MindBody FX

Life equals choice

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:34:00 +0000

I'm sure you've heard it before, but I couldn't agree more; Life is merely a series of choices. Where you are right now can all be linked back to every choice that you've made in your life to date.

Every day we all make countless choices and every single one of them counts. That is what this short movie is all about.

I hope you enjoy this unforgettable story! Sit back, turn up your speakers and don't forget to share it with others.

Click here to watch http://www.flickspire.com/m/MBFX/TwoWolves

If you like this video clip, I encourage you to Share it with the world and join me on my mission to empower and inspire millions of people around the globe.

Together we can spread words of Encouragement, Inspiration and Empowerment one video at a time… and wouldn't you agree our world could use a little more "Positivity" these days!

Together we can make a difference...

You can share this video with your friends on Twitter and Facebook, just copy this link http://www.flickspire.com/m/MBFX/TwoWolves and share it.

Seven Wonders of the World

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:31:00 +0000

It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle today that we naturally begin to take some of life's most beautiful gifts for granted. I love watching this story unfold through the eyes of a child. It's a reminder that our most priceless possessions were given to us free at birth.

That's what this 3 minute movie is all about. So sit back, turn up your speakers and enjoy.

Click here to watch http://www.flickspire.com/m/MBFX/SevenWonders

If you like this video clip, I encourage you to Share it with the world and join me on my mission to empower and inspire millions of people around the globe.

Together we can spread words of Encouragement, Inspiration and Empowerment one video at a time… and wouldn't you agree our world could use a little more "Positivity" these days!

Together we can make a difference...

You can share this video with your friends on Twitter and Facebook, just copy this link http://www.flickspire.com/m/MBFX/SevenWonders and share it.

A Tribute to some Incredible Women

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:19:00 +0000

Throughout history there have been incredible women who have lead us, inspired us and encouraged us to do the right thing. The woman in this short movie all have one thing in common; rather than taking the road well traveled... they decided to blaze their own trail!

Here is a tribute to their legacy, may their words of wisdom continue to guide us today and future generations to come.

Click here to watch http://www.flickspire.com/m/MBFX/Wisdom

If you like this video clip, I encourage you to Share it with the world and join me on my mission to empower and inspire millions of people around the globe.

Together we can spread words of Encouragement, Inspiration and Empowerment one video at a time… and wouldn't you agree our world could use a little more "Positivity" these days!

Together we can make a difference...

You can share this video with your friends on Twitter and Facebook, just copy this link http://www.flickspire.com/m/MBFX/Wisdom and share it.

How to Overcome Your Terror Barrier and Lose Weight For Good

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 01:23:00 +0000

If you’re like many people, you’ve tried numerous diets and perhaps even had some success, but have slowly returned to your old habits and weight. Why does this happen? It almost seems as if our body conspires against us at times, but the true culprit is our mindset! There’s a weight that we’re comfortable with. We wear it like an old sweater. It makes us feel safe and secure. We don’t even know we’re enabling the habits that keep it on, but we are.

People naturally resist ambiguity and uncertainty; contemplating weight loss is no exception. When people don’t know what’s to come, they get fearful and lose the ability or desire to move forward. It’s ironic; we keep ourselves from succeeding, and then are confused when we don’t succeed!

No matter what area of your life you want to change, you’ll experience this same phenomenon, whether it’s weight, relationships or financial. We live our daily lives mostly on autopilot, following the deep-rooted habits we’ve created over time. We don’t even consciously think about these habits until someone else points them out. This is often the case when people are asked how much they eat in a day. They will usually say a very normal or even small amount. However, if you monitored people’s eating habits, you find they often actually eat two to three times the amount they say they do. They aren’t lying. They simply eat so much out of habit that they really don’t remember everything that goes into their mouths or the amounts.

It may seem to be a very simple task to change these habits and create new ones, but it takes much more effort than you might think. By their very definition, habits are entrenched in our subconscious, and it takes extensive repetition to replace one habit with another. This is the time when it seems your body is fighting your efforts, but it’s not your body at all, only sub-conscious programming.

Proof That Your Sub-Conscious is Stopping You From Losing Weight

How many times have you started a diet, lost 10 or even 20 pounds, then watched those pounds creep right back—and maybe bring along a few friends? This is your subconscious mind at work. There’s a range of weight that we’ve become accustomed to, and even if that range is morbidly obese, our mind accepts this as our comfort zone. Therefore, while we may achieve success at the beginning, we lose interest or the ability to move forward. This is referred to as the “Terror Barrier.”

When the change we want to implement starts to move us out of our comfort zone, we have feelings of uncertainty. People respond to us differently and we act differently. Fear of this unknown territory, even if it’s positive, can inhibit our ability to continue because it goes against what we have come to accept as our self-image.

If you believe yourself to be unattractive, then reducing your weight and getting compliments, that’s good, right? Yes and no. Of course, it’s great to get positive feedback, but it also puts you in the position of gaining more attention from others; this can make some people extremely uncomfortable, as they may feel their efforts are being scrutinized. Before you know it, they regain all their weight in a subconscious effort to relieve the stress of being noticed.

How to Change Your Behavior

The only way to change this behavior is to know that the change will happen and accept it as so. When you really and truly know something will happen, there is no trace of doubt, no lingering thread of skepticism. When fear enters the picture, logic leaves. Concentrating on that fear attracts more of the same and your goal seems even further away. This is the point where many people may give up. Doubts become overwhelming and the subconscious begs to retreat back into what it has known—back into the comfort zone.

Tackle your fears; you’re in control! You know now that by concentrating on the positive goal ahead and setting those fears aside, you’re imprinting new ideas into your subconscious. You’re empowering your mind with new thoughts, which result in different actions that produce what you desire…your ideal weight permanently!

This is what The MindBody FX Lifestyle book and the complete program is about!

Start transforming your mind and body with my best-selling book at: http://www.MindBodyFX.com/book.html or put your weight loss on the fast track and learn how you can lose up to 20 pounds in just 28 days with my new 28-Day Fat Blast system at: http://www.28DayFatBlast.com

Ovecome Procrastination and Lose Weight

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 01:21:00 +0000

running out of time?

Many people put off diet changes, saying, “I’ll start tomorrow, or next Monday, or on New Year’s Day.” They tell themselves they are too busy right now to focus, and they’ll get to it later. They might go so far as to commit to going to the gym and even buy a membership but they never go! “Put off today what you can do tomorrow” is the procrastinator’s motto.

Procrastination is a sort of paralysis. You may look at other people being productive and feel like you have a ton of bricks on your lap and can’t move. The indecision and sheer inertia can play havoc on your plans to reach your goals.

Contrary to how it may feel sometimes, we all have the same amount of time in any given day—no more, no less. Time does not discriminate. Without a commitment of time, you will not change your health habits and you will not reach your goal of attaining your ideal weight. You will continue to stumble through your life accepting your behavior rather than creating what you desire.

You make an unconscious choice to procrastinate. Now make a conscious choice to get out of your own way. You are the cause and the effect. Become accountable for your inaction. A great tool to help you in making conscious choices is to…

Design A Chart:

Put a gold star on your chart for every time you reach the end of your day having made good food choices and exercised, as per your day’s plan.
Place a red “X” on the chart every time you slip. Set a certain number of “X’s” that you cannot go past, for example five in a month. If you have five or fewer X’s at the end of the month, then treat yourself to some special reward—ensure it is not food related.

A good way to get things done quickly and efficiently is to learn to say NO to people and situations that may not be important but can take you off track. For instance, perhaps you are all set to exercise when you friend phones asking you to go to a movie instead. Many people would use the invitation as an excuse to get out of exercising. This may help your social life, but it won’t help your waistline!

You may have heard of the KISS principle: Keep it short and simple. Let’s say you are indecisive about what to eat everyday or what exercise to do. Peel off all the layers and go with the easiest solution. Walk around the block; eat chicken and salad. You don’t need to make an elaborate dinner or plan to become a gold-metal athlete overnight. You just need to do something every day to move you closer to your goal of your ideal weight.

Now, for a moment, set aside your fears of what others think, what happened in the past, and what you have to do tomorrow. Let it go and focus on this one thing: What would your life be like if you reached you ideal weight? What would you accomplish for yourself and for your family? What greatness would come to you, and how would your confidence and belief in yourself be affected? Focus on that idea and let go of anything holding you back.

Few people expect greatness. Few expect abundance. Few expect happiness. But you can make a choice to expect great things.

Often people focus on scarcity, not plenty. Or they focus on failure, not success. Achieving a new and healthy life will not be easy at first, but it will be one of the most rewarding gifts you ever give yourself. Today is your chance to focus and look for what is rightfully yours. You deserve to have and be anything your mind can create in all areas of your life. Let’s begin with achieving your ideal weight!

