Robyn Spurr

Personal Health and Weight Loss Coaching For Women

Simplify

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How the Savor Life Experiment Changed My Life

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There’s a lovely program I stumbled upon a few years back called The Legacy Project. It began at Cornell University in 2004 when a professor of Gerontology started collecting advice from America’s elders.

The research team gathered responses to the question, “what are the most important lessons you have learned over the course of your life?”

Many of the interviewees shared a similar piece of wisdom…

If I could go back, I would have appreciated the little things more often.

So I decided to start noting the delightful + enjoyable + fulfilling things that happen to me each day. In other words, the especially savor worthy moments.

My plan was to keep a “savor life” journal for 30 days – in my private Facebook Forum for clients. Today is day 21 – and I don’t plan to stop at 30. In fact – I don’t plan to stop at all.

This little “experiment” has changed my life in such a subtle, yet powerful way.

My mindset has shifted to one where I’m always looking for + creating moments that are savor worthy.

And the result is that my days are filled with more joy + laughter + gratitude. For example…

: My husband and I have started a new tradition of sitting down each Friday to a lovely dinner complete with music + candles + Prosecco in the Tiffany champagne flutes we’ve never used – not once since receiving them as a wedding gift in 2001.

: I’m reading for pleasure more often. Devouring Delicious! by Ruth Reichl right now.

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: I’m taking the time to step away from my desk to go for a walk – no music, no podcasts – just time to clear my mind and admire the gorgeous wildflowers and the stunning Rocky Mountains.

{Click here to see a sampling of my savor life posts.}

I love this quote by Elizabeth Gilbert …

“You were given life; it is your duty (and also your entitlement as a human being) to find something beautiful within life, no matter how slight.”

We’re often so busy thinking about what’s ahead that we don’t tend to enjoy where we are.

So maybe – consider keeping a savor life journal of your own. It just might change your life.

XO ~Robyn

I’m currently booked up for private Weight Loss Coaching until late-July (ever so grateful). If you’re interested in working with me, let’s set up a time for a Discovery Session ASAP and get you on the top of the waitlist. Just click here or email me directly at robyn@chickadeeweightloss.com.

I’d love to work with you. Let’s make it happen.

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Robyn Spurr is a Once Obese Chick, Eating Disorder Survivor, Certified Weight Loss Coach, Personal Trainer and founder of Chickadee Weight Loss. 

She helps women learn to manage their emotions without food and reach their healthy, natural weight without all the diet craziness.

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The Purpose of Eating

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“The purpose of eating is to eat.”

~Thich Naht Hanh

When we eat, we’re usually distracted by our thoughts.

We plan, worry, work, daydream, drive, read, watch, surf.

We think about our commute, the weather, what’s for lunch, that new book we want to read, that yoga class we meant to sign up for.

We think about everything except the food in front of us.

Honestly, when was the last time you ate breakfast and gave it your undivided attention?

Eating can be a sacred ritual. A gift to yourself. A chance to take a break and just be.

For the past few months, I’ve been devoted to practicing mindful eating – focusing 100% on my food. No surfing, no reading, no thinking about my day.

When my mind wanders (which it inevitably does), I gently bring it back to the snack or meal in front of me.

And it’s been awesome.

Here’s why…

  • It’s a delightful little break from the busyness of the day – a sacred and quiet time out
  • More satisfaction from food
  • Food tastes richer + more complex + more interesting
  • It’s easier to stay plugged into hunger and fullness cues
  • Greater satisfaction = less food required 
  • It’s fun + pleasurable + calming​

Mindful eating is not a diet. It’s about experiencing the pleasure of eating more intensely.

The only thing on your mind when you’re eating ought to be what you’re eating.

XO ~Robyn

*****

PS: I’ve got TWO openings for private Weight Loss Coaching coming up in early February.

You + Me + 12 Weeks = ​

  • Old + Outdated + Ineffective Beliefs Demolished
  • Radical Changes Implemented
  • Inner + Outer Domain Transformed

Click here to schedule your Free Discovery Session.

 PSS: Want to learn more about Mindful Eating? I recommend this short + sweet book by Thich Naht Hanh.

 PSSS: Crunched for time? I’m loving these easy, pop ’em in the microwave street tacos right now.

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Creating Rules You Love

rules you love

Dream it and you can achieve it! Well, not exactly…

It’s one thing to fantasize + dream about + pray for the day you’ll arrive at your goal weight. It’s another to actually gather the tools you need to do it, apply them and make it happen.

We like to spend a great deal of time imagining ourselves in our ideal body.

We visualize how we’ll look, the praise we’ll receive, the sarong free beach vacations, and all the new things we’ll enjoy doing as thinner versions of ourselves.

Envisioning feels amazing in the moment – we get a lovely dopamine surges that lights up our brains with anticipation. That’s why planning your next diet feels so good. But – as NYU psychologist Gabriele Oettingen discovered in her research – envisioning doesn’t correlate with actual achievement.

Remember The Secret? Exactly.

There is a key ingredient missing from this approach – and that ingredient is considering and planning for the obstacles that might get in our way. We need to think about the positive outcomes we want to achieve, while simultaneously creating strategies to overcome these obstacles.

Try it…

What are three obstacles that might be keeping you from reaching or maintaining your weight loss goal?

For example…

  • Making poor choices when eating out.
  • Eating too much at dinner.
  • Letting myself get way too hungry and then eating everything in sight.

Now, come up with a strategy (or two or three) to overcome your top three obstacles.

If you have a set of strategies in place, you can avoid the grand internal debate. You know what I’m talking about.

Ooh there’s Lobster Mac and Cheese on the menu. That sounds amazing – and Sue is ordering it. But I shouldn’t – because I’ll feel terrible + stuffed + guilty if I do. But I might not have the chance to order it – ever again. And why does Sue get to have it? That’s not fair. She doesn’t even need to lose weight. Ugh, what should I do? Screw it, I’m ordering it.

Instead of relying on willpower to white-knuckle your way through potential pitfalls, come up with solutions. And by solutions, I mean a set of rules – your rules – rules that feel good + doable to you.

  • If I’m out to dinner, I still make healthy choices.
  • If I’m out to dinner, my limit is two glasses of wine.
  • If someone orders dessert for the table, I take no more than three bites – but only if it’s something amazing and totally worth it.

Establishing a set of rules, eliminates the debating + justifying + negotiating.

Creating your own set of rules is not about being mean or punishing yourself. It’s about love. Tough love. Pure love.

And healthy is a place you get to with love.

XO ~Robyn

Robyn Spurr is a Certified Health & Weight Loss Coach, Personal Trainer and founder of Chickadee Weight Loss. She helps women end the suffering with food and their bodies and teaches them how to lose the weight – for good.

What the heck is Weight Loss Coaching? It’s like Personal Training – for your mind.​

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How to Have Fewer Problems

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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 their suffering.

When you can let things be how they are – and not how you think they should be – you can release so much unnecessary suffering.

If you stop making things a problem, they stop being a problem.

Fewer problems, less suffering – decreased desire to overeat.

Robyn Spurr is a Certified Health Coach, Weight Loss Coach, Personal Trainer and founder of Chickadee Weight Loss. She helps women reach their healthy, natural weight and stay there without all the diet craziness.

For more information on Weight Loss Coaching, click here.