Feel Good Friday

Good morning, girls!  I hope you all make it a fantastic weekend ahead of you :) 

Remember, even if things aren't going as you want them to go, BE POSITIVE!  I was reminded of this last night when I was talking to the beloved Marin and I realized my voice coming back to me was annoying!  No matter what stress or inner hurricanes I've got going on, whining & complaining doesn't improve anything.  It brings you AND whoever's listening to you down.  So be proactive!  Actually DO something to improve yourself or your situation- BE POSITIVE! 

#s 6, 7, & 8 are so great :)   Alright, gals, let's all make a positive comment today on this post, something to rah-rah us all up to make it a phenomenal weekend!

11 Benefits of Being Positive by Jon Gordon

Over the years I've done a lot of research on the positive effects of being positive and the negative affects of being negative. The research is clear. It really does pay to be positive and the benefits include enhanced health and longevity, happiness, career advancement, athletic performance, team building and financial success. Being positive is not just a nice way to live. It’s the way to live. In this spirit here are 11 benefits of being positive.

1. Positive People Live Longer - In a study of nuns, those that regularly expressed positive emotions lived on average 10 years longer. (The Nun Study)

2. Positive work environments outperform negative work environments. (Daniel Goleman)

3. Positive, optimistic sales people sell more than pessimistic sales people. (Martin Seligman)

4. Positive leaders are able to make better decisions under pressure. (Heartmath.org)

5. Marriages are much more likely to succeed when the couple experiences a 5 to 1 ratio of positive to negative interactions whereas when the ratio approaches 1 to 1, marriages are more likely to end in divorce. (John Gottman)

6. Positive people who regularly express positive emotions are more resilient when facing stress, challenges and adversity. (Several Studies)


7. Positive people are able to maintain a broader perspective and see the big picture which helps them identify solutions where as negative people maintain a narrower perspective and tend to focus on problems. (Barbara Fredrickson)


8. Positive thoughts and emotions counter the negative effects of stress. For example, you can't be thankful and stressed at the same time. (Several Studies)

9. Positive emotions such as gratitude and appreciation help athletes perform at a higher level. (Heartmath.org)

10. Positive people have more friends which is a key factor of happiness and longevity. (Robert D. Putnam)

11. Positive and popular leaders are more likely to garner the support of others and receive pay raises and promotions and achieve greater success in the workplace. (Several Studies)

Feel the Burn Thursday

Good....afternoon :) Hehe.... oh well.....

What workouts have you done this past week and what's on the agenda for this weekend?  Are you going to take advantage of the fact that spring's right around the corner?! So close I can almost taste it!

In addition to sharing what workouts you've been up to, please also share with us what your hardest physical feat is that you've accomplished, and then how that felt.  Everyone's going to be so different- it'll be really interesting to see the responses- and I'm sure some of us will make the group laugh  :)

Side Challenge #1

"TRICK EXPERIMENT"

Ok, ladies!  Here's this week's side challenge!  It will run up until next Monday.  It's kind of a flexible challenge.  So today pick one of these tricks below (I pulled them off of this Reader's Digest article http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/easy-ways-to-lose-weight-50-ideas/article16057.html) and set up an experiment.  Try to tackle just one of these tricks sometime today through Sunday, so you have 5 days to do it.  Then on Monday, w/ your check-in, let us know how you did!  Let us know which one you picked, if you think the trick worked, if you had fun doing it, if it made a difference in your appetite or attitude, etc.    Of course you can pick more than one if you're feeling super playful and ambitious.  Of all the participants who do this side challenge, I'll put your name in a hat & draw out a winner who'll get a prize given/mailed to them!  Have fun!!!!!!!!

10. Bring the color blue into your life more often. There's a good reason you won't see many fast-food restaurants decorated in blue: Believe it or not, the color blue functions as an appetite suppressant. So serve up dinner on blue plates, dress in blue while you eat, and cover your table with a blue tablecloth. Conversely, avoid red, yellow, and orange in your dining areas. Studies find they encourage eating.

12. Downsize your dinner plates. Studies find that the less food put in front of you, the less food you'll eat. Conversely, the more food in front of you, the more you'll eat -- regardless of how hungry you are. So instead of using regular dinner plates that range these days from 10-14 inches (making them look forlornly empty if they're not heaped with food), serve your main course on salad plates (about 7-9 inches wide). The same goes for liquids. Instead of 16-ounce glasses and oversized coffee mugs, return to the old days of 8-ounce glasses and 6-ounce coffee cups.

11. Clean your closet. Once you've reached your target weight, throw out or give away every piece of clothing that doesn't fit. The idea of having to buy a whole new wardrobe if you gain the weight back will serve as a strong incentive to maintain your new figure.

13. Serve your dinner restaurant style (food on the plates) rather than family style (food served in bowls and on platters on the table). When your plate is empty, you're finished; there's no reaching for seconds.

16. Use vegetables to bulk up meals. You can eat twice as much pasta salad loaded with veggies like broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes for the same calories as a pasta salad sporting just mayonnaise. Same goes for stir-fries. And add vegetables to make a fluffier, more satisfying omelet without having to up the number of eggs.

18. Avoid white foods. There is some scientific legitimacy to today's lower-carb diets: Large amounts of simple carbohydrates from white flour and added sugar can wreak havoc on your blood sugar and lead to weight gain. But you shouldn't toss out the baby with the bathwater. While avoiding sugar, white rice, and white flour, you should eat plenty of whole grain breads and brown rice. One Harvard study of 74,000 women found that those who ate more than two daily servings of whole grains were 49 percent less likely to be overweight than those who ate the white stuff.

30. Use flavorings such as hot sauce, salsa, and Cajun seasonings instead of relying on butter and creamy or sugary sauces. Besides providing lots of flavor with no fat and few calories, many of these seasonings -- the spicy ones -- turn up your digestive fires, causing your body to temporarily burn more calories.

39. Take a walk before dinner. You'll do more than burn calories -- you'll cut your appetite. In a study of 10 obese women conducted at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, 20 minutes of walking reduced appetite and increased sensations of fullness as effectively as a light meal.

46. Sniff a banana, an apple, or a peppermint when you feel hungry. You might feel silly, but it works. When Alan R. Hirsch, M.D., neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, tried this with 3,000 volunteers, he found that the more frequently people sniffed, the less hungry they were and the more weight they lost -- an average of 30 pounds each. One theory is that sniffing the food tricks the brain into thinking you're actually eating it.

51. Brush your teeth after every meal, especially after dinner. That clean, minty freshness will serve as a cue to your body and brain that mealtime is over.

53. Passionately kiss your partner 10 times a day. According to the 1991 Kinsey Institute New Report on Sex, a passionate kiss burns 6.4 calories per minute. Ten minutes a day of kissing equates to about 23,000 calories -- or eight pounds -- a year!

54. Add hot peppers to your pasta sauce. Capsaicin, the ingredient in hot peppers that makes them hot, also helps reduce your appetite.

***NEW INFO SATURDAY 3-13***

Kim, who won our last side challenge, and the to-be-announced winner of this side challenge on Monday will receive a Mead Meal Planner!!!!!  I'm way excited about this.  LOVE IT!  It's a magnetic calendar that you put on the fridge, plan out your meals, and has a grocery list pad attached to it!  Should make meal planning more convenient!!!!!  (And there's a Target gift receipt w/ each if you don't like it :) )  So, here's your reminder to do one the side challenge trick experiments this weekend and be ready to report on Monday morning with your check-in!!!!

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday

Good morning, ladies!!!  You've made it to day 10!!! Wahoo!!! 

Sooo, share w/ us what you've been eating! Be specific so we can all get great ideas on things to eat, whether they're store-bought treats or home made meals. 

I made this fav of mine on Sunday night and have been enjoying the leftovers for lunch at work this week.  (I tried it first at Christmas, but I love it so much I use it as a side dish for other meals, too).  It's from Fitness Magazine.

Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch rings

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the sweet potatoes on a piece of aluminum foil and roast until they can be easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Let cool slightly.
2. Trim the ends and pull off the peels; slice into 1/2-inch rounds.
3. Butter a small (3-1/2-quart) casserole dish with half the butter. In a bowl, stir together the cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. Arrange half the apple rings and sweet-potato rounds in alternating layers in the dish; sprinkle with half the spice mixture and half the maple syrup. Layer in the rest of the apples and sweet potatoes, ending with the apples. Sprinkle with the remaining spices, drizzle with the remaining syrup; dot with the rest of the butter.
4. Cover and bake until the apples are very tender, about 45 minutes.

Nutrition facts per serving: 111 calories, 1g protein, 22g carbohydrate, 3g fat (1.9g saturated), 2g fiber


Here's another good one that I haven't made in a long time but plan on making tonight.  I got it off an Uncle Ben's rice box.  We don't do the rice at all in this recipe, though.  So the calories are going to be less than listed here.  We just do the chicken & snow peas. 

Polynesian Chicken

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 cup UNCLE BEN’S® ORIGINAL CONVERTED® Brand Rice

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 8 oz. can pineapple chunks in juice

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. peanut oil

1 cup apricot or pineapple marmalade (I couldn't find this so I used apricot preserves)

Instructions:
1. Prepare rice according to package directions.
2. Heat oil in large skillet. Add chicken breast and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Add juice from pineapple to chicken in skillet just before chicken has finished cooking.
3. Mix pineapple chunks, marmalade and soy sauce. After pineapple juice has evaporated from skillet, add marmalade mixture to chicken. Cook until sauce is a glaze. Remove from heat and serve with rice.

Nutrition Facts per Serving: 469 calories, 36g protein, 66g carbs, 2g fat
 
I've shared this one before, too, but it's another big favorite of mine, also from Fitness Magazine (recipe from Natalie Coughlin, the Olympic swimmer).  Made this for lunch on Sunday.  THIS time I had actually gone out and bought an iron skillet so I could do it properly and not explode my Pryex pie dish all over the kitchen :) 
 
Asparagus Frittata 
 
Serves 4
 

Ingredients:
6 eggs
salt & pepper to taste
2 T grated parmesean cheese, plus extra for garnish
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
1 large leek, washed, thinly sliced (looks like a giant green onion for those who don't know what it looks like, usually by the green onions at the grocery store, tastes like a really mild green onion- maybe a little sweet)
1 fresh bunch of asparagus, washed, chopped into bite size pieces
2 cups baby spinach, washed
 
Directions:
1. Preheat broiler and set rack 6" from heat.
2. Crack eggs into bowl, salt & pepper, and parmesean. Mix & set aside.
3. In iron skillet on stove top, heat the oil & butter. 
4. Add the leek, saute for 1 min stirring occasionally.
5.  Add the asparagus, saute for 3 minutes or until almost fully cooked.
6. Add the spinach, season w/ salt & pepper if you want.  When spinach is almost fully wilted, spread this veggie mixture evenly across the bottom of the skillet. 
7.  Pour the egg mixture over the top and tilt the pan so the veggies are all covered.  Cook until the edges of the eggs start to come away from the side of the pan. 
8.  Put the pan in the oven to broil for about 5 minutes, until the frittata is lightly golden and the eggs are fully set.
9.  Immediately turn the frittata out upside down onto a plate.  Garnish w/ the extra parmesean if you want.  Cut into 4 slices & serve.
 
Nutritional Facts per Serving: 208 calories, 12g protein, 8g carb, 15g fat, 2g fiber
 
Here's another yummy that the hubby made for me a few months ago that I just remembered, also from Fitness Magazine:
 
Stuffed French Toast
 

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup fat-free cream cheese

2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup strawberry jam

8 1-inch slices French bread (we used wheat bread slices we had on hand, Sara Lee 45 Cal multi-grain)

2 egg whites

1 egg, slightly beaten

3/4 cup fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon apple pie spice (we used pumpkin pie spice b/c we didn't have this on hand)
Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:
Combine the cream cheese and 2 tablespoons jam. Make a slit in each slice of French bread to form a pocket; fill each with about 1 tablespoon of the cream-cheese mixture.  (Since we were using thin already sliced bread, we used two pieces of the wheat bread and put the cream cheese mixture between it like a sandwich)
In a small bowl, combine egg whites, egg, milk, vanilla, and apple pie spice. Lightly coat a nonstick griddle with cooking spray; heat over medium heat.
Dip the bread into the egg mixture, coating both sides. Place slices on the hot griddle. Cook about 3 minutes or until golden brown, turning once.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the 1/2 cup of jam until melted, stirring frequently. Pour over French toast.

Nutrition facts per serving (2 slices): 300 calories, 14g protein, 30g carbohydrate, 2g fat (0g saturated), 0g fiber

As far as snacks, I haven't been too creative lately.  Just enjoying my daily late morning snack of a Pacific Rose apple sliced w/ 2 T crunchy all natural PB.  I've also been enjoying Marin's dressed up cereal idea for breakfasts as an alternative to eggs.  This morning (short on time mornings :) ) I had 1 cup of special K strawberry w/ a sliced up banana and half cup of skim milk. I still like my protein shakes & protein bars in the afternoons, too. I found a protein bar that I'm pretty satisfied w/ after trying pretty much every one out- Clif Builder's.  Still has a little soy and I'd like just whey, but for 20g protein, it's mostly all-natural ingredients, as opposed to the really sugary & processed alternatives out there.   Some greek honey-flavored yogurt is a good post-dinner dessert. 

So excited to hear all your great ideas & recipes!

Tuesday Motivation

Good morning, amazing ladies! I am so so so so so impressed by all
your great results and hard work this past week.

Keep that great high and momentum to move forward. THIS time is
different. I swear. Think about what hasn't worked in your past with
attempts to lose weight. That knowledge is equal in importance with
what TO do to lose weight successfully and with long-term results and
health in mind.

Now think about the new skill you're learning. No deprivation diets.
No fad eat this and never eat this. Just cutting down calories and
working out as much as it works into your shedule. Just burning more
than you consume. Doing it at a slow and healthy rate that is going to
make the change more lasting and life-long.

You should all be so proud of yourselves! You've made real progress
this week! YOU know yourselves and you can shed away the pounds of
curtains that are drawn over you.

Check out this article: http://weightloss.about.com/od/weightloss101/a/101lesson10.htm

Did anything in there apply to you? I particularly liked the concept
of pushing and peer pressure. That's hard for me. Good reminders are
in this article for all of us. Share your thoughts on it with us, or
other motivational tips!!!!

I hope you all have a phenomenal day!!!!

Monday Morning Check-In

Good Morning, girls!  First Check-in!  Let us know how much you're up or down.  Let us know your thoughts on it.  Let us know what your game plan is for this week.  Keep up the great work & stay strong!  It's a slow journey but it's OH SO WORTH IT!  I know you can do it.

Feel Good Friday

Goooooooooood morning!  It's so sunny here that the brightness is infectious :)  Hope you all can smile at the sun sometime today in your crazy schedules.  There's a light at the end of this winter tunnel!

Today I wanted to share two back-to-back weekly motivational messages from Vanessa Kennon, one on action and one on persistence:

ACTION

"It's been said that we should never leave the site of setting a goal without doing something toward its attainment. No matter how small the act may seem we must do something: write an email, place a phone call, buy a book about the subject matter of your goal, set the stage and prepare but get moving in the direction of your dream! The idea is to do anything that sets in motion the intention of accomplishing the goal.

I've had people say to me "stop talking and SHOW me." What they really were telling me was "take action" to show me you're serious! My mother has always said "action speaks louder than words," oh how this rings true.....nothing is worse than saying you're going to do something and then never doing anything.

What act(s) have you done this week toward the accomplishment of your goals? Remember the size of the action makes no difference. Because if all you ever do are small acts, eventually all those little acts add up to something bigger.

