Atlanta Fitness Coach: A Blog about Weight-Loss, Nutrition and the T-Tapp Workout

Sobering New Statistics on the Cost of Obesity!

Yesterday on one of the news channels the top story was about the rising cost of health care.  The study by government scientists and the nonprofit research group RTI International found that medical spending for an obese American averages $1,400 more a year than for someone of healthful weight. They also found that overall obesity-related health care spending has reached nearly $150 billion a year, roughly double what it was a decade ago!!!!  (So much for "your Take Shape program and/or your T-Tapp classes and DVD's costs too much" argument)

The report also found the rate of obesity increased nationally by 70 percent over the past decade, and it echoed previous findings that more than half of Americans are either overweight or obese. That makes them prone to diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other ailments that are driving U.S. health care costs into the stratosphere.

These are incredibly sobering facts.  And we all know it's true.  All we have to do is look around us.  This isn't just a problem of vanity or looking good in our size 8 jeans.  This is part of our economic crisis.  And it requires solutions of global proportion.

Here's an interesting fact.  On that same news channel, during the same hour as these new statistics are being released, the "news" people did a segment on preparing the perfect key lime pie.  It wasn't just key lime pie.  It also had a chocolate fudge topping.  I'm sure that was to entice the entire female population who is convinced chocolate is it's own food group.  And who will tell you about how it's a great source of anti-oxidants.

But unfortunately we have learned that statistics don't change behavior.  People change behavior.  And the start of a behavior change is getting clear on what YOU want.  Do you WANT to be part of this national statistic?  Or do you want to be one of the people who WANT optimal health in their life?

Key lime pie with fudge topping and a side of diabetes?  Or a "lean and green" meal and energy to spare?  In any given moment it's our choice.

What will your choice be today?

How Much Happiness Will You Allow?

I was just at the Take Shape National Convention and it was awesome.  One of the events was a workshop with Brian Biro.  Brian is an incredible motivator and speaker.  His workshop was the highlight of the convention for me.  At the end of his session, he had everyone in the room (close to 500 people!!!) break a board with one hand.

Breaking a board with one hand is a brilliant metaphor for creating success in your life.  It's about making a decision to achieve a committed goal, overlooking the obstacles and maintaining piercing focus on the end result.  Then following through on that commitment and breaking through to your success.

Before we actually broke our boards, we were instructed to write on the board an X and over the X write what it is we wanted to breakthrough.  What is holding us back from having what we want in life.  WOW!  That's a big question, isn't it?  Getting real enough with ourselves to state what our biggest fear is.  Because that is what is holding each of us back from having what we most want.

It's not our circumstances.  It's our faulty programming that tells us we can't and proves itself correct.  I realized for me, it was not allowing myself the incredible happiness that exists all around me.  It almost feels too overwhelming and I get afraid that it will be taken away.  The one thing about fear is it isn't logical!!!! It simply IS!  And when examined, it is like smoke that disappears with the wind.

On the other side, we were to write what we would get by overcoming that obstacle.  And who in our lives would be positively aaffected.  Because we don't live in a bubble.  We affect everyone we come in contact with.  When we change, we affect change in those around us.  How cool is that?

I wanted to allow myself to feel and to celebrate all the joy and happiness in my world.  Guess what? I broke that board the very first time I tried and I didn't even feel anything!  It was quite an experience and experiences change people.  I was changed.  And in turn, I have affected change in all of you who are around me.

Let's all allow ourselves to feel and celebrate the joy that is there everyday in all our lives.  It doesn't have to show up "BIG".  I feel the most joy from all the little things in life.  Like looking at my daughters face or getting an email from a friend.  Or my morning cup of coffee.  Or getting into bed at night knowing I lived a full and happy day.

Let's celebrate!

Happiness is Your Natural State!

As a Coach, I know how important it is to know what you want, And know it right down to the smallest detail. Only then can you put together a plan to achieve it.   I teach the importance of having a plan - a map that can take you from where you are to where you want to be.

But what map can you draw when happiness is the ultimate goal?  Can you design a plan you can work on each day that will allow you to achieve this emotional state?  Is it a matter of "doing" certain tasks that will make you feel so good you are now happy?

One of my main goals in life has always been to "be happy".  I know intellectually that happiness is an inner state.  It's not a "doing".  It's a "being".  The trick is to "BE happy" regardless of what is happening in your life at the time.  That is the "doing".  If your happiness is completely based on what is happening to you on the outside, it will be always elusive.

Can you go back in your mind and remember a moment in time when you were completely happy?  When you felt like everything in the world was just as it should be.  And you were one with that.  It's an amazing feeling.  It feels so expansive.  You want to give that feeling away to everyone you know and love. 

And then something happens to you and you shut it back down.  The outside stops acting the way you want it to and your expansive feeling contracts back down into itself. It's here when our stories begin.  We tell ourselves stories about what just happened.  We narrate the experience for ourselves with our own programming.

Programming is so individual.  A couple of universal programming themes are "See, I knew it wasn't going to last.  Nothing wonderful ever does". Or "Of course it isn't going last because you don't deserve to be happy."  Do these sound familiar? 

The mind's job is to keep you from being happy.  It's job is to find a problem and attempt "to fix" it.  If there is no problem, it has nothing to do and gets scared it might not be needed.  So it jumps in to steal your happiness.  It does this by telling you stories that aren't based on anything but old negative programming.

It''s only when you begin to get a glimpse of how insidious the mind is with it's stories of negativity, you can play with the understanding that you can be happy regardless of what is happening on the outside. 

Our natural state is one of happiness.  We were meant to be happy and to enjoy our lives.  You don't need to DO anything to deserve happiness.  BE happy and observe your mind.  Be a witness to all the ways your mind keeps you from being happy.  It is only through witnessing your mind that you can begin to see your true state of happiness.

It's raining today and I'm really happy.  I wish you incredible happiness today.