2012-05-08T07:01:32Z urn:uuid:60a76c80-d399-11d9-b93C-0003939e0af6 CoalEngine CoalSpeak urn:uuid:1225c695-cfb8-4ebb-aaaa-80da344efa6a 2012-05-08T07:01:32Z

If Your Weight Could Talk… By: Louisa Latela, MSW, LCSW Printer Friendly It is my belief that we are all wonderful magnificent bundles of energetic love. That is our true or authentic essence. We know this when we are born, but somewhere along the way we disconnect from our authentic self; and in the process we learn to speak the language of harsh self judgment and negativity. One of the ways to tell if you are “disconnected’ is that you approach the task of losing weight from a place grounded in hatred and contempt for your overweight body and perceived lack of willpower. Your self talk may sound something like this: “I hate my body, I can’t wait to lose weight, I can’t go to that party looking like this, I can’t believe I ate that, I am so mad at myself, I know better, I should do better”. If that sounds like you, and you would like to re-connect with your authentic self, I suggest that you take a different approach to losing weight. Honor the role that compulsive eating and excess weight have played in your life. Be kind and gentle with you. If what you want more than anything is to have a slender healthy body and you do something to sabotage that, that ‘s the time you need an emotional HUG, not a beating. Know this: whenever anyone is acting in a way does not honor their highest good they are disconnected from their truth. They are just trying to feel better. Overeating is often an attempt to self nurture. I suggest that you try releasing your excess weight and the behavior of compulsive eating from a place grounded in the energy of Self Love and Compassion, not self degradation and frustration. Many people describe food as their best friend; something they can count on that is unconditional and consistent. They use the behavior of compulsive eating to soothe a broken heart, calm an anxious mind, let go of a crazy day at the office, lift their spirits, reward themselves, or connect with family and friends. I’ve even had people tell me they don’t know if they’d be alive if they didn’t have food to turn to in particularly dark times for if they didn’t have food to numb their feelings they fear they would have turned to alcohol, drugs, or even suicide. Can you relate to any of these concepts? If so can you see that you were/are using food to try to feel better, not because you are a bad or weak person? In terms of excess weight, people have told me it made them feel grounded and strong. It was their identity. Others have said that it has protected them from the anxiety associated with dating and intimacy. I’ve had people tell me their weight gave them an excuse to not really “go for it” in their lives. If they didn’t get the job they wanted or didn’t have a date, they blamed it on their weight. Below is an excerpt from my e-workbook “Live Your Highest Good Make Peace With Your Body and Food” that may lead you to greater insights as to why you carry with you excess weight. So think about this: What role has your excess weight played in your life? If your weight could talk, what would it say? As you answer the following questions be aware of any significant or uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, impulses or sensations in your body. Notice if you are able to stay focused or if your attention wanders. 1.Close your eyes and picture the people who raised you standing in front of you. Imagine that you are at your heaviest weight. If your weight could talk, what would it say to them? 2.What would your heaviest weight say to your siblings or other relatives? 3.What would your heaviest weight say to any other significant people from your past? 4.What would your heaviest weight say to significant people in your life today (partner, spouse, coworkers, friends.). Take some time and really think about this. Your Healthy Weight Voice Now imagine yourself at your ideal healthy weight. And imagine those same people standing before you. How do you feel now being with them without your excess weight? Do you feel strong and empowered, or do you feel somewhat scared and vulnerable? What would your healthy weight voice say to: The people who raised you? Your siblings or other relatives? Other significant people from your past? Significant people in your life today? Reflection: What have you learned through this exercise about the role excess weight has played in your life? Who would you be without your weight? Try this exercise the next time you take a shower: As you wash each part of your body bless it and send it love. Speak to your body as if you were speaking to a child or friend whom you love unconditionally. Thank your body for being there for you. Remember that no matter how much you stuffed it, starved it, exercised it or not, it keeps getting up and showing up for you every day. Bless and love your head, your eyes, your ears, your nose, your mouth, your chin, your neck, your shoulders, your arms, and your hands. Bless and love your back, your chest, your abdomen, your hips, your genitals, your thighs, your calves, your ankles and your feet. If you have excess fat on your body love it and bless it. Thank it for having been there for you. Know that you created it to serve as a protective shield for you to keep you centered, grounded, and safe. Now visualize yourself standing before a gateway on a beautiful hill or on the crest of a wave. Your entire life lies behind you and below you. See that every experience of your past is tied to you by silver and golden threads. Pause and review these experiences… all the joys and all the sorrows… all the adventures it took to bring you to this point… remember all your struggles with your body and your weight. Observe it all, bless it all, thank it all…especially the struggles. Now untie the threads attaching you to the past, and with all the love you can muster, let your excess weight know that it is safe for it to go now. Tell it that you are releasing it with love and gratitude, and you are now ready to learn new ways to love and nurture yourself. Release it all and bless it all. In releasing your attachment to the past, you claim your power in the present. WOW!!! How did that feel???? Take time to write any reflections, thoughts or feelings that surfaced while doing the shower exercise. You may even want to write a love letter to your body!! Have a beautiful day! Live in Love, Louisa Printer Friendly

