ignore the negative comments and opinions of others, while consistently building up positivity in your own mind, and always staying focused on living how you want to.

While it’s important to listen to others, since they might show you things you might not see, the point is not to allow them to bring you down when you’re doing what you know in your heart is right. To be your best you, trust yourself, reject opinions that don’t help make you better, and continue to improve yourself daily.

My Final Tips: 

• Smile, be happy, spread love, don’t worry about others, reject negativity, and just focus on doing you.
• Follow your program so you can feel your best everyday. Get in shape with consistent exercise 
• Drink Water Water Water – it’s a natural detox for your mind, body, skin and soul.
• Work hard and keep learning.
• Try new things, make smart decisions, be good to others, pay attention to what you enjoy doing, and above all else, enjoy your life!

One day, you’ll leave this world behind. It is therefore your responsibility to live a good life, the type of life you would dream for yourself. It won’t be easy, but it’s your life right now to live.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss

& Healthy Market

8031/8037 Jericho Tpke

Woodbury, NY 11797

516 802-5055

www.innovationweightloss.com

With just a hop skip and a jump 2023 will be here. Let’s be ready with some helpful holiday tips:

HOLIDAY TIPS :

1. WATER WATER WATER: Whether you are on the beach, the slopes 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 as soon as you wake up because 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 snack drink 8 oz of water before you eat. You will not only consume less food because water is filling — 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 each one. 

2. EXERCISE: Whether you are in the gym or out of the gym stay active on vacation. Home or away vacation is the perfect time to stay active. On the mountain go skiing, sledding, or shoe walking. On the beach take a long walk or jog on the sand. Go swimming. Do an outdoor yoga class or take outdoor boot camp. Enjoy your surroundings and plan activities according to the weather you are in. If you are staying home with the family play tag or hide and seek. Go bowling or ice skating. Take long walks in the park and maybe even go hiking.  It will be enjoyable and keep the mind and body in a great place. 

3. PLAN & PREPARE: 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 for Holidays & New Years:

•  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 count it as your snacks. 

•  Split the Holidays. We have multiple holidays and New Years Eve and New Years Day. If you split them and stay on program all day and only off at night – Dinner and Drinks or Dinner and Dessert. You do it for all Holidays with on program days in between. You will absolutely maintain but for many will still have a great chance of losing if you have amazing days in between. 

• Home or Away – Maintain your Vacation– If you feel you need the break from the everyday mindset vacation is a good time to take advantage of it. Whether you are home or away you will choose one meal and one dessert or drinks each day. The remainder of the day keep on program. So for example you might do Muffin Breakfast, and light chicken salad for Lunch – and then cheat dinner and dessert or drinks. Then the next day you might want to do a Cheat Breakfast – and then on program remainder of the day.  You can choose how you want to do it but each day it’s one cheat meal with dessert or drinks (your drinks count as your desserts). If you do this you do not have a full cheat day before or after the holidays’s or break — because you are cheating a little each day. At the end of the holiday week go right back on program for a week and then get on the scale because it will take a full clean week before you see the maintenance of that week. So if you choose this option don’t weigh at the end of the week after having a cheat meal and dessert every day and expect to be the same weight you were at the beginning of the week. Im telling you now that won’t happen. But after the holiday week if you give yourself a solid on program week you will go right back to the pre-holiday weight.

While I wish food and drinks didn’t play such a big part in how we feel – the reality is it does. And I’m a big believer that it’s always better to face things then ignore them. Since what we eat and drink affects our mindset and personality, I think its super important to think through how you want to feel and what is going to make you happy. Do not cheat everyday if you know by mid week you will be miserable because that will just make everyone you are with miserable. As hard as it may feel to stay on program – think about how hard it is to feel bloated and uncomfortable in your body. Im not saying that you should stay 100% on program this holiday break but what I am saying is think it through and decide what you are going to feel your best doing. Honestly I know you all so well that I think 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 this holiday week. 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 doesnt matter how amazing you were up to this point. You will feel the effects of daily over doing it immediately. So make 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 Im telling you now so you don’t look back and feel like you should have made different choices. You have all been on holiday break before and you know what it does to you mentally and physically when you are consistently off program. Some are okay 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 back 100% on program. After one solid on program day you will feel back in control and feel so much better. I am always here for you if you need guidance – simple reach out. Remember this isn’t about being perfect it’s about being happy. 

HAPPINESS LOOKS AMAZING ON EVERYONE!

Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

INNOVATION WEIGHT LOSS

& HEALTHY MARKET

8031/8037 JERICHO TPKE

WOODBURY, NY 11797

516 802-5055

innovationweightloss.com

innovationjeff1@gmail.com