Weight Loss for Teacher Moms

It's been a while since my husband and I have had a chance to connect- it's been a busy spring and we definitely were ready to spend some alone time together. I don't know if it's the ducks enjoying the pool more than we are or a matrimonial tv show, but something woke us up to reality- it's time to start acting like a loving, married couple again. As busy parents of younger children, family in town, and chaotic schedules, there's always something coming up. Or at least that's the thought I was having and I was sticking to it. Except this past week some aha's were changing my tune and it woke me up to years of negative self talk about intimacy. What You'll Learn on this Episode: Neglecting basic self care can lead to inconvenient thoughts  Negative self talk can lead to a lack of connection with loved ones We may blame loved ones for not showing affection when in reality we are in our own way If you're tired of the mom bun and winter legs, and achy joints, it's time to do something about it   Featured on this week's podcast: Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Frustrated with your food choices? Download a FREE 5 Day Menu Plan that's based on whole foods and kids will actually approve of it! Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!  

It's 5:00, you're finally picking up your kiddos after work and then you remember that you haven't had a chance to prep tonight's dinner. Do you pull over to the nearest drive thru window or do a quick grocery stop on the way home? The thought of preparing something nourishing sounds time consuming, or is it? Believe it or not, there are some creative minds out there, such as Autumn Michaelis, who have solved that problem for us. Join me as I chat with Autumn who focuses on creating recipes for us busy mommas that can happen in 30 minutes or less. Her recipes are simple, budget friendly, and most importantly loved by kiddos and all family members. She caters to the gluten free, dairy free, whole food world, and offers a lot of flexibility for all.    What You'll Learn on this Episode: How a busy mom of 5 boys makes meal prep and planning happen in a simple and doable way Tips for eating healthy on a budget- it's not just a special “club” to be a part of  Difference between getting in tune with your body's needs vs dieter's mindset How Autumn tamed her sugar dragon and some of the physical benefits she experienced along with it   Featured on this week's podcast: Autumn's recipe website and blog: https://wholefoodfor7.com/  Whole Food for the Family Cookbook- A book that will never leave your countertop! Autumn's Instagram Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!  

Who knew animals could teach us so much. Their strength, ability to bounce back after heartbreak, and optimistic attitude towards life is so refreshing to watch. If you've been watching some of my stories on social media, you know about the fun bird adventures we've been having as a family in our backyard. Little did we know we'd be attached to some wild ones that flew in about a month ago, and now we feel for little miss Momma Duck as she's suffered some loss. It's caused me to be silent, observe, and learn as I watch her each day. It's led me to reflect on disappointment that I've gone through over the years and think about how I handled it and how I'd like to continue handling these feelings.    What You'll Learn on this Episode: Disappointment is a feeling and by going through the thought model, we can see where this disappointment in ourselves stems from Examples from my life as a child and how early comments affected my body views We are in control of our own thoughts and those directly affect our actions and results We don't need anyone else to meet our needs, we can meet our own needs   Featured on this week's podcast: Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Email any thoughts and questions regarding today's episode at sonia@wildheartmommas.com  Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!  

It's spring break for a lot of you teacher mommas and a much deserved time off. So many of you need a break from grading, meetings, parent emails, back talk from students, and just the constant prep at home too. I know the day before break means tasting the brief freedom that's to come, and for some of us it's no different in our weight loss journey. For way too many years of our life we've been on some restrictive diet that gives us a long list of foods to not eat and sadly it usually causes us to overeat. Instead of teaching things like hunger cues, reflecting on emotions, and getting a dose of daily bliss, programs focus on what is too high in points, calories, or fat.    What You'll Learn on this Episode: Physical symptoms of too much food restriction Feeling left out at social situations can lead to overeating and ignoring hunger levels Frustration and boredom with food choices causes us to stray from our plan and goals Freedom to make our own choices can lead to losing weight and keeping it off   Featured on this week's podcast: Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Frustrated with your food choices? Download a FREE 5 Day Menu Plan that's based on whole foods and kids will actually approve of it! Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!  

As we near another religious holiday around the corner, I couldn't help but think about faith this week. It's been an up and down roller coaster because I find myself to be quite the spiritual seeker and when asked about my beliefs, I am always tempted to hold a “To be continued or To be determined” sign. I grew up in a mixed faith household and I am so glad I did because if anything it taught me acceptance and flexibility. When thinking about prayer and communication with the Divine this week, I started to see some correlation between prayer or meditation and our journey with food. Both rely heavily on communication and when the doors don't stay open it can lead to distress in our life and on our plate. What You'll Learn on this Episode: The weight loss journey can be a mess in the beginning, much like a relationship with faith It's important we find a space to be ourselves and feel loved in rituals and our food relationships- both can lead to transformations spiritually and physically  We can't just “be on program” one day a week, just like we can't have a strong relationship with the Divine one day a week- it takes lots of open communication How I help teacher moms in a 6 month program to develop a stronger relationship with themselves and food Featured on this week's podcast: Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!  

This week I am all about focusing on the small wins that tend to get overlooked on our journey. As I've mentioned before, our brain likes to focus on the negative and it's time we tell our brain, “cut it out.” Think about it- even in an evaluation meeting with administrators, what does your brain do first? It likes to think about all the things you could have done “better” during the lesson. It's no different with attaining our weight loss goals. But I have a little secret to tell you: by focusing on the small wins, it makes the bigger wins even easier to conquer.   What You'll Learn on this Episode: Why teachers deserve to give themselves credit for all that goes well on a daily basis Examples of small wins to focus on each week that add up to bigger changes By looking at accomplishments, body image and confidence will increase as well The private Facebook group for teacher moms is a supportive community for sharing small wins   Featured on this week's podcast: Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!  

Are you one to scroll your social media at night after all go to bed? What type of accounts do you follow? Would you believe that many of those accounts have a direct impact on your thoughts about weight loss and even your success with weight loss? That was me for way too many years. I was known to religiously check for accounts that reminded me of my life, my looks, how many pounds I wanted to lose, and what did these people eat and drink everyday. It was as if I thought that looking at their picture would magically change me into the woman I wanted to be. Obviously this didn't serve me in the way I had hoped it would because it wasn't due to those accounts that I lost the weight and kept it off. It was actually the opposite; it was time to delete those accounts.   What You'll Learn on this Episode: Many assume the most important area in their environment to “clean out” is the kitchen, yet they neglect areas that affect mindset Types of social media accounts that can be toxic to your self love relationship Filling your life with positive people who support your goals makes the process more enjoyable  Social media accounts that support holistic weight loss and freedom with food   Featured on this week's podcast: Circle of Life Tool Exercise Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!   

Today I am all about the new buzz out there in the weight loss drug realm. While I personally haven't ventured into them, I do know many teacher mommas who've told me they've tried it and found them unsuccessful. So I will give you a snapshot into the science behind them, why they may or may not work, and how we can actually get to the root cause of some of our weight loss struggles and keep the extra pounds off for life.   What You'll Learn on this Episode: What weight loss drugs will do to your body How weight loss drugs are supposed to change the dynamics of your thoughts Dosage schedule and costs My personal opinion on why drugs aren't the solution and how to get to your solution in a way that's less invasive   Featured on this week's podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!  

