Personal Weight Loss Story With Pics, A 3-Step Process

This is a quick post about the other way to lose weight/get skinny. I thought it would be important to detail my changes on a more personal level.
Here are some weight loss before/after pics. 

My Weight Loss: 3 Parts

Part #1, Emotional Part: I got entirely FED UP with obsessing over my body and not taking proactive steps to correct it. I had always wanted to be fit and thin but I didn't ever take the reigns to make it happen. The part I didn't realize until my weight came off was the own mental limitation. Turns out, I was hiding myself in a box. I wasn't playing life big, because I was afraid. In order to lose weight it meant I had to do things that scared me and forced me out of my fear box. But for others, it is the other way around, where the weight loss comes after the mental change. Either way, they both work together to propel each other.

BEFORE. Wearing scarf on the left side. 2009

AFTER. My 2nd Tough Mudder in Dallas.  Fall 2014

After. Feeling confident! Summer 2014

The second part, the workout part of my weight loss was fear based. I was scared to go to the gym and look chubby, terrified to try a pull up while people were watching. I was scared to bare my legs. I was scared to look stupid. I was afraid to walk into a gym. I was scared to try to lift heavy weight; and then I decided being fit was more important than my lousy fears and said to myself, "I'm just going to try these new things. I'm just going to try to do a pull up, I'm just going to try to do this really hard workout, I'm willing to be uncomfortable to get my dream body." My IPOD became my crutch, I cranked it up at the gym and I just went for it. The fitness aspect was my most propelling factor in weight loss.

#3, Nutrition portion. My weight loss switch flipped into turbo mode when I altered my diet. I allowed myself to feel massive guilt after I ate things that were working against myself. The guilt became impressionable enough that the next time I was in that situation, I didn't want to feel it again. The decision to change your eating for the better is SOOOOO difficult the first few times you make good choices. My choice to eat a light meal and walk away without feeling full, was incredibly hard. That first meal might make you feel deprived initially, but each powerful decision like that makes the next easier. And pretty soon you are feeling in control and you realize you had been giving all your control to the food before. It's like cleaning your sunglasses off, suddenly you can see clearly. Your body is feeling light and you feel  full of energy instead of sluggish. Then that drives you to keep reaching for more. It's an awesome process and I am lucky to have gone through it because it toughened me up. Some people never struggle with food and eating, but that was never me.

My body changed overnight, and I'm not kidding. It happened so fast that clothes stopped fitting within a week of having #1,2, and 3 all working together like a rowing team. But everyday was me pushing for it. Everyday I grew out of my box by doing things that scared me, I left my comfort zone and blew up that box I had created for myself. Every workout was difficult for myself and I established a structured eating schedule. And the part of my personality that I dropped is the part that was playing small and hiding from the world. The workouts pushed me outside my box so I couldn't hide anymore. The me who thought I needed to hide inside a shell realized the sun was still shining, the birds still chirping and life still went on outside my box. Yea!

I Never Ate a Tub of Ice Cream Wearing a Fancy Dress; The Other Way To Get Skinny

Girl Crush Alert!

So does everybody have a crush on Jillian Michaels from The Biggest Loser? I used to watch The Biggest Loser religiously, for my girl crush AND because I love to be inspired by weight loss transformations. The Biggest Loser has the best weight loss transformations, and the motivation just shoots out of my TV like Mardi Gras beads on Bourbon Street. Usually by the last few episodes of a season I can pinpoint who the finalists are going to be. Don't call me psychic too quickly though, there's a method to this prediction.

The first few episodes of the season for The Biggest Loser are Debbie Downer's favorite episodes, really tough to watch. You are watching people's excuses come in full swing, and the contestants are often at their lowest, emotionally and physically; which makes things very negative.

However, just wait until the trainers (welcome, Jillian!) get to work on them and their attitudes snap from piss poor to positive and dedicated. The contestants become empowered,  through pushing past physical limits and thus they drop their "wo is me" attitude like it's a Justin Beiber CD (kinda rude but just proved my point). I can tell who has a good chance of winning because they have a dramatic shift in their personality. Suddenly, the contestants are beaming, lit up by the joy of life and trans-formative glory is happening before our eyes. The biggest mental changes = the biggest physical changes. 

