Tips to Lose Weight for Lazy People

Weight loss takes work, but the time you dedicate to eating right and exercising doesn't need to feel like a second job. Even if you don't have the time, money, or motivation to hit the gym and prepare a home-cooked meal each night (or if you're simply a self-proclaimed couch potato), there are still plenty of low-effort (but highly effective) strategies for getting rid of pesky pounds. Some of your favorite "lazy" habits, such as playing video games, buying prepared foods, and using cooking shortcuts, may help you slim down.Read on for some tips to lose weight that can help make losing weight a piece of cake.Adults in the United States are just not getting enough physical activity, period. We are getting bigger and bigger. We sit at a desk all day long. Instead, we're coming home from a day of sitting at the office computer only to sit some more - at our home computer, in front of the TV, and at the dinner table.No, you don't have to start training for a marathon. The difference between getting healthy and becoming a statistic is increasing your activity level gradually, maybe by 20% a week. That will get you up to the recommended levels before too long. For inactive people, doing any kind of activity will benefit their health. The American Heart Association recommends that inactive people gradually work up to exercising three to four times a week for 30-60 minutes at 50%-80 % of their maximal heart rate. The recommendations for physical activity have changed drastically. They make it easier for the general public to achieve the correct levels of exercise because it includes such everyday activities as cleaning house and walking.


The following options can be just as effective as jumping jacks, jogging trails, or high-priced gyms:· Don't use elevators or escalators; instead, take the stairs. Start with one such substitution a day, and build up slowly. So you work on the 50th floor? Ride up to 48 and walk up from there. Careful, though -- walking down stairs can be hard on your knees. Walk up, but ride down.· Stop circling parking lots and fighting for the closest spot. Park a little bit farther away from the office or mall, and walk. You'll not only increase fitness, you'll decrease stress.· If you take the bus or subway, get off one or two stops early and walk the rest of the way.· Vacuum more often, change the sheets more often, mop the floor more often. These get your heart pumping, which means they are excellent calorie burners.· Cold and snowy where you live? Shovel it, walk your dog in it, build an igloo with your kids. The activity will not only boost your fitness levels, it will help keep you warm!That's all you need to do to make a real difference in your fitness level. Everyday activities that you might not think are exercises, are exercises. In the new recommendations, doing the laundry, vacuuming, and cleaning your house all count as exercise.Absolutely everyone can benefit from increasing his or her activity level, and the easiest tips to lose weight above can help you effectively shed some extra pounds to have a nice figure naturally.

How to Use Mindful Eating To Gain More Balance In Your Everyday Life

I was having lunch with a girlfriend the other day and in the middle of my sentence I couldn't remember what I was saying. I completely blanked, and then I started laughing because I had to fess up to her that I had a complete and total brain fart.It led to a good laugh, and an even better conversation about what our brains do when we are on overload (we are both therapists, so you can imagine that conversation was juicy).The truth is, I have a tendency to take on too much. I always have, and I probably always will. I write about this often, because I know my energy patterns, and I teach knowing your energy patterns as a way of being mindful of your relationship with food.I strive for balance, but as is the case with most humans, I don't always hit the mark. This was one of those times.If I'm not being mindful of balance, my messy tendency is to binge and purge on things. With good-natured enthusiasm, I take on way more than I am capable and then inevitably get overwhelmed and want to shut down. I have seen this pattern play out with everything from food, work, finances, favors, commitments, and passions. Yes, even the good, fun stuff in life will show up in these energy patterns because how you do anything tends to be how you do everything.When I work with women helping them find their own balance with food (and life), this issue of taking on too much, and having too much on our plate, often comes up. It is the issue of taking on more than we are capable of managing. We say yes when we want to say no. We take on the persona of super woman, and inside we feel like we are just barely managing to get by.It is in these times when our plate is way too full, that often times our literal plate becomes too full. We can use food as a way to reward ourselves for putting up with so much, or we might use it as a way to numb the feelings that we experience as a result of our choice to push ourselves beyond our limits.Food never fills the empty tank, however, because it isn't what we are really hungry for.What we really want is a break, or some respite. We really want some downtime, or some relaxation. Or maybe what we need is something as simple as some sleep.We are the only people who can acknowledge these needs and give these things to ourselves.We are hungry for our own acknowledgement that the tank is empty and we need to refuel. We need the nourishment of our own empathy and support. We need time to reconnect to ourselves, and find that inner balance that exists only inside of us.So, how do you begin to reconnect with yourself?You can start by simply paying attention to yourself, the way you would pay attention to a new friend, someone who you genuinely like and are interested in.


