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.

A Little Too Much Chocolate Today

Day 9 of the 7^th segment of 10 days. Day 69 of 100 Days of Encouragement

Today started out very well. I planned my day and measure my food. Then the busy day started. I did quite well when grocery shopping, avoiding the junk food. I even had to go up and down the isles several times looking for items because the store moved things around.

 I went to certain departments checking out prices for healthy hot dogs, mini hamburgers and popcorn for the One Voice concert next Saturday June 12, 2010. It is going to be a really great time at the amphitheatre at Hawrylak Park with great people, music, fun and food. As much work as it is planning and getting everything together, it is also rewarding.

 I do have to confess that burning the candle at both ends can catch up with you. I had planned to really stick with portion control, work out on the treadmill and take Mercedes for an extra walk. What really happened? Well… I ate extra chocolate, and was so tired that I fell asleep at 8:30 pm. At least Mercedes did get a walk. So… you can tell that I am writing last nights post this morning, but the sun is shining this morning and I feel rested. Have another busy day planned, and this time, will get my post up in the evening. Will absolutely get back on track today, no matter what.

 Hope all of you are hanging in there. We are all in this together and have to encourage one another. Is there anything that any of you are struggling with? Does anyone need special encouragement? Whatever the battle, we will win the victory!!!!

Two Steps Forward and One Step Back

Day 5 of the 7^th segment of 10 days. Day 65 of 100 Days of Encouragement

Well I’ve been quite a machine lately, walking on the treadmill, walking the dog, keeping to the right portions, and putting in some long hours. I’ve been sharing that we are busy putting the “One Voice Concert” (sponsorship and fund raiser for Compassion Canada). More sponsors stepped up to the plate, and others increased their sponsorship.

 Even though a lot of good things came together today, I was very tired. The busy schedule and long hours caught up with me. And, I really slipped up on the portion control and found myself eating a lot of snacks.  It really reminded me that I had to take some time this evening to get some rest. After taking Mercedes for an extra long walk I was ready to dish into more snacking, but decided that I had better listen to my body and get some rest.

 What I do know is that tomorrow is another day, and I can just pick myself up and get back on track. Two steps forward and one step back, but I will still get there. I am determined to work at this until I reach the goal; well actually, the goal is to change my eating habits for the rest of my life, so, I guess I will take like one day at a time. But still very determined to persevere, endure, and get past the obstacles of my own thought patterns, beliefs, and self-imposed limitation.

 I know that all of you can do this also, so stay with it. You can and will win the race and celebrate victory.

Discipline – Saying No to Extra Portions

Day 7 of the 4^th segment of 10 days. Day 37 of 100 Days of Encouragement

Hello Everyone. Today was another long and busy day. New strategies in various areas of my life can add challenges to the challenge. Today I reached a point where I had consumed all of my portions, but wanted some lasagne. I did eat some lasagna, but then came up with a new idea. Because I make a substantial efforts to write everything that I eat, I wrote on my menu planner: “Stop Eating!” Amazing results. I actually did stop eating.

 You may think when the emotional hunger monster kicks in you cannot resist, but this is not necessarily true. It may mean that you have allowed your thoughts to give way to your emotions. This is when you need to step back and tell yourself to think about what is being called to your attention. Allow the moment to pass, because it will and you will grow in strength.

 Of course this sounds easy on paper. The real challenge is to develop this strength of character to sustain a consistent response each time. Be patient with yourself, as this will happen and you will succeed. We will succeed. Keep your goal at the front of your mind and Never Give Up!

Long Day

Day 4 of the 3rd segment of 10 days. Day 24 of 100 Days of Encouragement.

Hello everyone. Well, today was a long day. I worked most of the day and then went to a business mixer. I was blessed with an opportunity to attend a conference that is put on by the ‘Alberta Women Entrepreneurs’ (AWE). This is an excellent organization that assists women in business. They also provided a segment of comedian entertainment. It is well planned, and I met many women this evening. Had a nice evening, but had a very long day.  

Today I tried a new recipe for using the no calorie and no carb noodles. I cooked some Basmati rice (my favourite rice) in the microwave. While that was cooking, I stir fried some of the no carb noodles in a frying pan, along with 2 Tbs. of light margarine and onions. I combined a ½ cup of cooked rice with the noodles & onions, ½ cup chickpeas, 4 oz of canned chicken, and 2 tsp. of light Parmesan cheese. It was very tasty and filling.  

When I came home from the conference, I decided to make sure I took the time to walk on the treadmill for 45 minutes. I had walked last night also for almost an hour, as I work on new habits. Also, I am making sure to write down everything I eat, get outside to walk my dog, and be careful with portion control.  

Better habits are starting to set in. I’m not sure if I have lost any more weight, but will keep at this until I get there. I know that some of you are determined, and with some perseverance we will get to the goal.  Make sure you remember to keep your goals at the front of your thoughts. With continued effort, the patterns of thinking will develop into healthy choices and lifestyle.  

