YOUR MIND IS ALWAYS LABORING

If you are worried about that Labor day barbeque because you are uncertain if you can make a healthy choice ask yourself if you are using this event to predict failure. Be honest with yourself in an effort to recognize the situations and circumstances where you need to retrain yourself. You should take 100% responsibility for your choices.

You can help retrain yourself by repeating certain new habits such as eating slowly. Not only chewing your food slowly but also placing your utensil down between each bite and do not pick it up until you have completely chewed and swallowed each piece. Make a commitment to eat only at the table and do not pick at the food while it's cooking. You can serve yourself on a smaller plate and leave at least a bite of each item on the plate. This will help you train yourself to stop eating when you are full.

Think your choices through. Behavior modification works only if you are consistently repeating new behaviors.

NO JOKE

“A guy calls a company and orders their 5-day, 10 lb. weight loss program. The next day, there's a knock on the door and there stands before him a voluptuous, athletic, 19 year old babe dressed in nothing but a pair of Nike running shoes and a sign around her neck. She introduces herself as a representative of the weight loss company The sign reads, "If you can catch me, you can have me." Without a second thought, he takes off after her. A few miles later huffing and puffing, he finally gives up. The same girl shows up for the next four days and the same thing happens On the fifth day, he weighs himself and is delighted to find he has lost 10 lbs. as promised. He calls the company and orders their 5-day/20 pound program. The next day there's a knock at the door and there stands the most stunning, beautiful, sexy woman he has ever seen in h is life. She is wearing nothing but Reebok running shoes and a sign around her neck that reads, "If you catch me you can have me". Well, he's out the door after her like a shot. This girl is in excellent shape and he does his best, but no such luck. So for the next four days, the same routine happens with him gradually getting in better and better shape. Much to his delight on the fifth day when he weighs himself, he discovers that he has lost another 20 lbs. as promised. He decides to go for broke and calls the company to order the 7-day/50 pound program "Are you sure?" asks the representative on the phone. "This is our most rigorous program."

"Absolutely," he replies, "I haven't felt this good in years." The next day there's a knock at the door; and when he opens it he finds a huge muscular guy standing there wearing nothing but pink running shoes and a sign around his neck that reads, "If I catch you, your ass is mine." He lost 63 pounds that week.”

It’s a funny joke because what it actually illustrates is that if you want something bad enough you’ll do it. The guy in the joke always had the ability to lose weight, he just didn’t do it. The same can be said about all goals. The question is not whether or not you will get your goal but how bad you want it and how hard you are willing to work for it.

COMPARE OR INSPIRE ?

One thing overweight people do best is compare themselves. I suppose that’s true for a majority of people as well.  Healthy comparisons can be good. It can inspire you to move toward greater goals or take action toward improvements. However, if you don’t have confidence-comparing yourself can lead to less confidence. Most of the time the greatest improvements are made when you concentrate on your own achievements. Regardless of why you may compare yourself, ultimately it takes away from the one thing that does matter—what you want. I think it best to let go of any judgements, be clear about your desires, and focus focus focus.

FEEL LIKE EATING?

Your feelings can alter from one experience to the next. There are going to be times in our life when things happen that we may not be too happy about—but recognize that emotions are fleeting. And when they go you will still be here. Ready to experience the next one. Emotions are momentary and should not dictate what we are going to eat, or how we feel about ourselves, health etc.

Eating a bag of chips or cookies will not make the "feeling" go away. It may change your focus for ten minutes, but you can change your focus by engaging in any activity. The truth is covering your feelings by eating something unhealthy will only make you feel worse. You are causing yourself to be trapped in a cycle. Whatever is troubling you WILL change. But the consequences of what you choose to do about it may linger for much longer. You are intelligent enough to recognize food is not the answer. Food is not a solution. It is energy for your body. But it doesn't solve a problem (unless the problem is nutrition or hunger)

And of course you never know what adventures await you. Just because an event may seem like “things aren’t going your way”—well, that may not be true. It could be the event that leads you to something new. Like getting in control of your health.

YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP

Good relationships start with good communication, but relatively few of us communicate effectively. Psychology teaches us that effective communication starts with the ability to create rapport.

Rapport is the state of ease and trust, where communication flows without resistance. You are naturally in rapport with 25% of the people you come in contact with. It doesn't happen consciously. When someone says "I feel like I've known you all my life" or "It's so easy to be with you," this is unconscious rapport.

Good communicators establish and maintain rapport unconsciously. You can create the same results through conscious awareness. This is important not just with relationships outside ourselves,nut the relationship we have with ourselves.

Most of us go about our day without communicating with our physical bodies. Without rapport, no meaningful exchange is possible. From a health point of view, you are more likely to make better choices when you bring the needs of your physical body to your conscious awareness.

Develop a more effective relationship with your physical body.

