Forget New Year's....today is the day!

I don't make New Year's resolutions anymore and here's why.  Making a resolution implies making a change in the future...tomorrow, Monday, after my vacation, when the kids go back to school, when we finish all of the holiday sweets, etc.  You get the picture.  And then Monday comes, the vacation is over, the kids are back at school and the sweets are gone...then what? 

If you're unable to stay on Plan figure out why!  And trust me, it's not because you're lazy and stupid. It may well be that you don't want to accept that for change to happen you actually have to change.  If that's the case why not make a list of what is so fantastic in your "food world" now that it's worth clinging to even though it has the power to make you feel rotten about yourself?  Does that bag of chips, loaf of bread or can of icing give your life so much meaning that you are willing to sacrifice reaching your goal for it?  (Notice how I chose the things that held me captive for years!!)

For me facing that starch and sugar were not working for me was certainly a challenge but I am so thankful that I didn't give up and somehow found the courage to make the change and stick to it long enough to feel and see the benefits.  Give yourself the chance to be successful and feel it! I'll bet each and everyone of your knows exactly what you need to do to be successful.  Face it, do it...today!

We've got to start thinking that today is the day and will always be the day, not tomorrow, but today. Stop waiting for everything to be right, over and finished to start living in the body you want. Start living in that body today by giving it what it needs, you will be amazed at how your body will respond!

"Let go" for Christmas!

If you want to be peaceful and joyful this Christmas, let go.   

Here are some of the things that have taken me 53 years to learn and to "let go"!  I hope you already know them or will learn them soon because, whew, the peace bring it will bring to you.

Let go of the need to be perfect. 

Perfection is unattainable because it's criteria is forever changing making the goal line continually moving away from you!  Don't think of all of the time you've wasted, you'll just get sad.

Let go of caring what others think of you. 

It's a waste of energy and are they really thinking and obsessing about you?  No, just you are.

Let go of the need to control everything. 

Control is an illusion we've been taught to manufacture to make ourselves feel safe and anchored. And yet, we can't control our eating or a two year old!  Learning to accept what is and to manage it is much kinder, to ourselves and the two year old.

Let go of the thought that you're not good enough. 

Nature does not make mistakes. If that feeling stems from childhood then realize you are now an adult and it's your responsibility to soothe, love and build the esteem of  the child within you.  Don't do it with cookies.

Let go of the fear of failing. 

Being paralyzed by fear of failing is actually worse than failing. Failing means you're trying and trying means you're living.  This may be the most liberating thing you will ever do.

Let go of fear.

When you are driven by fear to accomplish something you sacrifice the love and joy of your journey.  Imagine the journey you're on this minute.  Now imagine it filled with love and joy.  Better, right?

Let go of your obsession of whether to eat or not to eat.  

Food is the fuel of the human body.  Our obsession with "to eat or not to eat" has turned it into a drug over which we are powerless.  Change your relationship with food and ice cream becomes just a delicious creamy dessert instead of "the only thing on this earth that will get makes me feel better!"  

Let go of judgement, of yourself and others. 

When you judge another you are defining them by your criteria and that's hardly fair is it?  When you judge yourself you are defining yourself by the criteria of others.  Again, hardy fair. Live and let live.

Let go of jealousy. 

The accomplishment of another has no reflection on you.  It's not about you.  If their accomplishment makes you feel inadequate then you need to address "why".  

Let go of anger.

Anger is a response.  It never makes anything better or solves any problems.  Plus it turns your mouth on and your mind off which is never a good combo!

Let go of past hurt.

Hanging on to a hurtful situation from the past just weighs down your soul.  And a heavy soul has a hard time flying.

Let go of the past period.

What's done is truly done.  Learn from it and let it go.  You can never be present if you spend your time in the past.  This one took me FOREVER to learn!

Let go of resentment. 
The funny thing about resentment is rarely does the person we resent know it.  So whose feeling all that pain?  Oh, right, us.

Whew, that is a lot of "let go's"...and yup, I've lived them all!  No wonder I was so tired all the time!

My Christmas wish for each and every one of you is that you are able to "let go" of the ties that are binding you, keeping you from moving toward the life you want and deserve!

Now is not the time to miss a meeting, is it?

We're getting to the time of the Christmas season when even those who've managed to resist the holiday temptations start to crumble under the constant barrage of food coming at them from all directions!  It's everywhere!

And oddly enough this is also the time when the meeting rooms start to empty out!  Why???   I know you're busy, I know you're frustrated and I know sugary foods are being eaten and weight is being gained.  Even more reason to come to weigh in and attend your meeting!  

Please, please remember, there is no judgement at the scale and no judgement in the meeting.  Just lots of ideas to help you change your relationship with holiday food.  Wouldn't it be amazing to let go of the incredible power that food has over you and feel in control for perhaps the first time ever?

Meetings can help you with that. :)

Ok, here's the hormone post!

If you've heard me mention, a time or ten, about hormone replacement therapy, here is why:  I care about how you feel.   

When I hear that members are truly working the plan and seeing no results, I care.  When someone says they look into the mirror and don't recognize themselves anymore, I care.  When someone says they don't care anymore and want to give up, I care.