A teacher colleague once said to me, “we like to control things, it's what we do.” I sat back and thought about it and realized yep, many of us do like to be in control, I mean let's face it, we have an entire room of little minds that look to us to be in control. Does that carry over in our life and sometimes lead to panic and unnecessary stress? The future has always been uncertain and for some of us, that uncertainty can be quite unsettling. We like routine, knowing what to expect, and clear communication. There's nothing wrong with that, but imagine what it would feel like to let go of that tension and the amount of freedom and confidence that would come along with that choice. What You'll Learn on this Episode: The brain likes to know what to expect so it can keep us safe Focusing on our own thoughts and feelings can lead to action that serves us for the better An example of how being uncomfortable with uncertainty can lead to emotional eating 4 ways to feel self control that leads to bliss and happiness Featured on this week's podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Looking for recipe ideas, cooking demos, and free weight loss workshops? Join the Weight Loss for Teacher Moms Facebook Group. Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!  

The new year is off to a strong start, but for many it can be frustrating because a goal or resolution was set in January, but by this point we are already over that goal. Why? Because we are unsure of how to keep it going and we aren't even sure as to WHY this goal was important to us to begin with. When we are secure in our WHY behind the goal, we can have better control over the thoughts that come up in our brain that want to persuade us otherwise. Our brain sure loves to play tricks with us and bring us back to our comfort zone- I mean that's just our primal roots at work. Using the thought model to do some self coaching can really make us aware of our goals on a regular basis and lead to long term success.   What You'll Learn on this Episode: How to choose a meaningful why for attaining a specific goal 5 parts of the Self Coaching Model with examples Importance of looking at our end results to fill us with positive emotions and motivation to succeed  The power of changing our thoughts to work for us   Featured on this week's podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Thought Model Breakdown by Life Coach School Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!  

Do you believe in manifesting or having visions of what can play out in your life? I was always the type that believed in hard work leading to happiness, but for some reason that never held true with my weight loss. After learning that our brain has a need to seek pleasure, I started realizing how life changing it can be to anticipate a reward and even how amazing it feels when that reward gets fulfilled- talk about double sweetness. We may not feel like we have all the time in the world for lots of self care, meal prepping multiple step dishes, and fitting in every workout, but if we could spend 5 minutes a day working on this quick path to our next feel good dopamine hit, it's amazing what motivation we would have. We've been told we never had the right willpower or something is wrong with us when we couldn't reach our weight loss goals, but never did anyone tell us how key it is to spend time honoring our anticipations so that we drop the weekly maple bar donut stops and instead do things that serve our body.   What You'll Learn on this Episode: 3 things our brain is designed to do The thought model process I use to break down all areas of my life- both on and off the plate Anticipating a reward can be just as fulfilling as achieving a goal Changing our thoughts to serve us better will lead to long term success in weight loss   Featured on this week's podcast: Join my FREE workshop on February 25, 2023 that's all about reaching your goal called, Achieve Your Goal in the Weight Loss for Teacher Mom's Facebook Group Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Thought Model Breakdown by Life Coach School Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!  

Could not listening to your desires be holding you back from making the progress you want to make in your weight loss? Desire is just a word that means giving ourselves something we want and when we use food to feel our feelings, we sometimes get lost in what our body truly is craving. Using food to cope with whatever it is we need trains our brain into using that food as a reward signal and so the habit of reaching for a whole bag of chocolate chip cookies instead of 1 becomes more difficult to break.   What You'll Learn on this Episode: Food can be a source of dopamine much like drugs, porn, or alcohol and that's why we use it as a support instead of looking into our emotions My week of being on an empty cup (fed up and exhausted) and how it led to eating off kids plates, more snacking, and eating foods that don't serve me Using the Circle of Life Tool can be really helpful to pin down what primary foods we desire (things that are off the plate and put into our mouth) Don't  be afraid to ask a support person, such as your spouse, for what you truly need- animals do it, why don't we?   Featured on this week's podcast: Join my FREE workshop on February 25, 2023 that's all about reaching your goal called, Achieve Your Goal in the Weight Loss for Teacher Mom's Facebook Group Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Episode 5, Conquering Cravings Circle of Life Tool Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!  

Do you have a goal? So many of us start off with a goal at the beginning of January, and by February we have slowly dwindled away from those thoughts. And that's exactly what happens! Our thoughts change and pretty soon we've forgotten exactly why this goal was so important. I'd like to get you back on track and looking at that goal you've had in the back of your mind for quite some time.    What You'll Learn on this Episode: We have to be willing to do what it takes to accomplish our goal Conquering a goal will take some play and by that I mean trial and error It helps to make a list of reasons as to what's kept us from getting this goal We need a new thought that's going to drive us and resonate deeply so we can retrain our brain each day to create a new mindset Featured on this week's podcast: Join my FREE workshop on February 11, 2023 that's all about reaching your goal called, Achieve Your Goal in the Weight Loss for Teacher Mom's Facebook Group Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

This week I am sitting down with Valerie Recore. Valerie is a productivity specialist as well as facilitator in the Fair Play Method. She's sharing tips for any mom who currently feels overwhelmed and wants to end their day feeling more accomplished and balanced in their life. Find out why, as women and teacher moms especially, we tend to get stuck in a cycle of perfectionism and wanting to have control over everything, and how to start shifting this experience for ourselves.   What You'll Learn on this Episode: Why “busy as a badge of honor” tends to be a norm society has created and many of us just roll with the punches Valerie's own story of experiencing questions about feeling productive, but without the sense of joy in this day to day hustle and bustle  How to focus on what's really important in the moment so that we don't lose track of why we are participating in certain events (such as throwing elaborate birthday parties) Why self care isn't a selfish act and because we don't know what to do if given that time, we tend to fill it with tasks not centered around our well being  Valerie's tips for anyone who tends to be a perfectionist or someone who redoes chores just so they are done in a certain manner   Featured on this week's podcast: Valerie's Facebook: https://strideproductivity.com/ Valerie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strideproductivity/  Stride Productivity Website: https://strideproductivity.com/  Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

Many of us have grown up with 1 person or another in our house joining some form of a diet. So the weightloss topic gets thrown around and sometimes it falls upon the younger generation. I know for me personally I started thinking about diets at the young age of 12.  Being upset with my body that young only led to many years of yo-yo dieting. Wanting to lose weight for a dance company led to a brief period of weight loss, but as soon as freedom in college came about, the weight piled back on. The pressure of losing weight before marriage only led to more binges and starting and stopping diets again.  How do we handle weight loss when it's a goal of ours, but we don't want our kids falling into some of the same traps we fell into? If our older children come to us and ask about their weight or mention that they want to get healthier, what's the best course of action to take? On this week's podcast you will hear: Why “dieting” in front of our kids can lead to years of “dieting” for them Talk about counting calories can only cause a “good” vs “bad” food mindset Nutrition is something everyone can learn  Food as fuel sets a tone for lifelong holistic health Featured on this week's podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

