Think about this past week whether you were on vacation or home – how did you feel? Did you work hard to get to where you want to be and felt amazing? Or did you wish you would have been in a better place? Do you wish you would have worked harder and followed stricter? You see when it comes to weight loss, the closer you follow the more you lose. So when you do the right things that’s when good things and great changes happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!! It’s mid week and you are already only a couple of days away from your Cheat Day!! The first week back from vacation can be really tough. You are used to eating more and you have to get used to eating less again and eating clean. Not easy to do – and yet very doable! In only one week I promise you will feel amazing and in control.

In 2018 we are going to focus on feeling good, how important that feeling is to YOU, and how we should all embrace it because it is life changing when you feel good about yourself and your body. Start by asking yourself, how important it is to you to feel good everyday? How important is it to wake up feeling in control? Feeling thinner? Feeling happier? … waking up lighter? … and knowing that when you go to get dressed the clothes will either be loose or fitting better. Most important – think about when you feel good and in control how it relates to the rest of your day and everyone around you. When you get to the point of not having to think about food every second of the day you are more productive at work and at home. These are all the things I want you to focus on when you are either getting back on your path this week or starting the program from the beginning. When you live healthy and clean it resonates through everything you do and how you feel. It’s not something we do – it’s a way we live, and feel our best doing it.

BEFORE AND AFTER’S: Starting today we will be posting before and after photos of those amazing clients who made Innovation a way of life. Their unbelievable weight loss and body transformations will put you in Awe and Inspire and Motivate you on what is possible for you in 2018!!! You will also get to listen to their podcast episodes and get a glimpse into how each client doesn’t just do the Innovation Program, they live it. They will tell you how they live it and why it became such an important part of their life.

SUPER EXCITED!! I am super super excited to share these with you. I believe for many of you it will be a reminder of what you want and where YOU want to be. Knowing and seeing that changes happen in a week, a month in 3 months, 6 months and this time next year. Whether it’s 10lbs or 100lbs – wherever you are and wherever you want to be – these before and after’s will remind you of just how possible it is to get there. They are everyday people who have all one thing in common – they all live the Innovation Program and it has changed their life.

SUCCESS IS A DECISION – It’s about staying focused, being determined and mindful on the hard days. It starts by YOU figuring out what YOU want and how hard YOU want to work for it. WHO ARE YOU? – You are either a dreamer or a doer. You will either be the one who constantly complains about being overweight and what you wish you could be OR you will be the one that puts your head down, walks away from the temptation and works your butt off everyday to make sure you get to where you want to be. Figure it out – Plan each day and don’t let anyone stand in your way.

~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

IMPORTANCE OF SNACKING: Make sure you have your snacks and use them when you need them. If you are hanging out by the pool make sure you have the vegetables and hummus so you don’t go for the nachos. Sometimes we can forget the importance of snacking. Once a upon a time it was thought that if you ate before a meal you would ruin your dinner. But the truth is, if you DON’T have a snack before a meal you will not only ruin your meal but also your weight loss. Why? Because you will be so hungry you won’t be able to make a healthy choice. You will reach for everything and you will eat fast and too much before you even realize what happened. But when you have a snack before you go out and feel a little satisfied when you get to dinner you will not act like it’s your last meal. You will immediately see the difference in how you feel and how you can control your choices. So make sure you have your snacks available and use them when you need them – that’s what they are for.

YOUR ACTIONS DETERMINE YOUR RESULTS: Remember that throughout the next two weeks you are responsible for what you do. Whatever your choices are will result in your outcome. We sometimes forget that holidays and vacations have an ending. When we are in the moment of enjoying and celebrating we forget that reality is around the corner. I want you to enjoy and celebrate – it’s wonderful and you should continue to do that. It’s one of the most important things about working so hard all year. What fun is being thin, healthy and feeling great if you can’t go out and enjoy it and show the world how amazing you feel. With that said, you must also keep in mind this is not the last vacation or holiday you will have. When it’s over you want to feel just as good as when it started. The best way to do that is to think about your actions and the outcome. When you grab for something – do you really want it? Or are you eating it because you are on vacation? Always think before you grab and eat. Remember, whatever you do today you have to deal with tomorrow. If you are okay with it then go for it, but if you know that it’s going to make your first week of the New Year miserable then don’t do it.  There are not too many things that are worth that and you need to keep that in mind when you are grabbing and consuming. Remember how hard you have worked for where you are today and regardless of who or what is around you, at the end YOU will be the one who is either stuck or content with the outcome of your choices. No one has that power except you.

