Your ThinWithin Journey - Today and Beyond
A last hurrah with Marna as she shares her best tips and tools to help you lose weight and thrive as your naturally thin, beautiful self.
Session #1:
First Things First - Are you Willing to be Uncomfortable?
Notes for Session #1
You are not held back in life because you are incapable of making change. You are held back because you don’t feel like making the change and so you don’t.
The truth is you can have a vision for what you want, believe in it wholeheartedly and simply NOT feel like taking the action that’s required to pursue that path.
Feeling comfortable feels good. It feels safe.
If you feel like you are putting yourself at risk in any way or exposing yourself to something uncomfortable and/or unfamiliar, it’s not going to give you loads of happiness and joy.
Feelings are helpful and amazing.
Feelings should always be seen and felt and validated. Yet, they aren’t the MEASURE of what you are capable of accomplishing with your body and your weight loss goals.
You may feel unattractive – you most certainly are not.
You may feel like everyone judges you – but often it’s a gross over exaggeration.
Most importantly, you may feel as though you cannot take action, when you most certainly can. You simply do not feel willing – because you are not used to it.
Over the next 8 weeks, our last 8 weeks together, I’m going to ask that you push through what you are not used to doing and…
Prove to yourself that you are powerful beyond measure. BE WILLING.
You can move through feelings of discomfort, feelings of feeling bad at something, or not wanting to do something and prove to yourself that you are more than capable of losing weight.
This thinner life that might at first feel uncomfortable with time will become natural – your identity.
These 8 weeks I want you to rise to the vision you have for yourself. Challenge yourself with me to show up differently and be WILLING to get uncomfortable.
These next 8 weeks are about you learning to take action before you feel like doing it because…
Action builds momentum which creates motivation.
Here’s the thing – I can’t be here every day motivating you – you have to help yourself generate that motivation and energy EVEN when you don’t want to.
I’m going to be walking you through the Mastery Course and giving you the best tips and tricks you can use to move your health and weight loss forward.
Expect to be uncomfortable at times. Expect greatness.
Expect to lose weight and expect to set yourself up for life-long tools that you can use forever. These tools/tricks are doable and always accessible to you.
If you are not seeing results, come to coaching. Get your questions answered. Get coached to move forward. Get what you are here to learn so that this will be the last attempt at losing weight and keeping it off!
This week – practice eating only when hungry.
Level 5: Not Hungry
Level 4: A Little Hungry
Level 3: Nice and Hungry
Level 2: Extremely Hungry
Level 1: So Hungry You’ll Eat Anything
Action Steps for Session 1:
NOVICE LEVEL –
Monitor your eating this week to see if it occurs when you are hungry. I recommend you write it out on a document like this: Tracking Hunger.
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL-
Do the novice level assignment from above. Whenever you get the urge to eat without hunger, do some activity to give yourself a bit of space from the desire with a state change. Listen to the recording for more ideas of a state change.
ADVANCED LEVEL –
Do the assignments above. Add an extra goal besides eating where you can practice dealing with the discomfort necessary to make healthy changes in your life.
Report to your accountability group or on our private Facebook page to let everyone know how you are doing.
Session #2:
Falling in Love with Satisfaction
Notes for Session #2
First of all, it’s crucial to start when hungry so you know when to stop eating!
Now that you have spent a week on hunger, dive into satiation.
What are the clues your body gives you? Try the Blindfold Challenge if you aren’t aware.
Where does it naturally stop? 5 bites? 20 bites? Get curious about your body and satisfaction. Do I need more food when I am really hungry like a level 1? Or after exercising like lifting weights?
Get curious about how your body talks to you. Notice satisfaction – both psychological and physical.
Are you rushing when you eat? Take time to relax. Slow it so you can find neutral, the feeling of not hungry any more.
Fall in love with satisfaction. When you do, you will want to stop there.
Celebrate when you no longer
feel hungry.
If everything in your head is telling you to keep going, it’s huge to stop. Practice makes stopping easier.
Slow down for better digestion and connection to feel into satisfaction.
Action Steps for Session 2:
NOVICE LEVEL – If you need to, stay with last week’s action step:
Week 1 – Monitor your eating this week to see if it occurs when you are hungry. I recommend you write it out on a document like this: Tracking Hunger.
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL-
Use this form or any way that seems easy to Track your Satisfaction. Celebrate any successes with compliments, stickers or rewards.
ADVANCED LEVEL –
Do the assignment above. Do Blindfold while eating experiment.
Report to your accountability group or on our private Facebook page to let everyone know how you are doing.
