Happy Monday! I hope you're starting this week and ending August on plan and excited about your journey :-).
I constantly refer to this program as a journey, not a diet, because there is so much growing and stretching that happens along the way. Stretching isn't always fun, and sometimes it's downright painful!
Stiff muscles are always resistant to stretching, and I know that if I stop where it feels comfortable, my range of motion can be pretty limited sometimes. Even now, when I first bend over to touch my toes, sometimes my fingers reach the toes and sometimes they don't. What's really interesting, however, is that if I stretch as far as I can and hold it for a minute or so, even though it hurts a bit, the muscles relax and I can go down just a bit more. If I hold that for another minute or so, I can stretch farther yet. In fact, by stretching in increments I am able to touch my forehead to my knees and place my palms flat on the floor. I can never do that the very first time I bend over in the morning, but continuing to stretch and warming up those stiff muscles gets me where I want to go.
For many of you on the Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 program, you are stretching some muscles you haven't used in a while. I used to say that every time I turned down a food temptation, I was strengthening my "no thank you" muscle :-). Whenever we stretch those muscles, it's initially not comfortable and sometimes even a bit painful. But if we hold the position for a moment or two, the pain leaves and we find we can make a little more progress. We won't get there all at once, but if we're persistent and refuse to give ground, and if we're willing to keep stretching, we WILL get there!
In the past, if I bent over and couldn't touch my toes, I'd give up, figuring that I just couldn't do it. I stopped where it was comfortable and wasn't willing to risk being a bit uncomfortable temporarily in order to get all the way down. Now I can reach way past my toes - much farther than I would have thought possible.
If you're feeling some tight muscles today as this program stretches you, hold your position and don't back off, because you will soon be reaching further than you can imagine - all the way to your goal.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Making Time
Happy Sunday - the last Sunday in August, no less! We're leaving for church pretty soon, so this will be short :-).
One thing I've realized again recently is how we always find the time we need to do what's really important to us. We're all busy, regardless of what season of life we're in, and we're all crunched for time. It feels like there is never enough time in a day to do everything we want to do, and that's true - there isn't. The list of things I want to do in a day is a long one, and I always - always - go to bed with things that I would have liked to have done left undone.
However, I somehow manage to do the things that are really important to me every day. Sometimes there are important things that don't get done, but the things that are most important to me do get done. There are days when things that I give lip service to being important are left undone, but the truth is that if I made them a priority, I would have done them. There are days when I don't get very much accomplished and I can look back on wasted hours, but a review of the day will show that I did the things that I really wanted to do.
The reason I'm thinking about this is that after at least three months of telling myself that I didn't have time to get to the health club, I've managed to get there three times a week for the past three weeks. I'm just as busy or busier than ever, so I'm not getting to the health club because time has magically opened in my schedule. Plain and simple, I'm now getting there on a regular basis because I've made it a priority. I'm going to bed a bit earlier and getting up a bit earlier so I can get out of the house and work out. Same 24 hours in the day as I've always had, but I am now making the time to exercise because I've elevated its importance in my life.
I've talked to people who tell me that they can't do the Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 plan because they don't have time to eat during the day. I've talked to people who, like me, are convinced that they are way too busy to exercise on a regular basis, if at all.
The reality is that all of us WILL make sure that we put into our schedule those things that are important to us. My faith is important to me, so my daily schedule includes time to read my Bible and pray, and my weekly schedule includes attending church. Other things may go undone, but these are priorities in my life so I make time for them. Staying healthy is a priority for me, so I make sure that I plan out my meals for each day to ensure my calories and carbs are in line with my calorie range in maintenance, and now I'm making exercise a priority as well.
This morning I'm encouraging you to honestly assess what's important in your life and then make sure those things are part of your daily life. Busyness so often gets in the way of what's really important in our lives, and if our schedule is filled with busyness but not what's important, we'll find ourselves frustrated and burned out. Focusing on what's important energizes us and allows us to end each day with a sense of balance and accomplishment.
If getting healthy is important to you (and I believe it is!), make sure you're making time to plan your meals, getting in regular exercise, and doing all of the other things you need and want to do to support your priority.
Have a wonderful, on-plan Sunday!
One thing I've realized again recently is how we always find the time we need to do what's really important to us. We're all busy, regardless of what season of life we're in, and we're all crunched for time. It feels like there is never enough time in a day to do everything we want to do, and that's true - there isn't. The list of things I want to do in a day is a long one, and I always - always - go to bed with things that I would have liked to have done left undone.
However, I somehow manage to do the things that are really important to me every day. Sometimes there are important things that don't get done, but the things that are most important to me do get done. There are days when things that I give lip service to being important are left undone, but the truth is that if I made them a priority, I would have done them. There are days when I don't get very much accomplished and I can look back on wasted hours, but a review of the day will show that I did the things that I really wanted to do.
