With the holiday weekend coming up, marking the unofficial start of summer, I can’t think of a better time to share this month’s Femme on Fire, the incredible Ally Hamilton, with you.

Why?

Because I want you to have the best start to summer and feel damn good about yourself…unapologetically.

I think for us women, summer is THE season where society kinda likes to shame us…more than usual might I add.

“Lose weight Now!”
“Drop 10 pounds and Get Bikini Ready!”
“THE Bikini Workout You MUST Do Before You Head to the Beach!”

As the summer approaches, messages of these kind are everywhere, gently or not so gently reminding of us our “not-enoughness.” (Which is totally NOT true, BTW.)

I don’t think they are really about health, feeling good, or taking care of our beautiful body temple.

Rather, they are centered around fast, unsustainable weight-loss and reaching towards some ideal body that we may never have….or will literally have to kill our spirit trying to get. Do you really have to suffer through a workout you hate to be beach worthy?

In all the work and programs I have created, I have tried to be extremely mindful to feed a loving voice for women about their bodies and health and encouraged them to do the same for themselves.

Because there is a HUGE difference between detoxing the body and/or eating nourishing foods out of a place of deep love, care, and respect for your body vs. “eat this and get skinny.”

There is a huge difference between moving your body in a way that feels loving, challenging, and pleasurable, moving the body because “she” was built for movement and is healthier, happier when she gets to move VS. “I have to suffer through this workout because I need to get a tight ass, flat abs, etc…and my fat-self needs to workout more.”

When you look at those magazine covers, go on that diet, do another workout that feels like torture, you really need to ask yourself, “What voice am I feeding? A loving, compassionate one or one that is unloving?”

The first person who ever made me think about that was my yoga teacher and friend of 7 years now, Ally Hamilton.

I adore this woman and thank her for being one the first people to really help give me my sanity back in regards to my body image.

Yoga and Ally came into my life at just the right time…and began to help me save myself quite literally from that horrific voice I fed daily.

I used to be quite the gym junkie. 2 hours a day, 5 days a week. I would stare at the treadmill calorie counter and let it, and the scale, measure my worth. Depending on how many calories I burned, I would feel like a hero or loser. Or I would do some workout plan I hated but promised results.

It was all about the numbers…on the scale, on the calorie counter, on whatever “counting” food program I was doing.

I was addicted to all that. And BTW, it never got me the results I craved anyhow.

Until one day, I kinda had enough…and that’s where I met my yoga mat.

No calorie counter on that guy. Just me, my body, and a safe space to witness what was going on inside of me.

Thank goodness I also had the good fortune to walk into Ally’s class in Santa Monica back when she was at Power Yoga. I knew straight away that I had found my teacher…..my soul just kind of lit up. Little did I know at the time that she would also become one of my closest, dearest friends.

Yoga with Ally helped me rewire the way I spoke to myself, to actually enjoy my body in movement again, which then allowed me to try different kinds of movement again, this time from a place of love, respect, and curiosity. It was the start of me craving to move my body because it fed my soul, no longer feeding the “no pain, no gain” mentality.

This is exactly why I wanted to give you the gift of Ally in this interview. The woman moves you from the inside out.

Not only is she an incredibly gifted and world-renowned yoga teacher, but she is an amazing writer, mom of 2 beautiful kids, and co-owner of the most loving, kick-ass yoga studio in town, Yogis Anonymous. Most importantly, she is a beautiful human being who really loves people….really, truly.

It’s kinda hard to not love Ally and love yourself a bit more after reading her interview.

This is a juicy, heartfelt interview, so do yourself a favor.

Sit down and savor this one…maybe even while you are beachside and owning your enoughness.
( I know you like to read goodies on your iPhone.)

Like a fine wine or some incredible dark chocolate, this interview is best enjoyed when you let it linger and you really taste every bite.

Without further ado, I give you this soul-stirring interview with Ally Hamilton.

(AA) What first drew you to yoga?

(AH) I was looking for something that would challenge me and fulfill me in some of the same ways ballet had for the twelve years (4-16 years old) I was dancing, but I was also looking for a different kind of environment.

(AA) When you were dancing, what was the conversation you had internally around your body and food at that time? How did yoga shift that for you?

(AH) When I hit puberty, there was a lot of conversation about “not wanting to develop”, and there was certainly pressure to be thin. I remember starting to watch my body in a different way, with some anxiety. I think I started restricting calories when I was 14, and that continued in some way or another until I started doing yoga when I was twenty.

Prior to that, I was either dieting, or on the verge of being too thin. When I started doing yoga, my relationship to myself began to change. It wasn’t overnight, but after I’d been practicing six days a week for about a year, I started to realize my inner voice was not kind. There are some ballet teachers who are wonderful, I studied with a few beautiful human beings. But I also studied with teachers who used shame as a teaching tool, and I took on that tone with myself. I think you have to be prone to that kind of conversation to begin with, and I just happened to have the kind of personality that took that stuff to heart. I was incredibly hard on myself. So I found the yoga room to be a fascinating place, because it wasn’t about shame, it was about love and compassion.

And the more I began to treat myself with some kindness, the less I was interested or concerned with calories. I started to tune into my body in ways I hadn’t before, and to eat in response to my hunger. Eventually, I started to become more conscious about the quality of food I was consuming as well. I’d spent my teenage years drinking diet coke and eating processed food. A few years into my practice, I went the vegan route, eating organic, whole foods, and I really didn’t focus on my weight anymore. My body naturally found its happy place. I don’t own a scale, and don’t want one in my house, especially because I’m raising a little girl. Although boys suffer from eating disorders, too.

(AA) That’s really powerful, Ally. I know that yoga had a dramatic effect on how I began to shift that inner conversation for myself. Why do you think yoga can have such a powerful effect on the body-food relationship?

(AH) I think if you practice yoga consistently, it really does change the way you tune in to your body. You may be breathing consciously for the first time in your life. And if you’re practicing with a teacher who recognizes her or his job is to create an environment where healing is likely to occur, it really becomes challenging to keep feeding a shaming voice.

I think yoga puts lots of things in perspective: the insane and loud busy-ness of the mind, the quality of the relationship we’re having with ourselves, the state of mind we’re bringing to whatever it is we’re doing, and a connection to something greater than ourselves (even if the “something greater” for someone is simply joining in the group energy of a class).

I think all of these things follow us out the door eventually.

I remember driving one day, not too many months after I’d been practicing yoga, and I took a left when I should have taken a right. And I thought, “I’m such an idiot!!! I have zero sense of direction. I suck!!!” And I suddenly realized I wasn’t breathing and my shoulders were up around my ears and I felt like crying. And it hit me that I was that mean to myself all day long, and that I didn’t want to keep living like that. SO it naturally begins to influence all areas of self-care. How we’re speaking to ourselves. How we’re feeding ourselves. How much rest we’re getting. The quality of the conversations we’re having with other people. Whether our inner world is violent or peaceful. It’s all connected.

(AA) I’d love to shift a little bit and talk about how you grew your business, because not only are you an incredible teacher and human being, but there is no doubt that you are a heart-centered and highly successful business owner. I know so many women who feel stuck when it comes to going after their passions.

