Archive Page 7

09
Jan
13

The Power of Food

This post is dedicated to those who struggle with emotional/stress/OMG it is just so good food issues.

I was born and raised in what is now known as “the deep south”.  I’m not sure when we went from being the south to the deep south, but whatever.

In the south everything is celebrated with food.  Birthday’s, weddings, deaths and everything in between.  It’s just courtesy.  We want folks to feel the love and feeding them has always been the best way to do that.

I used to live by that same thought process.  Food fixed or healed everything.  That is so not true so banish that thought from your excuse list.

For some people there is an illusion that food has power.  BIG power.  They can’t have a small portion, piece or serving.  They end up plowing through multiple servings before they realize what they’ve done.

This is a perfect example of giving food power.  Notice I said giving the food power.

Food is simply food.  It is there for the nourishment of our bodies.  It is not there to defeat us, we do that on our own.

Some how we decide we are not worthy of greatness so we in turn, give over the power of our greatness to food instead.

There is absolutely no food that we can put in our mouth that will fix a broken heart, a broken relationship or broken self-esteem.

How do you break the cycle of giving your greatness over to food?

First there must be the acknowledgement that the fork doesn’t fly in to your mouth without your own assistance.

Secondly, when you start randomly grabbing this or that to eat mindlessly, it is usually because you want to become numb.  You give the food the power to make you forget, even if but for a very brief moment.

Phhhfffttt…that never works.  Food won’t fix anything, in fact it will likely make it worse.  That vicious cycle of eat bad, feel bad so I’ll eat more bad is a very tedious cycle to break.  That being said GET TEDIOUS right back with it.

You will find things that hold you back are often so much greater when you leave them stuck in your head.  Get them out of there.  Write them down and burn them if you don’t want anyone else to know.  Better yet, hold on to that notebook because one day you’ll have the ability to reach another person who may be struggling with what you have already overcome.

Each time you stop yourself from reaching for food to solve your problems, the more empowered you will become.

YES, you may have a set-back or twenty set-backs; just keep asking yourself the hard, painful questions and the result will start showing.

The only power food has is the power that you give it.

backwards

08
Jan
13

Motivation & Momentum

I have had several conversations of late regarding “I’ve lost motivation”.  This isn’t coming from new folks beginning a New Year’s Resolution diet.  This is coming from long-term fitness friends that are simply a little burned out.

It happens.  This thing called burn out.  It usually shows up a few days after you know you should be back to your fitness routine but for some reason only you know, you just can’t muster your mojo.  You know, that old feeling that creeps in and settles after holidays or some other stressful happening in your life.

This is a list of a few things that have helped me push past that burn out phase each time it happens.

-1  Remember why you started all of this in the first place.  For you and only you.  That place deep inside that drives you to be better than you were yesterday.

-2  Change things up a bit.  It could be as simple as downloading new music for your workouts.  It could be a hard as switching from lifting to CrossFit or group fitness classes. 

-3  Get to the gym and spend 15 minutes working out.  Odds are you’ll stay for a whole lot longer.

-4  Get together with your fitness friends.  Have everyone bring a healthy dish and let them help you remember what you want to accomplish.

-5  Get off your butt and quit making excuses.  You know you want it, just get busy.

believe

03
Jan
13

Excellent!

dnoelle's avatarThe EnLightened Journey

As a therapist, I cannot begin to tell you the frequency with which I use airplane pre-flight instructions to illustrate the need for self-care. I am sure that you remember the flight attendant saying something like…

“If you are flying with small children or others who may need assistance, please place your own oxygen mask on before assisting others.”

Somehow, people get the idea that to put themselves first, to practice good self-care, makes them selfish or narcissistic. Well, let’s look at the definitions of narcissism and selfishness from dictionary/reference.com:

Narcissism: inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity.

If you eat the right foods, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, and engage in one or two hobbies, does that equate to an inordinate fascination with oneself? Probably not. How about selfishness?

Selfishness: devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one’s own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.

View original post 445 more words

03
Jan
13

Shedding

Shedding:  a. To lose by natural process:   b. To rid oneself of (something not wanted or needed):

First impressions would lead a reader to believe that this blog might be about dieting.  Ummm…Not so much.

After sitting here today realizing that I somehow had missed the new in this New Year, I realized that I’ve had some burdens that I’ve been allowing to weigh me down over the past couple of weeks.

Today I decided it was time to acknowledge those burdens and let them go.  Shedding the negative and focusing solely on the positive. 

Our lives are too short to dwell on carrying baggage, whether it’s a situation, a relationship, loss of material things, loss of motivation, and most importantly, the loss of self-esteem.

Everyone is not always going to do things the way you do them.  That doesn’t make your way wrong, it makes your way different. 

Be objective enough to step back and determine if perhaps your way has backed you into a corner or if it has truly brought you to a successful outcome.  If it hasn’t, be open-minded enough to say so.

