Footprints of Friends

     This is the last post in my 3-part series “Footprints” - people who have inspired me on my journey to health.   Starting on any journey can be scary and difficult; that’s why it’s so important to find others who have either gone before you or are walking beside you to spur you on.  Their path can give you motivation to keep going or work harder when the going gets tough.  As you can read from my other posts “Footprints of a Classmate” and “Footprints of a Husband”, they can be from anywhere in your life.  (Even on tv – Jillian Michaels, I want your abs!)  Sometimes the people who inspire us are right before our eyes.  Like my friend Claire, who has tirelessly taught a First Place for Health Sunday School class for several years.  Her passion and her commitment for bringing women into wholeness, not just giving diet tips, pushes me to press on and to make a difference in the lives of others.  As a full-time executive and mother of three, Claire has introduced a “boot camp” at 7 am on Saturday mornings and is changing women inch by inch, pound by pound, spirit by spirit.   Claire truly walks her talk, and I admire her greatly.  Or my friend Jen.  When Jen and I first became friends about 10 years ago, she was a self-proclaimed couch potato.   With 3 kids and her youngest in diapers, she routinely said, “nah” to exercise.  Jen and her husband recently completed their first marathon, and I am so proud of her! The health switch just flipped on for her, and she hasn’t looked back.  She’s a great example to many women, to her children, and to their friends.  I admire her self-discipline and commitment.   And finally, my friend Ashley.  I’ve always loved Ashley’s creativity and her spirit.  When I was thinking of joining a gym, she’s the one who convinced me and now we go to the same gym, along with about 6 other people that we know.  She’s not afraid to work hard, and she pushes others towards achieving by her example. She also just recently started a photography business Ashley Elaine Photography (yes, that was a shameless plug), and I am so proud of her.  She kicked fear out the door and went for it. 

     So to my friends, for your genuine-ness, your tenacity, and your courage – thank you for laying down your footprints and inspiring me on this journey!

Footprints of A Husband

     Here is the 2^nd set of “Footprints” - a series of posts about people who have inspired me on my journey to health.  This set belongs to my husband who lost close to 100 lbs last year.  I am so proud of him!  For years, he carried this extra weight, this “monkey on his back” as he called it.  As with most people, the pounds creeped on a little here and a little there; lose 35, gain back 50.  He basically played chicken with his health - avoided doctors, bought bigger clothes, started, stopped, then re- started exercise and weight loss programs.  Over the course of 20 years as you can imagine, this started taking a toll.  It was affecting every area of his life, and there came a point where he had enough.  He started small, one step at a time, one change at a time.  First, he cut out caffeine and sugar.  Then he started drinking 96 oz of fluids a day.  He stopped eating fast food, began eating fruit for snack, and no longer ate late at night.  He also began going to bed earlier, instead of being a night owl.  Over the course of a year, he lost the weight and also had some other results.  Some obvious ones, but others not so obvious to most people like my personal favorite – his feet stopped smelling on a regular basis!  After cutting out sugar and losing 100 lbs, we were anticipating great things from his blood work.  We were shocked when he was diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic and his triglycerides were off the chart – AFTER changing his lifestyle and losing the weight!  In short, even though he had made changes, his unhealthy lifestyle for years had done so much damage to his entire system that he was basically a heart attack waiting to happen.  Thankfully, he is managing his diabetes and triglycerides with medication and exercise.  And thankfully, he is no longer destroying his own body by his lifestyle choices.

     How does this bittersweet story inspire me?  In a few ways – for one, just his plain tenacity.  It’s not easy to lose 100 lbs.  Since then he has joined a gym, and he is sticking to it.  He has researched his disease and continues to make wise food choices that help to heal his body.  His experience has shown me that everything we put into our bodies really does count.  If he had those extreme health issues after he lost the weight, what was going on inside of his body while he was carrying the weight?  What is going on inside of my body after I over indulge?  And is it really worth it?  Seeing the changes in his body from staying hydrated also inspired me to keep my body hydrated.  I was simply amazed to see some of the differences that I know were from him drinking fluids.  I plan to post another blog on the benefits of drinking water, but seriously – if keeping your body hydrated, keeps your feet from smelling, imagine the other more significant benefits your body is reaping!

     So congratulations Ike!  And thank you for leaving me foot prints that I can learn from.

Pull Up Your Bootstraps

     For many people, the new year means a time for resolutions and new beginnings.  We already know this, so let’s just cut to the chase….

If you want new beginnings and you want change to occur in your life,
YOU have to be the driver.  No one can do it for you.

     This is true whether you are reading this in January or October.  It all begins with you!  Albert Einstein once said: 

“Insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over again
and expecting different results.”

     So if you want to succeed in your resolutions and experience new beginnings, jump off the crazy train and make some changes. Pull up your bootstraps and get busy with… 

…your mind – You can try to make all of the changes you want, but without a change in your thought patterns, you will be defeated. Thought tapes from the past need to go and new ones need to be made. Think positively.  Use empowering action words that give you direction and vision.  Live in the present.  Yesterday is past, it’s gone, it’s over, let it go – today is new.  Wrap your mind around it and embrace it.

