Biggest Loser ~ Health First Fitness ~ Forks, WA

I again had the honor on Sunday, February 5, to meet with about 30 women in the Biggest Loser Program at the Forks Health First Fitness. All combined, this group lost over 340 pounds in the first month! It was interesting to me that the women who released the most weight were the ones most actively involved and most closely followed my recommendations. By using self-hypnosis, reading Becoming Slender For Life, eating a plant based diet and exercising, they are effectively overcoming the “weaker reward circuitry” and find pleasure in healthy ways.

A Slender For Life™ client recently shared with me that she now starts her day with the question, “How will you feed yourself today?” So, how will you feed yourself today? Physically: Will you try to get your hit of happy through junk food and processed food or will you eat vegetables, whole grains and fruit? Mentally: Will you watch mind numbing TV or actively engage your mind in stimulating conversation or learning about some topic that interests you? Emotionally: If you are stressed, bored, angry or lonely will you lose yourself in a box of chocolates, a block of cheese or a bag of chips or share your emotions honestly and vulnerably with someone you love? Spiritually: Will you fill yourself up with a tub of ice cream or find joy by expressing gratitude for all the blessings in your life?

What do you think – do overeaters have a weaker reward circuitry? Is it that overeaters are born this way or is it that overeaters are victims of the food they eat? My hunch, it’s a combination of both. But here is the deal, we don’t have to be victims! We can change how we feed ourselves. And, hypnosis for weight loss is the perfect tool to make the changes last a life time.

You can learn hypnosis and strengthen your reward system. Discover that you have a healthy craving for vegetables. You may realize that you can’t remember the last time you had the TV on because you were too interested in feeding your brain with learning. You might find yourself having closer relationships that fill your heart and you may even discover your soul is happy and overflowing with life’s abundance.

How will you feed yourself today?
Please comment below, I’d love to hear about it.

Check out Slender For Life™ and call (206) 903-1232 or email for your free consultation.

Remember to sign up for your FREE 8-part audio course, Understanding Hypnosis, at the right side of this page NOW!

Food addiction is characterized by loss of control over eating, habituation to food, possible physical dependence on food, and negative consequences in any major function, such as health, work, intimate relationships, friendships, moral and spiritual development, or in relation to the law. Loss of control can be over the types of food chosen.

Drugs don’t become addictive until they are extracted and concentrated by modern industrial processes:

• Cocoa leaves ~ Cocaine
• Poppies ~ Opium
• Grains, fruits, potatoes distilled ~ Alcohol
• Dried tobacco ~ Nicotine

Nature                     Extracted                 Concentrated
Whole foods      >      refined/concentrated     >         Addictive?

When whole foods are processed, refined and concentrated, large quantities of them may lead some people to compulsively seek and consume them.

Much as classic drugs of abuse highjack the brain, accumulating evidence suggests that chronic consumption of refined, highly palatable foods can have a similar impact, but with weaker effects.

A healthy daily food plan is plant-based. Eating real food, food that looks like it was dug out of the earth, picked off a plant, a bush or a tree – food that looks like God made it, will naturally support your recovery from the addiction to processed food. If you can’t put the fork down, hypnosis and whole, plant-based food can help you end food addiction. Learn self hypnosis and be in complete control of the food that you eat.

Check out Seattle weight loss and Bainbridge Island weight loss.
Call (206) 903-1232 or email for your free consultation.

Remember to sign up for your FREE 8-part audio course, Understanding Hypnosis, at the right side of this page NOW!

When you lose weight do you ever feel sabotaged and that not everyone is rooting for you? Today in America, it is abnormal to be at a healthy weight. It is abnormal to eat fruits, vegetables and grains and to stop eating when your body tells you it has enough fuel. If you choose to let go of the excess pounds, you’ll likely have people around you who consciously or unconsciously try to sabotage you. The  Slender For Life™ hypnosis for weight loss program provides you self-hypnosis tools so that you can lose weight and keep it off. In my book, Becoming Slender For Life and its hypnosis CD set, I offer you ideas on how you can conquer sabotage.

Not everyone may be rooting for you

As sad as this is to imagine, not all of your friends and family may be thrilled that you are releasing weight. The reasons for this are complex, and don’t necessarily imply that you have mean-spirited people in your life. It is often inadvertent on the part of the saboteurs—they rarely realize what they are doing. This can be one of the toughest hurdles to leap, especially if the saboteurs are in your immediate circle. So if this is your reality, the first key to dealing with it is awareness. Here are some signs of diet sabotage—how many have you experienced?