Session #3:
Consciousness is Key to Your ThinWithin Life
Notes for Session #3
To get to where you want to be with your health and weight you must know where you are. Consciousness is key to knowing when you are hungry, satisfied, and how foods are working in your body.
The point of any meal is to enjoy your food and leave feeling neutral with your body fueled to continue.
Naturally thin people also go unconscious while eating but they still know when to stop. They strongly dislike the feeling of being full.
Those of us on the TWL path have to be more conscious in the beginning to be able to notice when to stop.
So be conscious, taste, and enjoy. Use this method and tracking sheet to help you – TASTE Formula for Mindful Eating
Are you mostly eating when hungry and stopping when satisfied but not losing weight? What is up?
Inflammation will hold weight and keep you stuck.
Be aware of food’s impact on your body. Some indicators of inflammation are
- bloated
- feel gross
- face gets puffy
- issues with stool
- crave more of the food
Swap foods so you don’t feel deprived or add digestive enzymes. Be super curious about your habits and patterns.
Action Steps for Session 3:
NOVICE LEVEL – If you need to, stay with last week’s action step:
Week 1 – Monitor your eating this week to see if it occurs when you are hungry. I recommend you write it out on a document like this: Tracking Hunger.
Week 2 – Use this form or any way that seems easy to Track your Satisfaction. Celebrate any successes with compliments, stickers or rewards.
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL-
Be extra conscious and enjoy your food this week. Use the TASTE Formula for Mindful Eating.
ADVANCED LEVEL –
Do the assignment above. Notice how your body reacts to different foods. Try out one substitute this week or try digestive enzymes to see if they help.
Report to your accountability group or on our private Facebook page to let everyone know how you are doing.
Session #4:
Mindfulness with Food Cravings ~ The L.O.V.E. Formula
Notes for Session #4
What do you do when your brain is craving a food but you are not hungry? Do you allow it to overpower you?
Maybe your weight is up a bit and you are wondering…
What is going on with me recently?
Here is a tool for you to use when you find yourself craving food outside of hunger: LOVE Formula for Mindfully Addressing Food Cravings™
Go below the surface of your cravings. What is your brain saying about this food?
It goes below the over-desire for food and gives you ways to understand and explore your needs.
Can you relax your body a bit, observe your breath, and explore what is there?
Pick one letter from the L.O.V.E. formula and hangout with it. See where it takes you. This can make a huge difference. Even if you eat afterward, this can help with rewiring how you deal with cravings in the future.
There are so many layers under the over-desire for food.
What would happen if your new first step was to pause and engage with the sensation that always led you to overeat in the past?
Action Steps for Session 4:
NOVICE LEVEL – If you need to, stay with last week’s action step:
Week 1 – Monitor your eating this week to see if it occurs when you are hungry. I recommend you write it out on a document like this: Tracking Hunger.
Week 2 – Use this form or any way that seems easy to Track your Satisfaction. Celebrate any successes with compliments, stickers or rewards.
Week 3 – Be extra conscious and enjoy your food this week. Use the TASTE Formula for Mindful Eating.
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL-
Copy off a few LOVE Formula for Mindfully Addressing Food Cravings™ sheets. Keep one with you and put others in areas where you eat. Continue following hunger and satiation cues to the best of your ability at this time. If you have a craving this week, use at least one step from the LOVE sheet to interrupt your habit.
ADVANCED LEVEL –
Do the assignment above. Expand to do 2-4 steps from the LOVE Formula. Be open to discovering something new about yourself at this moment in your life.
Report to your accountability group or on our private Facebook page to let everyone know how you are doing.
Session #5:
The Power of Interrupting Habit Loops
Notes for Session #5
A habit loop is a framework for creating new habits utilizing three specific parts:
Part #1: Cue
The cue is the trigger that prompts the behavior or habit of emotionally eating, overeating, or turning to food.
There are six trigger types that can urge you to eat and turn to food:
- Location triggers: A particular couch, a specific room.
- People triggers: Eating partners, family, friends, co-workers.
- Sensory triggers: Smells, sights, feelings and sounds.
- Emotional triggers: Certain emotions can trigger you to eat.
- Activity triggers: Starting or stopping a particular activity.
- Occasion triggers: Weddings, luncheons, and cocktail parties.
If, for example, the smell of lemon pie wafting in the air triggers the mental cues to eat, then you know you have a sensory trigger.
If turning on the TV after finishing dinner triggers you to think about food, then you have a sensory/activity that cues your mind to eat food that has nothing to do with your physical hunger. Rather, it’s about your desire to relax, numb out and watch TV.
