summer weight loss – Innovation Weightloss & Fitness

April 17, 2017By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Summer is Coming!

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

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

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

WHAT CAN 10 WEEKS GET YOU? A LOT!

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

1 lb a week = 6 lbs by Memorial Day

1 lb a week = 10 lbs by First Day of Summer

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

2 lbs a week = 12 lbs by Memorial Day

2 lbs a week = 20 lbs by First day of Summer

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

3 lbs a week = 18 lbs by Memorial Day

3 lbs a week = 30 lbs by First day of Summer

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

I can’t say it enough that the most important thing for you to do is if you have been amazing then continue on your path and be amazing and keep making the fabulous healthy and happy changes you have been making to your mind and body. AND if you haven’t been great OR even a little terrible then get back on program and don’t look back. You need to get the new weight off very quickly before it becomes old weight. If you want to make serious changes it can happen in as little as 6 weeks. But it takes you being consistent every week. You have to keep doing the right things over and over again. Yes it’s easy to do the right things for a day or two but in order to see the scale move and keep moving means you have to do the right thing all the time. Doing the right things Day after Day and even having your ONE Cheat Day a week is doing the right thing. IF YOU FOLLOW YOUR PROGRAM AND STAY ON YOUR PROGRAM it will take you to awesomeness!

IF YOU WANT TO BE AMAZING EVERYDAY

YOU HAVE TO ACT AMAZING EVERYDAY

~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

September 1, 2016By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Back to School Time

The transition from summer to fall is one of the most challenging and chaotic of the year. We go from vacations and camp, to school, college and busy activity schedules. The weather changes and the sun sets earlier. The days feel shorter when it already feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. This is a time when we are constantly on the go and thinking about the next thing, which can mean hasty decisions and grabbing whatever is fast and easy when it’s time to eat. Now is the time to prepare and make sure we give ourselves a hand. Stock your fridge with healthy food. Cook meals ahead of time. Have snacks on hand that you can eat on the go and during your commute. Look at menus ahead of time when you know you are going out to eat. One of the best ways to fight temptation is to eliminate it – know your weak points. Whether it is late at night, after school or work or right after breakfast, be prepared for when you tend to go off your healthy plan. Stick to your exercise routine or make adjustments around your new busy schedule.

Many college students are already at school. This can be a stressful time for parents and students, whether it is their first year or they are graduating soon. Overeating is a common concern caused by the stress and anxiety of college life. Between studying, homework, classes, professors, time management, sleep schedule, social adjustment, relationships, jobs, moving or commuting, worries about the future, final exams, being homesick, graduation, etc. – students can find it hard to eat healthy, find healthy foods to eat and know what to eat. It will take some time to figure out dining halls and local places to eat, but there are always options. And if you are a member of the Innovation Online Program you can reach out to us at any time and we can find the best food options on campus for you. The important thing to remember is that eating won’t take the stress away, it will just delay it or give you relief for a few moments. Instead of turning to food, try some problem solving techniques such as making a to-do list to prioritize your tasks and work on them one by one. If procrastination is the problem, try working in a new location away from any possible distractions. If you are burnt out there’s nothing wrong with taking a break, a short nap or doing something you enjoy. Exploring your neighborhood and campus is a great way to get comfortable with your surroundings and get your body moving. If you ever need help, reach out to a parent, friend, family member, professor or advisor. Find what works for you and have a healthy and successful school year!

For most younger kids, today is their first day of school. Make them a part of lunch prep – they can help plan their lunches with your guidance. Whether it’s our PB and J bites, a turkey sandwich on white bread or whatever they love, including them in packing their lunch can help them learn about healthy eating and give them confidence and independence. One important thing you can remind them of is that just because they are back to school that doesn’t mean the outdoor fun is over. Spend time outdoors after school and on the weekends as long as the weather is nice. You can pick fruit at a farm, attend a concert or sporting event, see a movie at a theater or outdoors, have a family barbecue or picnic, go to the park or beach one last time, and the list goes on. It’s a great way to connect and regroup as a family as the school year takes over.

