Next Stop Health Coach

This will be my last day posting on this blog. I started the next leg on my health and fitness journey yesterday with the first day of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition Health Coach program. The program is ten months long, and at the end I will be a Health Coach.WOO HOO! I am so excited to be taking this next step in my journey. It just feels right! I have started a new blog called Believe, Eat, Move where I will be posting about my health coaching education, and my experiences along the way. I think the last year was a prelude and warm up for this year - which I BELIEVE is going to be awesome. So, come on over to BElieve, Eat, Move to continue to follow me on my journey. See you there!

It's our responsibility to find a new way to respond to those who consistently react to things in an irrational or unhealthy manner. You are not here to change them. Your job is to change your response to them. This shift in perspective can truly change your life. You don’t ever have to be bothered by that person’s consistent reactions to life again, you just let them be them. ~ Healing w/ the Masters

Addicted to Cheese?

Hmmmmm....why do I like and crave cheese so much? This article explains it well. I need to break this addictive cycle.

From CNN online.

Many people say they could never be vegans because they can't give up cheese. Why is cheese so addictive? Dr. Barnard explains that a major source of addictive compounds in cow's milk is casein. Casein is a protein made from a long chain of amino acids. About 87% of the protein in cow's milk is casein.

When we digest milk or other dairy products, not all of the casein is broken down into individual amino acids. Some of it breaks down to short chain proteins, each containing several amino acids. These short chain proteins are called casomorphins, and they are addictive compounds. Nature designed it so calves would be addicted to food: to their mother's milk.

Cheese is basically concentrated cow's milk. When we eat cheese, we get a big hit of these addictive opiates. Have you ever eaten a large amount of cheese and been constipated afterward? The constipation was caused by the narcotic effect of the casomorphins. We are not calves, and we should not be drinking cow's milk or eating cheese.


Think about the foods you can't resist. Are they whole plant foods? Probably not. Nobody ever got in the car and drove to the 7-Eleven or a fast food restaurant at 11 pm to buy a head of cauliflower or a can of black beans, did they? 

Think about the foods you can't resist. Maybe you are addicted. Hmmmm....like I said I know for me it is Cheese and probably Sugar too. For my husband I know it is Meat. I think we may be eating a lot less cheese, sugar, and meat soon in order to propel the health journey along. 

Neal Barnard, MD, author of Breaking the Food Seduction, names four common foods or food groups that are addictive:

• Chocolate
  
  
• Cheese
  
  
• Sugar
  
  
• Meat

Do any of those ring a bell for you?

It is official....I am going back to school again...But not for what you would think!

No. I am not taking a real estate or marketing or business class. Believe it or not. LOL! This time I am going to be getting my Health Coach Certification. Yes. That's right. Me - a health coach!! I have enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition's  online Health Coach Certification program. The program starts in mid-May and lasts 10 months. And, when I am done I will be a Health Coach.Woo Hoo!! I am feeling that this will be the next step in my journey. I also plan to get a Personal Training Certification, as well. I think I may just be on my way to a new career. Not, that I don't like real estate and teaching. I just feel like I want to combine my love of helping people, teaching, fitness and food, gardening, with a little mind/body work thrown in for good measure in this new turn in my life. I am going to be living life as if... as if I am already there. I think being in a program with many like minded people who are all interested in health will propel me to my goal. BELIEVE! I must believe. We must all believe we have what we want even before we have it physically in our lives. Soon I will be starting a new blog too - more about the principles I have learned along the way and will learn in my certification programs about health and fitness, mind/body and spirit. Oh boy! Things are going to get exciting now! The next step in my journey begins....and I am excited!

The Law of Intention and Desire from Deepak Chopra's website

I have been meditating every day this week - using mostly guided meditations from The Chopra Center Website. I really feel great after doing my meditation. I guess that means I am shifting my spirit, my path, my purpose. I have some ideas of things I want to do now that will propel me on my journey and I am excited.

Inherent in every intention and desire is the mechanics for its fulfillment . . . intention and desire in the field of pure potentiality have infinite organizing power. And when we introduce an intention in the fertile ground of pure potentiality, we put this infinite organizing power to work for us.
I will put the Law of Intention and Desire into effect by making a commitment to take the following steps:
1. I will make a list of all my desires. I will carry this list with me wherever I go. I will look at this list before I go into my silence and meditation. I will look at it before I go to sleep at night. I will look at it when I wake up in the morning.
2. I will release this list of my desires and surrender it to the womb of creation, trusting that when things don’t seem to go my way, there is a reason, and that the cosmic plan has designs for me much grander than even those I have conceived.
3. I will remind myself to practice present-moment awareness in all my actions. I will refuse to allow obstacles to consume and dissipate the quality of my attention in the present moment. I will accept the present as it is, and manifest the future through my deepest, most cherished intentions and desires.

Whacked hormones and being an Empath - where is my bubble?

I didn't quite make it to workout on Monday, Wednesday or today. I did go to my workout with my trainer on Tuesday though - only because I had to. Monday I said I was resting because of the run on Sunday, but that was a lie! And, of course I haven't been sleeping well at all! The motivation is just not there. Not sure if because I am such an Empath (empathetic person that picks up on the energy of others) I am just in a funk because of all that is going on around the world - the earthquake, tsunami, and radiation in Japan; all the turmoil in the Middle East, gas prices here....I could go on and on, which is so not like me. Usually, I am pretty good about not focusing on the bad. But, I really feel like I am picking up on the feelings these occurrences are bringing out in others. I am trying to stay in a good emotional state, but it is hard for me when I see the news and read things on the Internet. Maybe I just need to live in a bubble. I know that sounds unrealistic and self centered to live in a bubble, but I just can't take all the pain in the world right now. I've got to snap out of this. Plus, I just found out that my hormones are officially out of whack. In a way this is good news because the doctor said that my out of whack hormones could very well be the cause of my not sleeping well, my evening cravings, and my not releasing weight like I would like to.  So, I am doing something about it and I’m going to get my hormones working for me and not against me!  We shall see – I start on my new regimen tonight. I am optimistic that this will be the big turning point for me in my journey.  I’ve read that hormones not being in line can really wreck havoc on a body and its systems. I may well be living proof of this. The good news is that hormones can be regulated and get back to normal.  All I can say is that I am so glad that tomorrow is Friday and that I am seeing my former Prosperity Princess ladies tomorrow to talk about some positive manifesting. I really need that now.

