Monday, November 27, 2023

Debbie's Weekly "Food for Thought" 11/27/23 - "Putting JOY in your JOurneY"

Hello my friends and a special post Thanksgiving blessing to you all.

I had every intention of getting the blog out last week, it was on my "To-do list", but as you know life happens and some things just don't get complete, and as I started to stress about it, I had to check-in with myself and acknowledge, it is okay, the world will not stop, life will go on and after all I am only human.

How many times have you felt guilty because you didn't track, you skipped a workshop or a work-out, or two, ate out as you hadn't time to grocery shop or meal prep?.

It happens to all of us more frequently than we admit, and this causes an internal struggle, just remember it is okay.  In fact last week in our workshops we talked about this very subject, instead of struggling to fit everything in, give yourself a break and let it be okay to not do it all.

The most important part of this is what I call "The SIMMER", this time of the year don't let go of all your good habits, instead lessen the time, or the quantity, but pick one or two that you can still maintain albeit at a slower or less frequent pace, this will prepare you for the New Year when you are ready to turn up the heat again, instead of starting over, none of us like the feeling of starting over.

This week we are preparing for a set back, or as I like to call it a disruption in my routine!!

We know the Holiday's can disrupt our routines, so let's plan for these disruptions and keep the JOY in our WW JOurneY.  

When we know they are coming we don't feel like it's a setback, as we know we will make our way back to them as soon as we can.  I will be traveling over the holidays this year, the first time ever for me, so this is going to be new and a major disruption, I won't have my Peloton for almost 3 weeks, or access to swim, but I will have access to open spaces to run and walk, so instead of feeling bad about not getting in all my scheduled workouts, instead I will plan morning walks and runs on the days that I can, but one habit I can totally keep up no matter where I am is "Tracking", this alone will keep me accountable, and also mindful, and that's good enough for me.

I will be in the land of plenty as all the British foods that I really enJOY around the holidays will be everywhere, so I am thinking ahead, I can try them all and as I have 17 days, I can plan for one a day, then I get to experience them all without losing control, I can look forward to them and enJOY them all the more, and still feel good about myself at the end of the vacation.

It is important over the Holidays that we create JOY, and keep JOY in our JOurneY.

Making sure we enJOY the foods and drinks we look forward to this time of the year.

JOY comes when we factor them in, we don't need them all the time, instead just be conscious of your choices and make them work for you, guilt free!.



How are you going to keep JOY in your JOurneY this Holiday season??

Workshop are running as normal, so use the "Find a Workshop" option to check out one local to you if you can't make your regular workshop, your future self will thank you for maintaining this routine for sure.

"It does not matter what you did, it matters what you do next."

Much love as always

Coach Debbie xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Here is my Weekly Workshop schedule

​Temple Emanu-El Del Cerro
6299 Capri Drive, San Diego 92120 
Wednesday - 9:30 AM 

Point Loma Assembly Hall
3035 Talbot St, San Diego, CA 92106 
Friday - 9:00 AM  

BONITA - Sweetwater Community Church
5305 Sweetwater Rd, Bonita, CA 91902
Saturday - 8:00 AM 
Saturday - 9:30 AM 

Join me and other members on my Personal Facebook Group Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/552026984828516/


Monday, November 13, 2023

Debbie's Weekly "Food for Thought" 11/13/23 - Food Decisions!

 It's Monday again, and boy is this month moving along fast, we are already near the halfway point, and Thanksgiving is next week!!!  Are you ready? 


We all know that we need to prepare for the unexpected, and Holiday's always bring a lot of "The unexpected" with them, and we have been boosting your toolkit this month with techniques to help you feel in control and see success.

Success is not just seeing that number go down, it is so much more than that.

This time of the year it is really important we focus on the N.S.V's (Non Scale Victories), these are the magical fibers that keep us connected, and you should be High Fiving yourself for every single one.

Did you say "No" to a second serving?

Did you drink your water today?

Did you go for that walk, when you really wanted to sit?

Did you track regardless of what you tracked?

Did you prep meals this week?

Did you get more sleep?

Did your pants zip up easier?

These are just a few of the hundreds of NSV's we see on a daily basis, and they keep us going especially when the scale slows down, or maybe we have put the scale on hold for right now.

This past week we talked about having a "Scale Action Plan", we brainstormed what we can do before, during and after stepping on the scale. which allows us to craft a personal scale action plan that includes when (and how often) we’ll weigh ourselves, and what we’ll do before, during, and after we step on the scale.  

For me weighing frequently during the week, keeps me checked in with my reality, and allows me to pivot when I need to and stay the course when it gets bumpy.  It has also helped me understand that fluctuations are normal.  

This week we will be preparing for making tricky food & drink decisions on the fly, and like you being aware and having a plan helps me switch off the auto pilot, and be in control of my decisions.  This does not mean we can't enjoy our favorite pie, or drink, it gives us a conscious space to be in control of our decision, and that is the biggest NSV of the moment.

