So many of our plans when we set out to make changes in health, wether it be at the New Year or at other time, seem to have a lot to do with what we determine to cut out, or to cut back! Maybe its sugar, or desserts, or carbs, or chips, or diet soda, there is usually a temptation to focus on what we WON'T be doing or eating.

But approaching the changes we want to have by shifting our focus to what we can ADD to our lives and days and plates will both 'crowd out the bad stuff', as well as help us avoid a mindset that leaves us feeling deprived. 

Today I talk through a few ideas about what kind of thing we can add to our plans, our days, and our plates that will help us see health results.

Key to success for me has been having a written plan. It starts with creating a planned time on the calendar TO plan. Then starting with the big picture of a year of goals and goal-setting, then breaking that up in to quarterly and monthly goals and plans. From there, it works best to break it down further to weekly plans (I'll talk about my favorite weekly calendar format). Then dialing in the plans to the Day by Day level. I'll describe what I put on my daily plan and what I have learned to write on it to optimize success.

This week I'm sharing my 3 top goal-setting strategies that WORKED for me in 2022, which I'm planning on utilizing to drive success for myself in 2023. 

What motivations can drive Christians in making decisions that benefit their health? Where does gluttony come in? How do we glorify God in our eating? Is it wrong to turn to food for comfort? And what are we missing out on when we do? 

Here I'll give you 12 tips--things that have worked for me--in enjoying healthier Christmas seasons.

Let's take an approach to Christmas feasting where we get to strategically enter in to celebrations while learning to exercise restraint. Let's find ways to extract the wonderful feeling of the season in new ways that we haven’t been able to appreciate before, because we were SO focused on the food and the struggle of food decisions. I'll talk about tactical physical/food strategies as well as mindset shifts to make which will support the ability to feast with joy during the festive food gatherings of the season.

What if you turned your hardest hour of the day, in terms of eating, into your most powerful hour? An hour where not only did you not overeat, but instead you flourished and fulfilled all the demands on your life within that hour with an overflow of joy. What would happen? How would your life change if you did this on a daily basis? 

Today we are going to talk about and break down what is happening in that hour to make it so challenging, and flip it upside down, creating strategies and approaches that help you show up in that part of your day and thrive. This is something that’s been helpful for me as I’ve taken this approach, and I hope it can help you as well.

I am so excited to talk about one of the KEY habits that has driven my personal success in weight loss and maintenance that has to do with this time of year. And it is gratitude! Practicing it regularly, and getting better at it has driven my success in actually enjoying healthy habits SO MUCH.

If you want to work on your health and increase success in enjoying healthier habits, you’ve GOT to approach beginning with gratitude. Gratitude is the path forward.

Perhaps you've heard that Obesity is associated with an increased risk for a number of different cancers. Why is this? What is behind the connection, and what can be done about it? Does this mean that if you can't seem to lose the extra weight you are doomed to bear all this risk, or are there specific steps you can take to mitigate your risk even if the weight loss seems to stall? Understanding the potential drivers of this association can actually help us take practical changes in our lifestyle habits, and that can likely decrease our cancer risk even if the scale doesn't budge. 

Let's do a but of a dive into the topic of insulin resistance: What is it? What is happening in the body when someone developes it? Why is is dangerous? How do I know if I have it? What can be done about it?