Tag Archive for ‘diet’ at themojocoach.com

Tag Archive for 'diet'

What to Expect

Published on February 8, 2010 in General. 0 Comments

One of the questions I’m asked on a regular basis is, “What’s it like to work with you as a personal coach?” And of course, the answer is that the experience will be different for everyone, because coaching, especially the way I do it, is a highly personalized experience.

But recently I was interviewed on this very topic and I thought it might be helpful to share the article so you can learn a little more about what it’s like to work with me.

Is a Personal Coach the Answer? An Interview with Debi Silber, The Mojo Coach®

by Kristen Bassick

If you are looking for help losing weight and improving your health, there are an endless array of programs available to you. From DVDs to video games, from exercise machines to meals delivered to your door, all of them promise to turn your life around and deliver a new you in the comfort of your own home.

But if you are like most women, you have probably tried many of these options and found that they didn’t work for you as you had hoped. The programs and products may be great, but unless you have the right encouragement and the right mindset, there may be lots of things standing in the way of your success.

This is where working with a personal trainer might be the answer for you. In order to understand the benefits of working with a personal trainer, I interviewed Debi Silber, known as The Mojo Coach®.Debi is a certified personal trainer, a Registered Dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition and a certified Whole Health Coach. She is also the author of The Lifestyle Fitness Program: A Six Part Plan So Every Mom Can Look, Feel and Live Her Best, which has received high praise from Newsday and a recommendation from Parenting Magazine.

Debi, when a client starts working with you, what is the first meeting like?

When someone starts working with me, I try to find out as much about them as they’re ready to share. Because I’ve found that in seeing hundreds of clients over almost 20 years, issues fall within one of six key areas, I try to uncover as much as I can within those six areas so we can see where that specific client’s greatest struggles lie.

The six areas that I cover are nutrition/weight loss, fitness, stress control, emotional health, relationship wellness and spirituality. These areas are also the basis of my book.

Often, someone will come to me wanting to lose weight. Once we get to talking, she often finds that the weight issue has little to do with the food she’s eating but may have to do with her relationships, stress level, lack of sleep, etc. So, often the clients are not aware of the key issue that needs to be addressed until we discover it during our conversation. Only when I know what’s really going on and through mindfully and deeply listening and asking questions do I create a plan based on where they are, where they want to go, their readiness, what they were ready to share with me and other factors.

So diet and fitness aren’t always the focus of your work with your clients?

For many of my clients, beginning with diet or fitness is the easiest place to begin because it’s often the least personal. It’s easier for them to talk about which healthy snacks to choose or put them through a workout than it is to address something that’s really holding them back such as their levels or stress or toxic relationships that have done severe damage to their emotional health and self esteem. While clients still achieve great success when they focus on diet and fitness, lasting success occurs when we focus on where their greatest struggles are and what’s holding a client back the most. So yes, typically diet and fitness are areas of focus but clients who’ve achieved long term health, wellness and happiness focus on other lifestyle issues we cover in depth as well.

Once they are able to address the areas that are holding them back, they feel such success and pride in their ability to form new habits. The improvement in self esteem and confidence leads them to want to pursue the other areas to keep getting better!

Wow, it sounds like you really take the time to figure out what your clients need. What kind of guidance can a client expect from you in terms of diet/nutrition?

The information I offer depends on what their obstacles are and what would work for them based on their personalities, preferences, lifestyles, and goals. Some clients prefer a very structured program, so we’ll work together to create specific recommendations with a food diary including emotions/hunger level while eating.

Others don’t work well with structure, but are looking for strategies to handle situations like late night or late afternoon eating. Some with a history of emotional eating need to understand why they’ve chosen that behavior and learn what need it’s fulfilled and how to stop.

I’ve found that most women want to leave with something in their hands so if they don’t leave with a personalized food diary around their obstacles we’ll often create a schedule that may involve things like when to fit in a workout, when to plan meals, even when to take time for business planning and their own self care!

So the nutritional advice is very personalized. Do you also make specific recommendations for what type of exercise each client should be doing?

