Evolution magazine november 2013

Issue 8 | November 2013

E

volution

Time to Toss the Superwoman cape [Page 14 ]

The Mojo Coach:

Enjoying the Holidays Weight Gain Free

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Ways to Crush Limiting Beliefs

Is Your Ladder of Success on the Wrong Wall?

Business, Tech and More

Evolution Magazine Publisher DARNELL G DAVIS

Managing Editors PHILIP HART AMELIA CHRISTY SUSAN BAKER PRECIOUS MOORE HEIDI TOTTEN KEVIN BAHLER Photographers EVOLUTION TEAM

Graphic Designer EVOLUTION TEAM Evolution Contributors EVA LOUIS KAREN JETT SLYVIA BROWDER DERRICK JONES DONNIE BRYANT Questions and feedback: PO Box 104, Stewartsville, NJ 08886 Phone: (347) 669 2EVO Email: info@EvoMag.co Online: www.EvoMag.co Evolution Magazine is a trademark of the Evolve Media Group Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or in full is strictly prohibited.

Evolution Magazine is a monthly digital publication. Evolution Magazine welcomes all contributions. Evolution Magazine assumes no responsibility for content of advertisement. No representation is made as to the accuracy hereof and is produced subject to errors and omissions. *Unless otherwise noted all stock photos are provided by Deposit Photos www.depositphotos.com.* And IStock Photos www.Istock.com ++

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Evolution Magazine/ November 2013

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5

Ways To Crush

Limiting Beliefs Melissa Krivachek www.briellaarion.com

W

e’ve all thought at some point in our life, and maybe even today, that we aren’t good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, or educated enough. We don’t have enough money, the right relationships, enough time, knowledge, or energy to accomplish our goals, pursue our dreams, or live a life of fulfillment. But the reality is all of that is BS. Our only limitation is our ability to identify the illusions we ourselves have created. The fear, doubt, confusion, and pain that consume our mind, our life, and our results are a hidden belief that is reflected by us through other people.

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Evolution Magazine/ November 2013

Knowledge without action is meaningless, and action is truly the only way to crush limiting beliefs

Today, I want to share with you 5 ways to crush your limiting beliefs, BS excuses, and the story you’ve told yourself for so long you believe its reality so you can identify, change, and influence others to do the same, while living a life of extreme confidence and clarity.

Jump off the cliff. Imagine standing at the bottom of a cliff while your friend gets ready to jump off. You’re screaming and shouting “you can do it,”“come on,” and suddenly he jumps. When he gets to the bottom he says now it’s your turn. You head up the cliff and what was an emotional high minutes ago when you were at the bottom has now turned into a debilitating fear as you look down. As you harness up, thoughts start racing through your mind: “What if my parachute doesn’t deploy?” “What if I hit a tree or rock?” “I can’t do this it’s too far down.” “What if…What if…What if?” It’s suddenly an endless stream of fear, doubt, and anxiety. The same fear, doubt and anxiety your friend was feeling when you were screaming “You can do this.” You suddenly realize there are only two options: take off the harness and trek the gear down the cliff, or jump. You make the decision to jump, and seconds later, you’re freefalling through the sky, enjoying the scenery, and as you hit the bottom, you’re thinking that wasn’t so hard. Actually, that was fun I want to do it again. Each time you do it, it gets easier and easier. You’re no longer analyzing what could happen but enjoying the adrenaline, excitement, energy, and fun of accomplishing your goal. As Tony Robbins says, “It is in our moments of decision that our destiny is shaped.”

It is these same decisions, small and big, that we make every day that cause us fear, pain, and anxiety, or fun, excitement, and joy. It is this emotional intensity that dictates our actions and results. So how do you crush your limiting beliefs?

Demolish Doubt: Step into uncertainty and make a new decision. Our minds are unlimited, except for the limits we put on ourselves. We choose our emotions and our results.

Instead of driving yourself into an emotional pit, wasting time, not taking action, and feeling the pain of regret, get ahold of the demon of doubt and KILL IT! Find the hidden belief.

Question it and shift the illusion. The truth is the opposite of doubt; it is this emotional intensity that makes shit happens.

