Having traveled my own quite complicated journey out of body hatred and losing over 70 lbs permanently, I’ve come to believe every body is different and unique, though we’re led by society/culture to believe their is a “standard.” I’ve had the experience of coaching hundreds of women towards their own unique “optimal” weight, and discovered we all lose weight at different rates (and, yes, in different places!).
Loving and appreciating our own distinctiveness isn’t the easy road in our society, but it can be done.
I once had a client lose weight at a rate of a pound a month, and be upset
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The debate over yoga and weight loss persists today with “fitness experts” often arguing that yoga doesn’t burn enough calories to be considered “exercise” and yoga practitioners adamantly testifying to its benefits.
As a veteran of long-term sustained weight loss and a yoga devotee for eight years, here’s my perspective on yoga for weight loss.
There are many different types of yoga, all requiring different energy (calorie) quotients and physical capability. Some yogas (vinyasa and flow types) require students to move quite a lot throughout a yoga class; others increase demand through heat (Bikram, Forrest); and some are quite gentle and slow (yin, restorative).
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It’s almost Valentine’s Day and look at what’s on my desk!
These are beautiful truffles from a party I gave right before Christmas. I used them as decorations at each place setting at the table.
So why are they sitting on my desk? Well, they are there because they were left over.
Now, there was a day when a leftover chocolate of any kind had NO SHELF LIFE within a 50-yard radius of Pat Barone!
With complete embarrassment, I admit I was that guest at the wedding
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It’s December 31st. Resolutions fill the air. It’s only natural to want to make changes, and we’ve been conditioned to assign a “start date” to every “project.” Think: first day of school, Mondays, first of month, summer.
But some changes take a bigger shift than one day can signify. We can start a diet on a certain day… but a journey to permanent weight loss has no start date. That’s because every day of the past is part of it, including all those bloomin’ diets and freaky binges and the very sad thirteen Weight Watchers tries where I let some stranger put me on a scale and record my worth.
My own journey to permanent weight loss has been going on for over 35 years. I’ve helped thousands of people on their journeys. And my experience has taught me that we all want real, deep and meaningful change in our lives. But that scares the crap out of us so we opt instead for superficial change.
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I took an amazing yoga workshop this weekend! What I like about yoga is that it teaches me so much about myself and my body. I can do this pose, the Warrior Interlock, now!
I’ve always been a weight lifter. I love being strong. If you’d told me a few years ago I could touch my flat palms to the floor at any moment of the day or night without strain, I’d have laughed in your face. And the Warrior Interlock? I would have put that in the “freak show” category.
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The people of Okinawa eat until they’re 80% full. They even have a name for this naturally slimming habit: hara hachi bu. We can adopt this healthy habit by dishing out 20% less on our plates or leaving 20% behind.
Does it make you uncomfortable to leave food behind? I used to feel that way. I broke the habit
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One of my muses, a poet/astrologer, lamented beginning his vegetable garden late this year. Now, he has a fantastic array of organic produce erupting from his garden; This was his formula for success, even when starting your garden late: “The best way to grow bountiful, ripe, healthy vegetables is by applying organic fertilizer, regular watering, impeccable weeding, and steady songs of encouragement.”
It struck me that this is also how to grow a healthy body.
Organic Fertilizer
Even if organic food isn’t on your shopping list, we can all concentrate on eating healthier food. The vitamins, minerals and macronutrients we derive from food is the most important element in building health. Keeping as close as possible to the original food is the goal – whole grains, lean proteins, lots of fruit and vegetables. Simply avoiding processing and the inherent chemicals, additives, preservatives, and high sugar and salt content, can reduce cravings that lead to poor food choices.
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If you’ve read my newsletter or this blog for very long, you know there are several instances where the so-called “weight loss experts” and I disagree.
One is the question of divulging goals. Just about every weight loss program, diet book or advice column will tell you to shout your goal from the rooftop.
But, when it came time to really (I mean REALLY) lose the excess weight for good, I didn’t tell a soul. It just didn’t seem necessary. I knew what I had to do. I knew no one could “get it” like it felt inside me. And I’d been sabotaged many times by supposed friends and family members.
So, I loved seeing this video:
Many of the clients who come to me for permanent weight loss coaching don’t talk much with others about their goals either. They’ve gotten serious enough to hire a coach, so they are truly committed. They are sometimes surprised they haven’t been running around telling people about this step in their life. They usually don’t feel the need to binge before coming to their first coaching call either, and that sometimes surprises them too!
But what is telling the whole world supposed to do actually? Invite the world to measure and judge us by our body weight? Shame us when we fail? Or simply open ourselves up to needless comments and interference?
When it’s for real, and it’s about true lifestyle change, I don’t think telling is helpful. At that point, the time for talk is over. It’s time to do.
- Confused? Most people are. All this is diet advice from the perspective of what I call Diet Mentality. Based in fea… https://t.co/oLbdhU6utw
- https://t.co/0JcSIOHFVS https://t.co/0JcSIOHFVS
- I've always said exercise is more important than food control. What do you think? https://t.co/nRyJeKMZ9y
- Before and after pictures are usually complete fakes, and give us the misconception that the "after" picture is the… https://t.co/QUdTrITjeG
- Take a look! Wisdom! https://t.co/zjh6DbmIh9