Shedding old habits, old stuff you have no need or use for, old hurt feelings, and old baggage is quite the positive way to start a new year, perhaps even a new way of life.

Just as snow melts and sheds the water away from the earth, do the same for things weighing you down, things holding you back from accomplishing your goals.

Hat Tip for the photo: TheOvenbird2337109017_ea2ca7e9e0

02
Jan
13

It Is Supposed Be Hard

As I got about halfway through an hour of rowing this morning, I started that little mantra in my head “Yes, it IS supposed to be hard and yes, you WILL finish this”…  Funny thing about this cardio thing, I’d rather lift weights all day than to do a cardio workout for an hour.  That being said, personal growth is found in discomfort.

Really, I’ve learned over the years that there is very little in the scheme of being fit that is truly easy.   I have realized though that I get stronger as time goes by.  

In the old days of battling for big losses, doing an hour of any type of cardio was mentally not possible.  I was lucky to get through 20 minutes. 

Who knew that 12 years later the battle for tiny losses would surpass the previous battles.  I love it.  Getting stronger and more fit is my end goal.  Both mentally and physically. 

As I pulled that rower handle over and over all sorts of things went through my mind.  I started out facing my garage door, then I jumped off the rower and turned it so I could face my Vision Wall (a wall in GG107 filled with memorabilia). I realized that it has been quite sometime since I’ve updated it.   It’s time for new motivating pictures and quotes.

Motivation isn’t always available in our endeavors.  Discipline must come in to play at some point.  It’s not always what I want to do and self-discipline is what pushes me to do what must be done.

Looking back over my journey, progress has never come when things are “fun”.  Progress comes after the most challenging discomfort.  Whether it was a personal struggle, work struggle or a fitness struggle there has always been growth during the greatest of challenges.

Hat Tip For Photo: Good Movies List.

Famous words of YODA: 

YODA

 

27
Dec
12

That Space in Between

Today I find myself sitting in that space between Christmas and New Year’s.  You know, that space where most people sit around nibbling on the goodness left over from Christmas while in wait for the celebration of New Year’s.

For some folks, that space in between is the black hole of every excuse under the sun for throwing months of hard work away with that “I might as well wait (weight) until the new year starts”. 

How about committing to yourself to not waste (waist) these next few days with that mindset.  You know who you are.  Especially those who are totally out of the normal routine.  Trust me, your routine is calling you just as loudly as those left-over treats.  In fact your routine is probably calling you just a tad bit louder.

You know you want to feel good.  So get up and moving.  Throw that crap out, in the trash can, down the disposal, whatever it takes. 

We are brought up not to waste food.  If someone gave it to you, throw it out.  If the person that gave it to you truly knows you and knows what your goals are, they won’t care if you throw it out.  If they get upset, then ask yourself what their true intentions are.   Because trust me, it is your goal at stake.  Not theirs.

This two-week sprint through the holidays is not about moderation.  If you ate treats in moderation for two solid weeks, then really, is moderation truly the ultimate goal?

Get your food cleaned up and get on with your goals.   Goals, you know, those things you set long before the treats of the season started showing up in every nook and cranny.

Get on with bringing your mojo back!  You know you want it!

go after it

 

18
Dec
12

Tis The Season

I’ve noticed several of my friends this week have commented about being unusually stressed.  Holiday shopping, crazy working hours, junk food all around (temptation is a beouch), not to mention holiday parties and celebrations to attend. 

My only comment is “I hear ya and I’m right there with ya!”.

That being said, today I was reminded to remember the reason for the season.  It’s not for all the stuff up there in that first sentence.

It’s for remembering our Savior’s birth and it’s for being with those you love and care about.  Sharing time with them is more important than this gift you put under their tree.  If it’s not, get yourself some new friends but your family, you’re pretty much stuck with them.

Christmas Day is brunch at my home.  My grown boys come and gather around the table with their respective others and we dig in to the totally unhealthy and wonderfully southern foods that we were all raised on.   No diet foods, no special effort to keep it clean.  Just a simple homemade from scratch table full of goodness and gratefulness abounds for one beautiful meal.

Some would say “You are just crazy for doing that!” but I say “It’s the one day of the year when all of my offspring are in the same place, at the same time, enjoying the same tradition we have for years.” I’m good with that.

Remember there is nothing that money can buy you this year that is more important than those surrounding you, YES, even kooky Aunt Olive.   Aunt Olive is a blog for another day.

May you all slow down these next few days and enjoy the hustle and bustle with a cup of coffee or tea, take in the moment and the people and give a hat tip of gratitude for where you are in this life.

Holiday Background

11
Dec
12

Thoughts Become Actions

I’ve read your thoughts become your actions a thousand times referring to a bunch of different topics.  For me, I learned the hard way that to truly change deep down, you much first change your mind.

