tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90859481984417887122024-03-12T15:38:43.908-07:00Track. Move. Never Give Up.Lanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10761200028519632876noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085948198441788712.post-73416991864181528012012-02-19T07:24:00.000-08:002012-02-19T07:24:12.414-08:00AmygdalaI am fascinated by the brain. Learning how it works is amazing and makes me feel normal. Seth Godin wrote a book called Linchpin where he talks about the Amygdala as our "Lizard brain". It's role is our survival. This part of our brain wants to take charge whenever possible. Unlike other animals we have advanced brain capabilities that allow us to think and reason in order to do more than just survive, to make progress and thrive.<br />
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These two parts of our brains (this is a huge oversimplification by the way) do battle when it comes to eating. You've experienced it. As a member explained to me this week, "I was eating the ice cream and kept thinking, 'why am I doing this?'", it sometimes feels like we're at war with ourselves. The lizard brain is only concerned with the moment - comfort right now, who cares about later.<br />
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One way to quiet the lizard brain is to keep junk food out of your environment. You know from experience that if it's there you'll eventually eat it - all of it - until it's gone. When it's gone, the urgency subsides. <br />
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The conflict is between what feels good now (the lizard brain) and what we ought to do to get what we really want in the future. Think about it and find ways to tame your amygdala.Lanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10761200028519632876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085948198441788712.post-6787763896638937112012-01-31T05:54:00.000-08:002012-01-31T05:54:35.212-08:00Join the PTAI started a new club. You know I love a group of people working together on a goal. The goal of the PTA is weight loss and nutrition by making every bite count.<br />
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The P stands for Power Foods. These are the healthy nutritious foods - the ones our bodies need. They include fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and non-fat dairy products. You'll find greater satisfaction when you eat power foods, not to mention good health from the vitamins and minerals they contain. Focus on power foods and you'll be more satisfied with fewer calories.<br />
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The T is for time. We are in such a rush that eating is often wedged in and around other activities. As a club member you will slow down. Sit at a table with your food on a plate. Eat one bite at a time, releasing the fork while chewing. This is probably a new habit for most of you. Give it a try and see how you feel.<br />
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A is for attention. Are you distracted while you eat? Do you watch TV, read, drive etc. while gobbling something you quickly threw together so you can get on to the next thing? In the PTA we give attention to food. Visual satisfaction is key to physical satisfaction. The more senses we give to an activity, the more satisfying it is. This will be hard because you may have linked activities with eating for so long that it's a habit that triggers you to eat. Breaking the connection will free you from mindless eating. Look at your food, smell it and really taste all the lovely flavors. <br />
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Do you want to join the PTA?Lanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10761200028519632876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085948198441788712.post-66518551570804450372012-01-20T06:16:00.000-08:002012-01-20T06:16:38.105-08:00Fight<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">What are you willing to do to lose weight and keep it off? You're going to have to fight for it. There are many forces at work to keep you stuck in your old habits. Many ways you can lose your will to battle on. Today you will face the enemy - how will you handle it? </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Here's an idea - meet the enemy on your terms. Don't invite trouble into your home. Gather your allies around you. Fruit, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and low fat dairy. Peel them, slice them, grill them - prepare them for battle! When hunger strikes you'll be ready!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">My battle plan today? I'll only eat from a plate while sitting at a table. Will it take guts and determination? Yes indeed - but I'm ready for the fight! How about you?</div>Lanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10761200028519632876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085948198441788712.post-11776773858987405182012-01-18T06:01:00.000-08:002012-01-18T06:03:31.457-08:00Why?Someone gave up on losing weight yesterday. Said they couldn't get the "feeling" back. You know how it is - it's hard to lose weight - it can be discouraging. Sometimes you just want to give up and eat whatever you want and not have to think about being healthy. But look down the road a bit - where does the giving up road lead? Is that really where you want to go?<br />
