Slim Challenges of Life with Mom, Part 1

As you may know, I am currently being present for my 90 year old Mom. This has brought several challenges to my slim life. In no particular order ...

1. Her home is filled with stuff. For the most part, it is beautiful, well-loved, great memory-filled stuff. The other stuff is just stuff. I have been steadily deleting THAT stuff. With every load for the trash guys, my slim life gets easier.

2. Mom eats whatever she likes which is usually the most fat filled, artery clogging item on the menu. As long as we're eating out, that is no problem for me. Those foods hold no allure for me. One example, Zeppo's Mac and Cheese. The serving was enough for Mom's lunch plus dinner for two. Luckily, mac and cheese is NOT one of my comfort foods. My lunch at Zeppo's was Salmon e Limone; molto bene.

3. At age 72 or so, Mom's sweet tooth gained precedence over her will power. So if we stop at Starbuck's or Peet's for coffee, she will always want something from the sweet offerings. This IS difficult for me because I've always had a very active sweet tooth. I'm doing better with this than I was. Just realizing that mom will Always want something sweet makes it easier for me to make careful choices of indulgences.

Interestingly, rearranging the TV Room/downstairs Living Room so mom can see and hear the TV more easily has had the most impact on easing my slim life. In doing so, I moved the two chairs I've never liked out of my Office and moved the loveseat from the downstairs (dare I say My) Living Room into my Office. The net result is a much lighter feeling Living Room and a cozier Office.

What are your Slim Challenges? Does this post give you some ideas of how you can handle your challenges more easily? Please share. We're all in this, together!

Slim Pop Quiz 102

"Two Ripe Plums" by JoAnn Tomsche

Quiz Question 102: Slim Symbol ... or not?

Slim Pop Quiz 101

This is one of my favorite Relationship symbols. I found it in a wonderful shop in the Plaka district of Athens -- with the Acropolis within view. Every time I see it, I am reminded of that wonderful trip (which makes it also a Wealth and Lifestyle symbol for me).

It stands about 12" high. The base is approximately 1.5 X 1.5 X 1.5.

Here's your Quiz 101 Question: Is this a Slim Relationship sculpture ... or not?

Book Excerpt: Slim Firsts: What you see First is what you Attract

First impressions are lasting impressions. Even when you are not consciously aware of them, first impressions set the tone of how you feel: for the day, in that room, at work, at home.

What do you see when you first awaken in the morning? When you enter each room in your home? When you drive up to your office? When you open your office door? When you drive into your garage? When you enter your home?

When you first awaken in the morning, you probably do not look as good as you will later. That is one of the reasons why mirrors in bedrooms are not considered a good idea. The image of your barely awake self probably does not reflect the vibrant, vital person you can be once you have your morning coffee or do your morning exercises. It can actually make you feel tired all day to see your barely awake self first thing in the morning, even after a good night's sleep.



For example, if the first thing you see upon waking is a sculpture or painting that represents "Friends and Lovers," you start your day feeling supported and well loved by your mate -- even if he is away on a business trip.

Perhaps your immediate goal is to feel self sufficient and independent after a debilitating divorce. A painting or sculpture of a strong single person, the same gender as you are, can help you start your day with confidence.

Sometimes, what you see first works against you. Here's one example. Few people who have home exercise equipment feel they use it as much as they "should." "George" had his exercise bike in his Family Room to remind him to use it. And it did. Remind him. All the time. It dominated the room. And nagged him unmercifully.

However, when he converted part of his garage into an exercise room, he found that he exercised more regularly and more enjoyably. When he went there, he was there to exercise. When he was in his Family Room, he was able to relax more completely. That one change made a huge difference in how he felt about himself: he felt more fit, healthier, and even slept better.

Just for fun, try this exercise:

At First Sight

Request the form here and print it out.

Then, walk through your home and note what you see first in each area. As you look over your list, you will easily assess the cumulative feelings those Firsts generate.

Do they make you feel
Slimmer? Nagged? Thwarted? Supported? Loved? Independent? Creative?


Excerpt from Slim House Slim Body. Get yours now!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Tumpane. All rights reserved.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?

You can, as long as you include the copyright and this blurb with it:

Feng Shui Designer, Teacher, and Coach, Kathleen Tumpane ASID, is the author of Slim House Slim Body; How to use Intentional Design to become and be slim. Visit her Slim Blog at http://www.slimhouseslimbody.blogspot.com for articles, tips, and news of teleclasses.

