Stop Overeating Today!

My New Website!

2010-07-15T13:37:00.001-07:00

Hi there, from now on, I will be posting new blogs on http://www.stopovereatingtips.com so please join me there every day for free tips on how to eat healthy and enjoy your life more.

I'd love your feedback. What do you like about the site? What do you think would make it better?

Thanks!

How to Not Overeat at 4th of July Parties

2010-07-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

Hey there...I was going to write Part 2 of Why Fear Doesn't Motivate People To Lose Weight, but I'm going to put that on hold for a couple of reasons. First, I want to hear from YOU. How many of you have weight loss stories? What motivated YOU to lose weight and keep it off? Let me know by posting your comments below.

Secondly, I want to help people think ahead so they don't overeat during the July 4th festivities. I do this with my clients over the phone all the time. They tell me what social events they have coming up soon and what their game plan is so they don't go overboard and splurge like they used to do.

So, think about what you're going to be doing tomorrow. Going to a bbq? Having friends over? Visualize yourself at this social event and decide now what you are going to do to avoid overeating. Maybe you'll walk around with a cup of water or soda in your hand the whole time so instead of overeating, you can take small sips throughout the event. It helps to have something constantly in your hands so you don't reach for extra food.

Visualize yourself going through the buffet line only one time and eating the food slowly that you chose. Before going through the line, you can avoid impulsively spooning everything onto your plate by deciding what you will eat and how much of it.

For those of you with success stories who used new strategies to not overeat at social events, I want to hear from you! What worked? What did you try that was new, different, and successful? For those of you who overate, what would you do differently next time? What would you do the same?

Wishing everyone a very fun and healthy 4th,

Camille
Life Coach and Author of Stop Overeating Today!

p.s. Don't forget to tell me what motivated you to successfully lose weight by posting your comment - thanks!
p.p.s. For more stop overeating strategies, visit my website: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Why Doesn't Fear Motivate People to Lose Weight?

2010-07-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law is a dietitian and was talking to a doctor one day about weight loss. He told her that generally, when he tells his patients to lose weight, they don't follow his advice. They don't change their daily routine to fit in exercise and they don't change their eating habits. And the next time they go to the doctor they either way the same or even more.

This may come as a shock that people are ignoring their doctor's warnings, since doctors only tell people to lose weight because they want them to avoid a slew of negative outcomes: diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attacks, and other problems. I know from talking to my clients that before they lost weight, they lived with a looming fear in the back of their minds that they could spontaneously have a heart attack one day and die. But that fear didn't equate to a strong motivation and actions to change. Why not?

One day seems like it will never come. One day you may get diabetes and one day you might have to take medication for it. It's different than, if you don't exercise today, you will suffer major consequences today! The reason that fear doesn't motivate well is that people become complacent and feel like they are getting by well enough. Maybe they don't consider their situation ideal, but it is not uncomfortable enough for them to get moving and make a change. They figure that to start changing their habits today would be more uncomfortable and inconvenient than just doing the same old same old.

So if fear doesn't motivate, what does? Stay tuned for tomorrow's post, that will be about the BEST way to motivate yourself to adopt healthier habits.

To read FREE chapters from the book Stop Overeating Today!, visit www.stopovereatingtips.com

How to Run Like a Tortoise and Beat the Hare

2010-06-30T18:22:00.000-07:00

If you already have a copy of my book Stop Overeating Today!, you know that my first chapter/tip talks about the tortoise and the hare and advises people to not try to revamp their entire eating and exercise routines overnight. I want people to be excited when they read the book and be zealous, but I also want them to be realistic. Have you ever heard anyone say anything similar to the following:

- "I made a goal today to run for 30 minutes every day!" (This person never goes running)

- "I am going to bike for 10 miles 3 days per week." (This person has no habit of bike riding)

- "I made a goal to never eat cake again!"

I'm all for ambitious goals, but I want people to also feel a sense of accomplishment and success by setting smaller and realistic goals, especially when they're starting out. That's key to maintenance. Lots of people can lose a bunch of weight by doing something drastic like a juice fast, but six months later, did they keep the weight off? Let's revise the above goals:

- "I made a goal to go running tomorrow for 30 minutes!"

-"I am going to bike for 10 miles this week."

- "I made a goal to only have a small slice of cake at the birthday part this weekend and to not go back for seconds."

After achieving success with your first small goal, you are now on your way to setting more small, simple, and reachable goals. The feeling of success with propel you forward and help you grow into setting even bigger and more exciting goals. Leave me a comment and let me know how your goal setting is going!

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To find out more about the book Stop Overeating Today, visit: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

I Just Want to Say "Thanks"

2010-06-29T22:53:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to send a short and simple thank you to everyone who reads my blog and who finds its tips helpful for their lives. I am writing this blog for you and I am so grateful for the many subscribers and followers who come here for daily or weekly inspiration, rejuvenation, and ideas to live healthier and happier lives. It's no fun to write a blog that no one follows or subscribes to (trust me, I did it for the first few months) and so now that I have a lot of people to share my posts with, I am grateful for each and every one of you.

That's all. Good night. :)

How's your body image? Take the quiz.

2010-06-29T16:56:00.000-07:00

In her amazing book, DEALING WITH THE STUFF THAT MAKES LIFE TOUGH, our friend, Jill Zimmerman Rutledge, M.S.W., LCSW wrote some cool stuff about body image. For over 20 years Jill has been counseling adolescent girls and young women who have eating disorders and she knows what she's talking about.

Here is an excerpt from her book:

Some people define body image as how we think and feel about our bodies, but that's only part of it. Body image is also created by what we think and feel about ourselves, how we behave, who we choose for friends, and the culture we live in. If you feel bad about yourself, you probably feel bad about your body too. Or if all your friends are dieting, you may begin to think you need to lose weight too. You may dislike your body for lots of other reasons. For one thing, magazines and other media can have a negative impact on your body image. When we look at pictures of very thin models, many of us want to lose weight immediately so we can look like them. Feeling bad about our bodies interferes with our lives. Your poor body image may make you feel awkward and self-conscious with guys. As 16-year-old Tina put it, "No guy wants a fat girl and I'm fat. I know if I start liking a guy, I'll just get rejected so why bother?" You may feel so uncomfortable about your body that you go to the beach in long shorts and a baggy T-shirt, instead of a bathing suit. When you feel dissatisfied with your body, it's important to look at your life as a whole. What else could you be unhappy about. Do you have low self-esteem? Do you exercise moderately but regularly? (Moderate-not obsessive-exercise helps you develop positive feelings about6 your body.) Are you having problems with family or friends? Are you eating healthily or loading up on junk food? Poor body image feels like it has everything to do with your body but in fact, it also has to do with how you're coping with life.

It is important to be realistic about your body compared to your body image. Here is a quiz Jill posted in her book. Let us know how you did on it and remember to love yourself and get healthy.

Do you have poor body image? Take this short quiz to see:

1. How do you feel about how you look?
a. Very good
b. OK
c. Mixed feelings
d. Bad, ashamed

2. Are you happy with your current weight?
a. Very happy
b. Happy enough
c. Somewhat unhappy
d. Very unhappy

3. Have you ever felt too fat after reading an article that reveals the body weight of a model or actress?
a. Yes
b. No

4. If you gained five pounds, you'd
a. Be OK with that-five pounds isn't a big deal
b. Feel neutral-not good or bad
c. Feel somewhat unahppy
d. Feel very upset

5. When someone says you look nice, you think:
a. I'm looking good.
b. They don't have anything else to say.
c. They're trying to make me feel good.
d. They're lying-they really think I'm gross.

Scoring: For questions 1, 2, 4 and 5, give yourself 1 point or a, 2 points for b, 3 points for c, and 4 points for d. For question 3, give yourself 1 point for a and 2 points for b. If you have a total score of 5-9, you're on the road to a good body image. Keep it up! If you scored 10-15, you may have some body image issues to work out. If you scored more than 16, you may have a poor body image.

If you're spending time worrying about how you look instead of having fun, you'll want to read PICTURE PERFECT another cool book written by Jill S. Zimmerman Rutledge. It will definitely help you feel better about your body. You can purchase PICTURE PERFECT at HeyUGLY.org for $14.95.

Don't Let Your Box Define You

2010-06-26T14:56:00.000-07:00

I was at church the other day and the speaker said something that reminded me of what a life coach would say. He said, "Don't let the box of your life define you. Be whatever you need to be in the moment." As I was listening I grabbed for a pen and wrote those profound words down on a scrap of paper.

His words remind me of one of the tips in my book Stop Overeating Today! The tip is all about how to play an empowering role. I blogged about it back in September: http://stopovereatingtips.blogspot.com/search/label/self-identity

If you are battling with your thoughts and emotions to stop overeating, "don't let your box define you" is a very important thing to remember. Take a break from your identity as someone with an overeating problem. Take a break from focusing on your weaknesses around food. Don't tell yourself who you are if your description is negative. Just be what you need to be in the moment, reinvent yourself, don't let negative thoughts about who you are keep you stuck in old patterns that never end.

I Want Your Feedback

2010-06-24T13:51:00.000-07:00

Hey, if you have a minute, can you take a look at my new website: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com and let me know if you have any suggestions, comments, or ideas to make the website better and more interactive? I'd really appreciate your input. I am going to eventually transfer this blog to the new website.

Thanks and have a great day!

Going Overboard and Getting Back on Track

2010-06-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

Ever had a day when you overate and thought, "What the heck, I've already gone off track, I might as well eat as much a I want?" I can definitely relate to this because this thought appealed to me sometimes when I was overcoming my overeating challenges.

But the logic in that statement is totally skewed. That's like saying, "Well, if I can't be perfect, I might as well become a hellion." Or, "If I get a speeding ticket today, I might as well drive 90 MPH the rest of the day because I've already screwed up." Not only is that all or nothing thinking not rational, but it can be costly.

So, what to do next time you do overeat and get off track? How can you keep yourself from that all or nothing thinking?

Come up with a phrase or mantra to counter the thought telling you it's okay to overeat because you've already gone off track. It could be: "Because I've already gone off track, I'm going to stop and get back on track!" Or it could be, "I'm already off my plan, so I'm going to quit feeling guilty and start being proactive and healthy again." It's your mantra, you come up with what works and feels genuine for you.

Readers, I'd love to hear some of the skewed rationalization you have used to overeat and what mantra you come up with to get back on track - thanks!

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For 33 tips to help you get back on track, check out my book's website: www.stopovereatingtips.com

Self-Nurturing is Critical to Weight Loss Success - Do You Love Yourself Enough?

2010-06-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

A lot of women who struggle with weight loss do not treat themselves with self-nurturing. They think thoughts about themselves like: I don't deserve to take better care of myself and I am disgusting. Just to prove to themselves how impossible weight loss is, they go overeat. Often overeating is out of self-hatred or despair. Sound familiar?

When women learn how to develop a nurturing attitude towards themselves, which is usually obtained by one on one life coaching, they start to take care of themselves by choosing thoughts and actions that are elevating and kind. The more they can start to believe that they are worth the effort and that they are a beautiful person on the inside, the less they will overeat out of spite or self-hatred or despair.

One might ask, "How do I begin to nurture myself better?" The first step is to not allow thoughts like, "I'm ugly, I'm not worth anything, or I am a mess" to penetrate their minds. They may have thoughts like that, but they can dismiss them by asking themselves the question, "is it really true?" Is it really true you are not worth it? As they ask themselves that question, it's important to not focus on the negative feelings of the moment, but to think about it logically. They can ask themselves, "Can I absolutely know that it's true?" to help them think more rationally.

Another thing they can do to start nurturing themselves more is to take time for themselves to do something special, like spending time every day to meditate or to go get that pedicure they've been wanting or to free up some time for a rewarding hobby. As they take care of themselves, they will start to feel more valued and worthwhile.

That's just a start. This topic of nurture will come up again and again in my blogs. What are ways that women can find time to nurture themselves even if they have a crazy schedule? Do you have any ideas?

If weight loss is truly a goal, the more nurturing that occurs, the more likely that weight loss goal is to be taken seriously and worked on consistently. I like that make-up commercial tagline: "You're worth it!"

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To request a complimentary coaching session or to read free chapters from the book Stop Overeating Today!, please visit: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

How to Do Things You Dread

2010-06-11T15:48:00.000-07:00

Do you have a list of things to do right now but you dread getting started? Here are a couple of time management tips I have used to help my clients that will help you too, whether your goal has to do with healthy eating or anything else.

First, go get your list so it's right in front of you. This won't work unless you're holding it in your hand. It could be a list of things you have to get done for work, for cleaning the house, or anything. Start reading from the top of the list. What is your first item? Why are you dreading it? You need to put your excuse into one short and concise sentence. For example, "I am dreading following up with Michelle because I don't know if she will get back to me." Or, "I am dreading exercising because I am tired."

Sometimes just acknowledging why you dread doing something can help break free from total avoidance. When you have identified what's holding you up, you can reason with yourself. You might be able to tell yourself, "Who cares if she doesn't get back to me, I need to at least give it a short." Or, "If I don't exercise I'll still be tired in an hour, so I might as well make it a more productive hour."

