It is ALL Up to Us!

This was too spot on to not post to the blog.  It is all up to us.  Be positive instead of negative. Say "I can" instead of "I can't".  Push your own limits and be proud of your accomplishments.  Be contagious and share your smile.  Train yourself with self-discipline to get up a little earlier and then add a little earlier still. I am so not a morning person, but guess what? Only 15 minutes earlier for a month and then another 15 minutes and now I'm up and at 'em a full hour before I used to drag myself out of bed.  Let's just be our BEST selves, friends.  : )

Jump Into January with SMART Goals!

So here we go again... a New Year is upon us and many of us scramble around trying to imagine our lives in perfect order and everything is in cosmic alignment. Hate to burst your bubble, but no one's life is ever going to be perfect... let's settle for great! :)

I don't like New Year resolutions - I think they're a set-up for failure because they're often so broad there is no way (or a very slim margin that) they can be accomplished. And the failure of living up to our good intentions often is downright depressing which - for some - can lead to a downward spiral.  Who needs THAT?! I certainly don't and doubt you do either.

So let's do this for the New Year:  Let's set Smart GOALS! 

A Smart Goal is a Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Restricted Goal.  If I were to set a goal of being able to run a full marathon on April 19th (Boston Marathon Day), that wouldn't work because it is Specific and Measurable but it is NOT Attainable or Realistic for me... being that I don't currently run at all!   What would be a Smart Goal is to run a 5k by April 19th and to set my sights on that attainable, realistic and time related goal.

I rejoined the YMCA on Monday evening.  It felt darn good to walk in that door again, plunk down my hard earned cash and have a goal in mind and be doing something about achieving that.  When I went home, I finally took the time to scan through my "On Demand" section of my cable stations and found that Gaiam TV is free for me with my subscription and has a huge array of yoga, aerobic, pilates, kick boxing (by Jillian Michaels!), and more classes/routines. I'll be using those as well.

My goals for January are:

1. Get to the YMCA every Saturday, Monday, Wednesday.
2. Work out at home every Thursday, Sunday.
3. Walk 2 miles daily (I have my dog, Ruari, to walk, anyway, so this is fairly easy for me to check off).
4. Eat no more than 1200-1300 calories daily and lean toward whole foods wherever possible.

Join me in January to get a jump on great goals for 2015 and join #hlgJumpInJan challenge on Twitter!  Remember that is really important and effective to WRITE OUT your goals on paper.  It helps, believe me! 

Happy New Year and happy, healthy 2015, friends!

Dream. Believe. Achieve!

HealthyLoserGal / Jan 

Two Weeks of August ALL In Challenge

I'm a fan of Tony Robbins and have been for years and years. I have loved and believed in his quote below:

A real decision 

is measured by the fact

that you've taken a new action. 

If there's no action, 

you haven't truly decided.

I am ready for some massive ACTION.  I have goals written down that I damn well am going to accomplish. I need to take action and reclaim some pride in myself and my ability to STICK TO IT! 

Brian Tracy says that self-discipline is the most important component to any success.  Self-discipline is getting out of bed in the morning when your alarm goes off and NOT hitting the snooze button.  Self-discipline is laying your workout or walking or running clothes and sneakers (I'm an East Coast girl, we call them sneakers, you can call them 'running shoes' if you must!) the night BEFORE so there is no excuse that you can't find them in the morning. Self-discipline is walking the full three miles at 6am you planned on - - not just one mile, not just two. It is doing the whole set of repS at the gym, not just a few. Self-discipline is telling yourself that you're going to do something and DOING IT!  Self-discipline is planning your healthy meals, drinking your water, taking your vitamins, preparing your protein shakes, writing your goals out, logging your food, and doing what you said you were going to do.  Make no excuses to yourself about yourself because there is no heavier weight in this world than the weight of regret. 

On Monday, August 19th I am going to begin two weeks of an intensive (for me!) fitness and weight loss plan.  On challenges I've organized here, on Twitter, and Facebook before I have always allowed for "days off" during the month long challenge.  With only two weeks left in August, this HealthyLoserGal August ALL IN Challenge won't be taking any days off.  We're going full steam ahead into September which happens to be one of my favorite months of the year - full of new starts and new possibilities.  

For two weeks I challenge you to set a walking and/or running goal and to write that goal down in a journal. I am going to be walking a minimum of 2 miles daily to total no less than 15 miles a week.  Every other day I will be in the gym during the work week and both days of the weekend for an hour or more (but no more than 2 hours).  So Tues-Thurs-Sat-Sunday will be my gym days.  If possible, I'll fit in more.

I will be working on my core with stability ball and floor exercises and my arms and legs with free weights and nautilus machines.  I will drink half my weight in water each day (and will probably log another mile weekly in trotting to and from the Ladies Room! lol).  I will plan my food for the week on Sundays, shop on Sundays, prepare anything that needs to be cooked and/or made ahead, and not waiver from these planned meals.

