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Tag: weight loss tips

FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
July 19, 2015By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Studio Hours This Week and Summer Advice

 
Hi Everyone
 
 
THIS WEEK STUDIO HOURS
 
Innovation Woodbury Studio will be OPEN this week Monday and Tuesday ONLY.    
 
Our landlord is replacing all sidewalks in front of the entire building and there will be no access into the building. We will be OPEN Monday 7/20 and Tuesday 7/21 our regular scheduled hours of 9-6pm and we will be CLOSED Wednesday 7/22 through Saturday 7/26 and will re-open Monday 7/28 at 9am.
 
Josephine’s schedule has changed since her return. If you would like to schedule an appointment to see Josephine please contact Jeff. If you think you have an appointment please confirm with Jeff  516 835-1680. Only confirmed appointments by you will be put on calendar. Thank you 🙂 If you would like to schedule a phone consultation for this week with Josephine please contact Jeff to schedule it.  
 
If you are not ready to come back just yet because it’s summer and you are happy maintaining (hopefully not gaining 🙂 ) –   Please contact Debbie so she can put your membership on hold  innovationdebbie@gmail.com
 
 
 
WHERE ARE YOU THIS SUMMER?
 
Summer can be a very tricky time of year. Longer days, fresh fruits, parties, barbecue, celebrations and vacations can put us into a gain very quickly. Take a moment and know where you are and where you want to be.  
 
If you find that you are struggling, maybe it’s time to take a couple of weeks and appreciate where you are and be okay with maintaining for a couple of weeks. Sometimes we are so busy chasing after a number we forget to stop and appreciate where we are at the moment. If you have recently lost weight but you are not at your goal, maybe it’s time to take a moment and enjoy your loss. That doesn’t mean to start eating whatever you want whenever you want. But enjoy your summer and keep your days clean and indulge a little more in the evenings. Maintain for a little while and enjoy your recent success. Then when you are ready you can go back on your weight loss journey to reach your final goal.
 
If you just started and want to continue losing or if you have been on the program and want to make a healthy summer a part of your weight loss program and keep losing, then make sure you stay on your path both mentally and physically. Remember how important this is to you. Always have a plan of what you are doing, where you are going and what you are eating. Never ever wing it. In order to reach your goal you need to have 6 weight loss days and one day off. You can’t be a little off everyday and lose weight. Remember: it has to be the most important thing to you morning, noon and night. It has to be the most important goal at all times, including when you are out celebrating, not just when you step on the scale. Keep it simple – If you stay on your path and keep making the right weight loss decisions that work for you – the weight loss will come.  
 
The summer goes by fast and before you know it, camp is over and vacations are a memory. Whether you choose to Lose – Maintain or Gain this summer…be okay with your decision. Remember the only people that will live with the  outcome of your results is you and your loved ones — The choice is always yours. 
 
“Attitude: It is our best friend or our worst enemy.” ~John C. Maxwell
 
 
~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
July 14, 2015By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Summer is a Perfect Time for Weight Loss

 

For many of us, summer feels like it’s already coming to an end after the 4th of July. May and June went by in a blur and all of a sudden it’s the peak of summer and fading fast. Whether you are happy with your weight loss progress or are starting to realize you wish you had done more or started sooner, summer is a great time for weight loss. Wearing shorts and tank tops can make many of us feel self conscious, but you shouldn’t let it keep you from trying to make a change. In fact, there are many things about summer that are already helping you on your way. 

 

The first is the fact that summer foods are generally much lighter than fall and winter foods. Numerous fruits and vegetables are in season and make a delicious, hydrating snack such as cucumber, watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe and more. Having 1 cup of fruit as a snack can help when you are craving something sweet and will help you stay hydrated – the fruits and vegetable listed above are made up of at least 90% water. You can even add them to your water to make hydration more interesting, although a tall glass of water is much easier to consume in the warmer months than in the wintertime. Summer features a lot of other healthy foods like grilled chicken and veggies, seafood, light and crisp salads, avocado and burgers made from salmon, turkey, vegetables and more. Summer highlights barbecuing and lighter, simpler recipes instead of heavy sauces and meats that bring us comfort in the winter. 

