In pursuit of personal forgiveness...

I have so much to say this evening but know I don't have the time to blog EVERYTHING I want to tell you, so - for this evening - let me break the barrier of having been away and the extreme guilt of that and ask for you all to forgive my absence.  The last month to six weeks has been extremely hard for me on many personal levels and I have - I believe - finally, this past weekend, found my footing again, reclaimed my balance and am ready to forgive my own failings, accept I don't always make the best choices, and move on.  More on this later this week - possibly tomorrow night.

But... meanwhile... this evening, I want to introduce you to a site that approached me in the beginning of March - just as we were beginning March Back To Basics Challenge - and asked me to review their site.  MyYogaOnline is inspirational.  I feel blessed they asked me to blog and review their offering because in the limited time I have spent on the site, I have learned so much and have been offered so many new ideas.  I feel like I was introduced to the site at exactly the time in my life I needed a little 'slow down, breathe, and concentrate on your breathing'.  (Cue the Law of Attraction music here, please!) ; )

Need new exercise routines to try?  How about a Bollywood Dance Workout?  Feeling totally stressed out from work or travel... take the time to unwind to the beautiful Turbo Meditation for Peace.  New to yoga and the terminology and poses and overall basics... everything is explained in detail and the basic routines are thoroughly explained.  If you are not new to yoga, I believe you'll find the offerings on MyYogaOnline to stimulate and challenge you (if that is what you're looking for) and will offer you deeper knowledge of how to use yoga fundamentals in your daily life.  As a woman (ahem... 'over 40'), I appreciate the individualized videos for those of us looking to deal with possible new challenges of aging and female issues.

I urge you to check out the site.  I have four two week passes to give away to those of you who believe you'll benefit from the site's offerings. (I can't, honestly, imagine any one who wouldn't.) To be eligible for the two week pass to the MyYogaOnline site, please follow them on Twitter and/or Facebook and leave me a comment here with a way (Twitter, email are best) to get in touch with you.

One belated giveaway to announce:  I would like to congratulate a March Back to Basics challenge, @Elle_Bizzle, who did an incredible job on Back to Basics in March having lost 10+ pounds and checking in nearly daily with those of us on the #hlgB2B challenge.  Her enthusiasm helped inspire others and, for that gift, she is receiving a 1 year Premium Unlimited Membership pass to MyYogaOnline.  Enjoy it, my friend, it is well deserved and you're going to love their site! : )

Dream. Believe. Achieve.
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Happiness is Your Choice...

Believe in Yourself: Change is GOOD!

You cannot expect to achieve new goals or move beyond your present circumstances unless you change.
Les Brown

All of my life, when asked or the conversation topic came up, I would state "I really don't like change!". And I meant it.  I believed that I disliked change.  I resisted change whenever possible saying that I loved traditions, liked the 'comfortable' and embraced 'old favorites'.  The truth that I realize now?  I was plain old SCARED of change. 

Don't fear change -- embrace it. Anthony J. D'Angelo

When, in 2009, I finally decided to reclaim my own life and start to work hard on becoming who I thought I was deep-down-inside of me, I realized that the ONLY way to get back to ME was to make changes and some big ones!  And so the shift from disliking change to embracing it and actually looking forward to changes began.  Slowly at first with some trepidation.  I stumbled plenty when trying to make the life changes and there were times when the familiar seemed much more appealing than the new, the change I was endeavoring to move toward, but - - you know what?  I kept moving. When I fell, I got up and looked toward the destination and kept going. And life started changing - - all around me -- and always for the better!

And then... in 2011, I became stagnant.  I stopped changing.  And 2011 was a year of questions for me and self-examination until... sometime in the late months of the year, I decided it was time for a big, bold change in my life. I realized I'd let negativity creep into my life, worries... and with one big shove of determination I pushed them OUT! 

After 20+ years in one town - the beautiful, historic town of Lexington, Massachusetts - the town I raised my son on my own in, the town where I coached little league and taught Sunday School, and found special magical places that I would go to restore my soul at, I have decided to strike out and start a new chapter in a new house, in a new town further out of the city.  I'm doing it because it is the right thing for me.  I know it in my heart. : )

I'm excited.  Oh, and a little scared, too.  But I know this is the right thing and the right time for me.  I'm making the right choice and the change will do me good.

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter into another! Gail Sheehy

So... please wish me luck and send me good energy as these next three weeks I find myself moving from the old to the new... and settling in.. and exploring... and, with eyes and heart wide-open, embracing the CHANGE my life is involved in.  I'm excited, rejuvenated... and happy!

