(Warning: this weight loss solution workshop is not for everybody!)

Then, what’s so special about this particular weight loss workshop?

You will learn/discover
* how to resolve your emotional reasons for eating (i.e., anger, sadness, boredom, fear)
* how to resolve limiting beliefs (i.e., “I’m not good enough” vs. becoming unconsciously competent)
* how to eat like a naturally thin person
* what is going on in your mind that causes weight gain, and how to resolve or change this pattern
* how to get unstuck from negative habits
* how to be connected to yourself

Through your participation in this workshop, you will receive
* eight weeks of classes and a manual
* a biofeedback device and instruction on how to manage your emotional pulls toward eating
* individual attention from instructors Diane and Lori
* a free one-month membership to ClubSport
* undeniable change
* scientific information on how to lose weight

Join these two fantastic instructors in the weight loss solution workshop of the year!
* Diane Ulicsni @ www.DianeU.com
* Lori Jorgenson @ www.lorijorgenson.com

Weight Loss Solution Workshop Details
* Mondays, April 18, 2011 – June 13, 2011 (except May 9 and 30) 6:30pm-8:00 pm
* Saturday, May 14, 2011 11:00am – 6:00pm

Location
* 15110 Boones Ferry Road, Lake Oswego, OR 97035

Cost
* $995 – We accept checks, cash, Visa, Mastercard, Discover

How to register
* Contact Diane Ulicsni at 503.740.6614 or Lori Jorgenson at 503.351.8065. Please register by Friday, April 8, 2011.

You won’t regret this decision to get healthy and fit with habits that stick!

As we roll into a new year and new decade, thoughts often turn to what could be better, different, fresh in our lives. Many of us make resolutions or promises to change old ways. Some consider themes for moving forward or set goals to tackle challenges.

Whatever your new year ritual consists of, please consider the hopeful possibility of new – new habits, new thoughts, new patterns, new people, new adventures, new approaches to your life. New can be scary and exhilarating at the very same time, but you can start out simply, too. On your morning jog, try a new route. On your lunch break, a new cafe. On the weekend, a new routine.

The new – no matter how small – can take you down paths you’d otherwise not see. You might see something you’d normally miss. Run into an old friend. Catch a surprising glimpse of natural beauty. Notice a neighbor’s yard in a different way.

When we shake it up even just a bit, the opportunities for growth and change become seemingly endless. How exciting is that?!

Happy new this new year!

Best,
Diane

As we move through the holiday season towards the end of the year – and towards a new decade – consider this radical thought: the deeper the grief, the more the magnificence.

The holiday season is certainly a time to celebrate with loved ones, and it’s also a time of real stress for many. Plenty of negative triggers prompt people to become, well, less than they truly are. This stress is real. The seasonal triggers are real. And yet, if you see yourself following old patterns that just don’t work anymore, you can do something about it.

Ask yourself: Do I want to continue a (perhaps comfortably uncomfortable) poor me attitude or approach or experience real gratitude by looking deep inside, and all around me, for what’s warm and positive and true, too?

When you can suspend your negative thoughts, change old patterns to those that are new, healthy, and perhaps uncomfortable at first, you can and will be open to experience truecelebration.

Each and every moment is either grievance or miracle – and the beauty of this is YOU get to decide!

We all have regrets, each and every one of us. But, guess what? The past is the past – and we can’t un-ring the bell! The choice is accepting that what is….is! No matter what happens, accept the fact that the present moment is exactly as it should be, and, is a result of all actions leading up to it. This is a challenging concept for many of us to grasp. This doesn’t mean we agree or disagree in the moment.

Ask yourself – how long am I going to hang on to this story?

Take responsibility. Once you accept the moment for what it is, you own it! It’s your life, after all. Own every single piece of it, even if you didn’t invite it. You can only create new responses if you own the present moment.

When you fear or constrict you are working against the natural forces of the universe. Stop talking about it, churning on it, griping about it. Own it and you can create a new future. After all, what is accomplished if you spend time in blame, in negative, circular thought patterns? Nothing.

Why not instead view every person, situation, event, as your guide, your teacher. Ask what can you learn from each situation – and find the not-so-hidden gem once you free up your brain space from negative thought patterns. It’s amazing what can happen when you go here!

Unconscious choices come from conditioning. Conscious choices can come from stepping back for a moment to observe the situation before taking action.

Consider this visual that takes its cue from nature -
Attention is the garden.
Intention is the seed
Actions are the water that nurtures for growth.

To stay focused on increasing your consciousness, you can ask yourself the following questions:
What is my life purpose?
What is my positive contribution?
What peak experiences can I remember?
What are my unique skills?
What are the best qualities I contribute to a personal relationship?
What are the qualities I look for in a best friend?
Name three or four or five people I would consider heroes.

Think carefully about your answers. Let them percolate. Sit with them for awhile and see what other questions, other answers may arise, leading you to an Ah Ha! moment.