Up at 5 a.m......

Actually, 4 a.m. without the time change - to get my coffee and drive to the Grunion Run 5K in Dana Point. It was mighty early to drive down there to participate in this run! I was one pooped girl when I got home. And, I didn't even see one Grunion. hahahaha!  I know they are only out at night. I think I was tired mostly because it was soooooo early to get up and on a Sunday too! Well, I mostly walked with a little jogging, but it was a nice time - beautiful scenery along the coast. Then my friend, Sue, and I had a a little breakfast at the Dana Point Harbor. The plan is to do more of these runs - and to get more proficient at the 5K's before moving on to the 10Ks. The next one we have planned is the beginning of May at the Orange County Marathon. Oh no I'm not doing the Marathon - not yet anyway. LOL! We will be doing another 5K that day. That event I'm sure will  have some very serious runner types attending. LOL! Not me...I'm happy with myself and with completing the run/walk this morning. Needless to say I didn't do my meditation this morning because I was up so early and rushed to get out the door - and I feel it. Or could it just be that I got up so early? LOL!  Seriously, I am really getting into the vibe of meditation. I know it sounds cliche, but I am serious. Meditating in the morning is really helping to shape my days - in a good and fabulously joyful way.

Reiki, Meditation, Yoga, Workout and Pilates

I've been a busy girl since I last wrote. On Saturday I had the pleasure of refreshing my Reiki skills with my Pilates instructor/Reiki Master, Janice, and my friends Yvette and Joni. It was an awesome day - with some huge revelations for me. I have continued my meditation daily since we last spoke - feeling more still each time I meditate.  It really only takes about 15 minutes or so a day to completely - well not really completely (LOL- still have a little drunk monkey in my head) - center me for the day. Plus, I went to my friend Alysia's meditation class at The Healing Shoppe – where she does a guided meditation which really helps in seeking guidance in life. I know that may sound a little out there – especially for a real estate broker to say – but it is true! I went back to the yoga class I tried a few weeks ago - and that was awesome too. Boy, do I need to get more limber though - which I understand will come with time. Thank goodness! And, today is my workout/Pilates day. I know don't ask me why I am doing both on the same day - scheduling issues. Yes. That's it. So, basically I moved my body for two hours today. YAY! This weekend I am doing The Grunion Run 5k in Dana Point with one of the ladies I did the Mud Run with – my friend Sue. It should be a beautiful weekend for the run – in my case mostly walk. LOL! Life is good.

Stillness Speaks

This may seem a little cliché, but the idea that my body is my temple seems to be a reoccurring theme for me the last few days. I really believe that I have been disconnected from my body for the last 25 or so years or maybe even longer. My mind and spirit seem to not be a part of my body and its laments. I think this may hold the clue to why it has been such a struggle for me to release weight in the past. I don’t really feel overweight in my head most of the time. I don’t really feel uncomfortable. Well, of course unless I am shopping for clothes – the reason for my vast shoe and purse collection! LOL! Or if I am going to a beach or pool – then I do recognize that I’m not going to feel too comfortable in a bathing suit – but my weight hasn’t stopped me from going! I did give up wearing shorts quite awhile ago – but hey don’t all forty-year-olds. Hmmmmm….that sounds like a little bit of denial.  But, the point being that in my everyday life – I don’t think of myself as a fat person.  I really don’t.  I think that somewhere along the way the connection between body and soul so to speak was lost for me. Not sure when or how or why! But, in expanding my meditation practice I have learned – I am still a total novice at this – that it is only in stillness that we discover our infinite possibilities. It is in stillness that we set our intentions and our stillness connects us to our intentions.  Very profound breakthrough for me! Discovering this made me think about how I have lived my life for the last 25 years or so, or maybe longer.   I have always tried to be in a constant state of motion. Ask my husband!  I can’t even sit and watch a movie without dashing around the house.  Always doing something, always talking to someone, starting project after project, decorating room after room, buying this and buying that, and now always on the computer on Facebook, or email or Twitter  - but I realized that in doing, doing, doing perhaps I have lost the connection between my spirit – my authentic self – and my body.  Always living in my racing mind with that stupid little drunk monkey talking to me much of the time, and not living in my body – even while exercising I would think of what I had to do next.  I could barely take Cleo for a walk without scurrying back to the house – for what - so, I could do something anything, but be still. I realize that in not having this connection to my body – my temple- the energy mass that keeps my spirit alive on this earth –that there was no way I would ever be a my ideal weight. This is big. This is it. This is the third part of the triad.  Connection! There must be a connection between body and spirit, body and mind.  I am just figuring this out. I am just realizing the potential of this discovery. This morning during my meditation – I felt the stillness.I was mindful. I was peaceful. I felt the connection. I felt that the possibilities in my life are absolutely unlimited!

gro-Organic Garden Planning Software Review

I posted a little about the garden planning software awhile ago when I first used it, but now I am going to give a full review of my thoughts on how it works. The software was really easy to use. I measured my garden space in my backyard, then I drew the plan for my garden with the grid system on the site. I actually realized that I could plant and grow way more than I did last year, once I inputted what vegetables and fruits I wanted to plant where in my garden. As you can see by my completed plan below, I will be growing lots of delicious vegetables this year. All and all I thought the software was really easy to use and I really like seeing where I will be planting each plant/seed. In the past I just sort of planted where ever with no regard to spacing etc. This really helped me when I actually planted a few weeks ago too because it told me when to plant each type of plant and how many plants/seeds to plant in each square foot of my garden. The website also has information on each type of plant with photos.

gro-Organic also offers all these other features if you have Garden Planner account:

Growing information: Just click for full details of how to grow each plant, where to position them, etc.

