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Readers Tips
For Weight Loss
I am honored to share with
you some of the fabulous tips and comments sent
in by you, Susan's wonderful readers. First, this
excellent tip from Beatrix:
I'm a chef at a Yoga Retreat Center
in Santa Barbara and I also work with people who
want to let go of weight and change to a healthier
lifestyle. One thing I talk about in the beginning
is how we think has a great effect on us. In my
work I have changed the term "losing weight" to
"letting go of weight." We all have learned in our
childhood that when we lose something we have to
find it again. So we are determined to go look for
the lost thing- what ever it is. Our minds are set
to find what we have lost I found that this term"
letting go of weight" is empowering because when
you let go of something, you decide you don't need
anymore.
Beatrix a German living in CA
I am taking Beatrix's advice
and retraining myself to "let go." Here's another
reader who writes about letting go:
As you shed those pounds, now is
the time to shed the other toxic weight in your
life - people. When you go through low periods in
life, you have the tendency to align with people
in similar situations. It's a way of gaining support.
However, those people keep you where you are in
spirit and development. Yes, and we rationalize
their presence. List who these people are in your
life, wish them the best and LET GO! Spend less
and less time talking to them, visiting them, etc.
Let go, enter the next realm of your growth. Let
your weight loss be the first step in claiming power
and control of you. Your journey is not about the
weight, but gaining your joy, and your life back.
Marian Georgia
Marian has definitely hit
on something with her idea that now is also the
time to let go of toxic people. And as so often
happens with insight like Marian's - and Susan's
astrological forecasts - I hear it and realize it's
already been happening, I just needed someone to
point it out to me, and to let me know I'm on the
right path.
Another reader advises meditation,
visualization, and reinforcing self-love to help
the fat go away:
Another thing that helped in amazing
ways was meditating every single day and VISUALIZING
the fat melting off my body, revealing the more
authentic me underneath. This really works! And
also gazing into my own eyes in the mirror every
day regardless of loss, gain, cheating, slips or
doing really well -- and telling myself I am beautiful
and healthy and thin, even if I don't think that's
exactly what I see in the mirror or may feel like
on a given day. The subconscious hears it and is
given permission to let go of the weight and come
out & play!
Stephanie Waterbury, CT
Stephanie also had a lot
to say about food allergies - particularly wheat
and sugar - which I'll be checking into. Another
reader was passionate about educating women to the
myriad reasons other than overeating that contribute
to obesity:
Phoenix should also have her hormones
checked as there are several conditions which cause
excessive weight gain and have very little to do
with what one eats or does in terms of exercise.
There were 60 million women presumably diagnosed,
with excess cortisol levels. Excess cortisol is
frequently caused by pituitary tumors which impact
the ACTH producing area of the pituitary, or which
affect the adrenals or even appear in the lungs.
Cris
I was surprised at the large number
of letters from Pisces readers' either they're better
at dieting than everybody else, or they're just
more open to passing on their tips to others. Also,
the number of readers from the UK who are interested
in Zone Gourmet (Ed Fasano, founder of Zone Gourmet,
are you listening?)
Two readers expressed concern
over some of the "side" effects of losing a lot
of weight:
The hardest thing of all is seeing
yourself as a thin person. The biggest shock I had
in my life was seeing myself reflected in a store
window and not recognizing myself as that thin woman
I was seeing.
Joanna Capricorn
I just want to tell Phoenix to be
ready for lots of looks when she takes off all the
weight. She'll have to prepare herself for attention
she did not get at a greater weight. For me, this
was a bit scary, although I was younger and less
comfortable with myself than I am now. She might
also face unconscious sabotage from anyone near
to her who can't deal with her success.