I will be grateful for each and every obstacle that pops up and that I have the self-discipline to overcome. I will be positive about the challenge and the fact that I am working hard toward goals that I am achieving. I will encourage my friends here, on Twitter, and on Facebook to stick to their goals and plans because working out and reaching goals with a community is far better than going it solo! ; )

So... here are the #hlgAugALLin challenge details:

1)  Set a fitness goal for either walking or running for the 14 days.  If you're morbidly obese or completely out of shape, 1/4 mile to begin with is doable for anyone and I know you can do it!  I will be rooting you on!

2)  Plan out your food and get ready to count calories. There are plenty of online sites, apps,etc. but I like FitDay.com which is a great FREE resource for planning, counting and logging food (and exercise)! They have an iPhone app, too.  If you're trying to lose weight, don't go below 1200 calories or over 2000 daily, it is that easy.  It takes 3500 calories burned to lose a pound.  Watch what you're putting in because you're going to have to work it OFF to lose weight.  Calories in / calories out.  When planning your food, plan to drink lots and lots of water!  Water is soooo important to good health.

3) Set a second fitness goal that you can do 4x each of the two weeks.  You saw that I'll be in the gym and what I am going to be doing (notice I didn't say that I am 'planning' to do!).  Depending on your current level of fitness, you should chose something that will challenge you, that will take you a little bit out of your comfort zone so that - when you accomplish it - you will be exhilarated and proud of yourself for sticking to it!

People with clear, written goals, 

accomplish far more 

in a shorter period of time 

than people without them 

could ever imagine.

Brian Tracy

4). Finally, plan to write down your two week challenge goals and keep a journal for the two weeks.  Your journal can include as little as your goals (a must!) and a record of everything you ate and drank, your exercise log, and the times you got up and went to bed.  Or it include much more (and I suggest you write about your feelings and your own habits and self-discipline struggles in your journal) including your moods, your hopes for your health and fitness, your short term and long term goals, and your observations of how you're doing.  If you have failures, they should be journaled, too, because often times our failures teach us great lessons that we can overcome in the future.  This challenge isn't about perfection, it is about progress and improvement. 

I'd love to have you join me on August 19th to start off August ALL In Challenge!  We *can* be self-disciplined and achieve our goals without the regrets of giving in to temptation! Only 14 days are between you and achieving your August goals.  Who's "all in"?  : ) 

Jan / HealthyLoserGal 

Ready. Set. Dream.

It is always the right time to dream new dreams... bigger dreams... and to bring dreams back to life that you may have given up on long ago!  Drag those "I could never do that..." and "How could I possibly go there?" phrases to the curb and give them a good hard kick 'bye bye'.  You need to reclaim yourself and your dreams and believe that anything is possible again.  Because (psssttttt!)... anything IS possible!  YOU just have to believe in yourself and turn those negative little voices in your head and sometimes the negative voices surrounding you in your life ("supposed" friends, family members who don't wish to see you succeed or change for selfish reasons of their own, your group at your work, you know the ones who are in this category!) into positive beliefs and positive influences in your life.

All successful people men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.
Brian Tracy 

If you follow the blog or have seen my tweets, you must know I am a big believer in "Dream. Believe. Achieve!".  : ) I've just completed a new DREAM BOARD (also called a Vision Board) as I'm embarking on a new chapter in my life as I return to my fitness and health disciplines and as I embark on a very exciting new healthy business venture!  It was time for me to renew my goals and dreams in my own life, to think about "what do I *really* want in my life", "where do I want to be in one year, two years, five years", "if I weren't worried about (fill in the blank), I would...".  I absolutely love having a dream board because I KNOW the dreams on the board, with action put behind them, and belief in yourself and (for me) God and the universe to bring you the dreams you have, and deep gratitude for what you already have becomes dreams realized.  Four years ago I put up my 2009 dream board as my background on Twitter because I knew - that way - I would see it every day, a couple of times a day, and would be reminded of what my dreams were... where I was focusing my energy and momentum.  I have purposefully left that board up for you to take a look at because I have achieved 75 percent of the goals I once thought "out of reach".  75%!!

So let's get started so that you can begin making your own Dream Board and allow great things to appear in your life, too.














1.  Find something to use as a "board"... it can be an old white paper bag, or a poster board, or a piece of foam board that you can buy for under $2 in most office supply stores.  It can be whatever size you feel you'd like it to be... mine is foam board and BIG! :)   You'll need scissors and a glue stick and a stack of old magazines or newspapers or wherever you can find inspiration!

2.  Lay back, close your eyes and DREAM!  What do you really want in your life?  Be specific! Do you have fitness goals?  Do you want to be able to walk a mile without having to stop?  Do you want to skydive?  Do you want to be a marathoner?  (Remember, even if you can't walk 1/4 mile now, you can STILL believe in yourself and your ability to achieve ANY dream, so if you want to run a marathon... that is a dream/goal for you to write down!) You don't have to know now how it is going to come true, just add it to your dreams! Now... what about your personal life?  Are you happy in your relationships?  Do you wish you could see your family more? Do you wish you had more girlfriends?  What about your finances? Do you wish you were able to afford new outfits every season?  New running shoes?  A vacation home on a lake?  A second car? A motor home?  A trip to Australia?  Whatever YOUR DREAMS are - they are your dreams and worth going after.  No one else has the right or the ability to dismiss your dreams.  You get to hold onto them, believe in them, believe they can and WILL come true.  

