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Life Is Just A Chair of Bowlies

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 Life Is Just A Chair of Bowlies

A Personal Note From Liz 

JULY! I always think of July as the official start of the vacation season… the beginning of the hazy, lazy days of summer…the time of year when gardens are putting out the freshest fruits and vegetables. My personal favorite is cherries… luscious, juicy deep red ones.

​​​​​​​July is when we start to relax and de-stress. But what about the rest of the year? Read on for my Top 10 Tips to Stop Stress…and make life a chair of bowlies…or bowl of cherries…whichever! (Full credit to the delightful illustrator Mary Engelbreit… queen of whimsy.)

  Top 10 Tips to Stop Stress Now  ~  Life CAN be a Chair of Bowlies

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What If….

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This is what people regret most….                
There are two words that people utter before they stop themselves…. from choosing… from DOING something… from trying something out…from “going for it”… from making a decision that could change their life for the better…from losing weight.
These two little words hold so much power!
“What if.”
What if I can’t do it?
What if it doesn’t work?
What if they laugh?
What if I look foolish?
What if I fail?
What if people talk?
What if they judge me?
What if it doesn’t turn out perfect?
What if I’m wrong????
Do you think like this sometimes? Because if you do, I have a few questions for you:
What if you do it? And it works out beyond your expectations and wildest dreams?
What if it works out splendidly? And so easily you can hardly believe it?
What if they applaud, cheer you on???
What if you look foolish and you still succeed?  Remember that you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet! Success can be messy.
What if you succeed….become the most amazing “you” that you are destined to be?
What if they judge you and LIKE you??? Love what you’ve accomplished?? Love how you look?
And if they don’t… Remember that the people who mind don’t matter and the people who matter don’t mind.- Dr. Seuss
What if it DOES turn out perfect??? Or better than you had any reason to believe it would???
And what if you’re right???
What’s my point?
The truth is that most of the time when you ask “what if”, it leads to making decisions and choices you will regret later. I’m talking about the other two little words….the ones that are filled with regret… “I wish..” The close second is “If only..”
What to do???  The truth is that the underpinning of “What if” is FEAR! Yup, our subconscious minds have stored up every single experience of flubbing up, being laughed at, being criticized, shamed and judged….even rejected for trying out something we wanted to do. Our cells have stored up all of the sadness, defeat, humiliation and broken-heartedness from these experiences. AND our subconscious will do ANYTHING to avoid that pain, that suffering…. including stopping us from taking advantage of opportunities… losing weight and having a healthy body.
How to turn this situation around???
First, think of F.E.A.R. as False Evidence Appearing Real.
Mark Twain said “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.”  He also said that he had lived through many terrible things in his life, some of which actually happened. Both statements point to the incredible power of the imagination and the subconscious mind.
A Harvard study has shown that the brain does not know the difference between imagined and real experiences. A University of Chicago study went further to prove that the old files can actually be rewritten.
Psychologists at the University of Chicago took three groups of basketball players. Group One practiced foul shots each day for thirty days. Group Two was instructed to “imagine” shooting foul shots each day for thirty days. Group Three was instructed to do nothing. When tested, Group One (practicing shots) improved 24 percent. Group Three (doing nothing) had no improvement. Group Two, the group that only imagined shooting foul shots, improved 23 percent without physically touching a basketball!
Why? As far as the brain knew, both groups that practiced (real & imagined) had shot foul shots daily. The difference?  Group Two never missed! Group Two, never missing, was given more emotional confidence by their brain. The brain also memorized the foul-shooting pattern as though they were on the court. In Group One, their brain experienced the hit-and-miss pattern of actual foul shooting which did not build confidence.
Why mention this? We have the ability to build our own files, even when the actual real-world experience is lacking. Using our imagination, we can alter files by imagining new information and new outcomes. 
Ok, Liz, how does this apply to losing weight?
It applies in two ways. First, extra weight is often the result of increased cortisol levels which stem from stress and negative experiences. Rewriting the files using your imagination helps to increase feelings of confidence and safety which lower cortisol levels. Humor is one of the best techniques to do this. Bad memories of being yelled at by someone? Imagine them being 6 inches tall and doing it. LOL!!! Imagine letting it go!
Second, extra weight can be the result of faulty body image and the behaviors that go with it. Rewriting the files using your imagination can install a positive image and create the behaviors that support a healthy body. Just imagine yourself actually chewing slowly and savoring every bite instead of wolfing food down. Imagine yourself enjoying a 20-minute walk every day. Practice appreciating your body.
Regular use of visualizations and meditations is a very powerful tool. It provides the foundation for making decisions from a place of strength and confidence.
Remember: Every moment of your life you have the chance to make a decision that will change your life forever. What would you decide if you couldn’t miss?
And this is EXACTLY what happens in my Diet Free Weight Loss Program…

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Your Eyes Really Are Bigger Than Your Stomach

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livliga dinnerware
Photo Courtesy of Livligahome.com

Did you know that we eat (first) with our eyes?

YES!! The eating process starts with eye appeal.

I remember so well my grandfather teasing me because my eyes were always bigger than my stomach. As a card-carrying member of the “Clean Plate Club”, I would naturally prove him wrong by stuffing myself at those big family gatherings and holiday meals. Who could resist all those colorful, tempting foods? As it turns out, few of us can. The average American will eat more than 4500 calories on Thanksgiving Day alone. We are seduced by buffet tables and pastry carts. And we are seduced by dinner plates that are 51% bigger than they were in the 1900’s. There is no question that the mere look of certain foods makes us salivate. Indeed, food advertising is based on that fact. The tremendous eye-appeal of many foods subtly encourages us to overload our plates….and overload our bodies in the process. And many of us, especially members of the “Clean Plate Club”, have been trained to confuse “clean plate” with “full”. In truth, “full” happened long before the plate was clean. So, what to do??? How do we avoid this trap?  [Read more…]