As I was stirring my Program's Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal this morning,
I was pleased at how the consistency turned out. I LOVE my oatmeal in
the morning, and have had plenty of time to perfect my preparation skills! But I remember a time when I just couldn't seem to get it right no matter what I did! Some days it was too thick! Some days it was too thin! I felt a little bit like Goldilocks testing out each bear's porridge and not able to make it herself LOL!
Then I RADICALLY changed something. I'm sure there was a crack in the universe somewhere as I picked up the packet of the portion-controlled meal replacement of Oatmeal and read the INSTRUCTIONS.
The first day I followed the instructions to the letter is the first day I got AH-MAZING results. The oatmeal was perfect. My little sprinkle of cinnamon on top and it was good to GO!
Now
every morning I get consistent results. My oatmeal is perfect. As I
was stirring it and savoring those first few bites of hot comforting
goodness I was reflecting on the joy I take from....GOOD oatmeal. CONSISTENT oatmeal.
And
it is 100% dependent on how I follow the instructions, whether the
oatmeal will turn out or be a disaster. If I wing it and guesstimate on
the water to add, or the cooking time, it's just all over for the
morning I may as well just toss it out in advance because I'm NOT going
to like it or eat it.
But, if I get my 1/3 cup measuring cup out and fill it twice, pour it in to the dry oatmeal, mix it for a few second, then pop it in the microwave on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds? Perfection.
Consistent actions reap consistent results.
Whenever
my PLAN isn't giving me the results I want consistently I also do the
same thing. I look at the instructions all over again and FOLLOW them
to the LETTER, and I usually find areas where I was nonchalantly
substituting my own judgment for that of the plan. Us overachiever
hyper-performance perfectionists NEVER do that, do we? Ha ha!
ALL
of the TIME! Even TODAY I was having a conversation in my brain as I
woke up at 4:30 am (just returned from Paris, France yesterday afternoon
and I'm not time-adjusted for North America yet which is why I'm up,
having coffee, eating breakfast and writing a blog before the sun comes
up!). This conversation went something like this:
Overachiever Perfectionist Me: "Well, I sure would love to go for a run today!"
Steady
Rational Me: "Why don't you look up the recommended recovery times for
post-marathon running, though, and find out if it is a good idea or
not...."
Overachiever Perfectionist Me: "But I feel fine! I
know me! I can tell my muscles can take a little 2 mile jog around the
neighborhood! Come on!"
Steady Rational Me went about looking up
the information anyway because it is no use arguing with overachiever
perfectionist me, just a simple over-ride of actions is necessary.
And What I found is in this article:
http://running.competitor.com/2013/09/training/the-importance-of-recovery-after-a-marathon_59478
That
it isn't JUST about muscle soreness, there are all sorts of things
going on at the cellular level which absolutely necessitate a recovery
of NO RUNNING for ATLEAST a WEEK after a Marathon.
See? If I had
just gone with what I "felt" I could have risked damage to my muscles
and would have inhibited my full recovery at the cellular level. What
did I know? All I know is that I wanted to do it, and if I wasn't sore, what was the harm in going ahead and doing it?
So I am listening to the experts.
Same
with our program. Have you ever heard this in your brain? "Well I'm
not really hungry and I feel like I JUST ATE what is the harm in
skipping one of the 5 portion-control meal replacement Meals that are on our program??"
Or this: "I know the
program recommends no exercise in the first 3 weeks, but it just doesn't
make sense that I can't do that, I mean I feel great and have so much
energy, what can it hurt?"
Or this: "I'm not really sure how much water I'm getting, I don't really have to keep track do I? I mean how much difference can it really make?"
Or this: "Well the portion-controlled program meal replacements are 100 calories, and this Snack-Well Oreo Pack is also 100 calories, I'm sure if I just swap them out I can get similar results".
BTW the answer to all of those is DO NOT MODIFY THE PLAN!!!!!
=)
As
with the oatmeal, if I want consistent results I need to follow the
directions. If I want my oatmeal to be perfect every day I can just
read the instructions and DO them consistently. Day in and day out.
As
with the running, sure I love it and it is my primary method of healthy
motion in my days and weeks, but if the manuals and experts tell me to
NOT run for a full WEEK after a marathon, then I am going to NOT RUN for
a full WEEK.
And with the plan, if I am on the 5&1 and
want consistent results, am I DOING consistently exactly and only what
is in the QUICK START GUIDE?
Have a great week y'all!
Rinse and Repeat!
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Monday, April 7, 2014
Paris Marathon COMPLETED! I am an official FINISHER!
Well
I have done it. The long awaited day has come and gone. I am
recovering for my "day after marathon" rest on the houseboat that I
rented on the Seine near the base of the Eiffel Tower (THANK you
AirBNB.com!), and WOW is all I can say. WOW.
There were times yesterday during my 6 hours and 40 minutes of running that I wanted to quit. There were some tears. There was some bargaining going on in my brain. There was a massive tug-of-war going on with my emotions, with half of me and sometimes very close to ALL of me wanting, begging to quit. Telling myself how I'd really done an amazing job so far, and I deserved to take a break. Look, there is the support vehicle and they are waving me on to it. See? Other people agree with my decision to quit. I really should. I've done so much already, I mean who can run 17 miles at one time?
Yes there was much bargaining going on, and at times I even BELIEVED the bargaining and it made so much SENSE for me to stop.
But I didn't.
While these battles were raging in my brain, I kept my body moving forward. I had trained for this. I had trained to have the mental acuity to keep taking the next step forward no matter what was happening in my brain on a cognitive level. I had learned to detach the decision-making "rational" part of my head from what I DID, from my ACTIONS. This is an important skill to learn. Of course eventually my "rational" part of my brain (which was really, on retrospect, being the MOST irrational under that time of stress and fatigue) would come around and at about mile 25 the rational part of my brain was now CONGRATULATING me on a job well done instead of BEGGING me to quit. And, even NOW, the rational part of my brain will likely take credit for accomplishing the whole thing!
And that's OK because ALL of me ran that marathon and ALL of me finished!
But I was just struck by the parallels that running a marathon have with our journeys to health. We have those times when every logical rational though in our brains is telling us "enough already" and "just quit already, you've come so far, you've accomplished so much, isn't it time to end the torture?"
And what we do IN THOSE MOMENTS will define whether or not we will finish the race well or at all.
Secondly, redefining torture and pain was important. I used to HATE running, and I mean HATE HATE capital H HATE it.
Then I decided to NOT hate it. I developed a new mindset about running, I began to see it as beneficial to me and my health, and it began to even become a joy!
The same goes for our eating plan. We can choose to view it as a "diet" that is "torturous" and full of "deprivation" or we can choose to view it as a wonderful tool that will bring us in to optimal health if applied as directed. A long time ago I chose the latter, to view my eating plan as a tool. And yes, it became joyful! And in the process, I developed a wonderful attribute. Endurance. Because endurance and perseverance is so important for anything we do, be it a Marathon in Paris, or whittling away that dangerous extra weight that can eventually kill us. Endurance.
