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.
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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.

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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.

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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!

Happy Grateful Bits

The ageratums are blooming!

I walked through my garden yesterday and found the ageratums in bloom. As I paused to take them in, a butterfly floated by and settled on one of the lavender flowers. I thought to myself, "how beautiful!" For a moment, I just focused on this peaceful scene. As I turned to walk back into the house, I realized that I was smiling "for no reason." I felt good and unburdened.

I call this a "happy grateful bit" -- just one of those small things that is easily overlooked if you aren't careful, but can change your whole outlook if you let it. It reminded me that I should collect happy grateful bits everyday -- a bouquet of gratitude for each day. Here is yesterday's bouquet:

1. The ageratums are blooming!
2. Melvin is dreaming of chasing squirrels. He's barking under his breath in his sleep, and his little paws are in motion.
3. As I passed a neighbor's house on my walk this evening, he came over to the street to just say hello and catch up. He patted Melvin on the head, and I stroked his cat, Murray.
4. The neighborhood hawk swooshed down into my yard again today and landed in the crape myrtle out front. He's so handsome!
5. Clean, neatly folded laundry!

If you slow down and take notice, you will realize that happy grateful bits are all around. Share yours!

Dream a New Dream

I've been thinking a lot lately about self-image and taking stock of how I see myself -- physical attributes, personality, and capabilities. And I'm considering how I formed these beliefs and ideas. Not surprisingly, it goes waaayy back. When I think about my body-image and weight issues, three people come immediately to mind: my grandmother, my crazy aunt, and my 2nd grade teacher. These three women seemed to have had a vested interest in making sure that I knew I was bigger than all the other girls my age and that this was not good. What's crazy is that when I look back at pictures of myself at that age, I was just a sweet, beautiful little girl with all the potential in the world. What's even crazier is that 40 years later, I'm still carrying around the image these three women defined for me.

We become what we believe, and when we are 7 years old, we believe what we are told. But thankfully, when we are 47, we can think a new thought and dream a new dream.

"Our subconscious minds have no sense of humor, play no jokes and cannot tell the difference between reality and an imagined thought or image. What we continually think about eventually will manifest in our lives."

Sidney Madwed

My Best Laid Plan

I was inspired by Melissa to plan ahead for next week. So I drew up a menu for Monday through Friday, made a shopping list, and actually went to Publix yesterday to buy what I needed. I decided to make three items over the weekend: vegetable soup, chicken chili, and roast turkey breast.

The vegetable soup is an old Weight Watcher standby recipe. It's made with all "zero-point vegetables" (that's the non-starchy ones). Having this soup on hand allows me to have a bowl with lunch everyday if I want; somehow the bowl of soup is a lot more satisfying than munching on raw carrots and celery. I made a pot of this soup yesterday along with Crock Pot White Chicken Chili. The chicken chili recipe is also from Weight Watchers, but this is the first time I've made it. I threw everything in the crock pot yesterday morning, and had a bowl for dinner. It's pretty good, but I had to spice it up more than the recipe indicated. Today I plan to cook the turkey breast, and then I'll be set for the week. It's kind of nice having home-cooked food in the house.

If you are interested, click here to see the menu I put together for next week. Since I'm doing Weight Watchers, I included the weight watcher points values. But I try to keep zone-style eating in mind so you'll notice that most of the meals and snacks include protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats.

Girls Bite Out

Shana Performing at Java Monkey

A bunch of us went to Java Monkey last night to hear Shana peform. I was impressed again with how talented she is. I felt an undeserved sense of pride -- like I wanted to poke the person next to me and say, "I know that girl; she's my coach and my friend" -- as if being her friend gives me permission to bask in her glow. But bask I did.

My favorite song of the evening was If I had a Boat. I just listened to Lyle Lovett's version on YouTube; and I like Shana's performance much better. She sang that song like she crossfits -- balls-to-the-wall and with so much heart.

Midnight Train to Georgia and Stand by Me seemed to have been the crowd favorites. That's when the dancing and singing-along started. I think that's about the time that Sheryl could no longer remain in her seat and Erica demonstrated the burpee (while wearing a short little black dress)!

It was a nice change to see everyone in real clothes with coiffed hair and their makeup on. Everyone was "lookin' good" and having fun.

It was a great night out with friends. Let's make a habit of it!

A Girl's Best Friend

I’ve been on this journey towards improved health and fitness for a while now. And one thing I’ve learned, and been reminded of again lately, is that losing weight and getting a handle on emotional eating is not about removing food from my life as much as it is about adding joy to my life.

One of the great additions to my life in recent years is my dog, Melvin. For years I had wanted a dog. Like some women covet other women’s babies, I coveted other people’s dogs. My busy career and travel schedule did not allow room for a dog. I remember traveling to Paris a couple of times and being so taken with all the dogs. They were everywhere, even in the cafes! It seemed everyone in Paris had a dog. I remember thinking to myself, “someday I will have a dog, and I’ll walk him through the streets of Decatur; we’ll sit outside the coffee shop, drink coffee, and read the paper." On a trip to Boston, as a business colleague and I were leaving a restaurant after dinner, we passed a very handsome man walking a beautiful German Shepherd. She commented on the man; I commented on the dog. “I’m not sure there’s a man in my future, but there’s definitely a dog in my future,” I said, and we laughed.

