On a Physical Note, On a Mental Note

On a Physical Note:

When we make healthy goals, it is sometimes extreme of us to say, "NO EATING OUT."  Because, let's be honest, eating out happens.  Someone has a birthday party at a restaurant, all of your friends are going on a lunch date, you and the spouse want to go out... these things are inevitable.  So what can you do when these situations occur?  Surely, you don't want to miss out, and how do you know what really is healthy and what is just fooling you?  Here's how to be safe:  when going out get in the habit of ALWAYS ordering a water.  No soda, no lemonade, no powerade...JUST WATER.  That is rule number one.  Rule number two:  Never order anything that is fried, or has any "special sauce."  Special sauce is just code for mayonnaise and something else with sugar and fat.  Poultry and Fish are always good choices when they are not fried or glazed with butter.  Instead of ordering mashed potatoes for a side, order a salad, or vegetables.  Rule number three:  Easy on the cheese.  Things that are covered in cheese, or creamy cheese sauce, means fat, fat, fat!  Rule number four:  Say no to dessert!  A single dessert can hold as many calories as your entire meal had in it, so get in the habit of saying no to the sweets.  For now, stick to the four rules and you should be cutting calories already. But most importantly, remember that it is okay to have these things on occasion.  Of course we are not going to deprive ourselves of never having a piece of cheesecake, but if we can make the piece of cheesecake a rare treat, you are on the right track.  If you find that you are choosing the "good stuff" every time you eat out, you should consider trying to change your habits and stick to the four rules.

On a Mental Note:

Be thankful for the body that you have.  Though we may struggle with weight, or with our image, we must remember that we are cancer free, that we have all four limbs, that we are mentally capable of anything.  Show your gratitude for your body by keeping it healthy.  As I was running my 10k on Saturday, there was a huge moment on mile 5 and mile 6 that I wanted to quit and walk the rest of the way.  But along the way, their were posters with pictures of children who had cancer, that we were running for.  I saw a sweet picture of little London (who the run was dedicated to.)  She passed away a few years ago and as I gazed at that picture I thought to myself:  "At least I have a body that is capable of exercise," so I didn't want to quit when I knew my body was capable of continuing.  Our bodies are capable of more than we think.  We have capable bodies.  Consider your blessings and what you are grateful for in regards to your body.  What are things about your body that you are happy to have?  I for one, am thankful that my body is healthy enough to bare children.  I'm thankful that I don't have any disease, that the hardest thing about exercise for me is asthma and that my inhaler quickly cures that.  I'm thankful for a body that is whole, that I have all the body parts that I need to function properly.  What are you thankful for?  What is it that you love about your body?

Mind v.s Body

Why is it so hard for us to have a strict eating and exercise regimen? Wouldn’t it be easy to do what we know is good for us?  Why would we want to intentionally avoid the things that can make us better, healthier, and stronger? 

According to www.annecollins.com obesity statistics 

Latest Weight Statistics

USA Obesity Rates Reach Epidemic Proportions

• 58 Million Overweight; 40 Million Obese; 3 Million morbidly Obese
• Eight out of 10 over 25's Overweight
• 78% of American's not meeting basic activity level recommendations
• 25% completely Sedentary
• 76% increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 yrs old since 1990

Why would millions of people allow this to happen to their bodies?

The answer is simply this:  The mental challenge is much harder than the physical challenge.  Remember that.  Instead of focusing on getting physically healthy and strong; focus on being mentally healthy and strong.  Once you’ve mastered the mental challenge, the physical challenge becomes much easier. 

The next time you challenge your body, whether it’s exercising, or trying not to pull that car into a fast food restaurant, use your mental strength.  Think to yourself: what is the best thing for my body right now?  Is it pushing on an extra mile of running, or quitting right now.  Is it pulling into this Taco Bell because you haven’t eaten all day and a Burrito Supreme sounds so good, or just going home and making a turkey sandwich? Choose the hard things.  Choose the challenging things.

Challenge your mind, push past your mental blocks.  Make your mind strong, so that your body can be.  As you set a goal this week, don’t just accomplish it, go above and beyond.  Tomorrow will be my first race ever.  I’m running London’s run doing the 10k, but I’m not worried about placing, or how I look to all the other people.  I’m only worrying about making my own personal record.  I’m going to challenge myself tomorrow by pushing my mind and convincing myself to keep going even when I want to stop.  Wish me luck, and good luck to you too.

Anyone can do something easy

Just a little thought I would like to share:

As I was running this morning, I felt myself want to give up. I was trying to push myself, but my mind wanted to negotiate with me. A thought suddenly came to my mind.  Everyone in this world can do something easy, but not everyone in this world can do something hard.   As I pondered this, I realized that I wanted to be in the minority of those who do hard things, so I pushed on.  I want to be someone who can do something hard.  I choose to be someone that can do something hard.  Which are you?

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Choose to be Cheerful

Each morning when we wake up, we have the choice to be happy, or not. Choose to be cheerful no matter what the circumstances. Be hopeful in your day. Do things that keep your spirits up. Do things that keep you feeling successful and accomplished. It can be little tasks like organizing one little drawer that has been driving you nuts. It can be taking a walk with your kids while admiring the beauty in the world around you. Then, when you do something that made you feel better about your day, celebrate by smiling and feeling good about it. Sometimes we feel that we don't deserve celebration after accomplishing something. For example, you might clean that drawer out and then say, well I shouldn't be proud of myself for doing that because I should've done it months ago. It's okay to celebrate something that you've put off because regardless of when you did it, YOU DID IT! Brag to your husband. Scream it out loud, "YAY I CLEANED THE DRAWER!" Whatever it takes to make you feel good about yourself and your day, do it. Choose to do things that keep you cheerful. Choose to be cheerful :) This video is a great reminder that we have the choice, no matter what goes on in our lives, to be happy and to have hope. This woman was a political figure who was busier than busy. She was responsible for tons of things including being the Relief Society President. She found out she had an aggressive cancer and was going through some intense chemotherapy. Here's what she has to say:

Healthy for a Day!

Just a health tip for everybody and anybody who is trying to motivate themselves to change the way they eat, or exercise:  Get past the first day.

If you can get past that first day, if you can eat healthy all day long, stay away from the sweets and do some sort of exercise, or activity; for one full day, it is much easier to keep going.  That first day is always so hard because you don't have a streak that you would be breaking if you cheated.  You think to yourself, "Well, I 'll just start tomorrow."  START TODAY!  It doesn't have to be a Monday, let it be a Wednesday, or a Thursday! No excuses.  Just start.  After that first day you'll feel proud and you'll want to keep your pattern going.  Try it out and see if on the second day, you are more excited than the first!

For those who eat for comfort or for fun, remember that food is for nourishing our bodies, not for making it weaker.  We have food to help us live, not to help us become so unhealthy that it causes our bodies to die, so choose your food wisely.  Look at the amount of calories in the things you are eating and look at the ingredients!