Part #2 – The Routine
The routine is the ACTION component of a habit loop that, in this case, is eating when your body is not physically hungry.
Some eating routines are entirely conscious, where other routines might be entirely unconscious.
The purpose of this work is to make unconscious patterns CONSCIOUS so that you can change your habits to support your health and weight loss goals.
Part #3 – The Reward
The third part of a habit is the reward. The reward refers to what the behavior does for you.
Some rewards benefit your health like removing makeup at the end of the day, so that you can keep your skin looking and feeling healthy.
Other rewards like overeating are more complicated.
On one hand, overeating might not benefit your weight, but once your brain begins to associate overeating, late night eating, or turning to food with the reward of relaxation, numbing out, feeling happy, giving you comfort, etc., you reinforce this behavior, even if you don’t want it.
Exploring Your CURRENT Thought Habits Using Habit Loops
Write what CUE is currently cuing/urging you to eat, the ROUTINE (the action currently taking place like eating in front of the TV), and the REWARD (such as numbing out, having fun, relaxing, procrastinating, etc.). Assign an impact level from 1-10, with 1 being the least impactful and 10 being the most negatively impactful on your mind/body/life so that you can clearly see which thought habits to shift.
Action Steps for Session 5:
NOVICE LEVEL – If you need to, stay with last week’s action step:
Week 1 – Monitor your eating this week to see if it occurs when you are hungry. I recommend you write it out on a document like this: Tracking Hunger.
Week 2 – Use this form or any way that seems easy to Track your Satisfaction. Celebrate any successes with compliments, stickers or rewards.
Week 3 – Be extra conscious and enjoy your food this week. Use the TASTE Formula for Mindful Eating.
Week 4 – If you have a craving this week, use at least one step from the LOVE sheet to interrupt your habit.
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL-
Read about Habit Loops in the Mastery Course, Module 4, Session 2. Become aware of your cues. Start with the most impactful habit. Just one! Find a way to calm that desire.
ADVANCED LEVEL –
Do the assignment above. Get curious about your life and your routines. Write down habits to work on in the future. Only focus on one for now.
Report to your accountability group or on our private Facebook page to let everyone know how you are doing.
Session #6:
Get In Front of Your Emotional Eating
Notes for Session #6
You are about to learn three of my favorite strategies to help you get in front of your emotional eating. I’ve worked with thousands upon thousands of women and these have worked to reshape and rewire their bodies and mind and I am certain that they will be able to reshape and rewire your body and mind with practice.
Most likely you will find one strategy in this module that you prefer using. That’s fantastic! The point is finding one that fits into your life and is doable for you. Then your job is to practice it and remember to USE it.
STRATEGY #1 The If-Then Strategy
This is the simplest strategy of the three and is a great place to start.
Here is this simple, yet effective strategy: If X happens, I will do Y outcome
Here are some Examples:
- If I crave food late at night, then I’m going to grab some warm yummy tea.
- If I crave food while watching TV, then I’m going to color/crochet/paint my nails/organize a drawer/etc.
- If I want to continue eating after feeling satisfied, then I’m going to pop a piece of gum in my mouth to keep my mouth busy.
- If I am bored and my brain keeps bringing up images of food, then I’m going to grab my phone and play a game.
Now it’s your turn to try…
If I __________________, then I’m going to__________________
If I __________________, then I’m going to__________________
If I __________________, then I’m going to__________________
If I __________________, then I’m going to__________________
If I __________________, then I’m going to___________________
STRATEGY #2 The Timer Technique
Numerous studies along with Neuro Linguistic Programming show that if you can change your state of mind for 30 minutes, you will be more likely to get out of an overeating or bingeing episode.
Directions: When you have a craving and you are not hungry, then all you have to do is set your phone or kitchen timer for 30 minutes and do something else you love doing.
If after 30 minutes you are still having a craving for food, you can ask yourself if you still want it. Most of the time you will see that by getting in front of that intense and loud urge for 30 minutes, you reduce your intense desire and that particular food isn’t as appealing anymore.
STRATEGY #3. What Do I Need Technique
This is my favorite strategy, because it gets to the source of what’s really going on with your eating that you might be blocking out of your mind, avoiding, or just plain not wanting to face. If you’re feeling emotional and need support, this technique is fantastic!
Directions: When you notice that you are not hungry but you’re craving food….
Step #1 – Take out a piece of paper and on the top of the page write, “What do I need?”