Learn how to transform your mind and body with The MindBody FX Lifestyle book at http://www.MindBodyFX.com/book.html or put your weight loss efforts on the fast track with my all new 28-Day Fat Blast system at: http://www.28DayFatBlast.com

An Easy Weight Loss Visualization Exercise to Help You Reach Your Ideal Weight

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 01:16:00 +0000

We often have difficulty thinking in abstract ideas. We dream in full-color movie clips! Visualization is a process that we use, even if we don’t know we’re doing it; it’s just how we naturally think. If you think about losing weight, you don’t think in terms of fat cells shriveling up or healthy foods being digested better by your body. You imagine how it would look and fee to be at your ideal weight—what new clothes you might wear or what kind of compliments you might receive.

It’s important to understand how visualization and the law of attraction work in harmony, because they function whether you know it or not, or even want them to. The law of attraction states that you will attract more of whatever you are thinking about repeatedly, whether you are mulling around or grumbling to yourself; that’s visualizing—which invokes the law of attraction.

"You become what you think about."

This phenomenon starts in the thinking mind (conscious mind), is amplified by the emotional mind (subconscious mind), and manifests in the body as our results. The body, like all matter, is made up entirely of energy, so we all send out energetic vibrations that attract more of the same. That means whatever you’ve been visualizing, good or bad, is reflected back to you. You have the ability to choose what you want to focus on or visualize, and therefore control the vibrations you send out. Even if the goal or result you desire seems outrageous, your subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between the real circumstance and the visualized circumstance.

Many people report that significant achievements can be reached after just 30 days of visualizing a goal, circumstance or material object. This is not to say that any goal can be completely accomplished in a single month, only that you will be well on the path to achieving it, just by consciously monitoring your mental images and visualizing where you want to be.

"If you won’t let a thinner you live in your imagination, then

there’s no way you’ll let her live in your body!"

Visualization with respect to weight loss is most effective when you’re very clear on what your goal or target weight will be. Here is an exercise to do around achieving permanent weight loss:

Get into a comfortable position, relax and close your eyes, breathe in deeply and breathe out completely.
Visualize your body as it is right this moment, as you see it when looking in a mirror.
Now breathe in and as you breathe out and visualize yourself releasing the extra weight you have around your tummy, your upper thighs and all over your body.
Visualize your body as the extra weight simply melts down to the ground; see it melting and being absorbed into the ground, gone forever.
See what you are wearing now that you are at a weight that is perfect for you.
Visualize all of the things you will be doing now that you are at your ideal weight. How does it feel? What kind of compliments are you receiving.
Now look into the mirror of your mind and see your body slimmer and at its ideal weight. And believe this is possible, because it is!

Visualize this over and over and over again with all your senses, to mentally train your memory of how you look and feel at your ideal weight. We go over this visualization process in complete detail in The Complete MindBody FX Lifestyle Program at: http://www.mindbodyfxprogram.com

Top 10 Superfoods That Taste Great and Help You Lose Weight

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 01:13:00 +0000

Many of the foods we pass in the produce and grocery aisles not only taste good, but have important health-promoting benefits as well. What if increasing your health, energy, and outlook was as simple as incorporating these everyday foods into your weekly eating regime? Believe it or not… it is that simple! Here is a list of 10 of the top everyday superfoods and the benefits you receive from eating them. No need to search high and low for these; any grocery store will have them all for you to include in your daily meals.
1. Garlic

This highly flavorful vegetable is high in the mineral sulfur, which is important for good liver health.
It’s anti-fungal, anti-parasitic and anti-bacteria, which keeps all the bad microscopic organisms away.
Eating it helps decrease blood lipid levels (like cholesterol), prevents clot formations, and decreases blood pressure.
It protects and fights against cancer cells.
These properties are lost with cooking; add garlic at the end of the cooking time instead of the beginning to keep it raw.

2. Broccoli

Broccoli helps detoxify and eliminate harmful chemicals from the body.
It removes excess hormones via the liver and slows cellular aging.
It has a great anti-cancer effect in the body.
Other cruciferous vegetables display these properties as well; eat cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, collards, mustard greens, turnips, and cabbage more often.

3. Blueberries

This berry helps fight age-related conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and decreased vision.
They help decrease inflammation, important for preventing atherosclerosis and cancer.
They help the liver detoxify chemicals and wastes from the body.
Blueberries are one of the foods highest in antioxidants.

4. Leafy Greens

Greens are high in antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, minerals and water.
Being high in chlorophyll (the blood of plants), they have many nutrients great for your blood.
They are excellent for cleansing the blood and body.
When eaten raw, they are high in enzymes required for optimal digestion.
Choose a variety of greens, like spinach, arugula, endive, leaf lettuce, oak lettuce, romaine, mesclun, mizuna, bibb, mustard greens, endive, kale, chard, dandelion, watercress, and parsley.

5. Flax Seeds

High in omega 3 fatty acids, flax seeds are beneficial for controlling inflammation, allergic response, emotional balance and good brain health.
They are also high in lignans, a fiber that helps regulate estrogen and therefore helps with menopause, PMS, breast cancer, and depression.
This seed also has anti-cancer, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties.
To access these great properties, grind whole seeds in a coffee grinder and sprinkle on oatmeal or salads, or add to smoothies.

6. Onions

Like garlic, onions help decrease blood lipid levels (like cholesterol), prevent clot formations, and decrease blood pressure.
They aid in controlling blood sugar levels.
Onions relax the bronchial muscles in the lungs during asthma attacks.
They kill tumors – malignant and benign.
Onions can be raw or cooked to receive these great health-promoting properties.

7. Coldwater Fish

These fish are high in omega 3 fatty acids, including EPA and DHA.
These fats help with poor memory, ADD/ADHD, poor vision, irritability and depression.
They help decrease inflammation – important for preventing atherosclerosis and cancer.
Fish protect the cardiovascular system and decrease the risk of stroke.
Choose small fish like anchovies, sardines, mackerel, and salmon; the smaller fish accumulate fewer toxins.
Choose wild over farmed salmon. (All commercial Atlantic salmon is farmed.)

8. Green Tea

Green tea is very high in antioxidants.
It also contains polyphenol, a compound that prevents and stops the growth of cancerous tumors.
EGCG is a compound found in green tea that is proven to reduce body fat.
The process of fermenting green tea to black tea loses all these properties, so choose green tea more often.

9. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are high in lycopene – a compound that helps lower the risk of breast, colon, lung, skin, and prostate cancers.
The carotenoids found in tomatoes decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and eye degeneration, while also improving mental function and supporting the immune system.
These compounds are not damaged during cooking, so tomato sauces, pastes and salsas are also of great benefit.

10. Mushrooms

These are nature’s immune stimulants – they help fight infection and disease.
These fungi destroy cancer cells while protecting healthy cells.
Mushrooms help lower cholesterol levels.
The mushrooms most studied are shiitake, maitake, and reishi, but button and other common mushrooms are known to be of benefit as well.

These foods are all very common; how easy do you think it would be to incorporate them more often? How about starting your day with oats with blueberries and ground flax seeds and having a big leafy green salad with cherry tomatoes and black beans for lunch and a dinner of salmon, steamed broccoli, and stir-fried mushrooms, onions, and garlic… with few green tea breaks throughout the day? That would get every one of these 10 Superfoods included in one day’s menu. Switch it up during the week... the possibilities are endless!

Our 28-Day Fat Blast system comes with a daily nutrition and fitness plan that includes these super foods. Grab our 28-Day Fat Blast system that’s filled with fast weight loss tips, action steps, nutritional menu plans and daily fitness plans that you can complete in less than 20 minutes a day at http://28DayFatBlast.com

Weight Loss Question For You: Are Your Lifestyle Habits Killing Your Weight Loss Efforts?

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:19:00 +0000

Do you have a habit that confirms a belief about yourself? Is that habit serving you well or is it confirming a belief you wish was different? For instance, do you always “super-size” your meals? If so, this is confirming a habit that you are super-sized! You may reject the idea that this is so, but actions speak louder than words.

Do you believe a meal isn’t complete without dessert or a glass of wine or some bread?
Do you have a hard time wasting food and feel you should eat everything on your plate?
When you lose weight do you believe you should hang on to your fat clothes, just in case!?
Do you believe that you’ll never succeed at losing weight?

So, how do you begin to change your beliefs and form new, more positive health habits? The first thing to do is stop lying to yourself! We all do it. How many times have you promised yourself to stick to a healthy portion size and not eat too much, and have instead gone to the fridge and eaten everything in sight?

Changing your entire lifestyle may seem a little overwhelming at first, but you can ease into it by taking a few small steps to form new healthy habits:

1. Envision the end result. You’re not changing a habit for the sake of change itself, but because doing so will get you closer to achieving or having your “ideal weight.” If you have a habit of watching TV for a few hours every night and eating an entire bag of potato chips, turn the TV off and substitute reading or a walk.