The reason I'm thinking about this is that after at least three months of telling myself that I didn't have time to get to the health club, I've managed to get there three times a week for the past three weeks. I'm just as busy or busier than ever, so I'm not getting to the health club because time has magically opened in my schedule. Plain and simple, I'm now getting there on a regular basis because I've made it a priority. I'm going to bed a bit earlier and getting up a bit earlier so I can get out of the house and work out. Same 24 hours in the day as I've always had, but I am now making the time to exercise because I've elevated its importance in my life.
I've talked to people who tell me that they can't do the Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 plan because they don't have time to eat during the day. I've talked to people who, like me, are convinced that they are way too busy to exercise on a regular basis, if at all.
The reality is that all of us WILL make sure that we put into our schedule those things that are important to us. My faith is important to me, so my daily schedule includes time to read my Bible and pray, and my weekly schedule includes attending church. Other things may go undone, but these are priorities in my life so I make time for them. Staying healthy is a priority for me, so I make sure that I plan out my meals for each day to ensure my calories and carbs are in line with my calorie range in maintenance, and now I'm making exercise a priority as well.
This morning I'm encouraging you to honestly assess what's important in your life and then make sure those things are part of your daily life. Busyness so often gets in the way of what's really important in our lives, and if our schedule is filled with busyness but not what's important, we'll find ourselves frustrated and burned out. Focusing on what's important energizes us and allows us to end each day with a sense of balance and accomplishment.
If getting healthy is important to you (and I believe it is!), make sure you're making time to plan your meals, getting in regular exercise, and doing all of the other things you need and want to do to support your priority.
Have a wonderful, on-plan Sunday!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Planning an On-Plan Saturday
I'm heading out to the health club in just a few minutes but wanted to wish everyone a great Saturday!
Especially when I was raising my children, Saturdays could often end up being a lot busier than I had planned, and a fast-food drive through was often a given because I didn't have time to sit down and eat. If you have a busy Saturday planned, taking a minute now to figure out what you're going to eat and then bringing it with you (plus an extra meal, just in case . . . ) can make the difference between staying on plan and not.
I hope it will be a good day for you and that, whatever you've got planned for the day, you're planning on having an on-plan day :-).
Especially when I was raising my children, Saturdays could often end up being a lot busier than I had planned, and a fast-food drive through was often a given because I didn't have time to sit down and eat. If you have a busy Saturday planned, taking a minute now to figure out what you're going to eat and then bringing it with you (plus an extra meal, just in case . . . ) can make the difference between staying on plan and not.
I hope it will be a good day for you and that, whatever you've got planned for the day, you're planning on having an on-plan day :-).
Friday, August 28, 2009
Chasing Those Doubts Away
Happy Friday! I hope you've had a great, on-plan week and are gearing up for a wonderful (and on-plan!) weekend :-).
I participated in an webinar last night and heard something by one of the speakers that really challenged me, so I thought I'd share it with you. The speaker urged all of the listeners to "consciously chase away the doubts - they only bog you down."
I don't know about you, but I started the Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 program with an awful lot of doubts. I had failed so many times that I honestly doubted that the program would work. I doubted the program and I certainly doubted my ability to be successful on it. It was only as I began to see signs of success that the doubt began to recede, and it was replaced by hope, and then by the calm assurance that I WOULD reach my goal.
Doubts can suck a lot of emotional energy from us, and if we dwell on them, the negativity they breed can really drag us down. When it comes to pursuing optimal health in our lives, we don't have room for negativity. We can't control when doubts pop up, but we can choose to chase them away!
The good news is that this program works whether we believe it will or not, as long as we're following the program, the weight comes off - one on-plan day at a time!
I participated in an webinar last night and heard something by one of the speakers that really challenged me, so I thought I'd share it with you. The speaker urged all of the listeners to "consciously chase away the doubts - they only bog you down."
I don't know about you, but I started the Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 program with an awful lot of doubts. I had failed so many times that I honestly doubted that the program would work. I doubted the program and I certainly doubted my ability to be successful on it. It was only as I began to see signs of success that the doubt began to recede, and it was replaced by hope, and then by the calm assurance that I WOULD reach my goal.
Doubts can suck a lot of emotional energy from us, and if we dwell on them, the negativity they breed can really drag us down. When it comes to pursuing optimal health in our lives, we don't have room for negativity. We can't control when doubts pop up, but we can choose to chase them away!
The good news is that this program works whether we believe it will or not, as long as we're following the program, the weight comes off - one on-plan day at a time!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Still Learning
I hope your Thursday is off to a great start!