Create Confidence: The reality of stepping into the unknown, into the uncertainty and fear, is the only way to create confidence and receive emotional confirmation that the decision you made was the right one. Confidence is an internal value leading to the love, freedom, abundance, clarity, and energy you need to maximize results and fulfillment in all aspects of life. Raphael Robertson said it best: “A comfort zone is a casket.”

Get Clear: The best feeling in the world is the essence of knowing who we are and why we are here. All value is emotional. Owning who you are, creating an authentic message, and committing to your highest potential will give you confirmation that all fear, doubt, and confusion are an illusion, one that limits your ability to influence. Influence is the effect on character, development, or behavior of someone or something.

Have a Compelling Reason Why: Your message and passion is the reason you are here. It’s not always about your presentation, but rather your presence. Nothing great ever happens without a compelling reason why. Think about all of the reasons why you want to make a difference, all the reasons why your family deserves better, and your bank account deserves more, then use that to influence every decision you make.

Most Importantly Take Action: Knowledge without action is meaningless, and action is truly the only way to crush limiting beliefs. Next time you are looking for a quick fix, an easy way out, or convenient path to take, remember that the only quick fix is taking massive action! And remember, if you need help get a coach.

www.evomag.co

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Is Your Ladder of Success on the Wrong Wall?

Derrick Jones In “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,� Stephen Covey described those who work hard climbing the ladder of success, only to find themselves years later standing atop the wrong wall. How does this happen, and what can you do to solve the problem?

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Chasing Money Many wind up in this undesirable place because they spend their days chasing money, hopping from one big thing to the next. In a recent forum discussion, one of the participants said he has no interest in "serving" or "offering value to the market place." He claims he is into entrepreneurship solely for the money. "I build lists to monetize them," he proclaimed. I doubt he has "monetized" much of anything.

If this is how you approach entrepreneurship, then good luck, because the riches do not come easy or quick. This is the type of attitude that causes people to jump from one thing to the next without ever giving an idea enough time to take hold and "tip."

Changing Walls Once a person realizes they are standing on the wrong wall, they have but three choices.

Finding and climbing the right wall requires tapping into something greater than the desire for money, fame, or notoriety.

The days will be long, with the outcome often unpredictable. The desire for money is not enough to remain on the rollercoaster.

3. A gradual pivot - This is the safer choice and easy enough for almost anyone. A gradual pivot is when you decide to get off the wall within a certain timeframe, be it a year or 2 or 3. The first step is deciding where you want to be by that time, and then laying the groundwork to get there.

Chasing the Joneses So, your neighbor bought a new car. Not one to be out done, you decide to get one too. Whether cars, fancy vacations, home improvements, or the latest gadget, people make a sport of keeping up with friends and neighbors.

By contrast, a good friend of mine brags about how little he spends on clothing, cars and electronics. The thrift store is his favorite place for shopping, and he has as much as $100,000 cash on hand in the bank.

Over nearly 20 years, he built a real estate business and retired early from his job. Everyone he worked with had the same opportunity, but they squandered years of time and earnings keeping up appearances.

What is his secret? He loves rental properties and taking care of his tenants. One day, after purchasing a fancy, stainless steel refrigerator for one of his apartments, he turned to me and said, "See how well I take care of my tenants? This is why everyone wants to rent from me."

1. Stay and keep going - This is the most common choice. They soldier on, hoping things will get better. It seldom does.

2. Make a hard pivot - Chuck it all and follow your passions.

This approach is risky, scary, and hard on those closest to us.

Few people have the courage to make such a move, which is understandable, considering the amount of obligations piled up while chasing the Joneses.

Start with the end in mind, as Covey put it, and get to work on reaching your destination.

Stop taking on new clients for that business you want out of, but maintain good service for your existing customers. Take college courses part time to get your degree in philosophy as a first step to becoming a professor. Make friends with those in the industry you want access to. Start your dream business on the side, and take your time building a loyal clientele. The choice is yours.

Despite the relative ease of this approach, most would rather die on the other wall than risk judgment and ridicule from "friends."

Misery still loves company. So, who do you keep company with?

Godspeed, and I look forward to seeing you in The Players Lounge

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.�

Mark Twain

www.evomag.co

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Evolution Magazine/ November 2013

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Ladies, Toss the Superwoman cape You don’t need it.