2. Take a reality assessment. What’s working well, what needs improvement, and what’s getting in the way of your progress? Your exercise routine of lifting weights may be going perfectly well, but what if you would really like to find a more interesting way to tone your muscles? Put that on a list of things that are important to you and start working on it.

3. Pick a challenge—any challenge. You don’t have to pick a big challenge to begin. Think in terms of improving one percent a day—something very attainable. For example, if you drink several cups of coffee or tea a day, but want to cut out caffeine, start by drinking one less cup per day or even one half cup less. Within a short time, you’ll have weaned yourself from the habit.

4. Action is the key. Form a plan for staying on track. Keep a written record of your progress. It’s easy to forget the little victories, but going back and looking at a journal of success—even in the smallest areas—gives you a mental boost and encourages you to stick with your plan.

By taking small steps—if you really commit to and persist with your new habits—I guarantee that you’ll have a new perspective and belief about who you are and what you can accomplish. You can then move on to choosing the next healthy habit you want to develop and strengthen.

Remember, you can change yourself and the way you interact with others. This is the path to true happiness and success! Knowing that you’re in complete and total control of your life and the healthy lifestyle you choose to live means you have the power no matter what happens or what others say. You have the freedom to find your true self and determine who you’ll become, which includes implementing healthy habits and living your ideal life at your ideal weight permanently.

How to Stop Sabotaging Your Weight Loss Efforts

To help you master the Mind-Body Connection and implement new, healthier habits that will lead to permanent weight loss guaranteed, I invite you to grab my free sneak preview to The MindBody FX Lifestyle book and a Free Weight Loss Consumer Awareness Guide at: http://www.MindBodyFX.com

5 Ways to Stay Motivated to Lose Weight

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:27:00 +0000

Have you set weight loss goals before only to give up on them after a few weeks? To help you stay motivated to lose weight and reach your goal, here are five things you can do that will make all the difference this time!

  1. Create an image of yourself at your ideal weight  

I believe that writing down goals is important, but it’s not always enough to stay focused. If you combine writing down your goals with visualizing an image in your mind, you will have added the fuel necessary to increase your motivation. Writing goals down, having a visual image of your ideal weight and creating emotions around your goal and image is incredibly powerful and will ensure your motivation stays high.

2. Create a list of 10 reasons why you want to lose weight  

When I’m coaching clients to lose weight, I always tell them setting a goal to look great in your clothes, isn’t enough. You need to have several really powerful reasons why you want to lose weight and how your life will improve once you’ve reached your ideal weight. To create the commitment you need, you need to have some really important reasons to keep you on track, motivated and from wanting to give up.

3. Get support from people around you

Getting support from family and friends is very important but also consider what other support is available to you. Books, work colleagues, a mentor or coach, personal trainers - these are all things that can support you as you work towards achieving your goal. It’s also a great idea to find someone to be your accountability partner. Someone you can team up with that can support you, and keep you accountable.  

4. Change your thoughts  

You are the only person who determines whether you stay motivated and achieve your goal. Your thoughts determine your actions, which will determine your results. Staying positive and thinking the thoughts that are in alignment with your goal is so important. One of the best ways to create empowering thoughts is to read and listen to audios that inspire and motivate you. Choosing good thoughts is an essential part of being able to stay motivated. Remember, you become what you think about!

5. Learn how to make healthier lifestyle choices  

To achieve your ideal weight goal you need to know what your body needs. There is nothing worse than getting halfway towards your weight loss goal only to find that you still don’t know what your body needs to be healthy and shed the remaining pounds. Knowledge is power. Understanding what to eat is important, but the how’s, when’s and why’s of eating are also important. The same applies to exercise. Your body was meant to move. Find out what exercise works best for you and how you will best achieve your goals. Knowledge can create motivation, for example once you know what high fructose corn syrup does to your body, it will be easier to avoid it.

If you are serious about achieving your ideal weight I recommend getting yourself a Mentor or a Coach, to ensure you stay on track. You can check out my own coaching program at: http://mindbodyfx.com/weightlosscoaching.html 

7 Exercising Tips When You Don’t Have Time

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:24:00 +0000

Do you ever lose track of time and think, where has the day gone? By the time you realize it, the day is over and you never got your workout done – even though the exercises in our 28-Day Fat Blast system and the MindBody FX Lifestyle Program will only take up to 20 minutes max!

Here are strategies you can use throughout any busy day to help you get fit and lose that unwanted weight!  

1. Walk and take the stairs.  One reason why we gain so much body fat is due to our sedentary lifestyles. To avoid that, drive to work and park where it will take you 10 minutes to walk. If you catch a train or public transportation, get off a couple of stops before your destination and walk the rest of the way.  If you're in a building with an elevator, take the stairs. You'll become fitter and stronger. You'll be amazed when the pounds start to shed away. Obviously, do it gradually until you can do it consistently and daily.  

2. Breathe from the diaphragm (suck it in). This can be an amazing tool to tighten your mid-section. People forget that they have a natural weight belt (transversus abdominis). This muscle determines whether your belly sticks out or is nice and firm, creating a tight waistline. Why "waist" time, use it or lose it.   Not only will it allow you to have a tighter mid-section, but it can assist in alleviating lower back pain. Concentrate on doing this breathing so you see your belly moving in on the out breath, and out on the in breath. Set a timer so you can remember to do this every 10-15 minutes. This can help you lose a number of dress sizes.  

3. Start randomly moving (fidgeting). Believe it or not, fidgeting actually increases your metabolism and burn calories. Particularly if you're someone who always sits still. When I was a kid I was a chronic fidgeter (if that’s a word, lol) and then as I got older I stopped and that’s when I started to gain weight. An example would be things that are less obvious like tapping your feet under the desk or moving your legs.  

4. Do housework and garden. Moving around the house, doing housework, or gardening are great ways to increase metabolism. While doing any of these, make sure the intention is to increase heart rate. So really work at it. Spend about a half hour or whatever you have available.  

5. Use the imaginative mind. If you normally go to lunch and sit for an hour chatting, just spend half the time sitting while finishing your lunch, and spend the rest going for a walk or some other physical activity – it’s a great time to daydream while taking a peaceful walk.  

6. Move around the office. If your office space allows you, don’t just sit down and do work. Get up and move about, especially while on the phone and thinking out loud.  

7. Company fitness center. These days many large companies have a gym facility. It's been found that having fit employees generally means an increase in productivity and less sick days. If your company has one hit it up before or after work or during your lunch hour.

For even more strategies, tools, recipes and action plans to help you live a healthy and happy life at your ideal weight, check out our Complete MindBody FX Lifestyle Program at: http://MindBodyFXProgram.com 

The 3 Keys To Weight Loss That No One Is Talking About... Not Even The Experts!

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:31:00 +0000

More often then not, the men and women that consistently struggle with their weight are those who mistakenly focus only on the physical factors of weight loss. These individuals become consumed about what foods they should eat and which ones they should stay away from. They also tend to have an unhealthy view about exercise. They may exercise too much or avoid it altogether. Approaching weight loss in this manner is a recipe for disaster. A lifetime of yo-yo dieting and constant guilt is often the result.   

While eating the right foods and exercising on a consistent basis is important, there are other, equally important components to losing weight. The overlooked factors in successful, long-term weight loss is mindset, your thoughts and attitude. Let’s take a look at how each of these is critical and can either make or break a person’s weight loss efforts.   

1. The Mind: The mind is one of your most potent weapons against weight gain. Individuals that tend to stress out pretty easily or who find themselves overwhelmed by life might turn to food for comfort. They may begin to use calorie-laden carbohydrates as well as sugary, salty snacks and foods to brighten their mood and/or to relax.   

The problem with this coping mechanism is that its effects are only short-lived. After the pounds begin piling on, the individual typically becomes depressed because they have gained weight, which can in turn leads to more overeating. Expert yo-yo dieters may find a way to lose the extra weight, often times by severely restricting their caloric intake, but are likely to eventually re-gain the weight.   

"You become what you think about."

Learning how to manage stress and find other ways to cope is extremely important to long-term weight management. Exercise, a hot bath, time with friends and even counseling can be great alternatives.   

2. Thoughts: What a person thinks will be crucial in their own personal battle of the bulge. Thinking positive thoughts is important even when setbacks occur. Individuals needs not only think positively of themselves but must believe that they can lose the weight and keep it off. When they do, their daily decisions regarding exercise and eating properly will begin to support that contention.   

"Your body today is simply a product of yesterday’s thinking.

As your thoughts change today, your body will be different tomorrow."

3. Attitude: Attitude is everything. If a person has a negative attitude, they will likely act in ways to sabotage their own success, both consciously and subconsciously. This will result in unwanted weight gain. Losing those extra pounds will be difficult until an individual begins to improve their attitude.   