Here are a few pictures of my new home... come May (when my company moves from the suburbs into downtown Boston), I'll also be a commuter rail rider! 



I'm the left half of this two family home built in 1900! :)

  



This gorgeous lake is less than 1 mile walk!

Dream! BELIEVE! Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Revisiting Slim-Fast... 'cause sometimes you're just too darn busy!

I have been really a bit crazed in the past three weeks or so.  Life is not 'out of control', but life right now is REALLY REALLY busy!  And in one of those indisputable 'law of attraction' moments in my life, the nice folks at Slim-Fast contacted me asking me if I'd like to try their newly formulated products.  Hmmmmm....

I hesitated to accept at first.  I mean, I am all about whole foods and eating local fresh foods and eating healthy!  When I was relearning how to eat last year through the Vtrim Online I remember one of the changes they encouraged in our behaviors was 'don't drink your calories', so accepting Slim-Fast's generous offer didn't feel like a fit to me.

But then life stepped in.  And I realized that I am going to have to move from the town I've been living in for the past 20 years (my choice for financial reasons) and started working hard to move toward that goal.  I began having less and less free time (more on this later in a separate blog post) and began to skip meals and - worse - much worse - began to then be starving hungry by the time I'd finally get home and would eat like a maniac.  THAT is when I revisited the email offer from Slim-Fast and accepted their offer to send me product. (And wait 'til you read on and see how incredibly generous they are not just to me, but to YOU, too!!)



Click to enlarge to see label



Guess what - the old Slim-Fast I remember from when I was in my early 30s (no, I'm NOT saying how long ago that was...lol!) is replaced with this great tasting Slim-Fast in their way cool redesigned bottle.  And - as it claims - it really does leave you feeling full for 3+ hours!  That surprised the heck out of me.  I've tried both the Strawberries 'n Cream and the Creamy Milk Chocolate shakes and both taste great. I remembered the Slim-Fast shakes as having an after-taste but that is long gone.  And the new design on the bottles makes them so easy to pop into your frig and then grab on-the-go. 

If you've been part of the 90 Day Challenge to Health & Fitness, and you've stuck in there and are in the final 30 day stretch with me, I've got a great surprise and giveaway for you, thanks to the folks at Slim-Fast.  They want to reward your dedication for committing to be healthy and fit and have offered me coupons for Slim-Fast product to give to you.  ADDITIONALLY, they've given me a limited number of Sephora gift cards to send to #hlgFitGift challengers who have stayed with the challenge. All you need to do is follow @SlimFast on Twitter or on Facebook and let me know by commenting that you'd like to receive the coupons to try Slim-Fast. If you're already a Slim-Fast fan, I'd like to hear that, too! I'll contact you directly about the Sephora giveaway from Slim-Fast. : )

THANK YOU for being a part of the 90 Day Challenge and hanging in here.  There are still more giveaways coming in this last home stretch. : )

Dream. Believe. Achieve!

Jan / Healthy Loser Gal

Embracing Life! Today Was a GREAT Day!

Have you ever had one of those days when just everything felt 'right'?  When the world seemed to smile down on you and you felt like you rediscovered something you'd lost?  Well... today was that kind of day for me!

I've been struggling with my goals, with staying motivated, with getting out the door and on with things I know I should be doing for the last couple of weeks.  And today, on a grey Saturday when I could have very well stayed curled up in bed when I first woke up, I jumped out from under the covers and hit the ground running!

In the shower I was singing.  I haven't sang in the shower for a LONG time! And I suddenly realized I *was* singing and then truly just grinned about it.  Something inside of me has changed back to how it was last year.  I'm all excited about life again... I'm making right decisions, crossing off To Do items... energized. I'm doing things for me that I know I should be doing and I feel GREAT and excited about this journey I'm on.  :)

I participated in a virtual 6K walk with other bloggers today for the Napa River Rock & Stroll to raise awareness for the Cope Family Center and prevention of child abuse.  Last night, a Twitter friend, Meg Leever (check out her great card designs @LoveMegCards) told me about 8 year old Kerra Wilson who was killed by her stepfather in Nebraska this past week, so I walked in little Kerra's memory today and felt more empowered than I have in a very long time!

