Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Your Thoughts about the Foods You Eat - impacts your weight!



Did you know that you have a "food vibration"? Sounds like a new song or something. Oh, oh, oh ... food vibration! HA!

Basically, your "food vibration" is what you are telling yourself about the foods you eat and how you are feeling as a result of those daily thoughts you have around food. Once you are aware of what you are telling yourself, you can shift it so that you start feeling better about what you put into your body. You can also start paying attention to WHY you gravitate towards the foods you eat and if it is really coming from a place of joy or if you are just eating because you are stressed or bored.

Here's a little exercise that I give my weight loss coaching clients. Play with this one and see what comes up for you:

Take a blank piece of paper and draw a line down the center of the page. (It would be ideal if this paper was lined paper so you can keep track of each item easily)

On the left-hand side of the page, I want you to make a list of all the foods that you absolutely LOVE to eat (right now, list all your favorite foods – yes, including that piece of chocolate or piece of cheese cake or a medium rare piece of filet mignon) – don’t over-think this too much – just jot down all those foods you perceive as “yummy”.

Now, I want you to pay attention as you are writing them down, as to what you are telling yourself about these foods. So, on the right-hand side of the page, jot down next to each food item what initially came up for you when you thought of that food – what story do you tell yourself about it? For example, if your first item was ice cream – do you say “this is going to make me fat” or “this is bad for me” or do you say “every time I eat this I just thoroughly enjoy it – it brightens up my day and there is no guilt at all!” Do you get the idea? You can even use a “+” or “-“ sign on that right-hand column to represent whether you tell yourself that this food is “good for you” or “bad for you”.

What you are doing right now is taking a food thought inventory so that you are more aware of the stories you tell yourself when it comes to what you put in your mouth.

As you can imagine, if you are telling yourself the story that “chocolate is going to make you fat”, what do you think your body is going to do with that thought? Remember ... everything is energy and when you say “chocolate is going to make me fat”, you are affirming just that. And your body will respond accordingly. Don’t believe me? What happens when you eat the foods that you believe to be unhealthy or fattening and continue to do so? Do you find yourself feeling good about yourself? Are you losing weight as a result of eating these perceived “bad foods”? I don’t think so.




There are people who can eat many of those foods that you deem as “bad for you” and they don’t gain weight – why is that? (I know, you just can’t stand those people!) I know someone who believes “I eat whatever I want, and never gain weight!” and that’s their reality. But that same person listens to what their body is telling them and is eating from a place of joy, not from a place of emotional baggage & feeling stressed.

So, let’s get back to your list. I want you to scan the list again and ask yourself the following question:

When do I typically crave this food? What’s happening before I make the choice of eating this food?

What I am getting at here is that you may be the person that reaches for that bag of cookies when you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, angry, etc. And that one choice might turn into eating a whole bag of cookies and then you feel guilty because you did.

If you are starting to see a pattern in what you tell yourself about the foods you eat and at what times you are actually drawn to them – that’s great! Because once you recognize and are aware of what you do, you can change it. That’s quite empowering, isn’t it?

For me, I love dark chocolate and I have my daily fix each day. However, I would be in that right-hand column a big “+” sign for this food item, because there is no guilt, no dis-empowering story I am telling myself about dark chocolate – it’s just is a feel good food that I feel good about before, during and after I eat it!

So, do I gain weight from eating dark chocolate ... NO? Do I over indulge in it … NO! It’s a treat that I enjoy. Period. That’s it.

Get it?

So, if you have a wonderful clean energy around that food that you really like – no guilt, no story of “this makes me fat”, and you are drawn to it when you are feeling good and Lovin’ Life, then it’s all good.



But, if you find that you are telling yourself a story that a particular food is “bad for you” or if you are drawn to that food when you are in a stressed out place, then you need to either change the story (and really believe the new one) or honor your beliefs and don't eat that particular food and most of all, if you are eating from a place of stress, you need to address the stress first without "feeding it" ...literally.

Many times we don't even eat because we are hungry or desire some treat, just for the pleasure of it. We eat because we are stressed and somehow that "food" fills a void ... temporarily. But it never addresses the emotional baggage that lies underneath. That's the stuff that I work on with my weight loss coaching clients, so that next time they feel stressed, they have an abundance of Law of Attraction techniques to help them relieve the stress, feel more at peace and align with total wellness with ease!

To your Health & Happiness,
~ Maria

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Sunday, September 19, 2010

Happiness Coach, Maria Lesetz brings Positive Message to Fox News TV!



Yes, that's me!

I was recently approached by Fox News at Ten anchor woman, Natasha Chughtai who wanted to do a story on my work as an Inspirational Life Coach. I was thrilled to say the least! My mission is to get my Lovin' Life NOW message out to as many people as possible. I think BIG!

I want millions of people to know that Happiness is a choice.


I say this to inspire and empower you. You are the one who can choose happiness, no matter what bumps in the road you are facing in your life!

Matter of fact, being happy NOW (in this red hot moment) IS the key to attracting everything you desire into your life.

But can you be happy when things aren't going well in your life? How can you feel better when your financial situation feels like doom and gloom or you have a health condition that makes you feel less than optimal. THIS is what I teach people HOW to do. And it is possible!

The nature of your thoughts and feelings is what impacts the quality of your life experiences. And you DO have control over what you think and feel.


Once you learn how to reach for a better feeling place on a regular basis --- look out! Your life is going to turn around for the better and you won't know what just hit you (in a good way for a change!)

My interview on Fox News at Ten is just the beginning of how I plan on impacting the world. Now, Fox News at Ten is doing something novel. Every night from Monday through Friday, they are sharing one of my Lovin' Life quotes that I have written to inspire people to embrace the positive side and feel better about their life. It's a different message for the TV news ... one that leaves people with a feeling of hope and empowerment before they go to bed at night! Now, that's powerful. Imagine the impact this will have over time by planting the positive seeds in people's minds and having them focus on what IS working in their life and what they can do to turn their life around and experience more JOY!

I love it and I am passionate about doing more. If you are a TV News reporter or have a TV show where you would like to spread the positive message and help millions of people feel better about their life, Contact Me Today and let's talk!

I am ready to go National with this message. Don't you want to have an impact on raising the Happiness Level of the world? I sure do!

Wishing you a Lovin' Life rest of the day!

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Friday, August 27, 2010

Your Happiness Level impacts your Self Image!!!

Mirror Mirror on the Wall - who's the Fattest of them all?!

Have you ever looked in the mirror and and thought "oh my, I am SO fat - look at my thighs!" And then THAT thought and feeling set your mood for the day! Right?

We can be very cruel to ourselves when we see our reflection in the mirror and we make a judgment on what we see. You know this. But the one thing you don't know is that what you see in the mirror is highly correlated with how happy you truly are when you are looking.

YES ... YOUR HAPPINESS LEVEL IMPACTS YOUR SELF-IMAGE!

Who knew?

I will speak from experience. One day I looked in the mirror and thought I looked 'heavier' that day and I didn't like what I saw. Then, being a Law of Attraction Happiness Coach, I reflected back to how I was FEELING in that moment. Was I in a good feeling place or was something bothering me that day? When I chose to reflect inward, I realized that I was frustrated by something else that was going on in my life and I wasn't making "feeling good" my #1 priority. So, as a teacher of this stuff, I chose to pivot to a better feeling place, focus on what WAS working in my life and went on a rampage of appreciation for all the blessings in my life. YES, I deliberately and consciously shifted my mood to a positive place.

Then, the next day I woke up feeling really good. I looked in the mirror and what do you think I saw ... YEP, you got it ... a thinner ME! Now, this may sound a bit crazy as you are reading this, but it IS true! My self-image was 100% correlated with how I was feeling! I didn't exactly lose weight between the previous day and then. Nope. I just chose to reach for a better feeling place and make Happiness my #1 goal.

Being happy ... NO MATTER WHAT!

That's when the magic happens.

That's when the doors to our dreams start opening.


As a Happiness Coach, I teach this to my clients and at first it can be a foreign concept to them (especially if they are not familiar with the Law of Attraction and the movie The Secret). But once they grasp this concept and REALLY embrace it -- being deliberate creators of their life experiences, they are amazed at what unfolds in their lives.

Many people have that mentality of "I'll be happy when ...". You know, I'll be happy when I lose this excess weight. I'll be happy when I meet my ideal mate. I'll be happy when my business is successful. I'll be happy when I win the lottery.

But this is not the way it works. You are setting yourself up for some serious wave of unhappiness if you are waiting for something to happen BEFORE you are happy. You must CHOOSE happiness first. You must look within and find that place where you love you for who you are right now. It may sound difficult to do, but it doesn't have to be. You are the one who decides how you feel. You are the one who chooses your emotions. I know .. you never looked at it that way. You didn't realize that you are choosing to feel the way you do -- you just thought "I can't help myself". But you CAN help yourself. You CAN reach for a better feeling in this moment.

You CAN deliberately choose to raise your Happiness Level
which will improve your self image 100%!


When you are happy, no matter what, it's as if you are wearing a different pair of lenses to see the world. You look different to you. Your life looks different to you and everyone else around you looks different to you. You perceive life differently when you put on your "happy no matter what" glasses.