For many, January signifies a fresh start, it's a new year and health tends to be a larger focus for the days ahead. Many of us have decided on a program, diet, or goals to get us to where we want to be, but we slowly start to feel defeated when it's not going the way we want. The first few weeks go by so easily and we are smashing goals left and right. But after those first few weeks, progress slows and it leaves us thinking “will this ever happen?”  Those of us who've been professional dieters for many years have been through this cycle many times. So what does it take to finally lose weight and keep it off?  If you've been listening to my podcast or following along on social media, you know that I am not a big fan of a quick fix. Pills, shakes, gummies, or supplements of any kind are just not in my repertoire for losing weight. And I say that because I've been there, tried it, and want what's truly best for your health.  My answer is short and sweet and much easier than you may imagine. It's also very personal because there is no black and white solution for every single person. Are you ready for the big secret?   On this week's podcast you will hear: 3 key areas for losing weight are food, movement, and self care Losing weight does include some soul searching Being in tune with your body's needs is crucial  Finding what lights you up and keeps you going towards your goals is such a rewarding piece of the health journey   Featured on this week's podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

It's my birthday! I want to celebrate, but it's taken me some time to put my finger on how I want to celebrate. For years a birthday meant deciding what cake flavor I want, what characters on top, and how many do we plan to share it with. This year I am a little worn out on cake as we just had 2 parties for my 5 year old, and the boxes of cupcakes leftover have definitely led me to say, “enough cake!”  What is it that I crave the most this birthday year? Well, any day I feel like I am always rushing. Rushing so much that it led me to get a speeding ticket last week. Embarrassed to have that happen in front of my 2 kids, I took it as a learning opportunity to explain that sometimes we get signs that tell us what we need most. And the sign I gleaned from this speeding ticket: SLOW DOWN. So what do I want this year? Time and some love, it's that simple. Time alone to reflect on my year, and what the year ahead brings. Love from those around me in those simple Facebook messages and texts I receive. On this week's podcast you will hear: The history behind birthday cakes How to ask for what lights you up most on your special day Birthdays started as a recognition for a goddess, so why not treat yourself as one too There are no rules when it comes to your day, give yourself what you need most and move along Featured on this week's podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips! This week you'll also receive a special, private podcast episode from me when you let me know you've left a review.

A lot of us can't wait for the start of the new year- we love new beginnings, starting on a “clean plate” and putting behind us the things that didn't serve us well. We look forward to the new memories to come and are excited to see what this new beginning brings.  As I took a walk on New Year's Day I was amazed at the smiles and greetings I had at the park. Most people are too busy to even look up from their phones or take their sunglasses off to even make eye contact. But this year I noticed a big shift on this day and it really made me wonder. What if we started every day in this way?  New Year's Eve was spent in a way that I did not expect, I was actually asked by my soon to be 5 year old daughter to climb into the bathtub with her. She wanted to take our glasses of sparkling water with us and do a “cheers”, I guess sort of treat it as a hot tub since we don't have one. Of course the negativity in my brain started in real hard and I was hesitant at first. I was also counting down the minutes to bed so that I could wrap all her birthday presents for the following day. I am so glad I didn't listen to those negative thoughts because had I done that, I would have missed something very special. As I recorded this episode, tears started filling up because the “aha” I experienced from the evening with my daughter is priceless. It really shows us as parents what's the most meaningful for our kiddos, and it doesn't always come in the form of an Amazon box. On this week's podcast you will hear: How negative voices in our brain can take away from the present moment Losing out on the present moment then leads us to focus on what “should be” or what “could have been”  Using the 5 senses brings us back to reality and helps us really savor the food in front of us Treating every day like a new year will lead to more grace and kindness with ourselves Featured on this week's podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

Have you been hearing the words “peace with food” and wondered to yourself what it means? This week I am taking a look at what “peace with food” means to me personally and especially after 25 years of being on the diet roller coaster.  January tends to be a big moment for a lot of gals as they decide to set a New Year's Resolution around their weight and begin looking for the perfect diet, quick fix, or solution to get them results they want. Chances are if you're listening to this podcast, you're ready to make some changes with your relationship to food, and you may have also been a dieter from years past like me.  I'm here to tell you that it is possible to change your relationship with food after many years of dieting, but I am also here to tell you that a pill, restrictive program, or one size fits all diet isn't going to get you there. If I can bypass a bag of Doritos chips, so can you. On this week's podcast you will hear: How to pivot into positive thinking after the holiday season so your mindset serves you well in terms of eating habits and overall health Peace with food means helping us get rid of the “good vs bad” food mentality Numbers associated with food won't get us truly understanding our personal nutrition needs Peace with food means I get to be the boss of my own decisions, not some program or points value Featured on this week's podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Ready to learn which foods fuel you and which ones might be causing immediate inflammation? Join my 8 week program RENEW to identify those foods & finally come to peace with food.

Do you know a food pusher? The holiday time can be filled with them, but not all food pushers carry the same meaning. There are those who do it out of the kindness of their hearts because that's just what they've been brought up to do. Think about generation after generation of grandma's hands delivering these same recipes- it's more about tradition, love, and nourishment than it is about ignoring someone's boundaries. Then there are those who simply love to poke fun and just want others to join in their “cut loose” mentality around celebrations. If they've been counting every point and calorie all year, they are feeling the need to go a bit off the path and want to bring you with them.  By having the right mindset and being clear on the foods that are fueling you the most, we can decide on how we want to tackle situations at holiday gatherings. It might be that we know the food is going to later upset our digestion or that a little bite just won't rock the boat. Having some grace and patience with the situation really goes a long way. On this week's podcast you will hear: My Indian grandmother's urge to keep feeding us was more about fueling her soul than it was about being pushy  Cultural expectations can sometimes come off as crossing boundaries & how do we navigate that How to handle food pushers who make fun of our current health journey Most food pushers aren't even aware of what they are doing and how it can be upsetting depending on the circumstances Featured on this week's podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Ready to learn which foods fuel you and which ones might be causing immediate inflammation? Join my 8 week program RENEW to identify those foods & finally come to peace with food.

