I’m really excited to announce that I will be running two Am I Hungry? Teleworkshops very soon! So, keep reading to find out how YOU could win a complimentary registration with my “I Want to Stop Dieting” Contest! I have a few really great entries so far and look forward to more…..
Am I Hungry? 8-Week Teleworkshop
Would you like to learn how to eat whatever you want and still lose weight- without dieting?
Then I’d love for you to join me for one of the two upcoming Am I Hungry? teleworkshops starting either March 6th or April 1st.
For full details: http://www.BreakOutofDietPrison.com
In just 8 weeks, you will learn surprisingly easy techniques to help you take charge of your weight for life
You will:
- Rediscover the secret to eating what you want when you want
- Stop obsessing about food, eating, and your weight
- Free yourself to live the happy, healthy life you deserve
- Experience the pleasure of eating foods you love without guilt
- Learn the truth about nutrition without confusing, arbitrary rules
- Never again exercise to earn food or punish yourself for eating
- Boost your metabolism effortlessly and naturally
- Increase your energy and fitness levels easily and painlessly
- Nourish your body, mind, and spirit so you can enjoy excellent health and abundant energy
So sign up today as space is limited - and learn everything you need to know to become an Intuitive Eater- the kind of person who can eat what she wants and not gain weight.
I promise, the way you look at food, eating, and your body will never be the same again!
WIN your registration:
For a chance to win a complimentary Am I Hungry? Teleworkshop registration, enter the Break Out of Diet Prison, “I want to stop dieting” contest!
There is no registration necessary to enter the contest, although if you are serious about attending, I do recommend you sign up now, as space is limited!
And wait - there’s more good news! Anyone who registers for a teleworkshop by February 28th and submits a contest entry will receive $50 off.
Am I Hungry?
Break Out of Diet Prison Teleworkshops
Thursdays, March 6 - April 24, 2008
5:30-7:00pm Pacific time
(6:30pm Mountain, 7:30pm Central, 8:30pm Eastern)
Tuesdays, April 1 - May 20, 2008
10:00-11:30am Pacific time
(11:00am Mountain, 12:00pm Central, 1:00pm Eastern)
www.BreakOutofDietPrison.com
intuitive eating, non-diet, am i hungry, weight loss, eat what you love, end dieting
Technorati Tags: intuitive eating, non-diet, am i hungry, weight loss, eat what you love, end dieting
February 17th, 2008
I’m a fan of Tim Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Workweek, and I also read his blog. Last week he had a great post from a guest writer on setting boundaries for the work obsessed. This post hit home for me, considering I can spend all day and night working even though I know I need to have more life-work balance for my sanity. I know many of my colleagues are equally passionate about their work and businesses, and, when it doesn’t feel like work, it can be difficult to remember to step away. The writer discusses five great suggestions for keeping work where it should be.
You can read the post here. I would love to hear how YOU set boundaries, and get your thoughts on the boundaries discussed on Tim’s blog.
January 28th, 2008
When you’re a solo-preneur who works primarily by means of PC, fax, telephone, email, etc, and the power goes out for a substantial amount of time - in most cases - your work has to stop. It can mean a loss of income, unanswered emails, unreturned phone calls, and a mountain of catch up work when the power returns. None of this happened in my case, however, as I recently discovered. Here in Northern California, where a January 4th windstorm wreaked havoc on the area and caused a power outage for FIVE DAYS - it was still “business as usual” here at Healthier Outcomes. No, my electronics aren’t run by solar, wind or water power - but instead, I work with a great Virtual Assistant who can take over and manage things to keep everything running smoothly.
Thanks to Donna Toothaker, of 1st VA, my business ran without a hiccup for the week I had no power. Donna managed my email, responding to anything urgent, and deleting the junk so I didn’t have to come back to thousands of emails. She also got in touch with my clients to inform them of the situation, and to reschedule some coaching times. She checked my voice mail and saved, deleted or returned appropriate calls. She continued with the regular daily and weekly tasks that she manages as well. So my business was being run while my husband and I were busy keeping the wood stove going, learning how to use a generator and keeping the neighbors warm that didn’t have a wood stove or fireplace. It was nice to not have to worry about who was waiting for a call or email from me.
