Shift Weekly: You Better Shop Around

Dear Shifters,

I hope you survived the holidays and tax season and are feeling Shiftier than ever.  The pre-summer get fit season has certainly descended upon us and it got me thinking about one of the most important elements of my long term weight release…shopping!  Not just any shopping, mind you, but grocery shopping.  Did I hear a groan??  Ah, it’s not that bad.  In fact, when you Shift your mind around grocery shopping, the promise is that you can actually start to enjoy it.  I know for me when my refrigerator is stocked with tasty and healthy meal options I can whip up in minutes and my cupboards are bereft of gakky trigger foods that make me want to eat more—managing my weight is much easier—almost mindless!   The time to engage your brain is before and during your grocery shopping experience—not after.

The Shift Shop is now open!

If you need hypnosis and coaching CDs to supplement your Shift please visit www.ShiftWeightMastery.com
Among a variety of CDs that help you focus your mind on weight release is our NEW CD Graze-less: Shift out of Mindless Eating.

I deal with so many clients who despair about grocery shopping because:

1. They get into the store and are overwhelmed and don’t know what to buy.     
2. They get bamboozled either by the stores’ or products’ seductive labeling that they buy stuff that turns out to be not that good for them or not taste that good—a waste of money and calories! 
3. They go to the store not knowing what they need and end up letting their Inner Rebel do the shopping for them and come home with a lot of trigger food items that now they either have to exert willpower over (not fun) or they end up compulsively or mindlessly eating and then feel bad (doubly not fun!).

What is going on in the examples above is that the client is being driven EXTERNALLY and not INTERNALLY.  They are entering the grocery store without an INNER plan for so that they fall victim to the overwhelming stimulus of the grocery store.

Successful shopping begins with an INTERNAL strategy system that is created by engaging with your Inner Coach.  Let’s head down the aisle together in that grocery store in your mind. Shopping can be an overwhelming task when you are not prepared and are doing it last minute—especially when you are hungry and/ or don’t have a plan. Here are some dos and don’ts that masters have learned over the years.

DO:  Make a habit of shopping a couple of specific times during the week.  What will help you is to keep the time and days consistent so it literally becomes a habit.  Tune into what things you need to purchase at those specific times.  Usually one shopping trip will be your big one for the week and the other to supplement fresh fruits and vegetables and milk and other supplies that run low.

DON'T:  Shop last minute—especially on an empty stomach.  Your brain is in a stressed state when you are hungry-not a great time to make sound and healthy decisions.

DO:  Make a list based on ideas of meals you are going to eat that week.  Take a moment and really ask yourself the question—how do I want to feed myself these next few days?  What kind of fruits and vegetables do I need?  What kind of whole grains and lean proteins will you need?  Make a list and think which areas of the store you need to shop in and which you don’t—this will give you a feeling of confidence when you enter the store.

DON'T:  Go to the store unprepared without a list and “hope” you’ll get inspired. This will be a disaster—stores are notorious for marketing gakky food items to unprepared shoppers. Go in with a plan.  Keep your eyes peeled for new low cal products and closed to the gak.  As the song says "just walk on by"… this is important—really see yourself passing by the ice-cream aisle in your mind ahead of time so that it will be much easier to do once you are there.

DO: Shop for fruits and veggies first and gak last.  In fact, avoid gak aisles all together and just shop the perimeter of the store only going down the aisle for a specific item.

DON'T:  Put trigger foods or gak in your cart for other people that you “think” you can handle having around.  Guess what?  9 times out of 10, it will end up more in you and less in them.

DO: Stock up on frozen veggies and easy precooked, pre portioned protein sources. 

DON'T:   Think eating healthfully is expensive.  In the long run it always costs less to be healthy and eat healthy than unhealthfully.  Remember the time you spend feeling bloated stuffed and lacking in energy because of the foods you eat or the money spent on medications for being overweight or the hours of time lost sitting in doctor’s offices is really a bigger cost isn’t it?  You can’t put a price tag on feeling healthy and vibrant or you family feeling fit and nourished.  Many shifters have told me they save money eating more healthfully.

I hope that these shopping lists inspire you and give your inner coach some strategies to begin with.

Here is a link to a Trader Joes shopping list that I created with some other Shifters with some healthy snack and meal ideas.

