Feroce Coaching

“As there were no real answers in her life. She was in abeyance. Stuck in a pattern of waiting for a future she could not guess.” ~Anya Seton

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Sarasota, FL Addiction Recovery Coach, Dr. Christina Winsey: “Do you suspect alcohol may be a bigger problem for you than you thought?”  Do you suspect that you have a dual addiction: food and alcohol?  Do you think your problem is that you just need to lose weight, but you don’t want to have to give up alcohol or wine?

There is nothing wrong with celebrating the New Year with the bubbly. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a glass or two of wine with dinner. So when does alcohol become a real problem?  How do you know you’re addicted?  How do you know if you’re addicted to food or to alcohol?

I’m Dr. Christina Winsey, a Sarasota-Florida-based Addiction Recovery Coach.  Many of my clients don’t even realize, nor do they want to admit, when alcohol or food are big parts of the problems they are facing in life.  Using an addictive substance to “deal with life” is never a strategy that works for long.  It is inevitable that addiction ends up destroying the very careers, relationships and health and lives we really want. 

Is alcohol affecting your life?

Foods you can't stop eating

As an addiction recovery coach I work with men and women from all over the Country by phone.  These clients may have any kind of addiction, though alcohol and food are the most common ones people turn to coaching for.  Some have two or more addictions, (sometimes a combination of food and alcohol).

Many come to coaching saying they want to lose weight, and they get surprised to learn that alcohol may be one of the major causes of their extra pounds.  But they also then realize that giving up that alcohol is much more difficult than they ever realized.

Do any of these three profiles fit you?

*Weight is a challenge because over the years you became more sedentary but your eating habits remained hearty (filled with rich, high calorie foods).  You want to lose weight but you don’t want to give up alcohol or at the very least, you want to be able to enjoy wine with their dinners – and not just a glass, but a bottle a night.  Weight has packed on over the years and now you are even afraid to look in the mirror.

*You are beginning to get hangovers more frequently and your drinking amounts have increased.  You look for excuses to go out and party, and the partying always seems to include lots of food, and perhaps some behaviors you’re not too proud of.  Perhaps you’ve been late to work, or you just aren’t on “top of your game” like you used to be.  Maybe you know that alcohol is becoming a problem for you and you are worried that you really can’t stop. 

*You binge on carbohydrates (sugary foods, cakes, cookies, deserts, pastas and breads) and this has become a big problem.  Make no mistake; these carbohydrate foods are equally addictive in nature.  Wine or alcohol  go with the overeating “territory” and you have noticed how, over the years, you are drinking more and more.   You have tried many diets, including the “drinking man’s diet,” but nothing has really worked for you to keep the weight off, and you are still craving at least a couple of drinks a day. 

It may be one of these or anotherWhatever the case, don’t go it alone in your quest for health, recovery and real change.

Four  Vital Keys to Recovery:

What does it really take to recover from addiction, and to stay in recovery?  There are four absolutely vital keys to recovery that should be incorporated into any program you embark on.  These are: commitment, structure, support with accountability and a whole-person approach. 

Commitment.  When a client comes to a treatment program, to addiction recovery coaching or therapy it must be he or she who is making the commitment to recovery for the long haul.  One of my favorite sayings about recovery is “The only way out is through.”  In other words, there are no short-cuts.  There is no skipping around addiction.  Recovery is process that you have to go through and there are specific steps to be taken.  Without real commitment that “when the going gets tough, the tough get going,” recovery will be a fleeting thing.  Diets, and swearing off the booze are not a long-term answer, as we all know.

Structure eliminates guessing games as to what is expected.  Structure provides a framework that creates order from what may have previously been a real chaos.

Support and accountability go hand in hand and are probably two of the most important aspects to successful recovery.  In addiction the ego plays a strong role in holding you captive, so to speak, to the addiction.  The ego says “I can do this myself.”  So many times addicts tell themselves they’ll stop tomorrow and promise themselves that “If I really wanted to stop I would.”  But without support and accountability to another person or program these are usually idle words that never translate into reality.  It is not weak to need support.  Asking for support is actually a sign of strength – a sign that the ego is softening.

