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 

Biggest Loser 12: Let the Battle of the Ages Begin!

Tomorrow night is it, friends... the new premier of season 12 of Biggest Loser and there are definite changes in the air!  First of all - as the new promo picture highlights, Jillian Michaels is gone.  (You'd have to be a BL hater or living under a rock to not know this by now! lol)  I, personally, loved Jill and will miss her tough love and borderline sick humor but I'm a big fan of Bob Harper, too, so it will be good to see some continuity in training. 

I'm really excited to see that Dolvett Quince from Atlanta has joined the show.  This guy is the real deal, friends.  He is a trainer who knows what he's doing to motivate and encourage and get people to their goals...and, ahem! He's not too hard on the eyes. ; )  You can follow him on Twitter like I am @Dolvett or on Facebook.

There is all kinds of chatter about Anna Kournikova and how she'll fit in and whether or not she has the credentials to be on Biggest Loser. I'm personally hoping she does a great job and admire her work in helping kids across the US to get moving and active.  Here is a little part of the NBC blurb about her: "As a former World #1 doubles player and #8 singles player, as well as a certified trainer, Kournikova has always made a healthy lifestyle an integral part of her life, and she's honored to have the opportunity to inspire others as part of the upcoming 12th season."  She does, indeed, have training certification, folks!

The contestants I've tweeted with are anxious for tomorrow night's premier.  Some twitter contestants include:   @CJRainville (she's a doll!) @JessicaLimpert (she is, too!) @joemitchell1 @ramonmedeiros50 and @John_Rhode.  Locally, I'll be rooting for Johnny Forger who is 65 and a Boston area realtor.  I'm still trying to figure out whether or not I met him in February at the Boston auditions! 

I just tweeted with Ali Sweeney (she's returning as host which is wonderful!) and she'll be live tweeting EST tomorrow night, too.  I asked her if she was planning to tweet live and her reply was "Heck, yeah!!" LOL  She's lots of fun! : )

I'm hoping you'll join me tomorrow night from 8-10pm EST for the Twitter party online!  I'll be joining the Mamavation crew for the #BritaChallenge party.  We always have a blast during these two hours and, as is her way, Leah Sedgie (@Bookieboo) has come up with great giveaways that will be happening during the event (just click on the party link to get in on the giveaways)! :)  Other hosts/panelists at the party are some of my favorite bloggers and fitness folks including Carla aka MizFitOnline, Roni Noone, Jenn from FitBottomedGirls, and Tony from TheAntiJared. Fun bunch!

You all know how much I love drinking water, so the Brita tie-in is one I'm happy to support tomorrow night!  Without water, we dehydrate, our bodies shut down and we basically stop losing weight or being healthy.  Drink up, my friends! :)

I love watching Biggest Loser.  I love seeing the inspiring transformations and I love challenging myself Tuesday nights during the two hours of television watching to do something healthy.  I'll be involved in the Twitter party tomorrow night and just want to watch... but next week... who's with me for step aerobics during at least two 15 minute intervals during the show? *grin*

Here's to our health, to finding inspiration to continue our journeys and a toast of good luck to this season's contestants!

Dream. Believe. Achieve!

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

So Honored! Voting for 50 Most Inspiring Healthy Tweeps

I am delighted to be included in the running for Mamavation's Top 50 Most Inspirational Healthy Tweeps for my twitter presence!  Sooo nice of Leah to include me and I would be honored to be part of the list with people that I turn to daily for inspiration, advice and great tips.

I'd really appreciate your votes over the next two weeks and am hopeful to make it onto the final Top 50 list! : ) 

Thanks, friends!

This is one of those Dream. Believe. Achieve! moments! *grin*

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Awesome August Challenge! Let's Go For It!

Last August I started monthly challenges on the blog and over the course of a year we have had 327 people (!!!) join into healthy challenges for weight loss or fitness or... like me, for both! :)  This month, I'm going back to the original challenge and hope you'll all join in!  I want to ROCK this month of August... I want to end it looking back and by us saying "I really gave this month my all... it truly has been AWESOME!" So who is with me?

