Lose Weight Find Life

I wish my clients, family, friends and subscribers a holiday filled with happiness, health and success of your dreams and desires.  As I write this, I think of so many people in my life and those I am fortunate to communicate with through my blog.

Thank you for your dedication and support of my blog, and our respective relationships and friendships.  I am inspired daily by the insights, challenges and successes you share with me.  I cannot express my deep appreciation for all you bring into my life.

As we continue into 2009, I look forward to sharing the journeys each of us have ahead.  I know that together, we will meet our goals and experience the success we work for.

I am a richer person for the gift of each of you in my life.  May your holidays and 2009 SHINE with all that makes you who you are!  All the best to each of you and your families.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, CLC
Certified Life Coach, Weight Loss Surgery Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator

I hope that everyone is enjoying their holiday and excited for the next few days and the New Year.  For many of us, we are in full swing of the holiday parties and get-togethers.  It also brings unhealthy food options and can result in overeating.  Tradition can breed the consumption of certain foods but there are ways to overcome indulgences, food triggers and their undesired effects that will last well past the New Year.  If you are aware of what you consume at these parties, that awareness can diminish some bad habits.  I realize that is much easier said than done, right?

Here are a few strategies to combat mindless eating yet enjoy yourself AND your weight loss efforts:

* Size Matters!  If you use smaller plates or glasses, that mere act alone will save you in less food and drink.  The smaller size looks more full with smaller quantities.

* Eat slowly!  As a weight loss surgery patient, we know how important it is to eat slowly due to avoiding food getting stuck and to aid our digestion.  As a strategy to use at the holidays AND all year long, by eating slowly you will feel satiated quicker and eat less.  It takes a few minutes for your brain and pouch to make the satiety connection.  Give your body that time to connect and save you in terms of excess calories.

* Eat real food.  Eat foods that are whole.  Eat things that are found in the outside of the grocery store – vegetables, fruits, protein, complex carbs.  Processed foods contain ingredients that you either can’t identify as to the source, can’t pronounce and generally are not good for you.

* Fill up on the good stuff, take bites of indulgences.  The more good, high quality foods you eat, the less room or desire you’ll have for the other stuff.  If you feel satisfied, a bite or two of your favorite holiday traditional foods will be enough.

* Don’t skip meals and save up.  If you skip a meal and save up your calories, you’ll be starving and reach for more than you would otherwise AND you’ll be more apt to make unhealthy food choices you might not make otherwise.  Savings accounts are great for your finances, not your calories.  If you are going to overdo and you know it, make sure you exercise earlier that day and especially the day after.  This will help burn the calories, minimize your food choices, and reaffirm your commitment to your health and weight loss goals.  Also, pay close attention to what you eat on the other days.  You won’t gain 5-10 pounds from only one meal.  The weight gain from the holidays is what you do (grazing) and the choices you make throughout the days leading up and following the holidays.

Remember that 2009 is right around the corner.  What you eat today will be with you as the New Year comes along.  You can decide now if you want to greet 2009 with extra pounds to lose or if you’ll merely continue what you’ve been doing to enjoy weight loss success.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, CLC
Certified Life Coach, Weight Loss Surgery Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator

One of my coaching instructors, Jim Vuocolo, MCC shared this with me. With Jim’s permission, I share it with you too.  I really like them and wanted to share with you too.

5 HOLIDAY SURVIVAL TIPS FOR HOME & OFFICE by Dr. James S. Vuocolo, Master Certified Coach

Many of us attend holiday office parties and travel to family gatherings at festive times of the year. It’s not always a pleasant experience! Social pressures and office politics, meeting new people, being introduced to strangers you have little or nothing in common with, having your fill of family arguments, tolerating “your crazy uncle” who’s been drinking and/or talking too much, and a myriad of other things can elevate blood pressure levels, tie stomachs in knots,  and sometimes make you wish you’d stayed at home! UGH! So then, here are 5  tips to assist in surviving the season with a smile on your face, and a song in your heart:

1. Respond Instead of React
We all have internal “buttons” that others “push” so that we react in predictable ways – usually negative ways. Psychologists call this ‘transference’ and ‘counter-transference’ as a means of explaining how we trigger others’ emotional baggage or become emotionally triggered by someone else. If you feel your blood pressure rising from something being said by another guest or participant, take a deep breath and relax a moment. Use this time to formulate a thoughtful response that does not escalate the conversation. Example:  Someone says they’re excited about a certain political person assuming a new office early next year – and you supported the losing candidate in that particular race.  Instead of reacting in a challenging way, simply breathe in, smile, and respond with something like, “Yes, it will really be interesting to see what happens once he/she gets into office.”

