A month to reflect... to explore the uncharted?

This year I have the extraordinary opportunity to have four weeks of sabbatical from my job - paid.  I have worked for a wonderful company for the past five years and - as a way of honoring that milestone - employees are giving four weeks of paid leave to be used at one time.  Additionally, I have my regular four weeks of vacation this year.  What to do... what to do?

I've been contemplating what to do during this time off.  I'm not in a financial position to 'tour the world' right now or probably would go to Italy (I've never been) and then to Greece (nor have I been there) and then spend ten days in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia at their Celtic music festival in October. 

But the world is my oyster, so to speak, as I can chose anything I want to do.  The question is:  what DO I want to do?  A friend suggested I take a class and learn something I've always wanted to learn...  I immediately thought "like how to play the mandolin" (I have one in my closet just waiting for me...) and then "you could finally take quilting lessons!".  But... I don't know... is this what I want to do for four weeks when this is such a rare occurrence?  I don't think so.

How about volunteering?  How about volunteering somewhere exotic that would be new to me and exciting?  But where... and how do I find out about those opportunities?  I just happened upon an interesting site in Cape Breton called Shushan... they seem to have a community of Christians, Celtic inspired, that volunteer in return for housing, and in the summer months hold wilderness camp for troubled teens.  Fate to have found the site?  I'm unsure...

I love Ireland.  And when I say I *love* Ireland I mean it moves me to the very depths of my soul to be in Ireland.  It feels like home.  It makes me believe in reincarnation because I am sure I have walked those paths and breathed in that air long before my first visit there.  But... but... but... I've been to Ireland... I *know* Ireland.  Granted I do love it...  but is that what my sabbatical should be? Revisiting the known... or exploring the uncharted... both geographically and maybe spiritually... maybe I need to just be on my own, solo, self-searching and self-centering for a month?

Maybe I need a challenge.  Something like... hiking a mountain or volunteering in Appalachia AND hiking the Appalachian trail. 

Or maybe it is time I reward myself... for raising my son on my own and working for 30 years and for challenging myself to lose 100 lbs and doing it.  Maybe I should take all the books I want to read and all the tapes I want to listen to and my exercise gear and my paints and my camera and rent a cottage on a lake and just veg.  No schedules. No one to answer to.  Just *be*.

I need your suggestions, friends, because I really DON'T have a clue what I'll do.  If you had a month to do anything you wanted to do - by yourself - what would you do?  What would you attempt to get from that month?  If you could go anywhere in the world... where would it be and why and what would you do there?

I'm soooo looking forward to your comments and help with this exciting decision!  THANK YOU in advance!

Dream. Believe. Achieve.

: )

HealthyLoserGal ~ Jan

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

I *love* this quote!

January Challenge: Being True to You

Here we are in a New Year with a clean slate, a new start, new hopes and dreams to pursue... are you ready? 

Or do you feel like things will never change for you?  That you're just WAY TOO BUSY to make the changes in your life that you dream of?  I'm here to tell you something - - - you're wrong.  *grin*  This month's challenge is about being true to yourself... discovering what it is that YOU want for YOU!

Sorry to be blunt, but you DO have time to take care of you.  You, in fact, should be your very first priority when setting out on your day.  I *know* what it is like to put yourself last - I did it for over ten years.  I ignored the horrid state I'd let myself slip into.  I pretended that other things were more important to do than concentrating on my own health.  The truth was, I was ashamed to look at how bad I'd gotten in being overweight and in lack of fitness.  It was easier to sit my morbidly obese butt down on the couch at night after stopping at a fast-food drive thru (oh, and by the way, pretending that I was buying for a family rather than one person!!!) and watch television than to face the facts.  Something needed to change.

So... here is the January challenge that I submit to you to think about joining with me: Examine your inner-self and let yourself dream BIG dreams.  Write your January goal down. If you're used to being lethargic and sedentary, it is hard to BELIEVE that you truly can be walking 10-20 miles a week or running a 5k or - heck - just walking around the track ONCE or around the block ONCE.  But you know what? You can.  I know you can... and you - in your very depths of your being - know that YOU can.  But you have to believe that you can... and once you believe it, you'll attain that goal.

