So I didn't blog every day my menu....but basically it didn't change!
Here are the results:
Starting:
Weighed: 173
Rt Thigh 6" above mid-knee: 22"
Hips (greater trochanter): 41"
Waist: 36"
Chest: 36.5"
Rt Arm 5" above elbow: 12.5"
Total: 148"
Ending:
Weighed: 169.2
Rt Thigh 6" above mid-knee: 21.75"
Hips (greater trochanter): 41"
Waist: 34.5"
Chest: 36"
Rt Arm 5" above elbow: 12"
Total: 145.25"
Totals: 3.8 lbs lost and 2.75 inches!!
Woohoo!!! Not bad for 10 days!!
Now onto the next phase....which is my MNS strips (vitamins) and eating well balanced meals and sancks.
PAY IT FORWARD!!!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Cleanse Day 4 with pic of my dinner
woke up 10:00
10:05 Spark + 3 Catalyst + Probiotic Restore
**wrote my To Do list for the day!!
10:30 Berry Shake
12:45 Spark + 3 Catalyst
1:15 Mixed greens, cucumber, grilled chicken, balsamic vinegar
4:00 Brown Rice Cake, Almond Butter, Slice Strawberries
6:15 handful of nuts and dried cranberries
8:30 Grilled Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, Brown Rice + 6-OmegaPlex
1+ gallon of water drank
Upper body and core today. Also cleaned the upstairs and stripped the bedding. Not sure I am eating enough or just maybe today's times are off with waking later but I was hungrier today than normal. Plan to definitely make sure to get all the snacks in tomorrow.
Who knew you could eat like this on a cleanse???
10:05 Spark + 3 Catalyst + Probiotic Restore
**wrote my To Do list for the day!!
10:30 Berry Shake
12:45 Spark + 3 Catalyst
1:15 Mixed greens, cucumber, grilled chicken, balsamic vinegar
4:00 Brown Rice Cake, Almond Butter, Slice Strawberries
6:15 handful of nuts and dried cranberries
8:30 Grilled Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, Brown Rice + 6-OmegaPlex
1+ gallon of water drank
Upper body and core today. Also cleaned the upstairs and stripped the bedding. Not sure I am eating enough or just maybe today's times are off with waking later but I was hungrier today than normal. Plan to definitely make sure to get all the snacks in tomorrow.
Who knew you could eat like this on a cleanse???
Monday, July 25, 2011
Advocare Cleanse Day 3
woke up 7:15
7:30 Spark + 3 Catalyst + Fiber Drink
**wrote my To Do list for the day!!
8:00 Vanilla Shake
10:30 hard boiled egg + grapefruit
3:00 Spark + 3 Catalyst
3:30 Mixed greens, cucumber, grilled chicken, balsamic vinegar
5:30 handful of nuts and dried cranberries
7:00 Mixed greens, cucumber, grilled chicken, balsamic vinegar + 4 OmegaPlex
1+ gallon of water drank
I wasn't planning on eating dinner after golf but it ended up being a networking type of deal so I was able to talk about Advocare which was pretty cool.
On another note: Found the To Do list VERY helpful for keeping me on track today!!! Highly recommend it!
7:30 Spark + 3 Catalyst + Fiber Drink
**wrote my To Do list for the day!!
8:00 Vanilla Shake
10:30 hard boiled egg + grapefruit
3:00 Spark + 3 Catalyst
3:30 Mixed greens, cucumber, grilled chicken, balsamic vinegar
5:30 handful of nuts and dried cranberries
7:00 Mixed greens, cucumber, grilled chicken, balsamic vinegar + 4 OmegaPlex
1+ gallon of water drank
I wasn't planning on eating dinner after golf but it ended up being a networking type of deal so I was able to talk about Advocare which was pretty cool.
On another note: Found the To Do list VERY helpful for keeping me on track today!!! Highly recommend it!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Advocare Cleanse Day 1+2 Information and Food Log
I am using Advocare (you may have caught that since it is also the product that I have stated that I sell). I used to hate cleanses because most of them are all about only pills and liquid. This one allows you to eat...as long as it is clean eating (basically veggies and lean proteins, with fruits and nuts and eggs as snacks). Limited carbs but not eliminating them. You take a fiber drink in the morning 6 out of 10 days and end it with probiotics. Also, you start your day off with an energy drink...120 mg of caffeine (about a cup of coffee) and a ton of vitamins. I have not had jitters with this...and I am sensitive to caffeine. I don't get the highs and lows like with sodas and coffee just a very alert and energetic feeling.
I have been on these products for about 8 months and most of the 25 lbs I have lost have been during this period. I have had so much more energy and it has allowed me to exercise more and that has alleviated some of my pain. I would not BS my friends about things like this or invest my time and money in this type of things if I thought it wasn't working.
Ok with the intro out of the way...I am going to be posting what I have eaten and the times.
DAY ONE
Weighed: 173
Rt Thigh 6" above mid-knee: 22"
Hips (greater trochanter): 41"
Waist: 36"
Chest: 36.5"
Rt Arm 5" above elbow: 12.5"
Total: 148"
**I used a new measuring tool from GNC...LOVE IT!
woke up 9:30
9:45 Spark + 3 Catalyst + Fiber Drink
10:15 Vanilla Shake
12:00 Handful of nuts/dried cranberries
2:00 Seared Ahi Tuna Salad--Ahi Tuna, Mixed Greens, half avocado, half tomato....dipped in less than an ounce of pesto/wasabi/olive oil and drizzled with balsamic vinegar
3:45 Spark + 3 Catalyst
4:15 Celery and 2 tbsp hummus
6:00: Grilled Chicken (3-4 oz) 1.5 cups steamed green beans with garlic sprinkled on it
1+ gallon of water drank
**still full at night time snack time. A bit worried about the lunch as even though I followed the plan was unsure about the sear and the pesto mixture as I was out at restaurant. I did have all the sauces on side and barely used any of it. Need to increase freggie intake.
Overall feel pretty good about the day!
DAY TWO
woke up 9:30
9:45 Spark + 3 Catalyst + Fiber Drink
10:15 Vanilla Shake
12:30 hard boiled egg + orange
2:00 Spark + 3 Catalyst
2:30 Mixed greens, cucumber, grilled chicken, balsamic vinegar
4:15 handful of nuts and dried cranberries
6:20 handful of nuts and dried cranberries
8:00 Steamed green beans and grilled chicken + 4 OmegaPlex
1+ gallon of water drank
Well considering at 1pm I was asked if I could go to play darts right then...I threw my meals together in a bag and went. I should have eaten dinner earlier but the timing of travel was off so that was why there was back to back nuts. Considering I was in a bar and playing darts, I didn't drink and I still ate well. I will deem it an ok day. It could have been better....but it could have been heck of alot worse.
I have been on these products for about 8 months and most of the 25 lbs I have lost have been during this period. I have had so much more energy and it has allowed me to exercise more and that has alleviated some of my pain. I would not BS my friends about things like this or invest my time and money in this type of things if I thought it wasn't working.
Ok with the intro out of the way...I am going to be posting what I have eaten and the times.
