SUFFER NOW OR SUFFER LATER
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Tag: spring
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Passover Week
[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]This Saturday March 27th, marks the first night of Passover. This week long holiday is a celebration of freedom in the Jewish faith, with traditions including celebratory meals and symbolic foods and restrictions. This can be a tough time for many of us, trying to navigate the dietary changes, staying on program and also being faced with huge feasts. Many of you will choose one of the days this weekend as your Cheat Day, but as usual the celebrating will probably last for more than just one day. Now is the time to plan out your week, weekend and be ready to get back on track next week. Don’t let things surprise you – you should have your family dinners and holiday celebrations planned so there is no reason for you to be unprepared. Some of us may be more restricted than others for the holiday, but it’s always possible find healthy and clean alternatives that fit into your Passover plans, such as these suggestions and recipes below.[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]
[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]Bring together traditional root vegetables in this new way for an exciting and delicious festive dish.
Green Shakshuka
•1 onion
•1 lb bag of spinach (fresh or frozen)
•1/2 tsp paprika
•1/2 tsp cinnamon
•1/2 tsp coriander
•2 tsp cumin
•Salt to taste
•1 tbsp oil
•Egg whites (depends on size of skillet)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Dice the onion.
2. Heat skillet and add onions and spices. Cook until onion is soft.
3. Add spinach and allow all to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Make spaces in the spinach to hold the egg whites so they don’t run all over. Cook on low-medium heat until eggs are cooked thoroughly.
5. Remove skillet from heat and serve. 4 egg white is 1 meal serving.[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]
Root Vegetable Medley
Ingredients:
•2 red onions, diced
•2 cloves of garlic, chopped
•2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
•1 lb carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
•1 lb beets, peeled and cut into wedges
•1 lb celeriac, peeled and cubed
•Zest of 1 lemon
•Zest of 1 orange
•2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
•2 tbsp chopped fresh savory
•1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
•Salt and pepper
•1/2 tsp ground coriander
•Cooking spray
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 375 F and coat large casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, spray with cooking spray then add onions and garlic. Sauté until soft and starting to brown, about 10 minutes.
3. Transfer this mixture to a large bowl then add sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, celeriac, lemon zest, orange zest, thyme, savory and tarragon. Season with salt and pepper and toss. Spoon into casserole dish.
4. Bake for 1 hour, or until vegetables are tender. 1/2 cup serving is one side.[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]
Lemon Mousse
•One 4-serving size package of Jell-O vanilla pudding mix
•2 cups skim milk
•1 packet Crystal Light Lemonade powdered drink mix (the size that makes 1 pitcher)
•One 12 oz container of low fat Cool Whip
1. Add pudding mix and milk into a medium bowl and beat until smooth and thick.
2. Beat in lemonade mix until combined.
3. Fold in Cool Whip.
4. Chill before serving. 1 cup serving is one dessert/snack.[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]
[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]CAN I HAVE MATZAH? YES!
• MATZAH – 2 Matzah with 1 tbsp of peanut, almond or Sun Butter, light cream cheese or 1/2 avocado = meal
• MATZAH AND FRUIT: 1 Matzah with 1 tsp of pb or sunbather with 1 piece of
fruit or 1 cup of fruit = meal
• MATZAH AND EGGS – one Matzah with 3 egg whites = meal
•1/2 container Light tuna or chicken salad or egg white salad with 1 matzah = meal
• 1 slices of low fat cheese or 1 light part skim cheese stick with 1 Matzah =. Cat 3 Snack or you can do 2 slices with 2 matzah as a meal
[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]Matzah is only once a day and remember never eat just to eat. If you don’t need it, don’t eat it. You don’t want to end the night feeling bloated and sick. Like you over did it and you regret it. Instead, you want to end the holiday feeling amazing and in control. You will enjoy the food, but also what is really important – the company and the celebration.[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small][dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]Have a Happy Passover and Safe Travels to everyone going away!
~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]
dieteatcleanExercisefeel goodhealthyHealthy TipsLifestyleMotivationweight loss
SPRING IS IN THE AIR
[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]New York Spring is in the Air – Finally! As we head into ending another week of March – we also look ahead and see Passover & Easter approaching fast. Spring is only 2 weeks away and will be here before you know it. Whether you feel like you have been 100% or still struggling – here are some tips for this week and this month:[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]
[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]GET OVER IT AND MOVE ON
It’s so much more important to learn from your week than to be negative about it. If you had a hiccup this week – there is no reason to beat yourself up or be upset with what you did or wish you would have done – deal with it and move on. Once you come to terms with the hiccup is when you can move past it. I see clients all the time that have hiccups and the faster they get past them the better they do. The best thing you can do is put all your energy into today, tomorrow and this week’s weight loss. Focus on today and the rest of the week. [dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]
[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]YOUR BODY CRAVES ON PROGRAM DAYS!