If you're overweight and want to lose weight, don't set yourself up for failure in your goals.  Don't say to yourself  "I'm going to lose 50 lbs by March".  That is 50 pounds in 12 weeks which means you're going to need to lose over 5 lbs a week.  Maybe you CAN do it... I know people who have.  But nutritionists have taught us that a healthy, maintainable goal for weight loss is somewhere between 1 and 3 lbs a week.  If you set your goals realistically to lose 2 lbs. a week... you'll have lost over 100 lbs. in a year.  Think about that achievable, HEALTHY goal: That is A LOT of weight!

I always suggest to friends to set small, achievable goals and then to set a new goal once that first one is attained.  So let's start by setting a 5lb goal of weight loss if you're looking to lose weight.  And then - once you have slain that first five pound dragon - let's go for the next five pounds. How 'bout that? : )

The first week of January, for the True2U challenge, put at least an hour aside by yourself, with no distractions, and think about what you truly want for your health and fitness.  Not what your spouse thinks you should do... not what your college roommate is doing, not what your Mom keeps telling you would be good for you.... what YOU want.  Maybe it is just to be able to do a DVD tape once a week and keep that promise to yourself.  Maybe it is that 5 lb goal.  Maybe it is to perfect the Lotus position in yoga.  You know what it is... if you're reading this, you've probably already had *that* thought go through your mind.  Week one of the challenge is just that:  examine your heart and set your goal solidly in your mind.  Write down your goal somewhere that you'll see it for the remainder of the month.  It doesn't have to be where anyone else sees it - it is up to you - but put that goal somewhere that you'll see it every single day of January.

The second week of January, the challenge is to begin to achieve that goal.  Figure out how you're going to achieve your goal.  Do you need to buy new pair of sneakers?  Do you need to ask someone to watch your children for an hour a week or barter with someone to trade an hour of babysitting so you can get out of the house and walk or go to the gym?  Maybe you need to visit the local library to borrow a DVD to try?  Whatever it is - week two of January is you concentrating on YOU and making your goal a priority in your life.

Onto week's three and four of January and this is where the fun starts!  Usually our challenges involve a certain number of "on track" days and "allowed days off", and January's challenge is no exception.  Between Saturday, January 16th and end of day, Monday, January 31st you have 12 days that you should be moving or working toward your specific goal.  That gives you four days off that you can "slip" during those 16 days.

Here is my True2U challenge plan.  I'm posting it here so you can have a concrete example of how this month's challenge could work for you.

WEEK ONE: My goal for January is to concentrate on daily meditation (something I do not currently do even though my HLG avatar sure looks like meditation!) and resume going to the YMCA three times a week.

WEEK TWO: I spent today writing in my journal my plans for how I would accomplish this and talked to the people who would be impacted by any changes in my daily routine.  I organized my gym bag for the Y and moved my yoga mat and daily devotional books to the space in my home where I'll be meditating first thing every morning.  (*I* did these things today, but you don't need to... these are steps to accomplish for week 2 of the challenge.)  Monday, Wednesday, and Friday weekly are my YMCA days... Saturday and Sunday are my bonus days when I hope to get there one of the two days to take a pilates or yoga class.  But M/W/F = YMCA.

WEEKS THREE & FOUR:  Rock 'n roll, baby!! I will be solidly in the midst of daily meditating and going to the Y three times weekly.  It will become my routine by then.  In these weeks, you should be moving, being grateful that you CAN move and are sticking to your goal and planning!  Feel great that you are doing what you set out to do and be proud of yourself.  Post here to encourage others and give yourself a pat on the back. : )

This month of January is going to set you up for the rest of the year.  You're going to accomplish great things in 2011 and feel so proud of yourself. 

And February? - you know that month when every t.v. commercial talks about finding your perfect partner and love being in the air... finding your perfect match?  We're going to have a February challenge about loving yourself - just as you are! : )

Here's to a great January for us all, friends! 

