Turning the Black Hole of Poor Body Image Toward the Sunshine of Self-Love

Facts or fiction? These points should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where you can read them every day. The friend who passed them on to me claimed that they are 100% true.

1) There are at least 2 people in this world that you would die for.

2) At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.

3) The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.

4) A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don’t like you.

5) Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.

6) You mean the world to at least 3 other people.

7) Someone that you don’t even know exists, trusts you.

8) When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.

9) When you think the world has turned its back on you, take another look because what you see may surprise you.

Great personal friends and business colleagues are like stars … you don’t always see them, but you know they are always there shining on you and supporting all you do.

Points like this remind us that we are ALL valued by the universe and by those around us. Sometimes low self-esteem and poor body image can block that love like a lunar eclipse, leaving us in darkness. Knowing there’s a light out there – we can still see it outlined no matter how hard we try to deny it.

Today, counter every negative thought you have by filling in the “blanks” above with WHO and WHAT the above sentences refer to. For instance, WHAT good came out of your biggest mistakes so far (Number 8), or start listing the 15 people who love you in some way (Number 2).

And if you can’t get past low self-esteem or poor body image to even begin to fill in those “blanks,” reach out to me for a helping hand. Fifteen minutes of encouragement and guidance could make all the difference in your life to create self-love and self-care.

To your joyous life, free from the prison of limiting beliefs,

Laura Fenamore, Body Image Mastery Mentor
www.LauraFenamore.com


PS: For more inspirational reading material, you can check out blogs by my colleague, Alex Mandossian, http://www.alexmandossian.com/ and for an awesome video, check out: http://www.alexmandossian.com/2008/06/08/the-farmer-and-the-donkey-parable/.

LMAO – 7 Tips to be Fit, Fabulous and Funny

If you are active in the “cyber” world of this 21st century, you know that LMAO means Laugh My Ass Off. If only it were that simple, because fat asses are really no laughing matter. Obesity and its related illnesses kill more people in this country than everything else combined.

But then again, why not LMAO? Laughter is the “best medicine” after all. Certainly what we’ve done so far isn’t working. We spend billions of dollars on diets and weight-loss gimmicks in this country, and we are still the heaviest people in the world.

So LMAO is the perfect little acronym for starting to build a life so filled with joy and great choices that we will stop eating ourselves alive. So what can you do to carpe the happy diem?

1. If you have a long commute, listen to inspirational CD’s and great music to set the stage for an awesome day. (The only TODAY you get, by the way.)
2. If you work somewhere filled with negativity, be an observer instead of a participant. (Complaining every day literally robs you of great health.)
3. No buts about it, stay busy at work (and help others if you have free time). It will be great for your career and keep you from boredom snacking (great for your butt).
4. Read and re-read positive affirmations that will remind you that you are so much more than what you do to make a living.
5. If you live in a situation that is less than ideal, get out for long walks, rides, hikes, and chasing the kids around the playground!
6. Stick with friends who make you happy.
7. In fact, surround yourself with friends who energize and encourage you, who help you laugh at your troubles and remind you that the beat will go on.

The object of the game now becomes to make a life-long change that you can sustain – a personal sustainability. After all, this is not a sprint and not a race; it’s a personal marathon. Simple changes will add up to big results with consistency.

Learning to laugh is the key to your fit and slender self. If you don’t know how to grow a funny bone, don’t worry, they sell laughter everywhere you look! Unlike confidence and self-esteem – things we have to learn and earn, laugher is actually bucketed up and sold in movies and books, on the radio and on TV. So turn on SNL instead of CNN and laugh your ass off!

Finally, make a list of all your worries and throw yourself a turn-around-to-joy party. Rip that list up, stomp it under your feet, set it on fire and let it go. Put those worries aside and to start to digest all the goodness and joy around you.

Beauty is an Inside Job

One of the worst outcomes of poor body image is that it often becomes systemic – taking all of one’s self esteem and day-to-day joy-of-life with it.

If only we could say, my big butt is not my best feature, and love the rest of ourselves completely. My big butt is not who I am; for many of us, we will allow thoughts and feelings about a body part to run our lives.

Our outside body starts to kill our inside spirit.

We must come to the conclusion that the popular idea, sold by millions of weight loss experts and fads, that we will lose weight and then love ourselves simply isn’t working, is it?

Usually you get one of the following results:

a) You can’t put aside the self loathing and stop continue to overeat.

b) You can’t, “love the new skin you’re in,” and even though you might lose a few pounds, you gain it back immediately.

c) The self loathing didn’t fade with the pounds. You do lose weight, but you still don’t really love yourself or believe you’re beautiful and magnificent.

So here’s the big What If.

What if you make weight loss an inside job?

