So I have been now playing games, justifying the weight I know I have gained. I used to weight myself daily and/or weekly depending on what I was doing. For a bit, I did decide for my mental sanity I should take a break from the cage of the "numbers on the scale" and yes, it was liberating...

However, lately I have not been weighing myself because "I feel good" and I kept telling myself I didn't want to get off track. Riiiight, even though the number is just a number...I kept using it as an excuse, because deep down I know I went a little overboard and things are a bit "snugger" than usual :)

I want to try the number best fitness routine rated in the U.S. called P90X. My boyfriend was telling me about it and truly believes it will help me achieve my goals because I am "the cardio queen" but I could definitely cut back on that and tone up some...I am much "softer" than I need to be in some areas so to speak.

I kept telling him I wanted to start it but not yet because I wanted to weigh myself at the start and finish. But I kept procrastinating because I didn't want to weigh myself yet...when the whole point is it doesn't really matter where you start because it is supposed to get any one  in the best shape of his/her life by using muscle confusion.

So today was the day I had a come to Jesus meeting with myself. Pictures, measurements, and pounds...definitely reaffirmed what I already knew...and that was that I have definitely let myself indulge more than I need...but also that I have a new motivation to attempt to improve my fitness level.

So today my motto is, "Just Do It". Don't wait for after the next birthday because you are going to go out to eat, or after the weekend because you do not have the groceries in the house, or wait for the spring because sweaters can offer great tummy camoflage...just do it today because quite frankly today may not always have a tomorrow.

I hope you all acheive your health and wellness goals. I am excited to start a new fitness regime that is going to have me feeling as if I never worked out before-but like they say beauty is pain and to be honest I rarely get sore from my current workout regime. Once your body adapts you have to change it up, keep it guessing to maximize your efforts! Good luck!

So the toughest part of my year is over. It seems with every holiday season the sugary temptations seem to multiply at the office and at home. But with the new year, almost everyone makes at least one resolution that is health/fitness/wellness related.

Last year, I continued to exercise consistently, as I have for 12 years now...however, I was less inconsistent with diet-which I believe lead to my first year of weight "gain" I have had since consistently losing for the previous 3 years. However, overall this "gain" is minimal-but I do know it is due to being too restrictive with foods which lead to occassional binges because I wanted "fast" results to "get back to where I was".  And thus an unhealthy yo-yoing diet was born...

My new years resolution is to be healthy. Which includes not labeling foods as "bad", eating what my body craves rather than trying to eliminate foods altogether (not realistic). For tips on creating realistic goals as new years resolutions read this month's newsletter!

When attempting to achieve a goal it is beneficial to have tools that aid in your success. Whether it be a food journal, an accountability partner, a reward system, etc. I am so excited about my new addition to my health and wellness tools I couldnt wait to tell you all about it.

For Christmas I received a fitness game for the Wii called EA fitness. I had read reviews which compared various workout "games" and EA fitness and Jillian Michael's fitness DVD were the top rated the last I checked. I have done an EA fitness program for two days in a row now-right now I am using it as a supplement to my own workouts. But I have to say I am a consistent and avid athlete and I have to give major props to the makers of this "game". I believe there are other varieties of workout "games" that may emphasize dance, cardio, yoga, pilates, strength, etc so pick one that matches a passion of yours.

I love my EA fitness because it adds variety to my workouts...my legs have adapted to running everyday but since doing these "new/different" workouts my legs, butt and arms have had a nice "havent been used in awhile" soreness the last couple days-which tells me that I am widening my range of workout results.

