TIP OF THE DAY-WEDNESDAY

TOP 10 STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS; USE THESE IDEAS TO MEET YOUR GOALS...
-- By Mike Kramer, Staff Writer Sparkpeople

1. Start Small
Quite possibly the biggest mistake people make is pushing the accelerator too soon. You can’t lose 20 pounds in a week. But you can lose one. Taking small bites and chewing slowly have as much to do with goal achievement as they do with your mom’s dinner table scolding.

2. Get It On Paper
Whether setting your first goals, tracking daily progress, or sharing your deepest thoughts with a journal, writing things down crystallizes your ideas, exposes underlying fears, and paints an accurate picture of real life.

3. Focus On Everyday Habits
The building blocks of a healthy lifestyle are forged in the smallest of actions you take every day and every week. Healthy choices can become as natural as brushing your teeth or locking the front door. Build one habit, one action at a time.

4. Always See Your Goal
Goals need attention. They need to be seen and heard and thought of often if they ever hope to come true. So surround yourself with as many reminders as possible.

5. Be Consistent
Imagine a plane taking off. In the beginning, a lot of energy is spent to simply get moving down the runway. But as speed and momentum take over, the plane is pulled forward and up into the sky, faster and further by the second. Consistent action, no matter how small, has more power than you ever imagined.

6. Never Stop Learning
A healthy lifestyle is a process—a journey more than a destination. You can always learn more about nutrition, fitness, and even yourself that can help you be just a little bit better tomorrow.

7. Come Out of Seclusion
Has anyone ever achieved anything of real value all alone? Probably not many. Most receive some form of help from other people. Support, information, a sense of shared experience, encouragement, advice, and a well-timed pep talk are all invaluable as you set off on your adventure.

8. Allow For Setbacks
Accept the fact right now that you will make mistakes, and that it can be a positive thing. We are usually harder on ourselves that we are on anyone else we know. Be your own #1 fan. That means being supportive (instead of critical) when you stumble, and enjoying your wins (rather than ignoring your accomplishments) when you succeed.

9. Trust Your Plan
You’ll have up weeks and down weeks, and frustrating weeks that make no sense at all. The tools and strategies you’re learning will help you build a plan that makes a healthier lifestyle almost inevitable. If you consistently make the right choices and build healthy habits, weight loss is literally just a matter of time.

10. Have Fun
Who says getting healthy has to be a chore, a burden to be endured or suffered through? Probably a very unhappy person, that’s who. This is an exciting adventure of self-discovery and building a meaningful life. Enjoy the ride!

I love these ideas, especially number 8. I tend to beat myself up and go nuts if I am not losing every week. I need to remember number 10 as well. I think it is because I have been working on this for almost 2 years now.

TIP OF THE DAY - TUESDAY

JUST SAY NO... If you are already overworked, overstressed, overwhelmed, or over scheduled, don't take on more tasks in order to please others. You have to remember to please yourself too.
This is a great tip and I always think that I am not that busy so it would be okay to say yes to everyone. It is not until I am well into the project that I sometimes feel that maybe I have bitten off more than I can chew. Think carefully before you agree to even one more thing. Think of yourself first.

WEIGHT LOSS FOR WEEKS #5 AND #6

HOLIDAYS DO A REAL NUMBER ON OUR DIETS...
Week before last Becky and Yvonne both lost 1/2 pound. Still plugging along and sticking to our plan. So good job Becky. Becky said she only lost 10 pounds so far this year and her goal is to not put it back on during the holidays. We all know that from Halloween until the first of January is the hardest time to diet. It is almost impossible.
This last week with it being Thanksgiving was the first real big food fest, the problem is this little food fest does not end until January 2nd or 3rd. I mean you can't be rude and not eat at a dinner party or if a well meaning friend drops off cookies or candies or candied popcorn or homemade bread or some of each and then what about the parties at work and at church and the family parties and don't forget all the bowl games and the munchies have to be out for them, so what can you do? I DON'T HAVE A CLUE...SORRY.
Last week Becky slipped and put 2 pounds back on and Yvonne, believe it or not lost 2 1/2 pounds. I don't get that either.
On the good/great side of this is that Eileen is down 19 pounds. No I am not sure how she is doing it or how long it has taken.
David has lost 40 pounds and he has limited his red meat to once a week and his desserts to once a week if at all and says he ALWAYS eats breakfast even if it is just a smoothie. I am not sure how long it has taken him to lose the weight but good job to both Eileen and her little boy David. KEEP US POSTED ON HOW YOU ARE DOING IT. SHARE YOU TIPS WITH THE REST OF US WHO ARE STRUGGLING.

TIP OF THE DAY - MONDAY

DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS...Happy people judge themselves by their own yardstick, never against what others do or have. keep up with yourself-not the Joneses.
This is a hard one for me. I have been on this new diet for almost 2 months now and after 4 months many many people lose 45-60 pounds. I will be lucky to lose 30-40 pounds and to me that isn't fair or right. I need to just remember that last year I lost 90 pounds and even though I put 40 pounds back on from January to September I still did just great last year so I need to stop worrying about what others did or do and keep on track and just remember I can do this. At times like this your personal mantra repeated a time or two or three might help. As long as you can say you are doing the best you can then relax and be proud of what you have done.

TIP OF THE DAY - SUNDAY

DO YOUR BEST... your accomplishments are important and deserve recognition, so be proud of a job well done. Mastering skills and meeting your goals can increase your own self-esteem and self-worth.
This is a great tip. Everyday you stick to your plan, no matter what the plan is, such as dieting, exercising, painting a room or masterpiece, organizing a room or whatever then you are doing your best. Pat yourself and keep going. Any goal reached, and any job done is a great accomplishment. Good Job.

TIP OF THE DAY - SATURDAY

CREATE A MANTRA...Does a particular word, or phrase or quote make you feel better? Make it your mantra. Write it, think it, and repeat it anytime you need a little perspective or a pick me up.
We have had this tip and I just didn't see the need. I was wrong, nothing surprising about that I know. Since October I have been repeating the same two quotes to myself when I have the munchies and wanted to cheat or just chuck the whole diet thing. They are (1) It it is to be, it's up to me. Let's face it, you didn't make me fat and you can't make me thin. That is the ugly truth and I need to face that fact. (2) NOTHING tastes as good as thin will feel. It may sound phony but this repeating of a mantra really does work, and it works every time. I love it. What would your mantra be?

TIP OF THE DAY - FRIDAY

JUST BE THANKFUL FOR YOUR BLESSINGS. This is another tip about thinking about the positive. I am sure yesterday was a day with lots of food around, great food like mashed potatoes, gravy, turkey, stuffing, vegetables, homemade rolls and of course pie, pie, pie. What more could you want, unless it was the will power to NOT over eat. I think I was really pretty good yesterday. That is not important, and it is NOT important what you did or didn't eat yesterday. As you see this is a tip for Friday, which means it is a new day. SKIP THE LEFTOVERS... Get right back on your diet today. FORGET WHAT YOU ATE YESTERDAY... Start new today. YOU CAN DO THIS... You might be very surprised at just how little you over ate and come Monday when you weigh in you will have a nice surprise. Don't make the mistake of saying well I ate bad on Thursday so I am going to be up anyway so I might as well just enjoy the weekend and start over on Monday. It sometimes happens that Monday NEVER comes.
And just so you all know. I love you all and I thank you for all your help and support for my family, for this blog, for my dieting program and of course for all your love and friendship. I could not have made the progress I have without all of your continued support and encouragement. THANKS AGAIN...