I have struggled with my weight my entire life.  The last time I was truly ‘thin’ was when I was in the 6th grade and was 5’4″ and weighed 135 pounds.  And oddly enough, at that weight I fit into a size 4.  I can look back at those pictures and say “Wow! I was thin!” but looking back in memory I thought I was fat.  And as they say, thoughts become things, and for my adult life I’ve been anywhere from 40 to 100 pounds overweight.

I’ve been “dieting” since I was 13….and I’m 47 now.  I’ve tried the grapefruit diet, the Atkins diet, Optifast, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, and even went to the extreme of the Rouen-Y Gastric Bypass surgery.  To this day the thought or smell of a tuna salad sandwich gives me the heebie-jeebies. So, essentially I have hated my body for most of my life.  That just can’t be good for the psyche.

So why is “diet” such a bad word to me? Diet in and of itself is a neutral word.  The dictionary defines diet as “food and drink regularly provided or consumed; habitual nourishment.” It’s only the 3rd definition that I have lived by: A regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one’s weight <going on a diet>.

When I think of the word “diet” I think of denial.  I think of bland food and depriving myself of the things I love to eat.  I think about being hungry and angry. I know it doesn’t help that I am a recovering food addict. So the word ‘diet’ has to go. I looked up synonyms for diet and those words are even uglier: abstinence, regime, regimen, restriction, reduce, starve.

Yeah, starve is really what I think of when I hear the word ‘diet’ and the little girl inside of me gets very pouty and rebellious, and decides she’s going to do just the opposite —- indulge! So I’ve got to think of another word for “diet”.  Here are some words that might work: sustenance, nourishment, nurture, provisions.

I’m picking ‘nurture’ as my new word.  Thesaurus states: nurture means to bring up, help develop, help grow, or provide with nourishment.

I’m all about developing as a person, growing my skills, and providing myself nourishment.  Not just to my body, but to my soul.  To me that means making choices that I want to make, that are right for me. It’s learning new ways of cooking and preparing food that are easy and simple. It means loving myself, not depriving myself. Samantha has said it’s not about cutting food out — it’s about moderation, and choices. It means exercising because I want to, not because I “Should.” (There will be a follow up blog post on the other dirty word “should”).

So, I’m going on “a nurture” this year.  How about you?

Guest writer, Susanne Romo
http://www.healingjourneyblog.com

For more support, contact me:
www.HappyFoodHealth.com

1. You are so busy or you’re trying to lose weight so you don’t consume enough calories during the day and end up overeat in the evening.
2. Because you ate late at night, you wake up full and/or feeling guilty and starve yourself all day only to binge again in the evening creating a vicious cycle.
3. You skip breakfast, then get hungry mid-day and reach for the most convenient food which is often something sweet and processed from the break room.
4. You start your day with foods high in sugar or simple carbs which does not sustain your body, so you crave more nutrients later in the day.
5. Stress, boredom, and habit lead to emotional eating. Depression, anxiety, sadness, loneliness, and frustration also lead to emotional eating. Food may fill the void momentarily, but results in a stuffed belly, stressed digestive system, unsettled sleep, and weight gain. When we haven’t learned to transition from our stressful day to our night-time stillness, some of us fill the void with food.

If you can relate to continual late night snacking, call for a free consultation. Address the issue and get support before it leads to weight gain, inflammation in the body, and diseases.

