1.) Spend time daily in deep relaxation, at least an hour throughout the day...more if possible. This is a powerful way to balance and decrease the stress hormone cortisol. The more cortisol you have running through your body, the more your body will gain and hold onto weight like there's no tomorrow. 2.) Take longer pauses between your meals. You can do this by eliminating snacking throughout the day, or extending the time between dinner and breakfast. Doesn't have to be the same pause every day, it's actually great to vary it up, but more time pausing between meals will help you lose weight. Some people call this intermittent fasting. Don't matter what you call it. It works by decreasing insulin and countering insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can make weight loss almost impossible. Similar to cortisol...the more insulin you have running through your body, the more your body will gain weight and refuse to let it go. 3.) Start a Food and Mood Journal. Write down everything you eat, and how you felt while eating and afterwards. No judgment, just data. You can use dirty napkins to write it down, or a fancy journal. Don't matter, just write it. No need to analyze, or think about it after you write it. Simple, straightforward, just write it down. Anything we bring awareness to, we naturally and automatically start to change for the better. As long as we don't judge it and bring shame to this process. 4.) Eat more vegetables and low sugar fruits. If you are looking to let go of weight, strive for at least 50 percent of each meal being veg/fruit. The nutrients from these foods prevent cravings that come from malnourishment. The fiber helps you get full faster and keeps your digestion humming along nicely. These are some of the basic steps I took to let go of over 70 pounds in just a few months. I had an aunt that also let go of a lot of weight during the same time. She worked REALLY hard...exercising daily, for an hour or more, eating special foods. I respect her immensely. I felt guilty sometimes that I was doing less and having similar results. You're welcome to chime in here, in the comments, and share about your amazing transformation, if you'd like @Bev Elton :)

To spend time with family and take care of some things in my birth country, Bulgaria. If you feel inspired to post something or comment on posts that are up, please do! That would help keep the community thriving while I’m away. And if you don’t wanna do that, that’s totally fine too! If you need to reach me for any reason, direct message is a great way to do that…I’ll be checking those periodically. Sending you a virtual hug from Eastern Europe!

Not what you'd change. Not what you'd do differently. Simply what you wish they had known. - What did younger you need to hear about love, belonging or worth? - What words would have helped them feel safer, more understood or more confident in who they were becoming? - What did younger you fear most, and what reassurance would you offer them now? - What are three things you wish someone had told you consistently as a child? - What would you tell younger you about who they would grow into? And perhaps the most important question: 😘 How can you give yourself today what you needed then? I love prompts like this because they remind us that the goal isn't to change the past. It's to bring more understanding to the present. This prompt comes from our free June Journaling Challenge inside Plant Positive (also free!) We're journaling together all month with daily prompts, reflection and encouragement. No catch up required and it's never too late to join. 💚

That eating less and restricting more is the path to losing weight. For most women — especially after 35 — it’s actually the opposite. When you restrict, your body panics. Cravings spike. You overeat. You feel guilty. You restrict again. Sound familiar? The women I see making real, lasting progress aren’t the ones with the strictest meal plans. They’re the ones who stopped fighting food and started building tiny, consistent habits instead. Things like: → Eating without scrolling or watching TV → Slowing down between bites → Noticing hunger before it becomes desperation None of these feel like “dieting.” But they quietly rewire how your body and brain relate to food. The question worth sitting with today: What’s one small habit that could change how you feel about food — without removing anything from your plate? Drop your answer below 👇 I’d love to hear what comes up for you. P.S. If this resonates, I’m running a free 30-day challenge where we build exactly these kinds of habits — one small step at a time. No restriction, no rules. Just real change. Join us here 👇 🔗 www.skool.com/stay-motivated-squad-1715

Sending greetings and love from the Black Sea Coast in Bulgaria! Of course, we have spent some time watching the animals around here. The pigeons and sea gulls make me think of our ducks and guinea hens back home. Yet, they’re completely different! If you enjoy watching animals as much as I do, take a minute to watch the pigeons playing with sand on the beach… Truth be told, they’re probably looking for food, not playing. But I like to imagine they’re playing :)