SOMETHING DIFFERENT!

I’m getting really excited about a new program that I’ll be presenting in my classes beginning September 26th.  I’ve been doing lots of research and know that everyone wants the same thing – to lose (or maintain) weight, to make it easy, to feel better, to have more energy, to lessen their chances for disease in the future, to help control conditions in their health now – and I hope my new program will help in all of these.  So, if you want to hear more you’ll have to let me know!!  If no one is coming to this site I’ll spend my time on other projects.  LET ME HEAR FROM YOU IF YOU’RE INTERESTED!

I’M BACK AND WALKIN’

I just looked back and realize it’s been a couple of months since I’ve updated here.  That’s what 8 weeks of grand kids will do!  I got a little off-track both with my eating (pizza and hamburgers don’t work for me) and walking.  Then I realized that 4 weeks from Sunday I’m doing a half marathon in St. Louis so it’s time to get serious.

So, here’s my goal for all to see.  I’m going to walk 50 miles in 4 weeks.  That’s no big deal and I plan to exceed it but I’d rather exceed to succeed.  Maybe that only makes sense to me but I’ve never liked to set a goal TOO high that it frustrates me and then if I don’t make it I feel like a failure.  It’s funny but go with me on this.  If I set a goal of 100 miles in 4 weeks and I did 50 miles was I a success of failure.  In my mind I failed.  But, if I set my goal at 50 miles and go 60 I’m more than a success.

I like seeing my progress so I have a Nike+I-Pod sensor.  One half gets attached to the Ipod the other sensor goes in your shoe.  It tells you how long you’ve walked/run, how far, how many calories you burn AND I track it on-line and it tells me every day how much farther I have to go and how much I’ve exceeded my goal.  Love it!  I’ve also posted my results each day on my face book.  I do better when I make my goals public.  I may sometimes disappoint myself but I don’t like disappointing others so having others see how I’m doing keeps me on track.

It’s still hot here in Tucson and this morning was muggy after an evening rain (yeah for rain) but we (Mal and a friend) started walking at 5:15 (it was still dark) and got 6 miles in before we felt some more rain drops.  I burned over 500 calories!  If I do that every day I can take off a pound a week before the 1/2 marathon.  Some people have baby fat – I have grand children fat.  Only 3 pounds in 8 weeks so…..not bad.

Okay, I’ve rambled enough for today.  I’m going to go fix myself a nice protein drink with yogurt, strawberries, bananas, blueberries and powdered protein.  Yummmm!

CHALLENGES – CHALLENGES – CHALLENGES

Yes, that’s what I said – challenges!  I’m sitting here, reading a book while my husband, Mal, watches his St. Louis Cardinal baseball game, and relaxing for probably the last time in the next 8 weeks.  Tomorrow begins what I’ve been waiting for for a couple of years – a 6 week visit with my Grandson, Jamie!  A week after he comes my niece, Madison, is coming for a week.  The day she leaves Mal, Jamie, our son, Dennis, and our other Grandson, Syd, leave for a week in Las Vegas.  We’ll be home 3 days before our Granddaughter, Kassidy, arrives for a month and, straight from the airport, we’ll go to Sedonna, AZ. for 4 days, be home for 3 and go to Phoenix for 3 days!!!!  After that I open my 3 classes a week at 123 Fit!  So, do you think I might have some challenges coming up.  Now they may be a tad more than you have (or maybe a tad less) but a challenge is a challenge and nothing more.   Webster’s definition of a challenge is: a demanding or stimulating situation.  It’s not an excuse to “forget it all and let’s have fun with the kids” for me.  Instead it’s “figure out how to eat well MOST of the time, walk a lot to make up for the times when I don’t and end up “below the 5 on the scale” when it’s all over.  A demanding challenge, FOR SURE!  A stimulating situation, YOU BET but a “done deal” that I’m going to go off my program – NO WAY!