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

First for Women photo shoot

Today I looked in the full length mirror, dressed to the nines in a hot pink tight wrap dress, hiiiigh heels and hose, my hair and makeup done by professionals and I had to smile because I thought to myself "I've got my figure back!".  If I do say so myself, I looked damn good! : )

After 110+ pounds lost, First for Women Magazine contacted me to interview me about my weightloss and how I did it... how I overcame my bad habits and replaced them with healthy ones.  I pretty much answered, "Vtrim!".  I am so thankful to the folks at Vtrim for teaching me new behavior techniques that have led me to the fun day I had today: a photo shoot for the First for Women January or February issue!

The photographer took nearly 1000 photos today... and I only have a few iPhone photos to share, but here they are... one from 7:30am this morning in my kitchen with the hair & makeup gal, Laura, starting my "makeover" and then one of the outfits I wore for the photo session.  The stylist, Alicia, is pinning the pant legs tighter as... get this!... the size 12 slacks she brought with her were too big!  Woohooo!

I dreamed of a day like today... when I would feel like myself again... feel comfortable in my own skin and happy.  Today was a great, fun day.  I'm proud of myself.  Proud of who I am again.  Thank you for sharing this journey with me, friends.  If I can do this - change my life by dreaming, believing, and achieving my goals - you can, too!

Here's to our health!
Jan / Healthy Loser Gal

December Challenge: A Gift of Health to Yourself!

Right around the beginning of November every year you will hear people begin to talk about all the holiday stress they're under.  Magazines suggest ways to alleviate your holiday stress.  Television shows like Martha Stewart and Rachel Ray give tips on how to deal with the stress of the holidays!  

Pfft.

I'm not buying into the whole "holidays = stress" thing!  I declared my intent to have a wonderful, relaxing Thanksgiving and I did.  Granted, there was a 15 minute period of crazed running around my kitchen just before dinner was served, but that is normal... and everything came out beautifully and my family and I all enjoyed a nice, leisurely meal together, reminiscing and laughing.

So now comes December fraught with all the food temptations, social events, expectations of the holidays.  People talk about how much they have to do, how they'll never get everything done, how it gets worse every year, and on and on and on.  Well, you know what? I'm not buying into the December stress either! : )

December can be a truly magical time if you let it unfold around you.  Sure there is more to do with the holidays, the events, the expectations, but it doesn't have to be stressful.  Let's not let it be, friends!

I challenge you to have the month of December be a gift you give to yourself. You know the old Christmas carol of The 12 Days of Christmas and how on 12 days leading up to the holiday, a number of gifts were given to profess one person's love for another.  Right now, mark on your calendar or iPhone or Outlook calendar or wherever, the 12 days when you'll get to the gym, or walk, or do a fitness DVD, or get your exercise in!  Then mark down another 12 days of when you'll plan out your food and stick to your plan.

There are tons of opportunities in the midst of this busy season to get great exercise in... plan on an extra fast lap around the mall before you start shopping, park way in the farthest lot of the supermarket and speed walk into the store every time you go this month, slip skates onto your feet for the 1st time in years at your neighborhood ice rink and enjoy relearning a childhood skill.  Laugh when you fall down because laughing is good for you! :)   I know you can find ways to plan in exercise which is a gift you give yourself as it relaxes, reduces stress, and feels good to plan something and carry through on it. 

You're going to be doing a lot of things for others this month... #DecGift lets you give the best gift of all to yourself:  the gift of health.  Mark down at least 12 days for exercise/walking/etc. and 12 days of planning your meals ahead and sticking to your plan.

Are you "in" for the December #DecGift challenge?  Let's have a wonderful month... full of health and happiness!

HLG / Jan

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

Checking In With Myself

Last October I took a few moments to look over my list of reasons I originally started this weightloss and fitness journey.  At that time I had lost 50 lbs and was halfway to my 100 pound goal.  Now that I've lost over 100 pounds and am well on my way to goal and being physically fit, I wanted to go back and remind myself why it is so important to keep myself on track and all I have to be thankful for! 

The RED **Check** notes are from October '09... the Blue YES!! and photos are what I've added today! :)

(Original List From April '09)

The reasons I want to lose weight:

•To be healthier YES!!



My normal HEALTHY Breakfast





Walking w/out wheezing in Oct'10 Breast Cancer 5k



•So I won't wheeze when I walk somewhere **Check** YES!!

•To feel comfortable when bending over to pick up something**Check**  YES!!

•So I can see old friends and not be totally embarrassed by how much weight I have gained (this is a MAJOR one!)  YES!!



•To be more social and enjoy going out more often in public**Check** YES!!

•To not feel self-conscious of whether something I am wearing is too tight, about to rip, etc.**Check** YES!!

•So I can go into a restaurant and not worry whether or not I can fit in the booth : (**Check** YES!!

•Because I know my asthma will improve considerably**Check** YES!!

My son, Danny, and me on Labor Day

•So I can do things with DS like we used to do all the time, i.e., riding bikes, playing frisbee, going golfing, tossing the baseball, walking around and exploring YES!!

•So I won't have like four chins and when I look down my chin doesn't recede into my neck fat**Check** YES!!

•So I can pull my knees up into my chest to paint my toenails! : ) YES!!

•So I can touch my toes without a problem**Check** YES!!

•Because I want to not be self-conscious all the time when in public**Check** YES!!

•To be able to say "sure, I'll try that" and not panic "what if" about my weight keeping me from something**Check** YES!!


With my HealthyLoserGuy, Jeff, in August '10 :)

•To feel sexy again YES!!

•To wear whatever funky clothes I want to like I used to and not have it look like it may be the only thing I can fit into! YES!!



Reacquainting after 30 yrs w/h.s. pal on July 4th



•TO HAVE PHOTOS OF MYSELF AT SPECIAL OCCASIONS!!!! YES!!

•So I don't have this voice of my Dad in my head saying "What's happened to you?" : (

•So I can casually fit into a conversation "well, I lost 100 lbs. once" and see people's jaws drop because they won't have ever imagined I could weigh anything more than 150 lbs.

•To be a Weight Watchers success story and inspire others that if I can do it, they can do it  Well, I'm not a Weight Watchers success story, but rather a VTtrim Online success story and have, hopefully, inspired others to start their weightloss journey :) so... YES!!

•To play tennis again



•To wear a bathing suit that wasn't the only one in the store that quasi-fit so I settled on it YES!!

•To go back to Ireland and not think twice about whether or not I feel good enough to do things

•So airplane seat belts won't be a source of fear!**Check** YES!!

•So my doctor will be damn proud of being right that I can do anything I put my mind to YES!!



After church, Sept '10



•So I can dress up for DF and feel great by the look I see in his eyes when I am out with him**Check**  I am happily in a new, wonderful relationship and feel great when we're anywhere together... including church Sunday mornings YES!!



•So I never again have to worry that something I eat may trigger me to eat 'til I feel like I need to sleep from being so full**Check** YES!!

Dream. Believe. Achieve.

If *I* can do this, YOU can do this!

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

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.

Delicious Low Fat, Low Cal Pumpkin Spice Muffins

It is autumn and I love pumpkin recipes... especially when they're full of spice and taste great and - here's the added advantage - are low calorie and low fat.  Oh yeah - bring on the treats!  Thanks to two Twitter friends ~ FitMamaTraining and Spring4Fal ~ who told me of this simple, delicious recipe!

I whipped these up tonight in about 40 minutes total... I've estimated they are 185 calories each and have 1.5 grams of fat each. 

Couldn't be easier than these steps:

One box of Spice Cake Mix (I couldn't find the low sugar variety or the cals would be even lower!)

One 15 oz can of 100% Pumpkin








Mix 'em together

Fill 12 muffin molds (I used cupcake liners)

Add walnuts if you want (the walnuts are NOT counted in the calorie or fat totals here...)


Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or 'til top bounces back on light touch

Remove muffins from tin to rack to cool & then ENJOY! :)

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).

Thanks AquaHydrate, POM, & Olivia's Organics... Mm Mm Mmm!

