Getting Into Results and Out of Stagnation-Part 2

If you've tried to take action towards sustained weight management only to always feel as if you're not getting anywhere, then you're not alone. Real, measurable action is hard to initiate let alone sustain. But as already discussed in the previous Part 1 installation of Getting Into Results and Out of Stagnation, taking action to bring about results is possible. We've already discussed some of the ways taking action can become less daunting, and more doable. Here are a few more suggestions:

-Regardless of what you want to change, focus first on Self-Care and always be kind to yourself though the process.

-Ask for help. Too often we think we can do things alone. When change is scary you must seek and embrace any help you can find from trusted individuals. Know that although action will be required of you to make change happen, focus most on what you want the end result to be ultimately rather than each stage along the way.

-Start making task lists to get you organized on all the things you need. I've found that a simple chalk board placed at a spot which is frequently visited and seen, like near the microwave or next to your bedroom or bathroom mirror or an office desk, works well. A chalk board forces you to get through the tasks because you really need to make more room on the board and the only way to do that is to erase “completed” tasks.

-Focus on holistic approaches to change. If you want to change your body incorporate things which grow your mind and soul.


To Your Enjoyable and Guilt-Free Food Experiences,

5 Tips To Make Everyday Gratitude Easy

Having gratitude can often feel like a cliche to many. The first inclination may be to say, "Off course I know that I should be grateful for what I have"-food, clothes, shelter etc. But often times most of us forget to be grateful. Gratitude is much more than a phrase of thanks giving, it is a powerful, easy tool to reduce stress and keep a focus on the things you want to achieve like weight management and other food related goals and other life goals.

It is said that "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others" Cicero.


Five ways to bring in gratitude more often in your daily living include:

1. Be in the moment always. Remember that the only time that you are truly physically living is now, and therefore it is only there that your power lies. Find one thing in that moment to be grateful for. It could as simple as being able to watch your favorite sitcom on TV or use your fingers.

2. Look around you. Often times we walk through our daily routines blindly, engrossed with our own thoughts, worries, and mental To Do Lists etc. It therefore becomes easy to ignore the things of simple beauty around us. For example instead of jogging with debilitating thoughts of the number of miles you need to run today to burn those doughnut calories from the previous day, notice a tree or pond or flowers,a bright sky, your good health etc.

3. Say "Thank You" often. These simple two words have much power, and when we use them often in our interactions with others, our children, our family, etc, that regular act can change our perspective. "Thank You" is the ultimate gratitude proclamation.

4. Write it down. If you feel remembering to be grateful throughout the day is not something you may be able to keep up with, then a good idea is to put it on paper ( at least 5 things). You can do this either in the morning to start your day off good or in the evening before bed. A good way to simplify this process is to choose things to be grateful for in one category in your life at a time eg. five things to be grateful about my home, my family, my city, my wife/husband, my body etc.

5. Say it either mentally or out loud just before going to sleep. Saying a few things you're grateful for just before going to sleep is a good substitute for the usual worry thoughts that may be part of your normal bedtime ritual. It can also set you up for more relaxed sleep and comforting dreams.

Here are two great videos on gratitude. One is from the Gratidudes presenting a great way to show gratitude through the quirky "Gratitude Dance". The other is set to the song "Thankful" by Josh Groban. Enjoy!












To Your Enjoyable and Guilt-free Food Experiences,

The Top Self-Improvement Books to Kick Start Your Goals for The New Year

As a new year and a new decade begins, many of us have new goals and resolutions in place, and we need all the help we can get to keep motivated and inspired to experience the positive results we are working towards. There are so many personal development books out there that it can be challenging to filter out the best ones. And even though you already have even 20 books on your wish list that you’ve either had recommended to you or you’ve researched, each could take you hours to get through. Philosopher’s Notes has addressed this by offering the opportunity for you to read or listen to 100 of the top Self-Development, Success, and Self-Improvement books available.

The books depict top authors in the field like Wayne Dyer, Eckhart Tolle, Jack Canefield, Louise Hay and more. The cool thing about it is that each book entry is a shortened version either in a 6-page report or a 20 minute audio with the major points, ideas, core lessons and principles conveyed in each book. Think of it as Cliff Notes for Self-Help books.

In short, you get the take home message and teaching principles of the book, so you can get what it is that you need to learn from it in the easiest way. This format allows you to get right to the life changing part of the book without needing to get through the entire book first. Plus it costs a lot less than buying 100 books. And if you do decide to purchase some of the books on your own, they are likely to be the books you really resonate with. Often times, we can delay reading a book because we figure we don’t have the time to read through it. But the desire for success, increased happiness, fulfillment, and overall wellness still remains even though we procrastinate. The Philosophers Notes are like bite-size jolts of wellness.


