valentine’s day – Innovation Weightloss & Fitness

February 14, 2018By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Happy Weight Loss Wednesday!

LET’S STAY FOCUSED!

Are you staying focused on what you want and where you want to be? Make sure your week is moving in a positive direction. With Valentine’s Day and Winter Break in just a couple of days it’s easy to lose focus. Today I want you to think about the love of your life and/or those you love. Both of which should be celebrated today! Stay focused on what and who is important. Dinner plans tonight? Choose a healthy On Program meal that you can order in or out. Clean fish, grilled chicken and a steamed vegetable. Fresh fruit for dessert. If you are staying in you can make or order the same or have a clean Innovation dinner with an Innovation snack. Whether you are eating in or out, your options are endless. You really want to make sure you have a super clean day today. If you stay clean and On Program you will wake up tomorrow feeling amazing and it will be a true Valentine’s Day Gift to yourself.

FOCUS only on what you ARE eating and HOW MUCH you are eating.

Because when it comes to the number on the scale that is all that matters.

BE AWARE: We tend to get into a slippery little mindset of what WE DIDN’T eat instead of focusing on what WE SHOULD BE eating. I hear it quite often – “I was so good! I only had a bite of this and a bite of that. But there was so many more things on the table I didn’t eat” It’s kind of like saying I had one slice of pizza BUT I did great because I could have had two. Well guess what? – If you are trying to lose weight – you shouldn’t have had the first one to begin with. Don’t think about and stop focusing on all the foods you didn’t eat – because unfortunately your body doesn’t give you extra credit or extra weight loss because you didn’t eat things. It only focuses on what you did eat and how much – and that is what you need to focus on too.

FEEL THE LOVE: Today, stay focused on who matters to you in your life and how much love you have to share. The better you take care of your body and mind – the better you will feel and the more you will feel the love. When you feel good and feel the love – all you will want to do is share those amazing feelings and make everyone around you feel good too.

Give yourself the gift of love and health today and do it by waking up tomorrow feeling amazing!

It all starts with you…

Making the right choices always makes you happy.

MUCH LOVE TO YOU ALL TODAY!

FROM US TO YOU,

HAPPY VALENTINE’S 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 10016

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FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle

February 13, 2017By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Life Is About Choices

Yay! It’s Monday!!! It’s the start of another healthy week. Another week where you can see a new low by the end of it. Another week where you can make all the right choices and feel amazing! Don’t look at Monday like it’s the start of just a boring work week – look at it like it’s the beginning of another week where you are learning to love to live healthy!!!! Everything in life is a cycle. When we ride it the right way we can live it the best way. You start your week off amazing and you continue on that path regardless of what gets in your way. You need to make the right choices so that by the end of the week you accomplished another healthy, happy week where you know your numbers will reflect your hard work. Every day is an opportunity to do the right thing for yourself, your mind and your body. Only you can make today a GREAT DAY! Only you can make today a HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS DAY! Only you can do the RIGHT THINGS AND STAY ON YOUR PATH TO REACH YOUR GOALS! Remind yourself how important it is to you and remind yourself how much you want it. How you look at the day and the week will reflect on how your results will be.

VALENTINE’S DAY!

Love is in the air and today on Long Island it’s blowing around like crazy! Hopefully cupid has a steady shot – because he can easily mix up some arrows in this wind. Be prepared for the week and especially for tomorrow. Many of you waited to have your Cheat Day until tomorrow (so proud of you)! That was the smart thing to do when you know that you either have dinner plans or are weak when it comes to those heart shaped chocolates! For those of you who waited, you get to enjoy and not think about what you will order in advance!

If you had your Cheat Day this past weekend you made your choice and you have to stay 110% tomorrow because there is no free pass because it’s Valentines Day. If you are lucky enough to be “In Love” then that should be enough and food a distant second. If your “Love” is not enough tomorrow then you need to focus on what you will have and stick to it. Regardless of where you are going or what you are doing you can order a clean meal…and save your snacks for your drinks. There is always an on program option you just have to make it.