2. Think Strategically
Before you utter a word, take a moment to ask yourself about potential implications – especially in response to an employer, supervisor, or the colleague who wants to undermine your reputation at work. Then respond in a way that is without any emotional charge. Example: The boss says, “Well, you’ve managed to get through the quarter without incident.” You may want to say, “No thanks to you!” But instead, you reply, matter-of-factly,  “It’s nice of you to notice! Let’s get some eggnog.”

3. Be Interested In Others
An age old adage implores us to be more interested in others than interesting to others – meaning to check our ego at the door of most any conversation. Another wise saying asserts, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Even if you don’t have much in common with someone, stay interested and focused when they speak. Pretend you’re a reporter who’s looking for a good story angle, and ask good open-ended (and non-attacking) questions about whatever they’re saying.

4. Ask for Support and Feedback
If you have an idea for a new product, service, career move or personal goal to which you aspire, instead of talking endlessly about it – simply offer an outline of your notion, and ask other for their input and ideas. You may be surprised to learn how many others truly want to see you succeed, and will offer their best thinking if asked to do so. By the way, when someone scoffs or seeks to pour cold water on your idea, refer back to numbers 1 &
2 above!

5. Don’t Over-Indulge
People sometimes drink or eat far too much at holiday gatherings.
Virtually no one likes an overly intoxicated guest at home or office – regardless of how much fun they may be to watch for awhile! Also, the more you eat at holiday gatherings, the more baggage you’ll be carrying into the new year ahead… Believe me, I know!

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, CLC
Certified Life Coach, Weight Loss Surgery Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator

A client asked me a pointed question that I asked to share here.  My client asked me how she could enjoy the holidays and avoid a series of setbacks.  A question many of us have and I’m asked many, many times.

The following are hints for your holidays to keep you on track.  You’ll enjoy your holidays and greet the New Year celebrating being on track.

* Don’t starve yourself before a holiday part or meal in anticipation of holiday indulgences.  Actually, to the contrary, eat a healthy planned snack or mini meal before a party to make certain you’re not overly hungry and to avoid temptations.

* Avoid grazing on high calorie hors d’oeuvres, nuts or appetizers.

* Skip the alcohol and enjoy flavored water.  Water will assist you with digestion and appetite control.

* Barter your calories.  As an example, eat a favorite holiday treat but skip something else.  Take a taste of stuffing but skip the gravy.

* Eat slowly.  This will allow time for your brain to realize that you’re full and allow your pouch to give you the sense of satiety.

* For turkey, choose light meat instead of dark.  Avoid eating turkey skin.  Nearly half the fat is found in the skin.

* Remember how you want to look.  Keep in the forefront as you make your food choices how you want to feel when you slip easily into your favorite pair of jeans or outfit.  Remember the consequences of overeating or indulging in unhealthy food choices.

* Rehearse saying “NO!”  Just as you work out your muscles, work out your “no thank you” muscle.  Don’t eat out of obligation or pressure.

* Select lean proteins or trim the visible fat off select meats.  Remember, lean proteins are your friend for satiety at meals.

* If you prepare stuffing, fill it with the abundant of vegetables such as onions, celery and mushrooms.  You can also add fruits such as cranberries, raisins and apricots. Use whole grain bread, barley or wild rice to increase fiber.

* As you mash potatoes, skip the butter and use non-fat milk. Better yet, use low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth.  Keep the skins on the potatoes for added flavor and fiber.

* For gravy, use a separator.  You can pour pan juices into a container and place it in the freezer as the turkey rests before carving. Skim and discard the fat that congeals on the top. Add a little cornstarch to the defatted liquid, bring to a boil and simmer until it thickens.  Make sure when you add graving that it is a condiment and not meant as a swimming pool.