The best thing is that she stepped in, already knowing what had to be done, because she handles this for me on a regular basis for my business trips, and non-business trips. It’s like having a virtual ‘partner’ to run my business when I can’t be in my office. Working with a VA is one of the best business decisions I have made. And now, I can’t afford NOT to work with a VA. If you aren’t using a VA, I recommend you get one now, before something happens that will make you wish you had one!
January 23rd, 2008
by Steve Novak
Entrepreneurs are an energetic lot. Constantly reaching for more and finding new opportunities. These traits are what make entrepreneurs successful. Unfortunately, they are also traits that can doom a business that otherwise has a bright future. While not confined to entrepreneurs, large business often face the same issues, they are the ones who personify this scattered energy.
Do you find yourself tired, worn out, or frequently frustrated because you’re not making the progress that you want and expect? Why continue to stumble down that path when there’s a better one? Why not work towards developing a healthier business and a healthier you? Usually it’s because we don’t know another path. Well you’re in luck today. There is a tool available to you, one that you’ve already heard of, but one that probably just isn’t on your radar screen.
One tool that is the perfect remedy for unhealthy business habits is underutilized, misunderstood, and when it is used, frequently implemented poorly - Strategic Planning. I know, I know, I can hear the groans already, but keep reading. If you have a poor impression of strategic planning, you haven’t seen it done right or experienced the benefits that derive from doing it properly.
Strategic planning promotes focus, a focus that so many of us desperately need. You define your target and develop a plan to reach it. When performed properly, you have well defined objectives, a clear direction to follow to reach those objectives, and a set of performance measures that let you know how you’re progressing. This clear path reduces the stress on your business, on you, and on your customers and suppliers. Everyone knows what to expect and what is expected of them.
(more…)
November 19th, 2007
by Yara Nielsenshultz
Hi there! I’ve been away for awhile now – hit a big ol’ road bump of life, which knocked me around a bit. I’m now recovered from my appendectomy, work’s going well, the kids are in school … I think we’ve hit a rhythm.
Gillian was fantastic during my challenging months. Before I started working on intuitive eating, I would have stress-eaten every day. Gillian helped me define actions that would help me to stay in charge of my eating, even when it was hard to do. As she said, it’s good for challenges to happen because now I know how to deal with them. (At least for the most part!)
The most recent thing Gillian helped me with was surviving my vacation. We went back (home) to San Diego for 10 days. In the past, I’ve gorged on Mexican food and snacked my way through every day. This time, I worked with Gillian ahead of time to figure out things I could do to stay in charge of my eating. She recommended three actions, which I found invaluable:
1. Put your fork down between bites.
As Gillian explained, eating can become unconscious, especially when you’re out on the town with friends or family. By putting your fork down between every bite, you create “stopping places.” Consequently, it’s easier to stop when you’re full. I found this action also slowed me down a bit, which helped my hunger signals catch up with my brain so I ate less than I might have otherwise done.
2. Pause halfway through and assess hunger
Pause halfway through the meal and assess your hunger. If you’re full, stop eating. If you’re still hungry, eat some more. Planning ahead of time to stop halfway through gives you a stopping point, and it enables you to more easily track your hunger signals and ensure that you’re eating because you’re hungry and not because the food is there.
3. Before you start eating, ask yourself “How do I want to feel when I’m done?”
I found this action the most helpful. Before I sat down to eat – especially when it was Mexican food drowning in cheese (my favorite!) – I asked myself how I wanted to feel when I was finished. It was such a little thing, but it helped me to stop eating when I felt satisfied.
