I Feel Wicked

For the first time in my life, tonight I feel wicked.

Halloween: A Time to Re-Invent Yourself

by Byron Meredith

In 2002, you could find me at a Weight Watchers meeting every Thursday at lunch. That same year, Sarah, The Duchess of York, made an appearance in Atlanta in her role as the spokesperson for Weight Watchers. She gave an inspiring presentation to about 2000 Weight Watchers. Following her presentation, they had a drawing for a grand prize: a photo opportunity with The Duchess of York, along with a gift basket that contained several Weight Watcher books and tools, including books written by The Duchess of York. Knowing that I never win anything, I sat in shock as I heard The Duchess of York announce my name and invite me to join her on stage in front of all those people. I nervously walked up to the stage as the cameras flashed! I had my first (and last) brush with the paparazzi and being the envy of thousands! I had my fifteen minutes of fame!

Following the presentation of the gift basket, I adjourned backstage for my photo opportunity. The Duchess talked very frankly with me and a few of my friends who got to join me about her struggles, including a very public divorce from the Royal Family, subsequent financial problems, and a battle with unprecedented weight gain. She talked about reinventing herself and returning to the public eye in a very different role, Spokesperson for Weight Watchers. As we were concluding the photo opportunity, and she was bidding me farewell, she whispered to me, "It is never too late to re-invent yourself!" That comment made an impression on me and has stuck with me in the years since. It reminds me of the quote by George Eliot, “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”

At Halloween, the costumes allow us to become anyone we want for the evening. We can be a super-hero, a skinny bitch, the President, a sex kitten – whatever we can imagine. Of course, in reality, reinventing ourselves is not quite as easy as donning a costume, but it’s no less true that we can become whatever we imagine if we are willing to do the work. Rather than letting Halloween mark the beginning of two months of over-indulging, why not use it to do some dreaming about and planning for where we want to be on January 1 and beyond. Envision what you want, believe in yourself, and make it happen!

And for fun, instead of stuffing ourselves with candy today, let's have a virtual costume party. You can be anyone or anything you want. Who or what will it be and why?

A Hilda Halloween

To keep Halloween from being so stupid this year (that's a reference to Shana's comment earlier in the week), I thought we might check in with Hilda to see how she is spending the holiday. It probably won't surprise you to hear that she was spotted in the pumpkin patch yesterday in her bikini top and short-shorts selecting the perfect pumpkin. (That girl on the affiliate blog earlier this week who was squat cleaning a pumpkin has nothing on Hilda!)

As you may recall, it was quite cold yesterday--not a good day for gathering pumpkins in your bikini. So, after carving her jack-o-lantern, Hilda took a long hot bath to soothe her aching muscles and ward off the possibility of catching cold.

After a long soak in the tub, Hilda got comfy in her red long johns and settled in by the fire for an evening of ghost stories.

It's clear that Hilda knows how to have fun and entertain herself any day of the year, but especially on Halloween. You've got to love Hilda.

Big Scary Change

"Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are, for what you could become".

Unknown.

Yesterday when I was feeling so discouraged, Shana had me name specific qualities about myself for which I am grateful and why. This was a great exercise. I sat down last night and wrote a list of five things. One of the items on my list got me thinking about my past goals and accomplishments.

I have a degree in Management Information Systems from UGA, and for years I worked in the software technology field. As I approached my mid-thirties, I knew that I did not want to stay in this field forever. I wanted to make a change. But I was in a great position making lots of money, and it was hard to walk away. There were dozens of reasons to stay right where I was, but my heart wanted something else. So I started planning and preparing to make a change. When I was 40, I resigned my position as Vice President of Development. I was not exactly sure of my next step at the time, but I knew I wanted a different life. I remember someone asking me what I wanted to do next. “I want to combine my love of gardening with my business skills. I would like to find a position that allows me to work from home with a high degree of autonomy and flexibility, and I would like to make a reasonably good income in the process.” The person replied, “well, good luck with that!” Their meaning was clear—you’ll never have what you want.

After my resignation, I took six months off, and then went back to school to study horticulture. While in school, I took a part-time job with McCorkle Nurseries to get some experience and make contacts in the green industry. After finishing school, McCorkle offered me a position in sales, which I took. Over time, I was able to create the analyst position I currently hold—the position I had described years earlier. I envisioned what I wanted and set about creating it.