My fitness recommendations depend on how often I’m seeing someone and what they’re (hopefully) doing without me. I see clients anywhere from 1-3 times per week. I have a fully equipped gym and I personalize every program around the specific needs of that particular client. Before we even begin though, it’s crucial for me to know their fitness and health level before suggesting anything!

Some do all of their exercise during their time with me. Often, while I am coaching someone and talking about how to handle their stress, relationships, and emotional health, I’ll put them on the treadmill while they talk so they get as much out of me and their time as possible!

Some clients may be getting in all of their strength training work with me, so I’ll suggest cardio and other workouts to do on their own. I also teach my clients how to monitor their workout routines so they get the most out of each session on their own. I also have 2 certifications in pre/post natal fitness so pregnant clients can work out safely and effectively with me too. After all, labor and delivery are endurance events!

I’ll push someone as much as they want and as much as they’re ready for without turning them off to exercise. Some want to be sore the next day, some want to just feel like they’ve worked out a little bit. Some just want to know that they’re creating a new, healthy habit and haven taken the time for their own self-care. Some want to set and achieve a certain goal so I’ll often set one with them so they can see that I’m invested in it, too.

For example, I once had a client who was in remission from cancer. As her strength improved she wanted to prove she was back in the game so she signed up for a 5K race and we used a walk/run approach to slowly get her up to speed. Determined and ready, she vowed to finish and I signed up with her and vowed to win to show my commitment and support for her efforts. My clients know that I take our commitment seriously and I try do all I can to get them where they want to go.

You sound so committed to the success of your clients. What kind of commitment do they have to make?

I generally meet with clients anywhere from 1-3 times/week and I’ve seen some clients 3 times/week for 10 years! Programs are all different based on how often we see each other, and whether we are meeting in person or over the phone. If they’re not committed it’s best for both of us to not work together. I’ve actually dropped a few clients in the past because they hired me based on their spouse wanting them to lose weight or they weren’t willing to try. I’m not in this for the money but for their success so if they’re not ready or if the motivation isn’t there it’s best to wait.

I loved the story about the woman who built up the strength to run a 5K, what other success stories are you especially proud of?

One of my favorite stories is one I included in my book The Lifestyle Fitness Program, I love it and it shows the different levels of fitness and how milestones are unique from person to person.

I had a client who was morbidly obese. She was at least 100 pounds overweight and couldn’t come to me so I went to her. She wanted lose enough weight and become fit enough to comfortably walk to her mailbox at the end of her driveway.

We put a timer on her son’s ping pong table and she walked “laps” around the table. When we first met, she could walk for one minute and had to sit down because she was exhausted. We worked up minute by minute, week by week. Weeks later, not only did she get to her mailbox, but she saw her neighbor’s newspaper across the street. She crossed the street, picked up the paper and rang her neighbor’s doorbell to deliver the “news!”

And this is another story that shows that sometimes the initial challenge is not diet or exercise. A client came to me to lose 30 pounds. She had a history of losing around 10 pounds and then somehow sabotaged her weight loss. Through our talks, we uncovered marital issues which were leading her to subconsciously keep the weight on. I told her that until those issues were addressed and dealt with, seeing me was a waste of her time and money. She came back one year later and experienced a steady weight loss of 1-2 pounds/week. It turns out that she took the year to address her marriage, came to conclusions, made decisions and when we began this time, the weight practically fell off.

I have many more stories like this.

You have a new on-line program, The Mega Mojo Membership program. Does this on-line program include the same elements of personalization as a one-on-one coaching relationship?

Once a client signs up for the Mega Mojo Membership program, I will contact them to set up a time for their initial “Discover Your Fitness Personality” session. I’ll ask questions to find out where they are, what they want and see how I can help them.

Mega Mojo clients will be participating in a one-hour telesession with me each month, and can submit specific questions so that I’m sure to hit on the right topics each time. The online program will require someone who’s a little more self-motivated and able to keep herself moving forward between our sessions. But all of the tips and advice will be there, just like they are for my in-person clients.

After the monthly calls, they’ll walk away with their next steps – which could be a plan for their eating, strategies to combat emotional eating, a plan for fitness, a strategy to identify and reduce overwhelm, a plan for handling certain toxic relationships, a way for them to gain more clarity for why they’re doing what they’re doing or accepting something that doesn’t work.