Number of Plants: Clearly shown by the number at the top of each plant square (This is what really helped me to hopefully grow much more this year - by allowing to be totally utilized all my space.)

Personalized Planting Chart: You get a chart showing when each plant will be planted and harvested by geographic area.(Now I will know when to pick my vegetables instead of letting them get too big!)

Reminder Emails: You can have emails sent reminding you what needs planting in your garden

Easy Crop Rotation: The Garden Planner remembers each year's crops and advises where to place them next year (This will be great next year!)

Succession Planting: See which crops will follow others and view your plan for each month of the year

Add Notes: Like a garden journal you can add notes on how each plant did (So, I will be able to track any issues I have with pests, birds, whatever in this section.)

Intuitive Use: Very easy to use intuitively. (I am one of those people that never reads directions and I figured out out how to use it within minutes.)

Tutorial Videos: For those who would have the patience - not me! But, very useful to learn how to use the software.

Can't wait to start picking and eating my bounty! Thanks for the help with my garden planning gro-Organic!

 This is what my garden plan looks like for this year. The brown part is actually a walkway/path to the terraced garden, as you can see in the real photo of my garden from last year.

And, this is my actual garden from last year. See my over grown onions. LOL! This year I'll know when to pick those puppies! Don't look at my dead lawn though - actually it is really green right now! So, I'm looking forward to eating real food from my garden in my pursuit of my fit self!!! Can't wait!

Inspiration on fire

At the Keller Williams Family Reunion - which was awesome and a great business boost - they had an inspirational speaker that really got me thinking. His name is Patrick Henry Hughes, who is the most awesome piano player. He has triumphed over much to be what he is today - a moving piano player, an author and much more - but the twist is that he has been blind since birth and is confined to a wheelchair. Here is his inspirational story in a YouTube video - very moving. Patrick Henry Hughes' story. But, in watching him on the stage playing the piano and hearing his story, I realized that anything we always need to do the best we can with what we have. It really is true. I keep being shown that this is true almost every day lately. Hearing his story, though, made me realize we can be grateful for what we have no matter how big or small it may seem. This young man is not only happy, he is productive. Makes me really think about the times I sit around procrastinating.  So, I am on it. I am going to be the fit person I want to be very, very soon. Or shall I am say "I am a fit fifty year old." I am now motivated to be the best I can be in so many ways - in my business, in my relationships, in my health, in my spirituality. I am inspired to be all that I can be. I being the key word. I am going to be what I can be - do what I can do!

Family Reunion Convention

Tomorrow I am going to the Keller Williams Family Reunion -four days of real estate training and fun with 10,000 other Keller Williams agents. Should be lots of fun and very informative and inspiring! I am excited - not sure what there will be to eat - I'm sure it will be good though! Four long days of fun - I have to leave my house at 6 a.m. tomorrow and probably won't be home until 11 p.m. I better get to bed soon so I can get up and hit it!

Letting Go of Non-nurturing Habits and Thoughts

Perfect Meditation this morning on letting go of non-nurturing habits and thoughts. Just what I needed.

Meditation, Joy and a little Yoga

I am developing a routine - only been doing it two days though. LOL! But, I am excited so I am sharing. I am up by 6:30 (Monday I was up at 4:30 - and I got so much done in the morning!), meditation before 7:30 exercise done by 8:30 a.m., breakfast by 9 a.m., dressed to kill (in a good way I mean -business wise) by 9:30, lunch by 1 p.m., dinner before 7 p.m.  I feel so much better so far - I think I needed some structure. But, of course I'm not going to punish myself if I don't stick exactly to the routine every moment. Another thing I am famous for - the old all or nothing syndrome - which in the past mostly turned into doing nothing. I am going to use this routine as guideline of what is best case scenario and if I get a little off track that's okay because it is my routine. My meditations have been awesome in the morning. Like I said I actually started meditating awhile ago, but I was very inconsistent. Taking that 15-20 minutes in the morning to clear my mind, and let go of any tension is really helping me stay more in a state of joy all day long. My Keller Williams office has a poster in the meeting room that says - Meditate/Pray; Exercise and Eat; Hug, Kiss, Laugh; Plan and Calendar; Lead Generate - all before 11 a.m. I have looked at this poster for years during meetings - and basically just ignored it. But, now I'm getting pretty good at the first three. Now I have to work on the Plan and Calendar, and Lead Generation all before 11 a.m. and I should be doing great in all aspects of my life! The point is they know the importance of people taking care of their spiritual, physical and emotional needs before setting off to have a great day at work. I used to think that I had to just get out there and work as soon as I got up, and that never worked out to well. Because remember I used to have an all or nothing mentality - so you know what that means! Not much gets done! I get I get it!! - make yourself right and as close to a state of happiness and joy as you can before you get out there in the world. The sky's the limit now! Oh, and I am also incorporating Yoga into my routine - one day a week. I went to a class yesterday and it was awesome.