So if you want to try something new and get motivated to tackle any new year resolutions you may have, think about what tools may make your workout something you look forward to rather than dread. A smart man once said, "You are only as young as you feel" so get out and go play a game!

there are many people who can beat motivational challenges by creating a social aspect to working out.

currently, i am working out with my co-workers daughter during the week. she is getting prepared to go to the coast guard and she doesn't like working out alone and she says she pushes herself more when i go.

we have been working out for about a month and a half and just yesterday she weighed in and found she has lost 20 pounds! she usually goes once a day during the weekdays and then rests on the weekends.

this one hour workout five days a week has helped her immensely, but more so has been meeting up because she says she eats better in anticipation of our workout. in addition, she finds she is not dreading working out because she knows she does not have to go-it alone.

so if your biggest health challenge is feeling you are in it alone. find a friend or partner to join you in your challenge. if your downfall is the 3 o'clock slump find a co-worker that will take turns bringing in a healthy snack to revive you both. or find a friend to help you prep healthy foods and trade of recipes. or find a friend that will meet you at the gym. whatever your challenge see if you can recruit someone to fight the battle with you-there is alot to be said for those that reach their goals when they do not feel they are alone.

i got back from a vacation about a month ago. normally i dread the last day of vacation-knowing i am going to come back and see the number(s) on the scale and make a plan to get "back on track". this is coming from someone that is still dedicated to working out at least once a day while vacationing. but of course indulging in extraordinary foods-the numbers tend to creep up ;)

so this time, on the way back from vacation...i asked myself why i was locking my mind in this number sensitive safe when i knew (from past experience) with time i would be back to normal. therefore, i decided that i would not weight myself for a month after my return from vacation. its amazing the affect a number can have on you-but only if you let it.

its now been about a month and i cannot begin to explain how liberating its been to free myself of this numeric mind game. i have been eating a balanced diet and working out when i want and more importantly even resting when i want. i feel just as good-if not better than when i used to push myself for 2 weeks punishing my body and with a restrictive diet and strenuous workouts. now, i havent actually weighed myself-but judging by the fit of my clothes (smallest clothes) and judging by my energy levels i have to say...i believe i have dropped all the weight and then some even...

free your mind. even if you are a routine daily or even weekly weigher. that is fine...i will probably go back to weighing in a couple times a week. but once in awhile free yourself from this and just listen to the heightened senses of how your body feels and i think you will be pleasantly surprised. our bodies tell us when we are hungry, when we need more nutrients, when we need rest, etc etc.

i feel so liberated mentally without the pressure that can cause your goals to backfire. i feel so in tune with what my body needs (not wants) but actually listening to your body it tells you what i needs. and when i listen to my body i am learning that my body and my mind come to an agreement which benefits my whole being's wellness-mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, you name it and it all meshes together.

so free your mind-just try it. i know that i plan to continue on this way for another week or so just because i have enjoyed this experience so much and reaped the benefits as well.

eat your heart out

this is what i want to say to all the big businesses that say they want to promote health and wellness. lately many companies are wanting to improve the health of their employees so that they can have lower insurance rates, or better yet implement their own medical insurance plan which benefits those that are rarely, if ever ill. of course, this isn't to save a buck (comment drenched in sarcasm)...but they will have you believe it is due to their sincere concern for your well-being.

HA.

so, i want to say, "EAT YOUR HEART OUT". until the price for healthy options decreases (or better yet-just equals-the price of unhealthy options) i will not believe the America cares about our rising health problems which include obesity, high cholesterol, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and as the list continues to grow so do our waistlines (as well as the budgetary balance for many fast food franchises).

to create healthy meals at home, it can add up...substituting olive oil for butter, skim milk for cream, egg beaters for eggs, ground lean turkey meat for beef, etc etc. Yet you can feed a family of four for under 6 bucks at any local value menu drive through.

Even at sit down restaurants, you can hold the cheese and nuts and oil all you want...but heaven forbid if you want some fruit or veggies on the side (in the place of fries) and YET my goodness we HAVE to charge you extra for a healthy side....

Even at my place of work, the meal deal (hot meal or sandwhich, dessert, and one side) is typically less than a salad...which they weigh now...the last time i "splurged" to get some fresh produce-i had five bites, yes five bites, and it was $3.50!!!! A large salad costs anywhere from $10-15 bucks (or so i hear).

The sad thing is everywhere you go there are cheap, fast, processed meals. Even in the grocery store, a ready made pasta pack is 3 bucks and feeds 4-6 or frozen pizzas. Although these foods have such processed ingredients (some even include plastics) that is what some folks on a budget are forced to buy. Its just not worth it to make a healthy spaghetti, when you can get the sodium ridden spaghetti-o version for 1/4 the cost...or for many of us without the extra means can understand.