3.  Write the dreams and goals down.  Big and small.  Make a list and date it.  (You're going to put this list into an envelope and paste the dated envelope on the back of your dream board!)

4.  Now begin paging through your magazines and materials and cut out everything and anything that appeals to you or attracts you.  Words that mean something to you personally, images of people doing things that are part of your goal.  You'll see in the photos that I have cut out a photo of a woman jumping up onto a high box.  I cannot do this yet.  (Note the "yet"!)  But I have a goal to do this and I will do this.  And the photo is a reminder of this goal.  When I see it now every morning, I say to myself, "I've GOT that!"  That positive attitude may take a little work for some people at first, but attitude is like a muscle, it may hurt a little and feel uncomfortable for a little bit, but pretty soon that positive nature and attitude will be second nature to you and not feel odd at all. We ALL want to be positive people, that is how we feel best - when we're smiling and happy.

5. Start a big pile of all your dream photos and words, phrases and begin to lay them out on your board.  I segregate my dream board a little because it is so big... I have a personal fitness side, the middle is about dreaming, believing, and achieving, and the other side is about financial, relationship and business goals I have for myself.  But you should organize your dream/vision board however you feel best it works for you!

6.  Finally, starting pasting down the photos.  I paste and say to myself with each photo or phrase I put down "This dream of jumping on a high box will come true before (and then insert a date) and I will be so excited to have achieved this goal! Thank you, God!"  Sounds a little crazy at first, but I learned this part of the process from reading Jack Canfield's "The Success Principles" and it seems to have changed how I look at each phrase or photo to being able to single them out individually in my mind and know their intent.

7.  When your board is dry, turn it over and paste the back of an envelope to the board and fold up your list of dreams/goals and put it into the envelope, dated.  Let it dry and then find a place you can put your dream board every single day.  If you want to hang it on your bedroom or bathroom wall, a cheap, easy way to make a hanging hook is to take a large paperclip and bend the top outward, taking a piece of duct tape and taking the flat part of the paperclip to the back of your Dream Board.

It is best to hang or place the board where you'll see it multiple times a day.  Take a photo of it and use the photo as your desktop wallpaper and your smartphone background.  Print the photo out and stick it on your frig as a reminder of your dreams and goals.

People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine.

Brian Tracy 

Believe in your goals and take action to make them come true.  Every dream is achievable if you're willing to work hard enough, give up or go after what it is that is needed to accomplish them.

Good luck with your dream board.  I would LOVE to see photos of them on my HealthyLoser Gal Facebook wall! : )  If you have any questions, leave me notes in the comments here and I'll get back to you with an answer as best I can!

Here are a few additional resources that I like about Dream Boards and Vision Boards:

From Jack Canfield: http://jackcanfield.com/how-to-create-an-empowering-vision-book/
From Oprah: O Dream Board: Envision Your Best Life
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/O-Dream-Board-Envision-Your-Best-LifeTM

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Rise and Shine: Awesome April Challenge

Spring is such a wonderful time to witness renewal and rebirth as the world comes to life around us. Daffodils peak at us from beneath soggy leaves in gardens and burst forth with beauty.  The days are suddenly longer and warmer and call for us to get out in nature and enjoy the sites around us.

I hope you'll join me this month in the Awesome April challenge which is all about "rising" in two ways... rising in the morning and rising to the challenge.  And it is about "shining".  In this month you're going to conquer (or be on your way to conquering) something that you didn't think you could do.  It doesn't have to be a HUGE goal... but it does have to be something that perhaps only you - in the very depths of your thoughts - realize that you need to change in order to true SHINE!

If you're anything like me (and it is scientifically proven), you slow down your pace in the winter months. I slowed down to the point of hardly exercising at all and have every excuse in the book to give you if you'd like to know why! *grin*  But I'm planning to 'rise' off the couch and 'rise' out of bed in the morning and find my exercise renewed in April.

Here are the challenge details:

Rise up 30 minutes earlier than you are now.  Now I *know* this is going to be difficult for those of you who already do wake up at the crack of dawn and may have classes or kids or a husband or ... (you fill in the blank) to take care of the moment you open your eyes.  If this is the case, then you need to find 30 minutes every day AT THE SAME TIME that is just for you.  It is proven that if you can keep a new routine for 40 days (so May 10th for us if you start the challenge on April 1st), then it becomes habit and no longer may seem like a chore.

In those 30 "rise and shine" minutes you're going to dedicate yourself to renewing yourself in the month of April somehow. I'll be walking and planning out my day in my head.  You might write in a journal or write out your goals for the day.  If you're just starting to exercise, begin slowly but you might start by doing a short walk around your block or an at-home walking dvd or beginner's exercise dvd.  If you're exercising now and feel confident in that way, then give yourself 30 minutes of meditative time... quiet your inner-self and just listen to what your heart is telling you might be one way in which you could renew yourself.