A whole-person approach to recovery means that it is vital to consider all aspects of you, of your life and what makes you tick, and to what makes your life work.  Since addition is a multi-pronged problem affecting mind, body, spirit, emotions and all aspects of your life,there are tools, skills and techniques that address these different aspects of you and your life must be included in a long-term recovery plan.

Addiction Recovery-Life  Coaching

Addiction recovery  is not as simple as “just say ‘No’!”  This specialty arm of life coaching requires special training.  Recovery requires  a strong and structured recovery plan that may well incorporate community addiction recovery resources, and/or other professionals, as necessary.  An addiction recovery coach is not a therapist.  Utilizing both coaching and therapy together may be recommended.  Most important is that you, the client, are committed to the process for the long haul.  At least a solid year of following a structured recovery program or plan is highly recommended.

Some free resources can assist you in discovering whether you may have an alcoholic addiction pattern.  Alcoholics Anonymous has a questionnaire which may help you decide whether you are in trouble with alcohol.  It is not a questionnaire with which to diagnose yourself as an alcoholic, but it is a strong indication that alcohol is a problem in your life.  http://www.aa.org/lang/en/subpage.cfm?page=71 American Society of Addiction Medicine Patient Placement Criteria: http://www.asam.org/PatientPlacementCriteria.html.  Overeater’s Anonymous has telephone and online meetings, as well as in-person meetings in your town.  http://www.oa.org/meetings/find-a-meeting-online.php.  Psychologists who specialize in serious eating disorders: http://www.findapsychologist.org/eating_disorders.html

Recovery isn’t an easy path.  There are habits to change and cravings to deal with.  There may even be medical issues that must be addressed.  But if you are suffering and if it is affecting your job, your relationships or your success in life, you owe it to yourself to catch the problem now and start to turn it around.

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Recover with an experienced coach:  Dr. Christina Winsey practices as an addiction recovery coach, alternative health coach, weight loss coach, and life and confidence coach.  You can receive a free consultation with Dr. Christina Winsey:  http://www.ferocecoaching.com/contact/free-coaching-consultation/

Our addiction recovery coach serve clients in Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Bay Area, Miami, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, St. Louis, New York City, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Madison, Milwaukee, NYC, Washington D.C., San Diego, Denver, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Honolulu, Baltimore, Boston, Kansas City, Omaha, Las Vegas, Newark, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Portland, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Fort Worth, Salt Lake City, Seattle, San Jose, Phoenix, Tucson, Tampa, Olympia, Spokane, Tacoma, Palo Alto, Pasadena, Sacramento, Santa Monica, Greenwich, Hartford, New Haven, Albuquerque, Austin, Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, Eugene, Salem, and many more!

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A Life Coach or Career Coach Can Make the Difference

You know the drill.  It’s the new year and you have a new resolve to lose the weight,  start exercising, quit smoking, begin meditating, etc.  Or maybe this year you’re resolved to finish the book you’ve been dabbling with, or get that promotion that’s overdue, or navigate a transition to a new, more meaningful career – one that makes you want to get out of bed in the morning.

You start off strong. This is the year you’re going to do it. After six weeks or so, you’ve built up some momentum and confidence. You’ve started to make some progress and you’re feeling good. And then March rolls around. Distractions surface. Stuff happens to usurp your time and money. It’s tax time after all.  Or maybe fear and doubt creep in. Old patterns of thinking sabotage your progress. You tell yourself this is temporary and when the weather gets warmer, you’ll re-double your efforts and start anew.

Now it’s summer and you’re back on it. The sun is out, the weather is warm and you’re feeling optimistic. You’re going to stick to it this time. You start to regain the momentum from earlier in the year. Then as the weather turns colder, stuff happens again. More distractions. Life gets increasingly hectic as the holidays approach. And when the holidays hit, you tell yourself:  “Just get through the holidays.”

