Robyn Spurr

Personal Health and Weight Loss Coaching For Women

Coaching Tools

By

When Finishing Last is Best

I’m a fast eater.

Maybe it’s because I’m originally from the GO GO GO New York metro area – or maybe I’m just wired that way (or as Lady Gaga would say – Born That Way).

I eat fast + talk fast + walk fast. The only person I know who eats faster than I do is my husband (also an east coaster). If I look away for a minute, whoosh – his food is GONE!

The single habit I’ve struggled most with on my own health journey has been eating slowly.

But why does eating slowly matter? Why should we care?

Did you know that our biological “satiety mechanism” kicks in about 20 minutes AFTER we start a meal? No matter how much we eat during the first 20 minutes of a meal, we won’t feel satisfied or full until we hit the magical satiety time.

If you tend to eat too much too quickly at meals, often followed by regret and the unbuttoning of pants, this is a habit worth practicing.

Slowing down allows our bodies’ natural satiety mechanisms to kick in and put on the brakes. If you’re someone who has tried intuitive eating and dismissed it as rubbish – it’s possible you were eating too quickly (or consuming too much processed food, which I’ll save for another post).

Remember: You can and will feel full if you just slow down. The body’s natural signals will do the work for you. You don’t have to overthink it.

Here’s why I love teaching the habit of slowing down. When you feel overwhelmed by all the healthier habits you need to work on, you can always come back to this one. It’s the perfect habit to focus on when things go sideways and you need to reboot. Like after a weekend of pizza + wings + beer + cake.

Where to Begin

Start by trying to add 5 minutes to one meal per day. Choose a meal where this habit is easiest to implement. For most of my clients, that’s dinner.

Here are a few of my favorite “slowing down” strategies. Choose one:

  • Savor your food. Really taste what you’re eating.
  • Put your utensils down between bites.
  • Take a breath between each bite. All the way in. All the way out.
  • Try to be the last person at the table to finish.

Remember, all you have to do is be just a little slower than normal. That’s how we improve.

Each week add a little more time – or try a different strategy.

Remember the statistics I shared in my last post?

  • Adopting one new habit at a time results in an 85% chance of success
  • Adopting two new habits at once: a 35% chance of success
  • Adopting three or more new habits at once: less than 10% chance of success

Choose one habit. Practice it for a minimum of two weeks. Then (and only then) add on.

By slowing down, you’ll sidestep the inevitable…

“OMG. I can’t believe I ate so much. How did that happen?”

Slowing down creates space. Space in which you can decide whether to stop eating – or keep going. Sometimes you’ll choose to stop – and other time you’ll keep going. That’s okay.

The point is, by slowing down, you’ll have the option to stop when you’re satisfied. You’ll have a sense of choice – and the ability to take responsibility for your actions.

XO ~Robyn

I work with courageous + determined women who are ready to say goodbye to yo-yo dieting for good. We’ll use a sustainable, practice-based approach to build healthy habits into your life, one day at a time for an entire year.

The result? You’ll develop healthy habits that become second nature and last a lifetime. You’ll lose the weight (and inches) you haven’t been able to shed – for good.

If this resonates with you, CLICK HERE for details on how to work with me.

By

One Habit at a Time

Losing weight and getting in shape can feel like a monumental undertaking. It requires changing not just one or two, but dozens of habits…

Drink more water, go to the grocery store, prep food, make time to exercise, eat more whole foods, get 7 or 8 hours of sleep.

It’s why so many people either give up – or don’t even bother to try. It’s why we tend to succumb to all or nothing thinking.

“If I can’t eat clean AND exercise for 30 minutes a day AND get 8 hours of sleep, then why bother?!”

I recently revisited one of my favorite books, The Power of Less, by Leo Babauta – and ALL THE LIGHTS went on in my brain. The author shares the following data:

  • Adopting one new habit at a time results in an 85% chance of success
  • Adopting two new habits at once: a 35% chance of success
  • Adopting three or more new habits at once: less than 10% chance of success

MIND BLOWN!

As a result, I’ve decided to overhaul the way I coach my clients.

New Rule: Only one new habit at a time.

I’ve implemented this approach in my own life. Because even yours truly has room for improvement. My very first habit? A glass of water every night for two weeks. That’s it.

Each new habit should be clearly defined and easy to measure. It should also feel doable.

When creating a new habit to practice, ask yourself, “on a scale of 1-10, how confident am I that I can do this every day?” If your answer is 8 or less, scale it back – even if it seems ridiculously small. And then practice that new habit for two weeks before adding on.

Will you transform your life and body in six weeks? Of course not. But you’ve likely tried the “all in” approach – again and again, with the same crappy long term results.

Practicing one habit at a time generates – and more importantly, sustains – momentum.