What can share with women who want to go after that often less conventional career path? What gave you the push to take those risks, including opening up your own studio?

(AH) Well, circumstances gave me the push, and I think that’s often the case in life. Everything is in a constant state of flux, and a situation that may have been amazing at one time, may not be as time goes on.

That can happen in work scenarios, in romance, in friendship. So sometimes you’re completely not ready for a change, but life doesn’t care. You have to get ready. I’ve had to work my a$$ off for anything I’ve ever wanted in life, and for whatever reason, I have no problem with hard work. If there’s something in my heart that feels like a yes, I’m going for it with everything I’ve got. It may not happen, but I’m not leaving anything in the tank.

For me, yoga transformed my life. I went from being a not very happy person to an incredibly happy person, and it’s not because life is perfect. It’s because I have this amazing foundation that I would never have had if I didn’t wander into a yoga room one day. I’m sure of that. So I feel if it worked for me, it can really work for anyone, and I’m passionate about sharing this practice. I think there are still people who are confused about what yoga is.

In some places in the country, people think it’s a cult. In others, they think it’s about having a flexible body. In others about balancing on your hands. It’s really about balancing in your mind no matter what you’re facing. Balancing on your hands is totally fun, and it requires discipline and determination. But balancing in your life is a game-changer.

So anyway, when I realized I was going to have to open my own place (with my business partner, who happens to be my ex-husband and the father of our two amazing kids), I got excited. Because I realized I’d get to co-create the environment for teachers and practitioners to throw down the love. And what could be better than that?

I really think whatever feels like a “yes” for you is your gift, and if you want to be at peace and you want to be happy, you’re going to have to uncover your gifts and give them away. That’s the joy in life. Owning a business is challenging in ways i never would have imagined. It tests you in every single way. But if you believe in your heart you’re offering something of value to people, there’s nothing more fulfilling. And I think if you’re giving something from your heart, people can feel that, and they want to be part of it. We all want connection, and to feel like we are being seen and heard and supported.

(AA) You are a busy mother of 2 adorable kids and also running a full-time business…and you are fully hands on with both. What can share with other moms about how you handle and do such a great job with both?

(AH) Just forget about sleeping. I mean, I’m kidding, but not completely. Being a mom is the greatest gift in my life, and I really am so grateful every single day. I do my best to work my teaching schedule around my kids’ schedule, so that I get to be with them most of the time. Because I don’t know of anything more fulfilling or important than being there for your children. And I feel incredibly fortunate to have that kind of love in my life, and also to feel so excited about my work life. I love teaching. Running a studio is a full-time, in your face, how-many-balls-can-you-juggle-in-the-air-at-once kind of proposition, but thankfully I have a great friendship with my ex, and he’s an excellent business partner to have. Somehow or another, we get it done every day. I think the bottom line is love. If you love what you’re doing, you’ll find the energy and you’ll find a way.

(AA) I know what an amazing place Yogis Anonymous (YA) is, but what can you share with those who don’t know about your studio? How can we access you guys, whether we are in Santa Monica or on the other side of the globe?

(AH) Well, I really feel like the studio is like my living room. I want everyone to feel welcomed and warm, and like they’re in a safe space, because they are. It’s a genuine community, and if you come regularly enough, people will yell, “Norm!” when you walk in the door. Or whatever your name is. And we stream classes live every week, so we do have a global yoga community as well. We have people practicing with us from all over the world, and it’s really fun. I get emails from people in Hong Kong and Thailand and Holland and Burbank. Sometimes people who’ve been streaming classes from the other side of the world come to Santa Monica to practice in person. I don’t know who gets more excited about that, us or them. But it’s a hug-fest. People can check it out at : http://www.yogisanonymous.com, and any of your peeps can have a 10-day free trail if the use the coupon “ally10″, just cancel before the 10nth day if you don’t want to continue!

(AA) That’s so awesome, Ally…thanks for hooking us up! Now, I know YA is all about building community. Why do you think having a special, home studio to practice at is important?

(AH) I think it’s really important to find a teacher or teachers and a studio that resonates with you. Because ideally, you’re working on your relationship with yourself, and that usually involves some healing. It’s very hard to do that if you don’t feel safe and comfortable, and like you’re in good hands. And I also think community is so important. Having friends who support you on your way. Because this business of being human is not always easy. Sometimes a hug or a touch on the arm can trun your whole day around. As far as your physical practice, it’s good to be working with the same teacher(s) for awhile, so they can see if you have any habits that could create wear and tear on the body, so they get to know your personal practice, and so they can help you deepen and grow.

(AA) For the first time yogi who might be afraid to come on in for their first class or tune in on-line and doesn’t know what to expect, what would you say to her/him?

(AH) Make it about breathing deeply and consciously. Put your knees down and rest whenever you need to. Feed a loving voice.

(AA) You have quite a following for your almost daily blogs (me included). What inspires your writing? Where can folks get their hands on these lovely writings?

(AH) It really depends on the day. Sometimes something happens in my own life, and I think it’s an issue that’s universal. Sometimes I receive an email from someone going through something I think lots of people can relate to, or might be struggling with. Sometimes it’s something someone says or does. I blog on the Yogis Anonymous fan page on Facebook, and also at blog.yogisanonymous.com

(AA) What makes a woman beautiful?

(AH) Knowing and loving herself. Boom.

(AA) Amen! One last question…What makes you smile?

(AH) My kids. The amazing people like you who practice with me. The teachers at our studio. Our puppy. Watching someone get lit up by yoga. Love. All that makes me smile.

(AA) Ally, this was truly amazing. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking time to share your love of yoga and being such a beautiful example of what it means to live life as an embodied woman. I adore you and love you so much!

Now we want to hear from YOU…

In the comments below, tell us…

How did this interview inspire you to feed your most loving voice? If you practice yoga, have you noticed a shift in how your internal dialogue has changed since starting to practice?

And before you go get your sunshine, Beautiful, check out Ally’s incredible Ted Talk right here…more warmth for your soul.

Love you,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw0EE2poWSA

With my mentor, founder of IPE, Marc David.

You know those moments in your life that you just want to savor, celebrate, and give some honor to?

Well, I’m having one of those right now, this very weekend.

And truthfully, I don’t think we celebrate our successes as often as we should in life, like raising good-hearted kids, navigating our relationships with our partner with heart and soul, starting a second career when others think you are nuts, or even having the courage to reach out for help when we can’t do something alone.

Lots of moments/events in life, big and small, that are worthy of acknowledgment.

For me, right now, I am having a pretty big one.

I’m here in Boulder, Colorado honoring the completion of my Professional Eating Psychology Coach Certification from the Institute for the Psychology of Eating (IPE). I am so proud to say I am a graduate of a cutting edge field that currently only a few hundred people in the world have studied.

It’s been hours and hours of intense study, reading, journaling, writing, financial sacrifice, and most of all, deep soul searching.

This beautiful body of work has changed my life and the course of my work forever.