Now, the second part of the challenge is all about SHINING.  If I were to have you write out an answer to a question and no one (but yourself) would ever see it, how would you answer the following question:
To be truly content and feel good about myself, the one thing I know I need to work on is (fill in the blank).

What was that one thing you JUST thought of?  THAT is what you need to rise and shine and meet this challenge to work on.  Do you need to stop watching too much television?  Do you need to stop drinking soda, diet soda, alcohol? Do you need to start eating less, stop eating processed foods?  Stop your Friday night pizza (oops... that one was for me!). Do you need to set an exercise goal and then stick to it? You know what it is.  In the next 30 days, make a plan for yourself to conquer and rise above what is holding you back from feeling content and good about YOU!  If you need help from a friend to do so...ask for the help.  If you need to see your doctor, go see her.  If you need some inspiration when you're feeling down, I'm a comment or a tweet or an email away. (And I may need some encouragement from you, too!) : )

You CAN rise above your fears and have an awesome April.  We all can do it together.

So? Who is "in" for the Rise and Shine Awesome April challenge?  We've got this! :)

Here's to our health friends!
HealthyLoserGal / Jan

PS: Use hashtag #hlgAwesomeApril on Twitter to post comments and encourage other challengers.  Thanks!

Believe in YOURSELF!

From quotablecards.com

As the New Year begins, these words above are never more true. I believe in setting goals, not making resolutions.

 

Write down three goals you have for this month.  Put those goals somewhere you'll see them everyday... your frig, your bathroom mirror, write them, take a photo and make them your phone's screensaver! And then - every single day - work toward your goals.  Push yourself beyond  your own comfort level.  Sweat.  Sweat a lot.  Reward yourself with little trinkets (not food!) when you've achieved a significant milestone. Break up with your couch! ; )  Have a personal mantra while you're striving toward your goal.  Say to yourself throughout every day "I am awesome.  I can do this.  I am proving to myself how much I can do."  

 

I believe we're going to have a GREAT 2013.  I believe in YOU... now it is your turn to believe in YOURSELF! :)

 

Here's to our health!

Dream. Believe. Achieve!

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Gift of Fitness & Health Challenge: Week 10 Check-In

Can you believe it?! Here we are in Week 10 of the challenge... only 19 days left, my friends!  Give yourself some love for hanging in!  How are you doing? I am so darn impressed with you who have stuck it through all these weeks.  I know some have fell off and then rejoined and I think that is so great... don't give up.  Keep believing in yourself and get back on the plan and go-baby-go!  Together we can finish stong! 

So how has this past week been for you?  How has the overall Gift of Fitness and Health 90 Day challenge been for your fitness and /or weight goals?  Have you been supported by others in your life or through the blog or on Twitter and Facebook?  Let's hear how you're doing in Comments!

xo

Dream... Believe... Achieve!
Jan / Healthy Loser Gal

Halfway up the mountain! Gift of Fitness Challenge: Week 7 Check-in!

Have you ever gone rock or mountain climbing and you get halfway up to the peak and you look down?  And you stop a moment and think to yourself "Oh, I have climbed halfway, that is really great... I didn't think I would get this far.  Look down there at the base... I could climb down now and still be satisfied... and safe because I know I'll get down there without any difficulties."

Or you can keep climbing up!  You can dig in your heels and plant your feet and reach for your goals and CLIMB to the top... go for the finish... especially when the end is in site.  Does it get easier in the second half of a journey?  Not always.  You may have trained yourself and conditioned yourself during the first half to expect certain obstacles and overcome them.  But, in my experience, there is always something new that will pop up to challenge you, to allow you to test yourself and feel that thrill of reaching a once out-of-site goal.

Let's do this!  Let's finish the rest of this challenge strong and on target.  Remember to write down your goals... revise them if you feel that will help you... believe in yourself... journal your activities and food daily... plan your meals and snacks and exercise... don't waiver from your belief in your own abilities and CELEBRATE every single achievement, large or small.  Every ounce of energy you put into this challenge of fitness and health will come back to you in unmeasurable ways.  You may see 'measurable' results on the scale or the tape measure or in besting personal fitness goals, but you can't see the internal pride you'll feel by keeping promises to yourself.

I'm rooting for you, friends.  And I'm rooting for myself, too.  Let's keep supporting each other and hit the second half of this challenge full throttle! : )

Check-in here for WEEK 7 through the comments... I want to hear your accomplishments and challenges and will be rewarding those of you climbing, stretching, challenging yourself to reach your own goals!

Dream.
Believe.
Achieve!

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Gift of Fitness Challenge: Week 6 Check-In

Apologies for getting the check-in posted a day late.  I didn't have any power at my home from Saturday night until last night (Monday) due to the freak Nor`easter than blanketed New England with snow and then with fallen trees and power lines!  I did a little happy dance and yelled out 'woohooo!' when the power was restored last night.  I think sleeping in a room that is below 50 degrees is not exactly my cup of tea.  At one point I wondered how many calories I was burning from shivering! ; )

So we're into week six now.  I'm down 8 pounds since the challenge began which I'm happy with.  I know other challengers are doing incredible on their goals and have far exceeded my 8 lbs.  But we need to remember this isn't a competition against one another but a challenge to meet our own expectations and goals that we've set.  And it isn't all about weight loss, fitness is key, too. 

