Throw Your Rear View Mirror out the Window!

I got a neat email and it had a great message to it!

I want you to avoid negative self-talk today and as you move forward.

Throw your rear-view mirror out the window because beating yourself up over weight you have gained, food you ate, workouts you missed, etc. is only going to drag you in the wrong direction.

There is nothing you can do about any of that, so concentrate on today and tomorrow and taking baby steps and making healthy choices. Plus, your negative voice has robbed you of enough days of you becoming who you deserve to be! None of us are perfect, so stop looking in the past and focus on improving your energy and your health today. You are WORTH it!!

It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves! Sir Edmond Hilary

Keep on Keeping on!!

Perfection or Success: It's your choice...

This morning I got an email...The title: Perfection or Success: It's your choice!

If you try to be perfect with your workouts or your eating you will mostly likely constantly let yourself down and the negative voice in your head will eventually talk you into quitting.

To be successful in getting fit and/or losing weight, you have to hold yourself accountable and take action. But you also have to be a realist and recognize that doing a 6-minute workout because you don't have time to do a full 24 minutes is a victory worth celebrating. No it is not perfect, but you are in the game!

Instead of chasing perfection, focus 100% of your energy on being persistent and making your health a top priority. Perfection is unattainable and letting go of this dream will free you to become the high-energy and healthy version of yourself that you deserve to be!


Never let your memories be greater than your dreams. Doug Ivester

Thirsty on the Journey...

One of the biggest problems on journeys is that you get thirsty. What do you reach for to quench that thirst? Soda, juice, kool-aid, water?

I hope that you keep your water close! Reports say that when you realize that you are thirsty, you are already in the early stages of dehydration!

Water has so many benefits for your body!
1. Water helps you in your weight loss efforts.

2. Water helps relieve headaches from dehydration.

3. You will look younger and have healthier skin.

4. Better productivity. Since your brain is mostly made up of water, drinking water helps you be more alert!

5. Drinking water regulates your body temperature.

6. Helps in digestion and helps constipation

7. Less cramps and sprains. Water helps keep your joints and muscles lubricated so you are less likely to get cramps or sprains.

8. If you drink water, you are less likely to sick and feel healthy.

9. Relieves fatigue : Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body. If your body lacks of water, your heart, for instance, need to work harder to pump out the oxygenated blood to all cells, so are the rest of the vital organs, your organs will be exhausted and so are you.

10. Good Mood:Your body feels very good and that’s why you feel happy.

11. Reduces the risk of Cancer. Related to the digestive system, some studies show that drinking a healthy amount of water may reduce the risks of bladder cancer and colon cancer. Water dilutes the concentration of cancer-causing agents in the urine and shortens the time in which they are in contact with bladder lining.

Here are some of the symptoms that you need more water:
Dark Urine – Dark Yellow or Orange in Color: Urine is generally pale yellow to clear when you have sufficient water intake. Dark color or smell strong indicates that you need to drink more water.
Dry Skin: Skin is the largest body organ and requires its share of water.
Thirst: Thirst is the most obvious sign that you're already dehydrated. It is always a good practice to drink more water when your are not thirsty, don’t wait until you're thirsty.
Hunger: Most people mistaken hungry is the indication to eat more, whereas in actual fact, you may be dehydrated. So before you have your meal, grab a glass of water.
Fatigue: Water is a source of enegy, give you a boost in energy.

How much water should you drink: Take your body weight and divide by 2 and that is the amount of ounces of water you should drink. Plus the more you exercise, you need to add more water to your total.


A year from now you will wish you had started today. Karen Lamb

Keep on keeping on!

Strawberry-Avocado Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Ok...so summer time is coming and all the fresh fruits and veggies just about make me one of the happiest people in the world! I had a friend of mine give me this recipe. I haven't tried it yet...but wanted to pass it along!

2 teaspoons canola oil.
6 (6 inch) whole wheat flour tortillas
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups finely chopped peeled ripe avocado (about 2)
1 cup finely chopped strawberries
2 tablespoons fresh minced cilantro
1 teaspoon minced seeded jalapeño pepper
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
3/8 teaspoon salt

1. preheat oven to 350.