So until corporations, franchises, and the government that claim to care about our health offer healthy options at the same price i stay firm in my comment "eat your heart out". We all have a choice (understandable) but it definitely does cost to eat healthy in this day and age. The last 3 buildings to be built by my home are all fast food chains which shall not be named...in this struggling economy i guess some business are not losing-just turning into fat cash cows (pun intended) due to less flexiblity in our pocketbooks.

there is some truth to getting some beauty sleep. not only will it reduce the puffy and/or dark circles under your eyes...but it can also increase your will-power to stay on track with your health goals.

i just returned from a mini-vacation to see my family. i left feeling wonderful, finally back on track and into my routine and feeling back to my "normal self" again. i was only visiting for 3 days so i assumed that was not enough time to have to worry about temptation and/or getting off track.

although on vacation, i continued my daily runs and ate well for the majority of the time. however, toward the end of the vaca i was not sleeping well and i noticed the nights i didnt sleep as well i craved everything under the sun.

the ride back "home" i craved everything from belgian waffles, to ice cream blizzards, to stuffed crust pizza, basically i could have fried, covered with sugar, or smothered with cheese anything-even my foot- and i would have eaten it...

eating crap for the drive home snowballed into eating crap the past 4 days, all of which were interrupted by nights of restless sleep. i know i know i sound like a lunatic, but its been scientifically proven...the less sleep you get (if not at least 7-8 hrs) does have a physical affect on your bodies hormones and leads to cravings for carbs (and no, not the whole grain hearty ones) the sugary, lovely WHITE carbs (yes we should be a bit prejudice when it comes to carbs) most white carbs are not the most nutrient friendly.

needless to say, i am going to knock myself out tonight, get a good nights rest, and get back on track one day at a time starting tomorrow. so never underestimate the power of some good beauty rest. when we eat proper nutrition our hair is shinier, our skin is less prone to break out, our nails and hair grow faster, and we do not crave the worst of the worst, and best yet...we generally feel the best of the best when we rest.

wishing all you sleeping beauties a good night.

i haven't blogged in awhile...i have been on a mission to correct some old emotional eating habits that came back to haunt me. the past couple months had been more stressful than the norm and i was comforting myself with food-which led to guilt-which only fed the vicious cycle of emotionally eating.

the entire time i was binging and then trying to make up for my binging by restricting calories i noticed that although working out each and everyday, often times 2-3 workouts a day i was still having trouble losing weight...i guess that tends to happen when you are eating pizza, tacos, and burgers after limiting oneself to diet sodas and gum :)

then 2 weeks ago i went on vacation. a couple weeks prior to the vacation i decided to resort back to what i know works for me. its a lifelong struggled to practice healthy eating or improve my relationship with food. most people have a list of "off limit" foods that lead them to binge, when in reality everything is okay in moderation.

therefore, i prepared healthy foods so that when i got the urge at home and at work i would have healthy options to satisfy my snack attacks.

by eating mini meals of celery and peanut butter, watermelon, string cheese, almonds, apples, carrots, turkey, egg whites, low fat yogurt...the weight started falling back off.

i cannot emphasize enough the importance of preparing healthy, nutrient filled snacks either each evening, or if time does not permit at least once a week. also ensuring these snacks are eaten frequently to optimize the calories your metabolism can burn.

one tip is to ensure that the healthy foods you prepare for snack attacks contain something you have been craving. it does no good to make a bunch of spinach salad if you know you are not going to eat it. therefore, buy and prepare foods that your body is telling you it wants and needs. last week my body was craving mangos, this week it is craving grapes.

just as you listen to a loved one, listen to your body, it will tell you what it needs.

Mmmmm mmmm mmmm easter food and treats. There was so much temptation and I gave in...I ate (as if it was my job) ALL easter weekend. Monday morning approached and I felt like absolute crap, probably due to the massive sugar crash. Plus, I lacked the energy to workout...(could have something to do with the lack of nutrition chocolate covered bunnies provide).