So, if you don't like what you see (whether it is in the mirror, in your life, or in the world), learn how to be happy (no matter what), and what you see will change right before your eyes.

Wishing you a Lovin' Life day!
~ Coach Maria

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Tuesday, August 10, 2010

When the Doctor tells you to "Starve Yourself", Get a NEW Doctor!

I recently had my Mom call me and tell me that her doctor told her to "starve herself"! Yep, you heard me ... he said "STARVE YOURSELF!" Well, you can imagine my reaction to that. If I didn't live 3000 miles away, I would be coming with her the next time she visited him!

Now, let me give a little background as to why she went to the doctor in the first place. She had an infection on her leg that seemed to be getting worse (she has no idea where this infection came from). She had already been to ER and they had prescribed antibiotics for her. She was going to her regular doctor as a follow up and to find out why it was taking so long for the infection/redness to go away.

Her doctor, who is very laser-focused on "weight loss" told her that she needs to lose weight (something that he tells her every time she goes -- and to her credit she has lost weight -- just not as much as this doctor wants her too). Then he proceeded to tell her "even if you have to STARVE YOURSELF ..." What a ridiculous thing to say to a patient or anyone for that matter! (I wanted to use another word besides "ridiculous", but I am keeping it clean for this blog!)

He actually made my Mom cry! Now, here's a news flash to anyone who is reading this blog. If your doctor makes you cry and says something that doesn't feel good to you ... GET A NEW DOCTOR!

And here's a few points that I would like to make about this subject:

#1) Starving yourself isn't the answer to having a healthy & fit body. Anyone should know that!

#2) My Mom wasn't going to him for anything that is really related to the size of her body. An infection is an infection. Even if she lost 20 lbs in 1 week (which is not very realistic), the infection is most likely still going to be an issue! Hello!!!

#3) News flash to doctors who think that it is ONLY about what the person is eating that impacts their weight --- YOU'RE WRONG! Matter of fact, it's more about their emotional health and the type of movement they are adding into their every day life! Stop laser focusing on the food -- address the stress in this person's life. Ask them about how active they are. Find the emotional cause for their excess weight. Now, maybe that's not a Doctor's job, but refer the patient to someone like myself who can address the emotional connection and help the person to eliminate the stress in their life and add back more JOY into their life. STRESS plays a big part in being overweight. AND, here's another news flash ... why do think the diet industry is SO HUGE? Because DIETS don't work (hence the need for more fads and different eating regimes for people who are overweight to try)! This doctor wanted my Mom to cut out ALL CARBS because he believes in that "type" of diet. But really -- ALL CARBS -- isn't that where our energy comes from?! I am not a Nutritionist, but this doesn't sound like a sound plan to me!

So ... moral of my rant: If it doesn't feel good (even if a DOCTOR tells you it), then don't give it your attention. Don't give away your power to something that is not aligned with your JOY. Even experts are "off the mark" when it comes to knowing what's good for you.

You have to be selfish with the "professionals" and even friends that you put into your environment. Going to professionals (medical and non-medical) or hanging out with your "friends" has to "feel good". If it doesn't, why do it in the first place?

Trust your inner guidance. Use your negative emotions as an indicator that something needs to change in your life. Start embracing the belief that feeling JOY on a regular basis is what is going to bring you that healthier & fit body. You will be MOTIVATED, inspired and take action steps that will be aligned with Total Wellness!

When a doctor tells a patient to "starve herself" -- that is not motivating at all. Matter of fact, if you take what the doctor is telling you to heart, you are going to feel the exact opposite of motivated! My Mom was disgusted, frustrated, upset, discouraged & cried. That doesn't sound like "motivated" to me!

Luckily, my Mom has a Life Coach for a daughter! So, I gave her a bit of my Lovin' Life Mojo and after an hour talk with me, she was feeling much better!!! Whooooo hoooo for that!

To Your Happiness first, then your great health will follow!
~Maria

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Monday, August 09, 2010

When Weighing Yourself Sets the Mood for the Day!

You know what I am talking about. You get up in the morning and one of the first things you do is get on that scale. And most likely, you use that "number" to set your mood for the day! Admit it ... that number means something to you. It is a measure of how "good" you are doing with your weight loss. But it also can be very detrimental to your weight loss journey as well. And by the way, that number means "diddly squat"! It can fluctuate up and down and have absolutely NOTHING to do with whether you are becoming more healthy and fit! So keep that in mind next time you get on that scale.

Weighing Yourself and what you do with that number is a biggie when it comes to your success with losing weight!

You “keep score” every time you weigh yourself, don’t you?
Matter of fact, if you are under a Doctor’s guidance, that’s one of the first things they do when you step into their office.
Ok, let’s get on the scale. And then, that number is written in your charts and you judge yourself depending on what that number is.

Many people I work with have a love/hate relationship with the scale – is that you? Do you way yourself every day, multiple times in the day? Does the scale define how successful you are with your weight loss journey? Does it even set the mood for your day depending on what the number on that scale says?

Do you love it when it says you lost 5 pounds or 10 pounds and hate it when it says you lost nothing OR just 1 pound or god forbid it says you gained a pound or two (which, if you are gaining muscle mass may very well happen! Or this could just happen if you are holding water or it can depend on the time of day you choose to weigh yourself)

I know when I was on this weight loss journey that I had this type of relationship with the scale. That number that I read in the morning meant a LOT to me, until I had a personal trainer tell me to throw the damn scale out! Why? Because it was not serving me! I weighed myself a lot – I was obsessed with that damn number and I had this “ideal number” in my head – don’t even know where that number came from! The further I was from that, the worse I felt. The closer I was to it, the better I felt. Not a good dynamic to set up for yourself.

“Keeping score” (when it came to weighing myself) was not making me feel good many days – I wanted to see huge results – after all, I was working out and eating better and I wanted to see proof that I was succeeding at this goal. Some days were “better” than others.

But, if “keeping score” is going to make you feel bad (more often than not) as opposed to motivating you (no matter what the number says) then, you have to stop keeping score.

Remember … this weight loss journey is all about feeling good. From the place of feeling good, you will have an easier time to lose that excess weight. If you are discouraged, de-motivated, upset about what the scale says, how can you take healthy action steps from that place?

Why look at something that has the potential to throw your mood off if it’s not what you want to see?

And anyway, nothing outside of yourself (even if it is measuring your weight) should have any power over you and how you feel.

You choose joy. You are the one who is in charge of your emotions.

Now, if you are someone who has a LOVE/LOVE relationship with the scale and no matter what that number says you are in a rockin’ place and feel really good – then, keep on doing what you are doing!

This is a personal thing and you know what’s best for you and what makes you feel good. Only you know this.

So, KEEPING SCORE … let’s talk about all the things you can “keep score” on during this weight loss journey that would make you feel good.

Make a list of all the things that you feel are healthier steps for you that when you do them, you feel really good you took these healthy action steps.

For instance, let’s say you notice that when you drink more water during the course of the day, you feel better. Well, great – start turning this into a game. Keep score of how many bottles or glasses of water you drank that day. Make a chart. Write it down. If that is something that you equate with getting healthier, then keep score of that and watch your progress. Now, don’t beat up on yourself if one day you have one less glass of water – big whoops – so what? The whole point of this “keeping score game” is so that you have something to keep score on that makes you feel good – it’s something that says to you “I’m making progress” “I’m taking action steps” – it’s affirming that you ARE on your way to a healthier body. You are celebrating the baby steps, which when you think of it are extremely important. After all, you don’t get to the top of the mountain by taking one big leap – it’s one step at a time!

So, what else can you take score of that will make you feel good, make you feel like you are on a healthier path?
Brainstorm this right now.

Make a list of all the things you feel that would be healthier action steps you could take. Now, look them over and see which ones resonate the most with you. Ones that you feel inclined to do and would enjoy keeping score on them.

I keep track on my calendar of how many times I walk each week. I mark it down on my computerized calendar and love to take a look at the end of the month and see how many times I took my 4-mile walk. It’s quite empowering to see. It feels good.

What else could you keep score on that will make you feel good (yes, there is a theme here – it’s all about feeling good – are you getting that point)?

Here are a few ideas, but they must come from you. I don’t recommend any of them in particular, but these are some examples of things my clients have kept score of that made them feel empowered and it affirmed to them that they were on their way to that ideal weight!

1) How many times you took the steps instead of the elevator?
2) How many times per week you had ate more fruit?
3) How many calories you ate during the course of the day – I had one person who loved doing this in an excel spreadsheet and seeing how good he was doing – now, this is not something that feels good to me – I don’t want to be counting any calories, however, this is not about me – this is about you and what will work for you!
4) How many times you go to the gym
5) How often you meditate or visualize your success
6) Getting massages and keeping score of how many times you are treating yourself like royalty. Don’t underestimate the power of that! This is a BIGGIE! Be kind to YOU. Shower yourself with oodles of love. Self love is one of the best action steps you can take to manifesting a healthy and fit body!

The list can go on…

Just remember that this is all about keeping score on things that you believe will make you healthier, things that you will enjoy doing (not shoulds) and things that would make you feel really good to keep score on.

