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Posts tagged ‘healthy body’

Mar 5

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So you’re not perfect. It’s okay. Perfect isn’t cool!

Ever hold yourself to a standard of perfection, only to find that it kept you stuck, stalled & living in a state of constant worry? Good News: Perfect isn’t cool! And striving for it can actually be a form of self-sabotage.

Last week I was on vacation with one of my “besties” in sunny 80-degree Florida! It was a planned birthday trip, combined with a respite from winter in Maine, and a much needed soul recharge to visit a close friend.

The Tampa weather was warm and sunny and it felt amazing to be walking outside every day. I walked 2-4 miles most mornings for outdoor cardio and we walked the beaches as much as possible. Truthfully, I couldn’t get enough! We ate healthy, too. My friend, Mary, is a dietician and an amazing cook who makes the best salads! Plus, I was on a personal mission to eat grilled Gulf shrimp and Grouper as often as I could.

The combination of eating healthy on vacation and moving outside in the sunshine every day totally lifted my spirits. Not to mention, the added psychological benefit of laughing and spending quality time with one of my closest friends. I came home focused and re-energized. Just the way it should be after vacation. Right?!

Reality set in when I returned to a very windy and cold Maine, and resumed the task of making a new life where I have yet to establish a solid routine. Transitions are hard for me in general, but I know this and was determined to continue my momentum upon returning home.

Fast forward a few days and, well, I am struggling. So what happened?

Well, life! Nothing too crazy, just normal stuff. Can you relate? Read more

Jan 26

Struggle with body image? Read this!

I read two blog articles this morning, both related to body image and how we present ourselves to the world as a result of that image. I decided to ditch the blog I was writing to share some thoughts on this important topic and provide links to the articles so you could read them for yourselves.

Body image is a tough one for so many women — and increasingly for men. Stats show that nearly 80% of women are dissatisfied with their appearance!

I’ve definitely had my own struggles over the years — especially when I weighed more than an NFL Defensive Lineman! For me, body image and self-love were directly connected. Until I learned to love and accept myself and show up as the person I really am (see “Permission to be Real“), it affected my work life, my love life…my overall life! Consequently, I was living small trying to protect myself from shame and the perceived judgements of others.

My personal transformation — inside perhaps even more than outside — has come bearing the gifts of self-love, self-acceptance and self-compassion. But I have to work on it every day! Read more

Aug 24

Time to restart!

And not because it’s Monday, but because you CAN!

ITE_restart_quoteWithout question one of the greatest gifts of my transformation journey — and my overall success at losing and keeping off 200+ pounds — is the ability to restart. So today for motivation Monday, it’s all about the restart.

What do I mean? Restart. Reset. Forgive yourself and get right back up and keep moving toward your goal. Because you totally CAN!

For most of my adult life, I was on a diet of some sort or feeling bad that I had fallen off the wagon and then I was busy telling myself I was a failure and couldn’t do it. I used my slips and falls on the diet as an excuse to throw in the towel, and as proof that I wasn’t good enough. I didn’t measure up. I couldn’t do it. Read more

May 19

Sometimes it takes a village

Support and accountability were key to my -200 lb weight loss & to maintaining it for 3 years!

Celebration Climb Mountaintop - May 2012Cheers to the village!

Thanks to support and encouragement from friends, I just got back from a cold, Minnesota cardio workout — power walking around my lake at 7 p.m. on a Monday night, in 40 degrees and drizzling rain. It was cold and wet, and lonely — only the nutjobs and die hards were out tonight!

I was not in the mood. I had every reason (okay, excuse) in the book for why I couldn’t workout today. Yet, I did it. And, WOW, does it feel great when you have to fight for it!

I will never underestimate the power of support and the accountability that goes with it. It was critical to my success in losing the weight, and it continues as I celebrate three years of healthy living and maintaining my -200 lb weight loss. Read more

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