Robyn Spurr

Personal Health and Weight Loss Coaching For Women

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How Do We Create Happiness?

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We’re all in search of happiness.

We want happiness for ourselves, our children, our spouses, our friends…

But how do we go about creating happiness in our lives?

The question came up while listening to one of my favorite podcasts recently – and interviewee’s response was downright brilliant.

She said…

Happiness is a result of how satisfied we are about the progress we’re making toward our life goals.

Aha – not so elusive anymore.

Want to create more happiness in your life? Start by identifying your goals.

What do you want to create in your life? How do you want to be? What do you want to do?

Write your goals down.

Mine are printed out and posted on my monitor.

We can’t generate feelings of accomplishment or fulfillment if we have no idea what we want to achieve in life.

Get clear.

The good news is, we don’t have to wait for happiness.

We don’t need that promotion or new car or a million bucks in the bank.

We simply need to be making progress toward our goals. And that’s something we can bring about every single day of our lives.

Happiness doesn’t come from the accomplishment. It’s all about the journey.

Happiness is available to you right now. Go and get it.

XO ~Robyn

Ready to get off the yo-yo diet rollercoaster, make peace with food, reach your leanest livable weight and reshape your life?

To learn more about private Weight Loss Coaching, CLICK HERE to schedule a free Discovery Session or email me directly at robyn@chickadeeweightloss.com.

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One Simple Trick For Getting Out of a Recipe Rut

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Zucchini, Chicken, Repeat.

Good grief y’all. I’ve been stuck in a big old recipe rut for – oh let’s just say ALL of 2016.

A week or so ago – after preparing yet ANOTHER dish made with chicken and zucchini, the hubby and I gave each other that, “if I eat one more bite of zucchini I’m going to scream,” look.

First world problems.

Hey, it happens to all of us. Even those of us who love to cook and experiment in the kitchen like yours truly.

So how do we spice things up when we’re feeling uninspired?

We can hop on Pinterest or browse through our dusty cookbook collection, but honestly – too much choice simply overwhelms me.

I’ve had great luck with this simple approach…

Choose one ingredient that you don’t typically cook with and start from there. For example, I rarely cook with beans – which is odd, since I happen to love beans.

Now if you read my last blog post, you know the latest nutritional research is showing that fiber is perhaps, the most essential component of a healthy diet – and beans are fiber rich little buggers.

Once I settled on beans, it was easy to find fun + exciting new recipes. And just like that – rut obliterated.

Check out these delicious concoctions I whipped up recently…

White Beans with Chicken and Sausage (I used Mild Italian Chicken Sausage from the Whole Foods butcher and added red peppers)

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Mushroom Lentil Loaf (I know, I know – I was skeptical too. You guys, this was unbelievably delicious.)

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Now if beans aren’t you’re jam, here’s a quickie list of high fiber ingredients…

  • Avocados
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Kale
  • Chard
  • Peas
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Brown Rice
  • Walnuts
  • Raspberries
  • Coconut
  • Figs
  • Artichoke
  • Brussels Sprouts

Keep it simple.

  1. Pick a central ingredient
  2. Google the ingredient (e.g. healthy bean recipes) + check out Pinterest
  3. Find 3 recipes you’re willing to try
  4. Wake up those taste buds!

Variety is the spice of life, after all.

Salute! ~Robyn

PS: Decided to dust off my blender and start making smoothies again. There’s really no other way to get so much nutritious bang for your buck. Check out this micronutrient packed smoothie recipe from Dr. Rhonda Patrick.

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Diet Schmiet! Get off the yo-yo diet rollercoaster, make peace with food, reach your leanest livable weight and reshape your life.

To learn more about private Weight Loss Coaching, CLICK HERE to schedule a free Discovery Session or email me directly at robyn@chickadeeweightloss.com.

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Understanding Why We Diet

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Why do we diet?

It’s a simple enough question. The answer, however, is both complicated and individual.

First, know that you’re not alone. An estimated 45 million Americans diet each year and spend $33 billion annually on weight loss products.

We’ve been force fed the message that life will be better when we’re thinner. If we can lose weight, everything will fall into place – we’ll be happier + more successful + more fulfilled.

Don’t believe me? Here’s a little collage of the pictures found on the landing pages of Weight Watchers + Jenny Craig + Nutrisystem…

Diet Site Pics

What I know to be true a thousand times over is that chronic dieting does not create a more fulfilling life.

So why do we continue to ride the “on again, off again” diet rollercoaster with little or no success? Let me highlight just a few of the many reasons…

  1. Focusing on our diet + weight is often easier than dealing with the real problems in our lives.
  2. We truly believe that thinness will bring us more happiness.
  3. When life feels out of control, trying to control our food and our size is appealing.
  4. Dieting is a way to “fit in” + avoid social rejection.

The good news – it’s possible to move away from a life of weight obsession and yo-yo dieting. But you have to ready. You have to be TOTALLY OVER the whole dieting thing.

Reaching your leanest livable weight (and maintaining it) requires a shift in mindset, learning + applying tools to address what’s really behind the overeating and embracing a new way of living.

Hard work? Indeed. Worth it? Yes – a million times yes!

My advice is to seek out professional help. Don’t try to do this on your own. If you’re ready to reclaim your life and stop the vicious cycle of on and off again dieting, there are numerous professionals out there that can help you through this process.

Here is a quick list of fantastic resources + blogs to help you get started…

My coaching practice is currently full, but I’ll be accepting one new client in June and one more in July. To learn more about private Weight Loss Coaching, CLICK HERE to schedule a free Discovery Session or email me directly at robyn@chickadeeweightloss.com.

XO ~Robyn

Diet Schmiet! Get off the yo-yo diet rollercoaster, make peace with food and your body, reach your leanest livable weight and reshape your life.

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The Myth of Comfort Food

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Traci Mann, Ph.D. heads up the Health and Eating Lab at the University of Minnesota.

When she and her colleagues heard that NASA was looking for scientists to study stress and eating among astronauts, they jumped at the chance.

The team conducted a series of research studies testing whether comfort food did in fact provide comfort. What they discovered was shocking…

“…comfort food does not provide more comfort than any other foods, or no food at all.“

The idea that comfort food does in fact provide comfort was so widely accepted that no one ever bothered to test it scientifically.

Well, Dr. Mann’s lab took it on and the results are in…

“We tell ourselves that we need or even deserve unhealthy treats when we have endured something unpleasant, or are stressed, sad or angry. But the research shows, this a flawed justification.

Even if you’ve believed in the power of comfort food your whole life, it’s time to let it go.

Comfort food is nothing more than a food you happen to want when you feel bad.”

So try this the next time you feel bad; instead of reaching for the cookies, remind yourself that they will not improve your mood beyond what would happen if you didn’t eat anything.

And in fact, by eating something that may make you feel guilty later, you are actually doing the opposite of comforting yourself.

Want to learn more? Get Dr. Mann’s book, “Secrets From the Eating Lab,” here.

XO ~Robyn

Diet Schmiet! Get off the yo-yo diet rollercoaster, make peace with food and your body, reach your leanest livable weight and reshape your life.

To learn more about private Weight Loss Coaching, CLICK HERE to schedule a free Discovery Session or email me directly at robyn@chickadeeweightloss.com.

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