Finding Time

I have had sure frustration for the past few weeks when it comes to finding time to get moving.  I have this aching voice inside my head reminding me constantly of how important it is to keep moving.  I have even preached the benefits of moving over and over again in my blogs.  Yet I "sit" here frustrated with myself for the pure lack of time that I have been presented with these past few weeks.

The one benefit I do have with my lack of exercise is my eating.  I have learned that if you are going to eat bad for a meal or a day, you best make it up in exercise.  So at least I can say that I have been 100% committed to my Shape Magazine eating plan.  It has made the scale continue to move down, slowly yes...but it is still on the down slide.  I have not even had a bite of food during an off hour.  Not one snack out of place.  Not a grape or an olive that hasn't been counted for.  It is my salvation at this time of "no time for me." 

I try and get a good amount of rest, but it is my busy season with graduations and outdoor summer parties.  I have been booked solid lately and it has left me well, you get the drill..."no me time."  Today I woke up and put on my workout clothes.  I am committed to getting my move on.  It is true I have little time and today I have a gig as well, but I will make changes to accommodate my needs.  I need to move!  Yes I have been parking farther away at the grocery store, I have been happy with setting up my gig because that alone burns 200 calories.  I go up and down stairs with gratitude, because I know it is some sort of exercise.  Today it is changing, I will fit in that me time that I have been lacking.

Waking up and putting on my workout clothes is step one.  Step two is having my breakfast, then putting on my sneakers and making my move.  If I can prioritize everything I do in a day, then I can make sure that my exercise becomes a vital part of it.  If it was a doctors appointment or a gig I would be there, this has to be held at the same standard.  I am fighting for my life!  Moving makes muscle - muscle will help strengthen my joints, it will take the place of fat and it will help me say goodbye to years of cellulite and it does my heart good.

So what I am I doing still sitting here at my computer?  Is this where I belong?  NOPE...I gotta move...

Today is the Day~

I hit a new number that is an old number on my scale today.  I am elated by this of course!!  I know I am putting in the effort to make it happen but I have time and time again in the past felt I put in the effort only to have the scale fail me.  With every number the scale drops I see a number before me that I haven't seen in nearly a decade.

Since I came back from Fitness Ridge, I started moving a lot more than before I went there.  I make note of my calories in to calories out ratio and it keeps me in check.  When I dropped that coffee mug almost 3 weeks ago on my foot I was set back.  The calories out were not happening.  I was restricted to my movement and was unhappy with my lack of exercise.  I did try and keep the eating in check to keep the calories in from becoming a number higher than my RMR.  What I managed to do in those weeks is maintain my weight, which is why my little scale on top of my page had not moved for near 3 weeks.  I am so close to the 150's I can taste it and have been very frustrated with my stagnant weight.

I am so privileged to have been chosen to take part in the study for Shape magazine as well as the upcoming book that pertains to my newest eating plan.  It helps make it simple to know what you can put in your body each day and how much.  I am not allowed to share my information with you right now which is understandable. But here is the point I want to make today, if an opportunity presents itself to you, "take it".  In the past I use to be the one that would think and rethink any and everything.  I lost that person with the pounds I have taken off.  I no longer worry about things but instead look at challenges as opportunities to increase my own personal positive energy.

Fitness Ridge proved to me that I can climb a mountain and then some!  It taught me I can push myself a little harder as long as I tell myself I CAN do it!   I want that knowledge to take me through the rest of my life so that I can truly live life.  The day after I left Fitness Ridge I stared a 40 foot rock wall in the face and said, "Why NOT?".  I never thought I could do that, never!!  Of course I did it, and felt amazing when I accomplished it.

Not everyone gets to experience Fitness Ridge, but everyone has the opportunity to live their life the way they want to.  It takes determination, drive, and believing in yourself and the knowledge that anything is possible as long as YOU BELIEVE!

Whatever you dream of, know as long as you believe and set yourself on the path of your goals you can do it!
Don't ever give up, when you slip or fall, get back up and push ahead.  We all slip, we all fall, we all think of giving up.  Then one day you have a revelation that you are sick of giving up, you are sick of failing, and you want to be the winner you know is inside you.  So push forward, forget the obstacles and make it happen.  Remember today is the only day you have to make it happen.  There are 1,000's of yesterdays, and hopefully 1,000's of tomorrows, but you have only ONE TODAY, so take your today and make it a winner and don't let anything or anyone stop you.  Remember as long as you are on your path you are already a winner!

Cheers to Today!

Breaking Barriers for the Better

Today I am inspired by a couple of friends I saw last night.  One of my friends confided in me that she has avoided hanging out and singing because she is quitting smoking.  Unfortunately she once again gave into temptation and smoked a cigarette last night.  Her failure seemed to be a sentence of failure for her.  When she came back and talked to me late in the evening she told me how she blew it and said she felt she might never quit.

Another friend confided in me that while I was away she read my other blog and got inspired to get healthy and lose weight along with me.  She said her goal was to see me on my return boasting her own weight loss.  Unfortunately, as she stated instead she gained more weight and blames medications which are known for making you gain weight.

I understand and have been there on both counts.  Many years ago I did smoke, in fact I was smoking at the ripe age of 12.  I smoked for years.  When I got pregnant with my first daughter I quit cold turkey.  I was a firm believer in eating right and not smoking or drinking during pregnancy.  I went back and forth smoking during the baby years.  I would never smoke during pregnancy.  I remember when I finally did quit smoking, I had a scare with my throat.  I had an appointment with the ENT doctor to see what was causing pain on the sides of my throat.  I thought to myself, I will quit smoking if the doctor tells me I have cancer.  It was at that very moment I said, "am I nuts?".   I not only decided to quit, but I did.  I thought about how selfish I would be being a smoker and getting cancer.  I had 4 daughters to raise, how cruel it would be for them to watch me die over something I could have prevented.  I never looked back at those cigarettes, never!  Quitting was one of the hardest things I have ever done, it was an amazing achievement.

If we can look at ourselves then look at those that care about us, we might have a stronger willpower and actually succeed at getting healthy.

My overweight friend has 3 children to be healthy for.   I have had a few friends tell me they are overweight due to their medication, they have simply given up and eat and drink the wrong things.  I understand where they are coming from because I did the same thing years ago.  I was on medication after 9/11 that made me gain 30 pounds. Unfortunately I know it was true that I gained weight from the medication, but it was also my crutch to eat wrong.  If I followed a plan of healthy eating and exercise I know I would have succeeded even on that medicine.  It has been years since I was medicated, for me the medicine did more damage than good and I am 100% medication free now.

 I know one of the things that gave me strength these past few months is the knowledge of what my future would have been like if I continued on my downward spiral.  Not only do I have a loving family to be healthy for, I am also terrified of doctors.  I have always worried about getting sick because I don't want to be poked and probed by the white coat that follows.

Success is something that is achieved when you not only put in the work, but you do your homework.  I have spent the past 5 months or so, doing everything to stay focused on the big picture.  I think about what my future holds, both unhealthy and healthy.  I think about the ways to accomplish my goals before I am in a situation that causes me distress, aka temptation.  I know that I can't possibly do 100% right all the time, so I don't worry about it.  Instead, I accept the challenges in front of me and let myself slip up once in awhile.  If I know I am going out and want a little extra, I plan for it all day.  I eat smaller meals so I can enjoy the meal I have been salivating for.  I try and get more exercise in to accommodate those extra calories.  I don't beat myself up if I go off for a day, but make sure I get back on the saddle the next day.  In the past, binging was setup for failure, now its just a day in the life and it is acceptable and okay.


We are all battling something in our lives, some of us are battling much more.  As long as we are driven and can look ahead, we CAN DO ANYTHING!  Staying focused on the big picture will help you get there.  Acknowledging your small achievements along the way will keep you moving forward on your path to good health.  Never give up, YOU are worth it!

A New Challenge

I posted on Facebook last week about the opportunity to do a 30-day all natural clean eating plan to be featured in Shape magazine.  Cynthia Sass a self employed author, columnist, spokesperson, sports nutritionist, nutrition & wellness consultant is writing a book and featuring her 30-day all natural clean eating plan in an upcoming Shape Magazine issue.  

Since I started my lifestyle change back in late January, I am finding that making changes here and there not only helps with plateaus but it also keeps me motivated.  Back in January my motivation was driven by my trip to Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge.  I knew I was going to be expected to do a lot there and I didn't want to be in the back of the pack huffin and puffin.  It really saved my life receiving that gift this past Christmas.  It seemed for years that no matter how much I wanted to change my lifestyle, I would fail.  I find that being driven really does keep you on track.  If I thought of slipping backwards, I would think about getting my butt kicked in Utah.  I set many goals for myself along the way as well.  Each goal set me up for the next goal.  And now 19 weeks later and 35 pounds lighter its time for me to set a new goal.  

When the opportunity presented itself for me to try this plan, I acted on it quickly.  Turns out I had to fill out a questionnaire regarding specific information regarding my lifestyle now, as well as my goals.  I found out just today, that I have been chosen to do the plan, which starts this weekend.  I am super excited to try out this all natural clean eating plan as it is another step along my path to good health and well being.

I truly believe in setting little goals along the way, and remembering that this is a journey that last a lifetime.  This is not a temporary state of being, but instead a life long passion to be a healthy and happy me.  I think if you take the practice of Alcoholics Anonymous and work on "one day at a time" it helps guide you.  If you look too far ahead instead of taking small steps its easy to get discouraged and quit.  

Set goals like stepping stones along the path to good health and well being and what you seek will be there along the way..."happiness".

Being Forced to Slow Down

On my other blog, http://countdowntobiggestloserresort.blogspot.com I mentioned in one of my early post how I wanted to keep moving while I could.  We take for granted that we can get up and move unlike many who are confined to wheel chairs and such.

Today I sit here frustrated due to a recent injury I incurred when a coffee cup fell out of my cupboard and a piece of it hit my foot and sliced open the top.  I had made plans to go hiking with a Fitness Ridge alumni, which was planned for over a month.  In fact, she was on her way to my house at the time of my accident.  Our hike, swim and lunch turned in to a visit to the emergency room and lunch.  It was an enjoyable day but I couldn't help but think how instead of my calories in ~ calories out, I was simply looking at calories in.  The doctor said I was required to stay off my foot and elevate it as much as possible for the first 3 days.

Of course it was also Memorial Day weekend and plans were made to hike, swim and BBQ with the family.  Again my mind was tortured by the knowledge of calories in vs. NO calories out!  I would be lying if I said that I did my body good this weekend past.  I feel that sense of doom that has come in the past when I felt myself slipping away from my driven good health.  The days of passing by the scale and saying "no thank you you have nothing good to say to me today".

I have stepped on the scale to keep me in check during this sluggish time.  A part of me is fearing falling back into the bad habits of yesteryears.  I thank the Lord above for the ability to move and keep moving.  I appreciate the fact that this is a temporary set back and am making plans to get my move on as soon as I get the okay from the doctor.

With all the great habits I have taken on in my life these past 5 months I refuse to fall back in to the bad habits I so easily set in the past.  I find holding on to the positive is what keeps me from falling back.  First of all, I am proud to be down 35 pounds, well truth is, I am down 34 pounds now.  Yes it did strike me sadly when I stepped on my scale and saw weight gain.  But still the positive changes I have made are shining through.
I feel like a new person, I like what is looking back at me in the mirror not only is the reflection a much smaller one, it is a confident one.  And the only thing that can take that away from me is ME.  And I am just not going to let it happen.  So this temporary set back is time for me to think about what is next in the way of making myself even healthier.  I still have 31 pounds I want to lose and I would like to set a goal of losing at least 6 of those pounds in the month of June.  It is a reasonable weight loss and I CAN DO IT!

As I start the month of June, I think the beginning of a month is a great time to reflect on what you did the month before, and what can be improved.  If your food and exercise seem to be slowing down, be sure to write down everything you eat each day to see if you really are keeping your calories where you think you are.  I found that to be a great way to keep me in check with my food.  Add a little more exercise whenever you can.  I am a California native and do not like losing my outdoor time in the winter.  I really appreciate this warmer weather when it is here.  I am looking at buying 2 kayaks so I can add some upper body work outs on the water.  I will continue to walk and hike a minimum of 5 days a week.

This is my personal pledge to myself for the month of June:

I will pay closer attention to my food intake and calorie counts.
I will make sure to add a good calorie burn at least 5 times a week.
I will spend less time at my desk at home.  I will give myself a time clock for the internet so I get moving more.
I will price kayaks and hopefully be able to afford getting them this month.

A great way to take care of yourself is to make promises and keep them.  So here is to making healthy positive promises.