DAY ONE
Weighed: 173
Rt Thigh 6" above mid-knee: 22"
Hips (greater trochanter): 41"
Waist: 36"
Chest: 36.5"
Rt Arm 5" above elbow: 12.5"
Total: 148"
**I used a new measuring tool from GNC...LOVE IT!
woke up 9:30
9:45 Spark + 3 Catalyst + Fiber Drink
10:15 Vanilla Shake
12:00 Handful of nuts/dried cranberries
2:00 Seared Ahi Tuna Salad--Ahi Tuna, Mixed Greens, half avocado, half tomato....dipped in less than an ounce of pesto/wasabi/olive oil and drizzled with balsamic vinegar
3:45 Spark + 3 Catalyst
4:15 Celery and 2 tbsp hummus
6:00: Grilled Chicken (3-4 oz) 1.5 cups steamed green beans with garlic sprinkled on it
1+ gallon of water drank
**still full at night time snack time. A bit worried about the lunch as even though I followed the plan was unsure about the sear and the pesto mixture as I was out at restaurant. I did have all the sauces on side and barely used any of it. Need to increase freggie intake.
Overall feel pretty good about the day!
DAY TWO
woke up 9:30
9:45 Spark + 3 Catalyst + Fiber Drink
10:15 Vanilla Shake
12:30 hard boiled egg + orange
2:00 Spark + 3 Catalyst
2:30 Mixed greens, cucumber, grilled chicken, balsamic vinegar
4:15 handful of nuts and dried cranberries
6:20 handful of nuts and dried cranberries
8:00 Steamed green beans and grilled chicken + 4 OmegaPlex
1+ gallon of water drank
Well considering at 1pm I was asked if I could go to play darts right then...I threw my meals together in a bag and went. I should have eaten dinner earlier but the timing of travel was off so that was why there was back to back nuts. Considering I was in a bar and playing darts, I didn't drink and I still ate well. I will deem it an ok day. It could have been better....but it could have been heck of alot worse.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Stop Putting Off LIVING!!!
I came to a realization this week. I think that there are many miserable people out there. Everyone is so busy going from one thing to another to make ends meet or to get more money or what not that I think somewhere along the way we all lost why we do these things. Let me back up.
As many of you know my father passed away when I was 10. Now most of you may think that this is what has caused me to think that life is short and we must cease what we have and run with it. However, it isn't. It was the aftermath that became my mother's life. When my father was alive, yes he went to work every day. And he worked hard being he was a sheet metal worker. But he played even harder. Now not every one (including me) would agree with his method of fun/play/release but at least he did it. My mother would to some extent as well, but I don't think it was her choice...but that is another story for another blog.
When he passed, it was like all that stopped. And nothing replaced it. She worked and took care of me. Made sure I had all that I needed. But didn't take care of her own "fun" needs really. Now she works and takes care of my grandmother. Again, I don't know if she has ever found her fun or relaxation or zen or whatever you want to call it.
I don't want to become my mother. And I don't think neither do my sisters. If you look at how we have lived our lives as of late you could see what I mean. I am not saying we are shirking our financial duties but priorities are just not that of work and that is it. I am no longer interested in making money, rather I would rather do something that I love. However, that is not always possible due to the fact that there are still bills that need to be paid and I don't think the bill collectors will let me pay with passion. I also realize that I am in a great position (especially in this economy) to be able to even have a great career and still be able to pursue my passion.
I just wish more people would learn to enjoy life now. Stop putting things off. Stop saying "some day" to things that you CAN do today. I do realize there are things that you may want to do that may have to be put on hold, but there are MANY things that you CAN do now.
I was asked on Facebook how I possibly do all the things that I do. To me, it actually came as a surprise. I don't think that I do all that much. I feel like I have more down time than I should. I am done letting things like time, fatigue, and in some cases, money rule whether I should do something. There are things more important to me, like spending time with loved ones. Sure my house is still not painted...but I would rather be out with people than painting and it will get done. I will tell you that I have not regretted the fact that my house isn't perfect. What I have regretted is not spending time with people when I had the chance. Or trying something new. Or going after a dream.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Restaurant Advertisements and Obesity-WE NEED A CHANGE
I am going to start this all off with stating that I live in Cleveland, Ohio. One of the top cities for obesity in the country. This is not an exaggeration. This has been documented. I actually think a few years ago we broke the top 5. That. Is. Sad. Point blank. There is nothing else to say about it other than that is sad.
Yet, as I drive around the city what do I see? Advertisement for new breakfast sandwiches toting that they are THE BEST WAY to start your morning. And what is it? Blueberry waffle breakfast sandwiches. Seriously?? THIS is the best way to start your morning? Let's analyze please. 550 calories....easily almost HALF your caloric content for the day. 350 calories from FAT! 38 grams of FAT which is 58% of the AVERAGE DAILY ALLOWANCE!!! COME ONE AMERICA! WAKE UP!!
The other commercial ad that makes me want to scream is the one for IHOP stating that their FUNNEL CAKES ARE BACK FOR A GREAT MEAL! REALLY????? REALLY???? A FUNNEL CAKE for a freakin' meal? This is a TREAT at a carnival I thought....something to be had like once a year because it is dough FRIED IN GREASE! And now it is a GREAT MEAL???
Is it ANY wonder why the USA as a country is gaining so much weight? You can't turn on the television, radio, open a newspaper or EVEN DRIVE DOWN THE STREET without being bombarded with bad food choices!! As I sit here and write this I have watched a commercial for Burger King, McDonalds, Golden Corral, and Reese's Cups. And that was just TWO commercial breaks.
What is it going to take to get a change in the nation? There has to be a way to get a grass root notion going to get change. I know in Cleveland it will be hard going but I am willing to help with getting it started.
I am tired of being the one that has to always be special ordering things because there are like TWO restaurants in the area that actually have great options on their menu (one restaurant is AWESOME and almost anything is orderable!). All because I don't want to put crap into my body. I want whole food. Things I can pronounce because they are organic and in their original form. Is this really all that wrong? I know that the culture of the city doesn't fund it right now but it CAN be changed. WE CAN DO IT. But it takes a commitment. It takes a BIG commitment.
It saddens me to see all the obese children out there as I drive down the streets. It saddens me that it costs TWICE as much to eat healthy as it does to eat like crap. It saddens me that people can't see how their eating is killing them and their family.
I am tired of being sad. What about you?
Yet, as I drive around the city what do I see? Advertisement for new breakfast sandwiches toting that they are THE BEST WAY to start your morning. And what is it? Blueberry waffle breakfast sandwiches. Seriously?? THIS is the best way to start your morning? Let's analyze please. 550 calories....easily almost HALF your caloric content for the day. 350 calories from FAT! 38 grams of FAT which is 58% of the AVERAGE DAILY ALLOWANCE!!! COME ONE AMERICA! WAKE UP!!
The other commercial ad that makes me want to scream is the one for IHOP stating that their FUNNEL CAKES ARE BACK FOR A GREAT MEAL! REALLY????? REALLY???? A FUNNEL CAKE for a freakin' meal? This is a TREAT at a carnival I thought....something to be had like once a year because it is dough FRIED IN GREASE! And now it is a GREAT MEAL???
Is it ANY wonder why the USA as a country is gaining so much weight? You can't turn on the television, radio, open a newspaper or EVEN DRIVE DOWN THE STREET without being bombarded with bad food choices!! As I sit here and write this I have watched a commercial for Burger King, McDonalds, Golden Corral, and Reese's Cups. And that was just TWO commercial breaks.