And when we went out to my favorite Mexican restaurant, I decided beforehand that I wanted to feel really full, almost stuffed, but not sick-stuffed. And that’s exactly what I did. I got that huge-stomach feeling but not so bad that I had to unbutton my pants.
And the best part was, I didn’t feel guilty! Before I started working with Gillian, I would have beaten myself up for eating so much. Now I know that I have the right to give myself permission to eat as much as I want, even if I feel stuffed afterward. Knowing that I have that right, I do it much less regularly than before.
I have to admit, I didn’t think Gillian would be able to help me avoid overeating on vacation. But she had several recommendations, and they worked! And I felt great. I didn’t feel deprived or guilty the whole time I was there. Yay!
Good to be back,
Yara
August 23rd, 2007
Would you like to learn how to eat whatever you want and still lose weight – without dieting?
Then I’d love for you to join me for an exciting new workshop called Am I Hungry? starting Tuesday, June 19.
In just 8 weeks, you will learn surprisingly easy techniques to help you take charge of your weight for life. You will:
· Rediscover the secret to eating what you want when you want
· Stop obsessing about food, eating, and your weight
· Free yourself to live the happy, healthy life you deserve
· Experience the pleasure of eating foods you love without guilt
· Learn the truth about nutrition without confusing, arbitrary rules
· Never again exercise to earn food or punish yourself for eating
· Boost your metabolism effortlessly and naturally
· Increase your energy and fitness levels easily and painlessly
· Nourish your body, mind, and spirit so you can enjoy excellent health and abundant energy
And if you’re one of the first five people to sign up, you’ll get two fr*e coaching sessions with me! (Just type CHOCOLATE into the comments box when you register.) Hurry, three of these have already been claimed.
So sign up today – and learn everything you need to know to become an Intuitive Eater– the kind of person who can eat what she wants and not gain weight.
I promise, the way you look at food, eating, and your body will never be the same again!
Just go to the Break Out of Diet Prison page to learn more or to sign up.
Don’t miss out! There are only 9 seats available, so reserve your spot today. And remember, the next 2 people to sign up get two fr*e coaching sessions. Just type CHOCOLATE in the comments box on the registration page to take advantage of this valuable opportunity.
Technorati Tags: ending dieting, intuitive eating, stop dieting, weight loss
May 22nd, 2007
by Yara Nielsenshultz
I’ve worked with Gillian as my fitness and intuitive eating coach for just over 2 months now. And in that two months, I have seen some exciting results.
First, I’ve increased my daily activity level by 10%. This number does not include exercise. It reflects my day-to-day activities only. Walking around the house, doing housework, running errands – all those activities that get me out of my desk chair and moving. I feel excited about this number alone. I mean, if I’m burning 10% more calories, then I can either eat 10% more, or I can lose weight, right?
But I’ve got even more exciting news than that. With exercise, I’ve increased my daily activity level by 38%! And I’m not even doing that much exercise yet. Pretty cool, huh? I can’t wait to see what it’s like when I’m exercising on a regular basis.
And this is interesting — Gillian pointed out that on the days I exercise, my overall calories burned are higher than for the days I don’t exercise, which means that I’m more active on days I exercise, independent of the exercise itself. She said that many of her clients experience the same thing. Seems activity encourages even more activity.
Now, I don’t count calories eaten or burned, either. As I’ve written about before, I wear my CalTrac and it tracks my calories burned. So it’s possible to see exactly how I improve every week. I have never experienced a diet or fitness program that made it so easy to track results without weighing myself each week (ugh!).
Best of all, Gillian helps me to set reasonable goals. I’m one of those people who sets goals way beyond what I can actually accomplish, and of course, that’s what I started doing with my fitness goals. After two weeks of feeling frustrated that I couldn’t meet my goals, Gillian me back off a little. (Ok, she didn’t *make* me - she encouraged me - she knows what I need!)
Of course, there’s that little voice in the back of my head saying, “NOW, I can do even *more* than my goal, which, when I’m honest with myself, defeats the purpose of setting a reasonable goal to begin with. 