Go on – make it happen!

I was so happy to be sitting with 300 other people who represented all religions, all shapes, sizes, and nationalities. Deepak, whose medical background is as an endocrinologist, emphasizes that existing in a state of non-judgment offers a very high state of consciousness. He speaks of what you put out into the world, you get back. The universe runs on the law of cause and effect. Every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like kind. An easy concept to grasp! Another way to say this, which we have all heard since we were quite young, is that what we sow is what we reap. When we choose actions that bring happiness and success to others, the fruit of our own karma is happiness and success.

What great news! You and I are essentially infinite choice makers. Whether we like it or not, everything that is happening for us in this moment is a result of the choices we have made in the past. (When I reviewed my own life, this wasn’t fun to look at, but certainly enlightening, and I can see it is the truth for me.)

However, many of us make choices unconsciously, and therefore we don’t think they are choices. And yet they are. For example, if I insulted you, you would most likely make the choice of being offended. If were to pay you a compliment, you would most likely make the choice of being flattered. But think about it: your reaction is still a choice. You could go either way – making the choice of not being offended by a certain type of comment or choosing to be flattered by a compliment.

As a group, we discussed how we have so many conditioned reflexes that can be triggered by circumstances into predictable outcomes of behavior. Pavlov, of course, was famous for demonstrating that if you give a dog something to eat every time you ring a bell, soon the dog starts to salivate when you merely ring the bell and don’t offer the treat. Most of us, as a result of conditioning, have times of repetitious and predictable responses or reactions that are automatically triggered by people and circumstances, too. Think about the daily triggers you experience to see this very simple concept at work.

Becoming a conscious choice maker, then, seems to be a very important component in creating the kind of life you want. You can, of course, continue to complain, rant, and rave about the world and its current condition. Just watch how the law of cause and effect works in your life when you stay stuck on this negative mode! You could also choose to bring to your conscious awareness actions that will bring peace and joy to those around you. And why not? There’s no harm in shifting your perspective here.

Ask yourself before making a choice – what are the consequences of this choice that I am making? Will this action bring fulfillment and happiness to everyone concerned? Then ask your heart (remember, the heart has more intelligence than the brain!) for guidance. Check in with yourself to gauge i you feel comfort or discomfort in whatever it is you are going to say or do. Your body, nay, your heart, will feel clear and whole if it’s truly the right action to take, one that will benefit you and those around you.

As I’m sure many of you discovered, certainly this past week, as long as you give you will receive. The more you give the more you receive. Deepak Chopra says that the more you practice giving, the easier it gets, and, interestingly enough, the more you practice receiving the easier that gets, too. (Some of us have a difficult time receiving gifts from others – compliments, a kind word or deed.)

Our true nature is affluent. And, today is “Pay it forward” day – a perfect time to practice giving without expectation to others. Pay for someone’s coffee, donate goods to someone in need, offer a kind word or assistance to a stranger – anything you have to offer is a perfect gift to another!

After the workshop with Deepak, I did commit (to myself) to give something to everyone with whom I come in contact. I silently wish strangers happiness, joy, and laughter, health, love, and wealth. Also, I committed to gratefully and graciously receive all gifts life has to offer me. Nature, sunlight, rain, snow, my daughter, my friends, my animals, my clients, the sounds of birds in song. Good health and material things like wealth, too. Why not?

Life is energy, and keeping that energy circulating is important so that it comes back to you. (What goes up must come down; what goes out must come back. It’s all flow. If you stop the flow, you interfere with nature’s good work.)

I felt pretty good leaving Deepak’s seminar, and wondered how I would do better in the world of giving and receiving. We learned much, much more about being in the moment, slowing down, trusting life. Right now, during this moment, I am so very grateful for the people in my life. I have a charmed and loving life, full of friends – people I care about and people who care about me. I am so very grateful to all of you who have stopped for a moment to meet me, share with me, love me. My wish for you is that all of your desires are fulfilled, effortlessly, spontaneously, lovingly.

Thank you for being in my life. Now, pay it forward today – and, all days! It’s easy and rewarding. Try it.

Life is too short to waste it on grievances. So why not take a difficult moment and turn it into a learning experience, and a true gift to share with others?

Many of you know that I have experienced problems with my back over the years – ruptured discs, aches, pains and much of it was caused from overuse and working out too hard, too often. Every time I think I am “super good to go” and I start a new exercise program or buy a new bike another injury occurs. This cycle has been truly frustrating and painful.

I find insight to so many questions in the most obscure places sometimes! This time I was sitting in an audience of 300, listening to Deepak Chopra talk about looking at everything as a gift. I hadn’t put those words in articulating my back problems over the years, but I did take some time to think about the gifts I have actually received from back pain. Yes! Gifts! The first time I ruptured a disc was very serious, of course, and I lost the use of my right leg and needed immediate surgery. I had just moved from Minneapolis to Portland, Oregon and knew no one. I had a 7-year old daughter to take care of. I had no choice but to call my father, a person who I knew of but did not truly know. He graciously and surprisingly got on an airplane and came to help.

