Giving Each Other a Push!

In a sermon I heard a while back, Pastor Larry Sprinkle happened to mention Jean Nidetch (who is the founder of Weight Watchers). He was talking about something she said in regards to being there to give others a little "push" to succeed. When looking online for the story, I found it here. She says that the reason she is able to help so many people is because it's like pushing a kid on a swing. When you give them a little nudge, that little boost helps them to carry on for themselves.

I couldn't agree more! When you have people to support you in your journey, you are way more likely to succeed! In fact, it is the final key that Dr. Phil mentions in his book: The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom. He emphasizes the fact that having a positive circle of support is absolutely essential. EVERYONE needs cheerleaders! They lift you up, inspire you, and motivate you to keep on going! Even I need people to support me too (and I'm a coach)! I have fellow coaches, teammates, as well as all of YOU to inspire me to keep going on in my own journey! I couldn't be more grateful! We all help each other succeed!

Dr. Phil also warns us to beware of those who are unintentionally (or maybe even purposely) trying to sabotage you. Stay away from those that are trying to bring you down, bully you, or fill you with discouraging or negative messages. Don't allow people to distract or dissuade you from your goals! Check out Dr. Phil's list of "do's" and "don't" of support as well as his social support audit for more!

Grace and peace to you, my friends!! Remember that I'm here to support you on your journey! That's why I'm a coach and that's why I continue to blog....for YOU! Also, get plugged in with other like-minded people who are on this same journey! Interact with the rest of Infusion 413 on Facebook and feel free to post on the message boards and add buddies on the Team Beachbody website! Let's continue to push each other to reach greater heights! Be infused! God bless you!

Is "Exercise" an Ugly Word?

Exercise. It seems like such an ugly word sometimes! I know I always used to hear that word want to roll my eyes and stick out my tongue (sometimes, I still do lol). I think that generally speaking, people view exercise negatively despite how positive it really is. We get into the mindset of thinking that it's difficult as well as boring and we totally throw out the idea of doing it; as well as using the "I don't have time" excuse.

Over the years, I have learned just how much I need exercise. It's not just for the obvious reasons of losing weight and getting in shape, but it's always helped with my mood as well. I feel better from the inside out because exercising is a mood regulator. I really can't afford to feel sluggish or in a bad mood. I need the boost!

Dr. Phil emphasizes the fact that intentional exercise is a big deal. He says: "A common denominator among people who successfully manage their weight and stay fit is that they exercise as a matter of habit. Failure to put exercise at the top of your priority list, or leaving it off the list altogether, is a deal breaker, because you're cheating yourself not just out of a way to shed the necessary pounds, but also a way to stabilize a normal weight and stay healthy for a lifetime."

I know that all of this isn't new information. I know it's hard to get into a habit of working out, but start small. Exercise doesn't even have to be strenuous or long. Even if you can only manage ten minutes a day, that would be a BIG help to your overall well-being! Making simple choices throughout your day helps too; like taking the stairs instead of an elevator or parking your car a little further away from a store entrance. There are lots of ways you can purposely fit in a little more "fit time". You'll be glad you did! You'll definitely notice a difference both in how you look and feel!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! If you need help getting into a new exercise routine, talk to me! I can help you identify the best ways to start incorporating it into your life! We'll work together to find something that you'll enjoy AND get results with! It's possible! Exercise doesn't have to be an ugly word or thing of dread! You can definitely change your mind and body with a fresh perspective and learn to love it when you find what's right for you! Be infused! God bless you!

Eating Right...Did You Just Roll Your Eyes?!

I know that everyone has heard the "eat right" lecture before. So, I'm sure you might be rolling your eyes right now (even I do that sometimes lol). Eating healthy can be difficult in the kind of society that we live in where we are so busy that drive-thrus are more convenient than self-preparation. Yet, everyone knows that in order to lose weight, proper nutrition is the biggest factor. Even if you exercise, it's not going to equate to very good results if you're still eating junk and too many calories! That's why it's important to eat what Dr. Phil calls "high-response cost, high-yield nutrition" foods. Obviously, those include a lot of fruits and veggies and things that aren't heavily processed. For a seven day sample menu, click here! There is also a fourteen day meal plan. Also, be sure to check out his other book: The Ultimate Weight Solution Food Guide.

