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Happy Tuesday! One of the easiest ways to be healthy and accelerate your weight loss is to drink lots of water! This sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Honestly, once you realize how beneficial water is to your mind and body, you’ll want to increase your daily amount. Here are some health benefits of water and suggestions for how much you should drink to get healthy results.

 

Water…

  • normalizes blood pressure
  • assists with digestion
  • filters out bacteria from your bladder
  • cushions your joints
  • sends oxygen to your cells
  • hydrates your skin
  • regulate your body temperature
  • prevents and treats headaches
  • stabilizes your heartbeat
  • keeps you regular
  • helps with physical endurance
  • affects your energy level and brain function

 

Some signs that you need more water are…

  • your urine is bright yellow
  • you aren’t urinating very frequently
  • when you pinch the top of your hand, your skin stays lifted
  • your mouth and throat are dry
  • your legs feel tight and puffy

 

It is recommended to drink half your weight in ounces of water. For example, someone weighing 150 pounds should drink 75 ounces of water per day! You’ll feel so good on the inside and out when you figure out how much water your body needs, so look for the signs of dehydration. How much water do you drink? How do you want to improve your hydration levels! Cheers to the benefits of water!

You’ve got this!

Georgette

 

 

Happy Tuesday! Do you think that you are labeled a certain way by others? Do you think that you label yourself in a certain way? Let’s unpack that! Our identity often stays the same by how we label ourselves and how we let others label us. It is a habit to keep doing what we’ve always done and to keep letting other people define us how they always have. We get used to having certain identities and we limit ourselves by often staying stuck in those labels. Labels have existed since we were born. We often just accept them. Labels come in all shapes and sizes: “I am a rule follower”, “I am helpful”, “I am a giver”, “I am not good enough”, “I am fat”, and “I am not deserving”, to give a few common examples. So, why do we stay comfortable and accept them as our true blueprint? People with a growth mindset will peel off their labels and will try to be something else. Those with a closed mindset prefer to be comfortable and to stay stuck, even in the discontent of life.

 

For example, I have a client who labels herself as a lifetime dieter. She has dieted all her life and has failed all along the way. She tells herself that she is never going to lose weight because she has never been able to before. She has limited herself to never being able to be thinner and she is still stuck in this mindset after so many years. Once she finally decides to change her story and to change her label to reflect her healthy goals, she will lose weight. Right now, she is standing in her own way. She is limiting herself. The question for her is “Is your motivating factor, your “why”, stronger than how you currently see yourself?” It has to be stronger in order for you to make change.

 

On the flip side, let’s say that you’ve always eaten healthy, whole food and your friends know it, in fact, they expect it. You are labeled as “the healthy one” in your group. This label might put you on a proud pedestal when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle, almost like a badge of honor.  On the other hand, it may set you up for never feeling like you could eat “imperfectly”, which wells up perfectionism. This sets you up for not taking risks, not wanting to be human, and not likely to try something new. 

 

Ask yourself 2 questions: Who are you? What are you? Take a while to think deeply about this and then list the labels that others have placed on you and those that you have placed on yourself! Which ones are you okay with? Which ones are you ready to shed? It will take a while for people to get used to your label dropping, so expect a little push back. Just remember, that you get to decide who you are and what you are! People treat you how you let them, so stand up for who you are and maybe you’ll want to drop a few old labels that no longer serve you! YOU BE YOU!

 

You’ve got this!

Georgette

 

Happy Tuesday! I am fascinated by what words really mean and how there are often hidden clues within a word that help us to move forward on our health journey. Here are a few of my favorite words that start with the prefix RE, which means AGAIN. 

 

Replay: Think about what worked for you in the past with your weight loss and let that image show up in your mind over and over again to remind you about how you found success before so you can do it again!

 

Recalculate: Examine what you’re doing for yourself and see where you need to spend more time on that effort. You may need to shift your focus.

 

Reframe: Flip negative thoughts that discourage you into positive, uplifting ones.

 

Restart: Go back to your plan and try it again from the beginning! Each day offers a fresh start toward your goals.

 

Reset: Stop where you are right now and prioritize what you want and how you are going to get it step by step. Take one small step at a time, but just do something!

 

Repeat: Do something new over and over again to make it a habit.

 

Resume: Pick up where you left off when you make a mistake! Slips happen! Hop back on track and avoid falling off your plan all together. 

 

Redo: Do whatever worked for you in the past to reach a health goal! 

 

Relax: Loosen up and take a break for your mind and body!

 

Recharge: Give your energy a boost by exercising!