And, I noticed something about myself here in Paris. The training paid off. Both the Marathon Training and the Eating Plan Training. How? I stayed true to the eating plan that I knew would be necessary for me to prepare myself adequately for the Marathon. This plan did NOT include baguettes with butter, croissants, crepes with Nutella, chocolates, glaces (ice creams/gelatos), but it included those things which would keep my mind and my body strong. And it was a joy for me to say "yes" to the healthy foods. It's how I live my life now. Why? Because I am a fit and healthy person, and that other junk is not my food anymore.
So, this is it then, all that Paris Marathon preparation did pay off and I did get my "finisher" medal and T-shirt. Yay.
There were times yesterday during my 6 hours and 40 minutes of running that I wanted to quit. There were some tears. There was some bargaining going on in my brain. There was a massive tug-of-war going on with my emotions, with half of me and sometimes very close to ALL of me wanting, begging to quit. Telling myself how I'd really done an amazing job so far, and I deserved to take a break. Look, there is the support vehicle and they are waving me on to it. See? Other people agree with my decision to quit. I really should. I've done so much already, I mean who can run 17 miles at one time?
Yes there was much bargaining going on, and at times I even BELIEVED the bargaining and it made so much SENSE for me to stop.
But I didn't.
While these battles were raging in my brain, I kept my body moving forward. I had trained for this. I had trained to have the mental acuity to keep taking the next step forward no matter what was happening in my brain on a cognitive level. I had learned to detach the decision-making "rational" part of my head from what I DID, from my ACTIONS. This is an important skill to learn. Of course eventually my "rational" part of my brain (which was really, on retrospect, being the MOST irrational under that time of stress and fatigue) would come around and at about mile 25 the rational part of my brain was now CONGRATULATING me on a job well done instead of BEGGING me to quit. And, even NOW, the rational part of my brain will likely take credit for accomplishing the whole thing!
And that's OK because ALL of me ran that marathon and ALL of me finished!
But I was just struck by the parallels that running a marathon have with our journeys to health. We have those times when every logical rational though in our brains is telling us "enough already" and "just quit already, you've come so far, you've accomplished so much, isn't it time to end the torture?"
And what we do IN THOSE MOMENTS will define whether or not we will finish the race well or at all.
Secondly, redefining torture and pain was important. I used to HATE running, and I mean HATE HATE capital H HATE it.
Then I decided to NOT hate it. I developed a new mindset about running, I began to see it as beneficial to me and my health, and it began to even become a joy!
The same goes for our eating plan. We can choose to view it as a "diet" that is "torturous" and full of "deprivation" or we can choose to view it as a wonderful tool that will bring us in to optimal health if applied as directed. A long time ago I chose the latter, to view my eating plan as a tool. And yes, it became joyful! And in the process, I developed a wonderful attribute. Endurance. Because endurance and perseverance is so important for anything we do, be it a Marathon in Paris, or whittling away that dangerous extra weight that can eventually kill us. Endurance.
And, I noticed something about myself here in Paris. The training paid off. Both the Marathon Training and the Eating Plan Training. How? I stayed true to the eating plan that I knew would be necessary for me to prepare myself adequately for the Marathon. This plan did NOT include baguettes with butter, croissants, crepes with Nutella, chocolates, glaces (ice creams/gelatos), but it included those things which would keep my mind and my body strong. And it was a joy for me to say "yes" to the healthy foods. It's how I live my life now. Why? Because I am a fit and healthy person, and that other junk is not my food anymore.
So, this is it then, all that Paris Marathon preparation did pay off and I did get my "finisher" medal and T-shirt. Yay.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
No Regrets in Paris!
Well I am
here, in Paris, in the City of Love, to run a Marathon next Sunday.
These last LESS THAN 48 hours since I arrived have been breathtakingly
amazing. I have visited the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame,
Avenue Mouffetard, and today I will go to the Orsay Museum and Notre
Dame again, because I didn't make it inside last time. I will go to the
Isle of Cite' this afternoon and have a cafe in the park like I told a
friend of mine I would, and then tomorrow it is off to Versailles.
42 Days ago I wrote a note in my "memo" section of my Iphone called "No Regrets in Paris" and it said "How I conduct myself for the next 40 days will determine whether I have regrets in Paris or not."
The reasoning was this. In the past, I have been a classic self-sabotager. In this new life, this new me, I am not. In the past I have made goals and then NOT achieved them. In this new life, this new me, I achieve them.
My question to myself 42 days ago, was basically asking was I going to be the old me or the new me going in to Paris?
I chose to be the new me.
I believe the reason I asked that of myself is that for some reason that day my confidence in myself was shaken. I think I had gone a few days without running, which was OFF my training plan, and I gave myself an ultimatum.
If that is what happened (and I'm speculating here because I really don't remember exactly why I took that moment 42 days ago to ask that particular question), then I may have used it as a decision point to switch back over to the new mindset, the mindset of health. Because you see, even though I have developed habits of health incrementally and sustainably over time, occasionally an unhealthy habit, if I "feed" it, will gain strength and pop it's head into the picture again. If I recognize it for what it is EARLY on, then I can focus on the HEALTHY HABIT again right away.
My training schedule was demanding, but common as marathon training schedules go. I ramped up from a Half-Marathon distance to a Full-Marathon distance in about 10 weeks. Looking back, that was one of the most difficult things I have done in my entire life. But I did it.
NOT ONLY do I have NO regrets, I have already RUN the distance of 27.3 miles, and I have remained TRUE to my eating plan such that I am a healthy BMI of 21-22.
I truly have no regrets. And I have no regrets IN Paris either. Not only did I COME here with no regrets in how I have conducted myself to reach my goals, I am also CONTINUING to conduct myself in an authentic manner. What does that mean? Well I can tell you it is NOT a big list of "things I can't eat". It IS a big list of "things I want to DO" - and consequently I DO eat, but my focus isn't on FOOD SEEKING BEHAVIOR unless it is a beautiful juicy yellow bell pepper and tomatoes which are two of the things I found yesterday. My focus is not ON food here, it is ON LIVING. And I am doing much of THAT! =)
So reach for your dreams, all! Never let them go, but DO remember in order to ACHIEVE them you need to DECIDE WHEN AND HOW. Then GO FOR IT!
42 Days ago I wrote a note in my "memo" section of my Iphone called "No Regrets in Paris" and it said "How I conduct myself for the next 40 days will determine whether I have regrets in Paris or not."
The reasoning was this. In the past, I have been a classic self-sabotager. In this new life, this new me, I am not. In the past I have made goals and then NOT achieved them. In this new life, this new me, I achieve them.
My question to myself 42 days ago, was basically asking was I going to be the old me or the new me going in to Paris?
I chose to be the new me.
I believe the reason I asked that of myself is that for some reason that day my confidence in myself was shaken. I think I had gone a few days without running, which was OFF my training plan, and I gave myself an ultimatum.
If that is what happened (and I'm speculating here because I really don't remember exactly why I took that moment 42 days ago to ask that particular question), then I may have used it as a decision point to switch back over to the new mindset, the mindset of health. Because you see, even though I have developed habits of health incrementally and sustainably over time, occasionally an unhealthy habit, if I "feed" it, will gain strength and pop it's head into the picture again. If I recognize it for what it is EARLY on, then I can focus on the HEALTHY HABIT again right away.