We’ve now started working on intuitive eating, and I’ve discovered I do way more emotional eating than I ever would have guessed. I’ll write more about that next time …
Cheers,
Yara
May 4th, 2007
by Yara Nielsenshultz
One of the great things about working with Gillian on fitness is that she focuses on increasing overall activity. So it’s not only about exercising more. (Or in my case, starting to exercise.) Instead, it’s about moving your body throughout the day so you increase your overall calorie expenditures.
That’s where the CalTrac comes in, and it’s been invaluable for helping me see my overall level of activity in terms of calories burned. Like a step counter, it measures impact, but instead of showing how many steps you’ve taken, it shows how many calories you’ve burned. For me, this approach provides way more value. After all, it’s hard to relate to what 4000 steps means. But tell me I’ve burned 300 calories, and Whoa, Baby! I can have an extra brownie! (OK, not really, but that does reflect how I feel about it.)
The first few weeks, it wasn’t too hard to meet my daily calorie goals. But the last couple weeks, it’s made me think. I’ve had to be creative to burn a few extra calories, which has been fun … most of the time.
One day, I took my kids to Toys R Us to get a present for their cousin. I figured I needed to burn some calories, so I parked at the back of the (empty) lot. We got out of the car and *WHOOSH* just about got blown off our feet by a wicked Midwestern wind. But I was not going to drive my car closer. I marched my kids to the entrance, half carrying my 5 year old so she wouldn’t fly away, and I got those calories, gosh darn it!
Only now, whenever my daughter runs errands with me, she loudly declares as we pull into the parking lot, “Mommy, I want you to park in the front.” So my plan to get my kids in this wonderful habit of parking in the back of the lot has backfired. Ah well.
But all this maneuvering to increase my calorie expenditure has made me think in terms of inefficiency. As a business owner, I try to maximize my efficiency in everything I do. I write about it, in fact, when I advise people to stop rewriting and reuse. It’s all about efficiency. And in our inevitable quest for more time, that focus on efficiency bleeds over into our personal lives.
So I have made a dedicated effort to stop being so efficient in my personal life. How many of you have a basket at the bottom of the stairs that you pile stuff up in and then carry upstairs all in one go? I have one of those, but I’ve stopped using it. When something needs to go upstairs, I take it right then. When I carry groceries inside, I do it two bags at a time instead of 4 at a time. Getting the mail? I go out the front door rather than the garage. It only adds a few steps, but, hey, it adds up. And the biggest change: instead of using the bathroom right beside my office, I go up to the top floor, so I get two flights of stairs in.
Now, if I were reading this two months ago, I’d say, “Sure, but I don’t have time to go running up and down the stairs all day long. I’ve got too much to do.” But you know, it hasn’t eaten into my day at all. In fact, I’ve got more energy. Where before I would have balked at running up the stairs, now, it’s no problem.
Better yet, I’ve somehow found the time (I’m not really sure where it’s come from besides my extra energy) to have coffee or lunch with friends a couple times a week. So on top of feeling refreshed and energized, I’m getting good “me” time out of it, too. Yippee!
Cheers,
Yara
PS: I know this is all subjective and it’s my experience. But I have no doubt that Gillian can help you make the same changes in your life simply by helping you increase your overall activity in a lasting and meaningful way. If you want more energy or more time for yourself, I urge you to find out more about Gillian’s intuitive eating and fitness coaching.
PPS: Want to know more about Gillian’s approach? Sign up for her special report: Six Simple Steps to Guilt-Free Eating.
April 17th, 2007
I am excited to introduce you to Sharon Williams, Chairperson of the Alliance for Virtual Businesses and OIVAC. She has stopped at the Fit for Business blog during her Blog Hopping VA Tour for the promotion of the Virtual Assistant Industry and its upcoming convention. Sharon is traveling the web, answering questions about the VA industry at each stop. I asked Sharon some questions about virtual assistants and how they benefit the small business owner.