After "falling off the health wagon" my first instinct is always that I want to starve myself. I want instant results because I miss the way I feel when I am not carrying extra weight and also because for years I was a yo-yo dieter. I know now that for ex-yo yo dieters it is a life-long struggle to not give into the vicious cycle of overeating, starving, binging, repeating.

Therefore, I had to retrain my brain to think healthy. I know it is best for me to eat small amounts all day rather than starve. It sounds weird, but eating frequently does jump start your metabolism. And this has been tested by me; a girl that can smell, not even eat, just smell a donut and it sticks straight to my @ss.

So rather than beat myself up about weak workouts or what I had eaten all weekend, I figured out yummy and healthy snacks to have throughout this week. I decided my focus would be to ensure I did not skip a meal or snack and thus avoid falling into the unhealthy habit of depriving my body of what it needs.

Three days in and my energy has improved. It has been a long week at work, leaving me with little motivation to workout. There are always going to be more and less challenging times throughout our lives, but the key is to just focus on the little things you CAN accomplish and not what you cannot.

My workouts have not been all that intense, so I have made sure that at the least I have walked this week to get my heart beat up. Since my workout intensity has decreased I am extra vigilant when it comes to the office temptations, avoiding picking from the candy dish. "Picking" can add up in the end.

When I set smaller goals, I am less inclined to be dissappointed and frustrated. Whether you are beginning or continuing a health/wellness plan, always remember there is no "end", rather it is going to be an ongoing struggle, but with realistic goals anything is attainable. I am even more proud to defeat self-depricating thoughts, pessimism can really throw wellness goals off track.

The next time you feel your health and wellness goals are out of reach, focus on one health change at a time, doing a little bit at a time prevents you from being overwhelmed and the feeling of accomplishment motivates you to continue to improve.

Do not trivialize your successes...always remember a little bit goes a long way.

It is a bit ironic the things that will motivate people to watch what they eat or start exercising. So many friends I know have gotten fit either post-break up, when they knew they wanted to draw attention. Or some just in time for the infamous spring break trip. Others for a dance, wedding, or other special occassion. It is surprisingly easy to forget to love thyself.

After all, there are many people throughout our lives that will offer us support, someone to lean on, but in the end...we always have ourself. Therefore, the most important relationship you can have is with yourself. So just as we would not advise a friend to take part in health-damaging habits such as binging or starving...why do we do it to ourselves?

Just as we would not go up to a loved one, grab their tummy and point at the excess fat, just as we would not approach a loved one and tell them how much weight they have gained...we should give ourselves the same self respect.

I noticed when I spent a lot of time with my friends daughter, I was always very careful about my...our food choices. Reports show that 30% of girls under the age of 11 know what a diet is and think they should go on one! Therefore, whenever we packed a picnic or made lunch I always wanted to encourage healthy food and habits by emphasizing the benefits it makes for the body-NEVER emphasizing weight. She would choose string cheese to grow strong bones, and sliced apples with peanut butter to strengthen her muscles. She would choose to go out and fly kites or roller skate over sitting inside all day.

I also noticed that when I was spending time with her, if I was having a "fat" day. I would never say that. If she was in the room I may comment to my friend that I was not feeling my "strongest". My point is, I was very careful not to put myself down or focus on weight in front of my friends daughter...because I didn't want her to grow up to be focused on such things.

Yet...I asked myself today...why was it only when we were around her that my friend and I would take such care to focus on the positive and eliminate negative from our conversations? Why when she left the room would we begin scrutinizing our wrinkles, our chest size, our thighs, cellulite, bloating, etc etc etc.

What I am getting at is...so often we want to be our best for someone else...a crush, a husband, a flame. Yet, so many times people will come and go from our life, but we will always remain with ourselves. If you want to improve yourself, do it for YOU because in the end that is who you have to depend on. Just as you would not berate your friend, lover, child...do not berate yourself. Practice loving thyself and healthy eating and habits will follow.