How obtainable is your goal? Go bigger!!!

This morning I was putting clothes away and came across my old size 24 jeans. I hadn't tried them on in a while so I figured why not! Please excuse my messy look in the picture with my face showing.
When I first started Weight Watchers and the idea to get healthy, I remember thinking, "Man, if I could just be a size 14! I didn't even think that was possible but I hoped I could get to that size. The thought of wearing a smaller size was not in my mind at all. And just so you know, I never had a pants size goal in mind. I just wanted to lose weight and be healthy. Whatever that looked like in the end, I was going to be happy with. These jeans got me thinking, though. I am so glad I didn't set a size 14 as my goal. Just like I'm glad I didn't set a one mile run or to be able to lift a certain amount of weight as my end goal. I think sometimes we set goals that our within our reach because we fear the goals that are bigger than what we can do within the ability we have RIGHT NOW. I would've cheated myself out if I had set my goals within my ability at the time. We're going to be hitting the new year very soon, and for many of us it's goal setting time. We want to start the year off with some goals in mind we'd like to reach within that year. I want to challenge you, dream bigger than you've ever dreamed. Reach for goals that seem impossible. Believe that you can do it. The only limitations are ourselves. And it's not even what we can physically do but it's what our minds tell us. It's what our past failures tells us. It's what those around us that don't want to see us succeed, tell us. So I want to challenge you to start setting some "IMPOSSIBLE" goals for 2013. You will want to quit, you will over eat, you will skip workouts, you will get down on yourself and you might even want to punch someone just for no reason at all ;) And all that's ok, what's not ok is quitting. The more you quit the easier it gets to quit and the harder it is to start up again. So take it from this hot mess of a girl.. YOU CAN DO MORE THAN YOU EVEN IMAGINED! YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE! IF YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO IT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH IT!!! I'm always cheering you on!!! BRING IT ON 2013!!! Let's make this year count so we don't have to start another year with the same old goals!!!  (Picture on the left are my old size 24 jeans under my current size 4 jeans)    >>>>That's just me over there, trying on my old jeans :)

Running uphill... what a pain!

You don't have to be a runner to know that running at an incline can be a pain in the... butt.. legs... tummy... a pain all over! I was out for a run last week, my usual running path, and I hit the part of my run where I have to run at an incline. I noticed I slowed down, my breathing got heavier, I had to push myself harder to get to the top. But when I got to the top and started making my way back down (now this is a slight incline, I know I'm making it sound like a huge mountain.. but that's what it feels like it) I had to give little effort. I just let my legs sorta go with the flow and I didn't have to push myself at all. I started thinking about my journey. And how the lessons I've learned have been during the inclines. Those times that I've had to really push myself to stick with it. The times that it wasn't easy to make the healthier food choices. The times I didn't want to get out of bed and work out. The times when things were going on in my life that could have caused me to emotionally eat. Those are the times that I had to push through. Those are the times that the life changing lessons are learned. I find that easy times are like a gift. We can just flow with it. We don't have to put too much effort in. It's in those times that you feel as if every single ounce of energy you have is being used to just barely hold on.. those are the times you are learning those lessons that will carry you through your life. I have learned endurance and perseverance. I have learned that my mind is stronger than my body. I have learned that reaching a goal, especially one that I never thought was possible, really is obtainable. You learn how to dig deep and conquer the quitter attitude. You see, we all get tired, we all want to quit. It is HARD and DIFFICULT and seems IMPOSSIBLE for everyone! I think when we're in the middle of something and facing something that makes us feel challenged, we tend to think we are the only ones that feel this way. We tend to think that's an excuse to give up. And really that's just another opportunity for us to grow. That is life giving us a moment to grow. The digger we deep, the stronger we become and the farther we can go. Most of the time we don't know how we've grown or the lesson we've learned until we're through it. So I want to challenge you, during those "inclines" push through. Try and enjoy them ;) (ok.. I know that might be asking a little too much) but know that when you get to the top, you have pushed through something that was difficult and might even seemed impossible, but you pushed through it! It gets easier, I promise. But you have to be willing to keep going even when you want to quit! Never quit :)

Well hello there, motivation.. it's so nice to see you again!!

Can I start off by saying.. OH MY GOSH! I am telling you, I have been having the hardest time. I know I touched on this a bit in my last post.. but I have to share! I cannot remember the last time my little motivation button was out of order. I can usually dig deep and find something to push me. Whether it's how far I've come, my short term goals, an old picture of myself..gosh, even forcing someone to tell me it's going to be ok ;) ... anything. But these past few weeks have been HARD and CHALLENGING in the area of motivation. Honestly, I wanted to cry several times because I just didn't know what to do. When I was losing weight, I asked someone why do they think people gain their weight back.. they told me because you get to a point where you're tired and you sorta just don't care anymore. I was determined I would not be like that. I figured I'd always have this fight in me to keep going, and apparently.. if I'm still fighting, I do :) So what did I do? I just kept going. And I whined a lot.. but that's besides the point. I had to tell myself it doesn't matter how you feel right now, I could not let my feelings dictate the choices I was making. Now, let me be totally honest here, I did have some moments of emotional eating, I did skimp on my workouts at times.. but I also noticed that the "bad" choices I was making were so much better than what I had made in the past. I've come so far. It also shows me that I'm not immune to going back to some of my bad habits. I decided I'd just ride it out and pray and continue to follow the rules and try not to follow my emotions. I woke up the other morning and I could tell it was back. I woke up, wrote down some new goals, signed up for a bootcamp class and started journaling my food again. I can't beat myself up for how I feel.. or even the choices that I made, but I can try my hardest to stick to what I know are the better choices and I can choose to not quit or give up. I believe it is what happens in life, we have the tendancy to just give up when things don't come easy for us. When we have to push ourselves through those times where it feels more like we are dragging ourselves. We still need to tie up our shoes and walk that treadmill or run on the pavement. We need to make these choices because we owe it to ourselves to finish this part or that part of the process. Losing weight, maintaining weight.. whatever it may be. And when you get tired and you can't find one awesome quote that pushes you to feel that motivation again.. just keep going. Just keep doing what you know is the right thing to do. And eventually, you'll feel it again. It'll just hit you. It's like life, we don't always feel like it, but we do it anyways :)

