Just Lose it with Berta Newsletter                                                                                        
Volume II
Issue 15
04/14/2011                                                                                                                                
       
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 Hi

 

Welcome back!  I believe spring has finally arrived, and with it comes that annual  urge to stay more focused on your journey back to the body you deserve.  Please take advantage of this perfect time to blossom along with all that nature has created. What better time for you to become more of who you were meant to be?  Since there is naturally an extra spring in your step at this glorious time of year, I want you all to strike before the iron is hot! It won't be long before this season of renewal is a distant memory as we struggle through the dog days of summer, fighting the bloat and barbecues inherent in summertime fun! So, don't let this extra energy go to waste; take advantage and keep it clean!

 

This week I touch upon the idea of hovering around a goal weight.  There are many who do not even want to think about such a number yet, and others who don't want to focus on it, but the reality is that we all know what our goal number is, even if we don't dare to say it aloud.  Therefore, this week's topic is about your goal number or any interim number you wish to own along the way.  If you don't understand this one important concept, you might very well find yourself out of The Loop!

 

And...my Favorite Food of the week recipe includes my favorite grain-like seed! Try  Quinoa and Spring Vegetable Pilaf and enjoy the taste of spring! 


If you are new to my newsletter, please begin by clicking  Get Started and listening to my audio describing how your weight loss week should feel. Then, continue to read on to learn about what and how you should eat.  It is all right there, with plenty more to read on my blog page. You can also try some of my favorite recipes. Simply got to www.justloseit.com/blog  

 

Let me know how you're doing. Again, I invite you to add your voice to our discussion. Just log on to Facebook and visit my home page. I look forward to continuing to grow our supportive community by asking questions, sharing, and encouraging one another.  

   
If you enjoy these newsletters and would like to share them with your friends, the easiest way to do so is to click here   You can find that link at the bottom of every newsletter.

 

Enjoy!

 

 



             Tea Time with Berta                      

 

Berta cup   of tea photo

 

 

Hovering is for Blimps

 

I have a concern about selecting a random number for a weight goal.  I wrote about it briefly over a year ago, and thought it might be time to address it in more depth.Having a goal in mind is important, although not necessary.  The reality is that most of us have one in the recesses of our minds; since that number doesn't generally ever leave us, let's talk about it. 

 

I tell my clients that if they have selected a goal number that they would like their scale to beam up to them every morning, or if they have lived their entire adult life wishing they weighed X, then it is important to understand how this thought process has affected the rationalizing nature of the mind.  You see, most people who work hard and stay on track ultimately come within reach of that which they are gunning for.  Unfortunately, once they're close, with the sweet taste of victory on the tip of their tongue, they begin to relax because they're oh, so close! Well, I hate to invoke a clich�, but close is only good enough in horseshoes and hand grenades.

 

Close, in the world of weight loss, is the sorry state of hovering just out of reach of your goal, hovering in a place where you will spend the rest of your life, if you aren't careful. Close means never having to say you're successful. You get close and then spend the rest of your life perpetually dieting.  You despair of ever reaching goal and suffer through many more years of deprivation. Yes, close means living the life you have lived forever. So let me explain how you must change your thinking about your goal number. I'm terribly sorry, but if you wish to step on the scale with the expectation of seeing a number within two pounds of your goal number beaming up to greet you for the rest of your life, you must lower your expectations. Yup, take that goal number and lower it, baby!

 

Lower it by two, as a matter of fact, because if you truly expect to arrive at your goal weight, you absolutely must get two pounds below it!  Let me explain.  Say that your goal weight is 130 pounds and after some hard work you are weighing in at 134 pounds.  You're there!  Well, you're close, but not quite as close as you think. You see, in my experience with hundreds of men and women I have learned that our body weight naturally fluctuates within a four-pound range. I call this The Loop (link). Thus, if you want to weigh 130 pounds, your weight on any given day should be anywhere from 128 to 132. If it is, you are at goal. If you get to 133 or 135, you would have to spend the next week-it only takes a few days, a week at the most-getting back into your comfort zone.  On the flip side, if you went below 128, to say 126 or 127, you would be able to loosen up a bit.

 

Now, let's go back to that "close" number.  If you get down to 134, and that is as low as you go because you feel that it's close enough, then 134 is your bottom loop number, and from now on you should expect to see numbers from 134 to 138.

