progress – Innovation Weightloss & Fitness

March 23, 2017By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Winter Challenge 2017 Weight Loss Winners

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE INNOVATION 2017 WINTER WEIGHT LOSS CONTEST

Andrew Stern: 19 lbs

Beth Mallor: 16.6 lbs

We had really great weight loss numbers and the contest was REALLY close. But in the end you all won because you have all started Spring 2017 lighter, healthier and fitter than you were in January. How amazing for you all! When it comes to weight loss, it doesn’t really matter where you start – It matters that you enjoy the journey, work hard and feel great about yourself inside and out. You have all accomplished that. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE CONTESTANTS!

Many people always ask “how did they do it?” … I will tell you how. In order to lose weight you have to work hard everyday. You have to think about it everyday and you have to plan for it everyday. It’s really hard work! But it’s hard work for any success that you have in life. Any successful person will tell you that you have to work hard everyday. You have to give it your all everyday and you have to want it more than anything everyday. Whether it’s weight loss, school, or your career – it’s hard work and it’s exhausting and exciting all at the same time. You have to stay motivated and you need to constantly push yourself – especially if others are trying to pull you down. It doesn’t mean that you don’t have fun. It’s what your version of fun is — Cheat day is fun. It’s a break from the real world once a week. Vacations are fun they are a break from the real world for a long weekend or long week. My point to this – is it’s easy to do nothing and it’s even easier to do the wrong things. But it won’t make you happy and it definitely won’t make you successful. If you want to be successful whether it’s in weight loss or any part of your life – it takes commitment, perseverance, and both physical and mental strength. You have to be willing to be exhausted but keep doing the right things… it’s okay to be aggravated but keep doing the right things – And of course on the happy days it’s always easier to do the right things!

Always remember the more consistently you work hard the more successful you will be.. Doing nothing is easy. Working hard and being successful is hard but definitely more rewarding. You have to decide who you are and what you are willing to give. Like Andrew and Beth! They worked hard for what they wanted and it shows!

CONGRATULATIONS ANDREW

YOU DID AMAZING AND IT SHOWS!!!

ANDREW LOVES THE WAY HE LIVES AND LIVES THE WAY HE LOVES!

CONGRATULATIONS BETH!

YOU DID ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!

BETH LOVES THE WAY SHE LIVES AND LIVES THE WAY SHE LOVES!!!

~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

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October 5, 2016By Josephine Fitzpatrick

What’s Up Wednesday

If you over did it on the holiday the best thing you can do today is get right back on program and go back to your regular menu of 3 meals and snacks. Do not go from overeating to restricting. Your body is not ready for it and it will only rebel on you in the process. I know you feel like you want it off right now but give yourself the next couple of days of being back on track and you will deflate like a tube with a pin hole. Before you know it you will go back to feeling light, leaner and healthier. It won’t be today and might not even be tomorrow but by Saturday you will be happy to be back on track and feeling great. Yes, it’s true that it comes on a lot faster than it comes off but the quicker you go back the faster you see results. If you are a snail be a snail and if you are a shark be a shark – at the end of the day all that matters is you are going in the right direction. Fast or slow, you will get there and each day you will feel better and better.

Here is one of our amazing clients Lynne. I witnessed first hand Lynne go from a snail to a shark. As she put it, “I had a major love affair with food all my life”. Through working closely and diligently with Thea, Lynne has changed everything about her life and the way she looks at food. She understands how important it is to fuel your body to feel and look good. She has learned that everything you put in your body matters and every thing you eat really does make a difference. She works hard everyday and it has changed her physically, mentally, and actively. She now has a healthy active life that doesn’t revolve around food but around health. She feeds her body accordingly but has become extremely mindful that she doesn’t eat to eat. She eats to live healthy, fit, lean and happy. We are so proud of you Lynne. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

LYNNE LOVES THE WAY SHE LIVES AND LIVES THE WAY SHE LOVES

*Lynne is down a total of 29 lbs! I couldn’t be more proud of her. She worked so hard. She has come such a long way and grown into a new person when it comes to eating and learning about food. She clearly loves to live healthy and it shows through her happiness. I am so thrilled that I got to be part of your life and healthy journey. So proud of you Lynne! – Thea

~Love to Live Healthy With Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

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September 26, 2016By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Don’t Let Age Dictate Who You Are