Oh! and I'm still working on my Healthy Habit Challenge, too, believe me - - and so far so good - I'm planning my food and exercise and logging which is my goal for a new habit!

How did the summer come and go so quickly? I am determined to make every little second of August count for me - both for summer fun and fitness! When thinking about this earlier tonight I logged onto Twitter and posed the question "If I were to challenge you to an #AwesomeAugust for #fitness, would you join me? Maybe something like committing to exercise 24 of 31 days?" Well, within an hour or so, I had well over two dozen resounding "I'm IN!" replies! I was so shocked and happy! How totally cool are our Twitter friends and I am SURE some of you reading the blog will join in, too.



Sweaty, happy,
HealthyLoser :)

 So here is the idea... let's really commit to ourselves to make August count with our own personal fitness pledge. Of the 31 days of August, commit to yourself and to the #AwesomeAugust group that you will walk or exercise 24 of those days. It is really incredibly hot in some parts of the country so the rest days will be recovery days to use! : ) We can make the last month of the summer our best month of the summer and enter September proud of ourselves for the commitment we made and KEPT to ourselves!! You can post here on the blog or on Twitter when you've exercised or group the days together and post what you did for the week. If you're posting on Twitter, please use the #AwesomeAugust hashtag so we can find one another and support each other during the month!! It'll be fun! :)

If "you're in!" on the Awesome August Challenge and want to use the badge above or over on the right, simply right click on it and save it to your photo directory to add to your webpage or blog!

Happy first day of August, friends, and let's have an Awesome August!!

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

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

On being "uncomfortable"...

So I really want to go to Fitbloggin - you know the blogging conference in May being held in Baltimore that Roni Noone puts together with great speakers and events and two days of getting to meet the real people behind the blogs and the tweets and the Facebook pages, many of whom I consider friends.  But...

But....

BUT....

I'll have to MEET people!

Please don't notice the elephant in the room... or me entering the room by myself!

Yes, you read that right:  I'm worried about meeting people in person.  I may have shed 115+ pounds off of my body, but that doesn't mean I'm suddenly "comfortable in my own skin".  I'm MORE comfortable... I can probably do a plank if there was a workout with MizFitOnline and I can bend over now and pick up things off the floor without 'heaving', but that doesn't make me able to walk into a room full of strangers and not feel... well... apprehensive.  Not feel like should they all look at me and no one there recognize me, that I wouldn't back out and pretend I'm in the wrong auditorium or hotel conference room. 

So this whole thought process about "would I be the only one at Fitbloggin not to know anyone else?" started a few days of pondering on this subject and why would I feel this way?  I seriously doubt I'm the only one who hopes to go (no I don't have a sponsor and with my monthly budget, I cannot pay for the two days myself so anyone who wants to sponsor me, bring it on...) that won't know anyone else there.  But yet in my mind, I think to myself "well, they've (note: I'm not sure who THEY even are as a group but there you have my brain) all been to these get-togethers before, I've seen the photos, they all call each other often, they are connected because they know each other in real life... and you don't know anyone, so... yes, you'd probably be alone". 

I'm actually a pretty gregarious person.  Except when I'm not. I've lost a ton of weight and I physically feel SO much better about myself... definitely more confident that I look good, am fit, feel good.  My asthma used to keep me from social functions because I refused to 'wheeze' in public... of course I weighed as much as an NFL lineman at that point, too, so didn't really have a lot of wardrobe choices that I felt looked appropriate! *grin*  

But this is something else... it isn't about being comfortable in my own skin.  I am now again.  I have rekindled friendships with high school and college and other friends and have had wonderful reunions with those people.  With those friends I am my gregarious, friendly self again.

This is about... well... maybe being shy sometimes.  Not having all the confidence in the world despite what the world may see me as. 