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I could never master not caring that I was overweight. There is something in us that wants to achieve - to be our best and I couldn't find a way to turn that off. How about you? Is today the day you fight to be your best self? <br />
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Try this - find a 3x5 card or piece of paper - every hour write down a reason you want to be healthy and fit. Why? Why will it be worth the effort? Recommit to your best self, hour by hour. It will be easy in the morning hours but will be more challenging as the day wears on. When you're ready to grab something crazy - go to your list and fight for what you really want. Make a long and detailed list of why it will be worth eating vegetables when you want a cookie. Why it will be worth it to go for a walk when you want to plop on the couch. What is your why?Lanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10761200028519632876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085948198441788712.post-22738885538461031412012-01-15T07:54:00.000-08:002012-01-15T07:54:03.146-08:00Don't openSo sorry I've been neglecting this blog. I've been preoccupied with the move to the new Concord Center and organizing the housewarming event yesterday. It's been a whirlwind of a week! The new center is beautiful and state of the art. I love seeing happy WW members in cool green chairs! Now back to blogging.<br />
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It all started with graham crackers - a moment of enlightenment. It's something I've known for awhile but I was reminded of again this morning. If a package is open - the contents are eaten until they're gone. If it's open on the counter, the thought of eating them comes every time you walk by. Here is a brief tutorial on handling graham crackers (or any other treat you might find hard to control).<br />
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1. Don't put the box in your shopping cart.<br />
2. If you buy it put it in the garage.<br />
3. If it's in the house, put it at the back of the cabinet, under something.<br />
4. Don't open the box.<br />
5. If the box is open, don't open the package - - and for heavens sake, don't make chocolate frosting....<br />
6. If the package is open, put it in a ziploc bag with the Pointsplus value written on it.<br />
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There you go - may I say I am currently on step 3 and planning to do step 2 as soon as I go downstairs. Step 5 is where I fell apart - the empty wrapper is in the garbage....<br />
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Learn from my experience! Don't open!Lanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10761200028519632876noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085948198441788712.post-41013885453471493172012-01-10T05:47:00.000-08:002012-01-10T05:47:14.303-08:00Perspective<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><img alt="41F317A218134E47812D99102B15388D@morris" height="1378" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=8fa242113d&view=att&th=134c0bb207ac376e&attid=0.1&disp=emb&zw" width="500" /></span></div></div>Lanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10761200028519632876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085948198441788712.post-3380333850149318402012-01-03T07:33:00.000-08:002012-01-03T07:33:35.743-08:00NewA New Year!! How exciting! For as long as I can remember I made "lose weight" my new years resolution. It always started with "I'm never" or "I'll always". I'd try to string together perfect days. It ended in failure. I'd have to wait another 364 days to start again with my goal. It was crazy making. I made unrealistic plans and then beat myself up when I inevitably failed. <br />
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If you find yourself in this position today, on the third day of 2012, it's time to make a new kind of resolution. The only goal you need is to Never Give Up! Hour after hour, day after day - just keep doing what you need to do to have the life you want. Getting up when you stumble - examining the "rock" that tripped you up so you can throw it off your path and move on. Now that is a new years resolution you can keep.Lanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10761200028519632876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085948198441788712.post-56863435349430202652011-12-30T07:17:00.000-08:002011-12-30T07:17:09.152-08:00Start?2012 begins in just a few hours. I love a new year, it feels like there's magic in January 1st. The truth is that there's magic in the way you think. Do you plan to start being healthier in 2012? Remember the only purpose of starting is to finish. You might fail. In fact you will. Not all the time but more than you'd like. We'll work together to learn from those very important failures, because the only real failure is giving up.<br />
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Will you start? Come to your Weight Watchers meeting this week and you'll finish 2012 healthier and happier. Come on - Start!! (or just keep on going if you never gave up!!)Lanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10761200028519632876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085948198441788712.post-73862422363605738592011-12-29T08:16:00.000-08:002011-12-29T08:16:58.937-08:00NormalThis time of year I begin longing for normal days. With the fun, excitement and stress of the holidays - not to mention the treats - comes a bit of overload about now. Soon you can get back to healthy habits and see the scale resume it's downward motion. <br />
