How to Not Overeat at 4th of July Parties

Hey there...I was going to write Part 2 of Why Fear Doesn't Motivate People To Lose Weight, but I'm going to put that on hold for a couple of reasons. First, I want to hear from YOU. How many of you have weight loss stories? What motivated YOU to lose weight and keep it off? Let me know by posting your comments below.

Secondly, I want to help people think ahead so they don't overeat during the July 4th festivities. I do this with my clients over the phone all the time. They tell me what social events they have coming up soon and what their game plan is so they don't go overboard and splurge like they used to do.

So, think about what you're going to be doing tomorrow. Going to a bbq? Having friends over? Visualize yourself at this social event and decide now what you are going to do to avoid overeating. Maybe you'll walk around with a cup of water or soda in your hand the whole time so instead of overeating, you can take small sips throughout the event. It helps to have something constantly in your hands so you don't reach for extra food.

Visualize yourself going through the buffet line only one time and eating the food slowly that you chose. Before going through the line, you can avoid impulsively spooning everything onto your plate by deciding what you will eat and how much of it.

For those of you with success stories who used new strategies to not overeat at social events, I want to hear from you! What worked? What did you try that was new, different, and successful? For those of you who overate, what would you do differently next time? What would you do the same?

Wishing everyone a very fun and healthy 4th,

Camille
Life Coach and Author of Stop Overeating Today!

p.s. Don't forget to tell me what motivated you to successfully lose weight by posting your comment - thanks!
p.p.s. For more stop overeating strategies, visit my website: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

How to Run Like a Tortoise and Beat the Hare

If you already have a copy of my book Stop Overeating Today!, you know that my first chapter/tip talks about the tortoise and the hare and advises people to not try to revamp their entire eating and exercise routines overnight. I want people to be excited when they read the book and be zealous, but I also want them to be realistic. Have you ever heard anyone say anything similar to the following:

- "I made a goal today to run for 30 minutes every day!" (This person never goes running)

- "I am going to bike for 10 miles 3 days per week." (This person has no habit of bike riding)

- "I made a goal to never eat cake again!"

I'm all for ambitious goals, but I want people to also feel a sense of accomplishment and success by setting smaller and realistic goals, especially when they're starting out. That's key to maintenance. Lots of people can lose a bunch of weight by doing something drastic like a juice fast, but six months later, did they keep the weight off? Let's revise the above goals:

- "I made a goal to go running tomorrow for 30 minutes!"

-"I am going to bike for 10 miles this week."

- "I made a goal to only have a small slice of cake at the birthday part this weekend and to not go back for seconds."

After achieving success with your first small goal, you are now on your way to setting more small, simple, and reachable goals. The feeling of success with propel you forward and help you grow into setting even bigger and more exciting goals. Leave me a comment and let me know how your goal setting is going!

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To find out more about the book Stop Overeating Today, visit: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Don't Let Your Box Define You

I was at church the other day and the speaker said something that reminded me of what a life coach would say. He said, "Don't let the box of your life define you. Be whatever you need to be in the moment." As I was listening I grabbed for a pen and wrote those profound words down on a scrap of paper.

His words remind me of one of the tips in my book Stop Overeating Today! The tip is all about how to play an empowering role. I blogged about it back in September: http://stopovereatingtips.blogspot.com/search/label/self-identity

If you are battling with your thoughts and emotions to stop overeating, "don't let your box define you" is a very important thing to remember. Take a break from your identity as someone with an overeating problem. Take a break from focusing on your weaknesses around food. Don't tell yourself who you are if your description is negative. Just be what you need to be in the moment, reinvent yourself, don't let negative thoughts about who you are keep you stuck in old patterns that never end.

Going Overboard and Getting Back on Track

Ever had a day when you overate and thought, "What the heck, I've already gone off track, I might as well eat as much a I want?" I can definitely relate to this because this thought appealed to me sometimes when I was overcoming my overeating challenges.

But the logic in that statement is totally skewed. That's like saying, "Well, if I can't be perfect, I might as well become a hellion." Or, "If I get a speeding ticket today, I might as well drive 90 MPH the rest of the day because I've already screwed up." Not only is that all or nothing thinking not rational, but it can be costly.