And if keeping score isn’t your thing … then don’t do it.

But I do know that you need to turn your focus on what IS working, what you ARE doing to get fit – you must focus on the progress you are making, even if you are not taking score – you need to “see” the shifts and remind yourself that you are doing well.

Don’t judge the baby steps as “not enough” – celebrate them. Because the more you celebrate, the more you will have to celebrate in the future. You know what I mean?

Yes, I am referring to the Law of Attraction again … what you concentrate on ... expands. Like attracts like.

If you focus more on that you are NOT THERE YET and that you have so much further to go, that weight loss goal of yours will stay out there ... in the distant future.

Bring it closer to home; notice (keep score) of what you are doing that you deem as healthier. Feel good about it. Feel good about you!

You are making progress. You are on a new path.

Celebrate these new tools you have to help you lose weight and reset your mindset. Now that's something to keep score of!

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Friday, June 18, 2010

You Burning Questions about Health & Wellness: EXERCISE ... UGH! ... A Law of Attraction Perspective

Day 4 of your Burning Questions around the topic of Health and Wellness. I think I am starting a newspaper column here. Now, remember, I am not necessarily giving the "traditional" answers to these questions. I am answering them from the perspective of a Law of Attraction Health Coach and my own personal viewpoint on the topic.

Here we go ... today's question is about exercise! Yes, that word that many of you dread. You feel that you "should" be exercising but you don't quite have the motivation or desire to exercise.

Question #4: Want to change my feelings on EXERCISE!


I am wondering if I can change my feelings on exercise! Now, I adore how well my body functions/serves me and have been pretty fortunate thus far. I just really have never found any physical activity that I really LOVE doing on any sort of regular basis. I want to change this about myself, because I want to treat my body well. While I'd like to be fitter right now, this has less to do with that and more to do with just wanting to enjoy exercise like some folks do. Running literally feels like someone swiping razor blades through my lungs! Of course I love to dance...but I am not the best at it so I don't love being a part of actual dance classes. I love ballroom dancing, but don't really have the funds to take those lessons. I'd like to integrate awesome physical activity into my world without it feeling like such a chore!


And here's my answer:

There is always SOMETHING that you can find (that you would LOVE) that may not be considered "traditional exercise" but IS moving your body in a way that makes you feel ROCKIN'!

Many of my clients have had a lot of "shoulds" around this topic and anytime you come from a place of "should" the outcome is not optimal. And anyway, if it is not aligned with what brings you JOY, it's not going to be fun -- and who wants to be doing something that isn't FUN?!

I can't say enough about doing things when you are coming from a place of "I should" do this or "others think I should do this" --- it's just not aligned with JOY and the end result that you are looking to achieve will never be to your liking when it is a "should". I feel one of the most important "exercises" you can do is to raise your vibration around how you feel on a daily basis. I had a client who was referred to me by a Naturopath Doctor who wanted me to just tell this client to do everything she was telling her to do.

However, my client was "shoulding all over herself" with "I should cut out all gluten from my diet", "I should eat salads for lunch", "I shouldn't eat those potato chips I so love", I should, I shouldn't, I should, I shouldn't ... you get the idea. She also hated exercise and had absolutely no desire to go on a treadmill that had recently become her clothes line. Exercising was a "should" for her as well! A BIG should!

I started working with her on learning how to reach for a better feeling each and every day, making her happiness level her #1 priority. She learned how to address the stress in her life and minimize it. She learned how to pivot to what she wanted to happen instead of focusing and dwelling on what she didn't like about her life and her body. I also encouraged her to stop beating up on herself so much when she "slipped up", according to what she was told she "should do". She learned to be kinder to herself! And wouldn't you know, one day she came to the coaching session and said to me "Guess what I did? I went on my treadmill for 15 minutes today!" This was HUGE for her!!! And why do you think she felt naturally drawn to that? Because she was feeling better about herself and her overall life ... all because she was NOW deliberately choosing different thoughts and feelings. She was vibrating higher (as us Law of Attraction teachers call it) or for you NON-Law of Attraction people, she was feeling so much better than she had ever felt before and as a result she was motivated to do something that was aligned with great Health and Wellness. No surprise to me!

That's the way The Law of Attraction works!

I personally believe that when you are Lovin' Life in this red hot moment and appreciating all the blessings in your life, your body will be naturally drawn to things that are good for your body (food and exercise included), keeping it functioning at its best!

So, the first thing I recommend is to definitely be selfish with your vibration and make sure you are making a conscious effort each day to FEEL GOOD, by focusing on what you DO want in your life, by engaging in activities that put a smile on your face, and by being extra kind to #1 ... YOU!

I also recommend that you ask your inner guidance as to how you could move your body in a way that would make you feel the way you want that "exercise" to feel (e.g., invigorating, energizing, alive, on cloud nine, etc.) -- you get the idea. You may not get the answer right away but just be open to receiving the answer.

Also here are some questions for you to ponder that will help you to uncover what you are really looking for...

* How do you want to feel as a result of exercising?

* What particularly are you looking for the exercise to do for you?

* Why do you want to enjoy exercise like some folks do? Do you feel like you are missing out on something? If so, what would that be?

Physical activity can be AWESOME and it doesn't have to feel like a chore -- matter of fact, that would be an indication that it is not the right physical activity for you (at least not one that you want to do on a regular basis).

When you are aligned with JOY on a regular basis, loving your life as it is and loving who you are right now in this present moment, you will be naturally drawn to activities that are healthy for you! The perfect exercise will reveal itself to you -- one that will be so much fun, you won't even call it "exercise"! It will be at the top of your JOY LIST!

Have a Lovin' Life rest of the day!

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Thursday, June 17, 2010

Your Burning Questions about Health & Wellness: Chocolate Addiction or just LOVE? ... A Law of Attraction Perspective

Ok ... here we are on Day 3 of your burning questions when it comes to Health & Wellness and how specifically you can be a deliberate creator of your experiences when it comes to your physical well-being. This question is a really good one for all of you out there that LOVE LOVE LOVE chocolate but on some level think that it is "bad" for you.

Read on and feel free to post your comments about this "yummy" subject!

Question #3 from a Chocolate LOVER:

I'm really interested in learning about food addiction. Okay, I'll cut to the chase -- chocolate addiction. (I am eating a piece of chocolate as I write this...)

I know that it's more than just the physical addiction to the sugar, theobromine, etc in the chocolate. Intuitively, I'm aware of both the energy and the emotional charge I have behind chocolate.

I've done a lot of energy-shifting work around letting go of the need for chocolate, too, and it's worked for awhile, but not of the energy has shifted in a permanent manner.

Part of me is whispering, "I have an addiction!" and part of me is resisting that idea in the first place. It's like a big old chocolately slice of resistance, all around.
Truth be told, I really love chocolate. But I don't love feeling like I *need* it in order to have a good day, or to feel peppy.

And since my own intuition tends to konk out around this issue (resistance!), I'd love some insight.



And here's my unique answer to this wonderful question:

I just finished eating a piece of dark chocolate myself and I enjoyed every bit of it!

But, now on to your question ...

You want to learn about food addiction (well, chocolate addiction).

You indicated in your post above that you have done a lot of work around "letting go of the need for chocolate", that it "worked for a while", but that the energy hasn't shifted "in a permanent manner".

So, here are some questions for you:
1) Do you want to stop eating chocolate all together? If so, WHY? Is it a weight thing? Are you worried that it will translate to weight gain? Do you just have a belief that is is "bad" for you and that you "shouldn't" eat it? What's the reason WHY this is such a "hot button" and why it is such a big deal if you have an "addiction" to it? Just asking these questions in a very loving way.

2) What are you telling yourself about having this "addiction"? What story are you telling yourself that is holding onto the resistance?

3) What type of feeling to you have when you do indulge in chocolate? You said that you REALLY love it, but you don't love the feeling of "needing" it to have a good day. Fair point ... so, what great feeling do you have when you do eat chocolate and how can you reach for that same feeling in other areas of your life? For example, if chocolate makes you feel "peppy" or gives you that "boost of energy" you feel you need, what other types of activities would give you that "peppy" feeling or "boost of energy"? There are an abundant of things that can do the same thing.

For me, loving chocolate is OK. I don't feel I need it to get through my day, but I look forward to it and enjoy it thoroughly when I am having it. There's no guilt, no charge, no feeling of "oh my God, I'm addicted to this", it is just a daily pleasure that I engage in that puts a smile on my face. Does that mean I am addicted to it? I don't think so. But then again, I don't even think of the word "addicted" when it comes to chocolate. It's just a thing I enjoy doing, similar to taking a 4-mile walk down by the river or going out to eat to my favorite restaurant with my honey, or coaching my wonderful clients. It's a vortex thing!

So, let me know your answers to the above questions, and if you would like to have a complimentary strategy session with me around this topic or anything else, I would be happy to oblige. I am here to help you get in the vortex and be Lovin' Life more than you ever have before (with or without chocolate)!

To Your Happiness & Health!
~Maria

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Burning Questions about Health & Wellness: Allergies again?! ... A Law of Attraction viewpoint - Part II!

