An enthusiastic attitude is one of the most important aspects to a successful life.  Yet, enthusiasm is really an art – it must be practiced in order to be performed well, and enjoyed on a regular basis.

I have two friends right now who are new mothers, working full time, and starting online courses in January.  One of them came to me the other day asking for advice.  ‘”I’m beginning to wonder how I’m going to do all of this.  I know you’re a positive thinker, can you give me any words of wisdom?”

My first thought was, “how much time do you have?”   I’m a motivational speaker – I can give you weeks’ worth of profound wisdom and advice!

But since this was a close, personal, friend whom I’ve come to know very well, I decided to just give her the truth about what I see.  I didn’t come right out and say it, but I had been wondering how she was going to do it all as well.  From my observation of people throughout the past 20 years, the ones who accomplish the most and are the happiest are the ones who embrace and develop enthusiasm.  Successful and happy people, the ones I know personally, are high-energy, positive thinking, very focused, and just generally upbeat people.  They always have strong faith, (although no particular denomination stands out), and usually will readily deject or at the very least get away from negative thinking and negative people.  They have boundless energy and are always smiling.

My friend, despite her good intentions and determination, does not have these qualities.  But then, I don’t know of many of us who do have them naturally.  You have to want to be enthusiastic, and then you have to focus on that desire long enough to develop habits that support it.  What I want to share with you today, are some ways I have found to develop enthusiasm.