You see, I realized pretty early into my health coaching practice that showing people what foods work best for them, how to prepare kale, giving exercise tips, or explaining why natural/organic food and products were so important wasn’t enough.

Because behind the actual food or workout was something much deeper. There was a relationship with food and body that needed to be explored and honored, a journey to go on that explores where is life calling you to. Without that piece, anything I shared with my clients would lead to short term success at best.

Psychology of Eating isn’t just for people who have a “disordered” way of eating. We all have a unique conversation and connection to our bodies and to food happening that can range from being full of loving thoughts and actions to self-hate and self-loathing.

Years ago, I became fascinated with deconstructing how I had created such a horrible relationship to my own body and to food in my childhood, which lead to years of chronic dieting, hating my body, exercising her out of self-loathing and the desire to be “perfect”, and constant internal conversation about how I didn’t measure up….all which lead to more and more weight-gain. Yes, the more I hated and more tried to diet myself into “perfection”, the further I got from my desired result.

I started to realize that I had been using dieting and exercise as a way to stay connected to those I loved, to be accepted, to replace the things I really desired as a woman, to grasp for things I couldn’t even name yet.

I realized that it was only through that look within and changing the internal conversation I was having with myself about myself, my desires, and about food that I was able to really shape-shift everything…my physical form, the foods that I desired, the way I moved my body, the way I saw myself.

This is for me the core reason why diets never work. Knowing how many fat grams are in a slice of pizza will never let you into the secret desires of your heart. Until you know that, food will seem like a great substitute to either binge on and/or feel intense shame about having.

But knowing that for myself wasn’t enough. I wanted to give my clients tools for real change. Again, it’s not to say that nutrition isn’t valuable because it is; it’s a way to give your body love and nourishment. But it’s only a piece of the story.

How you “do food”, how you “do movement” is a reflection of how you are thinking of yourself, of how you do your life.

So through my studies with IPE, I have been able to give my clients those tools, to take them to deeper places, to get in touch with what they really desire (which is so much deeper than chocolate cake), to lose the shame and perfection goals they have and live….free.

Some of my clients have resented me, desiring only to lose weight. They didn’t feel ready to change how they thought about their bodies or food. They were still stuck on a number on the scale. Or they found it easier to say “I’m just a sugar addict. Just get me off sugar and I know I’ll be all good.”

They weren’t ready to let go of the dieting world. They didn’t quite understand that weight isn’t just about calories in/calories out.

I get it. This is hard work; it’s soul-level stuff and it’s counter-culture. We are taught that the goodies are only available when we weigh X amount of pounds or we have the “perfect” way of eating, a “perfect” body, a “perfect” life.

But it’s a lie. Especially perfection. Such a lie.

And when we start to explore this world, our connection and relationship to body and food, and start exploring what we really desire….wow…everything opens up. Brings tears to my eyes.

I feel so blessed to start sharing the truth with women (and yes some men) at a greater level. My heart is bubbling over with ideas for workshops and live events to get us all in a room together to explore this work, breakthrough what’s keeping us stuck and not really living, and come out on the other side really living embodied.

Sometimes I get emails saying, “why are you always talking to women?” Well, my work now really does focus on women because I know how tough it is to be one and also how glorious it is as well. As women, we have a unique relationship to food and body that is different from a man’s and we have been bombarded with masculine strategies on how to “lose weight and get in shape.”

Follow a formula and you get X result.

But now is the time for me to teach other women that there is a whole other world and way of doing things that calls in the feminine. It’s beautiful and freeing and most of us ladies are walking around cut off from its power. And in truth, men need this too. We all need some Yin to our Yang.

I have so much more to share, a whole new world of knowledge to give to you so I hope you’ll stick around. I’ll have even more to share after my next level summer training at IPE with my teacher/mentor Marc David.

I hope you’ll keep reading and watching. I hope we get to work together. I hope to see you at my first live event this fall.

And I send you so much love and hope…

And know I walk this journey with you.

Please share your thoughts, comments, and heart with me below. I love hearing from you.

Love,

Pushing It on stage at HMBA Live, May 3, 2013

It’s a big weekend for me…again! I’m here in Florida visiting my mom and spending Mother’s Day with her.

What a miracle she is. She is truly healing in every way possible, and I feel more blessed than ever to have her. Thank you so much for your continued love, prayers, and concern. You are incredible!

Now to share a special video with you…I’m hoping it makes you smile and MOVE!

Last week, I shared with you that I got to co-MC a BIG event called Holistic MBA Live in Brooklyn, NY.

As if that wasn’t amazing on its own, I also got to lead another stretch/dance break while at the event.

(If you missed my first one, you can check it out here and get your Gangham Style on!)

Ladies (and gents), this time around, I truly let my alter-ego, DJ A-Train come on out to play. That’s been my karaoke name for years…yes, I sign-up and rap to old school hip hop with that name. DJ A-Train is the most fearless, fun, and booty shaking side of me and she needed to come out to play!

So naturally, I picked one of my favorite jams of all time, Push It, by Salt-N-Pepa.

Feel free to come dance along and shake it with me…no one is watching and even if they are, they probably need to dance it out too! The world needs to loosen up a bit.

Two key tips to understanding this video: 1) I was wearing a yellow dress before I led the stretch break and 2) the amazing mentors and creators of Holistic MBA are named Carey Peters and Stacey Morgenstern.

Now it will make sense….and here we go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=088dcdlOvng

I hope this made you laugh, shake your groove thang, and most importantly inspire you to be YOU and move through whatever may be blocking you in any place of your life.

As I shared with you last week, fear and feelings of not being enough (which really are just fear) are the biggest killers to creating the shift you really want…be it with your body, your business, your relationship, or anything else in your life.

I think many of us are cutting ourselves off from the lives we want to have because we keep limiting ourselves with these joy-sucking ideas of perfection.

If you’ve been either outwardly or secretly beating yourself up for not being “perfect” at X, waiting for the “perfect” opportunity to move forward with something you want, and/or replaying over and over again how “perfect” a past situation was and thinking you’ll never get what you desire again, honey, it’s TIME to push that sh** out of your way.

(For us ladies out there, I think getting into your hips, your power center, and tapping into your feminine strength are super key to doing just that!)

Part of what I hope you get when you see my dance break (besides a laugh) is that in no way am I a perfect anything, including a perfect dancer. But I refuse to let that stop me, especially from having a good time.

Be willing to do whatever it takes to move you forward and never wait for perfection to knock at your door.

You’ll lose a lifetime and a whole lot of opportunities to dance it out!

Now I want to hear from you.

Have you ever moved through ideas of perfection and fear to get something you really wanted? What happened and what did you learn?

OR…

What is an area that you have being waiting on and wanting to see real change happen that you are ready NOW to take inspired action on?

Sending you so much love…now go PUSH IT!

P.S. Have you been thinking about working with me to be your guide on your journey? If so, email me at Anita@AnitaAvalos.com and let’s talk. I have just a few spots open right now in my private coaching practice (both in body-food relationship coaching and biz coaching) and would love to work with you!

Holy cow!

My butt should be getting some shut eye but you know what?

