January or No-fun-uary?

January doesn't have to mean No-fun-ary

So how’s 2024 going so far for you? Did you set any new goals? Or recommit to some old ones?
Or maybe you’re just not up for resolutions at all (I totally get it).

But, if you are trying to eat healthier and move your body more, you’re in good company! About 48% of Americans set goals related to improving fitness, and about 34% cited goals regarding losing weight, according to Forbes magazine.

How these Americans will approach weight loss will be as unique and varied as the individuals themselves.

What I do hope they all have in common, though, is that they are motivated by a sense of renewal and not restriction.

If our mindset is on restriction, it will probably feel like this:

  • Being hyperfocused on the number on the scale
  • Living in regret for enjoying yourself just a little too much during the holidays
  • Wishing you hadn’t skipped those days at the gym or put off walking/exercising
  • January feels like ‘No-fun-uary’ because you’re cutting out everything fun and feeling guilt over any ‘misstep’ you might make here and there

If our mindset is on renewal, it feels A LOT different, more like:

  • Excitement over returning to your favorite form of exercise
  • Looking forward to simple delicious meals after the more decadent meals you enjoyed at the holidays
  • Enjoying some extra downtime and the slower pace January can bring after the buzz of the holidays
  • Feeling like the new year is a clean slate, full of possibilities

When you approach your health goals from a renewal mindset, it feels good to take care of yourself. January offers us a time to reset, recharge, and reflect on what might have worked in the past and/or what didn’t.

If you could use some help with shifting your frame of mind from restriction to renewal, I can help you with that. I have a turnkey 6 week online program that will guide you every step of the way and provides daily support.

It’s a great way to instantly refresh your focus and motivation each and every day. You can work on your own, or with a coach. You can schedule a free consultation HERE. Or, if you are looking for one-time help with getting the ball rolling, that is available, too.

Hope you are having a great start to your new year!

Wishing you great health and happiness in 2024!

What Mindset Has To Do with Eating Less

A woman sitting in a chair, looking relaxed and comfortable

If you are new to the world of incorporating mindset strategies into your general diet and lifestyle choices, then you must give this ‘brain hack’ a try.

One of the best ways to gain more control over cravings for unhealthy foods or mindless snacking is to practice the art of inserting a tiny pause before that gut reaction to reach for a snack takes over.

I can’t tell you how many times I have instinctively gone to the pantry or fridge when the first whisper of ‘hunger’ or a craving for sweets strikes. It’s usually at some random time of day, and I find myself moving in the direction of some chocolate or even a snack that might qualify as ‘healthy.’ This isn’t a problem by the way, until it’s a problem. By that I mean, are we taking the time to see if responding to that whisper is a good idea or even necessary?

When you start raising your awareness around what leads up to your choices, you can get a clearer picture of what is going on for you emotionally in that moment.

If you feel like you might be snacking too much, or you believe that you must snack between meals, ask yourself these four questions when the next urge strikes to go grab a snack:

1-How long has it been since I last ate? Should I actually be hungry now?
Most of us don’t stop to ponder if the urge to eat is legitimate hunger or not. If you ARE truly hungry, taking a moment to examine what you did eat at the last meal helps you see what foods have staying power and which ones don’t. This practice not only provides value in the moment, and potentially stops mindless eating, but it helps you make better choices at the next meal.

2-Could this be emotionally driven hunger?
Slowing things down for a moment will help you connect what you’re feeling in the moment, and why. Feeling hungry? Or, just stressed? Did you just go over all you have to do or your email inbox and are you feeling overwhelmed or short on time? Could it be related to something you saw on social media, a text you received, or walking past clutter you haven’t had time to address. When you are feeling some sort of negative emotion like stress, irritability, or maybe just plain boredom, the brain knows that a sweet treat will light up the reward centers of the brain and give us a quick hit of dopamine. This is not driven by true physical hunger, it’s just an urge to feel better in the moment. We have to get clear on the difference.

3- How much water have I had today?
It’s a shame that we SO often mistake thirst for hunger. Quick access to food (usually processed) is so abundant and available now, there’s not much to slow us down from grabbing a quick snack before we’ve even considered that it could be that we’re just thirsty. It didn’t used to be like that. Food used to require a lot more effort.