Ahhh... regroup..regroup

Wow! What a week! Seriously, have you ever had "one of those" kind of weeks where you can't even remember what you ate for lunch 10 minutes ago because you're so busy? I had photo shoots last week, a wedding shoot on Friday, 6 mini sessions on Saturday, a shoot on Sunday and one today (Thursday) I've been editing the pictures and training for my new job at Weight Watchers.. plus my babies have been on Fall break. So I have to make sure I've taken time for them. So, needless to say, I have struggled in a few areas this week. I really slacked in tracking my food and I didn't get to exercise as much as I am used to or as much as I would've liked too. Do you ever get like that? Where you're so busy or maybe something unexpected happens in your life and it just throws you off? How do you handle it? Something I've learned and something I say to myself often is, "Well.. this is life.. life happens and I can't be surprised at it." I've mentioned this before, but when you dedicate yourself to living a healthy lifestyle; exercising, eating right, taking time for yourself, it's pretty easy to regroup and get back on track. Honestly this is the main reason I am not for the quick fix lose weight type of diets, they might work for a certain time period, but in the end you haven't learned how to live it as a healthy lifestyle. Ok.. so today I regrouped and started tracking again and made sure I took some time for myself and exercised. I guess I could've just as easily said, "Oh, I'll just start Monday when the kids are back in school.." but I don't want my thinking to go that way. I see the slip ups I've had, so the key is to jump right back in as soon as I can. Towards the beginning of my weight loss journey, I would beat myself up if I slipped up and got off track. I wanted to be perfect at it. I wanted to always see progress on the scale and towards my goals. But as I went along, I learned that getting off track is good sometimes because through that, you learn how to get back on. There will always be busy times, there will always be vacations and unexpected events. We have to learn how to work through those, forgive ourselves if we "mess up", get back on track as soon as we realize we're off track, and maybe it will even cause us to be more focused on our goals. I also wanted to say, if this is your normal life, crazy busy-no time for yourself, you have to change that! You have to find someway to make time for yourself. I do believe we make time for what we want. And you need to make time for yourself no matter what! I'm not saying workout an hour a day.. but do something. Find some time to focus on what you should be eating rather than grabbing whatever you can because you're in too big of a hurry to think about it. The only way things will change is if you make those changes. I don't know the situation that you might be in, but I do know we all have things that we fill our time up with. I just want to encourage you.. take time for yourself. Stop letting the excuse of, "I just don't have the time!!" keep you from being healthy. Maybe start with just 10 minutes a day. Even if in those 10 minutes you prepare healthy snacks and write down a healthy menu for the week. Just do something more for yourself. So take some time, regroup.. get back on track.. and move forward. It'll happen again and again and again.. so don't let it stop you, just see it as a bump in the road and move on.
Don't quit!!!

Tis the season for challenges..

I love the fall and all the pretty colors it brings. The cool evenings, cuddling up under blankets. The excitement of the holidays.. so much to love about this season. But I have found the season also brings some challenges. I am not kidding, as soon as the leaves start to change, I go into this "I want to eat everything in sight" mode. I believe I'm going into hibernation mode.. It's not good. This is when those practical things I've learned and applied over the past few years come in handy.  So I figured I'd share my practical tips with you in hopes that as the challenges of the season hit you, you'll be a little more prepared. My best tip I can give is to be prepared. We already know Halloween comes first, CANDY, next Thanksgiving (oh, and if you're wondering, my birthday is on Thanksgiving this year ;) and following that, Christmas and New Years. I really don't know why they all have to be so close in the year. They really should've been spread out a little more! Preparation is KEY! I keep fruits and vegetables on hand, cleaned and ready to be eaten. I try my best to have the weeks meals planned out and shopping done. I find that the less prepared I am, the worse I eat. I say 99% of the time you can look in my purse and find a bottle of water and either an apple or banana. I try my best to be prepared "just in case." I try to stay organized with my daily duties, If I do this, I feel less stressed. Once again, the more stressed I feel, the more I am not thinking about my food choices. I also journal my food. I know, it sounds like such a pain, but it does help. I know for me, there's no way I'm going to remember everything I ate that day, especially when the season starts to get busy. I try to keep all the "bad" foods that cause me to over indulge, out of the house. I get the winter blues.. so I don't need to set myself up for a loss by having these in the house. I try to stay busy as best as I can.. I'm sure at least one of my rooms will be painted and made over during the cold season. I don't deprive myself, so if I want something I have it because deprivation is no fun at all. I just make sure I exercise portion control and self control. I'll find a few good books to read and schedule hang out dates with my friends. As far as exercise.. I don't let the excuse of it being too cold out keep me from getting outside to run or take a long walk. Once it's too cold to do that, I love using my exercise DVD's or taking a workout class. It's good to set goals. What do you want by the end of the year? Would you be happy to stay the same, only gain a pound or two or are you aiming for a weight loss? I think any of those options are fine.. it's just picking something to aim for.  So be prepared, set some goals, don't let the expected season cause you to get off track.. I don't think it's worth it. We can all end this season feeling in control and accomplished! 

What you put into it is what you'll get out of it!
Never quit!!! You'll get there!!!

The weight of your words

This last year my husband and I had to make a really tough decision concerning our oldest, Johnathan. He struggled so much in first grade last year, his reading/comprehension scores were far below average and he seemed to be struggling more and more the farther he got into the school year. We made the tough decision to have him repeat the first grade again. He and his sister are now in the same grade and I'm sure that was not easy for him to accept. I think about the defeat he might feel and possibly the feelings he might have about how "smart" he is. The other day I said to him, "Jache, you're such a smart boy!" He said, "I know I am, mom!!" I asked him how does he know he's so smart.. he said, "Because that's what you and dad tell me." It amazes me how much power our words can have. Think about it, when you see a little girl, twirling around in her dress and you say, "You are so cute!!" She will more than likely respond with, "I know!!" or she'll even throw out the fact that she's so cute without anyone even saying anything. Our kids believe they are smart, cute, wonderful.. etc. because we tell them so! Now think about yourself, what kind of words are you saying to yourself on a daily basis. Think about what you say when you look in the mirror. What do you say when you fall off the wagon? What do you say to yourself when your pants might feel tighter than they should? What about when you step on the scale and there's not change? Sometimes we can really beat ourselves up with our words and negative thoughts. Can you imagine someone coming to you and saying they put on a few pounds, or feel tired of losing weight.. or whatever.. can you imagine saying to them the things you might say to yourself? I'm guessing they'd never come back to share anything with you, ever again. We can be so hard on ourselves. I think about how we blame this or that for our daughters self image issues.. when in reality the very cause of some of it is what they hear their mothers saying about themselves. When we tear ourselves down.. we are teaching our kids how to do the same. I don't believe negative talk or thinking has ever moved anyone closer to their goals. It's time for a change. It's time to see how much you're worth and how strong you are and can be. Messing up is just a part of life, getting back up is what really counts. I think finding some positive things about yourself and writing them down is a great way to start! Say some positive things about yourself in front of your kids. Give yourself the pep talk that you would give me if I asked you for advice. I'd just like to challenge you in this area. Take a look inside.. see how strong you really are. See that you're something beautiful. Getting to a certain weight won't change your thinking on this.. this has to be something that changes before you hit your weight. You have to come to a place that you are satisfied with you are as a person. It doesn't matter what you look like on the outside.. it's who you are on the inside. Just give it a try. And if you can't find ANYTHING positive in yourself.. just ask me. I bet I can find something special in you!!!