Pay attention to your internal reactions.What draws your attention?
What makes you smile in this moment?
What makes your body respond when you see it or experience it?
What do you want more of? Less of?Another great way to reconnect to ourselves is through mindful eating.Like with most things, our relationship with food will often parallel our other relationships (with ourselves and others). If you are out of balance and disconnected in life, chances are you are also disconnected with food.Just ask yourself - what would taste good?What would feel good in your body?
What would fuel you?
What would give you good energy?
What is it you want?You will probably get a variety of responses that run the gamut from Brownies to Broccoli, and that's OK.You are deep. You have many layers. The responses will be as complicated and as beautifully dichotomous as you are. You are both Brownies and Broccoli (and that's what makes you so interesting!!).Don't be afraid by what you find. Answer with gentleness and mindfully feed yourself. Take it one step at a time. You will be OK.This practice of mindful eating can lead the way back to yourself and help open the doorway to getting to know other "likes' and 'dislikes". It places the attention back to you, which over time, allows you to be aware of your own stress levels, your bodies own signals that things are out of balance. It gives you the opportunity to simply check in with yourself and ask the question, "How are YOU doing?"As you connect with the feelings of hunger and fullness, it will also teach you about what it means to be "hungry" "too full" in life in general. There are times when we need to take on more in life, and there are times we need to do less. This is the challenge of knowing your inner feelings of huger and fullness (and I mean that with regards to so much more than physical hunger/fullness).The more you refer back to yourself and seek the answer within, the more connection with self is built. My experience is that balance is not a stagnant point, and you can no more get there and stay there then you can do the laundry once and be done with it. It is just a practice of awareness of how you are managing your time and your energy.Mindful eating is a way to reconnect with you. It isn't about being perfect, and either is trying to balance your life. It's simply a commitment to yourself that you will pay attention to your needs and do your best to honor them. I think that's a commitment worth making - you are worth it.

On Track With Dieting And Exercising - Is It Possible?

Can being on track with dieting and exercise make you lose unwanted pounds? With the right tools, it is very possible for anyone to get on track with dieting and exercising. Preparation is key the success of changing bad habits into healthy ones. Being consistent is also important to decrease your waistline. One more ingredient to a weight loss success is not giving up. Keep trying and continue on even when there are setbacks or mess ups.How To Be On Track With Dieting And Exercising*Strategize meals and snacks. Plan your monthly menu in advance. This can make it easier to incorporate healthy foods for your meals and snacks. It is harder to eat right when you are tired and hungry. Planning ahead is like giving yourself a gift to open later. When it is time for a meal, you can easily look up what was planned and prepare it.*Grocery shopping. Now that you have planned your monthly menus, it is easy to make up a shopping list. Having a list can help you to buy only what is on it, instead of grabbing "what looks good to eat".*Ready to eat food. To ease healthy eating and cooking, prepare foods in advance. Cut up fruits and veggies and store in containers. This makes it convenient to grab a snack or toss chopped up veggies in a soup or salad. Cook extra food and freeze for later.


*Keep a journal. A food journal is an excellent way to track your meals. People that use a food journal have more success in eating healthy on a consistent basis. Daily jot down your water intake as well. Keeping hydrated gives you extra energy and focus. It also aids in digestion.*Record workouts and progress. Use your journal to write down your workouts and the progress you make. Measure and weigh your body to track inches lost and pounds shed.*Start out with a cleanse or detox to lose extra water weight and clean out the digestive tract. This can promote healthy digestion and slow fat cell development.*Keep drinking a lot of water to flush toxins out of your system. Exercise at least 5 times a week for sixty minutes. Anything less than that is just for maintenance.Remember to prepare, be consistent, and persevere. With these tools and a positive attitude you can be on track with dieting and exercising and achieve your goals.