…your emotions – Your thoughts also affect your emotions.  In fact, thoughts and emotions are like peanut butter and jelly; they simply go together.  Make up your mind that you are going to own your emotions.  Excuses and blame no longer have a place.  Your emotions belong to you.  Release what is dragging you down and replace it with positive, life-breathing determination and passion.

…your body – You only get one body. Make up your mind that you are going to take care of it.  (See how it all goes back to your mind?)  Start by getting a complete physical from your doctor(s).  Then make other small adjustments to your lifestyle like:  get moving doing something you enjoy, not endure; drink plenty of water; nix the soda, even if it’s diet; ditch the extra sweets, treats, and drinks; drink plenty of water; use smaller portions and add green to your meals; and finally, make nutritional substitutions – steamed or grilled instead of fried, an egg white veggie flatbread instead of an egg, bacon, and cheese biscuit, whole wheat bread instead of white, vinaigrette dressing on the side instead of a creamy dressing bath. Oh, and did I mention drink plenty of water?

     Overwhelmed?  Don’t be - remember from my post “Seasons Change”, for changes to stick they need to be approached holistically. You have to think it, believe it, and live it for change to occur. This is a journey.  Every change doesn’t need to be made at once, and permanent change doesn’t occur overnight. If you have a bad day, no big deal - begin new the next day and keep looking forward.  The key is that YOU have to do it. 

     It is your life, your mind, your body, your emotions – own up! Throw off your excuses and empower yourself because no one can make these changes for you. Pull up your bootstraps and get started today!

~Take an inventory of where you are and where you want to be. Make a plan on how you will get there. Include excuses that you use and other roadblocks and what you are going to do to circumvent them.  You can do this! ~

Footprints

     In “Journey to Health: Ready, Set, Go”, I shared what first grabbed my attention about my need for better health.   Now, I’d like to focus on what inspired me to do something about it.  One of the greatest building blocks to success in fitness and weight loss is to find people who inspire you.  People who have left behind footprints for you to follow; people who share lessons that you can learn from; people who motivate you and are willing to walk with you on your journey.  Take a step with me, and read the first of a 3-part series “Footprints”.  And as you read, I challenge you to think of someone who has inspired you.   

 

Footprints of A Classmate

     Facebook is a great tool for re-connecting with people from your past.  Quite a few of my classmates have taken inspirational paths, either in their careers or in their personal lives.  A couple of classmates grabbed my attention because of their devotion to fitness.  One who inspired me greatly is Vanessa.  

     Vanessa and I became friends in middle school.  However, like in many young friendships, we made other friends and developed different interests.   We never become best friends, but I believe there was always a mutual liking and respect that lasted through high school.  I always saw Vanessa as someone who was kind and genuine.  I will never forget pulling up for my 10^th high school reunion.  It was August, and I was 6 months pregnant with my first child.  My husband and I had just driven 4 hours in the summer heat with no air conditioning; aka – windows down.  Remind you, it was the early 90’s.  Remember all that big hair?  Well, suffice it to say I was not a pretty sight.   I got the duty of checking into the hotel while he parked, and I remember saying, “If I run into anyone, I’ll just die.”   And guess who I ran into…Vanessa and her friends.  I tried to blink twice to be invisible, but that didn’t work.  And it’s okay because I’ll never forget how genuinely excited she was to see me.  “Hey guys look! It’s Rickie!”  I think the earth swallowed me up right then – or maybe I just wished it did.   Every time I look back on that, though, my heart is warmed.   It’s one of those times that “made a difference”.

     So it was extra cool for me when I saw Vanessa’s Facebook pictures.  Simply, she and her husband are part of a team, and they train and race in triathlons.  Here I was, 14 years later, feeling like I was starting down the slippery slope, and there she was going up the slope full speed.  She looked great, she was part of a team, and she was also using this gift to raise awareness for a cause she believed in.  I loved all of those things!   I could see from her pictures that it took a lot of time and dedication, but I could also see that it brought her joy.  Although I never took the time or courage to ask her much about it, she inspired me.  I wanted a piece of that! 

     Vanessa is fighting her own personal battle right now.  We are kind of formal in our communications, but I can tell that she is a fighter, that she is strong, and that she will overcome.   Sometimes when I am in spin class and I feel like giving up, I think of her - knowing how hard she must have trained and knowing how much she probably wishes she could right now.  But I am confident that if she hasn’t already begun, she will be one day soon.

     So, I dedicate this post to Vanessa, in thanks, for leaving me footprints that I can follow on my journey.

Seasons Change

     Fall ended in perfection - a 70-degree day that turned into a cool night.  The day was spent helping neighbors rake leaves, the evening spent raking my own.  The kids on our street played great together all day, and we ended the night roasting marshmallows at the fire pit.  Everyone was sticky and dirty, exhausted and happy!  If only every season in my life ended so well!  Although I know that winter's sting is just around the corner, I am grateful for those very moments in time.  