Thinking about this reminded me that I have been successful in the past at creating big change in my life. Big scary change. The kind of change that is out of the norm; it’s not safe, secure or easy. The same courage and skills that allowed me to walk away from my big corporate job and follow my heart will also enable me to reach my current goals.

We have inside us what it takes to bring about change in our lives--even big scary change.

Danger Ahead, Proceed with Caution

1 Tootsie Roll Pop contains 60 calories.

5 pieces of Candy Corn contain 32 calories.

1 Hershey Kiss contains 26 calories.

To put this in perspective, just remember how many calories you burn/earn in one minute of rowing during Fight Gone Bad--and how bad it hurts!

___________________________________________________________________________________

We have a pretty scary week ahead of us. There will be candy everywhere. We don't even have to go looking for trouble. It will be in every office, on every desk, and displayed in every store we enter. It will be packaged in tempting little autumn-colored foil wrappers, in the shapes of ghosts, goblins, and jack-o-lanterns. It is available in the cutest miniature sizes right now, perfect for handing out on Halloween. (One for you and two for me). And of course we want to buy it early so that we can take advantage of the best selection. Never mind that we will just have to buy more after we have eaten what we purchased early. And of course we want to buy the good stuff, the miniature Snickers and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups...even though the kids would be just as happy with Twizzlers and Sweet tarts. Not me, when I was a kid I preferred Snickers and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, but I've heard that most normal children like gummy worms, sour candy, and other stuff that I would never be tempted to eat.

Yes, we have a scary week ahead. And just when you think you have survived it, everyone will bring their leftover Halloween candy into the office next Monday. (I never understand these people who have leftover Halloween candy!)

So it's time to buck-up and be strong! Find your steely resolve! Remember what you really want! (What I really want is some candy). Nothing tastes as good as being fit feels! So just say "No" to the candy. Blah, blah, blah... If that doesn't work, you can follow my approach...don't bother coming to my house; the lights will be out. I'm not participating this year.

O Hushed October Morning Mild

photograph by Jack Culpepper

Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge



October

by Robert Frost

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow,
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know;
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away;
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!
For the grapes' sake, if they were all,
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost--
For the grapes' sake along the wall.

Just for a Little While

"Breaking Free of Shadows"

by Glo Bowden

1993 started out as a great year for me. I was 32, my career had really taken off, and I was in the best shape of my life to that point. Three years earlier I lost 50 pounds, and I had successfully maintained the weight loss. I was at my ideal weight. Running was my sport. I regularly ran 10k's, with occasional distances of 15k and the half marathon. I had a great group of friends. My job allowed me to travel to interesting places. I lived and worked in Buckhead, and had a great in-town life. And to top it all off, I was in love--head over heels. This was "the one" for me, and it was mutual! Isn't it great when you fall in love, AND it's mutual?! There truly is nothing better.

But as Mary Chapin Carpenter says in one of her songs, "I gave my heart away once, and I haven't seen it since." In the fall of that year, the relationship ended, and I was heart-broken. So heart-broken that I lost my appetite --- for about four hours. And then I started to eat. I remember thinking to myself, "I'm just going to eat for a little while." I allowed myself to eat whatever I wanted, just for a little while, to get through this terrible time. I ate to soothe my broken heart, to medicate the depression, and for entertainment on my now empty weekends. I stopped running because I found it difficult to run and cry at the same time. I was a mess.

Five years, and 75 pounds later, I was feeling much better.

I have been struggling with that weight, and more, ever since. What was suppose to be just for a little while turned into a 15 year sentence. A self-imposed 15-year sentence. And every time I choose to overeat, I'm adding more time to that sentence.

It's time to find my heart again. And what I'm learning is that it has been here with me all along. You see, I didn't really give it away, I stuffed it full of pain and covered it up. But I'm uncovering it more and more each day, letting it break free, and fill with joy.

Ground Hog Day

I am posting a repeat of yesterday's challenge. Just like in the gym, when I don't get something the first time, Shana says it again (and again, and again). I cannot count the number of times Shana has said to me, "don't pull with your arms. You are shrugging too early. Open the hip first, then shrug." But you know what? I'm finally starting to make progress on the clean, finally starting to get it--because she kept repeating it over and over, and I kept working at it.