The more honest clients are with me, the better my recommendations can be. I let them know that I don’t judge anything they say, I’ve probably heard it all before so don’t be embarrassed, and even if I were working with their best friend, they’ll never know unless it’s their friend who tells them. I am committed to 100% confidentiality and trust.

There are so many on-line fitness programs, how does yours differ? And how does the personal coaching element carry through in the on-going online program?

Because it’s me (as opposed to a huge network or service) I may give a quick call, send an email or find another way to let my clients know I’m thinking about them and their success. It helps them stay accountable and on track as well as building rapport and trust.

Of course, it’s more personalized if I see someone face to face, but even over the phone I listen for their mood, voice, tone and even facial expressions! I listen for all of it to know how my client is feeling, how they’re interpreting and receiving what I’m saying and how things are going with them.

I also encourage clients to “brag” to me. Often they feel uncomfortable sharing success with their friends because they don’t want to brag or fear their friends are jealous. I love hearing about their successes! I’ve had clients call me from restaurant rest rooms when they were proud of how they ate, called from vacation to tell me they actually used the sneakers they packed and had clients text me from work, asking me to remind them of how we discussed confronting an annoying coworker! I’m pretty sure you can’t get that kind of service from just anyone!

So, if you want to make positive changes in any area of your life, maybe working with a Personal Coach is the way to make the changes happen. It costs a little more than one of the cookie-cutter programs, but the personal attention and degree of customization just may be the key to changing that dream of a better lifestyle into a reality.

And to quote a famous commercial, “You’re worth it!”

Kristen Bassick is a freelance writer who submits articles to numerous on-line outlets.

Too many Treats?

Published on November 1, 2009 in General. 1 Comment

First, I hope you had a wonderfully fun Halloween and that your kids enjoyed dressing up and seeing all of their friends in costume. Now that the excitement has settled, you may be faced with a huge pile of candy and wondering what to do with it. Maybe you are thinking, “They’re kids, it can’t be THAT bad for them.”

Let me share some frightening statistics from the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity (a problem so large that it has its own Journal!)

Childhood obesity is the greatest health risk our kids face today
By the year 2010 (that’s next year) it is expected that 50% of all children will be overweight
This is the first generation where kids have a lower life expectancy than their parents

We’re spending billions of dollars on healthcare and our kids are unhealthier than ever. What’s going on here?

One thing that’s going on is that the average American child’s diet consists of one third junk food. Snacks, candy and other prepackaged foods, desserts filled with far and sugar make up a large portion of their daily intake. And I’m not just talking about special occasions like Halloween and Christmas. This is every day. All day.

The “food” that kids are eating is nutrient void but dense in calories. The lowest quality calories that you can find. These are the choices that are placed at a child’s eye level in the grocery store, and not by accident. Ads for these high-sugar, high-fat, low-nutrition foods air during your children’s favorite TV shows. The commercials for these foods are filled with bright colors, music, action and the promise of something special.

An additional issue is that, as a nation, we are suffering from “portion distortion”, and this includes our children. They are learning to super-size, and purchase “economy size” and “value sized” meals themselves. They are constantly being bombarded with unhealthy food choices and learning that “bigger is better.”

And then the problems of low-quality, high-volume eating are compounded by an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Think back to when you were a kid. Chances are you played outside with the neighborhood kids after school until it became dark. Kids today come home from school and many of them spend the rest of the afternoon and evening in front of the TV or a computer screen.

So here’s a troubling equation for you:

Sedentary Lifestyle + High Fat/High Sugar Foods + Huge Portions =

Overweight Kids

Now some kids have the opposite problem, instead of being sedentary, these kids have no down-time at all. They’re being shuffled from one activity to the next day in and day out. What are they eating during all of this “shuffle time”? For many moms, the easiest solution is either grabbing fast food to eat on the run, or grabbing some snacks for the kids to eat in the car. See where I’m going here?

In our well-meaning attempts to give the best to our children, we push the limits until the only possible way to get everything done is to cut corners. These corners frequently impact the food choices we make (for ourselves and our kids) when our lives become hectic and out of control.

