Great People

"The difference between great people and everyone else is that great people create their lives actively, while everyone else is created by their lives, passively waiting to see where life takes them next. The difference between the two is the difference between living fully and just existing." ---Michael E. Gerber

I absolutely love this quote. It makes me realize how thankful I am for all the active women in my life. The women who don't sit on the sidelines but DO something about what they want to change or improve. They give me the opportunity to be with them as they create their lives actively. It means so much to me to have that option and watch them grow into stronger, healthier and more confident women.

Happy New Year Women!

Archives 2009: 52 Sweets

1. Donut Holes
2. Chocolate Cupcake
3. Orlando Trip
4. Vanilla Cupcake
5. M&Ms and Cupcake
6. W/B Cupcake
7. Cheesecake
8. Torta di Chocolate
9. Bits of Bravo Sampler
10. Strawberry Cheesecake
11. Jelly Filled Donuts
12. Chocolate Cupcake
13. Torta Di Cioccolata
14. Brownie&Jelly Donuts
15. Easter
16. Cupcakes
17. Cake Donuts
18. Sweet-a-Thon Week
19. No Sweets!
20. Jelly Filled Donut
21. Branson Vacay
22. Go Figure! Donuts!
23. 1/2 Sheridan's Concrete
24. Excursion to Caymans
25. Donuts
26. Scotcheroos
27. Cake and Brownies
28. Donuts
29. Jelly Filled Donut
30. Sabbatical Week
31. Branson Vacay
32. Donuts
33. Cin. Breadsticks
34. Donuts
35. Cake
36. Mrs. Fields Cookies
37. Donuts
38. Donut and Apple Pie
39. Crap (it was a bad week)
40. No Sweets!
41. No Sweets!
42. C.C. Cookies
43. CC Danish
44. C.C. Cookie
45. Donuts
46. Jelly Donut
47. Chocolate Pie
48. Cupcake A La Mode
49. Blue Chip Cookies
50. Sugar Cookies
51. Christmas
52. Cin Rolls

"10" in 2010

I've tried to create some goal ideas for 2010 and while meditating about it off and on throughout the last month here's what I've come up with:

1. Continue the sweet-a-week program. Since I didn't do my 100% best this year I'm going to make more rules that should make it much easier to earn an A. The rules are this: special days (my b-day and special holidays) a sweet is allowed and because it's 2010, I will allow myself 10 extra sweet days throughout the year. This should provide some nice wiggle room.

2. Read 10 books every six months (had to keep it with the 10 theme).

3. Complete 10 races.

And...that's it! I think these goals are very doable. They are something I've been building on over the past two years; not something I just pulled out of the air. That's why there's three because I don't want to stop controlling my sweets, I need to get back into races from my 2008 goal and I really want to be a better reader. Gosh there are so many other areas I could work on but tackling these three will continue to provide a good platform to build from in later years.

Please take a minute to read below, I think it really summarizes exactly what we need to focus our efforts on in the new year.

A Wonderful Resolution for the New Year!

What amazing gifts the new year brings! An entire
year's worth of wonderful opportunities, given to us
one sunrise at a time. Many of the moments ahead will
be marvelously disguised as ordinary days, but each one
of us has the chance to make something extraordinary out of them.

Each new day is a blank page in the diary of your life.
The secret of success is in turning that diary into the
best story you possibly can. Have pages on understanding
and tales of overcoming hardships. Fill your story with
enthusiasm, adventure, learning, and laughter. And make
each chapter reflect time doing these things:

Follow your dreams. Work hard. Be kind. Do what you
can to make the door open on a day that is filled with
inspiration in some special way. Remember: Goodness
will be rewarded. Smiles will pay you back.
Have fun. Find strength. Be truthful. Have faith.
Don't focus on anything you lack.

Realize that people are the treasures in life, and
happiness is the real wealth. Have a diary that describes
how you're doing your best, and...
the rest will take care of itself.
- by Douglas Pagels -

Ease

Definition
Pronunciation: \ˈēz
1 : the state of being comfortable: as a : freedom from pain or discomfort b : freedom from care c : freedom from labor or difficulty d : freedom from embarrassment or constraint

Application
There is an interesting (and unexpected) success when we stop putting pressure on ourselves to perform perfectly. Recently I attended my favorite get-away class. The whole 90 minutes reinforced an approach to difficult situations. An approach I most often never take because my DNA is tightly wound.

The class was playful and fun because there was an energy of no pressure and "who could care less" weaved throughout the format. It was a completely different experience than I was used to. Typically the class isn't this laid-back, sometimes it's serious and most always it's just downright difficult (the reason I attend). This time it was light, fun and very curious. I enjoyed it so much...which makes the get-away class perfect for leaving reality a bit.

I hit many more postures than ever before. There were even some foreign poses and previously when the instructor has done this (normally her body is in a pretzel-like formation) I react with a defeated approach secretly knowing I won't get it. After all it looks way too hard and I don't have enough flexibility or strength so sometimes I just half try the poses (knowing I won't stand a chance at even coming close to success). Well I didn't have that internal dialogue with myself this time, nor did I pressure myself into doing it. With much curiosity I just went for it. 100% went for it and guess what? I kinda, sorta succeeded. It left me feeling empowered.

So now I just need to care a little bit less and maybe, just maybe, stop putting so many expectations on myself. Allow effort to happen laced with ease.

Bye-Bye 2009, Hello 2010!

As I reflect on 2009 and my sweet-a-week goal I can't help but give myself a grade for the year. I feel it's the easiest way to illustrate just how I've done.

B-

The reason I'd give myself a B- is because I tried...most weeks I really tried. Other weeks I failed. There were weeks I would go without sweets and not even want them. Then there were weeks when my goal of one would go out the window. And with two weeks left, I'm still working towards my goal. I didn't give up when (sometimes) I wanted to. It was a goal, a goal that I partially met and now that 2009 is almost over I've been catching myself brainstorm ideas for 2010.

It would be neat to tie in some sort of "10 goal" for 2010. I know I'd like to focus on reading more books, staying on course with exercise and eating less things that aren't good for my body. I want to keep those things at the forefront of the goals. So with that in mind, do you have any ideas for 2010 that would fit into the "10 goal?" I'd love suggestions to chew on for a couple of weeks before it becomes official.

Not a Victim Anymore

“Far too many people have no idea of what they can do because all they have been told is what they can’t do. They don’t know what they want because they don’t know what’s available for them.” ~Zig Ziglar

I like that quote for many reasons. Somewhere at some point someone puts into our mind that we cannot do something. Most days I feel like there's way more negative people in the world than positive; which makes me sad. Why do we have to look at the glass half empty? Why can't we work really hard for something and accomplish it because that's just what it takes to make the world go round? Is it because it's easier to take the victim mindset? Where we focus on all the things that get in our way that we have no control over so we decide to obsess about the obstacles versus strategic planning to work around them.

Comfort. Comfort is something that society thinks we should always have. Everything should always be perfect?

Convenience. Hello! This one's pretty easy, convenience is everywhere and it seems to be a must in order to get through a day. Getting to an exercise class must be convenient, it must fit perfectly into our schedules and work out just right; otherwise we just decide to take the sedentary road?

Now that 2009 is coming to a close I beg of you to evaluate your mindset. Evaluate your close circle. What's your inner dialogue look like? What kind of people are your inner circle? Cling to positive thinking and forgo the victim mentality. Never let anyone tell you you can't do something. You can always prove them wrong!

Reason for the Season

I need your help!

It's getting cold outside and so I though maybe you wanted an extra reason to get out and walk or run some miles. :-)

Debbie, who is a wonderful woman I've been training up until the past month has been in the hospital with her husband for the past couple of weeks watching him battle H1N1. The H1N1 has turned into double pnemonia which has led to blood clots in his lungs. With all the medical bills they'll be facing along with the two of them being out of work for quite some time now and the holidays approaching I can't stop thinking about how to help. Here's what I came up with:

Next Saturday, December 12th at 8am at the Liberty Community Center we'll be walking 3 miles (or whatever you can do) for Debbie. I'd like to get a group picture of everyone who shows up to walk (even if you don't know her) and send it to her to let her know we're all thinking of her. I'd also like to collect any donation you'd be willing to give and put it together as a little way of helping out....anything from $5-$20 or more...whatever you can.