 

Do you see how it could really mess with your head to lose lots of weight and then find that you will weigh in frequently up to eight pounds above your goal? On top of the basic loop, which is a fact of life, there is the reality that you will exceed your highest loop number, perhaps during the family vacation or a holiday season. If that's the case, you might start seeing numbers around 140. At that point, you have gone from being four pounds from goal to 10 pounds from goal. Now you're no longer hovering around your goal number, you are substantially above it, and mentally you might just want to throw in the towel after all those months of hard work!

 

If you can get close to your goal number, then why would you not be able to surpass that number so that you can get started maintaining? Many people will tell you that the last 10 pounds are harder to lose than the first ten, but that is not really true.  The first ten pounds to come off are water weight and a few fat pounds. The next ten are a more realistic reflection of how your weight loss will unfold over the long term. The reason people complain so bitterly about the last ten is that the last ten are not as important as the first ten. Simple!  Usually, by the time you get there, you feel great and look fabulous. This is also the time people start warning you about not overdoing it-another pitfall I will talk more about in the future!

 

So, it's important for you to understand the loop and the danger that surrounds settling for a number just short of your mental goal. You will sabotage your own future by congratulating yourself too soon, by loosening the reigns (and then the belt) and perhaps listening to those well-meaning friends who don't want you to get "sick" or "anorexic" or "obsessed."  Don't be swayed at this point! You will never really feel as if you have arrived at your goal if you don't get two pounds below it.

 

One other thing that I need you to understand: once you are two pounds below goal, you are ready for maintenance. Here you will learn the strategies that will allay your fears about gaining it all back and then some. In this phase, you learn that the journey is never over; it just becomes a way of life. And once it becomes a way of life, the exhausting, constant thoughts about weight gain will fade to the background. You will finally be able to live within your loop and understand how to maintain. Then when you gain a few pounds here and there, you will easily, without any form of panic, be able take a few days and bring it back down.

 

So, whether you're there, close to being there, or looking at this issue from a distance down the road, the message is the same: own your loop numbers and do not settle for hovering above them!     

 

And Just Lose It!

 

 


 My Favorite Foods!

 

quinoa pilaf     

Quinoa and Spring Vegetable Pilaf

 

If you haven't tried quinoa yet, now is time.  Quinoa is one of the best grain-like seeds out there!  It tastes better than rice, in my humble opinion, and is far better for you!  It's an excellent source of protein, and combined with some nice spring veggies, it's a complete meal and perfect for lunch! 

Enjoy!

What you need 

  • 1 1/2 cups quinoa, well rinsed
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 2 cups frozen petite peas, thawed, divided
  • 5 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves, divided
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large leek (white and pale green parts only), halved, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 3/4 cup sliced shallots
  • 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, thickly sliced
  • 1 14-ounce bunch asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces

What to do:   

  • Bring 2 1/2 cups water to boil in small saucepan. Add quinoa and 1 teaspoon salt; return to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer (do not boil) until quinoa is tender and water is absorbed, 15 to 17 minutes. Drain if necessary.
  • Puree broth, 1 cup peas, 4 tablespoons mint, and garlic in blender until smooth.
  • Add olive oil to large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leek and shallots; saut� until soft and light brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, then asparagus; saut� until mushrooms are tender and asparagus is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Mix in puree and 1 cup peas; stir until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add quinoa; stir to coat.
  • Divide pilaf among bowls; sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon mint and serve.


*Recipe compliments of Bon Appetit  magazine.   

 

Bon Appetit!

 

    
Berta is a respected weight loss counselor who has educated and empowered hundreds of women JUST LIKE YOU to lose the excess weight that prevents them from living their dream and Berta by mantlebecoming the woman they were meant to be.

 

Her gift, and the reason her program is SO SUCCESSFUL, is her ability to break down every detail of your weight loss journey so you can be prepared for the challenges and understand the emotional components behind them. 

  

This on-line program has been designed to bring you the same experience of her methods and common sense explanations that Berta uses in her successful private practice, at a fraction

of the cost.  If you liked today's issue, you'll love her blog and the main site as it is being built, which you can find at JustLoseIt.com.  


DON'T LET ANOTHER DAY GO BY!

 

Where to go and what to do to GET STARTED!

If you can say Yes! I am ready to get started!  this is the link to the blog page that will explain how to go about doing so. You don't have to read it all in one sitting! Please take your time, absorb my words, and when you fully understand where I intend to take you, read on.  The journey we will take together might be a long one, but it promises to be unforgettable. The first step is committing to yourself. From there, you will begin the work of finally identifying why you are where you are, and how you got there. The moment you can honestly own your personal truth, you will have reached your goal. The rest is simply a matter of time.    
Enjoy the ride!  
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