When the new year rolls around, will you pick a word, goal, or resolution? I've always made vision boards and tend to stay away from resolutions as they always bite me later. Maybe that's because for years I made my new year about some drastic weight loss change that really didn't make any sense to begin with.  I will try out a new word for the year and one that I just might use is “renew.” What does “renew” mean to you? To me it means revisiting something again because we've gotten lost in our path and we need to revisit that space. Think about people who renew their wedding vows- sometimes it's because they have found themselves starting to shift in their daily activities and spending less time together, for some it's right after some deep work they've done together, and for some it's because they've been together for so long they are ready to recommit to one another and share their love.  What if we could renew our relationship to food? I mean we didn't start off as a toddler getting upset and emotional and just randomly start eating an entire batch of cookies. That's something we've learned to do over time because we quickly learned how good it felt to soothe ourselves with that warm cookie. Kids learn after doing something once if it doesn't feel good, that it's not worth doing it again. Yet as adults we seem to repeat negative behaviors. On this week's podcast episode you'll hear: Why I tried a food sensitivity diet The difference between food sensitivity and food allergy How a food sensitivity or elimination diet requires some deep work because your digestion is not the same after The benefits of doing a food elimination diet that include lowering body inflammation, increasing energy, weight loss, and getting in tune with foods that support digestion Featured on this week's podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Ready to work on your food relationship? Join the 8 week program, RENEW, by Jan 1 to get my favorite cookbook gifted to you so you can feel reset in 2023 Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

It's amazing how much we change once we hit motherhood- priorities change, our wants and needs are different…I mean we go from hoping to find just the right swimsuit and matching nails for vacation to praying the kids nap just for a moment of peace and tranquility. We've taken on new responsibilities in this role and for some of us, we know that if we don't handle the “to do's” they just won't get done. So we put on our cape and conquer it all. We have to, that's what our family is counting on.  That's the mindset shift that happened and it's not like we had to work at thinking like a mom, we just sort of landed in this role. But the same doesn't necessarily happen as we lose weight. We have to stop, reflect, and think about things because for so many years we've been told what to do and now that we are tackling our personal goals ourselves, it takes some thinking.  Some of us find it difficult to have this new way of thinking as we lose the weight because we've been on diets for so long. We are so accustomed to telling ourselves what foods are off limits, how this time might not be much different than before, and if we had a so called “bad weekend” then we have already gone off course, so why try to change things now. That darn dieter's mindset is hard to turn off because some of us were practically born with it.  On this week's podcast episode you'll hear: How weightloss is not just about willpower, but understanding what's in our food as well as what foods our body enjoys having nutritionally  The trickiness of having a new way of eating, but when around others we get an urge to people please by turning back towards old habits The benefit of stopping to reflect in social situations to ask ourselves, “Is this worth it?” Ways to treat our body with respect after all it's given to us over the years Featured on this week's podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Sign up for the Maintain & Sustain December Holiday Challenge here happening inside the Weight Loss for Teacher Moms Facebook group this week. Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

We mommas all know the ups and downs of toddlerhood well. The classic tantrums and meltdowns, opinions, extra large emotions over the littlest things, and need for consistency. We also know what happens when they don't get that consistency and it means we better have the right mindset for the day or else it's going to be a bumpy one. Well guess what? Your body is no different from the toddler years. Our bodies crave that routine, consistency in foods, and nourishment so it feels safe and well cared for.  Can our body throw a tantrum? Well, it can begin to show you it's unhappy if you're paying attention to the signals. If you continue to not listen, the tantrums only get louder and more consistent. Eventually the body gives up and just expects that you will continue in this way and that leads to loads of inflammation- or in many of our cases weight gain. In this week's podcast I talk about how to navigate the holiday season when we are in the midst of shopping for gifts, report cards, new units, assessment, and day to day teaching. We have that gravy and pumpkin pie in November and it continues to roll along through the next month, leaving us worried about what this will do for our weight loss progress. On this week's podcast episode you'll hear: How to get back to basics after a holiday event so that you don't tumble forward and spiral far from your weight loss goals The all or nothing mindset may feel too familiar to your history of past diets and why you stress out this time of year, hence eat to cope Ways your body tells you it's done with a food and it's time to get back to your regular eating schedule How we give our students and our own kids the respect they need when they begin falling apart,why can't we give ourselves that same grace? Featured on this week's podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Sign up for the Maintain & Sustain December Holiday Challenge here happening inside the Weight Loss for Teacher Moms Facebook group this December. Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!  

Happy Thanksgiving week! In celebration of this time of gratitude and people celebrating with family and friends, I am taking a moment on this week's podcast to share all I am thankful for and especially focusing on my relationship with my bestie, Lizzy.  We've been through some thick and thin moments together through teaching, Covid, pregnancy and births, and all the while enjoying a lot of talks about health and our relationship with food.  You see Lizzy was one who was truly there for me the moment I found out two years ago this week that I was being diagnosed with preeclampsia at 35 weeks pregnancy and would have to induce our son 5 weeks early. I didn't take it well at first and there's more to that in Episode 1 where I share my weight loss story. To recap for you, that scary moment in the hospital where I wasn't sure what would happen next is what brought me to going to the Institute of Integrative Nutrition for answers to weight loss questions, finally understanding why I've been overweight my whole life, and wanting to become a weight loss coach.  When you have a best friend by your side as you go through a transformation, it's not only reassuring when things get tough, but it's also affirming when someone is there telling you, “Yes, I've been there and I get you.” When working on your weight loss journey, you have to be your own accountability coach, but as social beings we also crave the chance to share the ups and downs. Featured on the podcast: How having a friend alongside you can increase your success towards losing weight When working towards holistic weight loss, it's not a feeling of competitiveness with others as much as it's a feeling of teamwork  You and your friend don't have to have the exact same goals and you can still learn from one another's experiences How you can make the “berry best” of a Black Friday Deal by joining with your bestie with small group coaching to squash goals and celebrate sweet victories that taste better than pie Featured on this week's podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Snag a Join With Your Bestie spot before November 29  Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips and trainings such as my upcoming Masterclass happening on Nov 17 Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!  

Women are superheroes and especially teachers! Without us, where would this world be? Over time this word “superheroes” has come with a bit of a price hasn't it? It's great to celebrate all that we do, but at the same time what about the real person inside who's craving some down time or the feeling to cut loose a bit. Being tagged as “superwoman” is a privilege, but it also seems to celebrate the fact that we expect women to handle numerous tasks at once. Many want to be recognized for the numerous ways they multitask, yet this just might be taking a bigger toll on them than they think. What if it's a big reason for struggling with weight?  A lot of the times when it comes to multitasking all the time and having to process things at such a quick speed (as all teachers do), it leads to significant amounts of frustration, stress, burn out, and sometimes just finally “popping” because we can't take it anymore. This stress and heavy feeling on the shoulders automatically leads to extreme exhaustion, lack of sleep, depletion in hormone levels, non stop cravings, and sometimes mental breakdown. Is that something we want to celebrate? In this week's episode we will explore Superwoman Syndrome and the numerous ways it shows. There are numerous types, characteristics, and information on how to realistically slow down with the amount we're juggling every single day. On this week's podcast you will hear: Characteristics of Superwoman Syndrome Why teacher moms tend to take on more opportunities to help others How Superwoman Syndrome affects weight Upcoming FREE Masterclass about Superwoman Syndrome and strategies to put into place Featured on this week's podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Save your spot in my Weight Loss for Teacher Moms Group Coaching Program- we start Nov 19 so act quick! Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips and trainings such as my upcoming Masterclass happening on Nov 17

