Online Weight Loss Coach

Life Coaching for Weight Loss - Living in the Moment

2010-01-19T15:24:00Z

Succeeding One Moment at a Time

When you live consciously in the present moment, you're free from the stresses of life. It enables you to feel calm and to think with an astounding clarity.

Living in the moment sounds easy, but it will take some effort until you get into the habit. After all, with so much going on around us, it's easy to get distracted by fears, worries, frustrations, and stress. But once you get used to it, though, you'll wonder how you could have lived any other way!

What can you do to make living in the moment your way of life?

Try these Life Coaching steps in order to gain present-moment thinking:

1. Meditate. The very point of meditation is to live in the present moment and accept things just as they are. It's a practice that you'll get better at the more you do it. To help quiet your mind, the best thing you can do is focus on your breathing and keep striving to release your thoughts with each breath you take.

2. Accept the past. You'll feel better about yourself once you learn to accept past situations. There's nothing you can do to change the past. Bringing the past into your present only clouds your present thinking and makes it harder for you to concentrate on the present moment.

Thoughts of the past will still arise, but when you learn to accept it for what it is, you'll be able to return to the present moment without regret or grief.

3. Accept the future. On the other side of the coin, you also need to accept the future. You ultimately have no idea about what's going to happen, and worrying about it won't make an ounce of difference.

How much time do you waste in a day by sitting around thinking about what you're going to do? When you stop thinking, you have more time to actually do it!

4. Be mindful. When you're mindful, you pay close attention to what you're doing in the present. You may think it's just a mundane chore, but it's important to do it with an open mind. Open up your senses to what you're doing. You might be overwhelmed with positive feelings that you didn't know existed.

5. Get in touch with nature. Take some time to get in touch with nature. You can go for a walk or just sit under a tree. There aren't many things that can open you up to the present moment like opening up to the vastness of nature.

Remember To Relax

As long as you maintain a relaxed attitude, you can achieve conscious living if you keep trying.

It may help to think of yourself and your brain as separate entities. Your brain can be thinking thoughts all over the place while your "self" watches. When you maintain the wisdom to realize that your thoughts are out of control, the self can pull you back into the present.

Of course these goals are best achieved through meditative practice, but you can also try any activity that you find relaxing if meditation isn't for you. While you're relaxing, pay attention to your breathing and try to take deep breaths. Remind yourself that, in this moment, the past and the future don't matter in the least.

After you've successfully added present moment thinking to a relaxing part of your day, it's time to spread the awareness to other times of the day. The more time you can spend in the present, the better. Live in the here and now, and enjoy a more fulfilling life!

Have a Successful Day,

Steve - Your Personal Life Coach for Online Weight Loss

The Lodge at Changing Our Weighs, LLC

2009-12-20T21:49:00Z

Online Weight Loss Coach

The Lodge at Changing Our Weighs is a weight and health conscious community interacting to support, encourage and inspire each other for a more vibrant lifestyle.

Welcome to The Lodge

http://stephenparzuchowski.com/2009/12/20/online-weight-loss-coach.aspx

How to Overcome Stagnation

2009-12-15T04:01:00Z

Do you feel like you're stuck in a rut? Are you struggling in your love life, career, friendships, or passion?

It's time to take action to fix the problem. You'll first want to identify the areas of your life that feel "off."

Take some time to reflect on what's bothering you and why.Once you know what's going on, it's easier to find a solution.

Having a Goal

It's important to have goals in all aspects of your life because it focuses your energy onto the big picture. When you have a purpose for your actions, you'll begin to see those little steps being important building blocks for your end goal. Your life won't seem so stale when you have your end goal in mind at all times.

Here are some tips for setting goals:

Make your goals attainable. If you have lofty goals, break them up into smaller pieces.
Write your goals down on paper and keep them handy.
Always state your goals in a positive fashion (i.e. "I will be free of smoke..." instead of: "I will stop smoking...")
Be as detailed as you can when planning out your goals step by step.
Fight the urge to procrastinate.

Take Action

Once you've discovered the areas of your life that need changing, and you have goals in mind, it's time to take action. When things have hit a point of stagnation there is no other choice you have but to take swift action.

Remember that you can think, plan, or worry all day long but it'll do nothing positive for your life if you don't act.

Here are some strategies to keep in mind as you put your goals into action:

1. Don't Hold Yourself Back. If you already know what's holding you back, it's time to fix the problem so you can take action. Is fear holding you back? If so,it'd be in your best interest to master your fears. A life full of stagnation because of fear will do more harm than good.

2. Be Consistent. Many people will crack down on changing their life and then drift back into a world of stagnation. Once you've started to take action, make sure it's consistent action. This is the only way you'll reach your life goals.

3. Right Now. You already have your plan in place and it's broken up into small pieces. Ask yourself what you can accomplish right now to put yourself a positive step closer toward your goal.It doesn't matter if you only have 15 minutes, there is sure to be something you can accomplish in that time period.