When I left my corporate job in 2000, I was finally able to get a dog. Melvin came to live with me in November, 2000, and he has brought me so much happiness. I’ve met neighbors because of him; heck, I’ve had total strangers stop me on the street so they could meet him. And he’s brought me love: he loves me, and I love him. He’s a great joy in my life.

Feeding the Hungry Heart

The following is excerpted from Feeding the Hungry Heart by Geneen Roth.

Emotional eating is not about lack of willpower and will not be solved by dieting. While overeating (as well as under-eating) can become a life-threatening health concern, the roots of the problem are rarely physical. We eat when we are lonely. We eat when we are sad. We eat when we are bored. We eat when we are angry, grieving, frustrated, frightened, or even happy. We eat because we don’t know what to do with our feelings and food is here, there, everywhere. It’s cheap, tastes good, and doesn’t talk back. If we are ever going to solve the serious problems that result from emotional eating, including anorexia, bulimia, and obesity, we need to understand that the main reason people eat is to feed their hungry hearts.

Until the hunger of the heart itself is named and touched, no amount of advice—no matter how medically correct—will enable someone to stop eating destructively. If someone is using food [in a destructive way], giving her an exercise-and-food plan will not turn her around. …we need to see her eating as a way of expressing what she doesn’t know how to say any other way. We need to touch the ground of the pain, dissolve its roots. If you simply cut off a branch here and there, bringing about a quick fix—for six months or a year—the problem will only come back with renewed vengeance.

…We keep looking in the wrong places to solve the problem. If you want to find your keys, you need to look where you left them. If we want to solve our obsession with food and body size, we need to look at the longings, the desperation, the beliefs, and the images from which it grows.

When, for any number of reasons, we feel separated from ourselves and the life we know is possible, we feel hollow and empty. We feel lonely. We feel worthless. Those of us who are emotional eaters turn to food to anchor us and fill the empty spaces. After developing an eating problem, we then focus on dieting, food plans, elaborate schemes for losing weight and gaining the perfect body, a sense of meaning and a feeling of accomplishment. But no system built on deprivation….will ever work—and this includes diets—because it does not recognize the fundamental reasons behind emotional eating.

[But] change is possible when the truth of what you want to change is fully understood. It is possible.

Living the life you were given, feeling an internal freedom of movement, expressing your capacities without always keeping part of them bound in obsession—these are birthrights. These are what you deserve. … These are what feed the hungry heart.

Just the Way You Are

“I like you just the way you are.”

This fabulous line is from the movie, Bridget Jones’ Diary. Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) says these words to Bridget (Renee Zelwegger) despite her being a little awkward, unsophisticated, and not perfectly thin.

Isn't that what we all want? Acceptance. Freedom to just be who we are and have that be enough. If we are lucky we'll have friends, and maybe even a "Mark Darcy," who will love us just as we are. But "being enough" begins with self-acceptance, with loving yourself despite your flaws. One of the great gifts of growing older is that you come to understand that your imperfections are what make you perfectly wonderful and worth knowing.

Love and accept yourself just as you are. And oddly enough, that's where you will begin to find the source for true, lasting change.

Sugar Craving Crackdown

Do you have a sweet tooth? Does the mere thought of chocolate make your mouth water? Are you rendered helpless at the aroma of fresh baked cookies and brownies? Do you remember the dessert from your last party but can't for the life of you recall who was in attendance? Is your meal not complete without a sweet ending? If any of these ring a bell, you might be a sugar addict. The inability to control sugar cravings is a stumbling block for many and can keep us from reaching our goals. Erica Lesperance, Registered Dietian and Research Nutritionist has put together a program to help us get control of our sugar cravings. We're calling it the Sugar Craving Crackdown, and here's how it works.


Objective: To eliminate the craving for sugary foods that often follows a meal.


Description: Eliminate refined sugar and artificial sweetners from your diet for the duration of the Crackdown. Do not feed your sugar cravings, even with fruit or other naturally sweet foods. (You can eat fruit; just not in response to a sugar craving). Click here for specific guidelines and details of the Crackdown.


Timeframe: Tuesday thru Friday (9/23 - 9/26). Erica says 3 days is really the minimum time required to break the cycle, and she often recommends following this program for two weeks. But for now, try it for 4 days if you need to curb sugar cravings. Of course you have the option to continue after 4 days and to use this tool in the future whenever you need to get a handle on sugar cravings.

Blog About It: Be sure to post questions, comments, crys for help, whatever, to the blog. Let us know how it's going.

This is 100% optional. It's just a suggestion to help those who struggle with sugar cravings. If sugar cravings are not a problem for you or now is not a good time for you to do the Crackdown, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. Remember, this is a no-pressure, no guilt forum.
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Erica Lesperance is a Registered Dietician, Research Nutritionist amd CrossFitter. She is passionate about nutrition, healthy living, and the power of positive thinking. Erica crossfits at CrossFit East Decatur.