Just try it on for size:

1) Remember, popularity is when other people like me. Happiness is when I LIKE ME. Say this to yourself out loud right now, I will like me today! Because (i.e., I am wise, I am smart, I am generous, etc.) … _______________________, __________________, __________________.

2) You are what you eat. So don’t eat crap. Stop hanging out with people who deplete your energy and your spirit. Just for today!

3) Enjoy a day of fun physical activity – whatever level you are at, and eat great foods today just because you can.

Because the truth is that beauty is an inside job!

B e
E verything
A wesome
U nique
T errifically
Y ou

Because you are the only YOU that you get!

*******************************************************************

Finally, I am still interviewing people to fill the last few spots in my upcoming 12-week pilot program: Loving What You See in the Mirror (Crucial Components to Permanent Weight Loss). Please call me immediately if you would like to be considered (415-464-1234).
I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Laura Fenamore, Body Image Mastery Mentor

www.LauraFenamore.com

Weekend Wake-Up Call

Are your body image and your struggle with weight issues your every-day opponents in the ring of life? Do they keep you from claiming all the things you want in this ONE beautiful existence? Have you put off getting that great job, taking that vacation, dating, or even the simple things, like buying new clothes until you lose weight? I am here to invite you out of that lie.

The truth is that if you do what you have always done, the chances are that you will get what you always got. So if you have struggled with body image and weight loss as a theme in your life – or if you have joined ten different weight-loss “clubs” and tried thirty-five diets, you know that having hope seems almost hopeless some days.

I want to assure you that there is another way; a way that will teach you to talk to your body and create permanent weight loss forever. You can trust me on this, because over two decades ago, I lost 100 pounds and kept it off forever. I found a different way to talk to myself (besides the endless barrage of self-hating remarks I had dined on all day, every day).

And I have spent much of my life since losing that weight encouraging and mentoring others to do the same.

We all know what to do, so WHY don’t we do it? What are the roadblocks that stand in your way? Wouldn’t you like to turn those roadblocks into building blocks?

You have a choice this weekend – you can choose to make it a new day. This is not about being a size “x” or losing “x” number of pounds, rather it is the slow and steady changes that will give you more energy and a more beautiful you, inside and out.

Call me for a free 15-minute evaluation to see if you are a candidate to participate in my 12-week Pilot Program, “Loving What You See in The Mirror (Crucial Components to Permanent Weight Loss).” The course starts in only a couple of weeks (June 24th), and it is the only time that I will personally coach the participants (all the more reason to check it out now).The course includes a workbook to support permanent transformational change, along with an added surprise to promote structure and balance among all participants for all twelve weeks.

Participants are interviewed and selected for this course, so call me at 415-464-1234 if you are ready to move forward - with nothing standing in your way!

You CAN create and claim the magnificent life you deserve.


Laura Fenamore
Laura@LauraFenamore.com
phone: 415 464 1234
www.LauraFenamore.com

Personal Sustainability

Undoubtedly, today's big buzzword is sustainability.
Keeping our planet alive and maintaining our
resources are vitally important to our future. But
what about our Personal Sustainability? What about
keeping ourselves alive and saving our own resources?

Are we more invested in our planet than we are
in our flesh and blood? Obviously, embracing ways
to care for Mother Earth must be a part of our lives,
but we must treat Father Time with the same respect.
Every day above ground that we LIVE STRONG
and CHOOSE WISELY, we win the lottery:
Another precious day, and another and another.

How do we do this? In order to maintain the healthy
give and take of our own energy, we must be vigilant
about personal sustainability. We MUST not take in
more energy than we use each day; quite simply, this
overwhelms the "natural landscape" that is our body.
We overtax our body with useless foods and stored
pounds that leave us depleted and susceptible to illness.

Remember, stress is the enemy of a sustainable
life. Finding a way to breathe and strive through life's
challenges is vital to our health. It is those among
us who turn challenges into opportunities, in fact,
who become our greatest leaders.

As you read this, breathe in the beauty around you.
Today is an opportunity. Choose YOU. Begin your
efforts in your own body. Make changes that embrace
your personal sustainability, and your body will
support you, heart and soul, for many years to come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you're ready for a sustainable life & body, my 12-week
pilot program, Loving What You See in the Mirror
(Crucial Components to Permanent Weight Loss)
begins Tuesday, June 24. This is the only time that I will
personally coach participants through the course (all
the more reason to check it out now).The course includes
a workbook to support permanent transformational
change, along with an added surprise to promote structure
and balance among all participants for all twelve weeks.
Participants are interviewed and selected for this course,
so call me at 415-464-1234 if you are ready to move
forward - with nothing standing in your way!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Laura Fenamore
Laura@LauraFenamore.com
phone: 415 464 1234
www.LauraFenamore.com