And that’s exactly how you create lasting + permanent change.

XO ~Robyn

I work with courageous + determined women who are ready to say goodbye to yo-yo dieting for good. We’ll use a sustainable, practice-based approach to build healthy habits into your life, one day at a time for an entire year.

The result? You’ll develop healthy habits that become second nature and last a lifetime. You’ll lose the weight (and inches) you haven’t been able to shed – for good.

If this resonates with you, CLICK HERE for details on how to work with me.

By

Why You’ll Succeed

On a scale of 1-10, 10 being absolutely! – how confident are you than you’ll reach your healthy natural weight and stay there? Be completely honest with yourself.

Most of my clients rate themselves at about a 5 or 6 when we first start working together. My job as their coach is get them to at least an 8.

Why?

If we don’t think we can do it – we’re undoubtedly not going to do it. We humans have a tendency to prove ourselves right.

If we don’t believe in ourselves, we’ll seek out + buy into all of the reasons that prove we’ll fail.

  • Because I’m just not strong enough.
  • Because I like food too much.
  • Because I don’t have enough time.
  • Because I can’t control myself around food.
  • Because it’s too hard.

Here’s what I want you to do. Come up with at least three reasons that demonstrate why you’re going to be successful.

For example…

  • Because I can do hard things.
  • Because long-term well-being feels so much better than short-lived pleasure.
  • Because I want to wake up feeling proud of myself every morning.
  • Because I want to have more energy and confidence.
  • Because feeling good in my body/clothes is more important to me than extra food.
  • Because I make time for things that matter in my life.
  • Because food can’t solve my problems – only I can.

Write down your three SUCCESS thoughts and read them every single day. Train your mind to focus on the reasons why you’ll succeed vs the reasons you won’t.

You’ve got this!

XO ~Robyn

Weight Loss Coaching is not a fad diet, cleanse or get thin quick scheme. This approach is a pathway to sanity around food, a healthier you, lasting results – and a more delicious life.

I work with courageous + determined women who are ready to say goodbye to yo-yo dieting and calorie counting – for good. If this approach resonates with you, then LET’S CHAT Chickadee!

By

App-y New Year (3 Health Apps I Use + Love)

I don’t know about you, but I always let out a big ol’ sigh of relief when the holiday season is over.

Let’s sing Auld Lang Syne already and get going!

Back to routines – and life as usual.

A time to refocus.

A blank canvas of sorts.

If healthier habits are on your radar this year – this post is for you Chickadee.

When we’re working on changing or fine tuning our habits, the new behavior tends feels all kinds of clunky and awkward. Apps can help keep you aware + focused + engaged – well beyond March when most folks have already hung up their tennis shoes.

Here are three apps I personally use + love, that can support you in accomplishing your goals.

#1 You Food

I’ve written about You Food before – because, well – it’s rad! Snap a picture of what you’re eating + click submit. Done. No calories to be counted (hallelujah). Just a simple accountability tool.

If you join, be sure to follow me. Search for either chickarobyn (my username) or Robyn Spurr.

#2 Fast Habit

The idea that we should eat sporadically across all our waking hours is not how humans originally evolved to eat. Most of us can benefit from a shorter feeding window.

Accelerated fat loss, increased energy and an enhanced immune system are just some of the benefits of intermittent fasting (IF). Fast Habit is a simple + effective app to build IF into your life. Set your fast length, log daily, and make your new way of eating second nature.

Click here or here or here for a look at some of the science behind fasting + health.

And don’t panic – there’s no need for 24 or 36 hour fasts. Simply eating within a 12-hour window most days of the week will allow you to reap the health benefits. Boom!

#3 Happy Scale

You know that feeling of disappointment when you step on the scale and discover that in spite of how hard you worked, your weight barely changed? Happy Scale helps you change your relationship with the scale, because you’ll see your trend line moving down, slowly but surely – even when your scale won’t budge.

Also – I’m a sucker for any app with “happy” in the title.

Monitoring your weight helps you become aware of how your diet and life impact your body. Without measuring your weight, you’re missing this vital data that helps you make connections. You can also catch and reverse those small gains before they become big gains.

Bottom line, people who weigh daily lose more weight.

Now, three new apps at once might feel like a little much. I get it. Start with one – and then add one in February and another in March – or whatever makes sense to you.

Keep that momentum going – all year long.

XO ~Robyn

Make 2017 the year you drop the weight struggle for good. My program has been revamped + remixed for the New Year – and I’ve never been more excited to share it.

For details about my new program – The Liberation Lab, click HERE.

To schedule a Discovery Session, click HERE.

This work is about so much more than weight loss. It’s a way out of your day in + day out fixation with food and a way toward a bigger + bolder + more fulfilling life.