* Freshly prepared, steamed vegetables lose their virtue when mixed with sugar, butter, eggs or cream. Instead, serve steamed green beans or broccoli topped with red peppers, a squeeze of lemon juice and a bit of olive oil and fresh dill. Top these and other veggies with toasted almonds. Skip the fried onion rings!

* Pumpkin pie is my favorite!!  You can reduce the calories by using non-fat evaporated milk instead of cream.  Use can make it even healthier by using egg substitute rather than eggs.  Serve pie naked (without whipped cream) or low-fat or fat free.

Remember the reason for the season.  The holidays are a reason to spend time with friends and family, time to catch up with people, not as a reason to indulge in food choices you wouldn’t normally make or an occasion to eat a huge meal.

Staying on track with your food choices, tasting your favorites in moderation and maintaining your exercise program are the best gifts you can give to yourself.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, CLC
Certified Life Coach, Weight Loss Surgery Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator

I am a big To Do List person.  I always have a To Do list going.  I LOVE crossing things off my life.  I have a sense of accomplishment and dwindling down of things to take care of.  Now, keep in mind that I can add four things to my list but those are new; even if I only cross of two, that is a success to me.

I love the feeling I get when I accomplish something, even if it is working out.  I schedule my workouts into my day just as I would an important meeting or a doctor’s appointment.  What more important meeting or appointment than one I make for myself?  I’ve often said that if the feelings you get from being active (even walking up a few flights of stairs rather than take an elevator) and working out were able to be bottled, it would never be in stock as it would be sold out all the time.  Yet, many of us dread or avoid exercising.

Just as crossing off an item on my To Do List, the same with exercising.  Don’t get me wrong, I can’t say that I love exercising.  Truth be told, I generally don’t.  What I do love is the feeling I have when I work out, the endorphins and the sense of accomplishment that comes with crossing it off my list.  I feel “on” and more in control when I exercise.  It is a feeling that keeps on giving all throughout my day.

My workouts are also “Me Time” when I can think without distraction.  Even if I’m walking with my iPod in my ears or watching the television while on a treadmill, I think.  My thinking is so much clearer and stronger in processing things in my life.  It is among the most special times of my day.  It started off with wanting to lose weight, maintain my weight but has taken on a deeper meaning.  My “Me Time” is really a special time for me.

I’m asked by clients how to keep their motivation high when it comes to exercise.  I think that motivation is very individual.  For me, it has been to make it fun but also value it as time to think, clear my mind, solve problems, process issues, tune into my body and love the way it feels to move, and just a special time for myself.  I think the key is to DO IT.  Just like Nike says “Do It” and continue to do it even when you don’t feel like it.  I know that if I lace up my shoes, that I’m going for it.  Sometimes I put off lacing my shoes because I know that it is a no give once I do.  I always remember the feeling I have after I’ve worked out.  It is like none other.  If you exercise regularly, even for a few days, you create a moment that will keep you going and just DO IT.

Give yourself a non-food reward.  Set a goal.  If you exercise a certain number of days per week for a month, give yourself a reward.  Something that you consider a treat.  It could be a massage, a new outfit, new songs on your MP3 or iPod, go to a movie.  Anything that is a treat and brings you joy.  Don’t turn to food, turn to your tennis shoes!  You’ll be very glad that you did.

The results from exercise can take time.  Instant gratification is what many of us want when it comes to exercising.  Remember the saying that anything worth having is worth working for.  Same with exercise.  Many times people want the reward without putting in the time, energy and effort.  Make an investment in yourself with exercise and a life of activity.  It is an investment that will never go down with the stock market and will provide dividends every day in big and small ways.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, CLC
Certified Life Coach, Weight Loss Surgery Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator

I’ve run lists very like this one a few times over the past year, and I always love them.  I love animals, especially dogs and cats, so I’m totally biased. Nevertheless, I do think the world might be a better place if we considered the following. This list was sent to me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I even took a couple of lessons and did them myself!  Enjoy!!

If dogs were the teachers, you would learn stuff like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Let fresh air and the wind in your face be pure ecstasy.

When it’s in your best interest, practice obedience.

