New Year’s resolutions have to be backed with continued effort and support to be achieved.  If your New Year’s resolution has to do with weight loss, healthier eating, or more exercise, then set yourself up for success.  Commit yourself to success by getting support and guidance.  Don’t feel badly about reaching out for help.  We are all somehow interconnected and God does work through everyday people.  If you really want to reach your goals, then pray for guidance and pray for the strenght to follow that guidance!

‘Tis the season (to gain weight)…but does it have to be that way?  Maintaining motivation during the holidays can be difficult, especially when you find yourself at a holiday party, cookie swap, or family gathering at every turn.  Is it even worth trying to maintain your weight this month, knowing the worst of it is yet to come?  Yes!  Focus on the things you CAN do this holiday season instead of letting the overwhelming temptations that surround you lead you to give up completely.  You can still control what you buy at the grocery store and what you bring into your home.  You can still control what foods you prepare for yourself and/or your family on days that don’t include a special gathering.  Maintain as much of your normal healthy routine as possible to counterbalance all of the extras over the next few weeks.  It will make a difference, and may even make the difference of several pounds.  Do what you can.  It doesn’t have to be all or nothing this year.    

What parts of the holidays make you happy?  Being with family, buying presents, receiving presents, humming along to holiday tunes?  Does holiday food ever make you feel happy?  If so, this is a great time to think about the emotional ties you have to certain foods.  Knowing your tendencies can be helpful in boosting your awareness of what and why you eat during the holidays.  Especially this time of year, food can hold almost magical powers, transcending us to childhood or to a time that we shared with someone who may no longer be here.  Recognize that these memories and these emotions may tend to override our logic when it comes to making healthful food choices.  If there are certain foods on your danger list for these reasons, then go ahead and admit it.  Knowing yourself and engaging in self-management is the first step to successful weight-management.  Avoid bringing these types of foods into your house if you know that it will be impossible to resist the temptation once faced with the decision.  

Thank you Paula, for your comment.  You are right.  You do deserve it.  You deserve to be happy, to be fulfilled, to be healthy, and to be successful.  Set your mind on what you want, and then follow-through with actions that will take you to your goal.  Ask yourself (every day) what it is you are striving for.  If you want to lose weight, then give yourself that gift.  If you want to enjoy the tastey pleasures that life has to offer than give yourself that gift.  Make the choice and go in which ever direction gets you closer to your goal.

Another important thing to remember is that food often serves as a symbol.  In this case, the brownie is a symbol of your self-worth.  Make sure your true needs (of self-worth) are being addressed in other ways. 

-Siri

It is almost Thanksgiving and a lot of people are in a panic.  Food!  Desserts!  Weird family dynamics and stress.  All these tensions can really take away from the spirit of Thanksgiving - a time to stop and be grateful for what we have, even a time to stop and actually give thanks to those who deserve it.  As a weight management coach, I understand how threatening this holiday can be to those trying to lose or maintain weight.  So much temptation!!  Here’s a thought to help make it through:

Pause. Stop. Rethink.

Think of how full you already are.  Not full as in full of stuffing and green bean casserole.  Full as in full of love, full of the richness of life, full of family, and fulfillment that doesn’t come from food, but from how you’ve lived your life.  OK, so life is not perfect.  No life ever is!  Focus on the good, not the bad.  Focus on what you already have instead of what you need.  Once you feel this type of fullness, you will notice less of a need to stuff more in. 

Aim for a peacefull rather than a panicked Thanksgiving!

This is my first blog post. We had our first class last night that kicked off our 6-weeks course to prevent holiday weight gain.  Wow!  It was phenominal!  We have an amazing group of diverse and devoted women and started our class last night discussing stress management and experiencing simple stretches, yoga postures, breathing exercises, and meditation.  It was great!