Every day I walk to and from spin class I see a sign that says Strength. I think that all strength is something that can be developed. Our minds, muscle, will, faith… It takes training and resilience and a steady belief in oneself.
How do you want to grow? What do you believe about yourself? What have you done to develop your strength? These are some questions I’m thinking about as I close out my Sunday.
I stayed in my healthy eating zone and I had two Mallomars (6sp). I went to spin class. I just made it in I was on the Waitlist but I showed up for class first and won the seat. I worked out really hard and now I am ready for bed. We are strong capable people – believe it.
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.
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.
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.
I am thinking about what influences me. As I reflect on my interactions with my family and friends, the books that I read, my colleagues at work, and all the media I consume all have an impact. The decisions I make influence me also. Every choice leads in towards or away from success:
Do I pre-pack and track my meals for the next day the night before?
Do I go to bed early so I can make a spin class in the morning?
Do I stay up later and keep working?
Did I plan what we will have for dinner?
Do I have dessert tonight?
It’s all the little choices that have a big influence on the direction I take. So I plan on celebrating every choice I make that will render a positive influence. Tomorrow is weigh-in day, and of course, I am more than a number on the scale! However, I also believe the number is feedback on how I am doing.
I blog the truth. The truth is I really hope I make it within my two-pound range tomorrow. I will have 39 roll over points at the close of this week. That’s amazing. I made my fitness goal. That’s amazing! I included a variety of foods and made smart choices that left me feeling satisfied and not deprived. That’s amazing! I even took time to get a manicure on the way home from work today because I wanted to do something nice for myself. That’s amazing too!
If I don’t make it. I will be disappointed but I will not be deterred. I will keep working and doing my best. Right now, I’d love it if you promised to do the same. In my mind, I imagine that you say, “I will too!” We can do this, let’s go.
Getting myself together can be a real challenge. Sometimes, I just can’t get out of my own way because I overthink things. There are days when I just have to write a list for what needs to be accomplished. Today I want to:
Work on the book (I am writing a professional book for teachers).
Lesson planning for the week.
Pack up the rest of Christmas and put it away.
Clean the house.
Create a dinner menu for the week.
Go food shopping with a list.
Pay my bills.
Workout for 45 minutes.
Spend some quality time with my husband.
Prep for the week.
That is quite a list. It is a beautiful Sunday morning and I am very hopeful that I can make this happen today. I’ll let you know.
How’d I do?
So far… I’ve accomplished most of what I set out to do. I did not get to the gym but at least I walked the dog with my husband. Some quality time and activity rolled up in one. I prepped food for the week. My meals are packed for tomorrow. I paid my bills, and the Christmas decorations are packed away. The house is clean, and I did go food shopping. I have a little more planning to do before I go to sleep. Having clear intentions and organizing myself makes all the difference.
y featured image is not from today. Today, was dreary, wet, and cold. Instead, I conjured up a picture from December of last year. It is so beautiful and makes me feel connected to a deep sense of wonder. This tree grew from a seed a small insignificant seed into this stalwart giant. A fixture on the landscape to guide my way home.
It turns out I needed a little inspiration. I am finding that I am hungry and am looking to graze. I have not let that get away from me. But the past few days are rough! I am reminding myself to ask if this is internal or external hunger I feel. I am stirring away from sugar and am trying to eat a variety of foods. I only have 7 extra SmartPoints left (with today’s 3 point roll-over) and I don’t love that I’ve used so many points pretty early into my week. Especially, since I’ll be traveling to Houston.
Yikes! It looks beautiful though.
This will be a little tricky but hey, I have you my virtual team on this journey with me. Believe it, that helps! I think there is just these “hungry” kind of days. Days that I have no business really being hungry because I’ve eaten and when I reflect on my overall being I’m not really hungry, I’m just craving something… I did, however, say no to these tonight:
Three reasons to be happy today: 1. I am happy about saying no these. 2. I am happy that I am working towards Lifetime status. 3. I am happy to know that so many people love me and that I love so many people. Life is crazy, but life is also very extraordinary.
My last words tonight are to hold on to all the beauty. Celebrate all the small wins. Be interested in yourself so you may be interesting to others :). You are worth all the effort this journey requires from us. I’m very proud of you, you are amazing, and don’t you forget that! More tomorrow.
It was a great day at work, I did a training with a really nice colleague who I enjoy working with. Everyone got a lot out of our time together and that is a very rewarding feeling. However, with professional development (PD) comes the awful temptations of snacks. So here is a tip to avoid eating the snacks and staying on plan. If willpower is a muscle, and having a plan helps to train that muscle, this is what I do:
Acknowledge that the snack is something I would enjoy eating because I would…
Take a picture of the snack and pass it on down the line knowing that I would be sharing my “win” here later…
Post the picture and celebrate!
I know to a “civilian” this seems so basic, but believe me, I’m doing my happy dance. I have made up for my over indulgences from Saturday and that feels fantastic. I do like that I can “recover” with the rollover points because it’s something I always thought about and it helps to see the number decrease.
I have another thing to celebrate, I am almost at “low risk” according to my Waist to Hip Ratio…
I’m in this to feel more confident, to increase my energy level, and to improve my overall health. The Waist-to-hip ratio is better than the BMI as far as predicting serious health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, breast cancer, and fertility.
This journey has changed my life for the better in so many ways. I can’t encourage you enough to give yourself a chance to be successful. I know it’s hard when you have a lot of weight to lose. You may be feeling hopeless and that it’s all too much and you don’t even know how to begin. You’re not alone I understand. This is hard. However, I can also say that it also puts you in touch with your inner power. That is an incredible feeling and it is only possible because this is hard. Vulnerability sucks.
Embrace it, run to it, be vulnerable so you can be brave. When you are ready to begin that will be an amazing day because that means you are kindling the hope for change. In the meantime, I am sending you my best hoping these words will be the kind words in your head that you decide to listen to. So, listen… You are spectacular, there is no one else like you and you matter. You deserve to live your life in the body that you want for yourself. Start small but start, and celebrate every little thing.
Last night, before I went to bed I was reading The Power of Habit and it turns out that researchers are very interested in willpower. It seems that willpower is like a muscle and the more demanding the task the more depleted your stores of willpower can become. That’s why it can be hard to go for a run after work. You’ve used up all your willpower to get through answering a stack of emails and or reading some new protocol.
In the old days, a full day of professional development would have been a struggle when it comes to staying on track with my SmartPoints. There are always granola bars, candy, and sometimes cake, chips, or cookies to nosh on throughout the day. I was not tempted, not once. I did have one piece of candy (2sp) after lunch but that’s it – that’s all I wanted. My habits have become so rooted in my daily life that it doesn’t take the same amount of effort (or at least as far as today is concerned) to say no to food.
It was a full day of learning and I have lots to consider as I wind down tonight. I’m thinking about the kind of language I use with my students. It is so important to be careful with language. Having the privilege of being part of a child’s education means that I get to be the one who cheers young readers and writers on as they learn to find their voice in the world. I get to amplify their success and honor their struggles. Learning cannot happen without some struggle. There is always a flip side: success and failure; safety and vulnerability, courage and fear. The thing is, we need both and we have to make both ok if we are going to continue to evolve into the best version of ourselves.
There is no success without failure so give yourself permission to fail. Fail without shame and lean in and learn more about yourself.
We will never truly feel safe until we have put ourselves out there and opened ourselves up to vulnerability. Share how you feel especially when the feelings make you feel small or unsure about who you want to be.
There is no way to be courageous if we don’t feel fear. Fear is the thing that makes courage so extraordinary. Do something new that you’ve never done but have always wanted to try. Grow into the person you want to be don’t just take shelter in a lesser version of yourself.
Learning and struggle are part of the journey. Whether you are learning to read and write or trying to change your habits to sustain a healthier lifestyle. Eventually, you learn and what was once a struggle is now just part of what you do, like saying “No thanks” to candy. If you’re not there yet, it’s ok to be kind to yourself. Every single day your willpower gets a workout, life is hard sometimes. I think just acknowledging that makes it better.
Getting to Goal 