So another bad news equation (we seem to be on a math kick!):

Overbooked Kids + Overstressed Moms + Convenience Foods = Overweight/Overstressed Kids

Let me give you an embarrassing example of overplanning gone horribly wrong.

Before I understood the importance of a sane lifestyle, downtime and reduced stress, I had my kids enrolled in anything I could sign up for. From the minute they finished school until the minute they were all sleeping, every minute was planned. We had to be at a game, practice, or event every evening, often doing homework in the car on the way. Very often I’d have at least one of my four children crying because they just wanted to be home playing.

One day, I grabbed some chicken nuggets to “feed” them during our shuffling. As we drove from one activity to the next, I started flinging chicken nuggets over my shoulder to my kids in the middle and back rows of my SUV. I was in a panic because we were running late, and the kids were crying because they were tired from all of the running around, and my aim was so bad that no one could “catch” their dinner as it flew past! When I finally took a moment to think about it, I cringed at my behavior.

That was my daughter’s last day of soccer practice. She doesn’t miss it and we haven’t veered back into that overplanned life since.

Take a look at how your lifestyle impacts your kids and see if it’s contributing to the development of unhealthy habits. Consider making changes that make healthy choices and a sane lifestyle part of the plan for everyone in the family. From stocking the snack cabinet with healthy choices, to making a plan to sit down as a family for a real dinner on a regular basis, to planning activities that get you all away from the TV for a few hours, you can make sure your kids start off on the right foot building a healthy lifestyle.

Do you have some examples of how you have worked to build healthier habits into your family routine? Any tips for keeping the holidays fun without an overload of treats? Please comment or drop me a note to share your thoughts - I always love to hear from you!

Why You Might Not Want to Lose Weight

Published on October 25, 2009 in General. 2 Comments

In the last post I shared some simple weight loss math:

3500 Calories = 1 pound of fat

10 minutes of aerobic activity = about 100 calories burned

500 calories less (through changes in eating or exercise) per day = 1 pound lost per week

When it is all spelled out like that, it seems so easy and straightforward, doesn’t it? But we all know it isn’t quite that simple. Because making it all happen consistently - the exercise, the healthy eating - is hard!

Have you ever wondered why you lose weight, only to sabotage yourself and put the weight right back on? Before you get angry, frustrated and discouraged with yourself, give yourself some compassion because here may be a few reasons why you’re doing it.

While you may think it’s natural to want to lose excess weight, have you ever thought of what those extra pounds may be providing? Many people, whether they realize it or not, keep weight on…on purpose. There are many reasons for this.

1) Weight can provide a protective barrier - Remember when you used to hide behind your mom’s leg when you were scared? You may be using the excess weight to provide that same protection for you now. Maybe there are reasons why looking or feeling sexy or attractive brings about fear or discomfort for you, so keeping the weight on prevents those uncomfortable feelings from arising.

2) Being overweight is comfortable - Another reason you may keep weight on is because you’re unsure or uncomfortable with the expectations that may be placed on you with a new, fit, sexy body. At your current weight, you know what’s expected of you and there’s a sense of familiarity with it all. These feelings may be easier to deal with than the discomfort of the unknown; even if what’s familiar is being overweight and unhappy.

3) Partners in crime - Still another reason you may be keeping weight on may involve a partner. Maybe eating together is a connection you both have or cooking together is an activity you both share. Rather than risk breaking that bond, you continue the activity and habits you’ve developed to maintain that connection.

4) Being attractive could be a threat - Yet another reason may have to do with the threat a partner may feel if your weight loss means more attention from the opposite sex, higher self esteem and a greater sense of self confidence. Perhaps your spouse or partner is insecure, jealous and feels threatened by what your new look and improved self confidence may bring. Instead of working through those issues, many women find it’s easier to keep the weight on to avoid “rocking the boat” with their partner.

