Something Amazing Awaits

Well…it was bound to happen. I am at a plateau. Over the past few weeks, I have been up a pound, down a pound, up a pound, down a pound. It’s enough to drive a girl crazy. It’s also enough to make a girl quit!

When I’ve reached this point in my weight loss journey before, I threw in the towel. Because those little voices in my head tell me the sacrifice is not worth it. The exercise and aching muscles. Planning and wise choices. Weighing and measuring. The cooking…for Pete’s sake, I despise cooking.

But this time, as I write the words, the sacrifice is not worth it; I’m thinking the words, I am worth it. I am worth the work.  I am worth the exercise and aching muscles. I am worth the planning and wise choices. I am worth the weighing and measuring and as much as it pains me to say, I am worth the cooking.

So what makes this time around different? I want it! I want this. And I believe that if you want something bad enough, you can…and will…make it happen.

Granted, it “might” not happen within your planned timeline. Many years ago, when our daughter was very young, I went back to college for my bachelor’s degree. I took one class and stopped. Then, a few years later, I took another class and stopped. Not only was it not the right time in our lives, I simply didn’t want it bad enough to put in the hard work to make it happen.

In the fall of 2004, I went back again to get my degree. And this time, I wanted that degree so bad, I was willing to do anything to make it happen. I was working full time, had two very busy kids and decided to take an accelerated degree track, taking 10-15 credits a semester, including summers. On class day, I woke up at 5:30am, went to work, worked a full day and went right to class until 10:00pm. On non-class days, when push came to shove, I woke up at 5:30am to study before work. And I despise getting up early almost as much as I despise cooking. ;) I was a woman on a mission, and nothing could stop me. And with the wonderful support of my family and friends, I graduated in 2007.

I’m not exceptional, ordinary people achieve extraordinary things every day. What’s different for me on this leg of my journey is that I want to make this change. And although I might encounter all kinds of obstacles (work stress, lack of time, kid events, caring for family members), I am going to make this happen. Because I want this and I’m worth it!

A little disclaimer needs to happen here…J A good friend of mine once said to me “God’s perfect timing may NOT be perfect to you. But it is to Him”. So true. Sometimes, we want something very badly and it doesn’t happen. It might happen a year from now, ten years from now or never. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t go for it. Something amazing that we hadn’t even planned for might just happen instead.   

Make the choice, commit to the choice and continue with courage.

Hugs and friendship,

Tara

Somewhere in the Middle

“Somewhere between the hot and the cold,
somewhere between the new and the old.
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be,
somewhere in the middle, you'll find me.”

Love, love, LOVE that song by Casting Crowns and it really hits home for where I am in my journey right now, weight and otherwise.

Last week, I hit the 20 pound marker. I’m over half way to my weight loss goal. I should be jumping for joy. Yet much like the character in the song above, I’m a little apprehensive. Change is scary. Even positive change can bring about a case of the jitters.

“Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense.
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle”.

I wonder if that’s why so many people are content being caught in the middle?

Wouldn’t it be great to live life as a fearless warrior? Living with reckless abandon. Setting crazy goals. Dreaming larger than life dreams.

I don’t know about you, but I love listening to kids talk about their hopes for the future. Man, they have some gigantic dreams without limits. Sometimes they crack me up, and sometimes they blow me away with their sunshiny optimism. They don’t care if the dreams are silly, ill-timed or possibly unachievable. They are not caught in the middle; they are caught in the moment.

Where does that moment go? What happens when we grow up? What makes us cautious? Hesitant? Leery? Cynical?

We get hurt…fail. We get burned...run out of steam. Common sense kicks in.

As I’m caught in the middle, I am reminded that I have the power to get “unstuck”. Every day I have a choice and the beauty of it all? Even if I screw things up, God gives me another fresh start.

So this week, have faith in yourself. Take stock in your abilities. You have done and will do some incredible things! Tap into your fearless warrior. Do something you’ve been putting off yet wanting to do.  

The only thing holding you back…is you!

Make the choice, commit to the choice and continue with courage.

Hugs and friendship,

Tara

Ouch!@#$#!!

So tonight after acupuncture, my acupuncturist gave me a loaf of banana bread. And when she handed it to me she said “I didn’t want to give this to one of my clients that was trying to lose weight”.  What’s that supposed to mean? Do I look like Jabba the Hut? I mean h-e-l-l-o, I AM losing weight. KP, if you’re reading this, I still adore you, you had the best of intentions.

Words hurt. And even words said with good intentions sometimes can cut us to the core. Have you ever been in mid-conversation with someone and thought “oh shoot, that’s not exactly how I meant to say that”.  It’s not just spoken words that can hurt; the words that we think and say to ourselves can be just as damaging.     