How To Lose Belly Fat And Thigh Fat Fast For Women - 10 Weight Loss Tricks To Follow

Women accumulate fat in different areas of the body. For most it is in the stomach area, for others it is the thighs while for a few the fat sits on the arms. Whichever is your trouble area, the secret to losing weight lies in strengthening and toning the core muscles in that area. If you want to lose weight in the stomach area or on the thighs, there are 10 weight loss tricks that can make it easier for you.1. To get rid of stomach fat, you should perform exercises such as sit ups and crunches. These abdominal exercises train the rectus abdominis and oblique muscles. Toning the muscles in the abdominal section creates for a strong core while also increasing stability and improving posture. To vary the crunches, do reverse and oblique crunches in addition to regular crunches.2. To get rid of thigh fat fast, your focus should be the quadriceps and hamstrings. Therefore, you need to work these muscles through exercises such as lunges, squats and leg extensions.3. Do not only rely on spot reduction for weight loss; it will not work. It is essential to workout out the entire body to kick the body into the fat burning mode.4. To make your exercise routine more effective, you should add resistance in the form of dumbbells or barbells. Increasing resistance increases the challenge involved and pushes the body an extra mile.5. Cardiovascular exercises are beneficial for weight loss in general. It helps you lose weight across various areas such as the arms, stomach and thighs. Cardio exercises help burn fat by elevating the heart rate. You can perform exercises such as power walking, swimming, running, skipping and biking.


6. To get a flat stomach and lean thighs, you must also adopt a healthy eating strategy. Your diet should be balanced with higher proportion of proteins and fiber and controlled amounts of fat and carbohydrates.7. For those of you unable to cook food at home due to time constraints, you should make sure you read the nutrition labels on packaged foods to check the ingredients. Eat sensible portion sizes.8. Keep track of your progress throughout this phase. Measure your hips and thighs and make at regular intervals such as once a week and make note of it in your diary. The figures will motivate you to work harder towards your goals.9. Get enough of sleep every night. Sleeplessness impacts the levels of hormones in the body, especially those that control fat burning and fat formation as well as appetite.10. If you want to lose belly fat and if you are also working towards losing thigh fat for women, it won't help if you work for a few months and sit back for the rest. It involves making healthy lifestyle changes and committing to an exercise strategy to sustain the results.As we end we would like to mention a small tip. To render your methods towards losing belly fat fast and safe, make sure you consult your doctor before making any significant changes to your diet and exercise routine.

8 Diet And Exercise Tricks To Lose 3 Inches From Your Waist In 1 Month

A clean diet, strict exercise regimen and will power are the three secret keys to lose stomach fat quickly. This is because stomach fat takes a good amount of time to melt away and is usually among the last to go. If you are desperate to trim a few inches from your waistline, but do not have weeks and months to wait, here are 8 diet and exercise tricks to lose 3 inches from your waist in a matter of a month.Measure upThe best way to start out is by measuring your waist. Thereafter, you should keep a track of it measuring it at regular intervals. Counting the inches you've managed to reduce will keep you motivated.Diet Tips Cleaning your diet of junk and fatty foods will restrict the formation of new fatty deposits preventing the body from piling on more fat in the abdominal region.1. Reduce your daily calorie intake by approximately 500 to 700 calories. It helps you lose 1-2 pounds in a week which is a healthy amount. Do not aim for more than 2 pounds a week.2. Do not starve the body by skipping meals. Excessive food restriction sends the body into survival mode. Thus, it starts storing more fat instead of exhausting those already present.3. Substitute the three large meals of the day with six smaller meals. This step will keep a tab on your cravings while at the same keep your metabolism boosted.4. Finally, it is important to make healthy food choices. This includes doubling up your intake of fiber and protein foods. They fill you up quickly and prevent overeating. In addition to this, you should eat a judicious amount of fruits, vegetables, nuts and healthy fats. Drink a lot of water and 3-4 cups of green tea. Green tea will speed up your metabolism and help you lose fat fast.