Good Examples

"Few things are harder to put up with than a good example."

Mark Twain

One thing I truly appreciate is the example set by other women. If I didn't know the women pictured above, it would be easy to judge them based on appearance and assume that they are "lucky". "They must be naturally trim and fit; they just don't share or understand my struggle with food and weight; somehow it comes easier for them." But I know each of these women, and I know each one of them fights the same battle that I fight. It doesn't come easy for them. They don't always make perfect choices, but more often than not, they make "pretty good" choices. I draw strength and encouragement from these women (Rachel, Shana, Erica, Danielle) and others. If they can win their battle with food and body image, so can I. If they can make good choices most of the time, so can I. So can you.

Keep Monday in Mind

"…but whenever Monday comes, you can find me cryin’ all of the time.”

from “Monday, Monday” by the Mamas and the Papas

Aah, it’s the weekend, and not just any weekend; it’s a beautiful fall weekend. It’s time to kick back and relax. I’m going to my cabin this weekend. I’m looking forward to spending Saturday afternoon at the cabin and then heading over to my parents in the evening to watch the UGA-Arizona State game. Honestly though, I have a wee bit of anxiety because I don’t want to “blow it” this weekend. I’m on a good roll, and I want to keep it going. I don’t want to undo what I’ve accomplished this week. So I’m keeping Monday in mind. How will I feel on Monday morning if I have a major food-fest this weekend? I’ll feel terrible; I will be full of regret. I know this feeling well, and I don’t like it! On the other hand, if I make good choices this weekend, I’ll feel GREAT on Monday morning! I’ll have more confidence in my ability to make changes and reach my goals. The Monday WOD will not be nearly as painful. I won’t have to post a confessional update to the blog; I’ll be able to share my success with all of you rather than my shortcomings. Hmmm, let’s see, which will I choose? Which will you choose?

I Think I Can, I Think I Can...

Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Our thoughts, more than anything else, determine our success. In 1954, Roger Bannister made headlines worldwide with one of the landmark achievements in sports history. At the time, it was widely accepted as impossible for a human being to run a mile in under four minutes. The world record of 4:01.3 had stood for nine years, and experts regarded this as an insurmountable human limitation. But Roger Bannister didn’t accept the prevailing wisdom. He believed he could break the four-minute barrier, and he worked towards doing just that. On May 6, 1954 Bannister ran the mile in 3:59.4. Interestingly, within ten years of Bannister's achievement, over 300 others did "the impossible". How do you explain this? Bannister paved the way, proving it could be done. The barrier to running a four-minute mile was in the athletes’ minds!

The same applies to our efforts to reach our goals. The barrier is in our minds. Do either of the following sound familiar?

• All or Nothing Thinking: Have you ever had a slip-up and then had this thought? “I’ve already blown it so I might as well enjoy myself and start again on Monday.” This perfectionist thinking, thinking that you must do everything right or nothing at all, is not helpful. We need to see our slip-ups as feedback, not failure. Just get back on track at the next meal and forget about it!
• Self-fulfilling Prophecies: “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Be careful what you think, and especially what you speak and write. When negative or limiting thoughts come to mind, challenge them and replace them with a different message. Over time, you will retrain your mind.

Take notice of your thoughts. What do you say to (and about) yourself? Would you say this to or about a best friend? What would a best friend say to you in the same circumstance? Be your own best friend by changing the way you think, and then watch yourself change!

Begin Now!

Need some motivation to get started? Having trouble being consistent with your nutrition and exercise routine? Check out this article from CrossFit Norcal about the progress one of their clients made in just a few months. The "before and after" pictures are amazing. The moral of the story: Begin Now and Be Consistent!

http://www.norcalsc.com/index.php/post/what_are_a_few_months_if_its_important_to_you_begin_it_now


Shana, thanks for sharing this article!

Remember How Far You've Come

That's me 50 pounds ago.

It's important to remember how far we've already come. It's easy to get discouraged when progress slows and motivation wanes. Today let's focus on how much we have accomplished. In doing so, we will be reassured of how far we can go in the future.

Watch Your Ass

Tee, hee. It's important to keep a sense of humor. Laughter is good for the soul and burns calories too!

T-114

One-hundred, fourteen days from today is my 48th birthday. Yikes! It's time for me to get serious again about losing weight. My weight loss has stagnated in recent months. Complacency has set in; I have lost my motivation. I've exchanged what I really want for what I want at the moment. This blog is my attempt to get re-motivated and re-energized. My hope is that it will help me garner support to move forward and at the same time serve as support and encouragement for others.

I'm currently working on going Sugar-Free. I have a real problem with sugar so I have decided to lose the refined sugar altogether for a while. I have one sugar-free day under my belt; I managed to make it through yesterday without having any refined sugar. Can I make it through today with no sugar? That's my goal for today. What's yours?