What is it going to take to get a change in the nation? There has to be a way to get a grass root notion going to get change. I know in Cleveland it will be hard going but I am willing to help with getting it started.
I am tired of being the one that has to always be special ordering things because there are like TWO restaurants in the area that actually have great options on their menu (one restaurant is AWESOME and almost anything is orderable!). All because I don't want to put crap into my body. I want whole food. Things I can pronounce because they are organic and in their original form. Is this really all that wrong? I know that the culture of the city doesn't fund it right now but it CAN be changed. WE CAN DO IT. But it takes a commitment. It takes a BIG commitment.
It saddens me to see all the obese children out there as I drive down the streets. It saddens me that it costs TWICE as much to eat healthy as it does to eat like crap. It saddens me that people can't see how their eating is killing them and their family.
I am tired of being sad. What about you?
Sunday, May 22, 2011
A need for balance
This past week has really been a rough one for me on many fronts. My schedule was incredibly hectic and full. I feel completely drained and on empty and there is another week looming ahead of me.
I have always been that person. You know the one. She has fifteen balls in the air, and it looks like all is going well, then a ball drops. And then another. And in most cases, I don't get to pick which ball drops first. This time I made a choice. Maybe it is one that everyone doesn't agree with but a hard decision had to be made and for once I made it. Let me explain more by starting with naming my balls in the air (in no particular order).
Ball #1 Relationship
Ball #2 Leisure (Darts, Golf)
Ball #3 Work
Ball #4 My dogs and their training/flyball practices
Ball #5 My school to become a dog trainer
Ball #6 My Spark Family (The Spies)
Now these may not seem like time consuming things on the outside however the casual observer doesn't know how much time that each of those balls may consume. Ball #1 and #3 are obvious and most can relate to the amount of time needed to be put into both of those...at least if you want to do it correctly.
Ball #2 is tied into Ball #1. These are activities that we do together. I have taken time away from darts and it does show in my rankings nationally and how I place in tournaments. It is something that he does not completely understand because of my natural talent for it and I could excel at it, however, it is no longer my passion. We do spend at least one weekend a month in another city/state competing at tournaments not to mention the weekend tournaments that are local. It is what I do now to spend time with my fiance. Golf, I enjoy. It is definitely something we do together and I want to get better at and down the line it is our plans in the retiring years...so I am not giving that up. Plus it keeps me active.
Ball #4 are my dogs and their training. I have 3 dogs and they each have their own issues. Two are rescues and have fear aggression issues. I am currently doing intensive training with my newest addition (black dog Hydro) and it requires ALOT of patience and time. It takes me 20 minutes to walk 5 houses. That is NOT an exaggeration. My yellow dog Cali does training one night a week for Rally and the has flyball practice on another week. Starting this month one or two weekends there are flyball tournaments. Towards the end of summer I will probably be entering her in Rally competitions. This also means training with her on days she is not at class.
Ball #5 is going to school to become a dog trainer. This is 4 semesters of work which entails 20 hours of in class study (2 weekends both days) and 120 hours of observation for the first semester then an exam at the end of the semester. I currently have 75 hours logged and about 2 weeks left to go. The biggest issue is that only time that is not spent working with your dog counts and it has to be at an event that one of the instructors are at. This means that for the past two weeks it has been basically work all day, come home, eat, go to Fortunate Fido get home around 10 pm.
Ball #6 The Spark Family. I am a co-captain of the Silver Spies. Part of my duty is to make the challenges for Thursdays and to ensure that LCW Tuesday runs well. I have been sending the challenges out to all the participating captains and then tallying the results and posting them on the pages (yes, I know I am behind on that right now....working on it after the blog) I also do an Informational Corner each week to help guide the team on this journey. It also means being there for everyone on the thread in ways of support and encouragement and cheering and boosting morale and spirit. At times it can get to be much but I do love it. I have not logged on and read but time really has been of the essence in my life right now. It is not because I don't love and care about all of you, but because if I don't take care of myself I can't take care of you.
Ball #7....yes, it wasn't even in the air much these days so I didn't list it out. Exhaustion. Is it a reason or an excuse? I don't even know anymore. I have been losing weight consistently without it and I don't want to even think about it at the moment but I do know that alot of it is because I have been moving non-stop so my BMR is higher than what is calculated and I have been keeping my calories in range. But I do know that there will come a day that I have to stop this crazy juggling act and things will even out. At that point I will have to put this ball back in the air.
So I had SIX balls in the air and I dropped ball number 6. I had to step away from my Spark Family. I will say I am sorry if I was needed and wasn't there, but I cannot apologize for doing it. I currently still have FIVE balls in the air. I have to figure out some balance or I am going to go insane. I am sitting here typing this with two ice packs on my back and neck because of all the stress I am dealing with and I know that I have to figure this out. I was hoping that by writing this something would click in my head. Alas, no click occurred. Maybe after I let it ruminate it will start to make sense.
All I know is I have to figure this out in case we decide to raise children. I will need to have this balance before then because I don't know if I will be able to be healthy if I don't have good habits already in place.
If you are still here, thank you for reading!
I have always been that person. You know the one. She has fifteen balls in the air, and it looks like all is going well, then a ball drops. And then another. And in most cases, I don't get to pick which ball drops first. This time I made a choice. Maybe it is one that everyone doesn't agree with but a hard decision had to be made and for once I made it. Let me explain more by starting with naming my balls in the air (in no particular order).
Ball #1 Relationship
Ball #2 Leisure (Darts, Golf)
Ball #3 Work
Ball #4 My dogs and their training/flyball practices
Ball #5 My school to become a dog trainer
Ball #6 My Spark Family (The Spies)
Now these may not seem like time consuming things on the outside however the casual observer doesn't know how much time that each of those balls may consume. Ball #1 and #3 are obvious and most can relate to the amount of time needed to be put into both of those...at least if you want to do it correctly.
Ball #2 is tied into Ball #1. These are activities that we do together. I have taken time away from darts and it does show in my rankings nationally and how I place in tournaments. It is something that he does not completely understand because of my natural talent for it and I could excel at it, however, it is no longer my passion. We do spend at least one weekend a month in another city/state competing at tournaments not to mention the weekend tournaments that are local. It is what I do now to spend time with my fiance. Golf, I enjoy. It is definitely something we do together and I want to get better at and down the line it is our plans in the retiring years...so I am not giving that up. Plus it keeps me active.
Ball #4 are my dogs and their training. I have 3 dogs and they each have their own issues. Two are rescues and have fear aggression issues. I am currently doing intensive training with my newest addition (black dog Hydro) and it requires ALOT of patience and time. It takes me 20 minutes to walk 5 houses. That is NOT an exaggeration. My yellow dog Cali does training one night a week for Rally and the has flyball practice on another week. Starting this month one or two weekends there are flyball tournaments. Towards the end of summer I will probably be entering her in Rally competitions. This also means training with her on days she is not at class.
Ball #5 is going to school to become a dog trainer. This is 4 semesters of work which entails 20 hours of in class study (2 weekends both days) and 120 hours of observation for the first semester then an exam at the end of the semester. I currently have 75 hours logged and about 2 weeks left to go. The biggest issue is that only time that is not spent working with your dog counts and it has to be at an event that one of the instructors are at. This means that for the past two weeks it has been basically work all day, come home, eat, go to Fortunate Fido get home around 10 pm.
