Journal Thoughts - 2/14/2015 - Checking In and Checking Up

The new year is still young....just six weeks in...but I realize that many people who made resolutions for their health have now dropped out of the race....it happens.  Been there, done that too many times myself.  I talk a lot about proper mindset, it is so important what we allow to enter into our brain, and I think sometimes we don't realize how much negative worms its way in.  Over the last ten months or so, I have made great strides in improving what I allow to pass through my head.  Wow...how easy it is to focus on the wrong things.  The old children's rhyme 'sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me' is really a misnomer of sorts, because once those opposing vibes enter in, it gets 'entertained'....then it fills the heart and exits through the mouth...at that point the damage is done.  'Can't' is a big stumbling block...'I don't want to', 'I don't like'...very negative. 'Can't' has to become 'can'...'don't' needs to just 'do'....the impossible becomes possible when 'I'm' with the program.  Nobody said it'd be easy, but it will be worth it.

 

2014 was a big year of change for me from a health standpoint.  It took me just past the first quarter of the year to 'get with it', but once the ball got rolling, it picked up speed and I accomplished what I would never have thought possible.  I have come so close about three times during my adult life...so, it took me a half century of time to 'get real' with it and truly make it a lifestyle...I am now on the path of no turning back. I am here and available to give you encouragement and assistance in any way I am able.  Please, don't give up.  The journey that is before you may be a long one, and there may be many twists and turns in the road, but stay the course and you will succeed.   What I am doing and how I am doing it now will get the results I desire because I am giving it no other choice...it has to come.  I push and challenge myself pretty much every time I work out.  I keep it in the forefront of my mind why I am doing this.  I'm human, there are times I'm tired and I think, 'I just can't do this, I just don't have the energy.'  Rest is important, and you have to be careful to not over-do.  But when it comes to the routine of what you need to do, don't let laziness block the path.

 

I have several friends that I text positive quotes to each day because I think it is good to start the day on an upbeat note, it can set the mood for the entire day. It also encourages me and keeps me on track. There are many times that the best workout I have at the gym was one I really didn't want to do. I have made it a practice to overcome the 'can't' and 'don't' in my mind by having a little mental chat with myself. "Ok, Anita...you can do this....you have goals...if you don't do this, you won't reach your goals....if you don't do this now, then when?" If you let it slide, it'll be easier to make an 'excuse' or have some 'reason' the next time to not do it then either.  But once I get in there and get going, it just seems to take off.  Then when I'm finished I am so glad I just did it! So maybe you've fallen off the wagon here already...so what? Get up, dust yourself off, and start up with it again.

 

There is still the whole rest of the year to be successful with this....just think, by Spring you can be well on your way, and by Summer? Wow....the results! You will be so glad you did! It can be a struggle and many times we feel like we're fighting a losing battle...but stick with it.  My motto is, 'never give up, never give in, never back down.'  Henry David Thoreau said, "what you get by achieving your goals isn't as important as what you become by achieving your goals."  So, exercise, eat right and be healthy...2015 is going to be the year for you!



What Do You Really, Really Want?

Well, perhaps the question is also, 'what do you really, really need' when it comes to diet and exercise? Further yet, what are you willing to sacrifice to get it? Truth is, it will require giving up some, or perhaps numerous bad habits to obtain it. Weight loss, exercise and nutrition go hand in hand.  One without the other is truly a waste of time.  I say this from personal experience.  Until you actually 'get it', you won't really get it....that is the results you want.  I cannot tell you the endless times over the last many decades I've looked at 'before' and 'after' pictures in magazines of other people's weight loss success stories....other people...not me.  I can recall asking myself, 'why can't you get there....what is holding you back'? 2014 was a triumphant year for me in this area....finally! Now I'm just 'tweeking' those results so to speak.  I worked on getting over 34 pounds of fat off my body....2015 is now focused on toning and building muscle...getting the final picture in place.  I'm getting there...it's been a slow process, but one of what I call 'forward motion'. I don't give up, I don't give in and I don't back down.  That is my motto, and I keep it always in the forefront of my mind.

 

To answer my question to myself as to 'why' I couldn't seem to get there took a bit of soul searching and total honesty with myself.  What I concluded was that I felt if I did, then I'd want to 'show it off'.  Hmmm....that's it? That is all that is holding me back from being successful with this? Oh my! Well...enough of that! Ok, so I show it off? So what?  Perhaps you need to do this for yourself.  I guess I'm old school in a sense that I like to write things down on paper.  In a 21st century world of 'e' everything for 'electronic', I like to feel that piece of paper in my hand and view it with my eyes.  However, if you want to journal yours in 'e' fashion and that works for you, that's fine...just do it! It's really important. This will be an indispensable tool in your success and a valuable record of your journey that you can reference for encouragement along the way.  Seeing how far you've come will fuel motivation to go the distance.

