Joy + Full Weight Loss & Wellness, LLC

17/05/2022

10/01/2022

Crowd out the "Bad Stuff" with the "Good Stuff." In this past week's podcast episode, I discussed all sorts of ways to approach health changes that will turn Deprivation Thinking on its head. Make the way you think ABOUT your health changes work FOR you in the new year! The podcast is available on all podcast listening platforms:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joy-full-weight-loss-with-sarah-wells-md/id1545717987

‎Health & Fitness · 2022

31/12/2021

Considering a different game plan for your health as you enter a new year? This is the first time EVER I’ve had a sale on my course! I created The 30 Day Blueprint to offer a CUSTOMIZABLE approach with actual Evidence-based ways to uplevel the habits that create health for the long term. Buy the course once, have access to it for the lifetime of the course, INCLUDING all future updates. It is available at your convenience, on demand. LINK IN MY BIO to the course, enter code JOY2022 for 10% off at checkout. This New Years sale is only available for a brief period of time so feel free to grab the course now, and use it when YOU are ready.

31/12/2021

Making a change for health in 2022?...
-My podcast is FREE
-My course is on SALE!! Coupon code: JOY2022 at checkout

11/12/2021

This week I released my 50th episode 🎉 of the Joy+Full Weight Loss podcast!!
I have covered the gamut this year—so many topics to encourage you that movement toward healthier habits can be full of joy!
All these episodes are totally FREE and available wherever you listen to podcasts!

This is a brief clip from my most recent episode—where I covered two different approaches you could consider to enjoy abundance without damaging your health at Christmas 🎄 .

02/12/2021

One way I temper my food feasting during this time of year, when tasty foods are coming out of the woodwork, is to daily purpose to feast all my OTHER senses on the season’s best.
We’ve had a just few cold enough days in SC for sitting by the fireplace, but this is top of my list this time of year! Warm, light, rest, and now some Christmas lights to savor too.
Took my coffee with a dash of pure cocoa powder, a few drops of heavy cream, and 5 minutes of quiet bliss.

30/11/2021

It’s November 30th. Today is not an Actual Holiday.
It’s simply a regular day that falls between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Writing down the Actual Holidays, and the “Official” seasonal parties helps me clearly see that there are a lot of days during “THE HOLIDAYS” that are just normal days. No need for feasting with food every single day until 2021 ends…
Not that I won’t feast in OTHER WAYS every single day…there are other senses the good Lord gave us to feast with too!
Last week’s podcast episode was all about feasting, if you want to consider creative ways to enter into the seasonal celebrations in ways beyond simple food.

29/11/2021

There are 32 days of OPPORTUNITIES left in 2021!
You don’t have to chose between enjoying the season and your health.
There’s no reason to throw in the towel in regards to eating well because it’s “The Holidays”!
So if you haven’t already, grab my Healthy Holiday Planner, and cast a vision for this season in terms of your celebrations and your health.
This isn’t a recipe book, it’s a strategizing workbook and mindset reset.
Enjoy the season like never before AND actually START a new year feeling great.

23/11/2021

I'm busy today prepping sides and such for the big feast on Thursday. I'll be enjoying some pumpkin seeds to help power me through with plenty of real food + clean healthy energy. I'll also keep a BIG bottle of ice water handy, and have my marathon socks pulled up. I've managed to enjoy years now of being in the kitchen chef preparing our holiday feasts, yet still continued weight loss or maintained a healthy weight. I included a section in my Holiday Workbook just for the home chefs like me, who want to stay healthy despite all the feasts.

23/11/2021

Gratitude and joy need to happen NOW, in the PRESENT. They are not the destination.
They are the PATH and process to achieve health.
Health itself and a healthier weight will not automatically make you have joy and gratitude.
It is the opposite.
Gratitude is the way there.
Check out podcast episode #47 from last week for more about Gratitude.

