Welcome to Surpass Your Dreams. The goal of this newsletter is to help you recognize your potential and surpass your dreams. This month we will talk about food; an obstacle that can keep you from living your dreams.

For a free subscription, send an e-mail to newsletter@surpassyourdreams.com. A copy of the newsletter will be automatically sent to your e-mail address.

1. Does Food Get In Your Way?
2. Top Ways To Eat Right and Lose Weight
3. Are You Ready To Live Your Dreams?
4. Last Month
5. Great Resources

I. DOES FOOD GET IN YOUR WAY?

I eat too much food sometimes. And, it keeps me from fully enjoying my life. Does food keep you from enjoying your life? Does food keep you from living your dreams?

I recently put myself on a diet. Or, I should say an eating plan that I can follow for the rest of my life. I currently weight 175 pounds which is the heaviest I ever weighed in my life. I have a large frame so I don’t look “too bad”, but I am tired of those extra pounds slowing me down. I am also am tired of being unhappy about it.

Trying to lose weight has never been easy for me. I’ve tried all the diets, and I know “all the right” things to eat. I can tell you how many calories are in practically any type of food. I am an expert in how to read an nutritional label. I know exactly what I should or should put into my body. Yet I put the wrong foods in anyway.

I am what you classify an “emotional eater”. When I get stressed, anxious or upset, rather that say what’s upsetting me, I eat instead. If I’m at work and I feel overwhelmed, food calms me down and helps me think better. When I come home from work, foods transitions me into the evening. Whenever I eat, I know that everything is going to be ok.

But afterwards I feel horrible. I feel guilty. I feel like I can never lose weight and that I am destined to be heavy for the rest of my life. So I eat more.

Because I am coach, I hired a food coach to help me stop this cycle. I’ve learned a few things that I want to share with you.

First of all, you can’t lose weight until you want to lose weight. I know this may sound strange, but it’s true. I didn’t want to take responsibility for what I did to my body. I wanted to blame every outside factor for my predicament because I couldn’t take the truth that I did this to myself.

I also had to realize that no matter how many classes, books or tapes I listened to, I was not going to lose weight until I changed my eating habits and the way I thought about food. I always thought I was a person who had
no will power. But it’s not will power, rather making better choices that change your life. Once you say “I can do it”, and you start putting less and healthier foods into your mouth, you can lose weight.

The third thing I learned was that I could make it through a stressful situation without eating. I was in the car with Brian (my boyfriend & editor) last weekend, and his remarks about the traffic upset me. Rather than telling him, I reached for a sandwich instead. (To begin with, why did I have a sandwich in the car in the first place???) He looked at me and asked what I was doing. I told him that I was upset by his words and I wanted to eat something. He actually took the sandwich out of my hand, and I screamed “I just want one bite!” It was tough love on his part, but his action helped me see that my upset feelings would pass and I didn’t need to the food to calm me. The funny thing is that before this experience I didn’t think I could make it past an upsetting situation without food, and now I know I can. And so can you!

I’ve lost 5 pounds so far, and I’ve got more to go. I will keep you posted of my progress. If you would like to share your story with me or our readers, please send your name, e-mail address and 1-2 sentence description of your resource to info@surpassyourdreams.com.

II. TOP WAYS TO EAT RIGHT AND LOSE WEIGHT

1. Stop Looking For a Quick Fix
   If you want a quick fix, that's just what you'll get, one that will only work for a few quick days. You might lose five pounds in a week, but you'll gain it back, plus 5% more two weeks later. Slow is healthy, and healthy will stick.
   
   
2. Begin to write everything down before you eat it!
   Just the action of having to write it down will help you to focus on what's really going on and help to dissuade you from emotional eating. You will begin to make wiser choices with every stroke of your pen! Commit to doing this and aim to do it 100% of the time.
   
   
3. Think of one thing that you would be willing to do for the next 30 days and commit to it.
   Maybe it's going without chips at lunchtime or taking a 15 minute walk in the morning. Whatever it is, tell someone about it, or write it down. Make it a priority and do it!
   
   
4. Think before you eat.
   Ask yourself how hungry you are. How long have you felt hungry? Are you sure you're not thirsty? If you're not hungry, consider waiting awhile to eat or cutting your portion down. If you aren't hungry and have a craving for something really rich, have a small amount and savor every bite.
   
   
5. Eat what you want to eat, not what someone else tells you to eat.
   If you go on a diet, where you can only eat certain foods and find that you feel deprived, it won't be long before you'll throw in the towel and give up. Instead, eat what you like to eat, but try to find healthy versions of it, or eat smaller portions when you do "indulge".
   