Are you groaning yet lol?! Yeah, it takes more effort than we are willing to give sometimes! However, there is at least one way we can be assured that we get what we need at least for one meal of the day (and that will help reduce our cravings and appetite for junk food too). Yep, you knew I was going to say it, Shakeology! I'm not kidding, people! I'm not trying to be a broken record, but I wouldn't promote something that didn't work! Whenever I'm drinking it every day, I notice a BIG difference in myself and have amazing success! Not only am I getting my protein, nutrients, antioxidants, pro-biotics, and digestive enzymes, but all the benefits that goes along with it! I'm regular, sick less often, and even my allergies don't seem to bother me! I don't have crazy sugar cravings or a raging appetite either which results in better portion control as well. My hair, skin, and nails also look better too! The benefits are endless! I love it! It's the smartest and easiest way to get what you need without having to go to a lot of trouble! Shouldn't your life be a little easier?!!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I know that eating well can be a challenge, but you CAN learn to choose well! You can do it! You'll feel so much better about yourself and transform your health from the inside out! You're worth it and God is with you every step of the way! I'm here to support you too! Be infused! God bless you!

 

What Are We Learning?

If you've ever watched Veggie Tales, you're probably familiar with the "What We Have Learned" song. It's played at the conclusion of each Veggie Tales lesson (and in various styles; much to the dismay of Bob who dislikes the song for some reason lol). It's a simple and catchy song that reminds us to think about what we have learned and how to apply it to our lives.

So, what have we learned? Well, yesterday we learned a humorous but important lesson from Cookie Monster about impulse control; which is one of Dr. Phil's 7 keys to weight loss freedom that I have been sharing over the last few weeks. Dr. Phil says: "There's only one reason why you haven't changed the bad stuff in your life. You're getting something out of it. I'm not saying that you're getting something healthy or positive, but people do not continue in situations, attitudes or actions that do not give them a payoff. This key helps you identify those payoffs, unplug from them, and replace bad habits with healthy behavior."

How much did that lesson sink in? I think it's a very vital one because without self-control and discipline, there's no way that we're going to succeed! What are our habits (whether good or bad) and what are we getting out of them? What are our payoffs? We need to evaluate our behavior patterns and determine whether or not they are truly beneficial to us or not. If they're not, we need to make the necessary changes in order to get positive results in our life. As Dr. Phil would also say, we don't "break" habits, we "replace them with new ones." It's not enough just to stop a behavior. You'll go right back to it if you don't have something else to do instead. Even Jesus warns against vacancy like that. Once you clean house, you better fill it up with good things or the bad is going to creep back in and be even worse than before (Matthew 12:43-45). That kind of explains why a person can lose weight and then gain it all back and THEN some, doesn't it? Think about it!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I hope that this blog is helping all who are reading and that it's being applied in your lives! I would LOVE to hear from you! Please, don't ever hesitate to comment on here! I would love to have this blog become a place where people interact and support one another! Be infused! God bless you!

Control Your Food Enviornment

Yesterday, I shared two videos regarding the topic that I'm going to touch on today: environmental control. This is key number three in Dr. Phil's 7 keys to weight loss freedom.

Simply put, you have to set yourself up for success. Dr. Phil reminds us of the simple fact that, "You can't eat what's not there." Whatever your "problem foods" are, they won't BE a problem if you don't buy them and have them in your home, office, car, etc. If you don't want to have to look at an empty bag of chips or ice cream carton after a mindless binge, then don't bring those things into your environment! You KNOW what trips you up, so don't set up your own traps! Click here to take Dr. Phil's environmental audit. Be honest and start thinking about how you are either helping or hurting your efforts by what foods you keep around.

Grace and peace to you, my friends! Hopefully, this key will be a big help to you. It certainly was for me! I do a LOT better when I just say "no" to my "trouble foods" and don't welcome them into my fridge or cupboards! Instead, say "yes" to the things you SHOULD be putting into your body! Be infused! God bless you!

From the Inside Out

Last Tuesday, I talked about the first of Dr. Phil's 7 keys to weight-loss freedom: right thinking. This week, it's all about feelings (which often go hand in hand with our thoughts).

It's really important to get our thoughts and feelings sorted out if we are going to have success in our weight-loss battle. If you think and feel negatively about yourself, you will sabotage any chance you have at success. That's why I have also talked about Joyce Meyer's book Battlefield of the Mind; as well as The Lord's Table. It's CRITICAL to get your mind and heart in sync if you want to achieve victory! I can't even begin to tell you how much these books have helped sort me out and put things into perspective!

Many of us are probably aware of the fact that we are emotional eaters (at least at times). If you would like to take the emotional eating test, click here! For me, I have had lots of emotional reasons to eat. Sometimes, it was for no real reason at all other than boredom or "just because". Other times, it was because I was sad and depressed (or even in "good moods" too). It really wasn't hard to find an excuse to eat. It wasn't until I really started becoming consciously aware of my thoughts and feelings that I realized that I was eating rather mindlessly. If left unchecked, that kind of behavior becomes so automatic and you end up packing on the pounds before you know it!