Now, the next step is to visualize yourself getting started on that task. For example, watch yourself sitting down at your computer to send Michelle an e-mail. Watch yourself typing it out, clicking send, and then crossing off the task from your list. Feels good, doesn't it? I love the feeling of crossing things off. It's even a better feeling when you cross something off you've been dreading, because you conquered something that took self-discipline.

Or, visualize yourself putting your hair up, getting you exercise clothes on, and sitting down on that exercise bike with a good magazine to read or in front of a good TV show. If your goal is to exercise for 30 minutes, imagine the digital clock on the bike at 10 minutes, 20 minutes, and 28, 29, 30! How are you going to feel when you finish your goal? Let yourself feel that feeling to energize you to actually get up and make it a reality.

Visualization is such an awesome tool that can be applied to accomplishing any task, big or small. If you need help getting started with visualization, send me an e-mail for a free one on one introductory phone coaching session: info@stopovereatingtips.com

My website is under construction for the time being, but it will be up and better than before in a couple of days. If you want to purchase a book in the meantime, you can do so on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Stop-Overeating-Today-Camille-McConnell/dp/0984153705/ref=sr_1_1/186-4910858-1688853?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276298335&sr=8-1 The book has a chapter dedicated to visualization and how to use it to change your eating habits.

Have a great weekend!

Cat litter can help you lose weight

2010-06-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

This is a guest post by Betty Hoeffner, heyugly.org

The other day I bought some cat litter at the store. The 28lb Scoop Away was on sale so I decided to scoop up two. As I lifted these heavy vessels into my shopping cart I thought to myself - wow this is really heavy. Then I thought how grateful I was that I didn't have to carry that heavy container around with me because I had a cart.

Then I thought ... wait a minute - how much extra weight am I carrying around on my bones? I did a quick calculation and I thought - darn, I am carrying the equivalent of this container of cat litter around with me. It made me take a minute and actually pick up another container of the litter and just hold it so I could fully understand the sense of what the extra weight on me must feel like to my body.

So, the next time you are in the grocery store, take a visit to the pet section and pick up a container of cat litter and just let it sink in about what the stress of carrying around that much weight can do to your body. No wonder our backs, knees, ankles and feet sometimes hurt. Remember that the next time you reach for seconds or think you'll take on pass on exercising. Let's get to be that "size healthy" Queen Latifah talks about and make ourselves a little litter, er... lighter.

heyugly.org

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To read free chapters of the book Stop Overeating Today! and see why Dr. Laura made it her Book of the Week, visit: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com/preview.htm

Oprah Here I Come!!!

2010-06-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

Oprah is looking for a NEW face for a NEW talk show. I have an idea for a talk show that is desperately needed in today's world. Did you know that the news channels on TV use negative headlines because negativity attracts people? People hear words like disaster, death, and tragedy and they want to know more about it.

My talk show takes a different approach and focuses on heroic events and amazing stories of American people who have overcome tragedies in their lives and inspired others. It would roll out the red carpet and interview teachers, firemen, and people with heroic and uplifting stories.

Here's what I'm asking you to do. Let Oprah know that you agree that my show is needed in today's world. Can you do me a favor and vote for my video? Here's the link. http://myown.oprah.com/audition/index.html request=video_details&response_id=6911&promo_id=1

As a way to say "thank you" for your vote, I am offering my book Stop Overeating Today! at a 40% discount, for a special price of $7.80, for the next three days. Use Google Checkout and the coupon code OPRAH. (I have never offered a price so low and may not ever again).

Thanks for your support!

I Forgot to Tell You My Story about Meeting Dr. Laura!

2010-06-07T13:18:00.000-07:00

Many of you probably first heard about me and my book by listening to the Dr. Laura Radio Show. Every week she highlights a book that she thinks is GREAT as her Book of the Week. Mine was highlighted on January 4th (Oh, Blessed Day). If you missed it, you can listen here: http://stopovereatingtips.com/drlaurawav.wav

Anyway, I completely forgot to share my story about how I met her. I was listening to her show as I frequently do and she was talking about coming to the grand opening of Nordstrom's at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. I live a few miles away and thought, yess!! She was there to promote her Glop and Glam hair styling product line that she owns as a partner with her hair stylist.

I figured there would be a long line and it would be hard to see her. But I gave it a shot anyway. I only had a 30 minute window because I was on my way to a funeral, but I swung by. Luckily, it had just opened and there was only a small cluster of people around her and it took less than five minutes until I could introduce myself.

I wanted to thank her for using my book on her show. So many people would not have found out about it if it weren't for her and her producers. It caused a HUGE increase in sales and was my basically my big break. So I thanked her and told her about the lady who bought my book and lost 50 pounds by implementing its strategies. She replied, "You and I make a great team!" She was very nice and very approachable and I got this picture of us together.

Just wanted to share my fun story. Go Dr. Laura!

To share my excitement with you, you can save 20% when you purchase my book, Stop Overeating Today!, by using the coupon code DR LAURA when you purchase through Google Checkout. Go here to find our more about the book: "http://stopovereatingtips.com">and here to purchase with your coupon code: "http://stopovereatingtips.com/buy_the_book.htm">

Have a fabulous day!

Are you Being Rude?

2010-06-07T13:08:00.001-07:00

I was working with my client over the phone the other day (I'm a life coach) and she was explaining why she wasn't doing very well with her healthy eating goals. Some of her reasons included the following:

1) I am a mess.
2) I am not able to handle my life.
3) I can't do it.

Wow. I responded, "Would you ever talk like this to a friend? If a friend was explaining how they were struggling, would you say, "you are a mess, you are not able to handle your life, and you can't do it?"

"No!!" She said, "that would be awful."

"Well then," I replied, "You need to stop being so rude to yourself."

Epiphany! "I'm being rude to myself, you are right! I would never say these things to someone else, I shouldn't say them to myself either."

Ok, so it's confession time. Do you think or even say aloud things rude things about yourself when you're struggling? Even in joking?

Tisk tisk. Start paying attention to the critical thoughts you have about yourself and imagine saying those things to your friend's face. You never would, right? You shouldn't say those things about yourself, right?

If you talk down to yourself, remember to stop being rude and to replace those thoughts with encouraging and supportive thoughts instead. You will stick to your goals and be in a more positive mood throughout the day if you start treating yourself like you'd treat a best friend.
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BONUS! Today only I am offering my book at a 25% discount if you order through google checkout, but you must use the coupon code CHOCOLATE: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com/buy_the_book.htm
EXTRA BONUS: Get a free 30 minutes of life coaching upon purchase of my book. Cheers!

Learn How to Say NO to Yourself

2010-06-03T13:06:00.001-07:00

Have you ever taken a young child to a grocery store and heard them relentlessly ask you to buy them lots of sweet stuff? "Hey, can I have that Snickers bar?" "Hey, I want a doughnut!" It could go on and on. It's especially bad in the checkout aisle, where the stores strategically place all of the little candies and gums that are just the right size for little ones to grab and eat.

Well, today I was in the checkout aisle and saw an assortment of Mrs. Fields Cookies (yum!) all in a row. They had snickerdoodles and peanut butter cookies, but the one that caught my eye is the original chocolate chip cookie that Mrs. Fields is famous for.

The debate in my head was like the cartoon scenario with an angel perched on one shoulder and a devil on the other. Devil said: "Mmmm, that looks good, that would hit the spot right now. Angel: "Yeah, but all that sugar will make you crash." Devil: "Maybe, maybe not. But it sure looks good. Look at those gooey chocolate chips on the packaging. Could just melt in your mouth." Angel: "You don't need it."

I could have gone either way and it didn't really matter what I did in that moment. It only cost 59 cents and it wouldn't have sent me on an overeating sugar binge or anything like that. But something in me felt like it was important for me to practice saying no to myself.

There is so much instant gratification in our society. I think it's healthy to practice saying no to ourselves so we learn that we don't need to leave the store with a treat each time and that we are not entitled to something sweet just because we see something that looks good.

The obesity rate is climbing in the U.S. The last Wall Street Journal story I read said that one third of our country's adults are obese and one half are overweight. Can we do something about it? Yeah! Don't put in your mouth everything that looks good in the moment. Hold back and practice self-control and discipline. Being able to say no to your impulses to eat is the key to ending overeating and weight loss because it won't just be a one-time thing, but a pattern you develop that will effect you every day of your life.

To check out free chapters from the book Stop Overeating Today!, visit: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

The Wait is Over...!

2010-06-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hi again. So the website I mentioned last week is up and ready to visit. Here's the link: http://www.yourkickinthepants.com Check it out so you can get your daily motivation to exercise and have more energy, enjoy a better mood, and be more productive.

On a different note, I am doing a product review of Trader Joe's brownie mix. Some people call it No Guilt Brownies, others call it No Pudge Brownies. Whatever. They are the same thing.

I saw it the other day on a shopping trip and it intrigued me because it says it's fat free. I thought, "yuck, that can't be appetizing." I've never had fat free brownies before. But I wanted to try it out, because I've never eaten anything that wasn't yummy from Trader Joes. So into my cart went the No Guilt Pudge Brownies.

The secret ingredient that you replace the oil with is vanilla yogurt. I stirred it together and it seemed too dry, but after a couple of minutes I had a nice shiny glop of dough ready to go into the oven.

Thirty minutes later I tried the brownies. Verdict? They were REALLY REALLY GOOD. In fact, I think I may switch to these as my new favorite brownie recipe. Usually brownies feel heavy in my stomach because they are weighed down with oil. Not so with these. I felt light and like I was digesting it really easily.

So next time you are at your friendly neighborhood Trader Joes, give them a try!

To read free chapters from the book Stop Overeating Today!, visit http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Need a Little Motivation to Exercise? Here's Your Daily Dose...

2010-05-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

Hi friends. Every now and again I'll introduce you to another website that I find particularly useful in one of these areas: diet, exercise, overeating, and overall wellness.

My friend, Heidi Marshall, has created such a site. Its concept is to provide daily motivation for moms to exercise daily via a short blog post or a video. Heidi practices what she preaches and is a regular exerciser. But she acknowledges that sometimes she doesn't feel motivated to actually get up, get going, and start exercising. How many of you moms out there can relate to this struggle? (I do! I do!) Our schedules are hectic to say the least and sometimes we make other things a priority instead of exercising because we feel overwhelmed and short of time.

The site's official launch date is June 2nd, so stay tuned for your daily dose of motivation!

------To read free chapters from the Book Stop Overeating Today!, please visit http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Greek Method to Stop Overeating

2010-05-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of macrobiotics? It is a Greek-derived diet that favors locally grown grains and vegetables. I'm not going to focus on that part of the diet, however. It's the manner in which people are taught to eat that is interesting to me.

The macrobiotic way prescribes that you take smaller bites of food and that you chew them thoroughly. This means it will take you twice as long or even three times as long to finish your meal if you eat like most Americans do, quickly and unconsciously.

Have any of you ever fed a baby? You have to give them tiny bites of whatever they are eating so they don't choke. It takes a long time. I know, I've got a 14-month old.

Try this today, even if it's just for a small snack. Take extra time to take small bites and chew them thoroughly, so that the food is totally liquefied in your mouth before you swallow.

Although it's probably not realistic for you to adopt macrobiotic eating for the rest of your life (who has the time?), it's good to slow down, savor the flavor, and enjoy each bite. The whole purpose is to cut down on overeating, and this tip will help you do just that.

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To find out more about the book Stop Overeating Today! and read free chapters, visit http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Get Over Your Excuses! Top 5 Excuses to Not Exercise.

2010-05-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

This is written by a guest blogger, Personal Trainer Susie Lohse - Enjoy!

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So many excuses, so little time. Where do I begin? Throughout my many years as a personal trainer I feel like I have heard them all. We ALL use excuses as a psychological self defense mechanism to take the easier route. The route might include eating ice cream while watching the Biggest Loser instead of exercising yourself. I thought I would share with you my top five favorite excuses. Do any of these sound familiar?

1. Exercising just isn’t for me. This by far has to be my favorite one as I am always shocked when I hear it. Scientifically, the human body requires a certain amount of exercise to ward off those pesky things such as gaining weight, atrophying muscles, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, weakened immune system, heart disease, diabetes, etc. You might as well say, exercise isn’t for me, but future hospital stays will be. If you surround yourself with people that use that same excuse you will be solidifying your excuse. Break free and join a healthy lifestyle so that you can enjoy a better life.

2. I don’t have time for exercise. When people give me this excuse I ask them later on in conversation what their favorite TV shows are. After they’ve rattled off eight must see shows I ask them how they can have time for that since they don’t have time for exercise? GOTCHA! Fact: the average American watches FOUR hours of television per day. Think about how much time you spend on Facebook, Twitter, and Google. It comes down to what you value in your life. If you don’t value your health you will use this excuse.

3. I’m too busy with my kids. Do you like being able to spend time with your kids? So much that you don’t have time to exercise? Studies have shown that lack of exercise can significantly decrease your lifespan. They have even compared the effects to being a smoker! Every parent that wants to watch their children grow old will take the time to exercise. One third of American children are now obese, an even GREATER reason for you to exercise WITH them. Take your kids for a walk, play soccer in the backyard, pop in a fun and easy workout video to do together. Become your family’s leader to a higher quality, longer, happier life.