 

Remember: Keep telling yourself that you are worth the effort to take care of yourself on the inside and out!

 

Leave me a comment below about your favorite “RE word” and why it comes to mind for you!

 

You’ve got this!

Georgette

 

5 Easy Ways To Change Your Mindset Around Weight Loss

 

Most of us bring a lot of baggage with us to our weight loss experience. We tend to dwell on how we used to look and feel years ago, how many different diets we have tried and failed at, what we used to wear, what we used to look like in pictures, and why we can’t lose weight once and for all. Sound familiar? The fact that 95% of diets fail people is telling in itself. So let’s unpack a few things: first, diets do work when we do them and when we keep doing them. Whether that means eating differently and/or implementing consistent exercise or movement, people do lose weight when healthier food is eaten in reasonable amounts and when people add movement to their daily routine.

 

The issue for most of us is continuing with these healthier habits for a long time. It can feel so good to start dropping weight after eating differently, so why don’t most people adopt it as a lifestyle instead of a diet that usually only lasts for a short time?

 

What is really happening?

 

In our culture, people want everything to happen fast without a ton of effort. Instant gratification has become an expectation for most people. Why? Well, we like to see fast results without too much effort. So, when we see quick results, we are confused why they are not usually long lasting. For us humans, it is easy to quit or give up. It’s harder to stick it out and to put in the hard work. For example, my friends and family know that I rarely eat birthday dessert at a gathering. It’s ironic that I’m always the official ice cream scooper even though I seldom eat any of it. In fact, we all find it funny and I enjoy playing along with my special job. Many years ago, I knew that desserts did not serve me as healthy fuel and I usually felt awful after eating them. So, it became the norm for me to only eat sweets occasionally, regardless if everyone else was partaking around me. I chose for it to be something that I eliminated and it is a practice that still holds true today. Again, I do eat desserts from time to time, but it is not a habit to do so. It is automatic for me to say, “no thank you”. I’ve learned to do what works for my fuel needs and my body.

In addition, I have had to learn how to hold the critics at arm’s length and to not let their opinions bother me. It takes some courage, consistency, and lots of practice and is worth the effort in the end! I can truthfully say that people usually don’t even bother asking me if I want dessert any more.

Message received! I’ve developed a thicker skin for saying “no thank you” and had to earn people’s respect for my choices. If I can do it, you can, too!

As you think more intentionally about your weight loss goals as summer approaches, here are 5 ways to change your mindset around weight loss!

1. Write down your goal

When we physically write down our goals, they are more ingrained in our brains. It’s almost as if we are writing a declaration and an agreement with the intention to follow through. Honor your goals by writing them down to see them as a reminder of your commitment to a healthier you. Use paper and pen or an electronic tool; do what works best for you!

2. Find your why

In order to know what results you want to achieve, you need to find your why. The purpose for this goal has to be clear and important enough to you to work toward. The reasons people want to lose weight are as varied as the different kinds of people there are in the world. Choose your why so that you find a grounded purpose and motivation. “Just because” will fizzle out much faster than wanting to lose 25 pounds and to get off your diabetic medication, for example.

3. Create your future self profile

What does your future self look and feel like on the inside and out? This step cannot be missed as you embark on shedding pounds. Close your eyes and give this some serious thought and attention. Write down a profile of how you want to look and feel. Be specific. You may even want to draw or find a picture of what that might look like to give you a focal point. It’s often common for people to hang a picture of their future self in their closet as inspiration.

 

4. Make a specific plan

If this is where you have stumbled in the past trying to do it on your own, hire a coach! You are worth the investment! This is what I do to guide my clients, to hold them accountable, and to cheer them on all the way through the journey. Be specific about how you are going to do this. Learn about different eating plans and lifestyles and find the one that fits you and that gets you excited about doing the work. Keep good strategies that worked for you in the past (i.e. tracking your food) and adopt new ones that you want to implement. Be realistic: if you don’t like meat, for example, paleo or keto diets are not your best bet, so find something else. There are more ways to eat than you can even imagine, so do your homework and find what fits your needs. Better yet, work with a coach to do so.

Get a new blank calendar and schedule your exercise as you do for other important events and appointments and honor those commitments without fail. Writing things down is helpful. Whatever you decide, you will be more successful when you enjoy what you are doing so that it can be a long lasting habit instead of the next crash and burn weight loss episode in your life. Make this time a different experience! Better yet, make it the last “diet” you ever start. I call it a lifestyle to better reflect how I want to live my life for a long time instead of the next fad.

