The Nothing Fits Him

So my kids watch this show on Netflix called "Bo on the Go."  There was an episode on the other day where there was a poor little character called "The Nothing Fits Him."  Bo had to try and help this guy find something to wear so that he would stop taking everybody's clothes.  

I have to say, sometimes I feel just like "The Nothing Fits Him."  I don't take peoples clothes, but I buy clothes in the size I want to be and realize they don't fit!  

I'm on the straight and narrow of clean eating and exercising, but sometimes it can be depressing to think that it's gonna take time to get unwanted pounds off.  Especially after having a baby.  I have a closet full of clothes that don't fit.  I change my outfits a billion times because nothing feels comfortable. 

Yesterday, was one of those days.  I was at the gym working my butt off and thinking about how I still miss In N Out Burger, while total babes with bodies I wish I had, walked right by me.  Sometimes when I'm at the gym working out like a beast, I think I look just like those gym rats with perfect bods, but then I somehow get on the weight set next to them in front of a mirror and realize how not even close I am!

I even took a picture of myself in the mirror, at the gym, in the moment of feeling defeated. Right after some girl with a figure winning body finished her squats right next to me.  This is just for you: 

I haven't had much of a victory yet.  I'm not sure if it's because I'm nursing.  I seriously feel like nursing is comparable to hibernation.  When bears hibernate, they store up a whole bunch of fat to keep them warm and keep their bodies satisfied for the winter.  When mother's breastfeed, we keep fat on us so that we can produce straight up cream to fatten up our babies!  Okay, that's not a fact, but that's what I tell myself.  Either way, the scale has pretty much stayed the same and sometimes it discourages me.  But I'm not going to give up!  I'm going to keep my commitment and keep logging my goals on my chart on my bathroom wall.  I WILL have toned arms and I WILL get rid of my love handles no matter how long it takes! Alright, I feel better.  

Here is a good link I wanted to share.  Tosca Reno is a clean eating author.  I found a link from her books that has perfect "how to's"  for anyone else who is interested in a clean eating life style.  

http://www.eatcleandiet.com/uploaded_files/downloads/ECD_JtR_ExcerptEdition.pdf

I also strongly recommend watching "Hungry for Change" on Netflix.  This documentary is very educational and extremely motivating. 

Here's to a new week of goals, challenges and hopefully...a VICTORY!

The Fight

Question:  Are you like me?  And what I mean is, are you like me in the fact that you are not blessed to be naturally skinny? Have you inherited the "gets chubby easily" gene?  If you eat too many carbs and sweets and don't work out, do you gain weight pretty quick?  If your answer is yes, well then... we are in the same boat.

Most of us who are over the age of 21, or who have had babies have to REALLY TRY HARD to be at their goal weight and size.  I just had a conversation with a couple of my friends the other night.  We have all just had babies and had shared our thoughts about how it doesn't seem fair that we give birth and sacrifice everything and our bodies come out a mangled mess.  The author Jen Hatmaker puts it best, "There were so many elements of parenting I was unaware of when I signed up for it.  In the earliest stage, my romantic notion of motherhood was hijacked by such delights as breast pumps, sitz baths, and hemorrhoids.  Everyone forgot to tell me I'd still look six months pregnant after I delivered and I'd need to wear diapers for three weeks.  I found it troublesome that my hair fell out in clumps and my nipples looked like ground beef."

Fluctuations and changes in our bodies can be depressing.  It's hard to put forth so much work to feel comfortable in our own skin.  Us women are wired to feel insecure and compare ourselves to the "skinny girl."

I have had my share of bad decisions, weak moments, binging, and laziness.  I have never let myself go out of control.  I vow to never be obese, but  I have never been that girl who eats whatever she wants, never exercises and still looks great.  I have to FIGHT FOR MY SKINNY!  Yes, it would be nice to be at my ideal weight and pant size without ever having to think about it or try, but I wouldn't be as mentally and physically smart or strong without the body I was BLESSED with.  This is the body I was given and I embrace it.  I want you to do the same.  Let's do our best with what we've been given. 

-Did you eat a whole bunch of junk this weekend and you know that it's gonna go straight to your butt if you don't do anything about it?... FIGHT FOR YOUR SKINNY, get a good workout in today and make good eating choices this week!