Here is a link to a comprehensive lower calorie shopping list created by Hungry Girl

The next Shift Weight Mastery process begins June 12^th 2011 (a Sunday).

You can also RE-Shift at this process if you are a former Shifter and want to re-focus. 

Early Bird special $100 (for new Shifters) off enrollment plus a free 9 Skills CD (like a mini-Shift) to get you releasing weight now! Call today 323 988 4574 and get started.

Think about these strategies as you head out to shop this week.  How are you going to create a winning strategy?  The opportunity is to create a way of shopping that allows you to consistently have healthy foods that honor you and your unique taste palate within reach at all times as you continue to eat within your “gas tank” for weight release or maintenance.

Happy shopping!  Happy Shifting!!

oxox Rita

Shift Weekly: Gone, But Not Forgetting

Shift for the Summer!
The next Shift Weight Mastery process has been rescheduled to Sunday June 12th.

 This will be the last Shift Process and Re-Shift until September.

Please sign up asap as places will go soon.

 

Hi Shifters,

I am heading out of town for a few days .  I hope you all have a wonderful holiday week no matter if you are out of town or staying home.  It’s easy to forget to make being healthy and weight release a priority sometimes with all the activities of the holidays—here are a few things to remember:

Remember to have a vision of feeling light and vibrant next Monday morning (not sluggish and bloated).

Remember to have a plan as to how to create that vision—exercise (how much?), lots of fruits and veggies, keep the starchy carbs to a minimum as they trigger the “eat more-I’m more hungry” valve in the brain, and think about how to stay within your calories budget for release or maintenance (make the decision early whether you are going to release or maintain this week).

Remember to show up for yourself with power thoughts by staying connected to your Inner Coach.

This is what I am packing to bring with me for my few day road-trip.  It’s important for me to keep my blood sugar levels stable, not only for my weight maintenance, but for my brain.  I have happier, saner thoughts and feelings when I keep away from the gak and keep my body and brain nourished with healthy fiber-filled and protein based foods.  I don’t know what is going to be out there on the road and gas stations are notorious gak palaces so here is a list of what I always bring:

Zen fiber cakes from TJs (80 cals each and full of fiber—great snack on road)

Munchy veggies like carrots, peppers, sugar peas

Hard boiled eggs (great easy road protein source)

Fage yogurt

Apples

Air blown popcorn

Turkey jerky

Also I bring my workout clothes and make a point to move somehow—somewhere if I can because exercise =happy body= happy brain.

How are you going to set yourself and your brain and body up for a sane, shifted, enjoyable holiday week??

Happy Shifting!!

oxox Rita

Shift Weekly: Passover the Easter Chocolate

Come to a free Shift event this Saturday, April 16th from 12-2.
This will be an event for graduation shifters from the March Shift, former shifters, and people who are interested in a shift to focus on the 9 skills. Graduates will get to look at how to take these new 9 skills and shifting abilities into their lives. Everyone will get to experience hypnosis.
RSVP required for this event and there is limited seating.

Please let me know asap if you are planning to attend.
3815 Sawtelle Blvd
Culver City CA 90232
http://www.yelp.com/biz/fanatic-salon-culver-city

Shift for the Summer!
The next Shift Weight Mastery process has been rescheduled to Sunday June 12th. This will be the last Shift Process and Re-Shift until September.

Please sign up asap as places will go soon.

Shift Weekly: Passover the Easter Chocolate

Hey—don’t rabbits eat carrots?  So why in the heck do we find ourselves up to our necks in bad waxy chocolate bunnies and high fructose Easter eggs as a yearly rite of passage into spring-- “What’s up doc???”

My big question to you is how are you and your inner coach strategizing to maneuver around the minefield of Cadbury Eggs and marshmallow chicks and matzo ball soup and macaroons in a way that you feeling like you can enjoy yourself both on and off the scale???

My coaching for this week is to prepare for this bombardment of sugar over the next 2 weeks in a realistically and lovingly way.  Don’t assume you are going to “be good”.  Have a plan.  Remember what my sex-ed teacher taught me in high school—HOPE IS NOT A METHOD.  Prepare to be lighter on the scale after all the sugary little beasts have escaped the store shelves and the matzo is packed away for another year (where does it go?).

