We all feel like giving up sometimes. What a relief it would be to not do the thing we're supposed to do. To skip the workout. Call in sick. Eat all the things. Say, "eff it," or, "it doesn't really matter." Just for today. And maybe tomorrow. It's not just me, right? Despite our immediate desire to resist or avoid the task at hand, we all know that doing (insert task you don’t want to do) will leave us feeling better. Even if our heart isn’t in it. Even if it’s C+ work. The simple act of showing up is a victory worth celebrating. The reason most people don't change is because we don't want to experience discomfort. What's the point of being uncomfortable when you can just stay the same? I love what behavior change expert … [Read more...] about Give In Or Discipline?
Pleasure Changes Lives + Bodies
Picture this. You decide you want to lose weight. You’re ready. This is YOUR time. What’s the first thing you do? If you’re like most women out there, you clean out the kitchen. No more ice creamToss the cookiesBread = no bueno Diet. Fast. Restrict. Detox. Deny. Avoid. No wonder diets fail 98% of the time. After nearly a decade of doing this work, what I’ve discovered so many of my clients need more of – is PLEASURE. More fun + laughter + beauty + love + connection in their daily lives. When we begin to bring beauty and art and flowers and music and meaningful projects and books back into our lives —then we don’t need to turn to food for our pleasure. We no longer rely on food to satisfy all of our emotional … [Read more...] about Pleasure Changes Lives + Bodies
The “Chapters” of Habit Transformation
This inspiration poem by Portia Nelson somehow escaped me until very recently. Human beings make mistakes. That’s a given. It’s important to understand the process of learning. To analyze our mistakes, to learn from them - and to not repeat them. Sometimes we are just not paying attention - or are living our lives on autopilot. The beauty is – it can be changed. Autobiography in Five Short Chapters by Portia Nelson Chapter 1I walk down the street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I fall in.I am lost. I am helpless.It isn’t my fault. It takes forever to find a way out. Chapter 2I walk down the street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I pretend that I don’t see it.I fall in again.I can’t believe I am in this same … [Read more...] about The “Chapters” of Habit Transformation
The Problem with Meal Plans
“Will I get a meal plan?’ This is a question I hear from potential clients quite a bit – and the answer is no. Let me explain. Meal plans and diets simply aren’t useful or sustainable for the vast majority of people. Clients often feel like they’re either “on” them or “off” them. The black and white nature of a meal plan suggests that people have to eat perfectly at each meal (to match what’s listed in the plan) — or else they’ve failed. It’s psychologically unpalatable and unsustainable. Even more, meal plans are frequently too inflexible. They don’t work with the reality of people’s busy lives. Work meetings, children’s activities, meals out, dogs that need walking, cars that break down, family members that get ill, … [Read more...] about The Problem with Meal Plans