A dieter’s mindset, thoughts and attitude are often the overlooked keys to lasting weight loss. While a diet low in bad fats, sugars and simple carbohydrates and high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats is an important part of losing weight, there are other factors just as crucial, perhaps even more so. When a person has the right attitude and mindset, and are constantly playing the right tape in their head (their thoughts), they are more apt to make good decisions about what they eat and whether or not they exercise on a consistent basis, both which will improve their chances of getting down to a healthy weight and then maintaining it.

"Everything thought and feeling you have either contributes

to your problem or to the healing of it."

To start transforming your mind and body, check out my Complete MindBody FX Lifestyle Program at: http://MindBodyFXProgram.com

Press Release - Why You Can't Lose Weight -- and what you can do about it

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:59:00 +0000

Kelowna, BC – February 17, 2011 – Melonie Dodaro, Weight Loss Expert, Master Coach and bestselling Author, will share the key reasons why most people have trouble losing weight and keeping it off, and how they can overcome that problem on February 21st at 5pm Pacific Time. This no-cost teleseminar will be open anyone who is frustrated by their struggles with excess weight and wants to learn how to live a healthy lifestyle, lose their excess pounds and keep them off permanently. To register for the free teleseminar: http://www.mindbodyfx.com/teleseminar.html

Melonie Dodaro, the founder and CEO of MindBody FX Weight Management Company, has helped countless clients all over the country (and the world) overcome their weight issues and shed those unwanted pounds permanently.

She knows what her clients are going through since she herself used to deal with that same struggle, which was what inspired to get involved in the weight loss field. Coming from an obese family, she carried around more than 30 extra pounds she couldn't shed no matter how strictly she followed the various diets she attempted. After buying into two different weight loss center franchises, she discovered that the traditional weight loss approach did not work. This is because they only take into consideration the "outer game" tools like diet and exercise, and are missing the very important "inner game" tools, which are needed for successful long-term results.

After selling her weight loss centers, Dodaro investigated what really helped people lose weight, dropped her own extra pounds, and developed her revolutionary weight management system, founded MindBody FX Weight Management Company.

Dodaro also wrote two bestselling books, The MindBody FX Lifestyle, and 28-Day Fat Blast and has been featured on numerous radio and TV programs, including the TV show 180 Life & Style Makeovers.

"Most traditional programs focus exclusively on diet and exercise," Dodaro says. "And that's not effective. It just deals with the symptoms and not the cause of most people's weight loss issues."

And what's worse, she adds, "the focus on the physical aspects of weight loss has left so many people frustrated because for most of them, there are underlying mental and emotional issues that have to be addressed if they are ever going to lose the weight and keep it off permanently."

"Yet the weight loss industry is failing their paying clients by the millions, leaving them wracked with guilt and self-hate because they feel as if it's all their fault that they just can't lose the weight. It's not their fault," according to Dodaro.

The well-documented 95% failure rate among the clientele of those traditional weight loss programs provides ample evidence that those systems are not working as advertised.

In her teleseminar, Dodaro will share the reason why most people can't lose weight and what they can do about it. She will reveal how and why the weight loss industry has been lying to their desperate clientele.

"If you ever want to be successful at losing the weight and keeping it off," continues Dodaro, "you absolutely must stop doing the one thing that keeps you trapped in an endless vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting."

She recommends that anyone who faces weight challenges sign up for her Free Teleseminar even if they have a scheduling conflict. After the event, everyone who has registered for the teleseminar will be emailed a link where they can listen to the audio at their convenience. To register for the free teleseminar: http://www.mindbodyfx.com/teleseminar.html

For more information about Melonie Dodaro, MindBody FX, and the free teleseminar, or to arrange an interview, please call 866-982-9686 or visit http://www.MindBodyFX.com.

About MindBody FX Weight Management Company:
MindBody FX Weight Management Company is the developer of The Complete MindBody FX Lifestyle Program: A Total Transformation System for Permanent Weight Loss. The company was founded in 2009 by weight loss expert Melonie Dodaro. Dodaro spent three years developing The Complete MindBody FX Lifestyle Program after running weight loss centers for more than a decade. MindBody FX Weight Management Company is based in Kelowna, BC, Canada. For more information about MindBody FX, visit http://www.MindBodyFX.com.

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Jennifer Hudson Sheds Pounds With Weight Watchers But Is The Diet Good For Us Average Folks?

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:44:00 +0000

Jennifer Hudson, the academy award winner with the booming, soulful singing voice, is the newest face for the Weight Watchers diet program. For those of you unfamiliar with the program, it involves the use of a Points system, combined with weigh-ins and meetings. Admittedly, Weight Watchers may work for some people in the short-term, but like many “plans” are often not effective for long term, weight loss maintenance. This is because diet plans that don’t address the mental and emotional aspects of weight problems and overeating, thus they are doomed to fail. Once a person begins to feel the pain or despair, which had driven them to gain weight in the first place, they will begin to overeat once again.

“They will begin to overeat again.”

For many people, the connection between their emotions and weight gain is pretty substantial. Many individuals that are either overweight or obese have become that way because they are emotional eaters. They consume food because they are sad, when they are happy, and sometimes simply out of boredom. These issues have to be addressed before an individual can lose weight or at least keep it off. This is true even if they have managed to shed a few extra pounds in spite of any unresolved issues that contributed to their weight gain in the first place. Even these individuals will have trouble keeping the weight off, unless the underlying issues are addressed.

“They will have trouble keeping off the weight if the underlying issues are not addressed.”

Paying for the pleasure of losing weight, over and over again is another problem with many of these types of weight loss plans. Monthly memberships often aren’t affordable, especially in this economy. A much better approach would be to learn how to eat well and then nurse back to health, those mental and emotional injuries which contributed to the weight gain in question. Purchasing one great guide on proper nutrition and then doing the hard work necessary to free oneself from emotional eating and/or self-sabotage is a more efficient use of resources.

“Many people invest hundreds, even thousands of dollars on programs that don’t work.”

Weight loss plans such as NutriSystem and Weight Watchers can be effective in helping some people lose weight. It is the ability to keep the weight off via these programs that is the problem. Many people invest hundreds if not thousands of dollars on these types of programs, only to be back where they started one year later, with less money and nothing to show for it. Plans such as these or any diet plan for that matter will not bring about long term results unless the person who follows it indefinitely and deals with the issues which contributed to them gaining weight in the first place.

Permanent Weight Loss is what is needed!

If you are looking for a permanent way to keep the pounds (that you may have lost using my 28-Day Fat Blast System or your own diet and exercise plan) from coming back then check out my Complete MindBody FX Lifestyle Program.

Get more information here: http://MindBodyFXProgram.com

Why Many Women Fail in Losing Belly Fat

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:48:00 +0000

The #1 reason so many women battle belly fat…

They give up too soon!

After a week of giving a new fat loss plan a try – eating right and sticking to an effective exercise plan, they re-measure and see no change on the scale and nothing looks different in the mirror. So they give up.   

Add in the fact that many women are misled by the notion that hundreds of abdominal exercises or hours of doing cardio are the solution to lose the stubborn belly fat. They are associating discomfort with results.   

Not you!

You know differently and will keep at this for you have the resources, the knowledge and the support available to you through my 28 Day Fat Blast System and my Complete MindBody FX Lifestyle Program

The success stories being shared are also evidence that as you lose the belly fat, you will experience some toning/tightening of lose skin. Some may take a bit longer than others – but little by little it does improve.   

The only exception is the case of severely stretched skin – indicated by deep stretch marks. While our skin is fairly elastic, it can reach a breaking point – a point of no return. (This is in severe cases).   

No, there are no magic exercises that make the belly fat go away – there are however moves you can do to help strengthen and tighten your INNER core muscles. This in turn will help your belly look flatter as you do continue to lose the belly fat.

The best moves are the ones where you do NOT “move” at all. You know… everyone’s favorite Plank and Side Plank.   Doing MORE of the exercises found in my 28-Day Fat Blast System or my MindBody FX Lifestyle Program will NOT make your results happen faster.   

It is very important that you give your body and your muscles a rest for this is when the improvements are made. Doing more will only interrupt this process and delay your results.

Want to do MORE of Something?

 ~ Increase your overall activity levels!   

I know you said you would do exercise on during TV commercials… maybe switch out watching TV with something that keeps you on your feet vs. sitting on the couch? You should be getting in 10,000 steps a day, you can track this with a pedometer.   

~ Eat Clean More Often!

If there is ever an area you want to put more focus and energy into – it should be your nutrition plan. What you eat has the greatest impact on the loss of belly fat. So follow the nutrition plans that I include in my two permanent weight loss programs, my 28-Day Fat Blast and my Complete MindBody FX Lifestyle Program.

Next step is to follow through with consistency.