Maybe a routine isn't that bad afterall

I have to confess that I haven't really been focusing on my weight releasing journey at all pretty much since the beginning of the year. Yes. I have worked out - but near as much as I had been last year. Yes. Sometimes I think about what I  eat - but for the most part I have been eating whatever I want and not thinking about it. And, I haven't really felt good about what I have been doing. I have been not happy with myself - which I know from the reading I have been doing on manifesting is not the mindset one who is manifesting their dreams has. The good news is - I just realized what the answer is. I set out at the beginning of the year to not try so hard - not to make this journey a difficult one. I want things to flow naturally, happen effortlessly. I was tired of trying - tired of having to eat this or exercise now. But, I was still telling my self  "you should eat this or that, you should go exercise." I had merely switched my self talk from "you must exercise and you have to eat right" to the world of "you should do this or that". Which in thinking about it now may just been even more disabling and more harsh, and ineffective. I lost my way. I lost my focus. I know now that I still need to be focused, but I also need make this a natural, relaxed process, not a grinding intense process. Because when life is intense and full of "have to's" and "must's" -  I think we instinctively rebel and turn away from the very thing we are seeking.  In my case - releasing weight. No one wants to be told what to do - not even from their own self. Does that make sense?  I guess it took me a year to figure this out!  LOL! I have been meditating more since the beginning of the year. I am in the process of making meditation a daily part of my routine - like brushing my teeth or taking a shower. In doing this I also realized that I really don't have a set daily routine.- I don't get up at the same time, I don't exercise at the same time, I don't even eat breakfast at the same time on a daily basis.  I want more routine in my life. I think I just answered my own question. Instead of focusing on what I eat and exercising all the time -I will have a routine that includes exercise and healthy eating, as well as meditation, combined with setting intentions of what I want out of life including that I will be fit, slim and healthy in 2011.

Gardening

Today I dug in my garden with my Makayla -  we planted part seedlings and part seeds. She is the best little helper!I am so excited! I planted tomato, eggplant, broccoli, cucumber, lettuce and spinach plants. And, I planted onion, Swiss chard, cabbage, carrot, asparagus, jalapeno peppers, red peppers, green chili peppers, corn, and onion seeds. I still need to plant my watermelon, cantaloupe, zucchini, and summer squash seeds tomorrow. But, the garden is really looking good. I fertilized all my seedlings and seeds with Quantum Growth - you can get it at groOrganic.com. It was such a beautiful day - I was in a state of joy while I was planting and digging in the garden. It is so grounding and digging in the dirt. Life is Bliss!

Completely forgot about my blog for a week....

I can't believe I have been so inattentive - and for no particular reason. I guess once I didn't have it on my to-do list every single day for a year - I just forgot about it. LOL! But, I am now making a promise to myself and to my readers. I promise that for the rest of 2011 I will post at least three times a week  - maybe more. Hopefully, I will have really exciting, insightful, motivating, interesting, pertinent, etc. topics and news to post. I know I will!  I have been a little off of my routine lately with both what I eat and how much I move (notice I didn't use the words diet or exercise). I have to sadly admit that I gave up on the 21 day detox before the 21 days were up. I had high hopes of videoing my experience, but had issues with completing that task. I bought a camcorder and then I got it home and the darn thing didn't work -so I took it back. And, now I am at square one researching which pocket camcorder/camera is the best one out there. Any suggestions? I want one that can take both video and stills and that is a pocket size. The videos will be flowing once I buy my new camcorder/camera!!

My garden plan

Take a look - here is what my garden is going to look like this year. This is what my garden really looks like. It is terraced - the brown part is the walk way between the planters. On the top the trees are plum, peach, apricot and nectarine. This software from groOrganic is awesome. I can't wait to plant and harvest all my bounty! Cool, huh?

Garden planning and great cabbage soup recipe

I planned my whole garden with the is awesome software from gro-Organic.  Now I know exactly where I am going to plant what vegetable/fruit. I think it is going to allow me to better utilize my space by planning rather than haphazardly planting plants. The software even tells you when to plant, when to harvest, what to plant next to what. It is really cool. I think they are giving a 30 day free trial right now too. Check it out!

I am still working on getting my new camcorder to work - technical difficulties. I seem to be having a lot of those lately!

Still doing the detox - it is going pretty well. Tonight I am making cabbage soup for dinner. I know that doesn't sound too good, but check out the recipe. I think it will be tasty!

Rustic Cabbage Soup Recipe

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
a big pinch of salt
1/2 pound potatoes, skin on, cut 1/4-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
5 cups stock
1 1/2 cups white beans, precooked or canned (drained & rinsed well)
1/2 medium cabbage, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch ribbons
more good-quality extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Warm the olive oil in a large thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the salt and potatoes. Cover and cook until they are a bit tender and starting to brown a bit, about 5 minutes - it's o.k. to uncover to stir a couple times. Stir in the garlic and onion and cook for another minute or two. Add the stock and the beans and bring the pot to a simmer. Stir in the cabbage and cook for a couple more minutes, until the cabbage softens up a bit. Now adjust the seasoning - getting the seasoning right is important or your soup will taste flat and uninteresting. Taste and add more salt if needed, the amount of salt you will need to add will depend on how salty your stock is (varying widely between brands, homemade, etc)...
Serve drizzled with a bit of olive oil and a generous dusting of cheese.
Serves 4.

‎"Our life is the creation of our mind." - Buddha

New camcorder and some cool stuff

I said I was going to to the YouTube videos and I am. Darn it - I am! I bought a new pocket camcorder/camera - I needed a new camera anyway since I managed to break that somehow. So, soon the videos will be coming - first I have to figure out how to use it.

Day five of the detox - I have done pretty well, not perfect but pretty darn good. I am feeling pretty good too. We will see how I feel on day 21. I am really being conscious of what I eat, making sure it is as close to REAL food as possible. It is not all that hard to do - just don't eat anything that has a label. Hahahahaha! No really! Lots of fruit, vegetables, no cheese (I did have a little yesterday, I have to admit - but that is pretty good for me since I am a cheese fiend!)

Today I had an awesome meeting with my friends to talk about how to stay in joy - how to stay joyous in life when things are happening good and bad at such a fast pace. We are reading a book call Ask and it is Given by Jerry and Esther Hicks - it is really putting some of the concepts and things I have learned in the last year regarding spirituality (not sure that is really the right term) into the light. I seem to be getting closer every day to having that sense of peace that I think is necessary to love yourself and love your body - to be in a healthy place emotionally, spiritually and physically.

BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD ~ Ghandi

21 day detox program begins

I started a 21 day detox today. I had planned to put up the video of my visit to with Dr. Richard at Integrative Natural Health, but I am having technical difficulties with uploading the video. Soon I hope to resolve these problems and post some videos! I'm sure you can't wait to see them! But, for now I can describe what I am doing, basically the detox program is eating REAL ORGANIC FOOD, and not processed food, plus eliminating dairy and alcohol (these might be a little tougher for me than eating real food!), and taking some supplements that aid in detoxifying the liver and colon. So, I'll be eating lots of vegetables, fruit, nut milks, salad, soups, whole grains and whole grain pastas and breads - doesn't sound to bad. I picked a few things from my garden that I'll be eating, plus I planted some new things including - cabbage, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, Swiss chard, and artichokes. I can't wait until I can pick those too!

First day of Class - What is your passion?

Tonight was the first day of my Intro to Business Class - with 55 students. WOW!  Well, eventually the class can only hold 45, but tonight there were 55 people listening to everything I said.  I realized as I do every time I teach a class that this is one of my passions. I love, love, love helping people learn and grow. Tonight I had the students write down three things that they love to do, and then I had them pass the list to another student.  And, then that student brainstormed on how the other student’s passions could possibly translate into a career, a business venture or a non-profit organization.  It was awesome - they came up with some really great ideas for each other. I am so grateful to be able to teach business, marketing and advertising, but what I would really love to do is to teach what I am learning on this journey.  I am thinking that my passions and my experiences and the lessons I have learned could translate into a new career for me - you never know!  Obviously, one of my passions is writing or I don't think I would have been able to write this blog day after day after day! No really! Oh and I think I'm kind of funny! LOL!  I know I am sharing my story via this blog, but I am going to expand my reach by including videos of my journey and posting them on YouTube.  Crazy – I know!  So, we will see where utilizing my passions leads me - my passions besides teaching/public speaking (I just love it when I am in front of the class teaching - when I see that spark of interest or that look of ah-ha it just makes my day!) and writing , include gardening, exercising (yes, I really do like it, especially golf!), eating (Obviously! Got to make it healthy eating though!), reading, being outdoors, and traveling.   So, stay tuned and look for those YouTube videos soon!

Creating a Crisis of Authenticity

Here is an excerpt from the book The three laws of performance by Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan, which I heard about when I went to a Landmark Seminar a couple of years ago. This seminar is what really started my on my journey - awesome seminars. I have been to a couple now and plan to take another one soon called Self-Expression and Leadership Program. But, here is the excerpt that I think is quite interesting.

The following story illustrates what we call creating a crisis.

An old Cherokee chief is teaching is grandson about life: "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.

"One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego.

"The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

"This same fight is going on inside you - and inside everyone other person too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which one will win?"

The old chief simply replied, "The one you feed."

The book goes on to say this isn't referring to the crisis you have, but the crisis you create, by confronting what really matters to you. Basically, the chapter goes on to say that we need to resolve the areas in our lives that are inauthentic, those times when we resigned ourselves to a lack of freedom, joy and full self-expression. The chapter goes on to say that wherever you experience a loss of quality in your life, there is some inauthenticity at play. There is something about which you are avoiding, or not taking responsibility for. Or you made a decision that makes you right, that gives you justification. In doing so, you give up power, freedom and self-expression.

So, it sounds like being inauthentic in one's life leads to the evil wolf winning. I'm sure the wolf he speaks of is much like what I call the little drunk monkey. Wolf sounds like a more accurate description of this phenomenon though! Don’t you think? So, having and being all that you want to be is only possible coming from a place of authenticity, love, joy, gratitude and faith. What a concept! I have several instances in my life right now where I can see that I am being justified in being right, rather than being what I really want to be – authentic – my authentic self.

1-11-11

I had to post today since it is 1-11-11 – awesome numbers – awesome date! The really exciting date is coming up in ten months on 11-11-11 though! It is really making me think more about spirituality – about having joy in one’s life – about gratitude – and about the power of our thoughts. I have really been trying to watch my thoughts – what a task this is – scientists say we have from 30,000 to 60,000 thoughts a day. Boy that is a lot of words, scenarios, dreams– both good and bad floating around in the reality of our minds on a daily basis, but how do they become our reality?
Here is a quote that I thought described how our thoughts manifest our desires whether they are good thoughts or bad thoughts.
“BY THOUGHT, THE THING YOU WANT IS BROUGHT TO YOU; BY ACTION YOU RECEIVE IT."

And you must act NOW. Do not wait until you are in the perfect situation, the perfect job, the perfect relationship. NOW is the only time you have. Isn’t that the truth!!

PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE

The Past is History

The Future is a Mystery

The Present is your Gift: Do It NOW

This is so true! But I believe the subtle nuance of how to have productive, positive, grateful, joyous thoughts on an ongoing basis is the answer. I am going to hone my thought focusing skills on making sure many of my 60,000 thoughts are positive and filled with gratitude and joy. I’m going to kick that stupid drunk monkey that still chimes in at time right out of my head!!!

Biggest Loser Family Challenge Again

hahahahaha! That is correct. The family is doing another challenge like the one last year with weekly weigh-ins. This time we are going to do it for 12 weeks and I am going to rock and win this time. We just weighed in - there are five of us doing it this time - $250 at stake, plus weekly prizes of gift cards to the biggest weekly loser. I think to do this I will have to give up one of my favorite things for 12 weeks - wine. I know you have heard that before - this time I will do it for sure - I think that is the only way I can win. So, we shall see.

What I learned about spirituality and weight loss in 2010

Well, in a nutshell – I learned three major things. The power of thoughts – our thoughts become our reality, the power of gratitude and to always be in a state of joy. So, that is it.