I care so I will share.  I will share how I was feeling about 8 years ago.  Eight years ago I was doing everything in my power to loose weight and no results, in fact kept gaining.  When I looked into the mirror I saw an angry person and did not recognize her.  I got to the point where I didn't care and so wanted to give up but I was afraid if I gave up I'd never find my way back.  Sound familiar?

Luckily for me, I now realize, I have this Hartman gene that never gives up (sometimes to our own detriment) so I kept searching for an answer.  I had been going to a naturopath (Carole Quinn, she's awesome!) for a couple of years who had been helping me with stomach issues and we started talking. She suggested that at 45 years old my hormones could be out of whack.  What???  Menopause, me????  No, no, no, no.....yes!

She told me about Dr. Schlanger in Toronto.  I believe in being pro-active so I made an appointment, got blood work and saliva testing done and found out indeed that my progesterone and estrogen levels were "depressed'!  Seriously, that's what the results said!

  

So, I got my prescription (BTW you cannot do this by yourself and buy over the internet, you need to see a doctor.  Hormones are serious, and a tad touchy, they like to be in balance....no more, no less). Balu's in Stirling is a compounding pharmacy and he made up my prescription cream.  Within 4 days, I was no longer seething inside, it was like the huge angry cloud that hung over me around was lifted! I started to feel like my old self and, yay hooray, all my hard work in the diet and exercise department started to pay off. Not to mention when the hot flashes started occurring 2 or 3 times an hour...24 hours a day...a tweak to my prescription took care of most of them!  Let me be clear, this is not a miracle weight loss pill/cream.  Like I've said many, many times;  If there was a magic weight loss pill, Oprah would have it and she'd be thin.  

So the whole point of this entry is to share an option that gave me myself back.  I know that's a strong statement but that's truly how I feel.  I've had women tell me that they just "sucked it up Buttercup and put up with it"....well, great.   If that works for you and you're happy, great.  But if you're not happy, I urge you to be proactive, look for options, talk to your doctor, do your homework. 

Please don't settle for being unhappy.

. Life is a gift but sometimes our personal

 "fog" keeps us from receiving it.

"Tell me what you want, what you really, really want!" (Spice Girls song lyrics)

Here's what we really want, right??

OK, now back to reality,

 cause that ain't never gonna happen! 

We all know someone who can eat whatever they want, whenever they want and never gain a pound...maybe it's your best friend, or your sister or your spouse.  Whoever it is, it's not you....and it's certainly not me! It's not fair, it sucks, it's hard to accept and it's not what we "want" but it is reality. And as long as we ignore reality by continually "really wanting" it to be otherwise we cannot move forward because what we resist will persist.  So just by wanting something that cannot be, and will NEVER be, keeps you from moving forward!  Now that really sucks.

So when I say use your "want" power be smart....stop wasting your time and energy

 resisting reality and "want" something you can actually achieve!  

You will be happier, healthier and most likely thinner!

Snacks: Friend or Foe? Or both?

We all know one thing for sure:  When we get hungry, we eat!  That's why one of the most important routines we practice is packing a snack.  We know if we don't have a tasty, and satisfying, snack within reach when the snack attack happens we will land on the nearest eatable object and take it out totally mindless of the consequences!   OK, that may be a bit melodramatic but I daresay there is not one among us that truthfully say that has never happened to them. :)

I think the following is a true statement:  We have scheduled snacks to avoid unscheduled snacking. 

Have you ever thought of it that way?  The difference between the two is the control in which we carry them out.  Our scheduled snack is thoughtfully planned to meet our bodies nutritional requirements and help keep from, heaven forbid, getting too hungry.  The unscheduled snack can be an emotional response or a sensory response, both of which take our good WW sense and throw it out the window!

So, what to do, what to do?  We all know from years of experience the snack attack is not going away. But what we can do is minimize it's control over us.  The first way, of course, is having our plan friendly snack ALWAYS on hand: a satisfied stomach is the first line of defense, it gives our brains that much needed minute to pause and make a better choice.

But what happens when you've had your apple and cheese (fiber, protein and fat) with a nice cup of tea and your co-worker brings in the Christmas Cookie Exchange tray??  Ahhhh! The oh-so delectable tray of sugar!  Key word here is sugar.  This is often the kind of situation where no amount of apples, banana, cheese, almonds etc will win the day. This is where you have to pull our your most powerful, and perhaps a bit rusty, tool...your brain power! Your brain possesses the strength to deal with the most tempting sugar-laced-I'll-make-you-happy-because-I'm-your-best-friend-morsel. You just have to practice using it like you practice all the other routines. 

A great way is to combine your knowledge with your want power.  For example:  I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, I cannot have 1 sugar-laced-I'll-make-you-happy-because-I'm-your-best-friend morsel.  Not one.  One, always, ALWAYS, leads to the entire tray, box or bag.  Always.  Always. And from our conversations I know many of you are the same. Maybe the only difference between us is that I have finally accepted that fact.  If you accept the fact that you are powerless over sugar, perhaps you will start seeing it in a different light.  How do you think you would look at that cookie tray if you accepted that for you it's not just a sugar-laced-I'll-make-you-happy-because-I'm-your-best-friend-morsel but the first step into a painful bout of self-loathing causing you to lose sight of your goal?  That may be putting it a bit strongly, or, if you're like me, it may be exactly true.