Are you walking, moving, biking, Wii'ing (lol...sounds funny that way, huh?) so you can Move It to Lose It? Check-in below and let me know how you're doing... remember there are incentives coming up for those of you who keep up with the challenge and continue to check in and support and encourage one another.  Also, friends... if you're struggling -- shout out to us and let me and others know you need support.  There is power in numbers.

Here's to our health!

Dream.
Believe.
Achieve!

Jan/HealthyLoserGal

Be Proud of Your Accomplishments!

Does anyone else love the movie "What About Bob?" with Bill Murray?  If you recall the movie, Bob (played by Murray) has many phobias, one is leaving his house... so Dr. Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfus) teaches him how to "baby step" to overcome his fears.

Not such bad advice!

I am really so impressed by how far each one of us can come if we just believe in our own selves!  Pushing aside those negative "inside your head tapes" of "I'll never be able to run" or "I can't walk a 5k... am I kidding!?" or "I used to love to play tennis, but I am not in good shape anymore!" and replacing them with "I'm going to run a 5k by year's end" and "I know I can make it to the end of the block without stopping" can help us achieve our goals.

I know I say this a lot but BELIEVE in yourself.  Set a goal for yourself and then Believe you can do what you set out to do.  Don't allow negativity to enter your mind.  Work toward your goal with 'baby steps' and soon, you're going to be so proud of yourself because you will have ACHIEVED your goal!!

Here is a tweet from @suzyscrapbook today on Twitter that illustrates just this:  Running 2mi today I was frustrated that I stopped to walk. Two months ago I couldn't even run for 5min w/o stopping. Progress! #hlgFitGift 

I'm so impressed!  And I know that Eucerin would want YOU, Leslie,  to have the giveaway set of Eucerin Everyday Protection Body Lotion with spf 15 and the Everyday Face Lotion with spf 30 so you can continue your outdoor activities and achieve your goals!  They sent me the same products to use and review this summer and I think they're fantastic!  Eucerin believes in putting the health of your skin first before we head outside. This is a little tiny reward for achieving a goal you'd set for yourself during our 90 Day Gift of Fitness & Health Challenge!  Congrats, friend! :)


Dream! Believe! Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

One Hundred Pounds Lost & One Year Anniversary of Maintaining! Hallelujah!

I've done it!!!
Through the emotional ups and downs of a crazy year, I've maintained my 100 lb. weight loss and have made it to the one year anniversary!  I'm fist bumping myself!!

I thought last year was a milestone when I hit the one hundred pound mark, but this year, in many ways, proved to be more difficult and so - for me - the celebration is sweeter. 

At New Year's I was down a total of 122 pounds and felt incredible... I remember working out at the YMCA the week between Christmas and New Year's and thinking "I have this... this is habit now... this is so cool!" Little did I know that with the new year would come emotional personal drama and with that all my new healthy habits would be challenged.  And little did I know that I would fail miserably in some of those challenges and begin to let weight creep back onto my body.

By mid-March I had stopped exercising regularly and began to back pedal dramatically 'til I took contol of things and kicked the drama out of my life, reclaiming me again.  The lessons I'd learned about portion control and walking and exercising were back front and center in my life and I began to drop the excess weight I'd put on, turning my own emotions back to "positive" from having slipped to feeling negative.

While in January I was only 15 pounds from my goal weight, tonight I am 28 lbs. away.  But I feel good again, feel healthy once more and have been exercising regularly and eating healthy without thinking about it.  That habit has been learned and not broken.  I eat remarkably good foods and continue to lose weight when I keep my walking up.  What I'm concentrating on now is getting myself backed to how toned I was in January.  Let me tell you something - when you're working out and getting into shape - don't take a break because you're going to very quickly lose that momentum!  That is a valuable lesson I learned this spring!

So, I'm still on the journey, friends.  I still am concentrating on 5 lbs. at a time... still celebrating the small and the large victories as they come along to reward myself in non-food related ways.  And this week is a big victory... I've kept 112 lbs off for a year.  I'm no longer morbidly obese.  I'm no longer obese.  I'm overweight and only about 10 lbs away from normal weight for my height and age.  *fist bump*pow*  I'll take it! : )

What's my new goal? I have a special event coming up in October that I'd like to be 15 lbs. lighter for. I'm setting my first 5 lb. goal for September 10th. I believe in my own abilities and what I've learned over these last two years and know I'll be able to make that goal. What I hope you know is that if *I* can lose this weight and get healthy after having been morbidly obese and having NO fitness in my life whatsoever, YOU can do this, too! If you need some help... just ask me and I'll do what I can to get you on the right path!