We know we get the best results from our on program days. In fact most of us know that our body actually crave them. When we are on program and in control we feel our best. It doesn’t mean we won’t be tempted- there is always going to be temptation -but what it means is your body knows it feels it’s best when it’s on program. Did you ever find yourself eating just to eat, or not caring, or carelessly making food choices and you just feel blah, bloated and miserable. It’s because when you are on program and your body gets so used to eating clean all week and eating portioned – as soon as you go off program for a day – it’s going to crave you to be back in control and back to your healthy eating. Your body knows what the right thing is for you – its your mind you have to keep in control. [dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]
[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]CHEATING IS FUN ONLY AFTER EATING CLEAN
There is no denying it – we enjoy our cheat days 100% more when we are on program 100% the week before. There is only one thing as good as cheating after an on program week — and that’s eating clean after cheating. Getting back on program and having your healthy clean weight loss days are what you need to embrace and enjoy. You are doing your body good and you know that these clean days are what make you enjoy your cheat day guilt free. The more consistent you can keep six clean days the better you feel, look and the more you will enjoy![dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]
[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]DOING THE RIGHT THING FEELS GOOD
We all know how true this is. When you are on program, following your meals and snacks, exercising – you are feeling your absolute best. It gives you a sense of control in your day and your life. Often clients will say to me “why did I ever go off program I feel so good when i’m on it and doing the right thing”. There is no better feeling then putting your head on the pillow knowing you had an on program day and there is no better feeling waking up and looking in your closet knowing you will feel great in whatever you put on[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]
[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]DON’T FEEL SORRY FOR YOURSELF
Many of you know the drill. You will absolutely have some hunger at some point in the day – if you don’t feel it then most likely you are not losing weight. The reason for the hunger is you have to eat less than your body needs. There is no other way to do it. That’s why it’s so important that you love what you are eating — because no matter who you are, when you are trying to lose weight you are eating less than before you started. Yes you will be a little hungry but never starving. Don’t sit and feel sorry for yourself because you can’t eat everything you want. It’s time to put the work in – you put the weight on and now you are putting the work in and taking the weight off. We know it’s not easy that is why we live in a world that is the highest obesity rate. But that doesn’t mean you have to live that way. What you have to do is be okay with being a little hungry — and don’t feel sorry for yourself that you have to put the work in to feel your absolutely best. Trust me when I tell you everyone works at it – some more than others but everyone works at it. Depending on how much you want it will determine how well you do. [dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]
[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]If you are doing great – continue. If you have not been great- it’s time to pick yourself up and wipe yourself off -lick your wounds and move on to a positive place. Make your week a happy healthy and on program weight loss week. Because only you have the power, strength and want to make this week and this month amazing.[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]
[dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]Final Thoughts…. There will always be some kind of mountain that is on your path and in your way – emotional, physical, social – they can all make you weak and over eat. Staying in your power and staying mindful is what keeps you on your path and what helps you climb over those mountains. Always remind yourself why you are doing this and how important it is to you. Every mountain you climb over will help your next mountain be easier to climb than the one before. Keep moving forward and work hard everyday and remind yourself when you are in the face of temptation – that there is no better feeling then being in your own power. When you stay on program especially in the most challenging of times is when you will get the best results. [dt_sc_hr_invisible_small]
~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick
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HELLO MARCH 2020
March has arrived with weather that is a great reminder that Spring and Summer are around the corner!
We have a beautiful 5 weeks of weight loss right in front of us. Do not waste it. Do not look back and say why didn’t I do it. Think about it — 2 lbs a week is so doable and that would be a fabulous 10 lb weight loss in one month! Yes sometimes it requires getting out of our own way. For example: Stop the alcohol on non-cheat days; Make sure your cheat day is 1 day and not 1 1/2 or 2; — It’s so easy to sit and cry and think nothing works for me, but i’m telling you that is absolutely not true. The program will work for you — but only if you put the work in. You have to put the time in and you have to be consistent. You have to be mentally prepared to give it 110% and stick to your 6 days of weight loss with 1 cheat day. When you do that I promise you that you will see the same weight loss as everyone else that is on program.
If you have not been doing the right thing and are walking around miserable or are miserable inside your head — you know that you are the only person who can change it. I can give you all the tools and I can show you thousands of clients who have done it and continue to do it and look and feel amazing. And I can tell you 100% that you are no different than any of them. If you want it you can have it. But first you have to stop playing mind games with yourself, stop making deals with yourself, and no more excuses. If you really want the 10 lbs in March then start working had for it everyday. Follow your program and don’t let anything or anyone get in your way – including yourself.