So, if you know 1 is not an option, does that mean you have no indulgences at all???  Absolutely not!!  All of us, thank goodness, have indulgences that can be "one and done".  Indulgences that don't lead to more, more, more.  For me it is something high fat, no sugar. Something I can buy a controlled amount of....eat, enjoy, track and be done.  Or have in a restaurant...order, eat, track, go home.  What is your one-and-done indulgence?

Now we get to the want power!  When the sugar-laced-I'll-make-you-happy-because-I'm-your-best-friend-morsel enters you personal space, use your want power in conjunction with what you know to be true about your relationship with sugar.  Do you want to stay in control?  Use that!  Do you want to feel good about yourself?  Use that!  Do you want to keep moving toward your goal and not away from it?  Use that!  Know what you want, truly want, and use it.  Using you brain power and your want power together puts you in the position of power.  And that's better than sugar.

Snow walker!

Whatever it takes, remember?  

For me, it takes daily walking, and look I'm doing it joyfully!

I have on 3 pairs of pants, 2 tops, 1 hoodie,

1 balaclava, 1 scarf, 1 coat, gloves

and lipstick!

The Law of Attraction states that "whatever you focus on is what you will attract into your life". What???

So does this mean that by always thinking negatively about our weight loss goal that we are actually attracting weight gain???  OMG...I think it does!  (I'm trying to keep this blog clean so insert your swear word here.)

On his website, Jack Canfield says "you can take action to shield yourself from motivation-sapping, fear-instilling negativity" and lists 5 easy ways to get started."  I'm going to give you the short version (link at the bottom of the blog takes you to his page, it's worth the trip!)

Tip #1: Accept 100% Responsibility 

The most critical principle to master if you want to create greater success is to accept 100 percent responsibility for your life – including the type and amount of negativity to which you allow yourself to be exposed. Your job is to take care of yourself. This includes creating environments that are conducive to success. 

We talk about these two in WW.  Nothing can happen without acceptance: Accept that it's your life and your goal. Control your space: if it's not working for you, it's working against you.

Tip #2: Release Negative Feelings
To attract what you want in life, you must live in a state of love, joy and gratitude.
Love this one!  It's so, so simple but you need to practice it and live it.  And when you do, your life will change!  I know because it has changed mine:)

Tip #3: The Evening Review
Whatever you read, see, listen to, talk about and experience during the last 45 minutes of your evening has a huge influence on your sleep and your next day.
Do yourself a huge favour and marinate something lovely in your brain over night!  No negative thoughts...give up the 11 pm news!  If you can't help or change all the bad stuff then don't put it in your brain!

Tip #4: The Daily Success Focus Journal

Another way to stay focused on your goals and on the positive is to create a Daily Success Focus Journal.  Each evening, identify 5 accomplishments you made throughout the day. 

Another one we talk about a lot....write it down! And, what fun... you're writing down 5 little I'm-pretty-darn-awesome tidbits!

Tip #5: Create Your Ideal Day

Before you leave work or go to bed, take a few minutes to plan your schedule for the following day. Doing so sets you up for success and doing it before bed gives your subconscious all night to work on creating ways to make it all happen just as you visualized it.

Visualization works.  You do you realize that when you focus on the negative bits in your life you're visualizing, right? See, it does work.  Change the story you run in your head!

http://jackcanfield.com/staying-focused-in-the-face-of-negativity/

Whatever it takes....do that!

As we rush into the winter season we have two choices when it comes to daily activity:

1.  Forget about it, it's too cold to walk/run outside.

2.  Bundle up and continue to walk/run or substitute with indoor activity.

That's it.  If we want continued weight loss we must accept regular exercise is a big part of what it takes.  If we don't want to be outside then we must also accept that we need to fulfill our activity requirements in another way.  That's it.

So think about how you are going to get through the winter months without letting your daily activity fall off. What indoor activity will fit into your life?  What small activities can you add on that will add up?  Decide what you will do and then do it!

Doing nothing all winter long is NOT an option.  We may think (hope?) being sedentary for the next 5 or 6 months will not affect our ability to reach our goal but deep down we know differently. Don't we?

So be a weight loss warrior: whatever it takes...do that!

Because winter doesn't last forever and come spring,

you'll be glad you did!

That's what a Weight Watcher does, right?

Does anyone still have their mini-trampoline??? :)

When it comes to navigating throught the holiday season, do you know which road you're going to take?

I love this image!

The goal is to get through the Christmas season successfully, right?
If we don't plan which roads will lead us to success, we'll still get through the season
but will we be way south of successful?

We need to know where we want to be and which roads are going to get us there!

So start planning NOW how you want the next 2 months to go.  We all know that once the season starts it's like a runaway train and that's exactly how we'll feel....like we're racing along and totally out of control.

This week in our meetings we talk about "Setting a Plan for Success!"
1.  Set your goal.  What is the win you want to have this season.  Be specific. Don't just say our pat go-to answer...."lose weight".  Maybe with all the parties going on you'll be thrilled to lose 4 lbs, stay the same or walk every day.  All are wins!

