There is a fine line between ordinary and extraordinary, but what’s great is that YOU define your destiny by having control of your life and choosing what happens.

It all starts with being responsible for YOUR choices and actions; taking the necessary steps to become the most genuine, humble and compassionate version of YOU.

Reacting in stressful situations can be difficult, so follow these tips when striving to live your life above the line:

• It’s not about who wins. Make the choice to be kind, and adapt this philosophy into your daily routine, if possible. Petty arguments can happen frequently, but you can avoid wasting precious time and energy by preventing an argument before it begins.
• Step away from conflict. When faced with a hostile situation, often the best, but hardest thing to do is walk away. Remember: walking away doesn't mean you’re a weak person. It means that the situation doesn’t warrant your attention and energy.
• Be nice for the sake of being nice. Complement or do good things for others without expecting anything in return. We often fight for attention, praise, compliments, and favors, but the most compassionate and genuine people are those that do good deeds, and don't expect a thing in return.
• Your reactions speak volumes. Don’t sweat the small stuff – let it roll right off your shoulders! Everyone has flaws, but nobody likes when they are exposed. It’s important to accept that criticism is part of everyday life. It’s up to you to not take it personal.

OPTAVIA leaders intentionally shift above the line by taking ownership, and accountability on their journey to lifelong transformation, one healthy habit at a time™.

Ask me, your OPTAVIA Coach, how living above the line is an important part of Optimal Health, wellbeing and success.

What do you do when the weather turns cooler and we retreat inside? Many of us turn to so-called “comfort foods”. But, these dishes are laden with high-calorie, high-fat ingredients that leave us absolutely uncomfortable when we’ve finished eating them.

The main ingredient in our comfort foods, however, is our own emotions. Foods that comfort us do so because they induce the release of “bliss chemicals” (opioids and cannabinoids) that work in concert with dopamine to activate the brain’s reward system, producing powerful reinforcement. And when we experience a defeat or get some sad news, when we’re overwhelmed, stressed out, angry, or anxious, we turn to them for the calming effects we attach to them.

We have to learn how to deal with our urges to comfort eat in order to free ourselves of the emotional eating habit.

Here’s how we do that:

• View any urge you experience to comfort eat as essentially meaningless. You can think of your mind as a bus: you are the driver, and the passengers (thoughts, feelings, urges) are demanding that you overeat: “I feel sad! Eat!” “I feel stressed! Eat!” But these passengers are not really you because you are not your habits, you are in control of the bus!
• Separate yourself from urges. This would be like acknowledging these unruly passengers, but not following their directions as to where to take the bus. They can yell all they want, but the best way to get them to stop is to be aware of, but not pay attention to them or give in to their demands. You want to look at your urges the same way—as a detached observer. You’re the driver; these urges to overeat are just passengers.

These are just a few ways to free ourselves of this emotional eating habit. Ask me, your OPTAVIA Coach, for other ways to combat these tricky voices in our heads!

Fulfilled

“I’m an acupuncturist and a massage therapist. In my professional role, I’m expected to set an example of good health, but I’ve never felt that I set a good example because I’ve been overweight for 30 years.”

Laura has been motivated to lose weight. In fact, she’s lost weight before, and been successful, but it would just come back. It was bad, and she would tell her Clients, “if you lost weight it would help your problem,” but how could they take her seriously, when Laura herself, was not following her own advice?

“My wonderful husband never complained. He always said, I was just fine the way I was, and he was never unhappy with my weight, no matter where it fell on the scale. I guess I might have used that as an excuse not to lose weight. But, at the end of the day, my size was embarrassing for me.”

A few years ago, Laura’s doctor told her that she had the signs of metabolic syndrome. That was a huge wake up call for her. She got bodywork, took vitamins, ate healthy foods, but she didn't do everything she needed to do so she decided she needed to make a permanent change and found the OPTAVIA Program.

“OPTAVIA’s Program was all about wellness, but for me the first step was weight loss. I've lost 80 pounds* to date, and I now have a healthy BMI. I’ve also learned other habits that help me. I go to bed at a consistent time, I exercise 30 minutes a day, I drink 64-ounces of water every day, and I pace my meals and snacks to give me a balanced blood sugar.”

The OPTAVIA Program has really helped Laura a lot, and she’s been able to keep the weight off for more than two years!

“Now I have the tools I need to help my Clients since I’m now an OPTAVIA Coach. I use these tools in addition to other skills to help people achieve Optimal Health, and lifelong transformation, one healthy habit at a time™.

That's what Laura really wanted to be all along – a good example. Now that she is, she couldn’t feel more fulfilled.