So, what to do next time you do overeat and get off track? How can you keep yourself from that all or nothing thinking?

Come up with a phrase or mantra to counter the thought telling you it's okay to overeat because you've already gone off track. It could be: "Because I've already gone off track, I'm going to stop and get back on track!" Or it could be, "I'm already off my plan, so I'm going to quit feeling guilty and start being proactive and healthy again." It's your mantra, you come up with what works and feels genuine for you.

Readers, I'd love to hear some of the skewed rationalization you have used to overeat and what mantra you come up with to get back on track - thanks!

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For 33 tips to help you get back on track, check out my book's website: www.stopovereatingtips.com

Self-Nurturing is Critical to Weight Loss Success - Do You Love Yourself Enough?

A lot of women who struggle with weight loss do not treat themselves with self-nurturing. They think thoughts about themselves like: I don't deserve to take better care of myself and I am disgusting. Just to prove to themselves how impossible weight loss is, they go overeat. Often overeating is out of self-hatred or despair. Sound familiar?

When women learn how to develop a nurturing attitude towards themselves, which is usually obtained by one on one life coaching, they start to take care of themselves by choosing thoughts and actions that are elevating and kind. The more they can start to believe that they are worth the effort and that they are a beautiful person on the inside, the less they will overeat out of spite or self-hatred or despair.

One might ask, "How do I begin to nurture myself better?" The first step is to not allow thoughts like, "I'm ugly, I'm not worth anything, or I am a mess" to penetrate their minds. They may have thoughts like that, but they can dismiss them by asking themselves the question, "is it really true?" Is it really true you are not worth it? As they ask themselves that question, it's important to not focus on the negative feelings of the moment, but to think about it logically. They can ask themselves, "Can I absolutely know that it's true?" to help them think more rationally.

Another thing they can do to start nurturing themselves more is to take time for themselves to do something special, like spending time every day to meditate or to go get that pedicure they've been wanting or to free up some time for a rewarding hobby. As they take care of themselves, they will start to feel more valued and worthwhile.

That's just a start. This topic of nurture will come up again and again in my blogs. What are ways that women can find time to nurture themselves even if they have a crazy schedule? Do you have any ideas?

If weight loss is truly a goal, the more nurturing that occurs, the more likely that weight loss goal is to be taken seriously and worked on consistently. I like that make-up commercial tagline: "You're worth it!"

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To request a complimentary coaching session or to read free chapters from the book Stop Overeating Today!, please visit: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

How to Do Things You Dread

Do you have a list of things to do right now but you dread getting started? Here are a couple of time management tips I have used to help my clients that will help you too, whether your goal has to do with healthy eating or anything else.

First, go get your list so it's right in front of you. This won't work unless you're holding it in your hand. It could be a list of things you have to get done for work, for cleaning the house, or anything. Start reading from the top of the list. What is your first item? Why are you dreading it? You need to put your excuse into one short and concise sentence. For example, "I am dreading following up with Michelle because I don't know if she will get back to me." Or, "I am dreading exercising because I am tired."

Sometimes just acknowledging why you dread doing something can help break free from total avoidance. When you have identified what's holding you up, you can reason with yourself. You might be able to tell yourself, "Who cares if she doesn't get back to me, I need to at least give it a short." Or, "If I don't exercise I'll still be tired in an hour, so I might as well make it a more productive hour."

Now, the next step is to visualize yourself getting started on that task. For example, watch yourself sitting down at your computer to send Michelle an e-mail. Watch yourself typing it out, clicking send, and then crossing off the task from your list. Feels good, doesn't it? I love the feeling of crossing things off. It's even a better feeling when you cross something off you've been dreading, because you conquered something that took self-discipline.

Or, visualize yourself putting your hair up, getting you exercise clothes on, and sitting down on that exercise bike with a good magazine to read or in front of a good TV show. If your goal is to exercise for 30 minutes, imagine the digital clock on the bike at 10 minutes, 20 minutes, and 28, 29, 30! How are you going to feel when you finish your goal? Let yourself feel that feeling to energize you to actually get up and make it a reality.