Let others know when they’ve invaded your territory.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

No matter how often you’re scolded, don’t buy into the guilt thing and never hold a grudge! Run right back and make friends.

Delight in the joy of a long walk.

Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.

Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you’re not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, CLC
Certified Life Coach, Weight Loss Surgery Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator

Ah, the holidays.  It is a special time of the year.  It means many things to us.  For many, it takes the religious meaning of the season.  For many, it is a time to express our appreciation, give to others, volunteer, spend special time with family and friends.  It can also mean excesses in terms of food and food choices.

Does it make sense that we more or less stay on track for the majority of the year and then in a period of a few weeks, jeopardize our success?  It doesn’t have to be that way.  There is a high percentage of weight regain during the holidays.  Our bodies don’t realize that it is the holidays.  To our bodies, a calorie is a calorie whether it is in March, May or December.  Excess is excess regardless of the time of year.

To thrive during the holidays doesn’t mean we have to restrict ourselves.  We need to eat in moderation and make smart choices.  You don’t need to pass up every single thing that you want to taste.  It does mean to kick in our healthy habits and continue to exercise and eat with tastes rather than piles of food.

Do you realize that the first three bites of a food are the tastiest?  Your taste buds are heightened and you enjoy fully the first three bites.  After that, you switch into eating more because you want that feeling from the first three bites to continue.  Pay attention the next time you indulge in a treat.  Stay very aware with each bite.  After three bites, does the intense flavor and enjoyment tend to decrease?  Three bites won’t undo your success from the rest of the year.  Promise yourself tastes of your favorite holiday foods.

Here are some other helpful holiday hints:

* Make a promise to yourself that you will NOT make a food, diet, cut back, food restriction type of resolution for January.  This mindset of anticipation a cutting back or dieting can set you up for “going for it” types of overeating during the holidays.  As you enjoy the holidays, keep your long-term goals for weight loss and maintenance in the front of your mind.

* Anticipate food pushers.  You know, your Aunt Flora or Cousin Ruth that believe the holidays are not complete unless you eat this or that.  Reflect on the past and become aware of the obstacles that are ahead when you join others for holiday celebrations.  Think ahead to these food pushers and how you will respond to them.  Remember, they aren’t standing by you when you weigh yourself or try to fit in your favorite outfit.

* Think ahead and plan for your favorites.  What are your holiday favorites?  Don’t reject them but plan for them.  Identify your triggers, plan on your choices and the quantity of those choices.  Decide ahead of time what you will eat, how much you’ll eat and what isn’t worth it to you to eat.

* Take charge of your choices.  For a bring your own dish types of parties, bring your own weight loss surgery healthy choices that are your own favorites.  You’ll know there is something available for you to eat that you enjoy.  It will take the anxiety of falling into making poor food choices because of limited healthy dishes.

* Avoid “now or never” or “all or nothing” thinking.  Remember that there aren’t any food choices that are restricted to the holidays.  You don’t need to stuff yourself thinking this will be your one and only opportunity to enjoy all of your holiday favorites until next year.  If you avoid this type of thinking, it will help you to avoid eating that you wouldn’t otherwise.

* Use your mouth to talk and not just eat.  Do more talking with people at holiday functions.  The holidays are about people, celebrations, and socializing.  Have fun with people and not the food.

* Bond with your food log.  Don’t get distracted and lose your inhibitions at parties.  Remember that whatever it is you eat will be entered into your food log.  If you don’t want to see it in black and white, don’t eat it.

* Remember the next day.  You’re in the moment and faced with choices you might not normally have to make.  Don’t allow yourself to indulge or lose your commitment to your healthy lifestyle.  Rather than get down for what you can’t eat, be happy for all the things that you can do now without the excess weight.  You can fit into smaller clothes, you’re accomplishing things in your life you haven’t before, and feel the difference you feel now from the heavy feeling you had about yourself and your life before losing weight.

*Create new non-food traditions.  Sure, the holidays are centered around food.  Change your holiday traditions to include traditions that have nothing to do with food.  Organize a walk with your family and friends to look at Christmas lights, dance to your favorite holiday tunes, take a walk together before the big holiday meal, put a jigsaw puzzle together (keeps your hands, mouth and mind busy!), and any other non-holiday ways to spend together.