You don’t want to miss the upcoming Online International Virtual Assistant Convention May 17 - May 19, 2007! See the website for more details and to register. And be sure to check out the great speakers, including me! I will be presenting “Grow Your Business, Not Your Waistline” on Saturday the 19th – I can’t wait!
Sharon will be visiting the Healthier Outcomes blog this Friday, April 13th. She will be discussing the common injuries virtual assistants are plagued with and ideas for prevention. If you sit at a computer for hours a day, you don’t want to miss this. Go to the blog to subscribe so you are notified of when the post is up.
Now, here’s Sharon…
Gillian, your blog is the perfect day after Easter stop for this VA promotion tour. I consumed too many chocolate marshmallow bunnies yesterday after visiting Ann Zuccardy of Vermont Shortbread Company. I need a little advice about how to shed these pounds. Oh, that’s right! I’m here to share insights about the virtual assisting industry and choosing your ideal VA. Well, before I talk to you about those bunnies, I’ll take your questions.
1. Please share with us the benefits to the entrepreneur of hiring a virtual assistant.
While visiting previous stops, I identified several financial, tangible and non-tangible benefits of hiring a virtual assistant. A short list of benefits includes:
• no responsibility for office furnishings, equipment, personnel-related benefits, vacations, or taxes, etc.;
• acquisition of a confidante – right hand person – to contribute insight and brainstorm business issues;
• VA assuming routine back office-related tasks or duties the client lacks knowledge, skills, time or desire to perform;
• work with a technology expert experienced in handling internet and Web site-related tasks;
• gain extra hours to perform income-generating responsibilities and duties that fuel your passion.
A benefit I haven’t covered is the ability to improve work/life balance. By hiring a VA, clients can systemize the business and automate its processes. When this is accomplished, s/he [the client] can schedule previously designated times to family, friends, hobbies, or to just to relax alone. It is important to allocate time to unwind from the daily grind of running a business, reducing stress, and enjoy life’s gifts and pleasures.
2. What would you say to a business owner that thinks it would just be cheaper to hire a high school student or local mom looking for some part-time work instead of a virtual assistant?
This is so easy! I’d say “You Get What You Pay For!”
When hiring a VA, the client gains access to skills, knowledge, training, experience, business acumen, and the international networks of which s/he is a member. From a strictly business planning aspect, it is advantageous to work with resourceful individuals who can be your “go to” person. High school students lack experience, and often time to complete assignments; eventually, a high school student’s level of commitment to the client’s business may change, as school, home and social involvement increases. As a result, the owner has to “acclimate” and “train” a new student, which takes them away from other business-related obligations. Moms may be more flexibility than high school students, but may lack the professional administrative experience to perform tasks vital to supporting a successful business, and may face similar issues as a result of family and other commitments.
All of these factors may lead to loss of investment if the client hasn’t chosen an ideal assistant. Traditionally, a virtual assistant’s mission is to support her client by assuming administrative tasks. If an entrepreneur is required to train and retrain students and part-time moms, she will expend much more money, time and effort than originally anticipated. In the long run, she would have better work product, suffered less stress, and saved time by hiring a professional virtual assistant.
3. What are some of the most common tasks that entrepreneurs hand over to virtual assistants?
Well of course it depends on the industry and VA’s specialty, but typical tasks virtual assistants handle include:
• Document processing
• Mail merge
• Creating PowerPoint presentations
• Responding to email
• Create e-zines
• Internet research
• Appointment Scheduling and Calendar Management
• Teleseminar Recording
• Order Processing
• Transcription
4. I have heard a lot of discussion lately about how virtual assistants can actually make you money by doing much of the marketing work for you. Can you elaborate?
There are several types of marketing; including brick and mortar, direct, relationship (social networking) and online. If you, the client, have documented your short and long term goals and created action items to achieve them; my response is yes, the VA can perform much of the marketing work.
