Change Your Mind, Change the World

Walking Away-Good Exercise ;)

It takes discipline, courage and determination to set and work toward your goals.  So, what happens when you're in pursuit of a goal and all of the sudden you have that lightbulb moment accompanied by an overwhelming urge to change your mind.

(me having lightbulb moment under giant lamp)

Is it okay to bail?  What is the difference between quitting and changing your mind?

I struggle with this often.  There is no better feeling than having a plan mapped out and being able to recognize that you are on the right track to accomplishing what you set out to achieve.  Likewise, there are few things more frustrating than being halfway down the path and realizing the plan is taking you in a direction that is no longer where you want to go.  How do you know if quitting/redirecting is what will serve you best?

Look at the big picture.  Have other situations in your life changed?  Has pursuing this dream caused you sadness, stress, anxiety?  Does it have a negative impact on others in your life?  It's reasonable to accept that working toward anything worth having isn't going to be easy all of the time.  It isn't going to be fun at every moment and sacrifices are sure to be necessary, but if you take a step back and notice that what you are pursuing isn't serving you any longer, isn't filling you with positive energy and keeping you motivated and driven, then take a new direction.  It isn't quitting if you are redesigning your plan.  Think of it like this:  If you built a house 20 years ago, at the time it was probably state of the art, new mechanicals, modern design and decor.  However, if you haven't touched it in the past 20 years, today it probably looks dated.

(pastel couch, anyone? source)

The floor plan may not seem functional.  The mechanicals are in need of repair or replacement.  The furniture and window treatments may look like a sun-faded version of something chosen by Rainbow Brite.  Does that mean you should keep everything as is and live with it because that's what you wanted 20 years ago?  Should you toss a grenade in the window and head for the hills?  Mmmm'no.  But you can certainly redirect your plan.  Look at your options.  Renovate, remodel, sell and buy new.  If you can't afford it, even better!  You get to devise a plan to reach the goal to afford it.

(find the silver lining :) source)

At some point we all need to reevaluate and redirect our paths.  When I was 6 I wanted to be a cashier at Big Bear and a astronaut when I grew up.  Nothing wrong with that, but in pursuit of my dream, other ideas and adventures lead me in new directions.  When you know better, you should do better.  Take the time to look at your situation.  What about it serves you and make you an improved, more confident, more joyful version of yourself?  What exhausts you, frustrates you and drains you?  Is it possible to eliminate the latter?  If it can't be eliminated, can it be redesigned or improved?  If it can't be changed at all, can you change the way you look at it?

Schedule some time every few months to take inventory of how the different aspects of your life make you feel.   Then purge it, change it or change your perspective about it.  Please, please, please don't carry on and let it take the best of you.

(Namaste)

I hate to brag, but my adrenal glands are amazing!

My Unsolicited Opinion

I love trying new things and putting concepts and ideas to the test.  I'm not into gimmicky fad diets like The Champagne Diet or The Baby Food Diet (which I'd be willing to try and review for fun if I have a few volunteers to do it with me ;).  However, I love reading books about fitness and nutrition and putting others' theories to the test.  It's a science experiment that serves a purpose (as most do).  I just finished reading The Fast Metabolism Diet by Haylie Pomroy.  When I grabbed it off of the library shelf I found the title to be a little impudent and I was pessimistic that the author would be able to offer any sound advice that we hadn't already heard a dozen times.  A client had asked me about it, so I checked it out anyway as I like to offer an informed opinion once I've done my due diligence.

Once I began reading, I became a fan almost instantly.  The 'diet' is composed of all of the foods we should be eating anyway.  The purpose of this plan is to take 28 days to focus on resetting your metabolism through eating foods that nuture the adrenal glands and help repair thyroid function.  Whether or not that is that end result, I saw a nutrient dense meal plan that was patterned in a way that might not make me lose my mind.  The foods that are to be eliminated on this plan are ones that don't sit well with me anyway, so I thought, what the heck, I'll put it to the test.  I found some recruits to participate with me and we started last Monday.  This plan consists of 3 phases that you cycle through in a week and continue with that cycle for 4 weeks.  Mon-Tues=Phase 1, Weds-Thurs=Phase 2 and Fri-Sun=Phase 3.

This plan does have a few forbidden items.  There is NO:

Dairy
Gluten
Soy
Corn
Refined Sugar
Alcohol
Caffeine

I may be forgetting others, but those are the big ones.  Know that in the book she does an excellent job of explaining the Why's of those no-no's, but I'm just giving you the super condensed short recap, so know that there is good reason, and should you care to research it farther, you can get the book here.

Those of us participating have over a week into the program now and here is what we've concluded:
On average, everyone lost roughly 2.5-3 lbs the first week and many of us were down 4-5 lbs by day 11.  We have people of all different shapes and sizes participating and everyone seems to be losing at about the same pace.  Most have reported having more energy, less bloating and better skin tone.  Everyone has had there moments of hunger.  The most difficult part for most of the participants has been eliminating caffeine.  A few people have reduced their caffeine intake instead of eliminating it.  They are still seeing positive results, but most have cut it out completely per the plan.

This is how we do it:

First, let me highly recommend downloading the app that accompanies this plan.  It is such a great tool for meal plan and grocery shopping.  It also offers helpful tips and has a section with FAQ's.