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Remember the joy of normal days and prepare to use them to make your dreams come true!Lanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10761200028519632876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085948198441788712.post-11013792164189115172011-12-27T06:31:00.000-08:002011-12-27T06:31:33.093-08:00The AnswerLast week a member mentioned that she had considered not coming to the meeting. She'd had a rough week and didn't think the scale would be down. After considering skipping "just one" meeting she said to herself, "That is not the answer". She came to the meeting and the smile on her face reflected the power of that decision. <br />
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If we pay attention we'll learn from past patterns that didn't work for weight loss. When the question is how can I lose weight and keep it off, the answer is go to a Weight Watcher meeting every week. Keep working on change and never give up!<br />
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See you in the meeting room!Lanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10761200028519632876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085948198441788712.post-27948995820702093752011-12-21T06:48:00.000-08:002011-12-21T06:48:23.479-08:00Today?This time of year is so challenging for weight watcher members. The best of intentions wither away in the face of all those goodies. Exercise your power to control your destiny. You decide what you want to do, even when it's hard. How about tracking today? Try simply filling today? Move a little more today? Say no to treats you didn't plan for today?<br />
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Prove what you're made of today - amaze yourself!!Lanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10761200028519632876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085948198441788712.post-47242853535001901982011-12-12T08:04:00.000-08:002011-12-12T08:04:27.929-08:00VoicesI read about health, fitness and weight loss - a lot. The more I study, the more I'm convinced that there is great confusion about what to do. To muddy up the waters, many "experts" are trying to sell us something. It's no wonder people get frustrated and head for the nearest drive-thru! After five years of helping people lose weight and having successfully maintained a 65 pound weight loss myself, I've learned a few things from experience. Over the next few posts I'll share what I've found it takes to lose weight and more importantly have a healthy lifestyle.<br />
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I'll start with sugar. There are voices out there saying that sugar is poison and the root of all our obesity issues. We all know that sugar is not that great for our bodies but we also know that it makes treats taste delicious. When we discuss a healthy lifestyle it includes some celebrations and sweet treats are a great way to celebrate. It seems unrealistic to suggest that we will never have another cookie, brownie or piece of pie - that would leave no reason to live! Just kidding, but many wonderful memories include food and I'm not willing to give that up. The key is to limit sugar.<br />
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Here are a few suggestions:<br />
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1. Keep it out of your environment except for planned special occasions.<br />
2. Limit portions - remove leftovers (see number 1)<br />
3. Only eat things you love - be discerning in your choices.<br />
4. Savour every bite - treats gobbled down with guilt are no treat at all.<br />
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Add your own experience and you'll have a plan that will allow you to enjoy treats and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Christmastime is a great time to practice your plan to manage sugar in a new way. You decide what works for you - your voice is the only one that matters.Lanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10761200028519632876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085948198441788712.post-19961894203919685422011-12-07T05:52:00.000-08:002011-12-07T05:52:23.605-08:00Plan?Do you have a plan for this healthy day? You've heard the old saying, "Fail to plan, plan to fail". Without a plan days, then years go by without much progress toward your dreams. It takes a minute to think it through but that minute can make a world of difference. The problem with a plan is that often we fall short, which can lead to frustration and giving up. Think about it though, if you carry out even a small portion of your plan you'll see progress. Much more progress than if you had no plan at all.<br />
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Start today with a new habit of planning. Choose a time that will work consistently. Is it early morning just as the day begins or before you go to bed? Plan aggresively - reach beyond your grasp and then get excited about any movement in that direction. Keep perfectionism out of the process. Sit down and chart your course and then move confidently in the direction of your dreams! Today is the best time to start!Lanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10761200028519632876noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085948198441788712.post-55178668321008351252011-12-04T11:29:00.000-08:002011-12-04T11:29:38.444-08:00FocusDecember is a time when many people postpone their efforts to eat healthy and exercise. No doubt it is a busy time and there are special foods around every corner. This can make it challenging to lose weight but it also offers the perfect opportunity to learn, change and yes, even lose weight!<br />