 

5. Take one step at a time

You’ve heard me say this before: Put one foot in front of the other by taking one small step at a time!

Pick ONE action step and take action to start NOW. Nothing worth doing is ever rushed; one step at a time is how goals get achieved. Here’s a helpful visual: imagine that you are standing at the bottom of a very large staircase. Look up to the top step! We never just leap up to the top in one fell swoop, do we? Not at all! We climb the staircase one small step at a time until we reach the top. Be patient, kind, and compassionate to yourself knowing that you need to take one small step at a time. You’ll get to the top in due time and when you’re there, I hope you’re inspired to stay there after all of your hard work! I promise you that it is worth the climb! It has been for me!

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Read more from Georgette!

Written by: Georgette LePage, Executive Contributor

Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.

 

 

Happy Tuesday! Recently, I was talking to a friend about how her Easter weekend went and she was so happy that she had not done much of the usual cooking and baking but instead played with her grandkids and did some simpler, more relaxing activities. She even served a less complicated, non-traditional meal. She was clearly relieved not to have gotten caught up in all of the holiday hype that usually takes over and stresses us out. We talked about how we all can easily create our own holiday drama and stress by trying to live up to idyllic expectations that we have seen in the media or in our past. 

 

What is it in our brains that sets us up for major anxiety around holiday traditions? Why do most of us put so much pressure on ourselves to do everything the way we remember it being done in the past or the way we think we have to do it? Can you relate? Do you put this unnecessary pressure on yourself? Do you ever want to do something different?

 

It’s so healthy for our minds and bodies if we examine some questionable food traditions, for example, so that we can have more simplicity and healthiness in our life. For instance, do you ever stop and think about the concept of a birthday cake? This one is huge for me personally, as I’ve never loved cake (except for my mom’s homemade chocolate cake), yet I’ve had one on most of my birthdays. Why do I eat it if I don’t really want it? Is it for everyone else? Is it something I have to do? Could I have a birthday fruit bowl instead? That way, I’d be eating something more aligned with my eating habits and I could participate in the birthday celebration ritual in a way that better serves me. Am I brave enough to start this new tradition even if others think I’m crazy? Why not?

 

In addition to healthier eating habits with traditions, let’s talk about the stress that you put on yourself to do the same thing the same way year after year. For most people, traditions cause us stress and overwhelm because we place a ton of pressure on ourselves to be perfect and to celebrate in a picture perfect way. Just look at people’s social media posts and you’ll see endless examples of perfect pictures showing people doing all the things with traditions: birthdays, weddings, graduations, holidays, etc. 

 

The list is endless of what traditions you “should” continue year after year with extra effort, even at the cost of your well-being. We eat the same foods, just because we always have. We wear the same type of clothes out of habit. We keep unwanted clutter to preserve memories. All of these limiting thoughts will keep you stuck and will be an obstacle to your weight loss and health. So, get curious about your traditions and habits, evaluate them as worthy or not, and make some adjustments. Whether it’s a favorite holiday treat or the same exercise routine that you’ve had forever, ask yourself if it is currently serving your efforts for better health. If it is not, try something different, be patient, and watch how you grow in a fresh new way! I challenge you to give it a try!

 

You’ve got this!

Georgette

 

Happy Tuesday! They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I’d like for you to go to your closet right now as you read this! Open the door and open your eyes really wide. What is your first impression? How do you feel in this space? How do you feel about yourself in this space? What do you think about your mindset around what you wear? Do you think the clothes in this space are honored with organization? Does this closet feel like a boutique or the aftermath of a tornado?

 

HERE ARE 5 EASY STEPS TO REORGANIZE YOUR CLOSET:

 

  1. TAKE EVERYTHING OUT OF THE CLOSET. (You read that right, take everything out of the closet.)

 

      2. DUST OFF THE SHELVES AND RACKS AND THEN VACUUM OR SWEEP THE FLOOR.(You may even want to slap a  fresh coat of paint on the walls!)

 

      3. EXAMINE EACH ITEM AS YOU PUT YOUR CLOTHES BACK IN ONE SECTION AT A TIME. As you evaluate each piece of clothing before it goes back into the closet, create 3 piles: THROW AWAY, GIVE AWAY, AND KEEP. (rule of thumb: If you haven’t worn something in a year, it’s not important enough to you, so let it go!)

 

        4. HANG ALL OF YOUR CLOTHES BY SECTIONS. For example, hang all of your pants together in the same section. You might even want to go a step further and have 2 sections (winter pants and summer pants) and color code each section so that your black pants are all together. This makes it easier to find what you want to wear faster and will save you time. Another idea is to use one color/kind of hangers throughout and to face your clothes in the same direction. 