 

Another great thing about summer is that you are probably being more active without even knowing it. You don’t have to be a gym rat to lose weight, but the extra activity is certainly helpful. Whether you are swimming, spending time at the beach, enjoying summer activities like water skiing or hiking, visiting a carnival, etc. you are raising your heart rate and getting in some healthy activity. Even traveling offers a lot of fun opportunities to be on the move – walking the streets, shopping, exploring an amusement park, seeing the sights or strolling through a museum for example. In the wintertime we tend to want to stay inside and hibernate, so don’t let this time go to waste! 

 

The last factor is accountability. As it was said before, wearing less clothes in the hot weather means we are feeling more exposed and aware of our bodies. Instead of falling into a negative spiral, use this time as a motivator to push for your goals. How did you feel last summer? Were you feeling self conscious? Or were you healthy and fit but lost your way during fall and winter? In the colder months, it is easy to hide inside under sweaters and jackets, but now there are no excuses. Don’t let it stress you out – tell yourself that this summer will be different, starting now. 

 

~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
July 10, 2015By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Tipsy Summer Smoothies

 

Looking for a healthy and refreshing way to stay cool and have a tasty treat this summer? Smoothies are a delicious way to get more fruit into your day including their valuable vitamins and minerals. These recipes even have the option to add alcohol for a healthy drink option for parties, barbecues and other fun summer occasions. 

 

This first recipe is a healthy spin on a classic cocktail: Skinny Pina Colada. For this version, use a banana, almond milk and coconut extract instead of coconut cream to get the same creamy consistency but healthier. For one serving, which counts as a snack, combine 1 cup of fresh or frozen pineapple, 1 medium banana, 1/2 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1/2 teaspoon of coconut extract and 1 ounce (2 tablespoons, optional) of rum and blend until smooth. Coconut extract can be found in the cooking aisle, or you can use unsweetened coconut milk instead of almond milk to get that coconut flavor. 

 

pina

 

Lemonade is a timeless summer beverage, and this recipe has a refreshing twist. To make this Watermelon Lemonade, combine 1 cup of chopped watermelon with 1/2 a lemon (peeled) in a blender or juicer. Pour into a glass filled with ice then add 1/4 cup of club soda and 1 ounce (2 tablespoons, optional) of vodka. Stir until everything is combined and enjoy this tart and tasty snack! 

 

lemonade

 

When you want to make a recipe healthier, sometimes all you need to do is simplify it. For this 3 Ingredient Margarita, cutting out syrup and sugar won’t take away from flavor and it only counts as a snack. If you choose to salt the glass, do that first then add 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of tequila, 3 ounces of flavored seltzer and the juice from 1/4 of a lime. The best part about this recipe is that you can add your own twist with what seltzer you choose. You can go with the traditional lemon citrus flavor, or mix it up with other varieties like blood orange, peach, grapefruit and more. 

 

margarita

 

This next recipe is great for parties: Green Sangria. It makes 8 servings, each one is a snack packed with real fruits and vegetables. It takes a little more time to prepare but it will be worth it. Combine one bottle of Pinot Grigio with 1/2 a green apple (cored and sliced), 1/2 of a lime (sliced), 1/4 of cucumber (sliced), 10 mint leaves, and 1/2 a kiwi (peeled and sliced). Refrigerate the mixture for a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 8 hours. When ready to serve, pour 1/2 a cup of the mixture into a glass and add a splash of citrus seltzer to taste. 

 

sangria

 

This last recipe is a grown up version of a tasty warm weather treat. This Adult Milk Shake is a meal packed with flavor and protein. To make it, combine 1 medium banana, a pinch of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons if rum, 8 oz of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder and 4-5 ice cubes in a blender. It’s a sweet treat that you don’t have to feel guilty about. 

 

milkshake

 

~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
July 6, 2015By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Monday Morning Bloat!

 

It’s Monday after a long holiday weekend and I am sure many of you are promising you will never eat like that again. Others are proud of how well they did. Wherever you may be on your weight loss path, put the weekend behind you and think about where you are going.   