Ali, My Fav contestant  (first girl to win Biggest Loser)

Two Ways Purposeful Weight Loss Happens:

A) Forced with structured eating and a dedicated workout regimen; could just be temporary if #B (below) doesn't happen - read on for more

B) Natural decrease in appetite, change in personality and/or change in physical demands, release of limitations and old thought patterns, no longer telling 'your story' from a victimization standpoint

The great part is that a lot of the time forced weight loss (A) can blossom into a natural decrease in your appetite (B) which is what happened to me. So here's what all this means: Weight loss will happen permanently and effortlessly when you have a major change in your personality. You have to be willing to disregard and or drop the part of your personality that is locking you in to your current weight/body. Weight loss is about transforming your mind and body, not just your body. There is a powerful mind body connection that can not be ignored if you want to lost weight. 

The mean voice inside your head that has been whispering cruel nothings into your ear your whole life- that BS has to go, and IMMEDIATELY. Sometimes that voice says you aren't good enough, you need protection from something/someone, you will never be loved, or you aren't worth anything. But the trick is that you have to turn off those negative thoughts because they are the thoughts drawing in to eat when you aren't even hungry. They are the emotional triggers that pull you away from reaching your goals.

Let's take a few steps back to when you were a baby. Awe. So sweet. Babies have a natural appetite, they eat when they are hungry and they stop when no longer hungry. We were ALL born like this. It's a perfect system. Babies might eat more one day and the next eat not much of anything but its perfectly calibrated for their activity expenditure and growth patterns. 

When we are having fun and doing what we want to be doing out of pure pleasure, then food stops being our go-to back-up friend. Kids can easily pass up dinner when they are building a fort with friends. Can we adults learn to make life so much fun that food doesn't draw us in emotionally? Craving foods that nourish you can come naturally if you restore your appetite by eating nutritious foods. Losing weight does not have to feel rigid, it's the opposite. Part of it all is eating the right foods. When your body is getting the vitamins and minerals it needs, it begins to calibrate to a right way of eating. Think veggies instead of dessert. 

This life is too precious for any one in the world to play small and hide away. Everyone has a unique gift to offer as we were all created with divine intent. When we are hiding behind extra weight, or hiding behind (food) addictions we can't offer that gift to the world. So, what self depreciating thoughts are you thinking right now that take away your control? Even right now are you thinking you aren't strong enough, motivated enough, smart enough, worthy enough? Weight loss is about shedding an aspect of yourself that no longer serves you. 

Something I learned in rowing class recently, is how to become comfortable with feeling uncomfortable.You are not too old, too short, too slow, too busy, too nerdy, too stinky for anything. You are plenty. You are perfect. You are just right. Your body is perfect as it is right now, it suits you for everything you are asking of it. But maybe you are ready (or close to ready) to ask more of it? When you're really ready to ask more of your body, it will step up to the plate- I guarantee it.

So what's the other way to get skinny? Ditch the part that says you can't do something because your Dad never loved you, or because you were never taught how to exercise or because your genetic coding or because you're addicted to peanut butter (guilty!) All excuses. All fear-based. All, very much needing to be kicked to the curb. If you can ditch that part of your personality and realize you have all the power, then you can fly. 

STEP #1 - STAY PRESENT: 

There's usually an autopilot mode that takes control when you aren't paying full attention to living. It's called your subconscious and it is made up of childish notions that are NOT true. Things like why bother losing weight if it takes that much work, even if I lose weight I will still have these love handles, I'll start next week when I feel less stressed- Things that you say to justify eating the food you regret later. 