 

         5. ONLY FILL YOUR CLOSET WITH CLOTHES , SHOES, AND ACCESSORIES THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY. Life is too short to waste it cluttering up your closet with items that you don’t even like. Time to clear the clutter in your closet and in your mind!

 

Now it’s your turn to transform your closet into a joyful space that you find positive and up lifting. You have the power to create a space that honors your clothes no matter how big or small your closet is. Happy closet organizing! Post a picture below when your redesigned space is ready to showcase!

 

You’ve got this!

Georgette

Happy Tuesday! Jelly bean season is over, so what is your weight loss goal as summer is right around the corner? Do you want to feel better in your clothes? Do you want to look better in your clothes? Do you want to buy new clothes? Do you want to fit into old clothes? Do you want to see a healthier number on the scale that better matches your body? Whatever your goal is, step one towards progress is to set a goal. 

 

So, now ask yourself how badly you want to lose weight? Be honest with yourself, close your eyes, and think about how important this goal is to you. What does this feel like? Do you feel motivated and excited? Do you feel hopeful? Do you feel ready to do the work? Taking time to examine these thoughts will bring you clarity about the intensity of your commitment to your weight loss goal.

 

Next, why do you want to lose weight? A huge question to ask yourself! Do you have a special event coming up (a class reunion, a wedding, a work event, a graduation)? Do you want to improve your recent lab results from a doctor’s visit? Do you want to feel and look better in your clothes? Do you want to have more energy? Are you tired of being tired? Whatever the reason, identify your WHY! Make it important enough that you MUST take action NOW!

 

Once you decide how motivated you really are, it’s a good idea to create a clear plan that is reasonable and doable. You want to set yourself up for success, so make sure your timeline supports your efforts. This may mean taking careful thought to set your end goal and smaller goals along the way, which are just as important as the ultimate result. For example, is losing 20 pounds in a month reasonable or is losing 20 pounds in 6 months more realistic? Again, breaking down your desired result into smaller, manageable action steps and goals will lead to more results. You will also be able to keep up your motivation when you see small measurable wins along the way. Additionally, your motivation will stay high when you reach small successes along the way to your end goal. The same mindset can be used with exercise goals, other health goals, to name a few. How you do one thing is how you do everything. It’s a win-win in all aspects of your life!

 

This week, take some quiet time to look inward and to really decide how badly you want to lose weight. Then, find your why and get a plan written down so that you can get started immediately! There’s no time like the present! I’m rooting for you!

 

You’ve got this!

Georgette

 

Happy Tuesday! First, I want to say thank you for reading my blog each week! I appreciate you and am excited to keep bringing you useful content each week! A recent conversation with a  client inspired today’s topic about the power of a timer. She is an incredibly smart, successful person in so many arenas and was trying to figure out how to work out in the morning each day. It was something that she was very motivated to restart in her morning routine at home with all of the equipment already at her fingertips. Her challenge was getting focused to do the work. Again, this is a very motivated person who is determined to become stronger by exercising. As she talked more about why she had yet to start her morning routine at this point, I listened for a few minutes as she tried to find the missing puzzle piece. It was so interesting to watch her navigate through the real reason why she has been putting this off.

 

Eventually, we agreed that she was not scheduling this into her daily routine as she does for all of her other important commitments each day such as meetings, appointments, and calls. Once she saw the reason why, she was ready to find a solution so that she could get into the habit of exercising in the morning. I simply asked her how she managed to get other important things done during the day and she eventually shared that her priorities were on her calendar in a specific time slot with a starting time and an ending time. My question to her was, “What would happen if you treated your exercise time like the other important events on your daily calendar?” 

 

LIGHT BULB moment! I call that an AHA moment with my clients! It made perfect sense to her. The next idea I offered was setting a timer when she exercises to preserve the time set aside for it without cutting it short. Hence, the power of the timer! She loved the idea and said it made perfect sense. It would keep her honest with the length of time she had allotted for this important activity and would keep her focused during that time. 

 

Actually, I use a timer all throughout the day. It provides me with time boundaries and fosters a sense of being more focused without interruptions. I do it for my writing, learning, content creating, and for rest times. In fact, I am more productive and attentive to one thing at a time this way and get more done. This week, I offer you the power of a timer so that you can see how your focus and results will be more intentional and will eliminate wasted time. Give it a try and let me know what you did specifically with a timer and how it worked for you! It’s a simple strategy that will make a huge difference to where you put your time!