You decide to table everything until the new year…and then the cycle begins again.

If all of this sounds familiar, then hiring a life coach, career coach or spiritual coach might be the way to go this year. One of the reasons why coaching works is that it’s a support structure that holds you accountable for your progress. Life coaching and career coaching (as well as other types of coaching such as spiritual, business, relationship, etc.) keeps you focused when will power waxes and wanes and distractions deter your progress. And on a deeper level, coaching works because it helps you to dissolve the soundtracks from the past which sabotage your future.  Since I began coaching in 2005, I have found that fear and doubt are the two biggest reasons why people don’t achieve their goals. Distractions are the third.

But life coaching or career coaching is not meant to be a permanent support structure.  A good life coach or career coach strives to coach you to independence – not dependence. So a skillfully trained coach works with you to create other, long-term support structures to help you not only attain your goals but sustain them, long after the coaching is over.

Resolve this year to make your resolutions work. Give yourself the support to attain and sustain your progress throughout the year so you can make 2011 the time in which you achieve the personal and professional success that has eluded you in the past.

Posted by Laura Svolos, Certified Professional Coach and Swami of Kriya Yoga specializing in life, career, relationship and spiritual/wellness coaching.

Take the first step in making your resolutions work, schedule a free consult with Coach Laura.

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Self Coaching Moment

It was summer 1994 and I found myself at the Woodstock music festival.  The people, the amazing music, and if you remember reading about the event – yes, there was rain! In the midst of the downpour, I was trying to make my way to the Aerosmith stage.  But, I could barely move.  My flip flips were sticking deep in the mud.  And so, after a bit of mental struggle- I let them go.

Yep, I left the flip flops in the mud and made my way to the stage where a man was about to challenge his shrilling vocal cords as he sang to a crowd of thousands.  A literal example of letting go, yes I was stuck so I decided to go for it and let go.  Now mind you, that meant I was barefoot in the mud for the rest of the weekend. But, you know what? I felt free. I was going with the flow of the music and the crowds and I relinquished my former thought of having to wear shoes.

Life Coach and Yoga Teacher

Fast forward to present day and as a life coach and yoga teacher, I often encounter clients who are stuck emotionally which carries into their careers, relationships- you name it .  But it goes well beyond mud, they are stuck and are on the path of losing themselves.  While I find myself guiding them to go with the flow and let go of what is causing them to sink deep, I do realize it is one of those easier said than done suggestions.  But, does it really need to be that hard?  Not if we can identify what we need to let go of.  Time to take an honest look inside.

Coach Wendy’s coachable moment

Find a quiet space (or a loud space if you can reflect in that environment) and bring your journal or laptop to capture thoughts.  First ask, am I going with the flow of life?  Or, do I feel stuck?  What are you holding onto that is causing you to be stuck in life?  Is it your way of thinking, lack of time for yourself, your desire to always be pleasing others, your constant sacrificing of your personal time for work, debilitating worry, stress, fear, anger, etc etc?  Once you can see what is getting in your way, then identify why you are holding onto it?  For example, if you are constantly trying to please others, why are those people important in your life–or, are they?  Is it time to let go of some people that don’t fit in the life you want to live?  Once you can see what is getting in your way, you can then begin to let go.  Really let go…so you can live in your flow and recapture a feeling of freedom.

Are you ready to let go?  Contact Coach Wendy Billie for a free coaching consultation.

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The Story: During a recent chat with a friend, he said “you called at the perfect time, I was having a zen moment”.  A zen moment…ahhh…you can visualize it right? I am sure he was walking along a free flowing creek, listening to the sound of the water rushing over the rocks, and gazing at the sun shining through the treas.  Oh, and I am sure he was sipping a cup of tea, listening to the birds sing, and watching his dog bound up ahead through the tall grass.  Wait!  That is my zen moment.