A client came into me recently. Women in her 50’s who has reached her goal weight and has gotten down to a number she had never seen in her lifetime. Her new number of 125 lbs at 5’ 7” at 53 years old was beyond her belief. She looks amazing. She wasn’t too thin and she didn’t have a gaunt face and all the things you hear – simply not true. When you eat healthy and clean it’s a very healthy thin look you get in return. She looked absolutely gorgeous and young! As I always say, and it is clear to those who experience it – Being overweight doesn’t only make you feel older it makes you look older. To say the very least she has been over the top thrilled with her new body and weight. The journey is just as exciting for me as it is for the client. Watching someone transform and see week after week layers of fat disappear always result each week in beautiful features that were hidden by unhealthy eating and weight gain. Was it easy for her? Sometimes it was and sometimes it wasn’t. Like us all, she had good and bad days. And sometimes a good or bad week. But we always pulled her back on track and right back into eating healthy and eating for weight loss. My very important point is what she said to me when I spoke to her this week.

She said “I am almost mad at myself that when I came in to see you for the first time at a 163 pounds that I was willing to settle for that. I was willing to settle for a number because I was older. Because I hit menopause, because I didn’t think I was capable of looking or feeling like I did when I was younger. And after going from 163 to 125 the truth is, I feel better and look better than I ever have. I don’t remember feeling or looking this way when I was in my 30s or 40s. I am beyond excited and happy and my age means nothing now compared to how I feel and look today.”

I got very choked up because what got me the most about what she said was that she was “willing to settle”. She was willing to settle for unhappiness. She was older and heavier and she was going to let her age dictate who she was and how she felt. That would have been so sad if that happened. That would have been so wasteful had she not took that one last chance.

Now I want you to see what I saw the last couple of months. Because what I see is the same as what the world sees. I first met her and she looked older, tired, uncomfortable, in a negative state because like most clients, she tried everything and was sure nothing would work. But most important she clearly wasn’t happy – she was sad that this is who she became. She no longer even felt young on the inside because the outside had clearly taken over. But each week she worked hard. She lost weight and continued to follow her program. There were times she struggled and other times it was effortless. She came in week after week and I would see cheekbones that weren’t there before and collarbones that were once hidden. A beautiful smile that I didn’t even know existed when I first met her. Every week her transformation went from little changes to big changes. In the last couple of months I have seen this sad, unhappy, unhealthy women transform from an “Eeyore” into a “Tigger” and it wasn’t only her body that transformed it was her life as well. She began living like a young woman and not an older lady. Every week she would get brighter and brighter. She started doing things that she once kept putting off because she didn’t feel good. Activities that she never considered because she overweight all of a sudden became part of her life. She started dressing younger, classy and stylish. She wore her clothes, her clothes did not wear her. When she first started she looked like she was ready to throw in the towel and live unhappy and now only a couple of months later it was clear that her life has just begun again. And I can’t help but think how sad if she settled. How sad that her life could have very well ended earlier than it should have. And by earlier I mean in spirit. Just because we are alive doesn’t mean we are living.

So what I am asking you today on Monday morning…Do you want to settle for where you are? Will you let life’s excuses – age, school, work, family, friends, etc…dictate who you are and where you want to be? Or are you willing to make the changes, work hard, and even be a little uncomfortable if it’s going to get you to a place of joy, happiness, healthy and being thin? A place where you feel and look younger because you are younger than what you look and feel like today! A place where dressing in your clothes is effortless and enjoyable. Are you willing to work hard and make the changes so you have control of where you are going and where you will end up? This is the question I want you to ask yourself every day when you wake up. Are you willing to settle? Or are you willing to work hard to get back to where you were or even better place than you have ever been…Because what you want out of life is in your reach. What you put into your life is what you will get out of it. You just can’t give up and you can never settle.

“NEVER ALLOW YOURSELF TO SETTLE FOR LESS THAN YOU DESERVE”

THIS IS YOUR LIFE…. MAKE IT THE BEST IT CAN BE!

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

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September 23, 2016By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Inspiration Wednesday

When you stay on program and eat clean 6 days with 1 day off.

When you follow your menu, you reach out when you need help and you work through the challenges.

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DO ALL THE RIGHT THINGS….

YOU LOSE 55 LBS!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS KASEY!

