Here, There and Everywhere

This morning I went to a local beach for a walk, called Swami's.  It was blindingly beautiful this morning.  The tide was so high that the bottom of the staircase leading to the beach was underwater.  The surf was really high.  The sun was brilliant.  The temperature was brisk.  It was a spectacular morning.  I had a great walk and did all five staircases, each one has over 105 stairs.  The bottom of each one was underwater, which is a rare site to see.  It was a very cool workout!

So, ever since the first of the year, everyone is talking about their favorite approach to losing weight and getting healthier, hence my title, here, there and everywhere.  One person is focused on low carb, including a square of 85% dark chocolate every night.  Another person is doing a 21 day raw vegan cleanse.  Still another person paid $800 to join Medifast.  And of course, I have gone lean and green.

I actually don't think it matters what someone chooses to do, as long as you find something that works for you.  And I think it is important to stay true to yourself and keep trying.  We are all on a lifelong healthy journey.  Getting to a healthier weight, staying at a healthier weight, not giving up when you back slide a little.  When you fall off the horse, you have to get right back on.  Really, please keep trying because you are worth it.  No oneis more worth your best efforts to be healthy than you are! 

I am so excited that I wake up in the morning with another opportunity to do my best, to be my best to possibly help others to be their best.  I hope you are grateful and excited too!

Desire to be my best.  Dedication to be my best. Discipline to invest my best in me.
 

Old Friends and Good Times!

We had dear friends stay with us this weekend AND I did it!  I stayed on track!  I did my workouts!  I cooked healthy!  I ate healthy!  I am proud of myself!

Entertaining friends is a powerful trigger to stray off plan.  I vowed this weekend to be true to myself.  Hurray!

I invited my girlfriend to the gym with me where we did cardio and worked with my trainer togther with weight training.  Then we went to Starbucks for a treat.  I had a small nonfat sugar free decaf latte, about 100 calories.

Then we had lunch at the beach.  I had a nicoise salad with no dressing.  Then we hung out in the back yard sunshine.  Everyone else was sipping (drinking) their favorite adult beverage while I drank mineral water (zero calories).  I ate carrots while they noshed cheese and nuts.

I cooked a dinner of roasted root veges and oven roasted salmon with s side of tossed green salad.  They drank wine while I drank water.  Desert was fresh blueberries and strawberries.  I had mine plain while they drizzled liquor on their.

I am not trying to sound sanctimonious, just trying to reinforce a point to myself, and to you, that we can do anything we set our minds to.

How are you doing with your intentions?  My yoga teacher, Judy, asked me - in one word, how would you sum up your desire for 2013?  I thought about it and said "Lighter".  I want to be lighter physically and I want to lighten up mentally, not be as intense about things as I can be, 

What is your word?

Desire to be lighter.  Discipline to do lighter things.  Dedication to love a lighter life.

Make Room for Success

We just finished deconstructing Christmas, and the house looks so empty!  It made me think about how important it is to clear out the old to make room for the new. 

I also went through a Christmas bin where I have kept holiday greeting cards for 25 years!  What a trip down memory lane that was!  I cut the front of cards that had not been written on so I could reuse them as gift tags.  There are some really pretty ones to use next year and beyond!  My husband and I also organized all of the photo cards from friends who had faithfully sent them over the years.  It is amazing to watch kids grow as so many people send photos of their families!  Whew!

So, as we prepare to focus on our 2013 resolutions/intentions/desires, take some time to check out your kitchen and pantry.  This area of your life is such an important part of your healthy journey!  Make sure you either hide (really well) or toss out all of the food that will not serve you in your healthy journey.  You know what I am talking about.....candy, cookies, baked sweets of all sorts!  If you cannot bring yourself to throw it out, then try wrapping it really well and freezing it for a future treat. 

Out with the old to make room for your 2013 successful healthy journey!  Now go get busy!

Desire to begin a healthy 2013.  Dedication to honor fond memories.  Discipline to purge what is not serving you.

Declare Early and Often!

Why wait until New Year's Eve to decide what your 2013 focus will be?  Some people call them resolutions, others say it is a promise of what is to come, still others call it intention.  I think the tradition can be thought of as focus.  What will you focus on?  What will you deem as important enough to capture your ongoing attention and follow-up?

