January Newsletter | Red Mountain Weight Loss - TX

LET GO & let’s go!

ISSUE #1 | JANUARY 2022

IN THIS ISSUE • REFLECTING ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY • MINDFUL EATING VS. MINDLESS EATING

• CHICKEN SHEET-PAN RECIPES • STAR PATIENT

How Jen P. Gained a Legacy that She’ll Pass on to Her Children

REFLECTING ON YOUR

Think Positively

WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY

with Weight Loss Affirmations

It’s the start of a new year, and the perfect time to self-reflect on your weight loss journey. Whether you are at the beginning of your journey, or in the middle of it, here’s a few tips on how to start the year strong.

Review the Data We’ve stressed the importance of keeping a weight loss journal or food diary in the past, and now’s the time to review the data you’ve recorded. Did you change your eating habits? Did you have a breakthrough moment? What have you done differently this past year than in previous years? You may have had a hesitant attitude in the beginning, and now you’ve gained confidence and a boosted self-esteem in recent months – that’s huge progress! Reviewing your log and diary lets you see how far you’ve come. Use the data you’ve recorded to learn what’s been working and what’s not been working for you.

Make More Changes After reflecting, you may find that some things worked better than others. You may have no problem eating salad greens during lunch, but may struggle with stress eating on Monday’s. Identifying problem areas allows opportunity to make changes to modify your behavior. For instance, finding healthy coping mechanisms for stress will help you to change stress eating. Make a list of things that have been working for you, and another list of things you will change for the new year.

Getting your mind in the right ‘head space’ is key to losing weight. Therefore, developing the right mindset starts with affirmations. Here are 10 weight loss affirmations – choose one, say it daily, and make it yours.

1

I am eating to nourish and strengthen my mind.

6

I am not perfect, I accept my mistakes, and learn from them.

I choose to be positive and let go of all negative thoughts and feelings.

2

7

I only eat when I feel hungry.

3

I believe in myself and my ability to succeed.

8

I adore the taste of healthy food.

4

I am not afraid to say “no” when I need to.

9

I will portion my meals and stay on track.

5

I love the feeling physical activity gives me.

10

I love and care for my body.

Express Gratitude Take this time to express gratitude for your journey – including gratitude towards your body, gratitude for the milestones you made, and the weight you’ve lost so far. Give thanks for all the positive moments you’ve been able to create through this unique journey. Being grateful for these moments is key to having a positive attitude and moving forward. In addition, expressing gratitude has many health benefits, including boosting your mood and getting better sleep! If you keep a gratitude journal, you may already be ahead of experiencing these effects.

Celebrate Your Wins You’ve not just survived through the end of the year, but you’ve thrived as well! Think hard about how far you’ve come, and give yourself a moment to congratulate yourself. Rewarding yourself is integral to allowing yourself to recognize how momentous your journey truly is. You took the first step to change your life, and now you’re continuing to make huge strides to make this happen. Go out to a movie or get a new haircut, now is the time to recognize your accomplishments. Give yourself credit – you deserve it.

Prepare for the Next Chapter Looking ahead to this new year, what are the things you want to do and accomplish? Make a list of the big goals you’re striving for, and create a plan mapping out the smaller goals that will get you where you need to go. Setting these goals will ensure that you will be able to make these plans reality, and creating a vision board will help you to imagine what your life will be like once you reach your goals. The future shines brightly, and we can’t wait to see what happens in the next chapter of your weight loss journey.

Affirmations work based on your emotional attachment to it, and the credibility you give it. Let’s dispel all negative thoughts and replace them with positive thinking.

Use emotive words to describe positive

Describe your negative thoughts. What are you struggling with? (Ex. Fear, lack of self-confidence, lack of discipline).

I am (Ex. confident, disciplined, deserving)

emotions, so your body can feel these emotions whenever negative thoughts arise.

I am NOT (Ex. afraid, insecure, negative)

Develop positive action steps from the exercise above, and repeat these affirmations every day.

What would you would say to yourself if you overcame the struggles that you listed above?

I will (Ex. eat healthy) I will (Ex. control how much I eat) I will (Ex. accept my mistakes and learn from them)

2022

Vision Board Instructions: Add pictures or fill in the boxes to get you started on your vision board!

Visualization is a powerful tool. When you can envision your future-self accomplishing your goals, you take one step closer to making that success a reality. Here are three reasons why you should create a vision board.

M O T I VAT I O N

(Ex. inspirational quotes, pictures of your family)

RECIPES

Save time on meal prepping by utilizing our chicken sheet-pan recipes! You can portion out these delicious dishes and enjoy them throughout the week. Reward yourself with a yummy berry punch and apple cookies!

1

CLARITY

Determining exactly what you want and getting clear on the details helps you to develop a roadmap to get there.

2

January BALSAMIC BASIL CHICKEN

CHICKEN WITH APPLES

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

Zero-calorie non-stick cooking spray 3 Tbsp of Walden Farms® balsamic vinegar 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 6 cups of zucchini, cut into1-inch chunks 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, cut in half 2 tsp. of oregano 2 large garlic cloves, minced ½ cup of basil Pinch of black pepper Pinch of sea salt

Zero-calorie non-stick cooking spray 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 medium red onion, chopped 1 apple, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 tsp. of rosemary 4 large garlic cloves, minced Pinch of black pepper Pinch of sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Season chicken with black pepper, sea salt, rosemary, and garlic. Coat a pan with zero-calorie non-stick cooking spray.