Don’t give up! Allow your body a chance to change based on these strategies…all you
need is a good 4 to 6 weeks to see and feel an amazing difference!  

So, if you started using my 28-Day Fat Blast System at http://28DayFatBlast.com - Keep at it! You can lose up to 20 pounds in 28 days. But more importantly, you will learn the skills to keep it off.

If you became really serious about achieving permanent weight loss and invested in my Complete MindBody FX Lifestyle Program at http://MindBodyFXProgram.com then don’t quit now, this is the most effective weight loss program every created. It will help you create the mindset necessary for success and teach you lifestyle habits that you can keep for life, to keep that weight off for life!

In the next 30 days, you could learn how to achieve permanent weight loss and ditch many of your bad habits. In the next 30 days, you could start of a fabulous journey towards a brand new way of living where weight loss is only the beginning.

The choice is up to you!

Gratitude: The Key to a Happy Valentine's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 17:34:00 +0000

Valentine's day is so filled with pseudo-romantic fluff that its true meaning easily gets lost: Gratitude and appreciation for that special someone in your life.

There's nothing wrong with flowers and pink hearts; of course, as long as you also take some time to reflect on all the things you're grateful for. These could include people and things in your own life, and of course your partner if you have one. It also includes the other important people in your life, family, friends, colleagues, and beyond.

Take some time to thank them for being in your life, and then add something specific about them that you're grateful for. Whether it's something they have done for you, or something about them that makes you happy to be in their company, figure out what it is and share it with them.

Expressing gratitude has been shown to give people a big emotional lift. It does the same for relationships. Gratitude and resentment or anger cannot reside in the same place at the same time. So once you fill your heart with gratitude, the negative emotions won't have a place to settle in and will evaporate.

Not that this is a new and revolutionary concept. Quotes and writings about gratitude have been plentiful for centuries.

Melodie Beattie wrote:

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, and confusion into clarity... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."

And Wikipedia has a solid grip on the benefits of gratitude as well:

"Grateful people are happier, less depressed, less stressed, and more satisfied with their lives and social relationships. A large body of recent work has suggested that people who are more grateful have higher levels of well-being. Grateful people also have higher levels of control of their environments, personal growth, purpose in life, and self-acceptance."

The more grateful we are, the happier we are, and the more effectively we're able to cope with life's challenges. We even sleep better when we're grateful.

Clearly, gratitude is something we could use more of, and the best part is that we are able to enjoy as much of it as we like. It's completely in our control -- and it's completely free! So find ways to add a good dose of gratitude into your daily life.

And don't worry. You won't have to wait to be grateful until you win the lottery. Appreciate the little things, or the things that are really quite big but that you take for granted.

Whatever it is that you're grateful for, make a note of it. Write it down. In fact, make a gratitude list. Simply write down all the events, things and people for which you are thankful. Expressing gratitude and appreciation for people in your life brings joy to both of you.

In fact, you could make a gratitude list for your Valentine! Take some time to write down everything you appreciate about your partner and then share it with him or her on Valentine's Day!

But don't stop there. Continue to find things you're grateful for every single day. Make it into a regular practice.

You could begin the morning by making a list of the things for which you are grateful. It may be your health and wellness, it may be the love you share or abundance of finances, or perhaps it’s your home or the motor home that takes you on many adventures! It can also be the simple things like a bed to sleep in and clean water to be able to bathe in. By seeking to find all the positive pieces in your life, you begin the day with a positive attitude. What a wonderful way to get started!

Or you may prefer to give thanks for your blessings at the end of the day, just before drifting off to sleep, by reflecting on a wonderful day and the many things for which to be grateful. It could be the nice person who served the coffee, not running out of gas, being acknowledged for a job well done, having the finances to pay for a car repair, or simply being grateful for the food you had for dinner. Gratitude comes in many shapes and sizes, but it always makes you feel good.

A “Gratitude Journal” is another awesome way to keep track of the things you are grateful for in your life. There are different journals on the market, some very elaborate and others simple, but the important thing is to start one! Like anything in your life that you wish to change, it takes practice and repetition. It’s said that it takes 21 days to change a habit or create a new one. Gratitude journaling is definitely a good habit to start!

Here's one of my favorite quotes: "Yesterday is gone, tomorrow isn’t here…so all we have is today and that is why it’s called the present!"

Think about it: How grateful are you for your present…for today and every day of your life? Be sure to let your Valentine and everyone around you know how much you appreciate them. And spend some time appreciating yourself as well.

Valentine's Day -- Vow to Love Yourself

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 22:04:00 +0000

Valentine's Day is coming around again, and there's no escaping it. Everywhere you look, there are hearts, roses, and candy wrapped in pink. With everyone's thoughts on love and whether or not you have a Valentine of the traditional kind, here is one Valentine you should have: YOU.

Yes, that's right. You should be your own Valentine. Even if, and especially if you have another Valentine. That's because in order to truly love someone else, you have to love yourself first. And that can be a challenge, especially if you're carrying around unwanted pounds.

Read on to discover how you can improve your mindset, your attitude towards yourself, and your self-image. Find out how a more positive view of yourself will help you lose weight and improve your love life and your relationship.

The number on your scale

Do you measure your happiness by the number on your scale? Do you feel that until that number comes down, you have to punish yourself by not eating, restricting what you eat, or exercising like crazy?

Do you feel you don't deserve to be happy until the right number appears on your scale?

Here's why this is a problem...

When you focus on surface results, you're using food to escape your emotions and the underlying root issues that are causing you to use food as a distraction from what is truly driving you to eat. What's worse, your inner battles with food really cause you to think about food more.

And what about those rules and restrictions you've developed to hold yourself in check? They are only temporary solutions because... what you resist, persists.

So stop trying to wrestle your body into losing weight by deprivation and by restrictive eating and exercise patterns. It won't work. It will just keep you stuck in that endless cycle of thinking you'd nurture yourself by eating yummy foods (or Valentine's candy), only to move to feelings of remorse and self-hatred because you're ashamed of your lack of self-control.

Be Kind to Yourself

Instead of beating yourself up over and over because of your eating-related "failures," why not try something different. Be kind to yourself. You're here on this planet for something much more meaningful than endless attempts at losing weight. No matter how hard you try, you're not going to succeed until you learn to love yourself first, extra pounds and all. But how do you do that?

Realize that you're a unique individual and that there isn't anyone else quite like you. Take the time to be alone with yourself in meditation, looking deeply into your beliefs about your relationship with yourself -- and with food. You'll find that it will help your body, mind, and spirit to recharge and rejuvenate, which is a phenomenal self-love process.

Be open to getting support

Then again, you may be so used to loathing yourself that you need some support as you explore what's really inside of you. If so, you might want to consider going to someone who can coach you through some of your deeper issues around why and when you eat.

As you learn being truly present in your life and mindful of what you're doing, you'll find that you're finally moving towards reclaiming self-love.

Be your own Valentine

Yes, be your own Valentine. Treat yourself with the kindness you deserve. In fact, treat yourself with the kindness you would show to a dear friend or loved one.

But wouldn't that be selfish? Not at all! Only when you love and respect yourself will you be truly ready to love and respect another.

If your relationships haven't worked as well as you would have liked, get ready for changes. You'll find that once you love yourself, your ability to attract and co-create a loving relationship with a partner will improve dramatically.

And what about your weight?

So what does all of this have to do with the number of your scale? Only when you truly love and appreciate yourself will you be able to make the lasting changes that will help you let go of those extra pounds -- and keep them gone. So self-love really is the key all around.

So if you want a Valentine, i.e., a relationship that works, with someone who truly loves and appreciates you, start with being your own Valentine. Once you can do that, and enjoy your own company, you're also reclaiming your capacity to love and appreciate the "other" Valentine.

Weight Loss Secrets: Do You Know the Relationship Between Your Mind, Your Body and Losing Weight

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 01:32:00 +0000

The body is the physical form and machine that’s instructed daily by our dominant thoughts and actions. The body carries out actions based on directions from the conscious and subconscious mind. It’s the evidence of what’s held in the mind.

For example, let’s say you decide you want to be a public speaker. If you are nervous and worried about saying something inappropriate or if you are concerned that someone will make fun of you, those thoughts will manifest in your body as sweaty palms and embarrassing stumbling of words. However, if you spend time imagining how positively your audience will respond, how articulate you’ll sound, and how energized you’ll feel, that will manifest in the body as well. You’ll be confident and filled with energy. Your audience can’t help but respond positively to you.

When we intentionally change our thoughts to which we give the most focus and energy, and repeat these thoughts until they become desires, they are impressed on our subconscious mind and become our emotions. Our bodies put those emotions into action and our actions become our results.