YOU DID SUCH AN AMAZING JOB AND LOOK ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!!!!

WE ARE ALL SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!

KASEY LOVES THE LIFE SHE LIVES AND LIVES THE LIFE SHE LOVES

-Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness 8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797 469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

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September 6, 2016By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Positive Thoughts, Positive Actions, Positive Results

Weak is he who permits his thoughts to control his actions; strong is he who forces his actions to control his thoughts.

When I read this quote, I couldn’t help but think of so many of you. When we feel mentally weak it’s so easy for us to let our thoughts take control of who we are and what we want. It becomes a snowball in our life to let our thoughts about food and drink affect our actions and in return affect our life in a negative way. When our thoughts take control it can make us depressed and sad….it can turn any day into a bad one. It’s the time that we feel mentally weak that we choose to let our guard down and we begin to self sabotage with unhealthy choices and actions. These are the choices that affect not only us but everyone important in our life.

The reason I felt so strongly about writing this today is because whatever negative you did these past few weeks/months may hit home today. Whether you are off to work and your clothes don’t fit or you have come to the realization that you gained 10 lbs from summer fun. Either way it’s an easy time to let your thoughts control you actions and continue to spiral out of control.

The second part of the quote is what I want you to focus on today – it’s when we are mentally strong we turn the tables and we force ourselves to do the right thing and control what we want and who we become. Regardless of how much temptation is around us we choose to be healthy and happy and stay that way. We wake in the morning with the 100% intention to feel amazing and do the right things and thats what we do. Day and night our mental strength controls our actions and our actions control our thoughts to stay happy, healthy and fit.

I know I don’t have to ask the question- which do you want to feel? I already know the answer. In fact, for most of you it’s not one or the other it’s both, and it’s both too often. It’s what constantly causes the vicious roller coaster ride you put yourself on day in and day out. One day you feel confident and amazing the next it’s self pity and indulgence. It’s the same 5 pounds you keep losing and gaining. It’s an unhealthy path because it can change your day and thoughts mentally on a daily basis.

Today I want you to make a commitment to finally be done with the roller coaster and want to step off the ride forever. The best way to do this is to start focusing on quality goals as much or more than quantity goals.

Focus on goals and actions that are more important than the scale moving an ounce in either direction. I’m not telling you to forget the number all together, I know how important that is for you to be aware of and to monitor your progress. I’m just saying in addition to the number moving in the right direction you should think about another goal and positive actions that would mean a lot to you and possibly change your day/life. Focus on goals that will help you get the number moving in the right direction and positive actions/goals that will trigger more positive actions/goals in your daily life.

The following are some examples of positive quality goals you might want to focus on so that each day is more productive and positive than the next:

1. MY FAVORITE: Make it a priority to eat healthy 6 days a week and cheat only 1 day a week.

2. This month start to plan ahead everyday and have your meals and snacks packed in advance.

3. Do not get upset over anything that is not meaningful to yourself and your family.

4. Don’t let yourself get caught up in gossip and find yourself eating on the phone. The person you are talking about is exercising while you are talking about them.

5. Make a commitment to learn to run 1 mile without stopping or walk a fast 2 miles.

6. When you feel sad make yourself laugh.

9. When you start to feel depressed let yourself sing a happy song out loud. (Sounds silly but it works!)

10. When you feel fear -make yourself push forward.

11. If you feel uncertain – raise your voice louder in confidence.

12. If you feel insecure – think about your past successes.

Repeat them, follow them and live them. Whether it’s one or all of them – Promise yourself that you will focus on a positive life mentally and physically. It’s important for all of us to recognize and identify our emotions and learn to control our thoughts and moods through positive actions. When you wake in the morning I want you to fight to start positive and stay positive. Everyone has issues. I tell you all the time that no one’s life is perfect, it doesn’t exist. What does exist is living a perfect life. Those who live a perfect life make it perfect with their positive thinking and positive actions. They stay on their path and in control because they want it. They work everyday to live and be happy. Don’t look for problems because I promise you will find them. Look for the positive, the happy, the playful and the control to be who you want to be and feel the way you want to feel.