20/11/2021

A little early gift for all of you who want to celebrate the coming holidays with plenty of feasting and joy, yet still preserve your health. I am happy to share what has worked for me and many others in navigating all the food and health decisions of the season... for more info check out www.joyfullweightloss.com/holiday

02/02/2021

Have you taken a listen to Episode 6 of my podcast yet?
You hear about antioxidants EVERYWHERE, but what even ARE they? And why do we need them? What is happening on a cellular level? What do words like OXIDATIVE STRESS and FREE RADICALS mean?
In this episode, I break it all down in simple terms and plain english.
Check it out! Better yet, hit “subscribe” and leave me a review 😊

22/01/2021

Apparently January 19th has been dubbed as “Quitter’s Day” when it comes to New Year’s health goals...
Wanna know what I DO think you should quit?
Perfectionism.
It causes so many people to throw in the towel!
In this week’s episode of the podcast, I dive into how it halts progress, and three ways to combat it.

11/01/2021

Calorie counts for various foods are determined using the laws of physics and chemistry. But they don’t take into account the impact different types of calories have on our human physiology!

Food is more than a fuel burn. It acts in several ways BEYOND simple fuel to our bodies. Some types of calories impact the hormonal balance to hold on to fat stores. Other types of calories bring the hormonal balance into a place that opens the doors to stored fat so it can be accessed and burned as energy. Listen to my most recent podcast to learn more!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joy-full-weight-loss-with-sarah-wells-md/id1545717987 =Buzzsprout-7154680

04/01/2021

Have you checked out my new podcast yet? It’s the first Monday of the New Year! Need a boost of encouragement to get new habits going? Take a listen. 😃

01/01/2021

Happy New Year!
I'm celebrating 2021 by lauching my podcast : )

Link below Apple Podcasts! But it's also available elsewhere (Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more)

Hope my first few episodes can bring inspiration to make 2021 a year that builds your health like never before.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joy-full-weight-loss-with-sarah-wells-md/id1545717987

‎Nutrition · 2020

31/10/2020

I hit day #160 of my today. Day #158’s run ended with some rain, as you can see : ). No excuse 🏃🏻‍♀️. A year ago this weekend I ran the NYC Marathon. It’s been a very full few months for me. I’ve found in seasons like this that: Consistency + Hitting an achievable minimum = Maintaining health

Today I’d like to encourage anyone fighting the pull of a bag of candy sitting on your counter, or facing a night of candy and treats: 🎃

Keep your eye on the LONG game. Don’t let that part of your brain fueled by impulse and dopamine trick you into believing that small improvements don’t matter. It will tell you once you have 1 piece, you might as well ‘give up’ and have 10. That if you opened a bag of candy corn, you might as well just dig in and polish it off. That small improvements don’t matter, or won’t make a long term difference.

The truth is, that part of your brain is just wrong. Small choices DO matter. Every improvement over last week or last October is meaningful.

Don’t let perfectionism be the enemy of your success!

Small steps of improvement, small choices layered just a little better than before…those ARE what build long-term success.

Maybe you are one of many Americans now entering the holidays feeling more unhealthy with weight and fitness than you ever remember. The good news: November 2020 version of you CAN emerge healthier than the October 2020 version of you.

Start with adding good things. Chose a mindset focused what you are GIVING yourself: a big crisp salad 🥗 every day or a bowl of warm veggie 🥣 . Make a commitment toward regular consistent movement that builds your fitness and brings you joy. 🏃🏻‍♀️ In fact, why not make some of those choices now…today…this afternoon? Before the sun gets lower and the costumes come out? Flood your brain 🧠 with phytochemicals from plants that fight damage and set you up for success. Fit in a quick walk or bike 🚲 ride for a healthy dose of stress reduction and the best kind of feel-good brain chemicals.

Change is possible, one choice at a time. 🎉

25/10/2020

We had a birthday in our house this week, and I always make a special homemade “fancy” cake 🎂 for the birthday kid! This time it included a hollowed out “dragon’s lair” 🐉 she discovered once I cut it open, full of rock candy 💎 gems a small toy dragon 🐉 was hoarding inside.

How do I maintain my big weight loss with homemade cake in the house 🏠 during family birthdays 🎉 ?

While I occasionally DO enjoy a small special dessert, I try to take strategic steps to avoid digging into sweets without planning ahead or on too frequent a basis.

But the reality is, there are leftovers from birthday cakes 🍰! And cake stands don’t easily fit into the back crevices of the pantry, where I put other items to remain out of my sight (and out of mind).

My solution? Throw a kitchen towel over it! Even better, a bowl of fruit 🍎 🍐 in front to run interference.

Did you know that just the SIGHT of some foods can cause the release of both the hunger hormone gremlin AND the fat storage hormone insulin?

SO putting certain foods out of sight 👀 means we won’t need to deal with those hormone surges that make our mouths water, our knees weak, and have us throwing well-laid plans to the wind. This makes it SO much easier to keep our health goals and habits on track!

Try this simple step when there is a “trigger food” (something that may push you off your desired plan) in your house. It can really help you avoid indulging in it when you don’t want to. Just throw a towel over it!

18/10/2020

Easy Peasy:
Zucchini pizza 🍕 crust:
With so many healthy-ish and “low carb” crusts...why choose zucchini?
-Low in carbs (avoiding the insulin spikes driven by ground grain flours which increase fat storage) and low calorie, so it supports burning fat for energy
-High in fiber (feeds a gut microbiome environment of the RIGHT bacteria 🦠 🧫, driving a healthy immune system, and reversing disease states)
-High in antioxidants like zeaxanthin and lutein (why do we want antioxidants?? Well...OXIDANTS act like a “hailstorm” of destruction composed of free radicals, beating up tissues in every organ, leading to aging and disease...so we want to beat those hailstorms back with ANTI-oxidants! Enter zucchini...the chameleon of the veggie world (competing with cauliflower for that title! 😂 ) that disguises itself in many amazing meals 🥘 )
-Vitamin B6, regulating blood sugar levels, and might even help fight diabetes!
-More phytochemicals, including Vitamin A, folate, and potassium

THE RECIPE-less RECIPE:
Ingredients:

Zucchini
1-2 eggs
Salt
Italian seasoning

1. Shred a bunch of zucchini into colander (I like my little handheld julienne slicer first this)
2. Add salt and allow ten or 15 minutes for the zucchini to start “sweating” out it’s moisture
3. Squish that water/moisture out with a dish or paper towel
4. Add a couple eggs, a coupon tsp of Italian seasoning, and maybe 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan
5. Stir
6. Spread thinly on a sheet pan (I put parchment paper underneath so it won’t stick)
7. Bake at 375 till golden (30-40min)
8. Throw on some tomatoe sauce and toppings!! (I like use Rao’s brand sauce for no added sugar or seed oils, then add some nitrate-free meats, and pile with LOTS of veggies, mushrooms, olive with a bit of cheese)
9. Throw it back in the oven till it looks good
10. ENJOY the gift 🎁 💝 to yourself of good tasting and , and the medicinal level impact they can have on your health and weight

Small consistent changes lead to real results. Don’t discount them!

10/10/2020

Stress eating has been a huge struggle for many this year, and the resulting extra weight has been a source of frustration.

Part of breaking the stress eating cycle involves ADDING something GOOD instead…

What IF it was that something was JUST as effective as a pill to combat anxiety? For free?

Here are two options:

1. Take the “Nature Pill”:
In a 2019 study,* as little as 20 minutes in nature was enough to significantly decrease stress hormone levels as measured in saliva. This was even true if the subject was sitting on a bench—no movement needed. Nature is basically an evidence supported “stress pill”. What if, when you were reaching for that food you typically stress eat, you simply went outside for 20 minutes? This is free! Extra eating was taking time already—just get outside instead.

2. Take the “Exercise Pill”:

We have to stop viewing it as something punitive, and start seeing it as the gift to our mental health that it is. This is not about calorie burn! Study after study reveal its massive benefit to brain health. There are vascular, metabolic, and growth factors from exercise that contribute to lowered dementia risk, improved cognition, improved memory, prevention of atrophy (which means shrinking—Yes brains shrink as we age!). And pertinent to stress eating: It also impacts anxiety and depression levels long term.

Specific to anxiety: in studies, aerobic exercise of about 30 minute a day has been shown to be AS effective as taking an antidepressant. Not that I’d advise discontinuing one you’ve been prescribed, but why not boost your mood this way?

Better yet: Take the Combo “Exercise-in-Nature Pill”… I love exercising out in nature; the mood boosting and stress-busting effects are massive…even though I sorta have a love/hate thing with certain things I run across in nature. (Hate: snakes and gators! Love: Roseate Spoonbills!)

06/10/2020

Anyone feel like you’re running a marathon in circles without cheering spectators right now?
Well, this weekend, Sara Hall, mother of 4, did just that—not only were there no spectators allowed at the 2020 London Marathon, but it was also run around 20ish laps in St. James Park! Lots and lots of right turns...
And? She took the podium with second place! First American on the London Marathon podium in 14 years.
This year, we all need marathon level persistence and resilience as we press on each day.
I’d definitely compare the process of lifestyle change for weight loss and health to a marathon. Can I tell you how much I detest the word “journey” when someone is talking about weight loss or wellness? What hogwash.
We are not on some fairy tale prance across a meadow, and when you set out expecting that, you’ll think you’re on the wrong path when it gets uncomfortable. That’s why so many people quit. Expect a bit of discomfort. Staying comfy is nice, but it’s not where change happens.
Some marathon-style advice I’d give to the process of making health habit improvements, and achieving long-term weight loss:
Get comfortable with a bit of discomfort, and maintain it consistently. Eventually what WAS uncomfortable becomes easier, and then you begin to pick up the pace a little, add a bit of discomfort back in, until THAT level becomes easier. The cycle continues.
Don’t go out too fast.
Pace yourself.
This is a long haul.
Focus on the mile you are currently running.
Quit thinking about what you wish went differently in the miles you’ve already traveled.
Quit dreading how you’ll feel at that “wall” everyone says you you’ll hit at mile 20.
Who says you’ll even hit it?
Focus on GRATITUDE, even if you’re repeating what feels like the same lap, over and over and over, and there are no crowds cheering you on.
When was asked about the tough conditions, missing the crowds, shivering after those many laps (did I mention it was ALSO rainy and windy?), she said: “When I started to feel sorry for myself, I would just say how blessed I was to have a race...”

And how blessed WE are to have THIS RACE.

26/09/2020

I’m feeling great today as I hit the 125th day of my “running streak”! Every day, I ran at least 1 mile.
Want to know a great benefit of taking on a “streak” of your chosen exercise?
It helps eliminate excuses!!
The longer your “chain” of days gets, the more opportunities to overcome excuses!
No clean workout clothes? Grab them from the dirty pile and go anyway (can’t break the streak!) Soon, you learn to hang them somewhere to dry until laundry time, just in case you have to rewear them!
Bad weather? Most days I’ve learned to check weather and get my outdoor run in before storms arrive...or during that glorious glowing time after they depart. I do have a treadmill in my basement, BUT during severe lighting I’ve actually run laps around my house to total a mile! (Don’t want to break the streak!)
Almost forgot your run and it’s late at night? Run late! I ran back and forth on a long screened porch at 11pm once for my mile, listening to the tree frogs and the sounds of a summer night.
Busy day? Gotta squeeze it in anyway—don’t want to break that streak!
The mile usually takes me as little as 9 or as slow as 12 depending on my chosen speed that day. Gotta make sure with running that at least once a week I really take it slow to allow recovery and rest for the muscles so as not to overtrain and get injured.
Tech problems? Headphone batteries dead: run without and listen to birdsong (can’t break that streak!). GPS watch dead? Good thing I know the distances on my road so I know the routes that give me 1 mile, 3.1 miles, and 5 miles. (Can’t let lack of tech break my streak!).
Too hot out? SLOW down, hydrate, aim for morning or evening. And jump in some water when finished! (My favorite run so far was 5 miler I was grateful to get to run on a gorgeous beach, but it was HOT, and I ended by laying around in a tidal pool, as you see above.
Tomorrow marks 95 days left in 2020!! It’s not too late for you to decide to end this year in strength by taking on an exercise streak of your own! Check out https://www.joyfullweightloss.com/finish-2020-strong for the Finish2020Strong PDF where you can track each of the 95 days you chose to overcome excuses along with me! : ).

22/09/2020

Anyone want to KICK 2020 in the teeth on its way out? There are 100 days left.

One hundred days to do with something POSITIVE. Build up a streak of consistent daily exercise between now and January 1st. Don’t limit your thinking and assume exercise is simply about burning calories. Instead, it's about building resilience, strength, metabolic health, and fitness so you can BE THERE for the people counting on you. Think of it as a GIFT you give yourself going into winter, that brings stress relief, mood improvements, increases brain cell generation (!!). OH… AND it sends hundreds of good instructions to your DNA that CHANGE gene expression! Exercise habits have downstream benefits impacting MORE good habits, like a chain of dominoes toppling over. I’ll unpack all these benefits in the weeks to come, to keep you inspired. But for now, pick your streak, commit it to paper, and track it! Download my free PDF & tape it up somewhere to track and remind you: its at: www.joyfullweightloss.com/finish-2020-strong

(This info is for educational and informational purposes only. Consult your own doctor. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner about your specific health situation. For my full Disclaimer, please go to https://joyfullweightloss.com/disclaimer)�

22/09/2020

Anyone want to KICK 2020 in the teeth on its way out? There are 100 days left.

One hundred days to do with something POSITIVE. I've LOVED the benefits I've gained by running one mile minimum daily for the past 121 days in a row. JOIN ME! Choose your own daily minimum (even just to "move forward" for 5 minutes!).

Build up a streak of consistent daily exercise between now and January 1st. Don’t limit your thinking and assume exercise is simply about burning calories. Instead, it's about building resilience, strength, metabolic health, and fitness so you can BE THERE for the people counting on you. Think of it as a GIFT you give yourself going into winter, that brings stress relief, mood improvements, increases brain cell generation (!!). OH… AND it sends hundreds of good instructions to your DNA that CHANGE gene expression! Exercise habits have downstream benefits impacting MORE good habits, like a chain of dominoes toppling over.

I’ll unpack all these benefits in the weeks to come, to keep you inspired. But for now, pick your streak, commit it to paper, and track it! Download my free PDF & tape it up somewhere to track and remind you: its at: www.joyfullweightloss.com/finish-2020-strong

(This info is for educational and informational purposes only. Consult your own doctor. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner about your specific health situation. For my full Disclaimer, please go to https://joyfullweightloss.com/disclaimer)�

21/09/2020

People ask how I've lost so much weight, and gained so much fitness. Success happens one day, one decision, and one small habit at a time.

Tomorrow will begin 100 days left in the year 2020. Start now to build resilience and improve your metabolic health. Don't wait for January 1. Fall is the PERFECT time to begin or renew an exercise habit. Cultivate a new DOABLE habit FOR YOU and commit to consistently hitting it EVERY SINGLE DAY that's left of 2020. Make your choice today, just a notch above what you do now...just a little discomfort to build strength. Some ideas to consider:

-Move forward for 5 minutes every day minimum
-Move forward for 1 mile minimum every day
-Walk to and from your mailbox every day
-Complete ___ situps or ____ squats or ___pushups/modified pushups per day

Tomorrow come back and I'll have a beautiful free printable to inspire you as you track your chosen Habit Streak and end 2020 STRONGER.

18/09/2020

I’m so excited to be able to now offer weight-loss coaching and instruction through my new course: The 30-Day Blueprint for Joy+Full Weight Loss. Fall is on it’s way in, and with it a new season, and a fresh start!

18/09/2020

Fall is clearly on its way in, and with that a new season and a fresh start.

I'm so thrilled to be able to share my new online course:

The 30-Day Blueprint for Joy+Full Weight Loss
www.joyfullweightloss.com

Merge clarity in the evolving science of weight loss with an organized system for personalized and practical habit transformation, add tactical mental strategies, and gratitude, and you've found the path to improving metabolic health at a cellular level. Emerge with a customized blueprint you can c...

07/06/2020

Run Streak Day 14. It’s important when you are a runner to avoid injuries and improve performance by building in Rest Days. So how does that work when doing a running streak? Since my streak involves a minimum 1 mile run per day, at least once a week I make sure I limit myself to a very slow 1 mile recovery run. Other days I’ll go from that to run longer, or switch to my indoor bike or strength for cross training, but once a week that 1 mile sloooooow run is my only max, to give myself the recovery and rest I need. This past week I had a little buddy join me on some one milers! Today’s 5+ miles felt like they were in a furnace so I kept an eye on my heart rate and slowed down as needed. Summer running is on the way : ) ☀️ 🏃🏻‍♀️

30/05/2020

Run Streak Days 4, 5, & 6: Summer running is on its way—the heat and humidity were in full force for my runs on Thursday and Friday, just took them both at a crawl—Thursday’s run ended with a surprise water gun attack by 4 munchkins and I was delighted as it was HOT at that point! Friday’s rum squeezed in just before the storm and the final half mile was a merciful cooling rain. This morning I upped the milage a bit as it was nice and cool again. Now hoping to finally see our launch 🚀 happen today!