Know that every single step may not produce the outcome you hoped for. That's OK! Because now you know what doesn't work, and knowledge of what does not work is just as important as what does. When it came to the light bulb, Thomas Edison knew 3,000+ acts that didn't work before he learned what DID.

The first step is usually the hardest but once you take it, build on its momentum and take another."

PERSISTENCE

"Some of you may have guessed this topic would follow last week's newsletter that focused on taking "Action". Consistent and PERSISTENT Action must be applied to reach your full potential and achieve the goals you are striving toward. One cannot throw action at a goal every once in awhile; something must be done each and every day!

In watching the Winter Olympics over the last couple of weeks, I was continually impressed at how much hard work, dedication, and Persistence these incredible athletes had given to their chosen sport. Many of them, since they were young children, had practiced and perfected their sport for many hours every day for years on end. Even more impressive were those that had encountered numerous and sometimes devastating set-backs, yet they persisted and overcame.

The truth is this: any dream worth chasing is absolutely going to have roadblocks. The testament to your commitment and desire to achieve will be cultivated in those moments. Actually, I believe they are even a necessary part of the process. It is through those difficult times that we are developed personally enough to handle the position of having achieved our lofty dream. Anything big enough worth "dreaming" about has to be worth the glory of achieving it, and without the set-backs we may not be truly appreciative of its attainment.

Never, never give up! We must press on and overcome any obstacle that should fall in our path. Jack Canfield writes in his book The Success Principles, "Persistence is probably the single most common quality of high achievers. They simply refuse to give up." One of my favorite quotes on this subject is by B.C Forbes, Founder of Forbes magazine: "History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats."

Go forth claiming your dream and be PERSISTENT in its achievement. Eventually you will meet with SUCCESS."

So what do you ladies think of those messages?  "Never, never give up" echoes from Meghan's message yesterday!   I had to highlight my favorite part there in the last one.  Anything worth dreaming is GOING to have obstacles.  Just accept that it's part of the long journey.  You're going to battle those obstacles and if you decide to do something about it, I KNOW you'll find a way around them, through them, or over them, :)  My favorite part is "GO FORTH IN CLAIMING YOUR DREAM!"  So make it a phenomenal weekend, girls!

Feel the Burn Thursday

Good morning, shrinking ladies!   Before talking about exercise, consider this:

"Believe" Author unknown

"You are worthy of reaching for the greatest accomplishments…And you are worthy of achieving them, no matter what other people think of you, no matter what you have done up to this point in life. You are worthy of the best.


You are unique, you are special. You are creative and effective. You have much value to offer, regardless of what anyone has told you. And no one can express that value but you. You are the person who deserves to live your dream. You are the only one who has what it takes to reach that dream.


If you can see it, if you can imagine it, if you can dream it, you are worthy of reaching it. And it is possible. No one will hand it to you. In fact, you’ll strive day and night to reach it. When you give the best you have, when you refuse to be stopped by the obstacles in your way, when you do what must be done, you’ll get what you deserve—a full, rich life that is like no other. Each day, with your thoughts and actions, live up to the fact that you are the best."

Just a little reminder for how awesome you are :) and of course I had to higlight my favorite parts of it.  You are the only one who has what it takes to reach your particular dream.  Everyday is going to be hard work, but love yourself through the journey and take joy in each day's little successes, like Kim so perfectly put yesterday. 

On to exercise!  What exercises have you done so far this week?  What's on the docket for this weekend?  Share with us and be specific so we can all get great ideas for ourselves.  "Refuse to be stopped by the obstacles in your way!"

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday

Good morning, gals!   Hope the first 2 days have gone stellar.  Sounds like it from all your comments, all your water-drinking, all your workouts :) Makes me blubber a little I'm so excited.

So a little Eating 101 for us.  I like that this article says to put some of your dinner calories in your breakfast, and to split your meals in half to spread them out more, doing mini-meals. 

Obviously if you're brand new to MFP or to counting calories, it can be a bit daunting.  To keep myself from becoming overly consumed by the counting aspect of it, I just log in to MFP each morning, enter in what I've got planned for the day ahead of me, and then I'm done.  You don't want to become obsessed or fixated on the counting aspect of it.  Just relax and plan ahead if you can.  Something else to note as you gain more experience w/ counting calories & MFP, you'll start to notice that some foods just tend to make you feel fuller longer, or some "stay with you more."  For instance, a yummy and healthy granola pear homemade muffin (even made w/ wheat flour) for breakfast at 230 calories only stays w/ me for an hour and isn't that filling.  On the other hand, a 200 calorie breakfast scramble of 6 egg whites, 1 cup spinach, & a little tomato basil crumbled feta will fill me up and satisfy me for 3-4 hours.  It's going to be a matter of trial and error with your body.  You'll find foods that mentally and physically fill and satisfy more.  Hey, I understand, sometimes you are willing to take the hit and your whole lunch will consist of a Snicker's candy bar, but if it keeps home murders from happening, I definitely am a proponent.  That's what's cool about the MFP.  Nothing is really off limits.  But, the point of this rambling, is to urge you to hang in there, experiment with lots of different foods and lots of different meals.  Eventually, you'll find a good repertoire of foods that you LOVE and that really fill you up and satisfy you, that give you the energy you need to tackle your excuses.  The more wholesome and the less processed you go, the more full & energizing it should be.  Let me know your thoughts on that! 

I love what Marin said yesterday, that if you fall off the bandwagon for one meal or one day, you jump right back on the bandwagon & the whole thing's not shot, you can recover from it if you DECIDE to.  Choose to be resilient, determined, and courageous. 

Although I am not a Miggy fan, on Biggest Loser last night, I did like what Miggy said in that the biggest change for her in being at the ranch has been learning a more positive attitude and how that has made all the difference in the world.  I also like how she spoke of the real, inner self inside of each of us that is coming forth.  We spoke a lot about that a couple challenges ago.  Inside of you, the fit, trim, healthy, happy, energized you is just rearin' to be let out!  So let's get to opening that door!

Wednesdays are the days we share food ideas, nutrition ideas, recipes, snacks, etc.  So what have you been eating?  Share!  This is the favorite day of so many of us :)

Tuesday Motivation

Good morning, beautiful ladies! How did the first full day go?  Are you feeling pretty proud of yourselves?  You should!  Just a few little reminders to consider today:

• Are you drinking enough water?  You could aim for the old addage of 8 glasses of 8 ounces of water.  Something I prefer b/c it's more realistic for a water-liking-challenged person like me is this fun calculator that takes into effect your gender & body size: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-302--5382-0,00.html
• Are you eating enough?  You shouldn't ever get to the ravenously starving stage.  Eat something light every few hours.  Your metabolism will keep revving along steadily and you'll feel more fulfilled.  Have you tried mini-meals or smaller meals w/ more snacks?  Make sure you're eating those calories you're burning, too, to stay at your net caloric goal and keep your energy up.  If you're at a net calorie for the day LOWER than what MFP says you should be at, you might start feeling low-energy, really fatigued, and your body could go into "starvation mode" meaning it won't burn much and it will store everything you eat instead of burning it for fuel b/c it senses it has no idea when or if its next meal will come.  All bad stuff, right?!  So make sure you're eating ENOUGH! :)
• Are you getting enough sleep?  Being sleep deprived really affects not just your ability to work out, but also your metabolism and mood.  Adults should aim for 8 hours a night if possible (and if not possible, then all you can do is the best you can and that's awesome).  Athletes should aim for 10 hours a night. WHOA!  So depending on how incredible you're doing at your workouts this challenge, you might want to increase your sleep habits a little bit so you don't start draggin' and feeling burnt out.