I am coming to the end of my third week of my new and improved routine - going to bed earlier (at least most nights!), getting up earlier, and getting to the health club three times a week (and getting in exercise on most other days). They say it takes 21 days to create a new habit or break an old habit, and I'm definitely getting there. I'm hesitate to declare victory yet, because I know it will be a while before this new routine is really an established habit. Still, it feels good to be into a healthier routine.
The good feeling, I think, comes from more than the exercise itself. I'm not discounting that, of course, and I am feeling GREAT (and thankful to no longer be sore the day after exercising). My energy level is up and I'll be anxious to retake my measurements in another couple of weeks, because I know I'll see a loss. There is also a good feeling mentally and emotionally from knowing that I'm doing the right thing for my body. Pushing through all of the barriers I can throw up is very empowering, and making myself do something that I'm not naturally inclined to do is good for me :-).
I am realizing more and more every day that reaching my weight loss goal wasn't the end of my journey, but just the beginning of the rest of my healthy life. I'm still learning and still fine-tuning things, trying to make healthy choices the vast majority of the time. I know that the longer I make healthy choices, the more they will become hard-wired into my brain, and I look forward to the day they are second nature to me.
Right now, practicing some of these habits is akin to learning a foreign language. I'm getting more adept as time goes on, but healthy habits aren't yet part of my "native tongue." But I'm committed to staying with them and I refuse to give up the ground I've gained. Making healthy food choices and making myself get to the health club isn't always what I feel like doing, but I love how I feel - physically and mentally - when I do it. So I do it!
Are the healthy habits you're developing starting to feel more natural yet? If not, that's OK - they will in time! Just hang in there and keep practicing, one committed day at a time :-)
I am coming to the end of my third week of my new and improved routine - going to bed earlier (at least most nights!), getting up earlier, and getting to the health club three times a week (and getting in exercise on most other days). They say it takes 21 days to create a new habit or break an old habit, and I'm definitely getting there. I'm hesitate to declare victory yet, because I know it will be a while before this new routine is really an established habit. Still, it feels good to be into a healthier routine.
The good feeling, I think, comes from more than the exercise itself. I'm not discounting that, of course, and I am feeling GREAT (and thankful to no longer be sore the day after exercising). My energy level is up and I'll be anxious to retake my measurements in another couple of weeks, because I know I'll see a loss. There is also a good feeling mentally and emotionally from knowing that I'm doing the right thing for my body. Pushing through all of the barriers I can throw up is very empowering, and making myself do something that I'm not naturally inclined to do is good for me :-).
I am realizing more and more every day that reaching my weight loss goal wasn't the end of my journey, but just the beginning of the rest of my healthy life. I'm still learning and still fine-tuning things, trying to make healthy choices the vast majority of the time. I know that the longer I make healthy choices, the more they will become hard-wired into my brain, and I look forward to the day they are second nature to me.
Right now, practicing some of these habits is akin to learning a foreign language. I'm getting more adept as time goes on, but healthy habits aren't yet part of my "native tongue." But I'm committed to staying with them and I refuse to give up the ground I've gained. Making healthy food choices and making myself get to the health club isn't always what I feel like doing, but I love how I feel - physically and mentally - when I do it. So I do it!
Are the healthy habits you're developing starting to feel more natural yet? If not, that's OK - they will in time! Just hang in there and keep practicing, one committed day at a time :-)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Windshield or Rearview Mirror?
Happy Wednesday!
I have a question for you today: is this a windshield day for you, or it is a rearview mirror day?
Translation: are you focused today on where you're going, or are you spending your time looking back?
I think this is a question worth asking, because the answer can strongly influence how successful you'll ultimately be in getting to and staying at your goal.
If this is a windshield day for you, then you're focused ahead on where you're going. Just like when you drive, 99% of the time you're focused on the road in front of you (at least I hope you are!). You periodically take a quick glance in the rearview mirror and take a look at your outside mirrors, but you only avert your eyes from the road for a fraction of a second. Averting your eyes any longer than that risks crashing.
A rearview mirror perspective happens when our focus is on what's behind us. Maybe we're focused on all of the things that occurred that caused us to gain weight to begin with. Maybe we're focused on our past failures and thinking about how we could have been at our goal by now if only we'd stayed on plan. Whatever is in your rearview mirror is in the past, and focusing on it won't get you where you want to be - it will only keep you stuck in a place you don't want to be.
It can be hard learning to focus forward when we've spent so many years staring into that rearview mirror, but practice definitely makes perfect :-). Having a windshield day begins with identifying what you want - what you REALLY want - and then committing to focus on that. When you find your gaze shifting back to the rearview mirror (and you will, especially at first), consciously shift your focus to looking forward again. You can do this by writing down your goal - be specific and don't be afraid to dream - and posting it where you'll see it often. When you find your mind drifting back to the past, take a deep breath and let it go! Take a minute to re-read your written goal and think for a minute about it. Envision yourself actually seeing those goals come to reality. Then move forward!