Dream. Believe. (Work Hard!) Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoser(AndMaintainer! lol)Gal

Don't settle for less than you deserve!

What Do You Believe In?

I'm going to ask you to do a very simple exercise:
Write down five things you truly have faith or believe in. 
Or, to make it easier... what are the first five things that come to mind when asked "what do you believe in"?
(I'll give you a few moments to think about it... one mississippi.... two mississippi... okay.... times UP! *grin*)

Did you include yourself?

Two years ago I would never even have considered adding "myself" to my list of what I believe in.  But today? Today believing in myself is second on my list. 

Believe in yourself.
You can change your life.
You can accomplish great things.
You can set a goal and accomplish that goal and much more.

Believe in yourself.
Believe in your self-worth.
Believe you are worth the work and the time to be the person you want to become.
Believe first in yourself!

Believe in you!
I do.

Dream. Believe. Achieve. ~
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

May Day! Challenge

"May day" is an emergency code word used as a distress signal internationally... It derives from the French venez m'aider, meaning 'come help me'.  According to Wikipedia, "May Day" is used to signal a life-threatening emergency ... the call is always given three times in a row ("Mayday Mayday Mayday").

Here is is, May 1st.  We're nearly half way through with 2011! How did this happen? Where has the past four months flown off to - what about our New Year's resolutions - our True 2 You February promises to ourselves and each other? 



Esther Ralson, my son's great grandmom

Now the dreaded (for me, at least!!) bathing suit season is WEEKS AWAY!  WEEKS!  Not months... WEEKS.  Heck, Memorial Day is THIS MONTH!

MAY DAY! 
MAY DAY!
MAY DAY!

So here is the challenge for the month, friends.  I hope you'll join me in it!  May is upon us and it is 'call to action time'.  We can't be hiding behind baggy pants and sweaters any longer and kidding ourselves and others that we're doing the best we can do. 

Believe me - in the excuse department since January - I have all my bases covered.  I've had pneumonia, I asked my boyfriend to move out, siblings are going through divorces and a dear friend is battling for her life.  I've been using those excuses PLENTY to find reasons not to exercise or do my best.  But it is over.  I'm sending out the May Day call of distress!  I have to get my butt in gear and COMMIT!

The thing about this challenge that will be different is that we're calling out to one another.  You're not going this challenge alone.  Do you need help and know it?  Tell me or someone else you know and let's be ACCOUNTABLE to on another this month.  Let me know when you blew off that walk or the gym or inhaled that pint (or gallon) of Ben & Jerry's.  I'm not going to judge you... I've been there and have plenty of indulgences I'm none too proud of lately, too!

We're all in this together and we all need to be honest to ourselves and call out for help.   Because, for me at least, when I'm helping someone else - I feel good and - in turn - I do better myself.  It is the "what goes around comes around" cycle in the Law of Attraction! ; )

The details of this month's "HLG May Day Challenge" (on Twitter as #HLGMayDay) are simple:

Let's get out our calendars and of the 31 days of May, we're committing to 24 of them to move in some way - get to the gym - walk - climb stairs - go bike riding - do DVDs at home - park in the far lot and walk the long way into the office.  Write on your calendar which days you're committing to.  It doesn't matter if you tell me or someone else WHAT you do - you know what you will feel good about accomplishing - you write down your own goal and them commit to do it for 24 of 31 days.  The other 7 days of the month are days you can do whatever you want - you can do nothing or do something unplanned.  Totally up to you.

And here's the other part... reach out to someone specific - it would be great if it were someone else in this May Day! challenge - and let them know what your plans are and ask them how YOU can help them!  Be a life line - and be open enough, accountable enough to yourself and someone else, to give a May Day shout out for help!

I'll start us off - I need accountability that I'm walking 4 out of 7 days a week.  Anyone want to check in with me on my goal and by my May Day Challenge life line? :)

Let me know if you're "in" this Healthy Loser Gal May Day! Challenge, friends!  I know we can do this and head into the summer proud of ourselves and feeling fit and fabulous!  I can't wait to read your comments! :)

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Friendship Cards & Dream Journal: Anniversary Giveaway #4

Two years into this journey, there are two things I truly believe have been key to getting me to where I am today: a happier, healthier person who believes in myself!   The first is that you have to have concrete GOALS and write them down in order to accomplish great things.  I wrote about the differences between a wish and a goal back in November and how goals help you concentrate, plan, envision yourself where you want to be... wishes are 'pie in the sky' dreams that usually don't get concrete attention!  

The second thing is just important... you have to have a grateful heart.  Out of gratitude comes positive expression and positive feelings and positive actions and on and on and on.  Being grateful is saying to yourself or someone else "That was really good. Thank you."  or "I'm so glad to know you." or any simple expression of appreciation and love.  Gratitude doesn't need to be flowers sent or jewelry bought or trips given, sometimes the purest form of gratitude can be found in the written word.  Written cards and notes, expression of gratitude can be held onto by the recipient, tucked away in a drawer or a book for a moment when they NEED to feel appreciated.  They open your card or letter and they feel your gratitude and - in that moment - they experience your gratitude a second time. 