Visualization is such an awesome tool that can be applied to accomplishing any task, big or small. If you need help getting started with visualization, send me an e-mail for a free one on one introductory phone coaching session: info@stopovereatingtips.com

My website is under construction for the time being, but it will be up and better than before in a couple of days. If you want to purchase a book in the meantime, you can do so on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Stop-Overeating-Today-Camille-McConnell/dp/0984153705/ref=sr_1_1/186-4910858-1688853?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276298335&sr=8-1 The book has a chapter dedicated to visualization and how to use it to change your eating habits.

Have a great weekend!

Oprah Here I Come!!!

Oprah is looking for a NEW face for a NEW talk show. I have an idea for a talk show that is desperately needed in today's world. Did you know that the news channels on TV use negative headlines because negativity attracts people? People hear words like disaster, death, and tragedy and they want to know more about it.

My talk show takes a different approach and focuses on heroic events and amazing stories of American people who have overcome tragedies in their lives and inspired others. It would roll out the red carpet and interview teachers, firemen, and people with heroic and uplifting stories.

Here's what I'm asking you to do. Let Oprah know that you agree that my show is needed in today's world. Can you do me a favor and vote for my video? Here's the link. http://myown.oprah.com/audition/index.html request=video_details&response_id=6911&promo_id=1

As a way to say "thank you" for your vote, I am offering my book Stop Overeating Today! at a 40% discount, for a special price of $7.80, for the next three days. Use Google Checkout and the coupon code OPRAH. (I have never offered a price so low and may not ever again).

Thanks for your support!

I Forgot to Tell You My Story about Meeting Dr. Laura!

Many of you probably first heard about me and my book by listening to the Dr. Laura Radio Show. Every week she highlights a book that she thinks is GREAT as her Book of the Week. Mine was highlighted on January 4th (Oh, Blessed Day). If you missed it, you can listen here: http://stopovereatingtips.com/drlaurawav.wav

Anyway, I completely forgot to share my story about how I met her. I was listening to her show as I frequently do and she was talking about coming to the grand opening of Nordstrom's at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. I live a few miles away and thought, yess!! She was there to promote her Glop and Glam hair styling product line that she owns as a partner with her hair stylist.

I figured there would be a long line and it would be hard to see her. But I gave it a shot anyway. I only had a 30 minute window because I was on my way to a funeral, but I swung by. Luckily, it had just opened and there was only a small cluster of people around her and it took less than five minutes until I could introduce myself.

I wanted to thank her for using my book on her show. So many people would not have found out about it if it weren't for her and her producers. It caused a HUGE increase in sales and was my basically my big break. So I thanked her and told her about the lady who bought my book and lost 50 pounds by implementing its strategies. She replied, "You and I make a great team!" She was very nice and very approachable and I got this picture of us together.

Just wanted to share my fun story. Go Dr. Laura!

To share my excitement with you, you can save 20% when you purchase my book, Stop Overeating Today!, by using the coupon code DR LAURA when you purchase through Google Checkout. Go here to find our more about the book: "http://stopovereatingtips.com">and here to purchase with your coupon code: "http://stopovereatingtips.com/buy_the_book.htm">

Have a fabulous day!

Are you Being Rude?

I was working with my client over the phone the other day (I'm a life coach) and she was explaining why she wasn't doing very well with her healthy eating goals. Some of her reasons included the following:

1) I am a mess.
2) I am not able to handle my life.
3) I can't do it.

Wow. I responded, "Would you ever talk like this to a friend? If a friend was explaining how they were struggling, would you say, "you are a mess, you are not able to handle your life, and you can't do it?"

"No!!" She said, "that would be awful."

"Well then," I replied, "You need to stop being so rude to yourself."

Epiphany! "I'm being rude to myself, you are right! I would never say these things to someone else, I shouldn't say them to myself either."

Ok, so it's confession time. Do you think or even say aloud things rude things about yourself when you're struggling? Even in joking?

Tisk tisk. Start paying attention to the critical thoughts you have about yourself and imagine saying those things to your friend's face. You never would, right? You shouldn't say those things about yourself, right?