Onto today's message, which I LOVE!  I know the Olympics are over, but this is just really cool, something I came across that motivated me into action.  It's a motivational newsletter from inside my company, from a really great guy named Harry Hoopis out of Chicago.  The message is a bit lengthy, but pretty cool.  Comment on this post & let us all know your thoughts on it and how it pertains to us and this particular Ten in Six Challenge!:

WHY I LOVE THE OLYMPICS

Whether it’s the Summer or Winter Olympics, I love them. I have thought about this a great deal and have come to the conclusion that it’s not just my Greek heritage that makes me feel this way. In fact, while I am very proud of it, I know that it’s not about heritage, but instead, the significant statement that the Olympic Games make. The first Olympiad was held in 776BC and was held initially as a religious festival to honor the supreme god of gods, Zeus. The games lasted for 1170 years until 393 AD when they were abolished by the Christian Roman Emperor Theodosius.

The Greeks loved the Olympics because they put great emphasis on fitness and athletics and its importance to a good mind. Because being an Olympic Champion was so significant, the athletes competed for honor, not material goods. A simple wreath made from a sacred olive tree was the symbol of their accomplishment. After an absence of 1500 years the Olympics were brought back by a Frenchmen who shared the thinking that a strong body was important for a strong mind. Thus Baron Pierre de Coubertin is credited with bringing back the Olympics as International Games in 1896. I am personally grateful he did this for the world.

So as I thought about the games this week, I couldn’t help but think of the lessons that they teach, if we are willing to look below the hype and the competition itself. For while we have only three medals, Bronze, Silver and Gold; each and every one of these athletes are champions. They are champions for what it has taken for them to make it to Vancouver this winter. So today I would like to make some comparisons to what it takes to be an Olympic athlete and what it takes for you to win your greatest personal victory. And that victory is, as Aristotle told us 2300 years ago when he said this,” the greatest of victories is the victory over Self”. Imagine 2300 years ago and Greeks were writing self help books! :)

So here is how I will summarize my thoughts on your personal greatness and the Olympic champions.

The Five P’s

Preparation,

Perseverance,

Patience,

Persistence

Performance

First think about the preparation that it takes for an Olympian to make it to the Games? The hours and hours of training, practice and disappointment, all with nothing more than the dream of a medal. When, I wonder, does someone see the possibility that they can qualify for the Olympics? When do they finally believe in themselves enough to begin the arduous task of working toward that dream?

So the first P, Preparation, is about creating a dream, believing in yourself more than anyone else probably does and then taking the steps to get there. This will include a good coach and a commitment to excellence. You too, need a dream and like the Olympians of the Ancient games, you need to do it for honor, not material things. Honor, to me, is doing the right things for your family, religious beliefs and community.

The second P, Perseverance, is what it takes to get from the dream to the reality of just how hard this is going to be. How many kids talk about being a Navy Seal, a Doctor, and Astronaut, only to abandon their dream at the first sign of hard work? Do you think an Olympian ever has days when things didn’t go well? Do you think they ever consider quitting? My guess, everyone of them will tell you they thought of quitting numerous times. Do you think about quitting your dream? Do you play hurt like so many Olympians, or do you call in sick with a sniffle?

The third P, Patience is about your staying power. It’s about endurance and your ability to allow skills to catch up with dreams. Being realistic about the time it will take to make it to the top. The great athletes of the Olympics know this well. How many did we hear about this week, who had to wait four more years for their next chance? How many had a bad break, an injury, a fall and still came back, four years later? The dream never dies!

The fourth P, Persistence is what all champions have. My mentor, Don Clifton always said a winner “increases his/her persistence in the face of resistance.” Your ability to persist is a skill, not just a feeling. No one achieves without persistence.

The fifth P, Performance is what we have after we have done all the rest. Our performance is simply the culmination of our preparation, perseverance, patience and persistence. This is the payoff for the practice, the hours and hours of practice. Is your practice in alignment with your desired level of achievement? If you were in front of the judges for the Olympics of Life, how would they rate your performance?

So as we watch the Olympics come to a close this weekend, don’t let the memory of great achievement fade. Don’t let the emotion you felt as you watched an Olympic performance leave you. Decide now that you too can win the greatest victory of all, victory over Self!

So why do I love the Olympics? I love the Olympics because it is the greatest manifestation of Human ability. It’s about ordinary people, doing extraordinary things. Remember, anything you ardently desire and earnestly work toward will eventually come to pass.

(alright, and this cake is just funny :) )

Make it a great day, girls!

First Day of the New Challenge

Good morning, weight loss wonder women! Hope you’re feeling great this morning- excited, refreshed, and rejuvenated for a fantastic 6 weeks ahead of us. For those who are brand new- Amy F., Carla, Isolde, Marnie, & Marin (the original creator of this blog now back post-baby)-WELCOME! Can’t wait to get to know you better & hear all you have to contribute to this great group of ladies. For the rest of us who are continuing on from previous challenges- let’s ramp it up a level to really bring it this time around!

To all of us, we have our own individual excuses for falling out of fitness or for gaining that extra weight over the years or for not getting our sneakers on or for not finding the time to work out or for not having the energy to plan healthy eating. Only you can determine what your excuses are, and chances are you know them better than you’d like to know them- you’re intimate bosom buddies w/ those dang excuses. Many are going to be unique to just you and your psyche or just you and your current living dynamics. But whatever those excuses are, determine today that you’re going to do your darndest to challenge them! Sever the umbilical cord to those excuses that kept you plump and sedated. Adios, excuses! It’s a daily choice to challenge them- it’s not a once at the beginning of this challenge. For many of us, it’s multiple times every day even AFTER you think you have a habit established. And speaking of habits, it takes at LEAST a good 6 weeks to develop a habit, so give yourself the full 6 weeks of trying really hard to live a healthy lifestyle. Show your body who is boss. Mind over matter. Daily decisions on our attitude. Feel GREAT again!

This morning you should have weighed in and taken your body measurements (whatever areas you want to track: I like tracking a ton of areas like waist, hips, bum, thighs, calves, ribcage, bust, neck, upper arm, etc. Gosh darn it, I’m gonna see a millimeter loss somewhere :) You also should have entered these measurements into your My Fitness Pal profile and made sure that today’s starting weight is the only weight that shows up in there so that your badge on the ride side of this blog starts at ZERO lbs lost. For instructions on that, see the last post, or let me know and I can walk you through it.

Starting today, you're going to begin tracking everything you eat or drink in MFP and tracking every calorie you burn in MFP.  Whatever you entered in for your goals, MFP will determine a daily net calorie value that you should aim for.  If you workout and burn x number of calories, then you eat the calories you burn to get to that net calorie value.  Make sense?  You'll should get it when you play around w/ it enough, but let me know what questions you have & I can help you walk through it.

Alright, blog housekeeping out of the way, how are you all feeling today????!!!! Browse all the side bar names, bios, and rewards. Comment on today’s post by clicking “Challengers Check-in” underneath the post. You may have to log in w/ your Google/Blogger account (free to create one if you don’t have one already) or you can also just make it an anonymous comment, but tell us who you so we know. Introduce yourselves, welcome the new gals, and share w/ everybody (even if you did before) exactly WHY you’re going to lose this weight. I love this part!  Hearing everyone's reasons is motivating for all of us!

Introduction & Set Up for Newbies- What's this All About?????

This Ten in Six blog is a free support group environment for ladies looking to lose 10 lbs in 6 weeks. We are from all across the country and challenge our own individual excuses every day to live a healthier, active lifestyle. The only rule for participation in this blog is that you've got to try your darndest to be positive and uplifting. Over time, you'll get to know each other a little, cheer & be cheered, uplift & be uplifted, inspire & be inspired. Weight loss and lifestyle renovating take time- it's a marathon and not a sprint. This awesome group of gals will help you on your journey, whether your just starting out, if you're almost to your goal, or even if you're aiming to maintain. No fad diets, just honestly trying our hardest to make overall changes for the better in our habits.