This is Day 2 of my rampage of answers to Health & Wellness questions I received on a Law of Attraction forum. Remember, I am answering these questions from the perspective of the power of your thoughts and feelings and how that impacts the state of your overall health and wellness. I am not a Doctor, and don't claim to be one. But I am aware and believe fully in the power of the mind and how it impacts our physical bodies.

So here it goes ... Question #2:

I am having problems again with my allergies going out of control (mainly food allergies). Things that used to be fine are suddenly giving me reactions. This happened in early December too, and I thought I tracked down the cause then, but now it is happening again. I have been trying to think what the vibrational cause could be, but I am stumped. Except for this, my life is going better now than it has in a long while. It's a mystery. I'd appreciate any insight you may have. I know MS is autoimmune too, did you have any insights as to what that was indicating?


And here's my answer:

I think the most important thing is to not try to figure it out. (Something I have learned that has served me really well once I embraced it.)

When you try to figure out WHY something "negative", "bad" or "off" is happening, you give it more attention and it will continue to happen. So, my first recommendation would be to stop trying to figure out why it is back.

On a side note, you did ask about the DX of MS -- my theory is that it was a result of STRESS I felt in corporate and that's how it manifested in my body. But that's the only attention I give it (in the answering of your question). Bottom line that I tell all my coaching clients is that what's important now, in this present moment, is that you make peace with it and align with wellness & joy (which I help share with them techniques on how to do).

On a personal note, I had allergies as a kids (got shots and the whole nine yards), then when I went to college, I continued to get allergy shots and then one day I said "enough is enough! I don't need this" -- my parents weren't thrilled I did that, but that's what felt right to me. Since then, I have not had any allergy shots. Now, recently in Eugene, OR (matter of fact the past few days), I started sneezing A LOT and having some "allergy" symptoms. What I did was to let it be and ride its course. I didn't resist it or get really frustrated with it. Yes, I took 2 Advil (believe it or not, that sometimes helps a bit), but that's all I did. My partner kept on saying "God bless you" about 100 times in the day and felt more bad for me than I did for myself. I even looked at it in a positive and said to myself "Ahhh ... this is cleaning out all the gunk in my head!". What happened was within 1.5 days, all allergy symptoms were gone.

And here's the rub ... the News Reporters here in Eugene, OR were saying that the pollen count was at an all time high of 990 (whatever that means) -- but they said that usually high counts are at 200-300. So, when I heard this (which was after I already had felt better), I was celebrating! I was REALLY good, given my history from the past.

What I am trying to say is that you need to take your focus off the allergies, make peace with it (by resisting it less and letting it be), and just know that your body wants to align with total wellness and will once you release any resistance you have around having the reactions.

Forget about the "vibrational cause" and just send the "symptoms" love and only give them attention if it is a non-judmental, un-biased observer kind of attention. Say hello to your little friends and breathe a big sigh of relief, knowing that the will leave when they are not treated as the life of the party!

*****
Until tomorrow with Question #3... In the meanwhile, feel free to leave your questions on this blog and I will do my best to answer them. Who knows, maybe a Magazine column is in the works and I will be your Law of Attraction Health guru answering all your burning questions that pertain to how YOU can be a deliberate creator of your great health and well-being! Anything is possible! :)

To your Happiness & Health,
Maria

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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Your Burning Questions about Health & Wellness: Heart Palpitations at work?! ... A Law of Attraction perspective!

I recently asked the following on a Law of Attraction Forum, looking for people's burning questions around health and wellness (since I am passionate about teaching people how to be pro-active when it comes to their health and to address the stress before it turns into a physical symptom). Here's the question I posted on that forum:

*****
I am doing a very informal survey here and would love to know what Good Vibe University members would like to see and learn more about when it comes to the topic of overall health and wellness. So, what are your burning questions (if you have any) when it comes to being a deliberate creator around your health?

Nothing is off limits here! Post away!

*****

For the next few days, I am going to post some of the questions I got (anonymous, of course) and the answers I posted:

So, here's question #1:
****
Have you had any experience with heart palpitations?
My sister, who is very healthy, is experiencing them as of late.
She's says they increase when she goes to work (she's a beautician)
She's now taking COQ10 and Hawthorne berry which is a heart tonic
She's very much into Abraham and understands what
stressful thinking can do. Just would like to
hear your ideas on deliberately creating
a new way of dealing with this bit of stress
****

Here's my answer:

I personally have NOT had any experiences with heart palpitations. However, when it comes to any health symptoms, it is important to pay attention to your body and notice when the symptoms seem to occur. Since you said that your sister gets them when she goes to work, if I was working with her as her LOA Health Coach, I would want to delve a bit deeper as to what her emotions were before going to work, during and after. There could be a correlation (or not), but many physical manifestations occur from emotional "stuff" (non-technical term) or "baggage" that we carry around (that we don't even know we have).

As far as dealing with the stress, there are many tools that I use with my clients (and myself too) that help a great deal to reduce (or dare I say --- ELIMINATE) the stress. My latest technique that I am all juiced about (which many of you probably can hear when I talk about it) is NPA. If you haven't already, listen to Joel's call on this simple, yet powerful technique that can help to reduce the stress and bring in a greater sense of calm and peace. And it does it pretty quickly too (if you are open to it). I also have worked with the Sedona Method and other meditation & visualization techniques to release stress. I also find simple breathing techniques can help a great deal.

For many of my clients, the stress is felt as a result of some story they are telling themselves that is no longer empowering (it may have been at one time, but it is not working for them any longer). I am thinking of a Doctor client who has a belief that you have to work hard to succeed -- the whole "no pain, no gain" mentality. But now through the coaching she is realizing that that belief is only making her feel more stressed and keeping her from spending quality time with her 6 kids (yes, SIX!). So, now she is crafting a new story that feels so much better to her, re-designing her "environment" so that it brings her more peace, and doing the NPA on the spot in her office when she is having an out-of-control moment.

Hope this helps.
****

Stay tuned for more preventive Health & Wellness questions and answers from a Life Coach's perspective.

To your Health & Happiness,
Maria C. Lesetz

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Wednesday, June 09, 2010

The Shower Exercise - LATHER UP with LOVE!

Last week I was in the shower and came up with an exercise that we can all do to appreciate our bodies more. AND YES, it is clean (literally!) HA!

As you all know, loving yourself is the first step to creating the body of your dreams or to create anything else for that matter that you truly desire. Beating up on yourself and having "mean" and "nasty" things to say about your body and who you are never gets you anywhere but feeling "stuck" and "discouraged". You are holding yourself back when you are not kind to you!


LATHER UP WITH LOVE & DEEP APPRECIATION:

So, last week I was in the shower and ...
I started washing my body with soap and as I was washing my leg and lathering the soap started to give my thighs and mega love stating to them how much I appreciate them for being so strong - appreciating those 4-mile walks I can take down by the river because my strong thighs help me to do that. I really felt a deep appreciation and the love was very focused on my thighs -- I was sending a loving energy like I never have before. Then, I went to my muscular calves and appreciated their strength and definition as I washed them with soap.

Then I moved on to my feet and said to them: "Wow. Given your size, you carry a lot of weight and do it with such grace and ease. Thank you for carrying the load of my entire body. Just goes to show that you don't have to be big to be powerful! Thank you!"

Well, you get the idea. It was a real FOCUSED loving energy of appreciation that felt so good. I got out of that shower and felt FANTASTIC. Matter of fact, I looked in the mirror after it and said "you look REALLY good!"

So, I wanted to share this LATHER UP WITH LOVE SHOWER EXERCISE with you, so that you can play with it. Try it. Love every part of your body for how it functions, what it does for you, what it allows you to do in your life that you absolutely love to do!

Never underestimate the power of love. It will transform your life and your body into something more beautiful than it already is.

Enjoy!

HUGS,
Maria

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Tuesday, June 08, 2010

WHY do you REALLY Want to Lose that Excess Weight?

I always tell my coaching clients that it is important for them to TAP INTO THE FEEL GOOD PLACE OF WHY (they want to achieve their goal). It is very important to feel that feeling prior to the manifestation because it is that particular feeling that is going to open up the doors to you living your dream!

Imagine right now having that healthy and fit body you want. What does it feel like? What are you doing as a result of having this new found rockin’ body?

Has your life changed? Are you doing things that you never have done before but always dreamed about doing?

What are those things? Can you envision what life would be like when you are at your ideal weight? What has changed? Are you the same person or are you showing up differently as a result of your successful weight loss?

My weight loss coaching programs are not about what you should eat or how you should exercise to get healthy. It’s about resetting your mindset so that you pave the way for success when it comes to your weight loss journey.

Why do you think so many people still have “weight issues”? Why are you still working on this area of your life?

Do you think it is because you are not eating the right things? You are not exercising enough? Not disciplined enough? Not on the right diet?

What is it?

Why do so many people lose lots of weight, feel good for a while, and then put the weight right back on? What’s that about?

I am here to tell you that it is ALL about the MindSet and the stories we tell ourselves about our bodies, the foods we eat, our life. It's more about the emotional "stuff" not the actual FOODS or the exercises we choose to do! Yes, that will bring temporary success -- but will it bring PERMANENT success?

