Posts by Ronda Pennington
\ Mindset Coach June 4, 2021
CHECK-IN BEFORE BITIN’-IN
How do you lose weight to keep it off…? for good? There are differing opinions out there, but what I know to be true is…. Normalized blood sugar, prime nutrition and eating to the point of energy, in my opinion, are the keys to successful fat loss.
To maintain and keep it off is a whole other article and conversation. But for today, let’s discuss the current situation for most when they are seeking an answer to their weight struggles.
When you consider the data taken from the past 40 years in the dieting industry, you can see that dieting has delivered NO success in the war on obesity.
Why is that?
In my humble opinion, most people “check out” of their body when they start a diet. The “diet” puts a person in a state of angst, how can anyone perform well and make nourishing choices when a feeling of angst permeates their entire being?
Think back to the last diet you were on? Did you love it? Did you look forward to everyday that you were on it? OR did you secretly wish that you would be at your goal weight so that you could eat the food that you love?
Being in this state, causes a person to check out…because being aware and present, while on a diet, is a miserable state to be in when you can’t have the foods you love.
So how do we lose the weight and keep it off and still have the foods we love and enjoy?
Awareness.
Awareness brings us to a physiological state of optimal digestion and assimilation. Also known as CPDR, cephalic phase digestive response.
Meaning, you utilize the food you eat more efficiently when you are in a relaxed state around food. CPDR can increase digestive power by 40%-60%, simply by being in a state of awareness.
I understand this sounds too good to be true, but consider this first before you cancel the awareness concept out.
The following story is a personal experience of mine, and it displays the use of awareness, i.e. checking in, before bitin’ in. This took place several years ago when I was first discovering this powerful use of Awareness in my relationship with food.
“My sons and I LOVE ice cream. It was a treat for us to go to the ice cream parlor and something we loved to do together. Yes…you heard me correctly…. I LOVE ice cream…it is my all-time favorite treat! When I want a dessert….it is ice cream, and more times than not…it is vanilla. LOVE vanilla.
When we walk into the ice cream parlor and see the array of ice creams and toppings, my taste buds are triggered. While we are waiting, I envision the most delectable combination…. why eat ice cream if you can’t get it exactly the way that brings pleasure to the palate? I’m not going to waste these precious calories filled with sugar on something that is just mediocre…It MUST be utterly delightful!!
I place my order and as I watch the ice cream and toppings being put together; I begin to salivate, my jaw tingles, my eyes get dreamy, and my stomach begins to yearn! I finally get the ice cream in my hands; I take my spoon and get the perfect combination of ice cream, toppings, and fudge and place it in my mouth. I feel the coolness of the ice cream, taste the first bite of chocolate, and as my jaw meets, I hear the crunch of chocolate chips and taste the burst of chocolate flavor. I sigh and am AWARE with each bite. I enjoy the conversation with my boys and relax into my favorite treat. “
The message behind this story is one treat is enough. I didn’t need more. Notice how I put the rules of awareness into play and utilize all the senses:
- I used my imagination to create what I desired.
- I used my first sense, sight, to take in the color, combination of items and overall deliciousness of the dessert.
- The rest of my senses came to life, taste, feel, sound, and smell.
So, how does this help you to lose the weight and keep it off? How is it possible to eat ice cream or any exception food and be at a healthy weight at the same time?
It is all in awareness.
Awareness is THE key. When you are in awareness, you eat slower. Being present eliminates the desire to overeat, you tend to stop when you are satisfied AND binging is not an option.
Did you know that It is impossible to binge and be aware at the same time? When you are present and in awareness, you get the “message” that is sent from the Gut Brain (Enteric Nervous System) when the stomach has had enough food and you stop eating.
It is like magic!
The slow pace allows the gut brain to send leptin (hormone) to communicate with the head brain when you have had enough. (This typically takes 20 min) Once this communication is established, the serving size will shrink. It comes into your awareness that you FEEL best when you eat to the point of energy and listen for the signal from the gut brain to stop instead of ignoring the signal and eat to “overstuffed”.
When in awareness, you breathe deeply which increases the flow of oxygen in the body which “burns” more fuel. Your metabolism is increased just by breathing deeper.
YES, of course it is best to nourish the body with wholesome, organic, high quality foods 80-90% of the time. Eat both the wholesome and the less nutrient rich foods, like ice cream, using the Rules of Awareness. You may find that shrinking your size isn’t that difficult at all, you just needed to CHECK-IN before Bitin’- In to your meal.
Ashly Torian www.ashlytorian.com
\ Mindset Coach June 4, 2021
3 Ways to End the Struggle
“Diet” is typically a 4-letter word in most people’s book. It brings on angst and discomfort. The knowledge that restriction is right around the corner is troublesome for most. The discomfort and angst bring on more weight gain.