Never quit!!!
Mel :)

The Itsy-Bitsy Spider...

The other day I hear this shriek coming from the bathroom, so I run in to find Jack looking over the sink crying and yelling. I peek over the sink, well because I'm a little scared to see what he's looking at, and I see this tiny little spider crawling around the inside of the sink. Jack is just freaked! He just stood there, refusing to move, refusing to kill it. I told him, "Jack, you're bigger than that spider, it can't hurt you!" So I did what any mom would do, I turned on the water and drowned that spider! It was an easy task for me because I know that it was harmless and within seconds we could take down that spider. Jack, on the other hand, just couldn't see it for what it was. I don't know exactly what he was thinking, maybe he was afraid, perhaps he didn't know that he could kill it by turning on the water.. or maybe he just didn't want to do anything besides allow it to keep walking around the sink and letting it scare him. I, of course, was able to relate this to some areas in my own life. I spent many many years trying to battle my weight. I bought different books, tried different diets I even joined a workout facility at one point. But time after time, I seemed to fail. It wasn't until I realized that I was bigger than the battle I was fighting. You see, once you can see that, then the battle is much easier. We have allowed food to control our lives for so long that it has become this GIANT object in our lives and we just sit there and allow our food habits to consume us. I don't believe that food is the problem. I believe it's how we handle our food. It's the role we allow it to play in our lives. So many of us allow it to comfort us, allow it to be our entertainment when we're bored, allow it to be a part of every celebration we have. Some of us have allowed our eating habits to be like that spider, and just sorta stay in our lives because we're either afraid to change our habits, possibly due to being afraid of failure, or we really don't want too change. If you really want to change and you really want to finally conquer this mountain in your life, then I know you can! It's pushing through those moments that you feel like you're not going to be able to do it. Those are just thoughts, they aren't facts. The fact is, it's just a little spider that we've allowed to look like something bigger than what it really is. The fact is you really do have the ability to turn on the water and drown it! You have the ability to walk away from the dessert table if you need too. You have the ability to throw ice cream in the garbage if you need too. You really can get up from the dinner table and not have seconds or thirds or... It just takes you realizing you can do it! So here's my challenge to you.. Don't be like Jack. No longer stand there and allow these "little spiders" to consume your life. Drown those suckers!!! ;-) Stop allowing yourself to be defeated by your bad habits. I'm rooting for you!!!! I know you can do it!!! :)

Slow down and smell the chocolate fountain

As some of you may know this already, but I am an assistant wedding photographer, so I get to attend a lot of weddings. This past summer I got to shoot pictures for about 27 weddings. So yes, I've seen my share of cake! I happened to be at this particular wedding that had one of THOSE DELICIOUS looking chocolate fountains! Of course our table was located right next to this wonderful-flowing-fountain of chocolaty heaven! Not sure if you can tell or not, but I am a fan of chocolate :) Lucky for me, though, my Weight Watcher leader had just talked about chocolate fountains in one of classes prior to this wedding. Thankfully I listen in my class!! She said she had a member in one of her classes that worked at a banquet hall that offered a chocolate fountain and the majority of the "chocolate" is made up of vegetable oil to keep the "chocolate" oil flowing. So now it's chocolate oil. Not just chocolate. It was kinda disappointing to me. Honestly, in my life pre-weight loss I would've still eaten from that fountain. I would have heard the information, probably even said, "Oh man, that's terrible!" and then forgotten about it and still ate some anyways, just saying! I had decided I wasn't going to even try it. I didn't really want it unless it was straight chocolate. But something else happened, as the chocolate fountain started flowing I started to smell this odor, sort of like sweat. I am serious! Of course I had to investigate where this smell was coming from and I discovered the smell was coming from the chocolate fountain. I was shocked, "Why hadn't I smelled this before?!" And just so you know, I was at another wedding later on in the season that had a chocolate fountain and it smelled bad too. You know why I never smelled it before? Because I never slowed down to even smell what I was eating. Eating carelessly, not even thinking, that's how I used to eat. I saw something I wanted and ate it. I can't even remember paying too much attention to the nutrition labels. Can you relate to this at all? Shoving food in your mouth and barely even tasting it. Finding a balance in life is important. Eating food that you find to be delicious is perfectly fine! I am still a food lover! But being aware of what you're eating AND enjoying it, is important. So slow down, smell the chocolate fountain. Read what's in your food. Find out what you're eating before you put it in your mouth. And enjoy ;)

I'd like to make a deposit..

I don't know, maybe this is just how I'm "wired" but giving back brings me so much fulfillment. I remember walking in to my first WW meeting and thinking, "Ok, IF I can do this.. IF I can overcome this weight issue I've never been able to conquer, then I'm not only going to do this for myself but for those around me." It's just something I do, I try to make deposits into other people's lives. There is no point in doing something if you're not able to impact someone around you. During the beginning of my journey, I had to focus on myself first. I had to figure this weight loss thing out. I even tried to keep it a secret for the first 30 pounds, but that was mainly because I was afraid I'd fail and I didn't want to look like a failure in people's eyes (yep.. you're talking to a people pleaser here.. it's not a pretty sight) But slowly, those around me started to notice the changes in me and wanted to know what I was doing. So that's when I started to share and hope that those that needed it would grab a hold of whatever they needed from my experiences. I guess for me, it helps me in several areas. One, it helps me keep my eyes off of myself. I have walked through frustrating and discouraging times during this journey but knowing that others were counting on me to finish, it helped keep me going. When you're making deposits into other peoples lives, it sorta helps keep your eyes off of your own problems. It's also a great accountability! If someone is asking me for advice on what they should eat or how to keep going when they don't feel like it.. well I better be doing those things if I'm going to hope someone else will! I have the wonderful privilege of waking up in the mornings and opening up my FB messages to find people sharing with me their exciting news about their journeys. I get to talk to those that just need a little boost of encouragement or a little push to get them past a hurdle. I feel so lucky to be able to do this. I do believe we all can do this! And why not? This is such an amazing thing you're doing for your health, life and future.. and another persons health, life and future can be greatly impacted by you. I think even in our struggles we can help others. I want to encourage you, if you're having a hard time on your weight loss/getting healthy plan.. then try making some deposits into others. Find someone that might need a workout buddy and set a date to workout together. Maybe you'll find someone that just needs some encouragement. I know lots of people that simply need some cheerleaders on their side! You might not see that you've come far enough to help someone else, but just the fact that you're trying is good enough to help others! Make a deposit into someones life, expecting nothing in return except the satisfaction and joy knowing that you've helped someone else. Thank you to those that have allowed me to deposit into their lives. By you allowing that, you've helped me in so many ways! Keeping our eyes off of our own "ho hums" helps us not be so down about the things that might not be going our way. And as always, thanks for reading :)

If I want it.. I get it!

