OM in the City

Conscious Spotlight with Nadine Christine Hamdan

That’s one hell of a question, huh?  Is it the size of my derriere that’s affecting my attitude or my attitude that’s affecting the size of my derriere?  And is that combination what’s stopping me from finding the man of my dreams, and living the super duper life I desire?

The past two years of my life has been insane.  Between my clients and my writing career, I’ve been going twelve to fifteen hours a day.  Sitting and sitting for days at a time gaining weight, eating whatever I can get my hands on, and going down a slippery slope of depression.  Then I don’t feel like working out (and I’m obsessed with working out), so I compensate by working more, sitting more and getting down about the way I feel, gaining more weight and the vicious cycle continues.In fact this cycle has been occurring since I was 13 years old. Up and down with my weight.  In 1994 I peaked at 210 pounds. On a mission to lose weight, I ate healthy, lost over 85 pounds in a matter of 8 months and managed to work out every day.

I kept my weight off for 15 years and continued working out.  Then two years ago my world came crashing down around me.  I took a hit with work, the man I was in love didn’t work out and I was running around like a mad woman.

I was driving myself right into an emotional tizzy.  How do I stop the eating when I get down?  Up and down with the weight.  Am I increasing the size of my derriere so I don’t have to deal with the emotional let down’s and be in a good relationship?

I interviewed one of my most favorite people in the world, Hamilton Erridge.  He is the president of New Lifestyle Diet and has lost 100 pounds and kept it off since 2004.  What I love the most about him is his tenacity to keep moving and love for helping people who have emotional eating disorders and serious weight problems.

Nadine: OMG Hamilton.  What’s with the dieting roller coaster ride?  Am I sabotaging myself?

Hamilton:  Hi Nadine.  We’re all on a roller coaster; don’t be so hard on yourself.  Dieting and losing weight isn’t just about the weight; it’s about dealing with the issues that brought the weigh on in the first place.

Nadine:  Issues?  Like eating ice-cream to make me feel better and knowing once the food is gone, so is that yummy feeling.  Then the bad feelings set in and so does the cellulite on my thighs. Ugg.

Hamilton:  You’ve got to want health more than food.  A lot of people go on a diet because they think they need to lose weight, but they’re just going through the motions.    This is especially true of you Nadine because you’ve experienced trauma when you lost one of your best friends, Steven.  Have you dealt with that?

Nadine:  That’s a tough one to deal with.  I don’t know if you ever come up and over the death of someone you love a lot.

Hamilton:  Exactly Nadine.  You have a high profile life and deal with a tremendous amount of pressure and deadlines.  It’s time to draw a line in the sand and forgive yourself for past mistakes, goofs and give yourself the freedom of start fresh.

Nadine:  My body craves food.  When I’m falling in love with a man, I don’t want food.  When I’m heart broken, I’m falling in love with a large pizza.  And might I add, it takes me FOREVER to even meet someone I like being around.  HELLO ISSUES!

Hamilton:  Your body craves food because there isn’t anything else to fill the void.  Don’t view your diet as just losing weight; view it as a past discovery. The more aware you become, the fewer the cravings and you will truly begin to discover your body.  We all carry trauma, the question is, to what degree?

Nadine:  My degree is a million Fahrenheit.  I have a big heart and when it gets hurt, I get a big derriere.  I comfort myself with food.  When I KNOW that exercise and eating well is the key and I LOVE that too.

Hamilton:  You need to start gauging and writing where you’re cravings are coming from.  Truly everything comes down to first changing who you are and discovering yourself on all levels.  Emotional, physical and, you’ll love this one Nadine, spiritual.

Nadine: Spiritual.  YUM.  Intrinsically I know all of this.  We spend our lives evolving and growing into a better version of ourselves.  I also don’t want my pant size to grow.

Hamilton:  Do you like yourself?

Nadine:  I truly do like myself and my personality.  All three of them.

Hamilton:  Haa haa Nadine.  All of your personalities are great.  It’s especially motivating when I see someone overweight working their derriere off at the gym because I know they’ve reached a point where they say “I don’t care what I look or feel like; I am going to take charge of this”.  I’m 6’5 inches tall and had an extra 100 pounds to carry around.  If I could find a way to get into a gym and workout, you can too.

Nadine:  And I live and work in Hollywood.  We have such a “thin” stigma.  Hello intimidating.  Especially since my clients range from health and fitness guru’s to A-list celebrities.

Hamilton:  Hollywood is a lot tougher.  You have to ask the question “are they really friends or acquaintances?”   How much of your image is being coveted?  Hollywood doesn’t just affect you Nadine, it affects millions of people.  I’m sure you know this all too well.

Nadine:  Sure do.  How do we seek happiness outside of validation?

Hamilton:  Hollywood doesn’t promote health and fitness, look how skinny and frail the stars look.  I would like to walk down the red carpet and snap them in half.  Most women aren’t a size 0 or 2.  They are between a size 10-14.

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Nadine:  When was your AHA/waking moment?

Hamilton:  My AHA moment was when my wife said “I love you and will never leave, but I don’t respect you.”  She didn’t respect me because I wasn’t getting my hands around my ever growing weight problem. I still consider myself a person who has a problem with food, but I manage it every day.  I’ve also learned to balance my personal joys.  I don’t think you have.  What do you do that’s joyful?

Nadine:  I find joy in my work.  Perhaps I should start meditating?  Affirmations?  What ya think?

Hamilton:  Well that feels good and comforting Nadine, but I’m not talking about taking a friggin bath and lighting candles.  I’m saying “what do you have in your life just for you because you love it and it gives you joy”.  You need to start dealing with your own crap, start owning your own happiness, stop doing so much for others and start doing more for yourself.  Say, “Wow you know what I am going to do?   I’m going to work out for an hour, I’m going shopping and get into healthy relationships” and really get into the nitty gritty of what you desire and want for yourself and in your life.  Even that elusive man.

Nadine:  Mmm…That elusive man.  He exists somewhere.    You’ve lost a lot of weight and told me how much better you feel about yourself and that your personal and professional life has changed considerably since you’ve created such a dynamic change physically and emotionally.

Hamilton:  You know the old cliché’ you’ve got love yourself before you can be loved by someone else?  It’s very true.  For you it’s about starting fresh, forget about the past.  Find things that you really love, be it exercise, the theater, and I know how much you love to hike.  Go forth GrASShopper and make your way.  I know you can do it.

Nadine:  You’re wonderful Hamilton Erridge.  I love your book “Creating Your New Lifestyle” and cannot wait until the new version comes out this fall.  Congratulations on all of your weight loss success and your achievements.  You give me hope, inspiration and now perspiration.

And so it goes that it is my attitude that is creating the size of my derriere and truly, if I were comfortable in my own skin, this article wouldn’t even exist.  Carrying extra weight around on my derriere or thighs isn’t a feel good situation.  I will take Hamilton’s suggestions to heart and start writing my feelings down.  I’m sure it will reveal a lot and possibly a future book “The Dysfunctional Dieter”.  I’ve been in super-duper shape and I know what it takes to get there again.  My derriere is on for being fit has NOT dissipated, it’s simply been misplaced by drama.  Balance Nadine, balance.  I’m getting off my derriere now and going to the gym and as Patty LaBelle says “I’ve Got a New Attitude”.  Woo Hoo.  See you next month.

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Hamilton Erridge is giving a discount to OM Times readers.  Simply go to www.newlifestylediet.com (click the pic) and put in the code OMTimes.