Month: January 2021

I have fallen into the trap of artificial sweeteners off and on over the years.

The promise of enjoying something sweet without the calories is just so tempting. It feels like a no-brainer.  It’s like the thrill of getting something for free, what could be wrong with that?

No calories does NOT mean no consequence.

Did you know that artificial sweeteners raise your insulin even though they have no sugar and no calories?

As long as our insulin is elevated, we cannot burn stored fat.

So if you enjoy diet sodas or other drinks (like teas) with artificial sweeteners mid-morning and again in the afternoon (like I used to do), and you enjoy eating 3 meals a day, your insulin level is staying elevated most of the day.

You may be choosing these drinks for the caffeine boost you feel you need to get through your day.

What you may not realize is that you are robbing your insulin of the chance to drop back down between meals. Perpetually high insulin can cause insulin resistance over time. Our cells can’t process glucose as efficiently and excess glucose becomes stored fat as opposed to be processed normally.

Artificial sweeteners do a number on our brains, too. According to Dr. Jason Fung, an expert on insulin and its relationship to weight gain, it’s believed that “the brain may perceive an incomplete sense of reward by sensing sweetness without calories, which may then cause overcompensation and increased appetite and cravings.”

It’s a trick without the treat.

A trap that I can help you break free from and is sure to help calm your cravings!

James Clear, the author of the best-selling book, Atomic Habits, said, “Many people think they lack motivation when they really lack clarity.”

As we head into 2021, if you are wishing to start some new habits or stop some old ones, it’s important to begin with clarity in mind.

If you are having trouble drumming up the energy to get started, it may be because the desire to eat healthier seems large, daunting and a little vague.

The simple process of being specific about what you want to achieve and writing it down, keeping it small, attainable, and measurable, can give you the clarity you need to get started and make it easier to keep going.

Instead of ‘eating healthier’ your goal is to choose a salad for lunch, 3 times this week. Or, it’s to skip getting an iced coffee 3 days this week. It’s crystal clear, measurable, and realistic.

Getting specific can also help if you are feeling especially motivated and you tend set the bar really high, deciding to make changes at every meal or to try to go cold turkey with a habit. This can lead to burn out and loss of motivation pretty quickly.

There are many tools I use with my clients to help them maintain their motivation on the path to success, but we always start with clarity.

What habits do you hope to start or stop this year?

Karen

As we enter into 2021, millions of Americans will make New Year’s resolutions in an effort to better themselves. Health-related resolutions will top the list.

What’s the secret to being successful? Finding success with your goal is simply a matter of mindset.

So often we focus on what we should DO, but do you ever focus on what you should THINK?

One of my favorite quotes is, “If more information was the answer, we’d all be billionaires with six pack abs.”

It’s true that it isn’t lack of information that holds us back, but our THOUGHTS that either fuel positive action or thoughts that don’t.

So how do we ensure that we make progress toward our goals this year?

We combine reasonable steps with an understanding that motivation isn’t found, it’s cultivated.

One way is to pick the biggest culprit in our diet or lifestyle and narrow our focus, instead of trying to do too much too fast, without overcomplicating the process.

We get honest with ourselves, we expect that we aren’t going to feel like embracing change each day, and we decide in advance to do it anyway.

We also don’t expect to be perfect. We, in fact, know that there will be good days and bad days, and we make the decision to keep going, no matter what. We also have compassion for ourselves along the way and don’t spin in regret if we make mistakes, or don’t live up to our own expectations.

What if we chose to think, “I am continually learning and evolving as an individual. I am right on track, and I can own that my thoughts each day either move me toward my goal, or away from it. I can have compassion for myself just as I would for my daughter, for example, if she were struggling with something. Imperfection is part of a realistic path to any goal, and I will reach my goal as long as I don’t give up. The goal is not the ultimate prize anyway, it’s who I become along the way.”

Here’s to a year full of possibilities, let’s do this!