Month: February 2019

Attitudes…

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Added from the “Waitlist” I was happy to be sitting on a bike. I was in the front row between two other riders. The instructor was new to me, I had never seen her before. She seemed a bit disorganized and was having trouble connecting her microphone. She turned on the music, and it was very, very LOUD! I started to cover my ears my bandana.

I’m going to buy some new bandanas…

The woman to the left of me started saying, all the things I was already thinking, “I’m not going to be able to hear her.” and “The music is way too loud.” and “I have to call her over…” And she did, she spoke to the instructor privately. The noticed the instructor smiled and nodded, and went back to the front of the room. She tried to adjust her equipment again, but it was clear she was having issues.

The lights went out, and the fans turned on and she said, “I’ll be loud.” But I could scarcely hear her. Then, the woman on the right of me said, “Don’t worry, we’ll just watch you. We’ll do what you do.” She was smiling back at the instructor, and I turned my head to the left and saw the other woman frowning and squinting.

I felt like I had a devil and an angel on each shoulder. I thought to myself, “I have a choice, I can either do this ride annoyed and disappointed, OR I can do this ride with an expectation for a good workout and be encouraging. It’s time to decide which one.” That helped. The music was still loud but I leaned in and got into the ride. Then I decided to sing along. “Ba! Ba! Ba!” I used my heart monitor to ensure a challenging workout. I yelled, “Woo! Hoo!” I realized that I was having fun but it could have gone either way,

By the end of the workout, we all clapped, even the woman to the left of me. This makes me think of leadership. I think each of us always has a choice to create something good. Even though I wasn’t leading the class, even though I was not the person who first sparked the positive vibe – I still made a choice to take the ride where I wanted it to go. Who knows, maybe I even inspired the woman to my left to change her attitude? Could be. I mean, what did we really want? Everyone in there wanted a great workout so don’t we have a responsibility to make it a great one?

This is a lesson I can apply to my weight loss journey, my professional life, even my attitude about being a better cook! When faced with a poor attitude or a good one – choose the better one. Be the person who builds the others up and tries to be the best she can be. I realize I won’t always be my best self but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t keep trying.

Full Disclosure…

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Sometimes I go over my points allotment. It’s ok that’s just living my life. I think the important thing is to track it even when it’s outside of the healthy eating zone. If I don’t the only person I’m lying to is me. That’s just silly.

Full disclosure, I used 40 Smartpoints today. I went out to dinner with my husband, I had a cocktail and that’s all it took. WW is designed to accommodate real life. That’s why they give us these extra points, I used some today. How do I recover? Well, I put myself on the list for spin tomorrow and I plan on making great food choices tomorrow. I had a nice time. Yes, I had some fun 🙂 and I’m moving on.

My sister gave me this recipe. I am going to try it.

One thing I’m proud of is that since I decided to have a cocktail, I didn’t have dessert. I know it doesn’t sound like a big deal, but this is progress for me. I am really learning how to maintain my weight loss.

Disappointment…

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I am like many of you, I value work, and I am very dedicated to my career. It’s winter break and I am staying home. and I plan on being productive and organizing my house and working on projects for school. That will be good, but there is something else – I’m feeling pretty disappointed. I am not stealing off to some remote destination and kicking back away from my regular routine.

I guess I’m longing for some carefree fun. I am wishing for some time that I am not dealing with all the pressures of my life. I’m sure if you are reading this post, you may understand. Then today, I found myself looking and wanting to some of these…

Thankfully, my resolve held fast, and I didn’t buy any of them. It’s only now that I’ve had some time to reflect that I realize that it’s not this that I really want – it’s fun.

I wanted that feeling of freedom and good times. Why would I confuse food for fun? I don’t know. Maybe it’s some primitive response that enjoying something sweet triggers in the brain, but in the end, it doesn’t really matter. It just is. I think the more important thing is that I recognize the behavior. I think that is the thing that is really essential. I also think that I am not alone, I think there are many of us who unknowingly turn to food as a substitute for some kind of longing.

If I didn’t have this insight and the behavior was to stay unconscious, I might eat something high in points and then say something like, “You’re an idiot! Why’d you do that?” (That quote actually comes to you right out of my WW Workshop today). But in reality, the truth is, I’m not going away this winter break and that is disappointing. I’m not doing some of the same things my friends and colleagues are doing and I wish I were.

I used to turn to food. I don’t do that anymore, or at least not today – yay! I think it would be hubris to say that I will never repeat that behavior again. I know that it’s dug down deep. Now at least, I can say, that I’m aware of it and I think that’s a big deal. I am going to trust myself and rely on that awareness to keep me from repeating past mistakes. That’s good enough for today.

I realize that I may sound insensitive to some of you. For that, I am sorry. Deep down, I know that I am truly blessed. I have a home, a family, I get to teach children to read and write and to believe in themselves. That is truly a blessing. I do know that to some people reading this post, my disappointment may sound self-centered and spoiled. However, this blog is a space that I’ve created, for me to be totally honest.

So, even though I know I am blessed, I am still disappointed. I’d rather put my disappointment here on the screen than make some foolish choices that take me away from my goal. Maintaining weight loss is hard to do for a reason. Thank you for reading.

Love…

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The “x’s & o’s” gold bracelet is wrapped around my wrist like a drunken hug. Hugs and kisses, loose and loopy with warm tones that seem to welcome to my sleepy eyes, “You are loved.” It whispers, “You are loved.”

Happy Valentine’s day. No, the bracelet was not a gift from my adoring husband, Dave. The bracelet belonged to my Nanny Manzella. My mother had given it to her as a gift, and she loved it!. That’s what I’m thinking about, how about you?

Leadership…

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I spent most of my evening writing a blog post about leadership. I am a contributor to an educational blog, and every three weeks or so I write a post. I started thinking about this post last Saturday, at my WW meeting. You might think that’s weird but it’s true. So many people there are mentors to me, they lead by example, they are empathic, they walk the walk and have integrity.

So many of these words describe my Saturday morning crew. I wonder if they know how important they are to me. I want to use this small platform to send this message if you are reading this post right now, I cannot underscore how important you really are. You have the power to not only transform your own life, but you can also have a profound impact on someone else’s life. Believe it.

Here is my post, in case any of you want to read more about leadership – http://literacylenses.com/ It was inspired by leadership guru, Drew Dudley. Drew wrote an amazing book, This is Day One A Practical Guide to Leadership That Matters. Truly a powerful book.

This is beautiful, isn’t it? I am still so comforted by the aesthetic beauty of the natural world. It is there as a beacon to kindle inspiration.

Work Ethic…

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I tend to work long hours and am up burning the midnight oil long after everyone in my house have gone off to bed. Snacking, was a way to stay up and keep working when the body says, “Just go to sleep.” living in my head and ignoring my body and that’s just not conducive to healthy living and self-awareness.

It weird that having a good work ethic, a strength that has enabled me to accomplish so much in my life, can also present a problem, weight gain. I’m happy to say, I have not snacked to stay awake in a long time. Tonight at dinner, I stopped eating when my body told my brain I’m done! Big stuff. These are things I’m thinking about.

Normal…

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I was in NYC today attending a conference at Columbia University. I was feeling so proud of being able to lead my colleagues through the subway system. Then, all of a sudden, on the way, I saw a second grader board the train. He was all by himself! That put some things into perspective for me. This was a big deal for me, but it was commonplace for him. I stood there in awe of this child doing his thing, off to school in the morning – it’s just another day in his life.

What is normal? Leading my colleagues on the subway was a big deal for me because I was stepping out of my comfort zone. Does my accomplishment mean less now that I saw a child doing the exact same thing? No, I don’t think so. I think the important take away here is that the most important thing is to keep growing and improving. My life isn’t a competition to be better than everyone else. It’s a challenge to be better than myself.

When it comes to weight loss, fitness, or health-related goals I think it’s very important to focus on everything that I’m doing to improve the quality of my life, while encouraging and supporting others in the same pursuit. There will always be other people who are healthier, more fit, and better informed than I currently am. I want to be part of what is good. If I make my journey a comparison to everyone else, I might be in danger of feeling inadequate instead of empowered. Maybe jealous instead of inspired and what a shame that would be. I’d be missing out on the best part being a witness to the accomplishments of others, admiring their strengths, and getting a glimpse of their stories.

Creativity…

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I read this book, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, a while back. It was an interesting read that attempted to explain the nature of creativity. I’ve been thinking about what it takes to live a creative life.

There are all kinds of ways to be creative but all of them stem back to some kind of vision of what you want to do or to share or to be or to contribute. In some ways, I think about my weight loss journey as a testimony to my creative spirit. I have created a new reality for myself. I imagined what I wanted and began setting goals to bring it to fruition.

I guess my message to you is to do all that you can to be your most authentic self. Indulge your inner creativity and work on something that will bring you joy. More tomorrow.

21st Century Life

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“There are so many people who want you to succeed. Believe me. Most of us already know that weight loss can be a difficult proposition, it takes time and effort. What some of us may not know? There are lots of and lots of people who will take the journey with you.  Step out of your comfort zone and embrace the process with an open mind and heart. If you travel this path with others you will be one of many leaders who will be a source of inspiration and support. You definitely don’t have to do this all by yourself.” This is my message today.

We live in a connected world. Technology offers so many ways to access each others’ lives. With a click on the trackpad, I can see family dinner at my cousin’s house in Florida, keep up with the latest news from colleagues in Washington, and follow my daring friend’s adventures in Hawaii. Then travel back home again to storytime with a friend’s grandchild. All of that leaves me feeling happy to know these things are happening in the world.

I felt this way a couple of times this week. My results? I lost 1.4 pounds this week. Woo Hoo!

Yet there is also an underside to 21st Century life. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)  one in five (22%) Americans say that technology leaves them feeling isolated, lonely, or anxious.  I think that may be because we find ourselves on the outside looking into each other’s lives rather than being present in them. Being present and being an active learner is something that my #WW community  truly lives by example. 

Saturday Morning #WW Leaders Inspire Me

Being a member of WW who also attends meetings is a powerful thing. This organization continues to evolve and become something really special at a time when many of us crave a community. I love being a part of something bigger than myself, and today we all said, “Yes” to sharing our experiences. We did so as we celebrated each other’s success.

  • Lauren hit goal! She is going to be in the body she wanted in time for her wedding and is committed to making a permanent lifestyle change. Her story fills me with happiness.
  • Kim decided to make a change in her life, she said “I need to make a change. The time is now.” This week she lost 5 pounds, This is living your life with a sense of agency.
  • Erin is making intentional choices and says her success is 100% due to a mind shift. She lost 30 pounds as part of the virtual WW community and when she saw the weight coming back, she decided to start attending meetings. Bravo, Erin.
  • Betty lost 5 pounds and is learning how to navigate food choices during work. This is huge! This is empowerment.
  • Joanne lost 7 pounds in one week! Amazing. She is learning to say, “No.” and is taking care of herself. This is a life-changing reflection and it sends shivers down my spine.
  • Emily shared some real reflections on her week that were profound. She didn’t just keep doing what she’s done in the past to be successful she is being a responsive problem solver who refuses to get stuck. She shared her perspective that real change is all about mindset.

By now, it’s probably obvious why I am such a fan of #WW. I am not alone. I am part of this dynamic group and all I really want for anyone reading this blog is for you to feel included.

7 sp but worth every bite. Egg, Canadian Bacon, and Avocado Wrap 7 sp. 1/2 cup Fage Non-fat Yogurt with mixed berries 0sp

A word about my Featured Image.

Everything you see here was a gift from one of my WW friends. I am filled with gratitude, I am embarrassed to say that sometimes I forget how fortunate I am. Thank you.

Yes, we are learning about portion sizes, and healthy eating and activity. Yes, we are learning about the growth mindset and mindfulness. But more than that, we are letting each other into our lives because we want to make a change for ourselves and for each other. Take good care on the journey as we get ready for a new week ahead. Know that you can be part of something bigger than yourself, if only you say, “Yes.”