Living the Dream

August 19, 2015 | Robynn

People talk about LiViNg tHe DrEaM. Of course, Living the Dream means different things for different people. What does it mean to you? What would your life look like if you were Living the Dream? What is standing in the way of that image becoming your reality?

Living the Dream for me is living a life of FrEeDoM aNd PeAcE. This is a BiG dEaL for me because these qualities were so elusive for much of my life. And now that I have them, my passion is to help others experience them as well.

For much of my adult life I struggled with overeating. I lived in the ReLeNtLeSs PuRsUiT of finding peace and freedom with eating, but my efforts always seemed in vain. Four or five years ago I was so frustrated that I determined I would find peace and freedom with food if it were the last thing I did.

Lara joined me in the PeAcE WiTh FoOd journey and we contracted with ourselves and each other that we would never diet again. I even wrote out a contract and signed it. My dieting days were over.

Our approach was simple. We would become scientists, determining what worked and what didn’t. Nothing was off limits. Our only criteria was that we would FoLLoW PeAcE.

In the course of what I call my SeVeN yEaR ExPeriMenT I lost probably close to 20 pounds seven different times. That’s a total of 140 pounds!! If I tabulated how much weight I have lost and then regained, in the course of my life, I think it is quite possible that number would be in the thousands. No joke.

I have always been able to lose the weight. That’s not the issue. Hey, you can loose weight a million-and-one ways (check out the Twinkie Diet!) if you limit your calories. But rather, my focus was on what would keep me in the game. What could I do for life? I was intrigued with experimenting with as many plans as possible. I wanted to know what worked and what didn’t. Any eating strategy that didn’t offer a LiFeTiMe SaTisFacTion guarantee was a deal-breaker for me.

Today, Lara and I are experiencing freedom and peace. We are Living the Dream. And we want to share with you how you too can have freedom and peace with food. (And with life for that matter!)

On August 22nd our book, Peace with Food: Eat What You Want. Never Diet Again. Live a Happy Life. – which has been over three years in the making – is being released!

To say we are excited is an understatement.

During the pre-launch stage we shared our book with dozens of people and our hypothesis was correct: Peace with Food was life-changing. Turns out it had the same impact on others that it had on us.

Peace with Food has changed our lives. It is changing others’ lives. And it CaN cHaNge YoUr Life too!

Do you have Peace with Food? Are you Living the Dream?

If not, won’t you come take the journey with us?

You can have P E A C E.

You can be F R E E.

And you can live your BeSt LiFe EvEr!

Declutter Your Home, Once and For All

June 23, 2015June 30, 2015 | Robynn Coates

Over the last year I have felt somewhat of an urgency to get my house in order. Although I have peace with food, I don’t feel like I have peace with the clutter that has accumulated in our home. As a result, when I my surroundings make me uncomfortable, it is easy to turn to food!

So, to avoid that from happening, I needed to do something. Luckily, my neighbor and friend asked if I would be interested in reading this book:

Instantly, I was hooked. I think I read it in a couple of days, and within an hour of reading I began to declutter. I can’t even begin to give it justice, but here are some of the highlights that struck a chord with me:

-Families will easily pass on food recipes or heirlooms from generation to generation, but one thing that never gets passed down is teaching your children how to deal with clutter. (Luckily, this book tells you how!)
–Folding your clothes can save so much space and not be so hard on your clothes. (I don’t like to fold, AT ALL, but I have to admit, after applying her technique I was shocked how much extra space I had in my dresser drawers and in my closet. Not only that, it allows you to see all of your clothes at once, versus having them stacked on top of one another and never really utilizing the clothes at the bottom.)
–Decluttering by category is KEY! (She strongly advises not to declutter by room and instead, to declutter by putting all like items together, particularly on the floor so you can see everything at once. I was unsure about this, because I always declutter by room, but I have to say, this was life-changing! I never realized how many like items we have scattered throughout the house!)
-Last, but not least, as you look at every item, ask yourself, “Does this sParK jOy?” (This may sound strange to some of you, but it made perfect sense to me! I couldn’t believe how many things I have in my home that don’t actually spark joy when I see or touch it! I probably loved this concept so much because it is similar to how we ask ourselves, “Does this bring me peace?”)