Between a full time career working with students all day, coming home to the evening job of motherhood, attempting to find time for ourselves, how are we supposed to cater to our other half in the house? Sometimes they are around us, we pass them in the hallway, and maybe do a high-five as we pass by, but we've forgotten how to nurture and have a relationship with that person.  You're not alone. So many teacher moms vent about the exhaustion at the end of the day and sometimes the frustration with having a spouse who doesn't quite understand how our job is never done. How could we possibly have the energy to spend more quality time with one more person?  This week we are focusing on our other half and how we can focus more on that slice of the Circle of Life called “relationships.” It is after all a part of the primary foods and has a significant impact on our weight loss journey.  This week's guest, Christine Bongiovanni is a love and relationship coach with thirty-plus years of experience guiding women to love themselves and the life they are living. Christine helps her clients go from thinking they'd be happier elsewhere to falling deeply in love with the one they're with; she loves watching others create a life they want to wrap their arms around! In this week's episode you'll hear: How to squeeze in some time for our spouse despite a lack of energy or busy schedules so we don't forget who we once were as a couple Ways to bring up frustration or even have talks about spreading out the household workload so neither person feels overwhelmed  How to overcome a lack of body confidence so that you and your spouse can still have that intimacy you yearn for The importance of meeting your needs, while still nurturing your spouse Featured on the podcast: Ready to bring love back into your marriage? Take a look at Christine's Abundant Love Mini Course: https://christinebongiovanni.com/relationship-abundance-mini-course/  Learn more about and follow Christine over at https://www.instagram.com/christine.bongiovanni  Christine can also be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/christinebongiovannicoaching   As shared in the episode, you can find my free weight loss jumpstart guide here- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting

Being a teacher is no easy task. It requires us to constantly be on the move  because let's face it, things won't get accomplished if we are not on our feet ready to pounce.  With this job comes a tricky schedule because teachers have to go by the bell. There's no easy way around that, it's just what comes with the job. Other careers tend to have some breaks in the day on top of at least an hour lunch, but with teachers many are working through their lunches or else they have to plan to stay after school for a few hours. The prep work alone doesn't seem to end. So how can one lose weight when they are under a schedule that's so hectic? It can be done and with these 4 strategies I am sharing today, you'll begin to see how we need to just problem solve instead of letting our  brain take over with negative statements. In this week's episode you'll hear: How the brain loves to be skeptical and play games with our new goals The easiest way to get your water in, even if there's no break for a few hours How having a plan sets you up for success even under stress and long weeks Journaling food and mood can really be an eye opener when it comes to emotional eating Featured on the podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Save your spot in my Weight Loss for Teacher Moms Group Coaching Program- we start Nov 5 so act quick! Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips, trainings, and fun cooking demos

You're tired of cleaning dishes, need a break from meal prep, but don't want to go out to eat because you're wondering, “What can I order when I go out?” We are so used to being told what not to eat that there's this fear of undoing all the hard work we've put into our eating plan.  I can relate as I too felt this for quite some time. Even during this last round of losing weight, it took me some time to feel confident in going out to eat at a restaurant or even to an event where I knew food would be served.  The good news is I was pleasantly surprised to find many good choices when it comes to eating more whole foods, it's just a matter of knowing where to eat and how to tackle the menu.  In this week's episode you'll hear: My 6 norms I've created for eating out A past “oopsie” when it came to eating too much at 1 meal How the old dieter's mindset can play tricks on us when it comes to enjoying a meal away from home What a plate looks like at home can look similar to our plate as we enjoy someone else's cooking Featured on the podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Save your spot in my Weight Loss for Teacher Moms Group Coaching Program- we start Nov 5 so act quick! Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips, trainings, and fun cooking demos

It is possible to be around your favorite treats and feel in control, I promise. It just hasn't been taught to you in a way that simplifies it until now.  The key to losing weight and keeping it off is not about being “perfect.” As a professional dieter, I can tell you that if I was wanting to be “perfect” all the time, I wouldn't be keeping this weight off. I would have dived into a bag of Doritos by now many times and licked my fingers clean with a bout of negative self talk immediately after.  Today's episode is quite short so that you can listen to it whenever needed and pull it up every time a cake is calling your name or the platter of nachos wants you to empty it. I will teach you how you can feel in control around food that tastes so delicious. On this week's podcast episode you'll hear: My personal battles with bags of chips How eating more of something doesn't make it taste even better Steps to take when around delicious food so you can savor it or choose to leave it How to decide if a food is worth it or not Featured on the podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom. Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips, trainings, and exciting news to be announced soon. Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

This week I have recorded something special, as I noticed a client of mine wanting a little more support when it comes to weekends and I have found this often comes up even in my own weight loss journey.  How is it that a weekend comes up and all of a sudden our mindset has a big shift? The garlic bread starts calling our name, wine tends to be poured a bit more, and we just crave a little less structure and a little more play.  I have to remind myself that I am the boss of what foods I wish to eat because they feel good and give me the fuel I need. I am the boss of my physical activity and I know it's not going to magically erase any food choices I made that I wish hadn't happened.  So how do we continue through Saturday and Sunday and enjoy ourselves, while still continuing on our weight loss goals? On this week's podcast episode you'll hear:  How to navigate weekends so that you don't feel like Monday is a new start, yet again Enjoying weekend days, but focusing on the activities and people that light you up, not just using food to give you that satisfaction Owning your choices and deciding what's important to your journey How to still lose weight even through Saturday and Sunday Featured on the podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips, trainings, and a summer event soon to be announced Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

Do you ever wonder how you could make a weight loss plan work for you as a busy teacher momma? I know that eating food on a plan is not always easy (especially when you're busy!), but in this episode, I'm sharing actionable tips that you can start applying today. These have made such a huge difference for me and for so many other teachers when it comes to food prep.  Tune in as I share easy ways to prep your space in the kitchen so that when it comes to actual meal planning and prep, you're not only aware of what you already have, but you're able to create a place that's inviting. Thus, going to motivate you to actually cook even after long teaching days. On this week's podcast episode you'll hear:  How to do a pantry makeover so items can easily be seen What to toss and keep during a fridge cleanout Where to shop first when hitting the market so that you can stay in your plan and be in and out in a matter of a few minutes  A preview of what's to come in part 2 next week Featured on the podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips, trainings, cooking demos, and more Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

It's amazing what the teacher profession can prepare us for. It reminds me of what my 4 year old daughter asked me one day, “Why do teachers know everything?” And in her sweet, honest question, I had to laugh a bit, but also think to myself, “We do know a heck of a lot! We are prepared for life once we work with young minds.” On this week's podcast episode of Weight Loss for Teacher Moms, I had the pleasure of speaking with a long time friend, Michelle Walsh, a former educator and mom of 5 amazing girls. Michelle is still teaching, but in a bit of a different space. She provides intuitively and divinely led coaching to so many fortunate people and also has created this nurturing community where women can come together and offer their gifts to one another.  Michelle is the founder of My Village Well, and hosts in-person retreats, group coaching, and one-on-one sessions. She's lost 100 pounds through Weight Watchers and shares with us some of the take-aways that she's come across. One of my fondest memories of her as my leader was when she taught us the importance of having grace with ourselves. As she puts it in today's episode, “Every muck up is an opportunity for learning.”    On this week's podcast episode you'll hear:  Anchors that we use for goal setting can change along life's journey to support what we need in the current season Benefits of being in a supportive community who want you to show up how you are without having it all figured out Letting the weigh scale machine dictate how we show up in life can keep us further from the freedom we so desire Don't forget to celebrate what goes well in life and show that to your kids at home and in the classroom Michelle's take on “The Body is Not an Apology” book- how it provides a different lens of how to look at the world Featured on the podcast:  Check out Michelle's website for more information about My Village Well:https://www.myvillagewell.com/ More information about upcoming events at My Village Well can be found on Facebook too: https://www.facebook.com/myvillagewell  Tune in to Michelle's podcast: https://anchor.fm/michelle-walsh  Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