Add cut up apples, chopped onions, and chicken to the pan and place in the oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Toss the apples and onions, and return to oven for 10 more minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

GOALS

(Ex. being able to go hiking, lower blood pressure)

FOCUS

Envisioning the future helps you to practice discipline today, so you can have a better future tomorrow.

3

MANIFESTATION By imagining you in the future, you’ve taken an action to make this dream a reality. Continuing to fuel this vision will make this reality.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when you create your vision board: What does your life look like?

What do you look like?

What will you be able to do when you reach your goals?

How will you celebrate your accomplishment?

R E WA R D S

(Ex. going on a trip, getting a manicure)

Heat oven to 425 degrees, and season chicken and zucchini with sea salt and black pepper.

Combine oregano and garlic in a small bowl, coat chicken and zucchini. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly brown. Add cherry tomatoes and raise temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for 5-10 minutes more. Take pan out of the oven. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and basil.

DIRECTIONS

January RECIPES

BERRY PUNCH

APPLE CRISPS

If

you’ve ever reached for ice cream and finished the carton without thinking about it, you’ve participated in mindless eating. The dangers of mindless eating can result in overconsumption of calories and subsequent weight gain. Yet, like any bad habit, you can replace mindless eating with mindful eating to achieve a healthier lifestyle.

The first step to mindful eating is understanding the difference between mindless eating vs. mindful eating.

Mindless eating is eating as a response to an emotion, most often associated with stress, nervousness, loneliness, and boredom. Mindless eating is like eating on autopilot - you’re not thinking about eating, you’re letting your emotions take over and you eat whether you are hungry or not.

Mindful eating is eating for necessity, to fulfill your appetite in a way that is synced with the mind-body connection. You only eat when you’re hungry, and are completely present. You are aware of the taste, smell, and experience you are having. You are in control of what and how much you are eating, and are less likely to binge.

One technique to implement mindful eating is the HALT technique by Harvard Medical School.

Before eating, ask yourself the following questions:

H - Am I feeling hungry?

A - Am I feeling angry?

L - Am I feeling lonely?

T - Am I feeling tired?

If the answer is yes to any of the latter three questions, pivot your actions with a different response to replace eating. Drink a glass of water, go for a walk, or call a friend. Continue to cultivate a mindful eating approach by reviewing your daily meals, and ask yourself the following questions: INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

½ cup of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, & strawberries 1 cup of water 1-2 Tbsp of stevia Lemon zest Ice cubes Lemon-lime seltzer water Rosemary sprig (optional)

Pulp from 1 apple 1/8 tsp cinnamon Pinch of nutmeg 1/8 tsp of RM Vanilla Shake Powder Stevia, to taste 1 Tbsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Mix apple pulp with stevia and spices and form into 1-2 inch round balls. Bake at 400° for approximately 15-20 minute or until slightly brown. Take out of the oven and let them cool for 5-10 minutes.

Add berries in to a pot and add water. Stir in stevia, and bring to a simmer. Mix in lemon zest.

Strain mixture and let cool. Add four ice cubes to a glass. Add three tablespoons of the mixture with lemon-lime seltzer water. Add a sprig of rosemary for flavor.

DIRECTIONS

1. Are my snacks and meals healthy?

2. Are any of my snacks and meals based on emotions? Energy levels?

Convenience? Environment?

3. If yes, what can I do to change this?

Remember to eat with intention and pay attention, and you will unlock the key to mindful eating.

MINDFUL EATING VERSUS MINDLESS EATING

S TA R PAT I E N T

HOW JEN P. GAINED A

LEGACY

THAT SHE’LL PASS ON TO HER CHILDREN Being overweight took away any confidence I had. I was insecure about being in public, and ashamed to even go to my kids’ sporting events.

Trying to do things like hiking, or even just taking care of my animals on our farm, became difficult. For the past 10 years, I’ve been having health issues. I was losing my hair. My thyroid was off the charts. But, I could never lose weight. I tried going on the keto diet, I tried a personal trainer, and nothing worked. I gave up for a while. One day I went with my husband to visit family, and I was looking through the pictures he had taken that day. I saw a picture of me – and I just started crying. I didn’t realize I was that big.

I started researching how to start losing weight, and Red Mountain Weight Loss kept popping up, so I took the leap and made an appointment. The support the Red Mountain Weight Loss team gave me is what made a huge difference. I could call them and ask random questions, and they’re always super nice and willing to talk to me. When I go in there, my experience is so personal, like I’ve known them for so long. It makes me feel like I’m not doing this alone.

Now

Seeing my transformation has been incredible – I never thought I could do this. I have so much more energy and I feel amazing inside and out. And, now I feel confident and proud.

I can’t remember the last time I physically felt this good. I don’t feel like I need to hide myself.

I’m an extroverted person, but in the last few years, I felt more introverted. I didn’t want to go out and I’d find reasons not to go do things. Now, I’m jumping in pictures with my kids!

I want my kids to remember me happy. I want them to look back and be like, “My mom was a happy person. She loved herself.”

Red Mountain gave me that – a legacy that I’ll be passing down for my children. I’m setting an example for them, and that’s priceless.

- Jen P. lost 64 lbs.

Before