Here are some examples of decluttering by category. I laid out every hat or accessory we had in the house:

Isn’t that awesome?! We reduced hats and gloves significantly! And I think my husband thought it was much easier to narrow down his hats after seeing them all spread out on the table 🙂

I recruited the kids to help me with the next category: children’s books! This is all of them…

We ended up filling this entire tub full of books to donate in hopes they will sPaRk JoY to someone else! I was so proud of my kids for suggesting this!

In the meantime I have done all craft supplies, office supplies, and the clothes in my closet. I have always been a fairly tidy person, but this book has taken my “stuff” to a whole new level. It was freeing to read that I didn’t have to hold on to everything. She breaks the book down into electronics, shoes, greeting cards, gifts, and more. It’s a great resource if you feel like you are stuck with your current decluttering strategy and need something to help bring more order and PEACE into your life! Enjoy!!

Take-Home Message: Find what things are negatively impacting your peace level and make necessary adjustments. Reach out for help if necessary!

Boundaries Versus Rules

February 5, 2015February 5, 2015 | Robynn

We’ve said that we don’t like rules when it comes to weight loss. Rules regarding what to eat, how to exercise, and the scale. But just because we don’t like rules doesn’t mean we don’t have boundaries. We do.

Maybe you’re wondering what the difference is between a rule and a boundary. Here’s our definition of the two:

Rules are dictated by others (or ourselves) due to preference or the way one thinks something should be done.

Boundaries, on the other hand are predetermined, based on your strengths, weaknesses and circumstances.

Your boundaries regarding how you eat, exercise, and approach the scale and your body are pre-set, just like a piece of property you purchase. You don’t get to determine where the boundary lines are. Instead, you just find out where the boundaries are so that you can stay within them. The same holds true for you regarding Peace with Food.

Your boundary lines are predetermined by your strengths, your weaknesses, your vulnerabilities, and your tendencies. Once you know yourself in these categories and use wisdom, you will see your boundary lines very clearly, drawn up for you right before your very eyes.

For example, I know that having bag fulls of chips and packages of cookies and pastries in my pantry would lead to temptation, so I just choose not to have them in my house. If there is ever an occasion for chips such as a BBQ, I am not against having them, but once that BBQ is over, I don’t want them hanging around.

There are other snacks I like a lot, such as vanilla ice-cream but that don’t tempt me. Because I am not tempted to indulge in it, having it in the freezer is within my boundaries.

I also know that if don’t allow myself to indulge every now and again, I am setting myself up for disaster. So my boundaries include opportunities to indulge and enjoy food on special occasions, or when I am feeling the need. I am not talking about a total binge. That never gives me peace and always leaves me feeling free.

Do you see how my temptations and tendencies determined the boundaries for me? And you can do the same. It all comes back to knowing yourself. Once you do you will find that your boundaries are very clear. Stay within those boundaries and they will guide you to peace.

Take home message: Determine your boundaries and then make plans to stay within them.

All-or-Nothing: Can you relate to my story?

February 3, 2015February 3, 2015 | Robynn Coates

Some days I wonder what happened to me. You know, the girl who grew up believing when she was a Mom there would never be a pile of mail at the end of the dinner table. The girl who would always be able to see the bottom of the laundry basket because “it’s not that hard to quickly throw in a load of dirty laundry to stay caught up.” Yeah. Right.

I was the girl classified as the typical Type A personality: a far cry from a procrastinator, driven by a to-do list, punctual, organized, passionate. Yes, I was all of those things, and to some degree I still am. But to sum it up, more than anything, I was this:

All-or-Nothing

That’s right. I had an idea in my mind of how things should go and if it didn’t happen a certain way then I might as well forget it. If I couldn’t stay caught up on my mail and laundry then I might as well clear my entire schedule, ignore the kids for an entire day, and put all my focus on getting caught up until I could officially mark it off my to-do list. After about five years of living this way I learned this mindset was a never-ending battle. I was always beating myself up and missing out on precious moments of life because I was so fixated on the way things should go. I thought if I did everything by the book, then things should fall perfectly into place. Boy was I wrong.