And then I wonder to myself... is everyone on the weightloss journey feeling the same and we just don't talk about it?  Does it take a true act of will for each of us to go to these events and then - once there - to actually open that conference room double door and appear on the other side with a smile on your face?  Is THIS why we gained the weight in the first place?!

I did musical theatre for years and years... and damnit if I wasn't really pretty good!  But lead me down an empty corridor by my lonesome and expect me to push open a door and walk into a room where I don't know what's waiting for me on the other side.  I dunno. 

The thing that complicates this whole issue?  I am fiercely independent.  "Oh no you won't be going with me so I can have someone there I know, Mr. Healthy Loser Guy!  I will be going by myself because I want to meet these friends solo and not with you there!" ...  That's what I think to myself.  He hasn't offered to go 'cause he knows nothing about this whole imagined scenario, but he *would* offer to go with me and help squelch my fears WERE he to know.  But I won't let him know... 'cause I'm just that way!  *grin*



Melissa, Me, and Kat  :)

 I need to challenge myself more to get out socially, I suppose.  That probably would help.  And it isn't like I haven't met friends from Twitter... last winter I met Kat aka @DailyKat on Twitter and Melissa, aka NerdyScienceMom and we all had great fun connecting.

Is this just something *I* battle with or is this a persuasive 'condition' in the weightloss community?  Any input would be so appreciated, friends...

And yes! I hope to go and MEET YOU IN PERSON at Fitbloggin! : )

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Small challenges can yield large results...



The view of a wall mural & bronze statue from my 4th floor walkway

I was contacted by MeYouHealth a few weeks ago and asked if I wanted to participate in a week of health blogger challenges!  Since I do love a challenge, I didn't hesitate to say 'yes' and went off to check out their website.  I am soooo glad I did as they sponsor a Daily Challenge (you can link to it through Facebook, too) that offers simple, wonderfully thoughtful challenges in many areas of everyday life.  In their own words, "The Daily Challenge promotes everyday well-being by encouraging small actions and fostering the social ties that drive meaningful change."  Pretty darn cool. (Those last three are my words! lol)

Today is my official challenge day and I've already completed it and loved every moment of my challenge which was to:

"Admire a piece of art."

How to do it

As you pass that sculpture in the center of town or walk by the painting in the coffee shop for the umpteenth time, stop for a moment and take a good look at it. Admire the piece of art and think about what the artist was trying to convey. What emotions or memories does the work of art evoke in you? Keep your eyes open for more sculptures, paintings, and other pieces of art you can pause to appreciate today.


Why it matters
As we hurry our way through life, it's important to stop and smell the roses, so to speak. The ability to appreciate and be moved by art is a uniquely human trait, and something we often take for granted. Thinking about art exercises the right side of the brain, which helps us understand large concepts and process multiple ideas at once. Viewing art also has been shown to have a positive effect on emotions and reduce anxiety.

Robert Ferrandini's artwork on display

I'm very fortunate to work in a beautiful office complex where the common areas have commissioned art work of different genres.  I gaze down at two of them from my fourth floor walkway but - perhaps once in five years - never take the time to stop just a moment and admire the beauty of them.  Until this morning.

This wall landscape is by Robert Ferrandini and the title includes a hint of what the artist is hoping to evoke from someone looking at the painting... he wants us to see "the untold story of epic dimensions". 

Aren't we all unfinished pieces of artwork?  Don't we all have "untold stories of epic dimensions" within us, waiting for us to see, for others to enjoy? 

I'll pause more often at Ferrandini's mural from now on.  I'll take a breath in the middle of my usually hectic, busy day and remember how blessed I am with health and happiness... with the ability to challenge myself daily and face challenges in my personal and public lives and win them.  Day by day we can make changes in our lives.  They don't have to be huge changes.  Sometime we just need to slow down and admire the beauty around us.

Thank you, MeYouHealth, for reminding me of that!

Here's to our health,

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

NOW is the right time!

"Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today."