-Do you have a soda addiction and deep down you know that you would be healthier and probably thinner if you cut back?... FIGHT FOR YOUR SKINNY, try going one day just drinking water!

-Do you hate running and working out because you just feel weak, or insecure about where you are physically?... FIGHT FOR YOU SKINNY, start with something simple, go for a long walk or a quick 20 minute run.

It's attainable.  Sometimes it is NOT fun, but it IS attainable.  The other day this is what my workout looked like:

Was it interrupted 50 billion times by needy kids? Absolutely.  Did I regret my efforts and the fact that I finished it?  NO WAY.

Let's all FIGHT FOR OUR SKINNY. And I want to be clear that in this post, my definition of "skinny" is the body that is healthiest for you.  The body that you feel most secure and fit in.  The skinny you attain to be.  NOT the number on the scale.  Remember that you are like me AND tons of other women who feel the same way.  Let's motivate each other to FIGHT FOR OUR SKINNY, FIT AND HEALTHY BODIES! No matter what it takes.  I promise that you will NEVER regret your decision to try.  

Starting From Scratch

After having baby number 3, I have been anxious to get back to the gym just to find out just how out of shape I am.  Looking at myself lifting weights and doing the stair master for the first time since having this baby was tough, I'll admit.  I am squishy all over and much wider than I realized.  I especially hated seeing my chub roll hang over my pants every time I did a dead lift.  I kept trying to tuck it in, but it would work it's way right out of the top for everyone to see.  I even took pictures just for you:

lovely, right?  I may regret this later. Anyway...

How many of you feel like you have a long road ahead of you with your weight loss and fitness goals?  I want you to know that you are NOT alone.  It doesn't matter how great of shape we get in or how skinny we are, as us women grow older and have babies, our bodies will fluctuate.  Why?  Because that's the life of a woman and a mother! We may be in a rut of not working out for a few months, we may become a convenience addict and usually the reason for this is life gets crazy and busy.  Us mommy's put everyone else before ourselves. BUT we have the power to change that whenever we want.  Where there's a will... there's a way, right?

 Here I am, six weeks after having my 3rd baby and 2nd c-section and I'm starting from scratch again.  I have gotten into some bad habits.  This recovery was rough, so me and convenience have been best friends.  I think my kids had cheese crisps, or macaroni more times than I could count.  If I had a super long day and I was craving chocolate chip cookies, well doggonit I ate those chocolate chip cookies.

I want my readers to know that I am not a fitness instructor who is like those fitness guru's who eat perfect and go to the gym every single day.  I am a fitness instructor who appreciates the value of a good cheeseburger.  I know that it's hard and I know that it can be depressing starting from scratch again, but YOU CAN DO IT.  I'm in it with you.  I can barely run a mile right now and I'm going through sugar withdrawals, but I'm ready to start fresh.  Here I go.....Who's with me?!

The Female Training Bible

I get a lot of questions about training and supplementation for women.  Women ask me all the time how they should train, but not get big and bulky.  I got this article from bodybuilding.com.  It answers a lot of those questions you may have about how you should eat, or workout.  Hope this helps!

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/womans_lean_sexy_bible.htm

It's Official

Well, I am happy to announce that I have become a Certified Group Fitness Instructor through the American Council on Exercise.  It took a lot of time, a lot of studying, and a lot of discipline to finally get it, but I'm so glad that I am certified and that I am more qualified to help people reach their fitness goals!  If you are interested in doing a boot camp or workout with me please let me know!  I am really excited to start training people again. cnmgymnast@gmail.com

It's a good feeling

Alright people, I hope you never take my posts as bragging about my healthier life.  My hope is to motivate others.  That is the whole reason I started this blog.  I hope you keep that in mind!