urn:uuid:1225c695-cfb8-4ebb-aaaa-80da344efa6a 2012-03-29T15:18:03Z

Are You Building Your Life Around Your Recovery? By: Louisa Latela, MSW, LCSW Printer Friendly (In this context I am using the term recovery to mean the freedom from the obsession with food and weight issues, the end of yo-yo dieting, the maintenance of a healthy and happy body.) Have you defined for yourself mandatory positive self care rituals and routines: i.e. those things you must do on a consistent basis to support the maintenance of healthy weight loss? Here are some of the most common “non-negotioables” that my clients have found to work for them in creating a life that supports long term weight loss: set intention for the day: i.e.”It is my intention to treat myself with love and respect.” daily meditation/conscious breathing 6-8 glasses of water daily fresh fruit and veggies daily minimum of 10 minutes intentional movement/exercise daily maintain awareness of breath throughout the day take vitamins/supplements daily positive self talk make time to eat healthfully even when really busy (even just 10 minutes to be still and enjoy some yogurt and granola) grocery shop and prepare foods for week pack foods for the day daily gratitude connection to positive and supportive people engage in some sort of fun activity or hobby on a regular basis set boundaries self love and compassion…no matter what!! For those who are still constant passengers on the yo-yo dieting roller coaster, chances are you may be able to list your non-negotiables but you have not been able to incorporate them into your life on a consistent basis. If that’s the case you are most likely trying to build your recovery around your life. That usually doesn’t work for the long term. Think about it: if living your life the way you have been living it keeps you unhappy with your body and weight wouldn’t it make sense that some part of the way you are living your life must change if you want to be at peace with your body and weight? Bottom line is this: you must allow your health and well being to be number one on your list of priorities. I know you have heard this time and time again. But it really is as simple as that. I encourage you to set some time aside to be still and ask yourself, “What would my life look like if it was built around my recovery?” and “Am I building my life around my recovery or am I trying to build my recovery around my life?” Know this: You have all the answers inside of you… all you have to do is listen….. For information you can email me at louisa@louisalatela.com, call me at 856.429.9799 or visit www.liveyourhighestgood.com Printer Friendly