1. Don’t sleep too much, and don’t worry about insomnia.  An enthusiastic person is a high-energy person and I’ve never met a high-energy person who sleeps a lot.  Now, we all have different requirements when it comes to sleep, so I’m not going to give you a number.  You know what your number is.  If you’re taking sleep aids to help you sleep and caffeine to help you stay awake, your sleep habits are off balance.  If you’re working on a project that you’re excited about, you can probably get by on as little as 4 hours a night for awhile.  Once the project is completed, you’ll likely go quickly back to your normal hours.  Instead of worrying about not sleeping, use that time to channel your energy into something positive.  Work if you want, relax and watch TV, read a book – use that time to chill out.  The advantage to working is that it just might help your mind relax so that you can go to sleep.  I usually look at my next day’s schedule, do a few little tasks, and then relax knowing that everything else will get done tomorrow.  Sometimes, just staying up an extra hour helps me unwind and then get a good night’s rest.
2. Work out – get on the treadmill.  Do something to get your body going.  Your body is the housing, the casing, if you will, for your mind and is the robot of your spirit.  It needs to be in good working order.  Don’t exercise to lose weight, just do it to feel good.  In time, you’ll likely look good, too, but at first, just focus on how good it makes you feel now.
3. Read more. Knowledge about what you’re doing, getting ready to do, or would like to do, is very empowering.  Empowered people are enthusiastic people.  There is nothing that builds self-esteem faster than going to work, going to class, or going to a social event and knowing that you’re going to get it right.  You have the latest information and you know it cold.  When you approach your work, school, and life with enthusiasm, learning will not feel like a chore, it will feel like passion.
4. Focus your thoughts on what you want – what will it look like and how will it feel once you’ve achieved your accomplishment?  It’s okay if you don’t know exactly, just how to you think your life will be when you’ve achieved your goal?  Don’t get too caught up in the details.  Set your thoughts on what you want and define only as many details as you can and still feel good.  Don’t get caught up in being too specific on how your desires will come to you.  The universe will take care of that.  Listen for inspiration and follow it when it comes.
5. Demonstrate the enthusiastic attitude that you’d like to create.  Pretend.  Fake it until you make it.  I know a lot of people this has worked for.  You can get a vision of who you want to become so vividly, and then play the part so well, that before long, even you believe you are that person.  Why is that?  Because your actions define you are and will become.
6. Appreciate where you are now.  Right now on a sheet of paper or word processor, list 5 things you’ve accomplished in the past week.  Look at all you’ve done and how far you’ve come.  Yes, you will always want more.  But even when you accomplish that, you’ll still want more.  That’s how we grow and become more – by wanting more.  Being satisfied with where you are while enthusiastically expecting more is the fastest way to creating anything you want.
7. Stop complaining. Stop finding fault.  Stop speaking your discord.  Eventually, as you stop saying negative things, you’ll stop thinking negative things.  Once you start speaking and thinking positively on a regular basis, your experience will get better and better.  But don’t take my word for it – try it and see for yourself.
8. Train your brain to find the positive aspects of every situation.  Do you believe that within every adversity is a blessing?  It’s true.  Every obstacle is an opportunity to discover something about yourself and become better.  See every problem from that perspective and you will never have a bad day every again.  In reality, there are no bad days, there are just some days when you grow more than others!  (Stop and think about that one for a moment.)
9. Smile.  Greet people cheerfully and genuinely.  This is the first sign I get that a person is truly enthusiastic and either is or is going to be successful in life.  When I meet someone and they divert their eyes, are distracted constantly, or have to force a smile and cheerful greeting, I know they either don’t want to be there, or are miserable on the inside in some way.  The good news is that by smiling and focusing on the other person, you will momentarily forget whatever it is that is bothering you.  This is called relief and it can have a huge impact on your thought processes.  Various studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins much the same as exercising.  Try it.  Let me know how it works for you.
10. Plan.  There’s just something soothing and energetic about a well-laid-out plan.  Now, you don’t have to stay rigidly adhered to a long-term plan.  I’m a believer in going with your gut, listening to your inner being and taking what feels like the next logical step.  But for me and many other successful people that I talk with, having a plan to start with is energizing and helps keep you motivated because it keeps you on track and helps you notice those serendipitous opportunities when they come along.
11. Get organized and simplify.  What do you really want?  Pick two or three things for now and put everything else on the back burner – you’ll get to it one day.  (If it’s meant to be.)  What’s important to you now – right now – this very moment?  One idea I shared with my friend was to focus on just the roles she’s bound to already:  Mother, wife, employee, and student.  Housekeeper, gourmet chef, landscape artist, part-time blogger, and other things that are stressing her out need to go on the back burner for now.  In the future, if she finds herself bored, she can pick back up with any of those.
12. Dale Carnegie had the best advice of all:  Stop Worrying and Start Living.  Enthusiastic people have trained themselves to focus on solutions and finding them quickly, instead of dwelling on the problems.  When something happens in your life that displeases you, make your mind go immediately to “how can I fix this?”  or “What is it that I do want? And how can I get that?”  If the answer doesn’t come immediately, go for a jog.  Clear your head.  Go dancing.  You’ve experienced situations when you dwelled on an issue for hours on end and came up with nothing.  Finally you gave up and a few hours later what happened?  The solution “came” to you.  You were probably either in the shower or taking a nap or doing something else completely unrelated.  We’ve all had that experience.  People who are successful – and by that I mean happy and satisfied with their life, but eager for more – have trained themselves to not worry about anything, but instead think about solutions using all three parts of their being - body, mind, and spirit.  In our Western culture, we tend to put all of the emphasis on our mind, leave our spirit out of things, and let our bodies suffer.  My friends, the sooner you embrace the connection of your spirit to what your mind is thinking and your body is doing, the sooner you will find the success, inner peace, and happiness that you seek.  How can you tell when you’re on the right path?  You’re enthusiastic about it.

Your assignment for today is to follow the calling of your inner being.  While reading this article, you have felt inspired to do something.  Do it.  Trust me, you’ll be glad you did!

Related Articles:
My Intuition Saves a Child’s Life
7 Ways in Increase Your Enthusiasm
The Power of Momentum
The Power of a Smile

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

Posted under Conscious Creation, Inspiration, Law of Attraction, Leadership, Motivation, Success

It’s the time of year again where we all take on more than we probably should:  Extra parties, extra chores, extra shopping, extra expense, extra devotion of our personal time, and extra of just about everything.  All of that “extra”vaganza can leave us feeling overwhelmed and burned out.  Today I want to share with you a couple of ways I’ve learned to chill out during the holiday season.

Pace yourself. This might require a little forethought and planning, but will be well worth it.  For example, in decorating the house and the office for the Christmas holiday, I started early, and spread the projects out over 2 weeks.  I’ve found that if I try to do everything in 2-3 days, I end up physically exhausted for two weeks anyway.  By spreading things out, I have more time to think about how I’m going to decorate, making my projects better in the long run.   I have time to shop for additional items to make everything truly special.  I enjoy the process instead of dreading it.

