It's Just Food!

As many of you know, I have spent over 30 years struggling with food, weight, eating, exercise, body image and self esteem.   A few years ago, I'd had ENOUGH....and began a journey to freedom, peace and joy.  

I have since been working as a Lifestyle Strategist, with many women who have struggled as well.  

I have decided to share the 5 step formula that saved my life (from a life full of the continued shackles of dieting and the thin ideal) 

If you are interested in hearing about the webinar...read on...if not, a new blog will be us soon :) 

The low cost on-line webinar is Wed night August 15th (starts at 7PM, last approx. 1 hour including questions and answers)  AND it will be recorded. (in case you can't make the time)

You can click here to register.

The webinar is something I've put together to educate, support and empower women like you to have a better and brighter healthier future.  If you are ready to transform your relationship with food, eating, weight, mind, body and self this webinar is for you. 

During the webinar, I will be sharing a proven life-changing 5-step formula on how to be Finally, Free, Fit & Fabulous Once and For All. 

Based on my own personal experience (yes, I understand completely), my 30+ years of experience in the health, fitness and eating disorder fields, education and specialized training I wanted to give overwhelmed women a different way of looking at and addressing their relationships and behaviors around their weight, food and body image... thus I created a simple 5-step formula. 

It is my mission to share this formula with women of all sizes, shapes and weights to help them gain the confidence and courage to  LOVE WHAT IS, LIVE WITH JOY and CONNECT MORE DEEPLY WITH THEMSELVES AND OTHERS.

Once you know the formula you are able to: 

• Feel like food is your friend and not your enemy.
• Enjoy and eat food with more pleasure.
• Tune into your hunger and fullness cues (become an Intuitive Eater).
• Start to make peace with your body.
• Quiet your self-sabotaging negative inner voice and replace it with a life-changing positive self-talk simply by listening.
• Ditch the food rules and fire the food police.
• Know how to avoid fad diets and the conflicting and confusing nutrition advice
• Get off and stay off the failed Dieting Hamster Wheel/Roll Coaster once and for all.
• Gain mental clarity, confidence and courage to live to be the best version of YOU.
• Work towards and achieve your health, fitness and wellness goals even when life gets busy, hectic, is stress-filled and overwhelming. 
• Move, play and exercise with more joy
• Use easy, time efficient Self-care methods/strategies to lower stress (one of the keys to releasing fat and weight)

So, that's what the webinar is about.  A simple 5-step success formula for improving your health/well-being, living authentically and how to become the best version of you.

You'll have a chance to join me, my team and super like-minded women as we discover how to get unstuck or overcome the challenges that have been holding us back plus, you will get a roadmap (a proven simple 5-steps) to achieve your health, fitness and wellness goals and dreams. 

I'll share... 

... How to use a revolutionary mindfulness-based approach (Intuitive Eating) to nourish your body, mind and soul. 

... How to use cutting-edge 21st century technology and tools to make the change process easier, faster and sustainable so goal achievement can be obtained regardless of your everyday life situation.

... How to reduce stress and why Hoping on the Dieting Bandwagon not only doesn't work BUT causes even more stress on the body leading to an increase in the fat storage hormone cortisol. 

... How to use our practical, time-tested and client approved  2x2x2 Movement Formula to get you out of pain, keep you out of pain and release more fat while having more fun. 

... How to appreciate, honor, respect and accept your "here and now" body

The cost is $49, however through Monday August 13th I'm offering a special priced ticket for only $15 which includes an informative, beneficial 4-part education guide called Calorie Counting DEBUNKED Infographic Bundle, a $59 value).

Just click here to enroll (you will find payment information there)

How to Eat Ice Cream Without any Guilt this Summer

Eating Ice cream without guilt only took me 40 years to master.  I hope this will cut down any guilt on your part as you sit and enjoy the ice cream that is in your freezer or from your favorite ice cream shop this summer.  I needed to discover 5 simple steps that would ensure both the enjoyment and satisfaction of my summer ice cream, with NO GUILT OR SHAME.

Imagine a long day at work, your boss is on your case, your computer is possessed, that problem continues to rear its ugly head, and you get stuck in traffic on the way home, even when you took the short cut!

All you want to do is go home, sit in front of the TV with your carton of ice cream (you may have purchased on your way home), and zone out….because at least you deserve that! You continue to feel frustrated and are now obsessed with the thoughts of ice cream.

Fast forward, 30 minutes, WHAM, you are sitting on the couch, staring at an empty carton filled with shame, guilt, anger and disbelief.  You can’t even remember eating it.  The feeling in your stomach is all too familiar.  

THEN COMES THIS:  Your inner critic, that inner mean girl voice (I call her my mini-me) 

She begins her assault on you…

“I can’t believe you did this again!”

“You are so stupid”

“You have NO willpower”

“You can’t do anything right”

“You will never lose weight!”

“You are such a failure”

The first step, when you notice this all too familiar voice is to STOP, this assault is not doing anything productive, other than increase stress and decrease your self-esteem.  This is where to insert the 5 steps.  Yes, 5 steps that focus on finding a way to eating ice cream that feels and tastes good…period.