www.HappyFoodHealth.com or (619) 876-2655

1. Set Realistic Fitness Goals: This is such an important tip.  It can be very overwhelming, and people are more likely to fall off the wagon, if they’ve set unrealistic large goals.  This doesn’t mean you can’t eventually accomplish a large goal.  But you should think about setting your goal plan to a smaller scale.  For instance, make reasonable small goals that will lead up to your main goal, (such as lose 5 pounds in 4 weeks, or finish a 5K in a month, etc.)
2. Get Pumped:  Always go back to your original goal and keep that in focus.  Try to remember that where you will be in 6 months has everything to do with what you are doing now!
3. Get Inspired by Others Success Stories:  Look for people in your life who inspire you.  Watch weight loss shows like “The Biggest Loser.”  Or check out some Fitness Magazine articles.
4. Reward Yourself:  How do you reward yourself without giving in to your previous vices, or throwing your healthy diet out the window?   It’s called MASSAGE!  It not only feels amazing, but is recommended for better performance and injury prevention!  Schedule one once a month, if you can or, if massages aren’t your thing, maybe another form of rewarding yourself might drive you such as a movie night out, or get yourself a new book, or maybe go to the next tip: number 5!
5. Buy New Workout Gear: This gets me every time!  Once I buy a pair of kicks, I can’t wait to lace em’ up and take them for a few test drives!
6. Find a workout buddy:  You are more likely to show up for your Saturday workout if your best friend is expecting to sweat with you.  You are also more likely to stick to a program when you exercise with a friend!
7. Try a New Physical Activity: Open your mind and don’t be afraid of the unknown.  You may discover new things that bring you joy!  Go hiking, take a dance class, go for a bike ride.  You may love it!
8. Sign Up for a Race:  Registering for a 5K Run, Sprint Triathlon, or Obstacle Course Race is a great motivator.  Not only are we all inherently competitive, but it gives us a deadline to work towards.  The proceeds benefit a good cause, and they are super FUN!
9. Get your Mind Right & Lose the Excuses: We have all heard the saying “Misery loves company.”  If you are a “Debbie Downer” you are only hurting yourself.  Eliminate all of those negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones.  Positive Energy is a major player in success.
10. “Choose” to be Great: The next time your brain says “I can’t do this” stop and rephrase your message. “I choose to do this” will keep your brain focused on your journey and goals and lift you over your obstacles.

For more tips, coaching, or classes come pay us a visit:  www.sgofitness.com

1. Snack time. Never go grocery shopping when you’re hungry. When you’re starving, you are apt to buy unhealthy, expensive food. I always have nuts, fruits, or a bar in my purse, office, or car so it’ll tie me over until the next meal.

2. Make a list. Write down what you need to buy so you don’t leave room for impulse buying.

3. Buy bulk. Buy your beans, grains, cereals, nuts, etc in the bulk section. Rice and beans with the right vegetables and spices is delicious and cheap.

4. Buy things on sale. Buying seasonal food is not only better for you and tastes better, but saves you money. Local produce on sale is a good indicator that it’s in season.

5. Meal planning. Take a little time to plan your weekly meals and cook a pot that you can reheat through the week. The crock pot is the perfect tool for minimal work and great benefits.

6. Time in the kitchen. If you are willing to spend some time cutting, preparing, and cooking at home, you will save lots of money. Pre-cut, pre-cooked food can get expensive. (i.e., you can save money and get 8 times the amount if you buy a bag of carrots versus pre-cut container of carrots.)

7. Cook once, eat twice (or more). Double your recipe and you will get dinner and lunch for the next day, saving you money and avoiding lunch take-outs.

8. Bring your own water. Plastic bottled water is not only unregulated and expensive, but causes cancer and harms our environment. Get a stainless steel bottle and bring water with you wherever you go.

9. Limit drinks. You’ll save tons of money once you start limiting Starbuck’s $5 high-calorie drinks and just ordering water with your meals.

Don’t forget, your health is the most important thing. Good food is less expensive than medical bills, medication, and surgery. So eat up the deliciousness!

For more support, www.HappyFoodHealth.com

Ingredients
1 green bell pepper, quartered
1 eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch-thick rounds
1 red and/or yellow/orange bell pepper, quartered
1 yellow squash, cut crosswise on the bias into 1/2 inch-thick slices
1 zucchini, cut crosswise on the bias into 1/2 inch-thick slices
2 tablespoons chopped herbs, such as tarragon, thyme and/or basil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat grill to high heat. Arrange veggies in one layer on grill, flipping once, until tender and just beginning to char, 3 to 5 minutes for the zucchini and squash, 6 to 8 minutes for the peppers and eggplant. Spread out to cool slightly on a large baking sheet.

Roughly chop hot veggies into bite-size pieces and toss with herbs, vinegar, salt and pepper on a large platter. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.

I also love grilling fruit, like pineapple, nectarines, etc….use your imagination.

Imagine if you can have a life full of success, luck, passion, love, wealth, peace, confidence, you name it.  Imagine if just by changing the way you eat, you can achieve these things.  Sounds ridiculous, right?  Not really.

If you eat with love for your body instead of war against your fat, eat while being present instead of working, eat with intuition instead of by doing calorie math, eat with breath instead of stress, eat with gratitude instead of discipline…you get the idea.

