http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/health/women/dieting-its-not-just-for-women-anymore.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/women/dieting-its-not-just-for-women-anymore.html Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500
In my experience, women usually blame themselves for their lack of "success" at dieting. They bemoan their weakness and their lack of willpower. The consensus is that any diet would work if they just had the intestinal fortitude to stick with it.

On the other hand, these men blame the diet. They were quite sure that losing weight would be no problem if they could just figure out which diet is the one that works! They even bragged about their own strength in the face of temptation, one man offering up as evidence his ability to stop smoking cold turkey with no help other than his own determination.

So they argued low-fat, low-calorie, low-carb, NO-carb, exercise vs. no exercise. They tossed around the results of studies and experiments. The conversation got VERY heated as the data and statistics flew!
After several days of this, it appears that the tempers have cooled, at least for the time being. And what is the final consensus? There really isn't one. Yes, we know a lot of scientific facts. But we don't have an answer to the question, "How does one safely and permanently lose weight?"

In the many decades that scientists have been studying obesity, there has been an incredible amount of knowledge uncovered. It seems that we know a lot about how and why the body creates and holds onto fat. There are also lots of theories about what it would take to force the body to let go of that hard-won store of precious fat. But still, 95% of all weight loss attempts end in failure. Even the tremendously risky gastric by-pass surgery has a certain percentage of patients that regain the lost weight.

I imagine that you're thoroughly depressed right about now, so let me leave you on a positive note. Until science finds the answer to the question of how to safely and permanently lose weight, you can still live a healthy and happy life. If you're fed up with the constant barrage of nagging and whining about weight loss, you can opt out of the hysteria and come to a place of peace with your body and with food.
You can become an intuitive eater - learning to eat when you're hungry and stop when you're satisfied, and never go on another diet again.

You can learn to welcome joyful activity back into your life so you can go out and play instead of trying to make yourself spend another boring hour on a treadmill.
You can make friends with your body and drop all the negative judgments that society heaps on us.
Every man, woman and child deserves to be accepted and loved just as he/she is. If you're ready to make your way back to a life of self-love and nurture, visit GenuineYou Coaching today for a free coaching call and find out how coaching can help you live your best life!

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JoLaine Jones is a Wellness Life Coach whose passion is helping women love their bodies and love their lives. Find out more at GenuineYou Coaching

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/women/chocoholic-or-chocophobic.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/women/chocoholic-or-chocophobic.html Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600 February 2008 - Chocoholic or Chocophobic?

Valentine's day is approaching and I already hear the moans of pleasure AND guilt over chocolate. There is no other food that can tie us into knots quite like chocolate can! I remember reading a letter to Dear Abby in which a woman was absolutely furious with her husband for giving her chocolates for Valentines Day! She just knew that he had done it maliciously in order to make her stray from her diet. "He knows I can't resist chocolate!" she said.

Even if you don't have a significant other proffering a red satin box, chocolate is everywhere, especially at this time of year. When your office mate brings in the huge box her new boyfriend gave her (partly to share and partly to gloat ;-)) the guilt talk begins:

Oh, I really shouldn't, but . . .

Well, just one. It is Valentine's after all.

I'll make up for it by spending an extra hour on my treadmill tonight!

For some people, the "taboo" food may be ice cream (the double whammy - CHOCOLATE ice cream!!) or hot Krispy Kreme donuts (with CHOCOLATE icing!), but most people in this culture have some food about which they feel supremely conflicted. You love it SO much that you absolutely cannot control yourself around it. Most people react by trying to keep chocolate out of their sight as much as possible.

Even with recent studies telling us that chocolate contains antioxidants and other healthful ingredients, we can't seem to forget that it also contains loads of fat and calories! Even if it is good for our heart, we can't bear to think what its going to do to our hips.

How would your life change if you could relax and enjoy chocolate, or any of your other taboo foods, anytime you wanted it? Here are some things to remember:

When you judge chocolate, or any other food, to be taboo, it just becomes that much more alluring. Tell yourself that you can have chocolate any time you really want it - and really mean it! At first, you'll be insatiable, but you'll eventually figure out that you don't have to eat the whole box tonight. If I can truly have it anytime I want it, I can save the rest for another time.

Hold out for the good stuff. When you want chocolate, buy really fine chocolate. If someone is passing around a Whitman's sampler, the chocolate snob will sniff and say "no thanks."

When you eat chocolate, make an event out of it. Turn off the tv and the cell phone, brew yourself a cup of tea and choose the most beautiful piece in the box. Sit somewhere peaceful and savor every morsel. See how long you can make it last.