Have you ever been at the mall and saw something you just had to have? Maybe it was an outfit, a pair of shoes or a super awesome new TV?! I definitely have!! How convenient is it that you can purchase these things on borrowed money!! You can take out credit right then and there, if approved of course, and you don't have to wait. We have what we want and most of the time we get it when we want it. We don't wait and save, we spend money we don't have. I like to say, we can be over indulgers :) I think I just made that word up!! We really do have some out of control habits. We like to get what we want and we don't always think beyond that moment. Look at the economy, that explains our consequences to our spending habits.  So it should be no shock that two thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese. We lack this thing called self control. And it's literally killing us. Believe me, I have been there! I ate what I wanted, how much I wanted and when I wanted. If I wanted a a double cheeseburger...every day, I ate one... every day. I didn't think about the consequences to my actions. And I said I cared about the consequences, but apparently not enough to do anything about it. My little sister, Enam, recently asked me if losing weight was hard. I had to take a few minutes to think about this question (it was a really great question, Enam :) And really, the act of losing weight isn't hard. It's gaining and keeping the ability to have self control. I think when people think of "diet" they think, "UGH!!!! Now I can't have ANYTHING I want!! I have to give up ALLLLLL my favorite foods!!!" And that's not true at all!! We can have whatever we want. We don't have to give up our favorite foods at all!! I think the problem is that we can't have it all the time, every day, whenever we want it! Well you can but with that comes some unwanted consequences. What do we think will happen to our body if we don't take care of it? I have learned that the more you say no to something, the easier it gets. You build up a resistance to it and caving in is less likely. You learn your weaknesses. I'm not saying self control is easy.. it is quite the opposite, especially when you're just building that character trait. But I will tell you, the longer you keep it up the easier it gets! I often think about my kids and how I have changed their lives by changing mine. I want my kids to grow up with the ability to show self control. Not just in the area of food but in all areas. I think it's ok to over indulge, at times. But if we have a lifestyle where over indulging is an often habit, that's where the trouble comes in. I'm telling you, if you will build up the ability that you already have inside you to have self control.. if you stop caving in to every little tasty craving you have.. it will get easier. I want to encourage you, do not give up because you feel like it's too hard to tell yourself no. Don't cave in to that lack of self control you have. Think about what you're doing and the consequences that comes along with it. I am telling you, you will build a very important trait inside yourself that will come in handy for the rest of your life.


Self control is the ability to control one's emotions, behavior, and desires in order to obtain some reward, or avoid some punishment, later.

Remember When?

I was out for a run the other day and looked down at my feet. I noticed they were worn out and have holes in them. They are stained with dirt and only God knows what else. I love these shoes! I'm having a hard time parting with them because of the journey we've been on together. I remember when I used to buy running shoes and running in them was the last thing on my mind to do in those shoes. I purchased these shoes though with the intent on running the heck outta them! Do you ever think about that... Remember when? I think it's good to say to yourself, "Remember when I..." Remember when I never took the time to workout? Remember when I never got up off the park bench to play on the playground with my kids? Remember when I never said no to dessert? Remember when I couldn't get past 2 weeks of working towards losing weight? I do. It's so nice that it's just a memory! Wherever you're at in the process, it's nice to look back and see how far you've come. I remember the first time I turned on my first Jillian DVD to workout too. Oh my word! At one point we had to get into a plank position.. yeah, I couldn't. I would try and believe me, holding myself in that position was impossible. But after working at it and pushing myself, it's a cinch now! I don't say, "Oh yes! I can stop because I've come so far!" Nah, this is the point you just keep giving yourself opportunities to have "Remember Whens.." Maybe you've been working on this goal for a few weeks or maybe you've been living it as a lifestyle for a few years.. either way, I want to encourage you to look back and see how far you've come. And after you look back, set some new goals! Set some higher challenges for yourself. I can't tell you enough how strong and free I feel! This life is meant to be lived! Our running shoes are meant to be worn down!! Don't let this be another one of those times where you just quit. You don't want to have another, "Remember when I quit again." You really do have the ability to reach your goals!! Push yourself and don't quit!!

"I'm very determined and stubborn. There's a desire in me that makes me want to do more and more, and to do it right. Each one of us has a fire in our heart for something. It's our goal in life to find it and to keep it."
~Mary Lou Retton

Ready, Set, MAINTAIN!!!

If you're my friend you probably know that I have FINALLY hit my weight goal! Ahhh.. It feels great!! Seriously, it took me longer than I had originally hoped and expected. I figured it would take me about a year, 10 pounds a month seemed reasonable to me! But apparently, I needed longer. Now that I've gotten here and have taken a look back on the past few years (yes, it took me 2 years to get here) I now realize that 2 years to learn and adapt to a new lifestyle really is ok with me! It means a new lifestyle, longer life, healthier more active lives for my family and much more. I want this to stick. I NEVER want to go back to my old ways. The past few months I've been looking up articles and blogs on how to maintain. I've been talking to many that have lost weight and have kept it off. There are different laps in this race we call "weight loss" losing the weight being the first lap and now the lap of maintaining. I've heard and read about how it is easier losing the weight than maintaining. Now, I know I am just a beginner at maintaining, but I honestly don't know how it can be any harder than losing it. So of course, I have a plan :) It seems to me that there are a few key factors in maintaining. And I also believe that if you adapt these factors for losing, maintaining will be easier than what you might have read and heard. I believe the main key to live your weight loss out for a lifetime is to first lose weight or "diet" in a way you can live that way for the rest of your life. I am a huge fan of Weight Watchers, as I should be, but I don't believe it is the ONLY way to lose weight. I think the reason WW works is because it teaches you how to live it as a lifestyle. You are allowed to eat whatever you want (my favorite part of the program) and it teaches you portion control and overall healthy eating. I have found that my biggest prize hasn't been hitting my goal but it is learning all these things along the way. See, my biggest prize is that I'm going to be able to maintain this for the rest of my life. I believe staying connected to others, having accountability with people that have either walked with you through your weight loss or maybe have gone through what you've gone through. Continue to set goals, because let's face it.. when it's all said and done, it's up to you. So challenging yourself by setting small goals is a good way to keep you focused. How about setting some activity goals like running a 5K, 10K or something else. Setting a goal in, "I've kept my weight off for 6 months, now I'm going for 6 more months." I am a big believer in choosing a "diet" plan that works for you! If you are losing weight by drinking shakes, cutting out your favorite foods, or eating just grape fruit, you have to ask yourself, "Is this something I can do for the rest of my life?" If you're losing in a healthy way, a liveable way, you're learning how to maintain right now! It's not about how fast can you lose the weight (even though we all want it off like RIGHT NOW!!!) but it really comes down to giving yourself and your family the gift of a healthy life. I am so thankful for the process.. the long 2 year process! Those two years would've passed with or without me doing this.. so why not just do it?! I plan to continue to blog in the hopes that I can help others along the way. I just want to encourage you to never quit! However long it may take you, it's worth it! And give yourself the prize of doing it in a healthy liveable way. Don't cheat yourself out of letting the process become your lifestyle. It's not worth doing the work if you're not going to be able to maintain it. And allowing it to become your lifestyle is the greatest gift for maintaining. NEVER GIVE UP!!!!