Although I am very tired, I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know new people tomorrow. God Bless all of my online friends, and give all of us hope, courage, determination, perseverance and victory.  

Day 17 – Eat Anything in Moderation

Day 7 of the 2^nd segment of 10 days. Day 17 of 100 Days of Encouragement.

Well, today I was faced with having to make decisions on what I can eat. A lovely Chinese food dinner was brought into work today, and I had to figure out what I could eat. 

Many studies have found that you can eat anything in moderation. The key is “moderation” and “portion control”.  Studies indicate that it is a myth to believe you have to give up foods you love in order to lose weight.  Deprivation of foods you love eventually leads to binge eating of the foods you deprived yourself of.

I am learning to discipline myself. When the food was delivered, it smelled soooo good. I understand that the vegetables are fried and contain fats, so I took that into consideration. Instead of depriving myself and not eating anything, I decided to eat the vegetables and a little bit of chicken. These counted as 3 vegetables, 2 measures of fat, 1 starch, and 1 protein. When I got home, I wrote them down and figured out what I could have for supper.  I stayed on track, even though I allowed myself to have a 100 calorie chocolate bar. I still counted it in. I am finding that I don’t feel so deprived by allowing myself to measure and calculate how much of certain foods I can eat.

As you can see in the picture, the hamburger is definitely beyond moderation. It doesn’t mean that you cannot have a burger. It means that you cook the lean burger and measure it to be 4 oz cooked. You weigh or measure the bread and cheese. You can have as much mustard as you want, and a few tablespoons of ketchup.  The key is to WRITE down how much of each portion you eat.  It is proven that people that write down everything they eat lose twice as much weight as those that do not track the food they eat.

I am working on developing new eating habits that become lifelong patterns that include conscious and aware eating. Eventually the pattern will become the new normal.

I want to congratulate everyone on the team for working so hard at this tough walk. Keep your goal at the front of your mind and it will eventually become a new pattern of thinking. All of you are awesome. I know without a doubt that all of you can do this.

Day 8 – What Would Be Your Dream Come True?

Believe!  Imagine your goal come true! Victory!

You must keep your momentum and go forward to keep hope alive and thriving in your life. I have heard from a few of you that you have had a few struggles with Easter dinners and Easter Chocolate. That is OK. These occasions test us to the limit. The good news is that you can get back on track. In fact, a little bit of chocolate can satisfy a craving. They key is portion control. Plan, plan, plan and plan more. The more you imagine and thoughtfully plan for occasional treats, the better prepared you are to get back on track.

You can eat 100 calories of dark chocolate and count it as a starch. Deprivation can lead to over indulgence. I am learning to train my thought patterns to keep my eye on the goal. Even if I give in and have a treat, I know that I will get back on track.

We are at the stage of needing to lift each other up and support one another. I am reaching out and asking everyone to send in some encouragement so I can create posts that share our desire to succeed and wish the same onto others. This shared energy will lift others and return to you 10 fold. We are working toward the goal. It means coming out of our comfort zone and opening up instead of bottling up.  We must keep the momentum going. Millions set out to lose weight but only a few actually do. The reason is, they do not have a plan for every detail and situation. Plan, plan and plan some more.

Look everywhere around you to see your goals. Keep your goals at the forefront of your thoughts. This will translate into actions. When you do the work that really needs to be done, peace and joy will follow. If you lose sight of your goals you certainly are going to slip back into the old patterns and habits.

Re-set Your Goals Today!

Plan your menus, exercise and plan for each scenario that can arise to throw you off track. Then have a plan for getting back on track. Plan ways to remind yourself to keep your goals at the forefront of your mind and life. Keep the image of victory ever in front of you.

Millions of people set out to lose weight, but only a few actually succeed. The number one reason is they didn’t plan ahead and take care of all of the areas where they could fall. There must be thought training and a lot of self-talk to ensure that you do not give up. It is also important to reach out and ask for help and support. This website is for people to reach out and ask for help and support as well as offer help and support. Let’s get back on track.

Allow yourself treats. Yesterday I really wanted a treat so I had unwrapped a “skinny cow fudge bar” from the freezer. It is chocolate flavoured, tastes delicious, and is only 50 calories. 1½ bars counts as starch and really satisfies the cravings. You can also dip strawberries in chocolate or banana to create a healthy snack that will satisfy the cravings. Planning meals and having snacks around will really help. Remember, portion control.

I have not had time to create another week of menus. The first 7 days can be repeated or altered. Please, everyone, if you have any menu ideas or recipes, contact me. It is a tremendous amount of work to create a variety of foods that you can eat. Be creative and alter the menus with other foods. Just remember to measure or weight your foods.

I know that all of you can do this!!!!! Together we can gain Victory! Today we get back on track and win that race.