I'm really hoping you'll take both journaling and note writing to heart - one helps you be the person you want to be and the other expresses gratitude to someone in your life.  I've coupled a journal and wonderful hand-made note papers by Love, Meg Cards as the 4th Giveaway for this #hlg2Year anniversary giveaway.  Love, Meg Greeting Cards are handcrafted greeting cards, personalized invitations, announcements, scrapbooking and paper craft home decor. The cards that Meg has offered are sooo whimsical and cute - a perfect way to bring a smile to someone's face who receives your note! ; ) 

The journal is small enough to fit easily in a purse or laptop or iPad bag so when inspiration strikes, you can pull it out and go to town on your goals and aspirations... write them down - that is the power of setting goals! : )

If you'd like to be entered in the Love,Meg Cards and journal giveaway then you will only need to:

1) Follow the HealthyLoserGal blog
2) If you're on Twitter or Facebook, follow me in one or both places (I'm @HealthyLoserGal on Twitter and "HealthyLoser Gal" on Facebook)
3) For every giveaway you are entering this week, tweet or post on FB about the #hlg2year giveaways with a link back to healthylosergal.blogspot.com
4) Tell me in the HLG blog comments that you'd like to receive these beautiful cards and the journal and ...Voila! You're entered! :)

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan ~ HealthyLoserGal

I'm proud to be a LOSER! Anniversary Giveaway #1

I am really excited to be able to pass along to you guys - readers of the journey I've been on the past two years now - some great ANNIVERSARY GIVEAWAYS this week. 

If you follow me on Twitter (thank you to those of you who do!!), then you know on Tuesday nights between 8-10pm EST you can usually find me tweeting away about the current season of The Biggest Loser.  I know there are plenty of divergent opinions about the show but I unabashedly like and watch it! Some weeks I'll take 30 minutes aside and do step aerobics on the WiiFit during the show so I don't feel too guilty for sitting on my backside while watching their challenges!  :) 



Click to enlarge for Hollie Self's words of advice :)



I've been really fortunate to connect with a few of the past contestants and see they're doing amazingly well "off the ranch" and THAT inspires me all the more.  Over the years, two women from the show have been "my favorites" and they are Hollie Self from Season 4 and Tara Costa from Season 7. I interviewed Hollie on this blog last May and know that today she was running a race in California!  I'm excited to let you know, too, that part of the HLG 2nd Anniversary celebration these next 10 days includes an interview with Tara Costa - who has begun her own foundation to inspire others to live a healthy, active life!   



Comfort food AND healthy! Brown Rice Pudding!



So the first giveaway this week is Chef Devin Alexander's wonderful The Biggest Loser Dessert Cookbook.  My son gave me my copy for Christmas and inscribed the inside with "For Mom, my favorite loser and great chef!" *grin*  I've since made probably six or seven of the desserts and they are 1) easy to make 2) DELICIOUS and 3) low in calories and fat grams.  I love cookbooks that tell you the nutritional info on what you're cooking and this one has that, too! 

Rules for all the giveaways this week:

1) Follow HealthyLoserGal blog

2) If you're on Twitter or Facebook, follow me in one or both places (I'm @HealthyLoserGal on Twitter and "HealthyLoser Gal" on Facebook, plus have the "Healthy Loser Gal" page there, too!)

3) For every giveaway you are entering, tweet about the #hlg2year giveaways with a link back to healthylosergal.blogspot.com

4) Tell me in the comments why you'd enjoy this cookbook and Voila! You're entered! :)

You can enter in all the giveaways this month, but you can only be awarded one. All the separate giveaway winners will be announced on March 31st in a separate post here and it is up to you to get back to me at healthylosergal@yahoo.com by April 6th with your mailing address, etc.  : )

Dream. Believe. Achieve!

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Happy 2nd "Dream. Believe. Achieve!" to Me!!! :)

Two years ago, absolutely miserable with who I was, I finally made a COMMITMENT to myself.  I couldn't hide the real me beneath any more outward weight, I wouldn't face disappointments with a pizza box on my lap, ready to be consumed with little thought to how it tasted...

Two years ago, I prayed and asked God to help me find the strength to change the path I was on and help me reclaim "me". 

April 2009 having lost 20 lbs.



God answered my prayers and now, two years later, I can same "I am BLESSED! Sooo very blessed."  Because no matter what other turmoil or drama may encircle me these days, I am solid in knowing I will not turn to food for comfort.  Instead, I'll take a deep breath, remember the lessons I've learned these past months about "calories in and calories out", know that I am strong enough to face anything and get through it without placating myself, my anxieties with food.

I have learned now to turn to friends (often you - my blog, Twitter, and Facebook friends!), to toss on my sweats and hit the YMCA, pop in an exercise DVD, tune into ExerciseTV and find Chris Freytag, or to get out of the house for a long walk. 

This is what I wrote on March 20th, 2009:

Time to become accountable...

Posted by HealthyLoserGal at Friday, March 20, 2009 comments (0)


"I am worth the effort" I say to myself over and over inside my mind. "I am worth it... I can do this... I *WILL* do this...", I repeat in mantra-like reply.