Clients already have had a successful 2020 and it’s only March. Clients from all over Chicago, California, Arizona, Alabama, Boston, Florida, Georgia, and right here in New York — amazing amazing results. Why? It’s not because they all just jumped on program and did the right thing — although many have done just that. But majority have been on and they struggled their way through it. They have hiccups but they hold their breath and get past them. Sometimes it’s a day and sometimes it’s a week but they get past them. The reason I am telling you this is so you realize you are not the only one who struggles. Weight loss is hard. But if you want to see the weight loss you have to be willing to put the work in every day. You have to be consistent and always continue to move forward. You have to push yourself when you don’t want to be pushed and you have to be okay with walking away from temptation that will always be there. But most important is you have to really decide what it is you want and how important it is to you to get there. It’s not easy to eat less than your body needs…. it’s not easy to deal with the hunger that you feel when you are eating less… and it’s not easy to walk away from temptation when you are hungry. But it’s even harder to step on the scale and feel uncomfortable in your own skin.
This month be willing to embrace the challenge. Get through the little hunger, the temptation and the hiccups. Pass on the drink and be okay with it. When you are out to dinner order on program. Walk away from the temptation and be excited about it! Promise yourself that no matter what or who is on your path you will continue to do the right thing. Because when you do that is when April 1st will come and you will be 10 lbs lighter than you are today and you will be so so happy that you are back in control, and back on your happy path where you always feel amazing.
THINK ABOUT IT: In 5 very quick weeks you are either going to be super happy that you put the work in and feel amazing and on your way to being the best you for Spring and Summer OR you will look back and think “I should have… I could have… I wish I did it… ugh why didn’t I do it.” ~choose your hard.
EMBRACE THE CHALLENGE
~It’s the challenges that make life interesting
Overcoming them is what makes life meaningful~
~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick
FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
Sunny Monday!
It’s Monday and in New York it’s SUNNY! Something we haven’t been experiencing a lot of. It reminds us that we are another week closer to Summer Bliss. This past weekend was pretty awesome. Despite the cold temperatures we had literally hundreds of clients losing weight and reaching numbers they thought they would never see. Super, super exciting. Both online and in studio, you can just see, hear and feel the excitement in the clients. Everyone is really working hard and in a “hardcore” state of mind. The studio is buzzing with excitement because hey, let’s face it, when you feel good and you look good that is when you really want to share the love!
For most of you, the Innovation Program is not a diet – it’s a way of life. You live it and you love the way it makes you feel. And this is the time of year that you know to give it that extra little hard work that really pulls it all together so you get the very best results – every single week. For others, this is all new and while you may be just starting or on for a couple of months, it kind of all comes together and you realize how hard you have to work but you also realize when you do work hard and stay on your path and eat clean 6 days at 110% consistency – that’s when you get the best results. I say it all the time. In all aspects of life if you work hard you will get the results. Weight loss is something you should not mind working hard at because it’s for your health both mentally and physically. The changes in clients when they lose weight and eat clean – and the bounce in their step and the sheer happiness that is beaming from their healthy hydrated skin is beyond describable. I get to see you walk in the first day scared and bewildered because you don’t know how you go to where you are and then weeks – months later, I get to witness the amazing changes and this beautiful happy person who feels super fabulous about themselves and everything around them. Things that used to bother you no longer do. You can get through anything when you feel good about yourself and you feel mentally strong.
Saturday was a truly amazing day. I mean I love Saturdays to begin with. It’s when a lot of my clients/customers old and new come to visit, whether they have sessions or are just shopping. Many bring their adorable little cherubs with them. With the little light up sneakers. And of course even the adorable puppies come in too! It’s a really happy day and for most it’s either Cheat Day or they know the next day is Cheat Day, and that always makes everyone happier! But what was so nice was the excitement. Everyone was just so excited to be losing weight and really excited to be feeling great and doing the right thing – and it’s just so contagious you just feel it and want to be a part of it. Who doesn’t want to be a part of happiness. There is so much sadness in the world – today you have to make sure to appreciate and enjoy every bit of happiness that comes your way. Most important, make sure you are creating your happiness everyday.
Now that the sun is shining and the summer doesn’t feel as far off as it did two weeks ago, I keep getting asked one question repeatedly. How much can I lose by July? So I came up with this table to help you decide where you are and where you want to be so you can see not only what is doable but also how everything is the result of how hard you work and how close you stick to your menu.