The same must apply even more so to overcoming emotional eating. So I'm staying focused today on the challenge from yesterday. I hope you will too.

Enjoy the rain today. We need it. Praise for rainy days!

Coach's Challenge

by Coach Shana Alverson


Pat's article from yesterday inspired another mini-challenge for our fearless group of bloggers.

Pat is doing a great job getting a handle on her eating by bringing awareness into the picture. Awareness is what becomes necessary when our cravings have turned into compulsion and we begin to blindly reach for the nearest food-drug to calm our discomfort. That's exactly what addiction is; wounded souls trying to mask the fear of dealing with painful emotions with some soothing substance. As a person who's spent some time working the 12 steps, I know that the first one is admitting you have a problem. It's awareness. How can you begin to deal with addictions or compulsions when the behavior is automatic and you don't even realize what you've done until your belly is bloated and your head is spinning and the regret has begun to creep up?

For the rest of the week, I'd like to challenge all of us to catch ourselves numbing out our emotions with food. Then, admit it. This isn't a challenge to try and change the behavior... yet. Just for now, become aware of it and talk about it.

Next time you find yourself on the way to the kitchen and opening the fridge or the cupboard, take a moment to reflect.

"I'm reaching for the **insert craving here** and I'm not hungry. What the hell is going on? Am I stressed, lonely, sad, angry, bored, restless, overwhelmed, afraid?" Give the craving an emotion-name. For example: I'm not calling it a "bag of granola" anymore - it's now a "bag of boredom". If it's a bag of hunger, that's fine, too. The exercise is just to stop blindly reaching for food and uncover the reasons why.

Catch yourself, then admit it here.

Your experience and retelling will help someone else become aware, too.
______________________________________________________________________________

Note: The comment form has changed. Click on comments and then scroll to the bottom for the comment form.

Put a Piece of Cake on That; You'll Feel Better

My dad died in June, 1998. That following December, my sister and I attended his family's reunion, something we had never done while my dad was alive. At the time of the reunion, our grief was still fresh, and attending the reunion was part of our grieving process. My dad's surviving siblings were there along with other relatives; some we had seen at the funeral in June. Others we had not seen in many, many years--if ever. I recall vividly when my cousin, Paul walked into the room. He is about the same age as my dad even though he is my dad's nephew. He looked so much like Daddy--his stature, his hair, his eyes, the way he carried himself, even the way he was dressed. My sister and I were taken aback--she more than I because she had never met him. It was a shock to her to see this man walk through the door. For a moment it was like seeing Daddy walk through the door. She immediately welled up with tears--the painful, uncontrollable kind that get caught in your throat and make you choke if you don't let them out. She was trying to regain her composure, and I was trying to help her. We were in a large room surrounded by tables of food that had been prepared for the reunion, and we just happened to be standing beside the dessert table filled with beautiful cakes. Without thinking, I said to her, "put a piece of cake on that; you'll feel better." We both burst out laughing. We laughed and laughed about that and still laugh about it today.

My joke worked; it broke the sadness and allowed my sister to get control of her grief. But the joke did more than that; it spoke volumes about my script for dealing with painful emotions. Put some food on it, and you will feel better. Rather than feeling the emotion and experiencing the pain, we often want to make the pain go away by escaping, distracting ourselves, or numbing our feelings. Food can do all those things temporarily, but of course the pain returns along with all the consequences of having used food inappropriately.

So I'm learning to deal with emotions in a more constructive way. I want to make better choices and find healthier ways of taking care of myself. I'm trying. Sometimes it seems I fail more often than I succeed, but I'm making progress. Progress. Yes, progress.

Cooling Your Core

Click here to enlarge image.

Sheryl's son, Khalid, coined the perfect phrase for taking care of yourself-- "Cool your Core." As crossfitters and people focused on health and fitness, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that because you worked out 4 or 5 times this week, you are taking care of yourself. But we are more than our bodies. The body is just the physical manifestation of our life. C.S. Lewis said it well. "You don't have a soul; you ARE a soul. You HAVE a body." We need to make sure we are putting as much energy into nurturing the soul as we do in caring for the body.

I'll be honest. I am looking for ideas and help in this area. I am looking for new ways of caring for myself that don't involve food. So I hope you all will share freely and liberally about what works for you. How do you Cool Your Core?

