Motivational Monday

Motivational Monday

Motivational Monday – You Choose

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Motivational Monday

You have met your weight loss goal…now what?

If you are anything like me, you do much better with goals. I met my weight loss goal back around the new year and decided to stop logging my food at the end of January. It was nice not logging my food but after awhile I felt lost! I thrive on self-motivation and not having any specific goals over the last couple of months has been detrimental to me both physically and mentally. So what do you do when you don’t need to lose anymore weight but you still need goals? 

I decided to commit to lose the couple of pounds I gained back and to get toned! My mom and I are going on a cruise in April, so that is a good amount of time to get in shape for bathing suit season! I had stopped going to the gym as often as I like because of scheduling conflicts, so that is another goal. Try to go at least four times per week! When I was going regularly, I felt better and had more energy (both mentally and physically). I just signed up for two classes this week at 6:15am. I am NOT a morning person so that was a huge step for me!

What other personal goals have you set after you have met your weight loss or fitness goals? Share your story!

How much is too much?

Anyone who knows me knows I love NBC’s weight-loss reality show Biggest Loser! There are a number of annoying caveats to the show that I am forced to ignore like the well-placed commercials for the show’s sponsors like Brita and Jennie-O. Aside from that, I think the show has merit. America is FAT! Not just a little overweight but morbidly obese. According to the American Heart Association, 154.7 million Americans over the age of 20 are overweight or obese. Since the show’s debut in 2004, contestants have lost tons (literally) of weight. Not to mention, the viewers who have participated in the at-home challenges. The idea of a show that promotes a healthy lifestyle and gives people hope is my choice over teen mom’s or overweight child beauty pageant contestants any day.

There have been years of criticism regarding the over-the-top training methods. However, numbers don’t lie. Contestants lose body fat and gain muscle and they get their lives back. Not all of the contestants maintain the weight loss and they have had several return for additional assistance from the trainers but overall, they find a new appreciation for life and good health.

We were all shocked when this season’s winner, Rachel walked out from behind the curtain at a scary 105 pounds. After losing 60% of her body weight, the trainers were floored and albeit a little freaked out when they saw her. The main thing that kept drawing my attention was her face; she appeared gaunt and unhealthy. According to several of the articles I read, people were criticizing the show for not paying attention to the off-camera habits of the contestants and allowing for unhealthy practices. I have watched almost all 15 seasons of this show and I have never seen anyone go to that extreme. Perhaps Rachel’s circumstances were an anomaly? Perhaps she had previous issues with eating disorders that reappeared during the show? Bottom line is that she was under a doctor’s care the entire time and they did not see an issue with her weight. Even if they did, they cannot make her eat more or exercise less.

Critics will use this one instance to bash the show, however I hope that people will continue to see the show as a positive light in the negative realm of reality television shows. 

What do you think? Do you think Rachel went to far? Do you think the show is responsible or does this point to the personal responsibility of the contestants?

Resolutions & Goals

According to the University of Scranton Journal of Clinical Psychology, the top 5 resolutions for 2014 are:

1. Lose Weight
2. Get Organized
3. Spend Less, Save More
4. Enjoy Life to the Fullest
5. Staying Fit and Healthy

45% of Americans make New Year Resolutions and a mere 8% of those are successful in completing those resolutions!

Want to know how to be part of that 8%? Here are a couple of practical solutions to help you meet your goals/resolutions in 2014.

Be Specific
Try not to set blanket goals like, “I want to lose weight this year.” Instead, be specific and say “I want to lose 5 pounds by March 1.”

Be Realistic
Don’t set yourself up for failure! Set realistic goals for yourself. If you are starting a job in the mail room, don’t set a goal to be CEO of the company by 2015. (A mild exaggeration, but you get the point.)

Be Original
Make your goals specific to you! A friend or family member may have similar goals but signing up to lose 30 pounds with a friend when you clearly don’t have 30 pounds to lose will only hurt you in the end.

Write Goals Down
Physically writing your goals down and posting them where you can see them everyday will help you stay focused. Try keeping a journal about your progress as well! You will have something to look back on after you have met your goals.

Share Your Goals
Sharing your goals with a spouse, friend or family member will allow them to help you stay on track. It is easier to meet your goals when you have a great support system.

Resolutions come and go. Try incorporating lifestyle changes that will help you live a healthy and happy life and also benefit your loved ones. Focus on positive, permanent solutions that will improve your quality of life.

Thank you for reading and I look forward to helping all of you find joy in a healthy lifestyle in 2014!

Happy New Year!
Ivey Nutrition & Wellness, LLC

This is Your Life!

In the 1950’s there was a popular TV show called “This is Your Life” hosted by Ralph Edwards. Guests were invited on the show under false pretenses and were surprised by a narrative of their life story with a special guest from their past.

 

Do you ever stop, take a look around and say “this is my life?” (note the intentional question mark); or perhaps your statement involves an exclamation mark? Over the last year, I have used both a question mark and an exclamation mark when reviewing my life. Introspection is important to determine the path we are on and the path on which we intend to be. The Holiday season tends to be the most popular time for introspection. What changes will you make in the new year? New career? A baby? Weight loss? It feels as if the world is our oyster as the new year approaches. Take some time in the upcoming weeks to journal about 2013 and decide what areas of your life can use improvement and/or the areas where you excelled! You may be surprised at the results.

After all, THIS is YOUR life!

Motivational Monday – PMA (Positive Mental Attitude)

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.

-Thomas Jefferson

This subject came up this weekend when our daughter who is getting ready to take an entrance exam to a private high school said she was sure she would do terrible on the math and history potions of the exam. We stopped her immediately and explained that even if she really felt that way she should not keep saying it. We instructed her to be positive about the test and keep telling herself and others that she would ace it!

Start today by visualizing your success in whatever task you are given. You might surprise yourself with the results!

Motivational Monday – Running is Mental

What a weekend! My mom and completed our 4th Women’s Running Series Half Marathon. We drove down to St. Pete yesterday and visited the expo to pick up our race packets and enjoyed an amazing dinner at a great restaurant on Beach Drive! Sunday morning we got up before dawn and made our ways to the start.

We stay at a hotel right across the street from the starting line so it is super convenient! 3-2-1 and we were off! The first 7 miles went by pretty fast. I found the 2:00 pace group and was able to keep up with them for a good distance. Since I wanted to finish in under 2:00, I figured I would stick with them until the end. Around mile 8 my legs were yelling at me. I had done a 10 mile training run so this was odd. We came upon a water station with Power Gel so I decided I better grab one. As I was eating that and drinking water, I watched the 2:00 group get further and further away. “That is OK,” I thought, “If I can keep the 2:00 sign in my sights, I can still beat my previous time.”

Off I went and each mile, the more my legs hurt and the sign got further away. I tried every mental trick in the book; I listened to music, prayed, recited mantras, you name it but nothing seemed to work. Finally, I saw the 10 mile sign and I knew I only had a 5K (3.1 miles) left. That was the hardest 3.1 miles of my life! Thank goodness for the cheering spectators along the route; they make the experience so much better. So I started with my mantras and prayers again and continued through the final stretch. As I turned the corner, I saw I was nearing the finish line. According to my watch, I was so close to my 2:00 goal! I heard the cheering and the announcer and there it was! “Pick up your feet!” I told myself, “you have a little push left.” I heard them announce the 2:00 pace group just in front of me, so I knew the possibility was still there to make it in under 2:05. I finally made it across the finish line at 2:00:51 on their clock and 1:59:10 on my watch. I did it! I beat my PR!

My official time was 1:58:57 🙂 We did it! We both finished and both agreed that this was the toughest half-marathon we had completed. I am so proud of my mom! She ran with a cold and still made great time. She is an inspiration! 

I saw a funny bumper sticker in the parking lot of the hotel that said,
“Running is a mental sport and we’re all insane!”
After this race, I would have to agree!