From Spark People for January 31^st

“Congratulations!  You have worked hard for an entire month to help make your dreams a reality.  By now, you are well on the way to achieving all of your goals.  Use what you’ve learned here to keep going and set new goals in the future.”

What I have learned this month:

1.  I did not give up when the only weight loss on the scale the entire month was .2 pounds.

2.  I learned I can increase my exercise a lot and still not lose weight as quickly as I would like.

3.  I learned it is ok to take my time and do it right and be proud of myself every day.

4.  I learned I can walk up the stairs at Carlsbad State Beach (4 times.)

5.  I learned I can eat healthy and clean while camping and sleeping in a tent.

6.  I learned there are so many wonderful people for me to be inspired by just by looking for them and asking for their support

7.  I learned it is really not a good idea to do the treadmill barefooted.

8.  I learned from Power 90 I really like doing weights.  Did I really just say that?

9.  I learned I can work through pain, not die and be glad I did.

10.  I learned there is so much more for me to learn.

What did you learn about yourself and your weight loss journey in January?

“Doubt of any kind can not be resolved except my action.

~Thomas Carlyle

Doubt can be your most limiting belief.  I am too old, too young, too fat, too far gone, too sick and countless other beliefs are reasons given for not taking action on your healthy life.  If you don’t think you can do it, you will work very hard to prove yourself correct.  The same happens when you quiet the doubt and take action any way.

One of my painful life lessons involved my daughter.  When we learned she was profoundly physically and mentally handicapped I was thrown into a huge pit of despair.  At that time, I could not imagine any thing worse and had a pity party for quite a while.  As I started to look around me, I really learned the truth of “everything is relative.”  As limited as Rachael was, there were babies far worse off than she was

The same thing is true with our weight loss.  There is always someone older, heavier or more limited than you are losing weight right now.

From Spark People for January 30^th

“Everything is a choice.  You choose to watch TV instead of walking or to de-stress by eating instead of talking to someone.  Before you act, stop and ask yourself if this ‘solution’ will really help you in the long run.”

When Kevin and I first started watching Biggest Loser as often as not, we would be eating a pizza we had just had delivered.  My gut tells me we are not the only ones.  I am not judging myself for it, just recognizing I was choosing at that moment to be inspired mentally and emotionally and not to take any action whatsoever.

As we change the choices we make daily, our lives change.  Tonight we already have planned to be exercising while we watch BL.  I will be on the treadmill and Kevin on the elliptical right next to me with the TV up really loud; so we can hear over the sound of the machines.

I choose to start a two day fast last night beginning this morning.  After two meals and a reminder from the founder and president of my company, Carl; I choose to stop my two day fast and continue on my path of healthy eating.

We are always at choice and our life and our bodies reflect those choices.  If we do not like what we are seeing in our life or our bodies, make different choices.  Freedom of choice is what it is all about.

Deciding to lose weight is the first step.  Taking action is the next step.

“Five frogs are sitting on a log. Four decide to jump off. How many are left? Answer: five.  Why?  Because there’s a difference between deciding and doing.”

~Mark L. Feldman & Michael F. Spratt, ‘Five Frogs on a Log

What is the first action you will take today in the direction of your goal?

From Spark People for January 29^th

“Get back on track.  Slipups are normal and they don’t mean failure.  Instead of beating yourself up for your mistakes, tell yourself that one error doesn’t mean much.  Don’t wait until tomorrow, next week or next month to get back on track start right away. Put your mistake into the past and move forward.  Even the most successful people in the world make mistakes.”

In other words, become comfortable that perfection is not a realistic expectation and in fact striving for perfection can be your downfall in long term success.  You want to make more good choices than bad choices and be headed consistently in the direction of success.

For too long in my life there were only two grades an A and an F.  There was nothing in between and if I made a mistake I was a failure.  Letting go of that and giving me permission to be on track 90% of the time released all the stress.

Are you being realistic in your expectations of yourself?  Are you being kind to you and taking care of you?

The basics of attaining and achieving a healthy body weight does come down to the number of calories taken in and the number of calories burned.  Having said that, I acknowledge not all calories are created equally.  However if you are taking in 5000 of healthy food and burning 3000 daily, more than likely there will not be a loss.

The formula is:

Number of Calories Burned = 3000

Number of Calories Consumed = 2000

Calorie deficit = 1000

Number of calories burned to lose one pound of fat = 3500

Do the math and see what you learn.

From Spark People for January 28^th

“Create your reality.  The mind doesn’t know the difference between imagined events and reality.  Picture success.  Try goal-related affirmations each day and your behavior will reflect what you want to be.”

We have all heard the phrase ‘fake it till you make it’ and there is lots of truth in that statement.  Results create belief and results only happen when you are taking action.

One of the tools I used back in the day when I was selling real estate, first thing every morning a created a perfect day.  I wrote as if it were the end of the day and wrote all the great things which had happened and what I did during the day.  I then carried my perfect day plan around with me and took it out and looked at it occasionally.

It was very interesting how often reality matched my perfect day plan.  Do you know what a perfect day looks like in your life?  If not, it is time to create the picture in your mind!

Hot off the presses… January 28th Edition of Helping Reshape the World. Read Anna’s exciting story about proving the doctor wrong and losing 52 pounds so far..

If you are following a healthy program and step on the scale at the end of week and are disappointed because you did not lose the weight you hoped, take a deep breath.  Often our results do not show up on the scale.  At the beginning of your work out program, take your measurements and then do every month.  Twice, this week, people I spoke to were upset they had not lost weight and I asked them to measure.  Both had lost inches and were thrilled.   The scale (aka metal monster) is only one tool we have in our weight loss tool belts.  Don’t let it ruin or run your day!

From Spark People for January 27^th

“Add variety!  To prevent boredom, try new things.  Enroll in a class, find a local support group and try a new workout or anything that keeps you excited.”

Every Monday evening at the Team Women Offices in Vista, CA we host a Resolution Solution Workout which is open to anyone and free to attend.  We feature a different Team Beachbody Workout each week and last night was Insanity (literally!)

Trying new things allows you to learn new things.  I  know I am not ready to do the Insanity workout program.  But I was open to doing the warm up and the stretch which was about 18 minutes.  And I was surprised at how well I did.  Was I keeping up with Shawn T; I don’t think so.  But I got all the way through and sweating up a storm and did my best.

Tonight I will be tread milling as I watch Biggest Loser.  I now have the courage to do Cardio X from P90X next Monday evening (which we are admiringly calling Pink 90X!)

Pink does P90X according to a magazine interview and she really looks good!