I'm loving this healthier lifestyle change.  I DO NOT do it perfectly, but I love being more aware of the dairy and meat that I intake.  I feel great!  I am loving my efforts both for me and my family!  The husband hasn't liked my creativity in meals too much, but he appreciates the good intentions and he eats it anyway. (Thanks hun.)  We have had lots of vegetable substituted for meat-meals.  We have had spinach and chickpea patties instead of chicken.  We have had lots of raw vegetable and fruits with every meal, which has helped me and my kids digestive systems quite a bit.  Now for the confession: I did go to Hawaii on a trip last week, and lost all sense of my morals, can you blame me? I mean chocolate covered macadamia nuts, pineapple ice cream, and you have to eat some Hawaiian BBQ when you are in Hawaii. Right?  But I actually didn't do too bad.  I still tried to make healthy choices and stay away from dessert for the most part.  And like I always say, it's all about moderation in all things.  I will never cut things out completely, but I will always be aware of my intake and make a majority of good choices.  That's what healthier living is all about!

As for exercise... I can't live without it.  What a great feeling it is to make exercise such a part of your life that you actually miss it and need it.  When I was pregnant with my son (who is now 2) I had a lot of problems and didn't work out one single time during my pregnancy.  I became depressed and gave up on my eating habits as well.  I gained 50 pounds with him, but I decided after I had him, to not let anything be an excuse..  For 10 years I was a competitive gymnast.  Athleticism was easy for me.  Push ups, back-handsprings, pull-ups; you name it, I could do it, but I lost a lot of that while pregnant with my son.  After that pregnancy I was trying to get out of the swimming pool and my arms were shaking trying to pull my body weight out.  THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE!  It was embarrassing that I was weak, for the first time in my life!  I decided right then and there to get that athleticism back.  I wanted to be strong and fit again, no matter how long it took.  I encourage my readers to do the same.  It's not too hard to change your weaknesses into strengths.  You can do hard things!  You can get back to finding the things about yourself  that you used to love.  It doesn't matter your circumstance, or your age.  You can do it! Make the change!

As you can see, I'm back to my athletic self again.  It was great to feel that way in Hawaii.  I felt like I could do anything I wanted to do. Its a good feeling :)

Mostly Good

The month is almost over and well, I've been mostly good... :)  I've had some fails, but a ton of successes!  I've had something sweet only once a week, (4 times) which I'm very proud of.  I've been eating TONS of fruits and veggies.  Haven't had anything to drink except water all month.  I've worked out 5 days a week every week.  Yes, I've had some fatty foods every now and then, but for the most part I've been strong willed!  (Except for a specific time of the month... darn period.) And just like I tell my boot campers /readers; you have to brag and celebrate about your small successes!  Be proud of your one month of "mostly good" choices.

 This is a proud month for me.  I feel better about myself than ever before.  I'm more comfortable in my skin than I have been since before I had babies.  Why?  Well, I've said this before... when you start to love your habits, you start to love yourself.  When you are pursuing good habits, you may not be losing big numbers on the scale, but you are losing the guilt you subconsciously feel when you make bad health choices.  Stick with those New Year's resolutions.  Celebrate your "mostly good's" and do better next month.  The more you try, the stronger you become!

London's Run is tomorrow!  I'm anxious, nervous, excited... and ready to get it over with.  No, I'm not doing the half marathon.  You marathoners and half marathoners are amazing!  I admire you.   My next race is where I want to conquer a half and then hopefully a full marathon.  But for now, I am perfectly happy with perfecting my time this year and doing the 10k again.  This is one of my New Year's resolutions and I'm ready to tackle it!  Wish me luck!

Trial and... ERROR!

So, I said I would tell you about the new things we've been trying.... here's a word to the wise:

Since we've been trying to eat much less meat, my kids were begging for some chicken nuggets, since I haven't given them any for a while.  While I was at Sprouts, I saw some meatless nuggets called Quorn.  I read the ingredients.  It said they were made from mycoprotein and the labels lead me to believe that mycoprotein was a fungus much like a mushroom.  Well, we brought them home, made them and they tasted EXACTLY like a chicken nugget!  My kids loved them.  I even took a picture of them eating them:

So after lunch  I got online to research this "mycoprotein" stuff that tasted so much like chicken! And... I found tons of controversy about it. :(  Basically, it's not like a mushroom at all.  It's like a bacteria and some people have become violently ill from eating it!  It scared me to death. I felt like the worst mom in the world for just feeding my kids something and trusting dumb labels when I know better than that! I was terrified that one of my kids was gonna start vomiting, but luckily nobody got sick.  There is an article about it here that will help you understand the controversy a little more.  But when I read all of the reviews from people who had become sick, I decided never to touch that stuff again!  Just thought I would let my readers know, so that you don't make the same mistake :/