2. To prepare chips, brush oil evenly over one side of each tortilla. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over oil-coated sides of tortillas. Cut each tortilla into 12 wedges; arrange wedges in a single layer on two baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until crisp.

3. Combine avocado and remaining ingredients; stir gently to combine. Serve with chips.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 138
Fat: 6.7 g
Saturated fat: 1g
Protein: 2.8 g
Carbs: 17.3 g
Fiber: 3.6g
Cholesterol:0 g
Iron: 0.3 g
Sodium: 246 mg
Calcium: 7 mg

Weight Watchers Points Plus: 4 points

Driving Through Storms...

I got this quote in an email and it inspired this posting:

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass..It's about learning how to dance in the rain."-Unknown

I don't know if anyone gets like me but when I get really stressed, I would normally tend to go to the kitchen and see what I could find to eat. I would just munch not ever feeling any satisfaction.

I am still learning to re-think my ways of getting through stressful times,but I am starting to find new ways of getting through stressful times!

Here are a few things that I try to do to make it through stressful times:
- Take a walk
- Read a book
- Talk to a friend
- Clean
- Work in the Yard
- Exercise

The stressful times come and we have the choice to either eat our way through them and feel miserable or work through them and feel better about our choices.

So...I'm learning to dance in the rain!

Keep on Keeping on!!

Traveling During the Weekend!

Good Friday morning....It is the weekend! What kind of plans do you have to do something for yourself that will encourage your journey towards a better you?

My 6 yr old daughter has started ice skating lessons and is so excited to be doing something healthy for herself! She gets to go do practice sessions anytime during the week/weekend. So I have decided to go with her during those sessions and skate myself! Now mind you I am no where near as graceful as she is! But...I am trying something new that is a great workout! She is a great encourager!!! Last week, my 13 yr old went with us. The two of us stayed close to the wall as she skated on out into the middle of the rink...but every now and then she would locate us in her vision and shoot a two thumbs up and say great job!!!

One thing I would suggest that is very helpful to do: Surround yourself with those that will encourage you on your journey!!! It is very hard to do when you don't have a support system!

Now that the weather is nicer...find walking trails in your community and explore and take your family! The more fun you make it, the more others will want to participate! Take healthy snacks and water in a cooler and after your walk, bike ride or run is finished...share a healthy snack together or healthy picnic lunch.


I found a quote in cleaning off my desk this week that I think is really good:
It's not the mountain we conquer but ourselves. Sir Edmond Hilary

Feel free to share what fun activities you are doing so that others that read this will be encouraged to try.

Keep on keeping on!

Are You Stuck in Traffic???

So here you are...feeling like you are stuck in traffic...the scale is not moving up or down.

I have been in that spot quite a few times over this new journey. At times it gets frustrating, other times it is puzzling. It can be as simple as your body has gotten used to your current food choices or your workout. Or it may be that your body doesn't have enough fuel to keep it going and it starts to hold on and go into starvation mode.

I almost cringe when I hear people say that they are going to go on a 800 or less calories a day. That's like putting a 1/4 tank of gas in but expecting to drive cross country without ever stopping for fuel again. It make work for a few days...but it won't last. Your body starts to panic when it realizes that you are not going to give it more fuel and it goes into starvation mode and will start eating away at your muscle and hold on to the fat to use for fuel.

In your workout, if you are walking outside at a park trail, try starting in the opposite direction that you have been walking. Try doing an interval workout. Don't to the same exercise for a long amount of time. Break it up doing different exercises during your workout time.

For example, I enjoy working out on Tuesday nights while watching Biggest Loser. I have a gazelle and I may start on that and go until the first commercial break. Then I get my crunch ball and do crunches until the break is over. Then back on the gazelle until the next commercial break and then get my hand held weights and do some exercises with my weights until the show starts again..then do push-ups and possibly more crunches etc...but keep going until my set time is up while watching. If you exercise while watching a show, and you exercise every commercial break for an hour show, you get at least a 20 minute interval chance, instead of staying on the treadmill or gazelle etc.

Try changing up the way you do things and see if you see a change in the scale. But most important, make sure you are giving your body enough fuel to function!

Keep on Keeping on!!!