 

The path to weight loss success is about consistency and consecutive days. You need to eat clean consistently and do it for at least 6 consecutive days to see the results. So what you need to do right now is simply get right back on program and before you know it you will begin to feel amazing again.  

 

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

 

1. Stay with the basics. Eat your meals and snacks and deal with the pain of saying no. It’s only food and will be there next cheat day.

 

2. It’s okay to be a little hungry. If you feed into your hunger every time you feel it, you are never giving your stomach a chance to shrink.  

 

3. While you may feel bloated it’s still very much water weight. It has not turned to real fat. The real fat begins if you do not do the right things this week and you gain weight on top of the weekend water weight. Then your weekend weight will no longer be water weight it will be fat – the choice is always yours to do the right thing.

 

4. It’s very easy to lose your way when summer is filled with parties, drinking and good food. It’s a simple process – you eat clean and fuel your body for weight loss 6 days and indulge one day. No one should be indulging everyday. The parties will always be there. It’s up to you to look at them as celebrations and not a reason to overeat. You need to learn to live with them in your life. 

 

5. The key to weight loss is simple. You follow your program and you lose the weight. The trouble begins when you start trying to figure out short cuts. There are no short cuts. Eat healthy, eat clean, eat less and lose weight. That’s the bottom line and the more you come to terms with it, the faster you will see your results. You have to remind yourself constantly that it’s only food. It will be there tomorrow, it will be there next week and it will be there on your cheat day. You don’t have to have it right now.

 

Think back to this past weekend. Were you comfortable in your clothes? Did your refuse to put on a bathing suit? Did you change 10x and were you happy with how you looked?   Whether the answer is yes you felt great or yes you were uncomfortable, use your experience to either:

 

 

Change and do the right thing for yourself and your body this week so you DON’T have the same experience next week 

 

OR

 

Continue to do the right thing by yourself and your body so you DO have the same experience this week.   

 

We have a long summer ahead of us and the quicker that you live the 6 days clean and one day off, the more you will be able to enjoy what summer has to offer. The better you will feel in your summer clothes and the better you will feel in your own skin.  

 

 

Everyday you choose to fuel you body by eating clean, 

your body returns the favor by looking and feeling 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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FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
June 29, 2015By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Bitter – Sweet

 

It was a bittersweet weekend for many parents. Camp started, proms and graduations. Endings and beginnings are what life is all about.

 

As we teach our children the travels of life, we are traveling down our own path as well. This summer I want you to stop for a moment and think about what it is that you want. What would you like to accomplish this summer. For many the answer will be to lose weight, or hit my goal weight, get healthy and be the best person I can be both mentally and physically. All wonderful thoughts, but as you know when it comes to weight loss it takes much more than just a thought to be successful. So now ask yourself this…How bad do you want it and How hard are you willing to work for it?

 

You see, everyone wants to lose weight. Everywhere you go people talk about it. It’s usually while they are drinking and eating, but they are talking about it. The problem is not everyone is willing to put the work in to get it. But if losing weight and being healthy is what you really want then you have to turn your WANTS into WORK. You have to promise yourself that you will work for it everyday because it means that much to you. You have to promise that you will not give up when it gets hard or challenging. And of course it’s going to get hard and challenging…..If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Remember anything in life that is worth something is going to be hard and challenging to achieve. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do it. It just means you have to WORK for it.

 

Don’t let the end of the summer come and you look back and say I should have, could have, wish I did. Now 10 lbs heavier going into the fall and winter. NO NOT AGAIN! Take this summer and make a commitment to yourself,  to your family and those you love. We all know that when we are not happy with who we are, and how we feel,  it’s the people we love around us who suffer for it. This summer, make the commitment and put the work in to change.

 

The solution to weight loss is NOT HARD. The solution to weight loss is EASY. You follow your menu, ask questions and lose weight. You see, it’s not the solution that is the hard part – It’s the journey. It’s the temptations that surround you everyday. It’s the parties, the barbecue, the events. It’s making the choice to not have the bread on the table or the extra glass of wine.   It’s the excuse you give yourself everyday that you will start next week, next month and before you know it, it’s next year and you are another 10lbs heavier then the prior year.