So what I need from you is help to spread the word. Bring a friend and yourself next Saturday.

Thank you so much.

Now go hug someone you love!

Gratitude

It's so easy to spend many minutes of many days thinking about what I want more of, what I'm not happy about in my life and how I'm going to change.

Enter gratitude journal. It's a book of all the things that are going right and all the little things that need to be given thanks. It's all the people that are wonderful in my life and the roof over my head that I never want to have taken for granted. So each week I try to take time most days to reflect on these things. It's definitely changed my spirit...God truly blesses.

“Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.”-Denis Waitley

Thoughts

Try and really let this resonate within you. Think about it for a second.

Your thoughts become your words
Your words become your flesh
Your flesh becomes your actions
Your actions become your character

YOUR THOUGHTS DRIVE YOUR CHARACTER
YOUR THOUGHTS DETERMINE REALITY

Brain Overload II

I try to make it to one national/worldwide convention a year. Yesterday I returned from an educational voyage in San Diego, The 2009 ACE Fitness Symposium. Gosh it was wonderful, I was on cloud nine. I mean, seriously, being in such a positive atmosphere where I can listen to the guru's preach passionately on something I love, love so much. Where do I even begin? My brain hasn't actually processed everything just quite yet so sharing my latest findings from the symposium will be deposited in installments.

The first keynote speaker, Todd Durkin, was absolutely phenomenal. It's the second time I've seen him present and boy it just gets better. From my notes:
-Strive to be 1% better each day.
-The quality of a person's life is directly related to what they want, not what they fear.
-Connect with your spirit.
-Go the extra mile, the "and then some" extra effort. Go over the top.
-Your mind drives everything.
-Give yourself permission to take a day off. (Especially like this one)
-Intention sets reality.
-Focus: give, serve and find meaning.
-Strive for balance everyday.
-Small changes lead to great changes.
-Fuel fire with passion.
-Are you willing to pay the price?
-If you're tired you're not inspired.
-When things get bad, you're one turn away from making it better.

Yes, this is just one tidbit I got from 3 days of 7am to 6pm lectures, workouts, question-and-answer sessions and pages of notes. There is more to come...stay tuned!

PS-Sweet Detox Done

14 days of no sweets really wasn't bad. I finished last Sunday. It's all about breaking the cycle. Tomorrow is Halloween...definitely an evil holiday in so many sweet ways. I'm probably going to...one day....just need to give up sweets all together because it wasn't so bad and I didn't have the option. Options are what gets me.

100% Try

Excuses don't matter. They really just don't.

Excuses aren't going to get us where we need/want to go. There will always be obstacles. There will be emotionally draining days. Change the focus from finding a way out (excuse) to how can I jump over this hurdle. How can I make this work? I guarantee if we change our internal dialogue to something positive and avoid all negative self talk excuses will be gone and we'll be on our way to victory.

Try 100% this week on just one little thing. I'm going to try 100% this week to not eat anything after 7:30pm. What's your's going to be?

Pilates Anyone?

I LOVE Pilates! My good trainer friend, Kim, teaches Pilates on Wednesday night at 6pm at Pinnacle. It’s a pay as you go class, $7/class. Think about trying it out as Pilates is one of the best ways I know to whittle away at the midsection...it's why I implement it into each of my classes in some form or another!

Sweets-B-Gone: Day 10

10 days clean. Check.

Is it easier for me because I'm a trainer? No.

Times I wanted to quit my silly 14 day detox. Around 10.

Evil Sweets that tempted me:
-Donuts (go figure) while passing through a town I normally indulge in at the small bakery where the donuts are divine.
-Tonight when hubby had m&m's on the counter. Decided to put them in a cabinet where I could not see them anymore.
-Last week on a date with hubby. We like sweets together.
-Afternoons seem to be a trigger. I seem to be hungry and my body wants a carb no matter the form.
-The first two days of the detox were (and always are the worst). It didn't really matter what kind of sweet, it just wanted something because it was used to being spoiled in that sort of way.

4 more days left. I can do it and so can each set of eyes that are reading these words.

Sweets are a drug. They are and have been my drug of choice. Viewing them that way helps me see what's actually happening. There's absolutely no nutritional value to that type of crap. Break the cycle. Break the cycle.

Stop Trying. Start Doing.

I kept hearing this last week in different forms and from different places.

"Trying is like knowing you're going to fail."

I thought this was interesting and from what I've seen in my short life, it's so incredibly true.

When we try, sometimes it's just that and when any little obstacle gets in our way we cease trying. Look at the statements and notice how powerfully different they are:

-I'm going to try to start exercising.
(it's almost like we're just saying the words knowing it's not going to happen)

-I'm going to make a plan and no matter what I'm going to stick with it and start exercising regularly. (this statement is full of promise because it's got strategy and intent)

Take an afternoon for yourself. Have a vision meeting about you.
1. Go to a quiet place where it's just you and your planner. Somewhere peaceful that's going to be filled with little distraction.
2. Where are you now and where do you want to go? Make a list of things you want to see happen within the next year.
3. Now figure out how you can get there. Put time into the things that are importatnt. I think you are important and taking an afternoon to organize your thoughts and feelings is a huge giant step in the right direction.

This is it!

I'm fed up with myself. The sweet-a-week thing has basically gone out the window. I'm fed up enough that I'm doing a detox of sweets. No sweets for 14 days. This actually works really well for me because when I get them out of my system, I don't want them nearly as bad. So, I'm publishing this to make it official, no sweets for the next 14 days and then back to one sweet per week...perfectly until the end of the year. Anyone interested in venturing this with me? It's always so much more fun to share this with other brave souls.

Shut out the Noise

Get past the noise. When things get uncomfortable, noise happens. I was in a class the other night where we were doing some difficult exercises. We were holding a certain position for quite some time when I noticed noise enter my thinking. It was loud and uncomfortable and all I wanted was for it to stop. My response was a quick shift for instant relief and for what I thought a better feeling. I am sure the instructor noticed my constant "relief" motions to the exercises because she addressed the whole class to what I was doing/feeling. I kept giving in to the noise, or the hard exercises. Instead of battling them head on and getting through the...well it was pure pain, I gave up. There is no way I can gain strength or even an appreciation for what I'm doing if I continue to stop working through the noise.

There's always going to be noise whether it's in the form of a difficult exercise, a crying kid, a demanding husband, a co-worker that always brings your favorite dessert or a huge mortgage payment. Whatever the form, we live in a noisy world.

Fact!

Here's the fact...
"People who worked out more than 100 days throughout the year had a 30 percent reduction in sick days." Training, Feb 2008

Here's my addition....
I've gone over a year (knock on wood) without being sick at all. Haven't even had a tiny cold. My thought, who needs a flu vaccine if they have a healthy immune system already? Go out and by some chewable vitamin C. That's been my trick for over a year. 500mg a day faithfully and 1000mg per day if I feel like something's coming on. It's not any technical advice, just something that's worked for me. I think it's pretty awesome considering my husband is in and out of doctor's every single day and I'm in germ infested gyms most days of the week. Even when my hubby got sick last year, I didn't I just upped my vitamin C dosage when he was feeling bad.

Happy winter months ahead!!

PS-I'm sure I've just doomed myself by bragging about how I haven't been sick in the past year. Goodness I hope not but isn't that how it typically works out?!

Mean People

They're everywhere. People that are critical; think that they know it all and always think that your way isn't the right way. That they have a better way. They always feel the need to let you know in some form or another that you just don't measure up.

In my opinion they are down and want to bring someone else down with them. Don't let them sink you. Stay afloat by limiting contact with those that are only negative.


Here's 10 strategies on how to deal with negative people


I am so incredibly grateful for the encouraging friends and clients that surround me. These people are the reason my days are filled with joy.