4. I’m dealing with a life crisis. We will all go through several major life crises. I have seen many people fall off track due to a job change, divorce, death, or relocation. It all starts to snowball from there. They gain weight which affects their self image. Their health starts to fail, they begin to get sick more often and miss work more. Finally a major health issue has them in the hospital. The doctor THEN prescribes exercise. The entire circle could have been prevented by using exercise as a tool against depression. According to the Mayo Clinic, here are the reasons you need exercise even more when facing a life crisis:

• Releasing feel-good brain chemicals that may ease depression (neurotransmitters and endorphins)

• Reducing immune system chemicals that can worsen depression

• Increasing body temperature, which may have calming effects

• Gain confidence. Meeting exercise goals or challenges, even small ones, can boost your self-confidence. Getting in shape can also make you feel better about your appearance.

• Take your mind off worries. Exercise is a distraction that can get you away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression.

• Get more social interaction. Exercise may give you the chance to meet or socialize with others. Just exchanging a friendly smile or greeting as you walk around your neighborhood can help your mood.

• Cope in a healthy way. Doing something positive to manage anxiety or depression is a healthy coping strategy. Trying to feel better by drinking alcohol, dwelling on how badly you feel, or hoping anxiety or depression will go away on their own can lead to worsening symptoms.

5. I don’t know what to do. When you decided what you wanted to do for your career did you give up because you didn’t know how to? No, you went to college or another type of training to gain the knowledge needed. The same thing applies here. Most of my clients first come to me because they tried themselves but without any results. They come to me because they wanted an expert to put them in the right direction instead of wasting time or causing injuries. Lose the excuse and get educated. Next time you hear that little voice in your head telling you “no” to exercise, stop and realize the negative impact the little devil on your shoulder can be. Take control, step out of the victim role and reward yourself with a worthier and longer life.

Susie Lohse, Your Portable Personal Trainer www.trainwithsusie.com

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For more information about the book Stop Overeating Today! and to read free chapters, please visit: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Erroneous Beliefs - Do YOU Have Any?

2010-05-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a client the other day and she said something that just didn't sit right with me. We were talking about eating healthy and she said she hadn't been. But this is the part that really got me. She said because she wasn't eating healthy, she didn't deserve to buy this healthy water she liked that gave her more energy and helped her feel better.

Basically, her logic was this: If I'm not eating healthy, I don't deserve to feel good. That right there is an erroneous belief. It's all-or-nothing thinking. It's like someone saying, "Because I haven't been sticking to my diet, I'm not going to buy vegetables, I'm just going to eat more cake."

Do you have any of these erroneous beliefs? Do you fall into the trap of all-or-nothing thinking? I want to hear your erroneous beliefs.

After you've identified what they are, the next step is to change them. My client's new belief could be: "Because I haven't been sticking to my diet I am going to buy the healthy water to motivate me and remind me what it's like to feel good."

What's your erroneous belief and how can you change it?

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To read 4 tips from the Book Stop Overeating Today, visit: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Freshman 15 - How to Get the Weight Off and Keep it Off

2010-05-14T04:40:00.001-07:00

I can't sleep. It's 4:40 am and, no, I'm not usually this much of an early bird. I don't care about catching worms, I really just like to sleep. But I can't.

I've got Freshman 15 on my mind. It's May and most of the college Freshman are home now. My friend's sister came home from her Freshman year at college at least 15 pounds heavier and a little depressed. A lady who just bought my book, Stop Overeating Today!, told me her daughter just came home from her Freshman year and is at the heaviest weight she's ever been at and that she's struggling. My aunt brought in a relative who had a rough Freshman year due to the unhealthy college lifestyle - poor sleeping, poor eating, etc.

I've googled "Freshman 15" to see what kind of resources there are out there. Not much. One site, the first one on the list, addresses the problem but doesn't offer many solutions. But, if you go to their "how to be popular in college" page you can find out all about the parties and that the girls are supposed to dress like sluts to be popular. That's great information. (Hope you caught the sarcasm).

Hearing these stories about Freshman girls struggling with weight gain hits a personal chord in me. I gained about 20 pounds my Freshman year. Before college, I had already struggled with overeating and bulimia, so that definitely contributed to my difficulty adjusting to the anarchy of college. With nobody telling me what time to go to bed, what to eat, and what time to get out of bed in the morning, I was a free bird to experiment as I pleased and make plenty of mistakes along the way that affected my health and my judgment.

So how did I get my Freshman 15 off?? The solution wasn't just to exercise more. That didn't fix the main problem, which was overeating. I'm sure if I had been exercising as much my Freshman year in college as I had been as a high school cross-country runner, I would have only gained about half of the weight I did. But then, I'd still be 10 pounds overweight. The way to avoid gaining extra weight as a Freshman, as well as how to get rid of extra weight gained, begins with making a list of at least five occasions in which overeating occurred. College wasn't that long ago for me, so I can remember at least five times I overate. Here's my list:

1) Pizza party in the girls dorm at eleven pm

2) Brownie party in the girls dorm at two am

3) Getting seconds at the cafeteria in the morning

4) Buying extra food and stocking it in my dorm fridge

5) Ice cream party in college dorm at midnight

6) Late night runs to the college dorm vending machines while doing my laundry

(See a familiar theme? If I had gone to bed before 11 pm every night, I probably could have saved myself from gaining 10 pounds.)

The next thing to do is to identify why you overate in each situation. Were you stressed about your grades and felt like indulging? Were you eating out of emotion: giddiness, excitement, nervousness, anxiety, depression, or worry? Did you need to figure out how to get to bed earlier and miss most of the late night binges?

Here's a chapter from my book, Stop Overeating Today!, that talks about my ice cream party in the college dorm at night and discusses how I learned to stop emotional eating. The tips from my book were written after I successfully lost 35 extra pounds gained from overeating, weight acquired in high school and college. Obviously, my example is an extreme one, but it shows that I really understand the challenges of Freshman 15 and I am an expert in how to stop overeating and lose extra weight gained. Read the tip about emotional eating! How to Stop Emotional Eating

For more free chapters from the book Stop Overeating Today!, please visit: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Will You Still Order the Cheesecake If You Know it Has 1200 Calories?

2010-05-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

This is a guest post by Karen Koenig.

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I don’t know about you, but I have mixed feelings about including nutritional information on menus. People all over the world manage to be “normal”—even healthy—eaters without knowing precisely how many calories, salt, or fat grams food contains, so why can’t Americans? On the other hand, reading nutritional information alongside menu selections might be just what is needed to break through denial and help folks make better choices. At any rate, here are preliminary results of research on the subject.

Experts admit that because menu labeling laws are fairly new and not well studied, what is known about their impact on diet is inconclusive. Moreover, study results vary wildly. One study in the January issue of the Journal of Pediatrics focusing on families concluded that “mothers made better choices for their children when provided with calorie numbers, but didn’t make those same decisions for themselves.”

A Stanford University study on Starbucks customer eating habits showed decreased calorie consumption after menu labeling was instituted in New York City. A study on the habits of fast-food-chain customers in NYC found that although consumers said they were influenced by a menu’s nutritional information, when calorie consumption was calculated, theirs was similar to that of folks choosing from non-labeled menus.

A research report in December’s American Journal of Public Health concluded that folks who cut back calories based on menu labeling at dinner made up for restriction by eating more later in the evening. However, others who were shown not only calories but who also received “information on daily recommended calorie intake as well,” consumed fewer calories in total. Whew!

What about people who rebel against reading calories on a menu, sporting a “No one can tell me what to eat!” or “So what?” attitude? In this case, reading caloric information on a menu might actually trigger overeating. After all, most of us know whether food is low- or high-calorie/fat/salt anyway, don’t we? Including calorie information might educate some of us, but may pull others away from eating intuitively and may make food exclusively about nutrition rather than enjoyment as well. Plus, by targeting the what of eating and not the how or how much, menu labeling does nothing to help eaters decide how hungry, full or satisfied they are.

I know that nutrition and weight “experts” are trying their darndest to get us healthy and are giving it their best shot. It will be interesting to see whether NYC’s experiment with menu labeling pays off. I look forward to more conclusive study results.

Best,
Karen
http://www.eatingnormal.com/
http://www.nicegirlsfinishfat.com/

Don't Let Comfort Foods Seduce You!

2010-05-12T22:37:00.000-07:00

Do you have comfort foods? We all do. Ice cream, cake, brownies, sorry if I'm making your mouth water :) Tonight I discovered another comfort food I have had for a LONG time, but I never knew it. You might laugh..... it's cold cereal.

Why cold cereal? It's just so easy. All you have to do is grab a bowl, a spoon, the cereal and the milk. You can be eating in less than 10 seconds. It's easy to curl up on the coach with cold cereal or to eat it in front of the TV. It's such a low-maintenance meal, that definitely adds to its appeal. I eat it when I'm tired and don't want to fix anything else.

So tonight I came home and my husband was eating cereal. He was too tired to fix something different and was eating Honey O's. The aroma of the cereal (yes, cereal has an aroma!) and of the milk made me want to grab some myself and then curl up on the coach to eat it. Even though I had recently eaten dinner and was perfectly full, it was like the lure of the cereal almost tricked me into being hungry again.

I couldn't believe it! My body's full signal was turning off and my body was giving me a false hunger signal. I almost fell for it, but I didn't. Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever been around a comfort food, felt hungry, eaten it, and then realized you were never hungry in the first place?

Hmmm, I can't be the only one out there. Even if cereal doesn't seduce you (I know I must be weird), there's got to be something out there that does. Let me know about it!

To get more advice and tips, and to find out how I lost 35 pounds, please visit: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Why Cardio Isn't Enough

2010-05-07T15:51:00.000-07:00

This is a guest post by Becky Williamson, Personal Trainer. Exercise is one of the tips listed in my book, Stop Overeating Today! Check it out at: www.stopovereatingtips.com

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I'm usually a pretty happy, positive person. Yet, every so often, I go off on a little rant. This is one of those times. I'm a little cranky. So, as Joan Rivers would say, "Can we talk?" My pet peeve of the day? Why aren't more women over the age of 40 lifting weights? I hear time and again about how we peri- and post-menopausal women are getting all fat and frumpy. Well, here's what I think: The ones who are getting fat and frumpy are not lifting weights. I'd also bet that a good number of the heavy ones are doing some sort of low intensity exercise (like walking the dog) several times a week, feeling that they've got the "exercise" in their life covered. Wrong.

All that low level stuff is wonderful for stress reduction, quality time with friends and pets, to get your circulation going and to get your joints moving. But for fat loss or for muscle development? Nope.

So, my crankiness started today when I overheard a conversation between two fifty something women during which one woman said to the next woman: "My weight is up so I'm going to have to start walking more and start that low calorie diet again". Yeesh. She'll probably look the same come December 1st. What would I have loved to hear? How about "I'd better sign up for that cardio kick boxing class at the club in order to ramp up my workouts", or "I think I need a few sessions with a trainer to learn how to lift free weights and build a little calorie burning muscle". Ummmmm.......only in my dreams.

Here's the crux of my rant: Some boomer women still hang on to the idea that they're "too old" to do certain forms of exercise or that they'll bulk up by lifting weights. Wrong on both counts. There may be exercises that some women in their 50's or 60's aren't fit enough to do (yet), but we're not that fragile. And, we're NOT going to bulk up by lifting weights. Save for a few women with severe musculoskeletal disorders, all women can and should lift weights.

Studies show that strength training slows the aging process, boosts your mood and boosts your metabolism by laying down additional muscle over time. Heck, I'm sold on the first benefit alone. Slow down my aging process? Where do I sign up??!!!! I'm in. I believe higher intensity exercise (preferably designed into an interval training program) plus lifting weights is the secret to living a vibrant and healthy life as a 50+ woman. However, low calorie dieting and "more cardio" seems to be the manta of women over 50 who want to lose weight. My suggestion for a new mantra for the new "enlightened" boomer woman?...... "I want to be lean, toned and vibrant. Hand over the weights and give me a side order of intervals". Okay, I'll stop ranting now. I'll be back to my sunny, positive self in my next post. Promise.

Committed to your success,
Becky

http://lifesportfitnessblog.com/

Are You a Good Caretaker for Yourself?

2010-05-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been going through my book Stop Overeating Today! and editing it to make small improvements and changes for a second edition. It's nice to read it with new eyes. After working on it for about a year and a half, I needed to put it down for a few months and then reapproach it from a fresh perspective. As I've done so, my a-ha! moment has been this: Everyone is a caretaker for their own body. Now, here's the question that I will put out there in the second edition: Are you a good caretaker for yourself? If you're not sure how to answer that question, think of it a different way. If someone you loved dearly needed a caretaker, would you find yourself qualified to fulfill that role based on your success with taking care of yourself?

This is definitely a rhetorical question to think about. Do you spend too much time working and not enough time planning healthy meals and exercising? If you're too busy to exercise, think again. Are you too busy to get life insurance? Probably not, you probably consider that a necessity and a wise investment. Exercise and eating healthy are also a wise investment and the best life insurance you've got.

I'm not trying to bring on the guilt trip. For me at least, guilt isn't very motivating. People can talk about gloom and doom all day and it won't keep me eating healthy and exercising in the long term.

My purpose is to activate people to take one simple step in the direction of taking better care of themselves. What will it be for you? I want to buy more fresh and vitamin-rich foods. I've added these foods to my grocery list for this week: asparagus, figs, salmon, eggs, brown rice, turkey, and almonds. I usually shop at Trader Joe's (love that store!), but this week I am going to go to Henry's where I can get a better selection and a better price on produce.