4. Take Time to Unwind. It's easy to get excited and eager about your new goals and dreams, but ensure you schedule some "me time" as well. You need to be able to get a good night's sleep and rejuvenate your body and mind.Otherwise, you risk physical and mental exhaustion, which will only bring you back to stagnation!

5. Take Notes. Be sure to take notes of your observations and tweak your actions along the way. Doing so will help you figure out what's working for you and what's not.

Picture Yourself

At the end of the day you should picture yourself having broken the chain of stagnation. Even if you're not quite there yet, it's important to remember that it's possible and likely when you're willing to change!

Zero Cost Ways to Relax

2009-12-14T15:37:00Z

We all need to relax every now and then. If we don't, we could end up getting stressed and even sick. However, there are many relaxation activities out there that cost a pretty penny.

What if we want to find some ways to relax without breaking the bank? There are many of them out there and it's easier than you think!

Here is a list of ideas for zero cost ways to relax:

1. Light Exercise. A great way to relax is getting some light exercise. This can mean going for a walk around the neighborhood or playing a low impact sport. Exercise has been known to help the body relax and engaging in non-intense exercise will help your mind to unwind as well.

2. Meditation. Taking up meditation is one of the most relaxing activities you can engage in for free. All you need to do is sit in silence and focus on your breath. When negative thoughts arise, acknowledge them, and then let them go. Try doing this for 30 minutes each day.

3. Take a Nap. Babies and toddlers aren't the only ones that can benefit from a nap! You may even feel relaxed and rejuvenated after a simple 15-minute snooze. You don't even need to completely fall asleep to enjoy this activity.

4. Shoot the Breeze. Go to a friend's house or talk to a friend on the phone. Chances are you have one of those friends that you can chat with as if no time has gone by since you last talked. Old friends usually provide great opportunities to talk about the good old days.

5. Listen to Music. Grab the MP3 player and lay down with some great tunes. Pick out a group of songs that you find especially relaxing. Classical and other light songs usually work best.

6. Read a Book. Go check out a new book from the local library and start reading. It may even be a fun activity to read one of your favorite books over again.

7. Take a Hot Bath. Take a hot bath or shower. If you're taking a bath, add in bubble bath soap, play some classical music, and remember to turn off your phone ringer. This is a simple way to have some peaceful time just for you.

8. Look at Old Photos. Bring out some old photos from your childhood or the photos from a fun trip you took. Remembering some of your treasured moments through photographs will make you smile and relax for sure.

9. Play Board Games. When was the last time you played your favorite board game? Dust off the old Monopoly or Scrabble, prepare some snacks, and play a few games with your family. It'll be fun for all!

10. Daydream. Allow your mind to wander and dream. Escape to where you'd like to travel one day. Think about what your life will be like in the next 5, 10, or 15 years and write these thoughts down in a journal for you to read later.

Endless Possibilities

These are just 10 simple ideas when it comes to relaxing the zero cost way. Stay creative and remember that it's okay to waste time every now and then. You can either hang around doing some self-reflection, or you can hang out with friends or family, whatever it is, do something fun!

Finding Your "Remote" Self Control

2009-04-24T03:04:00Z

Self control isn't some elusive quality that either you either have it or don't. The definition of Self-Control oddly enough is the control of one's self, or of one's own emotions, desires, actions. What researchers are finding is that self-control is essentially a mental muscle and can be improved by paying attention to what has worked and hasn't in the past. Learning from your past experiences can help you to identify places, times and thoughts that can help strengthen your self-control. Think of a time when you were out of control - what happened? What led up to that point of losing control? My money is on EMOTIONS. Conversely, what is happening when you're in control, what are you doing, thinking and saying? Odds are you're being more factual, because, feels are not facts. Ever watch a Star Trek movie/show where Capt. Kirk and crew are running around hysterical while Dr. Spock is proclaiming what they're experiencing is not logical. The same is true when you lose control, is it fact or feeling? Also, the use of an "Anchor" which may be a word, gesture or object could remind you of your inner ability to control yourself. The Boy Scouts use a gold coin that reminds them to do a good turn daily. Also, mental rehearsing a challenging situation over and over in your mind (a mental movie) of how you would like an event to play out can help you stay in control.

Along with inner strategies are external ones that are physical things you can do to strengthen your self control. Take care of your body. Getting plenty of sleep and exercise can help with better decision making and managing stress. Not allowing being too hungry will help with cravings, urges and feeling deprived. Managing your environment to be weight friendly will also, help you stay in control. Let's face it; you can't eat what's not there. Stock your refrigerator, cabinets, workspace and car with healthy snacks and food so when you’re out of control you'll also be out of junk.

When you lose control you "SLIP" from your desired goal. S.L.I.P represents Success- Losing -It's -Priority. Simple enough but, so very true. It's OK to SLIP just don't QUIT.

Have a Great and Successful Week,

-Steve