If you talk down to yourself, remember to stop being rude and to replace those thoughts with encouraging and supportive thoughts instead. You will stick to your goals and be in a more positive mood throughout the day if you start treating yourself like you'd treat a best friend.
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BONUS! Today only I am offering my book at a 25% discount if you order through google checkout, but you must use the coupon code CHOCOLATE: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com/buy_the_book.htm
EXTRA BONUS: Get a free 30 minutes of life coaching upon purchase of my book. Cheers!

Erroneous Beliefs - Do YOU Have Any?

I was talking to a client the other day and she said something that just didn't sit right with me. We were talking about eating healthy and she said she hadn't been. But this is the part that really got me. She said because she wasn't eating healthy, she didn't deserve to buy this healthy water she liked that gave her more energy and helped her feel better.

Basically, her logic was this: If I'm not eating healthy, I don't deserve to feel good. That right there is an erroneous belief. It's all-or-nothing thinking. It's like someone saying, "Because I haven't been sticking to my diet, I'm not going to buy vegetables, I'm just going to eat more cake."

Do you have any of these erroneous beliefs? Do you fall into the trap of all-or-nothing thinking? I want to hear your erroneous beliefs.

After you've identified what they are, the next step is to change them. My client's new belief could be: "Because I haven't been sticking to my diet I am going to buy the healthy water to motivate me and remind me what it's like to feel good."

What's your erroneous belief and how can you change it?

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To read 4 tips from the Book Stop Overeating Today, visit: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Freshman 15 - How to Get the Weight Off and Keep it Off

I can't sleep. It's 4:40 am and, no, I'm not usually this much of an early bird. I don't care about catching worms, I really just like to sleep. But I can't.

I've got Freshman 15 on my mind. It's May and most of the college Freshman are home now. My friend's sister came home from her Freshman year at college at least 15 pounds heavier and a little depressed. A lady who just bought my book, Stop Overeating Today!, told me her daughter just came home from her Freshman year and is at the heaviest weight she's ever been at and that she's struggling. My aunt brought in a relative who had a rough Freshman year due to the unhealthy college lifestyle - poor sleeping, poor eating, etc.

I've googled "Freshman 15" to see what kind of resources there are out there. Not much. One site, the first one on the list, addresses the problem but doesn't offer many solutions. But, if you go to their "how to be popular in college" page you can find out all about the parties and that the girls are supposed to dress like sluts to be popular. That's great information. (Hope you caught the sarcasm).

Hearing these stories about Freshman girls struggling with weight gain hits a personal chord in me. I gained about 20 pounds my Freshman year. Before college, I had already struggled with overeating and bulimia, so that definitely contributed to my difficulty adjusting to the anarchy of college. With nobody telling me what time to go to bed, what to eat, and what time to get out of bed in the morning, I was a free bird to experiment as I pleased and make plenty of mistakes along the way that affected my health and my judgment.

So how did I get my Freshman 15 off?? The solution wasn't just to exercise more. That didn't fix the main problem, which was overeating. I'm sure if I had been exercising as much my Freshman year in college as I had been as a high school cross-country runner, I would have only gained about half of the weight I did. But then, I'd still be 10 pounds overweight. The way to avoid gaining extra weight as a Freshman, as well as how to get rid of extra weight gained, begins with making a list of at least five occasions in which overeating occurred. College wasn't that long ago for me, so I can remember at least five times I overate. Here's my list:

1) Pizza party in the girls dorm at eleven pm

2) Brownie party in the girls dorm at two am

3) Getting seconds at the cafeteria in the morning

4) Buying extra food and stocking it in my dorm fridge

5) Ice cream party in college dorm at midnight

6) Late night runs to the college dorm vending machines while doing my laundry

(See a familiar theme? If I had gone to bed before 11 pm every night, I probably could have saved myself from gaining 10 pounds.)

The next thing to do is to identify why you overate in each situation. Were you stressed about your grades and felt like indulging? Were you eating out of emotion: giddiness, excitement, nervousness, anxiety, depression, or worry? Did you need to figure out how to get to bed earlier and miss most of the late night binges?

