Stardust Bars for Weight Loss

Stardust Bars for Weight Loss

May 13, 2022

Are Stardust Bars the secret to hitting your weight loss goals?

Be honest – are you looking for the link to buy?

Because that's what diet culture has trained us to do – always be looking for the next new product we can add to our routine to solve our problems.

But you don't need a new product.  You need some new ideas.  Here's one you might find helpful.

One of my mentors, Brooke Castillo, encourages her clients to start to view food as fuel instead of a source of happiness and entertainment.

 In trainings she would ask, “would you eat two sawdust bars per day – one for lunch, and one for dinner – in exchange for your weight loss results?”

One of her clients misunderstood her and thought she was saying STARdust bars. 

Not sure what's in a Stardust Bar, but it's already better marketing than the sawdust bar, right?!?

The point of the story is – what if you could get your excitement (your pleasure, your fun) from your LIFE, instead of always getting it from your food?

 What if you could learn how to fix your relationship with food, so eating could still be enjoyable, but not the peak of your existence?

 That's one of the things I help my clients do.  Put food in its proper place, as a source of fuel and nourishment and nutrition, and still delicious and pleasurable, but not the substitute for a good life, but as a piece of that life.

 You can do this.  I can help.  I'm like the Home Depot for weight loss. Let's start today.

P.S. It's time for your to lose the weight.  You absolutely can do this once you have the right support.  Jump on a Zoom call with me and we'll get you started.  Just find a time on my calendar.

 

You Are Worth the Investment

You Are Worth the Investment

May 6, 2022

You are worth the investment.

When was the last time you invested in yourself?

 In your happiness?

 In your health?

 In your personal development?

 Without question we as women invest in our kids.  We understand their education and extracurricular activities put them on a path to get into a good college, get a good job, marry the right person, and be successful.

 And we invest in our husbands.  We take care of things around the house so they don't have to worry about it.  We go to their work functions and smile and nod and act as much like Snow White as we can so everyone knows what a lovely wife he has and feel safe promoting him.

But what about you?

There are some great fathers out there, but that thing they say on the planes about putting your own oxygen mask on?  We know that's not for them, right?  That's for us.

And it's backwards.  We think by putting ourselves last we are making sure there's enough for everyone else.  But living on scraps doesn't work the way you think it does.  It just reinforces the idea of scarcity and leads to everyone rolling their eyes at what a martyr you are.  They don't really appreciate it anyway.

The truth of it is, if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.  And they know you are not happy.

So it's time, it's time to invest in yourself.  There have been new things that have been invented and discovered since college, and you didn't get to take all the classes anyway.

 There's more to learn and more to discover and it's ok to invest the time, money, and effort in improving yourself. 

 And secretly it all comes back to them anyway.  Your husband has a wife who likes the way she looks and isn't constantly trying to get in the back of all the group photos.  Your kids see you eating healthier, and at some point down the road they will remember that and have that to fall back on when they are overweight.

So do it, momma.  Invest in yourself.  You are worth it.

P.S. It's time for your to lose the weight.  You absolutely can do this once you have the right support.  Jump on a Zoom call with me and we'll get you started.  Just find a time on my calendar.

 

What You Need to Believe to Lose Weight

What You Need to Believe to Lose Weight

Apr 29, 2022

We think weight loss is all about getting ourselves to eat the right things or exercise until we “feel the burn”.  But weight loss starts with our beliefs.

 I've had quite a few people jump on consult calls with me over the years, and for most of them, the number one reason they don't go ahead and pay the $395 for the first month of coaching is that they don't believe lasting weight loss is possible for them.

They believe it's possible for me of course.  All you have to do is scroll through my Facebook photos and you can see I used to be bigger, that I lost weight about a year ago, and that I seem to be keeping it off.

If they've been on my YouTube channel they will have seen the testimonials out there, so they likely believe that it works for my clients as well.

But they don't believe it's possible for them.

“I've always been heavy.”

“My whole family is overweight – I'm doomed genetically.”

“I lack willpower.”