To Your Enjoyable and Guilt-free Food Experiences,

5 Reasons To Have A Fun Exercise Routine That You Can Absolutely Love

Don’t we all want to exercise in a way that doesn’t have us expending a quarter of the day at the gym when we have already expended three quarters of it on work and family? Or perhaps you are just not a morning person like me, and the idea of getting up 5am every morning before work to jog in the park or go to the gym might be too much for you. And don’t even get me started on those winter mornings!
Shouldn’t exercise be sweet, fun and fit into our schedule?

From my personal experience, I have found squeezing in minutes of exercise in inventive ways have been more effective than hours at the gym. I am on a constant quest to find exercise alternatives that are fun, simple, and effective. I know there are many who would probably keep to an exercise routine if it met the above criteria.

Convince yourself now that exercise ought to be fun. Here are some reasons to support that notion:

1. Exercise on its own has been found to be a stress reducer, but when it is fun too, your heart is truly into it. This can be a true soul booster and you really feel the euphoria from the experience.

2. Fun in exercise fuels long-term desire.It puts you in the mode of wanting to do the activity which you find fun and enjoyable. Therefore you do it more often.

3. It is easier to solicit the involvement of family, friends etc. to become part of a fitness activity that is fun and enjoyable. Eg. Bicycling, playing basketball in the backyard with the kids, playing volleyball on the beach, going salsa dancing or taking a salsa class with the spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend.

4. It can open the door to like-minded people who help support you in your efforts to incorporate unconventional forms of exercise into your life.

5. Your exercise space is more likely to be in a 'non-exercise' environment such as your home, a dance studio, the beach, the park, your backyard etc. Therefore this removes the mindset of having to be in 'exercise-mode' as you would be in a gym for example; plus you are surrounded with the familiarity of your home, family, dog or whatever resonates comfort for you.

When you exercise for fun, you are there to be in enjoyment of the activity and this is the primary focus. In fact it's not exercise at all. It is just something you love doing.


The hardest part is getting ourselves to start somewhere, and often we may feel that if we can’t do the whole, long routine then we can’t do anything period. But it doesn’t have to be all or nothing with exercise. Anything that you can do gets your body working, and helps to build your motivation. So make it sweet, easy and fun always! Now there’s a new concept.

Do in Order To Become Inspired...Then Do More.

At this time of year many of us are inspired to make Resolutions and Declarations of things that we intend to accomplish in 2009. With these general statements, we enter the new year with a new sense of vigor and a true call for real action. There is a great deal of inspiration and a sense of empowerment.

We start out ready to act, and hope that we can stay inspired and focused enough to keep the momentum going. But the decision itself and your conviction are not enough. I feel that waiting for conviction and inspiration, we never do anything or we give up the moment we don't 'feel' it anymore. So in this sense, it is true that "inspiration seldom generates action" or at least consistant action. Even if the goal is to be more inspired, this itself requires concrete action to get you to that state.

Doing when you don't feel like doing is sometimes an important way to keep inspired about a goal or resolution. Just think of a time when the last thing you wanted to do was smile, but you physically forced the smile perhaps after thinking of a cute puppy or something or someone pleasant. You didn't need to wait until you felt better or witnessed something funny to smile. However, taking action to 'fake it' may well have gotten you to a better feeling state even if you may not have been feeling your best.

The initial month or two of the year will most certainly test the strength of the changes you hope to make and stick with for 2009 and beyond. When it comes to food related goals, choose to incorporate the Non-Dieter Mindset principle of Being Unconventional. Do it your way and be open to adjusting your resolutions/goals to suit the changing tides of your life. After all, change is the only constant; it's just inevitable. Knowing that you're not bounded to the original form of a resolution or goal can make action towards it feel less constraining. Resolutions are too general and constricting anyway.

In terms of nutrition related goals , make the idea of fun a guiding and integral element. For example, with healthy eating the statement "I am trying foods from different cultures and experimenting with at least 4 new cuisines" or "I am shopping at a Natural/Organic Food Grocer" sounds more like something you may take action towards in the long run than if you were to simply say "I am eating healthier".

Remember that in real life, eating healthier often takes a backseat to eating enjoyably. People often say that they want to eat healthy, but if the food sucks they seldom stick to the 'healthy' plan. Trying foods from different cultures will certainly make your eating experiences more enjoyable while expanding on the number of healthy food choices made available to you.

Set actual objectives. Because these are specific and measurable outcomes, they put you in a constant action mode. Plus they cut a big and daunting goal into bite-size tasks you can better handle. By being specific, you make yourself more accountable. How many different foods do you want to try and by when? Write a list of ethnic restaurants to visit or a new recipe to try and set a time frame. Which Natural/Organic Food Store will you visit and how often per week or month? It might seem like a little more effort, but it eliminates vagueness which is a precursor to non-action.

