The reason it is so difficult for us to change is that we focus too much on the microcosmic steps, or the “program,” and not enough on changing the perspective that landed us where we are in the first place. Deep and true changes come from the inside out, not the other way around.

~ Baron Baptiste, Journey Into Power

This is the second half of the STOP, DROP & ROLL class, but it stands on its own, too.

In honor of George Washington’s actual birthday, STOP lying to yourself!
DROP the pretense that you don’t care about yourself.
ROLL out a new perspective on your life and your health.

If you have trouble staying true to your inTENtions, or find yourself constantly rebelling against what you want for yourself, join now and learn to fight self-sabotage.

These five days could change your life.

Olympic athletes have a goal to be faster, higher, and stronger in their sport. As we’ve been watching the Olympics, we’ve noticed a couple of things about the athletes.

First, Olympic athletes have really impressive goals for themselves. They’ve set the bar really high – and they’ve trained for years (years!) to make that goal achievable.

• Don’t give up too easily – good things are worth the effort and the time you put into them.
• Practice a lot. Then practice more.
• Training and conditioning are not optional. Just because you’re not a weight-lifter doesn’t mean you can avoid lifting weights. Speed requires strength and flexibility. Coordination requires strength and flexibility. Aging gracefully and healthfully requires strength and flexibility.

Second, when Olympic athletes fall down, they get back up. Unless something is broken – and they take some really, really scary-hard spills on those mountains and ice rinks – they get up and finish.

• You cannot succeed without continuing to try.
• There are a lot of falls on the way to success.
• Even when you’re at the top of your game, you can make a mistake. No one is perfect and it’s not the end of the world. What happens after that mistake is more important than the mistake itself.

Third, the environment is part of the challenge. If the conditions suck, Olympic athletes don’t let that get in the way – they compete differently.

• When you get down that mountain in the shortest amount of time, you have not only beaten the other athletes, you’ve beaten the mountain.
• Don’t play the victim. Take responsibility for your decisions. Even though you’d like to blame something external for holding you back, it’s really all on you. Own up to your mistake or bad decision, learn from it, and move on.
• Conditions vary so have a backup plan. For everything.

Finally, when the first try doesn’t work out – or sometimes even when it does (we’re looking at you, Shaun White) – Olympic athletes put even more effort into the second try.

• Don’t allow one mistake or one failure define who you are. Fight back, because that’s the way to win.
• Don’t let one success be the end of the road. Set another goal. Raise the bar. Become better.
• Never, ever quit. You set those goals. Maintain your personal integrity and keep striving for them. If you need to set intermediate goals, that’s great – measure your progress, work up to the big goal – but do not quit on yourself.

Faster. Higher. Stronger.
That’s you.

If you need a fresh start, this is a good week for it.

The Chinese New Year started on Sunday – it’s the year of the tiger. While the traditional association is for people born during this year, there are a few Tiger characteristics that you may want to adopt.

• Brave, courageous * try something new; be fearless; take risks
• Hunter * pursue your goals; don’t let anything stand in the way of success
• Competitive * challenge yourself
• Leader * take control of your life

President’s Day was on Monday – celebrating both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Both of these men managed to overcome a lot of failures before they were successful. Don’t let the past stand in the way of your future!

Lent starts today – six weeks of spiritual preparation for Easter. Take stock of where you are, and where you want to be. If you need to make changes, do it now – don’t put it off.

• “Give up” something you enjoy * some Christians give up something they enjoy for Lent (chocolate, soda, wine, etc) as an act of sacrifice.
• Add a daily habit * some Christians add a spiritual habit (prayer, spiritual reading, etc).

Is there a habit you need to drop or add to your life? This could be a good time to do that – it doesn’t have to be connected to religion. Give up sugar for 6 weeks, or exercise for 30 minutes a day for 6 weeks.

Oh, and there’s a budget bonus for people who eat fish – it’s probably on sale for the next 6 weeks because of Lent. If you buy fish to keep in the freezer, ask them to wrap it appropriately at the store – in the portions you want, in plastic and then in freezer paper.

Go for a new beginning this week – a fresh start. Your inTENtions are still within reach, if you’re willing to make a commitment to them.

Class starts tomorrow!

Members look for an email in your inbox.

Not a member? Join now and take the Stop, Drop & Roll class on emotional eating and self-sabotage.

***DATE CHANGE IN WEEK 1***
Week 1 * Tuesday, February 16 through Saturday, February 20 * Emotional Eating
Week 2 * Monday, February 22 through Friday, February 26 * Self-Sabotage

Still a 10-day class! Still focused on learning to stop these negative thought patterns, drop the behaviors, and roll with all that life brings with gusto!

Sign up now for this all-new, exclusive class at Marilu.com!

Do you head for the fridge when you get angry or frustrated?
Is the vending machine your BFF at work?
If you’re shopping, and nothing fits right, do you head for the Food Court?
Is every celebration defined by food?
Are you afraid to look sexy?

Emotional eating and self-sabotage are two of the most common causes for being overweight and unhealthy. Come face-to-face with what’s holding you back from meeting your inTENtions in our next online class.

***DATE CHANGE IN WEEK 1***
Week 1 * Tuesday, February 16 through Saturday, February 20 * Emotional Eating
Week 2 * Monday, February 22 through Friday, February 26 * Self-Sabotage

Coach Heather and Coach Kecia will teach you how to STOP the emotional eating and self-sabotage, DROP the triggers that cause it, and ROLL with the punches that your life brings. You can put out the fires that threaten your health goals.

Sign up now for this all-new, exclusive class at Marilu.com!

… with a healthy way of living!
… with food that loves my body!
… with lean, toned muscles!
… with myself!

The more you love yourself, the more you take care of yourself – and the more you take care of yourself, the more you love yourself.

You may start out “doing the right thing,” but stick with it, and you’ll find yourself in that circle of loving yourself.

Today, do the right thing. Get up and move. This is an old favorite to a new beat, to keep you moving.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Do you head for the fridge when you get angry or frustrated?
Is the vending machine your BFF at work?
If you’re shopping, and nothing fits right, do you head for the Food Court?
Is every celebration defined by food?
Are you afraid to look sexy?

Emotional eating and self-sabotage are two of the most common causes for being overweight and unhealthy. Come face-to-face with what’s holding you back from meeting your inTENtions. Learn to manage your triggers, lay on a coat of Teflon®, and make your own life easier and healthier.

*NEW start date*
Class starts Monday, February 15, and runs for 10 weekdays. Don’t miss out! Sign up today. Members are automatically enrolled in every class.

If you’ve been gaining weight each year and blaming it all on getting older, well, sorry, but that’s not a very good excuse.

Yes, it’s true that as we age, changes in our hormones make gaining weight easier. In women, they can contribute to decreased muscle mass and energy, and increased belly fat and insulin resistance. But, ummm, those things are all within your control, just like they’ve always been.

The more we eat clean, live clean, and work out, the better our hormone balance will be, and the healthier our metabolisms will remain. Yep. That weight gain is still related to our lifestyle choices.

Keep exercising. Whether you like doing it is not the question here. You need to do it for your health. You know, so you can continue to enjoy your career, travel, kids and grandkids, hobbies, friends… life. Your body needs exercise like it needs air and water.

Eat whole foods, preferably foods that are not loaded with pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals. Whole foods (”the way they grow” as opposed to processed or packaged) help fight disease and balance hormone levels.

Stay vigilant about your health for as long as you live, and you’ll live longer to enjoy it!