My training schedule was demanding, but common as marathon training schedules go. I ramped up from a Half-Marathon distance to a Full-Marathon distance in about 10 weeks. Looking back, that was one of the most difficult things I have done in my entire life. But I did it.
NOT ONLY do I have NO regrets, I have already RUN the distance of 27.3 miles, and I have remained TRUE to my eating plan such that I am a healthy BMI of 21-22.
I truly have no regrets. And I have no regrets IN Paris either. Not only did I COME here with no regrets in how I have conducted myself to reach my goals, I am also CONTINUING to conduct myself in an authentic manner. What does that mean? Well I can tell you it is NOT a big list of "things I can't eat". It IS a big list of "things I want to DO" - and consequently I DO eat, but my focus isn't on FOOD SEEKING BEHAVIOR unless it is a beautiful juicy yellow bell pepper and tomatoes which are two of the things I found yesterday. My focus is not ON food here, it is ON LIVING. And I am doing much of THAT! =)
So reach for your dreams, all! Never let them go, but DO remember in order to ACHIEVE them you need to DECIDE WHEN AND HOW. Then GO FOR IT!
Thursday, March 27, 2014
"I Could Never Do That" ... And the Paradigm of Control
I was reading a blog the other day
which discussed the frustration a blogger had at the attitude of other
people when she explains the program to them and they say "Oh I could
never do that".
Those of us who are engaged in the process or already on the success side of the equation, who have found results in a relatively simple plan, HAVE been doing "that" and are ecstatic at what can come with the right tools, and many times we are so excited to share with people just HOW we did it, only to be met with "oh, no, that may have worked for you, but I could never do that" attitudes and we just kind of shake our heads and wonder what they think WILL work for them?
This even applies on the TIME part of the equation. In the last 4 years since beginning my healthy plan I have been able to both reach my health and fitness goals but ALSO I have been able to accomplish organizing my life around what matters most to me. My husband came home from a conventional workplace situation and now homeschools our 9 year old son full-time (and mountain bikes the rest of the time LOL!) and I have worked hard to establish a successful business, one that affords us, in a addition to a livelihood, an exponential amount of TIME.
TIME to do what is important to us. This includes TIME to exercise and take care of ourselves.
You see, I run across people who look at my life NOW and say "well, of course you can both do what you do and maintain your healthy lifestyle, YOU have the TIME to do it!"
Why yes, yes we do.
I worked hard to MAKE the time, and 4 years ago I had neither health NOR time but I had a plan and the right tools. Because I TOOK the time and MADE the time and kept true to my health goals, I now HAVE more time. The time did not come FIRST. THAT is what I'm trying to say.
"Oh but I don't have TIME to eat 6 times a day"
"Oh but I don't have TIME to go for a 30 minute walk every day"
"Oh but I don't have TIME to cook a Lean and Green meal at home"
"Oh but I don't have TIME to go to the gym"
Time is a fixed currency. We all have the same amount of it each day.
What are YOU investing YOUR time in?
My husband and I got rid of Cable TV just about the same time that I launched my business, and let me tell you how much TIME that saved us? You don't have TIME? Shall I check your DVR recorded programs to see how much TIME you think you WILL have to watch programs that interest you? You make time for that. Do you plop down on the couch after the kids are in bed and flip aimlessly through the channels to find something to occupy you mind?
Then you have time.
What I'm saying is that sometimes our concepts create our reality in a self-fulfilling sort of way. If you say you never HAVE time, then you will never HAVE time. If you change that statement and say "I will TAKE the time and MAKE the time" then you will do that. First, I recognized and embraced the proper TOOLS to attain optimal health. Three things were VITAL for this process of attaining and maintaining optimal health.
1) With the correct INTAKE (the weight loss portion of our plan, then moving on to transition, then moving on to maintenance)
2) The support and accountability of my HEALTH COACH and
3) The bionetwork of support including Dr. A's Habits of Health to achieve a healthy MIND in the process, I DOVE IN.
"I could never do what you do" regarding my Paris Marathon?
It was merely a continuation of the healthy mind I had been developing, and incrementally improving on adding the Habit of Healthy Motion (referenced also in Dr. A's Habits of Health).
Did you know I STARTED with the C25K Program? The free podcasts?
It's called "Couch-Potato to 5K in 9 Weeks" and it literally takes you from a place of NOT BEING A RUNNER AT ALL to running a 5K in 9 weeks. Yes, I started THERE. Right THERE. If you download the podcasts, you see that the first week instructions sound something like this (you listen to the instructions which are accompanied by music AS you run/walk):
"Walk for 5 minutes.....(5 minutes later).."You are about to run for 2 minutes. Ready? Go!"........(2 minutes later)....Great job! You will now walk for 5 minutes.....(5 minutes later).."You are about to run for 2 more minutes.....Ready? Go!"......."
BECAUSE I began that program, because I took the FIRST STEP, MY instructions theoretically now look like this: "You are about to run for 7 hours.....ready?....GO!"
If I had never taken the time to begin, then I wouldn't be where I am today as regards my ability. Same with my eating plan. I started where everyone starts, buying the plan through my Health Coach, and reading the Plan Materials for the very first time. Now my instructions and plan are the Maintenance portion, but it is still a plan, and it is the appropriate plan for what I have accomplished thus far in losing 149 pounds. I remember the first time I put my cooked protein on a food scale so as to be compliant to the guide, and wondering "is this really necessary?"
YES! Being faithful in the small things IS really necessary because only then can you work into larger areas of responsibilities! Had I lost 149 pounds overnight without submitting to the system and the plan, I would have been ill-equipped to be a good steward of my new healthy body! I know we all want "it off" overnight. But that very impatience and unrealistic attitude will be our UNDOING if we do not quell it and submit patiently to the process, and allow for the passage of time, being faithful in the SMALL things, like, YES, weighing our cooked protein.
It IS really necessary to master the essentials.
We DO control what we put in our mouths. We DO control how we spend out time. We DO control our lives. But some of us have CHOSEN to subject ourselves to outside influences and then start saying thing like "my job won't let me exercise" or "my job's breakroom won't let me stay on plan" and we then act as though we are NOT in control. We are. We are in control of REFRAMING the argument to view it in light of the truth that if WE are born in THIS country of opportunity, we ARE born FREE. We are FREE to make our own decisions and no one has duct-taped you to a chair and is forcing those vending machine Munchos or Bugles or Peanut M&M's down your throat at gunpoint.
If we are NOT in jail and NOT in the hospital, we DO have full control over what we eat, when we eat, and how much we eat. We DO have full control over how much we move (exercise), when we move, and what we choose to participate in for our healthy movement.
So my question. ARE you in control of your time? ARE you in control of your actions? ARE you in control of what you eat and how much you move? If you feel you have relinquished control of ANY of these areas, then decide right NOW to take back control. Do it today!
DEFY the concept that you don't have enough "time" by getting up 1/2 hour earlier! DEFY the concept that you can't exercise by USING that 1/2 hour to go for a WALK! DEFY the concept that you don't have enough time to expand your business by TURNING OFF THE TUBE at night and instead making your calls or engaging in other activities to move your businesses forward, whatever your business is if you are self-employed!