2. Count the risky days.  Love this one!  Realistically, how many risky days will you have?  2? 6?10?  Even if you have 10 over the next 60 days, that means you'll have 50 days to be on Plan!  50 days!!  You can do a lot of good in 50 days!

3. Identify where you'll be focusing your goal.  Have a good think about those risky days and plan how you'll navigate successfully through them.  Remember Alice?  Look what happened to her!

4. Take action.  Take action. Take action.  And one more thing....take action!

And, one of the best actions to take:
You know what I'm going to say...

Attend your weekly meeting!!!

How do you see yourself?

I think most of us can agree that how we see yourselves today stems from the identity we developed as a child.  Early on I developed an "I'm not good enough" identity and suffered from a severe inferiority complex that threw a sad weighted net over my entire life which lead me to make choices a healthy, confident person would never have made. I'm sure many of you understand what that's like....it sucked! 

Looking back I see what saved me was my unwavering, if somewhat misguided, belief I could control and change my life if I worked hard enough.  I never gave up trying to be "better". Thankfully, what I finally did give up was what I thought a "better" Joanne would be.

And once I did that I was freed from my old thoughts to realize I was not the identity I had created as a child.  I was able to let the pain of the child go and let me tell you, man what a relief that was!  Sure I was 45 at the time but better late than never, right?  

So if you are hanging on to an old, painful, identity, let it go, even if it was a super fantastic identity...let it go!  Let it go because neither one is who you are now.  Who you are now can't possibly be who you were when you were young because our experiences change us, and thankfully, with those changes comes wisdom!  But remember, wisdom like any other gift, is only truly valuable if you use it!  Use your wisdom and experience to accurately see yourself as you are now.  You may be pleasantly surprised or mildly shocked!  It doesn't matter; what does matter is that you use your hard won wisdom and decide how you want to be!  

Embrace the chance to update your identity, 

don't let the past define your future!

And for goodness sake....

I'm a stupid when it comes to cell phones!

Ha, ha...live and learn!  Was wondering why so many of the images saved on my computer were also on my cell phone...apparently my cell phone (which I never use!) is linked to my blog so when I thought I was super-smart and deleting all the images on my phone, I was also deleting them from my blog....not so smrt of me:(  I've tried put some of the images back in but, of course, forgot what they were!!

So, in the true spirit of this blog, I'm going to forgive my techno-not-so-smart self and move on!!

Did you know losing weight is hard???

I sometimes think I do you, my members,  a disservice.  Knowing the hard challenges you all must face in order to lose weight I just want to make it easier and seem so very doable so you won't give up!  I hope that motivating you and cheering you on will be enough...but it isn't.  I think I've neglected to make it clear that losing weight and keeping it off is damn hard work!  I've been so afraid of scaring you away that maybe I've left you thinking, "This should be easy, why can't I do this??"

In last weeks blog I said we have to "accept it's going to be hard" and I want to expand on that thought. We have to accept it's not going to be a piece of cake, literally....no cake, and that it will require work!  Then we need to let that reality rattle around and marinate in our brain until it feels right and not overwhelming. When it feels right, that's when you know you've moved to acceptance. 

Once you've accepted hard work will be required to make your goal come true, you will start to feel motivated to make the necessary changes!  Why?  Because as long as we fight against acceptance we're putting a brick wall between us and success....."what we resist, will persist".  

So...

 Think about accepting the hard work.  

Think about doing the hard work....bit by little bit.  

Think about the rewards from the hard work.

Think that one day the hard work won't be hard work...

it will simply be the way you now do things!

Acceptance, a great place to live...trust me!

Change is the name of the game!

The degree to which any of us succeed is directly tied to the amount we are willing to change, and just in case you're wondering, yes, that goes for weight loss too!  The ONLY way to lose weight, and keep it off, is to change.

And to do that we have to accept: 

We have to accept that change takes action....consistent, daily action.

We have to accept it won't happen overnight.   

We have to accept that some days will be more difficult than others and it will be work.

We have to accept that we have to change our relationship with food. 

We have to accept that we have to take step #1 or we will never get to step #2.

And to do all that we have to believe:

We have to believe we can change.

We have to believe that change will be better than staying the same.

We have to believe it won't always be hard.

We have to believe in the power of our community.

We have to believe the changes will become second nature.

We have to believe it will be worth our efforts.

We have to believe we are worth it!

Believe you are ready to change!

Thankful = Happy! How a Weight Watcher does Thanksgiving!

As this wonderful, stressful food filled weekend draws nearer we really, really, need to pause and take a big ole honkin' breath!  Then ask yourself the question:  How does a Weight Watcher do Thanksgiving?  Answer?  As a Weight Watcher.

1.  A Weight Watcher understands the added stress of holidays so will remove some of that stress by planning, planning, planning and then some more planning!  Did I stress how important planning is??

(I made my dressing yesterday right after dinner so I was full and then froze it...one less thing to do and be tempted to taste test!)

2.  A Weight Watcher knows putting their daily activity at the top of the list might mean re-arranging some other weekends plans a bit but does it anyway because they KNOW it's worth it. Activity helps us stay peaceful!  Managing our life from a peaceful position gives us power!  