 Thomas Jefferson

It is November.  Do you know what that means?  Now begins the time when everyone starts dreading the holidays... moaning about them... using them as an excuse to overeat and not make it to their planned workouts.  "Oh, there's too much to do...", "I have so many parties to go to, I'll start back on my plan when the holidays are over!", "I know I'll cheat over the holidays, I'll start working out in the new year...", "This isn't a good time to start eating healthy...". 

Well, you know what?  There is no time like the present to commit to your own health and well being!  What is it that makes everyone jump on the 'holiday weight gain' band wagon?  Don't let that negative thinking even enter your consciousness, friends.  Be positive.  Commit to your health and wellness and make November a great month full of healthy eating and calm about the upcoming holidays.  It really is a decision that you can make.  NOW is the time for you to take care of you.  NOW is the time to commit to your health. 

The November Healthy Loser Gal challenge is all about living in the NOW.  No more excuses.  No more thinking that another day is better than today to start working toward your goals and dreams and living the life you want to live.  #NOWNov is the hashtag I'll be using on Twitter to talk about the month and the progress I'm making.  If you want to commit to pushing aside all those negative thoughts and concentrate on your weightloss and fitness goals NOW, join me in the challenge.  If you can stick to your plan 25 of the 30 days of November, you'll have accomplished the challenge goal. : )

NO

ONE

WAITS
for the perfect day or the perfect reason or the perfect season... commit to yourself and your goals NOW in November! C'mon and join me and be healthy and happy and peaceful this month.  You'll feel great about yourself all the remainder of the year 'cause you'll know you committed to YOU!

So let's get it started... right NOW!

Dream. Believe. Achieve.

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

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).

Let's Join Together for a SEPTEMBER SUCCESS Challenge!

September is one of my favorite times of the year... to me, it seems like a New Year.  Our summer breaks have come to an end, school restarts, even our normal fitness routines may need to change up due to cooler weather and lessened hours of daylight.  I love the crisp days when the weather cools, I look forward to long walks and changing foliage in New England and I now I begin September with a reevaluation of my weightloss and fitness goals. 

Last month I needed a little help from my friends here and on Twitter to nudge me through my August workouts... and boy! what a great support system you all are!  AWESOME August was just that - so incredibly awesome with a goal of 24 of 31 days to exercise, walk or move more than was the 'norm' for each of us.  It was an easy goal to accomplish for many and then there are those of us who the 24 days seems just the right target - a little personal challenge.

So here we ago again, friends!  Are you ready to be a SEPTEMBER SUCCESS story?  : ) Here is how it works:

Really challenge yourself to move more, challenge your routine and commit to whatever number of days out of the month you feel comfortable with.  I'm aiming for 24 days of the 30 days of September.  How many minutes do you need to commit to?  As many as is a challenge to you personally.  I can walk easily for 60 minutes outdoors, so I try to walk 75-90 minutes during a challenge.  What about if you are doing aerobics or DVDs or something else?  Well, what would be a challenge to you... do you see Zumba as a challenge instead of Kick Boxing?  Then commit to yourself to try Zumba more than once during September... allow yourself to dream of big accomplishments and then BELIEVE in your own abilities and be a SEPTEMBER SUCCESS!

We can do this friends... we can set goals and achieve them together.  Let me know if you're "in" and I'll add you to the list I'm keeping on Twitter.  You don't need to check in on Twitter or here daily unless you want to, but do try to post what day of the challenge you're on and how you're doing.  And remember to encourage and applaud our sister and brothers in the challenge for their efforts! : )

There aren't any failures in this September challenge, so don't get discouraged.  If you're attempting to move more and challenge yourself, no matter the number of days that rack up, you're ALREADY a success!

Dream.  Believe.  Achieve!

:)

HLG/Jan

What an AWESOME AUGUST!!