Gina BLevins

Laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, doctor, and dentist appointments can be a full time job! Layer in birthday parties, extracurricular activities like dance, gymnastics, and church, and you have taken on a side job too. Being the mother of a nearly 2 ½ year old, high energy, very advanced toddler makes for a full life and never a dull moment.

Before there was Tallis and her wonderful father Alfonso, there was just me: Gina. I was fully dedicated to my career. As an operations and process improvement professional with more than a decade

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of experience managing complex customer interactions and providing high touch consumer affairs for multiple Fortune 500 companies, I already had a hectic and very full life. No stranger to 12 -16 hour days, I built my life around my very successful career.

Then along came Tallis! Everything changed for me at the age of 35. There was this wonderful, beautiful, fully dependent baby girl, and those first 6 weeks were awesome! 100% dedicated to the care and loving of my unexpected blessing, I was on Cloud 9! When Tallis was 7 weeks old, I picked up my briefcase

Guest Editorial and laptop and headed back into the office, something I had done day in and day out for more than 10 years, yet now something was different. For the first six months, I struggled to reengage in my career. Although fulfilling all of my responsibilities and performing equal to my colleagues, my heart was no longer in it. I spent months soulsearching and asking myself “Why?” It seemed surreal to me; my career had always brought me so much joy, but now it was just a job, a 9-5, a pay check.

Realizing that I was experiencing a transition, I set out to alter my mindset and find a work-life balance that worked for me and my family. Partnering with Tallis’s father, President and Founder of Alfonso Todd & Associates and Prolifick Media, I threw every spare moment into his business. My role is supporting event planning, coordination, and web design, and overseeing the technical aspects of his complicated media business. I do all of this while still managing a high-stress, highly visible career and a family life. Working alongside Alfonso every night, partnering and delivering for our clients was uniquely empowering for me and rewarding for the business; Alfonso Todd & Associates and Prolifick Media were growing and requiring more and more attention. Having spent my entire career working with Fortune 500 companies, catering to and delivering for the small business owner was rewarding in a way that I never had imagined. Over time, my creative juices, my fire and passion for my career re-ignited and before I even realized it my career was on fire again.

This created another transition; now finding myself with two full-time jobs, a rambunctious 2 year old and a home life to manage, I was at a crossroads. Something had to change, change being the key word because I was determined to not sacrifice the quality and quantity of work I supplied. In this transition, I realized something that became imperative to my ongoing success: I was not ever going to be, nor am I required to be Superwoman. It is okay to ask for help, set expectations and still deliver quality product on time.

Newly empowered to fail at being Superwoman, I became a better communicator. It’s okay to shift priorities. It’s okay to rely on your partner or spouse, colleagues and friends. There are days that your child can’t be your number one priority in the traditional sense of the phrase and that is OKAY. That’s what your

partner/spouse and family is for. It’s okay to let your child be his/her father’s number one priority for a day while you manage through a crisis at work. This was the toughest transition of all for me: communicating with Alfonso, my colleagues and peers at work; being able to set expectations and boundaries that differentiated my personal and professional lives.

Success in doing this ultimately relied on the following key elements: Setting expectations that you are walking out the door at 5pm regardless of what’s happening on set days per week.

Alfonso and I keep a schedule of Monday and Wednesday he picks up Tallis and on Tuesday and Thursday I pick up Tallis with alternating Fridays. Both Alfonso and I do have the flexibility in our schedules to rely on each other if that has to change. However, generally speaking everyone knows I am walking out at 5pm on Tuesday and Thursday and can be reached via mobile phone after that.

Making yourself available fully after hours is imperative.

If you have to walk out the door at a set time, you don’t have the luxury of drawing a hard line of “don’t call after 6PM.” I make myself available all hours and on weekends. (I have been known to schedule meetings on a weekend myself ). I have found that generally peers, colleagues, subordinates and even superiors are respectful of my time unless something is truly urgent.

Managing your value quotient.

Having learned that you are only as good as your last success, I end each day evaluating the value I have brought to my organization and preparing to create additional value the next day. Having for years been caught up in “tasks” which are a necessary evil, I have transitioned to daily management of my value quotient to the organizations I support, including my family.

