The V-8 Moment

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see"  Hebrews 11:1

WOW!  I feel like I have been in a "V-8" commercial the last few days.  You know the one where the person hits themselves on the forehead and says "should have had a V-8".  The only difference is that God is asking me "Do you truly BELIEVE and have FAITH to walk the path that I have set aside for you?  Powerful questions that really got me to thinking about the alternate routes that I have been taking over the last several months...

I believe that there is a plan for all of us and despite the fact that we may veer off the road, we will get to the ultimate destination if we truly trust and believe.  Having had the V-8 moment on Saturday, went to Church on Sunday only to hear that the sermon was on FAITH!  I was definitely in the right place.  Pastor said a few things that really hit home:

• It is not a matter of what we say we believe but what we do that indicates what we truly believe.  I need to not only talk about the walk but I need to walk the walk.
• What we truly believe effects the way in which we live our life.  If we truly believe and have faith, we will not bail out when the going gets tough.

The last thing was his "department store" story.  Faith is like a department store.  First you have to enter in the building or make a conscience decision to have faith in a higher power.  Once you have made that choice, you check out all that is offered on the ground floor before you are ready to move up to the next floor or grow deeper in your faith.  See there is always more to learn and understand if we are only willing to grow.  Sometimes though we get stuck on a floor and are not willing to grow - this is me lately - stuck on a floor because of FEAR.  

My two biggest struggles: 1) reaching my goal weight and 2) becoming successful in my direct sales business.  

Over a year ago, I left my full-time job with the goal of having a thriving direct sales business and not ever going back to work for someone else again.  In January, a touch of fear hit me and instead of praying, believing or having faith - I took a part time job.  I enjoy the people and it is only 1 or 2 nights a week but the reality is that it is just a crutch for me.  The nights that I used to work my business with training, customer calls, etc. is now spent at a part-time job.  The only nights that I am actually off are when I have booked parties/ events or when my hubby is off.  Let me tell you this was definitely a V-8 moment. 

So what alternate route are you taking?  Do you have reasons/ excuses why you needed to veer off the path, heading in another direction for the moment?  Acknowledge those FEARS and find FAITH in your higher power BELIEVING that he will bring you through whatever it is you are afraid of.  

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.

Spring Cleaning the Clothes Closet

Over the last few days, I have begun to do some spring cleaning - my first stop is always my closet.  A chance to put away the heavy sweater,pull out my capri pants, flip flops and short sleeve shirts.  Okay, so the weather may still be a little cool but to me - spring is here!  

While doing this, I came upon some things that were bought and still had the price tag on them.  You know - the perfect sale, something that seemed right at the time or the never ending impulse buying.  So, I have a Closet Filled with  (some) Regrets.  I saw an article the other day that made me stop and think about what is in my closet, the opener said - 

Only about 20% of clothes in the average person’s closet are worn on a regular basis, says Ginny Snook Scott, chief design officer of California Closets, the designer of customized closets and storage spaces. That’s especially the case for women since “men tend to wear more of their wardrobe, as they stereotypically have less,” she says. “They tend to have less than 10 pairs of shoes that they rotate fairly well, whereas women have four to five times that amount, on average.”

WOW!  This made me take a look at my closet again.  What were the things that I wore on a regular basis?  I am a jeans girl all the way in the winter so why do I insist on buying skirts that never seem to make it out of the closet?  Since I am still on my weight loss journey, I have not been buying as many clothes - holding out for milestones in my journey to treat myself to something new. 

The St. Paul's Church Rummage Sale is coming up in May so as I clean out my closet, I add to the pile of things to be donated.  My impulse shopping may be just the right thing for someone else.  What will you do with the "regrets" in your closet?  Do you have a favorite charity to donate to or is there something else that you do with them?

I saw a tip somewhere on a blog or Facebook, I can't remember which that someone shared which I think is going to be my new rule of thumb:

My grandmother always says you should wear something once for every dollar you spend on it. I thought it was silly the first time I heard it, but now I find myself holding up items and thinking "Will I really wear this 25 times?" It definitely helps my impulse buys! G-E-N-I-U-S! 

What tactics do you use to avoid purchase regrets?  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.

Energizing Your Business & Your Weight Loss Program At the Same time

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a great weekend.  I had the chance to read an article on the DSW website entitled "Seven Ways to Energize Your Business" and it got me to thinking - I know a scary thought for a Monday morning, right?

Here are the ways that they suggested that I have tweaked to help me in my weight loss program as well:

