Declare Your Freedom From...

Day 22 - Sunday, July 4, 2010

Happy Fourth of July!  I always love this holiday, because it represents such a leap of faith into the unknown.  No other country was formed the way the United States was - with a group of men who decided to try a different form of government that they created.  It had never happened before, and will probably never happen again.  (If you want to really appreciate how difficult it was for the Founding Fathers to take the steps necessary to break away from England, watch the movie, "1776.") 

Today is another day to declare you freedom -- from your limiting beliefs, self-judgment and criticism about what you ate over the weekend.  Take a minute to write down those thoughts, just to bring them out into the open.  Then think about whether you will change your behavior just because of the harsh criticism you level at yourself at the slightest opportunity.  If the answer is, "probably not," isn't it time to try something different?

Did you know that the more energy you put into something, the stronger it gets?  Think about how often you judge your eating habits as "bad," "unhealthy," "stupid," or "weak."  Whenever you focus on these negative thoughts, you reinforce them and you have just set yourself up for failure.  You will never win the game of negative self-talk vs. willpower...because they are both sides of the same coin.

Instead, focus on positive behavior and ignore the negative self-talk and the ongoing contest it has with your willpower.  Declare your freedom from the tyranny of self-loathing and step into a new world, one you have never tried before.

Wouldn't you rather get the weight off fast, easily and safely, while you are learning new eating habits? You see results in pounds and inches lost, have no contest with your willpower and know that you are eating healthy.  You ignore the judgmental voice in your head, and after a while, you will notice that the volume has been turned way down!  You are free from your old habits, therefore you are free from the judgmental voice.

How do you step into this new world of freedom?

Start on Medifast today.  Eating 5 Medifast meals and one "lean and green" meal means you eat 6 times a day.  You control your energy intake and manage your insulin pump, so you no longer crave highly processed, high-glycemic foods (soft drinks, candy bars, bagels, etc.)  You no longer want those things, so you don't have a contest with your willpower and your desires. 

The best part is that you are free to focus on other things in your life.  The energy you once directed towards self-criticism can now be focused on more positive aspects of your life, like the clothes that were stuck way back in your closet that you can now wear!

There is no better day than the Fourth of July to declare your freedom - from yourself!


Freedom never tasted so sweet!

To learn more about the Take Shape for Life program, which uses Medifast meals, go to
Empowered Way

Living well, beautifully!

Weight Loss is the Biggest Gain of all

Day 21 - July 3, 2010

Three weeks have flown by! As my body and eating habits have changed, I spend much less time and energy thinking about when I am going to "get in shape" or "start yoga." I am no longer obsessed with future action plans that will make me feel better -- I feel better right now!

And that gives me all the power I need to create my life, right now, in this moment.

How did eating portion controlled meal replacements rock my world?  What is it about eating healthy that I missed before now?

There are many reasons that Medifast meals work so well, but I have distilled three main points from my own experience:

• Medifast meals feed your body what it needs, so it is not overloaded with sugar and carbohydrates. Your body receives the nutrition, protein, fats and carbohydrates it needs, in the proper proportions, to allow the cells to do their job - process the food into energy, instead of fat storage.
• Behavorial and eating changes are supported by physical evidence. When your body switches from fat storage to energy burning, physical changes take place rapidly and become very noticeable. Others in your life compliment you on your appearance, which only reinforces the new changes and increased motivation to continue. 
• Cravings and poor eating are no longer an option.  When my body switched from fat storage to fat burning, there was a more subtle consequence that took me days to recognize.  Cravings for sugar and carbohydrates simply disappeared into the ether!  I never would have believed it, until I went back to my childhood haunt several weeks ago.  This is the place where I ALWAYS over indulged, ate poorly and did not care, because it was the lake.  I always gave myself permission at the lake to eat whatever I wanted, which was pretty much anything that was not tied down.  And I would always be unhappy with myself after we returned home...until now.  When we returned to the lake several weeks ago, the same cookies, soft drinks, chips and salsa were set out.  BUT I DID NOT WANT ANY OF IT.  There was no contest of will power or self-talk...I just did not want to eat it.  So I skipped that food and stayed with my Medifast meals and a delicious lean and green meal of grilled chicken and vegetables.  And I was free from the emotional habits I had formed many years ago in childhood!

If I were to sum up the effects I have experienced over the last three weeks while on Medifast, it would be this:   I am free from my emotional eating habits to eat healthy, live well and thrive.