I get it.  For the longest time, I thought there was something wrong with me as well.  In fact, I ended up with low thyroid (which has now cleared itself up).

But here's the thing.  I don't care about your genetics or your willpower or your diagnoses.  I know if you eat less, and if what you eat is healthier, you will weigh less.  And I know how to get you to cut out the stress eating and the emotional eating and the unconscious habit eating you are doing.

So change your mind about what's possible for you.  Be willing to invest in yourself.  Thanks to my money back guarantee, the only thing you have to lose is the weight.

Are you ready to lose with Lisa?  Click here to schedule a free initial consultation to learn more.

 

 

You Are Worth the Investment

4 Types of Hunger and How to Beat Them

Apr 22, 2022

Today I’m going to share the four types of hunger and how to beat them to lose weight.

 

So, there are 4 different things that we may describe as hunger. I’m going to teach you how to deal with them so they don’t stop you from losing weight.

Now, let’s be clear, I don’t teach starvation. I eat food and I recommend you do, too. But most what I am going to describe below is actually false hunger that we let stop us from losing weight because we think they are emergencies we need to deal with by eating immediately.

1. Low blood sugar.
For most people, this is a light-headedness and a sort of hangry “feed me now” violent sort of emotion.
What you are actually feeling is NOT hunger. It is the symptoms of withdrawal from your drug of choice, sugar.
There are some people who truly do suffer from medical low blood sugar, but if you don’t have a diagnosis from a doctor, what you are actually feeling is what we expect any addict to live through when they quit their drug of choice. If you quit using sugar (and flour, which breaks down into sugar) and break your addiction, this feeling will permanently go away.

2. Cravings.
A craving is an intense mental urge, either for a specific food or a category of foods. It usually is more mental than physical. If you pay attention to your mind, you will likely start to hear the thought that goes with this. It may be a thought like “I’d like just a little something sweet” or “two mint Milano cookies won’t hurt anything.” The best way to deal with this is to shine the light of awareness on these thoughts and realize where they are leading you – to a continuation of your weight problem. Then treat them like an urge (check out my other videos on how to deal with urges).

3. Emotional discomfort.
Again, we’ll need to get a little more introspective to pick up on this one. Most of us have been trained (or trained ourselves) that if we are feeling an unpleasant emotion, the solution is food. A great time to observe this is when we are sitting on the couch in front of the TV after dinner and have the desire to go get a snack. What emotion are we also feeling? Is it boredom? Restlessness? Loneliness? Let yourself actually feel that feeling instead of covering over it with a snack.

4. Physical hunger.
Physical hunger is a sensation that starts in the body and then lets your mind know something is going on. It can be a growling stomach or other feeling, perhaps in the throat or mouth. This is the most legitimate of the 4, because it is at least a physical sensation, so it makes the most sense to give that a physical solution, like food.

One thing to note, here, is that physical hunger, while it is legitimate, is like a warning light coming on the dashboard. It’s like needing to pee. It’s not healthy to completely ignore it, but you can wait a little while until you get to a safe place to address it.

It’s also important to note that sometimes physical hunger is programmed. If you eat at noon every day, you may start to get hungry at noon every day. It doesn’t actually mean that you will die if you don’t eat right that minute. It just means your body is reminding you “hey, we usually eat now.” It’s the same way the dog knows when it’s time for him to be fed. So while you may choose to pay attention to it, if you are 40 pounds over weight, you are unlikely to die within the first 5 minutes of feeling hunger. You do have a reserve source of fuel on your body that you stored for a moment just like this that can be utilized.

So now let me ask you: when’s the last time you felt a feeling you thought of as hunger? Knowing what you know now, what was it actually? Do you have some different strategies you can use going forward? 

If you’d like to learn more about how I can support you in your weight loss journey, make an appointment for a free initial consultation using my online calendar at https://lisauke.net/schedule

 

“The Only Thing Between Me & Happiness is 50 Pounds.”

“The Only Thing Between Me & Happiness is 50 Pounds.”

Apr 15, 2022

 All I Believed I Needed to Change Was One Impossible Thing….