There are many of us who wish that summer would never end, and how could we not? It would be great to always be on vacation or away at camp. Living completely carefree and not worrying about the consequences. But the reality is you had your fun and now it’s time to get serious, take care of your health and body both physically and mentally – the only way to do that is to get back on program 100%. There is a great deal to look forward to in the upcoming months and if you start now you will be in a good place in time to enjoy the next Holiday season. The first days of September and the fall season is an exciting time of opportunity, new beginnings and unknown potential. Build a strong and healthy momentum now and make September a successful month for you and your family that will continue through the rest of the year.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

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

September 1, 2016By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Fit For Summer – Fit For Life

It is already almost half way through August and it is starting to feel like the end of summer is approaching. Even though we will have warm, mild weather through September and maybe even part of October, soon we will be back to our busy schedules. Work, school, college, homework, sports and the holiday season will be here before we know it.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. August may feel like we are running towards a finish line, but there is still so much that can be done and so much to reflect on that can help us stay healthy for the rest of the year and beyond.

When it comes to our fitness and body image, summer really exposes our true feelings and priorities. We can’t hide, and we want to feel and look our best in bathing suits and short sleeves. But as the weather changes and we add on the layers, we can feel like it’s okay to let things go a little. We accomplished our goals and had a successful summer, so we may find that our will power and motivation start to disappear. But this just means that it’s time to adjust and re-evaluate. Do you want to stay inside this fall and winter, feeling heavy and bloated? Or do you want to feel healthy and in control, even through the holidays? Decide where you want to be now, not 3 months from now when you are trying to undo all the unhealthy choices you wish you hadn’t made.

The truth is, summer is different from the rest of the seasons. We have more time and are more carefree. We are in a positive mindset, the sun is shining and we feel good so we want to eat good. But as the year goes on and we move into fall and winter, things change. So start now and make a new plan. Your goals can be the same but with changing schedules, seasonal foods and weather conditions there need to be some adjustments. Change up your routine – try new restaurants or recipes, new workouts or classes, or any way you want to switch it up. Or it can be as simple as adjusting your current routine – if you run or walk outside, be prepared to head inside or get the right gear so you can keep going through any weather. If you know you will be on the go all the time, whether you are in the car or taking the train, start to think about meals and snacks you can take with you. It will be one less thing to think about and preparing ahead of time makes it that much easier to follow though.

Make sure to keep it consistent and commit. Food and exercise are the tools that get you there, but at the end of the day it’s up to you to make it happen. Transitioning from summer to fall can be physically and mentally draining, so don’t let your health take a back seat. Finding what works for you and staying healthy year round takes work but it is always worth it.

Eating clean and living a healthy lifestyle is about more than looking good in a bathing suit. It’s about more than being fit for just the few months of summer. It is about making healthy changes that stick and learning to eat, drink and live in a new way that makes us feel happy, healthy, accomplished and in control.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

17 Likes

September 1, 2016By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Summer Reminder

I just returned from being with clients in California. It’s very funny to me as I hear the same complaints there as I do in New York.

“Why can’t we just eat what we want whenever we want it and not worry after we ate it. It’s just so unfair”!!!!!!

I tell my clients all over the world the same thing…..

You CAN eat what you want ON YOUR CHEAT DAY!

When your day or night gets challenging you need to constantly remind yourself:

1 – What is important to you.

2 – Whether you are trying to lose weight or not – you still can’t eat whatever you want.

3- Don’t make deals with yourself – I will just eat this and then I will be back on 100% and move forward. I will be fine.

* You will only be fine until of course you step on the scale and then you are no longer fine. In fact, you are miserable.

I know first hand so many are already done over indulging in summer fun. I must have had a hundred clients reach out to me this past weekend saying “help I am out of control”. And with vacations around the corner I think for many it has set in that you can’t continue on this path of self destruction nor do you want to. What is the path of self destruction? For some, it’s treating everyday like a cheat day, for others it’s indulging the entire weekend instead of just one day. And quite honestly for many it’s just overdoing it a little too much. Too much healthy foods can even be enough to make the scale move in the wrong direction. Of course it doesn’t move as much as a person that is cheating everyday, but it moves enough to make you uncomfortable.

The most important thing to do right now is just go back on program. A couple of clients that I haven’t heard from in a while emailed me and told me they were embarrassed to reach out to me. That’s ridiculous. Never ever feel embarrassed. There is no guilt to be had or shame to be felt. It happens to everyone – even the sharks and the snails. If it happened to you then just reach out to me or get back on track 110% today and send me your weight the morning of your next cheat day. There is never any judgement. No questions asked. I will never ask where you were, or what did you. I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly! The only thing that matters to me is where you go from here.