4- What do I REALLY need in this moment?
This is really the best question to ask when the first idea of food pops in your head, or before you reach for a treat from the candy bowl. Do I just need a break? Do I need to take a short walk to stretch my legs, get some fresh air, or take a few deep breaths?

When you become practiced at checking in with yourself before eating, and spend more time noticing how you are feeling before eating, you will start to gain more control and the skill of eliminating unconscious snacking.

Giving your insulin levels a chance to stay down between meals until true physical hunger arises sets you up for better metabolic health and insulin sensitivity over time.

Simple mindfulness practices like this one are the key to getting there.

Let’s Eat, Drink, & Be Mindful

simple weight loss

As we attend our holiday parties in December, we can practice keeping a clear head about the holiday season.

A common thought we all are tempted to think with regard to taking better care of ourselves is, “I’ll start after the holidays”.

I love a fresh start as well, but what can you do now that’s easy?

Here are a few of my favorites:

Practice your appetite awareness. Try rating on a scale of 1-10 how hungry you are when offered food. Enjoy the tastes of all the different party foods then check in with yourself to notice when you’re satisfied. Beware of finishing the plate just because.

As far as simple strategies, good old standbys include eating something healthy with sustenance before a party, and remembering to hydrate at parties (an alarm on phone or wrist devices if you’re not in the habit helps).

Baking the yummy cookies and bagging them up to give away to friends so that we get to enjoy some of our favorites, but they don’t hang around for too long, is useful to me.

Also, at holiday meals, I like to think about what my favorite foods are that I look forward to all year, and really enjoy savoring those over others. There are usually some foods or sides that I just don’t care that much about, so I don’t have to worry about overdoing it as a whole.

Decide with intention how many days you want your leftovers from holiday meals and treats to spill over into, and then be done.

Let’s be honest, the holidays really aren’t the problem.

What we do day in and day out the rest of the year is where we can make the most improvements and progress, so enjoy those special holiday foods and gatherings!

What You Choose To Believe

Weight loss coach for busy moms

The holidays are coming. We’re going to blink and the year is going to be over!

Soon we will be busy enjoying the sights, sounds, and tastes of the holidays.

Do you feel like it’s going to be inevitable that you gain weight? That you will get less exercise because of being busier, or because it’s going to be colder and darker earlier?

What you believe about how the next couple of months are going to play out, is exactly how they’re going to play out.

Be careful about what you choose to believe about the coming months.

I want to remind you that it’s not inevitable, that you do have a say in how the holiday season goes, and how you feel on the other side of it.

And I’m not talking about going into deprivation mode to avoid a few extra pounds, or suggesting you skip all the parties or yummy foods.

I’m just reminding you (and myself) that we always have control over our behaviors.

How you feel about whatever does happen is up to you as well.

Will you be fine, regardless? Or will you spin in some regret and lose motivation. It’s up to you.

I would offer that eating (and exercising) with intention is always available to us.

I offer support in formulating a plan that meets you where you are and works toward doable improvements that don’t send you into a dieting frame of mind.

No one wants to be on a diet during the holidays!

Let’s choose not to feel uneasy or nervous about holiday gatherings and celebrations as we’re pursuing our goals.

Let’s get busy formulating how to ensure we feel great when January comes.

I can help you if you need it.

Book a call HERE today.

In health and happiness,

Karen

What I Mean By Simple Weight Loss

A complicated math problem with equations and variables verses a simple one.

There are a ton of different ways to maintain a healthy weight.

There isn’t one right way.

If you have found your way, by all means, stick with it.

What I have found in my own experience is that some ways are more complicated than others, some are more time consuming than others.

What I hate to see is when people believe there isn’t a way for them to lose weight.

They believe there is something wrong with them. Or, they have a long list of reasons why it doesn’t or won’t work for them, maybe because they are too busy and have too much on their plate.

What if it didn’t have to be so complicated?

What if it didn’t require long hours at the gym?

What if you could target your worst habits first, reduce emotional eating, and use the time you used to spend trying to lose weight to enjoy your life instead?

What if you could improve your eating habits so that exercise was just something you looked forward to doing when it fit into your schedule, that felt good to do because it’s so good for your body, instead of something you feel pressured to do a certain number of times per week, or else your clothes won’t fit.

What I would like to offer you is a simple way to get results that fits into your busy schedule.