My 14,000 Calorie Surplus

Since my sons have been in and out of my home throughout the summer, I have put on about four pounds.  Those pounds snuck up on me it seemed overnight!  I've had to take a good look as to what I've been doing to deserve this newly stored 14,000 extra calories!  I needed to investigate!

Jordan with Tickles and Rocky

  Let's see, I made them their favorite dinners (last night it was mashed potatoes and gravy and I'll be darned if I'm going to scrimp on the ingredients) a few nights a week and they've had "their" food clogging my fridge and cupboards.  (What's the big deal if I have one small bowl of Cocoa Puffs before bed?)

My overstuffed, junk filled fridge

But, I can't blame it all on them.  As I made one of my typical breakfasts the other morning, I actually looked hard at what I assumed was a teaspoon of peanut butter on the knife poised atop my toast.  I tried to measure it by site then decided to use a measuring spoon.  I was nearly dead on!  But, once I'd finished preparing my toast, I automatically put the knife back into the jar to do my usual  knife dip; that extra lick from the knife before putting the jar away.  I decided to measure my dip.  It was a full teaspoon or more!  OK, it's only thirty five or so calories, but, on a grander scale, it becomes a pound of fat after swallowing the hundredth knife scoop.  What if I didn't do my "knife dip" and instead put the jar away?

Gian made dinner one night.  He told me he was making chicken burritos.  White tortillas, 210 calories; refried beans, 190 calories; avocado slices, 100 calories; plop of sour cream, 70 calories; chicken breast, 90 calories.  (I added fresh vegetables to mine, just for kicks.)

Later in the day, while I made my lunch,  I mindlessly went to the kid's stash, ready to nibble on a few tortilla chips while heating my soup.  It occurred to me that if I simply did not do those little extra nibbles, I could lop off approximately one hundred or more calories.  Hmmm...I'm beginning to see a pattern!

The yummy zucchini bread Cathy made me.  I finally learned to enjoy one slice, not two or more!

A multitude of studies have found that, on average, normal weight people underestimate their daily caloric intake by about 20% and obese people underestimate by 30 - 40%.  Quite a few underestimate up to 50% or more!  (Even those who walk around with their trusty calorie counter will underestimate the amount of calories they consume.)  That said, it is no wonder why so many fitness professionals ask their clients to measure and weigh portions as well as keep an accurate food journal for at least three weeks.  The more aware one is, the less likely they will underestimate, with such glaring disparity, what they put into their mouth.

I've gained a few pounds and I am again mindful to what I am eating and drinking.  I am not going to diet because every time I have ever thought about dieting, I get all weird and start thinking about food compulsively.  Yuck!  No way!  Nope, it's the 10, 100, 5 rule for me.  Bye bye, four pounds!  I'll let you know next Wednesday how it's going!

GianPaolo and his Kirby

Oh, and bye bye Gian!  I am getting him up in a few minutes.  He's driving to his new school in LA.   And, I am once again an empty nester!  So, this will be a good time to be mindful!  Wish me luck!

What is Sabotaging Your Weight Loss?

I have just lost my entire post.  I've spent an hour or more flip-flopping my sentence structure before it had made sense.  Then, while typing, at a mindless speed, the post vanished.  How did I lose it?   I tried everything I knew to retrieve it.  I am just a bit frustrated!

How is it we can't lose weight as easy as we lose a document, an engagement ring or a pair of designer sunglasses?  Then we are frustrated when we can't lose it as quickly as we desire.  Similarly, we are frustrated when we lose our car keys having just had them a moment ago.


Weight loss, for most of us, is more of an emotional endeavor than a physical one.  Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what your motivation is for losing weight?  I have asked each and every client who desires to lose weight what their motivation is.  Here are the two most common answers:




     1.  "I want to look better and have more confidence."  
I'd say, when my client finally is truthful, that this is the most common answer given.  We feel better about ourselves when we can fit into our clothes.  And, there is a sense of achievement when we can maintain a size that is enviable to our peers.


     2.  "I want to be healthier."  
There are a number of people who really do not seem to care whether or not they look better, they want to be able to feel physically stronger and have a better quality of life.  Often this person is dealing with some kind of health issue.