On another very important note – Stop being so hard on yourself. It’s summer, you work hard all year to look and feel good and be healthy. It’s okay if you over did it a little here and there. No one is perfect all the time. What matters is what you do after. It’s never too late. Simply get back on your program and keep moving in a positive direction because that will make all the difference in how you look and feel for the remainder of your summer and how you enter into fall. There will always be times that you can be amazing – and times where you fall off the path. Life is hard, and weight loss is hard, but when you keep doing the right things it makes the hard times easier and much more enjoyable.

It’s never easy – but it’s always worth it.

~ Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

14 Likes

September 1, 2016By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Healthy and Clean 4th of July Recipes

This year 4th of July is on a Monday, and this can cause some confusion and complication for everyone trying to eat clean and stay on track this weekend. Though the holiday itself is on Monday, we will probably find ourselves attending multiple cookouts or barbecues and we don’t want to over do it. These recipes can help you keep your indulging to one day and ensure that you can still enjoy the celebration.

Dry Rub for Chicken

Summer is the grilling season, and 4th of July is a perfect time to enjoy it, but most of us are bored with the same old grilled chicken. This dry rub is exactly the recipe to mix it up.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or table salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

1/2 tablespoon thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate overnight. Grill accordingly and enjoy!

Turkey Burgers

Give your turkey burgers a fresh spin with lettuce wraps, zucchini buns or mini sliders. Use your own clean recipe or try this one.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lb lean ground turkey (1 package)

1 tbsp oil

1/4 cup parsley, finely minced

2 tbsp onion, finely minced

1 egg white

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Cooking spray

Burger toppings of choice (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, mustard, etc)

Instructions:

Place turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add parsley, onion, egg white, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Mix ingredients.

For sliders, shape them into 1/4 cup sizes patties, they will shrink while cooking. For regular sized burgers make patties 1/2 cup size.

Preheat grill and spray with cooking spray. Cook patties for around 15-20 minutes, depending on grill type and pattie size.

Either wrap in lettuce or stick patties on a skewer. Add toppings and enjoy!

Red White and Blue Fruit Salad

It wouldn’t be 4th of July without something red, white and blue! This fruit salad is bursting with flavor, looks amazing and so easy to make.

Ingredients:

Cubed or cut out watermelon (1/2 watermelon)

Cubed or cut out honeydew (1 medium honeydew)

2 cups strawberries

1 cup blueberries

1 cup cherries

2 sliced bananas

2 tbsp coconut flakes

Instructions:

Cubed the watermelon and honeydew, or you can use a cookie cutter and make shapes. You can cut up the strawberries and cherries or leave some or all of them whole. Slice bananas.

Combine and top with coconut flakes. Enjoy!

1 cup = 1 serving

Patriotic Punch

Another great way to make a festive red, white and blue treat with the season’s best fruit is this delicious and refreshing “punch”. You could even cut the fruit into shapes or freeze the fruit in ice cubes the night before for more flavor and decoration. These are non-alcoholic but you could add 1 oz of vodka for the adult version.

Ingredients:

A handful of fruit (blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, apple, pineapple, raspberries, blackberries or whatever you prefer)

A few more piece of fruit for garnish

1 can of plain or flavored seltzer

Ice

Instructions:

Place some fruit in a glass and mash or muddle them. Add a few ice cubes and seltzer then garnish with fresh fruit. Sip and enjoy!

Home Made Frozen Yogurt

The best part about this recipe is that it is completely customizable. Choose your favorite fruits or make new combinations like Strawberry Banana, Mixed Berries, Peach and more. This will make 4 servings.

Ingredients:

6 cups any fruit (can be mixed)

2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

Instructions:

Either freeze fresh fruit or use frozen fruit. Combine fruit and yogurt in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour into medium container and freeze overnight.

Enjoy! And have a Happy and Healthy 4th of July weekend!

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

September 1, 2016By Josephine Fitzpatrick

While The Mice Are Away…

It’s funny the saying usually goes “when the cats are away the mice will play” but for all the camp families it’s more like “while the children are away the parents will play”… BE CAREFUL!!!! When the kids are home they give us more than just love, laughter, and comfort – they also give us a schedule. When they are away we no longer have that schedule that helps keep us on track. Don’t make summer a free for all! Create some boundaries for yourself. Some of my fabulous clients have committed to walking everywhere. When they come to the studio – they walk here. They go out to dinner – they walk there. It’s awesome and something fun to look forward to, not to mention the time it gives you to talk to each other. Other clients have committed to only going out to lunch once a week. Some committed to go out to dinner only on weekends. Find what works for you. Make your own schedule and set your own boundaries that work for you this summer and commit to them.