There are a few keys to this blog's success: First, everyone's holding you accountable, in a positive and fun way, to whatever goal you've set for yourself. No nagging, but just encouragement, girls excited to hear how you're doing. Second, we have awesome tools for tracking calories burned & calories consumed with the My Fitness Pal free online profile, and awesome tips & tricks for healthy lifestyles from all the girls participating in this blog. And third, we keep healthy living at the forefront of your thoughts each day by either emailing you the post each weekday or emailing you every time another challenger comments.

Regarding the subject matter of the posts, Mondays are typically check-in days, Tuesdays & Fridays motivation days, Wednesdays recipe/snack sharing days, & Thursdays workout sharing days. Check it out by scrolling through our older posts over the last few months. You can also click on any topic that interests you in the cloud of topics on the left side of the blog and it will pull up all posts with that particular topic as the label.

So, are you in? We hope so! If you are, follow these steps to get all set up on the program. This next Ten in Six challenge will begin with weigh-in & measurements on Monday morning March 1st and will conclude with weigh-in & measurements on Monday morning April 12th.

Create a free personal profile on the My Fitness Pal website. This is what you'll use to enter in your goals, weight, measurements, calories consumed, calories burned, etc. If you already have a profile, zero it out by deleting the past weight measurements (Click "Home, "Click "Check in," Click "Edit Past Entries," at bottom, delete all old entries).  You don't have to delete the past measuring tape measurements.

When you're in the My Fitness Pal profile, click on the tab that's called "Tools." Then click on the link in the middle of the page that says "Get Your Personalized Weight Loss Badge Now." Then the second badge on the left down from the top, copy & paste that code to me in an email.

Email me (sarah.a.weight at hotmail dot com) your first name (or screen name if you want to stay anonymous), badge code, and what you want in your little bio on the right side bar. I'd love to see what your favorite workout is, what your favorite healthy snack is, what your goal for this challenge is, and what your reward will be when you succeed (massage, manicure/pedicure, new pair of jeans, new pair of shoes, new workout outfit, new swimsuit, new iPod, weekend getaway, new haircut, new healthy kitchen gadget, new bra, new make-up, new CD/iTunes album, etc.). Also let me know if you want your email address added to the blog so that whenever another challenger posts, it goes straight into your email inbox (I got this fancy schmancy automatic forwarding thing from a special ten in six gmail account going on last challenge). And of course you could choose to not be emailed at all.  As of 2/26/2010, I have room for 6 additional email addresses to receive updates- new participants who aren't already getting the post/comment updates via email.

On the morning of Monday, March 1st, log into your My Fitness Pal profile and enter your starting weight and all the starting measurements you want to (read the instructions "How to Accurately Weight & Measure Yourself"). Start tracking calories consumed & calories burned through workouts. Check in daily to the blog here to let us know how it's going, what you're up to, share your successes & encouragement, etc. I'll ask for specific things in the posts for you to add your comment on or to check-in on, too.

Other things to note: Weights will be private (unless you want to share) b/c we'll just be reporting how much weight and how many inches we drop; no one will know the starting #s. No references to last names for security purposes please, or neighborhoods you live in, or which trail you're going to be running on at a specific time in the future, etc. Just be smart. I don't want to have to go private with the blog. Let me know your favorite songs on your workout playlist and I'll add them to the workout playlist playing at the bottom of the blog. I will also be doing 2 side challenges (one the second week and one the fourth week) for fun prizes.

NEW THIS CHALLENGE:  Email me and let me know if you want to be a guest blogger!  I'm always looking for fresh ideas for posts and fresh articles/studies/research/ideas to share on here.  A genius girlfriend suggested to me last night having a sign up for the various 10 in 6 gals to create the daily post some days.  I love it!  And I think you guys will, too!  So I'm just going to manage it for now privately via email.  Feel free to email to me a Motivation post, a Nutrition post, a Workout post, a Feel Good post, etc.  I'll be compiling them all in a big document on my computer and will pepper them throughout the 6 weeks of the challenge and of course give credit to who wrote the post.  I can't wait for this to freshen things up on here!  Also, let me know via email if you want to provide a prize for a side challenge winner!

If you were on the last Ten in Six Challenge and want to continue, just remember to zero out your info & send me any updates you want to your bio and what your new reward is going to be :)

If you were on the last Ten in Six Challenge and DON'T want to continue, just let me know and I'll delete off your bio, badge, & email address.

So go out and get all your girlfriends, moms, sisters, etc. to jump on the challenge here and decide now to challenge their excuses and reach the fitness goals they want to hit! I am so excited for this to start up a fresh round :) Let me know if something's unclear in the instructions above.

Final Check-In

Good morning, beautiful ladies!!!! It's the last day of this
particular challenge. Let us know the weekly & final results from the
scale, the measuring tape, & your thoughts/feelings/lessons learned.

Side-Challenge

Alright, you creative cats :). Email me a pic of your healthy recipe
albums! As plain, as techy, as simple, or as extravagant as you want.
I will post them all on here. Say, by the end of the day Monday? All
participants will be put in a drawing for a fun prize!!!!
Tomorrow morning is final weigh-in and final measuremets. I am
thinking then the usual 1 week off then start the next Ten in Six
Challenge on March 1st? What do you think?

Cherise
Here is one of the recipes from my Healthy Recipe Album . . .

Kim
I loved this challenge, however, it is still a work in progress and I still have a lot to do to finish it. So I bought a very basic 3 ring binder and typed up my favorite/healthy recipes and divided them into sections breakfast, lunch, dinner, sides, desserts and snacks and I even tried to find a picture to go along with the recipe. I also have a section that shows measuring equivalents and another that shows emergency substitutions. I am still working on showing the nutritional facts for each recipe but at least I am off to a good start and this will really help me in reaching my goals!

Sarah
Here's my inspiration and here's what I've got worked up so far.  It's a big 12" x 12" scrapbook w/ 4 x 6 openings in each clear page inside.  It's divided into different sections.  Here's the beginnings of my chicken section.  I plan on adding more recipes and more photos throughout the years...... 

Feel Good Friday

HORRAY for the WEEKEND! 

Hope Leslie & Heidi are having fun on their vacations this weekend :) 

This weekend, try having positive interactions with everyone you come across, whether it's friends, family, kids, spouses, or strangers at the grocery store.  It will build you up like you can't even imagine.  And it will pump you up with more resolve!   What I love about the following article is that it is just as detrimental to be 100% positive to others as it is to be 0% positive to others.  You've got to find that percentage that is real, that is you, that makes you and others around you successful and happy.  And I think this applies to us in our own weight loss & fitness journeys.  If we're in a good mood, doesn't that make us want to work out & be careful with what we eat?  If we're in a negative mood, doesn't that make us want to seek the sofa & comfort foods?  So if there's any tactic or strategy out there for increasing the # of our good moods and decreasing the # of our negative moods, shouldn't we at least give it a shot?  Taking it a step further, looking at our interactions with those we deal with on a regular basis, are they building us up or are they discouraging us?  Try limiting (hard to do, but sometimes necessary) your interactions w/ those who always leave you downtrodden or discouraged.  Try increasing the # of your interactions w/ those who uplift you, motivate you, support you, listen to you, cheer for you, etc.  Result?  More peace and more productivity.  AND more success in your weight loss & fitness goals!

From Jon Gordon:

The Power of Positive Interactions

"John Gottman's pioneering research found that marriages are much more likely to succeed when the couple experiences a 5 to 1 ratio of positive to negative interactions whereas when the ratio approaches 1 to 1, marriages are more likely to end in divorce. Additional research also shows that workgroups with positive to negative interaction ratios greater than 3 to 1 are significantly more productive than teams that do not reach this ratio.


So what does this mean for you and me? For most of us it means we need to increase the number of positive interactions we have at home and at work and reduce our negative interactions.


We need to engage each other with more smiles, kind words, encouragement, gratitude, meaningful conversations, honest dialogues and sincere positive interactions. And to foster these actions we need to create personal and team rituals that help us interact more positively. If we make them part of our organizational process and individual habits they are more likely to happen.