• “Honey, you know I like you just the way you are.”
• “I think your love handles are cute.”
• “It’s Christmas…you can’t diet during the holidays.”
• “Just have a few bites…this is the best cake I‘ve ever tasted.”
• “You’re wasting away to nothing.”
• “What—now you’re too good for my cooking?”
• “What do you mean you’re not eating meat anymore—have you lost your mind?”
• “I wondered why you were so grumpy lately—it must be because you’re on a diet.”
• “The gym can wait…I haven’t seen you in ages.”
• “You’re doing so well on your diet—let’s go out for ice cream to celebrate.”
• “It’s too cold to go for a walk—let’s watch a movie instead.”
• “But I made this pie just for you—it’s your favorite!”
• “Why bother dieting—you know you’ll just gain it all back and then some.”
• “Oh come on, have the last cookie.”
• “Just finish up these potatoes—there aren’t enough to save for another meal.”
• “Let’s celebrate your birthday at that French restaurant you love so much…you know how you adore their chocolate tortes.”
• Then there are friends who repeatedly pass bowls of junky snack foods to you every time you come over.
• Co-workers who always have a candy bowl on their desk and bring donuts into the office once a week.
• Spouses who offer boxes of candy and other treats as gifts.
• Don’t go getting too skinny on us now.
• You look great! You don’t need to lose anymore weight.

Julie’s experience is typical. “Whenever I make an effort to improve my eating and reduce my weight, my friends, my mother and even my husband seem intent on undermining me. They bring rich foods into the house, they push desserts in front of me and tell me I don’t need to diet.”

Your weight loss program forces those around you to examine their own weight, and that may make them uncomfortable because they aren’t ready to change. Or perhaps they’ve witnessed your past weight loss failures and are simply trying to prevent another one. Or they could be simply jealous and fear that you may seek out new relationships to match your new body and improved self-image.

Whatever the cause, the answer is speaking your truth to those you experience trying to sabotage you. Let them know how you view their actions and words and request their support. It’s fair to ask your mother to fix more vegetables when you come over to eat. It’s okay to tell your friends to put the Cheetos away before you stop by. It’s reasonable to ask a co-worker to consider bringing healthier treats into work—or to at least put her donuts someplace less conspicuous. Even better—if it feels comfortable to do so, consider suggesting to your boss that the company adopt a healthy eating policy and dissuade employees from bringing in junk food. In any case, be sure to keep healthy snacks at the office so you can join in a birthday celebration—without the cake. When people try and shove food in your face, just say firmly: “No thanks—maybe later.” A conditional response will often make them go away, when a firm “No” elicits an argument. Above all, don’t be afraid to be assertive about what you need to succeed. You are the only one who gets to decide what you eat, and you need to enforce that right.

Others may need reassurances from you that you will not abandon them once you reach your target weight. Rather than nagging and pleading, be a good example for them, and some of them may well join you in your quest. Perhaps you’ll need to find new ways of participating in familiar social rituals. If you’re accustomed to going out for drinks after work with pals, you can still go—just order mineral water and a veggie plate instead of a pitcher of beer and a heap of onion rings. Or if you need to turn down food offered by friends and family, make sure they understand it’s the Boston cream pie you’re rejecting, not them.

But there’s no doubt your priorities will change as you get healthier. You may prefer going to the gym after work instead of a pub. You may want to go for a nice long run on Saturday mornings rather than go out for a big greasy brunch. You may learn to love different restaurants than the ones you’ve been used to frequenting. All these things can be cause for concern among those who are invested in your not changing. When they complain to you about your new habits, simply but firmly explain that you now place a high priority on your health, and let them know they are welcome to join you. If they insist on telling you how you should eat and what worked for them, simply smile, nod your head and say, “Thank you, but this is working for me.” Inevitably, some friends may indeed fade away from your life—but they will be the ones who are most toxic for your longterm success—so just remain clear what matters most to you, and you’ll be fine. For every potato who won’t get off the couch with you, there’s a new friend waiting who’ll love to join you on your daily walks.

Spouses can present the worst situations. A New York diet doctor studied data from more than 6,000 of his patients, and found that 70 percent of the women had difficulty eliciting support from their mates, as opposed to 5 percent of his male patients. He learned that a man often considers his wife’s diet as her problem, not his, and is unaware how his actions affect the outcome. Fears and concerns about sexual attractiveness may also be part of the mix. Communicating why you are intent on releasing your excess weight and enlisting your spouse as a partner is key. Emphasize that your motivation is better health and more time to enjoy life together—it’ll be hard to argue with that.

