Category: Weight Loss

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and buckle up, it’s going to go by fast!

How do you feel about the upcoming temptations that surround us this time of year? I hope you’re excited!

All of the celebrating can be so fun, but do you dread the possibility of weight gain during the winter? Do you have a history of overdoing it and then later regretting it? Who hasn’t?

It doesn’t have to be that way. You can manage your mind around food any time of year and during any holiday, and that doesn’t mean that you have to skip all the goodies and treats.

There are so many strategies you can use that allow you to still have a good time and not spin in regret afterwards.

It’s all about getting your mindset right beforehand, and learning the skills to stay empowered through the holiday season.

I like to remind myself, it’s typically not the holiday celebration that’s the problem, it’s often letting the rich foods or desserts linger too long. Who doesn’t love Thanksgiving leftovers? But choosing to finish ALL the desserts and decadent side dishes over several days, and telling yourself you can’t let it go to waste? Maybe not such a good idea if you have a health goal that is truly important to you.

You get to pick and choose your battles, but choosing to make some decisions ahead of time can help you identify areas that might be tripping you up. It’s could be just a couple of areas that with a slight tweak, could make a world of difference.

Some ideas in addition to letting go off too many leftovers could be:

• Choosing to eating some protein before heading off to party
• Making the effort to stay hydrated at events
• Incorporating some newer healthier ideas for appetizers along with old favorites
• Making time for exercise each day even when tempted to skip due to the cold or your schedule, guarding your time for self-care
• Consider fun holiday mocktails when possible
• Choose bite-sized sampler route and slowing down to savor your food  

If the thought of spending January or February trying to undo weight gain experienced over the holidays is not your cup of tea, let me know and I can provide you with tools and accountability to help you stay focused these next few months. It’s delivered straight to your inbox to help your keep your mindset sharp and motivation high, all with zero judgement allowed, only proven strategies.

By keeping your head in the game, I promise you can still enjoy the celebrations and make progress at the same time!

Karen

With the kids settled into school and their new routines, what about your routine? Now is a great time to carve out a little extra time for taking better care of yourself.

Many of us are also feeling the shift from warmer temperatures to crisper mornings and evenings, my daughter said it even smells like fall! These cooler temps are making evening walks much more enjoyable, we need to soak up this weather while it lasts!

What’s an activity you are looking to reconnect with that will nourish a health body or healthy mind?

I find with the change of seasons I look forward to favorite recipes that align with the season. Right now, I can’t wait to make my turkey chili, low carb pumpkin muffins, and paleo applesauce muffins.

I get a burst of enthusiasm and I channel that into getting back into food prepping. I have never really enjoyed the long food prepping sessions where I spend all day in kitchen, but I am ok with shorter food prep sessions, sneaking in 15 or 20 minutes here and there.

I have a short list of lean proteins and snacks that I do think are worth the time to prepare. For example, grilling out on Sunday nights by the firepit is a common occurrence for us, so why not throw on extra chicken to use throughout the week?

Another time that works for me is when I wake up earlier than the rest of the family, and while I enjoy my coffee, I mix up a batch of either low-carb muffins, hard boil some eggs, or roll up some energy balls.

What are you looking forward to this fall? Reach out if you want me to share those recipe favorites, I will email them to you!

Happy Fall!

Spring has arrived! How is your motivation this time of year? The spring weather often lifts our spirits and makes it easier to get out there and enjoy more time in nature and move our bodies.

But for anyone who’s struggling to keep up those new healthy habits or resolutions that sounded so great in January 🤩, but not so much anymore 😞 , try these ideas.

First, let’s define the problem. It’s essential that we define the true problem and don’t just say we’ve “lost our motivation” and throw in the towel. Below are some of the usual suspects:

• Are the changes you’re trying to make too drastic? Are you trying to give up something completely? Or, at the other end of the spectrum, are you trying to do too much, such as working out intensely every day? If what you’re doing is too hard to keep up, you will need to scale back a bit. I know we all want results yesterday, but it’s going to take time to adjust. Experimenting with the right amount of sustainable change is an investment in time, but will yield longer term results.

• Are you bored and just need to mix it up a bit? When you start to feel like you’re in a rut and your excitement has waned, it’s time to get creative. Tired of drinking your water? Try fruit infused versions by adding strawberries or cucumber. Do you just keep forgetting to stop and drink more throughout the day? What’s the real problem related to that? Is it inconvenient and you would be better off downing a couple of glasses at a time? Is it your cup? Again, defining the real problem is key.

• Do you need an accountability partner? Having a friend or a coach 😉 for support can be priceless. You don’t have to do it all on your own.

• Most importantly, are we expecting to feel motivated all of the time? Do we think something has gone wrong when our excitement fades? I can assure you nothing has gone wrong. Keeping at it until the habit has us on autopilot is the ultimate reward, so don’t give up even when it starts to feel dull. Your motivation will return, especially as your momentum builds.

Your mindset is the most important factor in dealing with motivational slumps, and we all have them. Setbacks are inevitable. Your feelings of commitment may rise and fall, but how you choose to view the ups and downs has everything to do with your success in the end, and that’s how I can help.

Coaching gets you back into a motivational headspace and refreshes your perspectives on the next steps to take to get right back to it.

Reach out if this sounds like it would help you! You can sign up HERE for a free call.

