Overcoming Doubts

Advice from Direct Selling Education Foundation (yes, I do love their stuff) was about overcoming your doubts in business but why not apply the same principles to weight loss.  Being so close to goal (7.2 pounds), I have doubts.  Many would say doubts are fears and fear is a lack of faith.  GUILTY!  So, here are some ways for me to face my fears and get rid of any doubts.  

1. Establish an advisory group.  My Thursday morning Weight Watcher's meeting is THAT group lead by the wonderful Nicole.  They have been AMAZING during my ups an downs.  In my business, I have a Director, Hope Shortt  and a team (Beacon of Hope) who is beyond words when it comes to giving advice or support.  Both of these groups help me on a daily basis to gain a fresh perspective and boost my self-confidence.  Mind you the fresh perspective is easy, it is the boost in self-confidence that is a little tougher.
2. Get a mentor.  A mentor provides more personalized guidance.  Both of mine were mentioned when I talked about the advisory groups.  See, they are also there to help on a one-to-one basis when things get tough.
3. Step away and clear your head. Being a recovering addict, getting "into my head" and getting overwhelmed is what I do best!  So, I need to move away - move away from the tempting cookies or candy, get my butt up and take a short walk.  As far as my business, when I get stuck and  am focusing on what I need for a given month, I step back and change my perspective.  I look at the blessings that I have been given through my business and then focus on my customers and what they need.  
4. Do more research.  For me, doing more research involved talking to a Wellness Coach, Jodi Greene Strumeier who helped tweak some of my eating habits.  As for my business, I began networking with successful business owners like those who are part of Entrepreneurial Think Tank for Moms.  I have learned about blogging, and tweeting (which I actually like to see updates better than Facebook).  The professional development that they offer is presented through a general business perspective instead of just for direct sales.  Don't get me wrong, my direct sales company has amazing weekly training and my Director has launched "Super Star University" which are semesters filled with information that will help me (and all levels of her team) to grow our business.  Talking to others in business helps me to remember that my direct sales business is just like every other business with similar challenges.
5. Calculate your risks and create a plan.   I love the first line of this section "Much of our doubt normally comes from our fear of failure". Seems like a no brainer, right? I have goals - personal and team goals when it comes to the number of parties, the number of new recruits and the number of sales.  Sounds like a plan, right?  I haven't planned for everything though - what happens when there are set backs (a bad month) or how do I keep from straying off the track - trying other things?  This is when the need for a comprehensive plan comes into play.  As far as my weight loss - the plan is simple track, move more and you will reach your goal, that is the Weight Watcher's concept.

It is human nature to have doubts, some of us focus on the doubts more which leads to "negative nellie".  I am working each day to overcome my doubts...I will reach goal by July 24th when I walk across the stage to get my hug from Cindy Monroe, CEO, as a new Director.  The plan is already starting to formulate on where I want to be next year at conference for my business.  As for my weight loss journey, once goal is hit - the tough work begins and that is to maintain my weight goal.  What are your doubts?  Write them down, confront them and move on!

Devotions, prayers and keeping a journal are all part of how I am going to overcome doubts.  Let's hear how you are going to overcome yours.  Have a ThirtyOne-derful day.

A Bittersweet Day

WOW!  That kind of sums up yesterday for me - overwhelming happy, a little nervous & grateful.  

No, the overwhelmingly happy wasn't that I reached my Weight Watcher's goal but that I lost 2 pounds in a week when I wasn't sure I was going to loose anything.  At weigh in, after my look of total surprise at a 2 pound loss, I OFFICIALLY set my goal weight of 146 (the top of the scale for my little 5' 4" height).  I am just about 8 pounds away!  Talk about shocked.  Okay, so that was the goal all along but in the back of my mind, I don't think I ever really thought I would reach it.  Call me a "negative nellie" but I could never see myself there.  This is actually possible - I could celebrate TWO of my goals - walking across stage at National Conference as Director (goal completed, just need to walk) AND my goal weight.  Now to make sure that I don't self-sabotage the track to goal weight.  

Rob and I headed to the cardiologist for his emergency appointment.  He allowed me to come into the room so that I could hear things for myself from the doctor (a praise in itself).  They found fluid on his lungs as a result of some sort of "cardiac failure" but they can't determine the extent until they finish some more tests.  THEN, a decision will be made about surgery.  Can I tell you how angry I was at the GP for his "surgery NOW attitude"?  I really liked that the cardiologist spent time with us talking about all of the options and laying out a plan that will happen quickly but is manageable.  A script of lasix has already reduced some of the fluid which allowed hubby to sleep through the night - the first time in over a week.  Last night, he was even able to finish a sentence without loosing his breath - another victory.  Yes, we still have tests (EKO on Tuesday, stress on Wednesday) and he is wearing a heart halter for 24 hours ending today but there is not a feeling of panic.  Prayers are still needed because I believe that they will work!

To top it off, even though I had a "senior moment" - I prefer to call is that instead of a "fear/doubt" moment - I was able to enroll in an amazing training program to grow my business called "Super Star University" offered by my Director, Hope Shortt.  This is my time to grow, change my mindset and hopefully be an inspiration to others, especially those on my team.

I am grateful for the path that God is leading me on.  I know that I stray many days looking for quick & easy ways to make my business a success or thinking it will take care of itself but when I lean on God to guide me - all things are possible.  Thank you everyone for your kind words, thoughts and prayers.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day.

Fear

I love this  passage:

Each day is an adventure for you to discover.

Face each day without fear or expectation. 

Experience to the fullest whatever comes your way. 

It is as God meant it to be.