Click to download: Weekly Weight Loss APRIL-JULY
You can do one pound a week or three pounds. You can be a mix of snail, turtle and shark and lose different amounts each week. But the bottom line is, you want to lose every week – and in order to do that you need six clean days and ONLY one Cheat Day. I can’t stress to you enough that now is the time to do it. Summer is crazy and beautiful and very, very busy. It’s not the time to be focusing on being hardcore. Be hardcore now so when summer arrives and the fireworks are going off you can incorporate some maintain weekends. The harder you work, the better results. The more consistent you are, the more consistent the results. It’s all about doing the right thing but not only when it works for you – it’s about doing the right thing and making the right choices ALL THE TIME – even when it’s not convenient – because those are the times that create the weight loss.
I can tell you this – the clients that were in the studio this past weekend and those that weighed in online. They are beyond happy, they look amazing and they feel amazing and it shows. If you want to be that person – if you want to put your clothes on and feel good and go out and feel amazing, if you want to just be happy and have that feeling of control in what you are doing – then you need to be 110% committed to the program and to yourself. If you are, I promise you that you will feel the best you ever felt and you will look the best you every thought possible.
My last thought for you on this beautiful Monday: IT’S HARD – BUT IT’S WORTH IT! Will you feel hungry? Sure, you will feel hungry. But think about it – you are always hungry. You are hungry even when you are overeating. So at least when you feel a little hunger now you will be getting great results from it! Don’t let anything stop you and don’t get in your own way. REMIND YOURSELF: If you want this and you want to feel great and you want to feel happy and go into the summer feeling inspired, motivated and in control – then commit to yourself and commit to the program. Eat clean six days and enjoy your ONE Cheat Day. Before you know it, you will be the happy, excited, inspired person waking up, jumping out of bed and excited to get dressed. Because you feel good and there is nothing better than feeling good about yourself – especially when you know that YOU are the one who made it happen.
YOU WANT TO BE
POSITIVE, INSPIRING, POWERFUL…
THEN WORK HARD EVERY DAY AND GET THE RESULTS EVERY WEEK
~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick
Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness
8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury NY 11797
211 E 43rd Street Manhattan, NY 10016
FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
Get Right Back on Program
April is finally going to bring spring! By mid week we will be in the 50’s and by the end of the week 60’s!!!!! And before you know it, 70 and 80 degrees will be quickly following. The weather has really thrown so many for a loop this year. It felt like the ever lasting winter, especially if you didn’t get the chance to fly away from the cold for a spring break. And on the flip side, if you did go away it’s not always easy to go from beautiful weather back to this very unpleasant cold. Either way, I just want you to know that if you are struggling because you just came back from vacation or struggling from the tough winter – you are not alone. But I also want you to know that you have to snap out of it because once it gets warm – it’s going to just get warmer and warmer.
REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU FEEL TODAY – YOU WILL FEEL BETTER TOMORROW
The first couple of days after vacation are always tough. You feel bloated, thick, and just not in a good place from over doing it on vacation. Then you have the challenge of going back to eating on program which of course is always less than when you are away. But the bottom line is – over eating and drinking is only fun when you don’t feel big and it’s only satisfying when you feel thin and healthy to enjoy it. That’s what Cheat Days are for. If you feel you over did it and are struggling – there is a very simple cure. You remember how you felt before you left for vacation and you get right back on program. In a day you will feel better, and in a week – amazing. Getting back on program is one of the most important things you can do when you don’t feel your best. It can often be the hardest, but it’s the one thing that will make you feel amazing. In a week you will have that feeling that you love and you will already be looking to enjoy your Cheat Day. Just get right back on. You had your fun and now it’s time to work. That’s why they say work hard, play hard. It’s Monday and it’s time to work hard!