Through the holidays and on vacation the choices to Lose weight – Maintain – or Gain is ultimately up to you.  Here are some things to follow to determine where you would like to end up:

LOSE WEIGHT: You can stay on your course of eating clean 6 days and save everything you see on vacation throughout the week for your Cheat Day.  If you do this try and save the Cheat Day for the last day you are there – this way you look and feel amazing all week and you can see the things throughout the week that you would like to have on your Cheat Day.

 

MAINTAIN:  Have a Cheat meal, a dessert or drinks each day.  You can’t do all three, it has to be one of the three if you are having a Cheat everyday. This will help you maintain. It teaches you that you can enjoy but you just can’t treat everyday like a full Cheat Day.

LOSE WEIGHT: With two back to back holidays in one week [Christmas eve – Christmas Day] and [New Years Eve – New Years Day], you have the choice of picking one each week and having your one Cheat Day a week. If you do that you will continue to stay on your path and lose weight. Sometimes it’s easier to continue what you know and what you feel comfortable with. For those who do not celebrate both it’s an easier decision,  but for those who do celebrate both you should think about maintaining…

 

 

 

 

 

As we travel through December (with only 19 days until Christmas Break) – many of you are right back on your path but others are still struggling a little to get there. Wherever you are today and moving into this week I want you to be positive and confident about what you can achieve and why you want to do it. Think about feeling good, happy and alive in your mind and body.

Don’t ever be embarrassed about gaining weight. You always have to remember you are not the only one. Don’t think about the past or how you “used” to look. Don’t get discouraged because you keep slipping up or having more than one Cheat over the weekend. What you need to focus on is the following:

SLIPS AND FALLS – Regardless of where you are or how many times you slip up – the most important thing you can do is get right back on program and keep going in the right direction. Whether it’s a little slip up or a big one – it’s not about the slip – it’s about getting up. We all slip and we all fall but the sooner you get back on your feet and on your path is the sooner you will feel so much better and be back on track. The longer you lay down the longer you will feel terrible and the longer it will take to get back to a better place. Life is not perfect and it will never be perfect. We will always have times that will be more difficult than others and they are usually times that feel different from everyone else. It doesn’t matter – what matters is right now. Wherever you are you have to focus on where you want to be and keep moving in that direction. If you keep getting up every time you fall, you will get there. Yes, it might be slower than someone who doesn’t fall as much but who cares – the most important thing is you are in the right direction and you will get to your destination.

STOP THINKING SO MUCH – We focus on “why do we keep doing this” or “how can I be better” or “isn’t there a magic pill” – JUST STOP THINKING. Instead of spending so much time and energy thinking about an easier way out – or thinking about why you keep slipping – I want you to stop thinking about it all and just start doing it. Just start today and get on program and make the right choices. Don’t worry about where your weight is today – don’t even think about it. Just follow your program and you will feel better tomorrow. If you want to use your time thinking, then keep it about positive things like your family and your friends and your home and job. The program is the program – you know it works. Food is fuel and if you eat what is on your menu then you will lose weight. Don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be. Don’t look for foods that will fill you and don’t look for “more” than you need.  Just follow the menu and you will lose the weight and your Cheat Day will come and you will enjoy it.

THE JOURNEY – Something I think is important to share is how important your journey is. I know I say it all the time but it’s very easy to get caught up in feeling sorry for yourself and bad about the mistakes and choices you make. But what I want you to focus on is how happy you are on the journey to feeling your best. Every step you take in the direction of eating clean and losing weight is one more step to feeling great both mentally and physically. Life is too short and you don’t want to keep doing things that intentionally make you feel worse. Keep the focus on positive things that will make you happy – Like Christmas Break!

If you want to lose a little or a lot of weight before the Break then follow your program and weigh-in, and keep yourself accountable. Even 3 lbs can make a big difference on how you look and feel. So make the commitment today to stop thinking and start following.

~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

HERE ARE SOME OPTIONS FOR THANKSGIVING WEEKEND – DECIDE WHERE YOU ARE AND WHO YOU WANT TO BE:   Sometimes we can start with the best intentions but it only takes one to two things to trigger it into a snow ball effect – and before you know it you are out of control. It’s important to always HAVE A PLAN! I can’t say it enough, if you plan you will have so much more success than if you don’t.

If you want to be a SHARK: You will cheat one day this weekend and only one day and the other days you will have planned and you will follow them 110% and you will have the very best weight loss week. Remember, your plan must include all days not just the day you know you are cheating. Sharks know what they are doing at all times – everyday. They plan and they follow it. So if you want to be a shark and have the best weight loss this weekend, you need to know exactly what day your cheat day will be and know exactly what you are eating on your non Cheat Days. As you know, it’s important to plan your cheat day but when we are not on a regular schedule like this weekend – it’s just as important to plan your weight loss days which are your NON-CHEAT DAYS. Know what you are eating and what your choices will be, and you will come out of this like the SHARK that you are.