Remember, every time you say “yes” to something you know is not good for you, when what you really want to say is “no,” you can create passive anger within yourself. Passive anger can gnaw away at you in the form of guilt and depression, making lifestyle changes much more difficult. Until you can say “no” whenever you want to, “yes” means nothing. When others sabotage you, remember that the problem lies with them and not you. You have taken charge of your life.

If sabotage remains an ongoing issue for you, journal about it. Your reality may be that you will just have to have stronger resolve and constant clarity about your intentions. Venting about it to your journal is at least an outlet. And you are especially likely to find comfort from a support group. Just don’t give away to anyone the power to determine the fate of your body!

~Chapter 7, Becoming Slender For Life pages 213 -216

Stop looking to everyone else for support. Starting rooting for you! Hypnosis is the ultimate display of control and with self-hypnosis you can be your best cheerleader.

Purchase your copy of Becoming Slender For Life
and its hypnosis CD set now

Check out Slender For Life™ and call (206) 903-1232 or email for your free consultation.

Remember to sign up for your FREE 8-part audio course, Understanding Hypnosis, at the right side of this page NOW!

Family Involvement May Help Overweight Kids Change Habits

WebMD, January 23, 2012: Parents and grandparents can play a unique role in reversing obesity by encouraging healthy lifestyle changes in overweight children, suggests the American Heart Association. A new statement issued by the organization calls for more family involvement when treating childhood obesity. It describes specific ways parents and caregivers can be “agents of change” to support healthier behaviors in overweight and obese kids.

In many cases, the adults in a family may be the most effective change agents to help obese children attain and maintain a healthier weight. To do so, the adults may need to modify their own behavior and try some research-based strategies.

According to the AHA’s recommendations, some successful weight loss strategies that parents can use with children include:

• Identifying, as a family, specific behaviors that need change
• Setting goals and monitoring progress; clearly defining weight loss goals, such as limiting TV and computer screen time to no more than two hours a day
• Providing a home environment that encourages healthier food choices, such as having fewer tempting sweets in the home but having more fruit available
• Encouraging physical activity and being a positive role model for an active lifestyle
• Praising a child’s progress and avoiding food as a reward or punishment
• Treating “slips” as learning opportunities — a chance to make different choices the next time they happen

Read Family Involvement May Help Overweight Kids Change Habits

I love supporting families with weight loss hypnosis. My book, Becoming Slender For Life and its hypnosis CD set can help support you and your family in being agents of change. If someone in your family needs to lose weight, get the whole family involved.

Check out Slender For Life™ and call (206) 903-1232 or email for your free consultation.

Remember to sign up for your FREE 8-part audio course, Understanding Hypnosis, at the right side of this page NOW!

Are you fed up with obesity? You should be. Americans are the fattest people on earth. At a time when our nation is in a financial crisis and is in desperate need for healthcare reform we are making ourselves sicker and poorer with the food that we eat. For most of us, obesity and its related diseases like diabetes are preventable. Yes, many of us, myself included, are genetically predisposed to be overweight – but, we do have choice. We have the power to choose healthy food, to eat only when we are truly hungry and to exercise. Seattle weight loss and Bainbridge Island weight loss hypnosis clients learn the proven Slender For Life™ techniques that allow them to lose weight and keep it off.

Are Americans Getting
Fed Up With Obesity?

WebMD, January 17, 2012: The growth in the nation’s obesity rate appears to be slowing and in some groups leveling off, according to new research. Yet, the rate is still more than double the government’s goal for 2010.

The proportion of obese U.S. adults changed little in the 1960s and 1970s, but grew nearly eight percentage points between the 1976-1980 and 1988-1994 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, or NHANES.

In 2009-2010, more than 35% of men and women and nearly 17% of children and teens aged 2-19 were obese. That adds up to a total of 90.5 million obese Americans. The Healthy People 2010 goals were 15% obesity among adults and 5% obesity among children.

Using NHANES data, the researchers compared obesity rates for 2009-2010 with those for 1999-2000. An increase was seen only in men and boys, but not in women and girls. In 2009-2010, women aged 60 and over were more likely than younger women to be obese, but there was no significant difference in prevalence of obesity in men by age.

Some researchers have suggested that 30% of U.S. youth will be obese by 2030, but, the authors write, their data “suggest that the rapid increases in obesity prevalence seen in the 1980s and 1990s have not continued in this decade.”

So have Americans finally begun to heed health messages about the risks of obesity?