A Country Weekend

It was a fantastic fall weekend in the country. Restful, relaxing, and filled with simple, fleeting moments that capture the essence of a grateful life.

I wanted to write about the wonderful coat rack I made from salvaged lumber this weekend. The wood had a terrific patina, weathered gray from years outside. I used nails leftover from the cabin construction for the hooks, and I topped the rack with a shelf made from the same wood. I laid a wildflower bouquet and two long leaf pine cones atop the shelf. A denim shirt and binoculars hung from two of the nails. Country still life. Begging for a snapshot. And I obliged.

And then I thought I might write about the walk my sister and I took Sunday morning. Melvin, my sister’s two dogs, Tucker and Sonny, and my mom’s dog, Josie frolicked all around us as we walked. We hiked over to the far side of the property to checkout the color on the sourwood trees. Sourwoods are known for early, vibrant fall color, and they did not disappoint. The light was just right, and I snapped several pictures.

I even thought I might write about the cozy swivel rocker I bought for $25, bargained down from $40, at the Potter’s House on Saturday. Its old fashioned style hugs you in comfort, and the 360 degree swivel allows you to take in the views from any direction. Draped in a plaid throw, it made a charming country picture.

I considered writing about my stroll with Melvin Saturday afternoon. Melvin sniffed along in front of me, nose to the ground on the grassy drive, his tail up and wagging. Low hanging limbs framed him just right—the perfect picture to speak a thousand words.

Towards the end of the weekend I decided a picture of the cabin would be best for the blog, and so I took several shots of the cabin surrounded by trees just beginning to hint at shades of yellow, orange, and red. Satisfied, I loaded up the truck and headed back to Atlanta. On the drive home I thought about possibly using several pictures from the weekend because I captured so many moments that I wanted to share.

Upon arriving home, I discovered I had left the camera behind. Melancholy swept over me, thinking of the camera with all those heartfelt moments locked inside—waiting in the empty, still cabin for my return. And so today's photo is from some earlier trip, but captures the feeling I get everytime I turn onto this little country path. The cabin sits beyond the horizon, out of sight. The uneven drive forces me to slow down, if I haven't already, and I can feel my cares peel away as I creep along the bumpy lane.

Looking for Hilda

I'm retreating to my cabin in the woods this weekend. It has has been calling me all week--the quiet, the calm, the solitude, the rest, and the fresh air--all calling me to escape the rush of Atlanta and my persistent insomnia. My work has been overly burdensome and stressful of late, exacerbated by my inability to sleep, and my inability to sleep aggravated by my work. As the week has progressed I have become increasingly out of kilter and frazzled. Denied the escape of sleep, I have slipped reluctantly into unhealthy ways of comforting and caring for myself--mostly with food. And do I feel comforted and cared for? No. I feel disappointed in myself. I feel frustrated by my continued failed attempts to change the way I cope with life's ebb and flow.

And so I'm escaping to the country in search of a fresh perspective and inspiration. I need to amble in the woods and hear the crunch of leaves underfoot, collecting treasures for the shadow box--an acorn, an interesting rock, a fallen leaf. I need to nap. I need to listen to nature and feel the breeze. I need to gaze at the stars. I need to snuggle in front of the kerosene heater, sleep between flannel sheets, look for deer, and watch the birds. I need to walk along the dirt road and pick the wild golden rod and asters.

I need to remember that everything is okay and that I am enough just as I am. I need to find Hilda.

Drawing a Blank

"Being a writer is like having homework every night for the rest of your life".

— Lawrence Kasdan

Discovering Hilda

Meet Hilda, the 1950's pin up girl created by Duane Bryers. Shana stumbled across Hilda while doing research for the CFED pin up calendar. She sent me a link to some of Hilda's pictures, and I found her delightful! Hilda is clearly happy and enjoys life to the fullest. The quality I admire most about her is how comfortable she is in her own skin. She exudes confidence. She's beautiful. I can't imagine Hilda spending one second agonizing over a dimple here or a little extra curve there. She knows she is beautiful just as she is.

We can probably all look at Hilda's pictures and agree that she is beautiful. We probably all immediately like her. And yet we often struggle to like ourselves and see our own beauty.

So today, we are discovering our inner-Hilda. That's right. We're blogging about ourselves again--tooting our own horns. But this time we are not talking about what we can do, but about who we are. What do you like about yourself? What personality and physical traits make you proud? Just put it out there with no disclaimers. Remember--don't tell us what you like only to go on to explain why it is not good enough.