3.  A Weight Watcher gets involved with the food planning, even if going to someone else's house, and offers to take lots of great on-Plan food.  Thanksgiving dinner can be full of Power Foods!

4.  A Weight Watcher decides what the PPV's budget is going to BEFORE the "big meal" AND does it long before the door bell rings with arriving guests or is walking through your family hosts door!  

5.  A Weight Watcher knows that their family is fun, fantastic and wonderful and still might push every I-want-to-eat-everything-in-sight button they have!  That's when a Weight Watcher takes another really deep breath and remembers no amount of cake, pie or chocolate will resolve their "long standing family issues"and refuses to let it push their goal of an on Plan Thanksgiving out the window!

6.  A Weight Watcher is grateful.  Gratitude is one of the most powerful tools we have...use it!

7.  A Weight Watcher knows to keep their goal front and center!

Happy Thanksgiving!

And remember....

It's what a Weight Watcher does!

Remember: You are not alone!

This journey that many of us have been on for sooooo long often seems very lonely because most of this journey goes on in our head, which let's face it, can be a really scary place!  Often when we're hurting we withdraw into the darkness of ourselves instead of searching for the light of others.  And, unless you're a mushroom or mold, you can not thrive in the dark!

Joining in the Weight Watcher meetings will bring the light back into your journey!  The positive, and non-judgmental, energy of the group is contagious and reminds you that you're not alone.  You'll feel motivated, inspired and buoyed up....all the feelings you need to help carry you through the week! 

So don't go it alone, the load is lighter when it is shared!

We can't always wait until the timing is right!

I started a Facebook page (J. Hartman's "If not now, when?") last week. It was something I've wanted to do for a long while now because I'm hoping you all will join in, share and feel connected.  It took me a long time to do the Facebook page, and this blog too, because I kept telling myself I wasn't ready and I wanted to wait until I could do it perfectly.  

Ha!  Well, I can tell you my blog and FB page are not, and will never be, perfect! Whew, what a relief...striving for perfection can be so tiring! And I'm OK with that...for the first time in my life, I'm really OK with that.  I finally started because I KNEW if I waited until I was ready, and could do it perfectly, I would never do it.  Sound familiar?  It was just an excuse because I was afraid.  I was afraid of failing, afraid no one would read it and/or Like it.  I was also afraid that people would read it and/or Like it!  So I did nothing.  Again, sound familiar??

We hear many times "it's just not the right time" and "I'm not there yet", I'm not in the right head space"....these are excuses to not start, not reasons. If we wait until we're ready there will always be a road block and most of them will be self-imposed. I know because I've used these excuses many times but I now know they come from fear.  Fear will hold us back like no other emotion!  And the only way to get past the fear is to believe that we only truly fail when we do nothing.  If we try and never give up we have succeeded! 

Just start, you'll learn as you go along just like the rest of us!  And once you've started you will find that the fear will leave you because it can only hold on to you if you refuse to let it go.

Believe that we only truly fail when we do nothing, so just start!

Check out my facebook page!

I think it may be easier to interact with everyone with a Facebook page!  Hope you'll Like it!

www.facebook.com/jmhartmanifnotnowwhen

It's not enough to know what you want.

We all know what we want.  I can wager that the next sentence pretty much wraps up "what" we want in a nutshell:  We want to lose weight and feel good about ourselves.  Am I right?

It's pretty simple so why is it so very hard for us to achieve?  It's hard to achieve for some of us because we are only doing half of the process...it's not enough to know what you want, you must "do and be" what you want".  Does that make sense?

Here's a very simple example: If you want to be a doctor, you don't become a doctor by just saying it or thinking it do you?  You have to go do what it takes to be a doctor and losing weight is no different.
To be a doctor you must:
-get into med school (sign up for Weight Watchers)
-attend the classes (attend the meetings)
-study anatomy and do your homework (learn the plan and work it at home)
-become a intern and practice what you've learned (live as a Weight Watcher and practice what you have learned)
-you get a piece of paper that says you're a doctor so everyday you do what a doctor would do (you get a piece of paper that says you are a Weight Watcher so everyday you do what a Weight Watcher would do)
-you are a doctor (you are a Weight Watcher)

 It's not enough to know what you want....You have to do what you want!

You are a Weight Watcher, do what a Weight Watcher does!!

It's pretty hard to stay motivated when you're always doing The Hokey Pokey with your goal!

A major topic these days at meetings is motivation, or lack there of.  As anyone who comes to a meeting that I lead knows, I like to use the great pearls of wisdom I borrow from successful people to motivate and inspire us into meaningful conversation.  Last week someone asked me, "How do you stay motivated to stay on plan?"....and I have to tell you, I was stumped for a second!  I was stumped for an automatic answer because I have been motivated to lose weight for sooooo long, 43 years to be exact, that it is ingrained in me to never give up and always jump back on the next wagon. 

Thankfully ,(whew!) I did have an answer, and it was:

"I keep my weight loss goal front and center at ALL TIMES...

I fit my life into Weight Watchers, not Weight Watchers into my life." 