Empowered to the point of where I finally decided to tackle a fear I've been ignoring far too long at the gym - the dreaded elliptical trainer! Now, granted, I have gotten on it before... but only for a couple of minutes at a time.  This afternoon, though, when I was finished with the 6K, I just decided - tired out or not - it was time to overcome my fear and "just do it"!  So, I did... I climbed on, read through the different settings, cranked up the tunes on my iPod and mastered the darn thing.  And I am stunned to admit that I actually enjoyed it!  My arms and legs were actually synced up really well, I was NOT uncoordinated and I did NOT fall off!  I was, if I do say so myself, rather graceful on it! *beam*

I will forever be grateful to my ex-trainer, Parker Robinson, who - when I was first meeting with him - told me that we would rediscover the athlete within me on this journey.

That athlete is here again.  She raised her hand and waved at me today. I kind of recognize her!

Life is good!

Dream. Believe. Achieve.
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Such a great quote for living a happy life!

Thanks to Attune Foods for posting this on Twitter this afternoon. So positive!

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Really just BLESSED! : )

BLESSED!

I have to share with you how blessed I am and all the wonderful things that have been happening in my life - remarkably right around my 53rd birthday.  I don't know if it is because I faced my 53rd birthday with no apprehension or misgivings or because I'm truly learning to stay positive and focused and live a life of gratitude, but some wonderful things have been turning up in my life.  I'm not going to question why... I'm just going to be thankful for them and say that there really IS something to this Law of Attraction stuff and "Dream. Believe. Achieve!"... and it is ALL GOOD!  And here's the real kicker... I honestly believe if my life can having these blessings and unexpected gifts, yours can, too!  How 'bout that?  *grin*

So here is a BIG ONE... on my birthday, FITNESS Magazine's The Fit Stop featured the blog and me on their website as a Fit Blogger We Love.  When I came home from New York / Brooklyn after spending an amazing day (Mets pun intended!) with my son (more on this in a second...) I actually cried happy tears seeing this:


Click to enlarge



I am so thankful for the weight I've been able to lose, for how much BETTER I feel from getting healthier... for all of you who continually inspire me by your stories and your dedication to your wellness!  And I had one of those moments when I saw this article... moments when you rededicate yourself to being all that you can be because you know you can do even better than you are now and you want to help others start on their journeys to feel the way you do today.  That is what this birthday present brought to me- rededication and thankfulness!   So-- thank YOU - Fitness Magazine (especially Marianne) for this great birthday present!

Now let me back-up a bit to remind you that the day BEFORE my birthday I received this unexpected big box of TrueLemon products on my door!  I have been enjoying them so much as have a couple of my friends in my office. : )  Another surprise - another thing to be thankful for!

On Thursday morning (my birthday) I set off to Brooklyn to go to a NY METS game with my son, Danny.  I just adore my kid - we have the most fun together and our quirky senses of humor are never lost on one another!  He has a wonderful job this summer with the Mets organization so was able to secure us some great seats.  I have ALWAYS loved baseball from the time I was a little kid and my Dad and I would take long bus rides with the rural American Legion post to NY to see the Mets or Yankees (we were Mets fans)!  In 1969 I was 11 years old and remember every moment of the "Amazin' Mets" winning the World Series.  So to have my own son working for the Mets, in a job he considers his "dream" is - in itself - a wonderful gift.  What parent doesn't want to see their child happy? : )

My son and I were in our seats at Citi Field, in the beautiful sun, having a great time as the Mets begin to come from behind and my son says "Okay, we need to stay in the seats this whole inning...".  I look at him with a "huh?!" look and he says "You'll see, Mom..." with a big smile on his face.  Remember that I've ALWAYS loved baseball and this (below) is what Danny did for me as a special surprise for my birthday!

My "OMG!" moment at June 2nd's Mets game! :)

To say I was stunned and thrilled is an understatement.  To me, though, the greatest part is that my son knows me so well that he knew this would be better than anything I could hold in my hand or open up in a box... this is a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime ('cause there is only one 1st time this will happen!) moment that I'll tuck into my heart... especially remembering the look on my son's face when he saw me see it! As they say on the credit card commercials... "Priceless!" 

After going out to dinner (and - by the way - I walked over 5 miles on my birthday) and dropping my son off at his apartment back in Brooklyn, I headed back to Boston and listened to SUCCESS Magazine CDs all the way home, listening to Maria Shriver, Mari Smith, Peter Gruber interviews that were really interesting and inspiring.  I love finding out secrets that successful people have - no matter their field - and have been increasingly interested in how you keep hearing the same suggestions over and over again. (There's a blog post in there somewhere!)

When I got home, I was overwhelmed with all of the Happy Birthday messages on Twitter and on Facebook. THANK YOU! :)  I couldn't stay awake to read them all and respond I was so tired from the drive and the busy day... and I wanted to get my 8 hours of sleep in per my commitment to the June JAZZ challenge!