Let’s rewind and look at another scenario…

Picture this: As soon as you get to work, your boss is on your case, your computer is possessed, that problem continues to rear its ugly head, and you got stuck in traffic on the way home, while taking the short cut.

You can feel your stress level rising as the day progresses.  Thoughts of ice cream bombard your head. Your chest and shoulders are tight, your head is pounding and your stomach is in knots…Ice cream…”I want ICE CREAM!” your inner child screams! 

Here is when you PAUSE…

11.    You close your eyes and take a slow deep breath in and let it out.  You do it again and count to 5 as you inhale, pause and exhale slowly and count to 5 again.

22.  You keep your eyes closed and picture yourself on a beach, or swinging on a swing, or taking in the view at the top of a mountain, or sitting on a rock by a babbling brook.  Your body begins to relax as you visualize this scene. You notice calm and peace flow over your body. 

33. Your eyes open and ask yourself “What do I need?” knowing that the ice cream is right there, a short drive away, or in your freezer.  AND it will STILL BE THERE in 5 minutes

. 

44.  You pause, take another deep breath and think…then ask the question again.  What is it I need?  Am I Bored? Angry? Lonely? Frustrated?  Hungry?  What might sooth this emotion other than the ice cream?  

·     A hot shower?

·     Paint your nails?

·     Call a friend?

·     Take a walk?

·     Journal your thoughts?

·     Listen to your favorite pod cast?

·     Dance around the room to your favorite song?

       Do any of these things sound appealing?  

If SO, then PICK ONE, and when you are done, you THEN ASK THE QUESTION: Do I still want Ice cream?  If the answer is yes, go ahead and move to step 5

IF NOT, take another deep breath.  Notice if you are hungry.  And then Give yourself full permission to have a bowl of ice cream….proceed to step 5

55. The eating of the ice cream!!! Find the prettiest bowl you can, and scoop yourself out some ice cream, you then sit down, light a candle, relax and enjoy. Slowly and simply, savoring every bite, moment to moment (mindfully). An act of mindfulness.  Being in the present moment. 

A smile crosses your face as you realize you just ate ice cream mindfully and fully present.  Something you have never been able to do before and…if you have truly given yourself permission, release any feelings of shame or guilt either, they are not helpful here. 

There is a time and space for ice cream in all our lives.  Release yourself from the inner critic, maybe invite her down to share some ice cream with you next time.  

I was walking the beach yesterday, and noticed the path of a snail, winding, circular, curious. It reminded me of my journey. Trying so hard to get somewhere only to wind up back where I started. Diet after diet, cleanse after cleanse, workout after workout.

I paused, at first saddened by that thought...of all that wasted time, yet, if it wasn’t for the journey, the “failures” the pain and exhaustion...I wouldn’t have found myself FINALLY here.

At peace with my body, free from the obsessive thoughts about calories, food and eating...

Mindfully stepping forward, noticing, tasting, feeling.

Moving towards the feelings of not being good enough with compassion.

Releasing the expectations of perfectionism and detaching from the outcome of my work...

Letting myself write my story, one word at a time, following my gut, trusting my instincts...

Laughter, joy, connection, forgiveness, sadness, loneliness, frustration, loss, regret....are all ok and expected to be interwoven in and our of our lives, no one can escape.  It is there to be fully experienced.

Keep moving forward, experience failure and success, and notice how we never get stuck forever in one place, even when we feel like we are going backwards, we are learning and growing stronger.

Step into your unique story...if you Are feeling stuck, reach out for help...there is hope for you find your way.  www.shapingperspectives.com

Body AA: Acceptance and Appreciation

A pile of clothes are piling up in the corner of my room... the past 10 minutes have gone something like this:

1. Pick out a piece of clothing
2. Try it on
3. Look in Mirror
4. Listen to my Mini-Me speak up..."that makes you look fat, you look disgusting, no way should you wear that."
5. I rip the piece of clothing off and fling it across the room into a heap of clothes on the floor...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ENTER BODY AA...

Years and years of my life went by very similar to this.  It was only over the last few years that I began the journey to Body Acceptance....and the first step for me was Body Appreciation.

Thus the term Body AA...Too much of my life has been spent hating my body.  I was tired, worn out and burned out from the constant battle inside my head.  Eat this, don't eat that...wear this, don't wear that, work out this way, not that way...UGGGG.

Recently I was asked to respond to some questions about the term Body Neutrality.  A term that Green Mountain at Fox Run, where I had been working as a Program Director,  has been using for years.  Here is a sneak peak at the interview I had with Emilie Cuisinier, a French writer for the Huffington Post. 

*Where does the expression body neutrality come from ?

I first heard the term at Green Mountain at Fox Run. They came up with the term body neutrality when they realized there was a disconnect from the term body positivity within the participants who were immersed in the program. They (participants) would  land at Green Mountain with a great deal of hatred and dislike of their bodies, and to find positivity there was a real stretch.  By utilizing the term Body Neutrality, participants found a way to move away from the body hatred side of the “line” and towards the middle, where they were able to connect with feeling neutral with their bodies. 