Today marks the final day of August and the end of the Healthy Loser Gal AwesomeAugust challenge!  I walked and/or worked out, went swimming, hiking, or something for 25 of the 31 days! The photo above is of me and my incredibly great trainer at the Waltham YMCA, Parker.  Please note he and I are wearing Healthy Loser Gal t-shirts! LOL He is such a good sport to wear the TRAINER one I made for him for this photo!  : )

 I feel great about getting in my August activities and am so thankful to all of you guys who joined in the fun and inspired me to keep going when the weather was sticky and hot and I felt more like laying low than going out and MOVING! :)  I lost another 9 lbs in August, I'm proud to report!

I have had an incredible month as it included starting a relationship with a wonderful, handsome, healthy, fit man named Jeff whom I've dubbed "Healthy Loser Guy".  He's an early morning exercise guy who has inspired me to roll out of my comfy bed and pull on my walking clothes and meet him at the local track!  The iPhoto is of us a week or so ago right after an early Sunday morning pre-church walk!  Life is, indeed, good!


Next up... a new challenge for September... "Septemeber Success" or #SeptSUCCESS if you're following along on Twitter.  More in a second blog post tonight! : )

Dream. Believe.  Achieve. 

~Jan / HLG

Awesome August? I guess maybe! : )

Here we are, friends, at the mid-way point of our Awesome August challenge and from what I read almost all of us have taken the time to move more,.push ourselves, celebrate change and to love who we are today.  Honestly, these past two weeks have been amazing to witness as so many people change their routines for the better!

Friends on Twitter have lost as much as 10 pounds in the past two weeks of the challenge.  Others have walked around their block for the first time in years.  Folks who haven't moved in months and months have participated in some sort of activity every day of the 16 days thus far.  Moms and daughters, friends, husbands and wives, and single gals like myself have challenged themselves to kick up their routines a notch and have seen some amazing results.  I've gotten emails and direct messages and tweets thanking me for beginning the challenge and I am so thankful for every single one of them! Thank you.  The truth is, though, that on August 1st, I was the one who was looking for help.  I needed accountability and 75+ people stepped up and stepped into this challenge with me.  Have I been motivated and held accountable by all of you, my friends!?  Heck, yeah!  :)

Personally, I am a smidgen away from hitting the 100 pounds lost mark.  I cannot believe it sometimes as I don't really feel like I've struggled which is what so many people ask me about.  "When you felt like it was a real struggle, what did you do?"  The answer to that question is the struggle for me! lol  I never really got bogged down... I never felt helpless... I never once thought of giving up.  I believed in myself.  I was ready for real change and knew I'd need to change my life forever not just for the amount of time it would take.  And, now that I'm nearing the 100 pound mark, I look at my body and realize there is still much to do for me to feel and be 'healthy'.  At this point in my journey, I believe I'll end somewhere in the 150s or 140s.  But, when I do hit 100 pounds gone in the next week... you can bet I'm going to celebrate the accomplishment.  It will be - for me - a truly AWESOME August!

We have two weeks to go in the challenge.  I've a favor to ask all of you on Twitter.  I'm hoping you will support each other's accomplishments by searching #AwesomeAugust daily and when you see friends posting their results of the challenge, retweet and give them a little applause.  And they'll do the same for you.  This is a great way to make new fitness friends, too, and everyone in this challenge deserves a pat of the back because your intention was to get going a little more this month than previously.  So what if you have already missed more than 7 days... challenge yourself to move every day for the next two weeks and stick to your resolution and I'm sure you'll be proud of yourself on August 31st.  I know I will be proud of you! : )

Let's rock the rest of this month, friends... and continue to have an AWESOME AUGUST!!

PS: The photo of me walking at the top of this post was taken yesterday at about 7am while walking with my new (...wait for it...) boyfriend! Woohoo!! I said August was going to be awesome, I just had no idea HOW awesome!! :)

Let's have an Awesome August!

Well, friends, my first week of being on my own since Vtrim Online has ended and I must pat myself on the back - I rocked it! : )  I logged every bite I took, I got in a ton of exercise and walking and even tried to recreate a training session that I do with Parker on my own at the Waltham YMCA!  I must have done okay, too, 'cause the next morning I could barely walk down the stairs at the office without whimpering a bit from wall squats with the ball! It is the keeping the front of my foot elevated and balancing on my heels that really makes my thighs burn during squats.  Yeowch!!  It is all good, though, because I truly am getting fit!  I even trained this morning with Parker at 8am! Woohooo!

As I write this blog post it is a few minutes into the very last day of July! How did the summer come and go so quickly?  I am determined to make every little second of August count for me - both for summer fun and fitness!  When thinking about this earlier tonight I logged onto Twitter and posed the question "If I were to challenge you to an #AwesomeAugust for #fitness, would you join me? Maybe something like committing to exercise 24 of 31 days?"  Well, within an hour or so, I had well over two dozen resounding "I'm IN!" replies!  I was so shocked and happy!  How totally cool are our Twitter friends and I am SURE some of you reading the blog will join in, too.

So here is the idea... let's really commit to ourselves to make August count with our own personal fitness pledge. Of the 31 days of August, commit to yourself and to the #AwesomeAugust group that you will walk or exercise 24 of those days.  It is really incredibly hot in some parts of the country so the rest days will be recovery days to use! : )  We can make the last month of the summer our best month of the summer and enter September proud of ourselves for the commitment we made and KEPT to ourselves!!  You can post here on the blog or on Twitter when you've exercised or group the days together and post what you did for the week.  If you're posting on Twitter, please use the #AwesomeAugust hashtag so we can find one another and support each other during the month!!  It'll be fun! :)

If "you're in!" on the Awesome August Challenge and want to use the badge above and below or over on the right (thanks, Kristen!), simply right click on it and save it to your photo directory to add to your webpage or blog!

Happy last day of July, friends, and let's have an Awesome August!!

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Fifteen months into the journey...

So here I am again.  Now fifteen months into my weightloss & "get healthy" journey! I am proud of how far I've come but not ready, by any means, to say 'this is good enough'.  It  isn't.  I'm getting out of the "overweight" BMI stats and will be able to take whatever my trainer, Parker, throws my way within the next three to four months.  By Columbus Day of this year, I will be at my healthy weight and I will be able to RUN! :)

Today is Father's Day in the U.S. and I cannot help but think of my Dad, whom I loved so very much and was so close to, and how proud he would be of me now.  He died over 25 years ago now and - of course - I miss him, but somehow I think I may not have been on this journey at all were he still around.  He had a way of cutting to the quick of the matter if he thought I was steering off course.  Somewhere along the line I would have heard something like "those pants are kind of tight, don't you think, Jan?  You might want to lay off those Pepsi-Colas!" and he would lift his eye brow and give me that 'all knowing nod' as if to say "You hear what I'm saying to you, right?"  *grin*  And because his approval meant so much to me, I probably would have 'laid off the soda'!   So, I can't help but think today that he may be smiling down from above, knowing I've worked damn hard at this and would be proud of me.

Many of you who I yack with on Twitter or have followed the blog here for awhile know that I have a dream board.  It is a way of keeping your dreams and goals front & center in your mind throughout everyday.  I have made my dream board my laptop's wallpaper as well as the background on my Twitter home page.  One of the pictures I included on the dream board (although you can't see it on Twitter) is a photo of a fit woman on a beach, her shoulders/head on a stability ball, her hips raised, her feet planted square on the sand as she is doing chest presses.  I saw that and included that photo because I thought "when I can do that, I will be FIT!". 

 *beam* 

Please take a look at these two photos.  One is the photo on my dream board.  The other photo is of me and Parker yesterday at the YMCA in Waltham... doing the same exact thing.  I teared up at training this week and told Parker how much his pushing me has meant to me - how much he has helped me and how thankful I am to him that I have gotten to where I can look in a mirror and actually recognize myself again.  He started to say "you've done all the work" and I stopped him mid-sentence to ask him to please accept my thanks.  He grinned & did which made me feel truly happy.  I believe that good things and good people enter our lives when we believe in our dreams.  Beth Casey Gold and the folks at Vtrim are a great example of that.  Anthony at the YMCA changing his mind from who he was originally going to assign to me as a trainer, and pairing me up with Parker, is another example.