Start today. Focus on feeling good, and to feel good you have to eat healthy and on program. Focus on exercise because it gives you energy and strength. Focus on accomplishing your everyday tasks at work and home. Make a list and focus on getting it done. Be a good person, listen to your children, talk to your parents, and put positive effort and time into your significant other. Make the priorities in your life based around the most important things – your health, your family, your home, your happiness, your career!

POSITIVE THOUGHTS

GENERATE POSITIVE ACTIONS

THAT ATTRACT POSITIVE FEELINGS

ALL OF WHICH CREATE POSITIVE RESULTS!

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

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September 1, 2016By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Do What Makes You Happy

STAY ON YOUR PATH AND DO THE RIGHT THING – IT MAKES YOU HAPPY!

Life is so much easier when you just do the right thing. While the right thing may be different for many people, I think most agree when it comes to weight loss, staying in control is so much easier than becoming out of control and trying to continuously get back in it. With end of the summer vacation and the anticipation of the going kids back to school, it’s very easy to just wait another couple of weeks to get back on track. However, those weeks can turn into 10 pounds very quickly. And hopefully it’s not on top of weight that you accumulated over the summer to begin with.In the last week I have received so many texts and emails. One moment you have it all together, and then in what feels like a blink of an eye you are out of control and the weight is increasing at lightening speed. While it’s easy to ask how and why, and even easier to point the finger to everyone around us…friends, family, vacations, stress, anxiety etc etc etc…We all know the real answer is very simple – You gave in. You will always have something going on in your life – happy, sad, stress etc. But if and when you let food and your surroundings become more important and bigger than what you really want and what really makes you happy – that is when life really becomes stressful for you. When you do the right thing you can handle everything in life so much easier. *Take a simple problem and it’s at a time when you are not doing the right thing and you feel bloated and unhealthy, your weight is up and your clothes don’t fit. That little problem that you are dealing with is so much bigger because you are in an ugly, uncomfortable place and it makes everything around you ugly and difficult. The worst part of this is you are not the only person it affects. It affects everyone around you. It not only feels better to do the right thing it also makes your life easier and everyone around you so much happier.

CHALLENGE: FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS – I want you to make a serious effort to DO THE RIGHT THING and take all the blame every time you over eat or go off program. So that means – No blaming the kids because they are crazy and out of control. No blaming your significant other because they eat terrible. No blaming the beautiful vacation you are on because it made you over eat and No blaming your friends because of social pressure. FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS IT’S ALL ON YOU! You are in control of what you do and what you want because at the end of the day you are the one who is putting the food and drink in your mouth. Remember everyone has something going on in their life. Trust me, I work with thousands and thousands of people all over the world and everyone (even the most perfect in control person) has something going on that could easily let them slip. But they don’t. They don’t because they know once they let it slip it’s just another thing that is not right in their life on top of what they are already dealing with. They have come to understand and realize that when life is challenging, eating healthy and doing the right thing makes every obstacle in their life easier.

Weight loss, feeling healthy and fit is actually the one thing you do have control over. Whether or not you do it is once again on you. So whether you are on vacation, at work, getting kids ready for school, college – You can and will do the right thing and stay on program like so many have done this summer:

FOR EXAMPLE: Quinn from Indiana who has lost over 35 lbs since May and still losing. Or Miggy who is down 20 lbs, and Jaimie hit 30 lbs last week, we have Mary Kate who is down 23 lbs in 4 weeks and Ally who went on two major vacations this summer and is still down 25lbs. The list goes on and on…You see what’s really important here is for you to understand that when you have 6 days clean and 1 day to eat whatever you want – it is more than enough for a social, happy, healthy and fun life and you still lose weight and feel great. If you need anything more than that one day off then it’s on you. If you want to lose weight, be happy and and feel great – THEN DO THE RIGHT THING – BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT IS WHAT MAKES YOU TRULY HAPPY!

IN ORDER TO BE AMAZING AT WEIGHT LOSS OR ANYTHING THAT
YOU WANT IN YOUR LIFE. YOU CAN’T ACCEPT FAILURE. YOU CAN’T BLAME ANYONE AROUND YOU.
YOU HAVE TO WANT IT MORE THAN ANYTHING. YOU HAVE TO LIVE IT AND BREATH IT
BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT IT TAKES TO BE AMAZING.
YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES – WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO DO IT
WILL DETERMINE YOUR STRENGTH AND YOUR FUTURE HAPPINESS.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

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June 20, 2016By Josephine Fitzpatrick

First Day of Summer

It’s the first day of summer and whether you are happy with where you are or you are looking to get back on a healthy path…summer plans can be challenging for everyone. I know many of you are thinking ‘how can I stay on program and lose weight with all the parties, bbq and events that I have every week?’… My thoughts to you are: If you can take the time to gain then you can take the time to lose. Follow these amazing tips to start the summer off right!