The Take Shape for Life Convention is only 5 days away! I am so glad I took the leap of faith and jumped into this program, because now I understand its power.  And I can look Dr. Andersen (the founder of the TSFL Program and the guru) in the eye and say, "Thank you for creating TSFL - it has changed my life!"

To learn more about Take Shape for Life and Medifast meals, please visit Empowered Way or send me an email!

Living well, beautifully!

How Can I Survive?

Day 20 - July 2, 2010

It's the start of the 4th of July weekend!  Fun, fireworks...and lots of food.  How can I survive?

What I have learned over the past 3 weeks are the following:

• I now have a different vision of myself as healthy, vibrant and alive. If a poor food choice is available to me, I don't even give it a second glance because my vision is stronger than the temporary temptation.
• I feel so much better - like I can take on the world!  I never expected to experience such a strong sense of commitment, and it is to myself.  This way of eating feeds me, both body and soul.
• My cravings for sugar and carbohydrates are gone, caput, dissolved.  I never realized I wanted the Cranberry Limeade from Sonic because I had to keep my blood sugar levels elevated...I did not see that my desire for cookies was the same thing.  To be free of cravings is a marvelous thing!
• When I see other people eating lots of carbohydrates, sugar and fat, I just want to tell them that they are slowly killing their bodies.  When they stay on the merry-go-round of processed foods, sugar and carbohydrates, they continue to feed the furnace of stoking their glucose levels, and storing the excess energy as fat.  There is absolutely a better way --- 

That is all for now. We are off to the lake, for fireworks, fun, and food!  I will survive and thrive!

Happy 4th of July - be safe!

Living well, beautifully.
Go to Empowered Way to learn more about Take Shape for Life.

A Lost Kitten and a Leap of Faith

Day 19 - July 1, 2010

What does a lost kitten have to do with a leap of faith?  More than you might think!

We came home from Colorado to a yowling kitten, stuck just over our heads in one of the pecan trees.  He looked terrified, lonely, and hungry, because his world had just changed.  His source of comfort and love was no longer there (his mama) and all he had for protection was his ability to climb a tree.  When I stood under the tree and crooned to him, he took one long look, then jumped into my arms.  Talk about a leap of faith!

When I started the Take Shape for Life program, I felt as if I had left the known and familiar world of many food choices, mindless eating and a "just enjoy the moment" type of attitude.   The problem with my eating habits before this program is that...I never knew I had a problem!  I ate healthy (sort of), I only gained 1-3 pounds a year (but they had all added up around my waist), and I was in good shape for a 51 year old woman (I turned a blind eye to the flabby arms and legs). 

So what does my lack of insight into the state of my health have to do with a lost kitten? 

For the kitten, being chased into the tree was a life changing experience.  He trusted his instincts and leap forward into a new life.  For me, having successfully been on the Take Shape for Life Program for 19 days has also been a life changing experience.  The layers of self-denial have been peeled away and I now see the exact direction I was heading before I took my leap of faith.  I was heading towards being overweight, unhealthy, tired and living a mediocre life.  Basically, the epitome of middle age.

But now that I have discovered that I can lose fat while eating healthy, that I have more energy than when I was in my 40's, and I look great in a bathing suit, I feel like I have created a whole new life!  None of this would have happened if I had not taken the leap of faith and tried the Take Shape for Life program. 

I will never forget the courage it took for that kitten to leap off that branch right into my arms.  I will never forget the moment when I decided to just "do it" and start on this program.  Both were life changing decisions with profound consequences. 

Are you ready to get started on your new life?  Go to Empowered Way to learn more about the Take Shape for Life program.  Or send me an email or message on FaceBook!

Oh, btw, does anyone want to give a beautiful, courageous kitten a loving home?

I did it! Be Sure to Read to the End...

Day 18 - June 30, 2010

We arrived home late yesterday afternoon and discovered that the Texas heat was only in the 90's.  Maybe we brought some of Colorado back with us!

For me, vacation usually means a suspension of my normal eating habits, and indulging in foods that I normally would not eat (dessert at dinner, for example).  But I made a great discovery on this trip - I did not want those high calorie food items!  My cravings for carbohydrates and sugar are gone, because I have shifted from fat storage to fat burning.  Because I no longer crave those items, it was easy to tell the waitress that "we did not have room for dessert"!