urn:uuid:1225c695-cfb8-4ebb-aaaa-80da344efa6a 2011-08-14T14:59:39Z

Loving Without Condition By: Louisa Latela, MSW, LCSW Printer Friendly From this moment on I’d like you to make a vow to yourself to never say another unkind word to or about yourself. It serves no positive purpose. Many of my clients really have a difficult time with this one; in fact, a lot of them don’t even realize that they are saying unkind things to or about themselves because negative self talk has become their native language. Just take a moment to imagine what it would feel like to unconditionally love and accept yourself… to know that no matter what you did or didn’t do, you would not shame or berate yourself. If you can’t imagine that for yourself, think about someone whom you do love unconditionally: maybe a child, your spouse, your pet. Imagine feeling about yourself and responding to yourself the way you do to and about them. What would your life look like? Would you care for yourself differently? If so, how? What would you say to yourself? Would you dress differently? Would your relationships change? How would you be eating? What would you be talking about with your friends and family? Would your career be any different? How about hobbies? Would you be doing anything different socially? Would your living environment change? If so, how? Take some time to think about this: Do you love yourself unconditionally? Write down any thoughts or feelings that arise for you. If the answer is “no,” describe how your life would be different than it is today if you did love and accept yourself unconditionally. Use the questions above as a guide or refer back to Lesson One’s Characteristics of Authentic Living. If you get stuck, think about someone you believe to be living a life that is truly reflective of self love and respect…. How is his or her life different from yours? This is an excerpt from “Live Your Highest Good: Make Peace With Your Body and Food” E-Workbook. To read more visit [(http://www.liveyourhighestgood.com)] or contact Louisa at [(louisa@liveyourhighestgood.com)] or 856.429.9799 Printer Friendly

urn:uuid:1225c695-cfb8-4ebb-aaaa-80da344efa6a 2011-07-12T17:25:59Z

Relapse Prevention By: Louisa Latela, MSW, LCSW Printer Friendly Relapse Prevention Breathe!!! Make it a habit to become conscious of your breathing. Most times when people are overeating they are not taking full deep breaths. Many clients report that binge or overeating episodes are either mindless or anxiety driven. By paying attention to your breathing you get to come back to the present moment. You can then step back from the situation and make a conscious decision. Throughout your day take a few seconds to do a quick body scan. Notice if you are holding any tension in your body and consciously release it. Get clear with your intention for your life: “It is my intention to live a healthy abundant joy-filled life”, “It is my intention to eat and move in a way that supports good health and good energy”, “It is my intention to live a life that is reflective of self love and respect” etc.. Then before you think say or do anything ask yourself if those thoughts words or actions support your intention. (Your intention should always be worded to reflect what you do want to create vs. what you don’t want i.e. ‘eat for good health and energy’ vs. ‘not eat sweets’). Write down your intention for your life every morning. Get Back to Basics… (Protein first, take supplements daily, drink your water..) Keep food records for at least a week to increase your awareness of what/when/and how much you are eating. Note the times and feelings/activities prior to and after eating in an effort to identify possible overeating triggers. Maintain a comfortable and healthy eating routine. Take time to make sure you have healthy foods available to you. Keep some healthy snacks on hand in the car, at work, in your pocketbook or in your briefcase so you avoid eating on the fly! With practice, it becomes habit; the essence of a new lifestyle. With discipline comes freedom. Seek nutrition counseling if you are having difficulty maintaining a healthy eating routine. Schedule an appointment with a nutritionist familiar with weight loss surgery who can help you get back on track. Learn what you need to eat and why. Keep physically active. Look for opportunities to increase your physical activity- not necessarily strenuous workouts, but more regular physical movement throughout your day. Learn to handle uncomfortable emotions: Feelings send powerful triggers to overindulge. If you are having a difficult time managing your feelings without food or other numbing behaviors seek out help (either from a therapy group or individual counseling) in learning to develop new self nurturing coping skills. Cultivate present moment awareness. Remember that in every moment you have the opportunity to make a new choice. Just because you started eating a cookie in this moment doesn’t mean you can’t decide to stop eating it in the next moment. Practice mindfulness as you move throughout your day (while driving in a car, going for a walk, washing the dishes, eating, talking to a friend, etc…) In every single moment of every single day each of us has control and choice regarding the thoughts we think, the feelings we feel, the actions we take and ultimately the experience of our lives! Practice Gratitude: Be grateful for the opportunity this surgery has afforded you. Remember what life was like prior to having surgery. A grateful heart remembers the pain of morbid obesity and cherishes recovery! 856.429.9799 www.louisalatela.com louisa@louisalatela.com www.myselfdesign.com Printer Friendly