   
6. Experiment with food!
   If you are a seasoned dieter, there are probably all kinds of taboo foods that you simply won't allow yourself to enjoy. Chances are, your tastes have changed somewhat. Try all kinds of foods and slowly savor each bite for texture, flavor, aroma, aftertaste and then re-determine what foods you enjoy.
   
   
7. Remember tomorrow is a new day.
   When you have a bad eating day, remember that you can start fresh. A "bad" day won't cause you to gain ten pounds. Keep the bigger picture, the week and the month, in mind and get back on track by committing to someone that you are starting fresh.
   
   
8. Be honest with yourself.
   If you decide to measure your food, then do it accurately. We aren't hurting anyone but ourselves when we aren't honest. Dishonesty also eats away at our sense of integrity and diminishes our confidence.
   
   
9. Don't weigh yourself every day.
   Decide which day you'll weigh yourself once every week or two and stick to it. Drinking just one large glass of water can add a pound to your body weight! Our weight fluctuates quite a bit, so don't panic when you see the scale jump up a pound or two. It's only when the pound or two is still there next week and the week after that that you need to acknowledge it's there to stay.
   
   
10. Get accountability and encouragement.
    Find a support group, trainer or coach. Having someone who will encourage you and help you exercise diligence, perseverance and integrity will help you tremendously.

This piece was originally submitted by Gisele Guilbert, Food Coach, who can be reached at giseleg@flash.net.

III. ARE YOU READY TO LIVE YOUR DREAMS?

Living your dreams takes courage and a belief in yourself. It also means facing and overcoming whatever obstacles come your way. If you are ready to take your life to the next level, then Personal Coaching may be right for you.

For a Free 30-minute Telephone Coaching Session, call me at (516) 432-2440, or send an e-mail to info@surpassyourdreams.com. This session will give you the opportunity to see first hand if a personal coach is right for you. My web-site is at http://www.surpassyourdreams.com.

Last month's issue was dedicated to realizing why we can't we accept ourselves as we are; and how to accept both our strengths and our weaknesses? We are great people. We have jobs, accomplished lives, people who love us, and people we love. So then, why can't we focus on the things that we have, rather than focus on what's missing?

To read this issue, as well as other past issues, check the newsletter archive list at the top of the page.

Would you like to have your newsletter, e-zine or resource listed here? Please send your name, e-mail address and 1-2 sentence description of your resource to info@surpassyourdreams.com. If I feel it will benefit my readers, I will be happy to list it here.

1. I found this great web-site that helps you lose weight. It’s called eDiets.com (http://ediets.com). You can get customized weekly meal plans and shopping lists on-line. In addition, they have online clinic meetings, weekly email tips, advice, motivation, suggestions and answers to your diet questions. It’s like having your having your own personal dietitian!

2. I am working with an awesome food coach, Jan who is helping me lose weight. She lost 100 pounds herself and she is inspiring, smart and witty. She promises that in 90days, you will have the tools to change your eating habits for life and I believe her! Jan’s web-site is at: http://www.slimchance.com

3. Tried self-help books, tapes and seminars but didn't get what you wanted? FREE five lesson class reveals why self-help works when it works, why it doesn't work when it doesn't work, and what you can do to improve the results you produce. To enroll, visit: http://www.lifechangetips.com/t.cgi/102366

4. Are you reaching for greater success AND balance? Get help by subscribing to The Business Woman's Advantage, a free, e-mail newsletter for women with entrepreneurial spirit. To subscribe send an e-mail to: bwa-request@listhost.net. Put subscribe in the body (not subject line) of the e-mail or visit the Business Woman's Advantage web-site at http://www.womansadvantage.com/bwa.

VI. GIVE THIS NEWSLETTER TO A FRIEND!

I appreciate you forwarding this newsletter to your friends and family. Anyone can subscribe to the “Surpass Your Dreams” newsletter by sending an e-mail with the word "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject line to newsletter@surpassyourdreams.com. To cancel, send an e-mail with the words "UNSUBSCRIBE" to info@surpassyourdreams.com.

Your e-mail address will be kept strictly CONFIDENTIAL and will NOT be shared with any other party or mailing list.

Have a great month!

Deborah Brown-Volkman, Author and Writer
Brian Volkman, Editor

Copyright © 2000, all rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy or distribute text from the newsletter or the content in its entirety so long as this copyright notice and full information about contacting the author (Deborah J. Brown) is attached.

MenagerieWeb