Reshape Your Health Contest - I'm a FINALIST!

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

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

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

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

Here's to our health!

Dream. Believe. Achieve.
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

March Challenge: Think Spring!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Think SPRING!
Jan  /  HealthyLoserGal

Visiting Biggest Loser 12 Open Casting Call: "Wicked Good!"

Saturday was bitter cold in Boston but that did not deter the 400+ hopefuls who showed up at the Boston Seaport Hotel to try out for the next season of The Biggest Loser!  It was so inspiring to me to see so many people, of many shapes and sizes, waiting patiently in line for their chance to change their lives!  Young and old, alike, turned out in force to be interviewed by the Biggest Loser Casting Team and given their opportunity to tell their story to one of the three casting directors.

I'm blessed to be able to say that since I've lost over 100 pounds in the past (nearly) two years, I no longer qualify to be a contestant on the show so I wasn't there to audition.  I was there, I suppose, to root for those who were and - honestly - to get a 'behind the scenes' glance for all of us who are faithful Biggest Loser lovers!  So here we go, my take on Saturday's auditions...



Holland Striplan listening to a hopeful contestant's
story. (Please note the Mr. Potato Head! lol)

I was wearing a Healthy Loser Gal t-shirt which helped me be recognized and welcomed by Holland Striplan (she's the Biggest Loser casting wiz!) and introduced to the other two members of the casting team.  Holland gave me the okay to take photos and poke around to my heart's content!  I've been a reporter in a past life, so this was second nature to me and - camera and notebook in hand - off I went to see what the skinny was! ; ) 

I first met Jay Kruger - from Season 5 - who with his brother, Mark, were fan favorites.  Mark is still being kidded about his crying continually on the show that season!  Jay is local to the Boston area, living in New Bedford, Mass.

Jay is a friendly, great guy and told me that he's just begun training for his second Boston Marathon.  We chatted about shin splints and his tendinitis and how his body balked at him running back to back marathons last year and the months of recovery it took afterward.  Now three years away from his time on the ranch, Jay looks amazingly fit and gained back only a few pounds (I'm guessing muscle, not fat, because he looks great) since he had the final weigh-in for Biggest Loser.  I asked him if he looks back at his 'old self' and is amazed at the difference that three years can make?  "Everything is so much better. Life is good!" he smiled back in reply to that question!

Jay chatted with potential contestants easily in line, taking photos with them and laughing about stories, encouraging every one of the folks to - whether they were chosen for the show or not - continue their goal of being fit and losing the weight.  I'm happy to report that he's agreed to guest blog sometime soon here, too!



Elizabeth Ruiz, Season 10, chatting with hopefuls...

One of the finalists from last season, Elizabeth Ruiz, was also on hand to meet and greet the hopeful Biggest Loser contestants as they waited through the lines.  Elizabeth is a beautiful young woman who lost over 70 pounds from the day she walked onto the ranch, June 1st, 2010 to her final weigh in. 

Since I have asthma, I was interested to find out from Elizabeth how she is doing now with her exercise since it seemed to be a major impact on her during the show.  Elizabeth reports that her asthma is much better and that she is able to control it far better now that she's lost weight and is working out regularly.  "I really pay attention to my breathing now," she said, "and when I have a problem, I get my breathing in control and can go on."  I understood from personal experience completely what she meant! ; )

Elizabeth explained that her time on the ranch was very isolated from the real world... the three months of last summer, from June 1st to August 29th... were spent with no 'real world' worries of paying bills, going to work, dealing with day to day family and real life issues.  "We were in a bubble," Elizabeth explained to me, "completely isolated".  And coming back into the real world, revisiting old problems, isn't easy for anyone. 

But Elizabeth, to me, seems to have come into her own.  She explained that she believes that everything happens for a reason and talked about how both Brendan and Frado of Season 10 took on 'big brother' roles once they'd auditioned with her last April in Boston and saw her collapse from an asthma attack while doing step-ups.  Having big brothers in her real life, Elizabeth was comfortable in that role with them and their support helped her get into the final contestants of Season 10. And yes, she keeps in touch with them both now, too. 

Elizabeth's time on Biggest Loser taught her important life lessons, aside from the weight loss. I asked her what the biggest lesson from the ranch that she came away with was: "It is okay to be selfish sometimes. No one is going to take care of me, but me."  And she's right! No one can lose the weight or get your body fit besides ourselves.  We have to take responsibility for our own well being, our own goals... whether we have friends acting as big brothers for us or not, in the end - we only can get healthy on our own. 

As shown on The Biggest Loser, Elizabeth hopes to encourage children in the schools of Lawrence, Mass. how to stay healthy and fit.  Her next goal includes getting her personal training certification and helping others at the Sculpture at Strength fitness club in Chelmsford, Mass.   

A group from late afternoon
waiting before meeting casting directors...

Finally, the people that I met who were auditioning were amazing! I admire them for giving it a shot to get on the show and wait in hours of lines to meet with the casting teams.  Here is how I saw what the process worked like:

1) you show up and fill out forms... 

Bonnie from Brockton was trying out a 2nd time...
fingers crossed for her!

2) You wait (for three or four hours average, it seemed) in different rooms to go onto casting

Finally outside of the casting team rooms... what will you say?
The guy in the hat was a 'fish monger' and had an incredible story!

Anxious to see what is going on
in the casting room, two hopefuls
couldn't help but peek!

3) You then file into the casting rooms and meet the casting team and they explain to you what it is The Biggest Loser is looking for in contestants and that this moment is your chance to tell your story, what makes YOU unique, why they should decide to cast you...

Three tables of auditioners telling stories to the casting team

I'm hoping the husband and wife in the red were cast! :)



4) That's it! After you've spoken with the casting directors and everyone at your table has told their story, you're encouraged to also send in a video to the show if you haven't. 

5) That very evening, the decisions were made on who would be called and would wouldn't.  By midnight I saw tweets and Facebook posts from Holland Striplan and @BLCastingTeam that they'd finished with calls.  

Holland Striplan explains the
casting process...

What impressed me about the hopefuls most of all was that they took a first step to realize they need help, they need to change where they are now and become healthier people.  And that - in my way of thinking - already has them a step ahead soooo many others who refuse to look at their health problems.  To me, the people who showed on Saturday and tried... they're not losers, they're going to win in this battle!


PS:  HUGE thanks to Holland Striplan and The Biggest Loser Casting Team for letting me attend on Saturday and listen in on the casting calls and take photos. I had a great time and am so thankful to have been given the opportunity! Thanks, too, to Jay and Elizabeth for their interviews!   :)

"Face of Fitness" Cover Contest: Asking for your Votes!

Please VOTE for me!

The more times, the merrier! :)

I'm in the running for an incredible contest at FITNESS Magazine called "Face of Fitness". The grand prize winner is selected by voting and will be featured on the magazine cover, their story in FITNESS, as well as win a great trip for two to Hawaii!

In the last day (since voting started yesterday 2/14) I've moved up from #29 to #11... voting continues everyday this week! :) Here's today's link: http://bit.ly/g8QipR and I'll be posting the new link (hopefully with my position moving up daily) here each day!

Thanks, friends!

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

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

Writing yourself that love letter...

I'm a little stuck on my own challenge! Who'd a thunk it, huh? 

But I sat last night and sat... and sat... and tried to write down reasons I love myself.  About five came fairly quickly and then everything else I started to write down seemed silly.  But you know what... silly or not, they're valid to me! :)

Now, I realize that "I keep my skin conditioned in the winter..." may seem silly to some people but to ME it is a big deal because for years I never, ever took care of ME!  And now I do.  So I wrote it down.  And then I smiled.

"I write hand-written cards and notes to friends."  Again, this isn't worth writing down for some people maybe... but because I love to get hand written notes, I make sure I do it for my close friends.  I LOVE handwritten anything in this age of electronic communications. 

So my February Love Yourself For Who You are NOW challenge 'love letter to self' is in progress...  but I'm liking myself more in the process of that progress! *grin*

Have you started your first letter to yourself of the challenge month?  Care to share any of your reasons for loving you in the comments?

Here's to a wonderful weekend ahead for us all!  I, by the way, think YOU are way cool for reading the HealthyLoserGal blog... you can add that to your list! : )

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

A pause in the day...

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

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