MEALS: Clean 6 days and cheat 1 day. Thats the most effective way to lose weight. If you eat 3 clean meals and 2-3 snacks a day with one cheat day then you will see immediate results.

LITTLE LIES: Stop telling little lies to yourself – Really think about what you are saying and feeling. When you say you are starving…are you really starving?? Do you really even know what starving feels like? Remember, you can convince yourself to feel however you want. So if you tell yourself “I’m starving!!” that’s what you will feel. Switch it to “I’m getting a little hungry” and your whole attitude will change in a positive direction.

NO EXCUSES: I have to split my cheat days; there wasn’t any options for me to eat; It was the cleanest choice there — There is always an option. At a restaurant, you may have to ask for it the way you want it and at a bbq you can eat before or you can bring a healthy choice. Think about it…when do you ever walk into a party empty handed? Along with the wine or dessert make sure you bring a healthy choice that you can enjoy. **Restaurants ask for grilled plain fish or chicken with steamed veggies. Everyone has it 🙂

BE AMAZING: Summer is always going to be hard. But on the days you can be amazing, be amazing, and the days you can’t, then be mindful. You have 4 weeks in a month – if you lose weight 1 week but the other 3 weeks you maintain then you are still ahead of the game at the end of the month you still lost. If you can lose 2 weeks and maintain 2 weeks that’s even better!!

EXERCISE EVERYDAY: While you can’t exercise off what you eat, what you can do is feel and look better when you exercise. It’s amazing how you feel when you start your day with exercise. It immediately gets the blood pumping and you feel like you can accomplish anything. A walk, do weights, a jog, spin or do a class…With the sun rising early try and find a way to start the day with exercise.

LIVE LIKE THERE ARE NO DO-OVERS: Try not to live like you are on a diet. Every time you go off you think you have to start over. Instead, when you have a bbq or a night out that didn’t go as planned, just get right back on your healthy lifestyle. Eating clean and healthy 6 days a week with 1 day off is a way of life, not a short term fix. No one is perfect all the time. So when you are not perfect don’t throw in the towel and snowball into 10 lbs of a mistake. Instead, get right back on and CONTINUE on your weight loss and healthy lifestyle.

KNOW YOUR LIMIT: When it comes to alcohol, know your limits. If you know you can’t have more than 1 drink or you will lose control then don’t have more than 1. It’s important to stay in control of the drink before you let the drink control you.

Regardless of what season we are in, it takes dedication and mindfulness to change into the person you want to be. Just take one day at a time and continue to make the right decisions. While it’s totally up to you how much you will lose this summer – it’s also up to you how much you will gain. The important thoughts should be that you keep heading in the right direction. You will no longer put it off – Slow or fast you are headed there.

The secret to living the life of your dreams is to start living the life of your dreams today, in every little way you possibly can.

Congratulations MAX!!! YOU DID IT!!!!

You look absolutely amazing!!!!!!

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

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June 15, 2016By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Are You On The Right Path…

YAY!!! THE SUN IS SHINING IN NEW YORK – we hope everyone enjoyed Mother’s Day! But now it’s time to get back on track and get moving and losing in the right direction. Regardless of where you are right now – the big question is where do you want to be? Some of you are just super amazing and in such a great place. Others wish you would have gotten there already, and some even wish they didn’t put it off until now. But unfortunately there is no turning back and you must either continue on or start on the path to where you want to go.