The final birthday miracle (and yes, I'm calling it that because I refuse to think it will be anything but a positive) is a call I received on Friday evening.  When I broke off my relationship with my fiance a few years ago now, I moved back to a beautiful rental home in the town I'd raised my son in.  When I first saw the home I felt immediately peaceful in it.  It is "me".  I have changed and grown and become more "me" while living in this home than anywhere else in decades.  I have had every intention of being a 'long term renter' and the landlord was happy to have me do so. 



Christmas season 2010

 On Friday evening she called and told me that she and her husband are divorcing and the status of the house is up in the air.  She was very emotional, felt bad delivering the news to me, was unsure when and if I'd need to start looking for a new home.  I truly felt this peace come over me and in the midst of the conversation I asked her calmly to give me '1st right of refusal' if they plan to put the house on the market and/or a lease option to rent and buy the house from them.   She was very VERY receptive to this idea and told me that it may, very well, be the answer they'd been looking for, too.  I hung up knowing that whatever happens - it will be the right thing for me.  And I have EVERY INTENTION (stating intentions and goals is important) of owning that house in the next six months.  I called my family and told them to pray for me - to send me positive energy that this would happen.  The amazing thing about this is that - while it may seem scary to many that I would have to find a new home to move to - to me I believe this is God's hand in my life.  A year ago when I signed the new lease I had a goal to own the house.  I told people about it - saying "I think I'll own this house one day.".  Now the wheels are in motion!  Do I have the money in the bank to secure it? No!  Do I know somehow I will be able to afford it? YES!!

So... in a few days I had a number of remarkable things take place in my life.  I am so blessed.  I believe so strongly in searching your heart for what you truly want in your life and writing down those goals, keeping them in the forefront of your mind, working toward them, and that you'll achieve them.  And - staying optimistic!  If you have negative thoughts creep into your psyche - chase them away. 

There!  I feel like I've just witnessed in church! LOL  But what I've really done is written a thank you note to you and the universe at large for blessing me!  THANK YOU! :)

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan / HLG

It is true! I love Lemons! :)

I drove into my driveway after work tonight and, lo and behold, there on my porch was a package! "Oh cool," I thought to myself, "someone sent me a birthday present!" 

I decided to fore go taking in the mail and bringing in the groceries before checking the package and was surprised and delighted to see that the bright yellow box was a surprise sample package from the people at True Citrus and the product I love called, TrueLemon - it truly is a birthday present - they just didn't know it! : )

I am going to be thrilled to try out the new products in their line including... drum roll please... Raspberry Lemonade (okay, I'm trying that tomorrow a.m. first thing and taking it to the office with me for friends to share)!!  What is a better pairing than raspberries and lemonade... hello? Nothing for this gal! lol

And - if you follow me on Twitter - you KNOW I am always nudging friends to drink water!  (I know 'nudging' is a nice way to say it... I get kinda pushy about it! *grin*)  And that is where I first started using TrueLemon... I have their little easy to store into the purse or gym bag packets and add it to my big water bottle when I feel like changing things up a little bit - and it is MmMm delicious!  0 carbs / no fat / no calories. What is NOT to like there, huh?

So... over the next couple of weeks as I'm sampling the abundant box of presents I received tonight, look for my tweets on what I liked the most (because I have a feeling I am going to like them all, honestly!).  And, I'll read thru the literature I was sent, too, and let you know a bit more about the background of the product... this much I know without reading it - it is all natural and was developed originally by a chef and tastes great! :)

If you have NOT tried TrueLemon, and you're one of the first eight to let me know in Comments here AND follow @TrueLemon on Twitter or, if you don't tweet, Like them on Facebook (plus, when you Like TheTrueLemon, you get a free coupon - all good!) I will send you a packet in the mail for you to try.  It is my birthday and I'm giving away the presents! lol

Tomorrow morning starts a new challenge, friends... it will be called June Jazz and a hint about it is that it is about taking care of YOU! ; )

Drink up that water and...

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

Happiness is a choice~

Happy Valentine's Day ~ Love Yourself Wholly

Thanks to my friend, Kat, for posting this on Facebook so I can share with you.  This seems perfect for our February Love You for Who You Are NOW challenge & Valentine's Day.  Speak the words on the screen aloud as you see them appear and they become powerful personal intentions ~

Happy Valentine's Day!

xo
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

February Challenge: Love Yourself for Who You Are NOW!