See, when it comes to weight loss it is all about making choices. The Cheat Day helps you do that. That’s why you can’t split them. You can’t have more than one and you can’t pretend it wasn’t bad because you only had “one thing off the whole day.” The whole idea of the Cheat Day is to choose what day is most important to you each week and enjoy it. It’s for you to understand and accept that you CAN HAVE IT – just not everyday. And ONE DAY A WEEK should be more than enough for you. But it does require making choices. Because if you don’t take the time to think and make a choice – you are basically giving yourself freedom to have more than one Cheat Day. And that never works. So if Valentine’s Day is important to you to cheat, then you should have waited and had a clean weekend and have your Cheat Day on Valentine’s Day. It doesn’t matter if you were going out to dinner on the weekend – it’s a choice. It doesn’t matter if you were only a “little off” on your Cheat Day – you made a choice. You make your choices and you know that Off is Off. If you were off for a day or a meal or even just a dessert – you made the choice to have your day and now you move on until next week. The cheat day only works when your other 6 days are a 110%. You have to make choices and those choices will reflect whether you lose, gain or maintain. You can’t just “wing it” and it just can’t be “a little here and a little there”. When you want to lose weight and keep it off it has to be one Cheat Day a week – no exceptions. Once you start writing your own rules and have a cheat dinner Saturday and then you do a cheat Valentine’s day – You have made the choice to be OFF TWO DAYS in one week…and that is no longer a weight loss week. And whether you maintain or gain will depend on how 110% the rest of your 5 days are.

One Cheat Day is what you get and you should be thrilled with that. When you make the right choices it can and should really work for you in a very positive way. If you really want to see your numbers go down you have to follow it 110% 6 days clean and 1 day off. It’s simple and it’s only when you start writing your own rules and making the choice that ONE Cheat Day a week is no longer enough for you is when you will start gaining. Choices are hard. But when we were young we were taught how important it is to make the right choices – and it’s what we teach our children – If you want success you have to make good choices. It’s time to start living what we teach and preach – and make the right choice that you know will work for you. So when tomorrow rolls around and it’s “Valentines Day” and you already had your Cheat Day you have to make the choice – Do you want to lose weight this week? If you want to lose weight then you eat clean on Valentine’s Day and save your candy for your Cheat Day! If you want to gain weight or maintain then you have your Valentine’s Day dinner and candy and live with the consequences that it was more important to you then losing this week.

Life is all about making choices and when we do the right things and plan we can be amazing. I know it’s not easy. But it’s worth it. Because when you get on the scale you want to see that number lower. You want to feel good and lighter and one step closer to your goal. If you see the number goes up or doesn’t change from the prior week – I promise you that if you can even remember what you ate and drank to cause it – you will think it so wasn’t worth it.

Besides do you really want to over eat on Valentine’s Day? Do you really want to end the night with the one you love stuffed and bloated?

If you want to reach your goals your choices have to reflect what you want. Your choices have to be planned. Your choices have to be the most important thing you make this week.

Life is about making choices and when you make the right ones for your body, and mind, you will realize that making the right choice is so much easier than regretting the wrong one.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

REMEMBER VALENTINES DAY IS ABOUT LOVE AND CAN BE SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST A SIGNIFICANT OTHER

ALL THE LOVE IN YOUR LIFE MATTER ON VALENTINE’S DAY

MOM, DAD, CHILDREN, SISTERS, BROTHERS, AUNTS, UNCLES, FRIENDS, COUSINS, BABYSITTERS….

SPREAD THE LOVE AND GIVE HUGS FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

A HUG CAN CHANGE A DAY AND MAKE SOMEONE FEEL REALLY SPECIAL

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

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FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle

February 23, 2016By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Healthier Valentine’s Day Recipes

This weekend is one of the best holidays of the year – Valentine’s Day. A day devoted to love, family, friends and of course, sweet treats and indulging. One of the dangers of a holiday on the weekend is that it tends to become more than one day of indulging. Even if you cheat on Sunday, make sure you don’t start too soon on Saturday and that you are back on your healthy eating 100% on Monday. Otherwise, you will find yourself snacking on chocolates and candy that you would never normally eat, just because they are in your home and kitchen. As much as we may try to keep junk food out of reach, holidays and family can sometimes present an exception, but don’t use that as an excuse to make unhealthy choices. Kids need candy for school, co-workers and break rooms will be stocked with treats and every bank, doctor’s office and restaurant will have desserts and candy waiting for you to take. But we have to push past the convenience and the excuses, and make the choices we really want to make. Some days are easy, but some days are much harder. Try focusing on something besides food – spending time with the ones you love, making cards and crafts, revisit special places and memories.

Try some of these delicious and healthier recipes this weekend. They are healthier than the typical sweets and candy so that even if Sunday is your cheat day you can indulge with these recipes without going too far off track.

Stuffed Strawberries

Try this healthy recipe with a classic Valentine’s Day ingredient – strawberries! They are so easy to make and are a great snack or breakfast.

Ingredients:

•12 strawberries, tops removed

•About 1-1/2 cups of vanilla non fat Greek yogurt

•Handful of chocolate chips

Directions:

1) Remove the bottoms (about 1/4 the way down) from the strawberries and scoop out the inside.