Remember, your body is always in the present moment. Your hand can easily be moving the cookie into your mouth (without realizing it) when you aren't in the present moment. A prime example of this is when watching TV and eating. So, try this: sit down to eat, and only eat - no cell phone, reading material, no Netflix - NOTHING. Just you and your grub. (And avoid food when you are extremely emotional, your body likes to store that food as fat. (Read Cortisol post)) If you need help staying present, go find a kiddo to talk to, they are present 100% of the time. You can borrow one of mine if needed :)

STEP #2 - Fill this out: This is to help you discover the steps you need to reach your goals:

1. Being skinny/thin looks like: (describe in detail) _______________________________________
2. Why do I want to be skinny/thin? ___________________________________________________
3. What will change in my life when I am thin/skinny: _____________________________________
4. What will be difficult about being skinny/thin: _________________________________________
5. What changes do I have to make to reach my Happy weight:_____________________________
6. Is there something that is holding me back from my dream weight: ________________________
7. Long term fitness goal:____________________________________________________________

Here are my answers:

1. Being skinny/thin looks like: Being comfortable in your own skin, able to socialize with ease, can focus on issues instead of weight, can eat in front of others socially without feeling embarrassed, can feel beautiful and confident. Can wear clothes and not try to cover up. Weight is 125-130lbs. Clothes are not tight. 
2. To run like the wind, to do obstacle races, to be a good example to my kids, to not have to be held back from my weight
3. I will begin to focus on other issues that have been masked by my weight. I will come out of hiding. I will eat more veggies. I will not overeat in times of emotional stress.
4. Dealing with sexual attraction (this is REAL and a lot of people have this fear) and feel deprived at parties, moving forward in life without stagnation (what career is best for me)
5. More broccoli, less snacks, making "me" time a priority, staying out of my comfort zone permanently, meditation, drinking enough water, much better portion control, NO SUGAR, less alcohol
6. Staying out of my comfort zone, wondering if I am strong enough to maintain it
7. World's Toughest Mudder, 36-mile Continental Divide Hike, Run with elite runners of Spartan

STEP #3 -  Write a FOOD LOG for a day - no judgement- it's for your eyes only!

The calories column is optional - but you can use a calorie counter app if you are curious. The purpose of this is to make you accountable for what you ingest. This is so simple and POWERFUL. And easy to procrastinate. It took me months to do mine, but when I wanted to get real results, I wrote it down.  This is how you keep track of what food you are putting into your mouth, it keeps you present around food, 
you need this, trust me.

Breakfast: _________________________________  Calories __________________
                _________________________________                __________________
                _________________________________                __________________
                _________________________________                __________________
Snack       _________________________________  Calories __________________
                _________________________________                __________________
Lunch:      _________________________________  Calories __________________
                _________________________________                __________________
                _________________________________                __________________
                _________________________________                __________________
Snack:      _________________________________  Calories __________________
                _________________________________                __________________
Dinner:     _________________________________  Calories __________________
                _________________________________                __________________
                _________________________________                __________________
                _________________________________                __________________
Snack:     _________________________________                 __________________

STEP #3 - Act the part! Act as if...

1. Look in the mirror at home and declare you are staring at a sexy beast. Self-loathing is your enemy. Self-love will get you anything you want. You have tried the other way, right?  Be positive and tell yourself loving thoughts when you look in the mirror.

2. Feel attractive. If that means shopping for new clothes, then damn, let me twist your arm. You want to feel beautiful at every size, you want to show yourself that you love your figure in every shape, unconditionally, not just when you reach a certain size. Also, groom yourself - paint your pretty toes, do your hair, trim your unruly nose hairs. Show mass love to your body and your body will give it right back. I never ate a tub of ice cream wearing my most fancy dress. I ate the tub of ice cream in my jammies feeling sorry for myself. 

Hope this helps. The topic is hard to give direct advise because your comfort zone and your fears are unique for each person. I would love to help you if you wanna email me for support! Best of luck to us all in our journey. And remember, fitness is a journey - there will be hills and ponds and freakin oceans to cross but we can do it- if the desire is there to transform your body, then trust that you can make it happen. Much love!

For my before/after pics, click here for a short summary

Some before and after pics I gathered from Tumblr for your motivation. Love some transformations!

None of these are my pics thus none are me, just some sprinkling of motivation!