I created that zen place in my mind years ago as I was searching for ways to find peace in the midst of a crazy chaotic day. How do you find zen moments as life challenges come rushing towards you?  Where is your zen place that will instantly bring a feeling of peace to you?  Remember, you don’t have to physically be there…you just have to dream a little…be creative…and take yourself to your zen place for a moment of peace anytime.  Yes, you can even go there while sitting at your desk pounding away at work tasks.

Coaching moment: Take some time to visualize your zen place.  Etch it in your memory and visit it anytime.  You will feel an instant sense of peace and maybe; just maybe…it will give you an opportunity to approach the challenges placed before you with ease and grace.  Get your life coaching consultation from Coach Wendy now.

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Studies since the 1950s show the caloric restriction on laboratory animals. By restricting calories and maintaining a high level of nutrition, which are called CRONs (Caloric Restriction with Optimal Nutrition) animals tend to live longer. Studies show they can live between 30 to 200 percent longer, depending on the species. These studies have been done on several dozen species and the results are the same throughout. The same studies are currently being done on primates but it could take up to 10+ years to know see the results.

Learn more about alternative health coaching with Dr. Christina Winsey.

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For me, a life coach, the phrase self-discipline conjures up images of being strict, tough and perhaps even rigid to force myself to get things done. For the purposes of this article I use the phrase to describe the way we regulate and direct ourselves.  What self-discipline looks like to you may not be what it looks like to me.

How we do things is a deeply personal expression of our wants, needs, intentions, self-care, strengths, responsibility, beliefs and values, an outward reflection of what is important for us. I think of self-discipline as a continual recalibration and adjustment of what’s important in my life. All of us struggle with doing what needs to be done versus doing what we desire. None of us is immune from distraction. We live in an age of distractions that tempt us from good habits and intentions. How comfortable are you with your ability to balance competing needs and desires in your day?

Self-discipline is a balancing act. We are a collection of values, motivations, intentions, fears, potential, abilities, quirks, strengths and stories we tell ourselves. How all of this translates into self-discipline depends upon how aligned we are with our goals and how we balance priorities day to day. The balance you strike is reflective of your personal style of self-regulation. Are you happy with the way you balance your life or do you tend to let things slide a long time before you notice things are out of whack?

One thing I notice about people who are content with their ability to regulate themselves is that they are aware of their priorities, they are clear about them, they take responsibility for them, they take time to focus on them and they have a way of balancing competing demands on their time. My intention isn’t to judge or tell you that you should be more efficient, just be aware of how you feel about what you do in a day and notice if it works for you.

As self-discipline is so deeply personal, let me tell you about what I do and don’t do well. I learned some of my self-discipline from my mother, who has a lot of good habits and pushes through her resistance like a bull. Although I developed some good habits, I am not a creature of habit. I tend to do things as I feel like them. When I exercise good self-regulation, this feels good. When I’m not, the train slips off the rails pretty quickly. I tend to put off things like paperwork, collecting overdue accounts or cleaning. I have to face the fact that I may never ever feel like doing paperwork or making difficult calls.

I put these things on a weekly list of action steps related to my goals. I want to be financially responsible and have a neat house. So even when I don’t feel like doing paperwork, it goes into the hopper and usually gets done in the course of a week. When I face resistance to doing something onerous like doing my taxes I break it down into small achievable steps like sorting receipts, invoices and bank statements. I do my best to make it feel like something I want to do by listening to music, having a cup of coffee and having a time limit to get it done.

As I write this article I am aware of the tug of many distractions: checking email; wanting to have a cup of coffee; wanting to get up and stretch; feeling my neck is sore. Sometimes it’s tough to focus on my intentions.  If I am not responsible and I don’t hold myself accountable, I find myself emptying the dishwasher instead of doing what I intend, which is to sit and finish this article. The tug of distraction eventually proves irresistible so I use it as a way of taking a break and even rewarding myself for having applied myself and resisted distraction as long as I could. So let me tell you how I regulate myself …

I understand self-discipline as the practice of noticing what’s going on in my life, identifying and clarifying my priorities (my weekly list), balancing and making adjustments as I go along.  The best metaphor I can think of is it’s like driving a car. Imagine looking over my shoulder while I drive: I have a goal or an intention (to go somewhere), I get in the car and make myself comfortable, I check conditions, make adjustments, scan the road and set off.