Many people, maybe even you, have a Fat Mindset ... now, don’t take offense to that. I sometimes have that type of mindset too. But I can catch myself in the moment when I have those types of thoughts and reset my mindset to “think thin” “feel healthy & fit” and align with well-being. I teach my coaching clients how to do this so that losing weight becomes a much easier goal than they every thought it was!

You can learn how to be HAPPY right now with what you have. I know... you are not thrilled with the way you look right now --- or at minimum you definitely want to look different than how you look now.

But here’s the secret that I help my coaching clients uncover during the course of our work together ...

Are you ready .. here it is .. you have to stop beating up on yourself! You have to start appreciating your body for what it is. You need to align with what brings you joy before you can even make lasting changes in your overall health.

Now, I know that might sound difficult from where you are standing right now, but that’s why I am here. I am going to help make that process easy for you.

What if you are making it harder than it needs to be?

I tried to lose weight for many years (from high school into college and into my first 2 corporate jobs) .. but then one day I said “enough is enough” – I got on that scale, so the number on the scale and reach that pivotal point in my life where I decided

“this was it” – I had to have a different attitude, take different action steps, if I wanted to be successful with losing the weight and keeping it off.

Looking back on that time, I can tell you that the new attitude I was embracing came from a place of JOY – why JOY? Because I was a happy place in my life – I just got a new job which paid very well, had a great position, and potential to move up the corporate ladder. I had a wonderful place to live, an easy commute to work and had total freedom to live my life the way I wanted to. In all aspects I felt pretty darn good with myself.

And because of that feeling, that joy, that new found energy of moving into a new home, new job, new income level ... I naturally came to a conclusion that “enough was enough” when it came to my overweight body.

I joined a gym (on my own – in a new area where I knew nobody). I naturally started eating more vegetables and what I considered ‘healthier”.

But the moral of that story is NOT that I was eating differently and starting to work out ... the message from that is that the inspiration came from me being in a place of joy. Yes, that’s the key.

I have a few questions for you that I would like you to start working on (write your answers down and really put some thought into these):

1) WHY do you want to lose this weight? What will happen as a result of you losing that excess weight? How will you feel? What will you be doing that’s different than what you are doing now?

2) Are you doing this for YOU? Really YOU? Or is someone else telling you that you must lose weight because ... (their reasons, not yours)

3) Can you tap into that “feel good place of WHY”? Try it now. Imagine yourself 1 year from now with a body that is fit and healthy. How does that feel? Start to envision your life as if you already have that body that is aligned with total wellness. How does that feel? Ahhhhhh ...really feel that wonderful elated feeling of knowing that you are healthy, fit and empowered!

Now, if you are having difficulties with step #3, no worries -- sometimes my coaching clients can't imagine themselves thinner and healthier. That's OK -- it's probably too unbelievable from where you stand right now. So, here's what I want you to do instead: You know how you look in the mirror now and have a few choice words that you say to yourself when you look at your body? (Yes, you know .. all those self-degrading things you say about your body and how it looks.) Well, I want you to think about what you would like to say to yourself when you look in the mirror. How would you like to feel? Do you want to say "oooh, I look REAL good today" or do you want to feel "empowered" and "beautiful". Think about the type of thoughts & feelings you would like to have on a daily basis towards your body and how you look. That's what I would like you to do.

Your body responds to your thoughts and feelings and throughout and you can learn how to shift those thoughts and feelings to ones that are way more empowering and positively impact all the cells of your body.

Your body actually responds to everything you say to yourself about you, about your body and your overall health and well-being? Think about stress... I'm sure you are aware of the negative impact it has on your overall health and well-being. Many diseases and health conditions stem from feeling stressed. So, YES ... how you feel plays a huge role in how healthy your body actually is!

If you tell yourself that you are a “fat slob” or “disgusting” or a “cow”, your body responds to those negative thoughts. And forget about what those things you say to yourself do to your confidence level and spirit.

My coaching clients learn how to be kinder to themselves. Being kind to you is one of the most important steps in making positive changes in your life, including weight loss.

You can learn how to tell yourself a different story about who you are and what you are capable of doing. A story that will empower you instead of discourage you.

Start thinking about all those things you tell yourself on a daily basis about your “weight”, your “body”, your “image”. Start becoming 100% aware of how mean you can be to yourself.

Awareness is the first step to change.

I want you to start writing down WHY you want to lose weight.

I want you to TAP INTO THAT FEEL GOOD PLACE OF WHY – use your positive visualization muscles. You are REAL good at imagining and visualizing the worst case scenarios so NOW I want you to start imagining the best case scenario. Visualize having what you want. Imagine having a healthy & fit body already. Feel it. Breathe it in. Know it is YOURS! It’s a DONE DEAL!

I also want you to start being kinder to you. Catch yourself in the act of being mean to you and turn it around. Find something you do like about you in that moment. Remind yourself that it is just a story you are telling yourself and that you are worth it. You can have it all. You are a wonderful person who deserves the best life you can possible live.

You can do this. A thinner and healthier body is just around the corner. The question is "do you have the right mindset" and "love yourself enough right now" to make it happen?

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Thursday, May 20, 2010

The reason why women have body-image issues=> Hooters Waitress Fired for Being FAT???

Ok, this story just ticks me off! This is the reason WHY my weight-loss coaching clients come to me with extreme emotional baggage around how they look and feel about their body!

This is why I have to help my clients to start to feel better about themselves and coach them around boosting their self-esteem. Stories like this cause lots of self-loathing (especially with women) and many of them come to the conclusion that they are "not good enough" based on other peoples' standards.

And don't let me even go there when it comes to the male manager who they interviewed in the Hooters Restaurant! Really, hooters ... maybe you should have a talk with him because eventually someone like him is going to have a negative impact on your health care costs! Have you thought about that? I understand that he is not the one who is serving the food, but don't you think you should balance out the standards a little bit more between what you expect your female employees to look like and your male employees to look like?

What message does this "news" story send out to all those young girls out there?

Are you kidding me ... this waitress is 5'8" tall and weighs anywhere between 132 and 138 lbs according to all the media reports. That IS fit and beautiful. That is a healthy weight -- are you kidding me, Hooters!

Yes, I understand that you have a business that is based on how hot your waitresses look -- I get it -- as you say in your interview ("you have a standard to uphold"). Where the heck do you get your standards from?

Who is the mucky-muck who decided that 5'8" and 138 lbs is FAT?
Let me see what they look like!


Ladies .. whomever you are (young, middle-aged or older), please know this -- those are "standards" set by someone that you don't want to listen to.

Love your body. Appreciate the great health you do have. Know that your beauty should only be determined by one thing and one thing only -- how much joy you feel and how much you love yourself. If you love you, your beauty will radiate to everyone around you. And what someone else says about your weight says more about them than you! Period!

And to the Hooters waitress that is the center of all this media frenzy, here's my opinion (for what it is worth) ... you don't need HOOTERS! You are a beautiful woman who can get a job anywhere, preferably somewhere where you are respected and appreciated for who you are right now. You don't need to change for anyone. The only time you need to make a change is when you feel that change will make you happier.


Here's the news video on this story for those of you who have not seen it yet.

Please feel free to leave your comments here about this story and how you feel about it.

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Thursday, May 13, 2010

Oprah's Interview with Geneen Roth - Author of Women Food and God

Since this topic is such a passion of mine to teach my clients, I wanted to see the interview that Oprah did last week with Geneen Roth about her new book: Women, Food and God.

As I have been blogging about for quite some time now, the most important thing that impacts the state of your overall health is the nature of your thoughts and feelings. The fitness level of your body is MORE dependent on

1) What you think and feel about your body (do you critique your body every time you look in the mirror?),

2) What you feel about all areas of your life (are there some areas of your life that you feel lackful and worry constantly about?),

3) Your BELIEFS about the foods you eat & the exercise you have to do in order to stay fit (do you have beliefs that some foods will make you fat and then eat them anyway, do you believe you have a "slow metabolism" and that your "skinny" friends are blessed with a high metabolism? That story will definitely impact what happens with your body!),

4) How you deal with the emotional stress in your life (do you go to food immediately when you are under a great deal of stress to "feed" your emotions, instead of addressing them head on?)

It's not about the food, the exercise, dieting, nutritional supplements ... it's about your beliefs, your relationship with you, how you deal with the stessors in your life. Your weight is a by-product of what you think and feel on a daily basis. Period.

On the Oprah show last week, Geneen Roth spoke about "never dieting again" and got to the issue of WHY people are fat. Many of you may think that if you just eat the "right foods" than BAM ... the weight will just come off! Not so. If there was some magic bullet to lose weight then everyone would be skinny.

It's about your RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU. I work with my coaching clients to understand the real reasons why they are overweight. Like I teach in my Law of Attraction Weight Loss Program, it's about resetting your "fat" mindset. It's also about SHIFTING your thoughts and feelings so they are aligned with wellness & joy. It's about being kinder to you. It's about "addressing the stress".

All the people that were interviewed on the Geneen Roth Oprah show had one thing in common...
They were not happy with where they were at in their life and they were definitely NOT happy with their bodies.

There was so much self judgment and self-loathing - and that only STOPS you from attracting the body you so desire to have.