It is astounding that this feeling around “diet” causes more health issues then the action itself.
The quote “The mind is everything, what you think you become.” (Buddha) This is truth.
Or Wayne Dyer “Keep reminding yourself: I get what I think about, whether I want it or not.”
If dieting is your M-O for each year, then this is the merry go round of your creation.
“OUCH!”
I know that hits close to home, so here is the break down.
If all you think about is dieting, then you will live on a diet each year. Your body will create this need via weight gain or inability to lose weight. The great fear and what I hear all the time is, “If I don’t diet, I will be big as a house.” Or “If I don’t restrict my foods, then I will go hog wild and overeat.”
This very fear is what is keeping you from living in a body you love at a healthy weight.
FEAR is the enemy NOT FOOD
The 2 main reasons why people go on a diet in the first place is:
- To lose weight
- Health issues
Both are particularly good reasons; however, diets do not give these same results for the long term. Why? Because very few people can live with this type of restriction day in and day out. In fact, 98% of those that go on a diet for the sole purpose to lose weight gain it back within 2 years. Eliminating foods that they love, living under the stress of the number on the scale, and knowing this is not the last time, is more than the human psyche can take.
Remember, what you think about is what you create. The environment dieting creates is a stress pool. And STRESS causes a collection of adipose tissue (fat) around the waistline (visceral fat).
So, the big question is: Why diet in the first place?
Are you in intrigued to try something new?
This criterion of eating works for those that experience:
- Overeating
- Binge eating
- Excessive dieting
- Restriction
- Fear of food
You name it…the following steps will repair your relationship with food, so you will see it as a friend instead of the enemy that causes weight gain, social issues, depression, anxiousness, frustration, despair…just to name a few.
Food is your friend, comforter, and nourisher. Food is grounding, it lets you know you are alive. So, how can it be “bad”?
Here are 3 actions you can take that will END the need for dieting in your life.
- Check to see if you are breathing!
I know this sounds funny, of course, you are breathing. You would be passed out at this moment if you weren’t. Instead, HOW you are breathing. Short and shallow or long and deep?
Long and deep is the way to go.
When you breathe short and shallow, the body goes into a stressed state. The blood is shunted away from the gut and into the arms, legs, and head, so you can think fast and move with herculean strength and speed.
When the blood is no longer in the gut region, digestion slows down, the body utilizes muscle for energy and stores fat.
If you want to mobilize fat while reading this article, then I suggest breathing slow and deep.
- Eat at a snail’s pace and enjoy the scenery!
Yes, you have heard this before, “slow down and you won’t eat as much.” Did you listen? The reason for this is to stimulate the head phase of digestion, your senses, and to wake up the gut brain. Doing this will increase your digestive power by 40-60%. AND you do not eat as much….so you have just given yourself the perfect portion control mechanism.
When the senses are present, taste, aroma, pleasure and satisfaction are experienced, and you actually enjoy and remember what you ate. When the gut brain is given time to respond that there is enough food eaten until the next meal, you leave the table feeling energized instead of lethargic because you ate too much.
Again, this is the perfect portion control mechanism.
- Protein and Essential Fat are the Key to Appetite Satisfaction.
Eat a protein and essential fat at every meal and you will feel satisfied. If you experience hunger shortly after eating, most likely protein and essential fat were not a part of that meal. These 2 macro-nutrients are key to weight loss efforts and energy.
Protein builds lean tissue and lasting energy. The greater amount of lean tissue on the body, the more calories the body will burn at rest. That is what we are after…more calorie burning power.
Essential fats are key to our health. Not only do they give us healthy skin and nails and a plethora of other vital needs, but also much satisfaction. When we experience satisfaction with food, we tend to not overeat. We enjoy the food instead of seeing it as the enemy.
The point here is, change the way YOU show up with food and food will give you the results you desire, energy, vitality, satisfaction, and pleasure.
For more tools to living in a body you love WITHOUT the Struggle, see me at www.ashlytorian.com
Ashly Torian www.ashlytorian.com
\ Delicious Recipes January 6, 2020
Recipes: Tuna or Chicken and Avocado Salad
Ingredients
1 tuna steak (cooked and flaked) or 1 chicken breast cooked and (diced/shredded)
½ apple (red)
1 avocado (ripe)
½ celery
1 teaspoon dill
½ cup red onion
¼ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Sea salt and pepper (to taste)
Directions
In a large bowl, mash up avocado with the back of a fork or potato masher. Add in tuna or chicken, celery, red onion and apple. Mix well. Add in lemon juice, dried dill, cumin and salt and pepper. Mix well. ENJOY!
Will keep up to one week in refrigerator.