While I am driving, I continually check the mirrors, stay focused, adjust my speed and watch for other drivers, all while keeping my eye on the road.  Not only am I interacting with other vehicles and responding to them, I am tempted by distractions and aware of other things I want to do. If I avoid distractions and stick to my intentions I will make it to my destination without turning into a fast food place or sending a text message while driving.

When I face a challenge, I take a deep breath then I check in with myself and notice what happens. I feel things moving around. What I notice is a dynamic balancing as I mentally move around priorities and make things fit together again. I might do this dozens of times a day, whenever I have to switch from one activity to another, to make sure I’m applying myself in the way I intend. I think of my brain as having a shifter. When I complete a task my brain is always asking, “what’s next?” The question, ‘what’s next’ is the shifter.

As long as I have a clear idea of my priorities and stick to them, shifting from one priority to another is effortless and clear. When that happens, I have a productive day and feel satisfied. When I am unclear about what’s next, I become prone to distraction. I’m prey to procrastination until I feel I know what’s next. This is where my list of action steps helps me figure a way out. Spending too much time in distraction mode gives me that sweetly sick empty feeling I had when I was a kid when I ate too much candy. That’s when I know it’s time to get back to doing something more satisfying.

I noticed that many distractions came up for me while writing this article because I found it difficult to wrap my head around this topic, making distraction and avoidance almost welcome. Now that the piece is almost finished I am beginning to feel a sense of accomplishment, empowerment and satisfaction. It takes focus, determination and persistence to push through resistance and avoidance. After all, I’m the only one who cares whether I write this article.

Let me leave you with one more element of self-discipline – self-care. I think it’s important to be responsible and balance my goals because it’s a way of caring for myself. If I don’t care enough about myself to do what I say I want then who will do them for me? I am constantly balancing self care with care for others. Think of a spectrum that ranges from selfish (extreme self care) to being in the service of others (an absence of self care).  I balance my needs, wants and desires, but not at the expense of others I care about. It takes discipline and self-awareness to strike a balance that’s right for you. I can care for others but not at my own expense. It’s a balancing act. It’s about you.

I think I’ll make some coffee and empty that dishwasher now…

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Physical Energy….Do You Have Enough Fuel?

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Healthy Tips About Sugar from Weight and Health Coach

If you are Trying to Avoid Too Much Sugar then You will Want to Know that it Ends Up in Many Foods and You Don’t Even Realize Because You Didn’t Know it Was Sugar

The sugar class of molecules consist of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen arranged in a ringed structure. Carbohydrates (a “macronutrient” category of foods) is the group sugar belongs to.  Other carbohydrates include starches, (You know, that piece of cake you had?  Bread, pasta, but even bananas, fruits, potatoes and grains).  Still others are celluloses, and gums produced only by photosynthetic plants.

What do we mean by “macronutrient”?  Carbohydrates are large molecules made up of lots of smaller “building blocks” in the form of simple sugars.  Put enough simple sugars together in a chain or group and you get a carbohydrate. Simple sugars are an essential structural component of living cells and the source of energy for all animals, including humans. They are easily broken down for the body to use to make something called ATP (the energy molecule).

