Robyn Spurr

Personal Health and Weight Loss Coaching For Women

Weight Loss Coaching

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Before You Try That Sexy New Fad Diet…

Do you sometimes feel like you’re putting a ridiculous amount of energy into trying to lose weight, but getting nowhere? Like a hamster spinning round and round on its wheel.

You’re not alone.

When we decide it’s time to lose weight, we want results and we want them NOW! And the fastest way to get results is to follow some “perfect” diet. Which is true – if you stick with that “perfect” diet long-term.

But we don’t stick with those diets.

Maybe we adhere to it for a few weeks or a few months before our willpower tank hits empty and we devour 47 cookies at Aunt Jane’s cookie exchange.

And once we’ve “screwed up,” we inevitably say, “screw it!”

See if this pattern looks familiar…

  1. Ooh, shiny new diet!
  2. Fail at shiny new diet.
  3. Say screw it.
  4. Repeat.

Mastery requires practice and repetition. But our brain resists this approach. It wants to try that sexy new diet. It wants the dopamine hit that comes from trying something new.

If you want to change your eating behavior for good, chasing the dopamine high associated with starting over or jumping on the latest diet bandwagon won’t get you there. What will work is good old practice and repetition.

How do you do that? Choose one small healthy habit to focus on at a time. When the habit you’re working on feels “sticky” and solid, add a new one. It’s not sexy, but it works.

I can hear you. But Robyn, it’ll take FOREVER that way!

Let’s say you settle on a habit like eating three servings of fruits or veggies a day and succeed at it 90% of the time. Pretty darn good, right?

Your success generates feelings of confidence + competency and those feelings propel you forward. Then you add a new habit – and you succeed at that one too.

After a year (or two or ten), all those “little” habits add up to big changes – plus you’re not effin’ exhausted.

Still skeptical? Ask yourself this question…

How has what you’ve been doing worked out for you so far?

Before you sign up for yet another get thin quick scheme on January 1st, remember this…

The method you follow consistently is so much better than the “perfect” one you quit.

XO ~Robyn

Interested in a one-on-one coaching relationship with me?

It would be an honor to work with you if and when the time feels right.

To learn more about one-on-one Health Coaching click HERE. 

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Disarming Discomfort

Let’s say you’re walking past a house on fire.

Do you run inside, on the off chance that someone might be in there?

Probably not. You know you’ll get burned. Instead, you call the fire department.

But let’s say you arrive at the house and realize your baby is inside.

You race inside the house, forgetting about your own discomfort, desperately searching for your child.

When you find your baby, grab her, and bring her outside, you’re probably suffering burns and smoke inhalation. Do you care much? Not in that moment.

You might not even feel the pain at all, your adrenaline is so high. All you care about is your child.

Notice how you’re willing to tolerate discomfort in the service of a higher purpose – saving your baby.

In fact, evolution has equipped us beautifully with systems (such as endorphins) that help us ignore pain when we are focused on survival or doing something more important.

The truth about discomfort…

  1. Discomfort is negotiable.
    What we feel will depend on our focus.
  2. We can deal with discomfort.
    If we act in the service of a bigger purpose, we can easily tolerate discomfort.
  3. Discomfort, in the right amount, makes us stronger.
    You just saved your baby from a fire. Now the rest of your life probably seems a lot easier.
  4. We already have everything we need to be able to tolerate discomfort.
    We just need to practice tapping in to our natural abilities.
  5. To change your experience of discomfort, find your bigger purpose and focus on it.
    Why do you want to lose weight? How will your life change for the better? Stay focused on that.

Obviously, being mildly hungry is a lot easier than getting burned. But you may find that eating less makes you uncomfortable in other ways.

For example…

  • It’s hard to “waste food”.
    We can hear our parents’ voices in our head: There are starving children! You shouldn’t leave food on the plate!
  • Food keeps us occupied.
    If we stay “busy” with food, then we don’t have to deal with other things.
  • Food numbs us.
    It’s a good painkiller for emotional and physical distress.
  • We confuse emotions with hunger.
    Often, we mix up emotions such as anxiety or anger with hunger. It feels like hunger… but it isn’t.
  • Habits.
    We do many things automatically, such as picking the last tidbit off the kids’ plates as we tidy up dinner, or popping a bite into our mouth as we cook.
  • We’re worried about social consequences.
    We don’t want to say no, make a fuss, or stand out as a “weirdo” at social events with friends and family.
  • Our environment.
    We’re there, and so is the food.

We naturally try to avoid all of these discomforts. So we make choices that don’t align with our big picture goals.

We eat because we’re bored, upset, stressed, or simply near tempting food.

