As we travel through the last two weeks before the Holiday Break  many of you are very much on your healthy weight loss path and others are still struggling a little to get to where you want to be.  Wherever you are today and moving into this week I want you to be positive and confident about what you can achieve and why you want to do it.  Don’t only focus on your number — instead focus on staying on program, having the control that makes you happy, and how much it all makes you feel good.

FOCUS:  With so many holiday parties and gatherings before vacation if you are struggling focus on doing the very best you can because at the end of the day maintaining is better than gaining.

FOCUS:  Even being on program between holiday parties is better than being off program all together.  Just keep reminding yourself if you weren’t on program and weren’t watching and being mindful where would you be.  That’s a scary thought for many.  But knowing that you may not be doing your very best but doing the best you can right now is what matters and what will keep you from gaining — and sometimes that is enough.

What’s the point? — The holiday is in less than two weeks and I have so many parties in between what is the point of trying right now?  The point is very simple you are either going to go in a happy positive place where you at the very least feeling  de-bloated or a place that you feel out of control and very uncomfortable — choose your hard!

FOCUS:  You can still lose a couple of pounds before you leave but even more important you will leave and start the holiday feeling lighter and in control over your day and that can really make the difference in how you feel, act and enjoy  your holiday, vacation and everyone that loves you.

FOCUS:  Don’t worry about where you weight is today — don’t even think about it.  Just follow your program and you will feel better tomorrow.  Whether you are leaving in one week or two — if you stay on program and keep moving forward everyday  you will feel better and better.  Whether you are staying home or going on vacation — feeling lighter and in control is where you want to be and how you want to feel.

The Journey — Something I think is important to share is how important your journey is.  I know I say it all the time but it’s very easy to get caught up in feeling sorry for yourself and bad about the mistakes and choices you make. But the Innovation journey of weight loss is based around real life. That’s why we have a cheat day.  So we don’t beat ourself up when we want to enjoy something we love.  We have to remember we are not always going to be amazing every single second of every day.  But what I want you to focus on is how happy you are on the journey to feeling your best.  Every step you take in the direction of eating clean and losing weight is one more step to feeling great both mentally and physically.   And while you are taking those steps — (slow or fast – turtle or shark) — keep the focus on all the happiness in your life —and start with the Happiness of the Holiday Season and being around those you love.

A Positive Mind Gives You A Positive Life

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Today at Sundown begins Yom Kippur the holiest day of the year — for those who observe it’s the day on which we are closest to G-d and to the quintessence of our own souls.  It is the day of Atonement — be forgiven and cleansed from all your sins before G-d.

For nearly twenty-six hours — from several minutes before sunset tonight to after nightfall tomorrow — we “afflict our souls”:  we abstain from food and drink, and head to temple and our time is spent in prayer to G-d.  It’s truly a beautiful holiday.

For those of you who fast, it’s a great time to give your weight loss a boost as well.  Your last meal today should be a nice balance of protein and healthy carbohydrates and this combination will sustain you throughout the fast.  Some great choices would be:

• Grilled or roasted chicken (no skin)
• Vegetables – Green Beans, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Asparagus.
• Mashed Sweet Potato – no milk or cream
• Fresh fruit

Water, water, water throughout the day today.  You should never wait until you are thirsty to drink water.   Once you are thirsty you are already dehydrated and when you are dehydrated you will feel hunger.  You should drink water all day when you are NOT thirsty to avoid dehydration.

Let’s Talk Breaking the Fast:  If you don’t cheat after the fast you will actually use the fast to your benefit. It will be a great addition to your weight loss.  After the fast you should start with a small on program snack and a bottle of water.  Then follow it by an on program meal.  Some examples:  Skagel or ezekiel bread with lox and light cream cheese; Light Tuna or Chicken salad with ak mak,  wasa or Innovation flax  crackers; vegetables and hummus; roasted chicken or fish with vegetable side.  If you really want to stay on program it’s very doable.  There will be a lot of temptation at the table so the results are all going to be about what you want when you step on the scale Saturday not what you want tomorrow.

PLAN AHEAD:  If you planned on cheating tomorrow then I am going to assume you saved your cheat day from this past weekend for tomorrow.  But if you didn’t save it and you decided you want to cheat tomorrow then I would simply skip this coming weekend cheat day.   It’s one or the other. You can’t have 3 cheat days in one week and lose weight.   Make the choice and stick to it.

Very Important – don’t cheat tomorrow and say you are going to skip this weekend cheat day and then you don’t skip it.  Because we all know where that will have you end up – yikes 🙁

Final thoughts:  You should only be breaking the fast if you actually fasted.  If you are not fasting because of medicine, not religious, you just can’t do it- or don’t want to do it… then you should be sticking 110% on program, and eating clean on program food.

Whether you are having a cheat day or deciding to stay clean on program – plan it and follow through.  I think especially on such a holy holiday it’s really important to stick to whatever you plan.  You don’t want to end the holiday and start the New Year beating yourself up because of  the decisions you made and how they made you feel.  If you are cheating then enjoy it and if you are staying on program enjoy it.

Don’t always base your decisions on what is in front of you.  Think about and base your decisions on how you will feel at the end of the night – how you will feel tomorrow getting dressed and how you will feel when you step on the scale this weekend.  

Whatever you decide— have your plan and stick to it.  Because the most important thing is owning it, — accepting it and enjoying every second on it.

Atone for the sins of the past year and learn from those sins

so that you can be a better person for the year ahead.

Innovation Weight Loss wishes you all a healthy, peaceful and fulfilling year.

G’mar Hatimah Torah

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick