Lose Weight MIndfully, a guaranteed method of lasting weight loss- Workshop in Palo Alto May 5th

by Super Admin

You are invited to participate in an innovation leading to guaranteed lasting weight loss
Staring May 5th -June 30th “Lose Weight Mindfully” kicks off in Palo Alto, CA

For the past several months I have been reflecting upon the successes of the people who have taken our offering Pounds for Poverty with the intent to incorporate the best in that work and expand the training with the newest insights from the last two years of experience.
What I have realized is that the two factors of Mindfulness and Altruism in Pounds for poverty are not sufficient to guarantee lasting success. They certainly have helped those who have worked with us but there are two additional factors that are critical to the long haul.
I now see that there are four foundations or cornerstones to lasting success.
The first is certainly Mindfulness but I now am aware that altruism is not inclusive enough to touch all those who come to our workshops- I have expanded the palette of tools needed to the full range of kindness- generating actions, thoughts and speaking which include “Loving Kindness” practices like “Metta”; Cultivating Compassion through multiple means and also the practice of donating the money that we would otherwise spend on food and drink that is self-harming to charities fighting hunger like local food banks.
The third cornerstone is also from the traditional training found in Buddhist Psychology- Concentration Practice. Concentration skills train the mind to focus on a single point of attention for extended periods of time as well as to intentionally redirect our attention either to something healthy and wholesome or away from something that is self-defeating or self-harming.
Fourth cornerstone may surprise you- it is Curiosity. The skill of Curiosity manifests in the practice of asking open ended questions, inquiring deeply into a topic or response to more fully understand why we do that or simply in expressing a sincere desire to understand ourselves, others, events or situations.
When you integrate the four cornerstones and gain skill in each the interrelationship between them can also add strength and adaptability to our quest to experience good health and lasting weight loss.
Call me at 650-269-9942 or email me at elad.levinson@gmail.com to find out more.

“A key to long term success in weight loss is having the right map to the journey”

by Elad Levinson

A journey of a thousand miles begins with knowing where you want to go and how to get there.

If you have ever found yourself planning on going somewhere that you really wanted to reach, you know how important it is to have a map or a plan. Some of us like spontaneity and not want to overdo the planning and kill the fun. Usually, we have some idea of where we are headed.
To get where we are headed, the map must be up-to-date and reliable and show enough detail how to navigate the freeways of urban area or the back roads of rural country.

But what if you had the wrong map and were trying to use it to get to your destination or had a map that was out of date showing places and roads that no longer exist?
I believe that many of you have had that experience trying to get to your journey’s end- weight loss and sustained health improvement.
The map and the directions offered by 99% of diet and weight loss programs is without the accurate or up- to- date information and, in fact, it is misleading- taking us off the best and most likely roads to get us to where healthy lives are lived. Sadly, they deliver us to a dead end road of diets that cause more harm than good.

I offer a clear set of directions and guide that if followed with commitment for 90 days will lead you to a brand new understanding and awareness of how to be successful your entire life long with you weight and health.

There are three brand new keys that I offer that make the journey clear and directions ones easy to follow.

The first key is to explore the right geography- in this case the right terrain is inside- the mind is the source of success and suffering. The relationship of the mind to stress is critical to our travels. Having the best understanding of the internal map of the mind can make future mistakes and wrong turns easily avoidable.
The second is bringing a light to shine on the map and the territory. The light in this case is awareness- the luminous brilliance of seeing clearly and deeply into our daily lives with all of its twists and turns.
The final key is traveling with a good heart that cultivates kindness and generosity; two factors that encourage safe and wholesome trips. You will be helped along the way to your journeys’ end by others who feel your kindness and want to make sure you get where you are going. Rarely does anyone lose weight and keep it off without help- encouraging assistance by being of help to those suffering too is a sure fire method for assuring your own kindness in return.

In the next article, I will elaborate on each key and offer to you detailed understanding and tools to take with you on your drive from the prison of being over-weight and its terrible consequences to good health and Mindful weight loss.

“Why doesn’t being sick and tired of our weight and condition translate into sustained commitment to

by Elad Levinson

The BIG question everyone asks is what does it take to sustain weight loss? Losing is not the hard part- keeping it off. Having confidence that you will continue to succeed is the difficulty.
I have been wondering this out loud to several clients and colleagues and collecting an informal survey of answers- and I am curious if anyone who reads this would agree or disagree.
Here are my conclusions- first and foremost; you have to care enough about something more than over eating. That could mean, living long enough to watch your kids grow up, or being able to play with your grandchildren or it could be that you have discovered that you are worth good health.
Second, there is some sort of epiphany or spiritual moment when you realize that you are a part of something sacred or blessed and that it is a part of your heritage as a spiritual being to be well. That awakening can take many forms from the sublime to the mundane experience of simply wanting to be healthy so that you can live fully engaged.
Third, honesty and self examination become a matter of survival not something to resist or rebel against. Without honest, direct feedback and the ability to listen to it and learn from it we are caught up in a bubble of self delusion and deceit. It is imperative that we learn to learn, the way a mature adult does. They want to improve and develop not stagnate and suffer forever.
Finally, we connect with our basic goodness and basic intelligence. Inside all of us is a simple, clear, helpful, loving perspective that we can access when we develop internal peace, slow down and listen carefully.
I believe that there are many more success stories than is currently thought to be and if you are one of them, please write to me and tell me about your experience of sustaining weight loss and continuing health improvement.

65,000 thoughts a day - How mindful breathing can help

by Maryann Marks

Don’t ask me how the researchers figure out these things. But the research says that we have an average of 65,000 thoughts a day. About 64,900 are a repetition of the day before. Thus the wheel turns over and over in the mind, compulsively thinking the same mostly mundane thoughts about past, future, and a few select thoughts on the present moment.
Now I am in yoga class this morning. I confess I haven’t been in awhile. My ten minutes of stretching after working out just isn’t enough for me. So, my yoga class is beginning to become a bit torturous in the tight spots, which seem to been multiplying. A voice says “try just paying attention to the breath”. This is what I do during my meditation practice. Why not bring it into daily life? “OK, I’ll try it for awhile”. The more I stay with it, the easier the yoga practice gets. The tight spots are tight, but my mind isn’t fixated on the thoughts that this is torture. By simply putting my attention on the breath, life becomes easier. By the end of class, my energy level is high. I go grocery shopping and return home to face the task of cleaning house. The thoughts start to slide back in, “I’m going to be too tired to clean house. My back is going to hurt”, cascades into endless thoughts about a future in which I am cleaning house in pain. I say to myself, “Let’s see how far I can take this idea of paying attention to the breath”. Slowly I start the housecleaning. I notice, that if I keep bringing my attention back to the breath, I can clean without much back pain. There is slight back pain in the back ground of my thoughts, but I start to clean more than I usually do. I find that I’m enjoying going slowly and my energy continues build.
After I’m done, I’m feeling a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment that my house is clean and I still have energy. In fact, I have so much energy that I want to write about it. I’ve heard it said many times that mindfulness practice is simple; just keep paying attention to the breath. Theoretically it is easy until this mind begins churning out its quota of 65,000 thoughts a day over the past and future, exhausting me while it does its job.
I’m going to run an experiment, and see how long I can keep returning to the breath, when the thinking mind is not necessary. You may find if you try it that your energy starts to increase as the repetitious thoughts fade into the background. Don’t be discouraged when your mind wanders off. This is very typical, although it takes awhile to train the mind to stay with the breath, just the act of bringing your attention back to it will have profound effects on you. Many people report that they are able to focus better, relax, stay calm, and complete the task at hand without so much effort. I believe that what you experience will be worth the experiment. I’d love to hear from you what worked and what needs some adjustment.

Right under your nose

by Maryann Marks

I have been experimenting with my mindfulness practice, making more effort to get deeper in the practice, more settled in. I usually pay attention to my belly. Taking deep breaths in the belly brings my concentration back when my thoughts wonder off. Believe me, my thoughts wander off more than I care to admit.

The other day, I started paying attention to the breathing in the nostrils. It is a practice I have known about for a long time and used in the past. For some reason, I began to put my attention on the breath coming in and out of the nose, and was able to stay focused for a longer period of time without the stream of thoughts barraging me.

I’ve been thinking about this and the saying, “It’s right under your nose” came to mind. We look far and wide for the answer and usually it’s right under our nose. The things we lose are often right “under our nose”. The way to keep from getting lost in my thoughts was right under my nose.

As you begin to use the mindfulness practice, I hope you experiment with what will bring your attention back and find your doorway into a more extended period of silence. Most people really enjoy the moments when the thoughts quiet down and a peaceful experience is found.

I have found that spending time in silence has helped me in all areas of my life. I encourage you to gently find your way into this practice and see if your life begins to become more manageable.

Can I lose and maintain weight this time?

by Elad Levinson

Yes, thousands have and you can too. But it will not be because of some revolutionary diet or exercise program. What the successful have found is that you must give up the notion that something other than new behavior and acquired skills will make the final difference.

Our research overwhelmingly demonstrates that there are two profoundly simple sets of behaviors that lead to newfound competence and capability to improve health and lose weight.

1. Stop, look and listen- stopping refers to slowing down our actions and reactions by using our breathing as a tool to maintain calm and focus; looking relates to observing objectively to our wants, needs and desires and then decide which are self caring versus self harming; and listening is the act of hearing our best self’s answer to the question: “what do I need right now to stay on purpose and focused upon improving health and losing weight?
2. Redirecting the desire to nurture and care for ourselves solely through food or anything we are over doing to caring for ourselves and others who are suffering in a manner that builds self esteem. Nathaniel Branden, the founder of the self-esteem theory, defines it as “Our reputation with our self”. We become more positive when we are kind, compassionate and loving in a healthy way.

In Pounds for Poverty, we say that skills trump good intentions and we are aligned with the aphorism in Alcoholics Anonymous that, “you can act your way into right thinking faster than you can think your way into right action.”

Red Light/Green Light

by Maryann Marks

I’m at the gym, with the energy flow working at optimum. This is when I get the best ideas for my blogs. Red light/green light flashed into my mind.

I’ve been under the weather the past two weeks. I noticed that I had no enthusiasm for anything. Because my appetite was gone, I lost a few pounds. I decided to run an experiment about keeping my portions smaller as my health returned.

I recently read a research study that gave three groups of people, who just finished a big lunch, three sizes of stale popcorn as when they went in to a movie. Everyone ate all the popcorn, and when interviewed about the taste, no-one mentioned it was stale. We’re suppose to eat when we are hungry-wrong. We tend to eat what is in front of us, especially when we are with others doing the same.

It has been a great surprise to me that I can eat small portions and be satisfied. Usually, after my stomach has shrunk from either an illness or planned fasting, I inched my way back to my normal portions without a blink of an eye. What happened this time? Using mindfulness as a steady practice, I believe, I am connecting my body with that part of my brain that ruled the portion size. It always said, “this is how much you have to eat to be full.” If I ate less, I was hungry.

Now, I’m being mindful and curious about the hungry instead of assuming I’ll be hungry if I don’t eat a larger portion. I suspect that our hunger factor is not very reliable. It will play tricks on us unless we learn to challenge it. The red light is the body saying that’s enough; the green light is the mind saying more.

What the participants have to say about the Pounds for Poverty program

by Participant

I was writing a friend and I told her that I was feeling much more in control of my eating. Then I realized that wasn’t quite right. I am feeling that my eating is less in control of me.

I used to try to control my eating with will power, which took a lot of effort because my urges to eat were pretty overwhelming. Sometimes they still are, but now most of the time they don’t feel so overwhelming. I am losing that automatic hand to mouth response. It doesn’t feel like I’m having to use willpower.

Karen

Just One More Time

by Maryann Marks

Just one more time….....How often have you said these words, even after you have made the promise to stick with your diet plan? The other day, I had one of those moments which gave me a lot of clarity on this subject. I was about to have a glass of wine, shortly after I had told my partner that I was giving up alcohol and sugar for a month. I had made my declaration, and no more than a few hours later, I wanted to have a glass of wine with dinner. My justification is that I hate to waste things, and I thought we would just finish off the bottle, and I would start on my pledge the next day. I was struck how much I felt like an alcoholic asking for just one more drink, and then I’ll give it up tomorrow.

We dieters have a very similar issue that the problem drinker has. I saw very clearly that my entire adult life has been a series of “just one more time” in regard to dieting. I believe I can have the thing I have decided to give up, stick with the diet plan tomorrow, really honest I will. Luckily, I have a very savvy partner who saw my good intentions being ambushed. Having cultivated a fairly good practice of mindfulness, I saw that what I really want is to observe what might change if I give up sugar and alcohol for a month.

I’ve been having trouble sleep and stiffness in my joints. I have read numerous things about the effects of sugar on sleeping and joint problems. We probably all know that white sugar is a culprit for many ills of the body. Note- alcohol turns into sugar. I don’t consume that much sugar or alcohol, but maybe more than I realize. The real point is about the “one more time” issue. It is very easy to make a resolution, and then sabotage it with the “one more time” gig. My suggestion is to keep your observing mind on the look-out for ambush and find someone who you count on to keep you honest with your plan.

Who am I? The question and the pursuit of the answer lead to health

by Elad Levinson

Thirty-eight years, I attended a three day retreat training focusing upon self investigation and awareness. During this very long weekend we were inquiring into what seemed at first to be a ridiculous task- to come up with an answer to the question Who Am I?

You would think that by 21, I should know the answer to that and do on some levels. I had loads of concepts, feelings, physical sensations and ideas tied to the question and all of them turned out to be habits of thinking and feeling that with examination seemed insubstantial. What I mean is they felt flimsy, transparent, without any real solidity that I could say with confidence- yes, that is who I am at my core.

Through inquiry, many false beliefs and feelings about me dissipated and disappeared. The big insights turned out to be life changing. I cannot replicate them in detail as the specific is less important than the evidence of the power of the insights. Two weeks after the retreat I remembered that from the age 12-21, I smoked two- three packs of cigarettes per day and I was now seemingly a non-smoker.  Then a few months later, I realized that I was ready to lose the 100 pounds in a new way- one that I can only describe as an outcome of self awareness and self respect coupled with a commitment to make the lifestyle changes necessary to sustain the loss.

I had to do quite a bit of soul searching to come to this new ability. I found such a well spring of emotions that I did not know I had- having a father who was alcoholic and seething with violence left me quite the chameleon, always looking for ways to blend in and not incur his wrath. I had my own pool of anger that I could never have admitted except in the safety of the retreat. Other emotions like grief, sadness, joy were also unavailable to me. I had a blanket of unawareness and depression that covered over the bad experiences of childhood and gave me a false sense of security because I did not have to feel much of anything.

It is ironic that the measure of a person in our culture is their outer success because that gives the impression that you do not have to be happy with yourself- as long as you can have the applause and acknowledgment of others you are fine. But it turned out to not be true. I was wildly successful for a 21 year old and inside I was miserable- evidence of that- smoking, eating and drinking alcohol excessively, smoking marijuana frequently and of course the ever present tire around my middle.

The tools and the methods that led to my transformation are all the same that Pounds for Poverty is founded upon:
1.    Mindfulness training- basic skills in self observation, reducing the tendency of self judgment and criticism via compassion, awareness of our internal experience in thinking, feeling, sensing and making meaning out of life’s information.
2.    Rigorous self honesty- a willingness to explore and express the seemingly “dark” side of personality and our personal histories so that we can feel a sense of truthfulness and measure of relief.
3.    Support- learning to listen non-judgmentally and expand your network of like-minded people on the same path.
4.    A healthy diet of whole foods, vegetarian cooking, no alcohol and lighter foods so that we were not involved in over consuming and weighed down by the aftermath of our eating.
5.    Movement from the inside out. Learning how to focus our awareness on the physical sensations that we experienced while walking, sitting, standing or stretching.
6.    Service- Building a community that was co-creating ideas, a safe  environment and learning to exchange over consuming with community service. I became aware of how important it is to me to be of service and not just be served. I end up feeling more engaged and better about myself.

All of the above practices have become my life style and they continue to be nourishing and lead me to health, well being and happiness inside.

Recession-proof your health, invest in yourself

by Elad Levinson

I do not say this to be cute or timely or to borrow a popular phrase. I mean this as a serious statement about why it is crucial to take care of your health and lose weight.
The American health care system is woefully unprepared to take care of you; if you have a complicated medical problem. I have clients that have been passed along from one specialist to another with each body part being treated, as if it was a separate entity. An analogy would be if you took your car to a carburetor specialist, then an axle specialist then a valve guy and a piston person. It is crazy- this idea that we can be parsed and sliced and diced. How can anyone make sense of what we really need or what is really wrong from this type of care?

Your health is going to become even more of liability or an asset because our worsening economic situation will take much more time than we can imagine to rectify. How are you going to be prepared with the right state of mind, body and emotional health to take care of yourself financially if you are struggling with being overweight?

Employers do not look favorably on overweight people, they don’t have to discriminate actively but they will find a way to keep you out of the pool of people that their health care coverage spans by not hiring you. On even the bleaker side, try getting independent health insurance if you are overweight.
It is self-defense to get real and get healthy. Look boldly at your self- can you say that you are doing what you can to get or stay healthy? Are you taking this as if it your life depended on it or are you putting off the inevitable task of becoming honest with yourself?
I am not critical of you- I am one of you- you are me. I am an over eater who has learned to eat in moderation. In the past, I have over consumed everything that I ever loved. If it was good, I wanted more and more and more.

But I am offering you an urgent message- If your life style is not one that makes you healthier, it is the one that may ruin you fiscally as well as physically.
The path out of the situation is one that embraces two sides of what seems like opposing poles- hunger and obesity. If we live wisely in taking responsibility for our health than we can begin to concern ourselves with the redistribution of our wealth and health- let’s spread the health and wealth by donating the money we might use to over eat to charities like Whole Planet Foundation or Second Harvest Food Bank and make an impact in the life of not just our selves but those who are hungry.

Becoming healthy is a matter of mind, body and spirit- cultivating generosity is an emotionally satisfying act that generates positive self- esteem and makes us more able to take good care of ourselves while we take care of others.

Throw out that Celebrity Magazine

by Maryann Marks

I’m at the gym again. It seems that everyone has their nose glued in the latest celebrity article about how to lose 20 pounds. “I was 132 lbs, so fat I couldn’t stand myself. I’m normal now, weighting 110 now. I lost 22 pounds.” This was a real article; I’m not making it up. Let’s assume the woman is 5’6” and her “normal weight” should be 130-135. What does this article say to the woman who is 150 lb? She might she think is very obese in comparison as a result of reading this article.

I’ll give Oprah the star award for her latest confession about gaining 40 pounds. She reports that she was 200 pounds and her best weight is 160. Now that’s a women I can admire. It has been said by researchers that the average person who is on the cover of the glamour magazine is either a super model or super athlete. I look around the gym and see many desperate people trying to mimic something pretty unattainable. Our obsession with being 15% body fat or emulating the magazine covers begs for failure.

I’m am interested in finding a realistic goal and size for me. I realized that when I was younger, I bought into the same type of unrealistic aim. I wanted to get to 135, I’d be happy. Sadly, I was never happy and never 135. I now know that I could have never made that goal without becoming anorexic.

The point is to find what is really a weight you could attain and sustain. Perhaps the woman who weighs 150 lbs is healthy according to her body type. If you stop looking at superstars to tell you what is weight is acceptable, you may just find out what is right for you.

A New Year resolutions -Beyond measuring progress by weight loss alone

by Elad Levinson

The time has come to recognize that the entire way we measure our progress in health improvement and weight loss is seriously flawed.
The New Year’s resolutions are being constructed today, tomorrow and they inevitably say, “I will lose X pounds this year, month, day, hour, minute” depending upon how realistic/in denial you are as you make them.

I propose that we shoot the messengers of weight loss who claim pounds loss equal success and thrown in the BMI for good luck (Body Mass Index or how it is affectionately called the Big Mistake Index) because it is a mistake to use it as the only useful tool for measuring right sizing.

Here are some new forms of measurement that you might consider:
1. Truthfulness and Accuracy: Am I telling the truth to myself about what I actually put into my body- quantity and quality?
2. Mental training and skills: Am I committed to developing the tools and skills that make me a more objective observer of my own responses and reactions so I can make better choices?
3. Lifelong, sustainable eating plan: Do I have a realistic plan for eating that I can live with the rest of my life that will lead me to steady health improvement and weight loss/maintenance?
4. Exercise and movement: Am I constructing and experimenting with ways of moving that get me up off the couch and engaged with life in a pleasurable and healthful way?
5. Self-honesty and authenticity: Am I becoming more willing to say what is in my heart and mind regardless of how others see or respond to my experience?
6. Compassion and self-esteem: Am I willing to concern myself with others in need in such a way that it relieves me of the burden of isolation and makes me feel good about myself through acts of generosity?
7. Progress and small wins: Do I realize the long-term nature of my commitment and am I willing to approach my health improvement as a decade or lifelong goal with incremental changes for the better?

Supporting the Open Heart

by Maryann Marks

Do you ever get that anxious feeling when you think about asking a friend for support? The anxiety level that often hits me when I start to ask for help has surprised me. Being a curious person, I have spent some time wondering why I would feel this way. Some of the “reasons” I come up with are: fear of rejection, fear of bothering someone, and the fear of being humiliated.

Being a therapist, I know these are all old childhood wounds that I should be able to get over. I can say that for the most part, I just acknowledge them and ask for help anyways. But, my confession to you is that sometimes I just don’t ask for help. I assume that the other person will not help. By making the decision for them, I lose out on many opportunities for support. So, I’m on the exercise machine at the gym. This is where I get a lot of my inspiration, by the way. I am listening to a poem by Hafiz; he is asked if he is a man or a woman? Something like “What is it like be a man?” Hafiz answers, “a better question would be what is it like to be a heart. “

I thought about what it is like for me when I am an open heart. Being a person who likes to experiment with things, I thought about someone I wanted to ask for help and the feeling of anxiety came over me just thinking about it. Then I opened my heart, which is really an individual experience. I feel myself expanding not feeling closed, shut down or contracted in fear. I imagine that love is penetrating every cell in my body and that love is available right now to me; there is no scarcity. With this feeling of open heartedness, I imagined myself asking that same person for help. No anxiety arises. Hey, it works. So, I try it the next day when some conflict comes up in business dealing. I’m disappointed about the way I am treated. I open my heart, and experience a very peaceful feeling. The conflict passes, and miraculously, the person offers me something I really want.

The point of this, for me, is to return to this open heart no matter what the outcome. I have another experience with an old friend that was very bitter. I keep opening my heart to the thoughts that arise with openheartedness. She may never change, but I change immediately, when I open my heart to her, knowing there is nothing else to say or do

Christmas Confession

by Elad Levinson

It’s Christmas time on the Alcoholism unit at Sequoia Hospital
So, I am sitting at the Nurses station schmoozing with two colleagues and staring me in the face and wafting across the ethers are several boxes of See’s candies. I have lost 100 pounds a few years back but have never lost the compulsive response to sweets- I cannot walk away from the siren call of the sensuous dark brown explosions of flavor waiting for my mouth but then again I feel like I can’t just take one, I want many.

 I wait for the nurse who is closest to the chocolate to be called away and I grab a napkin and stuff as many candies as I can without being seen or noticed. Then, lI slip into the bathroom at the nurse’s station and gobble the candies with no real pleasure or mindfulness- I eat them with no enjoyment.
Then I come out of the bathroom as if nothing had happened. I never checked to see if I had crumbles of chocolate on the corners of my mouth or brown stains marring my fingers. I just go back to the conversation with my ears burning with shame and a smile on my face like I got away with something.
About an hour later, I am on duty and it is my job to start and watch a movie about addiction. In the movie, the main character is sneaking drinks in the bathroom and then acting as if he was sober. I had a nightmarish flash of recognition. I was him.

That moment of embarrassment was the beginning of my examining my actions and understanding them as a serious problem that could be called addiction. I don’t particularly like the labels of addiction, obesity or compulsive eater because they miss the real experience of the suffering caused by the process we have inside. It is more accurate to describe the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual toll it takes and how isolated we end up feeling.
The recognition, that there were others who suffered as I did, led me to become a member of a 12 Step Program, go into therapy to explore how come I was at my goal weight and still crazy after all these years.

The journey and the discoveries made are the basis of Pounds for Poverty. I am happy to share what I have learned. I hope you have a moment like mine that allows you to become ready to look beyond the loss of weight to the underlying root cause- the mind.