If you want to be a SNAIL: You will split the cheat days and be clean all day and cheat Thanksgiving dinner and one night over the weekend and you will lose like a Snail. Again, make sure you have the non-cheat days planned and even plan the cheat dinners knowing exactly what you want to cheat with.

If you want to be a SLUG:  You will taste and have little cheats through the whole weekend keeping the days clean and only tasting and having little cheats each night and you will most likely maintain. If you are happy with not gaining and not losing, and also not over doing anything and just kind of staying in one place, then a slug might be a good option for you. A good way to control being a slug is to try tasting each item that looks appealing to you and bypass anything that you wouldn’t normally eat. Tasting one large tablespoon of each thing you like is sometimes more than enough. When you are a slug you want to stay on your path and make sure no one steps on you  – so each night decide in advance what you are tasting and what you are bypassing. Sometimes when others see we are not 100% they think it’s okay to pull you into the dark side, offering more wine/food than you need or planned –  but if you know what you are tasting and treating yourself to and you stick to it you will come out of the holiday feeling okay and still in control.  Yes, Monday you will feel the weekend bloat and not feeling your best but you won’t feel the worst either. Slugs usually come out of the weekend needing one full week to get back to the pre- holiday number but still feeling okay with their decisions.

Being a slug is very common for many people over the holidays and vacations. And it works great if this is where you want to stay – as long as you know what you are tasting and treating yourself to each day you will do great. If one night it’s drinks and the next morning it’s bagels and maybe one night a meal – it’s all good.  But to be a slug still means that 80% of the day is clean with 20% cheating each day.  Find your balance and what works for you and what’s worth it –  And never ever eat just to eat or cheat just to cheat. Make sure everything that you do is worth the results. Being a slug is fine to do and you should have no guilt when it’s over a vacation or holiday weekend.  The only time being a SLUG is NOT OKAY is when you are living like this everyday and never really getting any where. Make a choice and stick to it. If you feel you deserve to be a slug this weekend then go for it and enjoy it.

If you want to simply MAINTAIN:  You can keep it very simple and have one cheat dinner and one full cheat day and that will keep you maintained for the week.  And you will come out of it feeling great and controlled and be able to stay on your weight loss path feeling great. Again very important for the cheat dinner your day needs to be super clean and your non cheat days need to be 110% planned weight loss days. This will keep you on track for a maintain week and in a very good place come Monday morning.

If you decide to be a GLUTTON and eat from the time you wake up until you go to bed over the course of the weekend then you will be one of the very unhappy people who wake up Monday morning trying to squeeze into your clothes that will make you feel more like the stuffed turkey and sausage that you consumed over the weekend. At that point I promise you will look back and not be happy with your choices and you won’t even remember what you ate and drank that got you to this point. THINK BEFORE YOU GRAB AND ALWAYS REMEMBER EVERY CHOICE HAS A GOOD AND/OR BAD CONSEQUENCE.

My final thoughts for you this Holiday Weekend – there is always a choice and if you make the one that works for you this weekend – then come Monday morning you will feel so much better than any EXTRA food or drink you would have tasted.   There is no better feeling than waking up Monday morning knowing that you followed what you planned. You enjoyed – you feel great and you fit into your clothes. Remember me saying this – wherever you are right now, today, this moment – you want to be in a better place come Monday morning. You can enjoy the weekend, the food, drink and the treats and still do the right thing. You want to enjoy those you love, and remember the holiday is about being grateful for what you have and who you have in your life. It’s not about over indulging and gluttony.  It’s about happiness, being grateful and feeling good both mentally and physically. You need to figure out and plan what that is for you this coming weekend and what plan will make you feel the very best starting Wednesday night and waking up Monday morning.

~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

The end of the summer holds a combination of emotions depending on if you are emotional from dropping your children at college or anxious getting ready for the new school year. Wherever your life is right now and where your emotions are – what is most important is how you feed your body and mind. That is what is going to determine how you get through this weekend AND how you feel by the end of it.

Whether or not you have been 110% all summer – make this weekend count. Start September by making the right choices for what you want and how you want to feel. Don’t throw the weekend away because your summer was not perfect. Don’t look back, don’t think about what you did, just think about what you want moving forward. Stay positive, think positive and know that what you do this weekend is going to make a difference in next week. Do the right things for your body and mind and it will repay you with happiness in how you feel and look. It’s not always easy to do the right thing. It’s even harder to do the right thing after you have done a summer of not so great things. But the faster you get back on track, the quicker you will get back to feeling in control, lighter and over all just so much better than if you spend the whole weekend cheating.