SUMMER THOUGHTS: When you are trying to lose weight it’s always very difficult. Let’s face it, you have to eat less than your body needs and that can be uncomfortable. No one likes to be uncomfortable. But remember to ask yourself – would you rather be a little uncomfortable from eating less or uncomfortable in your tight jeans

In addition to eating less and being uncomfortable, you also have to eat cleaner and learn how everything matters. What I want you to understand is this is not something that ever goes away. You don’t lose your weight and then just go back to your bad habits and eat out of control. I promise you if you do that you will gain the weight back and fast – much faster than it took you to take it off. Living a healthy, clean life is forever. Especially as we age, it’s something that has to be incorporated more than not. While life is about enjoying – it doesn’t always mean that you have to over indulge in every available occasion. STAY MINDFUL.

4TH OF JULY: For some it’s an easy one night out with total control the rest of the weekend. For others it’s a continuous party that can result in an extra 10 lbs! You have to remember you are the only person who is accountable for yourself. If it passes through your lips there is no one to blame but you! It’s not the person throwing the party, or your significant other or your friends…When Tuesday rolls around you want to make sure that you can look back and know that you enjoyed the weekend and feel good about where you are. You don’t want to look back and think Why? Why? Why?

*CHEAT DAY: The later it is in the weekend that you have your cheat day – the more chance you have of staying clean. For example, 4th of July weekend starts on FRIDAY. If you save your cheat day for Sunday or Monday you are more likely to stay clean until then. If you cheat Saturday then you have to stay clean Sunday and Monday which is much more difficult. The same holds true for a non holiday weekend. If you have Sunday for your cheat day everyone goes back on program Monday but if you cheat Friday or Saturday you still have to stay clean Sunday. If you cheat too early you are setting yourself up to cheat again in the same weekend.

TEMPTATION: While you have the opportunity to maintain at any time by simply keeping your days clean and your evenings moderately off – the temptation to over do it will always be there. You have to make a commitment to yourself to not keep falling prey to the temptations that are at every party. Because if you do, you will either keep gaining or never lose. The temptations will always be there. And only when you start losing and feeling great is really when you will be able to push the temptation aside and wait and enjoy your cheat day to indulge. The process is simple: Everything you see that is tempting have on your cheat day.Stay clean 6 consecutive days, lose weight and then enjoy your cheat day. Remember temptation will always be there and so will your extra weight if you keep giving into it.

BEACH SEASON: Beach season is upon us and while I would hope you will not over indulge on the beach while sitting in a bathing suit, I also know it can be very easy to pick while being social. Make sure you bring foods with volume. Frozen grapes, popcorn, raw veggies, Cheerios, nuts, crepe chips. Anything that will help you stay on program. There is a long summer ahead of you – make sure you pace yourself.

EATING OUT: It’s okay to eat out even if it’s every night. But you need to choose what works for you while you are ordering. Start with raw veggies instead of the bread. Order grilled chicken or broiled fish with steamed veggies. Sushi is Naruto rolls. Chinese is steamed chicken or shrimp with steamed veggies. It’s not suppose to be exciting. Your cheat day is exciting, the other 6 days is to fuel your body to lose weight. Regardless of where you go there is always a healthy choice.

ALCOHOL: Keep it simple – it’s a snack and unless it’s your cheat day stop after one drink. If it’s not your cheat day, nothing good is going to happen after one drink.

EXERCISE: Keep moving. Walk, jog, ride a bike, lift weights, hike, swim! Whatever you enjoy – do it. Mix it up or do the same thing everyday. Just keep moving.

VACATION: Going on vacation is so much fun. It’s something we look forward to and plan for. Don’t try and go on vacation and lose weight. It’s unrealistic and you are setting yourself up for failure. Instead go with the attitude that you will do your best and enjoy and be mindful when you can. The best case scenario is you eat clean 2 out of 3 meals a day – that should be your goal to maintain.

TIP OF THE WEEK

WHILE YOU are sleeping, drinking, eating, indulging…

SOMEONE is out there awake at 4am exercising.

WHILE YOU are cheating and eating unhealthy…

SOMEONE is out there eating clean, and doing all the right things.

WHILE YOU are using the excuses “no time” – “it’s so hard” – “tomorrow”

SOMEONE is out there say “I can, I will, I want it”

Looking and Feeling good is a choice. You either commit to it or you spend your life wishing for it.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

15 Likes

September 1, 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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