So why should we avoid too much sugar?  That will be in my next blog so definitely come back to read more.  Suffice it to say that sugar, in its white, processed form of sucrose is highly addictive and has more adverse side effects than raising blood sugar and adding empty calories that put on weight.  For now, realize that sugar has many names and forms. It is also necessary in the diet. The brain depends on it. So does our level of energy. Unfortunately, mankind is now inundated with the wrong kinds of sugar, as evidenced by skyrocketing heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.  So know your sugars.  Let’s first learn the different names.  There are dozens of different kinds of sugar under a variety of names:

• barley malt
• brown sugar
• cane sugar
• corn syrup
• dextrose
• fructose
• fruit sugar
• glucose
• high-fructose corn syrup
• honey
• icing sugar
• invert sugar
• jaggary
• lactose
• maltose
• maple syrup
• molasses
• powdered sugar
• raw sugar
• rice syrup
• saccharinose
• sucrose
• sugar beets
• turbinados
• and more….

So now you know what to look for when shopping.  Next we will learn more about why sugar (simple sugar) is stay tuned for my next installment about the addictive nature of sugar…

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It’s never too late to learn new tricks as this video reveals.

Yes, anyone can learn a new technique or trick for success.  Surf the Internet and it’s full of proven methods to become successful in business, your career, and your life.  Every day, a new guaranteed program is popping up in the field of self-help.  Many of my clients turn to coaching because they have repeatedly tried everything from A to Z and it works for a little while, then it’s back to their old ways.

What’s missing?  Why do old patterns keep showing up over and over?  Research demonstrates that it takes 28-30 days to change a habit, introduce a new way of conducting business, living life, etc.  Actually, what I’ve discovered is that it only takes 14 days because if you have repeated a new habit or technique consistently for 14 days, by the 15th day, it will seem strange without it.  So, you usually continue.  By the time you reach the end of the 30 days, you have successfully shifted.  Then all it takes is another couple months to reinforce it, and voila, you’ve sustained a change.

In theory, this sounds too easy.  You’re right.  There is one more piece to making this work.  It has to be in synch with who you are naturally.  Most of my clients have no idea who they really are and what makes them tick.  They have been too busy listening to everyone else and not truly taking time to find out.

Is this complicated?  No.  The first place to start is to ask 2 questions.  What energizes you and what drains you?  You always know what drains you and if you start to pay attention, you can easily identify what energizes you, as well.

The key is to start creating a custom navigation tool that will help you get back on course and stay on the road to success.  Only by doing the things that come naturally will you be able to stop resisting yourself and actually improve the quality of your life.

I am not recommending that you make any drastic changes.  I am only asking you to discover 2 things:
1. What energizes you?

2. What drains you?

Once you are clear with both questions, you can start coming up with a list of things that must happen in your life.  These will start to be included in your top priorities.  For example, one of my clients, a business owner, was trying to grow his business and heard from many sources that all he had to do was to attend business functions, network and follow-up on leads.  This appeared to be sound advice.  However, group socializing and general networking meetings actually totally drained him.  He did better with growing individual relationships that were meaningful.  So, he created a description of his ideal client and researched places they would attend.  Turns out, he was targeting individuals in the creative professions and he had a passion for the performing arts.  Instead of attending unfruitful business meetings, he attended plays and started becoming involved in Community Theater in his back yard.  His new approach energized him and satisfied his passion for the arts.  In just a couple of months, he was happier and had acquired a dozen new clients.  He was no longer resisting the traditional marketing program.  This client changed the physical location where he was conducting business.  Physical locations provide some of the most powerful cues to behavior.

The most important thing to remember about success is to give yourself permission to explore alternatives without being fixed on the outcome.  To change a pattern or habit that’s not working, identify where this usually happens.  Then …change the context, change the cues.   …This requires understanding the triggers to your own behavior.

In the business world, it’s all about ROI and value propositions from employees.  Performance reviews are all about metrics.  It’s not about abolishing the metrics; it’s about giving yourself permission to creatively look at new approaches that map to the way you operate best.  If you increase the activities that energize you and minimize the ones that drain you, you will already notice a difference.

Try a free coaching consultation with Wanda Ropa, your success coach to get you started and get clear about where you’re going with your career, or with your life so you can develop a strategic plan that really works for you.  With clarity, success becomes a natural outcome.
Posted by Wanda Ropa, The Success Coach.

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