So here we are, friends, in the beginning of February when we're bombarded with images and advertisements promoting Valentine's Day and love, love, love.  All the enticements to go out with your lover to fancy dinners, away for romantic weekends, give and receive fabulous chocolates, pamper your partner with spa treatments, flowers, lingerie, jewelry... the list goes on and on.  But let me ask you this question...

Do you love yourself?

Can you look at yourself in the mirror and love yourself unconditionally?  I know that it has taken me a very long time to get to the place where I can smile back at myself in the mirror and not want to turn off the lights and walk away in disgust. 

And I'm not yet to the point where I can see my extra skin on my belly and not be ashamed of letting myself strrrreeeeeeettttcccch my skin unbelievably out of proportion to the point where it now sags. I know I need to change that "stinking thinking" about myself.  I have to love myself unconditionally before I can turn that love to someone else and love them unconditionally and expect myself to be loved wholly in return. 

The Law of Attraction teaches that where thoughts go, energy flows.  I'm hoping this month's challenge will channel our energies in good, all positive ways to ourselves so that we begin to love ourselves just a little bit more each day.  This month's Healthy Loser Gal challenge is to do things for yourself and to, in return, love yourself for who you are today - just as you are today - minor flaws or what you perceive as major flaws - perfect size 8 body or perfect size 28 body - you are to be loved and to love yourself because you are wonderful... just as you are today! : )

The monthly challenges have, in the past months, always included some sort of fitness and weightloss goals and I hope you will challenge yourself in the weightloss part this month if that is what you're hoping to achieve.  But this month isn't about how much you can lose, it is about how much self-appreciation you can gain! 

February is the shortest month of the year and the challenge will start on Sunday, February 6th.  Please take your calendar and mark off 20 days the you'll commit to exercise or walk or get some sort of fitness in for at least 30 minutes.  You don't have to do 30 minutes at once if you're not able to (I wasn't always able to at one point so I know how hard that can be to truly commit to!)... but do commit to 10 minutes 3x daily for the 20 days of the challenge.  That leaves us with only a couple of free days on the calendar and on those days - once a week for the three remaining weeks of the month - we're going to sit down with pen and paper (or on the pc) and write down reasons we love ourselves. 

I just heard someone groan, didn't I? *grin*  I would have groaned a few years ago. I was FILLED with self-loathing.  I mean it.  FILLED to the brim with reasons to hate myself.  And then I decided I was worth the time and effort and needed to rediscover the "me" hidden within all that self-hatred.  And I did.  And I know YOU CAN, too!  Be POSITIVE!!

Do you have a job that you're good at?  Then write on your "I love me because:" list:  because I have the skills to do a great job for my company.  Can you make a great, healthy meal for yourself?  Then you have a reason to think you're a creative cook who can prepare healthy food!  Do you have a great smile? Write it down to yourself in your list!  Do you have strong legs that can walk 5 miles a day? Great reason to love you!  How about a body that birthed babies or a mane of hair that people compliment you on?  How about great shopping tricks?  You have a multitude of reasons to write down a list why you should love you!
 

I know many of my followers and friends don't have a sweetheart that they'll be celebrating Valentine's Day with.  I didn't last year and I still lived to tell the story! ; )  If you're alone on Valentine's Day this year, I want you to know, you're not alone... you don't need to buy into the advertisements and commercials and tweets that say being a twosome is the only way to be!  I've been with someone on Valentine's Day and in a false romance and - let me tell you - THAT is lonely!  This year, if you're alone or if you're with a Valentine, let's all do this one thing - let's love ourselves, because - friends - we're all pretty damn AWESOME!

Happy beginning to the February Love Yourself for Who You Are (#hlgU4U) Challenge!  You're committing to 20 days of fitness and writing yourself a list of reasons to love you once a week during the three weeks of the month remaining!

Thanks for joining in, friends! 
Dream. Believe. Achieve.

Jan/HealthyLoserGal

Overture! Hit the lights! This is it...

... the night of nights. 

Click on the picture to enlarge & read. :)

C'mon - you know the tune!  Sing along with me 'cause I'm all excited to let you know that the February issue of First for Women has hit the newsstands! 

It is surreal to see myself in the magazine but also a great feeling of accomplishment to have made it past the 100 pounds lost milestone and still be losing! Woohoooo!  : )

The photos and sidebar article about me are part of a larger article in the Health section of the magazine about overcoming addictions to carb and how to tell what type of 'carb addict' you are. 

