Tue, Jan 31 - CTRL ALT DEL

inspiration
for today's blog post
came from a reader :)
below is a portion
of the hurdles
she encountered this week

Ok so in the interest of full disclosure, let me share with you yesterday's drama:

Today is not a gym day for me. I have kids who have fevers so one is home from school and the others cannot go to childcare at the gym.

At breakfast I was snacky so I kept grabbing handfuls of Reese's Puffs cereal (could that stuff BE any more addicting?) - probably totaled 120 calories.

I was going to skip lunch or have a WW meal because Mondays are the nights that husband and I go out for dinner (we get weekly date nights). Well, I blew that when the donuts I bought for the kids were not eaten. Could I just throw them away? OF COURSE NOT! Pretty pink frosting, sprinkles and yummy cake donuts. I ate them. BOTH of them. And then I looked up the calorie count. 772 calories for the pair. I will NEVER EVER EVER do that again. Nearly 800??? For small donuts????

So now I stand at 892 calories in with only a few handfuls of cereal and 2 donuts to show for it. My total can only be 1330 without going to the gym so I have 438 calories remaining...on an "out for dinner" night.

Husband and I will get home around 7pm and then we have all of kids bedtime to do. The gym closes at 9pm. I *could* go after about 8pm - that way I can eat a bit more than 438 calories. Or I *could* get a turkey 6" at Subway and call it a day.

In this situation (please tell me I am not the only one who makes awful choices like that?) - wwyd??

Hours later:
UPDATE! This is new territory for me. Normally I would have thrown in the towel on the day and said screw it. But. We did go to Applebee's and I had the Signature Sirloin and garlic herb shrimp. 500 calories and totally delicious! Then we got the kids in bed and I headed for the gym. When I got there I was just ready to hop on a machine when my niece came up to me (she had practice there) crying - her stomach hurt, could I please bring her home?? Of course I could! So I left (no workout) and brought her home. I was just going to GO home and I thought no, I need to get this workout in. So I went BACK to the gym and did the elliptical for 50 minutes and burned 550 calories - so it's like I never had my delicious dinner at all! Thanks for the encouragement. I am SO ready to do this and to do it all the way to completion.

so proud of this follower!

for how she hit the hurdle

picked it back up

hit another hurdle

picked it back up

and JUMPED over it!

and so glad she shared her story

i immediately thought of these supporting quotes

u-decide-well

i-decide-well

tvz

Mon, Jan 30 - Blue Zone Pella

text BZP to 772937
to support 50219 Pella, IA transforming into a Blue Zone

What is a Blue Zone?
http://www.bluezones.com/
Live Longer, Better
"There are places in the world where people live healthy, happy lives well into their 90s or even 100s.  Dubbed 'Blue Zones' by National Geographic researcher Dan Buettner, these longevity hotspots share 9 lifestyle habits - Power 9 - responsible for their remarkable results."

don't blame your parents
"About 75% of how long we live - and our chances of suffering from a heart attack, diabetes and certain cancers - is determined by our behaviors.  By adopting Power 9, we can transform our well-being and increase our longevity."

POWER 9

http://www.bluezones.com/live-longer/power-9/
Move Naturally
1. Just Move
Right Outlook
2. Purpose Now - "why i wake up in the morning"
3. Down Shift - "routines to shed stress"
Eat Wisely
4. 80% Rule - "stop eating when your stomach is 80% full"
5. Plant Slant - "consider it [meat] a condiment"
6. Wine @ 5p - "1-2 drinks per day...no, you can't save up and have 14 on Saturday"
Connect
7. Belong - "belong to a faith-based community"
8. Loved Ones First
9. Right Tribe - "social circles that support healthy behaviors"

What is health?
"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." --definition adopted July 22, 1946, by the World Health Organization

i-decide-well
tvz

remember
text BZP to 772937
to support 50219 Pella, IA transforming into a Blue Zone

Sat, Jan 27 - reward earned!

hello all

weigh-in day has moved to fridays
and i have great news to report
i have achieved the first 5# milestone!
[so now it's time to shop for reward]


is 5# a big deal?
i sure think so
look at a 5# bag of flour next time you're at the store
that's what i've lost!


made possible by
every day


on friday i also completed week 4 of c25k
not setting any records for speed
but i am completing my personal goal
of not walking during the running segments






ps - much prefer blueprintcleanse
coolorcleanse has been a tough swallow

tomorrow i look forward to chewing again
savoring each choice and bite :)

i-decide-well
tvz

Thu, Jan 26

today was
the
4th consecutive day
my alarms
[yes, i set 2]
have gone off at 5:20a
AND
i have decided to
not press snooze
[insert gasping from those who know me best]
i have been on the treadmill
by 5:30a