How to Create the Paradigm Mindset Shift You Need to Lose Weight Now

A paradigm, which can be a habit, belief, attitude, pattern or expectation, gives you the guidance to interpret and approach the world around you. When you examine your paradigms around weight, you may find your current results aren’t what you want.

Your objective of reaching your “ideal weight” is to move your conditioned results into alignment with what you want. For instance, let’s say you used to drink one glass of red wine every evening. But, to reach your ideal weight you have to change that to a glass of water with a lemon slice instead. This is a paradigm shift.

We all know only too well what we have to do to be at our ideal weight. The problem is that we aren’t doing it! The secret to success is to gain an understanding of why we’re not doing it—what the primary cause of the problem is—and then correct it.

Remember when you were growing up and your teacher or parent would say, “Why did you do that?” and you probably said, “I don’t know” and then your mom would say, “What do you mean you don’t know? You know you weren’t supposed to do that.” At that point, you dropped your head and would say “Yup, I know.” The crazy thing is that we still carry this silly, “I don’t know” concept into our adult life!

We all do things we know we shouldn’t do—things we don’t want to do—and we do them anyway. We’re conditioned to believe that it’s our behavior that’s causing the unwanted results in our life. That’s really not true. We’re forever attempting to change those behavior patterns: eat less, eliminate junk foods, and exercise more often—all without success.

Millions of People Fail in Losing Weight Because They Fail to Change Their Mindset

There are millions of people in every country in the world going on different diets all the time to lose weight. These people aren’t trying to reach their “ideal weight.” Their whole obsession is with “losing weight.”

There’s a dual problem with this.

First, they believe that food—eating the wrong food or eating too much food—is the primary cause of their problem, which isn’t true. Their eating habits are a secondary cause of their problem. It’s the primary cause that needs to be corrected if the results are going to permanently change.

Second, when you lose anything—it doesn’t matter what it is, from your car keys to those 20 pounds—you’re subconsciously programmed to immediately begin to look for it. Unfortunately, when it comes to your weight loss, you usually find it because your focus is on losing weight rather than living at a healthy weight.

To experience any kind of lasting success with weight loss, you must address the primary cause of your problem, which stems from your thoughts and beliefs. Once you deal with the primary cause, you’ll find lsoing excess weight and keeping it off will be easier than ever.

To help you change your mindset starting today, I invite you to get my free sneak preview of The MindBody FX Lifestyle: Mastering the Mind-Body Connection for Permanent Weight Loss at http://www.weightlossconsumersguide.com/

Here’s to changing your mindset and finally reaching your ideal weight.

The Effects of Denial on Your Weight

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:18:00 +0000

For many people, denial is a constant companion—so much so that they don’t realize they are participating in it. Don’t believe me? Let’s take a quick test.

Most people you meet in the course of a day are “fine.” How are you? Fine. How is your family? Fine. How is your job? Fine.

In reality, most of us can think of many aspects of our lives we would like to change. Perhaps we are dissatisfied with our jobs, co-workers or bosses. Maybe our family life is either stressful, in chaos, or achingly lonely. Yet, most of us float through life never being consciously aware of what we do or why—and that includes the way we eat.

Now, it is a challenge to understand why you think and act the way you do, who you are, and how you’ve created your current life. The first step in changing yourself is awareness. You must understand where you are right now and how you got there; only then can you create something better.

First, let’s take a closer look at your denial…

Denial, according to Wikipedia, is “a defense mechanism in which a person is faced with a fact that is too painful to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence. The subject may deny the reality of the unpleasant fact altogether (simple denial), admit the fact but deny its seriousness (minimization), or admit both the fact and seriousness but deny responsibility (transference). The concept of denial is particularly important to the study of addiction.”

Food, like tobacco and alcohol, can become an addiction. We’ve all heard someone say, “I need chocolate!” or “You can’t watch hockey without pizza and beer!” We all know young children who see candy in a colorful wrapper and will kick and scream until they get it. These people are in denial.

3 levels of denial—as they relate to your weight…

1. Simple Denial: Ignoring the Facts Altogether. This is the person who has diabetes and high blood pressure, takes all kinds of medications, and yet continues to eat sugary cereals and chocolate bars.

2. Minimization: Acknowledging the Truth but Denying its Seriousness. This is the person who tells everyone that the doctor has instructed him or her to lose weight yet continues to indulge regularly on cheeseburgers and fries.

3. Transference: Acknowledging the Facts and the Seriousness but Denying Responsibility. This is the person who says, “I know I’m fat, I have diabetes, and it can kill me, but my family won’t change how they eat and it’s too much trouble to make separate meals for myself. I can’t change.”

How Denial Is Hurting You

The problem is that your self-image takes a hit every time you escape into denial because what you project conflicts with your true idea of your inner self. For example, the way you dress and the things you have around you are all a projection of who you believe yourself to be. A good example would be people who wear nothing but black, thinking that doing so will hide their weight. Who does this really fool? Or how about someone who sits in the doctor’s office complaining of sore knees and, when told that the solution is simply to reduce their weight, ignores the truth and asks for painkillers? The truth hurts. It’s easier to pop a pill than to reduce a few pounds; denial is the path of least resistance. The reality is that you and you alone have created your current situation. No amount of covering up will change that. You cannot hide from who and what you really are.

The picture we hold of ourselves in our own minds is intimately connected to the value we place on ourselves. A healthy self-worth means having a positive, constructive view of yourself and your abilities. It allows you to work toward your goals and engage in rewarding relationships. An unhealthy self-worth means having a negative, pessimistic or disapproving view of your own self. You are unable to see beyond limitations and problems. People with an unhealthy self-worth believe they can’t reach goals or have meaningful relationships. Often people’s self-worth is directly reflected in their weight and overall health. Self –destructive behavior, such as gaining weight or smoking, reveals a negative self-image.

To truly BE great, you must first think it, then believe it, and then set goals to make it happen!

When you take steps to improve yourself, you automatically improve the image you hold of yourself in your mind, which in turn affects the attitude you project. Self-worth has less to do with feeling good than it does with feeling right. Make no mistake. There is a substantial difference between the two. This feeling of right has nothing to do with right versus wrong. It’s about feeling genuine and authentic inside. You know you should skip the donut and coffee, but it’s easy and you’re rushed. Vegetables or fruit would be a good lunch, but the hot dog was quick. Each day we make small choices that together form the landscape of our lives. You and only you, have the power to change the course of your life. If you believe you can or can’t, you’re right!

5 Steps to Getting More Exposure For Your Coaching Business

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 23:57:00 +0000

Getting press exposure and building a 6-figure coaching business is not as hard as you might think. Just look at my experience. Click here to read my story here. And no, you don't have to create a whole new system from scratch like I did.

You just have to be different enough from the status quo to get attention, and then work on getting the word out. Here are the five steps I took and how you can follow in my footsteps:

Step 1: Differentiate yourself

The first thing you need to do is to differentiate yourself. What is it that makes you unique and different? What are you offering that most of your competitors are not providing for their clients?

Once you have determined exactly what makes you different, shape it into effective marketing messages that clearly communicate who you are and what you do that makes your approach better.

Step 2: Reach out to the media

Send out press releases about your program and your specific approach. Also create special events, for example teleseminars or webinars, which will add an extra news component to your story. Then again, just the fact that you help people lose weight permanently and that you guarantee your results will get the media's attention.

Step 3: Speak in front of live audiences

This step aligns well with the previous one. While teleseminars and webinars are speaking events of sorts, speaking in front of live audiences is something you should definitely incorporate into your strategy.

If you offer your presentations to groups that are concerned with health and wellness, you can quickly dominate your market.

Each speaking gig is also an event you can advertise by way of press releases, thus getting more visibility. And you won't be crowded out by many competitors since many people are afraid of public speaking. So if you're willing to do it and are reasonably good at it, speaking will give you a huge competitive advantage.

Step 4: Create a Social Media Presence

Creating a social media presence will give you massive exposure online, thereby helping you grow your business rapidly.

Join Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other groups, set up professional profiles, and start making connections. And, of course, invite your friends and followers to your events.

Step 5: Get Published

The fifth step is to get published - a lot. Each article is like a miniature press agent spreading your news and your expertise. And articles online will be there for a long time to come.

Start by writing short articles about your special expertise and getting them published in online article directories. Then build from there. Rewrite some and republish them in other directories. Publish them in membership sites, such as LinkedIn. Become a columnist. Write a book. Get it published.