You can because you can.
Some look at my trip today to Paris and think "Lucky Ducky, SHE gets to go to Paris for 11 nights, how did she luck into that? Must be NICE"
I didn't LUCK into anything really, I took my CREATIVE juices and I CREATED THIS TRIP out of NOTHING.
Four years ago I possessed neither the TIME nor the FINANCIAL ABILITY nor the HEALTH ABILITY nor the FAMILY SITUATION ABILITY (my husband worked full-time and we had limited vacation) to be able to jet off to Paris for 11 nights and run a marathon. But it was a spark. So I started working on the HEALTH ABILITY by starting where I was AT (Class IV Super Obese walking with a cane) and took the next step of doing what I needed to do in order to achieve a HEALTHY BMI. I became a healthy BMI. In other words, I DID the WORK.
Three years ago I made the decision to PAY IT FORWARD and launched my business. I started working on the financial ability by investing the time I could invest, and using the tools I had and the wonderful support system I had. In other words, I DID the WORK.
One year ago I decided to take my health and fitness to the next level, and I began conditioning myself with running.
Six months ago I decided to purchase my ticket for the Paris Marathon because I NOW HAD, after FOUR YEARS, the FINANCIAL Ability, the Family Situation Ability, the Health Ability and the Fitness Ability to actually accomplish this dream.
So indeed, I guess I am a lucky duck. To be born in a country where these things ARE possible. To have been given support and encouragement along the way TO REACH my dreams. Yes, I suppose I am a lucky duck.
And that lucky duck did a HECK of a lot of WORK to get the point where others could look at her and call it "lucky".
SO PLUG IN! Engage the process! Contact your Health Coach and get GOING on the FIRST STEP!!! Who knows how "lucky" YOU'LL "get" to be! =)
Those of us who are engaged in the process or already on the success side of the equation, who have found results in a relatively simple plan, HAVE been doing "that" and are ecstatic at what can come with the right tools, and many times we are so excited to share with people just HOW we did it, only to be met with "oh, no, that may have worked for you, but I could never do that" attitudes and we just kind of shake our heads and wonder what they think WILL work for them?
This even applies on the TIME part of the equation. In the last 4 years since beginning my healthy plan I have been able to both reach my health and fitness goals but ALSO I have been able to accomplish organizing my life around what matters most to me. My husband came home from a conventional workplace situation and now homeschools our 9 year old son full-time (and mountain bikes the rest of the time LOL!) and I have worked hard to establish a successful business, one that affords us, in a addition to a livelihood, an exponential amount of TIME.
TIME to do what is important to us. This includes TIME to exercise and take care of ourselves.
You see, I run across people who look at my life NOW and say "well, of course you can both do what you do and maintain your healthy lifestyle, YOU have the TIME to do it!"
Why yes, yes we do.
I worked hard to MAKE the time, and 4 years ago I had neither health NOR time but I had a plan and the right tools. Because I TOOK the time and MADE the time and kept true to my health goals, I now HAVE more time. The time did not come FIRST. THAT is what I'm trying to say.
"Oh but I don't have TIME to eat 6 times a day"
"Oh but I don't have TIME to go for a 30 minute walk every day"
"Oh but I don't have TIME to cook a Lean and Green meal at home"
"Oh but I don't have TIME to go to the gym"
Time is a fixed currency. We all have the same amount of it each day.
What are YOU investing YOUR time in?
My husband and I got rid of Cable TV just about the same time that I launched my business, and let me tell you how much TIME that saved us? You don't have TIME? Shall I check your DVR recorded programs to see how much TIME you think you WILL have to watch programs that interest you? You make time for that. Do you plop down on the couch after the kids are in bed and flip aimlessly through the channels to find something to occupy you mind?
Then you have time.
What I'm saying is that sometimes our concepts create our reality in a self-fulfilling sort of way. If you say you never HAVE time, then you will never HAVE time. If you change that statement and say "I will TAKE the time and MAKE the time" then you will do that. First, I recognized and embraced the proper TOOLS to attain optimal health. Three things were VITAL for this process of attaining and maintaining optimal health.
1) With the correct INTAKE (the weight loss portion of our plan, then moving on to transition, then moving on to maintenance)
2) The support and accountability of my HEALTH COACH and
3) The bionetwork of support including Dr. A's Habits of Health to achieve a healthy MIND in the process, I DOVE IN.
"I could never do what you do" regarding my Paris Marathon?
It was merely a continuation of the healthy mind I had been developing, and incrementally improving on adding the Habit of Healthy Motion (referenced also in Dr. A's Habits of Health).
Did you know I STARTED with the C25K Program? The free podcasts?
It's called "Couch-Potato to 5K in 9 Weeks" and it literally takes you from a place of NOT BEING A RUNNER AT ALL to running a 5K in 9 weeks. Yes, I started THERE. Right THERE. If you download the podcasts, you see that the first week instructions sound something like this (you listen to the instructions which are accompanied by music AS you run/walk):
"Walk for 5 minutes.....(5 minutes later).."You are about to run for 2 minutes. Ready? Go!"........(2 minutes later)....Great job! You will now walk for 5 minutes.....(5 minutes later).."You are about to run for 2 more minutes.....Ready? Go!"......."
BECAUSE I began that program, because I took the FIRST STEP, MY instructions theoretically now look like this: "You are about to run for 7 hours.....ready?....GO!"
If I had never taken the time to begin, then I wouldn't be where I am today as regards my ability. Same with my eating plan. I started where everyone starts, buying the plan through my Health Coach, and reading the Plan Materials for the very first time. Now my instructions and plan are the Maintenance portion, but it is still a plan, and it is the appropriate plan for what I have accomplished thus far in losing 149 pounds. I remember the first time I put my cooked protein on a food scale so as to be compliant to the guide, and wondering "is this really necessary?"
YES! Being faithful in the small things IS really necessary because only then can you work into larger areas of responsibilities! Had I lost 149 pounds overnight without submitting to the system and the plan, I would have been ill-equipped to be a good steward of my new healthy body! I know we all want "it off" overnight. But that very impatience and unrealistic attitude will be our UNDOING if we do not quell it and submit patiently to the process, and allow for the passage of time, being faithful in the SMALL things, like, YES, weighing our cooked protein.
It IS really necessary to master the essentials.
We DO control what we put in our mouths. We DO control how we spend out time. We DO control our lives. But some of us have CHOSEN to subject ourselves to outside influences and then start saying thing like "my job won't let me exercise" or "my job's breakroom won't let me stay on plan" and we then act as though we are NOT in control. We are. We are in control of REFRAMING the argument to view it in light of the truth that if WE are born in THIS country of opportunity, we ARE born FREE. We are FREE to make our own decisions and no one has duct-taped you to a chair and is forcing those vending machine Munchos or Bugles or Peanut M&M's down your throat at gunpoint.
If we are NOT in jail and NOT in the hospital, we DO have full control over what we eat, when we eat, and how much we eat. We DO have full control over how much we move (exercise), when we move, and what we choose to participate in for our healthy movement.