I’m too freakin’ excited to sleep…so I’m sending you a love note. I want to share something amazing that is happening for me this weekend, something that is making me feel on top of the world.

By the time you read this, I will be getting ready to co-MC (or co-host) for day 2 an amazing live event here in Brooklyn, NY.

It’s called Holistic MBA Live, an incredible conference lead by the creators of Holistic MBA, Carey Peters and Stacey Morgenstern.

In a nutshell, it’s 3 days of some the best tools to help those of us in holistic health get our mojo going , learn incredible business skills, and become better coaches.

But the reason I wanted to write to you today was to speak to you about visibility and living your dreams.

So many of us are so afraid to let our light shine.

We are afraid of being “too much”, tooting our own horn, outshining others OR…

Waiting until we are “enough”.

Thin enough, successful enough, rich enough, and on and on.

Today I’m calling, excuse my language, bullshit on all of that.

You, my friend, are enough right now to step into your potential, to be visible, to live a life you LOVE.

For me, this event and being asked to co-MC has been about that. It’s about stepping into a more visible version of myself, sharing my talents, my spirit, and my personal enoughness with about 450 other women (and some men too) and having a damn good time doing it!

It’s also asking them to do the same…because when one of us shines, we set the stage for others to shine as well.

That’s me with my MC partner, Jocelyn. She’s incredible in every way!

Seriously, I am pinching myself this weekend. Is this my life? Am I really able to show women how to create a body and life they love, mentor new health coaches to get their businesses up and running, travel, and get opportunities like this?

YES! And it feels amazing.

And you know what? This opportunity would have never happened had I not decided to do a stretch break (remember my Gangham Style video?) back in October. Had I played down my desire to be on stage and strut my stuff, I would have never been invited for this incredible opportunity.

I have a burning desire to stand in front of hundreds and hundreds of women (and even the men who love them) and deliver the message of my work. That feels a bit down the road…but guess what? This opportunity right here is giving me a taste of what it feels like.

Once your body knows at a visceral level what it feels like to have the thing you desire, you are on the road to that reality.

Let me tell you…seizing the moment and saying yes to yourself, your desires, your passions is the way to create a life you love and experience magic in your life.

My question to you is…are you willing to say yes?

I really hope so.

Here’s your lovework…

The next time an opportunity you desire comes your way….a date, a vacation, a workshop, an internship, whatever it may be…and you hear that truest part of you screaming out “Yes! I want THAT!”, do your life a favor and just say yes, even if it seems silly, unreasonable, and/or doesn’t make sense.

I swear to you every time I have done this it has paid off immensely for me, leading me to new adventures, opportunities, and personal growth that I never would have imagined or could have expected with my “rational” mind.

Think about it…the first HMBA Live event I went to was 2 years ago. I was a scared, beginning health coach, about to get laid off from teaching, and had no idea how I was going to make “this” work or even what the hell was coming next. But I invested in myself, I took big leaps, and the results have changed my life and allowed me to do work that is changing the lives of my clients daily.

Keep. Saying. YES!

Ok, I love you much, but should get to sleep! A big day awaits!

I’ll be sharing more soon…including a video of the stretch break I lead to one of my favorite jams of all time, “Push It” by Salt-N-Pepa.

It was a beyond fun!

Stay tuned.

Believing in you and all you can do,

Not sure if your way of eating is REALLY working for you? Check out today's Q&A!

I just wrapped up my first ever scholarship contest yesterday (can’t wait to pick a winner) and am packing up to spend the weekend in Berkeley/Oakland, California to celebrate my dear friend Jennifer’s wedding.

It’s sure to be a good time! A getaway with my man, a wedding, PLUS a reunion dinner with 2 of my favorite old school friends ever, Blamoh and Shaun. I just can’t wait!

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, I am also giving to you today the very first “Q&A with Double A” webisode.

(I’ll let you know how I came up with that name in the video below!)

This has been a little dream of mine for quite some time because I really want to help get the questions that you and my readers/viewers struggle with answered.

So once a month, I’ll be doing just that.

Now for our very first Q&A, I have a very juicy question from a woman who is struggling with intense food cravings and is questioning whether or not the way she has been eating is really working for her anymore.

Have you ever gone through this?

The answer I give her would have probably shocked the hell out of my parents just a handful of years ago because I was really tied to “my” way of eating and was determined to stay the path.

The truth is a way of eating only works until…it doesn’t work anymore! This may seem simple enough, but so many of us get tied to one way of eating simply because it felt good for a while, it feels too hard to change, or because we heard it’s the newest, greatest thing.

But if you listen carefully, your body and body wisdom are always speaking to you, letting you know if you are giving her what she needs. She (or he) is wiser than any guru out there. Best believe it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bSZiLI4Z4g

Pay special attention to how I tell her HOW to treat these changes and what she needs to let go of FIRST to get the most positive effects. These two points are HUGE.

Please note.. whatever changes you make in your daily eats , make sure that you are opting for the highest quality version of it…keep it organic, keep it free-range, and/or grass-fed. And local whenever possible. The less processed, the better. Quality is key in everything in life.

And of course, in the comments below, I want to make sure I hear from YOU.

Have you ever had to change your way of eating because it wasn’t working for you anymore? If so, what did you change and what were the positive effects?

I’m guessing I’m going to ruffle some feathers on this one, but I wouldn’t be the coach I want to be if I didn’t give it to you straight.

I can’t wait to hear your comments on this one!

And if you want to hear more info on how getting too stuck on one kind of diet can cause you troubles, check out this post I did last year. My readers loved it!

Lots of love,

P.S. You still have time to take advantage of my crazy b-day month discount on my Lean, Clean, and Sugar-Free Detox.

It’s an amazing start-when-you’re-ready program that involves zero hunger or days of juicing…just real, whole, delicious foods and a surefire way for you to finally know what foods work for YOUR body. Plus, you’ll be able to let go of those sugar cravings and simply feel amazing.

Click HERE to learn more and sign on up!

P.P.S. Would you like to have YOUR question featured in an upcoming Q&A? Simply drop me a line at Anita@AnitaAvalos.com and tell me your burning question. Help me out by putting “Q&A” in the subject line too! I’d love to feature your question and get it “Double A’d”.

It's my birthday...time to party and give some goodies to YOU!

It’s April, it’s spring and…

It’s almost my birthday! Woot!!

I have always been a birthday person, I’m guessing since I came out of the womb.

Life is an amazing party and our lives are such a gift…damn if I’m not going to celebrate every year that I get another chance to be on this planet and enjoy it!

Typically the celebration starts on my bday (the 7th) and happily extends throughout the month..such fun!

This year, though, I want YOU to help me kick things off…are you game?

You see, I’ve been thinking about what I want this 35th year of life to be about and one of the biggest things I want is to help empower as many women as possible to find the freedom and happiness that comes from changing the way they relate to their body, to food, and in turn their lives.

I want to live out my desires, play full out, and I want every woman to do the same.

That can’t happen if we are busy telling ourselves “I’m not enough. I’m too fat. I’m too thin. I need to diet to be attractive,” or we are always comparing our bodies to others, or putting our lives on hold because we don’t feel we are worthy of what we really want.