YOU MIGHT BE INSANE

Thinking out loud, a friend expressed "I wonder what my New year's resolution should be". Without hesitation I replied "The same one you made last year." 

For a few years I have witnessed my friend swearing this would be the year he would get slim and healthy.The name of the diet changes but the results are the same. 

I have noticed three things that have remained constant all these years. First, he has a copy of my book which he has yet to read. Second, when he does ask me a question he refuses to listen to the answer. He is only interested in telling me what he thinks. Finally he keeps asking me what to do

As we al know the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting something different. Clearly there are a lot of insane people because weight control is a sixty million dollar industry.

It isn't about changing to a new diet or new weight group. It's about changing the way you think. Deciding to alter the beliefs and attitude that are simply not working for you. You already have tried almost every diet. Why not approach it a new way? Try something new. New thoughts. New decisions. New predictions. New choices. New You.

NAUGHTY OR NICE?

I am always amused when clients define themselves, food or an entire day by the terms "good" or "bad". This judgement is usually determined by their actions, or an event that has occurred. I typically remark that both adjectives seem a bit extreme. People, food and a twenty four hour period are neither good nor bad. They just are.

We are the ones judging it. There is certainly value in observing something. If I determine that a certain behavior or food item may be harmful to me, I may consider eliminating it. 

Rather than waste time replaying and criticizing, it may be more helpful to decide what to do about it.

KINDLE

http://www.amazon.com/Head-Over-Meals-ebook/dp/B00403N1JU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328313420&sr=1-1

Head Over Meals

Are you frustrated because you're STILL not reaching your weight goal, or freedom from health issues and negative self imposed feelings...http://www.headovermeals.com/buynow.html

KINDLE

http://www.amazon.com/Head-Over-Meals-ebook/dp/B00403N1JU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328313420&sr=1-1

IT'S THE WAY I FEEL...

Your feelings can alter from one experience to the next. There are going to be times in our life when things happen that we may not be too happy about—but recognize that emotions are fleeting. And when they go you will still be here. Ready to experience the next one. Emotions are momentary and should not dictate what we are going to eat, or how we feel about ourselves, health etc.

Eating a bag of chips or cookies will not make the "feeling" go away. It may change your focus for ten minutes, but you can change your focus by engaging in any activity. The truth is covering your feelings by eating something unhealthy will only make you feel worse. You are causing yourself to be trapped in a cycle. Whatever is troubling you WILL change. But the consequences of what you choose to do about it may linger for much longer. You are intelligent enough to recognize food is not the answer. Food is not a solution. It is energy for your body. But it doesn't solve a problem (unless the problem is nutrition or hunger)

And of course you never know what adventures await you. Just because an event may seem like “things aren’t going your way”—well, that may not be true. It could be the event that leads you to something new. Like getting in control of your health.

NOOK

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/head-over-meals-lee-betchley/1030701827?ean=2940012295453&itm=1&usri=head+over+meals

READ IT

Are you frustrated because you're STILL not reaching your weight goal, or freedom from health issues and negative self imposed feelings...http://www.headovermeals.com/buynow.html

HEAD OVER MEALS

Are you frustrated because you're STILL not reaching your weight goal, or freedom from health issues and negative self imposed feelings...http://www.headovermeals.com/buynow.html

Nook

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/head-over-meals-lee-betchley/1030701827?ean=2940012295453&itm=1&usri=head+over+meals

SUCK IT UP DON'T SUCK IT OUT

An old friend ("Kelly") had lost a significant amount of weight. I commented on how great she looked as another woman ( "Lori" ) listened in. Kelly told me that she had liposuction. But after the operation had a loose skin. She decided to take up running. "After I started running I realized I should have just started doing that in the first place." And I agreed with her.

Now Lori, who is overweight, was only concerned with how much the friend had paid and if she would be able to save up enough money. Kelly kept telling her "You are not listening to me. Just start running."

After five minutes of Kelly trying to convince Lori that exercising and eating right were better alternatives than surgery, I realized that Lori was not interested in what she could do to achieve the physical body she wanted. She was only interested in an "easy" fix.

I am not against plastic surgery. I am not against surgery. I am just confused. If there is a healthy alternative---something we can freely do---which is healthier, less expensive and certain to achieve the results we want---why would someone chose anything else?

It may seem like an easier option. In the long run it really isn't. 

READ IT

Are you frustrated because you're STILL not reaching your weight goal, or freedom from health issues and negative self imposed feelings...http://www.headovermeals.com/buynow.html

NOOK

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/head-over-meals-lee-betchley/1030701827?ean=2940012295453&itm=1&usri=head+over+meals

READ IT

Are you frustrated because you're STILL not reaching your weight goal, or freedom from health issues and negative self imposed feelings...http://www.headovermeals.com/buynow.html

Kindle

http://www.amazon.com/Head-Over-Meals-ebook/dp/B00403N1JU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328313420&sr=1-1