I wonder, what kind of words are you saying to yourself on a daily basis?

The other day, I was in a department store and the nice saleslady in the store was helping me pick out clothes. I heard her say to her co-worker “let’s avoid this kind of cut for her jeans, she’s kind of thick waisted”.  Thick waisted…I thought I had heard all of the chub comments over the years… that’s a new one for me. Ouch!

When you look in the mirror, do you pick out all of your flaws? Do you criticize…your wrinkles…a notch in your nose…an ill-placed mole…feet that are too big…hair that won’t cooperate …a figure that will never be a size zero?

As I get older, the way I look at myself is changing. I am finally beginning to appreciate that I am exactly the creation that God intended me to be. He views me as perfect, just the way I am.

Looking in the mirror now, my goal is not to be skinny or to be thin. I want to be fit and healthy. I don’t need to look like everyone else; I just need to be the healthiest version of me.

What makes you beautiful?

Do you like serving others? Are you a fantastic cook?  A whiz in the garden? A loving friend? Do you excel at work? Kick butt at sports? Scrapbook like nobody’s business? Do you devote time to aging parents?

This week, I encourage you to take a fresh look at who you are. Each day, as you look in the mirror, pick out something you like about yourself- all the while remembering that your inner beauty will always shine through.

Make the choice, commit to the choice and continue with courage.

Hugs and friendship,

Tara

Spring In My Step

During the bleak months of winter, when I think “I cannot take this weather one more day”, something wonderful happens. One day, while lying in bed, I’m not as cold as usual and what’s that I hear? It’s the birds singing. The trees are blooming. They fill the air with new and wonderful fragrance and tiny plant sprigs are popping through the ground to bask in the sun. How can you not have a spring in your step during this time of year?

I know that I do! The scale is moving in the right direction- down. I feel lighter inside and out. I’m ready to go outside and get my body moving. I remember back to when I first started Weight Watchers, way back in 1996. The idea of getting my body moving was a daunting task. When I exercised, everything hurt- my knees, ankles, back. I was carrying so much extra weight on my joints. I started walking and even then it was hard to put one foot in front of the other, I was SO tired. I remember starting with a five minute walk. And each week I gradually increased my pace until I was whipping around the neighborhood, walking 4 miles a day! That felt good!

A few weeks ago, the topic of our Weight Watcher’s meeting was yo-yo dieting. Oh yes, we’ve all been there. This is not the first or the last time we’ll be facing the fact that we’ve put on a few pounds. What really stuck with me from that meeting is how important it is to focus on the positive by learning from past experiences. Start to think about how you felt at your most fit and begin to work your way back.  You may be thinking, yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m just too busy to exercise. Well, we are ALL busy. J I’m learning that exercise doesn’t have to be an all or nothing activity. My mindset is usually that I need to hit the gym hard and have a high calorie burn for at least one full hour. Please join me in a new approach to exercise.    

If you take ten minutes before work, walk with friends at lunch, take ten minutes after work- before you know it, you’ve exercised for 30 minutes! And your morning and evening routine hasn’t suffered for it. For me, I think about the time I spend winding down in the evening, watching my favorite sit-coms…and then I realize wow, two hours have gone by and I was lazing on the couch. And yes, we all deserve a break and need the rest. But we also need to take care of ourselves.  

I challenge you this week, to get up and get moving. Spring is a time for re-birth. It’s when everything comes back to life. Such a great time for a fresh start on a new you!

Make the choice, commit to the choice and continue with courage.

Hugs and friendship,

Tara

The After Picture

So I’ve been thinking about doing this blog for quite some time. I’ve been thinking…and thinking…and thinking…and thinking some more. My friend Cathy is probably laughing when reading this. And my husband Nate has been known to say “Tara, you overanalyze the heck out of things”. So true.  

What can I say? I like to mull things over. I was taking this quiz the other day and while I was deciding on an answer about being spontaneous I read the note in parentheses that read “if you’re still thinking about your answer, you can pretty much rule out spontaneous”. Ha!

I never like to do something unless I can do it all the way, giving better than my best effort. Doing it just right. Blowing it out of the ball park.  

Sometimes this leads to procrastination. Ever experienced this? I tend to get in my own way. When I was creating this blog (in my head), I had in mind the “after picture”. You know the one where I look fit and fab-u-lous and have reached my goal. So I thought, I’ll just wait until I reach my goal AND THEN, I’ll start my blog.