Keep it positive. This is a journey and you will be constantly challenged. How you handle the challenges will define your success. We all have detours. They are necessary, and when you learn from your detours you will strengthen your mind to handle each one better than the detour before. Put the past behind you and move forward with what you want and what you have learned. Remembering that everyday and every situation does matter. At the end of the day – accept that you are the one who is most responsible for reaching your goals and making your dreams come true. Only you – not your spouse, not your children or your parents – not your neighbors or friends and not the sabatogers. You are responsible for making today a great day.

 

~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

ROBERTA FROM WESTCHESTER 

SHARES HOW MUCH SHE LOVES THE PROGRAM AND HOW IT CHANGED HER LIFE.

ROBERTA YOU DID SUPER FABULOUS!!!!

WE ARE SO SUPER PROUD OF YOU 

YOU LOOK ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!

Roberta 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

211 E 43rd Street Manhattan, NY 10019

When summer begins and the kids have gone and work has ended or slows down, we promise ourselves that we are going to do all the things that we put on hold in May and June. But what really happens is the complete opposite. We let a sense of freedom take us over. Freedom from schedules, and pressures of the year are now replaced with parties and social events that just don’t seem to end. The first couple of weeks it’s all so easy to ignore our responsibilities. But now we are 4 weeks in and clothes are tight, and faces are bloated and, we are realizing we need to rethink what we want and how we are going to approach the weeks ahead. If you find this is you then you need to do what so many others did this week: they came in and reset, and are back on track to their 6 days on and 1 day Cheat. If you do it you will not only debloat but you will feel both mentally and physically better and back in control and on your path. Don’t put it off because you have a vacation coming or because you have dinner plans. Those are all things you can work around. But if you continue on a destructive road you know that you will crash and you don’t want it to be while on vacation or when the kids come home from camp.

 

Losing weight in the summer is not easy but it’s easier than the feeling of gaining weight in the summer – it’s always a choice. It doesn’t mean you have to be perfect every week from now until September, it just means that the more weeks you can have that are back on track, the better you will feel and the better the end result will be. I see first hand the clients that came back this week and how much better they felt a couple of days in. Take control – don’t put it off. We will get you back on track to a controlled week where you know everything you do will make you feel amazing come the weekend. Don’t worry if you come back higher – we saw so many clients come back this week with higher numbers – we totally get it and we are proud of them for coming in and taking control back. That’s what it’s all about. Thats what we are here for – to help you get it back. It’s never about where you are it’s about where you are going.

It’s not easy being on and in control in the summer but it’s worth it. You are in the drivers seat and you are the one who can and will control where you go. Will you gain? It’s up to you. Will you lose or maintain? Totally up to you. There are difficulties that arise in everyone’s life whether they are positive parties or negative problems. What is most important is dealing with them. Because if you let the food control the feelings you will end up even more unhappy than you are today. It might be 5lbs or 15lbs more. But if you know you are going in the wrong direction the time to deal with it is now. Yes, it takes a strong person but you have the strength in you. Is being overweight, bloated and unhappy an option for you? Is that what you want and how you want to feel? If you want to have the positive changes you need to be the active participant in your life and do something about it. You determine the direction you want to be. Which means you will determine the outcome of the summer.

This come from one of my In Studio clients who continued to lose because she is a total shark. Even though she started as a snail for quite a while. But she stuck with it and it happened. Because when you are a consistent snail it happens and that’s what makes you a shark! And once she saw the changes and felt the changes she became a determined shark. Even though she loves food – she also knows how much she loves being fit, and thin. She had a long journey but walked in my office the other day looking like a hot little momma! She is just one of the many clients who proves that weight absolutley ages us and when we take it off we take years off. I remember when she first walked in my office. She looked like a completely different person this past Saturday. It was like this younger version who was now so confident and strong both mentally and physically stepped out the body of when she first came to see me. She is very close to her goal but she told me she knew she had “arrived” at her happy place because her 18 year old son came in the kitchen and said to her “WOW MOM! You look great! You really have it all going on!” She said it was by far the best compliment that she could have ever gotten. Better than her husband or friends – because when your 18 year old son notices that you look great – you must look great! I loved loved seeing her in that moment. I say it all the time – there is nothing better than your children looking at you and thinking my Mom looks great – she lives healthy, she takes care of herself and is strong and fit! Or,  My dad looks fit and strong – he looks so much younger than the other dads. This is how kids think and this is how they want to think. They don’t want to worry about you and why you are unhappy and why you look unhealthy and if you are okay. They want to know that their parents are taking care of themselves. They don’t want to have to worry about you.  They know when you are happy, sad, depressed and upset. If it’s a problem you have no control over thats one thing – but when it’s something that you are creating and not taking care of – that’s not fair to anyone – so change it.