Then, just let your pen free-write and get all your thoughts and emotions bubbling up to the surface. No judgment. No right or wrong. Just write. Write whether it makes sense or not. Just allow your pen to free write and release whatever is pent up inside of you. Over time, you will see trends and themes that reveal themselves to you, so that you can see what it is that you really need, that being masked by food.
Step #2 – When you determine what might be at the core of what you need, feel what it feels like to have this need and breathe into it. Allow it in. It’s okay. You are going to be okay.
Step #3 – Write down some possible ways you could begin to address this need in a new healthy manner that reflects the ThinWithin Life that you crave?
Step #4 – Now take action on one of these strategies within 12-24 hours.
Have fun and be kind to yourself as you one or all of these out!
Action Steps for Session 6:
NOVICE LEVEL – If you need to, stay with last week’s action step:
Week 1 – Monitor your eating this week to see if it occurs when you are hungry. I recommend you write it out on a document like this: Tracking Hunger.
Week 2 – Use this form or any way that seems easy to Track your Satisfaction. Celebrate any successes with compliments, stickers or rewards.
Week 3 – Be extra conscious and enjoy your food this week. Use the TASTE Formula for Mindful Eating.
Week 4 – If you have a craving this week, use at least one step from the LOVE sheet to interrupt your habit.
Week 5 – Read about Habit Loops in the Mastery Course, Module 4, Session 2. Become aware of your cues. Start with the most impactful habit. Just one! Find a way to calm that desire.
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL-
Choose one of powerful techniques to try out this week in order to transform your emotional eating patterns: If/Then statements, Timer Technique, What do I need? Writing, or make a Comfort Basket.
ADVANCED LEVEL –
Do the assignment above. Brush up or create your Love List to get more joy into your life that is not food related. Take a picture or add it to your notes so you have a quick reminder to do something else at your fingertips.
Report to your accountability group or on our private Facebook page to let everyone know how you are doing.
Session #7:
Improving Your Mental Game
Notes for Session #7
So many issues with overeating are locked up in mental chatter.
In order to unlock yourself from these thoughts, you will need to have some tools to shift the thoughts to more positive ones.
Practice is essential changing your mindset and taking on a new identity.
Two possible ways are Thought Ladders and the WITHIN Formula.
Thought or Belief Ladders are a method to build your mental muscles.
- You can more easily move from thinking a thought that doesn’t support the healthy vision yourself to believing something better.
- Rewire your brain to travel vibrant, believable, step up, self-loving thoughts toward your goal thoughts.
- Small shifts in your thoughts will be easier to take on.
Refer to the Explanation and Ladder Thought Examples worksheet.
Another great method is
The WITHIN Mental Weight Loss Tool™
Anytime that you are mentally stuck and you want to feel better while accelerating your weight loss results ask yourself these questions:
- W What do you WANT to achieve?
- I INSTEAD, what are you creating?
- T What THOUGHTS are getting in the way?
- H HOW do these thoughts feel inside of your body?
- I IDENTIFY new powerful thoughts that align with what you want.
- N What NEW action will you take to move toward your goal today?
Pay attention to your progress with mental changes. Celebrate the shifts you have already made and be sure to feed your brain compliments along the way.
Proof is key.
Look for any proof of you making steps in the right direction. No matter how small, each millimeter toward an healthier identity is worthy of recognizing
Action Steps for Session 7:
NOVICE LEVEL – If you need to, stay with last week’s action step:
Week 1 – Monitor your eating this week to see if it occurs when you are hungry. I recommend you write it out on a document like this: Tracking Hunger.
Week 2 – Use this form or any way that seems easy to Track your Satisfaction. Celebrate any successes with compliments, stickers or rewards.
Week 3 – Be extra conscious and enjoy your food this week. Use the TASTE Formula for Mindful Eating.
Week 4 – If you have a craving this week, use at least one step from the LOVE sheet to interrupt your habit.
Week 5 – Read about Habit Loops in the Mastery Course, Module 4, Session 2. Become aware of your cues. Start with the most impactful habit. Just one! Find a way to calm that desire.
Week 6 – Choose one of powerful techniques to try out this week in order to transform your emotional eating patterns: If/Then statements, Timer Technique, What do I need? Writing, or make a Comfort Basket.
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL-
Choose one of the tools to use this week. Either concentrate on a thought that you’d like to level up and use the Ladder Thought method or do an overall look at your goal and find the thoughts causing struggle with the WITHIN Formula.
ADVANCED LEVEL –
Do the assignment above and be sure to find proof by catching yourself practicing the thoughts you want to be automatically thinking.
Report to your accountability group or on our private Facebook page to let everyone know how you are doing.
