Healthy Tips for the Holidays and New Year

I received an inquiry from a reporter for weight-loss tips for the holidays.  I thought I would turn my answer into a blog post.  Enjoy.


1. share a personal tip on how to avoid gaining pounds this holiday season?
Give yourself permission to have a few small portions of sweets or your favorite indulgence over the holidays, not all day every day for two weeks! Decide ahead of time what is acceptable and then no more.  It's not the small indulgences, it's taking it to extremes that will add 5-10 pounds! Balance out the "junk food" calories with something healthy.

2. How do you get past all the New Year pound-shedding resolution noise or gimmicks?
Losing weight and keeping it off is a lifestyle choice, not a fad or gimmick.  If you look at how much and when you are eating, perhaps keeping a food diary for a week, you'll probably notice a trend.  If you are eating for the sake of eating because you are emotionally hungry or anxious, then you have to address that, not just the food choices.  If you don't know what food is better for you, then learn.  If you need ideas for healthy snacks, google it.  Set yourself up for winning, not for failure, by really looking at what has gotten you to this point in the first place.  And then find a buddy to keep you accountable.  A life coach is very helpful accountability partner. (Hint, hint!)

3. Share your experience and or interesting related story?
I coached a woman about the big family transition she was going through: second marriage, two young babies, no time for herself.  With only 3 conversations over the course of a month, she addressed some key beliefs she had about what was making her feel restless and unhappy.  Without even trying, she lost 15 pounds in less than a month because she was no longer emotionally eating.  She was making good choices that fit into her lifestyle, such as healthy food, short yoga and meditation exercises, and a new perspective that helped her love her life again.

Hope this was helpful.  Any other ideas you want help on?

Forgiveness and apologies

“We must forgive those we feel have wronged us, not because they deserve to be forgiven, but because we love ourselves so much we don’t want to keep paying for the injustice.”
Quote from The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

Forgiveness is a gift to yourself and to the person you are forgiving. If you hold on to a grudge it will eat away at you and your other relationships. Many a family, friendship, and work setting has been torn apart by a grudge. I know from direct experience.

If someone offends you in some way, I'd like you to keep a few things in mind.
*They may not have intended to hurt you.
*There might be information you are not aware of.
*If their offense is connected to a personality trait, (she's always so nosey), it may actually be your interpretation of that trait. Maybe she is just curious, or socially awkward, trying to fit in...
*You can't change another person, you can only change what you think and what you do about it.

Apologies and forgiveness. They go hand in hand. As someone who has a hard time with apologies, I will admit I had a hard time forgiving as well. Now I try to offer them up as instantly as I perceive they are needed. We are all human and humans make mistakes. To believe otherwise is foolishness.

So go out there and make amends where ever it is needed. Everyone deserves a second chance. You will feel better, and so will they! That's what peace of mind is all about- to know that you have done everything possible for yourself and others. Let go of that grudge!

Prune to Your Heart's Content

I live in an old farmhouse in a suburb of CT. There are many mature trees including fruit trees in our yard. Some of the fruit trees have very low laying branches that need pruning. Most of them are dead anyway. They don’t look good, they detract from the beauty of our yard and they get in the way when my husband mows the lawn! A few weeks ago our big mower broke and we had to revert to the skinny little push mower to do over an acre of grass. I took a turn mowing the lawn for father’s day. I figured it would be a big surprise for my husband when he got home from work on Friday. It took me two and a half hours to do about 2/3 of the lawn. I stopped due to fatigue and heat exhaustion and I still felt quite proud of my accomplishment. (My trainer at the gym was very proud of me too.)

One thing that really irritated me about this big chore was the low laying branches. I asked Steve how he could stand mowing around those branches! I have no idea how my husband put up with it these last 3 years, and I know he has ripped a few shirts and gouged his back or arms several times. One would think that with all the things he does around the house; repair work, furniture building, mopping the kitchen, gardening, etc, that he would have pruned those trees.

Today he finally got around to pruning those branches. I don’t know what got into him but for the 30 minutes or less that it took to prune, he will have a MUCH easier time each week. Maybe the fact that I mentioned the branches gave him the permission to prune the fruit trees. Maybe he was afraid I would think he was doing it just to make his life easier.

This got me thinking (as most parables do) about how this is a metaphor in our lives. What are the low-laying branches that need pruning in your life? Imagine how much better, easier, happier your life will be if you would do the pruning! Do you need permission or convincing to push you over the tipping point? Consider it done! You have my permission.

What small things can you do to make your life easier? What system of filing or organizational tip will help de-clutter your life? What automated system like on-line banking or EZPass can you take the time to sign up for that will have benefits for years to come? What can you say NO to that will ease your life’s burdens even if it makes someone else annoyed? Take care of those low-laying branches. Prune out the old, the ugly, or the messy clutter in your life. Prune to your hearts content and you’ll make your life easier for sure.