 

But if you set your mind to it and work hard toward it and believe and understand that it has to be the most important thing to you — you will have success.

 

Life is always about choices. Good choices and bad choices. And every choice we make decides where we are going and who we will be. If you want success then you have to make the choice to be successful.

 

This summer make the choice to be successful.

 

 

~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
June 24, 2015By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Summer Camp

For many, summer is the best time of the year – warm weather, days at the beach, Fourth of July, vacations, relaxing, barbecuing, and going away to camp. Camp is a fun time for kids and parents to enjoy all that summer has to offer in their own ways. Kids get to be independent and try new things and make new friends, while parents get to enjoy some quiet time and other kid-free activities. Going from a house full of kids and the chaos that comes with them, to being able to put those responsibilities on hold can be quite a change of pace that can disrupt everything from daily schedules to eating habits. This can be said for parents and kids too.

 

As much as you may try to share your healthy eating habits with your kids, when they are left to their own devices we can all guess what kind of choices they will make. Even though they are participating in a number of activities, you can’t out-exercise a bad diet. As much as they will enjoy themselves, they will probably come back having gained. Let them know that they should do their best to find some balance. They won’t be able to control what they are served all the time, but they can decide how much they put on their plate and how often they snack. It’s important for them to be hydrated and have energy for all the things they will be doing but they can also make smarter choices when possible. For example, make sure they know to drink water instead of sports drinks all day and give them some ideas for healthier food and snack alternatives –  try to include lean proteins – chicken, turkey or fish, light or low fat cheese and skim or 1% milk. Find the fresh fruits – apples, blueberries and melon. Some other options are yogurts, nuts (many camps are nut-free but if yours is not then include some nuts or trail mix), cereals, eggs and whenever possible head to the salad bar. At the salad bar be sure to include greens, yellows, orange and reds.  Dressings should never be more than 2 tbsp. For sandwiches, use 1 slice of bread instead of two. Try to alternate a very healthy meal day with a less healthier meal the next – and make sure to take notice how you feel each day.

 

Even though it is the kids that are going away, parents can feel like they are on a break too. Eating clean and being on a weight loss plan doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy your summer, but like any other time of the year you can’t let yourself get caught up in changing circumstances. Don’t let the kids being away be your excuse to go off your plan. There are other ways to enjoy the season and the company of friends and family besides eating and drinking to excess. It may be tough to constantly avoid temptation but what you are working towards is more important than giving in. When the kids finally come back it may mean time for a family vacation or even getting into school preparations, so you want to do your best now before things get chaotic again.

 

Summer is such a great time of the year. Keep your thoughts close to mind of how hard you have worked to get to where you are. Don’t fill you days with regret by going overboard. Instead, find Balance in your summer. You will be much happier making smart choices and helping those around you be healthy.

 

~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
June 15, 2015By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Shared Success

It’s Monday and the first thing I will tell you is PLEASE DO NOT GO ON THE SCALE

 

If you had your cheat day this past weekend, I can assure you the number on the scale is going to be higher. It’s not real weight. It’s not fat weight – but it’s going to still be higher from the extra food. I promise if you go right back on program 110% today and stay your path this week, your numbers will be even lower next weekend. However, if you choose to have a second cheat day or use the scale as an excuse to cheat another day then your fake weight will become real fat weight and you will gain.

 

Think about this past weekend. Is there anything you would change to have your Monday be a better one? Did you sabotage yourself in anyway? Take this week to think through any changes you need to make and start putting them into action for next weekend.

 

HELPING EACH OTHER IS SO IMPORTANT. I am all about helping each other. We get nowhere in life when we don’t share our experiences and knowledge. I believe the more people you help in life the more likely you will be able to reach your own goals.

 

Every month I will be posting 3 emails of clients who have had success on the program and have reached their own weight loss goals. They are clients who would love to share their success stories and help motivate you through your struggles. They are willing to answer questions and give some tips and hints of things they did to get them to their goal.

 

They are not to answer food/nutrition questions.  All food/nutrition & menu questions should come directly to myself or Thea (innovationthea@gmail.com). 