Exercise Tips Exercise will help get rid of the fatty blanket sitting over the abdominals. Hence, it occupies an important place in your strategy to lose 3 inches from your waist in a month; there is no doing without it.1. Aim for a whole-body exercise routine. It kicks the body into the fat burning mode and helps reduce the overall body fat percentage.2. Include abdominal exercises in your exercise routine. Abdominal exercises do not do much to reduce stomach fat. However, they play a crucial role in sculpting the abdominal muscles creating for a lean and toned look. A list of beneficial core exercises includes the bridge, the plank, crunches and squats. Abdominal exercises will really help if in addition to trimming the waist by 3 inches you are aiming for a sexy six pack.3. Try to fit in a cardio workout in your exercise routine. The ideal is 30-45 minutes, 3-4 times a week. Cardio exercises are most effective when done as interval training by alternating high intensity exercises with moderate to low intensity activities. Interval training helps burn more fat in a shorter duration of time than simple cardio.4. If you are really serious about trimming your waistline in a month, you will also have to lift a few weights. Weight training increases the resting metabolic rate by increasing muscle tissue in the body.To make these diet and exercise tips on how to lose stomach fat quickly more effective, you should also get enough rest at the end of the day and learn to manage your stress.

Natural Ways To Lose Weight: 6 Easy Tips

Losing weight is a common struggle for some people. The reason for this is because they don't know what actually works for them. Some people simply believe what they see on TV commercials without actually researching about it. Some try unhealthy ways such as crash diets. Some even risk their health by trying out supplementary pills that aren't actually FDA approved.Losing weight doesn't have to be a challenge. It's very important so stay fit because you can save yourself from common illnesses caused by being overweight such as heart problems, diabetes, cancer, etc. When you're trying to lose weight, don't just do what you think is right. Do your research and ask the experts. Losing weight can be done in different ways. And if you want to try the natural ways to lose weight, here are 6 easy tips:1. Choose grass-fed meat. You can buy meat anywhere but it's better to choose cattle that are grass-fed because they're much tastier compared to those that are grain-fed. These meats are leaner, tastier, healthier and cleaner. You too can contribute to environment-friendly farming by buying grass-fed meat.2. Choose organic vegetables. Organic vegetables can provide you all the nutrients your body needs. And compared to other vegetables, organic are tastier. You'll get to enjoy your meals better. Also, organic vegetables do not contain the harmful ingredients of pesticides so you don't have to worry about your health.


3. Eat sea vegetables. Sea vegetables like seaweeds are rich in iodine, a nutrient that helps in cell metabolism. Also, it helps in preventing thyroid gland problems, which is known as one of the causes of weight gain. You could get iodine from a lot of food but the best source is natural food like seaweeds.4. Drink a lot of water. Water is always the best drink to quench your thirst. Always choose it rather than processed drinks. Sodas and other juices contain too much sugar that actually promotes weight gain.5. Live an active lifestyle. The best way to lose excess fat is to do regular exercises. Going to the gym is one way to do so, but be more active by doing more. Try a different sport like swimming or biking. Or rather doing your normal routine of riding to the office, why not walk.6. Try the gluten-free diet. This diet involves eating a lot of vegetables. Also eat fish and meat, corn and potatoes. This diet is known to prevent illnesses related to weight gain.

How To Lose Belly Fat For Women Over 35

Losing belly fat is a real challenge and age ups the difficulty quotient further. There are several reasons for it. The first is reduced physical activity due to decreasing energy and bone strength needed to workout. Secondly, after the age of 30, the body automatically starts losing lean muscle tissue and replaces it with fat. It is visceral fat (the fat surrounding the internal organs) and not subcutaneous fat (providing the cushioning effect under the skin). Typically, it is concentrated around the midsection accounting for an expanding waistline. Third, metabolism slows down with age.So, if you are a woman above 35 and want to burn fat from the stomach area, you will have to put up a tough fight against your own body. And, diet and exercise habits are the only two strategies that can help you win.How to Lose Belly Fat Fast - 10 Tips

Create the much needed calorie deficit. It is important to understand how much is considered a safe amount. The safest measure to stick to is 20% of your daily calorie intake. Thus, if you eat 2500 calories per day, you should reduce your intake by 500 calories.

Use smart eating tricks to control how much you eat at every meal. For instance, you can drink a tall glass of water before a meal. Another option is to start you meal with salads.