Related Weight Loss Posts:
Tame Your Sugar Dragon
Making Your Meat Suit Habitable 

Practice. Re-calibrating: Creating A Limitless 2015

During a New Years Day yoga class, the instructor said so many insightful things that I regretted not bringing my pen and paper to write them all down. The most important statement she made was to let go of everything that no longer serves you. Instead of busting out singing, "Let It Go!" (Frozen soundtrack) which I almost did, I really took this one to heart. What has taken place in 2014 that I need to let go of? And What do I need to look back on and appreciate? Here's my version of Resolutions:

What No Longer Serves Me: 

1. Sugar - Blood sugar instabilities do not treat me well, in fact sugar makes gets me really down on myself, not just guilt about the consumption but the chemical reaction in my body makes my self confidence dip and de-motivates me. It's a war I will always fight. Honey and maple syrup don't bother me, it's just the refined stuff. So being sugar free is a hard limit.
2. Self-loathing - If I had just a half Lululemon shirt for every time my hubby had to pull me out of my dark and gloomy hole - I'd be so well dressed you might think I was a fitness model. When I start getting down on myself  (why am I not thinner, stronger or more disciplined) I have a hard time flipping the switch back to gratitude and positive thoughts. Sometimes it takes drastic action or a swift kick to the rear to knock me back in line. No more self loathing, it never helped anyone.
3. Working out at the butt crack of dawn when I haven't slept the night before. It just makes me a stress ball the rest of the day. I prefer to get my sleep and try to make up the workout later. No guilt, just resolve to get a better nights sleep.
4. Not appreciating where I am now from where I started a year ago. It's easy to nit pick but it's harder and more rewarding to look at the big picture. I've come a long way in a year. See bragging rights below:


Three Things I'm Moving Towards:
I also am borrowing an idea for the new year from a post I recently read. Instead of listing resolutions, you write out 3 words that you want to move towards. The changes you want to see can be practiced, there can be re-calibrations, there can be changes in direction, it's not a perfect straight line. The destination is more like a tree. The trunk leads up to branches which go all different directions. My best advice is to work on what you want to be better at. Someone recently reminded me that it's a journey, not one final there and done.

1. LOVE - To give and receive LOVE without limits. My daughters have shown me how to love unconditionally and I want to give that right back. Also, to give LOVE to myself and make up for all those times I looked in the mirror and felt total rage or disappointment: I don't want to do that anymore. Love never feels bad but Self Loathing ruins everything. We are all divine, no matter what you have done or who you think you are - you are awesome! Self loathing never gets you anywhere, but love - it's a train you wanna hop on. 12 ways to love yourself NOW.

2. PRESENCE - I am so bad about lingering aimlessly inside my head rather than living in the present moment. My kids live there full time & when I let myself go there I become the happiest woman alive. The present moment has so much to offer if we pay attention. But we have to get off our cell phones, listen without judgement, and stop over thinking if we want to experience it.  A good quote I just heard was:

“If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.” - Lao Tzu  

Exercises to Help You Live in the Present - Eckhart with Oprah

3. Courage - There are so many times during a workout that I think, "I can't do this!" right before we start a Crossfit class. One of those times was to do multiple clean and jerk at 115 pounds. Those times have made me realize that I don't give myself enough credit nor do I push myself hard enough in life and thus, in the gym. Courage is something I need to practice more often in my life. 

Year 2014 Fitness in Review: A.K.A. Bragging Rights

1. Fitness milestones surpassed all over the place: flipping tires like a man, bar muscle ups, learned pistols
2. Discovery of Epsom salt baths - oh my god the relaxation hit like never before
3. Got my Crossfit Level 1 Certification - one weekend, one test, one happy girl.
4. Completed my first Tough Mudder and Spartan Sprint
5. Met some like-minded fitness enthusiasts to keep me on track with ease, you know who you are!
6. Found a sledding hill within 5 miles of my house to help survive Colorado snow storms
7. Paddle boarding for my first time in Santa Barbara

8. Hiked Pikes Peak 14er (26 miles round trip)
9. Gave up sugar - about 5 times. Each time I never looked back
10. Met Matt Chan. The Legend.



Good luck to you in giving up what no longer serves you and welcoming in what you need more of. It's about practice, dedication and constant re-calibrating. We can do it.

Birds Eye View: Landing My First Bar Muscle Up.