 

Are you living a perfect life on paper, but still unhappy?

 

I had a great business that gave me both income and flexibility, a fantastic husband, a beautiful home in sunny Florida, and a super cute dog.  So what was between me and happiness?

My weight. 

I'd attempted many different things over the years, and had some success at slimming down.  But eventually I stopped whatever I was doing (Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, high intensity boot camp, hiring a nutritionist or one of many “book diets” I tried), and ever so slowly the weight came back.

Sound familiar?

Now I still have all those things I had before – the business, Mr. Lisa, the house 10 minutes from the beach, and of course the dog is still super cute.  And while I don't think being happy all the time is possible in this human experience, things are really really really good.

 My relationships with my spouse and friends are better than ever.  I am more productive and less stressed at work.  There are still times when I fall short of my own standards, but I handle it way better than before.

And did losing 50 pounds do that for me?

Well, let's just say that they came out of the same journey.

That's the journey I want to invite you on.

Ever been on a really great trip and when you get back you want everyone to go there with you?

That's what this is like.

Let me be your guide.

 Ready to learn more?  Schedule a free initial consultation today at https://lisaduke.net/schedule.

Hormones & Weight: Leptin

Hormones & Weight: Leptin

Mar 4, 2022

Learn how to get your leptin back online.

 

Leptin is made by your fat to let your brain know you are good. It actually inhibits hunger.

So when scientists figured this out, they were very excited, because they should just be able to inject you with leptin and you’ll lose weight, right?

The problem is that you can’t just add more leptin, because of leptin resistance.

You most likely have plenty of leptin circulating, but the problem is that leptin is blocked when insulin is high.

So here’s insulin again. If you’ve been watching my videos, you know insulin keeps us in fat storage mode. Now we learn it’s also blocking leptin from telling us to stop eating. Why is it doing that?

Well, when your blood sugar is high, that’s an emergency. If you know of anyone who has uncontrolled diabetes, you know high blood sugar can cause nerve damage, which can be quite painful, plus kidney damage, eye damage, hearing damage, Alzheimer’s, and depression. So needless to say, your body is going to prioritize getting the sugar out of your blood and into your muscles, your liver, and your fat cells above any other messages.
But what about those of you who are eating clean? You might find it interesting to know that partial sleep deprivation associated with decreased leptin. So be sure to get a good amount of quality sleep to help lose weight naturally.

Losing weight while sleeping more? Sounds good to me!

 Are you ready to get coached?  Schedule a time to get started by clicking here.

4 Types of Hunger and How to Beat Them

4 Types of Hunger and How to Beat Them

Feb 25, 2022

Distinguish between false and true hunger and what to do with these sensations.

So, there are 4 different things that we may describe as hunger. I’m going to teach you how to deal with them so they don’t stop you from losing weight.

 

Now, let’s be clear, I don’t teach starvation. I eat food and I recommend you do, too. But most what I am going to describe below is actually false hunger that we let stop us from losing weight because we think they are emergencies we need to deal with by eating immediately.

1. Low blood sugar.
For most people, this is a light-headedness and a sort of hangry “feed me now” violent sort of emotion.
What you are actually feeling is NOT hunger. It is the symptoms of withdrawal from your drug of choice, sugar.

There are some people who truly do suffer from medical low blood sugar, but if you don’t have a diagnosis from a doctor, what you are actually feeling is what we expect any addict to live through when they quit their drug of choice. If you quit using sugar (and flour, which breaks down into sugar) and break your addiction, this feeling will permanently go away.

2. Cravings.

A craving is an intense mental urge, either for a specific food or a category of foods. It usually is more mental than physical. If you pay attention to your mind, you will likely start to hear the thought that goes with this. It may be a thought like “I’d like just a little something sweet” or “two mint Milano cookies won’t hurt anything.” The best way to deal with this is to shine the light of awareness on these thoughts and realize where they are leading you – to a continuation of your weight problem. Then treat them like an urge (check out my other videos on how to deal with urges).