For instance, at home you might decide to take a walk with your spouse each night after dinner and talk about the positive things that happened at work. The more you practice this the more it will become ingrained in your life. At work you might make it a point to smile at your co-workers and customers more often. As a manager you would spend more time praising your employees for the things they do right rather than always focusing on what everyone is doing wrong. A manager I know makes it a point to personally praise 5 people every week. As an organization you might gather all of your employees on a call once a day to share a positive message. Or perhaps you might gather your sales team together each week and have your team members share success stories. The ideas are infinite. The key is to intentionally cultivate more positive interactions to fuel success.


However, please know that this doesn't mean we should never have negative interactions. There is research by Barbara Fredrickson from the University of Michigan that shows if a work group in a company experiences a positive to negative interaction ratio of 13 to 1 the work group will be less effective. This implies that no one is willing to confront the real problems and challenges that are holding them back. Sometimes we need to confront a situation to move past it and, as we know, ignoring problems that stare us in the face doesn't work. Negative interactions are necessary so long as they occur much less frequently than positive interactions."

OK, ladies.  Now comment and tell us how you have gotten yourself surrounded by people who believe in you and support you in your weight loss & fitness journeys!  How did you get your families on board w/ supporting your new lifestyle?  How do you handle negative family members or friends who either don't believe in you or who are jealous of your weight loss success?  How do you remain upbeat and determined to hit your goals?  Do you do it all alone w/ a one-woman-cheering-section? 

Feel the Burn Thursday!

Work out, you shrinking divas, you!

What ways have you been burning those muscles, melting that fat, breaking that sweat?????? 

Let us all know what workouts you've been doing.  Anything new?  Even if it's the same ol' same ol', let us know what you're up to!

I heard Ashley has been busting a killer move w/ a neighbor workout buddy to The Biggest Loser workout DVDs.  GO ASHLEY GO!!!!!

The new issue of Fitness just graced my mailbox yesterday.  Front cover was "Yes, You Can Run a Half-Marathon"  All about setting a goal for your first race and an 8 week schedule for building up your ability to run that distance.  Have any of you set race goals (for any kind of distance)?  What are your race goals coming up this year?  I find an impending deadline like a race is a fun and great tool for getting you to workout.  Something fun to look forward to!

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday?

GoOd MoRnIn' GiRlS!!!!!!

I hope you're having a fantastic hump day today.  So my fav discussion topic ever on this blog is the recipe swapping.  SO HORRAY for today!  Everybody, share what you've been eating lately for snacks & meals, share yummy new recipes  you've come across, share favorites, etc.

This morning I had the yummiest breakfast I've had in a really long time!  Hubby scrambled together egg whites, spinach, and sun-dried tomato crumbled feta.  The flavor combination was stellar!  I usually have 6 egg whites & he usually has 10-12 egg whites.  Yes, we go through a lot of eggs :)  But they're cheap & healthy, high in protein.  Only 17 calories per egg white.  And I've mentioned on here before, diff variations would be just toss in whatever cheese and whatever veggies you have on hand.  We like tomatoes & sliced mushrooms especially.

On Monday night I made this Chipotle-Glazed Chicken w/ Sweet Potatoes recipe for the first time and I'd give it 5 out of 5 stars for sure.  So delicious & the unusual flavor combinations I wasn't sure about ahead of time, but dang, they're great together!   I followed this recipe minus cilantro for garnish but I halved the chicken breasts: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/quick-recipes/dinner/6-quick-chicken-recipes/

Something else I'd love to hear today is how you all prepare ahead of time to save time in meal planning and prep.  Shanda posted on here a long time ago about washing and cutting up all her fruit & veggies for snacks and meals Sunday night and putting them into little baggies/containers so she's all ready to grab a quick serving of them during the week.  I love that idea. 

For me, I meal plan once a week (tonight's the night), and although it's a pain and takes at least an hour, I plan out what all our snacks & meals are going to be for the coming week.  Then I go to the grocery store to get all the stuff.  When I get home I dice up all the tomatoes & put them in a container in the fridge, wash the apples & remove the stickers, etc.  Wash the already-sliced mushrooms & put in fridge.  That saves time for making quick egg scrambles in the morning, or tossing stuff in salads.  Again, it takes time up front, but if it's the difference of healthy eating vs. non-healthy eating, I'll do it.  And it saves time during the week.

Something else I like to do to save time (granted, it's just me & hubby eating at our place) is make big dinners, then package up the leftovers into however many servings are supposed to be left and put those little serving-size containers in the fridge for lunches for the week.  Like Monday night I made this Chipotle chicken, and it was 6 servings, so we each had a serving that night, then I packaged up the remaining 4 helpings into 4 containers and we each had it for lunch yesterday and lunch today. 

I also keep a box of reduced-fat triscuits in my desk drawer at work, so that in the morning at home I don't need to count out 7 crackers and put them in a ziploc bag to take to work.  Saves myself a minute or two in the morning.

I'm sure you all have fantastic ideas and I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear them all!  I'm always looking to save more time for the fun stuff of life :)

Tuesday Motivation

Good morning, girls!

It's our last week in this challenge!  I am so excited for all of you having seen progress, having gained confidence, and having re-ignited that burning drive to succeed inside of you! 

For some, have your results slowed and that discourages you?  Has life been crazy to the point of pulling out your hair and finding motivation difficult?  Are you battling the winter blues?  Have you fallen off the wagon?  Let's all help bandage you up and get you on your way again!

(this picture cracked me up :) )

Check out these fun motiviational articles. Even if you're rocking this and you're not just on the wagon but you're driving the sexiest and fasted dang wagon in the world, these are still some good tips to keep motivation up:

Fallen off the Wagon? 4 Ways to Get Back on Track

• Great!  "Gaining weight is a “problem” that can be fixed. So, I thought back to how I felt when I first began losing weight, and remembered the excitement and the high expectations of weight loss. Rekindling these feelings instantly motivated me to work hard toward my goal once again."
• And as you all know from my little materialistic pick-me-ups: "One of the best ways to motivate myself is bribery. I buy a cute workout top or download a few songs onto my iPod, and suddenly my DVR seems a little less enticing. And if that’s what it takes to get back to the gym, I consider it a small splurge well spent!"

7 Things You Can Do Today to Get Back on Track with your Diet

• I LOVE this suggestion: "When you have the time, take a moment to list all of the reasons *why* you are committed to a healthy lifestyle. Why do it at all?  Unless you know the *why*, you won't know the *how*. Any small difficulty will throw you off balance.  So your homework assignment is to list at least 25 benefits or reasons for eating well (however you define it at this point) and exercising. Then put this list in a place where you can see it!"

Dieting Setbacks: How to Get Back on Track After Regaining Weight

• Of course we know gaining a pound or staying the same is not the end of the world.  Pay attention to those clothes and measurements- that's what really matters!  "Noticing weight gain on the scale, however, can mean a number of things and may not be due to overeating or falling off the band wagon. Regaining weight can be due to water retentions, muscle growth or your body adjusting to the diet and lifestyle change. Taking your body measurements and noticing how your clothes fit are often better indicators of progress than relying solely on the scale for verification of weight loss."
  

Just reading through all these articles and seeing that Google has a bajillion of them, I feel better already, knowing it's a common dilemna people face, just part of the healthy lifestyle attempts, and that I'm not alone or I'm not weak for having a low-motivation week (or two weeks).  I am normal.  I am more than normal- I rock :)  haha  I am pumped up and determined to make THIS WEEK AMAZING!  And I'm ok if I don't lose anything- it's the health, the energy, and the good body feelings that I'm going for.  I won't be so hard on myself.  I will be excited for every day that I've lived a healthy lifestyle b/c it's one more day that will be tacked onto the end of my life.  

What are your thoughts?  How do you guys re-motivate yourselves?

Monday Morning Check-in

Good moring, girls!
Let us know how your 5th week went! How much are you up or down? What
is your game plan for making this a great final week and push for your
6 week goal?