Fast forward a bit and I’m still the same girl, but I think I have found the new me. I still have type A tendencies, but God has sanded my rough edges and taught me to relax a little. To pitch the all-or-nothing mindset. I’m now the girl (and Mom) that realizes at 4:00 in the afternoon she hasn’t brushed her teeth yet. And instead of feeling guilty about having to admit her failures at her upcoming dentist appointment, she is happy that at least she remembered *wink*. I’m the girl that catches herself turning to food in a stressful moment and 600 calories later stops and realizes that food won’t make her stress go away so she hits “reset” and doesn’t beat herself up over what just happened. I’m the girl that will take what I can get even if it isn’t perfect. I’m able to let go on those early mornings I get up to work, but have a little kid pitter-patter down the hall starting my day 2 hours early because he can’t sleep. I adjust. I savor. I now live for those moments because I understand that PEACE happens when you stop trying to control everything.

Letting go of the all-or-nothing mindset will take your #Peace to a whole new level. It has for me anyway. Although I wonder what happened to the old me I am actually grateful I never found her…because the new me has more peace in her life than she ever thought possible.

Take Home Message: Peace happens when you stop trying to control everything and pitch the all-or-nothing mindset.

BONUS DAY 31- Peace Coaches

January 31, 2015January 31, 2015 | Robynn Coates

So, here you are. You’ve completed the 30-Day Peace with Food Challenge. You have a buddy to take the journey with and maybe even a posse, but still you have your doubts. Will it stick? Can you do it? Will Peace with Food even work for you?

If that describes you, relax. There is one more very important source of support we need to tell you about and it is us, your Peace Coaches.

That’s right. We are your Peace Coaches and we are here for you.

We’ll help you navigate the choppy waters that you’ll no doubt encounter (we all do) and help you find your customized lifestyle that will give you peace. But it will require patience.

And we know how hard that can be.

When we gave up the artificial props of weight loss (aka a diet) it was scary. There were times we wanted to turn back for the quick fix, but we had made a promise and we were committed to see it through.

You will make it through too. If you don’t quit. And do you want to know the really exciting part? This is actually the best part of all – as you begin to climb up the peace scale you will become a Peace Coach yourself.

Now don’t panic. Being a Peace Coach isn’t difficult. It simply means you help others in whatever way feels most comfortable to you. Maybe for you that will be getting a posse together or it may be something simple like just encouraging someone to keep going. This is how you Pay it Forward.

So as you see your #PEACE climb, CeLeBraTe, but then begin looking for someone you can help coach to live with greater levels of peace. You can make a difference in someone’s life. Welcome to the team, Peace Coach.

Could you do us a HUGE favor? And give us your feedback on the 30-Day challenge? Please take the quick survey by clicking here.

Your Peace Coaches,

Take-Home Message:

As soon as you move up the peace scale you become a Peace Coach. That is how you Pay it Forward.

DAY 30- Recap The 30-Day PWF Challenge

January 30, 2015January 30, 2015 | Robynn Coates

Tomorrow is Bonus Day so make sure you check in as we will be giving you one more very important item in Peace with Food!

Congratulations! You have almost completed the 30-Day Challenge! We are so proud of you and hope that you will continue pursuing peace, not just with food, but in every other area of your life.

Here is a summary of the posts from the 30-Day PWF Challenge:

-Days 1-4 – Introduction.
-Days 5-11 – Week of Food.
-Days 12-18 – Week of Body Image & the Scale.
-Days 19-25 – Week of Exercise.
-Days 26-29 – Week of Dealing with the Funk.

Could you do us a HUGE favor and give us your feedback on the 30-Day challenge? Please take the quick survey by clicking here.

Throughout this challenge we had you rate your peace in these areas and once again we will have you rate your #peace for one last time.

Posse Discussion:
In regards to food, what is your level #peace?

In regards to body image & the scale, what is your level #peace?

In regards to exercise, what is your level #peace?

In regards to dealing with the funk, what is your level #peace?

Compare your #peace in each area with the numbers you recorded in your notebook (Days #1, 12, 19,& 26). Discuss with your posse the changes in your #peace numbers over the past 30 days. Did they go up? Go down?

Although our 30-Day PWF is finished, there is one more very important piece to the puzzle that we will be sharing tomorrow, so stay tuned! You won’t want to miss it!!

DAY 25- Recap on Exercise

January 25, 2015January 25, 2015 | Robynn Coates

We’ll keep it simple. Exercise makes you feel better, live better, be better, and look better. There’s the benefits. So, now it’s your move. What are you going to do? If you still aren’t sold on any one exercise or physical activity, give yourself permission to take three months, six months, or whatever time frame you prefer to “test drive” your exercise options. Take advantage of a gym’s 30-day free trial, sign up for a three month spinning class, volunteer to walk your neighbors dog for a week or come up with your own adventure. Have fun with it and just keep moving forward.