*Fulfill and celebrate yourself in other ways.  Don’t allow the holidays to happen to you as a victim of the food circumstances.  Plan and create the holidays that reflect the new you.  Create the experiences and celebrations in ways you want.  Set goals for the holidays such as maintain your weight or even lose a couple of pounds.  Fast forward to January 1st….weight yourself….celebrate and feel the huge accomplishment from being and staying on track during the holidays.  Now, that’s a real celebration!!

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, CLC
Certified Life Coach, Weight Loss Surgery Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator

Many of us tend to gain weight during the winter months.  We can compare winter to preparing for hibernation as in eating and sleeping more to get through the blistery winter weather.  We aren’t bears and don’t get to crawl into a warm hiding place and sleep the fat away.  LOL!  It doesn’t work that way for us.

In our sedentary society today, more than half of all adults are overweight with factors that accelerate weight gain (or regain) is a common concern.  Extra pounds acquired over the winter months may stay on year after year with a few bonus pounds added each year.  This gained weight can contribute to health issues such as becoming overweight, morbid obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease among others.

People gain weight during the winter for various reasons.  If you have a propensity to gain weight during the winter (and holidays), then it is important for you to figure out what factors play into this tendency, and plan by becoming proactive.  Simple and small changes in your behavior can have enormous health benefits.  Become aware and develop a plan of action to combat winter weight gain.

The holidays and cold winter weather can mean less time and opportunity to exercise, more treats, and alcohol and stress that trigger overeating. Among the holiday recipes, this combination of factors is a definite recipe for weight gain. If your weight gain tends to come during the holiday season, consider making a holiday survival plan.

Be proactive by creating a plan for staying active. Think about factors that have made exercise during the holiday season difficult in the past.  Try to come up with some creative solutions to these barriers, then schedule them into your calendar the same way you schedule parties, meetings and family gatherings.

Second, if the holidays create excess stress for you, think of ways to reduce it. Exercise is the best stress-reducer around, and stress reduction is one of the best reasons to stay active, no matter what the season may be. Also important are getting enough sleep, focusing on your priorities and eliminating low-priority activities if you are too busy. Make time for those activities that give the holidays meaning, and that provide pleasure and opportunities to be with people you enjoy.

Third, eat defensively. You’ve heard of defensive driving?  Eat defensively as well.  Include occasional small portions of holiday treats that you really love, but balance this by eating healthfully and on track at other meals. Avoid grazing just because “it’s there.”

Winter can cause a decline in physical activity, as shorter days and inclement weather can limit exercise options. If winter weather creates exercise barriers for you, take a closer look at those barriers and come up with some creative solutions. If early darkness forces you off the streets, how about some indoor options? Check out fitness centers and community recreation programs in your area or purchase exercise dvds and move your exercise program indoors.

Are you uncomfortable in cold weather?  Buy some warmer clothes and learn how to dress for cold weather. If it snows where you live, learn a winter sport. Cross-country skiing, ice skating and snowshoeing are terrific calorie-burners.

You are worth creating your own winter survival plan.  Where there’s a will, there’s a way.  Don’t hibernate but participate in all that winter has to offer.  Create your own way and in the Spring, you’ll be springing with joy and very glad you did.  Hibernation is for bears, not us.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, CLC
Certified Life Coach, Weight Loss Surgery Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator

This is a touchy, controversial topic yet one that needs to be addressed, in my opinion, for long-term permanent weight loss success.  We don’t need to find the right protein drink, the right recipes, because it isn’t about the food.  There is no food that is going to determine our weight loss success.  If that were the case, the hundreds of boxes of pre-packaged diet foods would be obsolete.  You can eat whatever you want to eat.  Yes, I said that – you can eat whatever you want to eat AFTER you determine the reasons why you turn to food to cope with your life, emotions and to numb uncomfortable situations.

