What is your WHY?

                                                                              

I am really enjoying reading "Body Confidence" by Mark Macdonald.

One of the things he talks about is What is your Why?

Why do you want to lose weight? Why do you want to get healthier? Why do you want to learn how to maintain your goals once you reach them?

So here are the 5 questions he says to ask yourself.
1. "Why" do I want to achieve my goal(s)?
2. What will I "get" from achieving my goal(s)?
3. What happens once I achieve my goal(s)?
4. Is my "why" strong enough to keep me focused on my health during life's challenges? (ex: moving, a new job, illness, traveling...anything that throws a wrench into your daily routine)
5. Is the "why" I've chosen only short-term? If so, what is my long term "why"?

So...it's good to have a "short-term" why and a "long-term" why.

My short-term WHY is easy:

Most of my adult life I have pretty much DREADED summer!! Short sleeve tops, no layering, shorts and bathing suits....ARGHHHH!!!! It's so hard to hide your body and be comfortable in the summer when you are uncomfortable in your own skin!

The last 3 years (summers of 2014, 2013 and even 2012 to a certain degree) were so wonderful! I actually enjoyed summer for the first time in years! But I knew, heading towards this summer, 2015, that I was already dreading summer because I had once again lost control and the scale was climbing higher each week. So my short-term why is to be back in to my size 12 (or smaller) clothes for this summer, to be active and happy and more comfortable in the heat, not being concerned about "hiding" my body.

Whooooohoooooo for summer!

 OK...now my long-term WHY!

I want to look and feel healthy for the rest of my life! My husband, children and grand-children are a huge reason for this. I want to start setting a good example. I don't want to be the fat gramma who never wants to go to the beach, or the pool or for a bike ride. I want to be an overcomer in every area of my life!

 I want to go out for dinner with my 3 beautiful daughters-in-law and not feel like I stick out like a HUGE sore thumb.

Sooooo....what are your "WHYS"?
We all have them!!

4 Week Results

                                 A Different Kind of Victory

                                                                            

So today is the start of week 5 for me. Here are some results from my first four weeks.

As you know, I lost 8 pounds in week one...the detox/cleanse week. I didn't think to take my measurements until the start of week 2.

As of this morning I have lost a total of 9.5 pounds on the scale!

BUT....in three weeks I have lost a total of 9 inches!!
(measuring: bust, waist, hips, thigh, calf and arm)

and I have gone down 1 full size!!

                                               

So how is this victory different? I am so not focused on what the scale says!! The "old" me would have been disappointed with only 1.5 pounds in 3 weeks...but lets face it...9 inches in total is sooooo awesome. And it really is about how I FEEL. 
I thank God for this time in my life...for what I'm learning and for the strength to stay the course!

How can you cheat if your not dieting?

                             Cheating

                                                                      

 I am on an "UN-DIET" !!!......WHAT???

I have been on many "diets" in my life. I remember in high school I lost 25 pounds just eating hotdogs (yep...you read right!) and salads and drinking unsweetened grapefruit juice.
I have done Weight Watchers a couple of times, I have done the no-carb thing, I had one time where I just cut out all refined sugar (which is a good thing...but in my mind, it was just temporary...a means to an end). I have counted calories, points, and whatever else I needed to count.
What every one of these times in my life have in common is that they were all "just temporary" A way to get to a certain goal weight. I lost weight on every one of them and I put all the weight back on plus some pretty much every time. Let's face it...how long can you really live without ANY carbs? Especially the complex carbs.
How long can you choke down unsweetened grapefruit juice?
Even the last time I was on Weight Watchers...I was determined it would be a "lifestyle" for me...but once I stopped tracking (writing everything I ate down) eventually I would fall into bad habits and the portions would become bigger and bigger...and the weight would start to creep on.

I am learning a new way of eating. I HAVE determined I am not on a diet (a temporary way of life). I must stress...I am really taking one day at a time with this and so FOR TODAY I am eating in a whole new way!

So...my buddy, the one who introduced this to me, shared how a friend of hers took the word "CHEAT" out of her vocabulary (in regards to food anyway)....I LIKE that. I am not cheating...I may have an off program meal, or day or evening, but I will get right back on program the next meal or day.

It is actually good to have an off plan meal once in a while. Once a week my husband and I go out for a meal. It is actually good for the metabolism to do this...to do a little "jump start"...so our bodies don't get used to the same thing ALL the time....hey...what can I say...it's working for me!

I still make my healthy choices, I like being on plan, I feel the best when I am eating every three hours...my even portions of protein, carb and fat. I feel light and I don't feel "bloaty"

SO...yesterday was Valentines Day...and yes...my hubby and I "indulged" Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries.

At the moment it was good...we enjoyed it and our time with each other...REAL LIFE!
But I did pay the price...I could feel the sugar in my body...I had weird full body shakes and had a very hard time sleeping. I felt queasy. I did not enjoy this sensation. SO, not something I will do again very soon...I like feeling good and sleeping good way more. But I didn't beat myself up over it. I didn't decide to just "give up" everything because of one off plan evening. I got right back on it! And did not feel any guilt.

I love this new way of life...I love my UN-DIET!!

How Important is Breathing? :)

How important is breathing? Besides keeping us alive...if you are losing weight...breathing is extremely important!

Read this:
Where does all that fat go when you lose weight?
According to a new UNSW Australia study, published today in the British Medical Journal, a startling number of health professionals don’t know the answer to that question. The most common misconception, expressed by more than half of the 150 doctors, dieticians and personal trainers surveyed, is that your body burns it all up into energy.
But the truth is that most of the fat mass is breathed out as carbon dioxide. That’s right, you exhale it into thin air.
The team of researchers traced every atom’s exit pathway from the body and discovered that when 10 kg (22 pounds) of fat are fully oxidised, 8.4 kg (18.5 pounds) of fat departs through your breath as CO2, while the remaining 1.6 kg (3.5 pounds) drains out as good old H2O.
So remember that the next time you shed some weight. You’re not sweating, peeing or pooping it out — you’re breathing it out into the world around you.

WOW...who'd a thunk? I always thought you just peed it out...but that is such a small part of it. It's all about breathing!

I have learned how to breathe properly when I work out, and I have started doing some good deep breathing exercises throughout my day. Deep breath in through the nose and slowly out through the mouth. (helps with stress too!)

So keep breathing everyone...esp. when you are exercising or active...you'll breathe out the unwanted fat and relieve some stress while you're at it!

Boredom

                  The silent, subtle trickster!

                                                                      

I think my hardest part of the day...the time I struggle with little thoughts that want to trick me into eating things, or thinking I want to eat things, is the evenings.
My husband works from 5pm to 5am. Three nights one week, 4 the next.
In winter time especially, the evenings can get a little boring for me at times.
I have always turned to food to fill the time for me...I would graze all evening long till bedtime.

So there are a few things I've found that are a help:
I will do something creative like make cards, or keep my hands busy with crochet.
Go upstairs and visit with my kids/grandkids
phone a friend
write a blog post :)
go meet with friends for tea
re-organize my closet.....etc, etc, etc

I find summer time so much easier in this sense,,,so much more can be done outside in the evenings.
What have you found that fills the wintery boredom times and does not involve food...I am so very open to hearing some great ideas!

Exercise...you CAN learn to embrace it!!

                      Shake you BOOTY!!

                                                                         

I have always thought Helen Mirren is a pretty darn good example of a mature, beautiful classy woman.
She will be 70 this year....70!! Now...I really don't know if she's had any "work" done, but I love that she looks healthy (not skinny), she dresses appropriately and obviously keeps herself in good shape.

I could totally handle looking like this when I'm 70!

On that note...I was never a huge "exercisy, outdoorsy, sporty, athleticy" type person. Growing up...I always tried to get out of P.E. My mom tried to get me into cross country skiing...I went twice. The ONLY sport I seemed to be somewhat good at was fastball. I have always had every excuse to get out of any kind of physical activity (unless you count shopping as phsical activity! :)

                                                                                

This last three years, something has definitely changed...I started "moving" more....walking, biking, even yard work. Now, I am even doing a work out routine that includes weights, resistance bands and exercise balls along with walking and doing sprints on the treadmill.  And I actually LIKE it. I have embraced MOVING. I am realizing more than ever how important it is as I get older that I don't become sedentary. I still probably sit around more than I should especially in the winter (it's pretty hard to crochet on the treadmill...HA!) but it is my goal to become more and more active as I continue to get to my healthy place!
Summer is coming...eventually...then I will be out on the trampoline, biking and walking, playing with my grandkids.
In six years my mother had 2 hip replacements, a major back surgery and a knee replacement surgery. This resulted from a lifetime of being overweight and sedentary. I am very determined to NOT end up in a place like that. It's painful and difficult to go through, recoveries are tough and it is not easy to be the caregiver...it is my great hope and prayer that my husband and children will not have to experience what I had to go through with my mother.

                                                                             

What about you...do you like to walk (or skip or jump or bike...) are you wanting to become a more active you? Or have you learned to embrace any activity lately? Leave me a comment and let me know where you are at....I'd love to hear it!

Water....H20...Agua!!!

                                                                      WATER

I have never loved drinking water. Unless I was dying of thirst. It tasted tinny and gave me an almost heartburn type feeling when I would try to drink the 8 cups a day "they" recommend. I always had to flavour it with something...like Crystal Lite or Starbucks Refresher...which of course, defeats the whole purpose!

Then a friend of mine told me about Dolphin Water.

I have FALLEN IN LOVE WITH DRINKING WATER!!!

This water is amazing. It has a wonderful non-tinny fantastic phenomenal taste.....that in itself has sold me...BUT WAIT...theres MORE!! ;)

My friend had one of the worse cases of eczema I have ever see, Her hands in particular looked like a burn victim...it was painful for her and painful to look at. She started drinking this water and within weeks was completely clear. I know...how do we know it was the water? A couple of months ago she went to California for a little over 2 weeks. While there she didn't have her Dolphin Water..and sure as shootin..the eczema started coming back. Once home and back on her water...she was clear again within a few days!

Water is so good for flushing out the toxins (incl. fat) from the body...but only works if you can actually be drinking the amounts you need to. Why not have it doing even more for us while we're at it.
Whether it be eczema, acne, psoriasis or just for over all great health...this water is "where it's at" for me.

You can get this water for a reasonably low price in Mission BC. The owner, Dolph has people coming all over the province to get this water.

Dolph and his team have been so wonderful to us...always friendly and helpful in so many ways. And so very knowledgeable on health related issues. This water is oxygenated, micro clustered, has negative ions (antioxidants) and is infused with trace minerals. If you want to know more...call him...or better yet, go see him if you can...he can explain better how it works. All I know is that even my own skin is clearer and smoother since I've been on it...at 51, I'll take all the help I can!