Managing 2 careers, a family, relationships, and life in general can be a daunting task; each day priorities shift. Each new challenge creates energy and passion for what I do. You can find your work-life balance too: start with handing in your Superwoman cape; you don’t need it. What you do need are boundaries, flexibility, and a daily value quotient evaluation.

Gina Blevins is the Sr. Director of Operational eXcellence for Telerx Marketing, a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck Pharmaceuticals, and Vice President of Alfonso Todd & Associates/Prolifick Media. Visit her LinkedIn profile at http:// www.linkedin.com/in/ginablevins, and she can be reached via email at gina.blevins@gmail.com. www.evomag.co

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When Is Being Clever Inappropriate in Advertising?

Is it wrong to try to be clever in your marketing?

Donnie Bryat

Most direct marketing experts and teachers will tell you that attempts at humor or cleverness are a bad idea. Most of them have experienced reality firsthand: people work hard to earn their money. Deciding where they’re going to spend or invest it is something they probably take seriously, not playfully.

On the other hand, most multimillion dollar image ad agencies can’t resist conjuring up the slickest ideas possible.

Some of them will quote statistics “proving” how effective those 7- and 8-figure campaigns have been. Maybe they’re right, in some cases.

While I can’t state categorically that cleverness will ruin the effectiveness of your marketing message, know for sure that you’re taking a pretty big risk.

A few days ago, I saw a TV commercial advertising what seems to be a major event at Denny’s: Baconalia.

Being the dreadful nerd that I am, I realized that this was an attempted play on the word bacchanalia. Knowing the kind of person who reads this blog, there’s a good chance you noticed it, too. Wikipedia defines bacchanalia as “wild and mystic festivals of the Greco-Roman god Bacchus (or Dionysus), the wine god. The term has since come to describe any form of drunken revelry.” Just replace the wine with bacon and you have a good time waiting for you at Denny’s.

Here’s the problem: How obvious that play on words? What percentage of Denny’s average customers get it?

You know what probably happened. Some bookworm

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adwriter (who never had the responsibility to actually sell something with his ads) saw a chance to flex his creative muscles and he couldn’t help himself.

Granted, this advertisement may not hurt sales, but does the name Baconalia capture the attention and crystallize the desire for salty pigmeat in the minds of the people who see the commercial? More likely, it causes a moment of confusion. And as I say so frequently, confused people don’t buy.

Maybe I’m more upset about this than I should be. Maybe I’m being overly sensitive. But it seems like this happens way too frequently. Marketers and entrepreneurs think puns fill cash registers. They put too much emphasis on being clever.

Like Barefeet Shoes. Does that even make sense as the name of a shoe store?

Kill The Cleverness Bill Bernbach, widely regarded as one of the 20th centuries most influential advertisers, said this: “Our job is to sell our clients’ merchandise … not ourselves. Our job is to kill the cleverness that makes us shine instead of the product. Our job is to simplify, to tear away the unrelated, to pluck out the weeds that are smothering the product message.“ Another of the greats, David Ogilvy said that “A good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself.“ This is where so many marketers get it wrong. The advertisement

isn’t about the marketer — he shouldn’t be trying to win awards or show off his brilliance. The ad isn’t about the company selling the product, or even about the product itself. In the final analysis, the ad must be about the buyer and how his life will be changed for the better by purchasing the item advertised.

Marketing should be a spotlight in a darkened theater; content to be unseen, focused solely on creating the proper perspective for the product, enabling an audience to see the benefits available to them.

The copy you write should be transparent, invisible. If a potential client reads your copy and says, “Man, that was a great advertisement!” you’ve failed. You succeed when he asks urgently, “Where can I buy this product?“ The Most Important Exception Cleverness is a great characteristic for a copywriter or marketer to have. Coming up with unique ideas and new ways to communicate them is essential. But that quick wit must be subjected to self-control and humility. All of those clever ideas have to take a back seat to selling power.

In your ads, you may need to be clever. But your cleverness must be invisible. Kinda like Seal Team 6, doing its job without being seen and disappearing into the night.