The power of our thoughts - Over the last year, like I said, I have read many, many books and attended numerous seminars of spiritual subject everything from Atlantean Healing, to the book Infinite Possibilities – many are in my links. And, after all is said at the end of the day or shall I say the end of the year. I believe it comes down to the fact that our thoughts become things - our life becomes what we think about. What I mean by that is I really believe what we think will happen is what happens. Our thoughts are so much more powerful than we think. With all the talk about the Secret and manifesting our desires, I have learned that we need to watch our thoughts, craft our thoughts, think about what we want - not what we don’t want. We all know the person who is always getting into a car accident or losing things. Of course they always say this will happen to them and guess what it does. I believe these things happen to them because that is what they think will happen to them. The willed it to happened – they manifested it to happened because they thought it would happen. I know that is pretty simplistic statement, but I believe is to be true. You say why then have you not lost all your weight yet? And I can say this is one of the reasons, I don’t always think that I can do it. I don’t always see myself in the future thin and shopping for a size 10 dress. I am guilty of manifesting what I have in my life – the good and the bad -what I have I brought into my life. This year I am focusing on thinking about what I want to have happen in my life, not what I don’t. So, that means to worrying and a lot of positive thinking and talking.And, that little drunk monkey is so gone!! If I do think an unwanted thought I say to myself “cancel, clear, delete” to get it out of my mind.

Gratitude - The second thing is so awesome. Yes. Gratitude. Be grateful for all you have in your life. There are always things to be grateful for in one’s life. I started a gratitude journal last year and in it I write (it is best if done every day, another reason I have not yet reached my goal) at least ten things I am grateful for in my life. Then I write a list of how I want to feel during that day. I write “today I intend to: be happy, be calm, be kind, be outgoing, etc. I write whatever I what the day to look like. I vary the intentions based on what I have going that day –setting the tone for the day. Then lastly - here is where it gets fun -I write delegations. Delegations of thanks to God for what I have before I have it. So, something like “I am so thankful to God for the 20 closed escrows I had in 2011.” Or “I am so thankful to God that I am in a beautiful size 10 sun dress on my trip to France in September 2011 or something better.” You are probably thinking again then why are you not at goal yet? Again, I believe the key is to do this every day. And, I am sorry to say that I did not do it every day in 2010, I actually began doing it in June when I learned the technique at one of the Prosperity Princesses meetings.

Being Joyous - And, what I believe is the most important thing is having all that you want out of life, including being at an ideal weight – is to be in a state of joy. To be joyous. Now what does that mean? A year ago I would have said I have no idea, but now I know exactly what it means. It is that feeling when you feel at peace, happy, calm, relaxed, and in awe – your description might be a little different than mine, but you get the idea. I know that oftentimes I feel this way for only a moment or an hour or a day and then it fades. It goes away – poof my joyous feeling is gone. And, then I am like crap -come back, come back! Some of the times I can remember vividly having this feeling are when I was gardening in my garden - even though it was hard work and I was sweating (LOL) - I would have this feeling of AWE –maybe something about digging in the dirt? Other times I could just sit in my backyard listening to the fountain and the birds chirping and go to that place. When I was in Hawaii I felt this way often. The sunshine makes me feel this way. Now I know why I used to be such a sun worshiper when I was younger! While taking Cleo for a walk I would have moments of this feeling if I would let myself and I wasn’t in a hurry to get back to the house. What I found is that if I would just be present with what I was doing and observe my surroundings I would go to this place. Sometimes it would happen when I was listening to a friend talk or looking at a child smile. But, the key is to stay in this state as much as possible, then I believe all things are possible because God, the creator, whatever you want to call him/her, is in the things I am talking about, is in each one of us. We just need to be in this state of joy and all will be manifested as we want. It sounds so simple. I have spent about six months observing my states – observing when I am joyous and when I am sad or angry or any other emotion other than joyous and I am getting better at being joyous. At least now I know what to strive for – catch me on January 1, 2012 – then I will really know if I am correct about being a state of joy and manifesting what we want out of life.

So, those are my insights into how spirituality works into releasing weight and getting anything you want in life. Try it! It can work - if you do it consistently - which is what I am going to do in 2011!

Part 2 Tomorrow

I am still formulating my thoughts regarding what I have learned about spirituality in weight loss. I will post my thoughts tomorrow. Sorry for the delay. It'll be better - promise. Oh dear - now I feel more pressure to make it a good read!

What I learned about the mind/body connection and spirituality in losing weight in 2010 (Part I)

This is the area that I believe is the biggest challenge for most people in their weight loss efforts – it sure is for me anyway.

PART ONE – THE MIND/BODY CONNECTION
Today I am going to talk about the mind/body connection, as I call it. Or I should say the lack of connection – for me anyway. You probably know what I am talking about. You are sitting in front of the television eating popcorn and next thing you know you ate the whole bowl and you have a stomach ache. Or better yet you are sitting on the couch and you just finished eating what you think was a bowl of your favorite ice cream, bag of chips (and you don’t even like chips), and a glass or two of wine. You aren’t even quite sure what happened. There is just an empty bowl, an empty bag and an empty glass. Pick your poison – whatever your favorite binge food or drink is. Yes. We are talking about binging and emotional eating today.

Emotional eating - I learned that emotional eating can ruin a week of eating healthy and hours of exercise in a few minutes. I learned this because I did it numerous times throughout the last year. As I looked back on my blog, I can see exactly what set me off into what I oftentimes called a funk. It wasn’t always the same thing, but the key here is how you deal with it. Which, obviously, I am not expert at this yet or I’d be at my ideal weight already. LOL! I found that I eat when I am sad, frustrated, hurt, anxious, and the list goes on and on. I found that I needed to be aware of my triggers and realize I was eating or drinking because I was feeling some uncomfortable emotion. I found that once I could recognize the emotions, as emotions not hunger then I could choose to deal with them. It took me awhile to get to this point – a year to be exact! LOL! Seriously, I think I just got it!