urn:uuid:1225c695-cfb8-4ebb-aaaa-80da344efa6a 2011-06-12T11:17:38Z

Simple Ways to Self Nurture By: Louisa Latela, MSW, LCSW Printer Friendly Ok, so if you are going to maintain a healthy weight you really do need to change your lifestyle. Compassionate Self Nurture needs to become a way of life for you. As I’ve said before I do believe over eating is often an attempt to self nurture. You must put attention to creating new more positive self nurturing behaviors: below are some simple ways to consciously create a living style that is truly reflective of self love and respect: Simple Ways to Self Nurture When you wake up in the morning take a few moments to remember your dreams, meditate, think happy thoughts, set your intention for the day. Consciously nurture each of your senses every: (i.e. listen to a favorite cd, write in your journal, read a page of an inspirational book, moisturize your body with a great smelling lotion, look at/notice special pictures around your house, eat and savor the flavor of a piece of fresh fruit). Before leaving the house do a body scan and release any tension you might be holding in your body. Pay attention to your breathing. Be on time for all appointments. When you are driving in a car listen to a cd of some beautiful music, or an inspirational/motivational speaker, or ride in silence so you can listen to you/your higher power, your inner wisdom, etc. When you are stopped at a traffic light, pay attention to your breathing. Relax any tight muscles in your body and say an affirmation out loud (“I treat myself with love and respect every moment of every day”). Keep a fresh flower or plant on your desk at work, and in your bedroom at home. Throughout the day take a few moments to go outside to breathe in some fresh air to re-center and reconnect. Set boundaries. Acknowledge and celebrate what you accomplish during the day… no matter how small the task might be (i.e. I returned a phone call, I mailed some letters, I said a nice thing to myself, I said hello to a stranger, etc..) Create a transition ritual for yourself when you arrive home from work to release your work day (change your clothes, take a shower, do some exercise, etc.. ) Don’t rush through meals, even if you have after meal obligations, Take the time to be present and enjoy your food. Keep the conversation positive at the dining table: (have everyone tell the best thing that happened to them that day!). Allow yourself to feel. Acknowledge and express gratitude for everything that goes well in your day (i.e. got a good parking spot, kept my word to myself, had a great conversation with a friend, etc.) Create a bedtime pampering ritual (take a bubble bath, spend some time meditating, read a book, write in your gratitude journal, listen to beautiful music, etc..) Sing, Dance, Play! Take an art class. Drink 8 glasses of water every day. Go outside and notice the miracles and beauty of nature. Get a massage. Paint your nails. Pluck your eyebrows. Go on a weekend retreat. Learn Yoga. Learn to play a musical instrument. Every time you look in the mirror say something loving to yourself. Plant a garden. Paint a room in your house a wild color!! Go to a town you’ve never been to before and window shop. Refute any unloving thoughts. Know that you are perfect in this moment!!! Lift weights. Say a silent prayer for yourself. Say a silent prayer for someone who drives you crazy! Count your blessings. Surround yourself with loving and supportive people. Watch a sunrise or a sunset. Hang inspirational and meaningful pictures in your house and at your work. Keep affirmation and inspirational books around your house and read at least one page every day. Spend some time near water. Learn to say “no”. KEEP YOUR WORD TO YOURSELF!!! Louisa Latela, MSW, LCSW Telephone: 856.429.9799 louisa@louisalatela.com http://www.liveyourhighestgood.com Printer Friendly