Here’s the short version: don’t sacrifice clear, effective communication in an attempt to be witty. Unless you’re selling tickets to a comedy show. www.evomag.co

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Project Management One of the Most Essential Skills Required in Business Today Patrick Cumiskey Patrick Cumiskey is the founder of Skiltful, which provides online training courses in Ireland for people who want to develop personally and professionally. This includes project management courses, Train the Trainer, and Digital Marketing.

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YIELD BETTER BUSINESS RESULTS The reality of business is that the environment, requirements, and customer demands are constantly changing, but business structures, processes, and organization design are not built for change they are built for stability.

The focus is on repeatability and predictability, doing the same thing over and over, meeting service level agreements, and managing risk. This works well when dealing with dayto-day operations, but not so well for implementing a new technology, meeting the requirements of new legislation, or developing an entirely new product.

This is where project management becomes important; while the normal organizational structure is built for stability, projects are designed for change.

Some of the important aspects of project management include: • Defining the End State or Deliverable - If you don't know where you are going, you won't get there. It is important that a clear goal is set for a project. This should include a detailed map of how the organisation will work once the project is completed, the expected results, and tangible differences expected. Clearly stating the evidence of success can also be very useful.

• Understanding Resources Requirements - Projects are an investment. Staff, facilities and financial support will be required to make it happen. In order for a decision to be made, the total cost of the project must be considered. This must also include factors such as additional costs and opportunity costs.

• Obtain Approval - Projects by definition will often have an impact across an organisation. How things are done will change, but they can also affect the day-to-day business during implementation. Staff may be required to perform extra duties, delays may occur in normal operations, and customers could be affected. For a project to be successful, approval and buy-in is critical. A clear statement of the impact is an important consideration in obtaining approval.

• Detailed Scheduling and Planning - "No plan withstands first contact with the enemy" is a well-known quote attributed to Helmuth von Moltke, a famous Prussian military strategist. But contrary to popular belief, the quote is not 'anti-planning,' but is in fact proplanning. The point von Moltke was making was that planning is essential, but that in reality events do not happen as predicted. However, it is the planning that creates the ability to anticipate and react to situations as they occur. In project management, detailed scheduling and planning are critical, but remember that a plan is only a possibility and that constantly assessing and re-planning is a fact of everyday life, plans are not frozen they are alive.

• Getting the Work Done - This is where the magic happens. Ideas, budgets, schedule, and people come together to make things happen. Work is allocated and teams are formed, and detailed budgets and estimates are agreed. Then reality hits; tasks take longer and cost more. Team members and stakeholders have different opinions; they argue and blame each other, unexpected events occur, and minds get changed. Work organization, communication, risk management, and problem solving are the key skills required here.

• Making Change Happen – Ultimately, projects are about making change happen. Organisations and people by nature dislike change. Formal change strategies such as Kotters' 8 Step Approach should be considered here.

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Inside out…

The power of the mind can be so underrated with regard to what it can actually do for you. Few of us really understand and know what the blueprint we are working from actually is. The blueprint of our life is everything about us. How much time have we actually made ensuring that it is the one that will serve us at the highest level? What measures have we put in place to make sure that we check in to see if we really are being true to our beliefs, values, and morals?

Life is one continuous wonderful journey of self-discovery and deeper understanding of who we are and what we are truly here to do. Dedication is the key; it will never let you down. After all, you are the MOST amazing computer that has ever been invented, and until cloning humans does become a reality, you will continue to be. Even then, let’s face it, beautiful ladies, there is truly only one of us all. Life is about grabbing every day and making it phenomenal. Why settle for anything less? It would surely seem an injustice to you. Life is about living, not merely existing, so LIVE and LOVE every day.

When you think about the areas in your life that are now working, how much is it costing you, mentally, physically and financially to be this person? We say that we don’t always have the resources to invest in us, but is that really true, or is it the barrier that does not exist except in our minds? Ask yourself a question; how long are you going to bang your head against that invisible barrier? How long are you are you going to hold yourself back and let yourself down? The problem can be that

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Clare Turner-Marshall

you just really don’t have clarity on what it is that you want, or who you want to be. So make time to find this out and change your reality, as you are the only one that can do it.