You know, we accomplish what we focus on.  So, take a few moments to declare, to yourself and/or to others, what is important to you.  If you make your focus public, then others can help you achieve your destination. 

My 2013 resolution/intention/focus is to become a healthier lower weight by 20% of my current self.  In support of being public with my focus, I have declared January 2 (the day we go back to work) as the beginning of the 2013 Healthy Journey Biggest Loser contest.  Everyone on the HR team (where I work) was invited to participate.  So, far, we have 17 people who want to join.  We are running the contest through February.  I intend to win!  We are going to capture (weekly) each person's percentage of weight loss.  I will share my progress with you.

So, for now, I wish you a very merry Christmas, however you celebrate!  Relax, enjoy, wallow a little and have fun! 

Desire to relax, enjoy and wallow.  Dedication toshare the contest with co-workers and friends. Discipline to report and share.

Super Cool Experience!

Isn't part of our healthy journey enjoying experiences that come our way?  Well, last Wednesday I had an incredible, completely unexpected experience to share with you!

I was on a quick business trip to Salt Lake City.  I had the great good fortune to stay with a dear dear friend who lives in Park City.  She is a big basketball fan and has season tickets to the Utah Jazz games.  She generously invited me to the game on Wednesday night!  It was quite an experience, not only because I was with a dear loving friend, BUT.......wait for it.........her tickets are on the freaking floor!!!  There I was sitting next to the very large basketball players, watching them run up and down the court, up close and personal!  It was a blast!  I rarely attend live professional sports and I had never had seats on the floors (think Jack Nicholson and the Lakers) before!

So, I am very grateful to have been there, with Amy, in such rarified air!  We sipped diet coke, did not eat any of the available food.  We had been to dinner earlier and eaten quite healthy.  It was more than enough to just enjoy the experience.

So, as Hannukah comes to a close and Christmas looms near, please enjoy all of the experiences that come your way.  This season is about gratitude and sharing time with loved one, I think much moreso than shopping at the mall, eating lots of fattening foods, over indulging in special drinks, etc.

Desire to be here now.  Dedication to practice gratitude for the massive blessings in our lives.  Discipline to maintain not gain, this season!

One Pot Supper Season

Do you ever cook up supper in one pot?  Here in San Diego, we get very few chilly days.  When we do, I love to make a pot of dinner.  It tends to be a very hearty soup that we can reheat for dinner a few days in a row.

Tonight, we settled in for our annual watching of Love Actually, our favorite Christmas movie of all times.  I made a wonderful pot of white bean soup with fat free broth, lean ground turkey, onions, celery, carrots, garlic and some other yummy spices.  It simmered all day (I started with dry white beans) and made the whole house smell wonderful.  It was delicious and wonderful and I highly recommend you try it!  I am looking forward to these leftovers.

Today, I also want to say Happy Hanukkah to everyone out there who is celebrating for the next week!  It is such a fun holiday because it goes on for 8 days and nights!!!

Desire to enjoy the cool weather.  Dedication to honor lots of celebrations.  Discipline to finish all the leftovers.

"Living Lightly"

This week I would like to share with you aother wonderful website.  I found it recently and have been enjoying what it offers.  It is called Living Lightly and the author is Diane Petrella.  You can find her at www.dianepetrella.com

I hope you enjoy the read!

In last week's Secret, Appreciate and Thank Your Body, you learned that by appreciating all your body does for you, and by consciously offering thanks, you can begin to create a more loving relationship with your body.

This week we will delve deeper into the Fifth Secret: Imagine Yourself At Your Ideal Weight.

Your imagination is extremely powerful. When coupled with strong desire it activates unseen energies within you. Visualizing yourself living life at your ideal weight encodes in your body/mind the mental blueprint needed to make that image your reality.

Consistent positive visualization feeds your mind images of success. Take five minutes daily and imagine yourself living life at your ideal, natural weight. Especially notice the feelings and sensations associated with this experience. As you visualize yourself at your desired weight you will more naturally make healthy choices based on this new self-image.

Desire to love your body.  Dedication to appreciate your body. Discipline to remember to thank you body.