Turning off the Negative Self-Talk

When something goes wrong what is your immediate response? If it is to start a mental tirade of self-blame, you are not the only one. Anyone who struggles with emotional eating has a series of pre-recorded "kick myself in the ass", self-blame lecture that start automatically that seem to be triggered with the least provocation. 

These negative conversations are so deeply ingrained that often we are not even aware of them until we take the time and energy to be mindful of them and their resulting negative effects on our self - image,  spirit, mindset, and mood. I challenge you to spend the next week or so listening to your internal records;  especially focus on the times when something goes wrong. These negative messages took years to become entwined in your brain and will take time to be deleted or re - recorded into positive messages.  So be gentle with yourself and take the time to identify and re-word yours.

I first became aware of my negative records years ago and have been working on changing them, one by one, ever since. Tonight I was reminded that re-wording our inner voice is a life-long journey. I received a Misfit activity tracker by my wife for Christmas.  An amazing gift to help encourage me back on track in my journey to living a healthier lifestlye! After a playdate with cousins, shopping in several stores, and putting my Chicklets to bed, I suddenly realized that my wrist where I wear this devise like a watch was missing.  Needless to say, I panicked! I started, quite automatically,  my inner dialog which, to my surprise, was extremely negative. It was not my typical "it is always my fault" lecture that I usually start with by generally ignore after years of practice.  This was much more negative and harmful.  I found my inner voice saying, "Of course you lost it Sheri.....you really think you deserve it? Do you really think you will ever succeed at living a healthy lifestyle?!"

I did find my Misfit and it is safely back on my wrist. I really took pause at where my inner voice went during this situation. I had no idea that my pre-recorded messages had the capability to be that negative still.....adter all these years of working on changing them! I am so glad that I am so in tune with my inner voice and will immediately work to re-record this message! I will also be on the lookout for other subtle recordings that may still be sabotaging my journey to better health. Tonight was a great lesson for me. I neecd to continue to be aware of my little inner voice and make sure that it is on track with me, not working against my efforts.

Where is you inner voice? Is it in sync with your lifestyle changes or is it a rogue agent sabotaging your best efforts?

Food for thought....

Yours in Health,

Sheri

Another Year Comes To An End...

As another year comes to an end I find myself at a new beginning. A new beginning in my journey to living a healthier lifestyle. This is not about an up-coming New Year's resolution; it is about realizing that as I let little habits back into my life, I completely and totally lost control again. Have you ever been in that situation?

I had given up all things chocolate for exactly 2 years; on the anniversary this past summer, while in Savannah, GA, I decided to begin to eat chocolate again. I had been aware that my reason for giving it up in the first place, to cut-out my biggest vice, was being replaced with eating anything and everything but chocolate! Since then, I have again lost control over my cravings for chocolate. I am changing my approach with my nemesis; we will learn to co-exist peacefully in my life. To avoid replacing one crutch with another, I am going to plan to reduce by chocolate intake over time. This is a great approach you can adopt to anything you want to reduce from your "normal diet".

If, for example, I each chocolate every single day (to be honest, during the holidays I have been eating it more than once a day), I will cut it down to no more than once a day for the first month. Then during the second month, I will limit my intake to three times a week or less. The third month, I will only eat it once a week, and finally, the fourth month, I will limit chocolate to no more than twice a month. This slow approach, and not completely eliminating it from my regular intake, will not make me feel deprived but will keep me ever-mindful of how often I am putting chocolate in my mouth.

I was given a Misfit Flash for Christmas. I am so thankful for my wonderfully supportive wife for buying this for me! She also received one from her mom for Christmas and we are all set-up and becoming more conscious of how much we are moving each and every day. I have linked mine to My Fitness Pal to track both my activity and my food intake. I just LOVE the My Fitness Pal (no, I am not being paid to say this!) because it is so easy! You can just scan what you are eating or create and save meals, smoothie recipes, etc,,, It is by far the easiest way to journal your food intake, something, that in the past I have HATED to do!

My focus has also switch more from "making proper choices" to being more mindful of my choices while centering on loving the person who I am today. I have realized that my struggle with weight loss and leading a healthy lifestyle will never become a permanent change in my life until I learn to love and completely accept the person who I am now instead of waiting to love the person I will become when I weigh a certain amount. I must also deal with my emotional reasons for turning to food as a coping mechanism in life. This, I know, means deal with unresolved issues from my past but, unlike before, I will walk through these steps with love for myself instead of judgement, acceptance instead of self-hate. This, I believe, has been the missing link in my journey.

I am excited to begin this new chapter of my journey and invite you to join me. I have several people to thank for this new focus and for being amazing support; My wife, who has always loved me for who I am now, and who has never, ever, noticed my size. Julia Havey, author, life coach, and amazing person who has walked the walk and talks the talk of living a healthy lifestyle. Jen Oliver, my newest cheerleader and coach. The release of her e-book 21 Days to Loving Yourself was the definitive turning point for me after months of sitting on my pity-pot knowing I was back to where I was three years ago and not doing anything to change what I was doing. I am a part of a few support groups online through Facebook and find amazing inspiration, accountability, and encouragement from all of the members.