So, what's your simple step in the direction of taking better care of yourself? Getting in at least eight ounces of water daily? Taking a 15 minute walk daily? Having a smaller portion of ice cream? Leave a comment and let me know!

For more information about the book Stop Overeating Today! and to read three sample chapters, please visit http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Losing Weight is Easier than Planning a Funeral

2010-05-04T23:04:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a client of mine on the phone today. We have been coaching for two weeks and he has lost 15 pounds. He bought my book back in January, stuck to it for three weeks, fell of the bandwagon, and contacted me for personal coaching to increase his commitment and accountability. I asked him today, "What have been some of the benefits of losing 15 pounds?"

His response surprised me. I was expecting him to comment on how he enjoyed having more energy throughout the day. Instead, he said, "I don't have to worry about getting a heart attack and then being dead...Paying for coaching is a lot cheaper than planning a funeral."

How sobering. He's right. The pain and inconvience of exercising hard and changing ones eating habits is less than the pain and inconvenience a loved one experiences while planning the funeral of someone who passed due to weight related causes.

If you've given up on exercising and eating right because you can't seem to stick to a plan, change your motivation. Don't do it for yourself. Do it for your family and loved ones.

For more information about personal coaching and the book Stop Overeating Today!, please visit: http;//www.stopovereatingtips.com

Top 10 Deceiving "Healthy" Foods

2010-05-03T18:58:00.000-07:00

From time to time, I like to have guest bloggers share their two cents with my blog followers. Every post will not always address overeating. This post, for instance, written by guest blogger Dr. Tom Potisk, offers sound nutrition advice. For more resources related to overeating, please visit: www.stopovereatingtips.com After you read this post, I'd love to hear your comments. Which of these are a surprise to you? I didn't know about #9. I always buy it and inflammation is something I have trouble with, so I'm glad Dr. Potisk set me straight!

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Better eating habits are as important as regular exercise for weight management. Modifying your food choices can be very helpful but there are a few foods that can be deceiving. Here are the top 10 deceiving “healthy” foods that can lead to weight gain and/or other health problems:

1) Margarine, because it lacks the essential oils necessary for a healthy cardiovascular system.
2) Artificial sweeteners, because they contribute to inflammation.
3) Soy, because it mimics the hormone estrogen.
4) Most granola bars, because they contain excess sugar.
5) Most dehydrated fruits, because they have added sugar.
6) Most juices, because they contain excess added sugars.
7) Whole grain products, because many people have hidden gluten allergies.
8) Commercially grown apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, and imported grapes because they are the top 5 most chemically treated produce.
9) All orange juice, because it is well known to increase inflammation.
10) Commercially raised chicken because it's likely raised indoors, given antibiotics and probably hormones for faster growth. Carefully investigate every food choice you make. May God bless you with whole health, Dr Tom Potisk AKA the "Down to Earth" doctor. Author of a new book Whole Health Healing - The Budget Friendly Natural Wellness Bible For All Ages http://www.thedowntoearthdoctor.com

Does GLEE joke too much about eating disorders?

2010-04-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday night I watched a full episode of GLEE for the first time. I enjoyed the episode for the most part. It was funny and clever. I especially loved the singing. But, the casual references to eating disorders bugged me. For those of you who missed the show, these were the references. I want to know your opinion. Do you think they cross the line?

1) The cheerleading coach commented that she hadn't eaten a real meal since the 1980's. She said she drinks a cayenne pepper, lemon, and maple syrup detox drink and makes all the girls on the cheerleading squad do the same. She tells them to add epicac to the drink so they can vomit easily after.

Lovely!

2) The cheerleading coach jokes about the cheerleaders leaving vomit baggies in their parent's closets.

Nice!

Then, at the end of the show, a larger girl on the cheerleading squad decides she won't listen to the coach anymore and that she is beautiful the way she is. A pregnant ex-cheerleader tells her this and says that because she is eating to feed another life, her relationship with food has changed.

The finale song is Christina Aguilera's "I am Beautiful" and the message is taught again to accept yourself the way you are.

Soo....you've got a couple of stupid bulimia jokes and a couple of messages that say you don't need a perfect body. Do the positive messages eliminate the negative ones?

I don't think so. I think it's irresponsible to joke so lightly about bulimia without showing the real consequences. Maybe if the cheerleading coach had been bulimic since the 1980s and she had no teeth because of it...you know what I'm saying? So, what's your opinion?

To find out more about the book Stop Overeating Today! that was featured on the Dr. Laura Show, please visit: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Are You Judging Other Women's Bodies? Part 2

2010-04-27T13:50:00.001-07:00

I remember one time in high school my psychology teacher asked the question: "Who do you think checks out girls more - guys or other girls?" Everyone responded with, "Guys!" It was a no-brainer. Why would the teacher ask a question with such an obvious answer? An older girl from the middle of the class, who I looked up to for saying what she thought, said, "Girls check out girls more. We need to size up the competition. We want to check each other out and compare ourselves to make sure we add up. We check out her clothes, how she wears them, and how she struts."

Insightful! And she was the only girl with enough courage to tell the truth.

When I was battling with my eating disorder of anorexia, bulimia, and overeating, I was just as judgmental about other girls' bodies as I was about my own. I remember going to the gym during my anorexic phase and checking out the most fit women there. I wanted to compete with them. I wanted to prove that I could be just as tiny and fit as they were.

Jump ahead eleven years. I'm no longer anorexic, bulimic, an overeater, or addicted to receiving approval and envy from other people. I'm not the most tiny and fit person at the gym. I just had a baby last year. I won't look perfect in a bathing suit this summer. But that's okay, because I'm not a perfectionist anymore.

That's not to say I don't take pride in how I look and that I don't take care of myself. I work out and I eat healthy. But there's a big difference between having a self-esteem that comes from how you look in a bikini and having a self-esteem that comes from living a healthy and balanced life, physically and mentally.

Constantly comparing yourself to other women isn't mentally healthy. It's also tough to stop. It becomes a game and your mind gets obsessed. And there will always be someone better looking and thinner, so you can't always win the game. Then you end up picking yourself apart because you aren't the best. It's exhausting judging yourself and others day after day.

Here's the good news. Once you stop judging others, won't be as critical of yourself either. When you start placing value on other attributes besides physical ones, you start loving others and yourself more. Even better, you stop worrying about how others may judge you. When you are judging others, you feel more self-conscious, but when you stop, you feel more confident. Worrying about how others judge you is also not healthy mentally. It comes a paranoia.

How can you start today to stop judging others and to develop a healthier body image? Next time a judgmental thought about another woman's body enters your mind, interject by asking yourself this question: "Is judging this woman going to make me feel better about myself?" If you're shallow you might answer yes. If you're honest with yourself, you'll answer no. Now, without focusing on weight, think of one sincere compliment you could give this woman. Does she have beautiful eyes? Do you like her shoes? Does she walk with confidence? Could she be someone's beloved wife?

The more you start to see people as living breathing humans instead of as objects, the more you will take it easy on yourself and stop expecting perfection. Your body image will improve and you will have more self-confidence, which always translates into beauty.

Get more tips and advice at http://www.stopovereatingtips.com. To save 15% on the book Stop Overeating Today!, use the special code HEALTHY using Google Checkout.

Are You Judging Other Women's Bodies? Part 1

2010-04-27T13:39:00.001-07:00

Ok, so here is my confession. I am not perfect. Sometimes really judgmental thoughts come into my head. For example, ahem: The other while I was leaving Costco® I saw this really thin and beautiful Asian woman about my age. Into my head came the thought, “she is so beautiful and thin, I bet she is happier than me. She must have a pretty easy and blessed life.” Even though this thought entered my mind, I didn't believe it. Instead, I thought, "Wow, what a lie! How could you even look at someone and understand how happy they truly feel?"

While I was struggling with my eating disorder, I would have believed this thought. I would have entertained it and allowed more erroneous thoughts to come into my mind, such as: “If I were skinnier, I would be prettier and happier, too.” To replace the lie with something else in my head, I thought, “That isn’t true, skinny doesn’t equal happiness and I don’t need to believe that lie.” Thin doesn’t equal happy, it never did. Sure, it can give you a surge of pride and a sense of well-being, but you’ll never have genuine peace of mind because you’ll know you are skinny at the cost of being unhealthy and unbalanced emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

When I was anorexic and was at my lowest weight, I felt proud and happy, but it was a paranoid and shallow happiness, because I was constantly comparing my body to others. My self-worth was fragile and based on a number on the scale. I was paranoid that if my weight went up, that would mean I wasn’t worth as much anymore.

To stop believing untrue thoughts about your body and others' bodies is to stop fueling the eating disorder. If you don’t pay attention the thoughts, it’s like you don’t own them. You acknowledge they entered your mind but that you don’t have to hold onto them and make your mind a home for them. You can drop them, replace them with truthful uplifting thoughts, and then dwell on those.

Get more tips and advice at http://www.stopovereatingtips.com. To save 15% on the book Stop Overeating Today!, use the special code HEALTHY using Google Checkout.

Book Excerpt from Stop Overeating Today! - FIVE NEW Strategies to Eat Less

2010-04-26T21:22:00.000-07:00

Is overeating something you struggle with? Do you need some fresh tips to motivate you to make healthy changes? Look no further. These five strategies will give you a lot to work with because they are designed to apply to a variety of situations in which overeating occurs - at home, restaurants, and at work. They are short so you can easily remember and apply them. Need more support? Leave a comment and I will respond.

I am a life coach and work with clients to help them solve their overeating problems. I have gone from a size 12 to a 4 and, believe me, I know what it's like to feel like you've hit a wall, to self-sabatoge, and to get discouraged. Hit me up with a comment and I will be happy to help.

1! Get your hand out of the bag! If you're going to eat some chips or something that comes in a bag, don't just grab the bag, sit down on the coach, and start munching. Try putting the food you want in a bowl or on a plate and then putting the bag away. That way, you won't unintentionally overeat and consume excess calories. Same thing goes for ice cream. Don't eat ice cream out of the carton. If you do, the spoon may hit the bottom of the container before you realize what's happening. Try putting ice cream in a bowl and then the carton back into the freezer.

2! Visualize yourself doing the right thing. If you're feeling tempted to overeat and you don't want to, try visualizing yourself doing something else. For example, if you're craving ice cream but don't want to give in, come up with something else you can do. If you want to treat yourself, why not do something else like go for a nice walk outside or curl up in bed with a book? Picture yourself, step by step, like you're watching yourself in a movie, getting outside for that walk. Where will you walk to? What will you see? What do you need to grab so you're ready to go? Visualize putting on your walking shoes and coat in crystal clear detail. If you prefer the curl up in bed with a book option, what book will you read? Will you put on your pajamas and get comfortable? Visualize the whole thing. Now, instead of visualizing silky ice cream sliding down your throat, you've replaced it with new enticing images that will make you happy and fulfill you in other ways.

3! Box half of your restaurant meal. Most restaurant entrees have over 800 calories and leave you feeling stuffed and uncomfortable if the entire meal. If you habitually eat out and finish off the meal, it's easy to put on an extra 10, 15, or more pounds. We've all heard the advice to box half of your restaurant meal so you don't eat the whole thing. Here's a new twist. Ask the waiter to bring half of your meal already boxed when he or she brings out the food. Then, take the box, and stick it under the table by your feet so you won't see it. Out of sight, out of mind. Now you won't feel tempted to start picking at it when your meal is done. And you have lunch for tomorrow!

4! Take your after dinner conversation away from the table. You're at a dinner party or you are having guests over for dinner. You enjoy a great meal together, have some dessert, and keep chatting away at the table. There's still some mashed potatoes left and some extra brownies from dessert. So, you pick it. A little potatoes here, a little chunk of brownies here. Before you know it, you've eaten an extra two brownies, piece by piece, and an extra serving of potatoes, completely unintentionally! Next time to avoid that problem, suggest going into the living room to continue the conversation. Getting away from the food will save you from consuming extra calories you don't want or need.

5! Remember your worth is not derived from cleaning your plate. Were you raised as a kid to believe that you were only good if you finished everything on your plate? Don't place all the blame on your parents. They were probably raised that way, too. Lots of kids have been trained to eat everything, even after they are full. They are also trained that if they eat everything, only then can they get dessert. Flash forward to adulthood. Lots of adults are still holding onto that belief that they have to finish what they have left on their plates, but it's not true. Stop when you're full. Throw it out if you don't want to finish it, or put it in the fridge for later. Even if it's just two bites. You are not a human vacuum cleaner that needs to take care of scraps. Give yourself permission to rewrite the rules and not finish everything, even if you think eating a little extra won't hurt. A little extra calories every day leads to a lot of extra pounds over time.

Get more tips and advice at http://www.stopovereatingtips.com. To save 15% on the book Stop Overeating Today!, use the special code HEALTHY using Google Checkout.

Waste Money vs. Overeat - What Would YOU Do?

2010-04-19T14:04:00.000-07:00

I was eating out the other day and came across another reason people overeat. I had ordered a big subway-type sandwich and was just two bites away from finishing the whole thing. My stomach indicated it was full. But I looked down at those little two bites and the thought popped into my head, "But I paid for this! Shouldn't I get to eat ALL of it?" It wasn't enough to take home. During this economy stretching the dollar and getting our money's worth is even more attractive. But is it worth overeating to say you didn't waste any food?