 

 

 

 

Summer Mondays are harder than any other Mondays of the year, but they are just as important as any other Monday of the year. You need to plan and always be back on track Monday morning regardless of where you are or what time of year it is. Mondays are important for many reasons. They start your week. They put you on track and they give you a sense of control in your week ahead. Another great thing about Mondays is they give you the chance to regroup, put the weekend behind you and be even better than the week before. It’s fine to have weekend fun but the importance of getting back on plan and doing the right thing Monday Morning will result in how you look and feel the following weekend.

 

Summer is not Easy: Summer is a time when it’s harder to stay on track and have 110% days. But sometimes just because it’s harder doesn’t mean it’s not doable and doesn’t mean it’s not necessary. I don’t have to tell you how quickly you will gain the weight back.  This program works if you follow it but if you eat what you want when you want you will gain the weight back. If you are 80%-20% then you will get 80% results. If you are 60%-40% then you will get 60% results. You see the clients around you. Many who have kept the weight off and maintained. They do it because they are on program and live the program. There is always a choice and you need to make it everyday. If you want to lose weight this summer you need to follow your program and stay on program in order to enjoy the Cheat Day. Make sure you have all your meals and snacks prepared and ready for you. It’s important to plan your days and be ready for whatever is coming your way. If you have your meals and snacks then you have no excuse to go off program. Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you have to give up losing weight. You can enjoy and lose weight if you are willing to put the work in. Remember, the harder you work the better the results. It’s never easy – especially in the Summer, but it’s very doable and necessary- especially in the Summer.

 

Make The Good Days Count: Most people gain between 7-10 pounds by September.  That’s a lot of weight to gain on top of weight that you already needed to lose. Think smart and act smarter! If you want to look good, if you want to feel good then you have to do good things for you body. Yes, exercising is very important and the more you can incorporate it the better you will feel. But eating clean and staying on program is what is going to make you feel amazing and make the changes you really want to see. It’s what will make you feel that lighter, happier feeling that you love and change the number on the scale to where you want it. It’s what gives you the feeling that you are in control and doing the right things for your body and mind. While it’s a much harder concept to follow in the summer, there are days you will feel amazing and follow it – and those are the days you need to make count!

 

Choose your battles: If you know you are having long weekends at the beach or on the boat – then you need to try and be 110% Monday through – Thursday. If you want to lose weight this Summer but don’t want to be super strict – then be amazing on the days you can be. And on the days that are more challenging – try and be mindful even if you are cheating. You don’t want big Cheat Days to be consecutive and you don’t want to be Cheating a little everyday. The days that you can be amazing – then be amazing and eat the minimal that is on your plan. On the days you need extra snacks then have them but try to make them On Program snacks. If you want to enjoy a treat here and there then do it but try to be amazing and on 110% on program the following day. My point is, the great days will help and will count in your overall summer. You may not see the weight loss every week but you will see it by the end of the month. Instead of losing 1-2 lbs every week in July – you might lose 2 pounds by the end of July and 2 pounds by the end of August – and both are much better than gaining 10 by September.

 

Change Your Focus for Summer Months: If you already made the decision that you want the summer to be less about dieting and more about enjoying then you need to change your focus. Many clients will look to just maintain through the summer and get back on program in September. That is totally fine and may give you the mental break you need. In order to do this you need to still be mindful everyday about what your choices are. Instead of focusing on losing, focus on not gaining: Some clients will cheat one week and the next week be 110%. Others will be amazing Monday through Thursday and Cheat Friday through Sunday. Try and make changes where you can even on the days you are not 100%. If you want extra drinks give up your snacks. If you want extra snacks then make your meals smaller. Try and make even the smallest positive changes on the days your are off program. This way even though you are having more Cheat Days the changes will not necessarily help you lose but that’s okay – because what they are doing is helping you from gaining.

 

At the end of the Summer days and Summer months – we have to accept what we have done. While it’s great to party, drink, and indulge – if you continuously over do it –  you will be left with the results that I can assure you will not be worth how you feel. So stay mindful and think before you act. Because just like every bad choice will make a negative  difference – every good choice will make a positive one.

 

LOVE YOURSELF ENOUGH TO LIVE A HEALTHY LIFE

 

~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