ASK YOURSELF…
Are you ready for the warm weather? Have you at least started? If you have, that’s awesome. Keep eating clean and keep exercising and your body will return the favor by looking and feeling great. Every week you will get to a better and better place. If you are struggling for any reason, you have to remind yourself that the longer you put it off the more you are going to struggle. As hard as it is to start it’s harder not to start. Being on program is what is going to HELP you with the struggle. Getting in control quickly is what is going to make you feel better both mentally and physically. You can’t keep putting it off. You need to remind yourself of what is important and how good you want to feel. How feeling good changes everything about you into all positive things. When you do the right things and you treat yourself the right way you feel good, you have confidence and you want more and more of it. You are happy and everyone around you is happy. But you need to start. Don’t put it off another day. Just get on your program and your healthy path because the faster you do it the quicker you will feel better and the faster the results will be. I know it’s not always easy to do the right thing – but it always pays off when you do. If you want to look and feel good you have to put the work in. I can promise you it’s all about putting the work in and staying on your program and working hard every day. Don’t just sit and wait for something to happen because it won’t. If you are not doing the right things you will not just wake up one day and be thin. Fat will never magically disappear. In fact, you will just keep growing and growing – and all of a sudden everything is so tight you don’t know what to do. Sometimes it really happens so gradually, you can be shocked. New Clients come in my office everyday and say “I don’t know what happened I was thin and then all of a sudden I wasn’t”. You don’t want to get to that place, but if you are already there – you need to be on program and on your healthy path. Yes, it’s hard. Anything worth having is hard. But it’s also very doable and, more importantly, it’s very worth it. Who doesn’t want to feel great in summer clothes?? Who doesn’t want to be and feel healthy?? Who doesn’t want that control and that lighter feeling?? Most of all, who doesn’t want to slip on summer shorts and feel amazing in them?? Just remember, every day you put it off is another day you could be closer to your goals – closer to feeling good and closer to fitting in your clothes again.
KNOWING WHAT YOU WANT IS EASY
GETTING WHAT YOU WANT TAKES WORK
~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick
8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797
211 E 43rd Street Manhattan, NY 10016
FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
Be Mentally Strong Today!
Well, another snow day in New York. For those of you that are traveling you know what to do, and for those of you that are home with another snow day – try not to let your good intentions to start Monday on the right foot be hindered by the beautiful white falling snow. While it can give you that cozy “I want to eat” feeling it will also give you that “why are my clothes so tight” results. Don’t look at it as a road block but rather a challenge. One that you know you can get through and will feel so much better doing. Follow your program and stay on your path because wherever you are and whatever you may be dealing with – vacation – snow days – kids home etc… you will feel better, enjoy it more and have the best results if you do the right thing and stay on program.
The days go fast and before you know it, this week will be over and done. You want to look back and think “I did it and I feel great!” – Summer is a hop, skip and a jump away and so are your goals. They are right there and you can reach them if you stay on program and continue to follow what makes you feel good. Isn’t it funny that eating clean and staying on program makes you feel your best? So where is the challenge? When you don’t do the right thing you don’t feel great. It should be a no brainer and yet, somehow the temptation to do the wrong thing can overcome us in a heart beat. But the truth is, when you are mentally strong and in a really good place you will stay stronger. When you are seeing the results you will stay stronger and the longer you love to live clean the easier it is to stay mentally strong. The temptations will always be there and they will only win if you let them. It’s you against them. It’s feeling good against feeling horrible. It’s feeling thin against feeling thick. When it comes to doing the right thing and feeling your very best it’s simply making the right choices against the wrong. Most of you know what they are and you know how to stay on program and what works for you – It’s all about doing it. And when you know it makes you feel the happiest, lightest and thinest then there should be no thinking – you just do it.
DON’T OVER THINK
DO WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL THE BEST ALWAYS
NOT JUST IN THE MOMENT
If you look at those around you that make it look so much easier than it is and wonder how do they get through the snow days and how do they stay on program continuously without fail – It’s because they already went through the challenges that you are experiencing but they learned very quickly that not being on program or doing the right thing makes them feel out of control and unhappy. Once you really come to realize that it’s not who you want to be – or how you want to feel – especially over food – then you will start saying “no thank you” and realize that saying “no” or simply walking away is such a better feeling than eating something that you didn’t need or want, and that will not take you to where you want to be. Follow what you want and remember your goals. The days go fast and the weeks and months go faster.
Since it’s snowing I want you to follow
the POSITIVE Snowball Effect……
If you look good – you feel good
and when you feel good – you do good things.
~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick
Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness
8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797
211 E 43rd Street Manhattan, NY 10016
FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
NAVIGATING AROUND THE HOLIDAY and VACATION…
There is a big difference between how we celebrate Fall holidays and Spring holidays. We tend to be much more disciplined in the Spring and more forgiving in the Fall. With Summer approaching quickly you want to make sure feel and look your best so you can enjoy all the fun in the sun.
This year with Passover and Easter back to back it may be challenging. While many celebrate one or the other – there are also many who celebrate both. I think we can all agree regardless of what you believe in or celebrate – some how those little chocolate bunnies and their Cadbury eggs are celebrated and enjoyed by all. **Make sure you are eating your chocolate bunnies and eggs on your CHEAT DAY ONLY….
You have two choices when it comes to Holidays and Vacations – You maintain or you continue to lose, because with Summer around the corner – Gaining is not an option.
LOSE WEIGHT: Stay on your journey and continue to eat clean and enjoy your one day a week CHEAT DAY. While it may seem difficult, you must remember it’s how you have been living and it’s how you feel your best.