 

You’ve got this!

Georgette

 

 

Happy Tuesday! You are probably your own worst critic most of the time, am I right? You also have the power to create your own story of how you look, like it or not.

 

Recently, I went to a beautiful beach on a bright and warm sunny day. On this particular day, I left my old negative self-talk behind to see how it would feel to enjoy time wearing my bathing suit in a different way with a different outlook. I, like many other women, don’t exactly love the experience of wearing a bathing suit. However, I had decided ahead of time to think differently today. I brought my positive reframed version of myself to the sandy oasis in search of a more fun, relaxed experience.

 

As I got ready at the hotel before heading to the beach, I slipped on my bathing suit, looked in the mirror, and gave myself a thumbs up for putting it on and owning that it  was really me in the mirror. I’m pretty sure that it will be a slow process to shift my mindset to feel enthusiastically fabulous in the mirror and that is okay. Since I no longer strive for perfection, just for my very best, I decided that I was worth a smile of approval for showing up like this today. MIND SHIFT #1: I’m grateful for the body that I have and am responsible for taking care of it and for keeping it healthy.

 

At the beach, I sat in the sun for a while and did a lot of people watching, which is fascinating to me. I always try to learn from other people and am curious how they look and how they carry themselves. There were ladies of all ages, all shapes and sizes, and all walks of life in all different kinds of bathing suits. Some women were jiggly, some were fit and firm, some wore flattering suits, some were squeezing out of their suits, some sat around and looked shy to be seen while others didn’t care for one second what anyone might think. Those who didn’t seem to care looked like they were having the most fun. They were enjoying life instead of sitting on the sidelines holding everyone else’s towels. Which would you prefer to be doing?

 

It struck me that nobody really cares what you look like in your bathing suit except you and who cares if anyone actually does care? WOW!!! Light bulb AHA moment right there! MINDSET SHIFT #2:  What other people think about you is none of your business!

 

I really think I made a breakthrough that day by not worrying about what others might think about me in my bathing suit and it made a difference in how I enjoyed my time at the beach that day. Your tale of the bathing suit is waiting to be written by you and only you! You get to decide what to wear and how to wear it! What an empowering thought! Shifting your focus into a state of gratitude for who you are added to the decision to enjoy life’s moments makes all the difference. So, put yourself out there in a pair of shorts, bathing suit or whatever you want to wear and stand tall and confident! Go ahead and take one small step this week to be your authentic self on your terms! It will feel great!

 

You’ve got this!

Georgette

 

 

Happy Tuesday! Jumpstarting your health journey can be overwhelming with where to start and what to do! So, today I’m offering you some simple swaps to get a few new habits started today! They are simple ways to add up to big changes! Which one is your favorite???

 

SWAP THIS: Soda    FOR THAT: water         

→ benefit: save 39 grams of sugar per 12 oz. of soda 

 

SWAP THIS: daily dessert   FOR THAT: one dessert on Saturdays       

→ benefit: reduction of sugar and fat intake and the anticipation of a special treat

 

SWAP THIS: eating out several times a week    FOR THAT: eating out once a week and cooking at home on the other days

→ benefits: save money, know exactly what you are eating, and avoid unwanted added salt and sugar

 

SWAP THIS: feeling tired   FOR THAT: go to bed early

→ benefit: sleep is critical and will improve your energy, brain, and body in several beneficial ways

 

SWAP THIS: overdosing on social media   FOR THAT: set a timer and limit how long you scroll on social media

→ benefit: better sleep, lowered anxiety, and more time to do more productive things

 

SWAP THIS: late night eating/snacking    FOR THAT: do not eat after dinner

→ benefit: your digestion process can kick in more efficiently when you are not intaking calories

 

SWAP THIS: wasting time   FOR THAT: make a schedule and place valuable events on your calendar and set a timer to manage your time

→ benefit: more time and more efficiency with completing tasks

 

SWAP THIS: watching television   FOR THAT: Walk outside or on your treadmill while listening to music or a podcast

→ benefit: movement is so important for your body

 

SWAP THIS: snacking during the day   FOR THAT: drink 8 oz. of water first and then decide if you are truly hungry

→ benefit: your body will get used to not eating between meals once you make it a habit

 

SWAP THIS: not moving your body at all   FOR THAT: do 1 thing to move your body for 20 minutes at a time

→ benefit: you will feel better and will be energized to do more

 

Give a few of these swaps a try and let me know how your new habits are going! 

You’ve got this!

Georgette