Below I’ve listed a few tips that can start you off on a successful path to achieving your weight loss goals. A little bit of success goes a long way; make sure you give yourself a good pat on the back after each positive action you take.

1. Dress in a way that’s conducive to looking good. Image consultant, Chloe Taylor Brown, tells her clients that it’s important to feel good on the outside too. When you feel good on the outside, by dressing well, you have more power to control your food intake.
2. Nibble. When you feel a tad hungry, get a low-calorie snack. Best option is to choose something that will be nourish, not just empty calories. Example: a slice of hearty toast with a spread of hummus, cottage cheese, or jam; rice cakes with fruit preserves; skim milk shake; or simply a piece of fresh fruit. This is a workable tactic to defend yourself against the sudden attack of gotta eat everything in the frig!
3. Substitute a high calorie, high fat food for something similar. And add in a sense of humor! A piece of fudge is a piece of fudge, and also roughly 300 calories and 25 grams of fat for a 1 inch square. Instead of blowing your week’s progress in 20 minutes, substitute that food you’re craving for something close. For example, choose a low fat muffin instead of a donut, a hot chocolate instead of a piece of chocolate, a blended fruit smoothie with skim milk instead of a bowl of ice cream, oven baked potatoes instead of french fries.
4. Indulge…a little. Deprivation will sabotage weight loss. Instead of feeling like you have to say no to all the very calorically dense foods,
   give yourself a break. Have a taste, a nibble, a tiny slice. Note: this tactic does not work for everyone. For some, it relieves the stress and denial. For others, it opens the door to overindulgence.
5. Be mindful of what goes into your mouth. Mindless snacking or nervous munching can pack on the calories that lead to unwanted pounds, and they weren’t even enjoyed!

Bonnie’s coach, Warren Witherall, said “I never built champions one a time. I always created communities of champions.” In a community, people push each other, cheer for each other, and find new ways of increasing performance. They reach new heights individually and as a cohesive group.

The dictionary defines champion as “the person left standing after everyone else is vanquished.” By that definition, a community of champions is an oxymoron. Then how have successful champion teams been born and raised?

Here are five tips for creating your own community of champions.

1. Create a vision focus, not a penalty focus. Rather than playing good guy – bad guy with your team (enforcing rules, disciplining infractions), create an inspiring vision, a mission which everyone values and supports. Seeking greatness is overwhelmingly more powerful than pushing against mediocrity. You still need rules and discipline, but direct your energy and attention to the best performers and rewards rather than to the worst performers and reprimands.
2. Recruit into the Vision. When you bring people onto your team make your message loud and clear. Your vision for what you and your team want to accomplish should be 3-dimensional. It should be so clear that it can be seen and felt just as you can practically taste the loaf of bread baking in the oven. You can’t physically see or taste it yet, but you sure know that you’ll be eating it! By holding the vision in place and projecting it outward, just as the gold medalists hold their medals for the world to see, you will attract team players who want to support that vision. Others will leave who don’t share in those goals and ideals.
3. Make sure they can win. If they put in their absolute best, will they move to a leadership role? Will commissions go up enough? Will they earn more control over their schedule?
4. Make sure they have the resources they need to be champions. If you expect top performance, but give your team insufficient resources to do what you ask, you lose credibility. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect but meet their best with yours.
5. Let them push each other to greatness. The most important thing, according to Warren Witherall, author and Olympic coach, is to set it up so that members of the team are cheering for one another, helping each other perform better, and learning from one another. Here’s an example from the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team, a legendary force on the college circuit. During practice, the sound of clapping is deafening. Either you have the ball and are shooting or you are clapping for whoever has the ball.

Imagine your team of colleagues, employees, fellow workers, teammates, even family members all rooting for one anther and energizing each other with positive words and coaching. Imagine pushing each to be the best at their game. Your team would be a formidable powerhouse.

Imbalanced pH levels and stress.

Keep a healthy pH balance.

The body does not easily tolerate extended acid imbalances. You can experiences headaches, skin eruptions, colds and flu. Acidic conditions can cause muscles to constrict and inhibit the exchange of nutrients and waste products in muscle cells, causing fatigue, soreness and pain. Additionally, acidic blood blocks vitamin absorption, creates toxic buildup in clogged cells, slows organ functions, prevents proper digestion and speeds the aging process.

In the neutral range, a pH of 7.0 – 7.4, the body has a strong immunity to diseases. Most Americans have a pH level of 6.2 – 6.5

Here’s what to do:

Positive Dietary changes can help restore a normal pH level. Fresh fruits and vegetables, on a consistent basis will create a more alkalinity in all body fluids. A handful of almonds for an afternoon snack can enhance alkalinity. Alkaline supplements are available if you have trouble implementing the recommended acid reducing foods.

Acidic producing foods are processed foods, dairy products, high sugar content foods and excessively salty foods.

Reduce Stress.

Stress is caused by opposing intentions, wants and goals. Often people will push harder to overcome the stress. Example: the regular staff meetings at work or family together time often ends in bickering or lowered moods which cause stress. The individuals have opposing intentions, wants and goals. Turning up the volume doesn’t help a bit. Leaving the room may feel better for the moment but the stress is right there when you next meet . What should you do?