*VACATION: You want to look and feel your best and odds are there is really nothing there that you have not already had. Make sure if you are willing to go off program that it’s worth it. Because after vacation you are coming home to beautiful weather and summer is around the corner. Choose your battles and make sure this battle is one you want to give in to. You can use your snacks for drinks and still be 110% on program. *TIP: if you are doing one Cheat Day on vacation – make it toward the end. This way you feel good all week and you are much more likely to stay 110% all week if you don’t Cheat. As the week goes on you will get mentally weaker and you will be ready for your Cheat Day. If you have it too early you may end up cheating more than you want to. Having the Cheat Day to look forward to for the last day is something that can keep you strong throughout the week.
*HOLIDAY: If you are home and celebrating the holiday you want to continue on your 6 clean days and only one Cheat Day. Save your snacks if you plan on drinking while socializing. If the kids are home, plan some fun events that are not around food. It’s a great time to clean the yard for the Spring and Summer flowers and fun that will be here soon.
MAINTAIN: If you want to maintain for the holidays or vacation it’s an easy process – but you will still need to be mindful and plan your days so you know what you are cheating on and what you are eating to stay clean.
*VACATION: You eat clean all day and choose one meal, dessert or drinks each day to enjoy. If you give up your snacks you can do drinks and one meal or dessert. The rest of the day has to be 110%. You don’t take a Cheat Day before and you don’t have one when you return. You come back from vacation and you go right back on program and you give it 110%. You will go right back to your original number.
*HOLIDAY: If you want to maintain you will split your Cheat Day and do a meal and drinks or a meal and dessert each day. The rest of the day has to be 110% . Do two clean meals and 2 clean snacks through the day and one meal and drinks, or one meal and dessert. If you choose one of those options and do it each day you will maintain.
All very doable choices to follow and still enjoy. The most important part is to stay mindful and plan. Try to know in advance what you are doing so you can plan and not wing it. If you start spiraling out of control and you start to notice that every meal starts to become a Cheat and the meals turn into consecutive Cheat Days – simply stop. Don’t talk yourself into – “I’m okay I will get right back on program when I return”. Instead, get right back on program. Don’t think about it just do it. Go back to your original plan whether it was to maintain or lose, and follow it. Most of the time the problem isn’t that we fall off the path it’s that we stay off. When you get right back on track you will see how quickly you feel better and how quickly you go right back to being in control. You want to enjoy your vacation or holidays but you want to feel good before, during and after it as well.
Life is always about choices, balance and planning – and when you do all three you will get the very best results.
From the Staff of Innovation Weight Loss
Happy Passover & Happy Easter to all
~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick
Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness
8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797
211 E 43rd Street Manhattan, NY 10016
FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
Snow Brings Spring Flowers…
Spring is almost here! Yes, we are expecting another 7-10 inches today in NY but you can’t let that sabotage you because as I am sure you have noticed – with each snow storm in the last few weeks the snow has disappeared faster and faster. Just like the snow disappears so will the winter cold. And just like that, everyone will be taking off their coats and showing off their beautiful new bodies that they worked so hard for all winter. You want that to be you, and if you are not there then you want to at least be on your way.
ARE YOU DOING AMAZING?
I have been addressing the clients that have been really amazing. We have more clients than ever who have really learned to live healthy and have stayed true to the program and themselves. Maybe because after a while you realize this is it. You eat clean and do the right things and in return your body does the right things for you. Maybe it’s because our food options have expanded and having the yummy meals and snacks help keep you on program and in a good place. I mean, they are called Magic Muffins for a reason 🙂 Whatever the reason or reasons are that have kept you on program and in a great place – stay with it and continue on your path. Because for those of you who are in a great place – you know there is no better feeling. For those of you that are not there – here is a question for you….
ARE YOU STRUGGLING?
Where are you right now? Have you prolonged this? Is this crazy weather making you struggle more than normal? Or maybe something in your life is going on that has you “off”? We all know as fast as we can be motivated we can be unmotivated. So if you are unmotivated and really struggling I want you to do this: I want you to just get on program and get back in control. The way you do that is you need to start with your menu. You have your menu and you follow it and have your meals and snacks. If you need to add an extra on program snack that’s okay. You need to do whatever is going to give you some control back. Once you get the control you will feel so much better. Don’t look to be perfect, just look to be as close as you can. I would rather you incorporate an extra On Program snack than to be snacking all day. That’s part of getting the control back. Of course you won’t lose as much but the most important thing is getting the control not the scale. After you get past that first week back on – then you can focus on the scale because you will feel so much better now you have that control back. It’s one day at a time. You need to put the time in to see the results. One day adds up to one week and each week adds up to a month. Before you know it, you are feeling amazing and the scale is moving! But you need to start somewhere and stop putting it off. Start today – start right now. Don’t wait until after the snow ends, and don’t wait until after Passover. The feeling of control that you can get from now until then is priceless and you will be so happy that you did it.