You cannot expect to lose stomach fat if you do not increase your intake of protein. Protein has fewer calories compared to fat and carbohydrates. Also, it builds muscle which helps burn a few extra calories. Lean meat, low-fat dairy, green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, egg whites and skinless poultry are good source of dietary protein.

Eat healthy fats such as those obtained from avocados, olive oil and nuts.

Avoid sodas and carbonated drinks that supply the body with empty calories. Drink water, green tea or fresh lemon water instead.

Aim for 8-10 hours of sleep daily to burn fat and keep it off for good. It has been proved that those who slept less felt tired and exhausted the next morning. They automatically went for the sugary snacks to get the much needed energy surge. Lack of sleep also slows down metabolism.

Learn how to manage your stress effectively through exercise, prayer and meditation. Excess stress increases the amount of Cortisol. This hormone plays an important role in how the body burns and stores fat.

Cardiovascular exercise is another factor that will help women above 35 lose ugly belly fat. The cardiovascular exercises you undertake should be intense and varied. There is a list to choose from including walking, jogging, swimming, stair stepping, cycling and dancing. You should dedicate minimum 20-25 minutes, 3 times a week.

Weight training exercises are also important as because they build muscle and support natural fat burning in the body. Muscles need more calories for their maintenance and therefore influence fat burning and storage in the body.

Finally, throw in a few abdominal exercises. They will tone the muscles in the midsection and also support fat burning initiated by cardio and weight training exercises.



Thus, as you see it, there is no miracle cure on how to lose belly fat fast; you have to be persistent and honest throughout.

How Can Vitamin B12 Help You?

Are you looking for a quick way to lose weight? While exercises are always a good way to lose weight, it shouldn't only be exercises that you need to be doing. Thinking about how to lose weight fast wouldn't help. You need a definite answer. This is where minerals and vitamins can come in handy.Did you know for instance that vitamins and minerals help treat a number of skin diseases including helping you gain a healthy body?Let us take a look at how Vitamin B12 can help you. Taking it with your diet means that you can lose weight quickly. What's more, there are a number of other benefits too. Let us take a look at some of the benefits.Also known as Cobalamin, Vitamin B12 is one of the 8 vitamins in Vitamin B complex and is quite useful for the skin, hair and overall heath. It is abundantly found in eggs, meat, shellfish and cheese. The major ways in which it is beneficial for the skin is mentioned below.• The first way in which Vitamin B12 helps our skin is by preventing it from becoming dull and lifeless. Vitamin B12 helps to make the skin shine and glow by providing it with necessary nutrients and also makes the skin tone fairer than before.• Eczema is one skin problem which can be treated to a large extent with the help of Vitamin B12. Even if you feel you are developing symptoms which might lead to eczema in the future, eating a Vitamin B12 rich-diet and applying B12 ointments and creams can help reduce symptoms.


• Vitiligo is another skin problem where irregular white patches form on the skin. This skin problem too can be solved with Vitamin B12 supplements.• Vitamin B12 does not allow the skin to dry or allow cracks to appear. Vitamin B12 creams and lotions improve the texture and balance of the skin and also help retain moisture and lock it in.• If your skin is damaged or you do not have an even skin tone, Vitamin B12 can help regulate the skin pigments and also prevent excess darkening of the skin. It can make your skin tone even with regular consumption.• If you suffer from Vitamin B12 deficiency, your skin may develop skin lesions. Also, this vitamin has the ability to maintain the youthful look of your skin and make you look young for years to come.• This Vitamin controls the cell life span and its formation gives the skin its healthy color.

Things You Need to Do If You Want to Lose Weight Fast

Overweight and obese people have become a common thing in modern society. The main reason is people provide too much energy for the body but they are too lazy to do exercise. Therefore, they are always interested in how to lose weight and the effective weight loss methods. Here is the list of methods which help you lose weight effectively and prevent weight gain.Exercise and sportThe demand on exercise and sport is not reserved for athletes or selected players. It is very necessary for you to choose for yourself a favorite appropriate sport. Exercising not only works to lose weight and burn excess energy in the body but also helps you get a relaxed spirit, good sleep and makes you younger. If you build the habit of exercising every morning, you will definitely live longer and rarely catch a disease.Every day you should spend 30 minutes exercising. Don't do exercise after you are full. You can go swimming, go jogging, cycle, or jump rope... You should climb stairs instead of using a lift. You can also purchase exercise machines to practice at home. These efforts will help you lose weight effectively.Relieve stressYou don't think that when you are under stress, you will lose appetite and lose weight. On the contrary, experts have pointed out that people who work under pressure or have unhappy lives always have belly fat. When you are stressed, your body will secrete a lot of cortisol that is a factor making an increase in fat accumulation in the abdomen. Stress often makes you crave for sweets. When you lose sleep, you will feel hungry and eat late at night. Therefore, you inadvertently create opportunities to accumulate fat in the body, especially in the abdomen.