Ball #6 The Spark Family. I am a co-captain of the Silver Spies. Part of my duty is to make the challenges for Thursdays and to ensure that LCW Tuesday runs well. I have been sending the challenges out to all the participating captains and then tallying the results and posting them on the pages (yes, I know I am behind on that right now....working on it after the blog) I also do an Informational Corner each week to help guide the team on this journey. It also means being there for everyone on the thread in ways of support and encouragement and cheering and boosting morale and spirit. At times it can get to be much but I do love it. I have not logged on and read but time really has been of the essence in my life right now. It is not because I don't love and care about all of you, but because if I don't take care of myself I can't take care of you.
Ball #7....yes, it wasn't even in the air much these days so I didn't list it out. Exhaustion. Is it a reason or an excuse? I don't even know anymore. I have been losing weight consistently without it and I don't want to even think about it at the moment but I do know that alot of it is because I have been moving non-stop so my BMR is higher than what is calculated and I have been keeping my calories in range. But I do know that there will come a day that I have to stop this crazy juggling act and things will even out. At that point I will have to put this ball back in the air.
So I had SIX balls in the air and I dropped ball number 6. I had to step away from my Spark Family. I will say I am sorry if I was needed and wasn't there, but I cannot apologize for doing it. I currently still have FIVE balls in the air. I have to figure out some balance or I am going to go insane. I am sitting here typing this with two ice packs on my back and neck because of all the stress I am dealing with and I know that I have to figure this out. I was hoping that by writing this something would click in my head. Alas, no click occurred. Maybe after I let it ruminate it will start to make sense.
All I know is I have to figure this out in case we decide to raise children. I will need to have this balance before then because I don't know if I will be able to be healthy if I don't have good habits already in place.
If you are still here, thank you for reading!
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Fortunate Fido Academy-Positively Positive Experience!!
It has been awhile since I have blogged but I have been pretty busy with life. These past two weekends I have been at school. Doggy school that is!!! I am learning the ins and outs of becoming a well balanced dog trainer. I figure I love dogs so much and I spend a lot of my time trying to figure my own brood out that I should learn more about helping others!!
So I talked with Ginger, the owner and trainer at Fortunate Fido where I have done all the training with my pups, about where she would recommend me going to school to do what she does. And lo and behold she and a couple of her colleagues had been discussing putting together an academy to teach students all about being a completely positive trainer!!! Talk about timing!!!!
I am one of 5 students enrolled in the inaugural class of the Fortunate Fido Academy and I will definitely say that I have been impressed with the vast knowledge of my instructors. I am through with the "classwork" for the first semester and now onto the observation hours. We have to accrue 120 hours of pure observation of dog behaviors in classes, seminars, or competitions. Coming from a medical background I personally can attest that a person can learn so much more by being out in the field of work rather applying the knowledge than just sitting in a room being told about the happenings you will encounter.
I am also a HUGE advocate of positive training. I, myself, could never imagine doing anything that would hurt my dog, neither physically nor emotionally. It just amazes me that there are still so many trainers out there that employ these tactics and what is even more amazing is that they still have clients!!! I mean if there was a way to train your dog to be a happier, healthier, better dog AND you don't have to hurt them and cause fear in them why in the world would you choose to do so?? It just saddens me that there are companies out there like Sit Means Sit that HIDE the fact that they use shock collars from the public when they demonstrate how "well behaved" their dogs are....well yes they are well behaved....if not they are going to get shocked!! What kind of life is that?? I am pretty sure I can have at least two of my dogs sit for at least a minute (ok that MIGHT be stretching it for Cali...but she is a Lab puppy!!) and she actually looks HAPPY doing it not frightened!!
Whew!! Ok, off of my soapbox I step....though I am not going to stray TOO far from it!!! I have a feeling I am going to be becoming more and more of a loud mouth, er, voice against these places in years to come.
So the plan now is to continue observing (I have 22 out of the 120 hours) and start my reading list....that is if the books ever arrive (come ON, Amazon!!!). I will keep you all updated!!!
Loves, hugs, and big slobbery puppy kisses!!!
Rhonda
So I talked with Ginger, the owner and trainer at Fortunate Fido where I have done all the training with my pups, about where she would recommend me going to school to do what she does. And lo and behold she and a couple of her colleagues had been discussing putting together an academy to teach students all about being a completely positive trainer!!! Talk about timing!!!!
I am one of 5 students enrolled in the inaugural class of the Fortunate Fido Academy and I will definitely say that I have been impressed with the vast knowledge of my instructors. I am through with the "classwork" for the first semester and now onto the observation hours. We have to accrue 120 hours of pure observation of dog behaviors in classes, seminars, or competitions. Coming from a medical background I personally can attest that a person can learn so much more by being out in the field of work rather applying the knowledge than just sitting in a room being told about the happenings you will encounter.
I am also a HUGE advocate of positive training. I, myself, could never imagine doing anything that would hurt my dog, neither physically nor emotionally. It just amazes me that there are still so many trainers out there that employ these tactics and what is even more amazing is that they still have clients!!! I mean if there was a way to train your dog to be a happier, healthier, better dog AND you don't have to hurt them and cause fear in them why in the world would you choose to do so?? It just saddens me that there are companies out there like Sit Means Sit that HIDE the fact that they use shock collars from the public when they demonstrate how "well behaved" their dogs are....well yes they are well behaved....if not they are going to get shocked!! What kind of life is that?? I am pretty sure I can have at least two of my dogs sit for at least a minute (ok that MIGHT be stretching it for Cali...but she is a Lab puppy!!) and she actually looks HAPPY doing it not frightened!!
Whew!! Ok, off of my soapbox I step....though I am not going to stray TOO far from it!!! I have a feeling I am going to be becoming more and more of a loud mouth, er, voice against these places in years to come.
So the plan now is to continue observing (I have 22 out of the 120 hours) and start my reading list....that is if the books ever arrive (come ON, Amazon!!!). I will keep you all updated!!!
Loves, hugs, and big slobbery puppy kisses!!!
Rhonda
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Debt, Pups, and Weight
I finally broke down and did what I didn't want to do. But I just couldn't see another way around it. I dug the hole and now I need to get out of it. But I need to learn how to STAY out of it or else I am going to keep doing this. What is she talking about? Debt. I was debt free (sans mortgage, car and student loan) for a year. Then I let it all creep back in.
Started with spending my "savings" on a down payment on a car and vacation. Then it was little expenses here and there. Then letting my Overdraft Protection to get drained. To the point that I started using my credit card again. I had a plan that I was going to use it JUST for the tuition for me to go to school to become a dog trainer. Well, in the meantime, I have used it for so many other things, that I don't have room for the tuition. So add the tuition on as debt I wasn't counting on now.
So I am taking a loan out against my 403b. It is the only loan that I can get at the moment because of the housing market. I at one time would have had enough for a home equity loan however the stricter guidelines and the way the houses are being appraised it just wasn't in the cards. I hate doing this because of the way it will effect my retirement funds. The only solace that I am trying to take is that come January my boyfriend should be able to contribute significantly more towards the household bills therefore hopefully I will be able to pay off the loan quicker (no penalty for pre-payment).
All of this monetary stress has really been playing havoc on me. I have been feeling it in the way I have been approaching things and felt that I needed to get it out of the way before I started my classes for dog training. I truly believe that it has been part of my apathy towards my weight journey. My lack of drive and focus. I don't want that to filter into my studies. Dogs and training is my future and I want to put my all into that and not have worries over my head.