Dream. Believe. Achieve. 

I'm no longer the person who couldn't walk a flight of stairs without getting winded.  I'm no longer terrified if my inhaler isn't within sight!  I'm no longer the person ordering a large pizza and - when the delivery guy arrives - pretending someone else is in the house with me to eat it!! I'm no longer the person looking at a photo of a fit woman on a beach doing something that was out of reach.

The reality is if we believe in ourselves, nothing is truly out of our reach. 

With hard work, patience and persistence... we CAN do this!  And guess what?  I *am*! :)

Happy December... How 'bout a holiday gift?

Well... I said I wanted December to be my month but when I got hit with bronchitis last week and it was confirmed this week and I'm back on prednisone (Doctor's orders), I was kind of concerned.  It's been a hard week with the death of two friends and my sister entering the hospital emergency room and being diagnosed with internal bleeding and blood clots in her lungs. 

Here's the realization though:  Life is short.  We need to embrace every moment of every day and do what we can to stay healthy!  We need to reconnect with friends today, not when we're back at our ideal weights.  We need to tell family and friends that we love them, we forgive them, we miss them... whatever emotion we may have been holding back from sharing for whatever reason.  NOW is the time to reach out - - there may not be a tomorrow. 

Now for the good news:  A year ago - under this kind of sadness and stress, I would have reached for food for 'comfort' and gained a couple of pounds in the past week.  Probably more than a couple!  And I probably wouldn't have 'reached for food', I would have gone to the grocery store or driven thru fast food or stopped by the closest convenience store to grab a liter of Pepsi and a couple of candy bars.  AND ATE THEM on the drive home!  That was then.  This is now.  I'm better than I was then, I'm not as good as I will be.  Embrace THIS moment.  Live THIS day.  Congratulate yourself on the positive accomplishments and stay POSITIVE!

When I went to Weight Watchers weigh-in tonight, I wasn't sure if I would be down - I looked at my ankles and my hands and they both looked swollen to me... but I was wrong.  I was down 2.6 pounds this week! :)
Only .8 lbs. and I'm down into the 220s. YEAH!

I'm really blessed to have met the people I have met through the Healthy Loser Gal blog and through Twitter!  So many people are so caring and kind and open with their talents and sharing.  It is amazing, really!  When I told friends this week that I was having a tough time losing two friends, the outpouring of love and prayers was felt!  I am so thankful to you all! It helped... a lot!

One friend I met early on when I was tweeting is this great, happily married Texas guy named Tom.  He is upbeat and positive and so encouraging here on my blog... and didn't he give me the greatest gift this week!?  He sent me this incredibly thoughtful motivational mp3 that is recorded to music with my own words I've used on the blog about the goals I want to accomplish and how far I've come on my journey.  I listened to it for the first time last night and was so inspired by the affirmations, and weeping at the same time! *grin*  I want to take this moment to thank Tom publicly because he is just one of those people who doesn't ask for anything in return and is just giving.  Huge hugs to you, Tom! Thank you! :)

And on Monday night - when I was in the midst of all my horrible news - I came home to a package from Roman Meal.  You know Roman Meal breads and products, don't you?  If you don't, I'm giving you the chance to - well, even if you DO know, you've got a chance for some FREE ROMAN MEAL product!  The PR gal, Jessica, for Roman Meal has sent coupons for one free Roman Meal product.  So, my friends, the first 10 of you who follow @Roman_Meal on Twitter and then let me know that you have, send me a note at healthylosergal@yahoo.com with your home address and I'll send you off a coupon!  How easy is that? : )

Thank you, Jessica and Roman Meal, for this really generous offer! : )

Despite the rush of the season, I plan to embrace the joy and positive messages of the Christmas season... to remember that there are kind, generous folks in this world and to feel the peace of friends and family and know that 2010 holds HEALTH for me!  And that is ALL good! :)