Meditate. Have you heard about this?  It’s not just for metaphysical, new age, positive-thinking junkies anymore.  More and more studies at top research facilities around the world are documenting scientific evidence of the health and longevity benefits of meditation.  In fact, it’s become a widely acknowledged fact that daily meditation is not just good for you, but has been proven to actually extend your life.

Now, like many of you, I find it very difficult to find the time and/or patience to sit down, quiet my mind, and let go of all those thoughts racing around in my head.  I know I should, I believe in the benefits, but getting even 15 minutes of uninterrupted time during a workday can be tough, and if I can make it happen, I feel like I should do something with those precious moments!

So what I do instead, is schedule time during my lunch break where I listen to either my favorite classical music CD, or my Immrama Institute CDs.   Fifteen to twenty minutes is all it takes to feel both physically and mentally refreshed.

If you have the patience and discipline to meditate without these aids, you probably don’t need me to give you any advice and you already know the benefits.  I have one friend who uses music for the first five minutes, and then meditates without it after that – what a great idea!

Your assignment for today is to start pacing yourself a little more this holiday season, and make some time to meditate.  If necessary, make your meditation time an appointment on your calendar and combine it with a treat, like a bubble bath, cup of hot cocoa, or reading a few pages in a favorite book – whatever would help you get the process started.  Gradually add your ritual to your daily routine and enjoy the benefits of a less stressful, happier life.

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

Posted under Conscious Creation, Inspiration, Motivation

“There is nothing that is a more certain sign of insanity than to do the same thing over and over and expect the results to be different.”
–Albert Einstein

So you want a different life?  What are you going to do about it?  Today?

Even one small change in your routine can make a huge impact on your results.  Change your habits, and you change your life.  Don’t change your habits, and your life remains the same.  There is nothing wrong with a small change, one tiny step forward, but it must be there or you’ll continue to get what you already have.  Which is fine, if that’s what you want.  What do you want?  What are you going to do about it?

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

Posted under Conscious Creation, Inspiration, Motivation, Success

“The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.”
Paul Valery, French Poet

“My life sucks.”

“I’m a statistic.  I grew up in the inner city and everyone expects me to be on welfare or in jail.  Why should I disappoint them?”

“There’s nothing I can do; that’s just the way life is.  The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.”

“I’m stuck.  This is the career I chose when I graduated from college and it’s all I know how to do.  If my company goes under, I’m sunk as well.”

“The economy is all that is wrong with my business.  Once the government fixes it, things will pick up again – it’d better!”
———
“I am the creator of my life experience.”

“I am the luckiest person alive.  I grew up in the inner city as one of five children.  I received a scholarship because of my race and now I’m a respected professional.  My grandmother raised me and I will not disappoint her.”

“I have so many ideas they blow my mind on a good day!  I have so many options as to what to do with my life that sometimes, I get frazzled trying to implement everything I’m capable of doing.  When I’m not making money, I’m gaining knowledge and experience.  Life just keeps getting better and better.”

“Looking back, I can see now that getting laid off from my job was the best thing that ever happened to me.  I hated fighting traffic every morning to commute to a job that made me feel like a mindless drone.  I’ve started my own business, risky – for sure, but well worth it.  Even though I’m not making as much money right now, I can see the potential for an even greater income that what I had.  Other people have done it, and I can, too.”

“I don’t know where all this media hype is coming from about a bad economy.  My small business continues to grow in customers and revenue.  I’m so glad I made the investment in marketing and public relations – I definitely dodged a bullet on this one.  My company stands on it’s own – no government bailout required here – thank goodness!”
———

I truly am the luckiest person alive:  I am surrounded daily by people who have attitudes in the second set of quotes.  Now, to a certain extent, that is by design; I choose very carefully who I converse with on a regular basis.  I can always tell when I’ve spent too much time with people in the first group – my attitude begins to suffer.  If you’re the most positive person in your group, find a new group.  I’m not saying abandon the others altogether, but remember that in order to lead, you must first learn, and then lead yourself.

Any situation that you’re in right now you have created.  The moment that we call, “now,” is nothing more than a jumping off point for the future.  Everyone talks about “enjoying the now – be here now – etc.”  Today, I want to take that a little further.

If you’re living an experience that you truly enjoy, then, yes, enjoy your now.  Be present in the moment.  You’ve created every aspect of your life as you’re living it now – so enjoy it, relish it, and you’ll get more of it.