This won't fix things though. Right now the loan will be band-aid on a gaping wound if I don't learn how to put in sutures. I need to have a plan in place to attack the real problems and that is frivolous spending. I have to stop that and learn to tell my boyfriend no to things. I have to stop spending so much on food, especially on restaurant food when I have perfectly good food at home. That all starts with planning. I need to get order in my life. Right now, though I have lulled myself into thinking that there is, there is very little order in my life. I may go from one thing to another, but that doesn't make it orderly.
I also have to stop the Advocare process, at least for the time being. I LOVE the product. And I do feel that it gives me incredible amounts of energy but I just can't afford it. Hopefully down the line I will find that I can swing it, but in the meantime I am just going to use up what I have and not stress about becoming an Advisor. I will probably continue to order the Spark Drink and maybe the MNS E packs. We will see.
I also have to get back on track with my workouts. I was doing really well there for about a month and feeling great about myself. That is what I have to get back to. I have ChaLEAN to do, as well as creating the TNTs for my SparkPeople friends. Also, I need to get back to my C25K program. I was going onto week 4 but I am going to re-do week 3 again before proceeding. I also want to go back to the Yoga Space once I find some extra cash to spend on me. Maybe that will be one of my goal rewards.
My boyfriend is starting Weight Watchers on Monday so I am hoping to be able to create dinners for us that can be made ahead of time, or at least prepped ahead of time that he can throw together for us on the days he works from home. I also have some frozen burritos that I had put together that are about 300 calories a piece that I need to start taking with me to work for lunch. I just keep coming up with excuses not to.
So that is where my head has been. Hoping to come out of it soon.
Hugs and loves,
Rhonda
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Endorphins
I don't think I have any. In fact I am pretty darn sure I don't. Why? you might ask. Well because I HATE exercise!! Not that I don't want to do it but once it is done I feel better for doing it. Nope. Still hate it. Even afterwards.
I read blogs about how great people feel after they work out or run or what not. I have tried numerous types of exercises and have yet to find one I enjoy. And none of them give me that "high" feeling that people describe. I keep searching for it. I keep trying to find it. I keep telling myself that when I get to the next week of the C25K the endorphins will come. I keep telling myself that if I do the next ChaLEAN workout the "high" will be there. But it isn't. How am I supposed to get addicted to this stuff if I truly do not enjoy it???
Exercise is WORK to me. And who likes to work?? I do it because I have to...not because it is something I know is going to make me feel better about myself afterwards for doing.
I read blogs about how great people feel after they work out or run or what not. I have tried numerous types of exercises and have yet to find one I enjoy. And none of them give me that "high" feeling that people describe. I keep searching for it. I keep trying to find it. I keep telling myself that when I get to the next week of the C25K the endorphins will come. I keep telling myself that if I do the next ChaLEAN workout the "high" will be there. But it isn't. How am I supposed to get addicted to this stuff if I truly do not enjoy it???
Exercise is WORK to me. And who likes to work?? I do it because I have to...not because it is something I know is going to make me feel better about myself afterwards for doing.
I haven't been diligent about using my Advocare products and that has had to do with my frame of mind. I really need to get my head around things. Get my life on track. But doing that means I have to have a sit down talk with my man and I have been putting that off.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Yoga: Meditation & Relaxation
First off, I am old. Second off, I don't care. Why might you ask? Because one of the best Friday nights I have spent in a while just happened at my first ever yoga class. Well it was more of a one on one session, but still. It was all about learning to meditate and relax. On how to reconnect with yourself. In a way for me it would be connecting, since reconnecting would imply being connected at one point in time...since I do not remember a time that I was (probably when I was young, if ever) I should say connect.
If you have not taken a relaxation/meditation class and have ever thought about it, I would encourage it. We live in such a hectic world and most have such busy schedules that it really has come to the point that we have to schedule it in. Silly if you really stop and think about it.
After this week, I needed to take some time to reflect on things. To center myself. To become in tune to the inner flow of my body. Next week there will be tests done and maybe a confirmation on a diagnosis, and only then can I determine a plan of action. Right now, I gave the possibility of the diagnosis enough of a hold on me to ruin one day. And that was one day too many. So until a final diagnosis is achieved I am going to work on getting my health on the right path to handle whatever is thrown at me...both physically, emotionally, and physically.
I was not on track yesterday with my Advocare products. I drank the Spark and took the first strip but the rest went to the wayside with the call from the doctor. I made healthy choices with food and even said no to the cookie I wanted. Today I was on better track with Advocare, getting all of the strips, catalyst, and thermo-plus in...but I left my lunch bag at home...so my food options weren't as good because despite the fact that I work for a world leading hospital, the food options stink. I did ok with my choice but I did end up eating the cookie. Not going to beat myself up for it because I honestly wanted it today. It wasn't about eating emotions. I dealt with them yesterday and today I just wanted the cookie. So I ate it. And it was good. No guilt afterwards because it was a choice that I made after weighing out the options.
Tomorrow I am getting my hair done with a friend at a new place. I can't wait. Its been awhile since I have hung out with her and look forward to catching up a bit. If I get up on time I plan on doing Week 3 Day 3 of C25K and then go to Blended Style Yoga at the same place. But I am not going to put pressure on myself to go if I am not awake.
I am who I am.
Over and out,
Rhonda
If you have not taken a relaxation/meditation class and have ever thought about it, I would encourage it. We live in such a hectic world and most have such busy schedules that it really has come to the point that we have to schedule it in. Silly if you really stop and think about it.
After this week, I needed to take some time to reflect on things. To center myself. To become in tune to the inner flow of my body. Next week there will be tests done and maybe a confirmation on a diagnosis, and only then can I determine a plan of action. Right now, I gave the possibility of the diagnosis enough of a hold on me to ruin one day. And that was one day too many. So until a final diagnosis is achieved I am going to work on getting my health on the right path to handle whatever is thrown at me...both physically, emotionally, and physically.
I was not on track yesterday with my Advocare products. I drank the Spark and took the first strip but the rest went to the wayside with the call from the doctor. I made healthy choices with food and even said no to the cookie I wanted. Today I was on better track with Advocare, getting all of the strips, catalyst, and thermo-plus in...but I left my lunch bag at home...so my food options weren't as good because despite the fact that I work for a world leading hospital, the food options stink. I did ok with my choice but I did end up eating the cookie. Not going to beat myself up for it because I honestly wanted it today. It wasn't about eating emotions. I dealt with them yesterday and today I just wanted the cookie. So I ate it. And it was good. No guilt afterwards because it was a choice that I made after weighing out the options.
Tomorrow I am getting my hair done with a friend at a new place. I can't wait. Its been awhile since I have hung out with her and look forward to catching up a bit. If I get up on time I plan on doing Week 3 Day 3 of C25K and then go to Blended Style Yoga at the same place. But I am not going to put pressure on myself to go if I am not awake.
I am who I am.
Over and out,
Rhonda
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Just another snowy day.....
I woke up this morning with the right side of my face swollen and in pain. I had worn the night guard last night and it miraculously stayed in but I guess was not much help. I am not giving up on it yet though, as it is just the first night of wear and it was flared up. I decided to stay home because opening my mouth was painful and the "storm of the century" was coming....LOL.
I didn't actually wake though until 11:30 due to the meds I took last night for sleep and pain. I still drank my Spark drink and took my MNS E packs along with the Catalyst and ThermoPlus. Drank my morning MRS and rested some. I did attempt W3D2 of C25K but running was NOT a good thing to do. So I walked for 45 minutes.
I have decided that I should post my weights and measurements thus far on here too, not just on Sparkpeople....
Height: 5'4.5"
Week #1 January 5th,
Chest: 37
Waist: 35
Hip: 42.5
Thigh: 24.5
Arm: 14
STARTINT WEIGHT January 5: 183.8
Week 1 Jan 12: 182.4 (-1.4!!)
Week.2 Jan 19: 183.2 (+0.8)
Week 3 Jan 26: 181.2 (-2.0!!)
I didn't actually wake though until 11:30 due to the meds I took last night for sleep and pain. I still drank my Spark drink and took my MNS E packs along with the Catalyst and ThermoPlus. Drank my morning MRS and rested some. I did attempt W3D2 of C25K but running was NOT a good thing to do. So I walked for 45 minutes.
I have decided that I should post my weights and measurements thus far on here too, not just on Sparkpeople....
Height: 5'4.5"
Week #1 January 5th,
Chest: 37
Waist: 35
Hip: 42.5
Thigh: 24.5
Arm: 14
STARTINT WEIGHT January 5: 183.8
Week 1 Jan 12: 182.4 (-1.4!!)
Week.2 Jan 19: 183.2 (+0.8)
Week 3 Jan 26: 181.2 (-2.0!!)
Over and out,
Rhonda
Monday, January 31, 2011
Start of Advocare again...being Re"Sparked"
So I got my shipment of Advocare on Saturday with all sorts of new goodies in it to try!! On top of my regular MNS E pack, Catalyst, Meal Replacement Shakes (MRS) and Spark drink, I also got breakfast and snack bars, Rehydrate (a healthy version of Gatorade), Night Time Recovery and Thermo-Plus. I am feeling confident that I have a well rounded supplementation program now to incorporate into a great exercise program. Now, I just have to do it!!!
Yesterday, I got up, drank my Spark drink, took 6 Catalyst and ran Week 3 Day 1 of the C25K program!!! YEA ME!!! I am pretty slow, but hey we all have to start somewhere right??? One foot in front of the other....AND I ran for 3 minutes straight...well, ok wogged for 3 minutes straight. Then I took the first strip of the MNS E pack and 30 minutes later used my Bella Cucina mixer to make my MRS plus half a banana (sorry Amy...I like the vanilla so much better with some banana in it) along with strips two and three of the MNS pack. Then my day was off and running!! I LOVE all the energy I have with this stuff!!
I had to prepare the burritos that I had bought all the supplies for from my FAV store EVER Whole Foods. I had two recipes from Spark People...a wonderful web community of people where I draw support and strength from. I am making both recipes and freezing the burritos individually so that I can grab them for lunches at work...presto...easy AND healthy!!
Here are the two recipes: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=56397 and http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=58968 I used sprouted grain tortillas http://www.foodforlife.com/product-catalog/sprouted-grain/ezekiel-49/whole-grain-flourless-tortillas
Did I mention that I woke up yesterday with a horrible pain on the right side of my jaw/ear area? That I could barely open and close my mouth? Yep, not that much fun.
My plan was to get up this morning and do Day 1 of the ChaLEAN program (found on http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/chalean_extreme.do) however, I had not slept all night due to the pain and had slept through the alarm. So I got up, took my AC products, and had to take my boyfriend to get a rental car because his car was going to the shop and then go to work. I could barely talk because of the pain and called my doctor's office. I amazingly was able to get into see my doc in the morning, however, she diagnosed it as TMJ syndrome of which she doesn't really treat except with prescription Aleve (have been taking that anyways). Called my dentist only to find out he sends TMJ out to a specialist and my insurance doesn't cover any of it...so since I have the meds listed as typical treatment at my house, I went to the drugstore to buy the night guard and am hoping it all works out.
I still attempted to do the ChaLEAN workout, though, the strain caused an increase in pain in the jaw area, so I ended up on the treadmill again tonight for a run/walk workout. That had some pain, but not as much as the strengthening workout was causing.
I also made some Banana Oat Bran bread that I am hoping to be able to eat. My BF made swordfish and sweet potatoes for dinner, but I wasn't really able to eat the fish because of the chewing :( I will let you know how the bread turned out!!
That's it for now!!
Over and out,
Rhonda
If interested in Advocare products, visit my site: https://www.advocare.com/10115069/default.aspx
Yesterday, I got up, drank my Spark drink, took 6 Catalyst and ran Week 3 Day 1 of the C25K program!!! YEA ME!!! I am pretty slow, but hey we all have to start somewhere right??? One foot in front of the other....AND I ran for 3 minutes straight...well, ok wogged for 3 minutes straight. Then I took the first strip of the MNS E pack and 30 minutes later used my Bella Cucina mixer to make my MRS plus half a banana (sorry Amy...I like the vanilla so much better with some banana in it) along with strips two and three of the MNS pack. Then my day was off and running!! I LOVE all the energy I have with this stuff!!
I had to prepare the burritos that I had bought all the supplies for from my FAV store EVER Whole Foods. I had two recipes from Spark People...a wonderful web community of people where I draw support and strength from. I am making both recipes and freezing the burritos individually so that I can grab them for lunches at work...presto...easy AND healthy!!
Here are the two recipes: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=56397 and http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=58968 I used sprouted grain tortillas http://www.foodforlife.com/product-catalog/sprouted-grain/ezekiel-49/whole-grain-flourless-tortillas
Did I mention that I woke up yesterday with a horrible pain on the right side of my jaw/ear area? That I could barely open and close my mouth? Yep, not that much fun.
My plan was to get up this morning and do Day 1 of the ChaLEAN program (found on http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/chalean_extreme.do) however, I had not slept all night due to the pain and had slept through the alarm. So I got up, took my AC products, and had to take my boyfriend to get a rental car because his car was going to the shop and then go to work. I could barely talk because of the pain and called my doctor's office. I amazingly was able to get into see my doc in the morning, however, she diagnosed it as TMJ syndrome of which she doesn't really treat except with prescription Aleve (have been taking that anyways). Called my dentist only to find out he sends TMJ out to a specialist and my insurance doesn't cover any of it...so since I have the meds listed as typical treatment at my house, I went to the drugstore to buy the night guard and am hoping it all works out.
I still attempted to do the ChaLEAN workout, though, the strain caused an increase in pain in the jaw area, so I ended up on the treadmill again tonight for a run/walk workout. That had some pain, but not as much as the strengthening workout was causing.
I also made some Banana Oat Bran bread that I am hoping to be able to eat. My BF made swordfish and sweet potatoes for dinner, but I wasn't really able to eat the fish because of the chewing :( I will let you know how the bread turned out!!
That's it for now!!
Over and out,
Rhonda
If interested in Advocare products, visit my site: https://www.advocare.com/10115069/default.aspx
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Another crossroad in the CONCLUSION: Fear of Success
Jan 21
I have never thought that I was afraid of success. I have had it in many aspects of my life and never have shied away from it. In work, I overachieve...in darts, I have been on national teams...whatever I put myself into I find success...why? Because of all the darn hard work I put into it.