P Squared

Perseverance

Patience

Finish strong the race you've started. There are no tricks or short cuts to winning the race. Life is not easy. It provides many twists, bumps, dead ends and potholes to every contestant.

The ONLY control we have is our response. That's what we can control, respond well to the crappy stuff life throws. I know it's hard, it's hard for us all.

It's hard for us all.

Slow Down

The pace of life is fast and it seems to always be getting faster. Multi-tasking and filling up the calendar happens on a daily basis. We are stressed out and over-scheduled. Why do we feel the need to always stay busy?

While I may not understand the answer to that question, there's some reality to the effects of a hurried lifestyle.
1. We feel more stress
2. We lose our joy
3. We are less productive-People who are in a hurry make mistakes
4. We lose focus of what's really important in life

I know there are days, weeks and sadly sometimes months where my calendar dictates my life and there never seems to be any time to recover.

How to S.L.O.W the Pace
S=Slow the constant push for more. Why are we never satisfied? Why is there always a need for more? To have more things, a bigger house, nicer car or flashy clothes...will they make us happier or better people? We all know the answer to the question yet will soak ourselves in misery trying to attain something that really doesn't matter.
L=Learn to say no. I had a good laugh about this one with my friend, Mendy, the other day. We always talk about how we need to say no more often. Unfortunately for me I normally start trimming my schedule after it gets too unbearably busy.
O=Omit activity one day per week. Take one day where nothing is planned, nothing has to be done but just live and be around people you love.
W=We make our life what it is. What about your life, schedule or priorities is out of whack? Make the change and take charge to fix it. There's no reason to spend too many days unhappy, get up and slow things down yourself. I often ask myself what my purpose is for my life. When I answer the question it's easier to shift my life where it needs to go and take out the unnecessary.

Lifetime Rules

The game changes when weight manangement is the goal. Now we’re doing one of two things:

1) working to not gain anymore weight-we don’t want to be where we were and start the whole process over again
2) we view each year as a chance to get a little bit better…a little bit stronger, a little bit less body fat, a little bit better range of motion

This way we’re reversing the age process and no longer giving in to time but instead making the most of the time we've been given. I always think, I’m going to be in so much better shape by the time I hit 50. I’m going to be able to do more push ups and be much more flexible by that time because I’ll have had so many good years under my belt by then. So based on those 2 options you set your “Rules.” They are rules you can easily live with…maybe they aren’t rules but just boundaries so you don’t ever go overboard for a long extended amount of time…because, hey, there will be some days or weeks where we go overboard. We know that now so it’s easier to live with when it happens.

Today, create some lifetime rules.

Things Done Right

I find it very easy to get down on myself on a regular basis for things I haven't done a great job at accomplishing. I'm a perfectionist. So that means I believe I should be perfect, my husband should be perfect and if that happens I would achieve some sort of unequivocal picture of happiness that I have always thought I deserve. Wrong. Ha!

Well in the spirit of being positive about the things I have done right...even though they've all been things I've worked on for at least 6 months (mostly longer), I'm going to celebrate by acknowledging them.

1. Surviving with 1 sweet (most) weeks. That's a far cry from where I came from. Indulging in some sort of simple sugar treat daily.
2. Running 6 miles (in one setting) once per week. 18 months ago I had never attempted this long of a run.
3. Living without swiss cake rolls (since October 2008). Used to down these babies they like were nothing. A box would be gone in less than 24 hours.
4. Participating in regular strength training. I used to be a cardio junkie but never really saw any results. Duh! I wasn't changing the shape of my body, just killing myself on the elliptical and trying to undo the damage of everything I had eaten that day.
5. Food Journaling most every single day since April.

While I am still a perfectionist and believe that I need to improve many other areas of my life, I know I will get there and quite often remind myself to practice patience.

Get a Deal, Get a Trainer and Get Fit!

Alrighty...sometimes I use this blog as a place to plug my own programs...here it goes!

Last chance to get in on fall training at Pinnacle (no membership needed) for the Group Training for Women classes that start next week.

I’ve added a special deal for those who want it—pay less and get more! Invest in yourself this fall…look better and experience how empowering a stronger body feels.


Here’s what you’ll get by signing up for these typically sold-out classes:

-weekly or bi-weekly training sessions

-exercises to better your posture, whittle your mid-section, firm your whole body and aid in weight loss

-weekly accountability through emails and weekly training sessions

-a focus and direction for your weight, mental state and attitude

-pre and post test to measure your progress throughout the session

-nutrition coaching to facilitate better eating habits that will ultimately help you look and feel the way you’ve always wanted

-someone that’s going to PUSH you to the next level…if you’re ready we want you!

Classes Available:

Session Date: September 15-November 17 10 weeks—10 classes

-Tuesday 5:40am- 2 spots

-Tuesday 6:45pm-2 spots

-Thursday 6:45pm-2 spots


Class Packages for 10 Week Session

1 class/week = $165 (payment to Mandy by September 10th-THIS Thursday), $175 (after September 10th)

2 classes/week = $275 (payment to Mandy by September 11th-THIS Friday), $300 (after September 11th)

*If you’ve already signed up for once per week and want to train 2 times per week this offer is also for you! Pay only $110 (instead of $165) for the second class.



Email me ASAP if you’re interested. These spots won’t last long as this type of a deal NEVER happens and might not again. Here’s your open door if you’ve been pondering the thought of taking the next step with a trainer.

My Timeline

I'm completely imperfect. Yes, I'm a trainer but I'm also addicted to sugar, homemade veggie pizza, any type of carb, and I overeat often. It's something that I'll spend the rest of my life battling (a battle that I'm willing to fight). My food intake is and will always be a "work in progress. Of course sometimes there will be days (or weeks) where I'm not getting any better but in the long haul (i.e. my life), I will be better. This is what I know.

I envision for each year that goes by I will become a little bit stronger, a little bit more flexible, a little bit faster at running, a little bit better at making the right food choices and a little bit better of a person all-around. I don't feel rushed or pressured to get these tasks done in any short stint of time. I'm using my whole life as a timeline to gradually becoming a "better version of Mandy" than I am right now.

What I call a FUN race

There are different, fun races popping up all over the US. They aren't your traditional run a 5K, 10K, marathon or triathalon. No, they are much more interesting than that! It might cause some traveling but I can almost guarantee it would be a blast. Check 'em out!

Muddy Buddy
Urbanathlon
Great Urban Race---gonna try and do this one!
Warrior Dash

Post a comment if you know more "fun races" coming up than what I have listed.

Expansion?

Is their room in your life for more? Do you freely allow new thoughts, concepts, people, or activities into your life on a regular basis? Or do you hold on tight to what you know? I mean, where the shoes fit really well type of thing?

It's very easy to get sucked into comfy living. Where it's just easier to give into the craving because our body wants the donut we've been feeding it at 9pm every night for the past 3 years. It's just easy and comforting because the strawberry jelly filling is a constant. Oh how our body wants what we regularly feed it. Go out on a limb, muster up some confidence (because you CAN do anything you really want to do) and do something crazy...like give up your version of the 9pm donut. That would be really living on the edge.

It would be like this killer class (in a good way) I attended tonight. The instructor kept telling us to allow ourselves to go to the edge and stay there. Goodness it wasn't comfortable at all. I mean, holding a plank for a couple of minutes then with no break switching to a side plank, holding that for what seemed like forever, going back to the plank and then to the other side for a plank hold. This instructor pushes me to new levels, places I haven't been before. Maybe I haven't ever thought about going, or was too afraid, or just didn't know how to get there on my own. Who knows. But it was fun and sucked all at the same time. It's definitely empowering to do something that's uncomfortable (even if I did put my knee down for a split second to rest).

Taking an extremely uncomfortable exercise and thinking through the, "why am I doing this to myself" question that pops into my mind every once in awhile allows me to refocus. Refocusing is good because I often lose sight of what I was after from the very beginning. And hopefully it will help me keep things that are uncomfortable in my life around long enough so that eventually they'll become comfortable.

Posture!