    Let's face it,  we care what people think about how we look or how disciplined we are.  In the world we live in today we are bombarded with perfect looking bodies everywhere we turn.  It can be downright exhausting to try to compete with all we are exposed to.  Stop competing, and move towards a leaner, healthier body right now by giving up the diet mentality!


This is easier said than done.  I am sure all of you would love to never have to think about dieting again as long as you live.  Well, then do it!  Let me guide you!

For today, give yourself permission to simply observe how you eat and what your true desire is when it comes to food.  If you are a sugar junkie, getting your appetite under control can be difficult.  Once you eat sugar, your blood sugars elevate , but, will drop quickly. This process can make us feel hungry, even if we aren't truly hungry.  When we diet we feel deprived and hungry and our blood sugars drop.  This is when we will eat anything that will fulfill us.  Usually, it is the high octane carbs, such as cookies, chips and breads, that we will jump on when given the opportunity.

Marchelle, Bodeci Body of the month.  She lost the weight she gained vacationing by doing the "10 minutes, 100 less and 5 more"  program.   More on Marchelle and her fantastic achievements to come!

Once you have openly discovered your patterns, make the choice to eat healthier; more vegetables, more fruits, legumes and whole grains.  When you want a special treat, allow it, but only if it is a treat you truly desire and find extraordinary in it's appearance, texture and flavor.  Do not settle for less!

I have seen time and again my client's disciplined weight loss plan begin on Monday.  Then it's the weekend and Friday through Sunday is a buffet line in Vegas.  I know, you are human.  Deprivation and suffering doesn't work for more than a few days.  (You'll only put on more weight because you make up for the dieting deprivation by eating whatever and whenever you can from Friday through Sunday.  Huh..)

If you want to feel unsuccessful, diet, if you want to feel strong and powerful,  don't diet, be mindful.  A great book on the subject is Brian Wansick's "Mindless Eating".  Read it and understand what is behind FAT!  You are not to blame for your ignorance.  You have been fed a bunch of junk!  (No pun intended!)


No more frustration!  Today you are a human being.  So, be human!

Stories: The Unknown Woman

One lovely summer afternoon my boyfriend, Randy (who is my husband today but we were not yet married) and my two boys, Gian and Jordan, went to a fundraiser at our local church.  It was a community affair, but there were a whole lot of folks I didn't know, which is really different for me as I was raised in this small community.

We had already gone through the "buffet" line (they were serving hot dogs and potato salad) when we plunked ourselves down at a picnic table to relish in the old fashioned fare.  As we began to eat, a family (dad first then two boys then mom) walked by our table.  We smiled and said "hello" and they did the same.   

The "mom" was, by all accounts, hefty, and she was beautiful!  But, what I noticed was her attention to detail.  She wore an attractive and updated version of the "moo moo" in magenta colors.  Her hair was long, black and gorgeous; very Polynesian.  Her skin was luminous, a rich nut color and moisturized with care.  She wore a shimmering shade of magenta on her lips.  When she smiled at us and pulled her sunglasses down (flirty), and said "hello" in her husky voice, it was transformational.   To have seen this woman in all her glory, changed my idea of 'beautiful' forever.

I couldn't stop thinking about her drop dead gorgeousness as the day went by.  Later, when the boys were asleep, I asked Randy who he thought was the most beautiful woman at the gig.  (Thank God he knows to say, "you, dear" first.)  

"This may come as a surprise, but remember that woman who flipped her sunglasses down when she said 'hello'...?"  How could I forget? 

The "Unknown Woman" taught me the best lesson of my life.  Smile, laugh, have joy, be present with others, love yourself, love others, show off your best attributes and be real.  This is to live BODECI!

What is beautiful?  To be skinny?  To be more curvy?  No!  To be real!


Move away from the mirror that makes you feel ugly!  Take back your individuality and show the world  a new and loving person!  You can change an attitude in an instant with a look and a smile.  She did!  

Now, YOU do it!  Be beautiful!!!  Let me know...

E stands for: Exercise. To have Energy!