This became the beginning of a very healing and beautiful relationship with my father. He visited about every 3 to 6 months for 10 to 15 years. It was an amazing gift! Who would have thought rupturing a disc and having surgery would turn my life in a positive direction? So, I began to look at all the times I injured something from working out too much or just being too busy to really pay attention to what I was doing to my body. When I was injured, I had to slow down or sit down, stopping altogether. As a result I made some of the best friends I have and I have the best career anyone could have. All rich gifts.

Last week, I was sitting in front of Deepak Chopra listening to many examples and stories about when we give we are also receiving and when we are receiving we are also giving. Seems so easy and obvious, doesn’t it? Through my injury and pain, my daughter and I both received a great relationship with my father. My father received total love and forgiveness from me. And we had so much fun being together and shared so many laughs along the way.

Becoming aware of gifts or blessings could be noticing a smile from a person or giving or receiving a compliment, or sharing a meal together. Every day now, I acknowledge a blessing or gift for the day.

Deepak says be appreciative of what’s happening in your life right now. This very minute have gratitude for what’s happening in your life and around you. Take time to quiet your mind and body to be open to receive this greatest of gifts. He suggested that any time you come into contact with anybody give them something. It doesn’t have to be material – it can be a flower, a compliment, a smile, or a prayer. The most powerful forms of giving are non-material, of course. The gifts of caring, attention, affection, appreciation, and love are some of the most precious gifts you can give and they don’t cost you anything.

This holiday season, open yourself up to others by giving and receiving.
Best to you all,
Diane

I’ve spent a lot of time this year studying and taking trainings on the brain. Seems like everything is neuroscience. We can actually see what our brains are doing, how it “behaves” – and, all to be able to have insight into our own health and well-being. It’s marvelous!

We know that the best intentions seem to be hijacked by our old, familiar patterns. Why? Your brain makes pathways according to what you are paying attention to. If you are stressed and paying attention to what is stressing you out, your new choices can default to years of old patterns.

The great news is…you can change! Truly! (Remember: All we are is change.)

My advice to you as the holidays move faster than light speed – pay attention to your soul, your heart, the true inner you. Take time for yourself, even if it’s only 10 minutes in the morning and/or 10 minutes before bedtime. Breathe. Slow down. Think of anything you can be grateful for. Family. Friends. Health. A sunburst. There’s a gem to focus on each and every day, no matter how small. And, focusing on the positive will help retrain your brain to make patterns that benefit you in the long run.

And, as for many of us, if the holidays are really stressing you out, causing you to overeat, not sleep or exercise well like you know you should, plan on joining me in January for “De-stress and Lose Weight” classes. Time spent in these classes will be focused on you and only you – and on changing unhealthy patterns that typically crank into high gear for many of us over during the holidays. You can get back on track. You can retrain your brain. You can make healthy choices that stick.

Happy holidays to you and yours!
With many loving blessings, Diane

And, what I am hearing already is how stressed out everyone is feeling – and how it seems like eating is the (only) answer. (Emotional eating or stress eating around the holiday season is pretty common, but I am actually seeing it year round with many clients.)

Experts now agree that overeating is triggered by emotions as many of us are using food to cope with our feelings. Adults and children both seem to be eating high fat and high sugar foods to soothe emotional tugs in an attempt to relieve stress and anxiety. Stress eating in our fast paced world is so common! People are rushed, pushed, and crunched for time, making it easy to make bad food choices which adds to weight gain. Weight gain then adds more stress and sometimes depression.

Hypnosis is a very powerful means of losing weight, and I offer many weight loss management classes yearly that help people greatly. But like so many fad diets out there (and we all know diets don’t work!), hypnosis only lasts for so long if you do not address and solve the emotional reasons you are eating. Anger, sadness, hurt, guilt, fear, anxiety, depression are just some of the emotions involved in the unhealthy habit of overeating.

In my classes, I spend time teaching tools for “naturally thin eating” and then we get to root of the problem (or “problem emotions”) and solve them.

It’s amazing how much weight a person can lose and keep off if they are in charge of their emotions! It has been the reason for my success with weight loss clients – I won’t work with clients who aren’t willing to solve their emotional reasons for eating as they might initially take off the weight but they won’t keep it off if they aren’t ready to tackle serious emotional problems behind the self-destructive behavior.

Everyone has the power to achieve their best weight. But it’s not all about the food – it’s also about an emotional diet. If you’re already feeling stressed, take a moment to consider the real triggers. Family? Friends? Work? Not enough alone time? Now, what are the emotions behind those triggers? Fear? Feelings of “not enough”? Insecurity? Performance? When you take stock of what’s truly going on inside, you can then begin to see patterns. Then, and only then will you be ready to commit to making healthy changes that benefit you and those who really care about you and your well-being, too.