It's something I can't seem to get enough of lately. It affects so much of our life. I mean, if we can work towards perfect posture, we can decrease aches and pains, muscle imbalances and overall just look better. In my latest findings I found some bad/good habits in everday living. Review the list, these are all things I do on a daily basis that I'm going to work on changing. Remember, it's the little things we do everyday that add up. So even though it doesn't seem like much, it's the tiny things that gradually make us healthier.






Bad Habit
Talking on a cell phone while doing another task.
Good Habit
Just talk on the cell phone with your head straight.

Bad Habit
Doing your bills in bed
Good Habit
Bed is for relaxation

Bad Habit
Always lying on one side of your body
Good Habit
Vary your positions of rest

Bad Habit
Crossing your legs
Good Habit
Vary how you sit, cross your ankles


Bad Habit
Carrying a bad across one shoulder
Good Habit
Use a backpack or two bags

Bad Habit
Never warming up before exercise
Good Habit
Use a 10 minute activity as a warm up before exercise

Bad Habit
Standing on one leg while jetting out one hip
Good Habit
Stand well and evenly

Bad Habit
Never use the back support of a chair
Good Habit
Always use a lumbar support

Critical Spirits

When you feel yourself beginning to have a critical spirit, stop, take a deep breath, silently ask for wisdom, then think of something that is on your thankful list. This is remolding a habit, and, in time, practice makes perfect.

FYI: Critical Spirit = a judgemental attitude that tears people down instead of building them up.

Bliss

Do you have a hobby or place that makes you feel alive? I've always known my "happy place" resides on or near a boat in body of water. A couple of weeks ago, I got to do just that. It was so wonderful to reassure myself I can still get up on 1 ski and spend some time perfecting my technique of "cutting." I am so grateful for that fun couple of hours playing on water ski's and riding on the bow of the boat, my favorite place. There really isn't anything in the world like the wind at my face on a lake surrounded by pretty trees.

Finish Strong

It's often a phrase I say during sessions with clients in especially tough situations. It's when the weight gets heavy and the brain wants to quit because it's too tough on the body. Or sometimes I say it to myself during a long run or when I'm holding an intense yoga pose. This phrase has recently entered my mind when encountering sweets. As you can see on the sidebar, I've taken a detour on my sweet-a-week goal. The main reason I post my sweets on the side and publish my food journal is for accountability. My client and sweet-a-week friend, Johnna, noticed I was getting off track and sent a very kind email asking if there's anything she can do to help. She already did it! Just by noticing I wasn't following through. So that's exactly what I'm going to do...begin following through again. Hopefully, finishing the 2009 sweet-a-week goal strong.

Welcome Julie!

I am so excited to announce that Julie McGinley will be joining the Training for Women team this September. Julie is one exceptional trainer because she believes and actually tries to live a healthy balanced lifestyle. This former Vice President from the merchandising world has joined forces with me to train the early morning gals. Her background from the business world is so empowering because she has played the balancing act of working in the corporate world and finding time to be healthy simultaneously. It can be done! Her goal is to help women discover the rewards of physical activity while living their lives, in whatever stage that may be.


Julie has been working with me since late spring and now will be training the early morning gals at 5:40am on Tuesdays this fall at Pinnacle. We'll be holding an open house (it's free exercise) on Tuesday, September 1st at 5:40am so you can meet Julie if you haven't. If you are at all interested in the fall early morning classes this is a must! Please RSVP and let me know if you'll be attending, we only have a limited number of spaces so please do this soon! I know it'll fill up quickly as it isn't often we give away free training sessions. Take advantage by starting September off right. All you have to do is tell me you'll be there and then show up!

No More Numbers

I really don’t like the idea of setting a goal as a number on the scale. The number is something we can’t control. The number of pounds we lose is DIRECTLY related with the amount, intensity, and consistency of effort we pour into our daily routine. So instead of saying “40 pounds by December 31st” set a goal in relation to action. Such as, "I'll food journal consistently 6 days out each week and I'll exercise intensly 4 hours per week." Set this goal for a month, then re-evaluate at the end of the month. Tweak your goals if needed for the next month and continue this pattern for the rest of this year.

We HAVE control over our own behaviors, we don’t have control over the number on the scale. We always try to control that number on the dumb scale when DIRECTLY we can’t do it. So instead of setting unrealistic expectations, look at the person staring at you in the mirror and change that person. Start to DIRECTLY affect the outcome by focusing on behavior.

Thought

Nothing ever stays the same, it either gets better or it gets worse.

Saving and Losing

It's truly amazing; the correlation between saving money (not spending it) and losing/maintaining weight. Read the following passage as it relates to saving money and also weight loss. There are so many similarities.

Saving money is not a matter of math.

You will not save money when you get that next raise. You will not save money when that car is paid off. You will not save money when the kids are grown. You will only save money when it becomes an emotional priority.

We all know we need to save, but most people don't save like they know they need to save. Why? Because they have competing goals. The goal to save isn't a high enough priority to delay that purchase of the pizza, DVD player, new computer or china cabinet. So we purchase, buy, consume all our dollars away or, worse yet, go into debt to buy these things. That debt means monthly payments that control our paychecks and make us say things like, "We just don't make enough to save any money!" Wrong, wrong, wrong! We do make enough to save money; we just aren't willing to quit spoiling ourselves with our little projects or pleasures to have enough left to save. I don't care what you make—you can save money. It just has to become a big enough priority to you.

If a doctor told you that your child was dying and could only be saved with a $15,000operation that your insurance would not cover and could only be performed nine months from today, could you save $15,000? Yes! Of course you could! You would sell things, you would stop any spending that wasn't required to survive, and you would take two extra jobs. For that short nine months, you would become a saving madman (or madwoman). You would give up virtually anything to accomplish that $15,000 goal. Saving would become a priority.

The secret to saving? Focused emotion. The secret to saving money is to make it a priority, and that is done only when you get some healthy anger or fear and then focus that emotion on your personal decisions.

The advertisers and marketing community are affecting our emotions every day and taking every dollar we have by making us see our wants as needs. It is time for this to stop! Emotions make great slaves, but they are lousy masters. No matter how educated or sophisticated we are, if we are not saving all we should be, we are being ruled by emotions, not harnessing them as financial planning slaves.
(money source: Dave Ramsey)

Take these same principles and apply it to a weight loss journey. Losing weight isn't a matter of knowing what to do. We know we shouldn't eat that donut at 9:30pm or that we should get up and go to the gym. The difference in making it happen and letting is slide is emotion. Being sick and tired of being sick and tired. Doing something different that is all but easy and results in lasting change. Maybe the emotional tie to weight loss is getting into a certain dress or being able to get up on 2 water skiis. It's something that you long for in a very deep, emotional sort of way.

Becoming the Noticer

One of the most painful things I've done is become a noticer. It's been one of the best things that's ever happened to me but it's not easy. I didn't even start out thinking I wanted to notice everything...but now I do.

Becoming a noticer requires diligence in caring about things. I started by recording my exercise on a calendar. This way I can trace back how much exercise I've really done versus what it seemed like I did. Sometimes it seems like we do more than we actually do.

Begin today. Notice things about yourself.

Emily Did It....So Can YOU!

I want to share a story with you...a client who's winning. I hope you find Emily's story empowering and motivating. She's struggled and it hasn't been easy but she's kept on the path and is seeing results. And I LOVE it!!

Earlier this year I was blessed with my second child ... and 48 extra pounds. While I was pregnant, I did not watch what I ate and that showed after my son was born. The first 25 pounds came off quickly, but the rest was left for me to work with. It was devasting to not fit into my clothes. So after two months (of just hoping the rest of the weight would fall off), I had to make a change. That is when I called Mandy.
Mandy was so encouraging. The first thing she helped me do was come up with a certain amount of calories to eat each day. This is something I have never really done before. Counting calories... ok - I can measure my food and watch the calories. The next piece of advice was life-changing. Mandy told me to write down EVERYTHING I ate and to email it to her.
Keeping a food journal seems like a tedious job, but it is worth it. I keep my journal in my kitchen and write down what I ate after each of my five meals. At night, I then email this to Mandy. I think what has kept me successful in this is the accountability piece. Mandy is expecting me to email her so I make sure I do my part.
Journaling has made a huge difference for me. Now I am only FIVE pounds away from my pre-baby weight of my second child. I am so excited that I very soon will reach my long term goal and be able to set a new one.
My advice to you - JOURNAL everyday - even if it is a bad day! You will see results and feel empowered that you are in control of your eating and health.

