The Holidays--The True Test of Commitment

With Thanksgiving behind us, we are now officially into the holiday season. Tis the season of justifying excessively bad eating habits and easily rationalizing every missed workout (It's okay--it's the holidays. I'll start eating better and working out again come January.) Did you know that people gain an average of 7 pounds during the holidays? Did you also know that this weight gain is often not as temporary as we would like to believe, but may lead to long-term weight gain, far beyond what we bargained for with those justifications that sounded oh-so-valid to our ears? Take it from me, as one who for the last five years or more has exceeded that 7-pound average weight gain, that IT IS NOT WORTH IT!!! What kind of memories are you building for yourself with all these rationalizations? For me it has been mostly memories of feeling really lousy and hating myself when it's all over because of all the weight I have packed on. That is not what I want my holidays to be about. So this year I am doing things differently. I started a holiday fitness challenge with a small group of Facebook friends. Each person in the group has been asked to set their own, personal fitness/health goals, to check in on the FB group page every day, and to commit to seeing this challenge through until the end of the holiday season. We officially started yesterday, and I am very excited. My goals are to workout 6 days a week every week, and on January 2, 2012, to be able to say "I weigh 10 pounds less now than I did at my pre-Thanksgiving weigh-in." I have recently started the Beachbody RevAbs program, and it is kicking my booty! Seriously! It's tough, but I love it because I know I am going to see results as I stick with it and work for it every day. I am drinking my Shakeology every day, using my doTerra essential oils, and doing all of the things that have helped to bring me success in the past (e.g. EFT, scripture study, etc.). And now I have this challenge group to keep me even more motivated. How can I expect to motivate them to stay committed to reaching their goals if I am not committed to reaching my own goals? I had a really strong November (I'll post results for the month in a few days) and I know December is going to be even better. And you know what that means? It means I am going to feel great this holiday season, I am going to have more energy, and I am going to be happier and more able to enjoy the true spirit of the season! Those are the kind of memories that I want to make!

October Results and Taking Commitment by Surprise

What is going on here?!!! I believe it was nearly three weeks ago that I decided to transition to a whole foods vegetarian diet, and to re-commit to a workout plan. I, like you, have committed to healthier eating and to regular exercise at least a thousand times over the course of my life, but this time something seems different--I am actually doing it! Now I realize that it has been less than 3 weeks, but something just feels different this time around. It's as if that little subconscious voice in my head that is usually telling me that I am going to fail because I suck at sticking with things and I am unworthy of real success, is telling me instead that I can do anything I put my mind to, that I am already a success, and that regular exercise and healthy eating is natural for an athlete and coach such as myself. Suddenly that voice is my biggest fan and absolutely believes in me. This is really something!

In discussing this phenomenon with my sister, Coach Denise Kay, we found that we have both been experiencing the same thing, and it has left both of us wondering what has changed? Why is this time so different? I don't know that there is one silver bullet that is making the difference for us, but perhaps it is the right combination of several good things, including the following:

• Daily prayer and scripture study. I know you may be wondering what this has to do with health and fitness, but I assure you that it is hugely important. If you have ever read that children's book You Are Special by Max Lucado, you know that the little Wemmicks who visit their creator on a regular basis have a better sense of who they are and of their own value, regardless of what anyone else may say or think about them. This is how daily scripture study and prayer help me. Knowing who I am and feeling my worth helps me to have more motivation to stick with my commitments, instead of falling back into that old habit of self-sabotage.
• Daily EFT practice. EFT has been so instrumental in helping me to clear my subconscious limiting beliefs and to align my energy with my goals. Denise and I have been tapping every day, and we check in with each other to make sure we are fitting it in every day and to discuss the experiences we are having. If we feel a lot of resistance about something specific during the day then that is what we try to focus on when we are tapping. This consistent, daily practice really makes a difference.
• Becoming Beachbody coaches. It seems to me that somehow tying our fitness and nutrition commitments to our business has created a huge incentive for both of us to get our workouts in every day and to eat right. We want to be able to coach others who are struggling with health/weight issues, and we know that as we experience our own transformation we can better assist those who are looking for help. I think that focusing on the service aspect of our own fitness journey is very motivating to both of us.
• Shakeology. This is a vitamin-packed protein drink that I think is about as healthy as you can get in one glass. While I am focusing primarily on whole foods in my new way of eating, I do believe that this is an excellent way to supplement in order to ensure you are getting enough vitamins and minerals in your diet. Shakeology uses whole food sources, includes many superfoods, and is also quite tasty. I drink it with 16 ozs of almond milk and that makes it a really satisfying meal replacement. Shakeology has really helped me to curb my sweets cravings as well. Two thumbs up for this product. I have to credit it with at least a portion of my recent success.
• Hope and gratitude. I have been focusing on my blessings and holding that vibration of gratitude as often as I possibly can. When I feel grateful for all I have, it is easy for me to feel hope for the future and the many blessings and successes to come. I know they will come if I can keep holding onto that feeling of gratitude, and if I will trust myself and trust in God.

These things, I believe, are the primary reasons for my recent shift. I'm excited to see where it takes me from here. I must add here that I am already seeing some benefits. I blogged the other day about resisting the feelings of discouragement that came with my increased waist size. Well, that measurement day wasn't my official weigh-in day, so I decided to do my monthly check-in measurements (waist and weight) on November 1st, despite having done them only 3 days earlier. You can imagine my shock when I found that my waist was down to 37.5 inches, and that my weight was down to 154 lbs. Yippeeee! I guess that 39.75-inch measurement was just the dark before the dawn. (o: I feel great about my October progress toward my six-pack and toward a stronger, leaner, healthier me.

I shall not be discouraged!

Denise and I have recently signed up as Beachbody coaches, and in so doing we renewed our commitment to get fit, this time using Beachbody products (e.g. P90X, Chaleen Extreme, Insanity, etc.). As part of this commitment we are taking pictures to show our progress, and on Saturday we took our measurements. Beachbody shows specific ways to take measurements, so we changed our method slightly to conform with this and, lo and behold, according to this new way of measuring my waist is now 39.75 inches, a whole inch and a half bigger than my previous measurement at the end of September. Now, admittedly, I did not measure the old way to see if the difference was all just the method of measuring, or if my waist has really expanded that much. Either way, I must admit that I felt very discouraged. I have been doing Power 90 as well as running every day (except Sunday), faithfully, without missing. I have not touched processed foods or meat of any kind these past two weeks, and I was feeling great, only to discover this unlikely and unwanted result. Of course there are a dozen reasons why my belly might have expanded, but I'm not going to delve into those right now. Instead, I am going to tell you about the experience I had yesterday.

Yesterday was Sunday, and for me that is the Sabbath, the day I attend three hours of church meetings, partake of the Sacrament, and worship my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ. Yesterday, as I sat through these meetings, I felt so uplifted by the Spirit, and I felt my Father in Heaven pouring His love down upon me, and I wanted to be better and to live my life for Him and declare to all the world my testimony that my Savior and Redeemer lives! The feelings and impressions were so powerful that I felt joy and peace and gratitude all day. I wanted to find ways to serve those around me and to spend every minute doing good.

Now it is Monday. I woke up this morning to get ready for my workout, and I looked in the mirror and saw my nearly 40-inch gut just hanging out there, and I started to feel discouraged--but I caught myself and turned my thoughts around. How can I feel discouraged when I am so blessed? How can I feel discouraged when I know I am a daughter of God and that my Father loves me and is aware of me? How can I feel discouraged when I have this beautiful, amazing body that can do so many wonderful things? How can I feel discouraged when I know that Jesus Christ lives and that I will live with Him again someday, if I live worthy of it? How can I feel discouraged with so much to be thankful for in my life? I cannot. I shall not. I am grateful!

Father in Heaven, I am grateful.

September report and where to go from here

Well, those September numbers were very telling. Here are the results:

Weight: 157 lbs.
Waist: 38.25"

So my weight was up but my waist measurement was down? What's up with that? Here's what I think. I still am not eating very well--in fact, the harder I try to stick to my meal plan, the worse I seem to do. Lots of emotional blocks there obviously. At the same time, however, I did start doing more weight training during the month of September, so that must certainly account for some of the counter-intuitive results. After all, muscle does weigh more than fat.