Feel Good Friday

Hey, everybody!  Post your favorite quotes or gems about goals, dreams, success, achievement, endurance, etc.  Inspire us to make it our BEST WEEKEND EVER! 

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. ~Henry Ford

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. ~T.S. Eliot [This one makes me laugh when I think about my distance running...hahahaha]
 
The road leading to a goal does not separate you from the destination; it is essentially a part of it. ~Charles DeLint

Success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire. ~Arnold H. Glasow
 
If you want to make your dreams come true, the first thing you have to do is wake up. ~J.M. Power
 
Life's problems wouldn't be called "hurdles" if there wasn't a way to get over them. ~Author Unknown
 
Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresea, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein. ~Life's Little Instruction Book, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

It is never too late to be who you might have been. ~George Eliot

It is easier to go down a hill than up, but the view is best from the top. ~Arnold Bennett
 
Motivation is when your dreams put on work clothes. ~Author Unknown
 
Try not. Do or do not. There is no try. ~Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back

The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It's your mind you have to convince. ~ Vince Lombardi
 
The world of achievement has always belonged to the optimist. ~ Harold Wilkins
 
When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. ~ Harriet Beecher Stowe
 
Your body is the baggage you must carry through life. The more excess the baggage, the shorter the trip. ~ Arnold H. Glasgow
 
[The following are all from this site, but most don't have where they came from cited- sorry!]
 
Success is not a race, be patient.
Success leads to success.
Success is always a work in progress.
Success doesn't come to you--you go to it.
Success is a journey, not a destination. Focus on the process.
Some people dream about success... while others wake up and work hard at it.
Success is achieved and maintained by those who try-and keep trying.
Everyday is a good day to SUCCEED!
If at first you don't succeed-try, try again

When you get to a plateau, think of it as a landing on the stairway to your goal. And maintenance is a lifelong plateau, so a bit of "rehearsal" for maintenance isn't the worst thing in the world.

"Any experience can be transformed into something of value. Everything depends on the way you look at things. You cannot have the success without the failures.

What are stumbling blocks and defeat before you, can be stepping stones to victory if you remain determined.

In all your adversities there lies the seeds of equivalent advantages. In every defeat there is a lesson showing you how to win the next time.

I wake up every day with the realization that this is it, that there's only one shot at this life and I can either enjoy the ride and live it to its fullest and to my highest potential or I can stay the way I am.

Make the decision, then do something - no matter how small - toward accomplishing what you want.

Persevere and you will win the prize.

You get whatever you settle for.

Your past does not equal, nor does it dictate, your future.

One definition of insanity is: Doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result.

Do you choose to simply know the path, or do you choose to walk it?

We fail because we don't strike the iron while it's hot. We don't take immediate action toward achieving what we want. We decide to wait until tomorrow, or next week, or even next month.

It comes down to a simple question: what do you want out of life, and what are you willing to do to get it?

Be specific in what you want, and use specific words. Empower yourself, and become the person you dream about

Listen closely: the only time it's too late to change yourself is when you're dead. Until then, you're simply making excuses or lying to yourself.

If you didn't need a pill to get fat, why would you need one to get unfat?

You won't fail if you're not perfect, you'll fail if you're not committed to improving yourself slightly each day.

Rather than aiming for being perfect, just aim to be little bit better today than you were yesterday.

We can reverse years of damage to our bodies by deciding to raise our standards for ourselves, then living differently. Old wounds heal, injuries repair, and the whole system improves with just a few changes in what we put into our bodies and how we move them.

"Anything is possible, It's your choice whether or not you choose to make IT happen."

What would you attempt, if you knew you could not fail?

Discipline is remembering what you want.

"You have failed only when you quit trying. Until then, you're still in the act of progression. So, never quit trying and you'll never be a failure.---Tommy Kelley

"If we defend our habits, we have no intentions of quitting them."

"When one approach is not working to reach the desired goal, that's not a reason to abandon the goal. Instead, it is time to devise another approach."------Ralph Marston

If you want what you do not have, you must do what you have not done.

Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels.

IT'S NOT ABOUT HOW GOOD YOU ARE BUT HOW BAD YOU WANT IT!!

Food for Thought: The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Strengthen Your Desire! Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small amount of fire makes a small amount of heat.

Your body keeps an accurate journal regardless of what you write down...

Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future. ~ Deepak Chopra ~

He who gets up one more time than he falls, makes it through...

Determination today leads to success tomorrow!

Quitting is NOT an option.

I can do this...I know I can. It's just going to take time & patience.
Start doing what's necessary, then do what's possible, and suddenly you'll be doing the impossible!

My life tomorrow will be the result of my attitudes and the choices I make today."

In this age, which believes that there is a short cut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is, in the long run, the easiest! --Henry Miller

My world is expanding as my butt is shrinking!

"Don't sacrifice your future for a momentary pleasure"

"Never give up on a dream just because of the length of time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway."

A year from now, you may wish you had started today- Robert Schuller

"If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got"

"Never trade what you want the most for what you want at the moment"

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.- Anatole France

Great changes may not happen right away, but with effort even the difficult may become easy.- Bill Blackma

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall" - Confucious

"The greatest thing you have is the 24 hours in front of you.
The past is gone; the future is distant.
Today you CAN succeed.
Set a goal you can achieve in the next 24 hours."

"The fishermen know the sea is dangerous and the storms are terrible, but they have never found a sufficient reason to remain on shore." Vincent Van Gogh

"Obstacles are what we see when we take our eyes off the goal." Rita Davenport

"The odds of hitting a target go up dramatically when you aim at it." Mal Pancoast

"Things that seem hard are not always that hard. Put one foot in front of the other, and you'll get to the end."

"Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your Destiny." Frank Outlaw

"If you've invested enough effort and energy to get discouraged, you're well on your way to success. Discouragement is a certain weigh station on the road to any worthwhile achievement.
If you know and care enough to be discouraged, you've made considerable progress. Learn what the discouragement has to teach you and then continue moving forward. It may seem as though you'll never make it, but in reality you're already there. Discouragement tempers and hardens you; it does not stop you.
Reflect on your discouragement and you'll discover that it is a result of your commitment. You've already invested your time, your effort, your life. Soon, you'll reap the full reward of that investment. Let discouragement spur you on.
Motivation is born of desire. The stronger the desire for something, the stronger the motivation.
Endeaver to keep the promises we make to ourselves... We deserve to be treated with the same love and respect that we would give to others....." (By CW on bootcamp buddies)

Climb The Mountain
I tried to climb the mountain today. As I inched my way up the path, I felt out of breath and had to turn back.
I tried to climb the mountain today. But, It was so hot outside, I thought I had better stay in my nice air-conditioned house and rest up for tomorrow's attempt.
I tried to climb the mountain today. On my journey, darkness started to fall and I was full of fear, so I had to return to a safe place.
I was ready to climb the mountain today. But I had so may other things to do, so instead of climbing the mountain I took care of the much more important tasks; I washed my car, mowed the grass and watched the big game. Today the mountain will have to wait.
I was going to climb the mountain today. But as I stared at the mountain in all it's majestic beauty, I knew I had no chance of making it to the top, so I figured why even begin trying.
I had forgotten about climbing the mountain today, until an old friend came by and asked what I was up to lately. I told him about all my plans to climb that mountain someday. I went on and on about how I was going to accomplish the task.
He stopped me and said, "I just got back from climbing that mountain. for the longest time I told myself I was going to try to climb it but never made any progress."
"I almost let the dream of making it to the top die. I came up with every excuse of why I could not make it up the mountain, but never once did I give myself a reason why I could. One day as I stared at the mountain and pondered, I realized that if I didn't make an attempt at this dream all my dreams would eventually die."
" The next morning, I started my climb. It was not easy, and at times I wanted to quit. But no matter what I faced, I placed one foot in front of the other, keeping a steady pace. When the wind tried to blow me over the edge, I kept walking. When the voices inside my head screamed, stop! I focused on my goal, never letting it out of sight. I kept moving forward. I could not quit because I knew I had come too far to stop now. Time and time again, I reassured myself that I was going to finish this journey. I struggled mightily to make it to the top, but I CLIMBED THE MOUNTAIN."
"I have to be going," my friend said. "Tomorrow is a new day to accomplish more dreams. By the way what are you going to do tomorrow?"
I looked at him, with intensity and confidence in my eyes, and said, "I HAVE A MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB."Author unknown

"When you name your fear you can face it. When you face it you can defeat it!" By CW on bootcamp buddies
"Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles; it empties today of its strength." Author unknown

Someone will always be prettier.
They will always be smarter.
Their house will be bigger.
They will drive a better car.
Their children will do better in school.
And their husband will fix more things around the house.
So let it go,
and love you and your circumstances.
Think about it.
The prettiest woman in the world can have hell in her heart.
And the most highly favored
Woman on your job may be unable to have children.
And the richest woman you know,
she's got the car, the house, the clothes....might be lonely.
And the word says if "I have not Love, I am nothing."
So, again, love you.
Love who you are.
Look in the mirror in the morning and smile and say
"I am too blessed to be stressed and too anointed to be disappointed!"