2 Weeks of Good Efforts!

I have ended my first two weeks of striving to eat much less meat/dairy.  Here are my thoughts so far:

I have done very well with not eating meat!  I have had meat twice in the last two weeks.  So going from twice a day, to once a week, is HUGE!  It's not too hard to not eat meat, but it is SO HARD to not eat dairy.  Dairy is in EVERYTHING!  For now, I am satisfied with being conscious of my meat/dairy intake.  And I am still being very strong in cutting back in all of it.  I'll admit, today I was at a wedding for a lot of the day so when everyone went to a burger restaurant,  I had a salad with ranch, but no chicken!  The ranch was the first dairy I have had in a few days, and I'll say, it was so yummy! :)  Tonight at the wedding reception they had delicious looking tacos!!  I held strong, I had a tortilla and some chips and salsa, no meat, no cheese.  I should also mention, that since January 1st I have tried to stay away from sweets.  I have been surprisingly really good at this!  I have been at bachelorette parties, birthday parties, weddings, and haven't touched a thing, but one night this month I did have a cupcake and one graham cracker (I'm confessing.)  But I think that is pretty good for two full weeks!  And here is what I want my readers to hear from me today:

It is hard to live in extremes.  So don't set yourself up for absolute perfection. It is hard to be perfect all the time.  Am I going to be a Vegan, or a Vegetarian? No way, because I know I will fail tremendously.  I am happy and satisfied with the fact that I am trying to live a healthier life style.  I am celebrating the fact that I am making major efforts to be healthy in my diet.  And I want any of you who are trying to accomplish goals right now, to be proud of yourselves too.  If you give in every now and then, its okay!  Just wake up in the morning and keep on going.  Don't let one little cupcake ruin all of your efforts.  You can eat that cupcake and then start fresh again the next day!  I believe in having a balance in all things.  I knew from the beginning that trying to eat whole foods, and plant based foods would be tough,and that I wouldn't be able to do it every single day, but I have enjoyed the efforts in doing it, and will continue week after week.  And you should too!

 

Keep on keeping on!  

You will feel great about yourself if you do.

A New Diet For a New Year

It has been a while since I have posted, because I have been so busy with the holidays, but i'm determined to do better this year! With that being said...

Hello! And Happy New Year! It's a perfect time to start fresh and make healthier decisions.

I have been accomplishing some goals of my own, and it feels so good to make good efforts. Who's with me?!

Today i want to encourage any who read this, to watch a few documentaries about food. The first, is "FOOD INC." the second is "Forks Over Knives." You can find both of these on Netflix. In my opinion, it will help push you in the right direction for your diet this year. I want your feed back, so watch them and then comment, so I can hear your opinions.

I have been considering for a while, whether I want to try a Vegetarian or a Vegan diet for a while now. It's just such a big commitment. If you are rolling your eyes at me, please know that it has nothing to do with saving animals, or me being against hunting, or anything like that. I LOVE MEAT! That's why this decision has been difficult. BUT, I have been doing my research and the more I study, the more I discover that we, as a society, eat way too much meat/dairy. I know that we should "eat meat sparingly," but in the world we live in today, it's not convenient to make that change. The more I've been conscious of my meat intake, the more I realize I eat it for almost two meals a day, most days. There's no way that can be sparingly, in my opinion. So how do I change this?

Are some of you thinking... "Wait, but you need meat to give you protein!" or "You have to drink milk and eat cheese for calcium!" The truth is, you can get those nutrients from so many other kinds of foods. Just get educated about food, so that you can understand how to balance your diet!

In all honesty, I have been slowly cutting meat out of my personal diet for a while. Not because I'm involved with PIDA, or I am an animal lover, but because I would like to experiment. I want to see the improvement in my body by eating a whole foods plant based diet. This requires creativity with recipes and a little extra money buying organic foods, but in my opinion I think it will be worth it.

So, here I go on my journey to eating much healthier! I will continue to post about it. For right now, I'm simply cutting out meat, and eating much less dairy. My goal is to cut the dairy out for a while too, and see how it goes. Will I do it for a month? A year? Who knows, but for now it is purely experimental for me.