And now, where do I go from here? I'll tell you where I've been. Up through the first week of October I was exercising pretty consistently, and my eating was not great, but not too terrible either. Then, the second week, I stopped working out for the most part (I managed to get in a few 12-minute runs through most of the week, but nothing else) and my eating escalated--or rather tanked--to very terrible (still no sugar though, so I give myself credit for that). It was just a really, really bad week. I had no motivation to do anything, and I moped around all week feeling like I was never going to make any progress and I would never realize any of my dreams because they were just too out of reach, wah, wah, wah! I was in really bad shape. Now I have pulled myself back into the world of the optimistic and hopeful, and here is what I have learned:

• I did not read or study the scriptures one single day during the dark week; this week I have practiced daily, focused scripture study;
• I did not do any EFT during the dark week; this week I have practiced EFT on a daily basis;
• I ate a lot of nutrient-poor, processed food during the dark week, and lots of sweets and junk food (my no sugar, no hydrogenated oil, no artificial sweeteners, etc. type of junk food); since Monday I have partaken of no processed food and no sweets, other than a glass of chocolate almond milk on occasion;
• I ate lots of meat during the dark week; On Sunday I decided that I am going to transition to a vegetarian, whole foods diet (I'll still eat eggs, yogurt, and fish);
• I did little to no exercise during the dark week; this week I have gotten back into a regular, vigorous exercise routine;
• I allowed myself to wallow in discouragement and self-pity during the dark week; this week I have kept my thoughts positive, hopeful, and filled with gratitude.

I'll tell you, if you are ever feeling depressed, discouraged, or just in a rut, try changing a few of these things that I changed and I guarantee you will see a huge difference in the way you feel and your outlook on life. I'm excited to see where they take me from here.

Just a note on the six months to a six-pack goal: As I find the end of the six months drawing closer and still see how far I have to go, I decided to change the program to sixteen months to a six-pack. The point of this is not so much to give myself another deadline, or to allow lack of discipline and cheating while still earning the rewards. Rather, the point is to encourage myself to continue moving forward, with less concern for how long it might take and more concern for doing it the way that is right for me. I feel really good about this. So I guess I'll be doing these monthly check-ins for a while yet. That's great--I love seeing progress!

Thoughts on searching for the perfect apartment . . . or the perfect man

Finding the perfect apartment is so much easier than it used to be, now that we have great resources such as www.vacancy.com to help us in our search. In fact, it is much like online dating in many ways. [DISCLAIMER: It should not be assumed that finding the “perfect” apartment, or, in fact, the “perfect” man (if he even exists) will in any way secure one’s eternal happiness. The author of this essay, while acknowledging that this does happen from time to time, has yet to figure out how to make it work in her own life—in the case of either the apartment or the man—and therefore should not be relied on as an expert on the subject.] The similarities can be made clear by reviewing the questions outlined below.

Question #1: Is it/he functional? It is important to determine whether the apartment/man is functional before agreeing to rent or date. In the case of the apartment, does it have hardwood floors, ideal for those early morning workouts with Tony Horton (no, Tony is probably not the ideal man, despite the six-pack abs)? Is it open and spacious and able to accommodate those late-night study groups for that upcoming biology mid-term? Is it conveniently located close to campus and a grocery store (for those emergency Ben & Jerry’s runs)? In the case of Mr. Wonderful, does he have a car that functions properly? When he asks you out on a date, and then follows this question immediately with, “Do you mind driving,” that is a big red flag indicating that this man may not be functional. Can you carry on a conversation with him in areas other than sports and cars? If he is a student, is his GPA at least in the triple digits? If he has a job, does it entail having a food handler’s permit and counting out change at a drive-through window? All of these questions will help you identify functionality—or lack thereof—in a man.

Question #2: Is it/he comfortable? An apartment that is not comfortable is an abomination. Yes, it is important that it be attractive and clean, but if you don’t feel like you are really “home” the moment you walk through your door, then this apartment is not the one for you. If you don’t walk in at the end of the day and heave a big sigh of contentment just to be home, then it is time to break up with your apartment. This also goes for Mr. Right. Yes, it is important that he be attractive and clean, but if you don’t feel like you are really “home” the moment you see him, then he is not the guy for you. If you don’t heave that contented sigh every time he walks through your door, then it is time to set him free (with clear instructions that he is never to return).