April is a big month for me. My daughter and my husband’s birthday’s are this month so add that to Easter and spring break and you can see the potential for a perfect storm on the weight struggle horizon.  I only allow myself cake on my family member's birthdays during the year.  Cake –(really frosting, the cake is merely a delivery system for the frosting) is a trigger food of mine –so I put a boundary around it all year except for birthdays as a way to practice my skill of stimulus control.  Given the number of birthdays I go to as a mom, I believe this boundary is highly responsible for my sanity and ability to consistently fit into my clothes.

As I have mentioned before-- cake is my heroin and Betty Crocker is my drug dealer.  I remember coming home every day from high school and making cakes--eating the batter and getting totally stoned from it.  Some kids did bongs or smoked cigarettes--what wussies!--try butter, flour and sugar--that's one wicked high, dude!  Betty Crocker was my supplier and all I had to do was open the cupboard and there she was--Devils Food, Yellow or Spice--her shiny face smiling down at me--"go on Rita make me, bake me and frost me--you know you want to."  And I did--I would bake away all of my adolescent woes in the certainty that the cake, when baked, would come out right. In a time in my life of uncertainty, Betty was there, and when baked at 350 for 35 minutes, the cake turned out perfectly every time.  The only problem was when I tried to eat the perfection, it wasn't so nice. The sugar high followed by the crash and regret.  And then the next day, squeezing into my already large pants--good thing I could sew--skirts with elastic waistbands.
Where in the hell is rehab for cake eaters?  And why isn't it as glamorous as rehab for other users? Huh?
 So what is my coaching?  Know your Spring holiday trigger foods these next 2 hippity hoppity weeks--create loving boundaries with them, practice stimulus control, plan ahead, ask yourself what you need to do and not do in order to make this a truly Shifted passage into spring. Write your food down. Move your body and reinforce your mind with the CDs.  And maybe go see the movie HOP; supposedly there is a teenage bunny who poops jelly beans—that may be enough of a turn off for all of us black jelly bean addicts…or will it hmmm.

Have a great week and Happy Easter and Passover—don’t even get me started about the macaroons!

xoxo Rita

Shift Weekly: Test Your Spring Break Mindset

Announcements! 

Shift on SUNDAY!!! The next Shift All Day Intensive is on Sunday May 15th 2011.

Sign up now for early bird specials.

Free Shift Event April 16th from 12-2.  Come and bring a friend to experience hypnosis and get inspired to release weight with the 9 Skills of Weight Mastery--location TBA.

Please let Rita know you would like to be on the list at Ritasfl@aol.com

Shift Saturday Support Group begins this Saturday from 10-1130: Eat. Shift.  Love. 

There are a few spaces left for this 6 week support series that runs every other Saturday and focuses on how to feed yourself for long term permanent weight release. Contact Rita at Ritasfl@aol.com

Shift Weekly: Shift or Shaft—Test your Spring Break Mindset

It’s easy to get out of the practice of weight management over the spring holiday and vacation season. There are a lot of old habitual tapes playing in our head. Think about it—even the term SPRING BREAK brings to mind the idea that you are going to take a rest from it all. When we are in dieter FAT THINKING mindset that may mean a “spring break” from the diet and an excuse to go wild with the Cadbury Eggs. The point of Shifting during the upcoming spring holidays is not to be perfect but to make the holidays work for you –this may mean turning down the volume on the “Shafting” (thoughts that lead to weight gain behavior—FAT THINKING) thoughts and turning up the volume on the “Shifted” (thoughts that promote weight release behavior—THIN THINKING) ones.

Here is a pre holiday quiz to see how you rate on the Shifted Spring Break scale. Please note which of the following are shifted thoughts or shafted thoughts.

1) I hope that I do okay at that Easter/Passover Party.

2) I am going to buy these candies but not eat them myself—I am just going to keep them on my desk right in front of me for passer bys.

3) I have to bake for everyone this year—they expect it of me.

4) I will bake one holiday favorite and eat a bit—staying within the size of my gas tank—and the get rid of the rest.

5) I did badly at that party—I may as well wait until Monday—then I will be good.

6) 3 holiday/Passover events/ Easter egg hunts in a row—it is too hard to stay focused—I’m going to wait until the end of the month and start over.

7) Feeling good and lean on May 1st will be way more of a treat than eating more than my body needs.

8) Everyone else gets to eat what they want—why shouldn’t I?

9) There is just too much going on to exercise

10) There is coconut in macaroons—so they are kind of healthy—right?