I am grateful that Lisa from First for Women magazine mentions Vtrim and the blog because without both this blog and the wonderful online Vtrim program, I doubt seriously I would be where I am and WHO I am today! 

I have to shout out, too, to my friends on the WeightWatchers community site as it was WW where I lost my first 40 lbs. and the girls I hang with on the 50+ board (I shouldn't be allowed on there... I'm only 35!! coughhhh...) have been THEE BEST FRIENDS to me for years and years!  They know more about my daily struggles and love life and ups and downs in life (and I probably do about theirs) than some of the folks I see on a day-to-day basis!  You guys know who you are... THANK YOU!!! xo

Two other fun press mentions to report on, too... I am in the Boston Globe's Health section in a photo slide show of Boston area people who have lost weight.  And, for whatever reason, each time they feature that slide show they keep showing my little "after" face (thankfully not the BEFORE!!) on the front splash page. I'll have friends say "hey, you're on Boston.com's front page again!".  LOL  Here is the link to the photo there. 

Do you read the articles on Diets in Review?  I really like that site and they have resources like BMI and heart rate calculators, etc.  Their articles are interesting and change all the time and they are active Tweeters, too, so that is fun! 

Their Diet Column for the last week of December featured one of my very favorite people in the world, Beth Casey Gold, MS, RD.  Beth is the Director of Corporate Programming at Vtrim Online and I'm happy to say that she and I have become friends over the past year while I've been changing my life with the help of the Vtrim classes I took.  Beth's article "Lose Weight in 2011 by Breaking Away from Unhealthy Habits" is spot on.  I am honored she used me as an example of how getting your backside to the gym pays off big time. (She didn't exactly put it just like that... lol)  If you're a long time reader of the HealthyLoserGal blog, you may recognize Beth's name as the nutritionist who answered our questions back in May. : ) 

Okay, I have to run to the gym... I still have some weight to lose and a 5k run in May to get ready for! What? I haven't mentioned that... oh, I will. 

Dream. Believe. (Work hard) Achieve!

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

The difference between a wish and a goal

I've done a lot of wishing in my life.  I wished I were thinner.  I wished I were healthier.  I wished I felt better about myself.  Remember the old saying when seeing a falling star, "I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight..." and then you make your wish?  Well, think of all the wishes put out into the universe in a day... in a month... in a year.  I certainly can't count or even remember all the wishes I've made in my lifetime.  Wishes seems fleeting, unattainable... dreamlike.

Now I make GOALS.

And now, because I'm not tossing random wishes out into the air without much expectation of them coming back to me with a note that says "Jan's 189th Wish of 2010:  Status: Granted!", I've started to change the way I chart out my desires.  I set aside time to think about the things I *really truly want* in my life and, rather than wishing for them, I set those things as a concrete goal in my life.

Instead of wishing that I were healthier and fitter, I imagined myself that way, I pictured it clearly, and wrote down a goal in both my mind and in my journal (and this blog).  "My goal is to lose 100 pounds and get into better shape."  That was my biggest goal of the last few years.  It wasn't a wish... it wasn't tossed out there and forgotten.  It became a viable presence in my life.  Every day I chased that goal.  Every day I expected my actions to put me closer to my goal.  Every day I believed I would attain that goal.  And now I am happily able to say my goal was achieved! (There's confetti or ticker tape parades flying somewhere now because of it, I'm sure! lol)

I had another big goal in my sites.  I wanted to be a happy person again.  In all aspects of my life. I didn't say with a sigh "Ohhhh I wish I thought I could be happy again... wouldn't that be a nice thing to wish for...".  Nope.  I turned my wishful thinking into a solid goal and wrote it down.  "My goal is to be happy and content in all areas of my life."  Big goal, huh? : )   Well, I've made an intentional decision every single day since I wrote out that goal list to be happy.  It is a choice.  And with practice of making a choice to look at things in my life positively, to believe I can accomplish anything, to build up my self-confidence by being happy again, guess what happened?  Contentment and happiness found me in abundance and another goal was realized! 

I'm not saying I'm not for wishful thinking.  I love the song "When You Wish Upon A Star" because it is hopeful and positive.  What I want to have you realize, like I have, is that we need to turn our wishes into concrete goals and then chase after them with every bit of energy we have, believing in our hearts we will attain those goals... because if you dream it, believe it, and work after your goal... you WILL achieve it.

I'm proof positive that goals CAN be achieved. And that's NOT just wishful thinking!  : )

Here's to our health, my friends ~

HealthyLoserGal / Jan

On Listening to Your Own Voice....