BUT
today
i
DID NOT WANT TO
not at all!
i lay in bed and tried to negotiate with myself
my body said roll over, you're doing great, you deserve a break
my brain flashed these visuals





and 31:30 later
i was celebrating
that i had COMPLETED c25k week 4!
[brief panic about what week 5 looks like]
[resume 6a party]





and on the eating side of this equation
i decided to do a 3-day juice cleanse this week
today is day 1
i've previously used blueprintcleanse
but after reading a few other wellness bloggers
i decided to try coolercleanse this time
and see which i like tolerate better

why do i juice cleanse periodically?
it's like cleaning my purse
[sorry men you'll have to come up with your own analogy here]
over time so much accumulates in my purse
and then i get sick of it
i decide it's time to clean it up
sort through everything in it
it becomes easier to use
it weighs less
AND
i have the motivation to keep it clean
that's how a juice cleanse
feels for my inner body

i-decide-well
tvz

Tue, Jan 24 - knowing u can

tonight i write credit to 2 dear friends
who have had significant positive impact
on my journey to wellness

JS
invited me to BODYPUMP class
on a Saturday morning
private class
on her donated time
for me
and any friends i invited
she created an emotionally safe place
that eliminated
any barriers
all excuses
i had ever had
so i went that Saturday morning
went back on Sunday afternoon
and proceeded to go
at least 3x a week
for 6 months
because JS
enabled an opportunity
for me to say YES to wellness!
JS is also that one
that kept encouraging me to blog
my life/family stories
which i do at http://www.tvzstories.blogspot.com/
that then gave me the confidence
to initiate this blog

at BP class
i met blue skies KO
who became my 2nd wellness cheerleader
i trained with her
at the college weight room
while the college teams were in there
she helped me push through
and beyond
limits
and fears
with kettlebells
and turkish getups
and tires and sledge hammers
and football sleds
and snatch tests
and box jumps
and self-talk
so now as i train on my own
it is the KO voice i so often hear
filling my head with positive push
constant encouragement

find those cheerleader voices
listen to them
plaster them on your mirror and treadmill
memorize them
plant them in your head

I KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS!
i-decide-well
tvz

Mon, Jan 23 - time to STOP...

I've often thought about
if I was diagnosed with something
that I could slow, stop, reverse
I would
immediately
do whatever
it took



so why
why?!
do I choose
to procrastinate
healthy living?
why
why?!
do i take my health for granted?




below is information on a quick easy read
this book is in my office if you want to borrow it

i-decide-well
tvz



This book focuses on behaviors and not so much on nutrition or exercise specifics (although it does touch on them), so it should pretty much fit with any food or exercise plan. Very briefly, his 12-STOPS [not steps]:

• STOP procrastinating
• STOP making excuses; e.g. fat genes, culture
• STOP sitting on the couch
• STOP ignoring signals from your body; fatigue, bloating, etc
• STOP listening to destructive criticism
• STOP expecting immediate success
• STOP whining
• STOP making exceptions
• STOP storing provisions for failure; clean that junk food out of the house, car, office, etc
• STOP fueling with contaminated food; sugars, trans fats
• STOP allowing food to be a reward
• STOP neglecting your spiritual health

The book has a chapter on each of these, that goes into detail and gives specific examples and anecdotes.

Sun, Jan 22 - U decide

ladies & gentlemen
start YOUR metabolic engine
[ps i am a nascar fan - go kyle busch!]
you are following me
and i would be honored
to have the opportunity
to cheer on
and follow your journey

YOU are invited
to take the Live Healthy America
100-day Wellness Challenge!

change your choices
change your life!

i am leading 2 teams of co-workers
[and still have room for more co-workers]

it would be awesome
to lead a 3rd team
of blog followers!
that's YOU

if your BMI is heavier than normal
and you are ready
to decide to change
to be held accountable
and encouraged,
inspired,
and proud
then please email me asap
TLVZee@pella.com
with your name and t-shirt size
the cost is $15 per person
which i'll pay in advance when i register the team
all you have to do today (or monday)
is email me
that you are in!

i will not know your weight in #
but as the leader i will see
your weekly % weight loss
and share that with the team
[not on the blog]
healthy competition
is motivating and encouraging
you record your weight on-line
starting Mon, Jan 23
and then weigh every Friday
each week logon and record your weight

my goal is 1#-2# per week
which for me will look like this
i will lose 8.2%-16.4%
last year i lost 12.0%
[note the multi-week plateau in there!]

so now
YOU
have a decision
to make

could you be healthier in 100 days?
U DECIDE.