Ask yourself a question; what do you want your legacy to look like? What is your 1000-year plan? The Chinese believe that you should plan for this long so that you can virtually guarantee that it will happen; that plan is crucial to your legacy being created. So remember that once you have created your plan, you will be one step closer to it becoming a reality. How wonderful to leave such a phenomenal mark on this plane. What will yours be?

What are they really saying about you?

Appearance Judgments are real Eugenia Coram

Tall. Thin. Short. Attractive. Average. Athletic. Powerful. Weak. Successful.

Dowdy. Confident. Nervous. Poised. Fragile. Brilliant. Brutish. Elegant. Sharp.

Sloppy. Intelligent.

What words would people use to describe their first impression of you? Like it or not, we all make snap judgments within seconds of meeting another person. A lot of those judgments are based on appearance.

Think about what you want your body and appearance to say about you. Now think about what they are actually saying. Is there a difference? If the image your appearance puts forth creates questions or doubts for prospective clients, employers, voters, or anyone else within your sphere of influence, then it may be time to make a change in your wardrobe in order to take your career to the next level.

Professionals make so many efforts to put their best foot forward at all times. They keep up with the latest news, tech trends, marketing techniques, and industry training, but too often neglect their appearance. This could be due to a lack of time or money, unfamiliarity with the world of fashion, or just overall lackadaisical dress standards in the professional world.

These days, it seems the average workplace has become only marginally better than the local discount grocery store as casual Friday has slipped into slouchy Thursday, and a general societal free fall to slovenliness.

On the other hand, a well-dressed professional exudes confidence. Consider how you feel when you put on your favorite pair of jeans, or your best suit. When you know you look good, you stand taller, feel more self-assured, and radiate a greater aura of professionalism. How would your career be different if you felt that way all the time?

Fashion can be a tricky thing. America is flooded with clothing options for all tastes, styles, and budgets. Ultimately, this is a razor sharp two-edged sword, as unlimited options provide an overwhelming menu that is difficult to navigate. Add in the word SALE, and insanity ensues. We often buy items that wear out quickly, or worse, never get worn at all, yet somehow we think we saved money because they were such a great deal when we bought them.

If this sounds all too familiar, don’t worry; you’re not alone.

As a trained professional, I have performed countless closet evaluations. In virtually every one, I have found unworn items with the tags still attached. A wardrobe and image consultant such as myself can help you avoid these types of mistakes by guiding you to select clothes that work best for your body type, are appropriate for your work and social situations, convey the right message, and make you feel great.

Too many people think only the wealthy can afford to hire out such services, but the opposite is actually true. The wealthy can afford to waste time and money shopping, while everyone else could stand to be more efficient. A trained consultant streamlines the process and can keep you from shopping yourself into a closet full of nothing to wear.

If you want to improve the way you feel, broaden your career options, attract more members of the opposite sex, or simply make a better first impression, start with your wardrobe. Your attire conveys an enormous amount of information about you, so if you want the world to take you seriously, you must take your image seriously and dress fully on purpose. www.evomag.co

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Enjoying the Holidays Weight Gain

Free

Debi Silber, MS, RD, WHC, FDN The Mojo Coach

W

hile the holidays are a time to celebrate with family and friends, for many of us, it’s also a time to kick our healthy eating to the curb until January 1st. How can you enjoy the holidays while remaining weight gain free?

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Here are a few healthy ideas: • Always start with a healthy breakfast. It kick-starts your metabolism and is a great time to load up on fresh fruit, healthy grains and fiber.

• Dress strategically-Wearing fitted clothes provides a subconscious reminder to keep from overindulging because they’ll feel snug when you start to overdo it versus clothing that stretches right along with you.

• Don’t save your calories-Saving your calories for a big meal? DON’T. Being overly hungry leads to overeating every time. Having a light snack of 100-200 calories before a party will keep your judgment in tact and will allow you to make better decisions.

• Try the clutch trick- When heading out to a party, bring a clutch bag instead of one with a shoulder strap (or tuck the strap in the bag). By holding your purse, you've instantly eliminated a free hand that could be grabbing high fat/calorie appetizers.

• Preplan your drinks- Will you limit your drinking to one or two drinks? Alternate between drinks and a non-alcoholic beverage? Drink a wine spritzer to cut the amount of wine you're drinking in half? Choose whichever plan feels best and stick with it.