Dieting and hating on your body is an energy suck and steals your thunder. There is a better way to release weight and a better way to live.

It’s time to get FREE!

So for my birthday present this year, the biggest gift you can give me is for you to take inspired action and enter my Body Freedom Breakthrough Scholarship contest!

That’s right…I’m giving one lucky lady a chance to change her life from the inside out by winning some FREE coaching with me. (You can learn what’s included in this package by going HERE.)(Valued at $547)

Click on the video to get the full scoop:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTNnX60cTiQ

Sound good, Beautiful?

Here’s What You’ll WIN

You’ll win my Body Freedom Breakthrough Package, valued at $547, that combines deep, powerful coaching with body & life detoxing that is sure to transform the way you relate to food, your body, and uplevel your life.

Again, you can learn all about what’s in this package by going HERE.

Here’s How to Win:

There are 2 ways to win- video or written entry. What I am looking for is a woman who shows heart and soul answering the questions and can follow the guidelines.

1. Video Entry: Make a video 2 minutes or under in length and answer these questions:

-What does having full body freedom mean to you?
-What’s your biggest challenge around feeling free in your body/with food?
-What would change in your life if you won this scholarship AND how would this positively impact the women/girls around you?

Then, upload your video to YouTube.com and make it public with the following title and description. You must cut and paste this verbatim:

Video Title: Body Freedom Breakthrough Scholarship w/ Anita Avalos vid by YOUR NAME

Video Description: http://www.anitaavalos.com/bodyfreedombreakthrough Body Freedom Breakthrough with Anita Avalos- Holistic Health, Eating Psychology, and Body-Food Relationship coaching to transform your body, life, and relationship with food.

PLEASE note: You must leave a comment below this post with a link to your YouTube video entry OR send me the link in a private message to Anita@AnitaAvalos.com in order for your video entry to be valid.

2. Written entry: Write your responses to these questions in a comment below or send it to me privately in an email to Anita@AnitaAvalos.com, 500 words or less.

-What does having full body freedom mean to you?
-What’s your biggest challenge around feeling free in your body/with food?
-What would change in your life if you won this scholarship AND how would this positively impact the women/girls around you?

AND There’s Social Media Bonus Points!

Here’s your chance to get some “extra credit” and also help spread the word about this scholarship contest on Facebook and Twitter.

Here are a couple of sample Tweets you can use to get you going:

I’m ready to feel free in my body and life w/ @anitaavalos7 http://bit.ly/bfcontest #bodyfreedom

@anitaavalos7 is giving away some amazing coaching for her bday!http://bit.ly/bfcontest #bodyfreedom

And here are some sample Facebook posts you can use:

I’m ready to feel free in my body and life w/ @Anita Avalos http://bit.ly/bfcontest #bodyfreedom

Love @Anita Avalos’ message for women! Who else is ready to create a body they love and life that rocks, no diet or deprivation required!? http://bit.ly/bfcontest #bodyfreedom

These are just some ideas…feel free to come up with your own but make sure you include the #bodyfreedom hashtag and the shortlink: http://bit.ly/bfcontest

Now here’s all the details you need to know about this scholarship contest:
1. You may enter this contest via a video or written comment. Your vid or written comment can appear at the end of THIS post OR sent to me via email to Anita@AnitaAvalos.com. Any Tweets or Facebook shares get you bonus points and good karma.

2. Videos must contain the specific description I stated above, must be no longer than 2 minutes, and must be left as a comment under this post OR as an email to Anita@AnitaAvalos.com with the link to your video so I can watch it.

3. All Tweets and Facebook shares must contain the #bodyfreedom hashtag and the following shortlink: http://bit.ly/bfcontest

4. The deadline for all entries is April 17th at 11:59 pm, PST. The winner will be announced within a week.

5. I will be the one judging all entries and picking the winner. Please know I am so grateful for you entering and value each woman who shares her responses and enters the contest.

6. I’ll have a special surprise for all who enter so have a positive mindset and get in on the action!

I can’t wait to read and see your entries and read your Tweets/Facebook posts. I’m really looking forward to seeing how coaching with me and finding your body freedom will change your life and lives of women in your world.

Good Luck and thank you for making my vision for my 35th year of life come true!

I celebrate YOU!

Sending so much LOVE,

Lauren McComb, Pure Barre Studio Owner and Femme on FIRE!

I am SO excited for today’s post!

Today marks the start of a monthly post I’m calling Femme On Fire, where I interview and introduce you to women who are living life EMBODIED. They are fierce, compassionate, loving the skin they’re in, going after their dreams, living an authentic life, and encouraging women around them to do the same. These are the kind of women who not only shine bright, but take deep pleasure in encouraging their sisters to shine brightly too.

And because of these things, they glow with beauty from the inside out.

A Femme on Fire is the the kind of woman I strive to be and love to be around.

(And to Kamilah Barrett, you defintely are a Femme on Fire….I just hadn’t thought of doing this as a monthly post when I interviewed you last year..ya’ll should take a look at her interview too as soon as you finish this one!)

So let me tell you about Lauren McComb…

Lauren (right) with her lovely mom, Elle (left), make a dynamic duo.

I had the deep pleasure of meeting Lauren back in January when I signed up for classes at her Pure Barre studio in Tampa, Florida. At the time, I was knee deep in my mother’s accident, spending countless hours at the hospital, and knew I needed something to keep me sane, keep me mentally and physically fit, and give me a sense of community when I was feeling quite disconnected.

I found that at Lauren’s studio.

Virtually everyday for a month, I made it into the studio for my 55 minute class to get into my body, fueled by amazing music and spirited, talented teachers. Not only did I leave feeling physically stronger, but also happier and more connected to myself.

I absoutlely fell in love with the Pure Barre technique, and as an added bonus, I found a new friendship in Lauren and her amazing mother, Elle. They, along with their incredible staff, are doing so much more than giving women a barre class…they are creating a community for women, something I think most of us are starved for in our web-based world. These two women treated me with such love and care during one of the most difficult times in my life…I cannot speak highly enough about them.

And that’s what stands out about Lauren and her studio…she really embodies beauty from the inside out and encourages other women to do the same.

So without further delay, I give you my interview with Lauren McComb!

(Anita) How did you get involved with Pure Barre?

(Lauren) I started taking Pure Barre in Sarasota back in June 2011. When I heard Pure Barre was opening in my hometown I was very excited to learn more about the barre technique and attend class the first week they opened. I was instantly hooked and found myself going everyday. After a month of taking classes I was asked to become a teacher and was thrilled to train to become a teacher! I had always wanted to teach fitness and have always been active from a young age. It was love at first “tuck”.

(A) I know you told me you left a career in finance to pursue this new career path. I love that and feel inspired by that, as I always encourage my clients and readers to live the life they desire. What made you decide to make the switch and what has been the best part of that for you?