Here's a chapter from my book, Stop Overeating Today!, that talks about my ice cream party in the college dorm at night and discusses how I learned to stop emotional eating. The tips from my book were written after I successfully lost 35 extra pounds gained from overeating, weight acquired in high school and college. Obviously, my example is an extreme one, but it shows that I really understand the challenges of Freshman 15 and I am an expert in how to stop overeating and lose extra weight gained. Read the tip about emotional eating! How to Stop Emotional Eating

For more free chapters from the book Stop Overeating Today!, please visit: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Losing Weight is Easier than Planning a Funeral

I was talking to a client of mine on the phone today. We have been coaching for two weeks and he has lost 15 pounds. He bought my book back in January, stuck to it for three weeks, fell of the bandwagon, and contacted me for personal coaching to increase his commitment and accountability. I asked him today, "What have been some of the benefits of losing 15 pounds?"

His response surprised me. I was expecting him to comment on how he enjoyed having more energy throughout the day. Instead, he said, "I don't have to worry about getting a heart attack and then being dead...Paying for coaching is a lot cheaper than planning a funeral."

How sobering. He's right. The pain and inconvience of exercising hard and changing ones eating habits is less than the pain and inconvenience a loved one experiences while planning the funeral of someone who passed due to weight related causes.

If you've given up on exercising and eating right because you can't seem to stick to a plan, change your motivation. Don't do it for yourself. Do it for your family and loved ones.

For more information about personal coaching and the book Stop Overeating Today!, please visit: http;//www.stopovereatingtips.com

Yesterday was one of the best days of my life

Seriously. Yesterday I was at a biannual trade show where I sell my book. I started working the trade show 6 months ago. Last time I was there, I had reasonable success as a first-time vendor selling my book Stop Overeating Today! This time was looking better. I was more relaxed and had some great freebies to hand out. I made an audio cd with tips like: 1) 5 ways to eat more fruits and vegetables 2) one mistake to avoid when trying to lose weight 3) 2 new ways to beat emotional eating and 4) how to play a more empowering role around food. I was also handing out shopping bags for free, because some of these shoppers had their bags full and their arms full too. Handing out free things without expecting a sale was a good feeling. I was reaching a new audience - people who wouldn't normally go out and buy a book on weight loss and wellness.

So here's the part about yesterday being AWESOME. One lady walked passed my table and almost nonchalantly remarked, "I love this book! I lost 50 pounds since I bought it 6 months ago at this event."
My jaw dropped. I just stared at her.
--"You lost 50 pounds since you read my book!" I exclaimed. "Can I give you a hug?"

Because there was so much going on, I didn't have a chance to ask her which tips were the most effective for her. Usually there are some that are universally moving. Tip #10 that talks about how to stop emotional eating by using the 4 questions is powerful, as is the one about getting over your guilt trip. I did ask for her e-mail and she said she'd send me before and after pics (yay!) and a testimonial.

I was absolutely thrilled for her - so proud of her. Another woman stopped by my table and told me about her heart attack 10 years ago and how changing her eating habits will literally change her life. She bought my book and I asked her to follow up with me.

Why are some people successful and others not? That is another question I will ask my 50 pounds lighter friend. In my own experience, it's because you are dedicated. What makes someone dedicated? Persistence (just take your stubbornness and use it to benefit yourself), humility (realizing you can't do it on your own and you need help), self-respect (loving yourself enough to help yourself, and a positive attitude. That's what helped me. Just the high you get from losing the first couple pounds can mobilize you to continue doing the positive things you are doing. Learning how to talk to yourself and get rid of negative self-talk was probably, for me, the #1 influence that helped me lose 35 pounds.

What about you? If you've lost a bunch of weight in the past, what was your secret? If you are trying to lose weight now, what do you think it would be? Comment and let me know!

(sidenote: after hearing that woman's incredible success story, I told everyone who stopped by my table and sold twice as many books as last time. Mentioning I was featured on the Dr. Laura Show didn't hurt either)

Love Love Love this Blog!!

So I was parousing the other day and discovered www.confessionsofacompulsiveeater.com and I asked the blogger to review my book. She's doing a free book giveaway of Stop Overeating Today! on her site - check it out! And check out the 34 comments. A lot of encouragement floating around. I love how the blogger shared 12 bite-sized samples of my book's strategies - smart way to showcase the book and help people at the same time.

The book was called doable and down to earth. Check out the 12 tips yourself that are portrayed in mini fashion.

Enjoy!

