The last five elements have set you up with a clear understanding of where you are currently in terms of your health and identifying your motivation. Now we’ll explore how improving weight management is a byproduct of a simple approach to creating overall health and wellbeing. First, you’ll need to assess the current phase of your weight management. There are three different measurements to evaluate your current phase in your weight management: body mass index, waist circumference, and body fat.

• Body mass index (BMI). BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. When combined with your waist circumference, it determines if you’re at a healthy weight.
• Waist circumference. Waist circumference allows us to evaluate organ fat accumulation and indicates if extra fat poses a health challenge. To correctly measure waist circumference, stand and place a tape measure around your middle, just above your hip bone, and measure your waist after exhaling.
• Body fat. Tracking body fat helps you determine if you are in fact losing fat and not muscle. OPTAVIA’s Programs are designed to minimize muscle loss.

The current state of your weight is exactly that—a phase that you will move through as you continue to improve your weight management. Don’t get caught up on numbers of your weight, BMI, and body fat percentage. Instead, keep these three key points in mind when working toward a healthy weight:

1. It’s more than weight loss. Your focus should be on building health and wellbeing. These lifestyle changes will motivate you each day.
2. Use structural tension. Use structural tension to help you transition from your current weight to your desired weight. This will determine the actions you need to take to make this a reality.
3. Implement the Habits of Health. Your healthy weight will derive from implementing new healthy habits that will make managing your weight much easier. Unlike willpower, habits transform your old actions into new choices that support your long-term health.

Ask me, your OPTAVIA Coach, about other tips to improve your weight management on your journey to Lifelong Transformation, One Healthy Habit at a Time^® and stay tuned for next week’s newsletter featuring Element 07 of Your LifeBook in the new Habits of Health Transformational System—creating a new leptogenic world.

Still need to order your NEW Habits of Health^® Transformational System? Let’s connect today!

Now that the days are getting shorter, you may be tempted to stay indoors and hibernate, which can stall your progress toward reaching your health goals. Don’t let this get in the way of your transformation! Here are some ways to stay on track and maintain your healthy habits:

• Get some sun. As the days become shorter and darker earlier, we get less time in the sun. Supplement with either Vitamin D or make sure that you spend some time outside. Vitamin D can boost your mood and immune system.
• Prepare for flu season.  Build up your immune system by taking vitamins and stock up on hand sanitizer. Practicing healthy sleep habits can help keep the common cold away from you and your family.
• Maintain your Habits of Motion. Just because the weather is changing that doesn’t mean that you can’t continue your healthy habits of motion. Take your habit inside or layer up and continue to stay in motion.
• Take time for yourself. This time of the year can be hectic and overwhelming, so it’s important to take time for yourself when you can. It can be as simple as journaling for an hour each day or reading each night uninterrupted. 

Ask me, your OPTAVIA Coach, about other ways to practice healthy habits this season on your journey to Lifelong Transformation, One Healthy Habit at a Time^®.

Set Free by YES

“A few years ago, if you'd had asked me if life was where I wanted it, I would have told you no. My weight might have been fine, but my habits were far from healthy. My finances were nowhere close. I was stuck.”

But Jen encountered something that changed her mindset. A friend invited her to try OPTAVIA and she said YES.

“That ‘yes’ to a healthy transformation of my physical habits changed my whole relationship with food. It reshaped the way I thought about fueling my body and managing my emotions.”

Jen’s motivation inspired others in her family to take control of their health also. Now, along with Jen, they are OPTAVIA Coaches committed to helping others achieve lifelong transformation.

“My whole family is committed to the value that our lives are made better when we help other people win.”

A few months later, Jen was at a major crossroads. After ten years of staying home to raise her children, she faced the financial pressure of having to return to work. She decided to commit to being an OPTAVIA Coach full time. Since then, she’s been able to create healthy finances and work on her own terms*.

“A few years ago, my husband and I dreamed of building a church in San Diego. With limited resources, we were faced with multiple challenges. But OPTAVIA positioned me to create the financial means to chase a big dream*. I worked hard and that dream has become a reality.”

 “Life was never meant to be handcuffed by NO. Life is longer, healthier, and more hopeful when it's set free by YES. My health, home, and future were all ignited by one simple, yet deeply transformational word: YES.”

*This income testimonial is not representative of the average earnings that Coaches achieve with OPTAVIA; only a very small number of Coaches will achieve income that is within the range of the above testimonial. OPTAVIA makes no guarantee of financial success. Success with OPTAVIA results only from successful sales efforts, which require hard work, diligence, skill, persistence, competence, and Leadership. Please see the OPTAVIA Income Disclosure Statement (bit.ly/idsOPTAVIA) for statistics on actual earnings of Coaches.