Keep really fine chocolate around you at all times. This sounds crazy, but its true. The scarcer it is, the more you will yearn for it. The more abundant it is, the more you can relax and know that its there anytime you want it and you don't have to obsess about it any more. Of course this state of peaceful chocolate nirvana doesn't happen overnight, but it can be achieved.

Chocolate is truly and utterly delicious, but it is not all-powerful. You do not have to give over your power to this little chunk of candy. You are the queen of your destiny and powerful beyond imagining! Pass the Godiva!



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JoLaine Jones is a Wellness Life Coach whose passion is helping women love their bodies and love their lives! Find out more at GenuineYou

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/women/new-years-resolutions-no-joke.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/women/new-years-resolutions-no-joke.html Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600 New Year's resolutions are just a joke for most of us. We've made - and broken - so many that we resort to making a joke of it to keep from crying! But it is possible to make a resolution that will make a positive change in your life, and is one you will keep.
The first step is to find a resolution you want to make rather than one you think you ought to make. Most of the common resolutions - lose weight, exercise more, stop smoking, are things that we've been told that we should do. If the resolution is not in alignment with your own deepest desires, it is doomed to fail.
As a Wellness Life Coach, one of the first things I do with a new client is to help her get really clear about what she wants. She may come to me saying that she wants to lose 35 pounds and spend at least 30 minute a day on her treadmill, but soon it becomes clear that what she really wants is to end an abusive relationship, or finish her degree, or find her life's purpose. In the process of reaching her heart's desire, she may find that she is more interested in taking care of her body, but taking care of her heart must come first.
How can you tell if your resolution is from the heart? Here is one process that can help:
Take a sheet of paper and draw a big plus sign on it, dividing the paper into four quadrants. Across the top of the page, write your resolution, for example "I will stick to my diet." Now, write "Current Pain" in the upper left quadrant. In this section of the paper list everything that pains you about the current situation. You may list things like: "I look disgusting." "there are no nice clothes in my size." "My spouse hassles me about my weight." "I will die young." etc. Now, in the bottom right quadrant, write "Future Gain" and list all the benefits of reaching your goal. You might say things like: "I will feel beautiful." "I can wear great clothes." "My spouse will love me." "I will be healthy." You notice that the Future Gains are pretty much the opposite of the Current Pains. When we think about changing something in our lives, we think about what we hate about how life is now and how wonderful life is going to be when this thing changes. But that isn't the whole picture.
To understand if you want to change something, you have to look at the other two quadrants on this paper. In the upper right quadrant write "Current Gain." How does it benefit you to not change your life? In the bottom left quadrant, write "Future Pain" and list everything it will cost you to make this happen. These are often harder to find, but once you get started, they will come pouring out. The listings in these two quadrants will often reveal what your heart really wants. Maybe what you really want is to make peace with your body. A new adventure in self-love and learning to eat when you're hungry, stop when you're satisfied and deal with emotions in ways other than eating, is a much more positive resolution than to put yourself on another diet. That is a resolution that you can keep, because it is nurturing, not punitive.
One definition of insanity is "doing the same things while expecting different results." So this year, don't do the same thing. Do something different and get positive results!

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JoLaine Jones is a Wellness Life Coach helping women love their bodies and love their lives! Find out more about JoLaine at GenuineYou

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/women/the-somday-miracle.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/women/the-somday-miracle.html Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600 How do you complete this sentence? Someday, when____________, I'll _______________.
Someday, when I win the lottery, I'm going to travel to exotic places. Someday, when my children are grown, I'm going to go back to college and finish my degree. Someday, when I retire, I'm going to slow down and relax. Someday, when I'm thin, I'll love my body and buy myself beautiful clothes. Someday, when I lose 50 pounds, I am going to find my soul mate and then I will be loved. Someday . . .
We often tie our happiness onto the kite string of "Someday." Someday, a miracle will occur and all our dreams will come true. The trouble is that Someday doesn't exist. There is only Today. And a string of todays lived with no intention will only result in a tomorrow that looks nothing like your dream.
There is only one miracle that has to occur. That miracle is when you come to realize that you can have what you want in life now. Your unique purpose in life is only expressed when you are willing to acknowledge and honor your dreams. The barriers that you believe are standing in your way are illusions. There are many people who travel to exotic places with very little money. There are plenty of working parents going back to college. There are busy top executives who understand that being able to slow down and relax increases their productivity. There are people of all shapes and sizes who love themselves unconditionally.
Look back at the statement you completed above. What are your dreams and what are you waiting for? What is one thing you can do in the next week that will take you one step closer to realizing your dream? Check out volunteer opportunities in Indonesia. Send for a college catalogue. Take a meditation class. Write a letter to your body thanking it for all it does for you. Don't let your dreams become your regrets.
Contact JoLaine to schedule your FREE coaching call and find out how you can make those dreams come true!