"Winners make things happen. Losers let things happen."

"To the world you might be one person, but to one person you just might be the world".

"Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently" - Henry Ford

One sure way to avoid mistakes is to avoid taking action. But in the long run, avoiding action would be the biggest mistake of all, for nothing would ever get done.

If you're going to move forward, you're going to make some wrong turns along the way. Don't let that stop you from proceeding.

There will be many times when you'll look back and wish you had done things differently. Don't let that stop you from moving forward.

Mistakes are bad enough on their own. Don't be so afraid of them that you avoid life itself.

Every mistake you've ever made is now in the past. The way to move ahead is to leave them there.

Learn from where you went wrong, then step confidently and positively forward. For now is your time to live and to act. -Ralph Marston
"There is no fate that plans men's lives. Whatever comes to us, good or bad, is usually the result of our own action or lack of action."- Herbert N. Casson

What would you do right now if you knew that everything today would turn out perfectly? What project would you start, what person would you talk to, what problem would you tackle if you could be assured of success?  Is there anything you're putting off because you're afraid of failure? Is there anyone you're avoiding because you're afraid of what they would say or think?  There is no guarantee of success. But there is a guarantee that if you never go for it, you'll never have it. And even in the failed attempts, you'll learn and grow. There is no guarantee that other people will think highly of all you say and do. But that's their
problem.  Do you believe in the worth of your own pursuits? If so, then what could possibly prevent you from following them? If you're looking for a sure thing, then here's one -- everything you achieve will come
only from the things you attempt. In order to succeed, you must proceed. Today is a great day to start.

"Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent." - Marilyn Vos Savant

Momentum can be difficult to establish. And that's what makes it so valuable.
Because once you have it going in your favor, momentum can be hard to stop. With momentum on your side, small efforts can bring big results, and those big results can lead to even bigger ones.
Yes, momentum takes some effort and commitment to put into motion. And it is very much worth the trouble.
Take the time and make the effort to start something positive. Even though, in the short term, it would be easier and more comfortable to just do nothing, look past those immediate concerns.
Look ahead to that point where momentum kicks in, and consider the value of putting it to work in your favor. Then get up, get going, and get to work on building that momentum.
Start something positive, and create some valuable momentum. You'll be able to ride that momentum as far as you can imagine. - Ralph Marston

When you've eaten too much and you can't write it down,
And you feel like the biggest failure in town.
When you want to give up just because you gave in,
and forget all about being healthy and thin.
So What! You went over your points a bit,
It's your next move that counts...So don't you quit!
It's a moment of truth, it's an attitude change.
It's learning the skills to get back in your range.
It's telling yourself, "You've done great up till now.
You can take on this challenge and beat it somehow."
It's part of your journey toward reaching your goal.
You're still gonna make it, just stay in control.
To stumble and fall is not a disgrace,
If you summon the will to get back in the race.
But, often the strugglers, when loosing their grip,
Just throw in the towel and continue to slip.
And learn too late when the damage is done,
that the race wasn't over...they still could have won.
Lifestyle change can be awkward and slow,
but facing each challenge will help you grow.
Success is failure turned inside out,
the silver tint in a cloud of doubt.
When you're pushing to the brink, just refuse to submit,
If you bite it, you write it....But don't you quit!
- Author Unknown

Only One Pound
Hello, do you know me?
If you don't, you should. I'm a pound of fat,
And I'm the HAPPIEST pound of fat that you would ever want to meet.
Want to know why?
It's because no one ever wants to lose me;
I'm ONLY ONE POUND, just a pound!
Everyone wants to lose three pounds, five pounds, or fifteen pounds, but never only one.
So I just stick around and happily keep you fat.
Then I add to myself, ever so slyly, so that you never seem to notice it.
That is, until I've grown to ten, twenty, thirty or even more pounds in weight.
Yes, it's fun being ONLY ONE POUND OF FAT, left to do as I please.
So, when you weigh in, keep right on saying, "Oh, I only lost one pound."
For you see, if you do this, you'll encourage others to keep me around because they'll think I'm not worth losing.
And, I love being around you - your arms, your legs, your chin, your hips and every part of you.
Happy Days!!!
After all, I'm ONLY ONE POUND OF FAT!!!
- Author Unknown

You must act as if it is impossible to fail.~Ashanti Proverb

"The road to someday, leads to the town of nowhere. Procrastination is the silent killer." ~Anthony Robbins

"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow." ~Ronald E. Osborn

"There are two choices really.  You can either surrender to the pressures of life and the struggles of this particular battle....or you continue the fight...and do so with even more vengence and determination to reach your goals then you did before.  I choose the fight.....I know what it will get me." ~ Kim - Getting2Goal.com

"Focus on where you want to go, not on what you fear." ~Anthony Robbins

"The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for."~Maureen Dowd

"There is no one giant step that does it. It's a lot of little steps." ~Peter A. Cohen

"When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us." ~Alexander Graham Bell

"Clear your mind of can't." ~Dr. Samuel Johnson

"You can't be a winner and be afraid to lose." ~Charles Lynch

"Failure is not fatal; failing to change will be." ~John Wooden

"Men succeed when they realize that their failures are the preparation for their victories." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased."  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Success is not a place that we aspire to, it is a process in which we live by. Often the only ingredient being the ability to not quit" - author unkown

AND IMAGINE
Recall the things that have held you back. And imagine how you now
can get beyond them.
Think of the problems that have frustrated you so. And imagine how
you can now rise above them.
Look at how far you've come. And imagine how far you can now go.
Think of all that you've learned. And imagine what you can now do
with that knowledge.
Consider all you've done in the past year. And imagine what you'll
now be able to do.
You're now in a better position than ever to imagine the very best.
And what you can imagine will lead to what you can be.
-- Ralph Marston

“We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.” ~Jane Austen

And these are some of the LDS quotes from my Creation Jar:
“No choice is insignificant, for we become what we think about."
-President Thomas S. Monson
“You can become what you think about. We can become the masters of our own destinies by practicing self-discipline and by setting worthy goals that will lead to higher ground so that we can become what our Heavenly Father wants us to become.”
-Elder M. Russell Ballard

“Few things in life have more impact on what we become than what we think of ourselves.”- Burton C. Kelly

“It is the decision of each of us as to the character we play in this drama—as to what kind of person we are or will become. We make that selection by what we think.”
-Elder Royden G. Derrick

“What we seek determines what we think and do. What we think and do determines who we are—and who we will become.”
-President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“When you set a goal and commit yourself to the necessary self-discipline to reach that goal, you will eliminate most of the problems in your life.”
-Elder M. Russell Ballard

“Hard work is a blessing of God. The second mile of hard work is what makes the difference between the exhilaration of achievement and the acceptance of mediocrity.”
-Elder F. David Stanley