DON’T COMPLICATE IT!
Don’t complicate it. If you are not where you want to be and need to get back you just get right back. It really is that simple You start texting us your meals again and/or send your weight or come in for an appointment. We never ask what happened or where you were. It’s so not about that. It’s about moving forward and taking all that energy and putting it toward a positive next week. As many of you know, we will do whatever it takes for anyone and everyone that walks in our office or signs up online. We all have a bad week or even a bad couple of weeks and sometimes it’s months, but then you text me or come in and say, okay I’m ready to get back. I don’t even ask questions about why or what happened. None of that matters. All that matters is that you are ready to move forward and use all your energy to get you to where you want to be. So never ever feel like you are embarrassed to return. We have clients come back all the time and they get right back on and right back to a happy place because for us that is what this is all about. It’s about getting you to a place that you feel great again. The reason I bring this up is because of a client that came in Saturday and this is what she said:
A LITTLE STORY…
She has been off program for months. This is a reoccurring thing for her. She is “off” and then “on.” Basically she comes on program, loses the weight and starts to feel good again, and then disappears. When she came in on Saturday I had not seen her for months. She said, “I do this all the time”. She said, “I want to be honest, I lose the weight and then I feel great and I start to cheat a little more and then I start struggling and instead of getting right back on program I hear someone say they are doing some stupid quick fix it fad diet eating fake food, or living on drinks and they lost all this weight so I start to do that and it never works and then I always come back to you heavier then I ever was. Why do I keep doing this? Why don’t I just get back on program? This is what works for me and what makes me feel great. But as soon as I struggle I go off the deep end instead of just getting right back on program. Why?!!!” — She was being so honest that I was so proud of her. I wasn’t shocked because I know that happens to people – sometimes we all just want the quick fix – but she sat there and admitted it and didn’t have to because I never ask. So I explained to her why she does it, the reason is simple: We take the weight off and we think we can go back to our old habits of eating. But you can’t – the older we get the more discipline we need. When you go back to your old way of eating you will gain weight. So when you hear some quick fix that will make it all better faster of course your first instinct is you want to try it. But what you need to immediately realize is that if you were struggling eating real food of course you are going to struggle even more living on shakes and fake food. Mentally we fall prey to the quick fixes but physically our bodies tell us very quickly it’s not going to last on shakes and fakes. The truth is, and the moral to this story is, get back on track and do the right thing. You can’t abuse your body because if you do, it shows you are doing this with how it looks and feels. Even when you do lose weight from starving yourself you see that gaunt look. You never see clients with that On Program. Regardless of how thin they get they always look healthy because they are eating. It’s not always easy to do the right thing but your body reacts the best to you when you do it. You just have to constantly talk your mind out of it when it wants the easy way out.
WORK HARD – PLAY HARD
We can be soooo spoiled. If there was a pill out there that would allow us to eat whatever we wanted whenever we wanted and never gain weight we would take it. And you know what the saddest part of all is – if that were the case nothing we eat would ever feel special again. Because in our mind, to be able to do whatever we want whenever we want is somehow the way it should be. But it’s not. The way it should be in every part of your life is you work hard for something and you are rewarded. You work hard you get a pay check – you work hard you reach your goals – you work hard you get a degree – you work hard you accomplish your dreams – you work hard you feel great – You work hard you get a vacation – You work hard you get a Cheat Day. This is life and just the fact that we have the opportunity to work hard and get rewarded is what makes it so amazing. Why would you want it any other way….
“IT IS THE THINGS YOU WORK HARDEST FOR THAT WILL REWARD YOU THE MOST”
~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick
Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness
8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797
211 E 43rd Street Manhattan, NY 10017
FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
Are You Ready for Spring?
The CLOCKS have changed: I love having the extra light in my day. Just the fact that I don’t have to walk my dog in the dark is life changing. What does the time change mean? It’s the first sure sign that the warmer weather will be approaching. Might not be this week or even next but it will be soon – so soon that you wish you didn’t Cheat that last snow day. But the truth is, you do have more time. Everyday is more time. Everyday adds on to the great day you had the day before. Even when you haven’t been perfect, the consistency of when you decide to start being 100% will make all the difference. Just don’t let another day go by with pushing it off and having that last extra thing or starting tomorrow. Because the difference from doing it today or waiting another day or week will result in either you being up or down the next time you step on the scale.