11) The calories don’t count if I am eating off of someone else’s plate

12) I am going to commit to drinking only one glass of wine at the party—that will put me in the spirit but not be too much.

13) I’ll bring a veggie tray to her party—she never has one and I can eat from that..

Okay now the moment of truth—here are the results:

1) I hope that I do okay at that Easter/Passover party. SHAFT! Hope is not a method my dear shifters—we need a plan—think situations through and have a strategy in mind before going to holiday events.

2) I am going to buy these candies but not eat them myself—I am just going to keep them on my desk right in front of me for passer bys. SHAFT! The old buying one for the kids or the co-workers is a thin veil for your inner rebel’s true intentions—do not give in—stimulus control is 80% of weight management—if it ain’t there you can’t eat it.

3) I have to bake for everyone this year—they expect it of me. SHAFT! Oh really? Seems like your friends and family may need to know that you are now staying within the size of your gas tank and that may mean less holiday baking and treats—but more fun time with you because your head isn’t stuck in the oven all season. Limit the baking and you’ll be also doing everyone else a favor because they are all coming into my office saying they got fat over the spring holidays because you brought out all the spring holiday treats and they ate them so you wouldn’t feel bad—end the gak legacy!

4) I will bake one holiday favorite and eat a bit—staying within the size of my gas tank—and the get rid of the rest. SHIFT! Okay so finally a little sanity. Keep it real. You don’t have to eat celery all Spring break I am just saying choose a few key treats and then leave the rest for the Easter Bunny—he’s been Shafting for years. He maybe joining us for the May 15th Shift Weight Mastery Process.

5) I did badly at that party—I may as well wait until Monday—then I will be good. SHAFT SHAFT SHAFT! The most weight gain happens between the thought you did badly on one day and the following Monday. Save the calories and just keep on shifting—there is no problem that can’t be solved!

6) 3 parties in a row—it is too hard to stay focused.  I’m going to wait until the end of the month and start over.

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!! Okay people we all know that when we shift we don’t start over. There is no mastery or wisdom to be found in starting over. There is no skill building in starting over. You should laugh loudly at yourself every time that old useless saying pops into your head—hahaha good one—you’re funny—try again—I am shifting thank you very much—I can do anything. Three parties?--- not a problem—bring em on—I can have fun and release weight over Spring Break just you watch!!!.

7) Feeling good and lean at May 1st will be way more of a treat than eating more than my body needs. SHIFT—nice one—who is brilliant now? You make me smile

8) Everyone else gets to eat what they want—why shouldn’t I? SHAFT! Just because everyone else is hypnotized into eating gobs of gak why the heck should you? Don’t you know they are going home and feeling like crap, waking up the following morning praying for the Easter candy madness to be over so they can get out of this sugary fatty salty food fog. Darling shifters, don’t you know they are looking at you thinking how you’ve got it together eating lightly and still having fun. Boy do they wish they were you! Lead the pack don’t follow—the world is watching you shift! Lead the crusade for health through the Easter/Passover season.

9) There is just too much going on to exercise. SHAFT—Stress is the word during the spring holidays and tax season, now more than ever is the time to make exercising a priority—even if its power walking around the mall a few times before you shop. Instead of a holiday party—get together with you friends for a spring hike or beach walk.

10) There are coconuts in the macaroons —so it’s kind of healthy. SHAFT—who let the freak in this party?

11) The calories don’t count if I am eating off of someone else’s plate. SHAFT this must be the friend of the freak.

12) I am going to commit to drinking only one glass of wine at the party—that will put me in the spirit but not be too much alcohol or calories. SHIFT! Nice one—will you drive me home because I am allotting myself  3 glasses—but within the size of my calorie gas tank—okay! But seriously—when you think ahead to how much booze you need in order to have a good time it can make it easier to follow through once you are in the midst of a party.

13) I’ll bring a veggie tray to her party—she never has one and I can eat from that. SHIFT—Bringing something to a party you can eat is a shifters good time insurance policy—people are always grateful for healthy choices—really—there is a star in the heavens twinkling down on you and your veggie tray.

Okay Shifters now there is no excuse—you can enter into the spring break season full of confidence ready to stand on the scale May 1st and weight less than you do today. Hold that vision in your mind. Make it real. See you there!

Happy Shifting!!!

Oxox Rita