Shrinking or Shining?

I have recently become the proud personal trainer for a wonderful woman named Sara. She is blogging and twittering her ups and down along her journey to lose 100lbs. Now, as much as I want to see Sara free from her extra weight, everything in me wants start out by saying...NO! It isn't about shrinking...it's about shining!

It takes a bold person to lay out her entire process of life-change for the whole world to see. That's not shrinking...that's letting your light shine! What if all of us started getting more real about our struggles, triumphs, failures, and victories? If you want extra support to help you reach your weight loss goals, follow these tips:

1) Follow a twitter dieter to learn great tips, tricks, and to follow along in the weight loss ups and downs. AOL health is currently following 24 dieters.
2) Read other great bloggers who talk about boosting your body image and self-confidence. My top 2 favorites are Dara Chadwick, who writes about the statement "You's be so pretty if...", and, Back in Skinny Jeans.
3) Get involved with a community of women:

• Invite women over to share your favorite health recipes, or, better yet, plan a cooking extravaganza one day a month for healthy freezer meals.
• Join a local training group. My favorite running group in the Northwest Denver area is The Solepepper F.I.T. club. All levels are welcome and Erin is so positive you can't help but want to laugh even while you run.
• Get real. If you aren't ready to tell the world about your process and want a more intimate setting with some direction and small group accountability on exercise, nutrition, and embracing a positive body image, you will find it at the 8 week Downer to Dynamite series. Semi-private classes are starting in June.
• Stay real. Tell at least a few friends our family members what you are doing. We all need support, especially when we are trying to change something that is a long-time habit like overeating or lack of exercise.
  

“Love is all around you, love is there in your laughter, in your hair, love flows everywhere. Love is older than you but the light shining through makes me see your love is all new.”-anonymous

Let your love for yourself and others SHINE!

Take 5 on Mindless Eating

Have you ever wondered in mid-bite (or maybe later, when your pants are a little snug after a big meal) why we eat what we eat, and why we think we need certain types or amounts of food?

Mindless eating is an American pastime.

Food will not fill any void other than physical, bodily hunger. It won't love you back, it won't fill your heart with love, it ultimately won't change your mood (at least not in the long term). YOU change your mood and YOU decide what is best for you because YOU are smart and are worthy of loving yourself. Even if the kids and family and work all seem to come first, you still get to decide that YOU are on the list.

It helps to start living more in the moment, and choosing to let the moment fill you up with joy and gratitude rather than using food to escape or fill a void you might feel. Celebrate with hugs, music, pictures, jokes, stories, listening, and being present. Put the food/drink down and simply notice. Food is not the occasion!

To overcome mindless eating, it helps to have some guidelines,
My challenge to you is to "take 5":
1) Eat 5 small meals a day (small is relative, but most snacks=100-150cals, meals=400-800cals)
2) Get 5 fruit and veggie servings within your 5meals/day
3) Maintain total calorie intake at 500cals less than what you mindlessly eat for weight loss
4) Take 5min at the start of each day to meditate, read a healthy affirmation, or write about gratitude for the changes occurring in your body
5) Workout at least 5 days per week

These 5 goals are not impossible to meet, it just takes being very intentional.

You should not feel hungry. Eat when you are hungry, and STOP when you are full. Stopping when you are full and waiting until you really are hungry is hard, and it may not serve you at first to eat the 5 small meals if you are really paying attention to hunger and fullness. Still, do your best to keep yourself from getting ravenous...that's why the small meals work.

If you can start thinking and living this way...you have won!!