Can your home be TOO slim?

Recently, one of my feng shui design coaching clients called with a "feng shui emergency." She couldn't seem to quit munching! This intrigued me as our most recent (a month or so previous) design coaching session had, I thought, addressed her intention to become and be slimmer.

We got together that afternoon. Feng Shui EMT!

What I discovered at Carol's (not her real name) home was fascinating.

Carol didn't realize we had already slimmed her house down during our coaching session. After she read my book, Slim House Slim Body, and she faithfully followed the suggestions to slim down her house -- which didn't need it!

Her living room end tables and cocktail tables felt bare. She had deleted a lazyboy type chair and two end tables in the Family Room.

Not only that, there were no family photos in the Living Room and an overabundance in the Family Room. As a result, her Living Room felt impersonal and her Family Room felt a tad overwhelming with family connections.

Carol's house was too slim. At a subconscious level, Carol's munching was her spirit trying to fill her up.

Luckily, it was very easy to fix. We moved some of the family photos from the Family Room to the Living Room. This reduced the "burden" of family in one area and added family warmth to the Living Room. We replaced the end tables in the Family Room and added back flower arrangements Carol had put away.

A phone follow up call two days later and then two weeks later both confirmed Carol is no longer at the mercy of compulsive munching.

The very cool thing from my point of view is that Carol knew her munchies were connected to her home environment - she had no idea how and immediately called for help. What a lovely model of self care.

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Tumpane. All rights reserved.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?

You can, as long as you include the copyright and this blurb with it:

Feng Shui Designer, Teacher, and Coach, Kathleen Tumpane ASID, is the author and creator of Elemenza Weekly, her FREE weekly ezine which includes her renowned column ‘Simply Feng Shui’ rich in Feng Shui Design and Lifestyle tips to help you design your home and office rich in elegant and subtle feng shui power that helps you live and work in balance. Visit www.elemenza.com to learn more. Kathleen is also author of Slim House Slim Body, to own your copy and be continually inspired visit www.slimhouseslimbody.blogspot.com.

How does kindness lead to slimness?

Slim Emotions
Accept, allow, and celebrate ... yourself and others

Kind thoughts support your desire to become and be slim. How? The very discernment which allows you to monitor your food choices and quantities and encourages you to keep exercising, Metal energy, is the same energy that judges every body you see. Maybe you do not assess every body that crosses your field of vision, and if not, good for you! Most everyone I know does it.

Judging every body you see is toxic to your slim desires.

Judging every body you see is toxic to your slim desires. The good news is that it is easy to change such behavior. Yes, I know you may have been automatically checking out the attractiveness of every person for decades. Yet, I promise you, it will feel so much better for you to adopt these suggested actions, you will rapidly replace your former assessing behavior. Kind thoughts will become as automatic as judging ones used to be.

I celebrate your slimness.

Whenever you see a person who looks slim and sexy to you, say three sentences out loud (if alone) or in your head (if others are around). Here are some suggestions of Slim Mantras:

• I celebrate your slimness.
• I celebrate your sexiness.
• I celebrate your beauty.

Or you might affirm:

• I celebrate your attractiveness.
• I celebrate your fitness.
• I celebrate your style.

Or you may simply say:

• I celebrate your slimness.
• I celebrate your slimness.
• I celebrate your slimness.

The key is to express your joy in her physical attractiveness three times. It is amazing how much better you feel when you do this. Your celebration of her physical success lifts your mood and boosts your own slim intentions.

Whenever you see a person who seems overweight to you or too skinny and perhaps anorexic, you say once with feeling: I send you love.

I send you love.

When you see yourself in the mirror or in the reflection of a glass door, send yourself love or acknowledge your own beauty, sexiness, and slimness -- whichever feels appropriate at the time.

By sending the over and under weight love, you align yourself with the divine in you. Yes, you have judged them as under or over weight, briefly. Still, when you send love to others, it just plain feels good.

When you think about it, as you celebrate the physical attractiveness of others, you are sending love to them, too.

This simple act of appreciation and kindness radiates from and through you and supports your desires to become a be slim.

You'll love how kind thoughts feel so much, you'll want to come back and let us all know!!

Excerpt from Slim House Slim Body. Get yours now!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Tumpane. All rights reserved.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?