I say it's not worth it. Because the more you bend the rules and overeat, the more of a habit that will become instead of an infrequent event. The more you stop listening to your body by eating when you are full, the more your ability to sense what your body needs will diminish.

So, you decide. The two bites of food I had left probably were worth about 66 cents. If someone were to say to you, "Hey, I'll pay you 66 cents if you'll overeat," would you go for it? I hope not! Just something to think about next time you eat out and you feel entitled to get your money's worth.

So, what would you do if you were in my shoes? Would you have finished the sandwich?

To find out more about the award-winning book Stop Overeating Today!, visit www.stopovereatingtips.com

Yesterday was one of the best days of my life

2010-03-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

Seriously. Yesterday I was at a biannual trade show where I sell my book. I started working the trade show 6 months ago. Last time I was there, I had reasonable success as a first-time vendor selling my book Stop Overeating Today! This time was looking better. I was more relaxed and had some great freebies to hand out. I made an audio cd with tips like: 1) 5 ways to eat more fruits and vegetables 2) one mistake to avoid when trying to lose weight 3) 2 new ways to beat emotional eating and 4) how to play a more empowering role around food. I was also handing out shopping bags for free, because some of these shoppers had their bags full and their arms full too. Handing out free things without expecting a sale was a good feeling. I was reaching a new audience - people who wouldn't normally go out and buy a book on weight loss and wellness.

So here's the part about yesterday being AWESOME. One lady walked passed my table and almost nonchalantly remarked, "I love this book! I lost 50 pounds since I bought it 6 months ago at this event."
My jaw dropped. I just stared at her.
--"You lost 50 pounds since you read my book!" I exclaimed. "Can I give you a hug?"

Because there was so much going on, I didn't have a chance to ask her which tips were the most effective for her. Usually there are some that are universally moving. Tip #10 that talks about how to stop emotional eating by using the 4 questions is powerful, as is the one about getting over your guilt trip. I did ask for her e-mail and she said she'd send me before and after pics (yay!) and a testimonial.

I was absolutely thrilled for her - so proud of her. Another woman stopped by my table and told me about her heart attack 10 years ago and how changing her eating habits will literally change her life. She bought my book and I asked her to follow up with me.

Why are some people successful and others not? That is another question I will ask my 50 pounds lighter friend. In my own experience, it's because you are dedicated. What makes someone dedicated? Persistence (just take your stubbornness and use it to benefit yourself), humility (realizing you can't do it on your own and you need help), self-respect (loving yourself enough to help yourself, and a positive attitude. That's what helped me. Just the high you get from losing the first couple pounds can mobilize you to continue doing the positive things you are doing. Learning how to talk to yourself and get rid of negative self-talk was probably, for me, the #1 influence that helped me lose 35 pounds.

What about you? If you've lost a bunch of weight in the past, what was your secret? If you are trying to lose weight now, what do you think it would be? Comment and let me know!

(sidenote: after hearing that woman's incredible success story, I told everyone who stopped by my table and sold twice as many books as last time. Mentioning I was featured on the Dr. Laura Show didn't hurt either)

Make a list...take a chance...make a change

2010-03-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

Ha ha! I'm feeling kind of cheesy today so my title comes from a Kelly Clarkson song. I love singing and I'm a huge music lover, so almost any phrase, such as, "make a change" will trigger some song in my head.

The change I'm blogging about today is about switching from processed sugar to natural sugars. WHAT?!? You may be thinking. I'm not suggesting doing this FOREVER, just giving it a chance next time you are craving something sweet. This is easy, comes in 3 steps. Here goes:

1) Make a list of all of your favorite naturally sweet foods. Mine includes: agave nectar (nothing better!), figs, dates, bananas, orange juice (not from concentrate), apple juice (not from concentrate), mangos, and ripe strawberries (if they are too early they are sour - no thanks).

2) Go buy a couple of these sweet treats this week when you're out grocery shopping.

3) Next time you crave something sweet, have one of these foods FIRST and then if you are still craving processed sugars later and you want to give in, at least you can credit yourself with something healthy first.

My bet is that many of you will stop after the natural sugar. Give it a shot, then comment with your feedback!

Love Love Love this Blog!!

2010-03-18T22:22:00.001-07:00

So I was parousing the other day and discovered www.confessionsofacompulsiveeater.com and I asked the blogger to review my book. She's doing a free book giveaway of Stop Overeating Today! on her site - check it out! And check out the 34 comments. A lot of encouragement floating around. I love how the blogger shared 12 bite-sized samples of my book's strategies - smart way to showcase the book and help people at the same time.

The book was called doable and down to earth. Check out the 12 tips yourself that are portrayed in mini fashion.

Enjoy!

For more info about Stop Overeating Today!, please visit www.stopovereatingtips.com

Gratitude Makes me Full

2010-03-08T07:44:00.000-08:00

With Haiti and Chile's latest massive earthquakes and the deaths and diseases that have resulted on my mind, I want to write about gratitude today. It hit me this morning that I have everything to be grateful for and nothing to complain about. Do I have everything I could ever want? No, but I have everything I could ever need and more than the majority of the people in the world.

If a massive 9.0 earthquake shook the ground where I live in Orange County, CA, my home wouldn't tumble to the ground and crush me. That's a pretty significant thing, because so many in the rest of the world don't have that luxury. If there was a tsunami warning here like they just had on Oahu and I had to evacuate immediately, I would just grab my 72 hour kit backpack and go. (Hopefully I'd have a good amount of gas and not have to wait in line at the gas station). I stopped and talked to this woman the other day who had a sign that said, "Homeless with Kids." She didn't look much older than me. I asked her, "So, do you really have kids?" I've seen a lot of beggars that scam people, pretending to have limps and such. She told me about all four of her kids and how her husband lost his job so they were living in a motel in Long Beach. I gave her some cash, got her phone number, and told her I could point them in the direction of a good free employment center.

Man, I thought to myself, I am so blessed. Four kids in a motel. I asked the woman where she was from and she pointed out towards Pacific Coast Highway and said, "I used to live right over there." Kind of hard to believe a few years later she'd begging in her old neighborhood.

Anyway, the more I have felt grateful and humbly acknowledged that I have a more comfortable lifestyle than the majority of the world, the more satisfied and full I been. A lot of overeating is emotional. You don't feel full and satisfied emotionally so you turn to food to fill the void. If that describes you, try reading the news and counting your blessings. Your problems may seem a lot smaller and more manageable and you will have less of a void to fill.

Check out my book, Stop Overeating Today!, for more tips: www.stopovereatingtips.com

Yale Study

2010-02-27T23:31:00.000-08:00

Yale study proves best way to change eating habits is to focus on 3 goals (no more!) at a time. Read 3 FREE strategies: http://bit.ly/d7BF9y

I'm Joining Ellen Degeneres on Her Quit Sugar Campaign

2010-02-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

I gave up sugar in '05 for health reasons & here I go again! Sugar is an easy emotional/physical pick-me-up & there are better alternatives that won’t send me crashing & craving. I have a tiring schedule, a demanding baby & my own business.

My tip is from my book, Stop Overeating Today. Visualize It: If you crave sugar, try this exercise. Let's say ice cream is calling your name. Don’t you deserve something special? Ask yourself: What else can I do besides eating sugar that will be just as rewarding? Hmm...Relaxing in bed with a good book! Visualize it as if you were watching yourself. With crystal clear detail, picture standing up & walking away from the freezer. Visualize taking each step towards your bedroom, pulling your book from under your bed, flopping down onto your comforter, & opening up to the page you left off on. Imagine how good it feels to lose yourself in the book & relax. Now that you have a plan, you just need to fulfill it, like a programmed robot. This strategy works because once you’ve visualized it, your brain believes it’s possible & you feel motivated & empowered to make it a reality.

How it's going for me? I'm addicted to sugar so the first couple weeks are detox. I stopped buying sugary treats at the store, even for my hubby (sorry honey!) When he buys ice cream, he hides it in the back of the freezer so I won't notice. Sometimes I feel like pulling my hair out, but as soon as I can go ten days, usually I'm craving free.

Stop Overeating By Thinking in the Third Person

2010-02-19T08:47:00.000-08:00

In the last 10 years, I have done a 360 from being a teenager with an eating disorder (yo yo-ed between anorexia, bulimia, & overeating, ranging from size 0 to size 12) to being author of Stop Overeating Today! & life coach, a healthy & happy size 4. My book has 33 stop overeating strategies that are quick & simple to explain & put into practice. Perhaps the most relevant strategy is how to stop emotional eating. Here it is:

Think in the Third Person: Next time you feel like going for that extra portion of food & you’re already full, try this out-of-body exercise. Say out loud if you can, or in your head if you're in public, what thoughts you are having in the third person, like you're describing what your friend is thinking. For example: "She feels like a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream. She thinks sugar will give her energy to push past being tired, even though it’s late & she needs rest. She wants to reward herself & thinks all that sugar & those calories are the solution, even though it will give her a sugar high & send her crashing." The more you talk about yourself as if you were a friend, the easier it is to see that your thinking is irrational & not going to deliver the results you want. Then it’s easier to break free from the emotion that tells you that you must eat now!

I have more simple & smart strategies to share. I’m a great guest because I have ample public speaking experience & I connect easily with people.

Get more advice - Get the book - www.stopovereatingtips.com

Visualize Thin and Healthy

2010-02-15T12:37:00.000-08:00

Do you need weight loss motivation, especially when you feel like overeating or not exercising? One of the most powerful weight loss tools is tapping into the power of visualization. Anyone can start practicing visualization today. It is easy to learn and has fantastic results.

To begin, create a simple goal in your mind, such as going on a walk outside for exercise. Now, answer a couple questions. When would you like to go on this walk? After work? In ten minutes? Visualize yourself getting everything ready so you can go. Will you need to change your clothes and put on your running shoes? Do you need to fill up your water bottle? In your mind's eye, see yourself going through these motions with crystal clarity, as though it were actually happening. Now, decide where you will go on your walk. Will it be around your neighborhood? If so, imagine and picture the route you will take and the sights you will see, as the sounds you will hear, and how good it will feel to be using your muscles and accomplishing your goal. Now that you have everything mapped out in your head and you have visualized with crystal clarity how you can accomplish your goal, all you need to do is get going. Visualizing helps clear your mind of obstacles that may stand in your way when you are not clear about what your goal is and exactly how you will accomplish it. It gives you a sense of empowerment and motivation and is a weight loss tool you can utilize on a daily basis.

Get the book or get more advice: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Babies Are Smarter than Adults

2009-12-11T11:02:00.000-08:00

I've got a 9 month old and I love watching her try new foods. She is so decisive about what she likes and doesn't like. When she's trying something she doesn't care for, she makes the funniest faces of disgust and disinterest.

Just like she is decisive when she hates a new food, she is just as decisive when she is full. Sometimes I can't tell if she stops eating just because she is distracted and preoccupied with some new stimulus. So I try to feed her more, especially at night, to ensure I can get a full night's sleep by filling her up. But when she has had enough, she will purse her lips together and move her head away from me and then shout if she really wants to make her point clear, which she often does.

There is no justifying. No inner dialog in a baby's head, "it tastes so good, just one more bite." There is no emotional eating or self-medicating, "I've had such a hard day, eating this will make me feel better." Food is just fuel for her. That's it. It's not her friend or an enemy she punishes herself with by overeating when she's upset with herself. It just is.

How can adults undo all of their justifying, their emotional eating and self-medicating? How can they relinquish their relationship with friend as their friend, enemy, or sometimes both?

Some people may need to go into counseling or attend a local Overeaters Anonymous to identify how their relationship with food got so complex and how they can change it. There is also a self-help option that can help. Here is a free chapter from my book, Stop Overeating Today! that shows you the powerful relationship between our thoughts and what we eat, and how we can change our thoughts for the better. Enjoy!

Those who struggle with overeating feel more vulnerable than usual during the holidays. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Years festivities all center around friends, family, and food. With so many opportunities to overdo it, guilt is a common reaction. Anyone in recovery knows that guilt can be incredibly damaging, acting like a magnifying glass that exaggerates the negatives. Here is a strategy from my book, Stop Overeating Today! (available on Amazon), that teaches how to break free from the guilt cycle.

Take a Vacation from Your Guilt Trip

This tip applies best to all of you who battle regularly with overeating. You may feel that it is a battle you will never win and that you lack the willpower to change.

When I was recovering from my eating disorder, I found that beating myself up and feeling guilty was not an effective way to make a positive change.

I remember one particular Thanksgiving. I was determined to stop eating before I felt full. I wanted to treat Thanksgiving like it was any other meal and not an excuse for overindulgence. As careful as I tried to be, I slipped and ended up eating too much.

At first, I felt very disappointed in myself. I had made so much progress in the former two months, only to “relapse” again. It felt like a defeat. As I sat there marinating in self-loathing, a light bulb went on over my head. I needed to stop feeling terrible and put things into perspective. Had I made a mistake? Yes. Did I regret it? Yes. Did I want to put myself through more self-loathing? No. Did my mistake determine my future? No. Could I move on? Yes. You get the idea.