Whether we’ve had weight loss surgery, reached our goal weight through a diet problem or on our own, that’s only part of the work.  You may be able to stay there for a period of time.  I did.  I maintained my weight loss of 147 pounds for over three years easily.  However, when I underwent a real challenge and transition in my life, I turned to that soft, comfortable way to deal with things – food.  Yes, I’d lost weight but I hadn’t done the work I needed to in order to maintain the weight loss long-term and permanently.  Life is going to happen.  What we do with that is what will determine weight loss success.  Do you return to the old coping ways of before and eat for comfort?  I did.  To relose it, I had to go through the way things I did from my surgery to lose the weight.  The difference is that it was much, much harder, slower and more challenging.

So, what’s underneath your weight?  What caused you to turn to cookies and chips rather than healthy habits to cope with your life in ways other than food?  All of us can lose weight and we have!!  The key is to face the issues straight on, deal with them either on your own or with a counselor or coach, and move forward without the crutch of food.  It can be done.  The reward is to maintain your weight, be able to eat whatever you want because you will self-regulate yourself and not overeat yet enjoy that food without a day-long, week-long, month-long or years-long binge.

Many people don’t want to face the reasons why we abuse our bodies and turn to food.  They will seek out websites that have low calorie, low carb and low fat recipes thinking that is the answer.  It may be for a short time but not long-term.  There are lots of websites that have tons of traffic because they feature recipes, food-related information.  I am about the topics and issues that will provide recovery for the rest of your life from being a career dieter.  I am about ditching the issues with food that hold us back and prevent us from living our lives full-out, full blast and living out loud.

Get to the root of why you struggle with food, attend to it, and you will no longer have a weight problem.  Period.

For me, I discovered that I was avoiding uncomfortable situations and emotions.  I wanted my life to be a roller coaster with only highs, no lows.  I wanted my life to be rainbows, sunshine, happiness, and everything going my way just the way I wanted it.  I didn’t want people to let me down.  I felt defective, inferior, second-rate and inadequate to a shut-down, emotionally unavailable family.  I definitely didn’t fit in with my family.  So, I turned to food to cope, to fit in, to manage and to survive in an environment that I didn’t feel loved, cared about or understood.

Through a lot of personal development growth work, some therapy, and most effectively was working with a phenomenal life coach, and a lot of accepting myself and appreciating the wonderful characteristics and qualities that make me who I am and letting myself be who I was – I embrace and believe it is an honor to be who I am.  It took awhile, though, and it was a lot of difficult work but it has all bee worth it.  As painful as our pasts may be, don’t let them cloud and hold us back from the full, meaningful life that we are meant to have.  I wish I could give all of you the gift of facing your issues head on, dealing with them appropriately, and then moving full speed forward with a life you never believe could be possible but….IT IS!!!

Facing the truth about yourself takes courage and diligence. It starts with the desire to really unlock the mystery behind the symptoms of emotional overeating and head hunger.  You don’t have to fill that deep, dark hole inside of you with food.  There is no recipe, protein drink, diet, or anything that is the answer.  The answer is inside of YOU!!  I promise and guarantee to you that it is!  As your coach, we can worth together so you can find it and fill it up yourself.  Or, you can work on your own and do it yourself.  You can fill up that hole once and for all with you, your life, and all that you are inside.

Before you can be successful, you must realize one basic fact – your past does not equal your future.  Change the inside (which is YOU) and you automatically change the outside (lose weight and keep it off!).  You have the power to change, and YOU are that power!  It isn’t in a protein drink, shake or bar, nor is in a recipe or some magic combination of foods….everything you need to lose weight and keep it off is inside of YOU.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, CLC
Certified Life Coach, Weight Loss Surgery Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator

I was looking through some things this weekend that I’d saved on my computer and found this.  I saw it, read it and remembered why I kept it.  Shine that light inside yourself because you are worth it!  I share it with you as a reminder that all of us are worth it!

“YOU ARE WORTH IT”

Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Do not set your goals by what other people deem important.
Only you know what is best for you.

Do not take for granted the things closest to your heart.
Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.

Do not let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past nor for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.

Do not give up when you still have something to give.
Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying. It is a fragile thread that binds us to each other.

Do not be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

Do not shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to find.

The quickest way to receive love is to give love; The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly.

Do not dismiss your dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope; To be without hope is to be without purpose.

Do not run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been, but also where you are going.

Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

~Anonymous

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, CL
Certified Life Coach, Weight Loss Surgery Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator