50 by 50

A few months ago one of my fellow health coaches created a 40 by 40 list. A sort of "bucket-list" to achieve before she reached 40 years old. She has lost 100 lbs, has kept it off for over a year and decided it was time to have some major fun and live life to the fullest. I have loved watching her sky dive, zip-line and participate in fun activities that before her healthy life she was afraid or too self-conscious to do. 

So... I have been inspired to create a 50 by 50 list. 

I've got 9 1/2 years to work on this list completing this list and while it's not yet a full list I have had a blast, with myself and my husband, dreaming up goals, digging deep into my heart and mind of things I want to do, places I want to see and bits of life that I am not going to let fear get in the way of letting me live. So many of these items I wouldn't have even wanted to do before finding health... but now I know my body will work with me (not against me) I'm ready to take on the world!

Cancer taught me a ton of things... but one was to accept reality and live live to the fullest wherever you are planted. When I was going through chemo I had a blog called My Honest Walk. In this post I shared my bucket list at that time:
http://myhonestwalk.blogspot.com/2012/02/looking-forward-our-bucket-lists.html
So far I have been blessed to complete 7 of those items. To this day, being able to watch Aubrielle be born is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen - thank you forever Melissa and Ben. And our trip to Yosemite opened my eyes to a whole new world - a million thanks Deanna and Mike. But... some of those items still need to be accomplished - cause I'm not done and there is life to live. 

Okay... so even though the list is not yet complete, here's my 50 by 50:
1.   Raft the Colorado River/Grand Canyon
2. Own a Vespa/Moped
3. See the Northern Lights
4. Hike Manchu Pichu
5. Visit the National Parks in Utah
6. Go to Cedar Point and ride the Top Thrill Dragster
7. Visit the Holy Land
8. See Enya in concert
9. Own a cool car (lose the mini-van)
10. Snow ski again
11. Show my kids where I lived in Italy
12. Make homemade tamales
13. Sew a quilt
14. Take kids to Washington D.C.
15. Play in an adult soccer league
16. Bake and decorate a cake that doesn't look horrible
17.  Paddle Board
18. Zip-line
19. Camp in Hawaii on the ocean
20. See Garth Brooks in concert
21. See Mumford & Sons in concert
22. Get a conceal carry license
23. Bow hunt with my husband
24. Be involved with a group that makes a significant mark on our community
25. Teach my kids about money
26. Become more wise in my words... slower to speak
27. Read (or listen to) the entire Bible
28. Take Leah to New York to go shopping
29. Take a family trip to Mexico
30. Go to Disney World
31. See the Space Station
32. Visit New Orleans 
33. Ride the train on a significant cross-country trip 
34.
-
-
-
50. 

Do you have a bucket list???? Please feel free to share things on your list - I'd love to be inspired or have new ideas to consider. 

Pushing Through Weight Loss Plateaus

Hope that you are having a fantastic summer & enjoyed your 4th of July! Ours was packed with small town fun activities, hanging out with several different groups of friends and lots of (healthy) food! My one indulgence was a little bit of homemade strawberry ice cream (I'm in maintenance not in weight loss mode)... but otherwise we did a pretty good job not being near or buying the foods that would throw us off of our health journey. 

This week I wanted to share some information that I was given from my mentor team leaders regarding tips for when you find yourself hitting a plateau in your journey. If you are finding yourself in this situation, these tips can help you get back on track and focused on fighting for your health. 

Plateau Tips

First off, a real plateau is 2-3 weeks with zero weight loss after being on plan 100%. It is normal for a person's body to not lose weight every so often for a week. Your body is coping with stress of weight loss. It is actually HEALTHY to have a week with zero weight loss sometimes.

Secondly, go over your food journal to make sure you are in fact following the plan 100%. Sometimes a person does not realize something they are eating is not on plan (What? We can't eat apples?).

Okay, here are some tips for pushing through plateaus:

- In general, be aware of your total carbohydrate intake if you are experiencing slower weight loss or hit a plateau. We recommend staying between 80-85 grams of carbs per day.

- Try eating more "liquid" products for a few days, which are generally the lowest in carb content (aka Have a shake day!)

- Choose meats from the leanest category and veggies from the lowest carb category for a week. Eat more fish! 

- Make sure you are drinking half your body weight in ounces each day. At least 64 ounces, but preferably 100 ounces or more is best for getting off a plateau!

- Drink the calorie burn flavor infusers (up to 3 per day) that will help you burn more calories and increase your metabolism. You can find them in the section of the website under the area where you purchase your feelings. 

- Make sure you are eating within a half hour of waking up, and never going longer than 3 hours between meals.

- Are you getting at least 7 hours of consistent sleep per night? Lack of sleep can contribute to plateaus.

- Are you excessively stressed out? Read in Dr. A's book on pages 313-315 and practice daily stress reduction techniques.

- Remember listen to your body! If you are already exercising, try picking up the intensity or frequency of your workouts. If you are exercising intensely, you may be pushing too hard- try to avoid excessive "huffing and puffing" while exercising. Your body will store fat if you are overworking! (We can contact Nutrition Support to make sure that your diet and calorie count is what it should be for the exercise you are adding to your day.)

- Focus on the long-term optimal health that will result from eating right and practicing habits of health, and check inches- plateau weeks are CLASSICALLY HUGE inches lost weeks.

- Check out this Habits of Health Call that addresses plateaus: Habits of Health Zoom Call: Peaks and Plateaus: How to Learn from Both!

Good luck and if you are struggling please contact me... let's figure out how to get you back on track to reaching your health weight!

Living Proof

Last weekend I made a quick, 72 hour trip to Sacramento to see family and attend the wedding of some dear friends. It was a much needed escape from reality and I'm surprised to say that one of the things I enjoyed most was talking to my parents KID FREE. It hadn't occurred to me that for the past 10 years there have always been kids in the room or outside or needing food... and while of course the kids were missed, it was also nice to be able to talk to my parents and just enjoy them. 

At the wedding I ended up sitting next to the gal that was our Sysco food representative for the restaurant that I worked with. About 5 minutes into the meal she turned to me and said, "You look lot different than I remember. Have you changed?" I responded that yes, now my hair was blond... and I had dropped about 60 lbs since I had seen her. 

Her response was, "That's awesome. I lost about 70 lbs nearly 35 years ago and it has been amazing to see how much my life changed." She went on to share how as the food representative every day as she entered different restaurants the owners tried to bring her their newest and fanciest meals... "just for a taste". She said she learned to just say "Oh, no thank you, I just ate breakfast/lunch" as that was the easiest way to stay on her plan and not offend anyone. She shared how over time working out became part of her maintenance plan, but it wasn't her entire focus and than only when she retired 2 years ago has she begun going to the gym or yoga on a daily basis. 

It took me a minute to connect the dots and realize that I don't think I had ever had a conversation with someone that could say that they kept weight off for 35 years. 

I mean... that's a long time. 

She shared how now she basically only ate meat and veggies and avoids complex carbs and refined sugars. And she also mentioned that she never forgot what it was like to be 70 lbs heavier... as she knew that deep inside those old habits were there.  She was sure to state also that she doesn't see herself as skinny, "but as healthy". 

As our conversation ended I felt a sense of encouragement. 

If she could do it... I could do it... and you can do it! 

Talking to someone that is living proof that maintaining weight loss is possible was huge and I hope that you too are encouraged by her success!

Giving Yourself Permission

There was a period of time time when every visit to my grandma's resulted in my bringing home something that she wanted to give me. Sometimes it was a sweater (80 year old-lady sweater), or appliances or jars of whatever or frozen meat or shoes or drapes... you get it - totally random stuff that she was passing along. Obviously I didn't fit nor need granny clothes, but I always took what she was giving me. You see, when I had shared this with my mom she asked me to just take whatever it was and give it to her so that she could toss/save/donate whatever it was to wherever it needed to go. There was no need to reject her blessing and in a way it was helping to empty out an overstuffed house that soon would need to be downsized for her future move to an independent living community.  So I took home lace slips and old makeup and spatulas - and then passed them along.

I had a conversation this week with someone who shared how she was at an event and at the end they divvied up all the food and she was sent home with a bag of homemade mac'n cheese. Talk about temptation! The host didn't want it in her fridge as she is super health conscious... but hey, aren't we too??? 

Hearing this story it remind me of my grandma and her pawning stuff off on me... and it reminded me that we need to give ourselves permission to toss/save/donate off-plan food that enters our homes from outside loving sources. 

We are not required to eat it.  

We can say thank you and throw it away. 

We can say thank you and save it in the freezer for when the grandkids come over, etc. 

We can donate it to a family that you may know could use a blessing or to someone on the street begging for food. 

There are many options of what you can do... but remember, you are not required to eat it!

Give yourself permission to say thank you and then make the best choice for your health. 

You are worth it!

Live A Life That Matters

Todays encouragement post is both a tribute to a man who lived a great life and a dare to  you to dream of what you want your legacy to be and to push yourself to achieve your goals. 

Last week our family lost an important member. My cousins husband Steve, who has been around as far back as I can remember met his maker and left this earthy home. Earlier this year he celebrated his 50th birthday. In under two months of being diagnosed with 2 different stage-4 cancers he was gone. Leaving behind a wife, 3 kids, a huge family that will miss him and an amazing legacy. 

While I have known many people that have died, young and old, good and not so good… but this loss has hit me differently. Maybe because he was just such a good guy. Maybe because we was too young and this just doesn’t seem right. Maybe because it all happened so fast. Maybe because I am so deeply sad for his children and wife - they are such a neat family. Maybe because anytime I hear of someone having cancer I feel a bond of fear and sorrow that I got just a small taste of a few years ago… so I grieve in a deeper way. Steve has left an impression on many people and his legacy will be one of greatness. 

The week before his passing, family and friends flooded Facebook with pictures and good memories of the past - sending positive vibes and filling those last days with joy and laughter. A few days before his passing a huge group of girls from the softball association came by their house to honor him and express their gratitude for his service and influence on their lives. A scholarship has been created in his name. And this past weekend at their local county fair a young girl donated the proceeds from the sale of her rabbit to go towards the scholarship fund and to help the family. That little rabbit was bought and sold 10 times over for $1,500 - $3,000… raising a ton of money in his memory. There are tributes from family, friends and business associates all over his Facebook page. 

I don’t think I have ever seen anything like this. 

As I have reflected on Steve’s life, his impact on me and the way that he has touched all that knew him, I have been challenged to evaluate and and think about how I want to be remembered and what kind of legacy I desire to leave. 

Should it be 2 months or 50 years… what do I wish for friends and family to remember?

One of the things that I have loved about this health journey has been being a part of the support community and watching the weekly support calls with thousands of people across the country that are also chasing health. The positivity that is shared in these groups is contagious… and I have really begun to realize how vital it is to fill my days and mind with people, activities and thoughts that are positive and lead to a healthy mental life. I also love how so often in that community we are encouraged to literally close our eyes and dream of what could be... and then to make it happen. There is a community spirit of living life to the fullest. Sure it's a community that supports weight loss... but really its a community that dares you to imagine a life of healthy choices and results that reflect physical, mental and emotional health

I want to encourage you, while you are taking this time to work on your physical health, to also invest time and energy into your mental/emotional health. 

Make time to dream about the legacy you want to leave someday. 

Make time to decide how you will embrace living to the fullest today.

Do you need to cut out some negative and replace it with positive?

Do you need to adjust your perspective and learn to see good?

Maybe you need to make some changes in order to achieve these dreams. 

Or maybe you are content and already reaping the rewards of these efforts.

We each have different goals, different dreams and different values. 

Whatever yours is… reach for it and don’t quit. Together lets commit to running the race of life strong all the way to the finish line! 

1 Year of Maintaining Weight Loss - Tips to help you succeed too!

Hello, 
I wanted to take a few minutes to share a few tips that not only helped me reach my healthy weight but also maintain that loss for the past year!
Here's the link to the video: https://vimeo.com/218866128

Cheering you on, 
Kelly

Functioning Out of Structure and Not Emotion

Hello!
Well... in under 24 hours my kids will be out of school for the summer. How the heck did this school year go by so quickly? The past 3 weeks have been full of kids events, ceremonies, concerts, games, lunches and special this and special that. I feel like they have owned my calendar for the last month... but truth is in 24 hours they all fully be taking control of my life!
Yikes.

I have spoken to several of you that have shared frustration about how on the weekend, when you are with your kids you struggle staying on program and this has brought up concern of how can you stay strong during the summer when they are with you EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Friends, whether you are dealing with stress at home or work, a new schedule, vacation or whatever is going on, I want to encourage you to dive deep into yourselves and make the decision to function out of structure and not emotion. Some of us are wired in a way that this is easy to do... and others not so much. So let's simply review the difference between structure and emotion.

Defined in the dictionary we find:

struc·ture

ˈstrək(t)SHər/

noun

1. 1. 

   the arrangement of and relations between the parts or elements of something complex.

verb

1. 1. 

   construct or arrange according to a plan; give a pattern or organization to.

e·mo·tion

əˈmōSH(ə)n/

noun

1. a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.

   
   

Structure is based on a plan whereas Emotion is based on a circumstance.
Structure is based on a organization whereas Emotion is based on a mood.
Structure starts with the letter S whereas Emotion starts with the letter E. (Okay - that's a ridiculous statement, but my point is that these are two totally different ways to function... they look nothing alike.

On days where we have kids activities in our schedules, or where we know that we will be out and about or we are on vacation or life is really hard... it IS possible to function out of structure. BUT - and this is a huge but - it requires the decision to choose structure.

I want to encourage you to decide to choose to take 2 minutes and pull out your fuelings at the beginning of your day and decide from early in the morning what your eating plan will look like for the day.  (Or if you are in maintenance go to the fridge and be prepared.)

I want to encourage you to choose to go to restaurants that offers healthy (on plan) choices and decide that it is a good idea for your kids eat healthy too.

I want to encourage you to make a shopping list when you go to the store and decide before you walk into the store that you will not put your trigger food in the cart.
*Of all the 4th of July goals that I have heard so far, my favorite is that someone has committed to: "NO MORE CHIPS. They will not even get in my cart!" I LOVE THIS!

This is structure friends.
Structure says that no matter how you "feel" you will stay true to your goals.
Structure says that even if you "want" something you will stick to your plan.
And I will admit that structure is...
easier said than done.
But is is possible.

So lets do this together. Let's decide to be committed to structure. We have been working hard to find health... and momentary emotions cannot through us off track.

Decide what structure needs to look like for your life & do it!
You and I both know its possible!