When Weight Watchers is just one of the many things that you do, how easy does it  fall to the bottom of your daily list?  Very freakin' easy, right? We all have many parts of our lives that demand our attention and demand to be at the top of our list.  So here's the question: If Weight Watchers is simply on your list, what chance does it have of ever being at the top of your list when it has to compete with jobs, family, household chores, social commitments etc?  That's right...slim to none  most days. :(

But if you make Weight Watchers the center from which the rest of your day flows, your choices will automatically be different.  They will be different because you are making the choices as a Weight Watcher, not just as someone who goes to Weight Watchers.  See the difference?  "I go" to Weight Watchers or "I am" a Weight Watcher....which one are you?

Believe it or not, it's actually easier when you live it because it takes a lot of the dabbling out of it. It's kinda like The Hokey-Pokey..."you put your left foot in, you put your left foot out"....which means sometimes you're in and sometimes you're out.... and that's called dabbling.  And dabbling never allows you to swing into your own personal high gear and, here's the thing Peeps.... it's those moments of personal high gear that keep you motivated!  They motivate you because you created them and you own them!

We can certainly can an "aha" and be momentarily super motivated by the words and actions of those around us BUT lasting Dear-Lord-get-me-through-the-weekend motivation must come from within!  And I believe the best way to get, and more importantly to stay, motivated is to live it, live it, live it, until you know no other way to live!

Stop dabbling...Live your goal everyday

and you'll see how successful you can be!

And remember, it's called a lifestyle 

because it is the style in which you live!

So, just how committed are you to changing?

"If you do what you've always done, 

you'll get what you've always got."

Many of us are in the same boat and that boat is floatin' down denial!  We want to lose weight but we really, REALLY, don't want to make the changes necessary to do so.  We join WW, we get our allotted daily Points Plus Values and what are the very first foods we look up in our Pocket Guides?  We all rush to find how much pizza, ice cream, chips and pie, oh my, we can eat and still lose weight! Right?  We don't want to change.

Even though we are advised that the way to lose weight is to put most of our Points Plus Values towards Power Foods, we don't....we don't want to accept that in order to lose we must change.  And for most of us that means changing what, and the way, we've been eating for much of our lives....."If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got." 

It's not easy but I truly believe WW can guide you through those changes IF you commit to making small, consistent, daily efforts.  So try the monthly routines and member tips, put more Power Foods in your daily diet, add that walk into your day.  Do those things and, presto-change-o, you're no longer doing what you've always done!

No, it's not easy but guess what?  It's not that hard either.  

And if you want to change and just won't, or can't, do it,

perhaps you need to ask yourself "why?".  

Maybe the answer to your "why" is holding you back.  

Think about it.

"Sometimes it's okay if the only thing you did today was breathe!"

Some days suck.  Period!  Those are the days when being kind to yourself and just taking a breath is the best medicine.  It doesn't mean (sorry!) that we drown our selves in food and liquor, ha, ha....(however, it may be a good day to use your extra food and activity points and not feel guilty about it:)

On days when you feel the life being sucked right out of you, pause, take a breath and then zap those sucky horrible feelings by reflecting and be thankful and grateful....yes, thankful AND grateful.  Being thankful and grateful for who you are and what you already have will heal your soul faster than any amount of food!  And zero Points Plus Value's!  

Then....be kind to someone else.  When we acknowledge someone else's pain and upset, it's like the window we opened to help nurse their pain lets in a fresh restorative air that flows over us.  It's not that their sadness cheers us up, it's that the sharing, and caring, of another's strife lightens the load for all involved.

Maya Angelou said it best....

If you're not getting the weekly email from WW, subscribe to it.  It always has wonderful tips!
http://www.weightwatchers.ca/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=139180

If you hate starting over, stop quitting....:)

How many times have you stopped working the program because... it's just not working?  It's too hard?  It's never ending?  It costs too much?  You're tired of the routine? You're tired of lettuce?

And how many times after stopping the program have you thought, "I need to get back to WW!!"?  How long did it take you to walk back in through those doors?  Were you embarrassed?  Was your weight up? Did you ever start back and your hadn't gained most or all of the weight back? Were you back to ALL of your old unhealthy habits?  Were you unhappy and angry with yourself for quitting the program, again?  How many times have you thought,  "I just don't want to have to start ALL over again."?  How many times? Seriously, how many times??

If you're like me you've had a life time of starting and stopping, years of weight up and weight down, countless negative thoughts about how you've failed...yet again.  Do you want to be done with all that?  Here's how... stop quitting.  If you hate starting over, then stop quitting!  Never give up. 

It finally dawned on me that it never ends...it never, never, never, EVER ends!  We don't call it Lifetime for nothin"!  And, yes, it's still an effort but it's truly GLORIOUS because it means you have changed!  You've changed your destructive behavior, changed your negative thoughts, changed your unhealthy routines....you've changed your life!

Now, I know you're thinking, "What if I never give up, keep on working the plan but don't reach Lifetime?" What if that happens, what does that mean?  What it means is that you have not reached the goal weight you've set and maintained it for 6 weeks, that's all.  It does not mean that you're not healthier, thinner, and happier!  You're more fit, more accepting, more positive and you're "inside numbers" are singing! 