I know some of you wake up thinking that it would be so easy to just go away for a month and come back a new person. And I am even quite sure many of you Googled it…but we know it’s not possible. So what is possible? I will tell you – It’s possible to be whatever you want to be. If you want to be THIN – then it’s up to you to do it. If you want to be STRONG – then work hard and get that way and if you want to be STRONG, THIIN, FIT and HEALTHY – then make it happen. You see these things just don’t happen to people – PEOPLE make it happen. They make it a priority in their life. Even if they have so many other priorities – they still make it a priority to be the best they can be and reach the goals they set out for themselves. They are no different than you. They are not super-human, they are regular everyday people who have a “want” that is so strong they do whatever it takes to make it happen. They started where you are starting. They wanted it as bad as you say you do and they had to wait for the results just like you are. So….you have to figure out what are your “wants”? Do you want this to work? Do you need this to work? Or is this just something you like to complain about. Will you be that person who just always wants to lose weight but doesn’t put the “real” effort in to do it? Or will you be the person who keeps trying until you get there? Will you be the one who does whatever it takes to reach your goal?

The first thing you need to figure out is where you are and if you are not in a good place then change the type of person you are into who you want to be.

WHO ARE YOU – AND HOW TO FIX IT:

THE COMPLAINER – who sits around talking about how overweight and unhappy they are and convinces themselves that they really do have a harder life then everyone else and that’s why they can’t do it. They tend to feel sorry for themselves and it affects everyone around them. It’s the same old story and their poor families and friends have to listen to it over and over again. When you look back, it will be the one thing you remember and while you think your family may not know – they know. Everyone in the house knows when someone is not happy – regardless of how much you try and hide it – it’s there. You know it – they know it – everyone knows it.

THE FINGER POINTER – This person points the finger and blames everyone around them for why it doesnt work – but will never accept that it’s up to them to make the changes. It will never work until they are willing to put 110% in and blame only themselves and accept that it’s okay that we make mistakes as long as we keep moving forward.

*If you want to move forward it’s always better to take the blame and accept that you are not perfect and then move on to a better place. If you keep pointing the finger and blaming others, you will never become the person you want to be. Because guess what – even if it is someone else’s fault they are not going to fix it. If you want success then you have to fix what’s wrong whether it’s your fault or not.

MY JUMPER – They tend to try every fad diet in the world just jumping from one to the other because they don’t want to put the time in that it takes to work, so they constantly look for the quick fix. They don’t want to give up anything and would rather just try the next new thing. Even when they find one that works temporarily they usually end up gaining more than they lost because it involves living on drinks and pills that you shouldn’t and can’t do forever. Typically they gain at least 10 lbs a year and they end up having the hardest time losing because living on shakes and pills is the one thing that can really harm your metabolism. It can take months for the thyroid to get back to where it needs to be to start losing normally again.

MY SNAILS – They continuously go in the right direction. Sometimes stopping for brief amount of time to regroup and then restart again. But throughout the entire time the changes they make are amazing to their bodies, and mind. They generally are in really good places all the time because they just keep going. Slow but in motion. They learn what they are doing and how they are doing it. They are not interested in quick fixes or fast weight loss they are more interested in losing and learning. So while everyone is freaking out about summer coming, they are fine because they never stopped and gained they only may have paused. Then they just start moving again and every day and week and month that goes by they look and feel better and better. The thing about my snails is – they didn’t even know they were snails but they started out and regardless of how difficult things get they just keep moving. Not everyday is a weight loss day and they don’t necessarily lose every week. But they are confident and see the changes in their body and know that as the weight loss comes they are so happy with who they have become and the changes they have made in their overall well being. My snails are the ones that everyone all of sudden notices when the jackets come off and the shorts go on.

MY SHARKS – You know who you are and will do whatever it takes to get to where they want and need to be. They get the directions and they go on and never look back. They work hard, exercise, and if something isn’t working they don’t blame everyone around them – instead we work together and figure it out and they continue on their healthy journey. They are all about results and will do whatever they need to get there and feel and look great all the time. Their bad days are most peoples’ good days. My sharks don’t always start as sharks – sometimes they start as snails and they do what they have to and put the time in. Just like everyone else they wait for results. The results just tend to come a lot faster with my Sharks because there is no going off the path. They stay hardcore all the time 6 days on and 1 day off and they learn to love to live that way. Sharks usually are strong headed and want what they want and will do what they have to and get there. Not everyone is a shark or wants to be, but anyone can become one if they want it bad enough.

Once you figure out who you are – then figure out if you are happy being there. If you are not happy then maybe it’s time to change it for the well being of yourself and those who still love you 🙂

**HOW TO FIX IT: Think about it – are you the person you want to be? If you are one of the first three on the list then stop talking and complaining and pointing the finger at everyone around you. Stop jumping from plan to plan and really think about where you are and where you want to be.