Click here to enlarge image.

A Bouquet of Gratitude

A Bouquet of Gratitude

Melvin snoring,

Birds singing,

Cool October morning.

A riot of color in the flower garden,

Happy pink-petalled chrysanthemums with a yellow center,

Lavender asters spilling out of the bed.

Bumble bees swarming the ageratums,

Cutting flowers,

Finding a little mason jar for my bouquet.

Lunch with Byron,

Catching up with an old friend,

Coffee afterwards.

Melvin trying his best to retrieve the discarded yogurt container from the waste basket,

Giving Melvin what he wants,

Melvin licking the last little bit.

Dinner in the crock pot,

Leisurely walk,

Long Autumn shadows on the evening lawn.

Two Down, Seven to Go

There are only seven weeks remaining in the Pin-Up Challenge! My first week was very good; my second week was pretty good; then I got totally off track on Friday night and Saturday. Yep, that's right--I derailed, fell off the wagon, had a blowout--pick your metaphor. But yesterday was a good day, and I am back on course. After coffee-talk yesterday afternoon with Shana, Sheryl, and Melissa, I was motivated to plan my meals for the week and grocery shop. This approach worked well for me the first week, so I decided to do it again this week. Brilliant! =o)

So let's hear from everyone. How's it going with the goals? If you need help, be sure to ask. If things are going well, please share that also! It will encourage and motivate the rest of us!

CrossFit Girls

I love this picture that Kath took of Ashley, Myesha, and me following "Erin" on Thursday. It captures some of what is so great about CrossFit: the friendships, the wonderful feeling of accomplishment afterwards, comparing stories and congratulating each other on a workout well-done. What are the things you love about CrossFit?

I hope you all have a great weekend. Look for my next post on Monday.

Don't forget lunch Sunday, 2pm at Ted's Montanna Grill following the workout.

In the Days of the Golden Rod

photograph by Jack Culpepper

Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge

In the Days of the Golden Rod

by

Lucy Maud Montgomery

Across the meadow in brooding shadow

I walk to drink of the autumn's wine.

­The charm of story, the artist's glory,

Today on these silvering hills is mine;

On height, in hollow, where'er I follow,

By mellow hillside and searing sod,

Its plumes uplifting, in light winds drifting,

I see the glimmer of golden rod.

In this latest comer the vanished summer

Has left its sunshine the world to cheer,

And bids us remember in late September

What beauty mates with the passing year.

The days that are fleetest are still the sweetest,

And life is near to the heart of God,

And the peace of heaven to earth is given

In this wonderful time of the golden rod.

Brick Walls

Do you ever feel like you have run SMACK SPLAT into a brick wall with your training or other goals? For a long time I felt that way about losing more weight. I lost a considerable amount of weight when I first started CrossFit. I was highly motivated and found adhering to my nutrition plan wasn't so hard. I was on a roll. The more successful I was, the more motivated I became, and my success snowballed. But then things changed. Life happened, the weight loss slowed down, and the honeymoon was over! Adhering to my new way of eating seemed to get a lot harder. Try as I might, it seemed I was always off track. I felt as though there was an insurmountable obstacle--the proverbial brick wall--between me and my goal. And rather than scaling the wall, I was banging my head against it. But I hung in there and worked hard to regain my motivation and get back on track. At the moment I'm on track and trying my best to stay there, hanging on for dear life, and scaling that brick wall! And when I get to the top, I'm going to jump up and down, stomp and scream with joy, and never look back.

"The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something."

This quote is from The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, husband, and father of three. Professor Pausch presented The Last Lecture at Carnegie Mellon on September 18, 2007, soon after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He died on July 25, 2008. To read more about Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture, or to watch the video of his speech, click here.

Words are Like Seeds

Cover of 1898 Burpee Seed Catalog

The following is an excerpt from Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Jose Lima started as a pitcher for the Houston Astros for several years in the late 1990's. Jose is an outgoing, energetic, likable young ballplayer who usually exudes a positive attitude. But when the Astros built their new ballpark, now known as Minute Maid Park, Jose was upset. The fence in left field was much closer than the fence at the Astrodome. In fact, Minute Maid Park has one of the shortest distances from home plate to the left-field fence of any ballpark in Major League Baseball. The hitters love it, but the short left field makes it tougher on the pitchers.