So my question. ARE you in control of your time? ARE you in control of your actions? ARE you in control of what you eat and how much you move? If you feel you have relinquished control of ANY of these areas, then decide right NOW to take back control. Do it today!
DEFY the concept that you don't have enough "time" by getting up 1/2 hour earlier! DEFY the concept that you can't exercise by USING that 1/2 hour to go for a WALK! DEFY the concept that you don't have enough time to expand your business by TURNING OFF THE TUBE at night and instead making your calls or engaging in other activities to move your businesses forward, whatever your business is if you are self-employed!
You can because you can.
Some look at my trip today to Paris and think "Lucky Ducky, SHE gets to go to Paris for 11 nights, how did she luck into that? Must be NICE"
I didn't LUCK into anything really, I took my CREATIVE juices and I CREATED THIS TRIP out of NOTHING.
Four years ago I possessed neither the TIME nor the FINANCIAL ABILITY nor the HEALTH ABILITY nor the FAMILY SITUATION ABILITY (my husband worked full-time and we had limited vacation) to be able to jet off to Paris for 11 nights and run a marathon. But it was a spark. So I started working on the HEALTH ABILITY by starting where I was AT (Class IV Super Obese walking with a cane) and took the next step of doing what I needed to do in order to achieve a HEALTHY BMI. I became a healthy BMI. In other words, I DID the WORK.
Three years ago I made the decision to PAY IT FORWARD and launched my business. I started working on the financial ability by investing the time I could invest, and using the tools I had and the wonderful support system I had. In other words, I DID the WORK.
One year ago I decided to take my health and fitness to the next level, and I began conditioning myself with running.
Six months ago I decided to purchase my ticket for the Paris Marathon because I NOW HAD, after FOUR YEARS, the FINANCIAL Ability, the Family Situation Ability, the Health Ability and the Fitness Ability to actually accomplish this dream.
So indeed, I guess I am a lucky duck. To be born in a country where these things ARE possible. To have been given support and encouragement along the way TO REACH my dreams. Yes, I suppose I am a lucky duck.
And that lucky duck did a HECK of a lot of WORK to get the point where others could look at her and call it "lucky".
SO PLUG IN! Engage the process! Contact your Health Coach and get GOING on the FIRST STEP!!! Who knows how "lucky" YOU'LL "get" to be! =)
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
I Packed For Paris On Sunday. And Re-Packed Today.
FOR MY PARIS MARATHON !!!!!To say I am fairly excited is an understatement. To say I am SUPER-DUPER EXCITED is not.
ONE YEAR AGO I decided that April 2014 would be MY year to run my FIRST FULL MARATHON.
I had been maintaining a decent health status at a BMI of 24-25, which represented about 130 pounds lost, for about a year at that point through this AMAZING comprehensive HEALTH PLAN that I LIVE DAILY, and I made the command decision to FOCUS ON OPTIMAL and even ULTRA health.
Was I happy where I was? SURE! I was not discontented with my health status. I felt wonderful, amazing, never better, and THAT was an amazing place to make the DECISION to continue my health journey towards ULTRA health.
You see, in all of my past "diets" I had been awesome about losing weight. I could do it alongside the best of them. I had been a professional dieter. I would lose GOBS of weight. Then once I would hit my goal I would REGAIN gobs of weight. Once I hit bottom again, and experienced deep emotional pain and conflict, I'd begin ANOTHER DIET. Thing is, the commonality between all of those past attempts "to lose weight" never resulted in me KEEPING IT OFF (which is what I now call "Maintenance, not 'keeping it off'). Until THIS AMAZING HEALTH PLAN!
The plan I utilized, which came with the FREE assistance of my most amazing Health Coach who offered that extra layer of support and accountability without being a nag, without chasing me (in fact, I have called HER every week for 3 years now!), was persistent about pointing me towards Healthy Habits so that I could incrementally work on adopting those Habits of Health as my own.
When my final health journey began in 2010, I was committed to HEALTH, not LOSING WEIGHT. I was committed to TRANSITIONING TO MAINTENANCE, not "keeping IT off". And I progressed in my health goals and did indeed attain a healthy BMI. Then my focus remained on MAINTAINING OPTIMAL HEALTH which I did for an entire year. THAT was the springboard from which my Paris Marathon journey began last April.
Here is the interesting thing I learned about myself last year in April. I learned that LIFE WAS GOOD HERE (in health) and I was in a great place!
So, you ask, if I wasn't in a place of emotional pain and conflict, then why in the world would I choose to continue? What was my motivation? After all, I was in a GREAT place!
I wasn't disgusted with myself
I wasn't growing OUT of my wardrobe
I wasn't disliking what I saw in the mirror
My motivation did not spring, then, from what I wanted OUT of my life (pain, conflict, etc) but my motivation sprang from WHAT MOST AWESOME THINGS I COULD CONTINUE TO ACHIEVE as regards my health.
I was looking FORWARD to the GOOD things I would be bringing IN to my life as a result of moving towards ULTRA health!
And THAT, my friends, is the difference between having POSITIVE GOALS and NEGATIVE GOALS.
Positive goals are things I am looking FORWARD to. Negative goals are things I want to GET AWAY FROM.
On all my previous "diets" I wanted to ultimately get away from MYSELF. On THIS journey, however, I began to LOVE myself and CHERISH getting to know...ME! I didn't seek mindlessness, I didn't seek numbing out, I didn't wish the process would speed up already and I could be "done with this thing" and off of it. No. I wanted to continue IN optimal health and even achieve ULTRA health.
Have I arrived? NO! And that is the beauty of it! I never want "off this thing" because I never want "off this life!" I LOVE my life. It's good here, in health! And in addition I have attained a even MORE healthy BMI of 21-22!
So, I began planning my trip. And I made my whiteboard training schedule. And I committed to following it. And I did.
Now, on Thursday of this week, I will board an airplane to Paris. I will stay on a houseboat at the base of the Eiffel Tower for 11 beautiful intriguing exciting nights. I will walk and walk and walk. I will sit by the River Seine with my journal and get to know myself EVEN MORE. I will have an affair with the city of Paris. On April 6th I will don my running gear and shoes, present myself at the starting line with my Race Bib # 61234, and I will run. And run. And run.
This IS freedom.
Life IS good here. Come join me in Health.
ONE YEAR AGO I decided that April 2014 would be MY year to run my FIRST FULL MARATHON.
I had been maintaining a decent health status at a BMI of 24-25, which represented about 130 pounds lost, for about a year at that point through this AMAZING comprehensive HEALTH PLAN that I LIVE DAILY, and I made the command decision to FOCUS ON OPTIMAL and even ULTRA health.
Was I happy where I was? SURE! I was not discontented with my health status. I felt wonderful, amazing, never better, and THAT was an amazing place to make the DECISION to continue my health journey towards ULTRA health.
You see, in all of my past "diets" I had been awesome about losing weight. I could do it alongside the best of them. I had been a professional dieter. I would lose GOBS of weight. Then once I would hit my goal I would REGAIN gobs of weight. Once I hit bottom again, and experienced deep emotional pain and conflict, I'd begin ANOTHER DIET. Thing is, the commonality between all of those past attempts "to lose weight" never resulted in me KEEPING IT OFF (which is what I now call "Maintenance, not 'keeping it off'). Until THIS AMAZING HEALTH PLAN!
