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.

Snack Often

Plan to snack throughout the day but plan snacks wisely. It's easy to get carried away with all the sugar-free, infinitely processed yet marketed to the T typical snack. I say shoot down the fiber one bars and go with an apple.

Think often, "unprocessed is the process for weight loss/maintenance."

This morning my son, Jax and I always eat our snacks together. We had a simple banana with peanut butter.

Other snack ideas that are Mandy approved:
-A small bowl of natural yogurt with unsweetened granola
-apples and peanut butter
-crisp breads spread with mashed avocado and a squeeze of lemon juice.
-kiwis sliced, and almonds
-hard boiled eggs
-carrot sticks
-cherry tomatoes
-applesauce
-whole grain toast with peanut butter
-multi grain crackers topped with a small serve of cheddar cheese and sliced green grapes
-A small bowl of frozen berries and natural yogurt, topped with flax seeds
-small cup of homemade vegetable soup

If snacking is a big problemo, schedule it into your day. Take a look at the list above and pick a couple of things that sound yummo. Then implement!

Interesting and True Thoughts

Good gifts often come in ugly packages.

Grow. Grow. Grow.

Question: Why is life not always straight and narrow, perfect and beautiful?
Answer: We would not appreciate the highs without the lows. Dang!

Be moldable.

When things get tough figure out what it is you're suppose to do with it. More so than not, there's a higher purpose.

All easier said than done, I know.

Dr. D

Dr. Ben Dohrmann is another great doctor I'd highly recommend.

He just opened up his new office off North Oak Traffic way last week. I love his concept of family wellness as it meshes with my viewpoints nicely. Not only that, he's about the nicest person you'll ever meet and a great listener. Something we ladies really appreciate in a good doc. With all my neck issues I've seen many doctors over the years and Ben is by far one of the best in his field. He's incredibly knowledgeable but what I like most is his ability to find a solution to the problem. He's not a "one size fits all" kind of doctor. When I saw him last summer for my hip, he had several treatment options. The reason this was so profound is he was my "second opinion." Where my first doctor just told me to stop running, Dr. D gave me an actual treatment plan that worked!

Dr. D is seeing patients now as the new office is open right next to Snap Fitness off North Oak Traffic way (across from the Gashland Clinic). If you have anything you think he might be able to help with such as aches and pains you've just been living with that might possibly be interfering with life, you might think about setting up an appointment. Dr. D will sit down and give you a free evaluation. He'll let you know honestly if he can help or if he needs to refer you on. It's worth a visit if anything is going on...spring is well on it's way and getting out there and living is what it's all about!

Learn more about Dr. D or set up an appointment by visiting his website.
http://www.kcfamilywellness.com/

More of this week's theme!

I was just thinking to myself, "I'm going to find research that re-enforces my opinion of how important a healthy breakfast is to weight loss." I feel it's such a little thing that's really hard to be taken seriously by many people in order to produce an outcome we all want. I proceeded to check my email when I found the answer in my inbox. This month's ACE newsletter addressed the importance of breaksfast.

Don't Skip Breakfast to cut Calories

The Sumo Diet

This is a re-print. I've been preaching a good breakfast and thought back to this post from last year. It's 5 ways to gain weight! Tip: Don't do this!

1. Skip breakfast. By depriving their bodies of food after eight hours of sleep, their metabolic rates stay low.

2. Exercise on an empty stomach. If their bodies have
no food, their metabolic thermostats are turned down even lower to conserve fuel.

3. Take a nap after eating. The Sumo secret for gaining weight is that, after eating, they sleep for at least four hours.

4. Eat late in the day. Going to bed with full stomachs means that their bodies must respond to the huge flood of nutrients with a rush of insulin, forcing their bodies to store some of it in the cells as fat instead of in the muscles and organs as nutrients.

5. Always eat with others in a social atmosphere. According to leading researchers, a meal eaten with others can be at least 44 percent larger and with 30 percent more calories and fat.


Hmmmm...

More in the Morning

This isn't a new concept but I think it's one that's hard to begin.

Eat more in the morning!

Recently I've added extra calories to my morning breakfast routine. It's dramatically reduced the amount of calories "I think" I need at the end of the day. Late night snacking has always been difficult for me as I've always struggled with wanting to eat lots of carbs at night. My breakfast includes the shake I've always drank but now includes 2 eggs (sometimes I make it into an omelet with onions and green peppers) and then some oatmeal. It's around 400 calories but doesn't leave me starving by lunch and dinner time. I'm no longer playing the crazy cycle game of catch up throughout the day with my calories.

Not only has it worked for me but last night a client, L, also tried the theory. She's always struggled with eating a lot late at night. She's on the run in the morning so eating a good breakfast has always been difficult. Along with that, her husband works late and she wants to share dinner with him so she saves her calories for that time. However, saving 1000 calories for dinner isn't going to work for weight-loss or even weight maintenance. She told me yesterday that she ate her normal breakfast but added a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to the mix. It worked great for her because it was something she could eat on her way to work and it also drastically helped her late night eating binge.

Even though this isn't a ground-breaking theory , it might be worth a shot if you find yourself battling hunger throughout the later part of the day.

The By-Product

Have you ever thought of happiness as a by-product versus the result? I think it's easy to think if we lose a certain amount of weight we'll instantly become a happier person. I know I used to think that way. Although recently I've grown to enjoy the process of becoming a healthier person by participating in fulfilling activities. Here's my list of activities that create happiness for me as a by-product:

1. Water skiing
2. Getting kisses from Jax
3. Spending time with my family
4. Participating in a race
5. Going to an exercise class to participate
6. White water rafting---need to do that again sometime real soon
7. Group and Personal Training...I love my ladies!
8. Attaining a goal
9. Organizing...anything!
10. Traveling/Vacationing

What's your list? Create a list in the comments section or on your own blog.

Now I leave you with.....something I found in conjuction with this post.
Happiness Is a Byproduct of Activity(© Max Stein)

Happiness lies in the joy of achievement,
in the thrill of creative effort.
The human spirit needs to accomplish,
to achieve, to triumph to be happy.

Happiness does not come from doing easy work,
but from the afterglow of satisfaction
that comes after the achievement
of a difficult task that demands your best.

Your personal growth itself contains the seed of happiness.
You cannot pursue happiness by itself.
There is no happiness except in the realization
that you have accomplished something.

Happiness thrives in activity.
It's a running river, not a stagnant pond.