Weight Management Programs at Spas
Cal-a-Vie in Vista, California

• Eat only when hungry, not when tired. Rest when tired.
• When stressed, engage in some physical activity. Then sit and practice deep breathing and meditation rather than eat. This will relax your nervous system, and you will be less likely to eat compulsively.
• When hunger strikes, try drinking several glasses of pure water. The water will take the edge off the hunger and will help the digestive process. Exercise for 10 minutes, either walking or doing yoga or the like to stimulate metabolism, then eat.
• Before you eat, take a few deep breaths. Without oxygen we cannot metabolize our food. Consider deep breathing the first course. Acknowledge that you will eat slowly, chew thoroughly, enjoy your food completely and digest and assimilate it efficiently, because you are eating with awareness.
• Portion control is important. Know how much you are really eating then alter accordingly. Fill up on high-bulk, low-calorie foods such as large salads with light dressings, lots of vegetables with every meal or snack and choose fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth. Cut fatty junk foods, making sure to get some of the essential fats daily by eating cold water fish (salmon, trout, tuna), or flaxseed, walnuts or soy. Choose whole, unrefined foods such as brown rice, whole wheat and beans as a source of wholesome carbohydrates (but stick with small servings of these calorie dense foods). Choose lean proteins such as skinless chicken, turkey or seafood.
• Keep a food diary of all that you eat and when. Look for patterns. Do you tend to overeat when tired, stressed, lonely or bored?
• Eat less. Stop when the hunger goes away - not when you are full. Affirm that you eat to live, not live to eat.
• Routine physical exercise and spiritual practice such as regular meditation helps to balance stress, self-esteem and oral gratification issues in a healthy way.
• Keeping weight down is one way to take good care of your self. Ask this question: “How will my weight loss regimen make me a more balanced and integrated person?”
• Reward yourself with non-food treats such as a new outfit, a facial or a massage to keep you motivated to reach your weight loss goal.
• Work toward health and wellness rather than weight loss. It is far better to be fit and overweight than fat and sedentary. Spend more time working with your inner being rather than your outer shell. Too many people in our culture are obsessed with looks, completely steeped in body consciousness. The world doesn’t need more skinny people, it needs more happy, healthy and loving people. Try loving the essential you first - no matter what your size or shape. This will make your outer transformation that much easier and far more lasting.