and finally a running update
c25k w4d1
was
HARD!
i chose to take a couple 30sec walking breaks
during the 2nd 5-minute running segment
i did not quit
just slightly modified
so i could make it through day 1 of week 4
i had to remind myself this is not about how fast i am running
it's about choosing
keep moving
more than i did last week

i-decide-well
tvz

Fri, Jan 20 - training

today is a c25k training today
can't wait til tomorrow
because i didn't train yesterday
and i WILL NOT go 2 days without training
should have planned better
but i didn't
tonight we have plans
so options for today are/were:
1) get up early - told myself that's really not an option
2) run after we get home later tonight - unlikely to follow through
3) train during lunch - not enough time to clean-up and stop sweating
are you seeing my pattern of excuses
good thing i had decided
that
i
will train
TODAY
so
i've decided
i'm running right after work
and attending our evening plans
with freshly showered hair
not ideal
but better than
not training

at lunch i read this in an article

Here’s another tip:  I want to recommend that you try to exercise first thing in the morning before you eat breakfast. After fasting overnight your body’s blood sugar levels will be naturally lowered. Therefore, when you start exercising, your body will be forced to dip into your stubborn fat cells to fuel your movement instead of burning the blood sugar from foods you’ve recently eaten.
By doing this one simple trick, you can burn fat up to 300 percent faster than you could if you performed the same exercise later in the day, after you’ve already eaten. This is an important secret for those looking to exercise less and get better results.
Note: If you feel nauseated or dizzy while exercising on an empty stomach, try having a non-carbohydrate food (like a few almonds or some low-fat cottage cheese) right after you wake up. This will settle your hunger without dramatically increasing your blood sugar levels. And always start your day with a tall glass of water.

wish i had read that yesterday
because i CAN train in the morning
i have just previously chosen not to
sure wish i would've gotten up early

i-decide-well
tvz







Thu, Jan 19 - mindless

mindLESS eating?
or
mindFUL eating?
I DECIDE.

the other day someone commented
never in history
has it been
so easy
to consume 1,000 calories!
which then easily becomes 2, 3, 4, 5000
per day

no longer do we have to
hunt it, find it, gather it
we can just grab it

and those quick calories
are often even cheaper [grrr]

mindless eating
it's so well preserved
you can easily keep 1,000 calories
in your purse, backpack, van

you don't even have to
prepare it, peel it, or even chew it
you can very quickly
mindlessly
drink 1,000 calories

so, how do we become
mindful consumers?

in my opinion
we need to
make mindful consumption easy
or
make mindful consumption the only option

some of my favorites to keep available:
cuties oranges
grape tomatoes
almonds, pistachios
cottage cheese
naked juice smoothies
string cheese
kiwi
kind bars
carrots
smartpop popcorn
eggs
pre-sliced peppers
broccoli pieces

i-decide-well
tvz

Tue, Jan 17 - weigh-in wk2

remember how excited i was to get to weigh-in today?

i felt like i was having a great week

well

the results are in

0.6 pounds

shed this past week

not even close to what i was expecting

thought my 2# goal was almost a slam dunk

some weeks will be like that
good thing i'm in this for a permanent lifestyle change

and here's the great news i'm celebrating
in spite of the scale

i have consistently made healthy choices

every

single

day

for 14 consecutive days

and i feel great

no regrets
quite the opposite
i'm tremendously proud!

i-decide-well
tvz

Mon, Jan 16

today i did
what i've been doing
didn't feel inspired or motivated
but wanted to make sure i could still
check the boxes
on my tracking sheet
for vitamins, fiber, waters, exercise
and i did

i nearly psyched myself out
of starting week 3 of c25k training
but now proud to say
c25k w3d1
COMPLETE

they key for me is finding a tv show to watch
so i stop staring at the clock during the timed runs
3 minutes
can feel like f...o...r...e...v...e...r
or unless
you're watching
American Pickers on Monday nights

i-decide-well
tvz

"the difference between try and triumph is a little umph!"

Sun, Jan 15 - CB guest post

I received the below words of advice and inspiration from my fitness instructor (Real Fitness – Prairie City, IA) and wanted to share with others…..

In 2012…

I will put my health first.  I will make ME a priority. 

"When you take care of yourself first then you're stronger and more capable of taking care of everyone else." - Unknown

I will exercise regularly.  Even when I don't feel like it, I will do it because I know how good I feel after a workout and how good exercise is for my body, my body that was made to move.

"Stay committed and consistent and you'll achieve your goals." - Jeanette Jenkins

Day in and day out, I will choose healthy foods and drinks that provide nutrients and energy for my body.

"When it comes to nutrition, what you put in is what you get out." - Martina Navratilova

I will focus on the positive around me and always practice a positive mental attitude.

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal and nothing can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." - Thomas Jefferson

Each and everyday I will give 110%. 