I encourage you to really dig and find out what it is inside your mind that is holding you back.....holding you back from going further in your journey, or from starting your journey to living a healthier lifestyle. I can promise you that if you clear away all of your excuses, and trust me I am the QUEEN of excuses, you will realize that all of your barriers are mental ones. It is ourselves that hold us back. No money, not enough time, my children come first, too tired, can't get up that early.....trust me I have said all of them. I can now honestly say that they are not real barriers; they are excuses that my mind uses to convince me that I can't do it.

Tell your mind to step aside and get out of your way!!

Make a plan. Over the next few posts I will be sharing my plan. Copy as much as you want of what I plan to do and find other things that work for you.

Small steps and small changes done with self-love and mindfulness - this is my new motto.

What is yours?

In health and love,

Sheri

New Year, New You Challenge

Well, the new year is here and I have officially kicked myself in the ass! I have committed to a 30 day challenge.  My goals for this challenge are;

1. To drink at least 2 litres of water  a day.
2. To workout at least 4 days a week.
3. To greatly reduce my intake of "white" carbs.

Two out of three of my goals are keeping with  my personal mantra for 2014. I no longer make negative resolutions. I have made positive ones instead; to get together with friends and family more often to keep in touch and to find the positive in every day. This challenge is a positive for me too. I am increasing the amount of healthy  choices in my life. I am also making peace with my body the way it is today. I am no longer waiting for an improved body to love. If we don't love who we are now, how can se expect to be successful at making positive changes? As I think many of us have experienced throughout the years, we only set ourselves up for failure with this way of thinking.

Consider this quote from a recent Facebook post; "What if our only New Year's Resolution was to love ourselves more........" Be kind to yourself, focus on the positive, and when you need words of encouragement,  turn to your various support groups.....family, friends, and your online communities.

Yours in Health,

Sheri

Weight Loss is NOT a Physical Challenge

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Weight loss is not a physical challenge.....really!?!? I am pretty sure that when I was struggling to stay standing and NOT pass out while on the elliptical machines yesterday, it was pretty much a physical thing!! Really, all kidding aside, Dolvett from Biggest Loser reminds me weekly how my journey to a healthier lifestyle is in fact, not largely a physical issue but a mental one.

Each and every person who struggles with weight loss has something in their past that is the main reason for their struggle. It is not that you are lazy, or don't eat enough healthy food. Those are definitely contributing factors, but when we strip away all of our excuses and bad habits, at the real core of our struggles is some emotion "thing" that is holding us back. This my friends, is the biggest and final hurtle to climb over. Then and only then will our lifestyle changes be a permanent reality for you.  This is easier said than done....but you will be so happy when you have completed this part of the journey!!

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Your hardest, most intense, most draining, most tiring workout you will EVER complete will not happen in a gym, using weights, or even break a sweat! Breaking away from the mental chains holding you back from living your healthiest life is going to be an intense emotional workout harder than any physical workout you have experienced so far. I am not saying this to frighten you or persuade you to not deal with this issue. I just no longer believe in sugar-coating the truth; this journey is not easy! So let's face this hurtle together and soar towards our goals!

My next set of blogs will be focusing on steps to break free from these mental chains that are holding us back from moving forward in authentic, purposeful steps towards us becoming our healthiest, best, selves that we are meant to be! So I hope you join me on this part of my journey and join in the discussion by leaving your thoughts in the comments below.

Are you ready? Let's hold hands and take the first step off the cliff to enlightenment together;

Step 1:   Identifying your mental chains

Yours in Health,

Sheri

No shortcuts

Forty Something and Getting Healthy http://fortysomethingandgettinghealthy.blogspot.com/

There Is No Fast Fix to a Healthy Lifestyle

 

 

 

We have grown up thinking that there is a quick fix to weight loss. THAT....IS......A.....LIE! I hate to break it to you but I think that if you are reading my blog you are already at the point of knowing this truth and taking the slow, steady, healthy pace towards your healthier lifestyle. There is also no fast fixes when it comes to building a strong, healthy body either.

 

With every workout.....with every food choice we make.......with every sacrifice of unhealthy treats.....we are EARNING our new healthy body and mind!

 

My Dad use to say that, "Anything worth having is worth fighting for." This is never truer than in the realm of becoming and staying healthy. We have to remember to have realistic expectations and goals for ourselves. It did not take me 1 year to put on over 125 pounds of fat on my body. It certainly won't only be a year to take it back off; that is not realistic! Research shows that the slower you make changes the more willing your body is to that change. This is why diets DON'T WORK!!!!

 

Just make one change at a time; maybe that is cutting out white sugar, or white bread, or adding one more 45 minute walk to your weekly schedule. Whatever it is make that change and be consistent for 30 days. It takes 28 days for something to become a habit. So give yourself the time, love, and patience to make these lifestyle changes slowly and over time. You will find yourself more accepting of change and much more successful than in you repeat the "all-or-nothing" approach to dieting and exercise.

 

And, don't forget.......ENJOY your journey along the way!

 

Yours in health,

 

Sheri

My Chicklets Are AMAZING

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