HAPPINESS: If I noticed one thing this past week more than anything else it’s the happiness and excitement of all of you who are doing so well. Maybe it’s because right now with spring approaching you are all so excited to take the coats off and show your hard work. Maybe it’s because you light up my room when you walk in, or the excitement I feel through the text when you have hit the next number or hearing and feeling the sense of control that you have over what you are doing and the choices you are making. Maybe it’s all of the above. What I will tell you is it’s so nice. It’s such an amazing feeling and sight to have so many clients come in to my office or text us so happy and in such a great place. There is no reason that you should not be one of these clients. If you are not, then you have to get out of your own way and start to become one. I know this program is so very doable. I’m not telling you to do something that you can’t do. You have the tools, the support, the food and the Cheat Day. When I went on my book tour every newscaster that interviewed me was doing the program and they all said the same thing – the program is so doable and they found it so much easier then anything they have ever done. They love ordering the food because it’s easy and clean and they love the support. It’s hand-holding. We know how hard weight loss can be so we make sure we are there for you. But YOU have to be there for YOU and make the right choices and be strong in the face of temptation. Stop waiting, stop putting it off and stop making excuses.
Quick little story: This past week I saw one of my clients who has reached her goal and she has been maintaining for a year now. She sees me once a month for maintenance but she comes and buys food ever week and I get to see her once in a while when Jeff lets me out of the office. I just love seeing her because she is always smiling and happy. This was a really big accomplishment for her. She went from 190 to 119 and it’s like looking at a different person from the one who walked in my office on the very first day. She went through all the same things as so many of you. She struggled, she was a shark, sometimes a snail, she had some maintain days and lots of weight loss days. Everyone knows that weight loss is an emotional roller coaster. But she always communicated with us on good and bad days and we always worked toward the goal – slow or fast we were always in the right direction. The key was consistency and communication. She always knew we wanted it for her as much as she did. We kept her moving forward and she did it – she reached her goal. So a year later and every time I see her of course she looks beyond amazing – but it’s not just her body – it’s her attitude, her confidence and how happy she is. This past week she was in sweats and a t-shirt , but you could see how good she felt and how comfortable she was in her body – it wouldn’t have mattered if she was in sweats or a ball gown – her beauty and confidence was the same and it was shining through her 50 year old face and body that now look 30. She lost the weight that aged her and she recently started working out and honestly she was just gorgeous. Yes I say it all the time that weight ages us. I see it first hand when clients lose the weight. Both men and women I see the younger version of them come out as the weight comes off. What I think struck me more than anything this past week was seeing the way she acted, and how she felt that made her look beautiful and young. She felt so good and everyone in the store around her felt it. She had such a physical and mental happiness that it was almost contagious. She drew you to her because of her confidence about how she felt. All I could think of was who would not want that? Who wouldn’t work for that? It’s there for you – but you have have to want it and continue to work for it.
FEELING GOOD: I can tell you I see it everyday and when you are feeling good with where you are and how you are eating and in control and feeling just lighter healthier thinner – you are a different person. You are different to yourself, your friends, your family, your spouse – you are just happy. When you are happy things don’t bother you like they would when you are unhappy. It makes perfect sense when you think about it. Something someone says to you that may not be nice when you are feeling out of control and heavy is going to affect you a lot differently when you are taking care of yourself – and you are in control and feeling healthier, lighter and happier. When you feel good you are even happier to strangers!! My point is, you have the control to be happy, you have the control to be in control and to make sure your days are good and you are choosing the right things and feeling good about yourself. No one has that control except you. When you approach the world and the people around you whether it’s work, family, friends or just acquaintances and you are in a healthy, happy control state of mind you will respond that way. And of course when you are not – and you are out of control with your food, and not feeling healthy or in a good place and feeling heavy and thick – you will respond to those around you the same way you feel – Nasty! At the end of the day, the way you act and present yourself to the world is the way you feel – and the way you feel is a result of the way you are treating and feeding yourself from the inside out. Make the right choices and it will change your life.
IT’S HERE AND NOW: If you want to be Happy then make yourself Happy!! At the end of the day it’s your actions, your will and your want that will decide the outcome of what you do. I will tell you this – it’s here and it’s now and if you haven’t started then you should start and if you have started but have not been 110% then it’s time to be 110% – because spring is here and summer is coming and it is not going to wait for you. Do not waste these months and this time you have right now to do the right thing.
LIVE HEALTHY AND LOSE THE WEIGHT
IT’S LIFE CHANGING
~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick
Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness
8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797
211 E 43rd Street Manhattan, NY 10016