Well through a chat convo I was having with a friend tonight, we were talking about her fear of success in most aspects of her life. And she was fighting me on it, so I googled it. Came across this link ( www.livestrong.com/artic
le/14659-handling-fear-of-
success/ ) and began reading....ABOUT ME!!! And my journey through weight loss. Now not every statement applies to me so I am only going to highlight the ones that do in this blog.
So how does fear of success in weight loss manifest in one who has succeeded in other aspects of life? For me it was these:
1)Fear that you will accomplish all that you set out to, but that you still won't be happy, content or satisfied once you reach your goal
For so long, I have tied being "thin" or "thinner" as what was going to make me happier. Some of this was rooted in the teenage years (not all that uncommon), which was then supported via an emotionally abusive relationship in college in which my boyfriend had me believing I was so fat and unattractive that he was the ONLY one who would ever love me...to the point that I was so stressed out I was borderline bulemic. Then move forward into my marriage, where my ex would only have sex with me if I was dressed scantily or "sexy" in his eyes...which was pretty slutty in everyone elses. And I was SO uncomfortable in that garb because I was a larger girl...one who really shouldn't be in mini-skirts. So in both cases (college and marriage) I had lost weight...only to not feel any differently toward my weight.
MY STATEMENT: I am afraid that when I lose the weight I will still not be happy because intellectually I know that happiness has nothing to do with the size you are.
2)Lack of belief in your own ability to sustain your progress, and the accomplishments you have achieved in your life AND
3)Fear that once you have achieved the goals you have worked diligently for, the motivation to continue will fade
I have in the past lost weight. Like many others here I have lost the same 20 pounds over and over again...only to put it back on. I have seen it through out each of the BLC rounds. I will lose until mid-round and then not sustain the loss because I will make excuses and "let myself off the hook".
MY STATEMENT: I will lose the weight and keep it off. It IS within my power to do so and yes it will take work, but I have never been one to shy away from hard work or a tough challenge. I will not let myself do it now.
4)Belief that success is an end in itself; yet that end is not enough to sustain your interest and/or commitment
I have lived my whole life thinking that success is what you are striving for, regardless of what the task is. In this case, being healthy is the end success which can be achieved through the actions that are needed to lose weight. However, as with many other areas in my life, I get bored. When I get bored everything wanes. I have tried to come up with ways to abolish the boredom, but have yet to find the answer.
MY STATEMENT: My own well being is important enough to me to continue on the path, even if I do get bored at times. I will look for ways to shake things up, to liven them up, so that I will continue on the path.
Next are the consequences of my fear:
1) A lack of effort to achieve goals you have set for yourself
2)Losing the motivation or the desire to grow, achieve and succeed
3)Choosing to do just the opposite of what you need to do to be happy, healthy and successful (for me...in weight loss)
4) Reinforcing your chronic negativity, chronic pessimism and chronic lack of achievement since you cannot, visualize yourself in a contented, successful life (ie, weight loss)
Statements that I believe:
1)I have worked so hard to get this far, yet I need to keep on working hard; I'm not sure the effort is worth it.
Right now I have a man that loves me for who I am, I have no weight related health conditions, and I like to eat. So, is the journey worth it? This is where I have to find motivation.
2)I can't sustain the momentum I would need to achieve my goals
Alot of this has to do with the fact that I always over book myself. I am the person who is constantly juggling five different things, and the ball that drops is my weight loss journey. I need to find balance. I have tried to eliminate things from my life but find that I fill that void with another hobby, project, or such, that I have stopped eliminating and have started to try and focus on what I have all going on. I still feel worn thin.
3)I am happiest when I am under pressure and challenged
LOL...ok read above...I rationalize that is why I keep SO insanely busy.
4) Everyone has the right to fail in life, and I have the right to choose to fail if I want to
In a way I am ashamed to admit this one. But I do look at all that I have achieved in life and then I look at how others don't and I will cop out and say that I don't have to be perfect at everything...this is the one thing I won't be perfect at because everyone has the right to slack. Not really sure that this is true...and why would I want to fail at my health??
New behaviors I need to embrace:
1)Being able to honestly appraise my level of achievement, success and accomplishment
2)Accepting myself as being healthy, "together,'' happy, successful, prosperous and accomplished
3)Not giving myself any excuses for being unsuccessful
4)Monitoring my level of commitment and motivation to reach my goals
5)Accepting the compliments and recognition of others with an open heart and mind
In all honesty, number five is going to be the hardest. I have always had issues with compliments and recognition. I am the one who just wants to get the job/task done and KNOW that it was done well. I have never been one who wants accolades or such....
So I have all of this to think about and let stew in my head for a few days. I am going to formulate a plan to tackle my "to do" list....afterall...it is one thing I do well....
I have never thought that I was afraid of success. I have had it in many aspects of my life and never have shied away from it. In work, I overachieve...in darts, I have been on national teams...whatever I put myself into I find success...why? Because of all the darn hard work I put into it.
Well through a chat convo I was having with a friend tonight, we were talking about her fear of success in most aspects of her life. And she was fighting me on it, so I googled it. Came across this link ( www.livestrong.com/artic
le/14659-handling-fear-of-
success/ ) and began reading....ABOUT ME!!! And my journey through weight loss. Now not every statement applies to me so I am only going to highlight the ones that do in this blog.
So how does fear of success in weight loss manifest in one who has succeeded in other aspects of life? For me it was these:
1)Fear that you will accomplish all that you set out to, but that you still won't be happy, content or satisfied once you reach your goal
For so long, I have tied being "thin" or "thinner" as what was going to make me happier. Some of this was rooted in the teenage years (not all that uncommon), which was then supported via an emotionally abusive relationship in college in which my boyfriend had me believing I was so fat and unattractive that he was the ONLY one who would ever love me...to the point that I was so stressed out I was borderline bulemic. Then move forward into my marriage, where my ex would only have sex with me if I was dressed scantily or "sexy" in his eyes...which was pretty slutty in everyone elses. And I was SO uncomfortable in that garb because I was a larger girl...one who really shouldn't be in mini-skirts. So in both cases (college and marriage) I had lost weight...only to not feel any differently toward my weight.
MY STATEMENT: I am afraid that when I lose the weight I will still not be happy because intellectually I know that happiness has nothing to do with the size you are.
2)Lack of belief in your own ability to sustain your progress, and the accomplishments you have achieved in your life AND
3)Fear that once you have achieved the goals you have worked diligently for, the motivation to continue will fade
I have in the past lost weight. Like many others here I have lost the same 20 pounds over and over again...only to put it back on. I have seen it through out each of the BLC rounds. I will lose until mid-round and then not sustain the loss because I will make excuses and "let myself off the hook".
MY STATEMENT: I will lose the weight and keep it off. It IS within my power to do so and yes it will take work, but I have never been one to shy away from hard work or a tough challenge. I will not let myself do it now.
4)Belief that success is an end in itself; yet that end is not enough to sustain your interest and/or commitment
I have lived my whole life thinking that success is what you are striving for, regardless of what the task is. In this case, being healthy is the end success which can be achieved through the actions that are needed to lose weight. However, as with many other areas in my life, I get bored. When I get bored everything wanes. I have tried to come up with ways to abolish the boredom, but have yet to find the answer.
