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This week I experienced a very hectic day, and as I was racing through meetings with clients; I forgot I had not eaten my snack for the day.  I now realize the importance of eating on a schedule, and its impact on boosting my metabolism.  I took a moment and reached inside my insulated bag to grab whatever MyFitFoods snack I had packed in my haste.  To my delight, it was this little snack called: PicnicTime.  Inside this delightful snack was: fruit, cheese, almonds and 5 little crackers.  I was so excited!  I enjoy crunchy food, I love picnics, and finally, I felt like a little girl again, whose mom had packed her lunch.

This magical moment was feeding my inner child and I loved it! 

I can remember the whole concept of packed lunches and snacks.  You would get to school and you wouldn’t know what lunch or snack your mom had packed for you until you got outside with your friends.   I remember all the kids would compare their lunches; and trade if they found one of their favorite items in someone else’s bag.

Somehow, your mom or guardian knew how to not only pack your favorites; but they also paid attention to nutrition and how to sustain your energy for the rest of the day with the right foods.  You might even have a little positive note inside to spur you on to excellence.  What a great concept!  My mom passed away over 5 years ago; while I can recall some painful childhood moments, it was nice and refreshing to be reminded of this joyful history!

The MyFitFoods snack took me back to a great moment.  Here I had all my favorite snack foods; and I did not have to do it.  It was all beautifully arranged for me; and there was great nutrition to sustain me through the rest of my hectic schedule.   I mentioned how excited I was to Wynne, my nutrition specialist at the Quarry location.  She replied: “I’m glad you were excited about the snack, next time I will have to write you a little note to add to the experience”.

In our stressful world we sometimes need a moment to reach back and literally feed our inner child.  After all, our inner child has filed many memories; and can evoke those memories on our adult person at any time.  Those memories can be painful or joyful, but they are always there.   Often times it’s our inner child demanding our attention when we are feeling some of our worst pain.

In just one little simple snack; MyFitFoods gave my inner child a wonderful gift, and connected me to a joyful moment.  In addition, the process is helping me to become a healthier adult.   What a great deal!

Remember to pack your special lunch this week, and while you are enjoying the meal; imagine that little boy or girl inside of you…smiling big!

Have a JOYous week…and remember you always have the choice to think on positive things….click here for a lovely idea-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVG80vqVfSA

Much JOY!

Sandra

 My name is Sandra Steen, as a motivational speaker, author and life coach, I have spent my career helping people identify, clarify and achieve their purpose.  Over the course of 20 years I have worked with Fortune 500 Companies, and spoken to over 500,000 people world-wide.  Little did I realize that as I was helping others find their sweet spot,  I was losing mine.  The culprit in my life was overeating.  After gaining weight over the years; I had that “you can’t  enjoy life this way” wake-up call.  I became desperate for answers.   I kept searching, reflecting and thinking about the essence of what it takes to lose weight.

I think I have finally cracked the weight loss code.  It all boils down to what you eat!  Sure you can lead an active lifestyle, and you can have a great metabolism and you can even possess a thinness DNA…however if you exceed certain speeding limits with food, it will lead to weight gain.  I know I’m not a candidate for a Nobel Prize for this revelation; however I will be a candidate for weight loss by obeying the principle.

There are great weight loss plans and books and diets galore; so why are we still an obese nation?  I figured it out…”We are all overeating”.  That’s why I am excited about the My Fit Foods plan…it keeps the main thing the main thing.  It’s all about the food in moderation! 

Food is a huge deal in our life.  It nourishes and comforts; it creates our celebrations, it’s a part of every rite of passage… it can make our life JOYous or it can create our worst misery!  Over the years, I abused the privilege of eating in moderation and it did not take long for my food abuse to create my worst nightmare.     I was not one of those who could eat to live…living was all about eating.  As I have started this “Weight Loss Journey – Mind, Body and Spirit; I am working with a new mantra in regards to food.  I use to say “I  love food” now I say: “I enjoy food, but I do not enjoy overeating”!

My weight loss journey continues; and I have become fully aware that fat is mostly fought by what enters my mouth!    Just about 2 weeks ago, I decided that with my hectic schedule if someone could make the food I should eat; we could work together for the perfect weight loss option for me.  Little did I know that such an option existed. 

One day I walked into the MyFitFoods location at the quarry and I was low on energy on that day.  I had heard about the food and wanted to try it.  Erica one of the consultants  said to me: “You should really try our program, I guarantee you will enjoy the food and gain a lot more energy.”   I wasn’t ready for the decision at that moment, but I kept that enthusiastic comment in my mental file.  Everything has a season, and now I am ready for  my weight loss journey with the MyFitFoods plan.

As I work through this phase of  my weight loss journey; I am excited that I have a process that is adding lots of convenience; leaving me with very few excuses.  The MyFitFoods entrees are super-tasty, pre-measured and set to a schedule.  What more could I ask for….I even get one reasonable “cheat” meal a week!  The way I see it…the MyFitFoods plan could adapt to any weight loss plan you have in mind.  So let the journey began; I am looking forward to results that will now convince me that food is my friend and not the enemy!