2) Fill each strawberry with about 1 tablespoon or so of Greek yogurt. Sprinkle the top with 3 chocolate chips.

3) Freeze or chill strawberries until you serve them so they are a little frozen on the outside but still creamy on the inside.

Jello Hearts

This next recipe is so easy and looks adorable. Simply make sugar free jello (strawberry or cherry are great) and let cool is a baking pan so that you can use a cookie cutter to make heart shaped jello bites. That make a great sweet snack and are fun for kids!

Make it Heart Shaped!

It’s so easy to use a cookie cutter or just a knife to make fruits into hearts. Simple and festive.

Chocolate Covered Fruit

It wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without chocolate covered strawberries. The healthiest ingredients we recommend are dark chocolate, and you can even use crushed nuts as a topping. Make your own chocolate box with any fruit instead of candies. Your loved ones will love the person touch. Melt the chocolate on the stove with a double boiler (two pans that fit together – putting water in the bottom and chocolate in the top pan), or boil water in a sauce pan and place chocolate in a glass bowl into the pan. Dip each piece of fruit in the chocolate then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add a topping then let them cool. Arrange them on a plate or box them up as a gift.

Have A Happy Valentine’s Day!

~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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FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle

February 12, 2016By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Healthier Valentine’s Day

This weekend is one of the best holidays of the year – Valentine’s Day. A day devoted to love, family, friends and of course, sweet treats and indulging. One of the dangers of a holiday on the weekend is that it tends to become more than one day of indulging. Even if you cheat on Sunday, make sure you don’t start too soon on Saturday and that you are back on your healthy eating 100% on Monday. Otherwise, you will find yourself snacking on chocolates and candy that you would never normally eat, just because they are in your home and kitchen. As much as we may try to keep junk food out of reach, holidays and family can sometimes present an exception, but don’t use that as an excuse to make unhealthy choices. Kids need candy for school, co-workers and break rooms will be stocked with treats and every bank, doctor’s office and restaurant will have desserts and candy waiting for you to take. But we have to push past the convenience and the excuses, and make the choices we really want to make. Some days are easy, but some days are much harder. Try focusing on something besides food – spending time with the ones you love, making cards and crafts, revisit special places and memories.

Try some of these delicious and healthier recipes this weekend. They are healthier than the typical sweets and candy so that even if Sunday is your cheat day you can indulge with these recipes without going too far off track.

Stuffed Strawberries

Try this healthy recipe with a classic Valentine’s Day ingredient – strawberries! They are so easy to make and are a great snack or breakfast.

Ingredients:

•12 strawberries, tops removed

•About 1-1/2 cups of vanilla non fat Greek yogurt

•Handful of chocolate chips

Directions:

1) Remove the bottoms (about 1/4 the way down) from the strawberries and scoop out the inside.

2) Fill each strawberry with about 1 tablespoon or so of Greek yogurt. Sprinkle the top with 3 chocolate chips.

3) Freeze or chill strawberries until you serve them so they are a little frozen on the outside but still creamy on the inside.

Jello Hearts

This next recipe is so easy and looks adorable. Simply make sugar free jello (strawberry or cherry are great) and let cool is a baking pan so that you can use a cookie cutter to make heart shaped jello bites. That make a great sweet snack and are fun for kids!

Make it Heart Shaped!

It’s so easy to use a cookie cutter or just a knife to make fruits into hearts. Simple and festive.

Chocolate Covered Fruit

It wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without chocolate covered strawberries. The healthiest ingredients we recommend are dark chocolate, and you can even use crushed nuts as a topping. Make your own chocolate box with any fruit instead of candies. Your loved ones will love the person touch. Melt the chocolate on the stove with a double boiler (two pans that fit together – putting water in the bottom and chocolate in the top pan), or boil water in a sauce pan and place chocolate in a glass bowl into the pan. Dip each piece of fruit in the chocolate then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add a topping then let them cool. Arrange them on a plate or box them up as a gift.

Have A Happy Valentine’s Day!

~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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FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle

February 12, 2015By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Valentine’s Day Weekend

In a blog post last month we talked about avoiding excuses. This time of year there are excuses around every corner that will keep you from reaching your goals: I’m too busy, it’s too cold, I don’t feel well, etc. And soon Valentine’s Day will add even more of a challenge. Valentine’s Day is a special holiday for spending time with those you love, but unfortunately it tends to be more about showing you love someone through chocolate, candy and a big dinner. Don’t let another holiday be your excuse to indulge in food you wouldn’t normally eat just because everything is heart shaped or holiday themed.