Lately, there has been a lot of talk about "facing your fear" especially in business.  I almost hate to admit that my biggest "fear" is probably the fear of success.  I am sure that sounds kind of strange to those who know me but it is the TRUTH!  

When I worked in the non-profit world, personally I measured success differently than others measured my success.  For me, success was - having a client get clean from drugs, a family moving into their own first home, kids attending school without being discipline problem or someone getting a job after being chronically unemployed.  These weren't my personal successes but others gave me credit for it.  I may have helped by encouraging, mentoring and sometimes even providing tough love but that was nothing compared to their hard work.  

Personal success for me now is reaching goal weight.  I am sure everyone is tired of hearing me talk about this but it helps to keep me in check.  It seems that I "self-sabotage" things when I get close (within 10 pounds).  

Business success is helping other women to achieve their goals personally and professionally. The joy of watching them promote up the Career Path when they didn't think it was possible is success for me.  

Success is achieving my vision - financial freedom so my hubby can retire, traveling to see the country without time frame constraints, as well as achieving and maintaining my goal weight.  I am learning to "not fear" things but to experience them for the things that happen are blessings from God. He opens the doors for me and I have to make the decision to go through them.  

Some days are harder than others but for TODAY - I am facing the FEAR!  What are your fears?  Write them down.  Know what they are so that when they creep up on you - you are ready to overcome them.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Weight Loss - Recovery or Journey

Sitting in my Thursday morning Weight Watcher's meeting when a friend, Annamarie, made a statement that got me to thinking...."I thought my weight loss was like recovery but it is a forever journey".  WOW!

Having been through recovery TWICE - once for bulimia and then again for drugs, this statement really was an "AHA" moment for me.  If I am honest with myself, I would have to say that I probably thought the same thing.  It has been a long tough journey to loose 105 pounds - with only about 15 more to go to my goal weight but I thought the end was near.  I will celebrate the loss of 120 pounds despite the time it took me but unlike like bulimia and drugs - you can't STAY away from food forever.    

Bulimia was a little bit easier for me to kick but the drugs were a process.. 7 days in detox, 30 days in a residential program and then 2 years of a Narcotics Anonymous meeting EVERY DAY!  Protecting my weight loss will need the same vigilance that I had in my early recovery.  Instead of celebrating the weekly weight loss, I will need to celebrate the "protection" of that weight loss for 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, 6 months, 1 year.  My weight loss journey has been a process too.  Just as I quietly celebrate my years of being clean (23 in October), I will celebrate every year that I am able to maintain goal weight.  I will use the tools that I used on my JOURNEY to goal in my weight loss RECOVERY - tracking, healthy guidelines, exercise (UGH!) and weekly meetings.  Unlike the rooms of NA, I don't know if I will ever be able to walk away from my Weight Watcher family for it is with their help, encouragement and support that I have been successful on this journey.

Are you on a weight loss recovery program so that when you reach your goal you will go back to old habits?  Or, is your weight loss recovery only a part of your journey to be healthy and at goal weight?  Maybe it is semantics but it can effect your whole outlook on the road ahead.  As for me, I am in recovery from my food addiction and unhealthy eating which continues to take me on a journey that includes meeting new people, trying new recipes and helping others to know that they are not alone in their journey to a healthy way of life.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day.

Jiggle Thighs - A new way to look at them...

I read an email/ blog posting on Women Living Well about learning to accept things "in the Opposite World" which really made to stop to think that I need to look at my "jiggle thighs" in a different way..

For as long as I can remember, I have had "bumps" on the top of my thighs.  Yes, they have gotten smaller with the loss of 105 pounds but they are still there!  I walk, maybe not as much as I could but you would figure loosing 105 pounds would have helped to get rid of them, right?  I wear clothes that conceal them but I still know they are there.  Of course you can really notice them because my waist continues to shrink and nothing is in proportion.  So maybe this isn't your problem area, maybe it is the "jiggle arms" or the muffin top or the roll our bra creates - no matter what we all seem to judge ourselves when we look in the mirror..

How about this thought....My jiggle thighs are evidence of God’s goodness in my life! Sounds crazy, right? Mind you I never notice this or any other problem area on other people, just on myself.  Most people don't mention it - okay maybe an occasional child who is curious but why wouldn't they be - I'm curious as to know why God has blessed me with these wonderful thighs.  

In the article I read, Jen Wilken was noted on several occasions.  One of the key statements she wrote was "The expectation of physical perfection hits modern females early and often. In middle school, girls cut themselves to deal with the pressures of conforming to the ideal. In middle age, women do, too—but allow the surgeon to hold the knife."  WOW! She then goes on to say "We carve the record of our self-loathing into the very flesh of our bodies—a self-marring, a literal carving of an idol. Increasingly, physical perfection is the legacy of womanhood in our culture, handed down with meticulous care from mother to daughter, with more faithful instruction in word and deed than we can trouble to devote to cultivating kindness, peacemaking, and acceptance that characterize unfading, inner beauty."

I say all this to say - let's not torture ourselves with lies about the need to have a perfect body or to be an ideal weight.  I am not saying - don't be healthy, what I am saying is strive for a goal that is reachable for you.  I am learning to accept me for me - jiggle thighs and all - knowing that I am beautifully made by God.  I am not less than because it has taken me a "LONG" time to reach my goal weight.  I am not less than because my body is not a perfect size 10.  

Today, I am living in the hope, security and the arms of Higher Power who loves me unconditionally.  Give yourself a break today and know that as long as you are trying your best - that is all that God is asking of you.

For tips on healthy weight loss check out - Weight Watchers.

Have ThirtyOne-derful day.