The plan I utilized, which came with the FREE assistance of my most amazing Health Coach who offered that extra layer of support and accountability without being a nag, without chasing me (in fact, I have called HER every week for 3 years now!), was persistent about pointing me towards Healthy Habits so that I could incrementally work on adopting those Habits of Health as my own.
When my final health journey began in 2010, I was committed to HEALTH, not LOSING WEIGHT. I was committed to TRANSITIONING TO MAINTENANCE, not "keeping IT off". And I progressed in my health goals and did indeed attain a healthy BMI. Then my focus remained on MAINTAINING OPTIMAL HEALTH which I did for an entire year. THAT was the springboard from which my Paris Marathon journey began last April.
Here is the interesting thing I learned about myself last year in April. I learned that LIFE WAS GOOD HERE (in health) and I was in a great place!
So, you ask, if I wasn't in a place of emotional pain and conflict, then why in the world would I choose to continue? What was my motivation? After all, I was in a GREAT place!
I wasn't disgusted with myself
I wasn't growing OUT of my wardrobe
I wasn't disliking what I saw in the mirror
My motivation did not spring, then, from what I wanted OUT of my life (pain, conflict, etc) but my motivation sprang from WHAT MOST AWESOME THINGS I COULD CONTINUE TO ACHIEVE as regards my health.
I was looking FORWARD to the GOOD things I would be bringing IN to my life as a result of moving towards ULTRA health!
And THAT, my friends, is the difference between having POSITIVE GOALS and NEGATIVE GOALS.
Positive goals are things I am looking FORWARD to. Negative goals are things I want to GET AWAY FROM.
On all my previous "diets" I wanted to ultimately get away from MYSELF. On THIS journey, however, I began to LOVE myself and CHERISH getting to know...ME! I didn't seek mindlessness, I didn't seek numbing out, I didn't wish the process would speed up already and I could be "done with this thing" and off of it. No. I wanted to continue IN optimal health and even achieve ULTRA health.
Have I arrived? NO! And that is the beauty of it! I never want "off this thing" because I never want "off this life!" I LOVE my life. It's good here, in health! And in addition I have attained a even MORE healthy BMI of 21-22!
So, I began planning my trip. And I made my whiteboard training schedule. And I committed to following it. And I did.
Now, on Thursday of this week, I will board an airplane to Paris. I will stay on a houseboat at the base of the Eiffel Tower for 11 beautiful intriguing exciting nights. I will walk and walk and walk. I will sit by the River Seine with my journal and get to know myself EVEN MORE. I will have an affair with the city of Paris. On April 6th I will don my running gear and shoes, present myself at the starting line with my Race Bib # 61234, and I will run. And run. And run.
This IS freedom.
Life IS good here. Come join me in Health.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Don't "Banish" Your Inner Brat, Recruit Her/Him!
In my journey to optimal health I found a very VERY powerful and influential ally.
My "inner brat".
Affectionately, I call her "Bratty" and I do so in love. Because you see, I'm not afraid of her, nor do I reference her with any shame. I'm proud of her.
Why you ask?
I mean, really, isn't SHE the source of all my impulsive off-plan eating decisions? Isn't SHE the voice who tells me "come on, one little bite won't matter, you can always start over over tomorrow", and isn't SHE the one who invites skepticism in the plan even when and ESPECIALLY when I'm rockin' and rollin' and doing really really well? Isn't SHE the one who sneaks in when I've had a perfectly ON PLAN day and blindsides me with a sucker punch just when I've almost made it to bed?
No.
She isn't.
Not anymore, and I'll tell you why.
Because I recruited her.
Many of us prefer to attempt to lock our inner brat in a closet AFTER duct-taping her mouth closed and putting her in a little white jacket with no arms. But you know what I found, when I indeed attempted that?
She'd pull a Houdini on me and appear out of NOWHERE and before I could even ask how in the Sam Blazes she got out she was already working her devious plans to sabotage me and my efforts.
SO. I got this WILD idea. I know my inner brat is strong. I know she is cunning. I know she usually gets what she wants.
I harnessed her strengths and thereby MINIMIZED her negative impact on my journey.
I know what you are asking, "HOW HOW HOW HOW!!!!!" I know you are thinking "Man, if I could do that I'd be SET!"
And you would.
I'm not saying it is easy and I'm not saying it is a walk in the park and I'm not saying it is the same procedure for everyone. First step, though, is that you CAN'T ignore her or put her in a corner. You need to get to KNOW her. LEARN what she likes. Find out what she's after. Find out what drives her. Because in this knowledge lies your blueprint on how to absolutely bring her over from the "dark side" to YOUR side.
OK so how did I do it SPECIFICALLY? I'm being brutally honest here, and I'll tell you that my inner brat likes shiny things. Super shiny things. Sparkly things. Beautiful things. Yes, she does. SO, all I had to do is find something that she wanted MORE than she wanted the off-plan foods and off-plan behaviors.
For me, this involved shine. A whole lot of shine. When I dropped below 200 pounds (I started at 272) I bought myself a Sterling Silver Tiffany Charm Bracelet with a single charm on it. I wore it. Alot.
And I told my inner brat that for every 10 pounds WE lost (my inner brat responds to numbers, by the way, which I don't AGREE with, I'm all for attaining and maintaining optimal health but on this my inner brat and I disagree occasionally), for every 10 pounds, we would purchase another Tiffany Charm to go on our beautiful and SHINY (did I mention shiny?) Tiffany Charm Bracelet.
She responded favorable to that notion. Any time she would be distracted by a shiny piece of cake or shiny glass of red wine (oh how that red wine sparkles in the glass in the sunlight....I digress) she would be DRAWN to the shine UNTIL I got out my charm bracelet and dangled in in front of her.
Soon enough she would take her focus OFF of the off-plan items of food or drink and she would put her focus ON the NEXT CHARM. Oh yes, I'd browse the catalog online and pick out my NEXT CHARM every 10 pounds. In this way she had a distraction. She was busy picking out the NEXT CHARM. She was too busy looking BEYOND the sparkly wine to even NOTICE the sparkly wine anymore. She was looking at the CHARM. She even began to whisper to me things like "Oh come on, you, put that corkscrew away, silly silly girl WE WANT THE CHARM!" Yes, I'm sure she said that. I'm sure it was NOT audible, lest you think I talk to MYSELF ha ha I would never do that...heh heh..heh..
OK yes I do occasionally talk to myself, er, her, uh, I guess it's the same thing.
The point of this story is that if you STOP ignoring her and find out what she truly wants MORE than the "yummy off plan food", if you treat her with respect and kindness, remember SHE IS A PART OF YOU, then you can bring her on board with your health goals.
In a way, my Paris trip is testament to this power. You see, my inner brat also loves to travel. She also has always wanted to see Paris. In this way I have kept her ON TASK through my transition and maintenance, I have kept her ON TASK and aiding me through my long runs and even my 27.3 miler last week (yes, I ran a "trial run" marathon in anticipation of running my ACTUAL marathon). I have grown to love her, and I stopped shaming her YEARS ago. She is me, I am her, and I'm not about to put part of me in a corner out of shame.