My Favorite Leg Exercise

The 1 legged dead lift. There are a couple of reasons I love this exercise: 1) it's very effective 2) it's great for balance and coordination 3) I always feel it the next day:) and 4) it provides a yummy stretch to the hamstrings.

Here's how it works:
Begin with a micro bend in the knees (not locked, slightly bent) with a medicine ball, dumbbells or no weight in your hands. If it's your first time, begin with no weight.
Hinge at your hips and lower your chest while lifting your right leg into the air. Do not touch the floor with your hands but rather slowly lower your arms until your hands are slightly below your knees. Drive through your heel and ball of your foot on your supporting leg to come back to the starting position. Make sure to keep your hips square to the floor.

Do this 10-15 times on one side and then repeat on the opposite.

Quote

“Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you, never excuse yourself. ”
—Henry Ward Beecher

1 pound per week = 52 pounds in a year

That being said, what's so bad about working your tail off but to find that you are going in the right direction? Even if it's only a pound...take it and run with it.

I think it's interesting to observe human behavior. It's what I do for a living and I can't help but notice trends along the way. I'll be real frank, it's hard looking from the outside at a person and know they have what it takes to go all the way yet the person doesn't see the same picture. Instead it's always about how they can drop 5 pounds in a week or completely revamp their body in a month. Then if that doesn't happen, they feel doomed. Why can't I brainwash everyone I come in contact with about how our body REALLY work?

Think about it like this:
You break your arm from a bicycle crash (let's say compound fracture for fun sake). You're taken to the doctor and they re-align the bones with pins and put you into a cast for 3 months. Slowly, ever so slowly your bones fuse back together on their own. It's your body's chemical reactions (what we can't see from the outside) that heal the bones. It's day by day, week by week that the bones SLOWLY grow back together.

That's how our body works with exercise and eating right. It wants to be FED good food and it wants to be exercised and kept moving ALL the TIME. Not just 1 month out of the year when you get the itch to exercise then find nothing changed and ultimately decide to forgo your new plan because "it wasn't working." Of course it didn't work, there were unrealistic expectations from the get go. Your body didn't have the least bit of chance. It was just beginning to start the process of change but was stopped abruptly because taking the long road isn't ever promoted. It's not popular because it's HARD work and it takes persistence and it takes dedication to really stick it out.

Realize the lies and make permanent change happen.

Patience

2 Horrible Words: Instant Gratification (IG)

They only set us up for disappointment thus a cycle continues. The crazy cycle.

Why do we absolutely need IG in order to feel like we can go on? It's everywhere...is that why? I think media and tabloid brainwashing might play a vital role.

Things to ponder:
1. Why do we have to lose a ton of weight in a short amount of time in order to continue?
2. Did 10 pounds come on in 2 weeks?
3. Why is eating ourselves stupid the right response when things aren't going exactly perfect.
4. How can we stay encouraged over a long period of time?
5. How can we change our minds from all or nothing to little bits along the way?

Possible Solutions:
1. What one teensy weensy area of our lives aren't working? Find one thing and work diligently to tweak it until it's better.
2. Stop doing what's not working and start doing something else.
3. Focus on things we can control such as our reation to stress, daily choices and positive or negative self talk.
4. Face things that are difficult. One of the scariest and best things I've ever done in my health journey thus far is food journaling on bad days. I visually see that I took in a ridiculous amount of food that my body didn't need. That was the first step in solving my portion control issue. Seeing it in black and white.
5. Don't change the world in one day. Rather, each day make small changes that are manageable for the long-haul. Over time the small changes will add up to one big huge hairy wonderful change.

Free Movie Preview

I think everyone needs to see this movie.





It’s a documentary on our food industry and might very well change the way you view food for the better.

Here’s the preview of the movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2sgaO44_1c&feature=player_embedded


Here are the movie times for the Tivoli in Westport:

FRI, SAT & SUN: 12:45, 3:00, 5:30 & 8:00


This link will tell you where you can see FOOD, Inc. for free on July 15th: http://www.chipotle.com/#/flash/fwi_food-inc

This link will tell you where you can see FOOD, Inc. for $2 off: http://www.aiwf.org/assets/upload/0126/FOODDiscountFlier.pdf

Now go see it!!

What isn't working?

A question I ask myself often, "what isn't working?" Is there something in life that's draining me, making my days long and my nights dread the following day? Life is WAY too short to be grumpy, miserable and without joy. A lot of this can be attitude and outlook on life (which is a completely different post altogether). So what makes you tick? What's something that makes you feel completely alive? Go ahead, think right now (I am as I'm typing this....water skiing, white water rafting, riding a bike, jumping on a trampoline). Make a formal list of things that keep you feeling your best, then go out and do them, for goodness sakes!

Seriously, be intentional. I always try to do something I wouldn't normally do. It's a pattern I have of trying new things. Why don't you try that this week...do something that makes you come alive again. It's the best way to get out of a slump.

Escape

My "feel good" days are the ones where I can cross things off my list. Typical type-A personality feels like crap when nothing gets done. However I find that I HAVE to take days like these in order to maintain sanity. Yesterday was one of those days. Today all I talked about was my Twilight addiction and how I read 600 pages between the hours of 9pm Monday night and 11pm Tuesday night. It's probably a record for me.

I guess the point of sharing this information is to make sure we feel okay about letting loose and leaving reality for a bit. Give ourselves vacations from reality is all good. Everyone needs breaks...no matter what. After all, we Americans work way too much, and for what....more things, more money, and more stress? Doesn't make too much sense to live a life like that.

Random Thought of the Week

Don't even start. I had the thought of picking up a box of swiss cake rolls followed by the thought that I absolutely can't do that. Don't even start. Stay on the path and keep out of grass. Don't look back. That's exactly what I'm going to do....I don't want to get on the grass again...it's too thick and mucky to get out of and much easier to not even go there.

Quote of the Week

Victory requires payment made in advance

Coming Soon: More Preventative Care

It seems like everywhere I've turned over the past couple of weeks there's been so much buzz about preventative care. And I like it! It's really staggering what people pay to cover up the damage they've done. I know one of the reasons I'm so preventative in my own lifestyle is because I'm a worry wart. I've always been worried something bad will happen and it normally does if I'm not too careful....so I take the less-risky of the two roads (when I'm on good behavior).

There's just some crazy statistics out there that's recently caught my eye and I couldn't resist sharing...here's the mind-boggling numbers:

1. “Studies have shown that changing lifestyle could prevent at least 90 percent of all heart disease. Thus, the disease that accounts for more premature deaths and costs Americans more than any other illness is almost completely preventable, and even reversible, simply by changing lifestyle.” -Dr. Dean Ornish

2. We spend a staggering $2.3 trillion annually on health care – 16.5 percent of our GDP and far more than any other country spends on health care – yet the World Health Organization ranks U.S. health care only 37th among nations, on par with Serbia.

3. The problem is that we have systematically neglected wellness and disease prevention. Currently in the United States, 95 percent of every health care dollar is spent on treating illnesses and conditions after they occur. But we spend peanuts on prevention.

4. Consider this: Right now, some 75 percent of health care costs are accounted for by heart disease, diabetes, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and obesity. What these five diseases and conditions have in common is that they are largely preventable and even reversible by changes in nutrition, physical activity, and lifestyle

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20090625/ts_ynews/ynews_ts408

5. Sixty-four percent are either overweight or obese. The figures are stunning: 1 out of every 3 Americans born after 2000 and 1 out of every 2 minority Americans will contract early-onset diabetes. Twenty percent of healthcare costs are on diabetes, and that’s going to skyrocket. We spend less of our paychecks on food than at any point in history. When I was a kid, 18 percent of our income was spent on food. Today it’s a little over 9 percent. We spent something like 5 percent of our income on healthcare; today we spend 18 percent.