For more info about Stop Overeating Today!, please visit www.stopovereatingtips.com

I'm Joining Ellen Degeneres on Her Quit Sugar Campaign

I gave up sugar in '05 for health reasons & here I go again! Sugar is an easy emotional/physical pick-me-up & there are better alternatives that won’t send me crashing & craving. I have a tiring schedule, a demanding baby & my own business.

My tip is from my book, Stop Overeating Today. Visualize It: If you crave sugar, try this exercise. Let's say ice cream is calling your name. Don’t you deserve something special? Ask yourself: What else can I do besides eating sugar that will be just as rewarding? Hmm...Relaxing in bed with a good book! Visualize it as if you were watching yourself. With crystal clear detail, picture standing up & walking away from the freezer. Visualize taking each step towards your bedroom, pulling your book from under your bed, flopping down onto your comforter, & opening up to the page you left off on. Imagine how good it feels to lose yourself in the book & relax. Now that you have a plan, you just need to fulfill it, like a programmed robot. This strategy works because once you’ve visualized it, your brain believes it’s possible & you feel motivated & empowered to make it a reality.

How it's going for me? I'm addicted to sugar so the first couple weeks are detox. I stopped buying sugary treats at the store, even for my hubby (sorry honey!) When he buys ice cream, he hides it in the back of the freezer so I won't notice. Sometimes I feel like pulling my hair out, but as soon as I can go ten days, usually I'm craving free.

Stop Overeating By Thinking in the Third Person

In the last 10 years, I have done a 360 from being a teenager with an eating disorder (yo yo-ed between anorexia, bulimia, & overeating, ranging from size 0 to size 12) to being author of Stop Overeating Today! & life coach, a healthy & happy size 4. My book has 33 stop overeating strategies that are quick & simple to explain & put into practice. Perhaps the most relevant strategy is how to stop emotional eating. Here it is:

Think in the Third Person: Next time you feel like going for that extra portion of food & you’re already full, try this out-of-body exercise. Say out loud if you can, or in your head if you're in public, what thoughts you are having in the third person, like you're describing what your friend is thinking. For example: "She feels like a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream. She thinks sugar will give her energy to push past being tired, even though it’s late & she needs rest. She wants to reward herself & thinks all that sugar & those calories are the solution, even though it will give her a sugar high & send her crashing." The more you talk about yourself as if you were a friend, the easier it is to see that your thinking is irrational & not going to deliver the results you want. Then it’s easier to break free from the emotion that tells you that you must eat now!

I have more simple & smart strategies to share. I’m a great guest because I have ample public speaking experience & I connect easily with people.

Get more advice - Get the book - www.stopovereatingtips.com

It's Time to Get Moving

I had a serious eye opener last week at the gym. I thought I had been pushing myself physically enough up to that point. I was exercising a few times a week and I was in good enough shape. I wasn't eating unhealthily. But what I realized, after a kick-butt hour long class of weight training and aerobics, that up to that point, I'd hit a plateau.

I had a baby 8 months ago, my first baby. I was amazed at how much my body could change in just 9 months. And then, of course, I was surprised at how hard it was to get my body back.

So needless to say, after that incredibly challenging class at the gym, I had some perspective about what kind of activity level I needed to get my old body back. I couldn't just go for a moderately challenging walk/jog. I needed to sweat bullets and be uncomfortable in order to get back in shape. I have started looking forward to faster paced walks with intervals of running. I have worked out harder than I have in the past year. As a result, my muscles are uncomfortably sore, but I am happy to see more tone and definition. No pain, no gain, and it's totally worth it.

What does this have to do with overeating? After that day at the gym, I kicked up my activity level a big notch. And I discovered that my eating habits followed suit and I started getting more focused and more committed to making healthier eating choices.

I started eating more vegetables, and eating less carbs. I spent more time preparing healthy meals, for example cutting up celery and making a spinach salad, instead of just eating on the run.

This brings more evidence that working out, especially in a class setting or with a personal trainer, where there is more challenge and accountability, leads to better eating choices and less careless indulgence. That is what I discussed in my book, Stop Overeating Today!, in one of the 33 tips. Now I have more personal conviction to back up that strategy.