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If you're willing to focus, just a little, you can gain insights that aren't so clear at other times of the year. For example, I went to a lovely dinner party last night. I had a plan for the meal and thankfully the portions were reasonable and the food was delicious and healthy. Even the dessert was light. What I hadn't anticipated was the bowls that came out as we were sitting around the table relaxing after the meal. I won't trigger you with the specifics, but the nuts and candies flowed freely.<br />
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My plan going forward is to abstain from after dinner treats. I certainly wasn't hungry and the Points of those treats could easily have equaled the meal - not worth it.<br />
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Let's focus my friends. Learn as you go and you'll have great tools to use in January when weight loss gets a lot easier. What have you learned from December thus far?Lanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10761200028519632876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085948198441788712.post-1685550999059492232011-11-30T07:15:00.001-08:002011-12-01T07:14:08.160-08:00Eat Vegetables- Lose Weight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="p1">Now that you've cleared the junk out of your house, it's time to take the next step and get some good stuff ready to go!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/DAoulqP8z08?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Lanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10761200028519632876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085948198441788712.post-48297686218599856422011-11-29T06:22:00.000-08:002011-11-29T07:34:43.659-08:00Will you?If you want to lose weight you have to get the junk out of your house, car, desk etc. I learned this (again) at Thanksgiving. We had fudge stripe cookies in the house to make a little turkey table decoration that is traditional for our family. I love these cookies - we ate through the first package so I had to buy another. Knowing that I don't choose to control myself when they're around, I asked Dave to hide the second box of cookies - which he did. At one point, like a crack addict I started looking for the cookies. Thankfully he hid them well and the feeling passed but I was reminded that it's so important to keep junk food out of my life.<br />
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Now I know you want to encourage your children to have the same food issues that you struggle with (wink, wink) but if you're serious about losing weight, it starts here. If you can't throw the junk away then at least put it somewhere out of sight. I suggest taking it to the garage. During the course of your day you'll learn what calls to you when you're tired or emotional or trying to put off an unpleasant task. Notice I didn't say hungry? Learn which foods are most dangerous and vow to keep them out of your shopping cart and out of your house. If you're compelled to go to the garage and get a snack you can be sure that food is keeping you from a healthy life. <br />
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Did I mention that weight loss takes hard work? Yes you'll have to deal with life instead of manipulating feel good hormones with junk food. It will be worth the effort. Don't let junk rob you of what you want most. Today make a change - Will you?Lanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10761200028519632876noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9085948198441788712.post-38025676149812646642011-11-27T09:00:00.000-08:002011-11-27T17:04:45.893-08:00Refresh!I had one of those moments this morning. I stepped on the scale to check the Thanksgiving damage... Immediately I began the negative - geesh Lanette! Here we go again - why can't you control yourself! As I moved closer to that ledge of self-deprecation a new thought came to mind. Instead of being annoyed that I had yet another "slap in the face moment", I can be thrilled that I've got another chance to get back on track. I can Refresh!! <br />
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I found this ancient Chinese proverb yesterday: "If you continue your current direction, you'll get where you're going." Don't you love how life lines up to teach us lessons? If you don't like your current direction, you can change it - refresh - back to the course that brings health, happiness and contentment.<br />
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Don't beat yourself up because you have to lose those same pounds again. Be overjoyed that you have the power to change direction and that you're ready to do it. The sooner you refresh, the better. When you find that your direction is taking you where you don't want to go - refresh - back to the healthy lifestyle you love. Do it again and again, you can't possibly refresh too much. Every day - every hour - every minute provides a new chance to change the course of your life. Won't you join me? Refresh!!Lanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10761200028519632876noreply@blogger.com2