However, if what you’re currently living is not exactly to your liking, then now is the time to do something about it.  Now is where your power is.  Now is when you can do something about it.  You can’t do anything in the future because once you get to that future point, it becomes what we call “now.”  This is why personal strategic planning is so important.

I see too many people who want to live in a fantasy world – dreaming their dreams.  Visualizing their life as they want it to be.  Yes – I teach that, too.  But at some point, you have to wake up.  Stop dreaming and start acting.  Now.   I hear stories and read emails everyday from people who fail to act on inspired action.  Why?  Sometimes it’s fear, but most of the time, they chose to stay in the dream world.  It’s easy in dream land.  When you dream of things as you want them to be, you feel wonderful.  In reality, it’s easier to just blame the economy, the government, your boss – whatever.

But the power is yours and your greatest point of power is NOW.

My challenge for you today is to wake up and do something that will change your future.  You can’t do anything in the future – you’re not there and you never will be.  So stop putting it off, do it now.

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

Posted under Conscious Creation, Inspiration, Law of Attraction, Leadership, Motivation, Success

In my post, Never Let Yourself Go, Part II – Your Body,  I promised that I would give you the details of my diet from about 10 years ago that led to my losing 25 pounds in one month.  So here they are.

When I discovered that I was, in fact, overweight, I, for the first time in my adult life, found myself in completely unfamiliar territory.  I had always been terribly thin and never had to diet.  I felt I did not have the skills or knowledge necessary to pull this off since I had never done it before – diet, that is.  Then I realized that my mother, God Bless her, had been on a diet for as long as I could remember and, well, it didn’t seem that she really knew what she was doing either.  I mean, if someone is always on a diet, there would seem to be some kind of disconnect there somewhere, right?  So I knew that I didn’t want to do whatever she was doing.

Then out of the blue, I remembered a comment from my high school Science teacher who said that if you want to weigh 123 pounds, you simply consume the number of calories necessary to sustain your body at 123 pounds.  Eureka!  A scientific formula to which I could relate.

My teacher was trying to convey to us the scientific principles of calories and energy.  He explained how a skinny person, like me, could eat what seemed like an enormous amount of junk food and never gain weight, while someone who ate what was touted to be a more healthful diet of grains and fruit could be overweight – it’s all in the calories.  Take in more calories than you expend, the body stores the extra energy as fat.  Plain and simple.

Now, if you’ll recall back about 10 years ago, counting calories as a weight-loss method was no longer popular.  In fact, weight management instructors were saying that counting calories was the worst way to try to lose weight.  But I remembered a comment from my college Health and Safety instructor who said that counting calories is the only scientifically proven way to lose weight.  I like science.  So with confirmation of my plan, I set out to find a way to customize a calorie-counting diet to suit my needs and achieve success.

At first, I really didn’t know how much I was supposed to weigh.  I thought, maybe I’m supposed to weigh 150+.  Maybe a Size 10 is right for me at this age.  Wishful thinking, but I knew better.  I worked for an insurance company at the time and was able to get their weight tables used to determine a healthy weight based on height.  This gave me a range.  I then went onto the internet and found a program that would also use my body frame and activity level to get the range a little more narrow.  This gave me a range of 123 to 135.  I decided to shoot for 123, figuring if I fall short – I’ll still be in good shape.  At this point, I needed to lose 26 pounds.

My next step, and this is the critical part, was to determine how many calories I needed to consume to become a 123-pound person.  When most people think of a calorie-counting diet, they immediately think of cutting their calories back to an unsustainable amount – like 1,000 to 1,200 calories a day.  That’s the first place people go wrong.  All you need to do, is determine how many calories your “future self” will be eating when s/he weighs that ideal weight.  This is much easier than you think and is a critical part of the program.

I decided against adding an exercise regimen to my plan in the beginning for two reasons.  One, I had been a member of a gym for several years and every time I stayed with a routine, I gained weight.  Which was part of the reason why I was having to do this to begin with.  I didn’t watch my weight and “treated” myself every time I worked out – adding calories and, apparently, fat.  Plus, and this is reason number two, it was going to be difficult enough just keeping up with the diet.  I wanted to get the weight off first, and then tone my muscle while maintaining my 123 weight.  One thing at a time – focus.