Really take notice for one week – and every time you point the finger or complain about your weight or just the fact that you are unhappy because you can’t fit into anything – pause and make yourself stop and write it down so you can reflect later how much time you spend on doing this. How many times a day do you blame others, complain that you are unhappy over something only you can change? When you can see how many times you do it in a day – only then you will realize how it has to affect everyone around you. Never mind how unhealthy it is for yourself.

It takes so much more energy and time to point the finger and blame and complain than it would be for you to concentrate on doing the positive in your life. Take small steps each day. If you screw up then just put it behind you and don’t let it snow ball and affect everyone around you. Put it behind you and keep moving in the right direction so you get back to a good place. Give yourself time. Stop jumping from plan to plan and just commit to making your health and body better and putting in the time to make it happen. No one can fix it for you – ONLY YOU CAN DO THIS. I can guide you and listen to you and help you in every way you need. But when you are home and temptation is everywhere – only you can make the final decision of what’s important to you and WHO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE.

TODAY: Start by writing down every time you blame and complain: and do what makes you feel good. If it’s running, then run. If it’s eating clean, then eat clean. Stay away from the other negatives in your life because they pull you down. Instead, make it a point to stay around the positive. And most important – do not expect immediate results. Just because you decided to become a shark overnight doesn’t mean that your body or the scale will get there overnight. Give yourself time and set goals and you will get there and enjoy the journey along the way. Sometime you have to become a snail before you can become the shark. I promise if you start today – in July you will look back and be so so happy you did it.

The clients who have reached their goal look back and are so happy they finished

The clients who started months ago look back and are so happy they are in it

Don’t let summer come and look back and wish you started

If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

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June 15, 2016By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Don’t Get Derailed

When trying to make a change and push for healthy decisions and a healthy lifestyle, following through on those choices can be a daily battle. At the beginning of the day or the beginning of the week we feel motivated and positive, but as time goes on there are many obstacles and challenges that can derail us. The most common ways that we struggle can pop up at any time but with a little preparation and planning we can set ourselves up for success.

Between families, work, long days, busy schedules and social events, most of us would say that we usually feel tired during the week. We all know that mid afternoon slow down where we look for something to pick us up. But what does being tired have to do with weight loss? When we are slowing down we look for caffeine and sugar to give us a boost – which usually comes in the form of coffee, soda and snacks. It is possible to satisfy that afternoon craving while staying on plan but we usually crave something sugary, salty or fatty to fill us up. Make sure you have a healthy snack or plan that you can turn to when you reach a low. When we are tired we also feel unmotivated and vulnerable so we just want to eat whatever is quick and easy – even if it isn’t healthy – which is another reason to have a healthy plan that is easily accessible. Doing that little bit of planning and prep work when you have the time and energy will save you later when you are tired or in a rush. We all want to do the right thing, so make it easier for yourself to follow through.

In our daily lives we are constantly tempted to eat and drink things that we know aren’t healthy but sometimes when we are at a social event or special occasion we want to give in. Birthdays, parties, anniversaries, celebrations, holidays and other special events can happen any day of the year and even when we do our best to plan ahead they can still pop up unexpectedly. During any of these happy occasions we are faced with cake, drinks and special meals and treats and it’s up to you to decide if it’s really worth it to indulge. If you can plan ahead, you can always bring a healthy dish to a dinner or party, or you can look at a menu ahead of time to pick a healthy meal to order if you are going out. But sometimes plans are made last minute and we find ourselves in a tricky situation. We can feel like we don’t have control when this happens, but you always have the power to make the right choices. Take it slow and don’t just give in to a craving or indulgence because it is right in front of you. Take your time and think about what really matters to you – indulging in the moment or reaching a healthy goal.

Feeling like we don’t have options is a common reason why we sometimes make the wrong decisions. We think we are backed into a corner so we make a choice and then later we regret it. Sometimes we have to put in the extra effort to plan and prep to make sure we have the healthy options we need, or sometimes we just have to say no. Sometimes we want to tell ourselves that we didn’t have a choice but we always do. We have to own our decisions so we make sure they are right for us.

No one is perfect and we all struggle, but fighting through the ups and downs to reach a goal makes it that much more of a satisfying accomplishment.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

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