(L) Prior to opening Pure Barre Tampa, I was a Financial Consultant at Charles Schwab & Co. in Sarasota, FL. I was in the Financial Services Industry for 6 1/2 years and enjoyed it, however I was not passionate about it. I loved meeting with clients and connecting with them on a personal level, I just knew something was missing. My love for fitness and health started at a young age. I grew up in a very active family. After teaching Pure Barre for several months I realized this was my passion and I wanted to follow my dreams of opening my own business.

(A) What makes Pure Barre unique?

(L) Pure Barre is unique because the workout utilizes a ballet barre & small isometric movements to lift your seat, tone your thighs, abs & arms while burning fat in record breaking time. Clients see results within 10 classes! It is a total body workout that is low impact and set to fantastic music! The class goes by quickly because you have fun while doing it! The Founder, Carrie Dorr, says “It’s a challenging workout but if you can hold on to a ballet barre can do it!”

(A) I believe that every woman should feel free in her body and beautiful in her own skin. I also believe that the quickest and most lasting way to getting a body you love is by loving and appreciating the body you have NOW, not waiting until you are the “perfect” weight. How does Pure Barre and your studio fit in with that philosophy?

(L) We couldn’t agree with this more! We have many potential clients that stop in the studio before taking their first Pure Barre Class and will say they want to get into better shape or lose weight before taking their first class. We encourage them to start now and Pure Barre is for all fitness levels, ages and body types. You see results within 10 classes and it is the quickest way to change the shape of your body. We empower women to love the body they have!

My last day with these two great ladies (until my next visit to Tampa!)

(L) We would tell her with any new technique it takes a few classes to really grasp the concepts and movements. We would encourage her to come at least 3 to 5 times within the first week to really get a deep understanding of Pure Barre Technique. Our teachers are very hands on and help clients understand the movements and assure they are doing them properly. We also offer a “Breaking Down the Barre” class on a monthly basis. This is a non working class to help deepen the clients knowledge and get the most out of every class!

(A) I simply love how good you and your mom Elle treat your clients and are building a community for women through your studio. Why do you think this is important for women?

Here I am with Elle and Lauren at the Pure Barre Tampa Grand Opening Party in February.

(L)We think it is so important to make clients feel welcomed and appreciated! It is more than just a work out studio, Pure Barre Tampa, is a place for women to come and focus on themselves for the 55 minutes in class, meet friends, make new ones and feel beautiful on the inside and out. Pure Barre is for all shapes, sizes and fitness abilities. We are passionate about helping our clients achieve their goals and we love to see the changes in clients bodies! Pure Results are the best! Keep on tucking!

(A)What’s your personal philosophy on food and fitness?

(L) My personal philosophy on food and fitness is about enjoying everything in a balanced manner. Eating healthy is a lifestyle choice and makes you feel better all around. It is important to eat healthy and fuel your body with the proper ingredients. You need to reward yourself for hard work every once in a while…and can do this by using fresh, organic and wholesome ingredients! Food is one of many life’s many delights and should be enjoyed!

(A) What lights you up most? What makes you feel most beautiful?

(L) The thing that lights me up the most is helping clients achieve their fitness goals and having them feel amazing about themselves. My passion is fitness and health and I love to see clients happy by the results they achieve. The thing that makes me feel the most beautiful is smiling from the inside out…a smile is the best accessory you can have! It is great for the soul, mind and body!

(A) Anything else you want to share?

(L) I want to thank you for taking the time to ask me these questions and most importantly for coming to our studio! We are so happy to have met you and look forward to seeing you again soon. You are a remarkable woman and you inspire us! I also want to share that I am thankful for the Tampa Bay Community for supporting my dreams of owning my own Pure Barre Studio and opening with my Mother, Elle. It has been such an amazing journey so far and I look forward to many more years of joy, laughter and memories!

(A) Lauren, I feel the same about you! Thanks for taking time to share your passion for fitness and living your dreams with all of us. And all of you make sure you check out Lauren’s studio in Tampa, Florida when you are down that way! You’ll be so glad you did. And for those of you not in Tampa, you can find a Pure Barre in your hometown too!

Lots of love,

P.S. There’s still time to have your voice heard and let me know how I can help you transform your relationship to food and your body so you can live a life that truly rocks. Fill out this short survey and give me your feedback…you are important to me! Plus, if you leave me your name and email, you’ll be registered to attend a very special Q&A Coaching Call with me next month where I will answer any and all questions you may have about your body, weight, food, and whatever else is up for you. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Mom and I on a Mother-Daughter's Day out, a testament to the healing power of receiving love to the fullest.

In honor of International Women’s Day, I thought it might be fitting to share with all you beautiful, talented, passionate women some encouragement on why it is so vital to let yourself simply receive. As women, we are natural born givers. We are constantly thinking how we can give to our kids, family, friends, community. The ideas of simply receiving, to allow others to care for us, to take in the nurturing, can feel like a foreign idea, seasoned with feelings of guilt and “selfishness”. It’s time to remedy this. For all you do all year long, this one’s for you.

For those of you who are part of my email list, you know all about my mother’s accident and what the last couple of months have been like for me…incredibly hard, heart-wrenching, life changing… to say the least.

The reality is you can’t spend 6 weeks watching your mom recover from a traumatic brain injury, loving her up and helping to nurse her back to health, advocating on her behalf, and not feel the full spectrum of emotions.

You can’t go through the fire and not be changed.

In the most painful moments of it all, I often asked myself “What will this teach me? How is this going to help me grow? What is the purpose of all of this?” I had to go there because I couldn’t believe that this painful experience was happening in vain.

I struggled to make some sense of it all…

But I also asked this of Spirit on behalf of my mom as well. What could be a positive result of all of this for her? I mean her entire life changed in an instant. She was simply out for a walk one day and then without warning or reason, hit by a SUV and had to have emergency brain surgery. Could anything beautiful unfold from this for her?

On top of all the physical pain she was experiencing, my mom, an extremely independent soul, now had to ask for everything.

In the beginning stages, she couldn’t feed herself or even hold a cup of water. In fact, short of breathing, there wasn’t much she could do on her own.

Once she was aware enough to really understand what was going on and her personal will to fight for herself started to kick-in, so did the resentment that she had to ask for help.

She’s always been the one to love others up, to give and give, and to caretake for others. (She had done just that for my Nano for close to a year…I know his last couple of years of life were so much richer because of her loving care.)

But now, my mom had to let go, to be on the receiving end.

Many times, she would get so angry and tell me “That man (referring to the guy who hit her) took so much away from me. I used to be so independent and now I have to bother my family, to be a burden on them. It’s just not right.”

And from this anger, she would try and push herself to do things or overextend herself before she was ready.

All I could keep saying to her was this…”Mom, sometimes we all need to lean on somebody. We all fall down, all feel weak, have things that happen to us that cause us to have to go slow and be cared for. Let us love you up. I’m happy to be here for you. The more you push before you are ready, the harder it will be to truly heal.”

Resist she did, but in the end, life was calling to her to allow herself to receive. Receive love, receive care, be nurtured.

Mom, soaking up the love and recovering.

Meanwhile, there I was doing everything I could to give. Shop for her. Make countless calls. Sleep at the hospital next to her side. Feed her. Comb her hair. Encourage her. Even bathe her. And of course, love her.