What actually is “much of the marketing work?” If you are referring to collecting demographics, conducting research, identifying what the market (your ideal target audience) wants and secondly needs, she is capable of performing those tasks.
However, there are responsibilities that should be performed before the VA takes charge. One responsibility is the development of targeted survey questions to ask current clients. As part of the survey, the VA can ask for honest input about the quality of service provided, ask the responder to identify services they WANT (probably not something asked often in the past), and solicit feedback on areas that require improvement. By making this “connection” or “reconnection”, your client will feel important; and that you value her input. As a result, the customer may rekindle interest in your product, service, or purchasable item. With this ammunition you and your VA may design a fantastic marketing program. The VA may utilize tools, technology, resources, vendors, etc. that may contribute to cost savings. Combine your VAs knowledge, technology, vendor selection, and an accurate ROI, and the outcomes aid the client in identifying new targets and new products, ultimately resulting in more sales.
5. How can my readers find out more information about virtual assistants and how to find the right one?
As the industry continues to grow, VA member organizations continue to form. Alliance for Virtual Businesses has an extensive directory of VA groups and training programs as well as list servs, coaching programs, FAQs and much, much more available for reading and download. In addition, the Alliance also provides individual VA profiles. Visitors can read a general overview about the listed VA, and click through to their personal web sites for more information. Feel free to download A Virtual Solution for Business Growth, Stability & Profitability, a white paper that describes what to look for in an ideal virtual assistant and the benefits of working with the right one.
It’s getting late and I have to plan tomorrow’s stop, which is Meredith Eisenberg of Highlight This. Come by and visit Meredith’s blog to get tomorrow’s clue. Today’s clue (#9) is iednnednpte. Need a Scrambled Clue Puzzle Board? Download it here and visit OIVAC for details about the upcoming VA industry convention.
About Sharon Williams
Sharon is the Chairperson of the Alliance for Virtual Businesses and OIVAC, and president of The 24 Hour Secretary an administrative, secretarial and internet-based marketing support services company. She is the 2006 recipient of the Thomas Leonard International Virtual Assistant of Distinction Award and co-founder of Virtual Business University an e-learning environment for entrepreneurs willing to step towards their greatness.
April 9th, 2007
by Yara Nielsenshultz
I was away from my business for a week unexpectedly (my cousin’s baby died, so I flew out on the first plane I could to lend my support), and I came back to late deadlines and 458 email messages. Fortunately, my clients understood and allowed me to extend deadlines, but I made it a priority to get those taken care of immediately.
But that meant a bigger workload than normal, and consequently, I have been feeling overwhelmed and anxious. When I get that way, my stomach feels empty and it roils around. It makes me feel hungry, even when I know I shouldn’t be. In the past, I’d settle it by eating. And not eating healthy, either!
This time, with Gillian’s help, I have a plan. Originally, I had planned to go to my local community college fitness center to start working out, and I did do that — once! — before I went out of town. But with so much catch-up to do, I can’t stand the thought of being away — not to mention getting dressed in workout clothes and driving there and dealing with other people on the machines. It’s too much.
Gillian asked me what felt “right” right now, and when I listened to my body, I realized that walking feels right. Nothing long or fast or hard, just walking in my neighborhood. I’ve done it twice now, and while it doesn’t make the anxiety go away completely, it does reduce my faux hunger pangs. And it’s easy. I don’t even change clothes — just put on shoes and head on out for 15-20 minutes.
If I weren’t working with Gillian right now, I’d still be stuck in old habits — eating to ease my anxiety. But now, I have a strategy that works for *me* to keep my feelings under control while I catch up with business and get *it* back under control. Thanks, Gillian!
Cheers,
Yara
PS: See if any of Gillian’s coaching packages will help you reduce stress so you can get more done. You can see them here: http://www.healthieroutcomes.com/coachingpackages.html
March 26th, 2007
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