If you allow doubt to creep in and steep, you will easily set yourself back a pace or two.

I’ve discovered more about myself by paying attention to my negative self-talk than anything else.  Negative self-talk can be so defeating if allowed to go unchecked.  Many, many times I’ve caught myself thinking a negative thought right before I try something new, a heavier weight, a new skill or an old skill I haven’t tried in a while (in most cases because I allowed it to defeat me the first time around).

In 2001 I told myself that I would become a Body-for-Life Champion.  In my mind I didn’t doubt that until week 10 of my first challenge, I had lost 35 pounds from my 328 pounds body.  No-one noticed.  I cried A LOT back then, but I kept going.  Back then I literally obsessed over the finest details and looking back, I’m glad I did.  It forced me to think of what I was doing instead of the negative thoughts whirling around.

After losing the initial 125 pounds, during the process also meeting my spousal unit, I started getting comfortable where I was.  I still wanted to be a Champion, but hadn’t submitted a single packet after having done 3 challenges. 

Then I got side tracked and all of the old issues that I had tamped down really deeply began bubbling up again.  I began backsliding in to the old habits of listening to negative self-talk and overeating.  This went on for years, from 2003 through 2008.  I would gain and lose the same 20 pounds over and over.  I had to start digging down deep in to the baggage chest to make lasting change. 

I realized that I was still listening to plenty of negative self-talk instead of focusing on actions that bring change.

Only then did I become successful and also became a Champion in 2009.

Most people like to sit around and talk about what they want, but only those who truly choose to change actually do.  When you make a choice to change, it becomes a true goal.   Set that goal as your vision and repeat that vision over and over in your mind.  Visualize exactly what you want and get after it.  No matter how long it takes, just keep going.

It’s not something you do because someone else is asking you to.

It’s not something you do because you think someone else will love you more for doing it.

It’s not something that anyone else can derail you from.

It’s about you, what you want for you, and what you are willing to do for yourself.  No crutches, no excuses, no whining.

Focused intent on doing.

Strong

 

05
Dec
12

Don’t Tell Me It Can’t Be Done

And don’t tell my friend Sharon that either.  Sharon and I have walked this journey together for quite some time.  Back in 2009 we spent the whole year encouraging each other via internet.  In October of 2009 we got to meet face to face.  We got to share our excitement and enthusiasm for fitness together with many other friends. 

Over the course of the years since, we’ve gotten together a couple more times.  Since our last get together Sharon decided to set the goal of becoming a Fitness Competitor.  She has since taken the stage twice.

Was her journey easy?  Well of course not!  Was she disciplined?  Absolutely.

I’ve spoken with Sharon countless times and the one word that she has repeatedly used is perseverance.

There have been times along her journey when those who claimed to be her friends attempted to bring her down by making negative comments.  She persevered.  There was a time during a storm when she lost power, she ate her food cold, but she stayed her course.  To some that may seem silly, to her it was following her dream.  Just because something isn’t YOUR dream doesn’t mean it isn’t right for someone else. 

Please share this with your friends who need support and encouragement.  Photos are very powerful.

I’m very proud of this woman to say the least.  Congratulations Beautiful Sharon on a job very well done!

 

SJ before    SJ AFTER 2sj after

28
Nov
12

A Set Back Is Not An Obstacle

I’ve read a lot of posts over the Thanksgiving weekend and on in to this week.  So much so that I felt the need to hold off on posting a new blog until I could really say something.

You see, I’ve been where so many people are today.  The holiday season becomes such an obstacle for people who struggle with food.  They tend to lose all sight of their personal goals and simply exist through the holiday season almost as if they have no control over the outcome.  Phhhfffttt. 

Having a work function one day, a group of friends celebrating another day, a holiday party on the weekend, not to mention the blended family chaos that comes for some of us.  Kids can’t be here then so we will celebrate again with them, etc.  These all turn in to excuses to forget your commitment to self.

It’s so easy to get caught up and just throw in the towel at the first tiny set-back.  That little set-back snowballs out of control and becomes the obstacle.  The daily effort now becomes a huge mental hurdle so the average or uncommitted person will say “well the damage is going to be horrible so just forget it until the new year”.  

First off, don’t allow your small set-back to grow.  Isolate the incident, remember your goals and keep yourself on the clean rails the remainder of the day.

Secondly, remember that it truly is ok to say no, whether its to a drink, an appetizer, a fancy schmancy dinner or that tin full of goodness someone dropped off at your desk.    Live this season guilt free.  You didn’t ask for that tin of goodies, so don’t feel guilty for putting it in the break room at work, just do it.

I’m not saying you should go without a treat or two.  There is a huge difference between a treat or two and throwing in towel for the whole holiday season. 

It is much easier to stay conscious of where you are and what your goals are than it is to back slide and then be faced with re-digging the whole you’ve already cleared. 

Stay the course and don’t let a set-back become your obstacle!