Phase 1 is lots of fruits and grains, which some had no problem with and others felt very hungry (myself included), I seemed to burn through those carbs quickly which left me ready for a snack almost immediately after my meals.  Thankfully, this plan has an app available with helpful tips that you can refer to if you feel like you need a snack or a boost.  The food was tasty and my phase 2 looked like this:

Grains like oat groats and brown rice.  Fruits like apples, grapefruit, blackberries and peaches.  Pretty much any veggies in unlimited quantities.  I was a little hungry the first day, but quickly learned to plan ahead by having sweet potatoes and beets prepped as you can have unlimited quantities of these on Phase 1 and they are quite filling and offer a great energy boost.

Phase 2 (Wednesday and Thursday) is lean protein and non-starchy vegetable based.  You have protein with each meal and snack and the veggies that you eat are mostly green and lower carb options.  I liked this phase better than the first one because I didn't get hungry as fast.  I did miss the fruit, but other than that, I didn't mind phase 2.  

Many of the participants liked this phase the least.  Without fruit, they missed that little sweet bite throughout the day.  Never fear, another helpful hint was posted on the app to save the day:

While all other fruits are banned, lemons and limes are fair game on phase 2.  The book has a recipe for lemon-lime sorbet that it so refreshing!  You can have it on any phase and it works well as a slushy too.  I made a batch and poured it in my Tervis tumbler for hard times ;)

Phase 3!  The glorious Phase 3.  Friday is the kickoff of a 3 day fiesta of the most divine part of this program.  On phase 3 you add healthy fats to your meals and snacks.  You also have fruit with breakfast and lunch and a grain with breakfast and dinner.  You always have a lean protein with breakfast, lunch and dinner, but on Phase 3, you have a few more options.  This is the phase that keeps you sane and helps you carry on!

The meals are much more filling in this phase.  If you have any major life decisions to make, I encourage you to make them on this phase.  The healthy fats give you a much clearer head :)

Conclusion thus far:

While I'm not quite half way through the 28 days of this plan, I'm already a fan.  It's full of nutrient dense foods.  Hydration is encouraged.  Many things that shouldn't be consumed by most of the population are excluded and it's designed with short term and long term goals in mind, which I think plays a huge role in people sticking with it and not quitting!  The fact that they are seeing results is encouraging as well.  The word is spreading fast around the gym and I have new people hopping in on this plan every week.  I love having a group of people to practice this lifestyle with.  It's such a great support system.  We are going to have the healthiest adrenal glands in the Mid-West!

99 Problems? Your legs are going to be tired!

Work Out Your Problems.  Literally.

We all have ‘problems’, right?  (I don’t know if I like the word “problem” as I think perception is really what makes a problem, but for the sake of a universal language, let’s continue to use the word “problem” and I promise not to frame it in bunny ears for the rest of this post).  I suppose they are worthy of our attention as ignoring them does not necessarily make them go away.  While we may need to tend to them from time to time, we don’t need to let them own us.  Especially the ones we have no control over.  Here is what I do when I’m letting things beyond my control outshine my joy:

Step 1:

Find a hill or a large set of stairs:

(A prize for anyone who can name this location!)

Step 2:

Gather a stone for each problem you are facing X 2.  Today I gathered 10 stones.  I didn’t actually have 5 problems that were weighing me down, but I wanted to run the stairs 10 times, so I dug deep and came up with  some extra ;) Actually, just things I wanted to improve on more so than “problems”…sorry, I said I wouldn’t bunny ear it again…Then take your stones to the top of the hill/staircase.

Step 3:

Line up said stones at the top of the hill/staircase and assign a problem to each of the first half (5 in my case) and assign something you are grateful for to each of the second half (also 5).  Run/walk back to the bottom of the steps.

(Didn't occur to me to take a pic until I finished round 6.  Anyone else get smarter near the end of a cardio session?)

Step 4:

Run back to the top of the steps and toss the first problem stone into the distance (in my case, I toss it into the water).  This is my way of 'giving it to God'.  I don't need to carry the burden any more, I've let it go to be taken care of in due time.  Run/walk back to the bottom and repeat this until each problem rock is gone.  Continue with this pattern when you get to the gratitude rocks, but this time, instead of throwing the gratitude rocks, just place them back on the earth and think about what each one represents (or say a little prayer of gratitude for each one).  Keep going until all of the stones have been addressed.

(Anyone know where I'm at yet?)

I notice that when I toss out my worries first I end up gaining energy when I’d normally be fatiguing.  Today, I definitely felt lighter as I finished my last few gratitude rocks.   Beware, the brain is a powerful muscle.  I felt so strong mentally that I didn’t realize how hard I was pushing myself.  When I went to drive home my legs were shaking like a leaf.  My car has a manual transmission and my calf was not wanting to push that clutch in!  But I survived and felt amazing when I was finished.  I rehydrated with about 16 oz of water and put together one of my favorite protein shakes:

Quick, easy and tastes like a frozen PB & J!  I am loving that brand of Almond Milk.  Only 2 ingredients, almonds & water.  It's creamy and only 40 calories.  I've only seen it at Whole Foods, but I am on the lookout for it at other locations.  The brand is Califia Farms.  Let's all go buy some so that they keep making it!! Don't you hate when you are the #1 fan of a product or show that no one else is into so it ceases to exist!  The first time I noticed this phenomena was when the show Nearly Departed was canceled in the late 80's.  Then I was stung again when Veronica Mars was canceled a few years ago.  I tried to save it!  I grew a small cult of fans, but it wasn't enough.  Let's not let this happen to Califia Farms Almond Milk!!  Tell your friends :)  Buy some for your mother.  Share the love :)