Question #3: Does it/he have integrity? This is perhaps the most important question of all. Many apartments may look nice on the surface, but an apartment that has integrity goes so much further than gilding. An apartment with integrity will not get too hot in the summer or leak water onto your beautiful hardwood floor in the winter. This apartment would never let bugs inside, or allow mold to grow in its walls. When there is integrity, what you see is what you get. As regarding men, it is perhaps even more crucial to determine the existence of integrity. Does your seemingly kind and gentlemanly date hide a terrible temper just under the surface? Does he tell little white lies to others, causing you to wonder what lies he might be telling you? Does he stay away for periods of time, and then get angry and defensive when you ask him what he has been doing or where he has been? Do you know what corrosive thoughts may be growing inside his mind, or what cankering habits might be developing in his life? When integrity is in question, you can never ask too many questions. And a lack of integrity in an apartment or a man is an immediate deal breaker. Just walk away, and don’t look back (or you may have to deal with consequences that are much worse than being turned into a pillar of salt).

In conclusion, I recommend to anyone who is looking for the ideal apartment (see a great example at the link below), or the ideal date (no example available), to be sure to ask the right questions. If you do, you might just find the apartment and the man of your dreams, and you can all live together happily ever after (NOTE: Please see disclaimer in the first paragraph of this essay).

http://www.vacancy.com/utah/salt-lake-city-apartments/covey-apartments

What is most important to me?

What is most important to me is that I live true to my life purpose. I have spent so many years of my life pursuing goals that my family or society has set for me that I never took the time to search deep within my own soul to find my purpose. A growing dissatisfaction with my job and my life woke me up to the fact that I was burying my dreams and settling for something far less than what I could be experiencing. As I thought about this more and more, I realized that if I didn’t make a major course change soon, I would one day look back on my life with a regretful heart, knowing that I hadn’t lived my life to its fullest, and that I hadn’t reached my potential. This idea filled me with dread, and I decided that I would not settle for less, whatever the cost.

Living true to my life purpose means that I find my passion, determine how I can use that passion to make a difference for good in this world, and then work for it every day of my life, never allowing anything to stop me. It is a process—a journey—and as I continue to meet resistance along the way, I will make it my purpose to fight discouragement by moving forward always, never stopping to rest and never retreating back to my old ways or to my old, unfulfilling life. Perhaps there is safety and comfort there, but in that place there is no joy, no passion, no bliss. I want more. I want to break through all the barriers and find out who I really am and what extraordinary things I am capable of. I want to find myself rising to such a state that I feel as close to God as possible in this human experience. This is the journey of my life purpose. This is that which is most important to me.

And the August results are in . . .

Well, what can I say? I'm following pretty much the same path that I have previously followed when starting a "Six Months To A Six-Pack" type of program. I've gained weight and inches around the waist. This is the point where, historically, I have thrown everything out the window and quit trying. "What's the point?" I would say to myself. "It's obviously not working, and the pressure is just making me fatter." So, I have reached a decision point. Do I throw in the towel like I have done so many times before? I admit that I seriously considered this. But of course, not doing anything doesn't seem to be working either, so maybe I just need to adjust my strategy and re-commit.

. . . *sigh* . . . Do you ever feel like a hamster, running on your wheel day after day? No matter how fast and how hard you run, you never seem to get anywhere. . . *sigh* . . .

Anyway, I've decided to re-commit. I REALLY want this! I am now working with a fitness/nutrition trainer (Melissa Guthrie--contact her at mgfitness321@gmail.com--she's pretty amazing!). Melissa has developed a meal plan personalized to my level of activity, my RMR, and my weight release goals, so that should take care of my nutrition. I started tracking my eating and exercising on MyFitnessPal.com (check out CoachMelindaAnn to see what I have been eating). Now, after taking a couple weeks off from exercising, I am easing gently back into it to ensure that I stay healthy and continue to move forward. And that is exactly what my new strategy is--to keep moving forward, no matter what. I am also really focusing on accepting myself--and my body--exactly as I am. I want to be able to say "I am beautiful exactly as I am" and believe it down to my core.

Just four months left--here's to my re-commitment to getting my six-pack abs! I WILL SUCCEED!

August results:

Weight: 156.2 lbs
Waist: 38.5 inches