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JoLaine Jones is a Wellness Life Coach working with women who have struggled with weight loss and are ready to love their bodies and love their lives. Visit GenuineYou or Contact JoLaine

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/women/are-the-sisters-happy.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/women/are-the-sisters-happy.html Sun, 04 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500 Trish's sister has been living in Brazil for many years and is teaching in a school there. Trish was able to go to the end-of-school talent show where all the children, ages 5-18, performed for friends and family. Trish was amazed that not a single child was shy and embarrassed. Every child was confident in his or her worthiness of the thunderous applause that roared from the audience for every performer.
The day after our long conversation about Brazil, Trish went to a store here in the United States and tried on a dress she was interested in. Trish asked the sales clerk (who was Latina) what she thought of the dress. The woman smiled and asked "Are the sisters happy?" Trish, confused, asked what she meant. The woman cupped her hands under her breasts with a grin and said "The sisters! Are they happy?"
What a wonderful way to judge whether or not a garment is right for you! Is your body happy in it? How often do you buy a garment because you think it will make you look thinner, or because it is on sale, or because its the style that the fashion magazines are touting right now? How would your life be different if you made a commitment to wear only clothes that your body loves! Clothes that fit, are comfortable, are pleasing colors, textures and fabrics. Clothes that you love so much that you can't wait to wear them. What percentage of the clothes, underwear, shoes that you own do you truly LOVE LOVE LOVE? Try this - try on some of your clothes in a room without a mirror. With no regard to how you look, ask yourself how you feel. What do you want to do with the clothes that don't feel wonderful? How would your relationship with you body change if you got rid of all those clothes?
If you're ready to take the next step in nurturing yourself to your healthiest and happiest life, contact JoLaine now for your first FREE coaching call.

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JoLaine Jones is a Wellness Life Coach helping women love their bodies and love their lives. Find out more at GenuineYou. Contact JoLaine

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/travel/wandering-lost-in-the-biltmore-house.html http://www.articletrader.com/travel/wandering-lost-in-the-biltmore-house.html Sun, 04 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500 It truly was fabulous, and HUGE! But before we reached the end of the tour, I had had enough. "Enough bedrooms! Enough!" I wanted to scream. The velvet ropes on brass posts kept us moving along the proscribed path. I thought about faking an illness so the guards would escort me out.
I was not the only one fed up. A group in front of us had several children with them. Why anyone would think children would enjoy this was beyond me, but here they were! The children were whining and fussing to get out of there. They wanted a nap, they wanted to run and stretch their legs, they wanted a bathroom. The adults were becoming pretty frazzled themselves and self-conscious that the other visitors were giving them dirty looks.
One woman was dispensing M&Ms to the children to shush them. It wasn't working. She was getting desperate. One boy was screaming at the top of his lungs. When the woman tried to put a candy in his mouth, he clenched his lips and continued to wail. She tried to shove the candy between his lips. Finally, through clenched teeth, with both his little hands balled up into fists, he screamed "I DON'T WANT THAT!"
That image has become seared into my brain. How often do you give yourself food when what you really want and need is something else altogether? Is your body screaming "I DON'T WANT THAT! Are you listening well enough to hear it? On a scale of 1-10, how genuine and honest is your relationship with your body? Are you willing to ask the question - "What is it that I truly want?" Do you want a hug? a nap? to get out of the office? a new job or career? out of an abusive relationship? Are you willing to give yourself what you need and want once you figure it out?
If you want to get in touch with what your body is telling you contact JoLaine today for a FREE introductory coaching session. Find out how coaching can help you recognize and embrace the unique and powerful GenuineYou.

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JoLaine Jones is a Wellness Life Coach helping women love their bodies and love their lives. Find out more at GenuineYou.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/women/if-these-thighs-could-talk.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/women/if-these-thighs-could-talk.html Fri, 02 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500 Amy is the mother of 13-year-old Emily. Just like her mother and grandmother, Emily is "pudgy." Amy knows the horror of being the fat girl in High School and doesn't want Emily to have to go through that terrible, self-esteem destroying experience. She tries to help Emily by keeping snacks out of the house and preparing low-fat meals. She is very careful to not mention appearance, but centers all weight-loss talk around health.

One Saturday morning as she is preparing breakfast for Emily (1/2 grapefruit and Special K with skim milk), she finds a cookie bag and an ice cream carton in the trash can. She remembers seeing Emily sneak up the stairs to her room with a grocery bag under her arm last night. Amy's emotions take over and she storms up the stairs and throws open the door to Emily's room.