Do check out the technique on your WW app, go to Menu and then the discover Content page.

This week try to spend more time on your WW app, check out some of the great changes, my favorite right now is the What to Eat screen, and did you know you can tap the picture and it will take you direct to track the food, how awesome is that, and so much easier to use.

Tracking can be fun too, did you know that if you added a food emoji when you search for a food, it will automatically find it for you, give it a try! 🥑🥗🥕🍕🍦

See you all at the workshops, together we can all do this.

Remember: Progress NOT Perfection!

Much love as always

Coach Debbie xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Here is my Weekly Workshop schedule

​Temple Emanu-El Del Cerro - 
Special Notice ***The temple will be closed on Wednesday Nov 22nd***
6299 Capri Drive, San Diego 92120 
Wednesday - 9:30 AM 

Point Loma Assembly Hall
3035 Talbot St, San Diego, CA 92106 
Friday - 9:00 AM  

BONITA - Sweetwater Community Church
5305 Sweetwater Rd, Bonita, CA 91902
Saturday - 8:00 AM 
Saturday - 9:30 AM 

Join me and other members on my Personal Facebook Group Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/552026984828516/


Monday, November 6, 2023

Debbie's Weekly "Food for Thought" 11/06/23 - "It's a Journey"

Did you make the most of your extra hour on Sunday?

I always enjoy the Fall Back, but never the Spring Forward!!!

With the lighter mornings, come the darker evenings, a sure sign the Holidays are approaching, Halloween is "Done & Dusted", Veterans day is upon us, and around the corner is Thanksgiving.  All month we will be helping you plan for the Holidays, so that you can see success each week on your Journey, and we know that success is not just about the weight loss, it is all about the Journey, the choices, the balance and living your healthiest life in the moment.

Last week we addressed "Cravings" and how to overcome those urges when they sneak up on you.

We know riding out a craving is very similar to surfing a wave, some can be really ferocious, some are a gentle roll, either way using the Surf the urge technique can help you with any situation where you want to put space between yourself and the object, food, thought or reaction.  I hope you keep that technique and use it often, the more we practice something the easier it becomes.  

Last week I shared with you all my personal struggle this year with the scale, and in doing so it gave me a jolt to accept where I am, and come up with a plan of action.

This week has seen a shift in the right direction, and that is so encouraging for me, also an increase in energy, a more positive attitude and awareness again. Seeing my weight progress chart over this past year really does tell a story, so here it is, and I am sure it may look a lot like your own.


I have been reflecting back over the years and recalling moments that worked, I did not eat as much of the foods that what we now  know as "Zero Point Foods", so my points were used on meals that had other ingredients, like baked potatoes, WW lasagna recipe, pork, steak and sausage.  I know all these now have points, but it's good to swap up the foods a bit, and using more points means I am more thoughtful all day too, after all, Calories in vs Calories out is the formula for weight loss.

This week as we continue to prepare for the Holidays, we know that having a "Scale Action Plan" is a must, otherwise we will bury our heads in the sand, and when we come out, it will not look pretty and that's not what we want, we are all here to have a healthy weight, build a healthy relationship with food and the scale, and also start boosting our confidence.

So this week we will Create a Scale Action Plan, check out the topic on your WW app, under Menu>Discover Content, and come prepared.

Talking of our WW app, have you dug deeper into the "What to Eat" section yet?, this is the 3rd tile on the bottom of your screen, yes it is a chef's hat.  Time to dive in, go ahead and select the Eating out tab at the top of the page, and what do you see??? 

This is truly amazing and never again should we feel out of control when we are not at home, just tap a restaurant, and choose your meal, after all it's your budget.The more we use these tools the easier the program will be.

Be sure to share this week your favorite feature on the "What to Eat" page.

My favorite is the visual list with photos of foods at the restaurants, or cuisine, I am very visual so this helps a great deal, and as you scroll down there are some very handy Points-saving Hacks too.

With all the help, tools and support we have, we really are set up for success, and that starts in our workshops, I hope you will join us this week.

"It does not matter what you did, it matters what you do next."

Much love as always

Coach Debbie xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Here is my Weekly Workshop schedule

​Temple Emanu-El Del Cerro
6299 Capri Drive, San Diego 92120 
Wednesday - 9:30 AM 

Point Loma Assembly Hall
3035 Talbot St, San Diego, CA 92106 
Friday - 9:00 AM  

BONITA - Sweetwater Community Church
5305 Sweetwater Rd, Bonita, CA 91902
Saturday - 8:00 AM 
Saturday - 9:30 AM 

Join me and other members on my Personal Facebook Group Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/552026984828516/


Debbie's MAY "Food for Thought" 05/21/24 - What we gain from living a healthier lifestyle!

Greetings everyone. As we remember and honor those who died while serving in the US Military so that we get to enjoy the Freedom and Liberty...