The Journey

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice --

though the whole house

began to tremble

and you felt the old tug

at your ankles.

"Mend my life!"

each voice cried.

But you didn't stop.

You knew what you had to do,

though the wind pried

with its stiff fingers

at the very foundations,

though their melancholy

was terrible.

It was already late

enough, and a wild night,

and the road full of fallen

branches and stones.

But little by little,

as you left their voices behind,

the stars began to burn

through the sheets of clouds,

and there was a new voice

which you slowly

recognized as your own,

that kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

into the world,

determined to do

the only thing you could do --

determined to save

the only life you could save.

~ Mary Oliver ~

I listened to that little voice within me that urged me to "take the leap of faith"... and here I am today, I'm "me" again.

Rediscovering ME! HLG T-shirt giveaway!

Dream.

Believe.

Achieve.

On Columbus Day, I began to think about all the discoveries I have made about myself in the past year.  I've discovered I am a great deal stronger, both mentally and physically, than I have given myself credit for in decades.  I always have been kind of a stubborn, Yankee-ingenuity-I'll-get-it-done type of person, but now I know I have the stamina and sheer will-power to back up my goals and dreams and attain them.   

In the past year I've learned that staying POSITIVE hugely impacts my life and the occurrences that then surround me in my life. This is the law of attraction in action! Being positive and having a goal in my mind, and being THANKFUL, has brought to me the most unexplained and joyous events and people into my life this year.  Dream. Believe. Achieve.

Opening myself up to new options with a clear mind and tucking away old fears and inhibitions has helped me in this past year. (I joined the Y when I was morbidly obese and I went in and actually exercised.  Alone!)  I pray faithfully and try to listen when God nudges me in a certain direction. The HealthyLoserGal blog started me being transparent with what I was facing in my health, my weight, my personal life, my fears.  Out of everyone's support and suggestions and GIFTS to me of friendship and opportunities (i.e., Vtrim and YMCA of Boston) I have changed... I have lost 100 pounds, I have become fit, I am ME again!  : ) I am no where near 'complete', I may never be "at goal", but I feel content and healthy and HAPPY!  And here is the real joy of this discovery, I know YOU can feel this, too!  I now have reconnected with friends and have a great love in my life.  My family relationships are stronger, my work life is more vital, my creative juices are flowing.  LIFE IS GOOD!

And so, I want to say THANK YOU to you, my friends on the blogsphere and on Twitter and Facebook who follow my day-to-day life - both the good and the bad (which is seldom!) - and interact with me and inspire me. 

I'd like to begin to pay the blessings I have received in my life forward. :) I have four Healthy Loser Gal cotton t-shirts (just like the ones in the photo with me and Parker, my trainer I worked with at the Y!) that I'd like to give away this month.

If you'd like to be entered in the drawing for one of the shirts, all you need to do is think about and then tell (in Comments to this post) what your biggest self-discovery has been in the past year and the impact it has made in your life.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP!  I can't wait to read everyone's discoveries!

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

PS: The women's v-neck shirts are XL and fit up to 1x but will shrink abit. It has the HLG logo and Dream. Believe. Achieve. on the front. The men's t-shirt says Trainer and has the upcoming HLG internet site url and "Dream. Believe. Achieve." on the back (as shown).

Thank You, Subway, for my Healthy Breakfast Break!

A few weeks ago I was excited to learn that I'd won a gift card to Subway in the BlogtoLose Breakfast Blogger Break Giveaway.  This morning, rainy and grey in the Boston suburbs, I set off to try my first Eat Fresh Breakfast sandwich and I'm happy to report:  it was great!  Heck, it brightened my day! :)

I decided to get the Egg White Muffin Melt which is a whole wheat english muffin, american cheese (or your choice of another cheese), black forest ham, and egg whites (hence the name! lol).  My server at the Waltham Main Street Subway location was so friendly and helpful... which I find rare in customer service these days, sadly.  She pointed out the different options for breakfast, told me what many customers ordered in the morning, and even showed me Subway's frequent visitor Points program (this isn't offered in all Subway locations she explained).  I also was happily surprised that - because Subway now serves breakfast - they also have fat free and low fat milk and juice in their cases to purchase. 

My Egg White Muffin Melt was only 160 calories and contained only 4 grams of fat!  Being that I count fat grams and calories daily (thanks, Vtrim!) , this is an excellent advantage over the McD's Egg McMuffin as they have 300 calories and 12 grams of fat! I think I'm a morning sandwich convert, folks! :)

You guys know I am a Biggest Loser fan and they often feature trips for the contestants to Subway but I hadn't ventured into a Subway in years. Now  I've found out on the Subway Facebook page that they're also holding a Commit to Fit sweepstakes with giveaways of $26,000 total ($1K for each marathon mile that Jared runs) and additional gift cards. How cool is that?!  Check out the rules by following the link above! 