You can, as long as you include the copyright and this blurb with it:

Feng Shui Designer, Teacher, and Coach, Kathleen Tumpane ASID, is the author of Slim House Slim Body; How to use Intentional Design to become and be slim. Visit her Slim Blog at http://www.slimhouseslimbody.blogspot.com for articles, tips, and news of teleclasses.

Favorite Food Day -- Welcome Relief?

I grew up Catholic. One of my fondest Catholic memories was my Dad's annual Lent ritual. During Lent, he gave up his favorite foods: potatoes, bread, butter, ice cream. By Easter, forty days later for those of you who didn't grow up Catholic, he lost at least 20 pounds. It was simulataneously his offer of suffering and his annual weight control program!

Why am I telling you? Because last Sunday, I had a nearly Carb Only day!! I had raisen bread toast with cream cheese and cinnamon sugar, a couple of slices of yummy rye bread with butter, several pieces of fruit, savored Charms Blow-Pops (currently my favorite candy treat!!), and I think I had some red licorice, as well.

I'm not sure I had any significant protein all day. Which is roughly the reverse of what I usually do.

About half way through the day, realizing what I was doing, I decided to just go ahead a savor my Favorite Food Day. Sure, it was a boulder on the path back to my chosen slimness. However, by savoring it instead of beating myself up about it, I happily resumed my Slim Path the next morning.

Then, I remembered, on Sundays during Lent, Dad indulged in his favorite foods. I don't remember the theology about it, but apparently that was allowed. And he still lost at least 20 pounds each Lent.

While I have no intention of having a nearly Carb Only Day every Sunday, this memory and experience have given me permission to occasionally have a Favorite Food Day while in slimming mode.

What do you think about this Favorite Food Day? Are you concerned about resuming your program after a day of indulgence? Does the idea appeal to you? Inquiring minds, at least mine, want to know!!

Daily Slim Plan

One practice that really helps me stick to my Slim Plan is using the Daily Slim Plan form to

• keep track of my intake and carb count (you can count POINTS, carbs, whatever works for you)
  
• note my activity plans and mark them off after doing them
• note my water consumption (bottles)
• note my supplements consumption (also reminds me to take them)
  
• note any Slim Actions I intend to do and mark them off when done

My favorite part of the Daily Slim Plan is the "Plan to Overcome Today's Obstacles."

At the start of each day, as I note breakfast, mark off the AM vitamins, and plan the day's activities, when I come to the "Plan to Overcome Today's Obstacles" I think about the day's agenda.

If I'm planning on doing errands, meeting with clients, checking on job sites, that section will note the "e food" that is "emergency food" I plan to take with me. This time of year, it includes a note to remind myself to use the cool bag.

Other times, that section might say "Go to Albertsons to get more yummy, slim treats."

Since it is part of the form, this section helps me anticipate where or when I may go "off my program," and create a plan to avert that self-defeating circumstance and the self recriminations that often attend such acts.

I like using this form to self-monitor. Sure, there are days I don't use it. Sure, there are days I start to use it and then stop making notes after lunch. By that time, though, I've already done the "Plan to Overcome Today's Obstacles," so I'm good.

Email me at kathleen@elemenza.com to receive the form as a pdf file ready to print!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Tumpane. All rights reserved.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?

You can, as long as you include the copyright and this blurb with it:

Feng Shui Designer, Teacher, and Coach, Kathleen Tumpane ASID, is the author of Slim House Slim Body; How to use Intentional Design to become and be slim. Visit her Slim Blog at http://www.slimhouseslimbody.blogspot.com for articles, tips, and news of teleclasses.

Delish Recipe for Carnivores

If you're a carnivorous person, like myself, you'll enjoy this recipe for flank steak. I've created elaborate marinades but this super simple recipe only slightly modified from Weight Watchers' in 20 minutes, is the yummiest I've found!

Flank Steak with Herbes de Provence

1.5 T Herbes de Provence
1 t Salt
.5 t Pepper

Combine the ingredients. I enjoy using my glass mortar & pestle to combine the flavors. Then rub the herb mixture on the steak.

Spray your Lean Mean Grilling Machine with non-stick spray. Preheat.

Cook 5 minutes. (for medium)

Let rest on your cutting board 5 minutes.

Cut across the grain. Serve!

Enjoy!

PS No Lean Mean Grilling Machine? Follow WW in 20 minutes or go to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and treat yourself to this fabulous small appliance!