It’s like I had taken the magnifying glass off of my mistake and was able to see it as a one-time event, not as a pattern of never-ending mistakes. I was able to look back at all of the progress I had made, the hard work I had done, and how far I had come. So what if I messed up once? I could call it a learning experience and move on. No need to hit myself over the head again and again.

Chronic guilt is not an effective way to grow and change. It keeps you focused on the problem. When the focus is on your weaknesses and mistakes, it keeps you from visualizing how you can change and what you can do to solve your problem.
Guilt is consuming and saps your energy. Moreover, it keeps you from remembering what strengths you do have and what progress you have made. Guilt keeps you stuck in a cycle of helplessness. Even if you have taken one step back, take two steps forward and acknowledge you are moving in the right direction.

For more information on the book or to order Stop Overeating Today! visit www.stopovereatingtips.com

It's Time to Get Moving

2009-11-11T13:08:00.000-08:00

I had a serious eye opener last week at the gym. I thought I had been pushing myself physically enough up to that point. I was exercising a few times a week and I was in good enough shape. I wasn't eating unhealthily. But what I realized, after a kick-butt hour long class of weight training and aerobics, that up to that point, I'd hit a plateau.

I had a baby 8 months ago, my first baby. I was amazed at how much my body could change in just 9 months. And then, of course, I was surprised at how hard it was to get my body back.

So needless to say, after that incredibly challenging class at the gym, I had some perspective about what kind of activity level I needed to get my old body back. I couldn't just go for a moderately challenging walk/jog. I needed to sweat bullets and be uncomfortable in order to get back in shape. I have started looking forward to faster paced walks with intervals of running. I have worked out harder than I have in the past year. As a result, my muscles are uncomfortably sore, but I am happy to see more tone and definition. No pain, no gain, and it's totally worth it.

What does this have to do with overeating? After that day at the gym, I kicked up my activity level a big notch. And I discovered that my eating habits followed suit and I started getting more focused and more committed to making healthier eating choices.

I started eating more vegetables, and eating less carbs. I spent more time preparing healthy meals, for example cutting up celery and making a spinach salad, instead of just eating on the run.

This brings more evidence that working out, especially in a class setting or with a personal trainer, where there is more challenge and accountability, leads to better eating choices and less careless indulgence. That is what I discussed in my book, Stop Overeating Today!, in one of the 33 tips. Now I have more personal conviction to back up that strategy.

BodyBugg - A faithful little companion

2009-10-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

This morning I showed up to a BNI networking meeting with my book, Stop Overeating Today! in hand. I put it on the table and stuck out my hand to greet the guy sitting next to me. He took one look at my book, asked where I got it, and then thrust his hand up his sleeve to show me something. He said it was kind of a pain to take off, but he wanted to show me anyway.

"I've got a gorging problem." The way he said it was in a joking lighthearted way, so I snickered softly. "No, I'm serious," he went on. "I eat crap all day long!" Then he showed me what he had up his sleeve: "This little device tracks how many calories I eat, it's awesome. It charts it so you can see what you are eating and what it's doing to your body."

Pretty awesome. That's the Bodybugg. It just fits on your upper arm. Strap it on and you'll have a little wake up call, because we all know too well, little indulgences here and there really add up.

Besides showing me his nifty contraption, he also bought my book, Stop Overeating Today!. Sweet deal.

If you have any weight loss products that you absolutely love, let me know about them and I'll do a little shout out on my blog and on my social networks. It's all about spreading good ideas.

Read the First 1/3 of the book Stop Overeating Today! for Free

2009-10-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. In the words of Seth Godin, "the enemy of books is not piracy, it's obscurity." Since I am not just in the business of creating wealth but also of spreading ideas, I have no problem offering the first 1/3 of my book, Stop Overeating Today! for free.

Visit my website for details: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

ENJOY!!

What's Your Responsibility with the Cost of Obesity?

2009-10-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

I don’t want to play the blame game, but I do want to point out the fact that if health care is standardized in the US, our tax dollars will be going to pay the high medical cost of obesity: diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, etc. What is your responsibility? What is mine?

We each will have an individual responsibility to get in better shape so we’re not taxing the nation. One person’s weight problem will become everyone’s weight problem, because we all will be footing the bill together with our tax dollars hard at work paying for prescription medications and diabetes machines. That gives a new spin to the phrase “you are what you eat”. We will all be what everyone else eats.

It doesn’t help to point the finger at the fast food industry and say they combine salt, fat, and sugars in a way that hooks our brains and gives us urges we can’t control. Because then we’re still overweight and blaming something outside ourselves that we “can’t control”, so we don’t have to point the finger inward and think about our personal responsibility to ourselves and everyone else.

What’s the solution then? What can we do about the millions of people that are hooked to eating when we need a boost, comfort, or just something to take us away from our troubles or boredom? We all can’t be on the Biggest Loser and besides, we’re not all interested in being publicly showcased and humiliated. Paying for surgery to get a band stapled onto our stomachs is costly and not guaranteed. Thousands of people gain the weight back within three years of having the operation because they were still hooked to food.

I don’t want to come off as a critic, because I’m not. I want to be your biggest supporter if you have an eating and weight problem. But I want to point out the problem first because most people with eating problems keep their eyes closed, eat what they please, and live in denial. Even if taxing others doesn’t worry you, what about your own life? You’ve got yourself to worry about. Eating problems won’t go away on their own and I’m sure you are suffering for it, even if you don’t like thinking about it. Are you happy with how your body looks and feels? Can you get around as easily as you’d like? Does eating leave you feeling energized or stuffed and tired? Do you deal with guilt?

I want to help you because I know what it’s like to have an eating problem. I struggled with overeating and even bulimia, gained 30 pounds, lost self-respect and self-control, and dove into despair. What saved me was learning how to retrain my thinking around food, so urges did not control me anymore. I changed my relationship with food and believe everyone else can do the same. It just takes desire, lots of grit and determination, and a simple tool.

This summer I published a book called Stop Overeating Today! with 33 self-help strategies that teach overeating sufferers how I overcame my eating problem and how they can too. The tips are go-at-your-own-pace and encourage the reader to start slowly so retention is possible. This go-to guide is thorough, covering all aspects of overeating: emotional eating, eating at restaurants, eating at home, food shopping and preparation, eating for comfort, overcoming guilt, and more. It puts power back into your hands so you no longer can say, “I have no control.”

So, you can close your eyes and wish your eating problem and weight problem would disappear, or you can empower yourself with a guilt-free guide and start making small sustainable changes. It’s up to you. If you don’t, it’s up to all of us to foot the bill.

Yes, You Can Start Today

2009-10-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a review of my book Stop Overeating Today! by Dr. Lisa Ann Homic, DC. She did a fantastic job characterizing what makes the book unique:

Yes, you can start today. Don't wait anymore. Make the decision and walk your new path with Camile Packer McConnell's easy to use book. As a busy business coach, she realized her clients were very easily addicted to "stress eating." She also shared her own need to "retrain my thoughts and actions." Eating is associated with many societal rituals that are positive as well as negative. This book will help the reader navigate through overwhelming days with smart strategies.

I like this book because it is portable. It can be easily tucked into a purse or briefcase for a quick pep talk any time of the day. There is space for journaling and jotting down triumphs. People don't start new things when it appears to be complicated and scary. There is no need to procrastinate because Ms. McConnell tells the reader to start slowly.

There are 33 straightforward tips to follow in the book. Her first tip: "Don't start running at 60 MPH," is the perfect beginning. She recommends starting with one doable tip and work on it for three days. The changes should be very gradual so retention becomes second nature. Her comfortable program was designed to be pressure free so negative self-talk is avoided.

The tips are sensible and she understands how it feels to be in tricky situations such as eating with friends and when comfort foods are calling. This book will teach the reader how give up the old language of overeating and translate what the body is really requesting for energy and health.

We love food but food can't love back. Stop Overeating Today helps the reader to enjoy food for sustenance only so genuine fulfillment can be discovered elsewhere through companionship and personal purpose.

The book is available for purchase at Amazon.com and Ms. McConnell's website.

New Bonuses When You Order on My Website!

2009-09-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

How does FREE SHIPPING sound to you?

What about an insider link to 14 days free at 24 Hour Fitness?

These bonuses won't be there forever, so don't delay.

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The Secret to Stop Overeating with Self-Psychology

2009-09-22T14:52:00.000-07:00

When I was struggling with chronic overeating and bulimia in high school and college, sometimes it felt like I would never be able to stop. I felt like there was a huge weight over me and I couldn’t break free from it. I was embarrassed about my lack of control and worried about how others would perceive me if they knew. If I were to describe how I felt, my story would go something like this: “I have this huge weakness around food and when I’m stressed, anxious, angry, or even excited, I lose control and eat way too much. I’ve tried changing and eating like a normal person, but I keep going back to overeating patterns, no matter what. I’m stuck.”

In my newly released book, Stop Overeating Today!, I discuss the power of self-image and how our thoughts about ourselves determine what kind of role that we play, either limiting or empowering us. Here’s an excerpt:

“Shakespeare said, ‘All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.’ Each moment of each day we can choose which role we will play. Our habits turn us into predictable characters. We expect to act certain ways because that is how we have done things in the past. That is the label we have given ourselves, that is the role we identify with, and that is how we see ourselves. Self-image is very powerful and can lead us to blindly play a role that is not in our best interest...”

Here’s an example of someone playing a role that limits him. After Joe experiences a series of unfortunate events one morning – he stubs his toe getting out of bed, there is a traffic jam on the way to work and he is 45 minutes late, he forgot to put on clean underwear – he thinks to himself, “I am having a really bad day!” He is convinced. Now he’s out to prove it. What role is he playing? The victim of a really bad day. He is out to find more examples to prove his theory that the world is out to get him. He discovers that the hum of the air conditioner is distracting and the guy who works at the cubicle across from him is breathing too loudly. See how he is playing a role, stuck as a character, and only he has the power to change his self-image?

Now, an example that relates to overeating. Shannon has been overeating for the past eight years and is unhappy with how she looks and how she treats her body. She deals with a lot of guilt and thinks, “I am a weak person.” That night at a dinner party, after eating a filling meal, she is offered delicious gooey brownies with a raspberry frosting for dessert. Her eyes pop out of her head and her mouth starts to water. She thinks, “Well, I don’t have the willpower to refuse. Here I go again.”

How can Shannon change her self-image and empower herself? Another excerpt from my book, Stop Overeating Today!, explains: “Choose a role that empowers you…If you find it difficult to start playing a more empowering role, come up with some adjectives to describe the type of role you’d like to play.” Shannon could choose strong, powerful, and healthy as her three adjectives.

Next, she needs to imagine herself as a strong, powerful, and healthy person and think about how such a person would react in front of the tantalizing brownies. She needs to visualize specifically what she will do instead of eating the brownies with crystal clarity, as though it’s already happened. On the other side of the room, Shannon sees three friends in the middle of what seems to be an interesting conversation. She sees herself standing up, leaving the table, and heading in their way to join them. After crafting her crystal clear visualization, she makes it happen, focusing so much on fulfilling her visualization that the brownies are no longer a temptation.

Phew! Now that you have a tactic for avoiding overeating in pressure situations, do you want to take it a step further? Grab a pen and a piece of paper and write down the role you have been playing around food that keeps you stuck in a cycle of overeating. Have you been feeling victimized, powerless, or depressed? After you identify your role, take that piece of paper and rip it up and throw it away. Don’t spend any more time dwelling on it.

Next, take out a fresh piece of paper and write down a phrase defining yourself with your new adjectives. For example, Shannon’s would say, “I used to feel weak, guilty, and out of control around food, but now I realize I am strong, powerful, and healthy enough make smart decisions.” Try it. What does your phrase look like? Every time you feel the urge to overeat, pull out that piece of paper and repeat your mantra. The more you practice this, the more natural sounding it will be and the easier it will be to follow. Before you know it, you are not just playing a new role, you have become a new person with healthier habits and a new sense of self-confidence.

(For more information about Stop Overeating Today!, visit www.stopovereatingtips.com)

Your Feelings Aren't That Important

2009-09-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

I was listening to Dr. Laura on the radio telling one of her callers to stop paying so much attention to how she was feeling because feelings are irrational. She told the caller to use her brain and think instead of dwelling on her emotions that were keeping her stuck.

Voila! That's exactly the point I make over and over in my book. Your feelings will betray you.

Let's look at a specific example. Think of the last time you overate due to emotions. What was the emotion behind it? Was your thinking rational? Did it lead you to take action that resulted in satisfaction or regret?

It's not easy to break this cycle of putting too much stock in your emotions. The other day I was practicing shifting my attention from my emotions to my logic. It was tough! I was feeling sorry for myself because of a situation outside of my control and it was putting me in a bad mood. I told myself, "This feeling doesn't matter. It's just a temporary fleeting thing. I can focus on changing my thinking and I will feel better."

It took some struggling before I was able to successfully shift my focus from my "poor me!" emotions to rational logic that the negative situation was temporary and I could feel okay in spite of it. But it was worth it because I was able to put control back into my hands and feel empowered.