Despite your best efforts, you’ll probably find yourself loading up on chocolate for your children’s Valentine’s Day party at school. We all remember those little Valentines with a little piece of chocolate or candy attached to it that each child hands out to their classmates. As fun as they are to give and receive, you’ll probably be the one putting them together the night before. And with all that candy in front of you, it wouldn’t be so bad to have just one, right? Or a couple? They’re so small, they won’t matter…this kind of thinking is never good. Keep healthy snacks around if you think you’ll be tempted and save the snacking for the weekend. And make sure left over candy doesn’t linger in your house.

Instead of putting the focus on food and gifts, make a plan to do something fun and meaningful with those you love. Luckily Valentine’s Day is on a weekend, so there are a variety of activities or special outings you could plan. Spending quality time with family and friends is the greatest gift – make it special even if it is as simple as a meal at home together. Make it more about what the holiday means and less about what you buy or give to each other. When it inevitably does come to gift giving, you may not be able to control what you receive but there are so many gifts other than a box of chocolates that are just as thoughtful and romantic. Putting in a little bit of time to give a gift that is truly meaningful like a photo album or that certain thing they’ve had their eye on will be so much more special and worthwhile. Even if you choose to make Valentine’s Day your cheat day, try not to make it a cheat weekend.

Holidays tend to make us feel like the rules don’t apply because we want to live in the moment. There’s nothing wrong with embracing a holiday, just keep in mind that that doesn’t always have to mean eating what you want and not caring until Monday morning. Just remember – the best parts of any holiday won’t disrupt your weight loss plan.

~ 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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FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyleUncategorized

February 9, 2015By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Healthier Valentine’s Day Treats

With Valentine’s Day coming up this weekend we wanted to share some healthier Valentine’s Day treats that will satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you healthier than typical sweets and candy. Make Saturday your cheat day and with these healthier recipes you can indulge without going completely off track.

This first recipe is simple, easy and can be made with a wide variety of ingredients. All it takes is a heart shaped cookie cutter and you can make Fruit Kebabs with watermelon and strawberry for a festive treat, or any fruit of your choosing for an adorable snack. You can keep the heart shaped theme going with almost any food – potatoes for a festive side and even carrots and cucumber to dress up a salad.

Another incredibly easy and tasty recipe is Raspberries and Chocolate Chips. Just place a dark chocolate chip inside each raspberry for a sweet and simple treat. Get double the antioxidants from the combination of raspberries and dark chocolate, as well as vitamins and minerals from both ingredients.

Raspberries and chocolate come together again for this next recipe: Raspberry Chocolate Truffles. These treats will taste decadent despite their healthy ingredients. In a food processor combine the following: 6 dates, 1/3 cup raspberries and 2 tablespoons of water. After the mixture is well-chopped (about 30 seconds), place it in a small pan and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1/3 cup melted coconut oil and 1/2 tsp of vanilla to the mixture. Put the mixture back in the processor and add 3 tbsp of cocoa powder, process until smooth. Refrigerate for about an hour then scoop out 2 tsp sized portions and shape into balls. Place cocoa powder on a plate and roll the balls in the cocoa powder.

This next recipe combines healthy ingredients for a sweet treat: Chocolate Peanut Butter Quinoa Cups. For this recipe, combine 3 tablespoons of cacao powder, 1/3 cup of coconut oil, 1/2 cup of peanut butter (or any other nut butter) and 1/4 cup of honey (or maple syrup or coconut syrup) in a small sauce pan on low heat. Pour this mixture over puffed quinoa in a large bowl and stir until everything is mixed together. Spoon into muffins cups and freeze until hardened (about 10 minutes). You can add a fresh raspberry on top of each one as a festive garnish.

For those vegans out there, this next recipe is made without dairy, and is also gluten free. This recipe for Strawberry Lemon Rice Crispies is a tasty treat that kids will love. Melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and 10 oz of marshmallows (you can use the brand Dandies for the vegan option) in a saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons of beat juice for color (optional) and the juice and zest from one lemon into the pan. Remove from heat and add rice puffs and 3/4 cup dehydrated strawberry pieces to the mixture. Press into a 9×9 square pan and let cool.

Valentine’s Day isn’t complete without Chocolate Covered Strawberries. We recommend using dark chocolate chips in our recipe. Melt the chocolate on the stove with a double boiler (two pans that fit together – putting water in the bottom and chocolate in the top pan), or boil water in a sauce pan and place chocolate in a glass bowl into the pan. Dip each strawberry in the chocolate then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. For extra flavor and crunch, finely chop any nuts of your choosing and place in a bowl. After dipping strawberries in chocolate, dip them in the bowl of nuts.