Source: http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2009/06/21/robert_kenner_discusses__food_inc/?page=1

Here's the deal. By no means do I have it altogether...it's always going to be a "work in progress" for Mandy to "get it together" but that's okay with me. I'm happy with myself as long as I know I'm heading in the right direction with the intent that I might not ever get there.

Do something different this week. Try doing or eating something you've not tried before. Spice up your life and get out of the monotony of sameness. Don't be one of the statistics above, create a healthier you!

Quote of the Week

“Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up.”

—Anne Lamott

10 Nutritional Mistakes Smart People Make

1. Skipping breakfast. Experts agree–skipping breakfast just means you’ll be hungrier later, which can make it more difficult to control both your diet and your weight.


2. Not eating before a workout. Providing the body with food for energy allows for a better, more productive exercise session. Try eating a pre-workout meal consisting of carbs, a little fat and some protein.

3. Waiting too long after exercise to eat. One of the best things you can do to prepare for your next workout is eat a small meal that includes both carbohydrates and protein within two hours of your last session.


4. Replacing meals with energy bars or replacement drinks. Many energy bars offer little more nutrition than your average candy bar and replacement drinks may lack adequate fiber. There’s really no substitute for healthy whole foods.

5. Eating too much protein and not enough carbs. The current popularity of low-carb diets has many people trying to fuel their workouts with poultry instead of pasta. But carbohydrates are essential to effective workouts.


6. Trusting the accuracy of dietary supplement labels and claims. Because the supplement industry remains largely unregulated, manufacturers can make unproven and untested claims about their products. Do your homework before putting anything into your body.

7. Not consuming the right amount of calories for the amount of activity you do (i.e., too many or too few). Your caloric intake should be sufficient to support your active lifestyle, but not so abundant that weight control becomes a challenge.


8. Believing that exercise means you can eat whatever you want. Whether you exercise a little or a lot, you still need to follow a healthy, balanced diet and watch you portion sizes.

9. Not drinking the right amount of fluids. Dehydration can be a serious problem, especially if you exercise in hot, humid environments. Drinking fluids before, during and after exercise will help you maintain adequate hydration levels.


10. Jumping on the latest diet craze in search of that elusive “edge.” It’s tempting to believe there is some magic formula out there that will dramatically improve our performance or lose weight, but the best approach is to stick to the basics and follow a healthy, balanced diet.

Know what you're drinking!

I have this huge issue with asp.ar.tame. I can't stand cry.stal light, die.t sod.as and anything with the stuff in it.

If you're addicted to drinks with this stuff in it, please take a minute to understand what you're consuming.

Do your body a favor and read up on the nutritional benefit it's getting from the diet sodas you're consuming.

http://www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/dangers.htm

I bet you didn't know meth.anol (aka wood alcohol/poison) is in asperta.me, how can that be healthy?!

Quote of the Week

“Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.”

—Swami Sivananda

Continuing Education on YOU

A couple of weeks ago I listened to a teleclass on, the "Power of You" by Todd Durkin. Todd's a guru in the fitness world, and one of the great "trainer of trainers." Take a peek into my world and listen to some very inspirational information that I think could absolutely change the way you live.

Here's some tidbits on what you'll get from the class:
- How you can quickly shed those 10-15 lbs of unwanted weight
- What to eat, when to eat it, and why to eat it
- Top 5 exercises that you MUST do to ignite your metabolism and maximize results
- The top 5 foods that you MUST include in your nutrition plan
- Why a hormone imbalance could be keeping you overweight and what to do about it
- 3 creative ways to rejuvenate and re-energize yourself
- 3 things you MUST do if you are in pain, your joints ache, and you don't feel the swagger you used to
- The absolute 1 thing that you MUST do to reach success & significance in any area of your life

Click here to listen but please note the first 9 minutes are blank...skip forward to the message!

F.ood, In.c. Movie

I can't wait to see this movie! Check out the trailer and I think you'll agree!

Addiction

Function: noun
1 : the quality or state of being addicted
2 : compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly : persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful

Sugar addiction is a term for the situation where individuals crave sugar-laden sweet foods and find it extremely difficult if not impossible to control their intake. The attraction to sugar had in the past been considered merely psychological dependence, but recent research has shown that withdrawal symptoms occur during periods of abstinence, a key element of physical dependence.

Yup....this is me. Even with the sweet a week guidelines if full effect I still crave sugary things all the time. It's just good to have a label now!

Quote of the Week

"The difference in winning and losing is most often... not quitting."

-- Walt Disney

Focus on the Solution

There are studies, testimonials and endless reasons why food journaling is a key component in losing weight. Think about it if you aren't already food journaling and your goals is to lose weight, why haven't you started? Does the thought sound overwhelming and too time consuming? Can you just think of a million reasons why it's just not for you? How about this....

Instead of thinking up every excuse in the book of why you can't do something and then focusing all your energy on the barriers that stand in your way of the goal, why not try thinking about all the ways you can overcome the barriers? Focus your energy on making it happen, instead of why it's not happening for you.

I am the only person in control of my life. If someone wrongs me, says something negative or rude, the only control I have is how I react. I decided a long time ago that nothing would stand in my way if I wanted something bad enough. After that was established I decided I needed to make a caculated plan to get what I want (just ask my husband). It's worked most every time!

Still not convinced you want to try food journaling? Click here to read what other's are saying about it. It's not just me that finds food journaling key!

Quote of the Week

"The more uncomfortable I find something, the more I need to do it. Comfort is a poor teacher." -Ed Chasteen

Vacation

It's that great time of the year again. Summer vacation! It means kids are at home, maybe you've planned a relaxing getaway and probably lots of bar-b-q's are just around the corner. I often remind myself that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. Stay away from insanity, instead try doing something different. I promise by trying something different with a spirit of adventure, you'll reach outside your comfort zone and learn something! I know I did last weekend.

My small family; husband, son and I went on a little vacation for ourselves. Every time I've gone out of town I stop the food journal or even worse, I just eat plain terrible. Before we set out on our adventure I promised myself, no matter how bad my eating was, I would record each and every bite...even if I didn't want to. It was an experiment for myself to see how bad I actually do eat on vacation. The results came in...you can see for yourself on eatwithmandy (but I beg you not too!) as it was all horrible. I didn't get too down on myself for eating french fries, some cheeseburgers (I'm working on becoming a vegetarian/flexatarian) or flopping my sweet-a-week plan by eating, well let's just say more than one sweet. Insead I was very happy I wrote it all down and posted it to the world. It's a step in the right direction.

My plea, make SMALL changes you can live with. Even though my vacation eating was HORRIBLE, I counted every calorie and didn't throw my journal out the window. It was something I could manage but still feel like I was on "vacation." Maybe your SMALL change is different, whatever it is focus on the tiny thing you can live with changing and build from there. That's my plan as perfection doesn't happen over night.

Quote

One half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it.
Sidney Howard

Reaching Full Potential

Here's some random tidbits to help with the journey!

Top 5 Exercises
-Back Lunges
-Squats
-Pull Ups
-Push Ups
-Sprints-30-60 seconds
Top 5 Foods
-Organic Spinach
-Fruits and Veggies
-Lean Protein
-Raw Organic Nuts
-Sweet Potato
Avoid
-Artificial Sweeteners (use stevia)
-High Fructose Corn Syrup
-Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG)
-Hydrogenated Oils
My Soap Box
Did you know that people who do NOT eat breakfast are 450% more likely to be overweight or obese? Eat Breakfast! It doesn't have to be anything more than a shake-just plan for it and do it.
Tips for losing 10 pounds
-Set a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)
This will be your overall goal/dream. Maybe it's to complete a marathon. Think big!
-Set a short term goal.
This is a day or week goal. For example, my weekly goal is to eat no more than 1 sweet.
-Join a contest. Sign up for a race!
-Sign up for a group class. If it's with a trainer, it's even better!

Quote of the Week

“If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place.”