I can almost guarantee all those wonderful health benefits
would not be yours if you quit.

AND finally...

 Never, EVER, be embarrassed to walk into a meeting,

for the first time or for the hundredth time,

it is a place where you are loved, accepted and understood.

Always.

Maybe you need a new reason?

If you're like me the reason you exercise is to lose weight....everything I do seems to be to lose weight! When I was a kid my Mother taught us to end our nightly prayer with "God Bless Mommy and Daddy, Nan and Jim, Grandma and June".  When I was at the age to go to bed and say prayers on my own my prayer was "God Bless Mommy and Daddy, Nan and Jim, Grandma and June, and please help me to lose weight". I kid you not.  

Very soon in my young life I became obsessed with losing weight and what happens when we become obsessed with anything?  Well, in my experience, obsessions are really time consuming and leave little room for anything else.  I missed out on so much because I was so insecure about my looks that I wanted to be thin before joining in...what a waste of youth!  Does this sound familiar?  If it doesn't sound familiar, it may seem dumb and ridiculous but it was my reality.  Loosing weight was the driving force in my life and became my "reason".    

What I want to focus this week is the "reason".  Really, and truly, the ONLY reason I used to work-out or join a gym was to lose weight!  I never, ever, thought about taking a walk to enjoy nature or clear my head, ride my bike for fun, or go swimming to cool off on a hot summer day.  And until recently, very recently....maybe a few months ago, I still used my walks to help me lose weight.  Sure, I felt good afterward, but that was not the REASON I walked out the door.  I laced up my shoes, walked out my door to lose weight, period.

But recently I've noticed I have some new "reasons" to walk...

• I walk to clear my head of busyness or negativity and relax into my good thoughts.  
• I walk to get away from my desk work and miraculously come back with solutions.
• I walk to move my body and give my back some much needed love.
• I walk to spend time with my husband (and dog Super James, of course!).
• I walk to daydream. 
• I walk to plan our next vacation. 
• I walk to help me lose weight...still a great reason, just not my only reason anymore!
• I walk to think about what to write in my blog this week....and this is what came to me this morning!  

Why do I have a new reason(s)?  My reasons have changed because I've changed.  

I no longer want just to lose weight. I want to live a happy and peaceful existence, period.  \

Oh look, another great reason to walk....:)

So, if you're like me,
maybe you need to use a new reason to go for that walk, bike ride or swim!!

Just go do it everyday...

 and the weight will take care of itself ...

Just take the first step!

Today is one of those days when everything is colliding and I don't know which on my to-do list to do first!  Then I think..."just do something...just take a step!!!".  Usually the best step is to write down what needs to be done first and when I do that, everything gets done and with me left with most of my hair!

It's the same way with activity...you just have to take a step.  You don't have to see yourself finishing a marathon, just see yourself putting on your shoes and walking down the driveway.  If you walk down the driveway, chances are you'll walk down the road.  And just like that you've added activity into your day!  If that seems simple, it's because it is.

  

You just have to take that first step and the next step will automatically follow...

if it doesn't, you'll fall over...but at least you'll be moving! :)

Life is an echo...

This week at WW we're talking about "the ripple" effect and we're all familiar with how 1 potato chip can turn into an entire bag and beyond!  But this week we're going to focus on the positive ripple effects of the good habits and changes we all work so hard on.  Focus on the positive, we become what we practice most.

I came across the Chinese proverb below and thought it fitted in perfectly with the ripple effect.  If you doubt this to be true, think of someone who YOU think has the world by the tail.  Now think about how that person moves through their life......grateful? giving? forgiving? happy? inspiring? lighthearted? joyful? optimistic? open minded? encouraging? embracing? loving? accepting? peaceful?   

You can be that person too!  "Life is an echo, what you send out comes back" is so inspiring because each and everyone of us sends out an echo many, many times a day, and here's the great thing, we have the power to change it if we realize we've been sending out the wrong one!

Listen to your echo, what are you sending out?  Are you happy with it?  If you're not, take a close look at the messages you're sending with your actions, words and demeanor.  Are they....grateful? giving? forgiving? happy? inspiring? lighthearted? joyful? optimistic? open minded? encouraging? embracing? loving? accepting? peaceful?  If not, pick one and try it, I KNOW you will be pleasantly surprised because remember the whole echo thing?  Yup, right back at you!

"For a happy life want what you have"

Darlene mentioned the subject line in response to last weeks blog and it's so beautiful and true in it's simplicity.  This connects perfectly with Shawn Achor's idea of turning the model for success around....rather than concentrating on becoming successful to make us happy, be happy with who we are and what we have and we are already successful.
Once basic human needs of food and shelter are taken care of there are people who are happy and people who are unhappy, regardless of their individual levels of success. We know that's true because we all know people who have a lot of STUFF and aren't happy and we know people who have very little and are very happy. So that means happiness is available to us all and it starts with loving and wanting what you already have!

And just in case you're not convinced watch this!

https://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work

"Don't worry, be happy"...if only it was that easy!

It may not be that easy but it may be easier than we think!

(If you haven't the time, (or the desire, ha, ha) to read to the end of this blog, please, PLEASE do yourself a favour and watch the 12 min TED talk given by Shawn Achor.)