     Something new that I've recently started is that when I experience something that just feels great and peaceful, I stop and thank God.  I thank Him for that very moment in time, what was happening, and the way it made me feel.  It's been transformational and helps me through frustrations and hard times alike.  It gives me that spring of hope, the reminder that - whatever it is - this too shall pass and even if it takes a while, there are still warm moments of summer woven throughout my life.

     A different season is coming to my blog too.  Lately, it seems like when I have something to post, it points back to my journey to health.  I have a few posts to put up (actually they may be on the subject as well...) but I'd like shift my focus and begin using my "Journey to Health" page to give you information about nutrition, fitness, and wholeness.  My journey isn't just physical; it's also mental, emotional, and spiritual - wholeness is the only way for the changes to stick.  Have you ever seen a workout DVD where the trainer tells you that you stink and are weak?  Of course not - that's because it all begins in your mind.  You have to think it, believe it, and live it for change to occur, whether it's in your workouts, your relationships, your self-esteem...whatever journey you're on. 

     One of the trainers at the gym inspired me after my back injury.  She told me that my body will be able to pick back up where I left off; I just needed to be patient.  It had been months since I had consistently been to the gym; I truly thought she was high on armpit fumes.  But you know what, she was right.  I took it slowly and carefully for a few weeks, and this Saturday I ran 1.5 miles on the treadmill again and I felt like I could do more.  I was back to where I was before I got hurt.  Tonight, I ran 2 miles. Truthfully, I probably would have given up at some point if she hadn't given me that encouragement and hope.  I didn't think I would ever feel strong again, I didn't think I would ever be able to work out like I had been.  Her encouragement and positive spirit put it in my mind and gave me the hope to entertain the thought, and now I believe.  Part of me living it is sharing my journey with you. 

     Please continue to visit and find the hope and inspiration that you need to start or to keep going on your own personal journey.  I'll be giving you information you can use and also some positive and encouraging thoughts and experiences.  (Eventually, I will be combining some of my current pages and adding some pics, so it may look different soon.)  Here's to a new season!

If you've ever people watched, then you know there is an astounding number of people in our nation who are unhealthy.  Let's make a change, starting with our corner of the world. 

I Am A Wounded Beast

     The unthinkable has happened – after months of working out, I have injured my back…by standing up crooked.  Yes, standing up crooked.   Insult to my injury was that once the pain subsided, I re-injured it by pushing a rug aside with my foot.  Yes, for real.  Nothing glorious, no heroic story to tell.  Just a common everyday occurrence that has me down – for now. 

     Soul searching is in order. I refuse to go down without a fight, and when I come back up I want to bring something with me and emerge stronger. Sometimes there is no answer for why. There is no rhyme or reason. There’s just an “okay so this is what you have, what are you going to do with it?”

     I know for one that this has made me more empathetic towards people with chronic pain. Everyday tasks are difficult and the sense of a nagging, constant pain has left me growling on more than one occasion. But although growling and whining may make me feel better, it pushes away those that I love. 

~ I can choose to be a victim or a victor. I choose victory! ~

     It’s been easier to focus more on what I can’t do than on what I can do. It’s mind over matter some days. When my body is not on my side, I want to give up and give in. Food choices slip, anxiety creeps in, focus gets lost – so that’s why it’s mind over matter. 

~ I can choose to succumb or I can choose to overcome. I choose to overcome! ~

     Now that my pain is subsiding, I find myself afraid to press on. What if it happens again? What if I have a bad day? What if I do that something that brings me pain and sets me back again? To that, I must tell myself: “Blah, blah”. 

~ I can choose to live in fear and never know what I can accomplish, or I can choose to live courageously and reach far beyond my wildest dreams. I choose courage! ~

     It would be foolish to press on without care, but it would be even more foolish to lie in wait. If one part of my body becomes weak, I need to strengthen it while I continue to take care of the rest of it. Just like it doesn’t make sense to pray only when I have trouble, it makes no sense to only eat well when I have perfect attendance at the gym. Eating well feeds my mind and my soul, as well as my body. It provides the foundation for my body to pick up and get going. Candidly, these past few weeks I haven’t made some of the best choices. I’ve allowed myself to slip back into old habits and patterns – for example, increased caffeine intake, decreased water intake, sugar binges, lack of protein - and I feel it. I feel tired, sluggish, sometimes even a little down, and I don’t want it. I have no doubt it’s because I’m not fueling my body properly. Even if I can’t exercise at full speed yet, I can still take care of myself from the inside out, so I’ll be ready to go when it’s time. 

~ I’m committed to getting back on track. ~

     We always need to remember that there is no magic pill for health. It is care and consistency. This is a journey. It’s not a sprint, it’s not even a marathon. It’s a lifelong journey - becoming strong and healthy in body, mind, and soul, one day a time, until the days are no more. So the choice is ours – it’s mine but it’s also yours – be afraid and give in or step out in courage and overcome with victory. 

~ What’s your choice? ~