It's not how much we have, it's how much we enjoy, that makes happiness. -   Charles Spurgeon
"Focus on enjoying what you do choose to eat, and you'll worry less about how much you eat."

Two are better than one...if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
"Having a buddy, support group or a coach means you've always got a hand to help you up when you stumble, or to applaud when you succeed!"

"When you're aware of what you're doing, it's much better than being clueless!" - B. Keele
"Writing everything down before I eat it means I get to avoid mindless eating! After all, if I'm going to eat, I might as well know about it!"

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THIS WEEK'S ARTICLE

It doesn't happen very often, but once in a great while I actually find myself watching TV. It was a couple of weeks ago, and as I waited for my friends to arrive, I cruised the cable stations. That's when I discovered the miracle weight loss plan of the century. It was incredible! There was a gorgeous man, who looked like he had come to the studio directly from Venice Beach after a 4-hour workout. His shirt could barely contain his enormous, tanned muscles. He was eagerly explaining to a roomful of people how simple and easy it was to lose weight, look fabulous and feel incredibly energetic! The folks in the room were all leaning forward, hanging on every word, nodding their heads in enthusiastic agreement. I found I was doing the same thing at home! I couldn't wait to hear this man's Secret! He had a shapely actress whose name I didn't recognize, (but everyone in the studio seemed to know who she was) seated next to him. She'd innocently ask questions, some of the same I heard myself asking, and then appeared incredulous as he'd neatly answer them. It was truly a miracle program, and you didn't need to special food! And, the best part of all was that this Secret had been known and used by famous Hollywood actors and actresses for years!

I marveled,"No wonder they managed to look so great, they knew The Secret! No wonder I didn't look like a Hollywood Actress... I didn't know the Secret! The gorgeous man told me to grab a pen and a paper, because in just a few minutes, the Secret was going to be made available. I frantically dug under  the couch cushions for the pen I knew must be there, and grabbed the napkin I'd been using for the brownie I'd just eaten and waited, holding my breath, or the Secret to be revealed.

First though, they had to tell me all of the benefits that knowing the Secret would bring to me. Health! Vitality! Attractiveness! Good Looks! Peace of mind! Freedom from Dieting! Freedom from packaged foods! Freedom from Frustration. Freedom from Thinking ( Yes, they'd even do my thinking for me!!!). I could stop thinking about food, they'd tell me what to eat, and it would take all the guesswork out of it. (Hmmm, suppose they don't know when I want a brownie? I wonder if they realize I really like a few chips with a sandwich? Do they know that I really like pasta, but without the sauce???) I have to admit that this slowed me down a bit, but heck it was a small price to pay for all of the fabulous things this Secret was going to do for me!

Well, the time had come. Drum roll, please.... The Secret that hundreds of Hollywood Celebrities had been using was...available to everyone who called their toll-free number, and had their credit card ready. And if I called immediately, I'd get an extra supply of the Miracle Formula that really helped the Secret to work. 

I had to physically shake myself and remember that I already knew the secret! And that I was already in control of my weight and had been for almost 8 years! True, I wasn't exactly a Hollywood celebrity look-a-like, but I managed to garner my fair share of compliments. Amazing how quickly I could revert to being a gorgeous Hollywood wanna-be! As I laughed and changed the channel, I was entertained by yet another show that promised the same things, just a different name with a different toll-free number and a different price tag. It was incredible! I remember the days when I was always on the lookout for the Secret, the Miracle that would forever change my life. These days, while I haven't lost hope that someday, a safe, medical cure will come on the scene, I'm reasonably certain that it sure won't be showing up in the back of a magazine, on an infomercial at night or in a special offer that comes by 3rd class mail. In the meantime, I'm thankful for the "secret" that I do have...which I'm willing to share freely with you, so I guess it's not a secret anymore!

The secret is...there is no diet or shake or formula or person that will let me take my weight off for good. Instead, it's about finding a way to live that means eating less (energy) than I use (burn off) when I want to lose weight or keep them about the same when I want to maintain my weight. So, if I weigh more than I want to weigh, I know I have two choices: eat a little less or exert a little more energy! There's the Secret! Actually, the real secret is HOW in the heck I'm supposed to do that when (other than being overweight) I LIKE the way I eat or I don't WANT to exercise! But, that's where coaching came in for me, helping me find out what would work over the long haul!

In your own quest for the Secret( And let's face up to it, we've all been on one at one time or another!), try to keep these tips (Courtesy of IDEA Health & Fitness Source) in mind when the next infomercial comes on the screen!

1. Is the product supported by testimonials?
2. Is there scientific evidence to support the claims? Are they legitimate?
3. Do the experts have the proper credentials or are they Hollywood Celebrities or worse, celebrity look-alikes?
4. Is the person selling the product believable?
5. Does the person selling the product seem overly confident or enthusiastic?
6. Does the promotion use pseudomedical jargon?
7. Does the promotion boast of a secret formula or answer?
8. DO the claims seem miraculous or far-fetched?
9. Does the product appeal to your vanity?
10. Does the suggested use of the product seem out of keeping with the results? (e.g. "just 3 minutes a day towards slimmer thighs")?
11. Does the fine print contain disclaimers?
12. Does the offer include additional free prizes?

I'll add a couple of my own:

13. Do you have to eat what they tell you to eat?
14. Do they have a customer service number on the materials or just a P.O. Box?
15. Do they accept MC/Visa? If not, absolutely FORGET it!
16. Does it come with thigh reducing cream? If it does, FORGET IT!!
17. Does it promise more than an eight pound loss in a month? FORGET IT!
18. Does it just talk about the short term benefits (losing 30 pounds in 30 days) but not mention how many people have kept off their weight for at least two years?

I'm sure some of you could add your own words of caution! Which brings me to our next contest! Send in your best fad diet that didn't deliver and win two FREE one-hour coaching sessions! We'll be posting the results and the winners in the next newsletter! The Top prize is a Free enrollment in the Pilot Program, "Coach Yourself Slim" beginning June 29th.