Handle the stress by taking yourself out of the opposition game. This is not disconnecting from your peers or family, this is a start to handle your part. What happens when you let go of the rope in tug-of-war? The person left with the rope has no opponent and the game ceases (at least with you).

4 simple steps to take yourself out of the opposition game:

1. When you experience stress, stop. Physically stop what you’re doing.
2. Get focused, get centered, get present.
3. Repeat to yourself a half dozen times at least, “I’m not playing that game.”
4. Ask yourself, “What game do I want to play in life?” Repeat your answer a half dozen times at least.

I’d like to share something that happened last night. I pulled up to my daughter’s dad’s house and attempted to park the car. Very, very oddly the car would not go into the “park” gear. It had been driving fine, no indications of anything wrong, and all of the sudden it would not shift into park or reverse. (Believe me this was not my intention to stay at my x-husnband’s house longer than I needed to )

My thoughts were running with how I would probably be spending the next day. Frustrated and perplexed I began to assume the transmission was failing and that I’d have to get a rental car for a couple of days… and on and on it went. Not to mention all the things I needed to get done that would have to wait. Grrrrr.

I got home and scheduled my roadside assistnace for the next morning, feeling pretty certain the battery would be dead and I’d need a tow. I also reviewed several local auto garages and looked through my owner’s manuel trying to find some logic in this bizzare scenario. I was aware of my frustration and building anxiety over the slew of things that could be wrong and what I’d have to go through to fix it, when I spontaneously became very present and calm. It happened in the blink of an eye.

I felt the urgency leave my space and my mind. The tension fell off my shoulders; I decided to go for a walk. (South Florida is having a “cold front” at the moment, which means the nights are in the low 60’s – it’s magnificent! ) At any rate, it was a perfect night to go out, breathe deep and take in the crisp night air. I passed a man tinkering around in his garage, we exchanged “hello’s” and I kept walking. But only a few strides until I turned aournd and said, “do you know anything about cars?”. The rest is history. I found an angel!

Not only was I in the right place at the right time, I also found the right person and I asked the right question. This mechanical genius fixed my car in 10 minutes. What this saved me in time, money and stress was worth thousands of dollars. It’s vital to know what creates these moments of magic so that more of the same can be manifested. So what actually created this awesome outcome?

There are a number of things I’ve realized that comprised the events of last night. For the purpose of this Blog, I’ll summarize with the Power of Presence. When I’m in that state of Presence, things magically become effortless, and work out for the best. There’s a sense of well being and often high moods. Rather than thinking I’m knowing. Presence is a state of personal power and it feels very natural and freeing.

Last night ended with this “angel”, “genius” , neighbor of mine asking about what I do. I told him about the counseling and life coaching that I do and he was fascinated. He and his wife are coming over this weekend to find out more.

I had many stumbles and falls along the way but finally found the right ticket for me. It all began with a piece of mail (good old snail mail). The bulletin I read stopped me dead in my tracks. It was on “abuse.” I remember thinking what a strange thing to write about when you’re a company promoting well-being, happiness and prosperity. IT fascinated me because the author defined abuse. That is, giving someone something they do not want, or not giving someone something they do want. I had to stop and digest this one. Blatant, obvious abuse is rape, domestic violence, killing someone. But if this definition is true, then giving something they don’t want means that a critical remark, a stinging joke, a snub, are abuse? Or not giving someone something they do want such as help, a second chance, a hug, friendship, courtesy, is abusive? How could that be – that’s more the case than not. The headlines on the bulletin was : End the War on Abuse. That’s what I wanted. An abuse free life and world for everyone.The rest is history. I jumped in with both feet and never looked back.

When you think of the opposite of abuse what do you get? Prosperity, abundance, happiness, love? The opposite is abuse giving and receiving everything you do want and everything others want. That’s a tall order undoubtedly. But it makes for an infinitely purposeful life.

Finding out how to end all the unwanted conditions in my life was the first step. The second step was finding out how to create the wanted conditions. The third step was implementing steps one and two for myself, my family, friends and community and mankind. Did I have my work cut out for me or what! I called the company headquarters and started on a home study course called, Miracles. Magic & Happiness. As pie-in-the-sky as that may sound, it was magical because it transformed my marriage from sick to healthy, it created happiness because my husband, son and I learned the skills to effectively communicate, it created the miracle of purposefulness that I had not had in a very long time.

I’m doing what I’m dong because it serves the highest purpose. What am I doing? Clearing, Processing, Coaching, Training. How does that serve the highest purpose? It brings about Truth. The more Truth a person has the happier they are.

One year later I ventured out to the Texas to work intensively on myself. We all have a core purpose in life. We all want the elements of life and living that are known to us only when we have an epiphany, a high, a moment of true clarity. In these times of being bigger than life, we move closer to our core self – and it feels incredible! It is a pure high. In this time and space of clarity and heightened awareness we uncover our own secrets and pain. This right here is the spoke in the wheel that most often is not fixed. I never found the link to fix this broken wheel until I started my work with The Institute of Applied Knowledge.

When I help other’s become more of who they truly are I am doing my greatest good. I absolutely love working with people who want to work on themselves. The rewards are tremendous – for my clients and for me.