—Nora Roberts

Wishy Washy

It's sooooo hard for me to disclose what I eat to the world. I know it's a good thing to go outside my comfort zone but it doesn't make the process any easier. Some of you may have noticed that the eat with mandy link now only allows invited readers. I go back and forth and back and forth about this. I would LOVE to share my food with everyone but some days feel it's such a private thing...and then I feel I will definitely be judged. After all, I am a trainer. I'm suppose to be the strong one that's a perfect eater all the time. Of course, I'm not and by no means ever advertise myself as such. It's just a stereotype I put on myself. Anyway tonight, after a horrible day of eating, I've decided to once again allow the public to view my food journal. This will probably only be a limited time thing as I'm sure tomorrow I'll feel the need to make it private again. Arg!

Quote of the Week

“Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right'. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.”

—Napoleon Hill

Eat with Mandy

Thanks to my wonderful sister-in-law I've been consistently writing down what I eat everyday for almost the past two months. It has also been something I've required all my clients to do. When they do this...funny thing, something crazy happens...they lose weight! Anyway, I've been emailing a group my food journal each day in exchange with their food journal but yesterday had a thought that seemed just right for this type A obsessive personality; a food blog.

My initial thought was to keep it private as it's SO hard for me to open this part of my life up to the world but now, at least for the time-being, I'm going to have it open to whoever wants to read it.

Disclaimer: My specialty is in EXERCISE not nutrition. Read with caution and don't count it as an example to follow by any means, this area of my life will most likely always be a work in progress.

To visit the blog click here.

Proof of Hope

Author and Speaker, Andy Andrews says, " the tragedy is not that we lose but that we almost win and yet we don't go onto the field for the second half."

He also talks about the proof of hope.
In the worst time of our life if we are still breathing that means we are still here. If we are still here, that means we haven't accomplished what we were put here to accomplish which means that our very purpose has not yet been fulfilled. If our purpose has not been fulfilled that means the most important part of our lives has yet to be lived.

His book the noticer is next on my list of books to read after a couple of others:)

Slow Cooker!

This weekend I was able to attend Dave Live. I love listening to Dave on the radio during the day or on TV at night because he gives really practical advice on finances. He's motivational and uses a lot of common sense. I also like listening because he gives me ideas on money that I can use for fitness!

Dave has a proven plan. Meaning between five and ten million people across North America have and are using his plan to build wealth and get out of debt. The word proven sticks out to me because his plan isn't a theory that might work for certain people. It's something that works for everybody.

The same is true in the fitness and weight loss world. A proven plan that works is keeping a food journal. Last month I had women food journal to me each day. The women that were diligent in emailing me daily along with coming to sessions with me each week lost weight. The average weight loss was anywhere from 3-6 pounds last month. This average is the slow cooker part of my fitness theory. Notice 3-6 pounds isn't a flashy, crazy, unrealistic number for one month of weight loss. It's something that everybody could do if they just put their mind to doing it. Where 3-6 pounds per month that isn't snazzy number can easily turn into anywhere from 36-72 pounds in one year! Now that's snazzy!

Changing behavior is a process and as a matter of fact, engaging in change is one of the hardest things a human will do throughout life. We are creatures of habit and feel comfort in our daily habitual routines. Changing too many areas of our life all at once (the microwave approach to fitness) can lead to:
1) a lot of stress
2) unrealistic expectations
3)inadequate follow-through
which all ultimately concludes as reverting back to old behaviors.

Make small changes. Tiny, microscopical things that don't even seem like change. Then build upon that. Who knows, before you know it you very well could turn into a skinny millionaire!

Quote of the Week

"To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.' When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better."

Celebration of the Body

Last Saturday, April 25th was the 10 year anniversary of breaking my neck. It was a hair line fracture to the C2 vertebra. It's a crazy anniversary to have but when I let my thoughts go as far to playing the "what if" game I know a celebration is in order. I've been told over the last decade how "lucky" I am that everything worked out the way it did as the result was miraculous.

Any miraculous situation calls for a celebration right!? What better way to have a party for my body than to attend my favorite yoga class? It's a 1.5 hour sweat fest and Gina's best torture techniques blended together in a way that keeps me coming back for more.

It was a great time of focusing on how much my body can do. The whole 1.5 hour was focused on the unique appreciation I have grown to have for my body. It was an amazing time of realizing how blessed I am to be able to move through each pose and enjoy the benefit of exercise. I was even able to practice (for the first time) a forearm balance. I didn't get it but the ability to be able to practice and the reality that I CAN attain it someday was enough.

The past decade since my injury I've been blessed to experience life with movement of my arms and legs-something that could have been taken away in the blink of an eye. Yet it didn't turn out that way but since April 25th, 1999 I've had a different perspective. Now looking back it's not surprising that the path I went down in the last 10 years was what it was. I believe my life today would be different had I not experienced what it was like to almost have life and mobility taken away. Here's a list of the last 10 years; a summary of what I've done with the gift of life and mobility I've been given:

1. Up my expertise in the sport of slalom water-skiing.
2. Figure out I love white water rafting.
3. Discover the pure joy that comes from having a child.
4. See parts of the world and experience different cultures. I love feeling cultured!
5. Find that I love working with people and helping them make their bodies stronger.
6. I can run 12 races in 12 months.
7. Some college degrees.
8. Getting married.
9. A love for learning and experiencing new things.
10. Feeling the wind on my face while riding a bike.

My hope is the next decade will bring just as many milestones. I just need to keep pushing the limit and always remember how wonderful it is to experience life and mobility and to do something with what I have.....hallelujah, my body works!

Quote of the Week

“When the world says, 'Give up,' hope whispers, 'Try it one more time.' ”

Quote of the Week

“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection.”

—Thomas Paine

Stages of Change

Transition. That seemed to be the thought I couldn't escape during a solo run the other day. I reflected on personal transitions as it relates to food. Acknowledgement that I've never been a super-healthy eater entered my realm of thinking.

I love food. That's probably one of the single most important factors that led me to a life as a trainer. I've consistently exercised since I was in the 7th grade. Actually, I can't remember a time in my life where I wasn't active. Up until the end of last year I can honestly admit the #1 reason I exercised was so it would balance my eating habits (as I LOVE food). As I age, I've quickly concluded my wonderful theory of habitual exercise and unlimited food no longer holds true.

Over the past months as I've publicly struggled with my one sweet a week goal for 2009. I am slowly transitioning my perspective of food but still fight it most everyday.

I really like the stages of change model and thought it appropriate to put myself as an example in order to explain it better.

Pre-Contemplation: Living the life, eating whatever came my way and not realizing it was an issue because, hey, I exercise.
Contemplation: Looking for a 2009 goal of something I could do on a monthly or weekly basis. I contemplated the sweet goal for a good month before having the confidence in myself to go through with it.
Determination/Preparation: I'd classify this as the month of December where I "practiced" eating one sweet per week. Here I was definitely trying to convince myself it could be done...by me.
Action: I'm here today. Certain weeks seem like a struggle and it's 100% WORK to stay away from a sweet most days. I'll get glimpses of easy weeks where the days go by without the thought of a sweet...oh how I love those weeks.
Maintenance: This is my goal stage. I want to live this sweet thing out and I believe I can.
Relapse: If I go back to my old ways of eating sweets each and every day I'll be back to square one. I already know, I'm not going there.

Quote of the Week

"If you aim at nothing, you will hit it everytime."
-Zig Ziglar

Quote

“Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You're going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.” -Anthony Robbins

Vice Buster!

One interesting book I went back to in order to get some facts on sweet consumption is, The Vice-Busting Diet. I remembered from a couple of years ago, when I read the book and took a group of ladies through the steps, it had some very fascinating facts on sweets that would be worth sharing.

However once I read through the parts that interest me, I quickly remembered it's not all about sweets...even though sweets is the number one vice in America! Hi Sweet-a-Week friends...we might not have gotten it wrong after all!

The book is based on the top twelve vices that Americans have that contribute to weight problems. The top three vices are:
1. Soft Drinks
2. Fast Food
3. Television

I'll briefly give some facts on the top three vices. They are very interesting, so keep on reading.