 

It's not rocket science, but it does require effort and commitment to get into shape.  You can't just walk into the gym and workout without a plan.  Ok, you could, but how would you realize results without goals?  See my point? Take the time to sit down and put some careful thought into it.  The plan and goal is #1.  Be specific! Generalizing it won't get it.  Don't just say, 'I want to lose weight'.  Ok, that's great, but how much weight? And in what time frame? Don't be unrealistic or you'll set yourself up for disappointment. To think you'll lose 20 pounds in two weeks is most likely not going to happen.  Slow and steady wins the race.  If you feel this is something you cannot do on your own, then seek out the assistance and guidance from a certified personal trainer or health coach.

 

There are many important factors that need to be taken into consideration when putting a lifestyle change in place....that's what I like to call it, because that's what it needs to be.  A good personal trainer will get your full health/medical background including body weight and measurements.  Why? Because there are several components that will determine what type of workout plan is safest and most beneficial for you.  If you have had a heart attack and have stints in place, you will not be able to do high intensity aerobic activity as you will need to keep your heart rate in check. If you are diabetic, there are also special considerations.  Current and past health history play a large role and cannot be overlooked.  Prescription medications are also require attention in planning an exercise program. Your resting heart rate will be recorded, and a 'target heart rate' determined.  This will vary with gender and age.

 

Finally, diet habits will need to be discussed.  I think this is the part most people do not like.  Taking inventory of what you eat and realizing that most likely some radical changes may be necessary, is not often the most pleasant part. The typical diet is S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) indeed.  What do you currently eat? Track it and record it for several days. What is your budget for food? What grocery stores are available in your area? Are you just responsible for feeding yourself or do you have a husband, children, etc? Do you skip breakfast? How many meals do you eat a day? Do you snack? If so, what foods do you eat when? Do you eat out a lot? Fast food? Any food allergies? What foods do you like? Dislike? What is your willingness to try new foods? I've eaten a variety of foods over my lifetime and I'm quite open to trying something new or unusual...this is very beneficial.

 

As you can see, this requires a lot of YOU! In fact, it's about you.  This is an area you are allowed to be 'selfish'.  You do this for you, not for somebody else.  I can give you advice and guide you on the right path, but I can't eat for you and I can't exercise for you.  This will require effort that can only come from....Y.O.U.! Bottom line....your success depends on....you guessed it....YOU!  If you possess a determined mindset, you will be successful.  Knowing it won't be easy, that it requires constant and consistent work is all part of it...but it is so worth it!  Anything worth having is worth working for....either work hard or you might as well quit.  But don't quit...don't give up....if you do, then what? I know the value of good health because I have suffered from failing health in the recent past.  I reflect on that now, and it still brings tears to my eyes to think I was ready to throw in the towel.  That is not my personality.  I was not raised that way. I'm not a quitter, I'm an over comer, and that has made me a strong person. Theodore Roosevelt said it well: "believe you can and you're halfway there."  One of my favorite encouraging sayings is: 'your fitness is 100% mental.  Your body will not go where your mind does not take it.'  And lastly, something thought provoking from 'MotivationMafia'....'the same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg.  It's not about the circumstance, but rather what you are made of.'

 

You've got this....I know you can do it!

 

 

 

 

Black Bean & Turkey Veggie Soup (recipe)

Nothing better to warm the soul on a cold, snowy day than some hot homemade soup.  Check out this recipe and add some extra protein to your meal!

 

One pound ground turkey

28 oz. organic crushed tomatoes w/basil

32 oz. organic vegetable broth

15 oz. organic black beans (rinsed and drained)

15 oz. organic whole kernel corn (drained)

14.5 oz. organic diced tomatoes (no salt added)

14.5 oz. organic cut green beans (drained)

15 oz. organic sweet peas (drained)

2.25 oz. sliced ripe olives (drained)

 

 

Cook ground turkey, no need to drain.  Add above ingredients into a large soup pan and heat.  Add desired seasonings.  I used fresh ground black pepper, Bragg Organic Sprinkle, organic dried dill weed, organic dried parsley and Himalayan pink salt. Serve hot with cornbread for a delicious lunch or dinner.