Right up front I must say (reminiscent of Martin Short on SNL) that I have been gifted with so many generous products over the summer and have not reviewed or mentioned many of them on the blog.  So here we go...  The Healthy Loser Gal Gratitude post! : )

Back in the spring Stefan Pinto (that gorgeous smiling guy on Twitter who is a weightloss success story!) messaged me and asked if I would like to try out AquaHydrate since he sees me tweeting about drinking water and reminding friends to drink up the H2o!  I said, sure & thank you, and within a week there was a case of AquaHydrate on my front porch waiting for me! :)  Now, I usually think that water is just water... it replenishes you after working out, keeps your skin clear, your body functioning well... but AquaHydrate is one of the 'enhanced' waters:

AquaHydrate, the first high-performance sports water, is specially engineered to support optimal hydration, performance, and recovery. AquaHydrate is made through a proprietary, multi-step process in which water is purified to some of the most rigorous standards in the industry, raised to an alkaline pH of 9+, and then supplemented with electrolytes and natural trace minerals.

Having used SmartWater over the years and liking it, believing it had a bit of an edge, I was not the skeptical user some may be.  So I began to use AquaHydrate on Saturday mornings after working out and - maybe it was because I knew Mark Walberg was a part owner and wanted to be cool like him - or maybe it was because it truly works, but I did seem to recover after my Saturday morning workouts with Parker at the YMCA in Waltham faster than just drinking my Brita cleansed H2o!*  And Parker, whom I consider my source for what is real and what isn't in working out, endorsed it, too! : )  AquaHydrate is on Twitter @AquaHydrate, too, if you want to follow them.  Thank you for the freebie, Stefan, and AquaHydrate!

Next I received a box of POM after having been contacted by Ryan from PomWonderful after he read the blog.  POM is 100% pomegranates juice and, to my first taste, kind of bitter and strong.  But - I soon learned - it is an aquired taste and pomegranates are very good for your health!  So, with my little POM bottles in hand I set out to find some way to use the freebies I'd happily received.  My son was home this summer and was suddenly filling his water bottle with half pom and half water for drinking while playing basketball.  I shared a few bottles with my trainer, Parker, and he said he LOVED them and was sharing them with his family, too.  : ) 

My favorite use, to be honest, was in Pom Smoothies which, after measuring and calculating, comes out to be approx. 180-200 cals per 12 oz.  The recipe (from their site) is below and this is delicious and cooling:

2 oz. freshly squeezed pomegranate juice* or POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice

6 oz. fat-free blueberry yogurt, frozen
1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup non-fat milk

Handful of crushed ice

Blend them all together 'til smooth and enjoy (measures out to approx. 8-12 oz.)

OH! And "Pomtinis" are delicious, too! :)  You can follow them on Twitter @POMonline.  Thank you, Pom Wonderful and Ryan, for thinking of me and the Healthy Loser Gal blog!

In August I received a really generous offer to sample Olivia's Organics salads.  I'll be honest and admit I'd walked past the square plastic containers of Olivia's Organics at local markets and grocery stores in the past, but no more and let me tell you why! 

Olivia's Organics is a family operation and local to Massachusetts (although they now sell in stores up and down the East Coast).  They are organic farmers. Each box is hand picked and hand washed which means that you can go into the store, add other ingredients to your salad and you're good to go.  :)  That is VERY cool for a busy gal like me! (Not to mention that the company products are now packaged in earth-friendly containers.) Additionally, the mix of salad ingredients in the mixed selections are delicious! One of the three salads I received was the Asian Mix salad and my son & I enjoyed this with fresh tomatoes, oil and vinegar and fresh corn one summer evening... heaven!  

The Olivia's Organic slogan is "Eat Healthy. Have Fun. Give Back."  The 'eat healthy' is pretty easy to understand, but when I looked into the "Have Fun" I was directed to the section of their website which is aimed toward kids eating healthy and having fun!  LOVE THAT!!

And the 'give back'?  A percentage of all the sales goes to charities and the community... such as Make A Wish Foundation and the Joselin Diabetes Center.

I have probably purchased a dozen of the Olivia Organics salads over the past few months and every one of them has been fresh & delicious.  While they may cost a little more than the store brand packaged salads around them, to my mind - they're worth the extra change.  This is a family operation that I can happily endorse and purchase and do! :)   Thanks to Rachel, the PR gal for Olivia's Organics, for sending me the product... you can send them to me any ole time you want!! Oh, Olivia's is on Facebook and Twitter as @OliviasOrganics, too. ; )

Here's to our health & fitness, friends!

Jan / Healthy Loser Gal

                     *I feel abit like Biggest Loser with all the product mentions today! lol