Thanks so much to Roni for the great giveaways and challenges on her BlogToLose site.  If you haven't checked out the blog, please do... it is always worth a visit and will encourage you in your weightloss and fitness journey!

Here's to our health! : )

Jan / Healthy Loser Gal

"On Plan OCTOBER" Challenge! :)

"It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped."

Tony Robbins (Author, speaker, peak performance expert, coach)

Let's DO this!! I mean are we serious about our health and fitness and weightloss or aren't we?  All it takes is a real DECISION!  We have to DECIDE (and mean it!) that we are worth the effort it takes to get healthy and stay healthy!  We are worth it, you know... so believe it in your heart and get ready to put some effort into this month's challenge where the challenge is to log your food and your exercise for 24 of the 31 days of the month.  Ideally, you would log every single day and if you want to go for that challenge, please do! :) 

So what do you need to log and how do you keep track?  I learned through my classes with Vtrim that in order to lose weight and be successful long-term, I needed accountability to myself and to log my food and journal my exercise and moods. 

I try to eat somewhere between 1200-1400 calories daily and not more than 25 percent of that in fat grams.  And I try to lose somewhere between 1-2 lbs weekly so my exercise has to equal (for me) about 15 miles walked and about 3-5 hours in the gym.  This has worked for me because I keep track of it every single day - every single bite - every single sip.  At first all this logging and counting seemed excessive and it took a bit of time to look up calories and fat grams and how many calories I was burning and then write it all down, but then - as the pounds started shedding and my body started getting stronger - it became routine and easier and I was invested in the process.  I realized that only I was in charge of getting myself fit and trim.  I was "on plan" and "accountable".

So here is the challenge, my friends.  Figure out what you eat now in calories and try to cut back 500 calories a day if you're trying to lose weight because 500 calories daily x 7 days in a week = 3500 calories which equals one pound gone from your body weekly.  One thing though:  don't go below 1200 calories a day - it just isn't healthy.  And if you're into working out... try to lose 500 calories a day for 5-7 days and you're going to lose another 1/2 lb to pound a week.  I do this by walking 3-5 miles and working out at the Boston area YMCA in Waltham, Massachusetts. : )

Now about logging...  Make a plan for yourself to follow during October and then:

• Write down your beginning weight. Take your measurements.
• Log everything you eat.  Look at nutritional labels and be careful with portion sizes. Eat your calories rather than drink them.  Drink at least 64 ounces of water daily... substitute water for soda and drink water all day long.
• Write down your exercise and approximate calories burned. Push yourself a little further than you have in the past - you can do it and will feel great accomplishing new goals!
• Make notes about how you're feeling.  Are you stressed out from work?  Are you feeling great because you're working out and feel strong?  Do you have family visiting you and coaxing you to eat high-fat or high-cal foods?  Write it all down because you may be able to look back and see patterns to your emotional eating or to your lack of exercise. 

Logging is very eye-opening and sometimes unlocks keys to why folks haven't been able to lose weight or break an exercise plateau.  It sure worked that way for me!

So the October challenge is this in simple terms:

Write down an exercise and food plan for yourself for this month.  For example you could write down: "I'll walk or exercise for 24 days and will not eat over 9800 calories this week (that is 7x 1400 cals) and I'll LOG everything I do for food and exercise." That is your plan.  Now stay ON it!

Look for #OctOnPlan on Twitter and encourage friends as we stay On Plan during the month!  With Halloween candy everywhere, I know I'll need all the encouragement and support I can get... and I'll be giving it right back to you all! :)

One last thing that will help with this month's challenge:  if you don't know of a good place online to journal, I can suggest two sites that I really like which are fitday.com and calorieking.com.  I know alot of friends use livestrong.com/tools, too.

Here we go into October friends... who's "in" to be ON PLAN with me? : )

Jan / HealthyLoserGal


NOTE:  Everything I am writing here is my own weightloss and fitness plan, I am not a doctor or a nutritionist or a diet specialist.  This is what has worked for ME... I cannot recommend it to you or you should not follow my plan for yourself without checking in with a doctor or having someone with an honest to God real degree consult with you! :)  In other words, please don't hold me accountable if this doesn't work for you! ; )