"Young lady, have you no self-control?! Do you want to look like a pig? You will never have any friends or get a date if you don't lose that disgusting flab! You are going to get on that treadmill (she points to the dusty machine in the corner that is covered with clothing) and you're not getting off until the meter says you've burned 1000 calories." Amy leaves the room, slamming the door behind her and stands gasping for breath in the hallway as the tears run down her plump cheeks.

Of course, Amy's "strategy" isn't going to be very effective. Emily is well aware that society does not approve of her. She was also well aware that her mother didn't approve of her, even before Amy "blew up!" Though the strategy isn't effective, its understandable given our society's current obsession with fat.

All of the terrible things that Amy said to Emily, are things that I've heard women say ABOUT THEMSELVES. If it would be damaging to say those things to your 13-year-old daughter, isn't it just as damaging to say those things to yourself?

Do this: Stand naked in front of a mirror (I can already hear the groaning! If this is painful for you, what does that tell you? If you weren't even willing to look at your 13-year-old daughter, what message would that send her?) Stand naked in front of a mirror and write down all the things you typically say about your body - flabby thighs, cellulite, fat belly, saggy breasts, stretch marks, wrinkles, disgusting, whatever it is. Say it all, write it all down, spill your guts all over the paper.

When you've exhausted everything you want to say to your body, put the pen in your OTHER hand (your non-dominant hand) and allow your body to respond. If your thighs could reply to you what would they say? If your belly could talk, what would it tell you? Your breasts, your wrinkles, your cellulite, give them a voice. Is your body ashamed? Is it angry? Using your non-dominant hand will allow your GenuineYou to express herself. Have a conversation with yourself and see what shifts in your attitudes.

If you're ready to create a healthier and happier relationship with your body, contact JoLaine now for a FREE coaching call and find out how GenuineYou coaching can change your life!

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JoLaine Jones is a Wellness Life Coach, helping women love their bodies and love their lives! Find out more at GenuineYou. contact JoLaine

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/fitness/welcome-to-the-playground.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/fitness/welcome-to-the-playground.html Sat, 06 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500 Welcome to the Play Ground
Go to your neighborhood park and watch the children play. Are the children counting calories burned? Are they checking their heart rate? Are they repeating the same activity over and over again? Are they checking their watches to see how much longer they have to keep this up?
Despite decades of information from our health care providers, despite nagging and begging, despite Nike commercials, most people in this country do not exercise regularly. Can we look to the children for answers?
The children on the playground are not there because they disapprove of the way they currently look and are trying to change that. They are not there because they have to work off that birthday cake they had at their friend's party. They are not there because being fat is the most horrible thing that anyone can be in this culture!
At least for the time being, the children are there because they are exulting in their body's miraculous abilities. They are there because they love to move and climb and run and jump and see what they are capable of. They are there to relate to their friends, to feel the sun on their shoulders and the mud between their toes. They are there because they are glad to be alive.
Now watch the adults exercising. No wonder most of us don't want to do that! Going around and around the same old track, wired up to equipment to let them know their "progress," headphones clamped down over their ears to keep their minds off this monotonous activity. Are they there because they are glad to be alive or because they are ashamed of their bodies?! (Or at least to keep from being ashamed of their bodies!)
Let me clarify that there are indeed adults who are enjoying themselves as they exercise. And if you are enjoying your activity and have no resistance to going to the gym, going for a run or a swim or a bike ride, then good for you! BUT, if you have been trying to make yourself exercise for years, starting one exercise program after another, only to quit them in disgust at your lack of ability to become the culturally accepted thin and muscled symbol of health that has been sold to us, try this: STOP EXERCISING! Stop it right now. Go out and play. Kick a ball - ride a bike - go dancing - throw a frisbee - walk the dog. Stop counting laps, throw away your pedometer, stick your headphones in a drawer for some other time. Once you shed your negative attitudes about physical activity by learning to play again, then any activity you participate in can become play. You can play at the gym as well as you can at the park or on the dance floor.
At what point do children today think that they must stop playing and begin exercising? Are they any more likely than the adults to stick with exercise programs? Maybe, just maybe, if we adults can drop the "exercise think" that consistently has not worked for the most of us for many decades now, we can save ourselves and our children.
If you would like to shift to a more positive way of thinking about exercise and physical activity, visit GenuineYou for your first FREE coaching session and - welcome to the play ground!!

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JoLaine Jones is a Wellness Life Coach specializing in helping women love their bodies and love their lives. GenuineYou

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>