What I believe is that many overweight people (especially women) are "FEEDING their emotions" instead of "FEELING their emotions and then making a conscious choice to reach for a better feeling."

This is what I am so passionate about teaching my clients to do so that they can feel more joy in this moment, which will open the door and lead them to a healthier and more fit body!

One of the women interviewed on the Oprah Show said that "When I am eating, I don't think about anything else" -- however, this same woman had worries about her Mom, brother and other concerns when it came to her quality of life. It's about addressing these other concerns that is more important than immediately trying to address the excess weight. The excess weight is more about the emotional baggage that people hold onto and the excessive focusing on their body that they loathe!

Matter of fact Geneen Roth mentioned what many women are doing is just adding an extra level of pain to what they are already experiencing. How? Well, they have emotions to life situations that they are just feeding with food that is just going to make them feel even worse later on. Because then, what most of you do, is you beat up on yourself AFTER you eat that way and then you feel even worse than you did before.

I had a doctor client who was so overwhelmed with the stress and demands of her job while simultaneously trying to balance a family of 6 kids that she turned to fried cheese curds as a meal. But then after eating the fried cheese curds felt so bad and was beating up on herself so much that it just ADDED to the stress level that she felt. And on top of that, she had the attitude that "well, I may as well eat unhealthy later since I already screwed up today". But then I coached her around the stress and helped her be at peace with where she was at right in that moment so that she could embrace a different attitude for the meal later on that night. When she left that coaching call, she was feeling so much better about herself and her life, that she chose the healthier option to balance out her "fried" choice earlier on in the day.

Bottom line ... you have to FEEL GOOD in order to make healthier decisions. From a place of Being Happy and Lovin' Life Now, you will more easily align with total wellness than you would if you are depressed, de-motivated and beating up on yourself every single day.

I am going to state my popular quote again =>

"Being Happy Makes You Healthy!" ~Lesetz

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Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Your "Ideal" Weight: What if "Being Fatter" was Better?

I was just speaking about this topic of weight loss with a friend and the picture that society and the media paints, especially when it comes to women and their ideal weight. And this question came to me:

"What if there was a magic wand that was waved over all of society today and BEING FATTER WAS BETTER?"

Now, I know that this question sounds silly on the surface, but let me explain a bit further the motivation behind this thought. We all build our belief systems by what we are brought up with and what we see in the world. And many women I know base their self-image on the standards that other people have set. Think of all the commercials for losing weight!

We know that models in magazines are airbrushed but young girls still see this and many think "oooh, that's the way I want to look!" Or a family member tells you "you are fat" and that sticks with you, until you recognize (if you ever do) that it's just a story that is someone else's and you can change it if you want to. And let's face it, changing that affirmation would make you feel SO MUCH BETTER! So why don't you? Why do you choose to believe that?

So, what if society actually embraced that being fatter was better? Would many of us women like our bodies better? Would we feel better about ourselves? Does our self image have more to do with what other people say and buy into?

Ask yourself this question now -- if society had it all turned around and the more plump you were, the sexier you were, how would that change how you feel about you? If you are very skinny, would it make you want to go out and gain some weight? If you are very overweight, would you think "cool ... I don't have to lose this weight anymore -- Ahhhh, what a relief!".

I am posing this question because I want you to really think about WHY you want to be a different weight?

I am not suggesting that "fatter is better", I am just giving you some food for thought about society standards and how they play a role in what you think of you.

If you want to lose weight, are you doing it for YOU? How will you FEEL when you are at that goal weight? Or is it because of what other people say and think that makes you want to lose that weight? What's been programmed into your mind about a healthy and fit body? Does that programming EMPOWER YOU or DIS-EMPOWER YOU?

I am pretty sure that there are some cultures where "being thin is NOT in". How does that impact their self image / their self worth?

Start reflecting inward as to WHY you really want to be a different weight. It's all about what will make you feel good and starting to feel good NOW before you actually lose all that weight. Your healthy and fit body is more of an "inside job". You can take all the action steps in the world to losing that excess weight, but if you are not coming from a "feel good" place when you take those action steps, the journey will feel like a long and difficult one.

Forget about what others think you should weigh or how you should look. That's all that matters is what you really think and feel and what you really want for yourself and WHY you want it.

Who will you be when you have that "ideal" body? ... Be that person NOW!

What will you be doing differently as a result of having that "ideal" body? ... Start doing those things NOW or at least do things that will get you into the feeling place of doing those different things!

How will you FEEL when you are at what YOU consider to be your ideal weight? ... Start reaching for that feeling now. There are many things you can do to feel "more energetic" or "empowered" -- those feelings are not only correlated with having a healthy and fit body. For example, you can feel more energetic or empowered by taking on a project that you are passionate about. REACH FOR THAT FEELING NOW and you will attract more things in your life that will make you feel energetic and empowered, including that healthy and fit body you so desire!

Don't get so caught up with the number on the scale or the size of your pants -- it's just a number! Tap into the feel good place of WHY you want to have that slimmer body (if that is your desire). Don't let the number rule your life.

And next time you hear the media talk about someone's weight or look at a magazine and think that model is the standard for what you should look like ... STOP and remind yourself that it doesn't matter what the rest of the world says or looks like. That should have nothing to do with your goals and dreams. This is your body, your life, and it's all about what makes you FEEL GOOD!

There, I said it! :)

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Monday, May 03, 2010

Lessons from the Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis

You may be wondering "what does the title of this blog post have to do with Lovin' Life and Losin' Weight?" Well, quite frankly ... everything.

You see, when I was diagnosed with MS it felt like life just threw me a great big curve ball! I had a choice in that moment to treat it as the "end of the road" or "just another bump in the road". And I chose the latter. It was just a bump in the road of life -- something that all of us experience in so many different ways during the course of our lifetime. That diagnosis was not going to define me -- it was just a little "blip on the screen"!

Here's what I learned from that experience that can be applied to any life challenge you may be facing (and yes, that includes weight loss, money, relationships -- you name it, these lessons apply 100%).

1) Focus on what IS working in your life. Feel blessed for the health you do have. Look for the positive evidence in your life. Appreciate more. Worry less.
If you are laser focused on what doesn't feel good (e.g., physical symptoms, what others may think, your "out-of-shape" body, what the future holds when you go to the worse-case scenario, etc.), then you are just going to attract more stuff that you don't feel good about into your life. You MUST shift your focus to the "feel good" stuff!

2) Allow for the possibility of wellness, healing and great health! Don't dismiss the positive outcome just because there are naysayers and people telling you that it can be doom and gloom. You choose your life experiences. You decide whether something is just a bump in the road or a big deal. Based on that one decision, you will steer your life in that direction. I made the decision that one day I would be drug-free, experiencing great health and Lovin' Life. And I made this decision without knowing HOW this was going to happen. And now, 8 years later, I am experiencing exactly what I intended to happen and what I decided was going to happen. It was a HELL YES for me. No doubt. No worries. I just knew that I was going to be fine! Don't ever underestimate that type of decision with a strong conviction. It manifests great things all the time!

3) Your overall health depends on the nature of your thoughts & feelings. It is 100% correlated with your attitude and what you feel each day. If "stress" is part of your every day existence and focusing on the negative is too, then your health will be less than optimal as a result of that experience. Feeling stressed is a choice and so is being at peace and feeling JOY!

Those are just a few of my many lessons on this journey. But do know, that all these lessons apply to every area of your life that you are not happy with and want to change.

No matter what your goals are, you have the power within you to achieve them! You can turn your life around, despite what you are currently facing.

Yes, you are that powerful. Once my coaching clients realize how powerful they are to create their life experiences and embrace that 100%, their dreams unfold beautifully and with ease. Life doesn't have to be as hard as we make it!

There is a hidden gem in every adversity that you encounter on this road trip of life. The diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis was a blessing in disguise for me.

If you are at your wits' end when it comes to the state of your overall health and you are ready to change how you feel about it, then check out my 12-month Law of Attraction Health Coaching Program.

Embrace the lessons from life's adversities and just know that the state of your overall health is within your hands -- well, actually, your mindset! It is within your reach to feel so much better than you currently do and to live life to its fullest, despite any health challenge you are currently experiencing.

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Wednesday, April 28, 2010

OOZE with honey and you will LOSE that excess weight!

My latest Lovin' Life e-zine article I wrote was on this popular phrase
"You Get More Bees with Honey!"
and I thought it was worth mentioning here on this blog.

Typically this phrase means that if you want to get the results you want, being nicer and coming from a positive/giving place will attract to you more ideal results then if you are coming from a place of lack or a place of negativity.

Said another way, you will get more “benefits” when you are sweet, kind, happy, and come from a loving and giving place. The type of energy you put out there will mirror back to you.

This happens in business a lot. Do you ever visit a restaurant and have a bad experience with the food or the service and then make a comment to the manager. Now, let’s say the manager comes over to your table, truly listens to what the problem was, expresses their deepest apologies and then comps you a free appetizer or makes the dinner on them. How does that make you feel? Do you want to go back to this restaurant? Does it give you a warm, fuzzy feel about the service that this restaurant provides to their customers?