I bought a bunch of groceries over the last few weeks and have been trying new things, new recipes and such.  I will post things that are tolerable, and things that I just can't choke down, so that if you decide to make some changes, you won't go through trial and error like me :)

Go watch the documentaries I recommended! Let me know what you think:)

Beauty on the Inside

It's been a while since I have posted anything and this isn't a great post, but it's a great song.  For the last few months I've been glued to this song.  I play it over and over because it helps me feel good about my day, about my life, and about myself.  If you haven't heard it, here it is.  It's easy for us to listen to the world around us and think that beauty is defined but what everybody else thinks.  I love that this song says that it doesn't matter what everyone else thinks.  Goals are accomplished by what we, ourselves, think and set out to do. What I love most about this song is that she emphasizes that we need to love who we are. We shouldn't want to be anybody else.

Last week of Boot Camp

So I just finished our last week of Boot Camp on Thursday and I have so many feelings about it...

What have I learned? What have I tried to help others learn? Well, here it is:

I have learned:

*In all honesty, I've learned that this is my passion. This is my forte.  I am good at creating workouts and at helping others become motivated.

*I have learned to be stronger and more accountable in my own health and lifestyle.

*I have learned that everyone is different.and not everyone actually wants to do hard things, and that I can't be depressed or disappointed in someone else's choice.

I have tried to help others learn:

*That your mind is not in charge of you; you are in charge of your mind.

*That the things you think you can't do; can be done.

*That when you put your mind to something, it becomes easier to accomplish.

*That at points in tough workouts, where you think you are "dying," remember: You are not "dying."  People with cancer in hospital beds are "dying."  What you are doing by pushing your body and exercising to your max; ... is LIVING!

Here is another blog post by one of my boot camp girls.  She had never run a single mile before she came into this.  On the fourth week I made her run a mile and she was beaming with pride because though it was hard, it was something she didn't think she was strong enough to do.  She proved herself wrong.  Then this last week I had a sprint/jog workout for her to do, but didn't tell her how far it was until the next day.  It was 2.25 miles.  She was pretty happy with herself, and I am too.  She couldn't do more than 2 or 3 push-ups when she started and now she can do a minimum of 10.  Way to go Jessica!  Here's what she had to say:

http://zaakandjessica.blogspot.com/2011/03/last-week.html

The Attitude to Have

Mindy Gledhill sets the perfect example in this song.  It's the perfect attitude to strive for.  It's not always easy to be optimistic and adventurous, but if you can ignite some inspiration and find a little motivation, you can do anything.

I love the lyrics...
"I'm gonna walk a hundred miles, I'm gonna whistle all the while, if that's what it takes to make me smile, i'm gonna walk a hundred miles. I'm gonna run right up this hill, summer sky or winter chill, if i need to take a break i will, but I'm gonna run right up this hill."

Feeling Better About Your Body After Baby

http://www.parenting.com/article/feel-better-about-your-post-baby-body

A Big Fat Debate

This is a great article.  I found it from a tweet from Jillian Michaels:

http://civileats.com/2011/03/04/a-big-fat-debate/

See for yourself

Jessica is one of the girls that comes to my bootcamps. Here's what she had to say about it on her blog:

http://zaakandjessica.blogspot.com/2011/02/mind-vs-body.html

I'm glad you feel this way Jessica! Thanks for coming!

An experience of a lifetime

I have become converted.

I was NOT opposed to races or running before, but I was most definitely not a participator. I have always tried to apply cardio to my workouts, but since I have always been weak at it, I was never motivated to push through that weakness.

A few months ago I had made a lot of decisions in regards to my goals and my life. I decided to make changes and make challenges for myself. One of which, was to develop a love for running (if it was possible.) So I started a training schedule and was running 5 days a week at first. I had been considering entering a race, but I considered a small one. Like a fun run, or a 5k, but then a best friend of mine approached me about my goal. This was our conversation:

Friend: "Let's do the race together and sign up for the 10k."

Me: "I don't know... I don't know if I'll be able to hack out 6.2 miles by the time of the race! I don't know if this is a reasonable goal to make!"