Thinking that inspiration is always going to be available at will or you are always going to be enthusiastic about change is quite a misunderstanding. That's the main reason I feel so many well intentioned goals and resolutions get thrown in the bucket within a short time. People may feel that not having inspiration means that they probably don't want what they thought they wanted after all or they are not strong enough for it or they can't do it. Sometimes, however, taking responsibility for your own inspiration means that you may have to, as the saying goes, "Fake it Until You Make It". In the end taking any positive action, regardless of how small, truly brings about inspiration and results.



**I wish all of you a joyous and marvelous New Year and wonderful, fulfilling and healthful eating experiences always.

Exercise and Positive Affirmations

I love whenever I discover a new twist on an activity which otherwise is pretty regular. Take for example, exercise, which can at times seem repetitive and routine. How can an exercise regimen be made more enjoyable and effective?

Well this week I came across an exercise workout called IntenSati which combines exercise with positive affirmations that are said out loud. Affirmations are positive statements of truth. They are essentially commands you say over and over, which proclaim a desired feeling or outcome. If you’ve ever used affirmations you will be familiar with how powerful they can be in putting you in a positive state of mind. Even if you may not see the affirmation as totally true at first, the point is to claim what your want to feel or experience instead of waiting around for it to magically appear. The other purpose is to take control of your thoughts instead of allowing your mind to go wild as is usually its tendency.

The concept of the IntenSati workout is to get your mind supercharged with positive words and statements in other to supercharge the workout. This is an intense aerobic workout. Examples of affirmations that can be used are “I am strong now”, “I am energized”, “I have all the power”, “I am focused” etc. Although the DVD is still on my wish list, I love the concept of it so much that I decided to try to incorporate it in my morning workout using some affirmative statements throughout. My workout felt like it had been cut in half, and I felt more energy during some of the more physically demanding segments of the workout. The concept of exercise with affirmations appeared to be quite effective.

So if you are one who is open to this kind of thing, maybe this new twist on exercising might be for you. Check out the video to get a taste of IntenSati.

Why Having Self-Made Qualities Can Keep You On Top of Your Nutrition & Overall Ambitions

Many times when the word self-made is used, it usually refers to someone who has achieved financial success through their own ambitious efforts. But I believe that qualities which make a person self-made can be applied to any area-from money to health to career to personal pursuits.

To me personally, self-made means deciding to break away from the mold defined by everybody else and the comfort it provides. It defines self-empowerment, and I truly believe that we are all self-made. I think we just become lost in the noise and information we encounter every time we turn on the television, put on the radio, go to work, or pick up the phone. All of these demand your attention, but can stifle your own individual voice, so that something like quitting a job to pursue a dream or learning a skill without a class or loosing weight without a diet plan seem so outrageous.

Being self-made doesn’t mean that when you break away from the pack, you settle on a deserted island. But it does give you the luxury of tuning into yourself without all the noise, so that you choose the things around you which really do apply to you, and filter out those which do not. For example, being a non-dieter, where you choose to relate to food in a non-combative, non-anxious way; while in the midst of a largely food phobic society, can be a daunting pursuit.

You can however make the process less daunting if you embrace these qualities:

Shear Individualism:
When you choose to do things differently you have to be comfortable in being alone with yourself. This doesn’t refer to physical isolation necessarily, although at times you do need to separate from the noise and contrary information coming from those around you, to hear your own information.

Practices like meditation, yoga, reading relevant books on self-improvement and on your subject of interest, and quiet hobbies like jewelry making, gardening, painting etc. can help you maintain your personal focus. I'm always willing to try almost anything that will help keep me focused. These practices are also important at strengthening you mentally, so that when faced with resistance from those who don’t agree with or understand what you are doing, you stay steadfastly on track.


Passion & Belief:
When you’re focused on doing and succeeding at anything on your own terms, you must be certain that it’s really something you feel strongly about. When you’re riding on an unpopular or uncommon path, enthusiasm is crucial, because before anybody else, you have to convince yourself that this can and will work. It’s very easy to get back on the barn wagon with everybody else when we don’t truly feel the excitement and sense in what we are doing.


Attitude:
Another name for attitude is mindset. Because a mindset is fixed into you mental image, it allows you to better stay focused and to be true to whatever is your core belief. A positive and optimistic attitude can help you to keep your passion and belief strong even with unexpected hurdles along your self-made journey.


Seeking Like-Mindedness:
In being self-made it is helpful to find like-mindedness in people and resources which serve to reinforce your view point and allow you to grow. It may be a book, an article, a blog post, an email or a conversation with a person who shares similar aspirations. Total immersion and focus are crucial to being self-made and anything or anyone contrary to what you’re focused on can put you off track fast.

But if you're truly self-made you're already the kind of person who makes nothing stand in their way. That essential quality defines you as a non-dieter and someone with a healthy attitude towards the food you eat, your health, and your overall well being.