Honestly, I’ve witnessed so many people change as people in my office just by changing they way they eat, what they eat, how they eat, when they eat.  Imagine if you can truly acquire a rich life by starting with something so small.  Isn’t that less intimidating?

I love it!!!  Take the challenge with me.  I’d love to hear from you.

For more support, contact me:

www.HappyFoodHealth.com

Ingredients:
2 cups spinach (packed)
3 organic eggs (beaten)
4-6 mushrooms (sliced)
2 whole grain pita or tortilla
1/4 cup grated cheese (optional)
Salt/pepper to taste
Salsa (optional)

Directions:
1.  Add oil to skillet and saute mushrooms for 2 minutes, add eggs, then spinach.  Stir all together then add cheese and salt/pepper.
2.  Fill in a pita bread or tortilla and enjoy.  Try wrapping it in collard greens instead of tortilla if you want to avoid the wheat/corn.

If I have other vegetables, I like to add bell peppers, tomatoes, shredded carrots, asparagus, whatever is your favorite.

In a research of 1000 people, those of normal weight averaged 550 calories per meal at home but 825 calories at a restaurant.  Those who are over-weight, ate 625 calories at home and 900 calories at a restaurant.  They also ate faster than their “normal” weight counterparts.

Check out these restaurant calorie counts out of 28,000 dishes at 245 restaurants:

• Typical appetizer, 700 calories (a quarter of the dishes had more than 1,145 calories)
• Typical entree, 590 calories (a quarter had more than 890)
• Side dishes, 210 calories
• Salads, 410 calories with dressing (another 150 calories)
• Non-alcoholic beverage, 360 calories
• Dessert, rolls, baked goods, 355 calories

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not banning restaurants.  A big part of life is eating out, socializing, and loving food.  It’s the 90/10 rule.  90% of the time, you do amazing and 10% of the time, you fully enjoy life as you wish.  (Don’t worry, I help you naturally and automatically manage that 10% so you’re not sabotaging everything.)

Although I teach my clients not to count calories and learn to listen to what your body needs/wants, I wrote out the calories so you can see how it affects your weight and health.

For more support, contact me:
www.HappyFoodHealth.com

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked grain (brown rice, quinoa, millet)
2/3 cup crushed almonds or walnuts
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
4 bell peppers (green, red, or yellow)
1 tbsp oil
salt/pepper to taste

Optional:  ground turkey, carrots, any other vegetables

Directions:
1. Sauté onion and garlic with oil for 1 minute.
2. Add celery and sauté for 3 minutes.
3. Mix with remaining ingredients, except peppers and crushed nuts.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
5. Cut off tops of peppers and scoop out insides.
6. Fill each with stuffing and top with crushed nuts.
7. Place in casserole dish with 1/8 inch water, bake in oven for 30 minutes and serve. Or, I like to line my dish with chopped tomatoes for more flavor and nutrition.

Uncover Why. Learn the root cause of why they are snacking on sweets and junk food, eating too much, or never exercising. Is it because they are stressed at work, can’t find time to exercise, or need your support in other areas? Resolving the real problem will lead to decreased emotional eating, for example, or help remove barriers.

Show Them Benefits. Instead of nagging, show them by example. Show them that your healthy lifestyle has resulted in more energy, weight loss, and more balance and happiness. This will win them over much better than telling them what they “should” do. When we hear “should”, most of us automatically resist and do the opposite.

Focus on Their Positive. Focus on all the good things they are doing right. My clients can’t wait to tell me what they’ve done wrong but once I point out their successes, they realize that being healthy really isn’t that hard. It’s when we aim for perfection that we fail. Don’t aim for perfect. Enjoy life, enjoy food but enjoy real food.

Encourage Baby Steps. Bad habits are difficult to break. Take your time, go easy on yourself, and encourage your partner to take baby steps. Tiny changes add up to giant ones over time. Add 10 minutes of walking per day, have one vegetarian meal a week, eat a little slower, drink a glass of water in the morning, etc.

Focus on Pleasure. Those who focus on feeling good are more likely to succeed than those who adopt a healthy lifestyle to lose weight or to fight diseases. We are emotional and sometimes irrational beings so scare tactics don’t work. Help your partner focus on things that make them feel good.

For more support, www.HappyFoodHealth.com