So how does one go about eating like a 123-pound person?  Well, first you have to figure out how many calories will sustain your body at 123 pounds given your height and activity level.  I again, consulted the internet.  There were fewer sources out there back then than there are today, and I have no idea what the one I used was called, but here is one supplied by the American Cancer Society that is easy to use.  Simply enter your goal weight and be honest about your activity level.  I would choose sedentary.  That way, you don’t have to lift a finger if you don’t want to and any exercise you do get would just be icing on the cake.  OH!  That was cruel – sorry!  Moving on to the next step.

UPDATE 2/20/2009 - A lot of you have expressed concern over the number of calories various calculators return to you.  If you use a Basal Metabolic Rate Calculator, like the one at http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ you will get a better “starting point.”  Read the two short paragraphs at the top of that page, and then make a common sense judgment from there.  If you are sedentary, try eating just 150 - 200 calories above your BMR.  For example, my BMR at the time was 1250, I ate 1425, and lost the weight fast.  Your results will depend on your BMR, how much you eat, and how much you burn.  Your enthusiasm and vibrational energy also play a factor, and here are more things to consider. (Back to the original article)

Now that you know how many calories you should be consuming, and this is where it starts to get difficult if you let it, you need to keep track – meticulously – of exactly how many calories you consume.  I mean every piece of gum, breath mint, sip of soda – everything.  Here’s what I did.

I started an Excel spreadsheet with each day listed at the top and the meal times at the left side.  The calorie number I was given back then was 1425 calories per day.  I divided that up into 300 calories for breakfast, a 100 calorie mid-morning snack, 300 for lunch, 150 for an afternoon snack, which left a whopping 575 calories for dinner.  In this spreadsheet, I would log my actual calories for each day.  I kept the sheet on a floppy disk, updated it every time I had a meal or snack and took it back and forth with me between work and home.  I counted everything, and ate nothing that I couldn’t get the calorie count for.  If you think this is over the top, just remember that you’re not going to do this part forever.  I only did it for three weeks.  After that, my body was retrained.  We’ll talk more about that in a minute. The next step, was figuring out what to eat.

This could have been the diet breaker if I had allowed it to be.  But I was determined.  As stated earlier, I decided to eat absolutely nothing that I could not get the calorie count for.  So I started out with pre-packaged and frozen meals.  Ten years ago, there were good options in these areas, but not as many as there are today, so I became bored rather quickly.  I then decided to research restaurant caloric charts.  I found a book, which is out of print today, but very similar to the Fast-Food Guide.  I used this book, in addition to as much information I could get both online and in the restaurants regarding the calorie counts of their food.  Again, if I could not get the calorie count, I did not guess, I simply did not eat it.  This is very important.  I’ll explain why a little later.

Armed with a plan, a tracking system, and plenty of choices, I felt that I could stay on the diet as long as necessary as long as I did not become overly hungry or weak.  I did have to adjust my caloric allowances for each meal and snack because eating only 575 calories for dinner was next to impossible.  But I did stick to my daily allowance of 1425 and did not go over – even if that meant going to bed hungry.  I learned that it’s okay to be hungry every once in a while.  Too many of us have the belief that if you’re hungry, there’s something wrong with you, when in reality it only means that your stomach is empty.  It’s a physiological response – that’s it.  It does not mean that you must eat right away!

Another paradigm shift was realizing how small the difference was between a 150-pound body and a 123-pound body.  This is the reason why keeping a log is so important and sticking to your allotted amount of calories is so important; the number of calories between the two are so small!  One piece of cake or candy, or anything similar really will “blow” your diet.  It could mean starting all over, which is what most people do and become tired of.  Who wouldn’t!  If the reward for something is failure, we soon lose interest in doing that thing.

For me, right now, an extra 100 calories per day would add 7 pounds to my weight in about a month.  One hundred calories is nothing – and yet everything!  You can use that calculator I gave you above to play around with different weights and calorie ranges.  You’ll notice very little difference in the amount of calories you can consume at various weight levels.  This is why so many people fail on diets – especially calorie-counting diets; they fail to track their calories honestly, and fail to exercise their self-discipline long enough to notice results.  This is also why fad diets work at first, but then eventually fail.  Fad diets usually have you consume or eliminate one particular food group, which causes you to drop your caloric intake for a few days or weeks.  Gradually, however, you resume your original caloric intake, just with different foods.  The diet stops working and you stop the diet.  But if you earnestly count your calories, and you really want to lose weight, my system will work for you.