So it takes work, as all good things do. So to be perfectly honest, it's not a too-good-to-be-true fix. Nothing really is (so don't believe it if it claims to be). Nothing in my book Stop Overeating Today! pretends to be. That is something people appreciate. One reader today told me, "Stop Overeating Today! gives you hope, but it's not too-good-to-be-true. It's realistic and encouraging." The same is true for this exercise. When you practice thinking yourself out of a bad mood instead of dwelling in your feelings, you will get better and better at it. The good news? You won't be stuck in negative emotions without an alternative.

So next time you are feeling too much and it's getting you down or urging you to overeat, put on your thinking cap instead.

The Guidance You Need to Stop Overeating

2009-09-03T22:42:00.000-07:00

New research conducted regarding American's health totally supports what my book is out to accomplish Stop Overeating Today! and proves how important support really is:

"'People have lofty, admirable goals of eating healthier, exercising more and
treating their bodies better. Our research suggests though, that implementation
of these goals is challenging. Many people need help and guidance to understand
where their health is lacking and how they can improve it,' recommends Krista
Faron." (source: http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS215305+03-Sep-2009+BW20090903)

The research also indicates that 45% of Americans surveyed struggle with overeating and want to treat their bodies better. Do you fall within that 45 percent? Want a resource that will teach you how to stop overeating, even when you're stressed, tired, bored, or emotional? Want a workbook that will help keep you on track, so you can apply the strategies immediately? Visit http://www.stopovereatingtips.com to get the skinny on how to stop overeating today.

The Truth about Your Sweet Tooth

2009-08-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

You might be saying, "Well, duh. I already knew that people eat when they're stressed." But did you pay attention to which foods you prefer when stressed? Maybe this will help you explain your fascination with ice cream after a stressful day at work.

Here I am quoting verbatim what Marci E. Gluck, PhD, Obesity & Diabetes Clinical Researcher says:

"One recent study found that rats consumed more sugar after the administration of corticosterone (cortisol) suggesting that in humans, overeating of "comfort foods" may be stimulated by cortisol in response to stress (Dallman et al., 2003). Other research has shown that restrained eaters (e.g. dieters)(Stroud et al, 2000) and those with binge eating disorder (Gluck et al., 2004) are the ones more likely to overeat following stress."

So, what is a restrained eater? Someone who is constantly holding back from eating the sweet foods their body wants to eat. But, you might ask, "Isn't that the whole premise of the book Stop Overeating Today?" Nope, and I'll tell you why.

My book is about showing people, in the moment they feel tempted to overeat, how to rethink about the situation so they actually change their minds about overeating and realize they don't want to do it anymore. Yes, of course, the brownies still smell amazing and they are gooey just the way you like them, but you realize you don't need to eat the whole pan to get the ultimate eating experience and you can stop after eating just one. Does that make sense?

So, next time you are turning to sugar, check in with yourself to find out if it is stress related. If it is, eating the whole pan of brownies won't help much anyway. Figure out what is stressing you out and work on that, instead of turning to overeating instead. If you need stress reduction tips, go to Tip #2 in my book Stop Overeating Today! 33 Tips That Will Change Your Life. If you don't have my book, then use this discount code (AUG26) to save $2 TODAY ONLY when you use Google Checkout!

My Blingvelope to Dr. Laura

2009-08-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

Ever since I've been working on my book Stop Overeating Today! 33 Tips That Will Change Your Life, it's been my dream to have it featured as a Book of the Week on the Dr. Laura show. It would be a great honor and, more importantly, it would be able to reach a lot of people who struggle with overeating and are anxious to find resources that can help them regain control in their lives.

Recently my mom was listening to the Dr. Laura show and heard Dr. Laura say that they get sooo many books sent to them that sometimes they can't even open them all. So she recommended to everyone out there who wanted to send her their book, to make it gimmicky. Gimmicky, I thought. I can do that!

So, I know from my 17 years of listening to her show that Dr. Laura's favorite color is pink. I googled to find a hot pink bubble envelope I could send my book in. Nothing available, unless I wanted to buy 250 of them. Since I don't know what I'd do with 249 other hot pick bubble mailers, I decided to make my own.

I borrowed crafty supplies from a crafty friend of mine and got to work using pink sparkles, glue, and pink, purple, and silver sequins. I used the sequins to make the Dr. Laura logo, which is her signature and the glitter covers an entire side of the envelope. You like?

I figured, I'm only going to get one shot at this. I want my envelope to be noticed and opened.

To make it even more memorable, I inserted a cover letter that I wrote, commenting on how my book mentions two themes she discusses on her show: revenge and grit. I even got permission from the Dr. Laura legal team to use her quote on grit. So, I pointed that out in my cover letter and told her she could find the quote in my book next to the green flag. And I used one of those sticker flags to direct her there..

So, that's my plan. What do you think? I'll be sending it off in the mail tomorrow. Is it gimmicky enough and eye-catching enough?

You Would Not Believe It - 6 Ways to Celebrate that Don't Include Eating

2009-08-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it. Try googling: "ways to celebrate besides eating food" and you get nothing except for a bunch of websites talking about FOOD! (How to celebrate Valentine's Day with chocolate, great crunchy snacks you can get, the works). I'm very shocked.

This isn't a new idea. I didn't specifically mention it in my book (I will in an upcoming book), but there are ways to celebrate besides eating.

I was thinking about this today. I want to motivate myself to exercise and I was thinking about possible rewards. I've heard that smaller rewards work better than bigger rewards. I actually learned that in a psychology class in college. So when I was thinking about rewards, caramel flan from a nearby restaurant came to mind. But then I thought, "No! I don't want to exercise and then eat something that will be twice as many calories as I burn off." And the more I thought about it, the more I realized I needed to make a list of WAYS TO CELEBRATE THAT DON'T INCLUDE EATING.

So there's my list. Feel free to add comments to make the list longer.

1) Take a break and plan a trip to nature. Go to your local beach, take your dog to the park, go take a picture of the sunset, take a hike in a pretty place. Give yourself permission to get out and go!

2) Take a break and watch an episode of your favorite TV show. Seinfeld, Saved by the Bell, and LOST are fun ones if you have the DVDs with the seasons.

3) Come up with a point system to get something bigger you really want. For example, let's say I fall in love with this shirt I saw online, but it costs $30. That's too big a reward for exercising for 30 minutes one time. But what if each time I exercise, it's like I get 3 points to get that shirt. Each point could be worth one dollar. So after exercising 10 times for 30 minutes, I can go online and click "Order Now!"

4) Take a break and listen to your favorite music. Use Itunes or Grooveshark or Pandora. If you want to make the reward better, buy a new song each time you exercise. It's only about $1 on Itunes.

5) Take a break and spend 30 minutes on your favorite hobby. I want to make time to put together family photo albums. I just had a baby 5 months ago and she is CUTE, so I want to make sure we capture that so we can enjoy it for the years to come.
Give yourself permission to take a break and get on that!

6) Take a break (I know, it's a common theme) and take a power nap if you need one. We all work so hard that squeezing in some extra sleep is an appealing reward.

You'll notice most of my rewards include taking a break. Maybe that's what we need. Permission to do the things we really want to do and take a break from the same old same old. Plus, taking a break relieves stress, which helps us avoid overeating because so much overeating comes from being too busy or from being too stressed.

Ok, those are my 6 ways to celebrate that don't include eating. What are your favorites and what can you add?

What People Are Saying About My Book

2009-08-18T16:49:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IskPhJOyeE8

Accountability Buddies

2009-08-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

I was at my grandpa's 80th birthday party this weekend in Utah and ran into distant relative who had no idea that I mentioned him in my book Stop Overeating Today! 33 Tips That Will Change Your Life He is my mom's cousin's husband. He was really surprised when I told him. We run into each other about every eight years, so it was a random thing for me to say, "I mentioned you in a book I wrote!" I showed him his cameo, in the eighth chapter called, "Get an Accountability Buddy Who Reacts Quickly."

So here's the story. You'll have to read the full version in the book, but here's the Reader's Digest version: I was at a pancake breakfast and there was a long line and I didn't want to have to stand in it twice in case I got hungry for seconds. So I got a lot of food, not sure what I would actually be able to eat. By the time I had eaten half of it, I was full. Thinking out loud I said, "I'm full. I don't want to eat this anymore." Then my cousin standing next to me, who was in town on a business trip, took my paper plate from my hands and threw it away in a nearby trash can. When I saw him on Saturday and reminded him of this experience, he asked me,

"Did you think I was rude?"

"No," I responded, "I thought it was brilliant. I didn't have to worry about overeating. The choice was made for me."

To find out how to make this tip work in your life, and to use the workbook that helps you apply this tip, check out Tip #8 in Stop Overeating Today! 33 Tips That Will Change Your Life, available on Amazon.

Sick of Being Stuck?

2009-08-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

I went to the beach in Newport Beach yesterday at 28th Street. Growing up, I was more of a dare devil and didn't care how cold the water was. I would just run and jump in. Nowadays, I take my time, refusing to go in sometimes if it's too cold. When I was younger, I vowed I'd never turn out like that. I vowed I'd go in the water every time I went to the beach, not turning into one of those "old moms" that was afraid of the water. Well guess what? I had turned into one of those old moms, until yesterday when something strange happened.

As I was tiptoeing into the water, a little bit of that old dare devil thinking sparked inside my head and I felt like running into the water and throwing my fears to the wind. So I did. And I LOVED it.

So what do 65 degree water and overeating have in common? Our reactions to both of them are affected by what labels we give ourselves. I had stamped the "I'm an old mom who doesn't like cold water and stays on the sand" label on my forehead. It became my identity for a while and I was comfortable believing it and playing that role, feeling it was somehow out of my hands.

Likewise, labels we give ourselves after we overeat can give us a certain self-identity or role to play and affects our actions. For example, if the last three times you have eaten doughnuts you have eaten too much and gotten a bellyache, you may label yourself as someone who can't help but overeat around doughnuts. So the next time doughnuts are in front of your face, you are expecting yourself to eat too much. You may even joke about it. Since you are believing your role as a doughnut overeater, you expect yourself to cave time and again. And you will until you can figure out how to peel that label off your forehead and replace it with a new more empowering one.

Make sense? I elaborate more on this in my book, which is for sale on Amazon for $12.99 for one more week. After that, it goes up to $14.99.

So take a second and identify one of the roles you have given yourself that you don't really like or that doesn't really serve you. What is it? How does it hold you back? What would you like to replace it with?

Is Intuitive Eating Realistic?

2009-08-05T23:11:00.000-07:00

Today's busy busy busy lifestyle makes intuitive eating seem, well, counterintuitive. It seems too time consuming to spend time tuning into the body throughout the day to discover what food it wants to eat. What if it wants a banana and you don't have one? Or, what if your body wants to eat at 10 am, but your lunch break isn't until noon? Is it even worth it?

I say it is. The reason I stand behind intuitive eating is that you will learn to pay attention to what your body needs, instead of giving into what your emotions want. And that means you will overeat less and feel better more.

For more help with intuitive eating, check out my book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984153705 because Tip #5 will define it and explain how to apply it into your life. Not only that, there is a workbook section to help you personalize it and drive the point home.

Release E-blast

2009-08-04T17:44:00.000-07:00

You are staring at leftover cake sitting on the counter, your mouth watering, your eyes growing larger than your stomach. You are already full after eating a satisfying dinner, but it looks irresistible. The devil perched over your shoulder whispers into your ear, “You want to eat this cake. You will be missing out if you stop eating now! It will be worth every bite.”

Most people know those feelings all too well, yet most haven’t discovered how to curb the cravings and stop the habitual overeating. Until now! Thanks to a new book by Camille McConnell, people are finding answers are right at their fingertips. The book coaches people how to make impulse-free and healthy decisions in the moment they feel like overeating. Not only is it full of informative tips, the book’s interactive workbook-style sets it apart as it challenges the reader to personalize and apply the tips, thereby generating quicker results.

WHEN YOU ORDER BY AUGUST 12TH YOU GET:
1) Discounted price of $12.99 (Retail is $14.99)
2) Signed copy
3) 3 additional tips for free

ORDER ON AMAZON NOW!

Look Inside! http://stopovereatingtips.com/preview.htm
Check out the Website: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Thank you!

Amazon Listing is UP!

2009-07-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

Next week I will be starting a contest for people who want to tell their friends about this book, or even easier, send an e-mail to their friends with the link to Amazon. First prize is a free book, a free half hour of personal one-on-one phone coaching with me, author of Stop Overeating Today!, and a $25 Itunes gift card.

Keep reading to get contest details next week!

I'm on Author Central!

2009-07-27T22:05:00.000-07:00

Amazon has this nifty application called Author Central, a place for authors to post their photo, biography, and blogs. While I will always be blogging on here, I will be RSS'ing (is that a verb yet?) onto my Author Central blog. It's cool, check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Camille-Packer-McConnell/e/B002J0FE5U/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_T1_0

While you're at it, you can see my link on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984153705

Notice my page looks a little bare? That's where you can help. After reading my book, I would really appreciate if you could take 2 minutes to review it on Amazon. Thanks for your support!

Angel vs. Devil

2009-07-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

It’s the old scenario with the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. You want to listen to the angel, but the devil prods, “you’ll feel better if you eat this cake” or “just a few more bites won’t hurt!” You know you are full and if you eat more you will regret it later, but your mouth is watering and your eyes are bigger than your stomach. What to do???

