by patbarone
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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by patbarone
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 (more…)
by patbarone
We often think criticism will force us to act. We love to berate ourselves, talking about how “bad” we’ve been behavior-wise with food, and getting down on ourselves.
Why do we do this?
Well, I think it goes back to our childhoods. When we were young, criticism (or fear of it) often motivated us. Many of my clients (and myself) grew up with parents (more…)
by patbarone
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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by patbarone
One of my clients saw my last blog post. She said, “Pat, you don’t like any of the traditional weight loss formulas, do you?”
No, I don’t.
I don’t like them because they don’t work. Trying to follow them took years of effort and rendered me mind-numbingly incapable of success. When I threw them out the window, things started moving in a positive way in my life.
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