*Can you explain this concept in one or two sentences ? 

Body Neutrality is a space where one does not find themselves feeling either body hatred or body love.  It is a space where one learns to begin to respect and honor their body for what it can do and where it is right now. 

*What’s is the difference between body neutrality and body positivity ? 

The hatred that women feel with their bodies comes from their negative self-talk and their beliefs that their body does not look like society presses that it should. And when women try to think positively about their bodies, when they do not feel that way, it contributes to the dislike of themselves…

Body Neutrality is a space that might not be positive.  It might be neutral.  Such as, a body positive woman might say

“My legs look great in these jeans”  or “My body is amazing”   whereas someone who is working within Body Neutrality might say “My legs help me walk down the street” or “My body allows me to hug my daughter”

Body neutrality can be a pausing place on the way towards body positivity.  Because the body positive statements do not feel genuine or authentic to the person saying them…YET…

*During your retreats, do you suggest some kind of mantra to women ? If yes, could you quote some of those mantras ? 

We move through an exercise of what the body CAN do…so “My body can” statements…and appreciation statements.

My body is capable

This is me

I appreciate the freedom my body gives me, because it can walk

My body is mine

My body is my home, it is where I live

My body is the vehicle I travel through this life in

*Although each woman/person is unique, which advice(s) do you always give to people that come to you ?

I encourage people to look at themselves with a different perspective.  Many women feel like all of their self worth is wrapped up in the way their body appears to others.  I try to shed light onto the many other facets of a unique individual.  Because, you are right, we are all different.  So what special and unique gifts, talents, likes, dislikes, and traits make up who you are.  It is a discovery of what makes them “them”.  Move them into finding their authenticity. 

*How/why meditation and mindfulness can help women in their body acceptance work ?

Meditation: There are some great meditations that focus on the body, on gratefulness of the body, of appreciation of the body, of noticing the body, of kindness and compassion of self.  These help women hear the words over and over again, thus decreasing resistance they may have towards liking and accepting their bodies…

Mindfulness: Noticing when the inner critical voice comes up to make negative statements of the body is the first step in beginning to change the language that a person uses with themselves.   This negative voice can come up by stepping on a scale, looking in a mirror, trying on clothes, or maybe a comment from someone else.  Mindfulness can step in and help change the conversation in the brain, by using some of the appreciation statements from above. 

*Do you think Body Neutrality can reach a broader audience?

Absolutely.  For many understanding that they can just start to be a little nicer to themselves by creating some neutral statements, that feel authentic and real to the person saying them can begin a journey to healing.  Taking away the pressures to conform to the societal pressures of loving yourself can be empowering.  To develop some confidence in a woman by helping them see the what their bodies are capable of, to help them understand that their worth is not all wrapped up in this vessel we call the body.  

The goal is to have women begin to see that they are so much more than their bodies.  That their bodies are their vehicles that they live their lives in.  Their bodies can help them create memories and have experiences.  It can provide independence and freedom of movement.

AND that they have so much more to give to the word…when they slowly start to decrease their self-hatred, and move towards appreciation and acceptance of self.

For many, this journey starts with one step…by saying to themselves, my body carried me up these stairs, or my body was strong enough to pick up my daughter and carry her to bed.  That is where appreciation of body can start.

An Intent for 2016

Here it comes, a new year...2016...New Beginnings is the intention for most.  This will be the year I...

• Lose Weight
• Stick to my workout plan
• Run a marathon
• Make 6 figures
• Fall in love
• Quit my job
• Start my business
• Eat healthy/clean/paleo
• Find Myself

It is all over the news, newspapers, magazines.  Here is the perfect recipe for a fabulous you in 2016...

I always find myself in a quandary about what it is I want this new year to bring.  It is a nice way to forget the past and move ahead.  Let go of any anger, resentment, jealousy or mistakes that may have tainted 2015. Move forward, step into the future with confidence.

The new year should also be a time of Celebration...celebrating the success of the past year.  No matter how small they may be.  Make a list of 5 things you are proud of from this past year.  YES, you can do it.  GO AHEAD, do it now!  Then put it in a box for opening later this year...

I have a few intentions for this year, 3 to be exact.  Not too many, not to few... 

1. To be more Mindful.  I have developed a 5 minute morning "mindfulness" routine to ground me and start my day.

2. To Trust my GUT feelings on hard decisions.  Over the years I have found that if I listen to and trust my gut (even when my head COMPLETELY DISAGREES) things usually work out.  I tend to rationalize everything, argue in my head, to the point of completely talking myself into or out of something.  Yet my Gut, always has the right answer, if I can quiet myself down enough to listen(thus number 1...mindfulness)

3.  What is in a WALK.  On January 1, I will embark on 90 days of walking.  Every day I will journal about my walk.  The walk might be 5 minutes, it might be 2 hours.  It is not about the time or the exercise.  It is about finding myself in the moments of the walk.  Feeling every footstep and noticing every thought.  

These intentions feel good in my GUT.  I am looking forward to leaping into the next year with less Have To's, and more Want To's.

Do you have any intentions for this next year in your life?