I hope this made some practical sense. It made sense to me! =)
I am a Free Certified Health Coach and would love to assist you on your journey to optimal health! Please contact me at stacymichellephillips@gmail.com and let's get going on YOUR health!
Rinse and Repeat!
My "inner brat".
Affectionately, I call her "Bratty" and I do so in love. Because you see, I'm not afraid of her, nor do I reference her with any shame. I'm proud of her.
Why you ask?
I mean, really, isn't SHE the source of all my impulsive off-plan eating decisions? Isn't SHE the voice who tells me "come on, one little bite won't matter, you can always start over over tomorrow", and isn't SHE the one who invites skepticism in the plan even when and ESPECIALLY when I'm rockin' and rollin' and doing really really well? Isn't SHE the one who sneaks in when I've had a perfectly ON PLAN day and blindsides me with a sucker punch just when I've almost made it to bed?
No.
She isn't.
Not anymore, and I'll tell you why.
Because I recruited her.
Many of us prefer to attempt to lock our inner brat in a closet AFTER duct-taping her mouth closed and putting her in a little white jacket with no arms. But you know what I found, when I indeed attempted that?
She'd pull a Houdini on me and appear out of NOWHERE and before I could even ask how in the Sam Blazes she got out she was already working her devious plans to sabotage me and my efforts.
SO. I got this WILD idea. I know my inner brat is strong. I know she is cunning. I know she usually gets what she wants.
I harnessed her strengths and thereby MINIMIZED her negative impact on my journey.
I know what you are asking, "HOW HOW HOW HOW!!!!!" I know you are thinking "Man, if I could do that I'd be SET!"
And you would.
I'm not saying it is easy and I'm not saying it is a walk in the park and I'm not saying it is the same procedure for everyone. First step, though, is that you CAN'T ignore her or put her in a corner. You need to get to KNOW her. LEARN what she likes. Find out what she's after. Find out what drives her. Because in this knowledge lies your blueprint on how to absolutely bring her over from the "dark side" to YOUR side.
OK so how did I do it SPECIFICALLY? I'm being brutally honest here, and I'll tell you that my inner brat likes shiny things. Super shiny things. Sparkly things. Beautiful things. Yes, she does. SO, all I had to do is find something that she wanted MORE than she wanted the off-plan foods and off-plan behaviors.
For me, this involved shine. A whole lot of shine. When I dropped below 200 pounds (I started at 272) I bought myself a Sterling Silver Tiffany Charm Bracelet with a single charm on it. I wore it. Alot.
And I told my inner brat that for every 10 pounds WE lost (my inner brat responds to numbers, by the way, which I don't AGREE with, I'm all for attaining and maintaining optimal health but on this my inner brat and I disagree occasionally), for every 10 pounds, we would purchase another Tiffany Charm to go on our beautiful and SHINY (did I mention shiny?) Tiffany Charm Bracelet.
She responded favorable to that notion. Any time she would be distracted by a shiny piece of cake or shiny glass of red wine (oh how that red wine sparkles in the glass in the sunlight....I digress) she would be DRAWN to the shine UNTIL I got out my charm bracelet and dangled in in front of her.
Soon enough she would take her focus OFF of the off-plan items of food or drink and she would put her focus ON the NEXT CHARM. Oh yes, I'd browse the catalog online and pick out my NEXT CHARM every 10 pounds. In this way she had a distraction. She was busy picking out the NEXT CHARM. She was too busy looking BEYOND the sparkly wine to even NOTICE the sparkly wine anymore. She was looking at the CHARM. She even began to whisper to me things like "Oh come on, you, put that corkscrew away, silly silly girl WE WANT THE CHARM!" Yes, I'm sure she said that. I'm sure it was NOT audible, lest you think I talk to MYSELF ha ha I would never do that...heh heh..heh..
OK yes I do occasionally talk to myself, er, her, uh, I guess it's the same thing.
The point of this story is that if you STOP ignoring her and find out what she truly wants MORE than the "yummy off plan food", if you treat her with respect and kindness, remember SHE IS A PART OF YOU, then you can bring her on board with your health goals.
In a way, my Paris trip is testament to this power. You see, my inner brat also loves to travel. She also has always wanted to see Paris. In this way I have kept her ON TASK through my transition and maintenance, I have kept her ON TASK and aiding me through my long runs and even my 27.3 miler last week (yes, I ran a "trial run" marathon in anticipation of running my ACTUAL marathon). I have grown to love her, and I stopped shaming her YEARS ago. She is me, I am her, and I'm not about to put part of me in a corner out of shame.
I hope this made some practical sense. It made sense to me! =)
I am a Free Certified Health Coach and would love to assist you on your journey to optimal health! Please contact me at stacymichellephillips@gmail.com and let's get going on YOUR health!
Rinse and Repeat!
Friday, March 21, 2014
Review of an Awesome Book and the Applications for My Life
I received a book a few days ago that someone
recommended me to read, called Influencer: The New Science of Leading
Change by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, David
Maxfield, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler. These are the best-selling
Authors of another book, Crucial Conversations which I have yet to read
but I think it is next!
In the "Influencer" book, there are THREE areas where influencers operate with great skill:
"1) Focus and Measure: Influencers are crystal clear about the result they are trying to achieve and are zealous about measuring it.
2) Find Vital Behaviors: Influencers focus on high-leverage behaviors that drive results. More specifically, they focus on the two or three vital actions that produce the greatest amount of change.
3) Engage all six sources of influence: Influencers break from the pack by overdetermining change. Where most of us apply a favorite tool or two to our important challenges, influencers identify all of the varied forces that are shaping the behavior they want to change and then get them working FOR rather than AGAINST them. And now for the really good news. According to our research, by getting six different sources of influence to work in their favor, influencers increase their odds of success tenfold."
This is a pretty awesome book so far! I realize that I have been the MAJOR INFLUENCER of MY OWN BEHAVIOR during this process of getting healthy! I've employed ALL THREE of the areas discussed above! Without even knowing I was doing anything formal LOL!
Because if you think about it, the FIRST PERSON we need to influence in order to CHANGE OUR OWN LIVES is......OURSELVES. And I know by experience I was a tough nut to crack.
Take #1: I have always said we need to be CRYSTAL CLEAR about where we are HEADED in this process of getting healthy. Not some vague ambition about "I wanna lose weight...I really really wanna lose weight.." which is so uninspiring to me I want to run away when I hear it. No. Crystal clear on the POSITIVE OUTCOME we want to achieve. Not what we want to LOSE. What we want to GAIN. Specifics, people, SPECIFICS. Crystal clarity means you can see the intricate detail. Even "to get healthy" is pretty vague, so I had to go about defining EXACTLY what that meant FOR ME. WHAT did "getting healthy" mean? So I did that.