"Live to eat, eat to live"

Live to eat.. this used to describe my way of life! Every activity I did, food was always present. I would plan my activities around what was going to be on the menu. Think about it, we go to a baseball game and before we even get there we are thinking about the hotdogs and nachos. We go to the movies and popcorn is on our mind! And don't even get me started on going to the fair.. it's all about the food! The food is the main event at all holidays and birthday parties! If a naturally thin person is reading this.. you might not understand this "live to eat" concept, but it is true! When I joined Weight Watchers my view started to change but it went to the other end of the spectrum..  "eat to live" I realized I was extreme on both sides. I went from thinking about what I was going to eat to being worried about what I was or wasn't going to eat. I wasn't really sad that I couldn't or wouldn't eat all my old foods.. but I would worry about what I put in my mouth. I was afraid it would make me gain weight and I didn't want that. I believe it's natural, though, for someone that has struggled with being overweight and have an obsession for food to then have an obsession on the other end of it. I think it's part of the process and one of the "inner" struggles you have to deal with in the process of getting healthy. You have to find a balance in it. The changes that take place inside are much more important than the changes on the outside. The outside changes are just a result of what has happened in your mind and habits. I am happy for the process. I am thankful for the ways it's changed me and the impact it's had on my life. Sometimes the process can be trying and difficult. You want to give up and walk away. But if you stick through it, it will change you forever! I have learned to have balance in my life in the area of my eating.. I no longer see food in one extreme or another. It is nice to be able to spend holidays not focusing on what I'm going to eat , but it's also nice planning for a beautiful night out in Chicago knowing I'm going to fill my belly with some delicious food! I have never felt more in control in this area and I know I've learned that in the process. So what do I say to end this post.. keep going :) The learning doesn't happen the second you hit your goal, the learning happens on your way to your goal. Learn to live in the process and be thankful for it!

Quitting is always an option..

I think I've told myself a billion times, "Quitting is NOT an option, Mel!!" But really, it is! We might not call it quitting, because that just sounds so bad! We might call it something else, but we know what we're really doing. I know I get to the point that I want to quit. I get tired! I get lazy! I get bored! The last few months have been the toughest months for me. I haven't quit, but I sure have been dragging my feet! So I was thinking, what would happen if I just gave up? Because I'm the boss over myself, I really can just give up! No one's going to say anything to me if I quit, I've come so far, right?! If I quit, I'm only telling myself, "Giving up is ok!" I'll know that when things get really challenging, all I have to do is quit, walk away, be done! If I quit I'll never be able to say I hit my goal. I'll be able to say, "I got super close, I even saw the finish line!! But I just stopped right before I ran through the finish line." When my kids ask me how I felt when I got to my goal, I'll never be able to tell them. I know my thinking can be a bit overboard and I can be a bit of an over thinker ;) but weighing quitting vs. sticking with it and seeing it ALL the way through was something I had to do. I had to stop dragging my feet and start moving ahead again. I totally understand the feeling of being tired and drained of the process. I also understand the feeling of wanting something sooo bad and knowing that you just have to dig deep down inside yourself to grab whatever you can to push yourself there. There are times when others words, inspiring quotes and stories, new recipes, a really great new workout routines or even praying won't work. There are times when the only thing that works is just going! Just making yourself move forward! Just reminding yourself why you started this and that you aren't done until you're done. I think in those times when quitting is a very close decision for you.. and you push through even when you don't wanna.. WOW! The character building, the inner strength you get, the fact that you didn't pick the quitting option.. there's a lot more going on inside you than just losing weight and getting healthy. I think about life beyond weight loss and how the perseverance I have will effect the other challenges I face and journeys I will be on. Because if we can do this, if we can conquer this.. I believe that we can do anything!

Invest into yourself!

You know how it works; you have to make a deposit in order to get a return. You know how it goes.. we do for everyone else before we do for ourselves. In many situations that's the reason we don't do for ourselves, because we're tired and drained. I was thinking about this.. and the fact is, this shows that we do have it within ourselves to invest into ourselves. Look, we've been doing it for others for so long. We invest time into our friendships, we invest perseverance into our kids goals we invest our hearts into our spouses dreams. So we have the ability to invest, within us. But why don't we do it for ourselves. You know, the best thing you can give those you love is a better, healthier, more active "YOU!" Why not take some time for yourself and see what a little investment can do! Over the past year and half I've made some great investments into my life. I've taken some time for myself and it has paid off! I've invested in myself by taking time to exercise. I take time to journal my food. I write it down as a means of accountability and also the fact after a long crazy day, I really can't remember what I've eaten that day, so it helps keep me on track. I plan meals, so when I'm busy I make sure I have good, healthy foods in the house so I have something to grab on the run. And I have my groceries ready to be prepared for a meal instead of running through drive thru's at the last minute (not saying I don't ever do this, because there are times I do) I try not to let my time be taken by things that, in the end, won't really matter.   It takes time, YES!! There will always be reasons why we "don't have the time" so you just have to make the time! It's tough in the beginning to make changes, for me it was. But once you make the investments where you need to make them and teach your family the new things you're going to be implementing in your own life and possibly in theirs.. it will make for a better YOU! I just want to encourage you to not wait any longer. Make some deposits into your own life!

Anchors..

An anchor can be defined as; a person or thing that can be relied on for support, stability,or security; mainstay.  Recently during one of my Weight Watcher classes my leader talked about anchors and how they can be a great asset to us during our journeys. She was meaning an anchor in a way of something you can carry around with you or keep on your refrigerator, or maybe even a voice mail that you can listen to when you feel tired of the process.  I thought I'd share with you some of my anchors and hopefully it will encourage you to either continue to hold on to your anchors or figure out what keeps you "anchored" during your journey. I have a few :) and since the class discussion I've come up with a few more. I would say one of mine is definitely old pictures of myself. When I see them they are a reminder of where I was and how far I've come. And also reminds me that I don't want to go back to living my life that way. I have a few songs that I would consider an anchor when I work out. You know, that certain song that pushes you through when you feel like you can't push anymore. I have little stickers that I earn for every 5 pounds loss so I keep those around as little reminders too. Since these last 10 pounds are being such a pain in my butt to lose, I started wearing a little red yarn bracelet with two knots in it. Each knot represents 5 pounds, what I have left to lose to reach my final goal! I've also kept a few of my old clothes and once in a while I'll bring those out and try them on! That never gets old!! :) The other morning, I was getting out of the shower and put a towel around me and I thought to myself.. Ok, at what point was I able to wrap a towel around my whole body?! Seriously, I wasn't always able to do that!! So I made a mental note of that.. and will definitely hold on to that as an anchor for myself. I have many people in my life that have been anchors to me as well! The cheers and support they give me have been a huge help along the way. I think it is important to have some things in your life that you can look at or touch or hear, that when you need it, you can grab a hold of it. The journey gets tiring and you reach many points that you just wanna give up. But really, you can't :) Giving up is so easy to do and you get nothing from it. You have to set it in your mind, that you refuse to sink! 

Mind over matter..

A friend of mine recently sent me this quote, and I wanted to share it with you!


" Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing, you have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired."
-- George S. Patton


I cannot help but love these words! I can remember making this decision when I first decided to run, to make up my mind and go with it! To not allow my legs to dictate how far I would run, but allow my mind to push me to my goal. Really, it's in anything we do. In any goal we are going after. In any decision we've made that we don't want to go back on. I have learned so much over the past 19 months, and learning how to never give up has been one of the most valuable lessons!! I believe you have to make the decision to never ever give up and once you make that decision, stick with it! The reason we fail over and over and over.... is because we give up so easily. We convince ourselves that whatever we are chasing is impossible to reach. We blame others around us or our circumstances but in reality the responsibility is ours. If we keep making excuses as to why we CAN'T do this or that, then we'll always be in the same place.. never moving ahead. When is a better time to make up your mind to do something? If you want something bad enough, you'll go after it! You allow nothing to stand in your way. If you do, then I don't believe you want it bad enough. Harsh? I only say that because I remember buying weight loss books, diet cook books, heck.. I had even joined Weight Watchers two other times before. I tried different diets and faithfully watched Biggest Loser to gain encouragement from. None of it worked, because I didn't want to do the work. I didn't want to make the sacrifices needed. I didn't make up my mind to actually do it. I don't believe that there's such a thing as "this was just my time" because I believe you have to choose to make it your time. It doesn't just happen. I know that those that are reading this and might be struggling with making up your mind, really are strong enough to do it! You just have to make the decision to and not quit! 

It's unbelievable how strong our minds are! 

The Power of Words..

So I've been on a bit of a rant lately. A few of my close friends have heard me talk about it (sorry ;) so I thought I'd gather a few of my thoughts on the issue and share it with you! I guess the issue sort of confuses me. It's not necessarily that people express their opinions but more so that their opinions weren't expressed when I was very overweight. Here's some things that I've been told. "Mel, are you healthy? You look like you need to gain weight!" "You look like you hit your weight goal 10 pounds ago!" "Yeah, it's easy to lose the weight, it's maintaining that's the hardest part. Most people can't maintain it." "I bet you are hungry!!" Now, I haven't been told these things often, but I have been told these things and they've all been said to me in public with others around, never in private. I have a friend that lost a large amount of weight and she said that someone asked her if she was sick and if she had cancer. I do understand the shock that comes with seeing someone after they've lost a great amount of weight, which is totally understandable. And I also understand that everyone is entitled to their opinion and even entitled to speak their opinion. But here's my issue.. I just don't understand, when I really was unhealthy and borderline diabetic, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and very well on my way to an early death, why no one confronted me with things like, "Hey Mel, you look about 100 pounds past your goal weight." "Are you even healthy? You look like you need to lose some weight!" Honestly that would've been the time to confront me on health issues. So to me, it seems like a double standard and I just don't understand it. Why address someone in one circumstance and not the other? Maybe I'm ranting, but really this whole subject confuses me. Have any of you, my readers, experienced these things? Maybe you're not on a weight loss journey but maybe on another type of journey. I will admit, the words can get to me if I allow them too. I have had some close friends of mine tell me if I'm comfortable with who I am then don't worry about it. And I agree with that! But it can be easier said than done, especially if you're still getting comfortable in your "new skin." I guess it comes down to this, the words spoken to us only have as much power as we allow them to have. If I dwell on them and allow them to dictate the rest of my journey then it is my fault. But if I allow them to roll off my shoulders and not allow them to sink in, then they are just words... zero power!  I've learned that I don't have to defend myself to others. And there will always be critics in your life.  On the other side of this.. it's a nice reminder to speak words of encouragement to others. Push others to move forward and to keep going after their goals!! Let your words be words that others want to hold on to!
Thanks for reading :-)

"99 Days Until Summer!!!!"

You read the title and you may have one of a few reactions. One being, "YAY!!! I'm soooo ready for summertime!!" Another being, "WHAT?!!! How did that happen?! I really should start my diet and exercise routine!!" I was perusing facebook today and ran across a friend of mine's, Darlene Osborne, facebook status update. This is what it read, "Dang (I did change that first word for my sensitive readers ;)  it! My friend posted today that there are 100 days until summer! I've been skipping going to the gym lately because it's been so busy around here. I was debating going today because I NEED to go and NEED to get back into a solid 4-6 times/week routine. Now I have to go for sure! Crap! 100 days? Really?" I instantly took this as a challenge! I've been being kinda relaxed on my journey I'm on. Letting little things slip here and there. I'm sure this is quite normal, but the reality of it is, if I keep being so relaxed it might take me forever to get to my final goal. I've also been calling it, "My final leg of THIS race" because I know it never really ends. Do you have something you'd like to accomplish by the first day of summer? To be exact it's Thursday, June 21st :) Maybe you're doing great and on your way! Maybe you're behaving like me.. sorta relaxed. Maybe you haven't even started that New Years Resolution yet?! I have decided to take advantage of the next 99 days. I took some time to think about what I'd like to accomplish. Here are some things I'm going to do. And some will be broken up in smaller goals because even 99 days away can seem a bit overwhelming to me. So first off, I WILL meet my final goal within the 99 days. My goal is to meet it within the next 30 days. I'm being reasonable here and even giving myself some cushion. I have a little over 7 pounds to go until I hit the final goal. After that, I need to maintain my weight for 6 weeks to become a lifetime Weight Watcher Member, which means I no longer have to give them my money! I can sit in that seat for free!! So within the next 99 days, I have a goal to become a lifetime member. By the end of the 99 days I want to be able to run 7 miles, non stop. I hope to be running 10 miles by fall. I will probably be a dork and make a chart, but that helps keep me on track and it gives me something to look at everyday so I can see how far I've come and how close I am to the end. What about you? Do you think you can set some goals, big or small, for the next 99 days? June 21st will come no matter what! You have the opportunity to make a difference in your own life between now and then! I hope you take some time, set some goals and refocus on what's ahead of you! You really can do it!!! :)
Thanks for reading!!!! 
Let me know if you set some "99 day goals!" We could all go out and celebrate our accomplishments together!