Blueberry Crumble

Canola Oil (propellant free)
1/4 c. whole grain oat flour
34 ounces (about 8 cups) fresh blueberries
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons light agave nectar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon 100% fruit blueberry or mixed berry spread

Preheat oven to 350. Light mist an 8x8 glass or ceramic baking dish with spray. Add the flour to the bowl of a mini food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Process it for 2 minutes. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the blueberries, agave, lemon juice, and flour until well combined. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Set aside In a small mixing bowl, combine the oats, butter, and fruit spread using a pastry blender until well combined. Sprinkle the oat mixture evenly over the fruit mixture.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the berries are tender and hot throughout(only some juices should remain in the bottom of the pan; it shouldn't be runny), and the topping golden brown. Transfer the dish to a wire rack and cool for 10-15 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces. Serve immediately.

per serving: 251 calories, 4 g. protein, 49 g. carbohydrates, 6 g. fat, 2 g. saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 6 g. fiber, 2 mg sodium

Weight Watchers plus points: 7

This was a tasty dessert!

These boots are made for walking...

Ok...well I don't know how far I would make it in a pair of boots...but walking I LOVE!!!

Sometimes it is hard in a busy schedule to fit in exercise! One of the ways that I fit in a little more walking is when I am shopping. If I go to Walmart, the mall..anywhere I go, I don't keep circling around until something close opens up, I park towards the end of the parking lot and walk.

Today I took my youngest two shopping for spring and summer clothes. We picked a central parking spot at the outlet mall that we were at and came up with a plan to get in our walking. We would go to a store, take our purchase to the car, walk to another store, take the purchase to the car..etc..and throw in a couple of bathroom trips which were a bit aways from where we were...and got in a bit of walking.

Take advantage of the good parking because not to many people park in the spaces that are a little bit away.

Also another good thing to do is buy a pedometer! They are fairly reasonable to purchase most places. They say you should try to average at least 10,000 steps per day. I wear mine everywhere I go! I keep it beside my bed at night and when I get up in the mornings, I put it on and it's the last thing I take off at night! You really see how much you are moving when you have one!

Make it fun. My husband (when he is not on the road traveling) and I have a competition going that whoever has the least amount of steps at the end of the week...has to pay for our date night! I think I have only lost a couple of times since we started doing this! You could even do that with a friend. Set up a friendly challenge to see who gets the most steps for a week and plan a friends night out and whoever looses has to pay for the meal (with in reason) :o)

If you don't make exercise fun, you won't keep up with it. Find something you like to do and as the Nike motto says :"Just DO IT!" Check with your local Y or fitness center, they offer water aerobics, spinning classes, aerobics, etc..but find something to do!

Quote for today:
"Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow." Doug Firebaugh

PS..the picture today is of me in at the start of the 2010 Turkey Trot...I have really grown to LOVE doing the Turkey Trot!

How's Your Engine Running?

It's interesting to me when you get a new vehicle, it comes with an instruction manual. In this book, it tells you every thing you need to know about the vehicle you have purchased. What type of oil, what type of gas, what type of tires etc...

Have you ever wondered why your body doesn't work like it is supposed too? Have you ever stopped to think about what kind of fuel you are putting into your body?

I have learned over this journey, that if I don't have the right kind of fuel in my body, I feel terrible! My stomach will ache and my head will hurt. But if I choose to put the right type of fuel in my system, I feel better, have more energy and surely can function better.

You can't survive on junk! It is OK to have things in moderation, but not on a daily basis. You will soon find out that if you start to limit or do without some things that you really don't miss them. It is very rare that I eat anything fried anymore..except when on occasion at Chick Fil A that I will eat their fries. I very rarely ever have a soda. I usually only drink unsweet tea or water. I couldn't tell you the last time that I have had a Krispy Kreme doughnut.

When you don't put the right fuel in your system, it's like putting sugar in your gas tank and never changing your oil.

The same also counts for exercise! If you are a couch potato (I have been there) you stay tired! But if you start adding exercise, even if it is only a short walk down the street, you will notice that you have more energy during the day and that you rest better at night.

So why not take an inventory of what type of fuel you are putting into your body...make a few changes and see if you notice a change.

Just remember: Garbage in...Garbage out!
Keep on keepin on!!!