Here is a summary of the posts from this week’s discussion (click on underlined words to read that post):

-An overview of how to have peace with Exercise.
-Debunking the Marathon Myth.
-Ways to get active using Traditional Exercise.
-Ways to get active using Non-Traditional Exercise.
-Challenging yourself to take the exercise Peace Dare.
-Other Alternatives for Exercise.

On Day 19, we had you rate your level #peace in regards to exercising. After discussing this week, we want you to rate your current level #peace again.

Posse Discussion:

In regards to exercise, what was your level #peace on Day 19 ? What is it today? Has your number increased or decreased? Why?

Join us tomorrow as we dive into fighting the FUNK!

DAY 19- Week of Exercise

January 19, 2015January 20, 2015 | Robynn Coates

This week we are talking about exercise! And just as there are foods that fall into the Love-It or Leave-It category, so too are there physical activities that fall into these categories. It is now time to find out what type of physical activity will best fit you and your lifestyle. Of course, our first step is: Know yourself to improve yourself.

So with that, let’s answer the following questions:

What are your favorite physical activities?
What are your least favorite physical activities?
What are your hobbies that involve physical movement? Could you turn it into exercise?
What is your physical condition? Have you had a physical? Do you have physical limitations?
What exercise do you enjoy enough that you could do it for life?
What are some examples of exercise you would like to explore?
When would be the best time (or times – don’t discount 5 minutes here, and 10 minutes there) for you to exercise?
Do you prefer a “tight” workout routine, “loose” workout routine, or something in-between?
Do you prefer a workout that is led by someone else or do you prefer coming up with your own workout?
Do you prefer to workout alone or with others?
What time of the day do you prefer to workout?
Where do you prefer to workout? (i.e. in my home, at the gym, at the beach)
Who is someone you would like to workout with and can ask?
What exercises will keep you in the game?
What people will keep you in the game?
When throughout the day can you get what we call Power 5’s, 10’s, and 15’s? These are times throughout the day when you can catch 5 minutes of exercise here, 10 minutes there, and 15 somewhere else. It could be taking the steps instead of the elevator, walking as you talk to a colleague, or using your break time/lunch to get a quick dose of physical activity. If you use the resources you have (in this case time and opportunities throughout your day) you may be able to get in a 30 minute workout within your work day just by taking advantage of your Power 5’s, 10’s, and 15’s!

After you have answered the above questions, pick one physical activity or exercise that you either are doing or would like to do and then try it on for size. Give it a fair shake and then evaluate and determine if you want to continue or try something else. If you already know what exercise is the best for you then go with it. Just make sure you find something that will keep you in the game and something that gives you peace.

Posse Discussion:

1: What one activity are you going to try?
2: What is your current level #peace in regards exercise? (Record date and # in your notebook)

Click Here for Day 20!

DAY 18- Recap on Body Image & Scale

January 18, 2015January 22, 2015 | Robynn Coates

Great Job!!

As we wrap up the week of Body Image & the Scale of the Peace with Food challenge picture this: You now and you at the end of your life.

The truth is, you are going to spend that time – the time between now and the end of your life – some way. Of course, you get to choose. So, the question is, how do you want to spend that time? Here’s a couple options:

Option #1: Spend the time focused on your #PEACE which will bring lasting results and impact every area and relationship of your life. OR
Option #2: Spend the time focused on your body and the # on the scale which can’t bring any lasting peace and satisfaction.

We hope that after going through this week, if you struggle with your body image or the scale, that at the very least you have been challenged to take a different perspective. Why not change from # on the scale to #PEACE? We did and wouldn’t go back for nothing! 😉

Here is a summary of the posts from this week’s discussion (click on underlined words to read that post):

-An overview of your Body Image & the Scale.
-How to have Peace with Your Body.
-Sharing Strategies with the Scale.
-Discussing the Insanity with the Scale.
–What We Obsess About But No One Thinks About.
-Determining What Will Keep You in the Game.

On Day 12, we had you rate your level #peace in regards to your body image & the scale. After discussing these topics this week, we want you to rate your current level #peace again.

Posse Discussion:

In regards to body image & the scale, what was your level #peace on Day 12 ? What is it today? Has your number increased or decreased? Why?

Join us tomorrow as we dive into Exercise!