Check me out!!

You know that feeling you get inside when you do something that makes you feel accomplished? What a great feeling, huh! I've been thinking a lot about those feelings. It's like a little spark, or big spark, that goes off inside of you and makes you feel like, "Hey!! Maybe I really can do this!!" "Maybe this isn't as impossible as I thought it was going to be!" Sometimes it's those sparks that keep us going when we don't necessarily feel like going anymore. It's nice to remind ourselves how far we've come rather than how far we have to go. For me personally, I get so much enjoyment out of seeing someone meet a goal or reach a dream in their life. Actually, I LOVE it! There's a lady that joined my Weight Watcher class about a month ago and she's been doing a great job! But last week she walks into class and she looked different. She had makeup on, dressed up a bit and had her hair fixed.. and she had a big smile on her face! That night when we celebrated what she had lost that week our WW leader asked her what has changed so far? And the lady said, "I have make up on! I can't remember the last time I wore make up!!" I wanted to cry tears of happiness for her! Not because she was wearing make up, but because she felt accomplished and strong! You can tell how she was feeling on the inside because her confidence on the outside was showing it off!! It's those moments, those sparks, that we can hold on to. When you lose those first 9-10 pounds. When you can fit into a pair of jeans that you were working hard to fit in. When you run your first mile! When you can go on vacation and not come back with a weight gain (I just did that!!) When you reach a milestone in your workout that you were pushing yourself to get to! There are so many things that can keep us moving along!! It's not about the BIG goals we reach, yes those happen, but it's those little ones that we can reach each month. Those keep us going! I just want to remind you of those sparks. I don't want you to forget how great reaching a small goal can make you feel! How when you look in the mirror and the smile reflecting back at you is more confident than ever! Be proud of yourself!! I am :)

Getting Back to the Basics

I can't even tell you how many times I've had to "go back to the basics" with this weight loss journey. I will be going along on my happy way, losing weight, working out, eating right.. and slowly it starts to slip. Not all at once, maybe I'll get really busy with the kids and ease up on my workouts. Maybe I'll eat more than I should've or spent a few days just celebrating with cake for no other reason just to celebrate :)! In the past, I will admit I've blamed it on that I must be at a plateau! But the fact was it was really me and my choices. Sometimes we just have to go back to the beginning. I'll ask myself what am I doing now that I wouldn't have done in the first few weeks? What was my purpose in doing this whole "losing weight/getting healthy" thing? I have those times when I make myself go back to being a "weight loss newbie." Remember when you just started? The drive you had? I do! And there are times that I go back there to remind myself what it was and become a newbie all over again. It's not because we are slackers, but because it is a lifestyle. There is no real big prize at the end, we earn prizes as soon as we start and we get prizes throughout the whole journey! I recently spoke with a friend that walked through a very sad experience and she said that she got off track a bit and wants to get back on. I find that so inspiring. She isn't giving up! She's going back to the basics and jumping back on. I find there is no one that can do anything for your health, there's no one that can make you lose weight.. besides yourself. So what if you've totally blown it, this isn't a race we're on it's a lifestyle. I've said it before... life happens. I'm sure there will be MANY times I will have to go back and get back to the basics. We can't give up just because we've fallen off track and maybe even gained some weight back. I guess in my mind there's never a reason to give up. We always have the choice to get back up again. I really want to encourage those that need some encouraging, get back up today. Look at some of your choices and see if there are different ones that need to be made. Go back to the basics. Remind yourself why you started this journey. And just don't quit!

I'm always here if you need some encouraging!!

A pet peeve of mine..

Not sure if any of you have noticed the pictures going around, comparing skinny women to curvy women. These have got to be some of the most annoying pictures to me. I understand the emotion behind it, showing that being really skinny isn't considered sexy. To show young and older women to not strive for the skinny look of what we are supposedly being taught is sexy. In all my days of being overweight, I never once felt pressured to be skinny, but I do believe that comes from a confidence inside. I personally don't believe it's a body type that anyone should shoot for but it's about being healthy and happy. Feeling confident in who you are and not chasing after something that the media would say is "sexy". I don't think these pictures do anyone any good. So we pretty much slam a skinny girl in order to say curvy is way better?! Can you imagine posting pics of curvy girls vs. very overweight women?! Oh man, the criticism those pics would get! I don't want my daughter growing up, striving to be curvy, skinny or overweight. I want Kennedy to grow up being strong and healthy, confident in herself. And when she's older, much much older, I want her to feel sexy because of the woman she is on the inside and not because she looks a certain way. Women can be ruthless sometimes, tearing each other down and always comparing ourselves to each other. It's absolutely ridiculous. I've never once seen a post about muscular men compared to super skinny men.. because men don't do stuff like that. I hope you're hearing my heart in this. This has been something that's been frustrating to me and I wanted to hop on my soap box for a few minutes :) I was searching for an article about Marilyn Monroe and I found this and thought it was very interesting.

Marilyn Monroe WAS NOT A SIZE 14!!!! Clothes are sized differently today than they were in the 1950's. A 50's size 8 is a modern day size 4, a 50's 12 is a modern day six. To contrast, today's size 12 would have been a 50s size 20! Marilyn at her heaviest was in 1957 and 1959, both times following pregnancies that ended in miscarriages, and even then she was only 140 at her highest weight. She was usually around 120 lbs, and the time of her death was 117 lbs, 5'5, and had a waist of 22 inches. She wore a size 12 dress and size 8 pants, which in modern day would be a 6 and a 4.

5'5, 117 lbs, 22 inch waist. That's not ''fat'' by anyone's standards.

Source(s):

Marilyn Monroe historian. Studied her for 18 years. Own nearly 90 books about her. Gets annoyed when people perpetuate the Size 14 lie.