When life and our schedules begin to feel too busy or chaotic, I like to remind myself that every day is a fresh start.

No matter how many things didn’t go according to plan yesterday, or how some unforeseen circumstances got in your way and interrupted your best laid plans this week, every morning it’s like we get to hit the reset button and start again anew.

What will you choose to focus on today? What is important to you and how can you carve out even a small amount of time to contribute to your personal health and wellness? What is one thing you can set your mind to and commit to today?

Some days are already spoken for, and your schedule is completely booked. You may not have time to take that morning or evening walk. But even on those days, there are always small ways to can remember to do a little something for yourself, even if it’s just drinking your water, paying attention to your cravings that day and what is triggering them? Working on self-awareness and noticing what we are feeling that day, and how we are choosing to respond.

It’s ok to keep it simple. Set alarms on your phone a few times a day to remind yourself to drink a glass of water. Take a 5 min walk after you eat or when you feel the urge to snack but you know you’re not experiencing true physical hunger.

No matter how small, any decision you can make ahead of time and the practice of thinking ahead, knowing what your day is generally going to look like and where your biggest pitfalls might be, is often your greatest weight management skill.

Practicing identifying these pitfalls, taking a few moments to strategize, and practicing following through, is more important than calorie counting or the latest diet trend. When will I have time to eat lunch or how late will I be eating dinner? Will I be near healthier options as I’m driving home, or how can I be prepared to not let myself get overly hungry and throw in the towel?

Let’s take it one day at a time, and remember that every day offers a fresh start.

Karen

p.s. September is a great time to work on your goals. With the kids back in school, it’s a great time to get back to your healthy routines. The holidays are coming soon as well, and if you’re worried about going overboard during the holiday season, working on strategies now can be your greatest asset.

If you would like a free consultation, or someone to help you get started, or figure out why you aren’t getting results with your current routine, you can sign up HERE for a free call. I can help you.

When working with clients on weight loss strategies, it’s common for people to worry a little about their upcoming vacations. They sometimes fear that it’s inevitable that they will lose ground on the progress they’ve made. They might worry they will “go off the rails” or “ruin everything they’ve done.” It’s almost as if they feel they won’t be in control and will have no say in how things will go.

It may be true that you won’t have your predictable routines that you have at home, but I would like to offer you some evidence for believing otherwise. Here are some things I have noticed about my summer vacations that have helped me not only not gain weight on vacation, but often even lose a couple of pounds.

But before I go over those, I want to remind you, so what if you do gain a few pounds on vacation? Vacations are meant to be a break from the norm, a time to relax and enjoy all the experiences available to us. When you develop a healthy, sustainable approach to your everyday life at home, you don’t have to worry that a few vacation pounds will ruin ‘everything,’ and you won’t find yourself feeling like throwing in the towel and giving up. You’ll know that when you get home, you can easily return to the healthy lifestyle you have built and enjoy living. You won’t allow yourself to believe that all is lost.

So here is what I would offer that you notice about vacations and how things can actually HELP you in your weight loss journey.

1-Mindset
Notice that your mindset is different on vacation. Your thinking patterns are different when you are pulled out of your daily routine. Researchers often site that we typically repeat many of the same thoughts each day. It makes sense that as we go about our daily routines at home that we would be reminded of all that we have to do, or day to day worries and stressors in our lives.

On vacation though, we are in a completely new environment filled with new experiences. It is the refreshing break from the daily triggers that give us a chance to unwind and relax. Less stress means less stress hormones in our system (often cited as a contributor to weight gain), more happiness hormones, and better sleep.

2-Choices
Warmer weather can be responsible for lighter choices when it comes to foods and beverages. I have found the heat of the summer often causes me to choose a lighter alcoholic beverage, and I choose fish more often than not when I’m at the beach. Fresh local fish choices are everywhere at the coast, and I want to soak up all the fresh catch that I can. The heat of the summer usually encourages me to drink more water, too.

3-Movement
Vacationing somewhere beautiful with warmer weather encourages us to get out and explore whether walking or biking. We tend to park the car for the week and spend a lot more time outside. At large resorts, we always are surprised at how much walking is involved and how we get more exercise than we even realize. Longer, lazier days, and more sunlight mean it’s easier for us to find time to walk in the evening, even if it’s after getting an ice cream 😄.

So consider this change in perspective before you go on vacation, and remember that you don’t have to believe that it’s inevitable that vacations will sabotage your progress. Enjoy your vacation and if you need help developing healthy habits at home, I am just one click away.

You can schedule a free call HERE to explore the possibilities. Or subscribe for free resources HERE.

The countdown has begun at our house!

In 6 short weeks, school will be out for the summer. We will be heading to the beach to soak up the sun and enjoy life at a slower pace.

While I look forward to the less structured days of summer, I also recognize that these next 6 weeks offer a strategic opportunity.

What do I want to accomplish before our daily routines get turned on their heads?

How could I look at these next 6 weeks as a time for me to address health goals, projects, or areas of my life that need attention while we are still in the midst of our predictable routines?

What is important to me that I would like to make progress on with greater attention and focus?

In addition to work and daily responsibilities of life, I look forward to the possibilities that the next few weeks hold. I hope you will, too.

If you could use a partner to help you revive those resolutions or get started on the path to forming better wellness routines, before the lazy days of summer set in, help is just a click away. Click HERE to explore the possibilities.

Where would you like to be in 6 weeks?