5) Habits are hard to break - Another reason we may keep the weight on has to do with your habits. You may eat the same foods, at the same times, in the same places from day to day. These habits you’ve created are now deeply ingrained within you; they’re a habitual part of your daily routine. For example, maybe you’ve grown used to skipping breakfast, grabbing a fast food lunch, coming home to eat a big dinner and relaxing in front of the TV at the end of a long day with a bag of potato chips. While these habits may be familiar, they can play a significant role in keeping extra weight on.

I’ve worked with many moms who’ve lost weight, then find a way to sabotage their weight loss efforts and quickly gain it right back. While often it’s a question of creating healthier habits to get the weight off once and for all, sometimes it’s important to dig deep and see if there’s a reason why you’ve been intentionally keeping the weight on. Of course, if you discover something too difficult to work through alone, you may need to get additional support.

Just because something has been a certain way for a while, doesn’t mean it has to stay that way if it doesn’t work for you anymore. You can make any change to your thoughts, actions and habits in order to slowly and gently discover your best self. It starts with awareness and the desire to change something that’s not working for you.

Do you have a story about how you have found a way to overcome obstacles in your life or relationships to move along the path to a healthier life? If so, I would love to hear about it! Please leave a comment below or send an e-mail to Debi (at) themojocoach.com.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Published on August 5, 2009 in General. 0 Comments

One of the first recommendations that I always make for my clients who have difficulty controlling themselves around certain foods is to get some of those particular foods out of their house. If it’s not there, you can’t eat it!

But even with the best of intentions to keep only the healthy stuff around, special occasions come up, children want treats, you throw a party, or there are just some great leftovers that you can’t bear to part with. What is a mom searching for her mojo to do?

Do you notice how you tend to grab more food or snacks just because thet’re sitting out on the counter? How about when you wrap up delicious leftovers from a holiday or party and it’s just a little too easy to find them when the craving calls?

Here are some tips for making the food a little less accessible - and a little less likely to end up as extra padding on you!

1) Never leave food out on your counter, table or desk. It’s a open invitation to indulge whenever you glance at it or pass by.

2) Wrap foods in aluminum foil instead of saran wrap. You don’t see the tempting food and are less likely to be affected by it.

3) Put tempting food in a less convenient place. I put dangerous foods in the refrigerator in my garage. As I walk to the garage, it gives me an opportunity to think about how much I really want it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve changed my mind on the way to find my hidden treat!

4) If you love to bake, make things that you don’t like so you won’t be tempted by them. Or at least make things you don’t love so you can enjoy a little and not feel like you have to have more and more!

5) Ask you partner or your kids to put the food away and not tell you where it is (my son loves to do this with anything BUT food by hiding my keys, wallets, cell phone, etc.)

6) Freeze it. If you put single-serving portions of your tempting foods in the freezer, you can defrost and enjoy a little bit at a time. And having to defrost it gives you that chance to reconsider!

7) Do not feel at all guilty about throwing tempting food AWAY! If you can’t stay away from it, and it isn’t good for you, there is nothing wrong with “storing” it in the trash! Here’s a mantra for you: “It looks better in the trash than on me!”

Try to commit to putting all food out of harms way. Nothing should be left on countertops, tables or within easy access. See how much easier it is and how much less you struggle when you are less tempted. When you reach for food it will be more intentional, you’ve planned and allowed for it.

You’ll also see that if you’re struggling to find and recover hidden food like a crazy person, something deeper might be going on!

Do you have any tips or tricks for saving yourself from the foods that can make you lose control? Post a comment and share your ideas with the other moms out there!

It’s All How You Look At It

Published on June 17, 2009 in General. 0 Comments

What’s the first thing you think when you hear the word “diet”? Most of us think about deprivation. We think of all the foods, treats, desserts and snacks that we can’t have. We’ve been told, and so we believe, that the only way we can get the weight off is by staying away from these “forbidden” foods. We think we’ll have to wait for the day when the “diet” is over and we can indulge again.

We place these foods on a pedestal because somehow they have a magical, mystical quality over us. We feel powerless when these foods are around us as if they are somehow forcing us to eat them. We may do this for a while, but eventually we give in to the powerful force of the food that’s calling us.