Now – Your Next Steps:

To help you move forward in the right direction, check out my free webinar for personal trainers, life coaches, health coaches, wellness coaches, and health and wellness professionals who:

Are fed up with being under-valued and under-paid
Want to easily attract more high-paying, ideal clients that need what you offer
Are looking to create additional streams of income
Are struggling to retain your clients and not getting enough referrals
Want to set your own hours, have more freedom with the potential of creating a 6-figure+ income
Fed up with trading time for money and ready to leverage your time by working with groups where you can make $500, $600, even $1,000 an hour
Want a system to help your clients who are struggling with their weight, and actually help them achieve permanent results

In this webinar, we cover…

•    How to create new streams of income delivering the MindBody FX system
•    The extensive list of potential clients for your programs
•    The comprehensive training, resources, and support you'll receive as a licensed facilitator
•    Everything you'll find in the MindBody FX Facilitator's Training Program
•    Free powerful marketing bonuses you'll get as a new facilitator

Get more information on this webinar now at: http://www.builda6figurecoachingbusiness

How I became Canada's #1 Weight Loss Coach

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 23:43:00 +0000

I've not always been an expert at weight loss. In fact, I grew up in an obese family and in my late 20s, I found myself 30 lbs overweight -- and depressed. Now, as I think back to the beginning where I owned my own weight loss center, I took some very specific steps to the #1 weight loss coach.

1) My first weight loss "venture"

I decided that I wanted to open my own business, and ended up buying a weight loss center franchise. I figured that this would be perfect. I could deal with my own weight issues and help others do the same.

Unfortunately, it didn't work that way. I had no idea how to actually lose weight and keep it off permanently. Sure, the franchise company trained me -- on their system. But they didn't teach my clients or me how to keep the weight off permanently.

I struggled on for 10 years, eventually owning 5 weight loss centers. Yet, I became more and more frustrated with the lack of results my clients were getting. 95% of the people who start commercial weight loss programs fail. And the record of mine was no better.

2) Discovering a new approach

But then I started to learn techniques that were not taught by the franchisor. I discovered that my clients' attitude had a big impact on whether they were going to be successful. I was fascinated and decided to learn more.

Since I no longer believed in the program my company was selling, I sold my business and set out on a mission of learning what helped people become successful in their quest for weight loss.

I attended workshops all across North America and studied everything I could get my hands on about how a person's mindset relates to their behavior.

3) The MindBody FX program and business system

Finally, I decided to create a better system, one where people actually would succeed. The result: the MindBody FX program. But I didn't stop there. So many people in the health, wellness, and fitness industry were struggling with the same frustrations I did.

So I decided to combine my MindBody FX program with a business system. With that new program, I could teach coaches, personal trainers, and other health and wellness professionals to use the mindset tools to create more success for their own clients -- and great success for their business.

4) Gaining visibility

My system was very different from the rest of the industry. This helped me get press as a weight loss expert and stake my claim to a new approach, with a mind-body connection.

I was featured on the TV show 180 Life & Style Makeovers, CNBC, in newspapers, and on radio stations across North America. I was also speaking to numerous live audiences.

Now, do you want to become a top expert in weight loss?

I recently did a free webinar where I reveal how you can build a 6-figure + income in the health, fitness and wellness industry by becoming a MindBody FX Facilitator. This webinar has been featured on CNBC, Fox and a number of other websites.

Grab your webinar replay now at: http://www.builda6figurecoachingbusiness.com/

Losing Weight With the 80/20 Rule

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:58:00 +0000

Go ahead and indulge from time to time—eat the fudge sundae or maybe a piece of pecan pie and please don’t feel guilty about it… as long as you’re following the 80/20 rule!

The 80/20 rule in business is a guideline for how to work smart. In the weight management world, it’s a guideline for how to eat smart. You can lose weight and maintain it by following the 80/20 rule.

What you want to do is eat healthy, nutritious foods 80 percent of the time and eat whatever your little heart desires the other 20 percent of the time. You don’t want to deprive yourself of the things you enjoy eating and you shouldn’t live your life feeling you can never eat something again. Eating healthy and mindfully is what you want to do for the rest of your life. Using the 80/20 rule gives you the choice to do that and not feel guilty when you do indulge. This doesn’t mean overeating by stuffing yourself until you’re uncomfortable or eating that second helping of dessert!

When you use the 80/20 rule at every meal, you only eat until you’re 80% full or feel satisfied. This gives your brain time to register that you’ve eaten enough and leaves 20% of your stomach empty so the food has space to digest. This way you won’t feel bloated and your body will thank you.

Businesses have become successful using the 80/20 rule. Make a plan now to have the 80/20 rule part of your weight management plan and before long you’ll be well on your way to your ideal weight and the healthy lifestyle that you’ve been imagining.

You can even fit the 80/20 rule into the meal plans and fitness plans that you will receive in our 28-Day Fat Blast System. Go to: http://28dayfatblast.com to find out what else you will receive in this permanent weight loss quick-start program.

Using The Cycle of Creating Your Results To Achieve Your Ideal Weight

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:50:00 +0000

What do Walt Disney, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, Christopher Columbus, and the Wright brothers have in common?

They had no difficulty imagining. They freed their minds of their limiting beliefs and doubts. They allowed their minds to use all available resources to come up with a new idea.

They would fantasize, build beautiful images in their minds of what they wanted to be, do or have. Their creations and discoveries all began as an idea. The emotion to go into action fueled the idea, and their actions brought it into reality in the physical world, thus producing their results.

All successful people have mastered this cycle of creating the results they desire, whether they’re consciously aware of it or not.

The Cycle of Creating Your Result is as follows:

Thoughts create your feelings, which motivate your actions and ultimately produce the results you experience in the physical world. The sum total of all of the results you experience determines your quality of life, good or bad.

If you’re serious about achieving your ideal weight, you must be able to imagine yourself at a weight that’s perfect for you. You must have the desire to make the changes required for you to have enough energy to take the actions you need to be successful.

As you begin this creative process, it’s very important that you…

Give a tremendous amount of mental energy to developing the image of yourself at your ideal weight.
Find the reasons that energize you, and give you desire.
Take action and start to see this image appear in the physical world. You’ll notice a transformation into the ideal body you’ve pictured.

When you begin to imagine yourself at your ideal weight, you’ll start to think about the processes required to get you going. You’ll put things into place as you become more aware of the choices you actually have and the resources available to you. In your mind, consider the exact image of yourself at your ideal weight in as much detail as possible. Write a description of yourself as if you already are this image. Write about how you look, feel and think, as well as what you might do physically that’s different and the kinds of things others might say.

As you take action and start to overcome certain obstacles, you’ll see yourself transforming into the image you desire, losing weight and achieving the body you’ve dreamed of.

P.S. How would you like to accelerate this cycle and create the results you want even faster. Check out my 28-Day Fat Blast System and see how you can lose up to 20 pounds in 28 days. Grab it here: http://28dayfatblast.com

Lose Weight by Creating New Lifestyle Habits

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:52:00 +0000

Achieving your desired weight involves adopting new habits that will help you meet your goal. We often do things repeatedly, trying our best to create a new habit, only to see our efforts fall by the wayside. That’s because picking up a new habit takes more than mere repetition.

You must first decide which new habit you wish to create. Is it a new plan to exercise every day? Perhaps it’s to walk a minimum of one mile several times a week. It’s important to start yourself on the path to fitness and health with reasonable goals. You wouldn’t expect to exercise for a week and then run a marathon, would you? Remember that these goals are lifestyle choices that you want to incorporate long term, not in one-shot attempts. You must build your endurance over time. Start small, and once the habit becomes part of your daily life, increase the intensity or length.

Once you’ve decided on the first new habit you want to create, follow these steps to facilitate your quest to meet your weight and health goals.

1.    Take a deep breath and close your eyes. Explore the motivations for this new habit. Is it to reduce your weight, get in shape, be healthier or all of the above? Picture yourself attaining the goal that this motivation brings to mind. Visualize yourself thinner, more energetic and more able to physically do what you dream. Make this visualization as detailed as possible, and allow yourself to feel what it’s like to attain it. This gets you emotionally involved with your motivation for this particular habit.

2.    To enhance this visualization, write it down. This helps to solidify it in your mind and also imprints it onto your subconscious mind using a different sense. Ask yourself again why this new habit would be beneficial to you, making as extensive a list as possible. Unless you really want this for yourself, it’s likely that eventually you’ll stop before it truly becomes a habit.

3.    Write down what would happen in your life if you did have your new habit already in place. Would you be walking five miles a day? Would you have reduced your weight substantially? How would your life be different? What would you be able to do that you’re currently unable to do?

4.    Choose several steps you can take each day that will assist you in creating this new habit. Set your alarm clock 30 minutes earlier. Have a healthy lunch prepared the night before. Take the dog on your walk for companionship; the dog will benefit, too. Stock your fridge with healthy snacks. Plan your meals in advance.

5.    Write down a date when you’ll start this new habit and how often you’ll do it. Be very specific. State exactly what you’ll do each week. Being specific implies a commitment to your goal.

6.    Make a commitment to start. Think about what’s at stake and focus again on the list of how it will feel, and the benefits you’ll receive when you incorporate this habit into your life. Make the commitment to begin—and follow through!

