Summer Thoughts

Seriously... where did the summer go to? I remember hearing that the older you get, the faster time seems to pass. I don't care for the "older" part but the rest of it does seem to be true.

Another saying that I keep thinking about lately is that people come into our lives for a season, a reason or for life. When we started the My Weigh program we were strangers, but shared a common bond as well as a common goal. No one really knew what to expect from Cathy or even from ourselves.

Week after week we struggled with our physical limitations and emerging sense of self-confidence. Sometimes our motivation and energy levels were strong and sometimes we fell back into our old familiar habits. Hey, this is a process - forwards or backwards, we just have to keep moving. Every change in life includes challenges and victories.

One thing that is consistent with the My Weigh program is that we've been able to lean on each other. Maybe for an encouraging word, a smoothie recipe or just knowing that there will be a friend waiting for you. So I feel that you amazing ladies have definitely come into my life for a reason and for life. You encourage me to keep focused on my goals and remind me that friendship is so valuable! Thank you my friends.

Be good to yourself - Trish

We've gotten a lot of good information from the Life Style sessions. Cathy has done such a great job of organizing speakers and topics for us. I always leave with more insight into my habits and choices.
Melissa and Gina shared some ideas about mindful eating this past week. It makes so much sense to be aware of each bite we take. How many times have we sat on the couch with a bag of chips or cookies and just ate without any awareness of how much we were eating? Something so simple, but it has a big impact on our health. I haven't had my meaningful meal yet. Let me know how your experience goes!

At the meeting Angie talked about the BMR formula. Do some checking online. I found a different formula that included age, weight and height to determine a BMR. The number was right in line with what my doctor and nutritionist suggested. So check it out and see what works best for you.

"Make your optimism come true." - Author Unknown

What a beautiful weekend, the weather was just perfect. I wish I could have enjoyed it more, but we're painting our house. So I was on the porch painting the railing watching everyone else get outside and have fun...hope you were one of the lucky ones! One thing I did enjoy was realizing how much more energy I had. Standing, squatting and leaning over was all so much easier and I wasn't as tired as usual.

My main goal when I started this journey was to be healthier. I know there's a lot more to accomplish until I reach the ultimate goal...but I'm on the right track. We need to recognize and celebrate all of our accomplishments, no matter how big or small. So as soon as we get the house all painted, I'm going to sit the porch with the freshly painted spindles (all 89 of them!) and have a cool drink. Your welcome to come join me, I'd love the company.

"People with goals succeed because they know where they are going....it's as simple as that." - Earl Nightingale


Hope to see you soon. Trish

Today was our trip to Keystone Park!! We spent some time kayaking and pedal-boating....Everyone had a great time, some got wetter than others....

We talked it over and we want to do it again.....so keep an ear out for the next date!!

Have a wonderful weekend and as Trish always says...Take care of yourself!!!

Kristi

Hope to see everyone at the meeting tomorrow. There will be a guest speaker talking about metabolism. I'm really curious to hear what they have to say. Plus, we have to make final plans for the kayaking trip. Anyone interesting in car pooling?

Changes

We're in the final stretch of the first cycle of My Weigh! As a group, we've learned so much and have changed so many attitudes and habits. Personally, after last Wednesdays strength training class I've changed the way that I look at a paper plate!



One of my favorite changes is how each week we become more and more involved in making choices. For the first few weeks we followed Cathy and Ivy's every move. No one was really sure what we were doing. Our only goal was to keep up with the group! The only thing we did know was that we weren't going to give up on ourselves this time. Not this time! Slowly but surely we've gotten more confident and are setting up our own routines. There's the Zumba crew, the dedicated spinners and the group that wouldn't dare miss water aerobics with Julia. We've all gotten comfortable making healthy changes. We've all heard that the first step is the hardest. Well we've taken it plus a few more!



I found an interesting site that focuses on making even more changes. Check our About-Personal-Growth.com. Let me know what you think about the "Tips On Developing Self Acceptance", I'd love to hear your ideas.

Be Good To Yourself, Trish

I'm glad that more of you are able to view the blog now. Thanks so much to Kristi for getting things worked out! Soon we'll be adding pictures and updates about training for the 5K in October. Please feel free to add comments and suggestions about what you'd like to see on this blog - it's for all of us involved with the My Weigh program. Hope to see you at the weight training session tonight. I can only imagine what Ivy has planned for us tonight!

Last night after water aerobics a few of us stayed in the pool to do more stretches. To no surprise we started talking about exercise and changing the way we think about food. Jen had some great advice to share. Her motivation and determination is so strong...I really admire her focus. She recently got out of a plateau and now her hard work is starting to show on the scale.

It's so easy to give up on exercising and watching what you eat when the numbers on the scale don't budge. It's the same as going to work everyday but not getting a paycheck! Jen kept going and pushed through her plateau. I really appreciate her for sharing her experiences last night. Talking with Jen and Angie helped me refocus my goals. Thanks ladies!

"People with goals succeed because they know where they're going." Earl Nightingale

The My Weigh workout session tonight was really fun. Cathy and Ivy had a series of exercises set up in a rotation. For one minute intervals we did squats on the bosu ball, Superman stretches on the mat, fireman carry, rope swinging, high steps through the rope ladder, weight exercises and so much more. It was amazing how fast the hour flew by. We found particular areas that we need to focus on. I hope we can do it again.

After the work out session it was time for water aerobics. There were eight women in the class...six of them were from My Weigh. It's so amazing how we're feeling more and more comfortable challenging ourselves.

Hope to see you on Wednesday - Trish

Just because you're miserable doesn't mean you can't enjoy your life.
Annette Goodheart

Another great Zumba class today. There were five of the My Weigh members there! We were sweaty and out of breath, but we had a really good time. Sarah makes it so much fun. I never thought I would put the words exercise and fun in the same sentence! But it's true.



I always measured a diet's success by pounds & inches. My focus was always the numbers. Unfortunately numbers also measured my failure as I put the weight back on.



One of my favorite parts of My Weigh is that the focus is on changing my attitude. I am learning a whole new way to measure success. Confidence, self-esteem and the power of group support. There's so much more to this than numbers!



Get your hopes up - Trish

Have you ever thought about how often we use the phrase "have to" in our day? We have to get up, have to run errands, have to help a friend, have to get something ready for dinner. Whether you say it out loud or not, the phrase have to plays a big part of our day. Can you honestly remember the last time you did something because you wanted to rather than have to?

Please don't think I'm complaining. I love my life, my family, my friends, and my career. I'm so grateful to have so many blessings woven into my life. I'm not complaining, but I am recognizing. I recognize that a happy life doesn't just happen, we put a lot of effort into creating our lives. Even with effort and luck it doesn't always work out the way we plan...but that's another story!


A few months ago I decided that Wednesday was going to be my choice day. Wednesdays don't have any special meaning to me, it just happened that it was on a Wednesday when I had the idea! Every Wednesday I choose one action that will help me develop a healthier life style. Nothing major, just one thing that I choose to do instead of have to. This week I'm doing arm exercises with 5# weights during lunch. Just 15 minutes, nothing to work up a sweat, just enough to notice some flexability. I don't have to do it, it's my choice. What one choice can you make to help yourself?

Welcome -

Over the next eleven weeks you are invited to join the My Weigh group as we challenge ourselves to make positive changes in our lives. As a group we will share goals, concerns, ideas, and encouragement.

Despite our differences, we all share a common desire - to create a healthier life style. This is our opportunity to make small changes and achieve big results. Hope to see you at the next session!

Be good to yourself - Trish