Order by the August 10th and get my book Stop Overeating Today! for $12.99 and see for yourself the 33 tips to make empowering and healthy decisions.

If that’s not enough incentive for you, order by August 10th and receive 3 more tips on how to stop overeating and implement the book effectively FREE.

Want to find out more? Check out 3 of the book’s 33 tips here!

Do you eat when you're hungry or when the fullness fix wears off?

2009-07-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

This is what it comes down to. Do you eat only when you are hungry, or do you eat when you are no longer full? Your answer to that questions will help you see if you are using food as fuel to get more energy or if you are using food for comfort.

Maybe you don't get what I mean. There is a difference between being hungry and no longer being full. You get full right when you've finished your meal (hopefully not overly full). You are satisfied at that point. Let's say you eat something every three hours. Between being full and the next three hours, you're not going to be very hungry, but you won't have that perfectly satisfied full feeling the entire time either. It will wane until you are hungry again.

So what I'm saying is that there is being completely satisfied and full, there is being neither full nor hungry, and there is being hungry. At which point you eat again indicates whether or not you have a healthy relationship with food.

Some people with overeating tendencies want to have that full feeling the whole day. That's how I used to be. I thought about food all the time. (What will I eat next to get full?) It was definitely a problem. To me, eating wasn't about giving myself the necessary energy to keep moving and thinking healthily. It was to help me feel full in other ways that really had nothing to do with food. I was also eating to fend off negative emotions like anxiety, stress, and fear.

So, what about you? Is food your fuel for energy or is it your fix for other things? If you are an emotional eater that relies on having that full feeling all day long, you may want to start reading my book at Tip # 9 How to Avoid Emotional Eating or Tip #2, Lower Your Stress Levels. There's nothing more liberating than to be around food that used to be your weakness and feel no emotional connection to it at all.

Drugs vs. Self-Control

2009-07-15T16:42:00.000-07:00

There's an article in the New York Times about research comparing monkeys who ate 30% less calories than another group of monkeys. The group that took in fewer calories showed these results: longer lifespan and less diabetes, cancer, and cholesterol problems.

So that's good news, right? At least we know what we can do if we want to live longer and healthier. What percentage of your daily calories currently includes food you ate when you were already comfortably full? Do you stop to listen to your body to find out when it's full, or do you typically just eat the portions in front of you? Learning to restrain yourself could add years to your life, which is encouraging.

But here's the part about drugs vs. self-control. The article suggests that since most people can't stick to a diet of 30% less calories than they are used to, they are going to develop a drug that can create the same results as eating less.

First of all, that's sad that there's an assumption people won't do what's best for them. Not that I disagree. Most people won't stop overeating. So let's just skip self-control as even an option and go straight to more drugs as a solution? (Because it worked so well for Michael Jackson and thousands of others with drug dependencies). Secondly, is it realistic that a drug can substitute for healthy eating? Seriously, drugs can't solve everything. We don't want to become a nation of drug dependent overeaters.

Here's the article link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/science/10aging.html?_r=1.

2 Most Common Situations People Overeat - And What You Can Do About It!!!

2009-07-13T19:30:00.001-07:00

3 More Tips to Stop Overeating

2009-07-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

It's too late to make the book Stop Overeating Today! 36 Tips That Will Change Your Life. Besides, that sounds awkward. 33 is much better.

Anyway, here are 3 more I just came up with. The second tip goes right along with the book, so it won't be applicable until you actually have the book in your hands. I included it today because it help you see how easy the book is to apply once you have it.

1. Put your fork down between every bite. Just try it once and notice the difference.

2. Mix it up and have fun with the tips in the book. The nice thing about these tips is that you don’t have to execute them in any certain way to find success. It’s not like a tennis game where you need to focus on several different factors all at once like footwork, the racket’s angle, follow through, and the direction your hips and shoulders are facing. You don’t need to remember five tips at once to find success. You can just focus on one tip one day and try another one the next day. They are easy to use, apply, and reuse, but there is no requirements to do them a certain way to be successful.

3. Stop weighing yourself every day. Hide your scale. If you are too concerned with losing weight, you will add stress to the eating experience and may end up eating too much. Just focus on feeling your best and eating intuitively. You don’t need to rank yourself based on numbers you see. If you have certain expectations to lose a certain amount of weight by a certain time and you fall short, you may get discouraged and overeat as a result. Stop playing the numbers game. It’s more important to eat healthy and be active than it is to reach a certain number on a scale.

Why the Little Things Matter

2009-07-09T15:55:00.000-07:00

Has this every happened to you? While eating you get full with just a little bit of food left over. It seems silly to put it back in the fridge and you figure it's only a tiny bit, so you might as well finish it off. But unfortunately, it pushes you just over the edge into feeling too full. Darn! You've lost your happy place.

What's the big deal with that? The "too full" feeling will only last a few minutes. But if you're like me, you will get in the habit of tuning out your body's full signal and you'll start overeating more and more. Once you stop eating intuitively (paying attention to your body's cues about being hungry and full - Tip # 5 in the book Stop Overeating Today!) it's easy to just focus on cleaning your plate and to tune out your body.

So that's why the little bit of food left over matters. The last few chips in the bottom of the bag, the rest of the cereal, those last few bites of dinner you don't really want but you feel bad throwing away and silly putting back.

It's okay to throw it away or put it back in the fridge. Once you stop listening to your body, it's really easy to do it agai.

Bored with the same old same old snacks?

2009-07-08T23:35:00.000-07:00

I came across across a really helpful news article today that offers fun ideas for snacks under 200 calories. It also points out the obvious fact that snacking prevents overeating at meals. It seems so obvious that it's silly to bring it up, but I mentioned it in my book too. Why? Sometimes all people need is someone to point out the obvious to them. We get off track and don't know how to get back on. We could tell someone else who is off track how to get back on, but can't seem to figure it out for ourselves.

This article also says not to graze on snacks. Good advice. There's a tip in my upcoming book, Stop Overeating Today!, that gives a creative spin on how to stop grazing. Because anyone can point out the obvious. If you want to stop grazing, then stop already. But it's easier said than done and sometimes we all need a creative new solution to nip our bad habits in the bud. That's exactly what my book does.

Another good tip in this article is to eat snacks with protein. Great tip! It's also found in the book, although it's inside one of the tips and is not a tip by itself. But haven't you noticed you will eat less if you start your meal or snack off with a little protein? Have you ever heard of Lindora? It's a fabulously successful weight loss center here in Southern California and they teach their patients to start meals off with protein as well.

I cheer this article for telling people to stay away from processed snacks and to stick to whole foods instead. Because there are plenty of 100 calorie cookie and brownie snacks you could stuff in your shopping cart, but can you actually pronounce half the ingredients in those things anyway?

Ok, so which snack idea is your favorite that you're going to try first? Here's the link to the article: http://www.examiner.com/x-12564-Boston-Healthy-Living-Examiner~y2009m7d7-Get-Snackin Not bad, huh? I'm a fan of the snacks that include chocolate. Why not?

Check it out now!! I've got a video about the book on YouTube

2009-07-07T16:13:00.000-07:00

So you want tips to help you stop overeating when you're stressed, on special occasions, or every day?

Watch the video to find out how my book is different from all the rest and to preview one of the exclusive tips in Stop Overeating Today! 33 Tips That Will Change Your Life.

Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3V916RfM1Y

Or you can check it out on my Facebook page, on my website, or on my Myspace Blog.
Thanks for watching - the more views, the more people will be able to find out about a book that can change their lives.

What Everybody Ought to Know About Oxidative Stress

2009-07-01T23:44:00.000-07:00

I have never heard of this. Oxidative stress. If you eat too much in one sitting, your body gets oxidative stress. I'm quoting from an article:

"Many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s , Parkinson’s, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and inflammatory conditions, and ageing are associated with oxidative stress.

The bottom line is: do not overeat and, if you do, at least try to avoid excess intakes of fats and carbohydrates at single sittings."

Yikes! Here's the rest of the article written by dietician Ann Till. Before you read it, I have to warn you. Ann Till is probably English because they talk a lot about grams instead of pounds. So unless you are a metric whiz, the numbers won't mean much. But you'll still get the main idea: http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=74604.

Has anyone ever heard of this before?

Stop Overeating Today! Book Q & A

2009-06-30T14:40:00.000-07:00

Q: What makes this book any different from the thousands of other books about weight loss and diets?

A: This book has nothing to do with diets. I'm not a big fan of them because, in my mind, to diet means to deprive. What makes this book different is that the tips are straightforward and easy to read and apply. You could pick it up and read anywhere for just 2 minutes and find something useful you can apply the next time you eat. The tips are easy to remember. The tone of the book is conversational and fun. I wrote the book as a peer, not as a doctor or a professional dietitian or psychologist. I actually used these tips to help me overcome my overeating problem. I know they work. These tips are not arbitrary. They are supported, tested, and proven.

Q: Why did you write this book?

A: After recovering from an eating disorder in 2001, I wanted to help people do the same. I was a mentor in a recovery support group and noticed that overeating was a common problem for a lot of girls. Later, I became a life coach and when I talked with people about eating issues, discovered they wanted ideas for ways to stop overeating. Since I have struggled with overeating in the past, I wanted to share strategies that worked for me.

Q: What is your favorite tip?

A: Tip #10, which talks about how to stop emotional eating by using a self-coaching method called "The Work of Byron Katie". I learned this method at Byron Katie's coaching school and discovered it works for any negative emotion: stress, anger, fear, hurt, you name it. You basically ask yourself a series of 4 questions, which help you start thinking rationally and to separate yourself from stressful emotions. After you can see yourself more objectively, you can make a healthier and less impulsive decision. It sounds like a long process, but you can successfully go through this self-coaching method in less than 10 seconds. To learn more visit http://www.thework.com.

Q: What additional products or services will you offer to complement the book?

A: Everyone who buys the book is offered a free 15 minute phone coaching session, to help them apply the tips in the book to them personally. If they find that beneficial, they are free to sign up for more phone coaching. My rates are currently $100/hr.

Q: How long did it take you to write the book?

A: I worked on it off and on for the last two years, and pretty consistently since September '08.

Q: When will be book be for sale?

A: That depends. If you buy it on my website it will be available in about 10 days. On Amazon it will be available in about 25 days. Can't wait!

How to stop lying to yourself

2009-06-27T14:14:00.000-07:00

We all do this. We justify, "it's the weekend so what I eat doesn't count." Really? I wish that were the case. I'm not saying to not have fun every once and a while and enjoy some highly caloric tasty food, but as long as we aren't in denial about it.

But it's not just happening on the weekend. Any special occasion fits the bill. And the more we justify to ourselves, the more we look for reasons to say today is a special occasion too because we are celebrating XYZ.

I found a really good article that talks about this "Weekend Warrior" mindset and 3 other common excuses we feed ourselves.
http://www.pr-inside.com/guilt-free-eating-and-the-four-known-r1347393.htm

The article's solution is some pricey diet program. I'm not a fan of diets. My solution is Tip # 10 in my upcoming book, Stop Overeating Today! Mine won't cost you $100+. And it will work for you every day of your life. It will show you how to catch a lie you are believing, and how to untwist it into the truth. Then, it shows you that the truth ain't that bad because it helps you get what you really want.

I'll admit, sometimes I really do want the doughnut. I'm not in denial about that.

When you just can't stop from eating a whole bag of cookies

2009-06-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

Ever been in this situation? You ate an entire bag of cookies and then you wondered why? You weren't even that hungry, right?

I know exactly what you are talking about! That's why I wrote this book (Stop Overeating Today!). I used to be that person who would eat the entire bag of cookies and then wonder why. I would overeat enough that I decided I had to do something about it.

I decided to really tune in to what situations and thoughts set me up to overeat. What led up to it? What could I do to avoid that situation in the future?

Eventually I started narrowing down strategies that really worked, that lowered my stress, that tempered my emotions, that helped me step away from flawed thinking. I put 33 of the strategies in the book.

I can't wait to share these strategies with you, to do raffles and give away free copies of the book to blog readers, and to give discounts to make it accessible to whoever could use some 'how to stop overeating' advice.

Whether you only overeat on special occasions or you commonly find yourself emotionally eating, this book is for you. Now a word to the men on emotional eating. It is not just about eating a bunch of ice cream during PMS. I know guys who get a little stressed at work and then start munching, putting on some extra pounds in the process.

This book will have something for everyone. Let's face it, we live in America. Just going out to eat is an invitation to overeat, since the portion sizes are out of control.

Can't wait till I can show you what you can do about it! I'm expecting the book to be live on Amazon in 3 weeks. It will be on my website even sooner. Will keep you posted.

2009-06-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

Stop Overeating Today! 33 Tips That Will Change Your Life

2009-06-23T16:37:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the sneak peak yet? To see a book preview (with 3 of the tips) go here: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com/preview.htm

The book is almost here - yay! Pretty soon I will be adding links to Amazon.com, my website, and createspace.com to start selling the book designed to help people increase their mind power in impulsive or emotional situations and make healthier eating decisions. An e-book will soon be available as well.

Who doesn't need this book? I was on the phone with my website hosting company the other day. I'm not always the most technologically inclined and needed help. Anyway, the girl at the company asked for my domain name and I told her, "www.stopovereatingtips.com". She responded with, "I could use some of that."