Healthy eating does not mean eating “good” foods and avoiding “bad” foods. I wholeheartedly recommend you toss those labels out with the trash. Rubbish - be gone! Food means different things to different people. Food can be… fuelrewardpunishmentescapeshamefreedoma way to bond with othersa way to check out For me, food is mostly about information. Every time you choose to eat one thing over another, you’re voting for what’s really important to you in the here and now. That’s … [Read more...] about Shame Free Eating
The Heavy Backpack (Managing Difficult Emotions)
Last Thursday my husband and I made the impossibly difficult decision to put our sweet Hope down after she experienced what we’re pretty sure was a stroke. She was sixteen and half years old and lived a good long life with humans that loved and spoiled her. One of the skills I teach my clients is how to make decisions that are aligned with their goals and values in the face of difficult emotions. It was my turn to walk the talk. The day after we put Hope down, I went out for a walk (just like I do every day). When I returned, my husband said he was surprised I went. So I shared a tool called The Heavy Backpack with him. We can think of our difficult emotions like a heavy backpack. Now that backpack might be weighing you down … [Read more...] about The Heavy Backpack (Managing Difficult Emotions)
Environment Matters
Why? It’s 10:00 in the evening, the kids are finally in bed, you’ve been going non-stop since sunrise and you want a snack. You open the fridge. There’s a container of leftovers, a granny smith apple, some red grapes and aha! – a package of Hostess Cupcakes. You reach for the cupcakes. While most of us strive to eat well, the actions we take don’t always sync up with our goals. We don’t set out to overeat – or choose unhealthy foods. No one wants to become overweight. So why are two thirds of Americans classified as overweight or obese? Your brain is to blame. The problem doesn’t have to do with a lack of willpower or not knowing what to eat. Our neurological response to food has evolved over millions of years. During … [Read more...] about Environment Matters
Upgrade Your Belief System
Here’s what I want you to know. You can lose the weight – and keep it off. It’s true. 100% Believe me? Probably not. I get it. But hear me out. If you don’t think you can, you won’t. Take a minute to consider your beliefs about your ability to lose weight and keep it off. What are your beliefs about food? About exercise? About who you are? Many of my new clients often share a belief system that sounds something like… I’ve never succeeded at keeping the weight off. I do great for a few weeks or months and then I inevitably cave in. All of that delicious food is just too tempting. Especially when I have a bad day or my kids are making me crazy or something throws me off track, like a holiday or party. I just … [Read more...] about Upgrade Your Belief System