Marilyn Monroe, today, would be considered smaller than the average woman, which is about a 14. In my mind she was much bigger than her actual size. For me, it just goes to show that we shouldn't strive to be a size or shape, but rather who we are. I can't say it enough.. strive to be healthy & strive to be active. After that comes the confidence and then sexiness is just there! I think women are beautiful, no matter what shape or size, but the true beauty comes from within. 

Thanks for reading :) I hope no one hates me after this blog! 

Ready for a Challenge?

So here we are, almost at the end of the first month of 2012! How are you doing with your goals? Are you still focused on meeting the goals that you set for this year? It's so easy to get caught up in "life" and forget the things we need to do for ourselves to improve our lives. So I've been thinking, what if I (and we!!!) set a small term goal for February! This year is a leap year so Feb. has 29 days. What can you do for 29 days straight? Recently one of my closest friends, who is an artist, decided that he would do a tribute to some of his favorite guitarist and draw a different guitarist for 30 days straight. He did it and it was very cool! He really had a beautiful set of art work by the end of the 30 days. I have no doubt that I can make the same commitment to do something straight for 29 days. I believe you can too! When I set goals, I set them to see if I can really do it. I do it to challenge myself and prove how strong I really am. I believe and know for myself personally, that when you start overcoming those "impossible" things.. the journey gets easier. So what is something you'd like to prove to yourself that you CAN DO? Here's some ideas that I had. Journal everything I eat for 29 days straight, don't miss one day or one meal. Workout for 29 days straight, now I'm not talking hardcore sweat your face off workout, but get some sort of activity for at least 30 minutes a day for 29 days straight. Maybe a scale goal, be down a certain amount by the end of Feb. How about, not have any candy or chocolate (or your favorite indulgence) for 29 days straight. I would love to see us challenge ourselves and prove to ourselves that we can do it. Do you know how strong you will feel by proving to yourself that you are stronger than the obstacle you're facing. So my challenge is to take the next week and figure out what goal you'd like to accomplish by the end of Feb. and start that small goal journey on Feb. 1st. If you'd like, you're more than welcome to share that goal with me for accountability and so I can cheer you on :) Here's a little quote I read recently that I really love... "It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward." Let's make small steps and eventually we'll hit our goals!!!

Thanks for reading!!! :)

Are you on the Offense?

To be on the offense means to make an attack, having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends. 


How many times have we made excuses for why we CAN'T do what we need to do to reach our goals? I have been guilty of this. Ugh.. I can't exercise because of the kids, I can't eat healthy because of all the food around me at parties or work, impossible for me to do this healthy thing because I am the ONLY one trying in my house (insert your own excuses here ;) EXCUSES EXCUSES EXCUSES!! At some point we have to take responsibility for ourselves and let go of the excuses. This last week I hit a milestone in my weight loss, I am finally now in my healthy weight range!!! A little over 18 months later and it doesn't even feel real that I am no longer, according to the healthy guidelines, am considered "overweight"... it feels amazing! I am still working on hitting my final goal weight and looking forward to that as well!! I do a lot of thinking and hitting that milestone got me doing some more thinking... I started thinking about all the times in the past I would make an excuse why I couldn't lose weight, I mean it was IMPOSSIBLE because of my circumstances around me (Yeah right.. this was just what I told myself!!) We allow things to just be as they are, not because we can't do anything about it but because we choose not too. I used to say, "Well it was just my time, that's why I lost weight at the time I did.." but really it's because I made it my time. I just as easily could have made up yet another excuse as to why I just couldn't do it. Thankfully I didn't. There is no better time than right now to get on the offense and stop making excuses. It really is amazing the goals we can reach if we put aside the excuses. I just want to challenge you in that, time will fly by and you don't want to be saying to yourself, "Well, I guess I'll do it in 2013" do it now! Just make the choice and start attacking those goals!!!
Thanks for reading my bossy post!! ;) 
It's only because I know it's not impossible to do!!!

"Put down the fork and step away from the cake!"

So here's my history with cake, I've pretty much been in love with it since I first met it! I mean, we go way back! And I don't discriminate against any kind of cake, I love them all!! So when it comes to a party, I'm all about the cake! It's my favorite part of the event! I'd rather skip dinner and have cake than skip the cake, but that's just me!! Well, I was at this sweet baby shower the other day and before I went I had decided that I was going to SKIP the cake (Whaaaat????) You see, I assist my sister as a wedding photographer and I have about 20 weddings or so this year and I cannot have cake at every wedding, that's just overboard! I wanted to see how easy it would be for me to pass the cake up for no good reason, other than just to pass it up. My friend is the cake cutter and here it comes.. the cake! Big delicious slices of cake, covered in what looked to be whipped cream frosting (yum) and she brings it to our table and asks, "Would you like a piece of cake?" I say, with some hesitation of course, "Ummm, no thanks" and she says, "Oh I can cut you a smaller piece" I say, with more hesitation because you know she's going to go out of her way to help me, "Oh, no really.. I'm ok" and then one more time "Are you sure, Mel?" and once again "NOOOOOO!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" well that's what my inside was saying ;) So I sat at the table, ladies around me were enjoying their cake (and they should!) and I seriously considered asking one of the ladies if I could have just a taste of her cake but I resisted because that might've have been weird and my feelings would've been hurt if she had said no! I seriously put the fork down and walked away from the cake that day!! I could've had it, I definitely had the points, but I wanted to see if I could do it based on myself, based on just the fact that I was choosing not to have the cake. I think many times while we're on a diet or a weight loss program, we do things "just because those are the rules" I think it's good to start challenging yourself and see how strong and determined YOU can be because that's what YOU have decided. Now, I know not everyone is as passionate about cake as I am, but maybe there's something else you simply love! Switching out pop for water for a meal, order a side of fruit or vegetables instead of fries to go with your burger, skip the bread or rolls at a restaurant, you get the drift ;) I think it says something for us when we make a choice based on what we think is best for us, it says we are strong! I am a die hard Weight Watchers girl, and they have helped me change my life, but I know that there comes a point that I can no longer do what I'm told to do and follow all these rules, I have to do some things just because I know it's best for me. When I walked away from that piece of cake I felt so proud! I thought, you know what.. I did that and I didn't HAVE to, I did that because I WANTED to :) I want to challenge you, if you're not already, to make this a lifestyle. Don't allow it to just be a set of rules that you follow until you reach your goal.. because then how will you keep up with it? I am encouraged by so many of you and I continue to cheer you on! See if you can pass up something you absolutely LOVE to eat!
*sidenote... I will continue to eat cake, just sayin' :)