urn:uuid:1225c695-cfb8-4ebb-aaaa-80da344efa6a 2011-05-09T05:38:58Z

What Motivates You? By: Louisa Latela, MSW, LCSW Printer Friendly Do you follow a specific eating plan simply because you want to lose weight? Chances are if this is your only motivation you will experience some difficulty making permanent lifestyle changes that will support long term weight loss. If you’ve ever dieted before to simply lose weight then you may have had the following experience: You stick to a particular meal plan for a few days or even weeks and feel great because you are losing weight pretty easily. You KNOW that this time is IT and vow that you will eat this way the rest of your life!! Then it happens: Your weight loss slows down, you get frustrated which causes you to lose motivation, which then leads to you reverting back to your old ways of eating which in turns makes you regain the weight you’d originally lost and then some. Sound familiar??? Obviously you were not motivated in a way that would help you summon the strength to not give into your compulsion to go back to unhealthy ways of eating when temptation reared its ugly head. Motivation must come from the inside out. The number on the scale cannot be your only driving force to eat well. If you are having difficulty maintaining a healthy eating pattern, I encourage you to put some time aside to be very still and quiet with yourself. Ask yourself on a deeper level why you are having such difficulty. Are there things other than weight loss that would motivate you to eat well? I once worked with a client who was a very successful business woman. She had a career she loved, great friends an adoring husband and 2 wonderful children. The only thing she struggled with was her weight. She went on endless diets throughout the years and would do well for a while until life got too hectic. Then one day her 7 year old daughter asked her who would take care of her if she died. My client didn’t understand why she was asking this question. Then her daughter told her she was worried that something would happen to her because she didn’t think she ate real healthy. When she realized the example she was setting for her daughter in terms of lifestyle, priorities, and stress management strategies everything changed for my client. She made a commitment to living healthy to be a role model for her children. She also recognized the fact that she owed it not only to herself but also to her loved ones to take care of herself. Seeing the number on the scale go down was not enough motivation to keep my client from giving into the temptation to overeat when she was stressed. However being a good role model and setting a healthy example for her children was. She set the intention for her life to live in a way that supported good health and good energy. She also would ask herself throughout the day when she was handling what might be a stressful situation “How would I hope that my daughter would handle a situation like this?” Then when she listened to her answer she would follow through with her own advice. Because we experience our life through our physical bodies how we feed and move our body directly affects how we experience our lives physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I find that when my clients’ actions are motivated by an internal desire to feel good physically, have emotionally healthy relationships with the people in their lives, and have some sort of spiritual connection they begin to make many small but significant lifestyle changes that just happen to have a side effect of weight loss if need be. So I ask you once again: What motivates you? For more information you can email me at louisa@louisalatela.com , call me at 856.429.9799, or visit my website at www.louisalatela.com. Printer Friendly

urn:uuid:1225c695-cfb8-4ebb-aaaa-80da344efa6a 2011-02-14T15:23:22Z

Beliefs That Hinder Long Term Weight Loss By: Louisa Latela, MSW, LCSW Printer Friendly I have observed 3 traits common to many people who are unable to “stick to a diet” or make the lifestyle changes necessary to maintain healthy weight loss: They believe that a particular diet plan, fitness expert, book, doctor, or personal trainer, holds the magic formula that will forever end their weight woes. They see the answer to their weight issues as lying outside of them and set themselves up to assume a victim status._You cannot turn your power over to someone or something external and expect to live an empowered healthy life. _You must learn to connect with your inner wisdom and act on its guidance. In terms of your body and weight you must get clear about your intention to treat your body with love and respect. When you do that and check in with your internal guidance, you know what you must do to have a healthy and strong body. You will be intuitively drawn to any external support you need like nutrition or fitness experts, books, or support groups. You follow what feels right and let go of anything that conflicts with your inner wisdom. You lose weight from the inside out, which really is the only way to make lifestyle changes necessary for you to be at peace with your body and food. Inherent in the diet mentality is the core belief that being overweight is bad, which translates into “I am bad or weak if I am overweight,” and that the solitary act of losing weight is the key to happiness and self acceptance. It promotes the thinking that “When I lose weight I will really love and accept myself and then I can be happy.” Actually, the opposite is true. Once you love and accept yourself just as you are, and give yourself permission to be happy, you will release your excess weight. Permanent healthy weight loss is a consequence of self love and respect, not the cause of it. The majority of their thoughts are focused on how much they do not like their body, and how much they don’t like being overweight. This way of thinking leads to feelings of anger, frustration, and depression, which attract to them more life experiences that leave them feeling angry, frustrated, and depressed about their weight and their body. Your life is a physical manifestation of your predominant thoughts and feelings. If you want to lose weight you must stop thinking and focusing on how much you don’t like your body and weight the way it is now. You must start to imagine and feel what it will be like to be at your ideal healthy weight, to be at peace with your body, to truly love and nurture yourself.You must look for ways and reasons to feel good! To read more about this visit www.liveyourhighestgood.com If you have any questions or comments I would love to hear from you.. email me at louisa@louisalatela.com or call me at 856.429.9799 My e-workbook “Live Your Highest Good: Make Peace with Your Body and Food” is now available!! Go to www.liveyourhighestgood.com Printer Friendly