Ever had one of those moments? I’ve heard it’s called “someday syndrome”.  Someday, I’ll try a new hobby. Someday, I’ll paint the living room. Someday, I’ll have more time to spend with the kids. Someday, I’ll take a day off. Someday, I’ll call that person I’ve been meaning to reach out to. Someday, I’ll lose this weight. Someday, I’ll start that blog.

Well I don’t know about you, but I’m fed up with someday syndrome. Because all of those somedays go by and you’re still in the same place. You can’t make a change if you don’t take the first step. So here I am, mustering up the courage to take that the first step by sharing my journey with you. Will you come along with me?

One step at a time…one day at a time…one choice at a time…one challenge at a time.

Are you ready? I sure am! Make your someday- today!

Make the choice, commit to the choice and continue with courage.

Hugs and friendship,

Tara

Humble Pie

If you know me, you know that I haven’t met many pies I don’t like- apple crumb, cherry, pumpkin, lemon meringue…add a little whipped cream and YUM! One pie that I don’t find particularly tasty is humble pie. Have you ever had a taste? It tastes a little bitter.  

This week, I had myself a little slice and it was pretty hard to swallow. It wasn’t a stellar week all around. Work was busy, our evenings were filled with kid stuff, the weather was crap and I was sick for a few days. All in all, it was a challenge to stay on point with my eating and exercise. I did manage to stay on program and was conscientious about the foods I was putting in my mouth, but due to sickness and a crazy schedule, I only exercised once.

So I figured, “oh well, life happens”, at least you ate right and you stuck with it, that’s half the battle. And I strolled into my WW meeting thinking, “ok you probably maintained but it’s better than a gain”, and WHAMMO, I gained.

You might be thinking, dang, I’m not gonna follow this blog; this girl can’t even lose weight. But hang with me here. Remember losing and maintaining weight, it’s not an overnight gig. It takes a lifetime of effort. If I have learned anything from Weight Watcher’s, it’s that perseverance pays. It didn’t take me two weeks to gain this weight, it took years. This transformation isn’t going to happen overnight, I’m going to have to work for it.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything”. ~ James 1:2-4

Life is going to throw us a bunch of curve balls, and some are going to be harder than losing a few pounds. What’s important to remember is that you have the strength to persevere, through anything that comes your way.  These trials, and your reactions to them, will shape who you are.

Keep the faith and believe in yourself. Stick with me on this journey, because the best is yet to come!

Make the choice, commit to the choice and continue with courage.

Hugs and friendship,

Tara

Duh…winning?!?

Alright, so I’m not going to apologize for the Charlie Sheen reference. Let’s face it, this whole Charlie Sheen fiasco has been like a train wreck, painful to watch but you just can’t stop.  And while the SNL skits do make me chuckle, the whole situation is downright sad. He’s a man that is falling apart, for the  whole world to see. Have you had a moment this week where you feel like you’re coming unraveled? Maybe a few moments? But you don’t want the world to know about it because you are strong; you are woman…mighty and fierce. Well I had just that moment this week, on the Weight Watcher’s scale.

Week one back at WW, I was, in my opinion, an A+ student (and those who know me know I grade tough). I tracked my points, drank my water, choked down the fruits (not quite yet embracing the veggies), cooked healthy meals (OK, well Nate cooked the meals), and worked out HARD, six out of seven days. And do you know what the scale read? Zero. I mean really…zero…I gave better than my best effort and zero weight loss.

I was crushed and even worse…fuming, fuming, mad. I wanted to run as fast as I could out of that meeting room, why stay for the meeting when I was a big fat failure? But something inside me said “stay”, so I sat and listened, grinned and bore it, while self-berating in my head. “I might as well quit. If I did everything right and didn’t see any results, why bother? It’s just too much flipping work”.

After the meeting, I ranted and raved. I grumbled and growled around the house. I was really, REALLY ticked. And then, something pretty cool happened. I shifted gears. Usually a zero on the scale would lead to an all-day binge… maybe an all week binge or maybe an “I just give up”. But this time, I brushed myself off and got right back on program, not tomorrow…that day. I put good foods in my body and spent an hour doing some high cardio exercise to burn off that negative energy. Because I didn’t want to give the pain the power. I have the power, and the only person that can take that away from me is me.

And even if I didn’t lose on the scale this week, I consider my mental shift a big win. Remember that your wins are what you make them. Not taking that extra bite, winning. Walking an extra five minutes, winning. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, winning. Brushing yourself off and starting again, winning. Realizing that you don’t always have to win, to win…well that’s duh…winning. J

Make the choice, commit to the choice and continue with courage.

Hugs and friendship,

Tara