BIG news on the fitness front!! Got my very first bar muscle up last weekend. I had been working on bar muscle ups for a few months but had recently put this goal on the back burner because I was not making progress. Everyone said I was strong enough to do them, but I doubted them because why else could I not get up there, dangit. Then one of my friends at the gym told me he was training to get his bar muscle ups

Instantly my competitive spirit began to rush motivating blood through me. Shortly after that,  I told him that I wanted to see who could get the first muscle up. Game on! I think a lot of times you put a big goal out into the universe and you get sent exactly what you need.

What I needed was three things:

Scott. The Man.

1) One on one training - which came in the form of Crossfit Masters Games winner Scott Olson
2) Motivation to get me pumped up - like the contest I established with my friend. It could be competing in an event. There was a girl who had never done ring muscle ups, who did a big Crossfit competition and got her first muscle up, just like that.
3) Physical exhaustion to silence my over-thinking mind - I got my first muscle ups post max front squat+ heavy clean and jerks. It was after a grueling 2-hour workout that Scott Olson looked at my red, sweaty face and asked if I wanted to work on getting a muscle up. While I thought, "I'm physically pooped" there was no way I would turn down the opportunity. My first attempt with Scott, I got up there. I was shocked and elated.

The top of a muscle up - perch position

If you don't know what a muscle up is- its where you hang from a bar (a pull up bar would do) and pull yourself to the top. The skills it uses are pull ups and dips but with explosive power. You want to end up where a gymnast would perch right before a big move on the uneven bars.  Here are some of the most helpful instructional videos I watched to help me get up to the bar.

A video with one of my fav people: Matt Chan teaching efficiency tips

And when it comes to learning the technique, here's where your volume needs to be focused:

• Pull ups - Kipping and strict pull ups. I did the biggest kip of my life to get my muscle up but you also need to have the strength of strict pull ups
• Toes to bar  (kipping)- Strength and explosive power in your hips, to "pop" you to the top
• Hollow holds - Gymnastics style hollow holds. Hold for 45 seconds and repeat 3 times. You want massive core strength.
• Chest to bar pull ups - After you are good at chest to bar pull ups, then work on pulling your hips to the bar. 
• Ring dips - You need a lot of upper body strength - dips are super charged muscle builders

The most efficient (and darn right beautiful) muscle ups I've ever seen:

Mmmm Kay, When you know you are strong enough and are ready to tackle the bar muscle up - here are the most important tricks to remember:

1. Stand back a little ways from the bar so you can jump into it. I stood back about 4 feet, but you might need more if you are taller
2. Give the biggest, most powerful kip of your life
3. Pull your hips up to the bar - you want to be parallel to the floor as much as you can
4. Keep your arms straight as much as you can to maintain your strength. Bent arms will work but you might end up burning out faster and you are very likely to end up having chicken wing arms to get you up there
5. After you kip out, you will pull back and then do the fastest sit up of your life to sit over the bar. Try not to use your tummy too much because you can get injured that way but when first starting off, just do what ever it takes!

My Funniest Workout Fail Moments + A Brief Yoga Pants Comparison Guide

Someone very wise at my gym told me that wearing yoga pants is like walking around naked. Yes, indeed. This notion is both frightening and powerful depending on the day. So yoga pants have the potential to be really sexy or they can be what makes you want to run and hide out in the locker room. In fact, once I was at the gym, noticing that my yoga pants were indeed see-through and hid for a good 10 minutes in the gym to gather my courage back. This guide I hope will help you avoid that very thing from happening.

Yoga Pants Comparison

Lululemon is hands down my five star for figure flattery and functionality. While uber Pricey ($90 yoga pants) I am a believer that you get what you pay for. A fellow shopper once told me she had the same pair of Lululemon yoga pants for 16 years. I was immediately appalled and impressed. She is my mental justification every time I shop there. My booty is dedicated 100% to Lulu. They figured out where to put seams to make your rear look smoking hot. I trust their workmanship and I have never been let down. Plus the store offers free alterations on pants and tops. Their customer service is also out of this world.