Now what if that same manager came over and said “Oh, I’m sorry about that” (not really meaning it) and didn’t really listen to your concerns and on top of that they did nothing to make you feel like you were special. They didn’t even accommodate you for the inconvenience. Which manager do you think is going to make you want to come back to that same restaurant? Yep, you guessed it ... the first one!

Now, let's talk about how the heck this applies to lovin' life and losing weight!

I want you to think of this phrase, “You Get More Bees with Honey”, in a different way.

Think of the “BEES” as your dream of having your ideal body and
think of the “HONEY” as the way YOU TREAT YOU!

Imagine this … the sweeter you are to you, the more honey you are oozing!
(Do a self-check right now – are you oozing lots of honey OR are you kind of dried up?)

When you are being kind to yourself and consciously aligning with what brings you joy each day, you are oozing HONEY and your dream of losing weight and feeling great (the bees) will attract to you naturally and with ease; But when you are beating up on yourself, thinking that you look fat and disgusting and NOT taking extra special care of YOU, there is no honey to be found. No honey ... no bees (dream) in sight.

Your dreams unfold in direct proportion to how much you love life now and treat yourself well. Extreme self-care is a key ingredient to getting what you want in life. When you treat yourself well, then the world will too and realizing your dreams will feel so much easier than it ever has.

So next time you catch yourself being “mean to you” and saying "not so nice" things about how you look, do yourself a favor and stop in the act of meanness and do something that will put a smile on your face.

Change the story you tell yourself about you. Find the things you LOVE about you. And yes, there are many things you can find. You just have to look for them.

So how do you treat yourself better?
Go listen to something inspirational. Get a massage. Read a book. Take a bath. Meditate. Treat yourself to a mini-vacation. Go out for an enjoyable meal with someone you love. Tell yourself in the mirror – you are special. Matter of fact, look in the mirror and say “yeah me!” – why not celebrate you? You are worth it. You are special.

I know, that last one about looking in the mirror and saying "Yeah Me" when you think you look fat, seems to be a tough one. But stop focusing on the body parts that you don't like. Shift your attention to what you do like about you. You have the choice to do so. So, why not do it?!

Give yourself a break. Your mind, body and soul will THANK YOU when you do and you will feel so much better. And when you do give yourself that break and TREAT yourself well, the HONEY IS OOZING and the manifestations of losing that excess weight will come so much easier to you.

If you are beating up on yourself all the time, not liking what you see in the mirror, how can you expect to change the state of where you are at? If like attracts like (which it does), you are just going to be attracting more "proof" that you don't look good or that your weight is an "issue". Find the proof to the contrary.

Remember the honey analogy and you WILL be well on your way to that healthy and fit body you so desire!

Yes, ooze with honey and that excess weight will come off far easier than if you are stressed out about where you are at and how far you have to go.

If I had to sum it up in one short sentence, I would say ...
BE KIND TO YOU!

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Saturday, April 10, 2010

Carrying the Weight of the World can pack on the FAT!

Did you ever wonder how all that baggage in your mind impacts your physical body?

When you are really stressed, do you ever feel like you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? Don't you feel "heavier" and "weighed-down" with all those worries!

I know that when I am happy and free of worries, my entire body feels lighter and moves with ease. I walk with a confidence, my body feels more fit and toned. But when I am "off" or having a "bad day", it seems like my body is more lethargic and heavier.

I was inspired to write this post because I really want you to get that what you are thinking in your mind "weighs heavily" on your physical body and will impact the success of your weight loss journey. There is no doubt about this.

Thoughts and feelings are energy and they are felt at every fiber of your being. Your physical body responds to the thoughts you think -- and there is a direct correlation. So if you are carrying some excess baggage (i.e., chronic negative feelings) in that mind of yours, you may see that excess baggage somewhere down the line deposited on your hips, your stomach, your thighs!

Just think about how you may have gained that weight or if you are one of those "up and down" people, all those times you have gained back that excess weight. What was going on in your life at that time? What were you thinking and feeling? Were you in a HAPPY place? Or were you under stress and feeling like ... (you know what I am referring to by the ... !)

The reasons for being overweight goes so much deeper than the foods you eat and the exercise you do. Yes, these things are important -- however, what brought you to those "unhealthy foods" in the first place? Why were you not motivated to move or exercise?

Your emotions and state of mind plays a huge role
in how physically fit your body is.

Address the Stress! Release all that resistance and excess baggage you hold onto in your mind. Attract INNER Well-Being and your outer body will respond positively!

You will start to see those pounds melt away, along with those negative thoughts & feelings.

Decide today that carrying the "Weight of the World" is not your job! Your only job is to feel good and be Lovin' Life. And once you do this, no matter what is going on around you, your body will feel better and all areas of your life will get a significant upgrade!

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Tuesday, April 06, 2010

The emWave Personal Stress Reliever (PSR) for National Stress Awareness Month!

As I mentioned in my previous post, April is National Stress Awareness Month and feeling stressed is a choice. I wanted to highlight one of my favorite stress relief tools that both my clients and myself use to feel more at peace and aligned with joy. During the month of April, HeartMath is offering an instant rebate of $50 off their emWave Personal Stress Reliever product and you can gain access to this special discount just by clicking the banner below:

emWave PSR on sale for stress month


Stress is often misunderstood. Many people look at outside events as the source of stress, but, in fact, the experience of stress is actually caused by our emotional reactions to events. A response to stress is expressed as resistance, tension, strain, or frustration and it throws off our mental and emotional equilibrium, keeping us out of sync. Two people in identical circumstances may respond in very different ways (e.g., one may get outwardly reactive, the other tired and withdrawn) depending upon how they perceive the situation. One thing is certain, stress not only affects our attitudes and outlook, it can also affect our health. By changing how we respond to stressful situations we can change our physiological response to stress.

Stress and eating
Experts now agree that 75% or more of overeating is caused by emotional stress, which means that a lot of us are using food to cope with our feelings. In today's high-stress society, many of us, adults and children, eat high fat or high sugar foods to soothe emotions or relieve stress and anxiety. You can change your eating habits by changing your reaction to stress.

HeartMath has tools that can help. Start your journey toward a healthier you by clicking the banner above!

And if you are looking for more of my recommended products to help you reduce stress and attract great health and well-being, just Click Here!

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Monday, April 05, 2010

National Stress Awarness Month - De-Stress and Love Life!

April is National Stress Awareness Month and I couldn't resist posting about this very popular subject of STRESS and how to eliminate it from our everyday lives.

Stress impacts our lives negatively in every way, shape and form. Our bodies respond negatively to stress. (And YES, you can gain weight just from being stressed!) Our relationships can fall apart as a result of feeling stressed. Our money situation can become "doom and gloom" as a result of the stress we feel.

Some of you may think that it is the other way around -- that we are stressed because of our financial situation or because of an area of our life that is not going too well -- but that is not the case; we are stressed because of what we choose to think and feel about our current life experiences.

Feeling stressed is a choice. Being happy is a choice.

We are all at choice on how we respond to what life throws our way. But here's the good news and bad news ...

If we respond with feeling stressed and worried to a specific life event, our life experiences will reflect that "in kind" - meaning we will attract to us more things to worry about (that's the bad news!). But if we respond by taking a breath, realizing that it's our response to that life situation that creates the results and then deliberately choosing more peaceful thoughts, releasing all worry and doubt, then our life will unfold beautifully (that's the good news).

In both of those scenarios there is one thing they have in common ... the power we have within to create our life experiences. It's all in our hands.

Paint a picture of what stress looks like? If you had a paintbrush and could represent "stress" in a painting or piece of art, what would it look like? For me, it would NOT look very pretty? It would represent "chaos" and "ugly" and would have a disorganized, disturbing look to it. Now imagine that same image (which is just energy) resonating at every cell of your body. Yes, STRESS is felt to the core of your being. What do you think that stressful energy does to your overall health and wellness? It surely does NOT benefit you.

Now, picture PEACE. Paint it. Represent a feeling of calm, peace and feeling joy in the moment. What would that picture look like? To me, it would have beautiful colors that soothe and refresh the soul. It would have a flow to it that feels so good. It would be a picture that is engaging and draws you in, wanting you to look at it more and more and having a positive impact on your mood.

Imagine what the picture of peace and calm would do to the insides of your body. Your cells feel that too and will respond "in kind". Your body will Thank You for embracing that energy of peace. You will sleep better; you will feel more energetic and motivated. Your body will move more with ease.

If you are stressed about your relationships, career or financial situation, then learn how to shift your mindset to a more peaceful energy right here, right now. Decide that today is the day that you are going to do something different that will help you to manage that stress more effectively. Speed Coaching can be just the thing that will jump-start your journey to a stress-free life. Once you learn how to de-stress and Love Life Now, your dreams will unfold beautifully and the state of your overall health will improve ten-fold (inside and out)!

If you find that you are one of those people that GAIN weight when you are under a lot of stress, then sign up for my Law of Attraction Weight Loss MindSet Program where you will learn how to reset your mindset to a more peaceful state of mind and reduce the stress you feel each and every day. Once you do this, your body will respond "in kind" and show you how happy it is that you are less stressed. Those poor food choices you make when you are stressed, will shift to more inspired, healthy choices that are aligned with Wellness.