BodyBugg - A faithful little companion

This morning I showed up to a BNI networking meeting with my book, Stop Overeating Today! in hand. I put it on the table and stuck out my hand to greet the guy sitting next to me. He took one look at my book, asked where I got it, and then thrust his hand up his sleeve to show me something. He said it was kind of a pain to take off, but he wanted to show me anyway.

"I've got a gorging problem." The way he said it was in a joking lighthearted way, so I snickered softly. "No, I'm serious," he went on. "I eat crap all day long!" Then he showed me what he had up his sleeve: "This little device tracks how many calories I eat, it's awesome. It charts it so you can see what you are eating and what it's doing to your body."

Pretty awesome. That's the Bodybugg. It just fits on your upper arm. Strap it on and you'll have a little wake up call, because we all know too well, little indulgences here and there really add up.

Besides showing me his nifty contraption, he also bought my book, Stop Overeating Today!. Sweet deal.

If you have any weight loss products that you absolutely love, let me know about them and I'll do a little shout out on my blog and on my social networks. It's all about spreading good ideas.

Read the First 1/3 of the book Stop Overeating Today! for Free

Yes, it's true. In the words of Seth Godin, "the enemy of books is not piracy, it's obscurity." Since I am not just in the business of creating wealth but also of spreading ideas, I have no problem offering the first 1/3 of my book, Stop Overeating Today! for free.

Visit my website for details: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

ENJOY!!

What's Your Responsibility with the Cost of Obesity?

I don’t want to play the blame game, but I do want to point out the fact that if health care is standardized in the US, our tax dollars will be going to pay the high medical cost of obesity: diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, etc. What is your responsibility? What is mine?

We each will have an individual responsibility to get in better shape so we’re not taxing the nation. One person’s weight problem will become everyone’s weight problem, because we all will be footing the bill together with our tax dollars hard at work paying for prescription medications and diabetes machines. That gives a new spin to the phrase “you are what you eat”. We will all be what everyone else eats.

It doesn’t help to point the finger at the fast food industry and say they combine salt, fat, and sugars in a way that hooks our brains and gives us urges we can’t control. Because then we’re still overweight and blaming something outside ourselves that we “can’t control”, so we don’t have to point the finger inward and think about our personal responsibility to ourselves and everyone else.

What’s the solution then? What can we do about the millions of people that are hooked to eating when we need a boost, comfort, or just something to take us away from our troubles or boredom? We all can’t be on the Biggest Loser and besides, we’re not all interested in being publicly showcased and humiliated. Paying for surgery to get a band stapled onto our stomachs is costly and not guaranteed. Thousands of people gain the weight back within three years of having the operation because they were still hooked to food.

I don’t want to come off as a critic, because I’m not. I want to be your biggest supporter if you have an eating and weight problem. But I want to point out the problem first because most people with eating problems keep their eyes closed, eat what they please, and live in denial. Even if taxing others doesn’t worry you, what about your own life? You’ve got yourself to worry about. Eating problems won’t go away on their own and I’m sure you are suffering for it, even if you don’t like thinking about it. Are you happy with how your body looks and feels? Can you get around as easily as you’d like? Does eating leave you feeling energized or stuffed and tired? Do you deal with guilt?

I want to help you because I know what it’s like to have an eating problem. I struggled with overeating and even bulimia, gained 30 pounds, lost self-respect and self-control, and dove into despair. What saved me was learning how to retrain my thinking around food, so urges did not control me anymore. I changed my relationship with food and believe everyone else can do the same. It just takes desire, lots of grit and determination, and a simple tool.

This summer I published a book called Stop Overeating Today! with 33 self-help strategies that teach overeating sufferers how I overcame my eating problem and how they can too. The tips are go-at-your-own-pace and encourage the reader to start slowly so retention is possible. This go-to guide is thorough, covering all aspects of overeating: emotional eating, eating at restaurants, eating at home, food shopping and preparation, eating for comfort, overcoming guilt, and more. It puts power back into your hands so you no longer can say, “I have no control.”

So, you can close your eyes and wish your eating problem and weight problem would disappear, or you can empower yourself with a guilt-free guide and start making small sustainable changes. It’s up to you. If you don’t, it’s up to all of us to foot the bill.