Read Are Americans Getting Fed Up With Obesity?

Obesity and its related diseases are not only disabling and have a profound impact on our quality of life, but they also create an impossible financial health service burden for any country. The medical care costs of obesity in the United States are a staggering $147 billion per year. However, if future projections become reality, by 2030, obesity-related conditions will cost the U.S. health care system up to an extra $66 billion each year

We can change this. We can stop the preventable epidemic of obesity. How? With healthcare reform! Each of us must individually take responsibility for our own health care. Each of us must be responsible for what we eat, how much we eat and we each must be responsible for our weight. No more blaming our genes or McDonald’s or the processed food manufacturers. No one is forcing you to eat these obesogenic foods. You do have a choice.

Hypnosis for weight loss can help end your cravings and desires for the unhealthy fattening food and help you create the desire for healthy plant-based food and for exercise. My book, Becoming Slender For Life and it’s hypnosis CD set provide you with the weight loss hypnosis tools so that you can lose weight and keep it off. If you are fed up with obesity and ready to take action for your health, discover how Slender For Life™ can support you.

Check out Seattle weight loss and Bainbridge Island weight loss.
Call (206) 903-1232 or email for your free consultation.

Remember to sign up for your FREE 8-part audio course, Understanding Hypnosis, at the right side of this page NOW!

Does Junk Food in Schools Matter?

WebMD Health News, January 18, 2012: Junk food sales in schools, long blamed for contributing to childhood obesity, do not make a difference overall in the weight of middle school students, according to a new study. “What we found basically is, there is no relationship between going to a middle school that sells junk food and gaining weight,” says researcher Jennifer Van Hook, PhD, professor of sociology and demography at Penn State University.

The message, she stresses, is not that junk food is OK, but that schools are probably not the main source of kids’ junk food intake. The study is published in the Sociology of Education. However, obesity experts who reviewed the findings for WebMD say that kids need a consistent message about healthy eating.

Public health experts have been concerned about junk food in schools for many years. Obesity now affects 17% of U.S. children and teens ages 2-19, according to the CDC. Advocacy groups have directed efforts at getting junk food out of schools. Some previous studies have found a link between junk food sales in schools and children’s weight, although Van Hook says the studies were small and not conclusive. One scientifically sound study, she says, did show a link between the availability of junk food in school and weight gain in high school students.

Children in schools with junk food sales did weigh a bit more by eighth grade than the kids in schools without. However, the difference was slight and not significant from a statistical point of view, Van Hook says. Van Hook says she is not against efforts to rid schools of junk food. However, she says her study finding suggested that ”we can’t count on schools to solve the problem of childhood obesity.” The school setting and exposure to junk food, she says, may represent only a small part of the problem.

Efforts directed only at removing junk food from schools may be misdirected, Van Hook tells WebMD. Those efforts should be extended to the community and to the home. Parents can educate children about healthy diets early, she says. Habits are formed early and may also affect a child’s response to junk food later.

“It makes sense to think that if junk food is around, kids will eat it, and there is plenty of evidence to back that up,” Nestle says. “Junk food has no place in schools,” she says. “Schools set an example for what kids should eat.”

Kids need a consistent message about healthy eating, agrees Ginny Ehrlich, MPH, the CEO of Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which advocates for healthier food choices in schools. Kids are the first to point out the hypocrisy of learning about healthy foods in nutrition class and then being exposed to junk foods at school, she tells WebMD.

”In school environments, where kids spend probably the most time next to being at home, it’s really important that those messages about healthy eating and physical activity are reinforced and promoted,” she says.

Read Does Junk Food in Schools Matter?

Bottom line, I think that kids matter. There is no way in good conscious that I can ignore junk food in schools. Junk food in schools is wrong. Yes, I know, kids can walk a block to Safeway or to the Mini-Mart and get junk food. That doesn’t mean that we have to tell them its OK that they eat crap by placing it in our schools. It is unconscionable to me that we are funding school activities like band and sports through the sale of junk food and with the liquid candy soda machines.

Standup and support our kids. Tell your school board that you want junk food out of the schools and yes, support your schools with your money. We cannot afford to have a generation of poorly educated fat kids.

Parents, contact me and find out how your family can learn weight loss hypnosis.

Read Curb Childhood Obesity ~ Get “Junk” Food Out of U.S. Schools

Check out Seattle weight loss and Bainbridge Island weight loss.
Call (206) 903-1232 or email for your free consultation.

Remember to sign up for your FREE 8-part audio course, Understanding Hypnosis, at the right side of this page NOW!