Dr. Phil always says that it's not "what you eat, but WHY you eat." We have to examine our thoughts and feelings and the ways that we are connecting them with food. Then, we've got to separate them from each other. If we can do that, and deal with our thoughts and emotions effectively, we won't use food as a tool to manage our internal struggles.

Grace and peace to you, my friends! May you be mindful and aware of what's going on inside your mind and heart! Journal those things, pray, talk with a friend for accountability, and even get professional counseling to deal with any tough issues you might uncover inside yourself. You are on your way to better health; from the inside out! Be infused! God bless you!!

You Live What You Believe

For yesterday's media Monday, I featured Dr. Phil's book: The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom. In it, he mentions 7 essential keys to weight loss success that I'll be featuring in these Tuesday blogs for a while.

The first key is "right thinking." I think most of us know that positive thinking is always better than negative thinking, but I don't think most of us realize just how much power our thoughts can have over us. The truth is, you live what you believe! If you are thinking negative, condemning, and defeating thoughts, that is what you are going to believe about yourself and the manner in which you'll behave in. It's important to learn and be aware of what you're thinking and to CHALLENGE the negative thoughts that have no place in your mind. Click here to view the types of "faulty thinking" that you might be prone to. Then, resolve to challenge those thoughts. Become aware of what you're thinking and evaluate it to see whether it's true/false and whether it helps or hurts you. Journal your thoughts and find out what's really going on inside your head!

Whenever I think about the difference between wrong and right thinking, I remember a book that I read in high school that dramatically impacted my life and changed my perspective for the better! It's a book by Joyce Meyer called: Battlefield of the Mind. She talks about how important it is to "think about what you're thinking about" because there are so many times that we fall into negative thinking patterns that go on auto-pilot and we don't even realize it anymore. I think she even mentioned putting each thought into a sort of "time-out chair"; putting it on trial and evaluating it. She cites the verse from 2 Corinthians 10:5 which says: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every though to make it obedient to Christ."

Take your thoughts captive! Hold them hostage and hold them up to the knowledge of the Word of God to see if it lines up! If it doesn't, reject them and then replace them with the kind of thoughts that DO line up! Think on good things (Philippians 4:4-9) and renew your mind (Romans 12:2). If you don't, you'll stay stuck in the same destructive thinking patterns and you won't be able to accomplish anything positive. Take the Israelites in the wilderness, for example. Joyce points out how they endlessly kept going round and round the mountain instead of entering the promised land because of the rotten mindset they had. Their negativity kept them in bondage and their generation didn't even get to enter the promised land! How tragic (and unnecessary!). Why do we needlessly punish and deprive ourselves of success?! Thankfully, we don't have to! We CAN choose to think differently and transform our minds (and our lives!).

Grace and peace to you, my friends! Remember, take your thoughts captive and challenge them! Reject the sabotaging thoughts that may be plaguing your mind so that you can not only reach your weight loss goals, but ANY goal that you are aspiring to reach! Think on good things; things that line up with the Word of God! Watch your life change! Be infused! God bless you!

Do You Hold the Keys to Weight Loss?

When it comes to weight-loss, there are lots of programs and things out there that claim they will do the trick. There are all sorts of workouts, nutrition drinks, supplements and diet pills, support groups, etc. How are you supposed to figure out what works and what's right for you?

Aside from reading reviews, seeing others' personal success stories, and through your own trial and error, there is a way to simplify the process a little bit. Something that really helped me put all the elements together for success was Dr. Phil's book: The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom. In his book, he names 7 crucial keys that you need in order to overcome your battle with weight-loss (which you can read more about here). Obviously, the things that he's talking about aren't new ideas. However, they're all talked about and compiled together because weight-loss is more than just fitness and nutrition. It's about dealing with your thoughts, feelings, impulses, environment, and having the support you need. It's not just about the body, it's about your mind and heart too. His book puts the whole picture into perspective.

Over the next few weeks, I will be talking about each "key" in my Tuesday blogs. I am really looking forward to blogging each one because they have all been so helpful to me over the years as I've kept them in mind! I really encourage you to read the book for yourself! It's worth it!

Grace and peace to you, my friends! I hope that you will check out Dr. Phil's book! At the very least, I hope that you will keep reading this blog so I can keep sharing things with you to help you along the way! Be infused! God bless you!!