The first time Jose Lima stepped onto the new diamond, he walked out to the pitcher's mound, and when he looked into the outfield, he immediately noticed the close proximity of that left-field fence. "I'll never be able to pitch in here," he said.

The next season, despite the enthusiasm of the fans and the excitement of playing in that brand-new ballpark, Jose had the worst year of his career. He plummeted from being a twenty-game winner to being a sixteen-game loser in back-to-back seasons. Never in the history of the Astros franchise had any pitcher experienced such a pronounced negative turnaround.

What happened to Jose? The same thing that happens to many of us everyday--we get what we say. Our words become self-fulfilling prophecies. If you allow your thoughts to defeat you and then give birth to negative ideas through your words, your actions will follow suit. That's why we need to be extremely careful about what we think and especially careful about what we say. Our words have tremendous power, and whether we want to or not, we will give life to what we're saying, either good or bad.

Sadly, many people are living discouraged lives because of the their words. They say things such as:

• "Nothing good ever happens to me."
• "I'll never be successful."
• "I don't have what it takes. I can't do it."
• "I'll never get out of this mess."

Some people even call themselves names! ... They don't realize it, but their own words are paving the way for failure.

Words are like seeds. By speaking them aloud, they are planted in our subconscious minds, and they take on a life of their own; they take root, grow, and produce fruit of the same kind. If we speak positive words, our lives will move in that direction. Similarly, negative words will produce poor results. We can't speak words of defeat and failure yet expect to live in victory. We will reap exactly what we sow.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Lunch Sunday at Ted's Montanna Grill after the workout.

We'll workout at noon and then head over to Ted's for lunch. If you can't join us for the workout, plan to meet us at the resturant at 2pm. Please let me know if you can make it for lunch so I have an idea of the size of our party.

Time to Toot Your Own Horn

Toot Your Own Horn

by Melia Dawn

Today we are tooting our own horns. We are doing some shameless bragging about our CrossFit accomplishments. I don't want to hear what you can't do or what you wish you could do. And no discounting is allowed--you can't say you are proud of something and then go on to explain why it's not good enough.

I'll start by tooting my horn.

• I'm really proud of my back squat. My back squat PR is 200 lbs.
• I've got a good deadlift too. My PR on the deadlift is 225 lbs.
• I'm good at dumbbell swings. I can usually do 25-30 unbroken swings with a 35# dumbell. And I was really proud that I could swing that 50 lb dumbbell for 8 consecutive reps in "Nate" last week, on 6 of the 7 rounds that I completed.
• I was really proud of the intensity I put into the workout last night.
• I'm very consistent with my workouts.

Toot, Toot! That's what I'm proud of. What about you?

"She who tootith not her own horn, the same shall not be tooted."

Unknown

Think About What You Think About

Whatever you do, don’t think about pink elephants.

Now, what are you thinking about? Pink elephants?! Okay, stop it! Don’t think about pink elephants! I mean it; stop thinking about pink elephants! You just need to try a little harder. If you really wanted to stop thinking about pink elephants, you could. You must not want it bad enough. Try harder to stop thinking about pink elephants, and you will be able to stop thinking about pink elephants.

I use this silly example to make a point. If we are constantly focused on the thing that we are trying to avoid or the habit we are trying to break, it’s impossible to be successful. Success in anything starts with our thoughts. Our thoughts determine our attitude, mood, emotions, behaviors, the goals we set for ourselves, our performance against those goals—everything starts with our thoughts.

The other night I wanted something sweet after dinner. I entertained the thought; I rolled it around in my head and considered my options. I looked in the pantry for something sweet. Nothing sweet there. I looked in the fridge for something sweet. Nothing sweet there either. “I could go out for dessert”, I thought. “No, I shouldn’t go out for dessert; I should resist this sweet craving.” “Some ice cream sure would be good,” I thought. “No, I can’t. I should just try harder to resist this craving.” I continued watching TV, distracted only by thoughts of my craving for ice cream and how I should not have ice cream. “I don’t need ice cream, but I sure do want ice cream”. As I continued to mull it over, the craving grew stronger and more intense. You see where this is headed, right? I ended up in Publix buying a pint of ice cream, and I came home and ate it. In the end I did the exact thing that I did not want to do. And in hindsight, it’s easy to see why. It all started with my thoughts, and my actions followed.