I also learned what kinds of foods to eat to make my calories last longer and give me more energy.  Foods high in fat and sugar pack a ton of calories with very little benefit.  The proportion of benefit to calories is not worth it.  Foods high in protein and complex carbohydrates gave me plenty of sustainable energy, did not leave me hungry after two hours, and helped me meet my goals easily.  When it came to fast food, I learned very quickly that there were some restaurants I just needed to stay out of  - forever!  Sure, I could have a Big Mac with fries and a coke, but that was almost my entire daily allotment!  I also learned that small changes make a big difference.  For example, when I went to Taco Bell, the new diet meant getting 2 tacos instead of 3, and a diet Pepsi instead of regular.  I had almost as much food, didn’t really miss what I didn’t have, and it paid off big time.

While I’m not a candy or sweets person, I do like peanut M&Ms.  I literally took the calorie count for a package of M&Ms, divided that by the number of them in the package, and had an on-going snack relationship with M&M’s.  I guess I’m lucky to be one of those people who can eat like only 3 at a time.  It would sometimes take me an entire week to finish off one snack-size bag!  But the point is, I ate everything I wanted.  I just paid the price for it and before eating it, debated on whether it was worth the price – just like a really nice clothing item.  I’m sure you’ve done that before; you find a really nice suit or something you like at the department store, try it on, it looks really good, but then you look at the price tag and put it back. You have no problem putting it back on the rack because the price is simply not worth it to you at this time.  Eating can be exactly the same way; is what you’re about to consume really worth being overweight?

Another method I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted was to “save” calories.  This was actually fun.  I had a friend at work who liked to go out on Friday nights.  Her husband always worked a night shift that night, so when my husband was out of town, we would treat ourselves to dinner and a movie.  She was supportive of my diet, but really craving a piece of “Derby pie” from a local restaurant.  We made our plans on Monday, and I started “saving up” enough calories to be able to eat that piece of pie come Friday night.  I called the restaurant on Monday and found out that one serving was 750 calories.  Using my Excel spreadsheet, I decreased my calories just a little each day and each meal until I had exactly 750 saved up.  That was, without, a doubt, the best tasting piece of Derby pie I’ve ever had – before or since!  But the best part was, the next morning, my weight was continuing to fall.  Which brings me to the next topic, I have yet to discuss how quickly the extra weight came off.

It was fast.  My husband went away for two weeks on a business trip.  One of the reasons I decided to start the diet at this particular time was because I knew it would be easier if I had only myself to worry about.  I didn’t have to cook a big meal for him every night so I could get away with my Lean Cuisines.  By the time he returned, I had lost 15 pounds!  He could hardly believe it – he said I looked like a different person.  I could tell a big difference in my clothes, but I had not really noticed a difference in the mirror yet – probably because I was wearing the same clothes.  In about another week I lost the remaining 10 pounds almost effortlessly.  By this time, my stomach had shrunk and my body was adjusting to my new habits.  My system was working and I was working my system, everyone was supportive of me, and I was very pleased with the fast results.  I really lost the weight I wanted to lose in about three weeks, but I stayed on the diet another week to really let it set in.  I wanted to develop the habit of eating like a 123-pound person and wanted to make certain my body had fully adjusted.  I also wanted to make sure I was eating as many calories as I could.  In other words, if I continued to consume 1425 calories every day, would my weight level off at 123 like it was supposed to?  Were the formulas used by the calculators accurate?  The answer, as it turns out, is yes, they were very accurate.

Now, a lot of people who read this will say that losing that much weight in 3 weeks is unhealthy.  I disagree.  I experienced no negative side-effects whatsoever.  I was eating more healthfully than before, overall. Your body will love you for this.  If you think about it, no one’s body wants to be unhealthy.  Your body craves to be strong and dependable. I really didn’t feel like I was depriving myself of that much.  I ate almost as much food as before the diet, and I definitely ate as much as I truly needed to eat.  While I would not, and do not now, eat a steady diet of frozen dinners and restaurant food, it helped my body to realize what amount of food is healthy for me.  When I went off the diet, that is, when I stopped using the Excel spreadsheet, my stomach told me when it was full.  I no longer needed a chart to tell me how many calories were in a menu item because my stomach told me when I had consumed 300 calories.  And the amazing thing was, my body knew the difference between a 300-calorie lunch, a 150-calorie snack, and a 600-calorie dinner.  I had developed good habits through this process that have stuck with me for 10 years now.  I know when I’ve overeaten before getting on the scale.  When my husband and I are planning an evening out and I know I’ll want to order the steak and lobster, I start about a week ahead of time, “saving” enough calories to be able to do that.  I guess my retort to anyone who thinks this diet plan is unhealthy is this:  which is healthier, fast weight loss by creating good habits through the use of some pre-packaged foods and healthy fast-food choices, or being overweight?

