Should you, really?

Think about when you say "I should" (either aloud or to yourself) and what it means to you.

"Shoulds" often come with obligation, duty, guilt, comparison.

If you tell yourself, "I should lose weight" then who are you doing it for?  

How compelling has it been in the past to lose weight 'because you should'?

How much do you feel like exercising when you tell yourself "I have to go to the gym"?
Wants are cravings and desires; they pull you towards them and are associated with positive action or reward when you do/get them.

Try changing your language, and see how your perspective changes when your brain hears something in a different way: Instead of "should", try saying 'like' or 'want'.

"I like going for a walk and stretching my legs" or "Doing exercise makes me feel energetic"

"I want to eat a healthy meal (lower fat, more vegetables, etc) that will keep me satisfied" or "I will feel good about choosing a healthier option for dinner"

"It feels productive to keep my food log/fill in my workbook. I know it's an activity I will give myself credit for"

This week, try changing some "shoulds" to "wants" and notice how differently you react.

Feel free to leave comments here!

You Really Don't Have 30 Minutes to Exercise??

This 10-minute video may change your perspective if you think you can't exercise for 30 minutes.

What he is really saying is "don't spend more than 23-1/2 hours sitting on your rear".... that seems reasonable, doesn't it?

We could use this new weight loss idea, right?

Amy Schumer always talks about trying to lose weight, and I thought this would be a pretty good idea--if it works for you :)

Excuse the 30-second commercial before the skit starts, which--of course--is about food!
I hope you find this as humorous as I did....

Slap Chef

Why do you want to lose weight?

One of the first steps in a successful weight loss plan is identifying why you want to embark on such a project. It is always difficult to make changes.

Often, changes we must make in a weight loss plan include doing things we don't feel like doing (exercising, keeping a food diary, being accountable for your decisions) as well as resisting temptations (not eating dessert, not snacking while watching TV, not sitting and relaxing at the end of the day when we're tired).

So how to you motivate yourself, propel yourself into these undesirable actions and behaviors, learn to think of them as positives and successes? You need to find your motivation.... why do you want the end result. Why should you do something you don't feel like doing, or deprive yourself of something so pleasant. The key is asking several "whys" when you come up with your reasons for weight loss.

A typical reason is "my health". But what does that mean? Do you really believe that sitting on the sofa tonight and not exercising is the 2 hours of your life that will make a difference in your blood pressure? Do you really think that this one piece of pie is going to give you diabetes?

So, you need to drill down the reasons: "I want to lose weight to look better".
Okay, what will that do for you? "I will have more self-confidence".
Okay, why is that important to you? "I won't be walking around feeling like I'm a failure because I can't keep weight off"
And how will that make you feel? "I will feel like a successful person when I lose weight and look better and I feel I will appear as a person in control of her actions. This will translate into people viewing me as competent, confident, and someone to look up to because I'm successful.
The bottom line is I will be successful at weight loss and this means I can be successful at other endeavors"

Now, when you walk by the cinnabon stand in the mall, what will you be thinking? "this one won't hurt?", "I've had a hard day and I deserve to treat myself?" or "I am a successful person who exercises self control. I can resist the cinnabon because I am in control of what I eat. I will walk by the bakery with my head held high and my resolve intact. I'm confident I can make that decision and be proud of myself for the rest of the day".

Drilling down "why" you want to lose weight can give you that motivation--for your looks, your health, your comfort, your pride, your appearance, etc etc.

Leave us one of your reasons and the subsequent "why" exercise in the comments section!

Are You Looking for a Healthy Diet Plan?

One of the Beck Diet Solution recommendations is finding a healthy diet plan. There are several I suggest that are well-balanced, sound, and can be maintained for life.

1) Some people have chosen Weight Watchers. It's a sound and healthy diet that you can follow for the rest of your life. Many people have gone on and off it over decades; they keep going back to it because it works so well while they're following it! But I have one friend who has never strayed from it in 25 years and she continues to manage her weight successfully--even on a cruise! It's easy to use and comes with support in the form of weekly groups, meetings, or online assistance. Many packaged foods in supermarkets show you how many "Weight Watchers Points" are in a serving, so you are virtually surrounded with information to help you stay on the plan.

2) Another healthy plan to try is through the MyPlate website, at ChooseMyPlate.gov. This is a USDA site put together by professionals who use the dietary guidelines to help you plan your daily menu. For instance, if you want to follow a 1600-calorie level (they can help you figure out your ideal calorie level, too) you can print out a meal plan and make your choices ahead of time, or fill in and monitor your intake throughout the day. You can track your intake, watch videos, try recipes, and read helpful tips.  There are portion guidelines, tips for dining out, and loads of healthy eating tools.

3) My favorite diet, personally, is the DASH diet. It was actually developed by the National Institutes of Health/Department of Health and Human Services to prevent and treat high blood pressure (it stands for "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension"),  but it's healthy for virtually anyone (with the exception of people who must limit their potassium intake--usually due to kidney disease or certain medications). The diet is full of fruits, vegetables, nuts, low-fat dairy products and lean meats like fish and chicken. It is quite restrictive in "empty calories" and includes just 2 servings of 'fat' daily (think, a pat of margarine) and less than one 'sweet' daily (think, jelly on your toast!), so it can be a challenge at first. The result is a diet high in potassium, fiber and minerals, and low in fat, cholesterol and sugars. It's very filling because all the foods are nutrient-dense, and is available in a range of calorie levels. Here is a simplified version with a meal plan template DASH and here is the monograph that explains the diet in more detail, if you're interested (more DASH) along with tips for healthy living including exercise ideas.

4) Any diet will work, as long as you eat fewer calories than you burn. In the short term you can lose weight with meal replacement drinks, cookie diets, packaged meals or any of thousands of diet books. But it's a good idea to find a plan you can live with for a very long time.  If you have the notion you are "going on a diet to lose weight" that means you plan to go off the diet once the weight comes off (or the going gets tough)... and then what??

If you have any questions, feel free to email me, comment below, or bring it up on our next call :)

See you on the Monday night call!
Laurie

Welcome to Life Changing Weight Loss 2016!

I'd like to welcome you all to our 2016 Life Changing Weight Loss teleclass.
We'll begin promptly at 8:00 pm Eastern time on Monday, January 18, and meet each Monday. If you miss a class, or part of one, I'll provide you with the call-in directions to listen to the taped recording of that class. Each recording will be kept until the next class.

If you ever have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at Laurie@mycoachlaurie.com any time.

You should have the book "The Beck Diet Solution Workbook" by Judith Beck and review the first 4 chapters before our first class. However, you don't have to actually start your "diet" yet, or worry about if you've slipped since your New Year's Resolution started.

We'll start the first call by getting introduced to each other and getting to know a bit about the people we'll be spending the next 8 weeks with. I've found every group to be supportive and friendly since I started this teleclass in 2012. I look forward to meeting the 2016 group!

Please feel free to leave any comments in the comment section below. You can tell us a bit about yourself; perhaps where you live, what diets you've tried, what you're hoping to learn here, or what your hobbies are--whatever you like!

Each week there will be a post which you can read, explore, try out, and comment on--but none of them are mandatory--they will be in addition to the material we cover each week, just for you if you want a little extra support during the week to keep you going until the next Monday.

Until Monday, happy reading :)

Laurie