But consider this. What would happen if you looked at the whole diet approach much differently? If you want to lose weight your eating has to change, that’s a given. But while you’re making alterations to your diet, making healthier choices and changing your eating behaviors, instead of focusing on what you can’t have, how about turning your attention to the confidence, pride and improved self-esteem you’ll feel when you have formed new, healthier habits?

Instead of feeling angry that you can’t eat something, how about feeling proud that you’ve chosen to work toward the body you want?

Instead of struggling with the same foods that caused your weight issues for years, maybe decades, how about realizing that these particular foods simply don’t work for you and it’s your choice to exclude them from your healthy eating plan. There’s no magic force surrounding those foods. They’re not on the pedestal. They just don’t work for you.

Nothing tastes as good as the feeling of being in control over our choices, our lives and ourselves. The real deprivation is not being able to live the life we want due to the pain our relationship with certain foods have caused.

Think about how your weight has held you back. If you don’t like how you feel and look because of excess weight, you’re not as likely to feel sexy and your relationships may suffer. When you feel out of shape and unhealthy, you may feel self conscious and not be as confident or outgoing as you’d like to be. Without healthy eating and exercise, you’re also more likely to be sluggish and fatigued; leaving you less willing and able to be active with your family.

Instead of choosing to feel deprived of the foods that you have decided to limit, choose to embrace the feeling of freedom. Freedom to live the life you want by ending the tug of war you feel with certain foods. Not only will this free up mental space, but it will make you feel like you are the boss, not the chips, cookies, wine or Saturday night breadbasket.

Your Diet Legacy and Your Daughter

Published on April 23, 2009 in General. 0 Comments

As moms, we often try to instill our beliefs, values, ethics, morals and standards of behavior onto our children. Often, our goal is to ensure that our children learn from the benefit of our knowledge and experience so that they can create enriching, rewarding lives for themselves. So why is it then that one of the most significant messages moms often pass on to their daughters is the legacy of dieting?

Every mom wants the best for her children; there is no question about that. But unfortunately, when a mom lives through the emotional and physical pain that her overweight body may cause, she unknowingly passes the “right to diet” on as though it were a “right of passage” into womanhood. Maybe the mom wants to prevent her daughter from suffering from a low self esteem. Maybe the mom wants to ensure that her daughter is spared the harsh judgment from others as a result of excess weight. Finally, maybe the mom regrets not having the confidence to pursue a goal or dream and wants to make sure her daughter doesn’t pass up similar opportunities.

While these goals are driven by the desire to protect and fueled with the power of love, often the greatest message that comes across is that when the daughter is ready, she’ll learn to diet just like her mom. Of course it’s not intentional but this is the “diet legacy” a mom will often pass on to her daughter. So, if this isn’t our intention, how can we teach our daughters the benefits of health and wellness without teaching them how to “diet?”

The first thing we need to do is stop dieting ourselves. We need to recognize the example we’re setting and understand that if it’s not one that benefits our daughters or ourselves, it’s worth changing. By getting rid of our own “diet mentality” we’re taking the first step to setting a better example for our children.

We also need to understand that we are our children’s greatest role models. They watch, learn and emulate our behaviors and actions. If we’re berating ourselves for the way we look, we can only expect that our daughters will learn to do the same. If we fear certain foods because of the feeling of powerlessness we feel when we eat them, we’re teaching our daughters to feel that fear as well. Finally, if we’ve spent decades battling an unhealthy relationship with food, we can easily pass along this same relationship on to our children if we’re not careful.

True, lasting weight loss only occurs when changes are made slowly and gradually. The reason is because when changes are small enough, we’ve had a chance to slowly incorporate them into our routine and make them our own. As moms, we’re so overextended already. We’re often so overcommitted and overscheduled that the last thing we want to do is take on something else…especially something unpleasant. We have such a small window of “self care time” that it’s so easy to give up before we even begin. That’s what the “diet mentality” can cause. That “black or white” or “all or nothing” perspective that makes us feel that if we’re not completely overhauling our eating behaviors, it’s not worth trying at all.

It may be time to change this way of thinking in order to finally give up dieting in exchange for lasting lifestyle changes. As moms, we have so many wonderful ideas we want to pass along to our children. Dieting and the pain it causes doesn’t have to be one of them.