Relieving stress helps you lose weight very effectively.Drink plenty of waterDrinking plenty of water will stimulate your metabolism and help you lose weight fast. Water also helps to excrete toxins and improve your overall health.On average, you should drink 3 liters of water a day (including soup). Drink water before you feel thirsty.Add more fiber and protein into the dietThis is really a necessity if you want to lose weight fast. Foods which contain very little fat, cholesterol, and no sugar will help you not gain weight. Vegetable, fruits, and cereals... will enhance fiber that makes the digestive tract work easily, helps you burn excess fat and forget appetite.Wish you successful weight loss!

Finding Your Inner Strength (AKA Cultivating Your Inner Good Witch)

My clients come to work with me for a variety of reasons. Some clients come to deal with anxiety, insecurity, or unhealthy relationships with food. The 'presenting problem' is often different, but the common motivator is usually the same - there is a part of their life that isn't working and feels confusing. They feel lost. They want something different but don't feel they know how to get there. Everyone comes seeking more clarity and better solutions for moving forward.Have you ever felt this way about life?Have you ever felt dissatisfied or unhappy and didn't know quite what to do or how to change your situation?Have you ever felt as though you couldn't make a decision, or that there were a million different people living inside your head, and all of them want something different?I may as well be asking you - "by any chance, are you a human being?" because this happens to every single on of us.One of my favorite topics to present on is the use of metaphor in therapy and healing work. I absolutely love it (and anyone that has worked with me will tell you I use it all the time). One of my favorite metaphors for developing our inner strength when life gets confusing is the Wizard of Oz (yes, you heard me right).There are many reasons that the Wizard of Oz is one of the most famous movies of all time. It's a great movie, but in my opinion, it is also one of the greatest metaphors in our common cultural sphere - and I want to break it down as I see it for you to help you look at your situation a little clearer.In the movie, Dorothy finds herself in a confusing and unknown world. She just wants to go home.She is told that she has to find this great all knowing Wizard, and that he will have the answer, so she sets out to find him, believing that he has the solution to her problem.On her way she meets the Lion without courage, the Tin Man without a heart, and The Scarecrow without a brain. She also meets a wicked witch, and a good witch. And then there's Toto.So - Here we go - metaphor time.In your life, you are Dorothy. Along your path, you get lost from time to time in situations that feel scary and unfamiliar. You just want to go "home" - and in real life - "home" is the reconnection with our self.As we go down the yellow brick road (which is life), we face some scary stuff (flying monkey's anyone??).We also aren't alone. We travel with a cast of characters, much like Dorothy, only - they are in our mind. We all have our own version of the Lion, The Scarecrow, and the Tin Man. We have our inner good witch and bad witch as well. In therapy, we get all fancy and call these inner parts "ego states". The theory is that we have parts of our identity that exist that play different roles and have different functions.We all have that part of our self that can be really frightened, and we all have the part that can really be courageous (both parts of the Lion). We all have the intellectual part and the capacity to not "know" something and be confused (both parts of the Scarecrow). We all have the connection to heart, and have part of ourselves that is able to disconnect from that (usually out of defense) and be without our heart (both parts of the Tin Man). We also have the wicked witch ego state, which is commonly referred to as the "inner critic", but is the voice in our head that torments and criticizes us.Lastly, we also all have our good witch. This is the ego state that I believe is connected to the divine and is there to support our highest good. This is where I want to focus.