Then #2: Finding vital behaviors. I knew that if I didn't absolutely retool and redirect a few vital behaviors which were sending me in the WRONG direction I would never achieve lasting change. Therefore I INTRODUCED Habits of Health in to my life. I made them SO ROUTINE in my life as to repeat them DAILY with ease. Incremental, sustainable changes that I could bring INTO my life. I didn't focus on the behaviors I wanted OUT of my life, those habits of disease, but I focused on BRINGING IN habits of HEALTH which necessarily edged out the habits of disease because the two habits could not exist simultaneously in my life.
Finally, #3: The six sources they refer to as they expand this concept are:
*Personal Motivation
*Personal Ability
*Social Motivation
*Social Ability
*Structural Motivation
*Structural Ability
I'll break these down for you:
*Personal Motivation = Do I ENJOY the process of getting healthy?
*Personal Ability = Can I physically do what I want to do?
*Social Motivation = do others encourage me to enact the wrong behaviors?
*Social Ability = Do others encourage me to success?
*Structural Motivation = Am I surrounding myself with "things" that are enabling my performance, or am I surrounding myself with "things" that are disabling performance? Ask are the things I surround myself with, or the things I reward myself with encouraging success or encouraging behaviors that will sabotage my success?
*Structural Ability = "environment" can either enable or disable performance. To examine this source, ask does my environment enable me for success?
One of the biggest hindrances I found in both my own journey and helping others is #1, personal motivation. Do I enjoy the process of getting healthy?
This is an absolutely foundational question to answer for ourselves. Because if we allow ourselves to continue viewing this process as one big bummer, one big restriction, one big deprivation, then it will ABSOLUTELY remain that for us and we won't even have an opportunity or desire to establish the other 5 sources to harness them for success.
We won't want to. Why do something we don't want to do? After all, we live in a free country, right? We don't LIKE being uncomfortable. We don't LIKE doing things we perceive as CHORES. BUMMERS. KILL-JOYS. And let's face it, we can only hold our breath (another unpleasant task) for SO LONG before we have to burst out of the water and get some oxygen. If our oxygen is yummy nummy food, then that is exactly what we will reach for in SPADES when we come up for air. If our oxygen is AWESOME HEALTH then we will continue doing the behaviors that will enable us to REMAIN in optimal health once we GET there.
So, the FIRST step in utilizing all 6 sources of inspiration/motivation on your journey to health is to GET HAPPY in the PROCESS. Make PEACE with your limitations and find JOY in your journey.
No Eyores here is what I'm sayin'. Can you hear him now, in his Eyore voice? "Ho-hum, another bummer day doing another bummer diet, life is full of disappointment and deprivation..."
Wow this blog has run long but I am just excited about what I'm learning and how I can apply it to my journey! I may edit later and add thoughts, but my brain is full and no more words will come out right now LOL.
Rinse and Repeat!
In the "Influencer" book, there are THREE areas where influencers operate with great skill:
"1) Focus and Measure: Influencers are crystal clear about the result they are trying to achieve and are zealous about measuring it.
2) Find Vital Behaviors: Influencers focus on high-leverage behaviors that drive results. More specifically, they focus on the two or three vital actions that produce the greatest amount of change.
3) Engage all six sources of influence: Influencers break from the pack by overdetermining change. Where most of us apply a favorite tool or two to our important challenges, influencers identify all of the varied forces that are shaping the behavior they want to change and then get them working FOR rather than AGAINST them. And now for the really good news. According to our research, by getting six different sources of influence to work in their favor, influencers increase their odds of success tenfold."
This is a pretty awesome book so far! I realize that I have been the MAJOR INFLUENCER of MY OWN BEHAVIOR during this process of getting healthy! I've employed ALL THREE of the areas discussed above! Without even knowing I was doing anything formal LOL!
Because if you think about it, the FIRST PERSON we need to influence in order to CHANGE OUR OWN LIVES is......OURSELVES. And I know by experience I was a tough nut to crack.
Take #1: I have always said we need to be CRYSTAL CLEAR about where we are HEADED in this process of getting healthy. Not some vague ambition about "I wanna lose weight...I really really wanna lose weight.." which is so uninspiring to me I want to run away when I hear it. No. Crystal clear on the POSITIVE OUTCOME we want to achieve. Not what we want to LOSE. What we want to GAIN. Specifics, people, SPECIFICS. Crystal clarity means you can see the intricate detail. Even "to get healthy" is pretty vague, so I had to go about defining EXACTLY what that meant FOR ME. WHAT did "getting healthy" mean? So I did that.
Then #2: Finding vital behaviors. I knew that if I didn't absolutely retool and redirect a few vital behaviors which were sending me in the WRONG direction I would never achieve lasting change. Therefore I INTRODUCED Habits of Health in to my life. I made them SO ROUTINE in my life as to repeat them DAILY with ease. Incremental, sustainable changes that I could bring INTO my life. I didn't focus on the behaviors I wanted OUT of my life, those habits of disease, but I focused on BRINGING IN habits of HEALTH which necessarily edged out the habits of disease because the two habits could not exist simultaneously in my life.
Finally, #3: The six sources they refer to as they expand this concept are:
*Personal Motivation
*Personal Ability
*Social Motivation
*Social Ability
*Structural Motivation
*Structural Ability
I'll break these down for you:
*Personal Motivation = Do I ENJOY the process of getting healthy?
*Personal Ability = Can I physically do what I want to do?
*Social Motivation = do others encourage me to enact the wrong behaviors?
*Social Ability = Do others encourage me to success?
*Structural Motivation = Am I surrounding myself with "things" that are enabling my performance, or am I surrounding myself with "things" that are disabling performance? Ask are the things I surround myself with, or the things I reward myself with encouraging success or encouraging behaviors that will sabotage my success?
*Structural Ability = "environment" can either enable or disable performance. To examine this source, ask does my environment enable me for success?
One of the biggest hindrances I found in both my own journey and helping others is #1, personal motivation. Do I enjoy the process of getting healthy?
This is an absolutely foundational question to answer for ourselves. Because if we allow ourselves to continue viewing this process as one big bummer, one big restriction, one big deprivation, then it will ABSOLUTELY remain that for us and we won't even have an opportunity or desire to establish the other 5 sources to harness them for success.
We won't want to. Why do something we don't want to do? After all, we live in a free country, right? We don't LIKE being uncomfortable. We don't LIKE doing things we perceive as CHORES. BUMMERS. KILL-JOYS. And let's face it, we can only hold our breath (another unpleasant task) for SO LONG before we have to burst out of the water and get some oxygen. If our oxygen is yummy nummy food, then that is exactly what we will reach for in SPADES when we come up for air. If our oxygen is AWESOME HEALTH then we will continue doing the behaviors that will enable us to REMAIN in optimal health once we GET there.
So, the FIRST step in utilizing all 6 sources of inspiration/motivation on your journey to health is to GET HAPPY in the PROCESS. Make PEACE with your limitations and find JOY in your journey.
No Eyores here is what I'm sayin'. Can you hear him now, in his Eyore voice? "Ho-hum, another bummer day doing another bummer diet, life is full of disappointment and deprivation..."
Wow this blog has run long but I am just excited about what I'm learning and how I can apply it to my journey! I may edit later and add thoughts, but my brain is full and no more words will come out right now LOL.
Rinse and Repeat!
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