Shift Weekly: “Thunder Thighs” and Shift Kids Success!

Shift Kids Spring Project 2012--see article below (Shifter and teacher Cynthia Castillo and her students created and executed the “Students Guiding Students Towards Healthy Living” project this spring along with Rita Black)

Shift Kids Bingo Night at Hamburger Mary’s in We HO
Mark your calendar now! Sunday night August 19^th at 7pm
Events details at: Click here for Shift Kids FB Event Details and to "like" Shift Kids

Also--"LIKE" Shift Kids while you are there!

Can’t come play bingo? Donate anyways—I know you may be out of town but donate anyways! Just click here and donate by Pay Pal.  Thanks—you are making a huge difference—and it is tax deductable!
Click Here to Donate to Shift Kids

Shift Weekly: “Thunder Thighs” and Shift Kids Success

Over one third of children and adolescents in our country are either considered overweight or obese.  I walk the campus of my children’s elementary school and see the painful evidence of this every day.  

Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.  Of course the physical effects of being overweight as a child is one thing but the emotional toll is crippling for confidence and self esteem as well.

As an overweight teenager walking down the halls at school feeling ashamed, being called names like “Thunder Thighs” and “Dancing Bear”. I also remember going home and being so stressed out by this that I would gorge myself on cookie dough and ice cream (hey I was an early cookie dough ice cream pioneer!)  I remember feeling so helpless and out of control.  Mostly I felt alone, like there was no one to help me.  My mom was struggling with her own weight and my friends were thin and didn’t understand. There were no resources for me to turn to for help at the time. 

 I continued to struggle with both my weight and myself for over a decade more before I made the “Shift”.  As I started my clinical hypnotherapy practice focused on weight mastery I would get parents asking me how they should help their kids and I would work with them on an individual basis but in the back of my mind I kept thinking there should be something more than just an office visit or phone consultation that I could provide.

Over the years, as Shift Weight Mastery began to grow, I began to see a growing need for a powerful community resource that would be available to both kids and their parents. 

Shift Kids was formed to create both online and offline resources and programs for kids and their parents—to help them begin to live healthier lives. 

It is my belief that kids listen to other kids more than adults lecturing to them about nutrition.  When we are a kid, our brain is very primitive and impressionable—our peers—our fellow cavemen-- are important in driving our decisions around what to wear and what to eat and how to behave.  It’s the “if everyone in the cave is doing it I want to do it too” syndrome.

Our mission at Shift Kids is to have kids modeling healthy behavior for other kids (through kid inspired creative educational projects)—to make being getting and staying healthy hip and cool and accessible on their level and in their language.  Wrapped up in our mission also is to create outreach for parents—giving them tools and resources so that they can not only guide their children towards healthier habits—but they can start with themselves first so they can model those habits for and with their kids—which is one of the most important steps, in my opinion.

 Shift Kid’s Spring Project a Success!

 Shift Kids is proud to announce that teacher, and fellow Shifter, Cynthia Castillo (she has released and maintained 35lbs through Shift Weight Mastery), led a group of four juniors at CALS Early College High School in downtown los Angeles in a Shift Kids Project titled “Students Guiding Students Towards Healthy Living” this spring.

 The project involved the students agreeing to eat healthfully for a week and documenting their experiences in a video diary and discussing their results in after school forums.  The idea is to create an inspiring and motivating video for other kids their age to watch online at our future Shift Kids website.

Here are a few quotes from the kids involved with the project.

 “Being healthy to me is being at peace with your body. Being healthy is exercising every chance you get and making the right choices in food when available.” Darline Alvarado age 17

 “To me being healthy is much more than just watching a diet and exercising. Being healthy means to be responsible for what is best for your body. Health is the main source to life; it is what keeps you going at work, in sports, or anywhere in life. Being healthy also involves relaxing, sleeping well, and eating what is best for you.” Luis Ochoa 17

 "Healthy living leads to happiness and happiness is something people look for, but rarely find. When you eat healthfully, the only thing that is bad is sacrificing, at first, but when you get used to it, you become happier with yourself and the way you live. In the end, you only have yourself, so it is important that you take care of yourself the best way possible.” Eileen Figueroa 17

 “I feel that when you simply eat right and exercise you feel a sort of confidence boost that can keep a person happy and well. Being healthy, however, can be hard at first, but when you get used to it, just like the gym, you love it.” Anthony Trujillo, 16:

 THANKS: Thanks to Cynthia and to her fearless Shift Kids for making this project happen!  Thanks to all of you in the Shift Community who have donated their time and money to support our non-profit start up.  We are now through the grueling process of becoming a 5013C and are ready to fly!!

Shift Kids needs your help to build our website!  Come win prizes while you help support the cause!

AUGUST 19^th--SHIFT KIDS BINGO NIGHT AT HAMBURGER MARY’S

Shift Kids needs your help!  Our goal is to raise $10,000 to create a robust website that offers support to both kids and their parents in living a healthy lifestyle.

Mark your calendars for Sunday night, August 19^th at 7pm, when Shift Kids will be hosting Bingo Night at Hamburger Mary’s in West Hollywood.  Your entry fee of 20 dollars will put you in the running for fun, fantastic prizes and also be helping us reach our goal. 
Mark your calendar now! Sunday night August 19^th at 7pm--LIKE Shift Kids on Face Book: Click here for more bingo details and to LIKE Shift Kids
and then click on Events for details.

Can’t Come? Donate Anyways—I know you may be out of town but donate anyways! Just click here and donate by Pay Pal.  Thanks—you are making a huge difference—and it is tax deductable!

Click here to donate to Shift Kids