So what kind of a day are you having today? I'm hoping that you're going to get out the Windex and polish that windshield so that there's nothing obscuring your vision as you move forward!
Have a great Wednesday!
I have a question for you today: is this a windshield day for you, or it is a rearview mirror day?
Translation: are you focused today on where you're going, or are you spending your time looking back?
I think this is a question worth asking, because the answer can strongly influence how successful you'll ultimately be in getting to and staying at your goal.
If this is a windshield day for you, then you're focused ahead on where you're going. Just like when you drive, 99% of the time you're focused on the road in front of you (at least I hope you are!). You periodically take a quick glance in the rearview mirror and take a look at your outside mirrors, but you only avert your eyes from the road for a fraction of a second. Averting your eyes any longer than that risks crashing.
A rearview mirror perspective happens when our focus is on what's behind us. Maybe we're focused on all of the things that occurred that caused us to gain weight to begin with. Maybe we're focused on our past failures and thinking about how we could have been at our goal by now if only we'd stayed on plan. Whatever is in your rearview mirror is in the past, and focusing on it won't get you where you want to be - it will only keep you stuck in a place you don't want to be.
It can be hard learning to focus forward when we've spent so many years staring into that rearview mirror, but practice definitely makes perfect :-). Having a windshield day begins with identifying what you want - what you REALLY want - and then committing to focus on that. When you find your gaze shifting back to the rearview mirror (and you will, especially at first), consciously shift your focus to looking forward again. You can do this by writing down your goal - be specific and don't be afraid to dream - and posting it where you'll see it often. When you find your mind drifting back to the past, take a deep breath and let it go! Take a minute to re-read your written goal and think for a minute about it. Envision yourself actually seeing those goals come to reality. Then move forward!
So what kind of a day are you having today? I'm hoping that you're going to get out the Windex and polish that windshield so that there's nothing obscuring your vision as you move forward!
Have a great Wednesday!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Your Right to Be Healthy
Good morning, everyone! Yesterday morning while I was on the treadmill at the health club, I watched one of the daytime talk show programs on TV. I never watched this program before, but the topic was very interesting and also pretty upsetting. The guests were two women, each over 400 pounds, whose husbands wanted them to GAIN more weight because the men said that they love "curvy" women. One of the husbands actually wanted his wife to be over 500 pounds and said he didn't think he'd be attracted to her if she got down to a size 12. As I watched this program, I got really mad - which actually made me walk even faster on the treadmill, so I made it work for me :-).
What made me angry was the men thinking only of what THEY wanted, without any regard for what their wives wanted, let alone any concern for their health. Apparently these men never got the message that life wasn't all about them. Ugh! I know that these couples have issues that couldn't begin to be addressed, let alone resolved, on a daytime talk show, but it did reinforce one thing that I firmly believe.
We HAVE to take full responsibility for our own health. If we are surrounded by people who support us, that's a blessing that should not be taken for granted. But, even if everyone in our life is a naysayer and saboteur at heart, ultimately WE have to take responsibility for our health. I say that knowing that it is easier said than done, especially if the negative words are coming out of the mouth of a spouse, parent or close friend.
You have a right to be healthy, and nobody has the right to deny you that - nobody. The key to standing firm regardless is to be focused on what you really want. If you don't know what you want, other people may well make the decision for you, and they may or may not truly have your best interest at heart. But if you have a clear picture in your mind of where you're going and you're determined to keep you eyes on the goal, negativity will pretty much roll off of you - and you'll reach your goal, one day at a time.
What made me angry was the men thinking only of what THEY wanted, without any regard for what their wives wanted, let alone any concern for their health. Apparently these men never got the message that life wasn't all about them. Ugh! I know that these couples have issues that couldn't begin to be addressed, let alone resolved, on a daytime talk show, but it did reinforce one thing that I firmly believe.
We HAVE to take full responsibility for our own health. If we are surrounded by people who support us, that's a blessing that should not be taken for granted. But, even if everyone in our life is a naysayer and saboteur at heart, ultimately WE have to take responsibility for our health. I say that knowing that it is easier said than done, especially if the negative words are coming out of the mouth of a spouse, parent or close friend.
You have a right to be healthy, and nobody has the right to deny you that - nobody. The key to standing firm regardless is to be focused on what you really want. If you don't know what you want, other people may well make the decision for you, and they may or may not truly have your best interest at heart. But if you have a clear picture in your mind of where you're going and you're determined to keep you eyes on the goal, negativity will pretty much roll off of you - and you'll reach your goal, one day at a time.
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