MY STATEMENT: My own well being is important enough to me to continue on the path, even if I do get bored at times. I will look for ways to shake things up, to liven them up, so that I will continue on the path.
Next are the consequences of my fear:
1) A lack of effort to achieve goals you have set for yourself
2)Losing the motivation or the desire to grow, achieve and succeed
3)Choosing to do just the opposite of what you need to do to be happy, healthy and successful (for me...in weight loss)
4) Reinforcing your chronic negativity, chronic pessimism and chronic lack of achievement since you cannot, visualize yourself in a contented, successful life (ie, weight loss)
Statements that I believe:
1)I have worked so hard to get this far, yet I need to keep on working hard; I'm not sure the effort is worth it.
Right now I have a man that loves me for who I am, I have no weight related health conditions, and I like to eat. So, is the journey worth it? This is where I have to find motivation.
2)I can't sustain the momentum I would need to achieve my goals
Alot of this has to do with the fact that I always over book myself. I am the person who is constantly juggling five different things, and the ball that drops is my weight loss journey. I need to find balance. I have tried to eliminate things from my life but find that I fill that void with another hobby, project, or such, that I have stopped eliminating and have started to try and focus on what I have all going on. I still feel worn thin.
3)I am happiest when I am under pressure and challenged
LOL...ok read above...I rationalize that is why I keep SO insanely busy.
4) Everyone has the right to fail in life, and I have the right to choose to fail if I want to
In a way I am ashamed to admit this one. But I do look at all that I have achieved in life and then I look at how others don't and I will cop out and say that I don't have to be perfect at everything...this is the one thing I won't be perfect at because everyone has the right to slack. Not really sure that this is true...and why would I want to fail at my health??
New behaviors I need to embrace:
1)Being able to honestly appraise my level of achievement, success and accomplishment
2)Accepting myself as being healthy, "together,'' happy, successful, prosperous and accomplished
3)Not giving myself any excuses for being unsuccessful
4)Monitoring my level of commitment and motivation to reach my goals
5)Accepting the compliments and recognition of others with an open heart and mind
In all honesty, number five is going to be the hardest. I have always had issues with compliments and recognition. I am the one who just wants to get the job/task done and KNOW that it was done well. I have never been one who wants accolades or such....
So I have all of this to think about and let stew in my head for a few days. I am going to formulate a plan to tackle my "to do" list....afterall...it is one thing I do well....
Points to Ponder of Why People WANT to Lose Weight....
Jan 11
So in my quest of trying to determine why it is I am on this journey I am investigating why other people generally try to lose weight:
1) I want to be thin so (fill in) will find me attractive.
-I don't think this is my reason because I don't worry what others think of me due to my outward appearances. If someone is going to judge me because of a physical characteristic than more likely than not I am not going to like that person nor want to get to know them. That being said, my boyfriend loves me how I am and would be perfectly content if I didn't lose weight. In fact when we got together I weighed more than I do now.
-From the time I was 14 until the time I was divorced at 31 I had never really been single. I always had a "love" interest of some sort, so I know that I am physically attractive. I actually wonder if this somehow holds me back. Sounds backwards in a sense doesn't it?
2) I want to be healthier.
-ok, now this is a blanketed statement. Who doesn't want to be healthier...but what does it mean? I have been through so much testing with my Fibromyalgia that all my tests are normal and with in proper range. My cholesterol is wonderful and really no family history. My blood pressure is low to normal...though around 40 my mother had high BP. I will say my RHR is high, but none of my doctors seem to care because it has always been that way, even in college when I was working out consistently (but still overweight).
-So this leads me to my Fibro...if I do keep moving I feel better, but I don't know if it is related to an actual weight versus just being active.
3) I want to wear cute clothes.
-I can wear cute clothes now. I have a lot of outfits that are downright adorable. I don't feel that is a size thing as much of a confidence level...which leads me to my next point....
4) I want to have high self esteem.
-This is not going to come just because I shed weight. This is an internal factor that is based on many variables most of which is not weight. I actually have a fairly good self esteem. I know that I have many positive attributes to give to the world and I know what my strong points and negative points are. And I am comfortable with me. I don't believe that esteem is linked with societal norms of appearances.
5) I want more energy and be able to do more.
-I already work all day and then have something scheduled every evening afterwork and most weekends. If I get any busier I would have to clone myself. I am actually thinking of doing that now...hmmm...wonder if I split in to if that would count as weight loss...
-This is where I get stuck, I think. I am a busy person (and I am not saying by any means that I am any more busy than others) and fitting it in (even scheduled) stresses me out, so I at times don't do it because of it. (see still keeping up with the no excuses). Add to it that I don't like it and it tends to be the first thing to go...
I guess I should be attempting to figure out is it more important to determine WHY I want to or is it more important to determine WHY I keep fighting the process? I out of so many of the people on this site, know more about how and why exercise and health is so important, yet I keep fighting it....hmmm....points to ponder for my next blogging session...
So in my quest of trying to determine why it is I am on this journey I am investigating why other people generally try to lose weight:
1) I want to be thin so (fill in) will find me attractive.
-I don't think this is my reason because I don't worry what others think of me due to my outward appearances. If someone is going to judge me because of a physical characteristic than more likely than not I am not going to like that person nor want to get to know them. That being said, my boyfriend loves me how I am and would be perfectly content if I didn't lose weight. In fact when we got together I weighed more than I do now.
-From the time I was 14 until the time I was divorced at 31 I had never really been single. I always had a "love" interest of some sort, so I know that I am physically attractive. I actually wonder if this somehow holds me back. Sounds backwards in a sense doesn't it?
2) I want to be healthier.
-ok, now this is a blanketed statement. Who doesn't want to be healthier...but what does it mean? I have been through so much testing with my Fibromyalgia that all my tests are normal and with in proper range. My cholesterol is wonderful and really no family history. My blood pressure is low to normal...though around 40 my mother had high BP. I will say my RHR is high, but none of my doctors seem to care because it has always been that way, even in college when I was working out consistently (but still overweight).
-So this leads me to my Fibro...if I do keep moving I feel better, but I don't know if it is related to an actual weight versus just being active.
3) I want to wear cute clothes.
-I can wear cute clothes now. I have a lot of outfits that are downright adorable. I don't feel that is a size thing as much of a confidence level...which leads me to my next point....
4) I want to have high self esteem.
-This is not going to come just because I shed weight. This is an internal factor that is based on many variables most of which is not weight. I actually have a fairly good self esteem. I know that I have many positive attributes to give to the world and I know what my strong points and negative points are. And I am comfortable with me. I don't believe that esteem is linked with societal norms of appearances.
5) I want more energy and be able to do more.
-I already work all day and then have something scheduled every evening afterwork and most weekends. If I get any busier I would have to clone myself. I am actually thinking of doing that now...hmmm...wonder if I split in to if that would count as weight loss...
-This is where I get stuck, I think. I am a busy person (and I am not saying by any means that I am any more busy than others) and fitting it in (even scheduled) stresses me out, so I at times don't do it because of it. (see still keeping up with the no excuses). Add to it that I don't like it and it tends to be the first thing to go...
I guess I should be attempting to figure out is it more important to determine WHY I want to or is it more important to determine WHY I keep fighting the process? I out of so many of the people on this site, know more about how and why exercise and health is so important, yet I keep fighting it....hmmm....points to ponder for my next blogging session...
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