Elizabeth
Joanna's comments really hit me, but
for me the problem has been the reverse. I've been
shocked by my reflection the whole time I've been
fat: every time I see myself in the mirror, I can't
believe I'm that fat person looking back at meƒ
I just don't see myself as fat. Now that I've lost
some weight (I mean, now that I've let go of some
weight) I'm finally starting to recognize the person
looking back at me. Elizabeth's comments about sabotage
are so true! Whether it's telling me my goal weight
is unrealistic, or that maybe I should keep a certain
piece of fat clothing ïjust in case,' it's amazing
how many people will say things that really undermine
what I'm trying to do (of course, I'm an eternal
optimist, so I still believe they mean wellƒ what
was that about letting go of toxic people?!?) As
to becoming an attention-getter, I'm not sure how
I feel about the whole concept, but I think Elizabeth
was good to send me a heads-up about it so I can
start considering how I'm going to respond. On one
hand, I've been widowed for over five years and
haven't been on a date yet (and I do think it might
be fun). On the other hand, I'm a full-time, pre-veterinary,
dual major, college student, working on becoming
a published author, and I don't particularly want
to be distracted from my goals. I guess I'll cross
that bridge if and when I come to it!
In a similar vein, Anne
suggests I focus on the emotional side of overeating:
I am a holistic psychotherapist,
living in Boulder Colorado. One main focus in my
Body-Mind approach is to help my clients to unravel
into the root of the issues they are facing. Eradicating
habits from the body and mind is a very powerful
means to living a healthier, more fulfilled life.
Patterns such as weight issues, fatigue, stress,
muscle pain and other physical ailments are all
an invitation to find a deeper relationship with
the self, humanity and Existence. You have already
started to change from the outside which is exciting!
You also have the potential to change from the inside
out which will eradicate weight issues completely
and keep excess weight off for good. My thoughts
for you would be to focus as much on the emotional
attachment to food as diet and exercise. What is
food a substitute for in your life? What are you
truly hungry for? Love? Protection? Cherishing?
Sometimes it is a process in itself just to discover
what it is we really want. Once we do, it is the
deepest form of healing to give this quality of
life to ourselves. And then, physical symptoms such
as overeating or weight gain become a pattern of
the past.
Anne Boulder, CO
Some of my best diet tips
came from a Libra reader:
I have couple of tricks and tips
that have worked for me and I hope can work for
you: 1. Learn to love salad! I am sorta lazy (typical
Libra trait) and hated salad only because of all
the washing chopping prep that it takes. I buy pre-washed
and bagged mixed greens and cherry tomatoes. I also
have a LARGE variety of low fat and nonfat salad
dressings. I can have a tasty salad in less time
than it takes to order a Big Mac. 2. Get rid of
any food that is unhealthy. If it's not in your
house, you can't eat it when you have a craving,
so you're safe at night when the cravings kick in.
3. Have food on hand that is good for you to snack
on. I am a notorious snacker. After dinner, I usually
watch tv to wind down from the day. I have dried
fruit, frozen fruit bars, nuts, trail mix and surer
free hot chocolate at home for my snacks. At work,
when I CRAVE a doughnut, I eat instant oatmeal instead.
It's sweet warm and delish! 5. Find something to
do with your hands. Again for my evenings in front
of the TV, I took up crocheting and made scarves
for my nieces and nephews for Christmas, if my hands
are busy crocheting, they can't stuff food into
my mouth at the same time! 4. Exercise, Exercise,
Exercise, Exercise. I can't stress this one enough.
As soon as I get home from work, I change into my
gym clothes AUTOMATICALLY. It seems once you're
in the clothes, you're half way there and have no
reason NOT to go to the gym. I also bought a BUNCH
of really cute workout out fits (again, we Libras
like to look good!) so I am excited about changing
into a cute outfit to go out. 5. When all else fails,
have a mantra. Write down all of the reasons WHY
you are losing this weight. Whenever you have a
craving that seems unstoppable, remind yourself
WHY you are doing this. My favorite one is "Nothing
TASTES as good as thin FEELS" 6. Lastly, allow yourself
to slip-up. If chocolate cake is haunting your dreams,
have a small piece of the best kind of cake you
can find and savor every bite. Life is a compromise
and you can't live FOREVER without chocolate! (at
least I can't)
Janeen
I have received so many
wonderful letters from Susan's dear readers - I
only regret I don't have time to thank each of you
personally. Please keep writing, so I can share
your tips with other readers; together we're forming
a network of support for like-minded people ready
to "let go" of unwanted pounds that is truly reaching
around the globe. You are awesome and inspiring!
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