It IS within your control to feel more at peace, even during those times where you feel you are in the middle of a "life storm". As a Stress Management Coach, I can help you to find that peace within.

There are many tools and resources that can help you to reduce or dare I say "eliminate" STRESS! What you feel is 100% within your control.

Click Here to see my top recommendations for stress relief tools and products (such as the emWave Personal Stress Reliever, The Sedona Method, & Money Mojo Magic) and begin your journey to stress-free living and Lovin' Life, no matter what!

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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution - A Law of Attraction perspective

I watched the preview of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution the other night and I was astounded at what those kids are eating in West Virginia!

Now, yes, I am a Law of Attraction Health Coach and I do believe that your thoughts and feelings play a major role in how healthy you are. Matter of fact, if you are a chronically negative person (whether you are a child or an adult), your overall health will suffer -- both emotionally and physically.

So, my reaction to the Food Revolution show might shock you. But let me explain further.

Now, a Law of Attraction purist would say that you could eat anything and be healthy, if you believed this and if you had thoughts and feeling that were totally aligned with wellness. I know a Law of Attraction Coach who preaches this and runs programs telling people that they can eat the cheesecake and the icecream and that those foods are not what is making them unhealthy. Now, to some degree there is some truth to this. Because our emotions and how we feel play a major role in how we eat and the action steps we take to manifest a healthy body.

However, when I saw the Food Revolution show with Jamie Oliver, I must admit that many of my own beliefs around food and what is healthy and what is not came to the surface. In my opinion, these kids are eating "junk" and it does show.

Now, are these kids all unhappy -- do they all have negative thoughts and feeling? I am sure not all of them do. Matter of fact, many of them are not even thinking about what foods they are being given to eat -- they haven't been conditioned to believe that these foods are bad for them. This is the norm for them -- when they were given a choice between the processed food (boxed pizza) and the more wholesome food (chicken and vegetables), they picked what they were familiar with -- the pizza!

There may be a negative correlation between the heaviest, unhealthiest kids and how happy those particular kids are (negative correlation meaning that maybe the kids that are the most unhealthy and heaviest are LESS happy than the ones that weigh less) -- but I don't know this for sure. I was a statistician in the corporate world and would love to run a statistical study to see if this theory may be true. But in the meanwhile, I personally believe that it is a combination of providing a happy home environment and ALSO giving these kids healthy and wholesome foods. It's also about teaching these kids how to be confident, believe in themselves, and not give a rip what other kids say about them (and YES, I am saying this especially to the kids that probably get picked on because they are overweight!).

As a Motivational Speaker and a Life Coach, I would teach these kids about their own personal power that they have within them right now to create a wonderful life for themselves. Yes, I would teach them about the Law of Attraction and that how what you think and feel creates your reality. And I would also tell them that the most important thing in life is that you FEEL GOOD and choose happiness, no matter what.

When you are feeling good and Lovin' Life, you will make healthier choices in your life. However, when you are a child, you are not the one who is cooking for yourself. You rely on your parents and the school system to provide you with the nutrition you need. If the parents are overwhelmed and in a negative place themselves, they are not going to make the wisest choices for their kids (they are going to opt for the quick dinners, what appears "easy"). So, thank you Jamie Oliver for teaching us that there can be quick and easy "healthy" options for parents to give their children.

As far as the school system and their "meal plan" -- oh my God -- something is seriously wrong with that! They made it sound like they had a system that was so nutritious "2 starches", balanced meals -- are you kidding me?! Something is seriously wrong with that system if these people believe that what they are offering our kids is healthy and balanced! That's all I will say about that.

Bottom line ... great health and well-being is achieved through a holistic approach. Yes, being happy and choosing thoughts and feelings that are more positive will definitely benefit your overall health and well-being. But I believe that what we teach our kids when they are young is so important to the quality of their life as they grow older.

Come on America -- get on board with Jamie Oliver and start feeding our kids REAL food that is nutritious and wholesome. As a Law of Attraction Health Coach, I do believe that we are more DRAWN to these types of foods when we are feeling good and Lovin' Life! But kids take their cue from their parents and the adults that they are surrounded by. Let's be a positive influence on them and help them to pave the way to a healthy, rich and fulfilling life!

And Jamie Oliver, let me know if you need some help to motivate and inspire these kids and build their confidence to the point where at this age they believe that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE ... they could achieve anything they want in life!

For more information about my Law of Attraction Coaching and Motivational Speaking, Click Here.

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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

World's Fattest Woman, Donna Simpson- is it really about JOY?!

Now this blog is entitled Lovin' Life, Losin' Weight. And it is for all of you out there who really want to know how to lose weight successfully and maintain a healthy and fit body for life! And if you have been following this blog for a while, you know that what I teach is all about having the right MindSet to attract your goals and desires. Your thoughts and feelings need to be aligned with wellness in order to attract great health and be successful in your weight loss journey.

So, you can imagine my reaction when I heard about the story of the 42 year old woman, Donna Simpson, who currently weighs 600 lbs and is shooting to hit 1000 lbs to be the World's largest woman. Well, that's quite a twist ... a woman in her 40's who wants to gain weight and be extremely overweight (and "extremely" is putting it mildly)! WOW!

My first reaction was probably similar to many of you-- WHY? Are you kidding me? And then my next thought was "isn't this going to be detrimental to her health"?!

As a Law of Attraction Coach I am quite curious as to whether this goal of hers is something that she feels will bring her "pure joy" or if it is about something else. Some say, it's about the fame and the money. Well, I don't know her personally, but it really makes you wonder why people do what they do.

And what about the people who are sending her food and money to continue her quest to be the World's heaviest woman? What's their deal? These same people are actually watching her eat on the internet. I personally don't get it (but I don't have to!). It amazes me how some people will spend money on something like this, but when it comes to investing in their own joy and improving the quality of their life, they may hesitate to invest or simply don't. But hey, that's their life and it has nothing to do with me.

Here's what I believe ... however, please do keep in mind that this is only based on my opinion and has no bearing on what this woman will manifest in her life (unless she believes the same thing deep down). I have a belief that her excessive eating of 12,000 calories per day is detrimental to her overall health. Am I her doctor? No. Do I know what her current state of health is? No. These are just based on my beliefs around health and well-being.

Now, that being said, the bottom line is this. She is the only one who is in charge of her life. She will create her own personal life experiences by the nature of the thoughts and feelings she chooses to have. So, whatever I think has no impact on what will come next for her. And after all, we are all responsible for our own lives. Each one of us must take 100% responsibility for what we attract into our lives. Because we are the creators of our life experiences, whether we believe we are or not. Yes, many blame others for what happens in their lives, but the results we get are only because of what we choose to think, feel and believe.

So, here are a few questions I would ask Donna Simpson if I was interviewing her or if I was her Life Coach:

* Are you feeling "pure joy" when you are doing this?
* Is this coming from a Happy place? Are you Lovin' Life right now?
* What type of thoughts and feelings do you have during the course of a day?
* How do you physically feel right now?
* What's the REAL reason that is motivating you to achieve this goal?
* When you achieve this goal, how will you feel, what will you be doing as a result of this "accomplishment"?
* What's next?

These are just a sample of the questions that I would be asking her if I was interviewing her as a Law of Attraction Health Coach.

Who am I to say whether she is happy or not. I don't know her. Yes, I have my beliefs around this whole topic -- but what I think and feel does NOT impact her life. She is the only one that can impact her life.

It fascinates me that while Michelle Obama is going out campaigning to stop childhood obesity, Donna Simpson is on a quest to take it to the other extreme and weigh 1000 lbs. Only in America could there exist this dichotomy of messages.
And by the way, Mrs. Obama ... it is important to teach kids about that mind of theirs and how powerful it is to create ANYTHING they want in their life ... including being healthy & fit. It's not just about the foods they eat or the exercise they do! If they are "unhappy kids" this will negatively impact their overall health too. If you need a side-kick for your campaign, just give me a call -- I would love to help you inspire and motivate our youth! :)

So, moral of this blog post is ... only pay attention to what brings YOU joy. Focus on your life and align your thoughts and feelings with being happy and Lovin' Life. You are the only one that has control over your life experiences. And whatever you think of what others are doing can not impact their outcomes, it will only impact your outcomes especially if it gets you in a tizzy.

As I have said before ... "Being Happy makes you Healthy!" (not the other way around)

Here's what I know: I am passionate about helping YOU be Happy & Lovin' Life, no matter what! When you are in this space and place, you will attract ANYTHING that you want into your life.

And if you are one of the many that actually want to lose weight successfully and maintain a healthy and fit body for life, here's what I teach my weight loss coaching clients:

Great health and wellness starts with the right mindset!

My 6-week Law of Attraction Weight Loss Audio Program helps my clients do just that. You can't be frustrated with where you are at and attract that healthy and fit body. You have to learn how to be happy first, appreciate more, love yourself for who you are right now. When you start aligning with feeling more joy on a regular basis, THEN you will be inspired to take those action steps that will naturally bring you that healthy and fit body you so desire. Lasting results come from inspired action steps, not ones that you feel you should do or have to do!


Once you get the mindset right, there is no turning back -- it's a done deal.

Anything is possible.


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