But if we commit to pushing through the prickliness and itchiness of discomfort…

  • We’ll be more able to reach our goals.
  • We’ll feel more in control of ourselves and our actions.
  • We’ll feel stronger. More courageous. We just did that difficult thing.

Moving forward, whenever you get uncomfortable, remind yourself:

  • You have the power to get through this.
  • Most discomfort doesn’t last that long – and it’s not that intense.
  • Take a deep breath. Or three.
  • Learning to tolerate discomfort while staying cool + calm + present will ultimately make your life better in the long run.

You can even try ranking your discomfort on a scale from 1 to 10.

  • 1 is something like being just a teeny bit too warm.
  • 10 is the absolute most painful, horrible, excruciating thing you can imagine happening.

Whatever situation you confront today, rank it. See where it falls.

Then decide whether it’s a big deal or not.

XO ~Robyn

I work with women who want to learn how to create real + lasting health changes. We’ll use a sustainable, practice-based approach to build healthy habits into your life, one day at a time for an entire year.

As your coach, I’ll provide accountability + direction + support every step of the way. I’ll help you stay consistent, no matter what life throws at you.

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

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Eating Healthy Doesn’t Have to Be So Damn Complicated

The allure of a new diet is tempting. Starting over. Renewed hope.

Maybe this one will work.

This time I’ll stick with it.

20 pounds in 30 days!

But as the days and weeks pass, the new diet becomes overwhelming. The strict rules are frustrating. If you eat something you’re supposed to avoid, you feel guilty. If you’re at a social event flush with foods not allowed on your diet, you feel miserable and alienated.

There’s another way.

It’s not a fad. It’s not sexy. It won’t promise you rapid results. There are no foods or food groups to avoid (yay carbs!). No restrictive guidelines. It can be adapted to every social situation. And you can indulge in your favorite treats without feeling guilty on occasion.

It’s what I call The Vanilla Diet.

Plain. Simple. Uncomplicated – and delicious (in my opinion).

The Vanilla Diet generally consists of:

  • a variety of whole, minimally processed foods;
  • prioritizing fruits and vegetables;
  • including a good source of animal or plant protein with most meal;
  • a healthy mix of different fats;
  • plenty of water;
  • a variety of high-fiber “smart” carbohydrates based on activity levels;
  • eating to the point of satisfaction without getting stuffed;
  • enjoying your favorite not-super-healthy foods occasionally.

This way of eating is flexible and stress-free. It can be followed at restaurants, on vacation, at a party – anywhere.

No more obsessing. No more counting. No more cleanses. No more pencils. No more books. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

If trying to keep up with the diet flavor of the month has left you worn out and weary, maybe it’s time to come home to the basics. Because eating healthy doesn’t have to be so damn complicated.

XO ~Robyn

I work with women who want to learn how to create real + lasting health changes. We’ll use a sustainable, practice-based approach to build healthy habits into your life, one day at a time for an entire year.

As your coach, I’ll provide accountability + direction + support every step of the way. I’ll help you stay consistent, no matter what life throws at you.

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

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The Truth About Willpower + Weight Loss

There is this belief that willpower is a finite resource.

Research done in the 90’s + early 2000’s hinted at the idea that if you use a bunch of willpower early in the day, it will become depleted. Then later in the day, you’ll make all these decisions you might not have otherwise made if your willpower tank was full.

This hasn’t exactly been debunked, but what’s true (based on what we know today) is that willpower is a finite resource or something that strengthens with practice depending on WHAT YOU BELIEVE.

Say what?

If you believe willpower is a finite resource, then it will be for you.

But if you believe willpower is muscle that strengthens, not weakens with use – then you will actually have MORE willpower after exercising it.

Ah – the mind twisting science of psychology.

But to be perfectly honest – willpower is irrelevant in behavior change.

White knuckling your way to a lifestyle change doesn’t work. You just get good at white knuckling (dieting) and saying screw it.

Changing our lifestyle is a lot like learning to play guitar (or golf or piano). We have to build up our skills (reading music, tuning a guitar, reading tabs and chords, etc.) before we can rock out a Jimi Hendrix solo.

If we want to lose weight + keep it off, we need basic skills like tuning into our hunger signals, planning and prepping, eating slowly, etc.

Starting another restrictive diet is a lot like picking up a guitar and trying to play it like a pro. It wastes a bunch of time and energy and gets you nowhere.

The next time you find yourself thinking…

“But I want to lose weight quickly!”

…ask yourself how long it might take you become a decent guitar player – or golfer.

Practice leads to skills and skills lead to achieving goals.

XO ~Robyn

To learn more about Private Weight Loss Coaching, click HERE.