• Preplan your travel snacks- Be sure to pack some healthy snacks and drinks for your trip. Chances are whatever you pack will be healthier than what you’d find along the way.

• Eat a balanced meal-By eating balanced meals of healthy carbohydrates, fruits/vegetables, protein, and some fat, you’ll feel more balanced and will be less likely to binge later on.

• Be a food snob- Only eat what’s special for that holiday and shun foods you can have on any occasion. By having what’s significant to the holiday and allowing for a taste of the special foods served only during that time of year, you’ll feel part of the celebration without going overboard.

• Don't feel pressured to eat everything-Just because it’s there doesn’t mean you have to eat it. Need a mantra?

How about “It looks better in the garbage/on the table than on me!”

• Have a strategy ready for food pushers-“I’ve been looking forward to your delicious cookies and I’m saving room for a taste,” or, “I’m stuffed now, but can I wrap it up and take it with me for later?” They’ll feel that their treat is so special that you want to find a way to eat it while you can choose to do whatever you like with it once you leave.

• Skip seconds-Sometimes you just need a nonnegotiable rule like no seconds unless it’s water or vegetables.

Period.

• Drink lots of water-Besides having so many other health benefits, water helps to fill you and slows down your eating.

• Beware of stress eating-When you’re eating, determine what’s driving your desire to eat. Is it because of something you just saw, heard or felt? Or, is it because your body is physically hungry? Learn to tell the difference and try to respond to the physical need only.

• Suggest an after meal walk-Instead of all that sitting around after a big meal, suggest an activity to get everyone up and moving.

• Get enough sleep-A lack of sleep will encourage you to search for more energy, usually through sugar or caffeine.

Get enough sleep to avoid a sugar-induced energy surge…and crash.

• Slow down/pace yourself-Whether you put down your fork between bites, chew thoroughly, take a drink between bites or any other strategy, talking longer to eat helps you feel more satisfied with less.

• Restaurant ordering- Since your trip may involve more dining out than usual, here are a few healthier menu words to look for. Baked, broiled, grilled, steamed, roasted, seasoned, poached, seared, and red sauce. Words that signify a food is heavier in fat or calories are fried, breaded, battered, crispy, cheesy, buttery, creamy, stuffed, and white sauce.

• Use smaller plates-We want to see our plates full so just by choosing a smaller plate, you’ll get the same effect with much less food.

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• Bring a healthy dish-By bringing a healthy dish, you can at least be assured that you’ll have something to eat if everything else being served is loaded with fat, sugar, and calories.

• Contain it to the meal/day-If you’ve overeaten, contain it to the meal, the party or the day and start over with a clear plan of action.

• Exercise-While you’re even busier than usual with holiday shopping, parties, etc., one of the first things to go in order to find more time may be your fitness program. Make the decision that exercise is a priority. It may be the only “me” time you have during this busy holiday time, so hold firm.

• Put it in perspective-So maybe you’ve overdone it; is it the end of the world? Learn from it, contain it to the day, get back on track, and move on. Trying to move forward while keeping your eyes on the past is like driving while looking in the rear view mirror.

• Have a taste-The first bite tastes the best. It also tastes remarkably similar to the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. Enjoy a taste or two and move on. If that’s too difficult for you, determine if it’s worth struggling with that particular food in the first place. You may be unnecessarily struggling with a food and choosing to eliminate it from your diet instead can be much more freeing.

While life is a journey, so is our quest for healthy eating and living… especially during the holidays. Armed and ready with these strategies, choose the ones that will best work for you and enjoy!

• Eat mindfully-Choose the most delicious looking foods and enjoy a small portion of them thoroughly. By giving yourself permission to eat a certain amount, you’re much less likely to binge later on because you feel good about keeping a promise you made to yourself.

E

Founder of www.TheMojoCoach.com is a weight loss, fitness, lifestyle, selfimprovement expert, speaker, spokesperson, author and THE secret behind some of the healthiest, most dynamic and successful people today. Sign up to receive videos, strategies, tips and resources to get you lean, fit.

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Evolution Magazine/ November 2013

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