Our children (just like us) may want to eat not out of hunger, but out of the lack of control they feel somewhere else in their lives. You may want to check out your own habit of eating out of stress. Children pay attention to everything we do, even when we wish we weren’t doing it.

~ Marilu Henner, Healthy Kids: Help Them Eat Smart and Stay Active–for Life!

Food is not your enemy, but a powerful friend. Just respect its properties.

Have a good time with it, as you would a dear friend. Gut fill is just eating until you feel full (which you don’t notice until well after your stomach is full). What kind of friend is that?

• Put an end to fast-dash meals, and really dine when you eat. Really – check the clock on your next family meal. If you’re currently spending less than 10 minutes together at the table, try to double it. Enjoy and appreciate the food and the company.
• Think consciously about what you prepare and serve for meals. Consider the colors, flavors, and textures of the food you’re serving. Make each ingredient shine.
• Food is primarily fuel, but it can still taste great and be presented beautifully. You won’t need large quantities to showcase beautiful meals.

Just don’t gain!

Don’t stress out about losing weight over the holidays; it can be hard enough to maintain your current weight. Weigh yourself today, and promise yourself that the number you see on New Year’s Day won’t be any higher.

…for better health.

Visualize yourself healthier – whatever that means for you. Thinner? Smaller? Better muscle tone? Greater energy? Better skin? Lower cholesterol? Better flexibility? Greater stamina?

Then do something to make it happen. Take positive steps toward your goal.

Here’s a little music for wishing… and planning… and making it happen.
Happy 11/11.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

During the month of November, we’re reminding ourselves to say NO. Today? Say NO to negativity.

It sounds illogical, but get past the grammar, and it makes sense.

There are plenty of negative people in our lives. Some of them are perpetual victims, always ready to lay blame on someone else. Some of them are glass-half-empty folks, unable to see all the water in the bottom half of the glass. Some of them are probably clinically depressed, and may benefit from therapy or medication.

It gets difficult to be around negativity, so … free yourself from it. If you find yourself being pulled down, excuse yourself or change the subject. Or if someone needs your help with depression, help them – and then find some support to help you regain your balance.

If you’re one of the negative people (and we all have our days, you know?), try to be aware of your negative thinking and negative words. When you hear yourself think or say something negative, counter it with a few positive statements. Focus on the good – see the beauty – feel the joy. If you need outside help, then ask for it, and follow through on it.

Make it a great month.

The first two letters of November are NO.

That means this is the month to say “No” to everything that holds you back – bad food, bad habits, bad advice … and bad invitations!

Check your vices.
Know your limits.
Get your priorities straight.

And learn to say “NO.”

Baby steps have a better chance of leading to success than great leaps, when it comes to your goals.

Whether your goal is losing weight or building your bank account, you’re more likely to stick to your plan and reach those long-term (really big! really exciting!) goals.

• Lose weight 2 or 5 or 10 pounds each month.
• Build savings $25 or $50 or $100 each paycheck.
• Eat more vegetables by adding one or two servings a week.
• Get more sleep by going to bed 15 minutes earlier each week.
• Drink less caffeine by cutting out 1 -2 cups a week.

You’ll meet your big! exciting! long-term goals slowly but surely. And isn’t surely the most important part of meeting your goal?

When you talk about yourself – either to yourself or to others – what kinds of words do you use?

Stick with positive self-talk. Compliment yourself on a job well done, a lovely outfit, beautiful hair, making healthy choices, sticking to your principles, standing up for someone else, going the distance, giving it your best, getting it done.

Build yourself up. Your confidence is a big part of how you carry yourself, and the better you feel about yourself, the easier it is to take care of yourself, body, mind and spirit.

While we love our job with Marilu and Marilu.com, we also love taking vacations. We were in Memphis earlier this week, and it seemed fitting to let The King lend some wisdom to our workouts.

So… stop talking about your fitness plans.
Stop talking about how much you want to work out.
Stop talking about what you’ll do when you have the time/money/no kids in the way.

It’s time to stop talking, and start doing.

Now get up and move. You know you want to. It’s only your words that have talked you out of it.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Eating is not an exercise in morality.
Eating a particular way does not make you a success or failure.

Food itself is not “good” or “bad.” Those are moral judgments, and they just don’t make sense when talking (or thinking) about food. Some food is better for your health, or easier on your digestion, or more delightful on your palate. But the foods themselves can’t be judged.

Eating the cake at the office birthday party doesn’t make you bad. It may not have been the best choice for you, but you are not bad for choosing it. Having a great day doesn’t mean you deserve a food “treat.” If you want to reward yourself, choose a different way to pamper yourself. Laying emotions on your food just skews the relationship you have with it.

When you have a healthy relationship with food as fuel, you’ll avoid the emotional connections that lead to weight gain or hinder weight loss.