Soft Drinks
1. Soda drinks that aren't "diet" is the single most important factor in making our nation obese. (This doesn't mean Mandy wants you to grab a "diet" soda though!)
2. In the 1950's the typical soft drink order at a fast-good chain contained about 8ounces of soda. Today a "large" at McD's is 32ounces!
3. The USDA recommends the average person on a 2,000-calorie/day diet include no more than 40grams of added sugars. In the year 2000 the average American consumed an average of 152 pounds of caloric sweeteners.
4. In the 1950's Hi Fructos.e Corn Syru.p was practically negligible, while in the year 2000 it accounted for almost 64pounds per person (based on dry weight). And they say it's not bad for us?!
5. Calories from liquids don't seem to register the same way as solid foods with the same "bad"calories like candy. Our bodies processes liquids much more quickly than solids, so a soft drink or high-calorie beverage won't fill you up the same way food can. Also, these types of sugars dehydrate your body.

Those five reasons above confirmed my life-long quest of living without sweet drinks but rather learning to love water as my sole daily drink two years ago. I haven't looked back since.

Fast Food
1. The most commonly consumed item at a fast-food restaurant is beef. Our consumptions of beef over the last 50 years has steadily increased. In the 1950's we consumed an annual average of 53 pounds per person. While in the year 2000 the annual average was 65 pounds per person. The number continues to rise today from all viable evidence.
2. Cheese has also increased. It went from 7.7 pounds in the 50's to 29.8 pounds-average in 2000. That's an increase of 287%
3. Consumption of milk and eggs is down. Milk has gone from 37 gallons to 23 gallons per person. The egg consumption is down from 374 per person in the 50's to 250 eggs per person in 2000.
4. The book also suggests that we eat more bad stuff now because we have things like light beer, low-fat crackers, low-carb cookies and 100 cal paks, which seem to give us permission to have more.

Television
1. The average American watches 4 hours of TV per day. That's 1460 hours! That's 25% of our waking hours. It keeps us from things we always wanted or dreamed of doing.
2. TV can also be a brain-washing tool. In 1999, more than $40 billion was spent on advertising, and the commercials we're watching encourage us to eat at fast-food restaurants and indulge ourselves. So we sit doing nothing and the only motivation we get is to put high-calorie, high-fat foods into our mouths.

Hopefully this is just as fascinating to you as it was for me. A good reminder of how NOT to live life, along with some fun facts!

Quote of the Week

"When you are through changing, you are through."

1st Quarter

I'm an optimist. By nature I always see the glass half-full. This includes my view on clients, friends, family and even myself. Recently I've felt that I fail to reveal or perhaps even notice my "flawed side." Goodness, with the previous simplify post, you'd think I was housewife of the year. Not even close. While I choose daily to shy away from darkness, it's still there. It's always there. Just mostly I choose not to look at it....sometimes I take a peek though.

This thought links well with my 1st quarter of the year as it relates to sweets. I do feel proud of how far I've come. I honestly think working towards one sweet per week has been one of the best decisions I've made. I finally feel (somewhat) in control of myself as it pertains to food. Cutting out sweets has, oddly enough, helped me eat healthier in other areas. I actually LOVE salads. When the rare occasion occurs and we go out for dinner or out to eat I would hardly get a salad. Now it's a treat.

While my one sweet per week plan is not 100% perfect, it's getting there. Each day is a little different. Some weeks it's Friday or Saturday and I realize I haven't had (or even thought about) a sweet. Those are the easy weeks. Other weeks, it's a constant battle to stay away from the doughnut/bakery section at Target. I'll find myself staring at the baked goods/sweets for quite some time and eventually talk myself out of grabbing anything and head out the door empty-handed. I mean, not all the time do I talk myself out of grabbing something-but it's getting better. I think I'm a sweet-aholic. However messy the progression, I'm getting a much better grip of my addiction to sweets. Here's,specifically how I've improved:

1. I no longer make daily stops at QT for the brown frosted long john.
2. I no longer eat a sweet just because it's there (ie. social events).
3. I plan for my sweet each week. I know what it's going to be so I'm not as tempted by other sweets. I know I'm holding out for one that's worth it.
4. I no longer buy any kind of sweet. We have NO sweets at our house that I like enough to break my rule. Only yucky mint chip ice cream that the two boys I live with need for simple indulges. I don't falter because of this.
5. Now, if I eat too much of something bad, my body revolts against me. I normally get a stomach ache if I over-do the sweets or high fat food.
6. No more swiss cake rolls. Thank you Jesus! SCR Free since October 2008.
7. My sweet indulgence is typically a banana with peanut butter.
8. It's even helped curb late-night eating. My late-night eating used to be the QT doughnut from above.
9. I still love sweets but I no longer feel the need to have one every single day. That's HUGE for me.
10. No more homemade brownies or sweet treats. It's a good thing as I used to make a pan and it would be gone in a day or two.

Failures....Really?

First watch the video.

Then ponder:
It's interesting how much we focus what we haven't done. Sometimes those thoughts creep in and win. Then, success never has a chance. Don't let the thoughts win, give everything you possibly have and beat it with your whole being.

Excuses Need to be Gone & Here's Why

Need a little umph in this department?

Click here for motivation. Only 1 minute long and well worth the watch.

Simplify!

I love this concept...oh I am a dork! I had this thought yesterday that my favorite word is consolidation.

*Notice: Before further reading of this post know that I am boarder line, obsessive and possibly needs medication.

It could just be my nature but I love making things more simple. However, I think in order to begin the process of simplification, goals need to be in order. I was doing some reading earlier this week and found this wonderful definition of success which I'd never heard before.

Success is a progressive realization of worthwhile goals.

My goal for keeping life simple is so that I can spend time doing things worthwhile. Just as an example, here's some things I try to do in order to keep it simple.

1. At least 4 times per year go through closets and give clothes/things to others that need it. If it's sitting in a closet, I obviously don't need it as much as someone else might.

2. Put things back. This is a simple one for me because I'm an organizer by nature. Every thing in my house needs to have a place. I have actually gotten rid of things because there wasn't a space for it. I dislike clutter so much.

3. Make weekly or monthly meal plans. This is most useful when going to the store, that way I don't buy anything that's not needed. The budget stays happy this way.

4. Get re-usable bags. These are great! (if only I can remember to take them to the store with me 100% of the time) Not only does it "consolidate," it's also great because plastic bags are no longer needed. I dislike storing the bags until I can make it to the nearest recycling center so just not using them at all makes sense.

5. Keep a planner and try my hardest to stick to a schedule. This ensures that I don't spend too much time doing too much of one thing or another in any given week....keeping balance.

I love watching clean-up/organization make-over shows. The other day I was watching one and they had 4 simple rules to helping maintain organization.

1. Keep Flat Surfaces Clear. Don't use counter tops or beds for storage.

2. Establish and Maintain Zones. Keep certain items in specific places. This way there is never a dispute as to where something should be. It makes life much easier when trying to find an item in a short amount of time.

3. Maintain Limits. I like this one. I have this thing for bags/purses so I try to follow this rule. It's the one in, one out rule. For every new bag/purse I buy, an old one gets donated. This way we never accumulate too much clutter (I would have a closet full of bags and purses if I kept all the ones I've purchased).
4. Create Daily Routines. Each night before I'm done with the day, I pick up all the toys Jax got out and tidy the house. It only takes about 5-10 minutes. It helps me sleep better at night and in the morning I have an organized house.

I fully realize this post might make some of you want to puke. Not everyone needs to be extremely, freakishly clean but these little tips did seem to make a lot of sense. It does save time and money to know where things are and keep living space for living and storage space for storage!

Believe it or not, simplifying can be related to weight loss. Go figure! (I can link anything to health if you give me a minute) There's even a book about it. Peter Walsh's book, "Does this Clutter Make my Butt look Fat?" expands on the life you want to live (without clutter-food or things). I've not read the book myself (but intend to in the near future). However, I think it all makes sense. Analyze how you take care of your living space in association with your body. There's probably a link.