Several years ago, I decided to rearrange the furniture in my living room. We’re talking two big sofas, a coffee table and one HEAVY! + unwieldy area rug. There was sweat and swearing - but I did it! Yay me. Right? Not really. I had to take Aleve + wear my ice belt of shame for a few days because my back was so jacked up. So why did I move it all by myself – when I have a capable + strong + willing husband living with me? Because I hated asking for help. When given the chance, I would much rather move sofas + do pretty much anything on my own, thank-you-very-much. “I’ve got this.” “I can handle it.” But doing it all yourself isn’t some great act of strength and independence. I know that now. Asking for help is the true act of … [Read more...] about How to Ask Family + Friends for Support (Scripts Included)
Self Care
Permission to Slow Down
I've been laying low the past few months on purpose. Zero blogging + taking on only a handful of new clients + reading for pleasure + binge watching Big Little Lies (so good!)+ giving myself time to rest and rejuvenate. Because sometimes, no matter how much of a control freak we are - life happens and we need to step on the brakes. Maybe a parent gets ill or your own health takes a blow or you're simply worn out from all the go go go. Or all of the above. Now slowing down is NOT what I normally do. What I normally do when life goes a little sideways is push harder + sleep less + double down. And the result is always crap. So I decided to make a different choice this time. And the result has been 1,000,000 times better. Here's my advice … [Read more...] about Permission to Slow Down
It’s Time to Put the Scale Away When…
If you have a history of yo-yo dieting, relying on the scale for motivation can easily backfire. Let me explain. If the scale number is higher than we hoped for, it can cause anxiety. And anxiety about our weight tends to send us beelining toward our “hidden” stash of Thin Mints. On the other hand, that same higher than hoped for number can trigger calorie restriction or the elimination of foods/food groups (no more ice cream, no more carbs), thereby setting the stage for an inevitable binge. Now if the number is lower than expected, it’s easy to justify a food “reward” or overeating. “Woohoo, I lost 3 pounds, it’s cheesecake for dinner tonight!” If any of these scenarios ring true, know that you’re not alone. In fact, you’re … [Read more...] about It’s Time to Put the Scale Away When…
What’s Way Better Than Food?
Over the summer, I noticed that I was turning to food more often than usual. My scale noticed too. So I sat down with my Top 5 Values and BOOM! – it was abundantly clear that I was altogether neglecting my adventure value. My husband and I had been discussing the idea of visiting Scotland for about two years. But we came up with excuse after excuse for not booking the trip… We don’t want to leave the dog It’s too hard to step away from our businesses Flights are too expensive right now Maybe next spring – or in 2018 When we’re trying to lose weight, most of us rely on willpower to resist our desire for food – until we inevitably run out of willpower. But there’s an alternative approach to weight loss that happens to make life … [Read more...] about What’s Way Better Than Food?