When it comes to food, what is your inner dialogue? “I’ll just have a little.”……….600 calories “I don’t want to disappoint the (kids, spouse)” …..800 calories “It is SO not fair they can have it and I can’t.” …900 calories “It’s Halloween…they are only bite size.” …1,000 calories “I am so bored right now.”…..1,100 calories “I’ll eat better and exercise tomorrow.”….1,200 calories “It’s a buffet, I have to get my money’s worth!” …. 1,600 calories “I’m in a hurry; I’ll just grab this because it is easy.” …1,750 calories “I’m so tired; I need a quick boost to keep up my strength.”… 1,850 calories ..read more

Are you living the life you want, Or living in a self-imposed prison? Are you living in a self-imposed prison? Many of us go through life living within a small limited cell where we expose ourselves to a steady stream of fear, guilt, shame and resentments. The prison is our own mind and we hold the key to freedom and a happier more fulfilling life. Think for a moment about something you have really wanted to do; perhaps you have tried and gave up, talked yourself out of it, or just never got around to doing it. For example, let’s say you wanted to be “x” pounds so you could take the pressure ..read more

“If you believe you can, or you belief you can’t you are right.” — Henry Ford I used to believe…if I stepped on a crack, I’d break my mother’s back; that the tooth fairy would leave money under my pillow in payment for lost teeth;  and that in order to be successful in life, I had to go to college…WOW where did all these beliefs come from? Well, for a short time after my friend Laurie told me about the “crack belief’” I had a rather irregular gait as I walked, skipped and jumped over cracks on my way to Longfellow Elementary School. Eventually it happened…I accidentally stepped on a crack ..read more

Do you already know what to eat, but you just can’t seem to stick with it? Why is that? There is a fairly simple formula for maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle. That formula is expressed in hundreds of different successful diet plans and programs. Here’s the formula for anyone to be healthier, thinner, and more fit:  eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and lean proteins in small portions eat 3 meals and sometimes 1-2 snacks a day exercise 30-60 minutes a day, 5-6 days a week drink 8-10 glasses of water limit your consumption of alcohol and sweets.  ..read more

NORTH STATE, Redding, California—Those of us who work in the human development field are aware there are three versions of ourselves. The person we show to others, the person we think we are and the person who we are. These are three distinctly different psychological mindsets and is one of the core problems people face when attempting to make a positive change in their life. Our three selves are often in conflict and disagreement. Especially our public person vs. who we really are. For positive change to be sustainable our three personas must become one. This is done by honest self-exploratio ..read more

NORTH STATE, Redding, California—Happiness, contentment, ecstasy, pain, misery and suffering. The line between love and hate is a thin one. Nostalgia is remembering the good things from the past and forgetting the bad. All of these things must be reflected upon to understand. Each and everyone of us is a combination of our background, education, experience, preconceptions, bias and many other environmental and social influences. Yet all of the above must be confronted by almost every human being throughout their lifetime. Our quality of life is not only determined by our ability to make good d ..read more

North State, Redding, CA -- When we think of ninja, we think of the extreme martial arts combatant, or the humorous Ninja Turtles. We don't think of a hypnotist as being a ninja. But providing quality hypnosis is very similar to the skills of the ninja fighter. No, hypnotists are not combatants. Nor would we intentionally do harm under any circumstance. When I refer to the ninja skills of the hypnotist I'm speaking of our ability to communicate, read and offer our clients a convenient pathway to the success they want and deserve. As the late great Dr. Milton Erickson once said, "all blades of ..read more

North State, Redding, CA -- Have you tried to lose weight before? Where you successful? Have you been on a "fad" diet? Bought weight loss gizmos and gadgets? Had low cal, styrofoam-tasting food delivered to your door? Or have you tried the many miracle weight loss formulas and pills available on the market? If these well-advertised weight loss cures worked, two-thirds of adult America would not be overweight or obese. But facts don't lie. Obesity has reached pandemic levels in America. The new miracle cure comes out and we all line up like sheep being led to slaughter to buy the new false hope ..read more

In my last post I defined the effects of lies, rationalizations and denial on a genuine weight loss effort. I suggested that no weight loss effort could be successful without honest commitment and persistence. No diet works because diets end. People who successfully lose weight, adopt new eating habits and improved physical activity for a lifetime. But that's only part of the equation. A friend of mine who is a PA takes the heroic stance of believing the root cause of any disease must be diagnosed and treated before complete recovery can be achieved. In today's healthcare system we spend 15 mi ..read more

There are few things in life that we have more control over than what, when, where, why and how much we eat. Unless you are physically disabled and unable to do so, the act of walking is not a difficult task. When we combine sensible eating habits with the simple act of walking 20 minutes three to four times a week, losing weight is no longer impossible, but probable. So why is 70% of adult America overweight or obese? Why has the number of overweight children almost tripled since 1980? There are many reasons of course. More available fast food, more stressful environment, questionable quality ..read more