urn:uuid:1225c695-cfb8-4ebb-aaaa-80da344efa6a 2010-12-12T18:50:05Z

Release Resentments… Release Your Weight! By: Louisa Latela, MSW, LCSW Printer Friendly It has been hypothesized time and again that when one is overweight the excess weight is a physical manifestation of unresolved emotional issues. A significant percentage of people who are overweight frequently eat compulsively in response to uncomfortable feelings, one such feeling being resentment. This brings us to Nurturing Nudge #19: Release Resentments! Holding on to feelings of anger or resentment towards others keeps you stuck in the past and hinders your ability to grow and live in the energy of abundance and love. Create a block of time when you won’t be disturbed. Set an intention to release any negative feelings you have been holding against others. If you believe in spirit guides/angels invite them to support you and surround you in loving and healing energy as you begin this process. Make a list of people against whom you’ve been holding resentments. One by one visualize each of them standing before you. Look directly into their eyes and tell them why you feel hurt by them. Tell them what you really want is to feel peace and serenity in your heart and that you no longer wish to hold on to these resentments. Understand that they were manifest in your life to teach you lessons and the negative energy you project onto them is a reflection of your disconnection with your authentic self. Know that you are both pure love and perfection at your core. Now feel yourself releasing any unkind feelings you have towards them. Bless them, wish them well, and SET YOURSELF FREE!!! Remember: holding on to feelings of anger and resentment is like drinking poison and hoping the person with whom you are angry dies. Affirmations: It is safe for me to release my anger and resentments as they serve no positive purpose in my life. I reclaim my power and move into the present moment when I choose to release resentments. When I forgive others I set myself FREE!! To sign up to get your free weekly Nurturing Nudge and to read a chapter from my e-book: Live Your Highest Good: Make Peace With Your Body and Food go to www.liveyourhighestgood.com. Printer Friendly

urn:uuid:1225c695-cfb8-4ebb-aaaa-80da344efa6a 2010-11-10T21:27:59Z

Living a Life Reflective of Self Love and Respect (..the foundation upon which a successful weight loss program must be built….) By: Louisa Latela, MSW, LCSW Printer Friendly I do believe in order to maintain a healthy weight loss one must make specific lifestyle and behavioral changes that are grounded in self love and respect. I have studied people who I believe to really live a life reflective of self love and respect. Below I’ve listed some of the behaviors I would describe as “common” among this population. They: speak only kind and loving words to and about themselves. listen and respond appropriately to their body’s hunger and fullness signals. spend a few moments before they eat in gratitude to the universe and all those involved in the preparation of their food. nourish their body with fresh, life affirming foods. eat slowly and consciously. eat with passion and presence. wear clothes that are comfortable and flatter the shape of their body. take good care of their clothes: hang and fold their clothes with gratitude and reverence. keep their living space neat and clean. treat their home with respect. keep up with the maintenance of their home both inside and out. are responsible with and respectful of money. pay their bills on time. understand that money flows to them easily and effortlessly as they follow their heart’s passion. keep positive affirmation and inspirational books around their house and read something positive every day. keep live flowers and plants in their home. watch only television shows and movies that are positive and life affirming. consciously surround themselves with colors and textures that feel warm, comforting, and wonderful. listen to beautiful and inspirational music. drink 8 glasses of water every day. eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables every day. take their vitamins daily. keep up with regularly scheduled health care appointments. walk outside most days of the week. appreciate the beauty of nature. take time to re-center throughout the day. surround themselves with people who love and celebrate them. are powerful in a kind and loving way. know that true power is grounded in love. need not defend or explain themselves. act and speak in accordance with their values and integrity system. speak their truth with love and respect with the intention to support the highest good of all concerned. take time to be of service to others. understand that true peace comes from knowing that only love is real. take time to check in with themselves throughout the day to reconnect with their center, and act from this place of inner knowing. give themselves permission to say no. are honest with themselves about who they are. keep up with paperwork both at home and at work. keep their car tidy and clean. speak only kind, compassionate, loving and respectful words. often do anonymous acts of kindness. take time to laugh and play. exercise regularly. see the beauty in the soul of every person they meet. create relationships that are supportive, loving, healthy, and empowering. always find ways to nurture their spirit. often journal their thoughts and feelings. listen lovingly and respond respectfully to their body’s messages. rest when they are tired. speak their truth with love and respect. are committed to being the best they can be. keep their word to themselves. consistently express gratitude for the many blessings in their lives. So my challenge for you is to ask yourself before you say or do anything “Are these words or this behavior self loving and respectful?” If the answer is “No”, then stop, take a deep breath and listen to YOU!! When you stop and listen you will always know how to act in a way that supports your highest good!! If you have any thoughts or questions about this blog I would love to hear from you! You can respond to this blog below, email me at louisa@louisalatela.com, or call me at 856.429.9799. To listen to audio versions of my blogs please visit http://yourhighestgood.podomatic.com Wishing you many blessings and much peace!! Louisa Printer Friendly