As someone who's had "moments" of unhappiness, I have sought out many ways over the years to treat my unhappiness.  Like most people I came to the conclusion that if I could just be successful (you know...lose weight, get married, good job, lose weight, lose weight, lose weight) then I would be happy.  Oddly enough, that never worked.  Now I know why.  Every time I lost some weight, I changed the goal...I'll be happy when I lose more.  Rushed to get married because my friends were married, so, of course, that didn't work.

But I am nothing if not diligent so I continue to search for ways to be happy.  One of my favourite ways is to give my brain some positive messages and one such way is Oprah's "Super Soul Sunday"...love, love this show!  Each Sunday she interviews experts in various areas of enlightenment. Some I identify with, some not. One amazing interview was with Shawn Achor, a Harvard grad who studied and now teaches Positive Psychology.  He talked about the traditional model of finding happiness..."If I work harder, I'll be more successful, then I'll be happier."  Wow, that was me! But then he said, "Every time we have a success, we change the goal post."  If you got good grades, now you have to get better grades, a good job, now you need a better job etc.,  Wow, me again!  Is this you too?? Shawn also said this, "If happiness is on the other side of success, your brain never gets there".  Makes sense doesn't it?  How do we know that to be true? Because most of us are living proof....we never get to the other side.  But we are also living proof that happiness makes us more successful.  I've had them, you've had them, you know, those moments of happiness when everything in life just seems easier?  They were easier because as Shawn says, "...Dopamine, which floods your system when your positive, has 2 functions: not only does it make you happier, it turns on all the learning centers of your brain allowing you to adapt in the world in different ways."

Shawn says we can "reverse the formula of happiness and success" and here's how:

Re-train your brain daily to create positive change:

• Write down 3 different things your grateful for each day 
• Keep a journal of the times our are happy (giving your brain a chance to relive them)
• Exercise
• Meditation
• Random acts of kindness

Ummm, notice how none of them require a degree in 

Rocket Science!  

Like I said, being happier may be easier than we think.  

Shawn Achor
http://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work

What inspires you?

When I started to make a list of what inspired me it became very evident that I'm inspired by people.  Don't get me wrong I marvel at sunsets, humming birds and art as much as the next person but here's what came out of my brain and in no specific order of importance.

1.  People who take life as it comes and make the best of it. -  This trait has always impressed and, until very recently, eluded me.  My Great-Aunt Eva was a master.  She used to say "Well, we just won't worry about it" and she didn't.  She was the most content person I've ever known and some days, don't you just want to be content?

2.  People who get that "this is it, this is our one and only life" and live it as such. - We all say "this is not a dress rehearsal" but to see someone who actually lives full on is truly inspiring.  Perhaps it's because the "I'm on" energy they exude is contagious.

3. People who live fearlessly. - This is a HUGE goal of mine. "There is nothing to fear but fear itself."  It really boils down to a fear of failure, doesn't it?  Im workin' on it.

4. People who live a purpose driven life. - I am in awe of those who know the reason for their existence. And here's the super, fantastic thing about this one that I'm slowly grasping: you don't have to be Oprah! There is no right or wrong, better or worse, too big or too little purpose.  All that really matters is that it's your purpose and it drives you!  

5. People who start a new career or embark on a life changing journey....at 50! - So inspired by those with the confidence and chutzpah (personal confidence or courage that allows someone to do or say things that may seem shocking to others) to step out from their comfort zone and go for it when society tells them to just pay off their mortgage and save for retirement.

6. Unwavering belief, and acceptance, that life is as it should be. - This a big concept to wrap ones head around but, wow, I am inspired to continue to get my head wrapped! 

7. People who can let it go, and honestly, move on. - Seriously, what a way to live your life!

8. People who are passionate about something/anything in their life. - The great thing about this one is that it doesn't matter what the passion is directed towards!  The mere action of being passionate about something brings meaning and fulfillment into ones life. And there's a good chance you'll make others happy in the process. 

9. Perseverance - This one is practiced by everyone who inspires me!..."continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure or opposition".  To the WW members who commit, and recommit, to their personal weight loss goals week after week, your perseverance and dedication is what keeps me going! Thank you, thank you.

10.  People who choose to be kind....key word: choose 

11. My Son:

-This kid (man) lives fearlessly! And for that I am so grateful.  He knows what he wants and is not afraid to go for it.  He succeeded and he's failed but has never wavered in his belief of his abilities. Again, so grateful even though this trait skipped a generation.

-He gets, actually GETS, that this is it, and lives accordingly (and doesn't call and ask for money to fund this life).

-He chooses to be kind. - Perhaps only my son will understand how much this inspires me.

12.  My dog:  I cannot help but be inspired by our super dog James...his zest for life is unequaled!

- he takes life as it comes and if it comes with a ball stuffed with peanut butter, all the better

-he has a passion for balls, of all sorts

-believes life is as is should be....full of love, running and, of course....balls

We could all learn from our furry friends and family members! 

And last (but not least, I just happen to have a image to go with this one), 

I am inspired by people who believe age is just a number...

especially as my number gets higher! 

So, what inspires you???