Friend:(with much emotion and tears welling up) "Colby, the only thing I've ever done that I consider 'cool' in my life, has been giving natural child birth. I need to accomplish something else that is 'cool' and for me this is it. I want to prove to myself that I can accomplish things that seem impossible. Not just child birth."

Me: "Well, first of all giving natural child birth is most definitely not the only thing you have done, that is 'cool,' but I don't know how to say no to that, so I'll do it, but you are gonna have to help me and motivate me every step of the way."

So that's what we did. We helped each other. We inspired each other. We pushed each other. And when race day came, neither of us had run 6.2 miles non stop yet, but that was our one and only goal. We didn't care about our time, we only cared about running the whole thing, and finishing.

On race day, we stayed close to each other the whole time. Sometimes she'd be ahead of me, and sometimes I'd be ahead of her, but we kept eyes on each other and set little milestones along the way and always ended up side by side, offering words of encouragement.

At several points in the race we wanted to stop. Our mind was telling us to just take a break for a minute, but then a sign on the side of the trail with a picture of a little child with cancer would pop up next to us and we both had the thought that, "At least my body is even healthy enough to do this. Some people don't even have a body that is strong enough to run, so I'm gonna make the most out of this healthy body and keep going. How can I quit when I know there are people out there who would give anything to do what I'm doing?"

It was an emotional experience. I never fully understood the magnitude of charity races until I raced one. It is an incredible experience to say the least.

After crossing that finish line I was on a proud-high the rest of the day. And it felt good to be proud of myself because to be honest, it had been a while.

If I can offer any motivation, or inspiration to those who think you can't do something hard. I'm telling you, YOU CAN. Not only will you feel proud and happy with yourself. Your attitude on life will change forever. If you have never participated in a race, I urge you to do so, not just to improve your cardio, but to improve your mind, your emotions, your spirit, your attitude, and to improve YOU!

Reach for the impossible and then when you reach it, keep going.

My support group:  my sister Emma, my son Ryder, and my daughter Lainey

First Night of Boot Camp...Check!

So we started our first night tonight.  Good job to all you ladies and thank you so much for coming!  A few things I would like to mention, that I didn't have the chance to tonight:

1.) Remember our theme: Everyone can do something easy, but not everyone can do something hard.  Choose to do the hard stuff.  Be the minority. Be different than everyone.

2.) Focus on your efforts, not your image.  Stop focusing on your image.  Stop focusing on how you look on the outside for now.  Especially when you're working out!  Don't think about how ridiculous you might look to everyone and how you probably look weak, or like you are struggling.  Just get in a zone and focus on what is best for you.  Once you start focusing on your efforts instead of your image, you'll begin to love your image more.

3.) Journal.  Please journal your progress.  If you want to do it privately in a notebook, or publicly on facebook; I don't care!  But don't just journal your weight loss,  journal your accomplishments in strength, endurance, flexibility, and mental capability.  If you couldn't do a single push-up at the beginning, but in two weeks you can... JOURNAL THAT MILESTONE!  If you couldn't run a mile because your mind told you it was too hard, but in 3 weeks you can because you ignored that quitter attitude... JOURNAL THAT MILESTONE!  I really want you to see your growth both mentally and physically.  If you stick with this, you will also see an attitude change in yourself, so journal it so you don't forget!

4.) Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition!  Water, water, water!  You will have much better results if you are eating the right things!  I will give you a list of things to eat a lot of, and things to have very little of.  If you do not change your eating habits, you will not have the strength, and body that you want to have.

5.)  Commit and conquer!  Decide right now to finish the six weeks, come rain or shine.  Make the decision right now, that this is something you are going to do three times a week no matter what.  Excuses and reasons not to come need to not be an option.  Try to convince your mind that there is no decision, or option on whether or not you should exercise tonight.  Just go and do without thinking about it.

6.)  Do cardio on the no boot camp days!!  I can't stress this one enough.  You need to apply cardio in your life 5 days a week.  Go for a run, or whatever it takes to get your heart rate going for at least 20 minutes  on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Trainer Momma

I have a friend who has been telling me to look at this blog for a while, so I've been looking at it a lot lately.  This lady is awesome and stands for every bit of what I do and more.  Check it out.  She has great tips on eating, working out, and just being a better you.

http://www.trainermomma.com/

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?