Today's episode was a great way for myself to do some reflecting on the steps that lead up to, happen during, and need to happen after we find ourselves eating our emotions. Many of us are aware we do it, but are not aware of what we can do in the situation to put a pause on the spoon in the ice cream and press play on what's really needed.  Food can can be used as a cover up to what's really going on deep inside. This is why one of the first steps I walk my clients through is to look at the primary foods in their life. In other words, to look at the pieces of our life that fall off the plate. Those might be our relationships, spirituality, career, joy and creativity, etc.  A situation where I felt lost emotionally and was badly craving some alone time led to a glass of wine being poured and a carton of ice cream being opened on the couch. Is that what I was the most upset about the day after this event occurred? Nope! What I was really upset about was how I ignored my body's signals ahead of time that were loud and clear saying this Teacher Momma needs a break. On this week's podcast episode you'll hear:  How the body gives us clues to what it really needs most The importance of journaling and how it will keep us from eating up our feelings Food is a great cover-up for what's happening to our relationship with our primary foods (areas that are off the plate) 3 daily steps to use to get back in tune with your body & keep you from wanting to cope with negative emotions using food or drink Featured on the podcast:  Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips, an upcoming FREE Masterclass called How to Make Losing Weight Easier, and a new bookclub starting soon Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

If someone was asking you to write their report cards for them and you responded with a “Yea, sure” instead of “No way!” What would you call that? Would that be not setting up clear boundaries? Giving in? I would call that people pleasing. Now, this is quite an obvious example because I don't really know of any educator who'd up front just say “yes” to that question, but then why do we feel so hesitant to say “no” in other situations? So many times we say “yes” to things when we mean to say no and that's the perfect definition of what people pleasing is. We do it at social gatherings, around the holidays, with our spouse, and we even do it with food pushers. But why do we do it? I think we do it out of fear and also the need to protect ourselves. By saying “yes” we feel others might get along easier with us, have a better view of us, and it's emotionally easier than letting our guard down. When we get emotional and let people really see how we feel, it puts us in a vulnerable situation. On this week's podcast episode you'll hear:  Cultural expectations that sometimes lead us to behave in a way that's not really what we believe in  How people pleasing can cause us to overeat until we are uncomfortable  How people pleasing relates to the Circle of Life Tool and how to mend those relationships  Questions to ask ourselves that will help us say “no” when we mean it  Featured on the podcast:  Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips, trainings, and a new bookclub starting soon Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

Life is hectic. Now if I was working through the Coaching Model, I'd tell a client that sounds like a bit of an opinion more than a statement, but let's face it…teachers are busy!  Now, does that mean we shouldn't have time to take care of our needs and health? No! In this line of work though, we have to set aside time for our wellbeing and make it part of the day to day schedule. I truly believe that if you want to make this happen, the idea of having no time will not stop you. That's why it's important to make the weight loss journey really simple so that it can be something we succeed at and keep the weight off for the rest of our lives.  Yes, there's going to be meal prep, food journaling, grocery shopping, getting physical activity in, and making this all a part of a self care routine. Aren't these things we should be doing anyway?  On this week's podcast episode you'll hear: How to break down our excuses into manageable tasks  Where to save time so that our goals (like meal prep or working out) are attainable  Choosing to spend time on family & work doesn't mean we didn't have time, we just made a choice How to tackle struggles (like nonstop takeout)  immediately so that they don't become a persistent problem Featured on the podcast:  Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips, trainings, and a new bookclub starting soon Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

So many Teacher Moms share with me the overwhelm of “juggling it all” between being a wife, educator, and always on call mom of littles at home. Educators wear many hats, both in and out of the classroom. Yet, with those hats can come a lot of pressure and overwhelm.   So many educators have felt a shift in energy starting before Covid and it only escalated as demands increased, yet the time teachers were giving themselves to decompress and take care of their own needs has decreased. We know very well what that will do to our life balance and how it starts to show up both on and off our plates.  I have invited Jen Rafferty,  the founder of Empowered Educator, to talk about her program for teachers and walk us through some steps on how to feel more fulfilled so that we can continue showing up as the best version of ourselves both at home and for our students. Jen has taught music for 15 years in Central NY. She's also the author of “A Place in the Staff: Finding Your Way as a Music Teacher” & host of the podcast called, Take Notes. She created the Empowered Educator through her years of research in emotional intelligence, mindset, and neuroscience because she wants you to show up as the best version of yourself. On this week's podcast episode you'll hear: Strategies for setting healthy boundaries A healthy mindset so there's less comparison between oneself and colleagues Importance of creating time for self care as a preventative measure Ongoing research about “teacher burnout” Featured on the podcast: Check out Jen's website for more information about Empowered Educator: https://empowerededucator.com/  Tune in to Jen's Podcast, Take Notes here: https://takenoteswithjenrafferty.buzzsprout.com/  Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

What if I never lose the weight?  I'm sure that thought has crossed your mind a time or two. It sure has for me and the times I was usually thinking it, the weight stayed about the same.  Our mind is pretty smart and likes to play tricks on us, but if we don't get it to cooperate, well then we might as well just throw in the towel now. What we set our minds up for is what's going to happen.  Mindset is everything and in today's episode I show you a tool that I've used in my coaching with clients as well as self coaching when I need a little self pep talk with myself.  On this week's podcast episode you'll hear: My solo trip to the mountains with 2 kids and fear of black bears The self coaching model and how it works when we are coming from a negative place How to make the self coaching model work in our favor Positive mindset will help us to lose weight and keep it off Featured on the podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips, trainings, and a fun 3 day challenge coming up on Sept 6, 7, 8 called Self Love: The Key to Successful Weight Loss Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

I'm ready to start my weight loss journey for the last time, but what if my husband won't join me on this adventure? If he won't join me, then what's the point of even starting? I've battled the questions about this topic over and over for several years, even before my husband and I were married. It took this last time of losing weight to finally realize that this is MY journey and what I make of it, is what I'm going to get out of it.  Am I saying you can't have your husband join you? No! Just like there's bioindividuality in food, there's bioindividuality in relationships. We can certainly model for our spouses what we're doing, and if they join us that's awesome. It's so much more fun when they notice the changes and want to join, rather than being pulled like a tired horse to water.  On this week's podcast episode you'll hear: Cultural beliefs when getting married and first meeting in laws- don't wear a “Shape It” cami that fails and creates extra rolls How my husband refused to join any previous diets I joined because it was mostly women at the meetings The mindset shift I had after losing weight this last time that's made it so we can talk about “weight loss” in our house again Modeling for your household members is a great way to get their interest in holistic health Featured on the podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips, trainings, and a fun 3 day challenge coming up on Sept 6, 7, 8 called Self Love: The Key to Successful Weight Loss Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