 

But if you need a brain to pick or if you want to simply reach out and hear their story, send them a message. Share what they have to offer with someone you know. It’s a chain that we must make and continue to link. We need to always want the best for each other, because it’s only then that we will be successful in our own challenges. It doesn’t matter if you know them or not – it’s about connecting with someone who has been through the process.    Please feel free to email them anytime.

 

 

The more people you help in life, the more likely you will be to reach your own goals. If you reached your goal, take a moment and remember how hard it was. How you got through your challenges. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to help someone else who is facing those same challenges right now? If you are interested in helping and sharing your story, hints and tips please let me know and I will add you to our list of Successful Clientele who are looking to help those starting out or struggling.  

 

 

~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
June 2, 2015By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Make Healthy Habits Stick

We’ve all felt that excitement and anticipation when trying something new or making a change. We are hopeful and motivated for the future and nervous about the road ahead at the same time. But once those beginning jitters go away, how do we keep ourselves on track? Reaching a weight loss goal can be a long and difficult path to success, but the habits you form in the beginning will help get you there. The little changes and progress you make every day will add up in no time, and the longer you stick to your healthy habits, the more you will benefit and the easier it will all become over time.

 

You have to start by committing to a goal. It may seem unnecessary, but making your goal something specific and attainable can help you form habits to get you there. Once you pick something, break it down in to smaller steps that you can work on each week and each day. For example, if you want to make a certain amount of progress by a certain date, break it down week by week to help you stay motivated. Seeing yourself lose each week will make you want to try even harder the next week and soon you will feel really good about your healthy habits when you see how they are working for you.

 

As much as we try, it is inevitable that there will be bumps in the road. When you have a craving, think it through. 10 minutes from now do you want to feel guilty or proud? Think about the benefits and the downsides and make your choice with logic and a clear head. None of us are perfect, but you do have a choice when something doesn’t happen the way we want it to: give up or learn from it. Understanding the real reason why you can’t stick to your habits or why you haven’t been able to make it work in the past can help you find success this time. Move forward with new understanding but don’t be hard on yourself. Making a major change in your life can require constant effort and be quite exhausting, but the new habits you form from hard work and dedication will help you reach your goals and sustain a healthy lifestyle. Slowly, it will become easier and easier to make the healthy choices until they become habit.

 

An important part of making smart choices is having a plan and being prepared. If you want to eat clean, you have to have healthy food in your home or a plan when you eat out. Make a grocery list, check restaurant menus ahead of time, plan your meals and snacks – do whatever it takes to give yourself a helping hand.

 

The definition of a habit is an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary. You may feel nervous and impatient in the beginning, but even the smallest changes you make are setting you on the right path. The work you do day in and day out may feel tedious sometimes but you are rebuilding your lifestyle while also losing weight. It takes time and hard work but that’s what makes it 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

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FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle
May 19, 2015By Josephine Fitzpatrick

How Being Organized Can Help You Lose Weight

It may sound strange but being organized can be just as important as being strong-willed and determined when it comes to losing weight. If you don’t have any healthy snacks in your home, do you think you are more likely to go to the grocery store or just eat whatever unhealthy treats are laying around? If you don’t plan your lunch on a busy day are you more likely to eat whatever is fast and convenient even if it isn’t healthy or will you put in the extra effort to find something that fits in to your weight loss plan? A lot of us have felt trapped by a situation and end up trying to choose the “healthiest” option even though we know we’re eating something we shouldn’t. The truth is, you have the ability to make sure you never get forced into an unhealthy situation, it just takes some planning and organization. 

 

 

Start with your kitchen. Keep all foods organized and separated. Many people can’t always get rid of unhealthy foods because of family or kids, so making healthy food accessible can often be the first step to making a smart choice. If your refrigerator or pantry is jammed with a mix of healthy and unhealthy foods, is hard to say what you will reach for in a moment of craving? Make healthy options easy to see and reach for. This will also help you keep track of your go-to foods so you never run out. 