Stay tuned each week as I bring you updates on my Phase II Weight loss Journey with MyFitFoods….I know their plan works; let’s see if I can work the plan!

Much JOY

Sandra

Everyday we are inundated with choices.  During our weight loss journey; we make choices about where to eat, what to eat, what time to eat, who to eat with, what portion size should we eat.  In addition to our food choices; we are then  faced with our decisions about our physical exercise plan.  The beauty in all of this: once we surrender to the lifestyle; the choices will become more automatic and less stressful.  Life is a combination of the choices that we make over time.  As I am surrendering to this healthier lifestyle; I am also constantly surrendering to maintaining JOY in the process!

Just because it is the right choice, does not mean it will go unopposed.  Everything that is good has a place of “forced opposition”.  I don’t understand why that is true; I just know that it is.  The JOY Robbers of life will always be there to offer you  moments of “stolen joy”.  Weight loss in itself can be challenging; couple that with the ebbs and flow of life and you can at any moment be presented an easy option “throw in the towel”.  Whats the remedy:  Surrender to JOY while continuing to make the right healthy choices!

Sometimes you have to take a step back on a challenging day and affirm: ”This is the day God has made; I will be glad in it; not after it!  When you say it; you will hear your power being restored back to you, couple that affirmation with a smile, determination, and the willingness to allow Joy entrance in your life. 

Now when I step on the scale, I am reminding myself of the Joy ahead as I reach my goal; and the Joy in the moment that is allowing me to get there. During the weight-loss journey, Joy is simply the privilege of Peace.  While you are working the things in your control; you surrender the things out of your control… to the God who is in control of everything!  You remain positive knowing that the end is good!

I like to remind myself with my personal quote: “The end of the matter with God’s help is always good; so if it’s not good, it’s not the end of the matter!

Today I was down 30 pounds and rather than stress about whether it was less than I expected…I decided to take a stress free moment and I remembered a Louis Armstrong song.  I remembered this classic song said it best:

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They’re really saying I love you.

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow
They’ll learn much more than I’ll never know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Aba0lVdE2c

You know when we stop and reflect the World is whatever we say it is… I’m  saying now; no matter what….”It’s all Good”!

Joy Affirmation (click here for a sample affirmation)

Much JOY

Sandra

You will need a weight loss intervention, when the process of perfect science is not carried out perfectly by you!  My weight loss intervention came last week, when for 2 weeks I showed a less than average weight loss.  An intervention is when all your data is reviewed and used to evaluate what is really happening.  You are a big part of that formula; and everything you put in your mouth is the most important part of the Equation.

At the end of the day, what you put in your mouth has the greatest impact on what you see on the scales!  I experienced a week where I was fighting flu-like symptoms.  I found myself taking in a few more fruit juices and taking over the counter medicines to subside my misery.  My weight loss was totally flat for this week…I am thankful that I did not gain weight…but losing weight is the goal here.

The following week it was all about getting back on track.  So it is in life…you encounter obstacles and opposition…you evaluate the answers to moving forward, and once again you get on the saddle and keep riding the horse.  That’s where I am today; with an increased determination to win the battles; that will ultimately give me the victory in the war! 

Dr Rogers gave me a very bottom-line question during my intervention, as she was determining the best menu options for where I am today.  She asked:  What is more important to you–showing more pounds lost on the scale or eating more food?  Would you rather put the food in your mouth; or would you rather see success on those scales?

That’s the kind of question that cuts away the clutter, and really gets you to your priorities.  Yes I may enjoy eating certain types of food that I am not eating now; but am I willing to give up the opportunity for better health?  I refuse to jeopardize the future any longer for too many undisciplined moments. 

We all have a God-given free will, and choices in our life,  I have cast my vote to make the decisions that will truly deliver a brighter future.  This future is for me, but it is also for the many lives that I am destined to impact.

Intervention is a tough love process, it is uncovering what matters most to you and making sure you remain accountable to do what will produce success.  You don’t have to like it; you will like what it produces. 

I can remember in the past, exercising with my trainer and  I start to moan and groan that I can’t do anymore reps; and I expect him to agree with me.  To my dismay, he asks for more than what was originally requested.  He is pushing me beyond what I think that I can do.  It’s always amazing in that moment of exhaustion, somehow I could find the mental strength to push through.

We can all experience those emotional moments where we become frustrated, and we can even begin to think those who are there to help us, are not understanding our real need.  I have learned they don’t need to cater to my desires, they need to cater to my desired results.  When that scale is producing the results that I need to see, I don’t remember frustrations or disappointments…I am caught up in the celebration!

Last week, I presented Dr Rogers staff the challenge of my situation and  they presented to me a bottom-line challenge; “Do You want this?”  My answer unequivocally – “YES’!    My intervention produced a 4 pound weight loss this week!  We are back in the saddle and riding the Horse.  My conclusion in this matter; “it doesn’t have to be easy, the rewards just need to be commensurate with the struggle”!

May your week be JOYous and full of Victory!

Much JOY

Sandra

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