Athleta - Athleta to me is like comparing a Jeep to a Porsche. Both are mighty fine vehicles to drive but one is made for manly functional rompings and one is mostly good to look at. Athleta yoga pants are great for around the house but I just don't trust them like I do Lululemon. Although, Athleta ads make me want to be rich to buy their whole store, but that's where the dream stops. Sadly, I must report failure in most pairs of their good- looking on a model yoga pants. Here's why: Every time I wear one of them I end up with Athleta assalt:

1) Sweaty butt streak down my crack- which is normal because I sweat a lot doing hot yoga and intense workouts but what I don't like is that it's visible to everyone. My butt sweat should be my business. Humph.

2) Saggy crotch. Jumping during my workouts is a given and I expect a minimal amount of downward pant-sliding, true. But Athleta gives me saggy crotch sans jumping. Now that's just rude. I don't like grabbing my pants to pull them up, it looks awkward.

3) Tight on my calfs. One Athleta pair of yoga pants requires a mini prayer every time I put them on. I am forced to ask that my Johansen-calf (monster calf muscles) will not break through the seams during a workout. Hasn't happened so far but keep my calf muscles in your thoughts.

Yoga pants to not try: Nike brand. They are made with cheap material that are heavily see-through and they never did my body any favors. Plus, the material is not made for sweat or longevity. Lululemon and Athleta nailed that part as their clothing is quick drying and their stuff lasts a long time.


Honorable mentions:  

Heard good things about Gap brand. I was told they recently changed their crotch to a new design which tends to lean toward camel toe. Ouch. So go for the old gusset. But I personally have no

experience with this brand.

Ideology- I have a pair that I wore to my first Tough Mudder and even soaked in mud, they stood the test. My biggest worry was that they would fall down with the extra weight of thick mud. However, they didn't fail me so I give them fist bumps for that. Unfortunately, they are one pair that I noticed are see-through at the gym. Just minimally but enough to make me want to wear long shirts with them.  Also, When I wore them to the gym for the first time I ran into my hubby and asked what he thought. He said, "those pants are PERFECT for a mud race." That's his nice way of saying they weren't worthy of the gym. At least he was honest, they aren't sexy, they are functional.

Biggest Workout Fail Moments so far (More to Come I'm sure!)

1st workout fail moment:  Happened when doing jumps over a barbell at my gym. I was nervous about doing this move because it requires you to make it over each jump, even when your legs are burning. I surprised myself by making the first round of 35-40 jumps then I surprised myself again when I realized my pants had fallen extremely low during the process. Like, really low. It had me walking into the corner to pull them back up & quit exposing myself. I knew when I was jumping they were falling but I had no idea how far they could go. This is where I learned an important lesson - go a size smaller if you're going to be working out like an animal. You want them tight. This is part of why yoga pants make you look naked.

Workout Fail #2:  We were doing speed tire flips where one person flips the tire & then the next person in line flips it immediately after them. We were being timed as a team. It was my turn and I was amped up and nervous that I wouldn't be able to flip it. When it was my turn, I used so much force that I blew a HUGE amount of snot, and buggers out of my nose, which rolled into my mouth. I hadn't yet flipped the tire yet though, so instead of wiping the gnarlyness away, I opted to lift on and finish the tire flip. It was sexy.

Workout Fail #3: Did a massive amount of burpees at the gym. Didn't think anything of it until I caught my reflection post workout in the locker room. Yes, my panties had bunched up like a tail and were sticking out of my workout pants. I looked like a non-sexy bunny rabbit with a black poof tail. Sometimes I think mirrors are a mistake.

Got any embarrassing moments of your own? Damn I hope so. Would LOVE to hear them!

Rudolf's Tips fo Keeping Your Weight Loss Goals Locked In

A few days ago, our family rode a magic carousal together, and my face was lit up like a Christmas tree the entire ride. I think I had more fun than both kids combined. What I told my 3-year old was a magical carousal, turned out to be just that for me. After we hopped off our horses, a man said Merry Christmas to me and I almost cried with joy. It was the first time someone told me Merry Christmas this year without me saying it first. Small victories are magic.

Do you feel amazing during the holidays or does Christmas have the opposite effect?  Sometimes, the expectation of the joy tends to land you on the grinch's front porch, frowning. Hopefully, you can let yourself feel some Christmas cheer, even a little bit! Either way, Christmas joy or not, just because it's the holidays, doesn't mean your weight loss goals go away. In fact, the holidays are when you see lots of friends and family and I think you want to feel your best more than ever? Here are some reindeer tid bits I wanted to share:

1) Be Silly. Play. On thanksgiving night, I played an aggressive game of duck, duck goose with all the kids. There was running, laughing, head bonks, falling- exactly what my body ordered. Kids are so helpful to get you off your tuckuss - the ultimate example of how our bodies could always be fulfilled with movement. Fall in love with movement too, and you will smile as big as kids do, because movement is what we were made for. Stagnation is lame, besides Facebook doesn't need anymore support.

2) It's About Your Feelings.  Feelings are powerful motivators.  If you feel fat, you will act it. If you are wearing sweat pants, haven't washed your hair and you are having a "meh" day, you're more likely to be OK with plunging face first into the ice cream. Now, erase that frump idea and change it to being dressed up and feeling sexy. When you feel like a hottie, you are much less likely to eat cake by (big) spoon full. Make sure your feelings are in line to help you make right choices. The important part is living with that feeling inside your head and holding on to it. Do whatever if takes to feel good and feel like you are losing weight. It takes drastic action sometimes. It might mean you have to eat light salads for a day or do a 16-hour fast. It takes drastic, ridgid action sometimes to get the ball rolling. Or maybe you have to go run ten miles, to feel skinny and empty; just do it. Because when you feel thin, you act thin. That's why it's easy to keep losing weight once you start. What's really tough is getting started losing weight when you feel yuck about yourself. Wayne Dyer wrote a book called WISHES FULFILLED where he dives into this topic with gusto. I listened to his audio book for free from the library. If you want the shortcut version you could try his meditation CD.

Kitchen is closed. Go drink tea or water instead.

3) If you are in the kitchen, you will be more likely to eat.
"Close the kitchen" down between meals, scream it out if you have to, "the kitchen is closed!" Avoid the kitchen when you feel strong negative emotions. I have an issue with eating my emotions: loneliness, fear, feeling overwhelmed, boredom- those emotions inside my body make me want to eat sweets. You don't want to do that because it means you are not really living, instead you are just hiding. It's no way to live. If you feel uneasy, don't eat. Food, like alcohol and drugs - can be used abusively. Stop using food, instead get outside and walk- clear your head, even if its cold-as balls. Or go lay down and listen to some subliminal messages for overeating, even take deep breaths like you haven't breathed in years. Feel your emotions with something other than food. We don't all feel incredible all the time, but we don't have to try to make tough emotions go away. The emotions are suppose to be felt, feel them. An article about sugar. Read this for help also.

4) Nix the Nibbles with Oil Pulling:
If you are the cook - or you can't close the kitchen down, I recommend oil pulling. This is beneficial if you have a problem with your hand putting food into your mouth while cooking. I realized oil pulling is the best way to prevent me from nibbling. It requires that you swoosh coconut oil in your mouth for 20 minutes; you can't talk while you do it, which means you can't munch either. This does not work if you are entertaining guests obviously but I do it with my kids and tell them ahead of time that "mommy can't talk right now." (grinning while I write this)

5) Water burns fat.  If you can chug down a gallon of water a day, you will notice amazing benefits; like no headaches, less cravings for food, no puffiness and lots more energy. I felt changes from day one and I saw HUGE visual differences in 3 days. During this, I got to eat all my normal foods. Do this after dessert or even just to get rid of bloating from eating random foods that don't agree with your digestive tract. You really just need water. I did this water challenge for two weeks. But the most important part was just water.  Plus, a water detox is cheap, it's almost free. I recommend buying a gallon of spring water from the store ($1) and you can reuse the bottle or buy several to keep you going. Measurable goals like this make a big difference. Remember, water flushes out fat. Soda makes you fat, it's simple if you let it be.

This is why you can't lose weight

I hope this helps for your Holiday season, even if you don't make any changes, just sit with some of the ideas for now. Maybe you aren't ready to make changes yet, and that's OK. Maybe you just needed a few more tools in your arsenal and now this article gave them to you- woo hoo! Either way, Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays. I wish you all the best in your journey.