Remember, I tell you to just get “below the 5 or below the zero on the scale” and STAY THERE!  That is, if you’re 167 get below 165, then get below 160 – only 5 pounds to worry about at a time.  I see too many people get below, treat themselves and go above again.  It’s those challenges that they let become problems!  I’ve never worried about a “quick” few pounds coming on because I subscribe to the theory of “easy on, easy off”.  If you put it on fast, it comes off fast.  I was reading an article last week that told about, “last on, first off” meaning the fat cells you add last will be the first ones off – guess they don’t have time to “stick”.  That’s why it’s important AS SOON AS YOU SEE A LITTLE GAIN – go 110% until it’s off.

Anyway,  I may not write in here for awhile since I’ll be busy traveling and enjoying all our  house guests, and loving every busy minute!  I’ll let you know how I do when it’s all over.  After all, it’s just another challenge!!

GOAL SETTING

How good are you at getting to your goal?  Do you actually GET to your goal?  Do you even know WHAT YOUR GOAL IS?  Come on, how are you going to get there if you don’t know where you’re going.  Let’s pretend we’re going to….say Montana….how are you going to get there?  Are you walking?  flying?  driving?  How long are you staying?  A day?  A week?  A month?  What are you going to pack?  Long Clothes?  Short clothes?  Casual clothes?  Dressy Clothes?  Where are you going to stay when you get there?  Stay with friends? Go to a hotel?  Camp out?  Go to a hostel?

Okay, you can see where I’m going.  It’s really hard to start off going some place without a plan.  With any goal setting you have to be smart – that’s S M A R T!  First off – be specific as to what you want to accomplish.  If it’s to lose weight, make it specific – I’M GOING TO LOSE WEIGHT BEFORE I GO ON VACATION on July 26.  Now, make it measurable – I’ll do it by writing down everything that I eat and staying within my calorie allotment and exercising .  Next, be sure your goal is attainable.  Trying to lose 5 pounds a week IS NOT.  Making your goal to lose between 1 1/2 and 2 pounds a week IS!  Be realistic.  Don’t say you’re going to exercise for 2 hours a day – it’s just not going to happen, but, 3 or 4 hours A WEEK is realistic.  And, last, make it traceable.  Write down each day your calories, how much you’ve exercised and SAVE YOUR RECORDS!  If you have a good week, you just might want to repeat it next week.  If your goal wasn’t met, check what you’ve written and see where the improvements can be made.  Don’t let anything stand in your way of success.  YOU CAN DO IT!  I KNOW YOU CAN!  If you need any help you can reach me through this blog or e-mail me at salleyawitz@gmail.com.  I’m here for you!

WHAT YOU RESIST…YOU’RE STUCK WITH!

What you resist, you’re stuck with!  Someone told me that long ago and it holds true with me today.  How many times have you said to yourself, “I’ve got to exercise today” or “I’m going to write down everything I eat” or “I know I should be drinking more water” and then WE DON’T!  We all KNOW what we “should” be doing (remember, “don’t should on yourself”) but we resist it.  We seem to resist the most the things that will help us the most.  Why?  Beats me, but we seem to continue in our resistance but, guess what?  If we keep resisting change, nothings going to change!  Wow – what a concept!  So, let’s do this.  Get out a peace of paper and write down a goal you want to meet, whether it be in weight loss or getting a new job or whatever.  Really – get that piece of paper and do it before we go on.

………………..I’m waiting!

Okay, did you do it?  If you didn’t you can stop reading ’cause nothing else will make sense.  After you write down your goal – sit and think and write “What I resist in getting to my goal is (now leave a blank line) and write down everything (excuses and all) that keep you from getting to your goal.  In weight loss it might be counting calories (or points) and writing it down, exercising, keeping the right food in the house, cutting down on “junk food”, drinking plenty of liquids, staying within your calories, etc. etc. etc.  Go on…..do it now!