When I got tired, felt like I just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry, or felt burnt out, I often kept pushing myself along. After all, she was the one with the traumatic brain injury, not me. My needs couldn’t be that urgent. And I was still getting in nourishing foods and movement (I swear my hour a day at my Pure Barre class helped to keep me sane)…it wasn’t like I wasn’t having any self-care.

I felt a bit guilty to ask for things for me from anyone, to just open up and allow someone to take care of me in the middle of all this.

Maybe I didn’t even realize how much I needed it.

So I didn’t really know how to respond when friends would write or call and ask me “Can I do anything for you?” or “How are you doing, really?” My initial reaction was that yes, it’s hard for me, but not half as hard as it is for her.

But luckily I had some loving souls spill out the truth I needed to hear.
I needed to be nurtured too.

It came from my mentor Marc David, who encouraged me to let someone else care for me too in the middle of all this, whether it be someone making me dinner or taking the load off so I could catch up on sleep. He reminded me that it’s not enough to just get in your greens and sweat out your troubles during times like this…as a caretaker you also need the nourishment of loving attention, care, and to let others physically show up for you.

And then it came from my amazing friends in Florida (especially Karen and Maria) who made time to come see me, be with me, and take me out for a glass of wine or a good meal…or simply just sit and talk with me. Their presence meant everything.

As things started to mellow out a bit with my mom, it came from Mike who arranged a spa day for me….a 3 hour block of time just for me so I could get a massage and a facial and simply be pampered. It felt so indulgent to just BE and allow myself to do nothing but take in that amount of attention and care. I fell asleep during both; I had no idea just how tired I was.

Me, moments before spa treatment begins...happy to receive lots of TLC!

The invitation to let myself be on the receiving end of love and nurturing kept coming at me…I just had to allow myself to take it.

But it wasn’t until I was in the middle of a heartfelt conversation with my friend Jen that I made some big realizations. On the search for lessons, I had realized that for my mom, life was calling her to receive love and nurturing in a way she probably never had in her entire 68 years. But what I didn’t realize at first was that life was also calling me to do the very same thing.

There we were on what seemed like opposite ends of this situation but in a whole other way, we were both being called to step into our strength by allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and allow ourselves to really lean on another.

The truth was that the very advice I gave to my mom was the medicine I needed for myself as well.

I had to accept with humility that I couldn’t do it all and what I could do could never be done as fully as it could when I made sure I was refilling my tank. Giving cannot happen without receiving. The two help to keep us even and whole. And though the art of receiving wasn’t the only lesson that came from this experience, it was definetly a big one.

And since coming back home, I’ve given myself the space to practice the art of receiving some more and be really gentle with myself, to not push too hard too fast. My body, soul, and spirit have gone through something major. As much as I want to feel like “my old self,” I need to let it happen organically.

I’m also feeling like “my old self” is kinda an illusion as well. I’ve been changed and so it’s been a getting to know you sort of period with myself. (I’ve found myself to be incredibly more honest with myself and those in my life…so healing…and I’ll talk more about that in an upcoming post.)

I need a little more sleep, a little more TLC, a little less to do, some meals and shopping done for me, and more practice saying (with love) “no” to people, things, and obligations.

While this whole experience has been incredibly hard and heartbreaking, I’m learning more and more how to ask and how to receive for what I really want and need. And frankly, I needed to be doing more of that.

The truth is we don’t need to wait for a major life event like this to start getting comfortable with being on the receiving end of love and care-taking. In reality, most of us are walking around starved for it. Though the “logical” mind can downplay its importance and tell us it’s far more important that we push forward and show up as super mommy, daughter, wife, lover, employee, or CEO, the body in all her wisdom never forgets and will keep reminding us that we can’t live in a constant place of force.

Weight-gain, misaligned relationship to food, anxiety, sleeplessness, fatigue, digestive issues, or nagging feelings of unhappiness and “emptiness” (just to name a few) are her ways of getting your attention. And you can keep seeking for the perfect supplement, drug, or cure for your “issue” but I find that no matter what the ailment, the best place to start is within, to look at you really want and need and get brave enough to ask for it. And then brave enough to receive it.

Start there.

Nothing will ever take the place of practicing incredible self-love and self-care, which can take many, many forms. And sometimes that means letting someone else love you up, spoil you, nurture you.

Looking for actionable steps?

Take some time and ask yourself…What love, help, assistance, or care have you been resisting, avoiding, not asking for, or afraid to accept because it means letting go a bit?

What would feel so amazing to receive today? If you could suspend guilt and judgement, what would feel so nice to lean on another for or be treated to?

Where could you be less hard on yourself, more compassionate?

Then, be bold, Beautiful One, and allow yourself to receive. It’s the strongest, bravest move you could ever make and trust me, it’s the gift you give not just to yourself but to the world as well.

Sending you love and ready to receive some right on back,

There’s a sexy seducer in town.

Diets promise quick results with sexy, happy endings...don't fall for the lies!

I highly doubt it’s the first time you’ve met or connected, but let me tell you, he’s just desperate for your attention.

Persistent in nature, he beckons you to notice him. He shows up on your TV screen, your Facebook, Twitter feed, your favorite magazine, and on many a billboard.

It’s virtually impossible to avoid him. He’s in your ear and he’s telling you sweet nothings, promising you the world.

He tells you that if you get on board with him, happiness, wealth, and the good life is yours for the taking. You just have to say yes.

And guess what? He’s saying the same damn thing to all your best girlfriends, your mom, your little sister, and even your 10 year old niece. This fool is shameless.

His name is Dieting and more than any time of the year, he’s knocking at your doorstep with all his sweet little lies.

(No disrespect to the men I love out there by calling Dieting a him, FYI.)

And I’ve been feeling very called to do all my ladies a service, sit you down, and give it to you straight, because I know he’s not going to.

No, Dieting LOVES to lie and promises each of us a simple yet completely false equation.

Dieting says “take me on. When you do, you get to be skinny, and when you’re skinny, you’ll be loved, rich, and happy. I promise you.”

Dieting tries to give us evidence of this by pumping out image after image of people using his tools who are just that. From diet sodas to diet foods to the ads of the diet themselves, you see images bikini clad people just loving life.

Dieting is promoted as sexy to no end. Some diets even are named after sexy cities that everybody knows are just filled with sexy people. I love how my mentor Marc David pointed out how you never hear a diet named (no offense) “The Oklahoma Diet” or “The Detroit Diet”…it just doesn’t sound quite as sexy as “The South Beach Diet” or “The Malibu Diet”.

And it’s SO cool to be a dieter. When you diet, you are part of the “in-crowd” (I told you he was getting into your girls’ ears.)

Think about it, especially in the new year…

How many people are just raving about the newest diet they are on, and how they are going to stick with it..and that this time it’s going to be different?

How many times do you find (especially with us ladies) friends chatting about the latest diet, picking themselves apart, and vowing together how they are going to rock this diet?

Sadly, it’s way more socially acceptable to talk about how quickly you lost weight, how much you pushed yourself during a workout, and what diet you are on than discussing how you are really connecting with your body and food in a meaningful way and getting truly healthy.