If you aren’t too keen on it, I really want to challenge you to change your mind (Yes, we’re talking about exercise!). I certainly wasn’t an “A” student in P.E., and I know how tedious conventional exercise can be for some of us. However, it should be enjoyable and/or purposeful, so whatever floats your boat is OK! The only rule is that you need to do something 6 days a week for one hour a day. Now don’t freak out, you can work up to that slowly. In no time you will be looking forward to your workouts as you will come to view them as time spent with the most important person in your life….you!  And for some it is the time spent with others, friends old and new and family.

The key to enjoying exercise is finding out what kind of movement you enjoy doing. Ultimately it should be balanced and beneficial to your whole being.  And, it should burn more calories than your usual day to day activities as well as work your cardiovascular system for better endurance. 

I personally abhor "cardio" equipment but love to walk (really fast), bound up stairs, hike beautiful hills and mountains and dance with abandon both on the "floor" and off! And, I am fortunate to teach my BODECI method workout several times per week. I'm not dissing treadmills  and I know plenty of people who really dig jogging on a treadmill or zipping along on the elliptical trainer; it affords them personal time to catch up on reading  a book, catching the news, or to simply "zone out". Your choice is personal.

Fitness isn’t just cardiovascular exercise, however; it’s also maintaining muscular strength and endurance.  The average person loses about a pound of muscle per year after the age of 25, which will not only weaken the body but slow down the metabolism. Simply put: Aging!  Your body ages many ways, but, not rebuilding it is a slow death.  I want to be alive at an old age to see my great grand kids, too, but I don't want them carrying me to the event.

Helen, my Bodeci body of the month, has lost a total of 26.5 lbs. on the scale.  But, she has gained an amazing 17 lbs. of muscle!!  Her total fat loss is 43 lbs.!  

Resistance training is for building strong muscle. Strong and healthy muscles act as a machine for our structure as they fuel movement and function. For every pound of muscle gained, one can burn 50 to 100 calories more per day. One may notice they are getting leaner, but may not even see a drop on the scale because they may have gained five pounds of muscle and lost five pounds of fat.  Now, at the same weight, a person could burn two hundred fifty to five hundred extra calories per day!!  That can add up.  Once muscle muscle is developed, one can lose half a pound to 1 pound of fat and not have to give up a whole lot!  But, let me be very clear here, working out is not a complete means for weight loss especially when one has been working out for a while and they only need to lose five to ten pounds. 

Exercise, whether structured or playtime, is one of the most positive things you can do for yourself.  A shaman I studied ‘myself’ with years ago said it is hard to have an unhealthy mind in a fit body.  Exercise gives us confidence and a wonderful sense of wellbeing.  On those days you’d rather sleep in or run home for a glass of wine right after work, you are missing out on more energy and more relaxation. Yes, exercise does both. I call it relaxed energy and it is the best feeling one can have.  The ability to comfortably move through your day with a lack of stress can make you more productive and happier. So never think you don’t have enough time in a day to exercise, you won’t have much energy to get the job done if you don’t.

I love being here right now!

Nancy came up to me after my Bodeci workout class Saturday morning and said, “I really appreciated a comment you said this morning.  You said, ‘I love being here right now!’”

(Nancy J., my amazing Bodeci workout substitute teacher, performing a reverse crunch.)

I had been performing a particularly grueling exercise and was close to exhaustion.  Nancy went on to tell me, “It made me stop my usual strand of self-talk and be present.  It made a huge difference in my experience with what was happening at that moment.”

Like me, many of us regularly project away from “the moment” with self-depreciating thoughts or ruminations of past or future experiences.

For the rest of the day, I purposed to “love being here right now” and I felt a sense of peace and fulfillment moving through me. While at a big engagement party later that day, I became aware of an old feeling of anxiety.  But I remembered my focus and found myself enjoying moments shared with friends, old and new.  Instead of, “I hope so-and-so isn’t offended I haven’t been over to talk to her yet.” or “I probably shouldn’t have worn these shorts” or  “shoot, I didn’t finish my Bodeci thought” I slowed down my mind and stayed “in the moment”.

Slow your thoughts.  Look where your feet are.  That is where you are supposed to be:  In “the moment”!  

Helen, started with me February 1st

 Bodeci body of month 

Today, she has lost 41 pounds of fat and gained 17 pounds of muscle.

Andiamo!