 

 

Once you are stocked, prep your food. Some people like to prep meals ahead of time, but even just washing, cutting and preparing vegetables and fruits can be a big help. Separated all food into snack or meal-sized portions and keep them in an easily accessible space in your refrigerator. Make reaching for a healthy snack as easy as reaching for a cookie. You can even go a step further and combine foods like veggies and hummus or peanut butter and apple slices in the same container for a complete and quick snack. 

 

 

Making healthy food part of you routine will help you stay regular and stay on track. You don’t have to deprive yourself of your favorites – finding healthy alternatives to your staples can make the transition to clean eating easier. Switch milk or creamer for skim milk or almond milk. Like ice cream? Keep 40 calorie fudge pops in your freezer. Need a sweet or salty snack at night? Make sure you have portioned snacks of the approved foods you crave like popcorn and sweets and you don’t have to lose out when you need your fix. 

 

 

Even if you buy healthy foods they won’t make a difference if they just sit in your kitchen. Putting in the extra effort to plan and prepare will take the thinking out of making the right choice and simplify your day. Don’t let “I didn’t have a choice” become an excuse. Something as simple as packing your lunch, keeping healthy snacks in the car, or stocking your kitchen with healthy foods will help you get that much closer to your goals. 

 

~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
March 26, 2015By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Physical Hunger Vs. Mental Hunger

 

Most people feel hunger many times throughout the day. Some people feel it as soon as they wake up, others rarely eat breakfast. Some people like to graze throughout the day, while other people prefer to sit down to a big meal. In France, snacking is frowned upon and lunch is the biggest meal of the day. In America, potions are typically much larger than the rest of the world. In Spain, dinner is typically eaten at around 10 P.M. All around the world, and even across the U.S., eating habits and culture shape the way we experience and deal with hunger. In general, there are two types of hunger: physical and mental. Physical hunger is considered more “real” while mental hunger is felt psychologically.

 

When you make the decision to begin a weight loss program, you may find yourself thinking about food more than ever before. Dealing with restrictions can make you crave those tasty yet unhealthy foods you were eating before but that doesn’t mean you should put them in your body. Being left hungry is a big fear and a major set back for a lot of people on their path to weight loss, so recognizing the difference between physical and mental hunger can make all the difference if you find yourself struggling.

 

These two types of hunger may often feel the same but there are some clues you should be aware of to be able to tell the difference. When your body needs fuel and energy, it will send you hunger signals in a certain way. In general, physical hunger is gradual and isn’t fixated on specific foods. You may experience low energy or lightheadedness if it takes you a while to satisfy physical hunger. On the other hand, mental hunger, or emotional hunger, is more sudden and urgent. It can be triggered by the craving of a certain food and usually involves absent minded eating. It is also often paired with an upsetting emotion (something negative happens so you want to eat something to make you feel better). Unlike physical hunger, mental hunger does not go away when you are full and it can cause you to overeat, which leaves you feeling guilty instead of energized and satisfied.

 

Recognizing mental hunger is the easy part – resisting it is the real battle. The first thing you should do when you’re trying to determine if you’re actually hungry or not is to stop and think about why you want to eat. Are you bored? Anxious? Upset? As we have said, negative emotions can make you think you want to indulge in that yummy food that makes you feel better. Instead of immediately giving in, even if you’re about to eat something healthy, reflect on your emotions and remind yourself that emotions can’t make you hungry. They just convince you that you are. You should also pay attention to the time. When was the last time you ate? For example, if you just had a meal but you’re looking for dessert, you’re not actually hungry you’re just craving something sweet because you often have dessert and your body looks forward to it whether you realize it or not. You can also try drinking a glass of water before deciding if you really need a snack. Another way you can help yourself is to have healthy snacks on hand. Not only will you be able to satisfy your hunger with something good for you and your weight loss, but snacks that are high in protein and fiber will help keep hunger at bay.

 

Mental hunger can be one of the biggest challenges when it comes to weight loss. Emotions are so closely tied to eating – we celebrate with food and we grieve with food. Most social events and holidays seem to revolve around food. Cutting the ties with your cravings and emotional eating habits is hard and takes time, but it will happen. You’re not just eating healthy to lose weight – you’re creating new habits for yourself without even realizing 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

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