But here’s the thing about Dieting…

He’s a liar. He’s unhealthy for you. He doesn’t have your best interest at heart…in fact he will break your heart and spirit, just like he did all those times before.

He doesn’t give a damn about your nourishment, your true health. He tells you that if you devote yourself to him you’ll have it all..but in reality, you’ll have it all taken away from you.

If you take him on, your life will be consumed by him. Every waking moment will be spent on doing things “right” instead of sharing your gifts with the world. You’ll fight your natural urges, like hunger (more on that in an upcoming post). You’ll determine your worth by your weight. Over time, you’ll shut down.

You’ll lose your glow.

And when he breaks your heart (again), you’ll assume it was all your fault. If only you could just get it right…

So next time you might “try harder”, restrict more, damn your hunger. Hell, you might buy into toxic, toxic lies like this:

(Guess what? I don’t want to be Chanel. Food rocks!)

In short, Dieting is like a very toxic ex-boyfriend who keeps coming back to haunt you. He promises you the world but he never delivers. I know it’s tempting to take him back, but the story will never end differently.

I know this because we were in one hell of a relationship for many, many years. SO glad we broke up.

The time has come to put away your Sweet ‘n Low, your Splenda, your calorie/fat gram counter. The time has come to stop counting points, weighing yourself twice a day, fighting your hunger.

It’s time for a new love, a lasting love, one that doesn’t leave you, doesn’t break your heart, and really, really loves you.

Let’s give it up for Nourishment.

See Nourishment doesn’t ask you to restrict food and fight hunger. And nourishment also doesn’t want you to abuse food in the opposite extreme either, by not caring at all about what you eat and going for a free for all.

Nope, Nourishment calls you towards something deeper, more compassionate, more real. Nourishment has been there since you were a little bitty thing. Nourishment is your natural state, the real way to connect with food.

I wrote a Facebook update the other day about this and I think it really sums up what I am trying to say here:

“There is soul-level difference between wanting to eat and move in a way that truly allows you to live your most healthy, happy, and desire-rich life vs. dieting because you don’t feel like you are enough. A difference between wanting a good challenge, moving that amazing body of yours in a joy-full way, & working up a good sweat vs. punishing yourself via a workout.

Many of us don’t know the difference though, especially us women, because of the way the media and culture have seduced us into dieting, restricting, and forcing our bodies to change. We are sold this idea that if we were just 10, 20, 30 lbs. thinner, life would be perfect. We are sold the idea that the problem is our lack of willpower, our lack of control. As my mentor Marc David says, dieting is sold as something sexy but is actually a gateway to shaming ourselves.

Yes, what we eat makes a difference…but the biggest irony here is that these diet foods are so nutrient depleted, they don’t help create ultimate health anyway.

Until we start to accept that appetite is a gift, nourishing food is a gift, and really grasp that struggles around our weight is so much deeper than how many calories we ate/burned, we’ll stay in this tailspin and diet shame cycle.

It’s time to get curious and interested in our bodies instead of shaming ourselves into another diet. How do we do this? By looking at things from many levels-nutritionally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, soulfully.

This is why I love the work that I do and for being a student of Marc’s work and The Institute for the Psychology of Eating. It’s juicy, it’s real, and it’s waaayy sexier than drinking diet sodas because it speaks to your soul. Real change happens from the inside out!”

Bottom Line: Dieting doesn’t work. If it did, it would have done so by now.

So for this year, for 2013, be willing to NOT try the newsest diet, but a new mindset about food, your body, your life. Give Nourishment a chance. He’s the one that really loves you.

WARNING: I can’t promise you that Dieting won’t try to win you back. When my pants feel a little snug from time to time, he tries to call me up and get in my ear. We were together for so long and when I feel really vulnerable, he really tries to creep in.

But I remember all I’ve gained since losing him. I got my life back, my joy back, my sparkle. And the kicker is it was only when I dropped Dieting and fell in love with Nourishment that I actually released the weight I tried to hard to for so many years. I’m so much more fun, vibrant, and authentic without Dieting.

Nope, Dieting, I’ll never take you back. I love myself too much to fall for your lies again.

And my sweet one, you can do the same.

Stick around and I’ll do my best to show you how you too can fall in love with Nourishment, your body, your life. It’s possible for you too…in fact, it’s your birth-rite.

(If this spoke to you, I’d love to hear your comments below. And if you liked it, share it, my dear. Help me get the word out. xo).

All My Love,

P.S.Need more support and want to truly evolve your relationship with food and your body? To create a body you love and life that rocks without struggle or deprivation?

Then let’s get going!

Take the first step in your body-food-life evolution by booking your New Year Body Freedom Breakthrough Session.

I am opening up 10 complimentary sessions to help those who are serious about making real changes in how they connect to food and their body (A $97 value).

This 45-minute session will help you clearly see how you can:

-create a more peaceful, relaxed and nourishing relationship with food
-increase your body confidence without force or struggle
-explore where you get stuck and feel challenged around your weight, body and with food
-live a life that is truly happy, healthy, and hot

To book your session, simply click here and let me know you want to claim your complimentary session.

This offer is good until all spots are taken or by January 17th, which ever comes first.

I have some new coaching packages that I think you are going to LOVE.

Let’s start now by creating your personal breakthrough.

Sign-up today by clicking here.

I love supporting you!

It’s Friday, Baby!

Pumping up the crowd during a stretch break!

Today, I wanna keep things light and give you a good laugh.

Why?

You see, one of the key ways to getting and keeping a body you love and life that rocks isn’t counting fat grams….

It’s having a good time on the daily! It’s living the life you want NOW, not when 2013 rolls on in, you’re making 7 figures, or you’ve achieved “hip hop abs”.

Nod your head if you’re feeling me on this!

For me, one of the ways I bring a smile to my face and feel oh so good is dancing AND getting a crowd going, getting them into the flow, shaking what their mama gave them, and not being afraid to look a little silly while they are at it!

This is why I love karaoke like you wouldn’t believe.

(I’ll need to show you how I rock some 90′s hip hop at karaoke another time).

But, I had an itch for awhile now to step out of my comfort zone, to go beyond karaoke and lead a stretch break at one of my favorite conferences, Holistic MBA Live.

So this past October, I finally did that.

I stopped worrying about making a fool out of myself and decided to volunteer to lead a stretch break, give it all I had, and encourage other women to have some fun in their lives and in their bodies RIGHT NOW!

And so I danced, stretched, shook it OUT… in front of 450 peeps..Gangham Style!

So if you are ready for a little dance break, ready for a good laugh, ready to feel a little lighter today, click on the video below and spend a few minutes with me.

I promise you will enjoy it!

And more importantly, I hope this encourages YOU to have more fun in your life and with your body TODAY, as it all stands right now.

Don’t wait on your joy, Beautiful!

When you stop waiting and start living full out, I promise you, that which you seek will come your way.

Just TRUST and DANCE!

I love you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7zwOFDZIVw

Did you enjoy this dance break? If so, be sure to share it with your peeps and leave me a comment below!

xo,