My husband used this plan to lose about 20 pounds over a two-week period just a few months ago.  He was suffering from sleep apnea and knew losing weight would make a big difference – and it did.  The sleep apnea is now gone, and he eats whatever he wants but maintains his new weight.  We both weigh two to three times per week, and if we notice a gain, we cut back for the next couple of days.  It’s so easy when you have just a couple of pounds to lose.

For you supplement junkies out there, if you really feel the need to take a pill to lose weight, you can do that with this system – take a good quality multi-vitamin.  I use Centrum – not for weight loss – just for my general health, which is all you really need to do.  Have you ever noticed how all of those pill-based weight-loss systems tell you that if you follow their plan exactly, which includes taking their miracle pill, eat complex carbohydrates, and exercise daily, they will guarantee your weight loss!  And if you don’t do those things the guarantee is voided.  Hello!

I’d like now to summarize this “diet plan” for you.  I’ve shared a lot of insights and might have confused you along the way, so to be sure you understand the process step-by-step, here it is.

Debra’s 7-Step Plan for Achieving Your Ideal Weight

1. Make a commitment to yourself to become healthy.  Use a daily affirmation like, “I think and eat like a 123-pound person.”
2. Research your ideal weight.  Some people know the weight at which they feel their best.  If that’s you, use that.  If not, find your ideal weight by clicking here.
3. Look into how many calories will sustain the weight you desire to be.  Click here to find out.
4. Focus on weight-loss only for now.  You’ll add exercise when you’re ready.
5. Keep detailed records.  This is the most important part.  You cannot guess or be “close enough” on this one.  Your body’s habits are off – or you wouldn’t have a problem to begin with.  You must use your mind to retrain your body.  If you cheat on this, you’re only cheating yourself and your diet will fail.  Don’t do that to yourself.  You deserve to be healthy.  If you find yourself thinking about cheating, go back to number one and strengthen your affirmation with a reason.  “I think and eat like a 123-pound person because I want to live long enough to see my grandchildren graduate from college.”  Remember, being overweight is an illness that will kill you.
6. “Save” calories ahead for special treats.  To “cheat” on your diet legally, use your tracking system like a bank account.  Save up enough calories to indulge yourself at a future event.  Don’t allow yourself to consume the calories first, then pay for them the follwoing week.  That doesn’t work and is another source of failure.  Pay for them in advance and only use up what you’ve saved for – think of it like a pre-paid calorie card!
7. Surround yourself with only supportive people.  If someone says to you, “Wow, what happened to you?  You look bad!  Have you lost weight?  Why?  You didn’t need to lose any weight – you looked terrific before, not you look sick.”  Just ignore them.  They’re either jealous, or have a very twisted view of what a healthy person is supposed to look like.

Good luck and feel free to use the “Comments” link below to ask questions.

UPDATE 11/11/09: This DVD, Think and Get Slim: Natural Weight Loss
explains WHY my systems works. I talk more about this in the other articles, but wanted to be sure to put a link here as well. IF YOU TRULY WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT, BUY THIS DVD. PERIOD.

UPDATE 3/31/07:  DUE TO THE HIGH NUMBER OF COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS, I HAVE POSTED AN UPDATE TO THIS ARTICLE AT UPDATE TO WEIGHT LOSS ARTICLE.

UPDATE 9/17/07:  LATEST UPDATE IS TO EXERCISE, OR NOT TO EXERCISE; IS THAT REALLY THE QUESTION?

UPDATE 10/01/2007:  AMANDA FARIS SHARES HER PERSONAL SUCCESS STORY WITH THIS SYSTEM

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

Posted under Conscious Creation, Education, Inspiration, Law of Attraction, Motivation, Success, Weight Loss