It’s amazing to me how we set goals and then we set up roadblocks to keep us from getting there.  I don’t know about you but to me a goal is a promise to myself and I don’t break promises to others so I sure won’t break one to me.  I’m worth it and so are you!!!  So the next step to getting to your goal is go back to the top of the page where you wrote  ”What I resist in getting to my goal is…” and on that blank line write UP UNTIL NOW!!!  That’s right, there’s no better time to change your habit of resistance (it is just a habit after all) is NOW!  If you wrote lots of stuff….start working on one at a time.  Pick the one, get another sheet, write that first sentence and the “up until now” and the habit you’re going to work on……and do it!!  Mark on a calendar each day you succeed.  Remember, it takes 21 days to make a habit so GO FOR IT!!  I know you can!  I have confidence in you – the only question remaining is DO YOU BELIEVE IN YOURSELF?  If you don’t, send me an e-mail on your challenge and let’s talk.  I’m here to help.  Don’t let anything EVER stand in your way of getting what you want in your life.

With this I’ll end – it all goes back to YOU GOTTA WANT IT!!!

CHANGE IS GOOD!

It seems like we all want change in our life but sometimes aren’t willing to do what we need to to get it.  Of course I’m talking about our weight issues.  We want to see that number on the scale go down until  it reaches our “goal” weight but…..what are we doing to make that happen.  WANTING change isn’t enough – we actually have to MAKE SOME CHANGES to see a change.  We want to SEE a difference in how we look – we actually have to DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT to see the difference.  People can guide you, people can help you, people can encourage you, but it’s you and you alone that can make that change and see that difference.

No one puts food in your mouth but you.  No one can make you eat more than you need or want.  In that same vein – no one can make sure you write down what you eat and count your calories or measure out the amount you’re eating.  No one will check to see that you’ve had enough water today.  No one will keep telling you that you need to eat 5 or 6 small meals a day.  (Unless you come to my meetings and then it becomes “harping”)  So, who has to be responsible to make sure you get to your goal.  YOU!!  

What do you make more important than your commitment to yourself to get healthy.  Is your work more important?  Is your family more important?  Let’s think about that.  If you don’t take care of yourself how can you take care of anyone or anything else and do a good job at it.  YOU are the most important person in the world!  You staying healthy and living longer is or should be your immediate goal and WHATEVER you have to do to reach that goal – DO IT!  Don’t put yourself second or third or anywhere down the line except in first place.  

Take the few minutes it takes to look up calories, to measure out your servings, to write down what you’re eating, to take a refreshing walk around the block.  As you see results that come from taking charge of yourself you’ll wonder why you haven’t done it before.

Let me end with one of my favorite sayings – and really think about it!!

IF YOU ALWAYS DO WHAT YOU’VE ALWAYS DONE

YOU’LL ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU’VE ALWAYS GOT AND…

YOU’LL ALWAYS BE WHAT YOU’VE ALWAYS BEEN!

As I said at the beginning – change is good!

New Recipe – New Favorites!

Hi Everyone!  I just got done spending a beautiful week (albeit a “sick” week) in California.  Nothing beats walking up and down the beach other than walking up and down the beach when it’s not sooo windy.  The best part of the week was coming home and having lost a pound!  It’s not that we were too sick to eat, it was that we just watched what we ate!  You can do it all – vacation and eat healthy.

I’ve discovered my two new favorite things to keep in the house ALWAYS – Fage lo-fat Greek yogurt (so much better than “regular”).  You have to try it! You can buy it in a container with jelly on the side  or just buy the big size and add your own – much more economical.

Another was pistachios.  Yes, I know they’ve always been out there but I didn’t realize I could have a snack bag of 30 (in the shell) for 100 calories.  I bought a pound in bulk and counted them out and now, for a snack, I grab a bag and it takes a l o n g time to eat them and a recent article said that 1 or 2 handfuls a day can lower the “bad” LDL cholesterol as much as 12%.  Wow!!!  The recall recently was for “out of the shell” so don’t worry!

This week I set myself a goal to walk 100,000 steps (10,000 a day is a great goal for anyone).  I have the rest of the day to go and have so far totaled 96,921.  Not bad, huh?  How do I know?  I’ve worn a pedometer all day, every day this week.  It’s the best investment you can make for yourself.  Also, having the goal made me walk more because I don’t like to “defeat myself” by setting a goal and coming up short.  Set yourself a goal this week and see how you do.

For the recipe – check the category RECIPE to see the Frozen Fruit Tart recipe added today.