Have you ever floated down a river or stream, looking up unto the sky, feet dangling into the water as you slowly drift away from all your worries? We used to head to Oregon each summer when I was my daughter's age (about 4) and I am so thankful for those times. I really wish I could snap my fingers and just take back time. Kids really have it made! Wouldn't it be great if us gals, while on our favorite time of the month, could just drift through our days without the intolerable side effects of a period? How do we tackle our period when we're trying to lose weight? On this week's podcast episode you'll hear: How to tackle the physical misery when you're on your period What to do when the scale goes up due to bloat How to deal with cravings that come up during this time of the month Benefits of food/emotional journaling on a consistent basis Featured on the podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips, trainings, and a fun 3 day challenge coming up on Sept 6, 7, 8 called Self Love: The Key to Successful Weight Loss Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

Ever hear of the acronym, KISS (Keep It Simple Sister/Sir)? Well, I have one for you Teacher Mommas: KIDS (Keep It Doable and Simple). We always have kids on our mind and rightly so, they just are the love of our life. Sadly though, we complicate things for ourselves and it leads to an unhappy teacher mom and unhappy kiddos.  As I was shuffling kids out the door to go on a walk with their dad, I was excited to get some time to both shower (whoo hoo) as well as clean. I know I know, you're thinking, “Really Sonia, this gets you excited?” It was badly needed, both activities actually. I was throwing fits because of the clutter around the house. We all know that clutter around us can actually really clutter our minds as well. I'm sure you've all had those moments where you spend the majority of your cleaning time just picking up toys, socks, and even husband's work clothes and hats because no one seems to remember where they go. Well imagine that big to do list and only getting about 35 minutes to conquer it. Yea, my blood was boiling. I had barely turned on my positive mantras to blast while I conquered the floors when I heard the garage door going back up, which can only mean they are already back home. It's amazing how this spiraled into a day of just rush rush rush so I could feel the satisfaction of getting the task done, many toddler meltdowns, letting off some steam in a way no one appreciates, and the pull to snack off kids' plates. Yep, it wasn't a good sign, but it was a much needed “aha” that needed to break the cycle. On this week's podcast episode you'll hear: How teacher moms tend to say “I've got this” to tasks that maybe could be put on hold By always multitasking, we have conditioned ourselves to go with the flow even if we are unhappy Multitasking and taking on too much tends to lead to overwhelm that shows up both on and off the plate How to simplify your day so that you aren't biting off more than you can chew Featured on the podcast: Sign up for a 1 hour private session to conquer 3 months of meal planning before the school year starts- take a look at Meal Planning with Sonia to book your video call today Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips, trainings, and workshops from a former educator and mom  Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

“An apple a day used to be fine, but maybe you need a bottle of wine.” So many teacher cocktail glass quotes or even teacher memes about how educators function only because of alcohol.  The question comes up a lot with my clients, can I drink, but still lose weight? You might not like my answer, because it's not just a definite “yes” or “no.” I don't like to tell others what they can or can't have as I feel that's not my job. My answer includes the word “depends” in there. Yes you can have your wine, margaritas, or beer, but it depends on a few things.  In today's podcast I go over some basic rules that I give myself when I know I'm about to have a night out. It's quite similar to my rules about eating because let's face it, alcoholic drinks contain quite a bit of sugar and that can greatly affect how we navigate our weight loss journey. It's also about our mindset and making sure we set ourselves as a priority- don't let those food or drink pushers get you down. On this week's podcast episode you'll hear: How navigating drinking is very similar to navigating our relationship with food My 4 rules to incorporating alcohol in to our weight loss journey Drinking regularly can be a bandaid for what's truly affecting our Circle of Life ingredients  As your food choices change, what we drink tends to change as well Featured on the podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips, trainings, and a summer event soon to be announced Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

Have you found yourself comparing your body to others? When you see a body that's thin, what comes to your mind? Many of us who've had the “dieter's mindset” ingrained in us from a young age assume a thin body is a healthy body. If they are a certain weight, pant size, and we don't see excess fat hanging down, we think they must be healthy. That's not always the case. Hence the term “skinny fat.”  That term refers to someone who falls under the healthy BMI range, but still struggles with a higher amount of fat inside. We can't always see what's going on inside someone's body; just like we can't tell what their emotional health is. This is why the scale, BMI charts, and even just appearance are all rough guides as to how well someone is feeling.   It's important to think of our overall health as opposed to just what's going to get us looking a certain way. Our organ function, probability of diabetes, cancer, gut health, and even cognitive health don't care about our outside appearance. These things rely heavily on what we take in on a day to day basis.  On this week's podcast episode you'll hear: Who's a “skinny fat” person What's visceral fat and why it matters Steps to take to keep unwanted fat away & organ health in top shape Upcoming Back to School Meal Planning Workshop to keep health goals consistent when things get busy this month Featured on the podcast: Nutrition Plate Model can be found here- remember the more colorful, the better! Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where I will be hosting the Back to School Meal Planning Workshop to get you ready for the beginning of the school year Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

I'm just going to come out and say it, “I love food!” For years I felt guilty saying those words because I thought it meant I was destined to be overweight. Just because I planned my meals ahead of time, thought about what I could cook to make things special for events, or loved every potluck there was doesn't mean it's such a bad thing.  When we were house shopping for our home, the first place I would go when we entered an open house was the kitchen. It's my favorite place to be because I always felt the warmth of it and the family was always a part of cooking events.  Thinking about how many years I felt guilty about this, it just makes me disgusted. So I am going to say it to you Momma's in the back…there's nothing wrong with loving food, cooking food, or wanting to be around food.  I'm also going to say another “aha” I came to this past year: I was not overweight for so many years just because of overeating. I was battling weight struggles due to eating many of the wrong foods. Wow, that's a breath of fresh air! It takes time to come to these realizations and a lot of begins with digging into our relationship with food. When we just follow a diet that's scripted and a “one size fits all” mentality, we aren't truly getting to the bottom of understanding our needs and what's going to work for our weight loss journey. We have to nurture our relationship with food much like we nurture our students when getting to know them. Lots of trial and error, journaling, and digging into what feels right to our body. On this week's podcast episode you'll hear: Food is a part of our culture and for many it's a way of showing care and love No one size-fits all when it comes to losing weight How we can nourish our relationship with food to finally come to peace with what we really need The process I help my clients go through when they are navigating this new relationship   Featured on the podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips, trainings, and a summer event soon to be announced Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