I have had time to assess my choices while on vacation and I realized several things.  When you are on the Take Shape for Life program, please feel free to refer back to this list for guidance and support:

1. It is essential to plan for the time spent traveling.  I tend to eat mindlessly while I am sitting in the car or on an airplane, mostly because I am bored.  The food choices at a gas station, convenience store or even in the airport are not conducive to healthy eating! (I challenge you to find a protein snack at a gas station, that does not contain high fructose corn syrup.)  Before you leave on your trip, make sure you have enough Medifast snacks (cheese puffs, pretzels, etc.)  That way, even if you overeat on those snacks, you are not taking in high carbohydrates or high fructose corn syrup... you are only consuming about 100 calories per bag!
2. Make snacks that you can take with you.  We discovered that our usual snack of a brownie in the afternoon is difficult to enjoy when you are miles from a microwave!  If I had thought about it ahead of time, I would have made several brownies for the trip to snack on while the miles flew under the tires.  Other snacks I could have made would have been cookies made out of oatmeal, and pudding chilled and stored in a small cooler.
3. Bring a microwavable bowl with you.  The hotels we stayed in had microwaves in the room, but there were no microwavable bowls available to make soup or oatmeal.  It would have been so much easier to make a quick Medifast meal, but I forgot the bowl!
4. Eating out was easier than I expected.  Usually, we ate our "lean and green meal" at dinner time.  I had to be creative in my food selection, because several of the restaurants did not offer much in the way of low calorie, high protein meals.  But if you know what to look for, you can find it!  For example, we went to a steak place in Dumas, Texas. They offered fried catfish, but they were happy to grill it.  Simple, and very delicious!  
5. You can still do your exercise program.  We set a goal of hiking every day. Of course, that was easy to accomplish because we were in Colorado! But even when we spent the night in Dumas (definitely NOT Colorado), we still walked.  It is just a matter of your intention.

Hopefully, these tips are helpful to you in maintaining a healthy diet while away from home. Now that I know what I need while traveling, I will be much more prepared next time.

I saved the best part of this post for the last...

I braved the scale this morning, just to see what the damage was.  GUESS WHAT!!!  I have lost 8 pounds!!!  But the best part is that I have lost inches - I can now wear clothes that I thought I would never wear again.  I feel great in a pair of shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt, because I have lost a significant amount of skin (i.e., fat) in my arms and legs! I was on the verge of getting "Granny arms" but now that is history. WHOOOHOOOO!  I feel like I am 40 years old again - how is that for a fringe benefit?

If  you are feeling tired, sluggish and think you are getting old, there is a solution.  Get on the Take Shape for Life Program, learn the Habits of Health, and turn your  body into a fat burning machine.  You will feel like you have found the Fountain of Youth!

To get started, please visit EmpoweredWay.com or send me an email.

Living well, beautifully!

This one will be short!

We have been enjoying Colorado, seeing L and having a great time on vacation. The burning question of the hour is how did I do integrating Medifast into our trip?

When you are traveling in the car, be sure you have the snacks, such as the Cheese Puffs or pretzels. It is hard to make brownies when you don't have access microwave!

Try to stay in a room with a microwave. It makes it so much easier to enjoy the oatmeal or soup...

Eating out can be challenging but fun. Since I rediscoveredy taste buds on thus program, regular food is delicious! But I also notice the salt, salt, salt! Did I tell you about the salt??? It is unbelievable how much restaurants use this one simple seasoning.

Hope these few tips are helpful to you on your travels. Please forgive any typos in this entry...my iPhone is tricky to type in the spelling correctly!

Living well, beautifully!

Remember-go to www. Davideriksen.tsfl.com to get started!

Can A Diet Stay Alive on Vacation?

Day 12 - June 24, 2010

We are packing the car and heading to Colorado -- ROAD TRIP! 

Those two words bring back lots of memories of being stuck in the back seat with my brother, pinching and poking each other because we were bored.  The license plate game had worn out about 200 miles ago, and the car windows no longer looked out on a magical world.  Everything just seemed to be colored in the same shade of gray. 

Boredom must be that color...

Fast forward to my adult life, and the words "road trip" carry an entirely different meaning.  "Freedom," "fun," and "adventure" are just a few of the words that come to my mind when I plan a road trip. 

Freedom from everyday responsibilities.  Fun to explore and see new people and places.  Adventure, because you never know what might be around the next corner!

I do have to admit, however, that this road trip is slightly different.  I have never gone on vacation before when I was on a "diet" or "watching my weight."  Will I be able to incorporate the five Medifast meals into our daily schedule and still eat healthy?

I promise I will continue this blog during the next five days, assuming I have access to a wi-fi connection. I also promise that I will report the good, the bad and the ugly while we are on this trip!

So stayed tuned, dear ones, for more stories from the wonderful world of Medifast!

Living well, beautifully!

To learn more about the Take Shape for Life Program and Medifast, please visit Empowered Weigh