7.    Thank yourself for participating. It’s okay to be grateful to yourself, and this is a wonderful affirmation. Hearing the words “thank you” relaxes the muscles and deepens the resolve.

8.    Notice without judgment—when you don’t follow through. Ask yourself why, but be careful not to beat yourself up over a lapse. You must be willing to ask some hard questions of yourself and change your thoughts when you disappoint yourself. The results you get are a product of your thinking.

9.    Use affirmations. You can even record some and play them each morning while you exercise. This is a great way to start the day on a positive and upbeat note while encouraging yourself to commit to your new habit.

10.    Journal your progress. Journaling is a way to keep track of how far you’ve come and how much you’ve accomplished. The more specific you are with your journaling, the better reference tool this will become.

To be at your ideal weight, you must make the decision to do what’s necessary to move in the direction of your goal. To help you master the mind-body connection so you can shed off the pound fast – I invite you to grab my permanent weight loss quick start program – 28-Day Fat Blast http://28dayfatblast.com!

8 Eating Guidelines That Will Help You Lose Weight – And Keep It Off Permanently

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 22:32:00 +0000

Fad diets and temporary eating plans have no place in our daily eating guidelines for losing weight. We recommend you make lifestyle changes… integrating healthy eating habits into your life, and sticking with them forever. Your focus should be balanced, nutritious eating, changing old habits and beliefs, and living a healthy life.

1. Eat 3 to 6 meals and snacks or mini-meals throughout the day. Keeping your blood sugar balanced and within its desired range all day allows for optimal energy, decreases the burden on your endocrine system and lets your body know it’s receiving a consistent supply of the glucose it needs. If your body receives nutrients on a regular basis, it has no need to store excess fat for emergencies.

2. Include breakfast soon after waking. You’ve been fasting since dinner, so supply your body with the energy it needs to take on daily tasks without creating stress and low blood sugar.

3. Include a source of carbohydrates, proteins and fats with each meal or snack. Each of these macronutrients plays a vital role in your health (carbohydrates for energy, proteins for structure and fats to protect every cell in your body). Each is digested at a different rate, releasing its energy into the bloodstream as it’s digested. By eating all three macronutrients at each meal, you’ll keep your blood sugar level consistent for a longer period of time and stay satisfied longer.

4. Include a vegetable or fruit with each meal. Produce contains so many health-promoting factors—vitamins, minerals, water, fiber, phytonutrients and macronutrients—that it’s no wonder these foods are considered the best for staving off disease. They are also generally lower in calories and high in fiber, so you stay fuller, longer, for less of your daily caloric intake. Guidelines for health recommend 8 to 10 servings daily; eating at least one serving every time you eat will get you close to that goal. Aim for 1 to 3 servings of fruit and have the rest in vegetables.

5. Eat a rainbow. While eating 10 servings of green fruits and vegetables is good for you, each color group provides a different set of phytonutrients (plant defense system) that protects a different system in your body. Eating a rainbow of produce daily will ensure you’re receiving full-body protection. Having a red, orange, yellow/white/light green, dark green and purple fruit or vegetable daily is a much easier way to ensure you’re getting in your 10 servings… and variety will keep you interested! If this seems a little daunting, aim for 3-4 colors daily and rotate through all five many times throughout the week.

6. Drink ample water each and every day. Your body is approximately 70% water. Think of all the ways you lose it—going the washroom, sweating, breathing, etc. To maintain your 70%, drink hydrating beverages like water throughout the day. How much? Take your weight in pounds and divide it by two; that’s how many ounces you need in a day (e.g., a 150-pound person requires 75 ounces of hydrating fluids). Hydrating beverages can also include herbal teas or 100% fruit juice (in moderation). Dehydrating beverages (coffee, alcohol, caffeinated teas and hot chocolate) require two glasses of water just to make up for the water lost by drinking one glass of them!

7. Eat until you’re 80% full. One of the longest living people, the Okinawans, practice this way of eating. When you eat until you’re 80% full, you give your brain time to catch up with all you’ve put in your stomach. When you eat until you’re 100% full, you can end up feeling uncomfortably stuffed—perhaps at the 125% level—by the time your brain processes how much food you‘ve really taken in. When you’re 80% full, you allow your body to be hungry again when it’s time to eat in 3 to 4 hours

8. Live by the 80/20 rule. Your body is a fascinating organism—it deals with all you throw at it and yet you can still walk down the street. If you focus on eating whole foods (health-promoting foods) 80% of the time, then your body can handle the other 20%... when you may choose to indulge in foods that aren’t necessarily good for you, but you truly enjoy. Allow yourself to eat those foods you crave without guilt, which can create more damage in the body than the food itself! If you want to fast track your way to your ideal weight, 90/10 might be more ideal, but never deprive yourself completely of anything you really enjoy.

Vital Points to Remember:
Since this is a lifestyle change, creating these healthier habits may take some time and that’s okay. It takes 21 days to create a habit – but you can do it if you have the proper resources and support.

With my 28 Day Fat Blast System at http://28dayfatblast.com, each day you’ll get a meal plan and a fitness plan for each of the 28 days. Plus, you’ll get action steps, lessons and assignments, this way by the end of the 28 days not only will you lose up to 20 pounds, but you’ll create new, healthier habits so you can keep off the weight.

Start creating new habits now by grabbing my Permanent Weight Loss Quick Start Program – 28 Day Fat Blast http://28dayfatblast.com!

Five Meal Time Tips to Enhance Dining and Your Waistline

noreply@blogger.com (Melonie Dodaro) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:13:00 +0000

With our busy lives so many of us going mindlessly through our day. This includes during meal times. Here you will find five very simple tips that you can implement that will have your waistline shrinking inch by inch.

1. Pay attention. Don’t mindlessly inhale your food. Take time during meals to truly savor every bite you eat. Eat slowly. Chew each morsel and taste the food you put into your body. Turn off the television, radio, and any distractions, and allow meal time to be a time of relaxation and enjoyment.

2. Use a plate. Eating directly out of the box or package can easily lead to overeating—not that we don’t all do it on occasion. When you don’t set aside a portion, that small handful of pretzels quickly becomes two, then three and so on. Take time to put a serving of food on a plate or in a bowl. Eat that portion and only that portion. Many people find it useful to use a smaller plate when they eat meals. A small place loaded with vegetables and chicken, meat or fish seems like a lot of food, but in terms of calories it’s a very reasonable amount. The message your brain receives is that the plate is full, so it should be more than enough to eat.

3. Use hunger as your guide. Let your stomach tell you when you’re hungry and full. Eat when you feel hungry and stop when you’re satisfied. Often we let the clocks guide our eating: it’s noon, so it must be lunchtime. We often eat whether we’re actually hungry or not. We also allow ourselves to finish an entire meal without even realizing we were full 15 minutes earlier, force-feeding ourselves out of habit. The way to stop this is through awareness and listening to our bodies. It is helpful to stop eating when you are 80% full and allow your brain to catch up with your stomach to signal it is full. Once you’ve developed a lifestyle that includes a routine of healthy eating, your body will let you know when it’s hungry and it will also crave healthy foods. Eating several (five to six) small meals a day is much more beneficial for your body and your metabolism than the traditional three big meals. A little saying I’ve reminded clients of over the years is, “Nothing ever tastes as good as being thin feels!”

4. Doggy bags are the new must-have! You don’t have to clean your plate, no matter what you were told when you were a child. Save the leftovers for another meal or snack. Many people make a habit of ordering a meal or sandwich and immediately asking for half of it to be put in a doggy bag. They are more than satisfied with half a serving (especially with the jumbo sized servings in restaurants) and also have another meal to take home. If you choose to stay at the table and talk after a meal, remove your plate so you’re not tempted to keep nibbling…and never pick off someone else’s plate (this includes your kids)!

5. Embrace slow and steady. We all want to reduce our weight quickly, but that doesn’t necessarily allow us to establish habits that will sustain our new weight over time. When we make overall lifestyle changes, the weight that disappears is not going to return. Rapid weight reduction may feel good in the short term, but the results are rarely permanent. Usually that weight comes back and then some (usually an additional 10 pounds). Focus on healthy living and feeling good versus losing weight. Our subconscious mind will naturally want to help us “find” what we’ve “lost,” and this includes those pesky pounds. That’s one reason why we shouldn’t focus on “weight loss,” but on a healthy lifestyle instead. This will effectively lead you to your ideal weight—one that will be easy for you to maintain permanently. After all, there‘s no point in losing weight only to gain it back! When your focus is on a healthy lifestyle and not a number on a scale, your ideal weight will come!

To help you create a healthy Mind-Body lifestyle that results in permanent weight loss, I invite you to check out my new book – The MindBody FX Lifestyle. You can get a free sneak preview of my book along with a free consumer awareness guide at: http://www.weightlossconsumersguide.com