How Far Ahead Can you See?

Day 21 of 100 Days of Encouragement

 Hello everyone. I’m sure that you have noticed that I have been away for a while. I realize that I made a commitment to post daily, but I took a little holiday away from everything. Well, I am having to work at keeping the original weight loss from coming back on and started taking the right steps. I think I hit a burn out from all that I have been doing, but I have to say that I am happy to be back. I said that I will not give up. Maybe take a break or fall back a little, but NEVER GIVE UP. I know that there isn’t anything that I won’t be able to overcome as long as I keep believing that and working at it. The day will come.

 What pushes us to unconscious eating and/or overeating?  Stress!!  We are all waiting for a time when there isn’t any stress. Well, guess what? That only happens when you are dead, so start practicing conscious eating. That’s what I’ve been working at for some years, and I have at least gotten to this point where I am starting to chip away at the weight.  Fear ignites worry and stress, and much of the time it is because we can’t see far enough into the future to feel safe.

 It is like the analogy of travelling at night from one location to another. You start out knowing that it may be a 3 hour drive and you get into your vehicle and drive from point A until you arrive at Point B. If it is night time and we can only see 160 – 300 feet, depending whether they are on high or low beam. What is really important to note is that when you travel the 300 feet that you can see with your headlights, another 300 hundred feet of light becomes available again and again until you get to your destination.

 What we know is that whatever we need for the moment we have or can access. When we are ready and need something more, that next step will be there for us. It’s about when you are ready. I know that I need to keep going forward with life and I will get there. It doesn’t mean that there won’t be obstacles and challenges. It just means that when you believe and keep going forward in faith, it will be there.

 So… let’s keep on keeping on and we will get there.

There’s No Excuse

Day 12 of 100 Days of Encouragement

 I’ve noticed that I have allowed myself to have many excuses for falling off my eating plans. It seems that the unconscious just finds ways to get that food. Well, today I said, “there are no more excuses.”

 Each time I felt that tug to reach for food, I told myself, “no more excuses. I will take responsibility for my life and make choices that will ultimately make me happier.”  When issues and uncertainty surface, I have learned to turn to thanking God for taking care of everything in the past, present and future. I only need to focus on what is in front of me and around me, and take care of that.

 Today I stayed on track for the first time in a long time, and still put in a full day. When I was tired, I eventually found a little time to rest.

 So… there are no more excuses team. We can and will get victory and reach our goals. Let’s keep on keeping on, because we will get there together.

Inspiration

Did Thomas Edison Give Up?

Thomas Edison

Day 11 of 100 Days of Encouragement

Edison

“If we did all the things we are capable of doing we would truly astound ourselves.” Not my words, but those of inventor Thomas Edison, 1847-1931 who gave us the light bulb.

Edison was not one to give up on something he knew he could succeed at if he just kept working at it.  He made over 10,00 attempts to achieve success in his endeavour.  After struggling to develop a viable electric light-bulb for months and months, Thomas Edison was interviewed by a young reporter who boldly asked Mr. Edison if he felt like a failure and if he thought he should just give up by now. Perplexed, Edison replied, “Young man, why would I feel like a failure? And why would I ever give up? I now know definitively over 9,000 ways that an electric light bulb will not work. Success is almost in my grasp.” And shortly after that, and over 10,000 attempts, Edison invented the light bulb.”

After successfully completing the first 100 Days of Encouragement, I slipped through the cracks and started falling back into old habits, although I made a point of writing down most of what I eat. Yesterday and today I got back into routine or writing down everything I eat. I can come up with a lot of excuses for falling away from portion control and proper eating habits, but realistically, it comes down to my making a decision and staying with it, regardless of how tough it gets.

Today I allowed myself to get a little bit of rest and enjoy the day. I even took my little dog Mercedes for two walks. I have to make this commitment to myself and to my team that I will take responsibility for my eating, exercise, and balanced approach to life. After all, this is about changing my thinking and habits for the rest of my life. Lifestyle changes certainly are challenging, but never-the-less, I will get there. Can you imagine how different our history and lives would be if Edison had given up after his 9,999^th try at inventing the light bulb?

We are a team, and will keep working at it until we get there. If Edison didn’t give up, neither will we.  So… let’s keep on keeping on.

Crossing The Finish Line

I feel much better and more in control when I deal with the things that need to be dealt with.

So… welcome everyone to Day 1 of 100 Days of Encouragement; a brand new journey.  It would be much easier to throw the towel in and give up, but that would not make me happy. Ultimately, this is about me feeling happy about me, and you feeling happy about you. So, team, let’s get started. I know that some of you are gone on holidays, so have a lot of fun.

 As for me and the rest of the team, we will keep on keeping on and with good planning, determination, and tenacity, we will get there. Go team!

Day 100 – The Big Day AND,  the start of a whole new journey of 100 days.

 Well… the final tally is in, and it is not as much as I would like it to be, but I am proud of myself for having lost 11 pounds. I had hoped for at least 20 pounds, but the reality is that I am working on changing a lifetime of habits. If it takes me 200 or 300 days to get to my goal, then that is what I will do.

 One of the struggles I have had is working long hours on a new adventure. This has taken up much of my energy, and I hope things settle down a bit by mid August. Today I took Mercedes for two walks and pushed forward on the treadmill for 40 minutes.

Almost There

Days 97, 98 and 99 of the 100 Days of Encouragement.

 This is day 99!!!! Wow!  I can hardly believe it. My life has changed so much in the last 99 days. I have to say that I am pretty stuck right now. I am still going to start another 100 days, but may be posting every second day for the next 5 or 6 weeks, until I am done this course, that is very consuming of all of my time.

 I am in the later stages of negotiations, and look forward to being able to share my new business idea with you in the next month or so. As tomorrow is day 100, it would be great if any of you would like to send in any comments about what it has been like for you to be on this journey.

 Regardless of how tough the struggle gets, I am not giving up or quitting.  I want all of you to know that I have made the commitment to change my lifestyle for the rest of my life, and with determination, will get there.  So…    Wednesday starts the new 100 Days of Encouragement.  Lets keep on keeping on, and get to the goal no matter how long it takes.

Positive Motivation

Day 16 of the 9^th segment of 100 days. Day 96 of 100 Days of Encouragement

  There are only 4 days left in this 100 day journey. It really has been a blessing to have all of you join in. It has also been a learning experience for me, and I am slowly adopting better thinking habits and perspectives of myself. Negative thoughts like, I hate the way I look and feel may be good motivational kicks to get you started on changing your lifestyle; BUT, it will not sustain you in the long run. I have learned that I am not on a diet. This is a lifestyle change, which includes positive thinking patterns and beliefs.

 If you hired someone and constantly used negative motivation, they may not perform very well for very long, nor would they stay. The same factor holds true for self talk and motivation. Things like “I feel good about having lost the amount of weight that I have” “I know that I can and will succeed” “I will keep on keeping on no matter what” are far more motivating.

 This last week has been a getting back on track week for me after having worked at a burn out pace for a while. Although I will continue to be busy for some time yet, I am learning to pace myself and adjust. This includes getting my eating back into portion control mode. There are only 4 days left. Can you believe that 100 days can go by so fast? This coming Tuesday is 100 days. Wednesday morning I weigh in and I have decided to reward myself for all that I have accomplished and for the amount of weight that I have lost. As my jeans are all fitting pretty baggy these days, I have decided to go out and get some new ones to inspire me for the next 100 day journey. So on Wednesday, day 1 of the next 100 days,  I will start out with a positive reward and mindset to get myself started on another new and exciting journey. I hope that all of you will join in. Be sure to send in some comments so everyone can be encourged.

 As Tuesday is a week day, I will have to refrain from partying, but I will celebrate by taking some time to watch a couple of movies. The first one is “The Secret” and the second one is “The Opus.” These are 2 movies that provide positive motivation, along with the tools to succeed.  If ever there are 2 movies that you absolutely need to watch, it is these. I may keep these playing in the background on a daily basis for a while as they have such a positive influence on my overall thinking. If any of you have not seen these movies, do watch them soon, and please send in your comments to offer encouragement to others.

 While we complete the last 4 days of this 100 days, we also prepare for an exciting and positive new journey of another 100 days. So… we will keep on keeping on and change our lifestyle for the rest of our lives. Imagine the joy and feeling of reaching your goal weight AND maintaining it for the rest of our lives!!!  Go Team!!!!!!!!

Stuck In A Rut

Day 11 of the 9^th segment of 10 days. Day 91 of 100 Days of Encouragement

 Day 12 of the 9^th segment of 10 days. Day 92 of 100 Days of Encouragement

 Well, I have hit a wall and a burn out. I have become stuck in a rut. I have been pushing pretty hard for about a month, and I sense that I am running out of energy and strength to stay on track. I weighed in on Sunday morning and found that I have not lost any more weight.

 For the past few days, I have not written down what I have been eating, and I noticed that I am slipping. So… tonight I prepared the menu diary to write things down tomorrow. I will go to bed earlier tonight, and plan my meals for tomorrow and the rest of the week.

 I know that I am in this business course for the next 7 weeks, so I will just have to manage my time and energy by planning, and taking better care of myself.

 So, if anyone is praying out there, I guess I have to do what I am telling others to do. Reach out and ask for support. Like it or not, I am staying with this commitment and will do another 200 days. So let’s buckle up and keep on keeping on. There is no giving up or turning back.

Treadmill Time

Day 9 of the 9^th segment of 10 days. Day 89 of 100 Days of Encouragement

Last night I started writing this post and was falling asleep at my computer, so I listened to my body and went to bed. So here is what I wrote last night.

 I think this lady found the answer to the scale not being cooperative. It is supposed to lie to her and show different numbers, so she can feel better about herself. 

 If life were only that easy….

 Well, it hasn’t been that easy. I have struggled for a few weeks now, and even though I do well at getting back on track, I run into days where I don’t have the extra time or energy to exercise. Thank goodness for my little dog Mercedes.  She gets me outside and walking, whether I want to or not. Today (Friday) I took  her for 2 walks and actually made time to jump on the treadmill for an hour. Well, it is really a battle, and it is a good thing that I am determined to win, otherwise I would give up. But I will not give up and will keep at it.  Don’t anybody get to the point where you admit defeat. No matter the struggle or how long it takes to succeed, we will get there.

Wow! It is hard to believe that 90 days have gone by. There is only one segment of 10 days left to go, so we can all push a little harder this time. I have become stuck at this point and will have to get some self discipline going for the next 10 days.

 When we reach day 100, I will start another 100 days and then another 100 days. Whatever it takes, we will get this ship turned around and reach those goals. The picture expresses what my week has been like.  It seems like I put in such long hours and run out of energy to take care of myself. Well, the good news is that this too will pass and things will settle down a little more.  At least I took my little dog Mercedes out for a long walk today. I came in and looked thorough my emails.

 It is always so good to hear from you. Be sure to write to me anytime. I always look forward to an email from you. I apologize to those that haven’t heard from me in a while. Please be sure that I will get my energy back and for sure will write to you. So keep on keeping on. We will get there no matter how long it takes.

Sometimes You Just Need a Good Laugh

No, I Haven’t Seen Your Lipstick – Why Would You Even Ask Me That? 

Day 8 of the 9^th segment of 10 days. Day 88 of 100 Days of Encouragement

I’ve been putting in long hours again, and I am glad to be able to slow things down a little for a few days. I appreciate the rest. I haven’t been brave enough to step on the scale, but I think I will get on the treadmill tonight.

 A friend emailed me with this picture today, and I couldn’t help but laugh. It really made my day, so I wanted to pass it on to you.

 Hope the picture gives you a good laugh and you pass it on.

Keep Going, Things Will Come Together

Day 5 of the 9^th segment of 10 days. Day 85 of 100 Days of Encouragements

Hello everyone. Hope you are all doing well. Today I started a program to help me build my new business. After a time of uncertainty, I feel like I am starting to get back on track. When you make decisions to change your life, wow, life really can change.

 When we face certain challenges and deal with issues as they surface, our lives can evolve and take various paths that lead to a whole new way of being. One of the new commitments I have made is to write down what I eat, no matter how much or what I eat. This shows me on paper where I am falling down and where I am doing well.

 The last few weeks have been loaded with struggles, but things are starting to come together. What a roller coaster ride it’s been! Regardless of how difficult the challenges are, I am determined and know that I will persevere until I reach my goals. We are close to the end of the first 100 days, and I’m getting ready to commit to another 100 or 200 days. Eventually I will get the new eating habits and thought patterns solid. That means that my behavioural reactions will also change. I monitor the thoughts and feelings that motivate and trigger my eating patterns, and I learning how to deal with them. This is the real challenge and this is where the victory happens. There is no turning back, which means keep going forward.

 So… keep on keeping on, because we can and will get there.