Be Aware - What I learned during the last year is that it is a matter of recognizing why you are eating. Are you hungry? If yes, then eat (something healthy) by all means. But, what if you are in front of the refrigerator looking for food, and you ask yourself “Am I hungry?” and the answer is “I don’t feel hungry PHYSICALLY,” then you are probably emotionally eating. This is putting it very simply. For me it is a matter of catching myself before I eat. Stopping and taking a moment to have my mind connect with my body. Which is sometimes easier said than done! Sometimes I would just say “Okay fine I am emotionally eating, but ($*#)%_% it I am going to eat anyway.” But, that was the first step for me in realizing that I was eating because I was mad, or frustrated or hurt or…whatever. The next step is stopping to figure out what the emotion is and why you are feeling it. A lot of the times it was just something simple and once I thought it through I was over it - other times like I said I’d just say “$^&&*^ it I’m eating and drinking anyway!” Not the best response. I am improving on this every day, but it has been a process for me.

Self Respect/Self Love/Self Esteem – Whatever you call it. You have to get it! You have to have it! Or that is what I have found. Your mind has to love your body! During my journey, I learned that the more I am feeling good about myself the better I eat – the number of times I emotionally eat diminishes. So, I think the key is to love yourself as you are today – a hard thing to do when you want to lose weight, right? I think getting to this point, is when the weight will begin to literally fall off. And, thank goodness - I think I am finally there – after a year of learning, searching, and growing.

So, that is it in a nutshell - these are the mind/body connection things that I learned on my journey. I’m sure I will think of more to share, but these are the main ones. Tomorrow I will talk about what I think is the key to success in releasing weight and in everything in life. WOW! That sounds pretty lofty, doesn’t it?

Gratefulness for what is there is one of the most powerful tools for creating what is not yet there. What does gratefulness mean? It means you appreciate what is. You value, you give attention to, you honor whatever is here at this moment. ~ Eckhart Tolle

Exactly what I have been talking and writing about!!!

What I learned about healthy eating in 2010

A lot! This is still my problem area though, but it is a problem because of emotional eating – not because I don’t know what to eat. I will go more into that tomorrow. But, what did I learn about eating healthy this year?

Planning - Probably the biggest thing I learned is that planning is key – if you don’t plan you will probably fail. Not really fail, but you will probably not eat as healthy as you could. I know on the weeks that I planned I did much better with my healthy eating than I did on the weeks that I didn’t. I know we all get busy and it is easy to not plan, but that is a big mistake! What I found works best is to plan a menu for the week on Saturday or Sunday and go to the grocery store to buy all the items you need for your plan. Another thing that I know works is preparing some meals in advance on the weekend for the week – that way if you get home late from work one night you will still have something healthy to eat instead of stopping at a fast food place or ordering pizza. I never do that! Hahahahaha!!!

Calories in Calories out - From all the research I have done and all the books I have read I have pretty much decided that to lose weight it really is just calories in calories out – just as simple as that. But, and a big but – you can do it the healthy way and you can do it the unhealthy way! You can count calories and eat all processed foods and you will lose weight, but you won’t be as well nourished and you will have more craving and possible binges. I found for me it was best to keep my calories anywhere from 1400-1600, but that of course depends on how much you weigh. If I would go much below 1400 I would be starving and then inevitable eat everything in sight or at least the first thing that I see. LOL! And, then burn more calories than you eat and you WILL lose weight.

Only Healthy Food in the House - Another thing that I found helpful, - but not always easy when you live with other people- is to not have unhealthy foods in the house. Don’t have it in the house and then you can’t eat it, right? Easier said than done unless you live alone! I don’t know how many times I “cleaned” out my pantry and refrigerator this year purging of the unhealthy foods that have a tendency to sneak in my cupboard. Hahahaha! One thing I think can help a little is to put the unhealthy foods in the garage refrigerator, if you have one – out of sight out of mind concept.

Eat Fresh Vegetables and Fruits, etc. not Processed Foods - I really try to eat organic and do eat many vegetables from my garden – which I love. I realize I forgot to say yesterday that gardening is exercise. It really is – believe me! But, even if you don’t have a garden you can buy organic veggies and fruits and even if you don’t want to pay extra for organic you can still buy fresh fruits and vegetables. I think it the long run it is cheaper than buying processed food, if you can manage not to waste them. I try to have at least one fruit or vegetable with each meal, and with my two snacks. That is my plan every day anyway!!

Super Foods – I have learned a lot about Super Foods, see my post on the subject, and I really do think that they really can aid in weight loss. I think it is probably because they are so nutrient dense that when I eat them I have fewer cravings. My husband thinks I am crazy making all these shakes and concoctions with these un-pronounceable foods. But, hey, just my opinion.
Eat Healthy Snacks – I found that when I at healthy snacks I do much better sticking to my plan - snacks an apple and peanut butter, Greek yogurt and fruit, or a handful of nuts. When I didn’t eat snacks then I would be ravenous at my next meal and inevitably overeat.

Try New Healthy Recipes - I tried many, many, many new recipes last year – all of them delicious. You need to make your food interesting or you might be tempted to revert to your old ways. I have my favorites, but I plan try some more this year too. I posted many of them throughout the year, but some good sources for healthy recipes are Biggest Loser cookbooks, Precision Nutrition (on my links), Cooking Light on-line or the magazine. Plus, there are a wide variety of recipes on-line with any ingredient or spice you can think of.

Give Yourself a Treat Every Once in awhile – I mean every once in awhile, not all the time. Hahahaha! I think you have to live, so if you go out to dinner for your birthday have dessert, if you really like frozen yogurt have one every now and then. The danger here though is how often to allow yourself. I’d say once a week would be good. But, that doesn’t have frozen yogurt several times a week – it means have it one time!