urn:uuid:1225c695-cfb8-4ebb-aaaa-80da344efa6a 2010-09-12T14:33:39Z

Love Really Is the Answer By: Louisa Latela, MSW, LCSW Printer Friendly Permanent healthy weight loss is the consequence of self love and respect, not the cause of it! In order to make peace with your body and food there is no way of getting around it: you just gotta love and accept yourself just as your are right here, right now, in this very moment…..and you have to be willing to hang in there with yourself when you are desperately trying to change a behavior from which you want more than anything to be free. Life would be so simple if we would just get out of our own way! But we have a tendency to make things so darn complicated!! And most of us have tons of ways that we get in our way of having fun and really enjoying life, we: worry about what other people think about us. always have to be the peace maker. can’t say “No” to people. are the “life of the party” in front of family and friends,but secretly feel stressed and depressed. spend a lot of time feeling regretful or angry about things that happened in the past. worry about the future. gossip. feel responsible for the happiness of others. forget to put tending to our needs on our “to do” list. *allow the actions of others, the number on the scale, or the size of our jeans to determine our mood and control how we feel. base our self worth on the things we have, the money we make, or the success of our spouse or children. don’t speak up for ourselves. can’t accept a compliment. over/under eat, smoke, drink a little too much, or depend on prescription meds to get through the day. ………………………………………… to name a few!!! So, how do you get out of your own way??? You get out of your way by coming home to Yourself!! You stop and take a deep breath and turn your attention inward. You ask yourself, “What will support my Highest Good?” You listen to and feel the answer that comes from within, then: You act in accordance with the guidance you receive from you!!! That’s it!! It really is that simple…. But sometimes it just feels so difficult…. To “get out of your way” where food is concerned do this: Before you put anything in your mouth ask yourself: “Am I physically hungry?” If the answer is “Yes”: Eat what it is that your body is truly hungry for. (It may take some time to cultivate an authentic awareness of you body’s hunger and fullness signals as well as your body’s needs and wants.) Eat mindfully with passion and presence, and stop eating when you are comfortable (not stuffed!). If the answer “No” then don’t eat!! That’s it! It is as simple as that… …And as difficult as that. Making peace with your body and food requires that you allow yourself to feel your feelings when you want to eat when you are not physically hungry. It requires that you allow yourself to “experience the experience” of not eating when you are not physically hungry. It requires that you show up for yourself like you would show up for someone you loved dearly who was struggling to change a behavior. It requires that you be willing to breathe into and embrace your feelings, especially the painful ones. They will lead you home to your Authentic Self. I am offering a new Tele-class based on “Live Your Highest Good Make Peace With Your Body and Food” e-workbook * starting September 29, 2010. For details visit *http://liveyourhighestgood.com/LiveYourHighest_Good/Teleclass.html or contact me at louisa@louisalatela.com or 856.429.9799. www.liveyourhighestgood.com Printer Friendly