3. Emotional discomfort.

Again, we’ll need to get a little more introspective to pick up on this one. Most of us have been trained (or trained ourselves) that if we are feeling an unpleasant emotion, the solution is food. A great time to observe this is when we are sitting on the couch in front of the TV after dinner and have the desire to go get a snack. What emotion are we also feeling? Is it boredom? Restlessness? Loneliness? Let yourself actually feel that feeling instead of covering over it with a snack.

4. Physical hunger.

Physical hunger is a sensation that starts in the body and then lets your mind know something is going on. It can be a growling stomach or other feeling, perhaps in the throat or mouth. This is the most legitimate of the 4, because it is at least a physical sensation, so it makes the most sense to give that a physical solution, like food.


One thing to note, here, is that physical hunger, while it is legitimate, is like a warning light coming on the dashboard. It’s like needing to pee. It’s not healthy to completely ignore it, but you can wait a little while until you get to a safe place to address it.


It’s also important to note that sometimes physical hunger is programmed. If you eat at noon every day, you may start to get hungry at noon every day. It doesn’t actually mean that you will die if you don’t eat right that minute. It just means your body is reminding you “hey, we usually eat now.” It’s the same way the dog knows when it’s time for him to be fed. So while you may choose to pay attention to it, if you are 40 pounds over weight, you are unlikely to die within the first 5 minutes of feeling hunger. You do have a reserve source of fuel on your body that you stored for a moment just like this that can be utilized.

P.S. It's time for your to lose the weight.  You absolutely can do this once you have the right support.  Jump on a Zoom call with me and we'll get you started.  Just find a time on my calendar.

 

The Secret Ingredient That’s Keeping You Overweight

The Secret Ingredient That’s Keeping You Overweight

Feb 18, 2022

Learn how industry is using your brain against you and how to fight back.

 

Believe it or not, almost all the foods you buy that are in a box or a bottle are loaded with sugar or with high fructose corn syrup.  These ingredients keep us addicted to sugar, and keep us eating and buying more than we should.

 Food manufacturers know EXACTLY what they are doing.  They make their products as sweet as possible without tipping over into being unpleasantly sweet.  They call this the “bliss point”, and it’s when food has the maximum ability to hijack your brain chemicals, including dopamine, to cause you to buy and eat more of this food again.

Because most of us don’t understand how damaging and how addictive these ingredients are or how ubiquitous they are (there’s even sugar in ketchup), food manufacturers have us in the same position cigarette manufacturers used to have their customers.  As a nation, we are completely blind to the connection between this sweetness addiction and the obesity crisis.

Breaking the sugar addiction is the most powerful thing you can do to lose weight.  As a coach, I can help you through it.

 Are you ready to get coached?  Schedule a time to get started by clicking here.

Hormones & Weight: Cortisol

Hormones & Weight: Cortisol

Feb 11, 2022

Stress makes you fat.  Get your stress level down to lose weight naturally.

 

When we feel threatened, our stress response kicks in. Cortisol is one of the chemicals our body releases to respond to that threat as part of the fight/flight response.

Our bodies are very much built to survive the conditions we have lived in for thousands of years – not the conditions we live in today.

So when we get stressed out, our body pulls energy from the core of our body and sends it to our limbs so we can run away or fight off our attacker. That’s fine in a short term situation where that response is helpful, but today, most of the threats we face are long term and mental or emotional, not short term or physical.

That means our bodies end up having energy pulled from the core of our bodies, which is the area responsible for digestion and for our thyroid, amongst other things. This is part of why so many women have digestive issues and thyroid problems – due to the long term effects of stress.

Cortisol also increases blood sugar, which again makes sense if we were in a situation where we needed physical energy. Instead, most of us eat too much sugar and already have too much circulating in our bodies, so the cortisol response just adds to that.

Cortisol assumes we’ve burned energy escaping our attacker and wants to make us refuel, so it makes us crave high calorie foods. It also leads to irritability, difficulty concentrating, and belly fat, which as we all know is the least cute kind of fat.

 Guess what?  I help clients deal with stress so they can lose weight just by changing their hormones. Schedule a time to get started by clicking here.