• Establish priorities. As in business, we try to tackle everything at one time. List your priorities and focus on just one or two items at a time. The same thing in your weight loss journey - one step at a time. Eating more fruits & veggies. Exercise. Cutting out carbs.  Prioritizing a list takes the stress off and allows you to focus on one thing at a time with the comfort of knowing where you will go from here.
• Be as efficient as possible.  In my business, this is a little bit easier to do when I avoid Facebook, Piniterest and anything else that distracts me from my goals for the day.  I even put a picture of a "security camera" in front of me.  This is my gentle reminder that I have to practice what I preach when it comes to office hours.  In my weight loss journey, the same can be said - excuses or reasons why we don't have time to take a 10 minute walk, eat the right foods, go to a meeting or as Weight Watchers would say "get active".  Don't be a computer zombie or a couch potato, move even if it is up and down the stairs or around the block. Get up during commercials and move. 
• Combine your work with different areas of your life.  For me as a Thirty One Director, it is an easy to combine areas of my life.  I use and carry our bags every where I go.  When I travel to National Conference or for a training, hubby goes along so that when the work is done, we get to spend some time together.  The best is when I get to combine work with a trip to North Carolina to see my daughter, Belinda.  As far as my weight loss journey - it is not just a "diet"!  Yes, my goal is to reach my ideal weight but more than that I am learning how to care for myself by eating right and moving more.  Seems basic enough, right?
• Actively manage your time and stop wasting it.  Time management may be easy for some but for me it is a struggle so calendar blocking has become my friend.  My monthly calendar is color coded so that I can manage time with family, work, my Thirty One business and time for me (sometimes this gets cancelled).  Manage your time when it comes to activity or exercise.  Add it to your calendar so that it becomes a part of your every day life and you aren't wasting the small amounts of time doing nothing when you could be active.  I know, I need to practice this one myself!
• Commit to learning new things.  My professional development is important to me because it is an investment in my business that helps not only me personally but my team.  You can learn new things in a variety of ways like reading a blog, a video, a conference call, a networking meeting or a formal conference/ training.  The same is true about my weight loss journey.  I continue to learn new tips and ideas not only from the Weight Watcher meetings, the friends that I have met there but also by talking to others in the health field or other DS wellness companies about their products
• Don't sweat the small stuff.  There are going to be bumps in the road but you can learn from them and then let them go.  Sometimes this is easier to do in business then when we are losing weight.  If you lost weight but are suffering from a small set-back like some weight gain or a plateau - look back on what worked and what didn't.  Protect your loss.  Just because you gained a little doesn't negate all the positive work that you have done.
• Laugh more. I have learned to laugh at myself.  I LOVE what I do - who wouldn't love to party every time they go to work, right?  The same has been true in my weight loss journey .  I have found that finding humor in everyday life makes me a happier person.

This is a lot to take in on a Monday morning but the lesson is simple - we tend to look at our lives as separate compartments - business, family, work, spiritual, etc. - that very seldom merge together.  When they do, it is often in a negative way - why not take the positive lessons that we have learned each part of our life and apply them to every part of our life as we take this journey through life.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Saturday Morning......

This has been an AMAZING week filled with tears of joy and tears of sadness.  A chapter in my life (and my daughter, Belinda's) closed this week with the final payment being received on the mortgage that I held on our old home but many new chapters opened......  

The first as a proud Momma!  Belinda has been accepted into the University of New England's Masters Program for Social Work on the accelerated program.  She starts online in May and will be done in 18 months with her Masters in Macro Social Work.  All this while working a full-time and an on-call job with troubled kids.  

Next, Jennifer Jones, my only long distance recruit, added two more women to our Thirty One team - Rays of Hope.  I met Jennifer on my way to National Conference last year and was so excited when she signed up.  Our team is growing deep which is great news! 

I won a door prize at the Family Wellness and Beauty Day so yesterday I got to pick up my prize (and place an order) for Quenchwear clothing.  This is a line of clothing that is all about fit, style, versatility and sun protection.  I can't wait to show off my new interchangeable outfits.  These will definitely be making the trip to HOTLANTA in July for National Conference.

The greatest blessing came on Thursday at my Weight Watcher's meeting.  No, I didn't loose but actually gained .4 (a VERY minor setback).  I had TWO AHA moments though - 1) tracking is key to my success & my weight loss journey and 2) people actually helped by my blog.  Thank you AnnaMarie for sharing how my one blog post helped you.  Your kind words made my day and helped to reinforce what Vanessa Coppes (my blog mentor) told me.     

Time for family as hubby has off tomorrow.  Enjoy your weekend and have a ThirtyOne-derful day.

Magic Wand of Weight Loss

Have I got your attention?  Okay, so I don't have a magic wand - believe me if I did I would have used it by now.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if there were a magic wand that we could wave, and suddenly the pounds would melt from our flesh and we would be the perfect weight? I know of no one who would choose the rigors and demands of a diet over a magic wand.

I just wanted to share that the journey for some is long - it has been 8 years of working towards my weight loss goal and I am not there yet.  When I had my daughter, 24 years ago, I was a hefty 295 pounds.  Those that didn't know me in my "previous life" would be shocked and actually think I am kidding until I show them pictures.  Mind you there aren't many of them but the few there are, at that time, I didn't see how heavy I was.  No, I didn't have rose colored glasses but it was just who I was.  When I went into recovery (a story for another time) I was probably the only person to loose 11 pounds.  Still, I didn't see a problem.  I guess it finally hit me when I saw a picture of myself and my daughter at my niece's wedding.  WOW!  That is the picture that I carry with me as my "before" shot.

I joined Weight Watchers and things began to happen.  I was not one of those people who got it right away. Eat less was easy, move more - not so easy for I disliked exercise.  See it has been a process for me as I am now only about 11 pounds from my goal weight.  NOW, I am starting to move more - not always easy but definitely better now that I have an accountability partner (actually a few of them) who I meet at the gym (more on this in future postings).  Working together has definitely helped - the goal is 3 times a week - do I always achieve it - NO!  I keep trying...

Whether your goal is 10 pounds or 100 plus pounds, it can be done.  Slow and steady wins the race.  Don't think because you don't reach goal in "x" amount of time, it isn't worth it.  Look at me - 8 years, 104 pounds and still 11 pounds to go.  For me, it was Weight Watchers - sensible eating, a GREAT leader - Nicole Dibella-Belo and the many friends that I have now made at the meetings.  Yes, I attend the weekly meetings because for me - it works.  Then on those days when I seem at my wit's end I ask God for help, that I might remain committed to the task no matter how long it takes. When I call on the Lord, He grants me the patience I so desperately need.  

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day.

Check out Weight Watchers at http://www.weightwatchers.com/