I have weight gain.   That extra weight is freaking me out.

 

I have the same thoughts that keep circulating in my head:

“What am I doing wrong?”

“Why won’t this weight leave me?”

“I exercise almost everyday; I should be releasing this weight.”

“I am such a hypocrite.  I can’t help anyone else if I can’t help myself.”

“Creating this business is making me gain weight.  Get rid of the business and the weight will leave.”

Then I had lunch with 2 of my oldest friends.  Both have the cutest bodies; barely work out and eat like real women.  I have always felt they were skinnier, cuter and smarter than me.

All of a sudden I craved some charms suckers.  Even typing that makes my mouth water.

When I feel bad about myself the sugar cravings kick in

 

Even though those thoughts are still playing and even though I had a craving for some lollipops; they are holding less power  thanks to my work with Marc David and the Institute for the Psychology of Eating;

I now know a different way.

 

When we have that extra weight hanging around; we usually want it to leave as soon as possible.  So we look for the fastest path to freedom.

 

Usually that fast path is an illusion that leads us to more weight.

 

Instead of trying to replicate what worked in the past, I have decided to take Marc’s advice:

 

Sit with the weight and ask it why is it here? What does it have to say?

 

The extra weight has a powerful  message and when you can be courageous and allow it to sit and share; the weight will leave.

 

So I sat.

 

I sat with my sugar cravings from a place of curiosity.  I didn’t run from it and I didn’t give into it right away; I just asked it.  ”Why are you here?”

 

When I was a little girl and things were calm and stable at home (at least I was oblivious to the unstableness), we lived near Paul’s Market.

 

This market was like heaven to me because in this market was a row of penny candy and a dollar bill could buy me 10 charms pops.

 

I have great memories of walking to that store and using my dollar to pick up my candy.

 

I felt so free and happy.

 

Since I wanted to feel that freedom from my body hate; the craving came back.

 

So without judgment I did have a sucker and I savored it.  Then I had a granny smith apple.

 

The message of my extra 10 pounds has come that quickly.

 

I have been carrying this around for over a year.

 

Yet, the answers are coming slowly and in order for me to share them, I am really going to be vulnerable:

 

1. When I began caring what others thought about my lack of success; the weight returned.

 

2. When I worried about my son’s next chapter the weight returned.

 

3. When I let go of attending my 12 step program the weight returned.

 

4. When I gave away too much to and then resented them; the weight returned.

 

5. When I continually compared and despaired my weight returned.

 

I “shouldn’t”  be sharing all this because, after all, I am supposed to be faking it until I make it.

 

You know what?  I am so sick of shoulding on myself.  I am just going to be honest and authentic because that is what feels right.

 

Maybe if I am honest, others will be too.

 

Another message: you can’t go back Maureen.  What worked before is not going to work again.

 

I tried to go back to my 12 step program.

 

When I “shoulded” myself into a going to a meeting; I usually left feeling worse.

 

I tried phone meetings but the access codes were incorrect.

 

Clearly that didn’t work anymore and that scares me because after 20 years of binge eating it was the ONLY thing that did work.

 

One of our assignments for my Eating Psychology Certification is to create the 10 commandments for my body mind and soul.

 

I will share those tomorrow.

 

Sista share time:  I allowed my panties to show with this post and I want to know if you can relate?  Let me know your thoughts along with how you respond to your thoughts that won’t stop talking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being Pissed, impatient, tired and restless is no way to live through life!

I know when I am in that space I also am full of regret, shame and guilt which makes me more pissed, impatient, tired and restless.

But maybe, just maybe it isn’t your fault.

That doesn’t give you a pass to be super-B*tchy!

Rather, these emotions are clues that maybe your liver is p*ssed!

I am going to be leading a cleanse next month that will help you simply clean out the crap so you will feel better, look better and be leaner!

More information later; but I want you to come back on Wednesday because I will be sharing my exact protocol!

Yes, sista; you can print it off and start cleansing immediately!

In the meantime; watch the video and then let me know: are you feeling this way?  If you have more symptoms, let me know that as well!

Wanna de-stress? Nothing like a belly laugh and a snooze!

A good old belly laugh will relieve the stress response in your body almost immediately! According to a July 2010 article on the Mayo Clinic website laughter has short and long-term effects on your mood and body.  In addition to relieving the stress response, laughter can also help you organs work more efficiently because you are breathing in more oxygen and it releases endorphins within the brain.

 

When you are a laughing sista on a regular basis you will be sick less often, have greater personal satisfaction, and less pain!

 

How to get your belly full of giggles?  Watch something funny, listen to comedy station on your satellite radio or watch some reruns from your younger years!  I can watch Roseanne episodes and laugh like it was the first time!

Sleep and weight gain: this is such a mainstream topic; but do you know why they are so related?

1. When you don’t sleep well, you are tired and you tend to grab foods that will give energy; such as SUGAR!

 

2. Weight loss does not happen during your workouts; rather it happens during your sleep.  That is when the body gets to work detoxing, repairing and releasing.  When you don’t sleep or eat a before bed your body can’t do its job.

 

3. Lack of sleep also messes with 2 important hormones: Leptin and Ghrelin.   Leptin is signals you to stop eating because you are satisfied while Ghrelin lets you know when you are hungry.  When you don’t sleep well or enough these 2 hormones get out of sync with Leptin going down so it will take more food to feel full and Ghrelin rising so you feel hungry more often.

 

So; how do you get to sleep without chugging nyquil?

1. Do nothing else but sleep and sex in your bedroom.  Move the phone, ipad, television, radio out.

2. Invest in some soft sheets and comfy pillow.

3. Do something positive before bed.  Read something inspiring or take your worries out of your head and put them on paper and focus intently that your worries are being set aside for tonight.  If you care to pick them up tomorrow; you can but for tonight they are locked out of the bedroom.

4. I have no problem falling to sleep but staying asleep is a different issue altogether!  When a baby is getting up for feedings in the middle of the night; I followed the parenting protocol of loving touch with focused action.  The purpose was for the baby to get comfortable again; it isn’t playtime.  So you change the diaper feed with a loving touch but little words.  Do the same for your body.  Do your midnight duty and then close your eyes, breathe deep and relax.

4. Turn the lights off when you sleep.  When the lights are on your body doesn’t go into REM sleep.

 

In the comment section below: Let me know what is your favorite show that made you giggle like a school girl and your biggest issue with sleep.

Night Night!