But I haven't been 'doing this' and I continue to start and then stop... self-sabotaging. I mean, what the heck AM I doing? I am closer to 300 lbs. than 200 lbs. And I should not even be near to 200 lbs. But here I am. That's the reality.

I'm 'doing it' and I know - if I can - you can, too!  Since March 2009, I have lost 116 pounds.  I've kept 50 pounds off successfully for over one year and I'm not done yet! : )  My goal now is to get to a healthy, maintainable weight of 160 pounds sometime this summer, hopefully by 4th of July weekend.  I believe in myself, in what I've learned in the past year on the Vtrim Online program, and in the exercise routines that are no longer frightening but second nature.  Who EVER would have thought I would say THAT!?  : )



Dec 2010 - 115 lbs gone!

 So, friends... the coming 10 days of March are my thank you to you for being here with me on the journey.  For confiding in me when you're feeling 'up against the wall' and like you'll never lose the weight:  you will.  For being here for me when I felt overwhelmed or saw the scale dip up instead of down - - for not letting me get too excited about magazine stories and interviews and bringing me down to earth that - 'makeover is great, but maintenance is the real work'...

I'm still only a toddler on this weight loss and fitness journey, but I'm finding my legs, wobbly though they may be from time to time, I'm learning! 

Giveaways start TOMORROW (Sunday, March 20th!)!! 

Don't miss a day between March 20th and 30th to enter the giveaways!

Reshape Your Health Contest - I'm a FINALIST!

Holy Cow!! Well, holy The Laughing Cow in this case!! I'm a finalist in The Laughing Cow's Reshape Your Health contest that runs for one more week and I could REALLY use your vote everyday to have any chance at winning the grand prize!  Please use this link to vote today & daily thru next Friday

And if I do win the grand prize, I'll win a gym membership for 6 months (!!!), 6 month supply of Laughing Cow and Babybel products (that ALONE will save me so much money!), a $1000 spa package (ohhhhhh please YES!!), fitness and nutritional advice from The Laughing Cow's advisory panelists (I really need this at this point in my weightloss and fitness journey), and a basket of fitness goodies!  I could do a little happy dance just thinking about possibly winning.

I posted thee most horrendous photo of myself as my Before photo!  I mean ugly-awful.  But that was how I did look.  And just looking at that photo now makes me well up with tears 'cause I was so very unhealthy and so unhappy and trying so darn hard to pretend otherwise.  For heaven's sake, I had like four or five chins in that photo.  Never right. : (

I so want to finish my weightloss this year and then begin to maintain. I need the expert advice this contest winning will provide.  Would you take the time to vote for me daily between now and next Friday, March 11th?  I would truly appreciate your vote.  Thank you, friends!  : )

Here's to our health!

Dream. Believe. Achieve.
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

March Challenge: Think Spring!

March is FINALLY here!  At times in Boston this winter, I wondered if we'd make it to March... Snowmagedon was upon us all season it seemed!  But... the days are longer, the sun is brighter again and spring is, indeed, right around the corner - only TWENTY DAYS to go! Woohoooo!

So let's get a little SPRING in our steps, shall we, friends?  This month's challenge is all about finding your personal groove in fitness and weightloss (if you're trying to lose weight).  There are 31 days in the month and bathing suit season is not too far off.  Let's commit to concentrating on fitness for 24 of the 31 days.  That gives you 7 days of freedom to do nothing at all or unplanned activities.

Get out your calendar or open up your electronic calendar and commit to yourself which of the 24 days of March you're going to exercise for at least 30 minutes by marking it in your calendar.  I, personally, plan to get a lot of walking in so I'm concentrating on step aerobics and walking this month to boost my lungs and get ready for the spring.  April will be my "core" month! 

There is one other - very easy - part to this #hlgSpring challenge:  grab a piece of paper or poster board or construction paper and write down one goal you'd like to accomplish this Spring.  Don't let negativity creep into your mind as you write it down, don't think "I'd really like to lose 10 lbs but I know I'll never do it"...  Instead write down "I'm going to lose 10 lbs by June 20th!"  Now, if that were me, I'd write down "I'm losing 10 lbs. by June 20th! WOooHoooo! I ROCK!"  *grin*  And then I usually find photos to reinforce my goals from magazines and cut those out, too, paste 'em to the Goal Poster and have a mini "dream board". 

Once your Goal Poster is done you need to hang it somewhere you'll see it every single day. If you don't want others to see it, I'd suggest the inside of your closet door or the drawer of your desk where you work.  If you don't care who in the world sees it - then make multiple Goal Posters and put them on your fridge, on your bathroom mirror, on the visor of your car, in your hallway! :)

Whatever you do this month, remember to Think Positive when you're Thinking Spring.  Set a Spring Goal and stick to it.  Let's start Spring off with a spring in our step... a goal in our mind... and the joy of being true to ourselves in our heart!  We are SO worth the effort, friends!

Think SPRING!
Jan  /  HealthyLoserGal