The point is not that we are powerless; the point is that our thoughts are very powerful, and we can choose our thoughts. I could have changed my thoughts by getting out of the house, going for a walk or bike ride, calling a friend, knitting, working in the yard—any number of activities would have gotten my mind onto something else. The choice was mine, and I chose to continue in the same thought pattern, and before long, my actions followed.

Just because a thought pops in your head doesn’t mean you have to let it take up residence. You can choose to replace it with a new thought, and in so doing, you can choose a new action.

Now, That's Zesty.

photograph by Jack Culpepper

I love this picture of the orange butterfly on the hot pink wild flowers--not colors you typically think of as occurring in nature. So the next time someone tells you to decorate your home with natural colors, feel free to use orange and pink. Now, that’s zesty! Just like Kath.

Have a great weekend everybody! Be sure to slow down, find a few moments of serenity and notice those happy grateful bits.

Look for another post from me on Monday.

A Big Salad and The Fat Van

Sometimes a big salad is just what you are craving, and when this happens I'm always glad to be craving something that I can eat without guilt. I had a salad the other day at Panera that you might want to try. It's their Orchard Harvest salad. It includes field greens, romaine, dried cherries, fresh pears, gorgonzola, toasted pecans and comes with a cherry balsamic vinaigrette on the side. You also have the option of adding grilled chicken, depending on how hungry you are. You can do a full or half portion, with or without chicken. I had the full portion with chicken because I was really hungry, but I omitted the dressing. This version of the salad, without the dressing, came to 400 calories, 34 g protein, 28 g carbs, and 27 g fat, (9 WW points). The dressing would have added another 140 calories, so I chose not to use it since this salad has plenty of fat with the nuts and cheese. You can find nutrition information for Panera's full menu at http://www.panera.com/.
Warning: if you go to Panera for this salad or anything else, beware of the tempting goodies in the pastry case. It's best to have your mind made up before you walk in the door. Or don't go alone!

Regarding the so-called "Fat Van" that was discussed by some of you on yesterday's blog--I think Kath is the one who started this--anyway, I will not be participating in this activity. I don't need to know my exact percent of body fat. I'm okay with just having a rough idea of my percent of body fat as reported by Shana's body fat machine at the gym. I will not be donning my swimsuit to jump in a big tank of water monitored by some fitness freak with 5% body fat, even if it is inside the privacy of the "Fat Van." Thanks, but no thanks. =o)

On Finding Serenity

Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge

photograph by Jack Culpepper

My brother sent me a few photographs he took recently at the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge where he lives and works. All the pictures were beautiful, and as I told him, “they made me squeal with delight.” I’m sure you will see more of his photographs on the blog in the future, but this one really spoke to me. The first word that came to mind--serenity. I was immediately reminded of the times I have visited Jack’s home on this 45,000 acre refuge devoted to protecting the longleaf pine ecosystem and the red cockaded woodpecker. There is a quiet and a calm there like I have not experienced anywhere else. The only sounds are those of nature, undisturbed.

Since most of us don’t have an oasis of serenity right outside our door, we need to find ways of cultivating peace and tranquility wherever we are. With 24-hour news (and most of it bad), the internet, email, cell phones, email on your cell phone, text messaging, and the like—all intended to make our lives easier of course—it’s not unusual to find yourself in a perpetual state of stress and angst.

We have to make a point to slow down, to breathe, and just be quiet—to listen to the voice inside.

Celebrating October

October

by

Jospeh Pullman Porter

Crispy air and azure skies,

High above, a white cloud flies,

Bright as newly fallen snow.

Oh the joy to those who know October!

Colors bright on bush and tree.

Over the weedy swamp, we see

A veil of purple and brown and gold.

Thy beauty words have never told. October!

Scolding sparrows on the lawn,

Rabbits frisking home at dawn,

Pheasants midst the sheaves of grain,

All in harmony acclaim, October!

Brown earth freshly turned by plow,

Apples shine on bended bough,

Bins o'erflowed with oats and wheat,

And satisfaction reigns complete. October!

Radiant joy is everywhere.

Spirits in tune to the spicy air,

Thrill in the glory of each day.

Life's worth living when we say, October!