As adults we have the capacity to choose which 'part' we want to feed. We can actively and consciously choose which ego state gets to run the show. We can choose which voice we listen to and which voice we actively reinforce. We can choose to listen to the good witch, and let her advice and direction guide our journey.OK - so now for the wizard. Oh, how I love this part of the metaphor. So, Dorothy is going down the yellow brick road of life thinking that there is this amazing wizard who has all the answers and if only she could find him he will fix everything and show her the way home.Only, as we all know, when she finally finds this amazing wizard, it turns out that he's really just some little short guy with no power and just a lot of smoke and mirrors. He has no power at all!This of course is the metaphor for our thinking that the answer or the truth lies outside of ourselves. The wizard of oz could be a myriad of things, but to name a few it could be seeking approval from others, fitting in to societal norms, or thinking that anyone else is going to 'save us'.Dorothy comes to realize thanks to the wise words of her "good witch" (higher self/higher power), that she is the one who has the answer.This, of course is when she realized that all she had to do was tap her slippers and get really clear on her intention and she could make it happen for herself. She had what she was seeking all along.So - what do we do with all of this? Well, I want to use this to encourage you to remember a few things as you journey down your own yellow brick road.You have the power you are looking for. You always have your ruby red slippers. They are inside of you.Beware of false idols, i.e., the "wizards" in life are all just little humans, just like you who don't have your answers. You are the wizard you are seeking.Your traveling companions, or your ego states (i.e. the Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin man) have good and bad traits. It is OK, and it is all part of the journey. We all have fear and courage, intellect and confusion, and heart and defensiveness. We are all parts of what it means to be human. Oh, and one more thing... It is more fun on this journey if you make friends with all of your companions.Don't listen to your Wicked Witch. If it is cruel, nasty, mean or discouraging, then it's Wicked Witchery. Don't give her attention. Need I say more?Cultivate your Good Witch. Your thoughts that are kind, supportive, encouraging and that speak to your own power are "good witch" thoughts. Feed her, follow her advice, heed her wisdom.Every life has its flying monkeys. If you can remember that you're the source of your power and that you are always wearing your proverbial ruby slippers, you will remember your way out. You are the source of your power (can I say that one more time?)Lastly, there is Toto. I am going to just leave this really simple, and state that life is more enjoyable with a dog by your side. That's probably not the metaphor that was intended on this one - but this is my article, so that's my take away.Remember, as Glenda said to Dorothy,"You've always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself."

My Trainer Asked Me How I Was Doing on My Carb Intake, Back Off Jack!

"My trainer asked me how I was doing with my carb intake... BACK OFF JACK, you're going to have to wait until after Thanksgiving!" This was a comment I overheard in the local coffee hangout between two women. I thought to my self, WOW how many times have I said that and what is the next thing that will be an excuse for putting off a healthy style of living? Can you relate to her?PROCRASTINATION!There I said it the "P" word. It daunts us and it haunts us. What are we supposed to do about it? One word...START TODAYOK that's two words but you get the idea. Nothing is ever going to change unless you do. You have to just do it, move it, do something. If you keep putting it off till this holiday or that holiday or this event or what ever, you will always be the weight you are or continue to gain.How many things around your house are started but not finished? Too many? Leaving things unfinished makes us feel guilty, worried or anxious.Taking the time to finish just one thing will give you confidence and energy to finish another. Escape your routine to finish that one thing. Let's face it you are reading this because you procrastinate. That's what caught your eye. Am I right? You wait until the right season, after the holidays, after the big event. You name it we all do it.


I'm asking you to look at things a little differently. Start by carving out a little time in your day for 3 minutes of exercise. I know I know, you're saying "3 MINUTES WHAT IS THAT GOING TO DO FOR ME?" Well it's a place to start instead of using your tired excuse of after THANKSGIVING. 3 minutes gradually builds up to 6 minutes then 18 minutes. Just like finishing one project, you will gain energy and confidence to keep adding more to your day.One more thing, I am not a big advocate of deprivation diets or diets of any kind. So I want you to think about this crazy idea. EAT LESS on Thanksgiving see how that works. In fact eat less all the time. Truth is, that is how people lose weight and that's all there is to it. No trainers necessary. What are you waiting for?I believe it was Einstein who said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."STOP THE INSANITYSign up for the 3 minuteinc mini course todayCOPYRIGHT © 2014 · ALL RIGHTS RESERVED · 3MINUTEINC.COM