“Shoulda woulda coulda”...I think that's an episode from Sex and the City if I'm not mistaken. We don't want to be throwing those words around when we look back at life and think about activities, events, or even bonding time when it comes to our kiddos. The same goes for our students.  Just because there are things we wish were different about us, doesn't mean we stop living life. Life isn't going to pause for us and wait for us to get our act together, look a certain way, or stop worrying about what others think before it continues on.  It's like the carousel at the amusement park. The man might hear a child screaming and give a look towards the parent to get them buckled or get off that ride, but he won't wait long.  That's how life works too. We don't want our fears, worries, and especially some of the mind games we play to keep us from being the mommas we were meant to be.  On this week's podcast episode you'll hear: A breakthrough in this momma's swimming suit mindset We can love our body and still want to work towards a healthy weight Four year olds know it all, we just need to listen more A challenge for teacher mommas this week Featured on the podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips, trainings, and a summer event soon to be announced Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

Thought about signing up with a weight loss coach, but just weren't sure what goes into working with one? Well, I have just the episode for you today. In this episode I dive into what it's like working with a weight loss coach. We look into health coaching a bit and how it's different from working with a physician. You can't really beat the personalized care that happens when working one-on-one with a coach because they are truly there for you.  In this episode I also dive into my 6 month program a bit so that you can understand just how much I stress that there's no one diet that fits all. What works for one person will not work for another.  On this week's podcast episode you'll hear: How a health coach goes a bit more beyond what a physician will provide Weight loss coaches give you that personalized care and center strategies around what they feel will work for you What the one-on-one 6 month program looks like The mind-shift that happens in weight loss when you hire a coach Featured on the podcast: Sign up for the Summertime Weight Loss Reset for Teachers Event to learn how to lose during vacations and gatherings, squeeze in some self care when kids are home for the summer, and your body's hunger schedule (not the bell schedule) Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips, trainings, and a summer event soon to be announced Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

One of the biggest questions I get asked about tackling weight loss is, “How do I stop the ongoing cravings?” You know, weight loss isn't like other struggles people have with habits they wish to change. Smoking, drugs, and drinking are all things we don't have to do to survive. It's not like we can stop eating, we have to eat!.  So many women talk to me about feeling shameful or even lacking confidence in themselves all because they have been taught to tame those cravings and can't seem to quite put those thoughts behind them. The truth is, cravings are natural and our body's way of communicating with us. Without cravings, your body wouldn't be able to tell you what it needs.  What we need is to understand what type of cravings we are having so that we can tackle any imbalances that we might otherwise not have been aware of. On this week's podcast episode you'll hear: 4 reasons we have cravings Examples of the types of cravings we have How to understand the types of cravings and use that to our advantage Summertime Weight Loss Reset for Teachers Event to kickstart your journey NOW Featured on the podcast: Sign up for the Summertime Weight Loss Reset for Teachers Event to learn how to lose during vacations and gatherings, squeeze in some self care when kids are home for the summer, and your body's hunger schedule (not the bell schedule) Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips, trainings, and a summer event soon to be announced Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

Ever have people over and notice you feel as though you have to “behave” food-wise in front of them? I've gone through my fair share of entertaining while on a diet and feeling as though I can't eat or be myself with my habits when others are in the room. As soon as my friends or distant family would leave, it was like I had never seen those appetizers on a plate before.  I would go directly to the kitchen when guests left to either finish off my plate that was half eaten, or add more to it as I packed up leftovers. That's right, I was known as a closet (or pantry) eater. And I didn't just stop there, I was an over the counter eater, as well as an over the sink eater when I thought no one was watching. Why did I feel the need to do this? Why couldn't I just eat how I wanted to when others were eating? I was ashamed of my looks at the time, but also was afraid of what others might see when I wanted to put more than 1 samosa on my plate or have a second slice of pizza. I also knew what it would do to the scale at my next weigh-in meeting. But did that stop me from eating it when everyone left?   On this week's podcast episode you'll hear: Emotional eating that came along with student teaching and not feeling quite comfortable to eat like myself in front of close teacher friends Navigating a new relationship while trying to learn new eating habits Self love has to be a part of our daily routine if we want to get anywhere in losing weight How it helps to talk to ourselves as we would a friend when in the midst of trying to hide unhealthy habits Featured on the podcast:   Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Join my Facebook group called, Weight Loss for Teacher Moms where you find free tips, daily motivation, workshops, and a summer event just for teachers soon to be announced Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

Losing Weight has so many benefits to it and sometimes it's easy to get caught up in only seeing the physical changes that are happening. We all want to fit into a certain dress or pair of pants, get compliments from others, and feel like a million bucks inside. Have you thought about the benefits to those around you? Believe it or not, our kids and even our students notice these changes because Momma has just gotten a whole lot more fun to be around. By playing more physical games, trying out new activities, and even just having a positive mindset goes a long way both at home and in the classroom.  When we feel like we can move around the classroom with ease, physically stand and move about without any pain, and still have energy when we get home after a long day, you begin to say, “Oh this is what I should feel like.”  Imagine sitting on the floor for morning circle without your legs falling asleep immediately, or having writing workshop conferences and being able to bend down at your students' level without being worried what those sitting behind you might be thinking. You can have all this by just losing some pounds and eating foods that actually give you more fuel for the day. We always say we want to be that mom or teacher who's on top of it all, but when a student or kiddo of your own tells you, “Mom you're more fun now,” how can you beat that?   On this week's podcast episode you'll hear: How losing weight can help you as an educator move about the classroom freely, despite large numbers of students Students notice when you're participating in their activities and it helps them trust you socio-emotionally  Having a few extra pounds gone leads to more patience and attention to your own children at home We can either spend time and money on illness or wellness- I prefer focusing on wellness that can change NOW   Featured on the podcast: Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

This week I am sharing how I lost 50 lbs and guess what? It's a lot easier than you think! No, I didn't join a dietary cult or have to drink some sacred juice, but I will say I went in with a simple and practical mindset.    I had to do a little thinking into my past to reflect on what worked and didn't work. After listening to several nutritionists and physicians speak at the Institute for Integrated Nutrition, I realized the key for me was filling my plate with lots of produce and protein.    I began to learn what “full” is actually supposed to feel like and let my body guide me to what foods it truly likes. This helped me snack way less and enjoy my meals even more.   Listen to this week's episode to hear how I lost the weight and know that the freedom to make choices for myself instead of a program or book telling me what to do was responsible for a great deal of the success.    On this week's podcast episode you'll hear:   How to trust your own body Including more whole foods into my meals left me feeling more energetic Protein was my go to snack and staple to keep me feeling full A food journal helped with hunger signals and emotional tracking Featured on the podcast:   Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!

In my kickoff episode, I am going deep and sharing a bit about my personal weight loss story and how it led me to where I am now, coaching teacher mommas so they can lose weight.    In this week's episode you will hear   How there's no one size fits all in dieting Calorie counting and restriction doesn't work for everyone Stress and lack of time can lead to comfort eating Sometimes a medical wake up call is exactly what's needed to get you motivated to lose weight for good What is Sonia's weight program process How to book a free discovery call   Featured on the Podcast:   Book your discovery call here to explore working with me to get clear on what's holding you back in your weight loss journey so that we can get you started on the process right away and feeling confident at the front of the classroom Sign up for my free weight loss jumpstart guide- Teacher's Objective: Losing Weight for the Last Time- you can begin your weight loss journey today, no more waiting Like the show? Leave a review. It will ensure you're subscribed so you don't miss any tips!