Session #8:
What Marna Does to Maintain a ThinWithin Life
Notes for Session #8
My toolbox for a successful ThinWithin Life includes a few basics to help me see my behaviors around food when I gain a bit over my weight range.
My go to is the Main Tracking Form.
This form checks for the basics to bring to light my current overall relationship with food.
If you track without judgment, you will see information to guide you where to put your energy. Then you can go to the appropriate Mastery Course Module for further assistance.
Occasional tracking will cement Naturally Thin eating tools into your life.
FOCUS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
At the beginning of the month, decide what you are focusing on. Not more than 2 goals in a month. An overwhelmed brain does nothing.
Then, use the Morning Ritual pages to prepare yourself to explore and accomplish it.
What are you willing to do? Choose one tiny little thing to accomplish.
One jumping jack or crunch is a step in the right direction for your health.
So you don’t push into the resistance which can cause a rebellion and relapse.
You can make weight loss inevitable.
What habits can you get into to make shedding weight inevitable?
For example,
- Hydrate
- Eat food with protein, fiber, and good fats to keep you satiated for at least 3 hours.
- Negotiate with yourself and choose a Good, Better, or Best strategy to deal with emotions or the desire to overeat instead of forcing yourself to do something that may cause a rebellion.
- Fill your life and soul up with purpose and joy from your Love List. Put food in its place with hunger and satiation. Enjoy your life more by giving yourself variety, connection, and joy outside of food.
- Eat food that works well in your system. Figure out what foods work best in your body. Do food swaps.
- Be mindful and conscious while eating. Slow things down. Stay connected to your body while eating.
- Breathe 3 times before eating.
- Remind your brain what you are doing – eating.
- Taste and experience the meal.
- Put your fork down and consciously chew.
- When you are eating – eat. When you are talking, put your fork down and listen.
Two important folders to create:
#1 Success Kit
Make a folder with what works well for you so you can go to it when you are struggling.
#2 Good Job Me Folder (Ta Dah! List)
To build yourself up when you are down, have a list already written down of your accomplishments around size, weight, and health and keep in a folder and add to it. Your brain needs to remember all the good you are doing, the difference you are making for your body and your health.
Be intentional about celebrating you! Write 3 things you are proud of daily.
Your brain needs RECOGNITION!
Give it to yourself. Practice feeling proud about your helpful choices.
NEWS FLASH – plateaus are normal!
A true growth strategy is to know that plateaus are normal. You have to acclimate to the physical and emotional side of this new weight.
Be kind, loving, and honest with your weight range.
IDENTITY is the overarching key to true change. Settle into a new you.
Identity is where you take a stand. This is who you are.
“I am a person who…eats when I am hungry and stops when I am satiated.”
Chasing bright shining objects can be a crutch for not facing what is going on. Your identity can become more defined over time, but it doesn’t jump around over and over again following outside diet trends.
Take time every week to ask WHAT DO I NEED? and HOW AM I FEELING?
Dive deeper into these ThinWithin Life techniques instead of avoiding the truth about what is going on by chasing something new, seeking the next best thing instead of a better, more profound relationship with yourself.
Action Steps for Session 8:
NOVICE LEVEL – If you need to, stay with last week’s action step:
Week 1 – Monitor your eating this week to see if it occurs when you are hungry. I recommend you write it out on a document like this: Tracking Hunger.
Week 2 – Use this form or any way that seems easy to Track your Satisfaction. Celebrate any successes with compliments, stickers or rewards.
Week 3 – Be extra conscious and enjoy your food this week. Use the TASTE Formula for Mindful Eating.
Week 4 – If you have a craving this week, use at least one step from the LOVE sheet to interrupt your habit.
Week 5 – Read about Habit Loops in the Mastery Course, Module 4, Session 2. Become aware of your cues. Start with the most impactful habit. Just one! Find a way to calm that desire.
Week 6 – Choose one of powerful techniques to try out this week in order to transform your emotional eating patterns: If/Then statements, Timer Technique, What do I need? Writing, or make a Comfort Basket.
Week 7 – Choose one of the tools to use. Either concentrate on a thought that you’d like to level up and use the Ladder Thought method or do an overall look at your goal and find the thoughts causing struggle with the WITHIN Formula.
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL-
Choose one tool to concentrate on this week from the list given in the session.
ADVANCED LEVEL –
Do the assignment above and write a list of your accomplishments in size, health, or weight that you can go back to when you struggle. Life will keep happening. Struggles are inevitable. Prepare ways to support you through them.
Report to your accountability group or on our private Facebook page to let everyone know how you are doing.
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