That is what I learned about eating healthy. If I would have done everything I have outlined above I would have reached my goal without a problem. I know all these things inside and out, now if I can just follow the guidelines all the time! Tomorrow I will talk about why I didn’t follow my own guidelines all the time. That sounds terrible, but hey if it was that easy everyone would be at their ideal weight, right? Tomorrow I will talk about, in my opinion, the tough stuff.

What I learned about exercise in 2010

In 2010 I certainly exercised A LOT, and tried numerous types and forms of exercise. I'm going to recap what I learned during the last 365 days, and describe what types of exercise I did. The biggest thing I learned is very simple, and very obvious, but sometimes we seem to forget this and make exercise a chore. Move. Yes, that's it - Move. You just have to Move, in any way that you like and to a degree that sometimes challenges you a lot and sometimes just a little. Make sense? I used to think that if I didn't do 60 minutes of intense exercise I wasn't exercising enough. And, that if I didn't have 60 minutes to devote to a hard core exercise that I couldn't, shouldn't and wouldn't exercise. But, this year I learned differently. I learned to just get out there and move. Of course certain exercises have more benefit and burn more calories, but I learned not to obsess on that and just move. My GoWearFit monitor was instrumental in showing me how many calories each exercise burns. I quickly learned that just getting out there and moving burns calories with the monitor.  As I said I exercised many hours this year. I should count them up. On second thought, NO - that would take too long. LOL! Here is a list of all the types of exercise I did this year in no particular order:

Dancing - Yes dancing is exercise - believe me it is! And, fun with your hubby! When you are sweating up a storm you know it is, plus the good old GoFitWear monitor said it burned a lot of calories.

Mini Trampoline - Much harder than it seems. It really gets your heart rate up and is good for your lymphatic system and detoxification. About Rebounding

Boot Camp - What can I say? Only for the brave. The first couple of days were super hard, but my body got used to it. Always and intense high calorie burning hour of fun!

Walking - I can't even imagine how many miles I walked in 2010. If I had to guess I would say more than 600. I thinking walking is one of the best exercises and it is so awesome to be outside in the sunshine and nature. The treadmill is good too, but I enjoy walking outside in a beautiful setting more. Many of my walking miles were logged taking Cleo, my adorable dog, for two walks a day (most days, but not all) - just 10-20 minutes each, but it all adds up!!

Kettle Balls - These things are great for strength training and cardio. You really work up a sweat fast using these. If you don't know what they are check it out.  About Kettle Balls

Golf - I love golfing! And, it burns a ton of calories and it is outside. Can you see a theme? I really like any kind of outside exercise best. Of course if you walk you burn more calories than if you take a cart, but in my case even if I take a cart I burn a lot of calories chasing after my ball. LOL!

Pilates - Great for flexibility and it works the smaller muscles that you don't work doing many other exercises, an excellent complement to weight training.

Weight Training - I have done weight training on and off for many years, and I am familiar with many different exercising with both free weights and machines. Excellent for building muscles which burn more calories, and we all want to burn more calories, right?

Wii Fit - I know this doesn't seem like exercise, but you try doing the exercises on that and see if you sweat. I know I did! And, it is fun too.

Mud Run - Only for the brave. I can't even believe that I did this. I did walk the whole way, but hey I made it. It was very inspirational to be around all the really fit people. I am debating whether or not to do this again when I am leaner. The experience of a lifetime!

IntenSati - This class is awesome! I did this at the Biggest Loser Resort in Malibu. I wish they had these classes somewhere near my home. IntenSati is a revolutionary high-energy cardio workout created by Patricia Moreno. This method of training is based on the teachings of mindfulness, positive psychology and the law of attraction. The practice radically combined aerobics, martial arts and endurance principles with positive affirmations. Check it out on the link.

Hiking - Oh boy! Hiking is great, and burns a ton of calories, plus you are out in nature. I went on many amazing hikes in Utah, Malibu and right in my own backyard - well not really in my backyard, but you know what I mean. You know you are exercising because at times it is very intense, but since you are in nature and it doesn't seem to be that hard.

Biggest Loser Resort - Great place. I learned a lot there about eating and exercising. Main thing is calories in calories out - just like your check book. That was an epiphany for me!

Water Aerobics - Who would think moving around in a pool would be so rigorous? But, it really is a great workout. I used to think it was just for old ladies and people who aren't very fit, but noooooo it is a fantastic calorie burner.

Kickboxing - One of my favorites. I just love kicking things. What is that all about? LOL! Burns a ton of calories and lots of fun!

Stretch - I didn't realize I had become so un-limber. I used to be so limber, but not anymore. This is a great thing to do and I need to do more of it. You really realize which muscles you need work on when you start to stretch, and after all the concentrated exercising it is a must. I need to more of this.

Boxing - Another one of my favorites. I just love punching things. My poor trainer Marc! Tons of fun and burns a ton of calories.

I'm sure I forgot something. But, that is quite a list as I look at it. So, I couldn't have done it without my trainer Marc, my Pilates instructor Janice and Jason the Boot Camp leader. And, there are links about most of the above in my links section you can check out too!

In 2011 I want to incorporate some new fitness encounters (My new name for exercise. Sounds better doesn’t it?)  into my life this year including: Zumba, Yoga, 5K and 10K races, Spinning, and Cycling. And, I want to play a lot more golf this year and hike more too. Basically, make sure you do some cardio exercises to strengthen your heart and burn calories, some strength training exercises that help build muscle, and some stretching exercising to keep up your flexibility. There are many other types of fitness encounters you could try too like tennis, racquetball, swimming, surfing, skiing, snowboarding, paddle boarding, team sports like softball, basketball etc. to name a few. For me exercise is the easy part. Tomorrow more on eating and food – that is a whole other issue for me! So, that is the exercise recap for 2010. 2011 here I come to enjoy many more fitness encounters. How about you?