When I introduce a new weight coaching tool to my clients, they sometimes feel compelled to do it perfectly - right away. And it usually always backfires. Take the Hunger Scale for example (please click here if you missed last week's post on this topic). The purpose of the Hunger Scale is not to do it perfectly. In order to get really good at something, we have to be willing to be a beginner. For example - it's just not possible to rock out a competition worthy tango after our first ballroom dance class, right? When doing it perfectly is our main objective - it's easy to become frustrated and give up. But when the goal is to learn - we simply cannot fail. To recap, the purpose of using the Hunger Scale is to... get acquainted with our … [Read more...] about Trying to Do It Perfectly (+ a peek at my food journals)
Weight Loss Coaching
Be Willing to Suck at It
Wouldn't it be nice if we could be experts right away - without all the flopping and floundering and failing? Or would it? Last week, I gave my very first webinar. It required stepping WAY out of my comfort zone. Let's just pretend that my comfort zone "boundary" is the state of Colorado. Well, giving a webinar (WITH my oh so experienced and brilliant mentor) required me to venture past the Colorado state line and travel to - oh, I don't know - Mongolia. I'm not exaggerating. Okay, maybe a teeny bit, but... ...as a child, my shyness and social anxiety were so severe that my first grade teacher recommended I see a therapist. I've come a pretty long way since then. But here's the deal. I was willing to fail, to suck at it, to make mistakes - … [Read more...] about Be Willing to Suck at It
Airports, Anxiety and Overcoming Emotional Eating
A few weeks ago, I found myself standing at the baggage carousel at Denver International Airport - overcome with anxiety. It was Monday – and I had just returned home from a funeral in New Jersey - but the anxiety had nothing to do with the funeral. In the past, I likely would have dashed into the nearest convenience store and bought three or four candy bars. Snickers. Three Musketeers. Milky Way. Twix. I would have locked myself inside a bathroom stall and scarfed them all down - one by one. There would have been no savoring – just a frantic attempt to distract myself from the discomfort of the anxiety. That's not what I did. Instead of devouring candy bars, I focused on what I was thinking... "I just want to go home.” "I wish I didn’t … [Read more...] about Airports, Anxiety and Overcoming Emotional Eating
How to Have Fewer Problems
There’s an ugly old beige car parked on the corner of my block. One of the windows is busted out and covered with plastic. It’s been there for weeks or months - I’m not sure. Sometimes it goes away - but it always comes back - to the same spot. And I don’t care. A few years ago, the car would have driven me nuts. I would have carried on about it to my husband. Complained to the neighbors. Gotten pissed off every time I drove by. But I’ve learned so much in the past few years. I’ve learned that trying to control the world and the people around me is a monumental waste of time and energy. All it does is create suffering in the form of anger, resentment, disappointment, and sadness. And the reason so many of my clients overeat is to escape … [Read more...] about How to Have Fewer Problems