"The principle is competing against yourself.  It's about self-improvement, about being better than you were the day before."  - Steve Young

I will believe in myself.

"Believe in yourself because you can do anything!"  - Unknown

I WILL achieve my goals!  Will you?

cb

Sat, Jan 14 - motivation

i think
a decision
is a response
to motivation
from inspiration and/or fear

stories
stories that we experience, see, hear, read
can make us
inspired
or
fearful
to the point
that we make a decision
and respond

which is why i am so passionate
about sharing
and hearing
real.life.stories

so today
in this post
i look back at my story (and photos)
over the past 4 years

i will never forget the day
i decided
i no longer wanted to be obese
because i was

obese is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) >30

mine was 40

then one day

i came home from work

and my older 2 sons were so excited

nearly waiting for me to walk through the door

to give me a ripped off piece of paper

with a phone number on it

i didn't recognize the number

and then they told me

"we saw a weight-loss infomercial..."

[insert 2 excited sons now talking over each other]

[insert me no longer listening]

[insert me wanting to sink into a dark hole]

"...and YOU should call it right away!"

[insert long silent awkward pause in my kitchen]

i knew i had become obese

shopping told me that

always have been felt heavier than my friends and co-workers

had somewhat become content stuck with that as my forever norm

but for this mom

that suddenly

was no longer

an option

i was instantly motivated

out of

fear - that i was an embarrassment to my sons

and also

out of

inspiration - after watching many seasons of The Biggest Loser

to make a decision

my goal was

to be overweight

BMI in the 25.0-29.9 range

and 2.5 years later i did get to 29.3

my other goal was to run a 5k without walking at all

and i did

 

unfortunately
by 1/1/2012
i had decided
to let
my BMI
get back to 32.6
*OBESITY ALERT*
equals
renewed motivation
[see first post]

"...though no one can go back and make a brand new start
anyone can start right now and make a brand new ending..."

a leader i admire
once said
"if you think you can be successful by looking back,
try driving to work by looking only in your rearview mirror!
the reason to look back
is to
get courage from past accomplishments
and learn from mistakes
to allow you to move ahead."

it will be hard
to accomplish what i have decided

i-decide-well
tvz

Fri, Jan 13 - VB guest post

Anything worth pursuing is hard and it seems the more worthwhile it is, the harder the pursuit. 

I'm on day 3 of a 21 day cleanse.  The idea of a cleanse or detox has always appealed to me but I have to admit that it has always appealed to my vanity as a quick way to drop those holiday pounds that made my skinny jeans feel like they were cutting off circulation. This year is different.  Perhaps it is maturity.  I hope so.  This year the goal of my cleanse is to clear out the junk in my head by clearing out the junk in my body. 

We are created as whole beings, mind-body-spirit.  Cleansing recognizes that.  It isn't just my body that is affected when I don't eat nutritiously.  It is my entire being.  The junk I'm really cleansing is the laziness, guilt and despair that build up when I know I'm not taking care of myself.  Cleansing is mentally and physically hard work.  It means letting go of the usual habits of soothing my irritation, boredom or stress with an overload of caffeine and sugar.  It also means thinking long-term instead of short-term.  In short, cleansing is re-wiring my body and mind to work in harmony for my true well-being. 

Day 1 of the cleanse felt like climbing Mt. Everest.  Minutes ticked by as if they were hours.  My head hurt, I felt like I was in a fog and the voice in my head clamored to just give up and try next year.  I went to bed early just to avoid succumbing.  Day 2 was slightly better.  I began to really taste what I was eating instead of just filling myself up.  Now, on Day 3, I'm really starting to notice my head clearing.  As part of that, emotions can be a bit more raw but I'm letting them surface instead of rushing to the coffee bar or the pantry. 

I've only started on this cleansing journey but I can already tell that this is going to be as much about my mind as my body.  And that makes me all the more determined to keep going.  

For information on the cleanse I'm doing check out http://www.wholeliving.com/challenge-plan.

-vb

Thu, Jan 12

i just want to step on the scale!!!
this decision to weigh ONLY 1x/week
IS HARD!
i think i'm having a good week
i want to know for sure
BUT
here's what's happened to me in the past
is i would weigh-in daily
don't see results = discouraged pity party
see great results = slack off remainder of week
SO
this time there is no chance to slack off
i think i'm on track this week
but because i have no data to prove it
i must forge ahead as though i might still be at 0
and then on weigh-in day
i get the facts
write them down
and IMMEDIATELY need to kick it in
for the 2# weight-loss goal for the upcoming week
this 7-day cycle is really quit exhilarating

today i finished day 3 of a 3-day juice cleanse
which looks like this

1, 3, and 5 are green juice
i chug them
haven't gagged yet

so tomorrow i'm looking forward to the joy of chewing
my fav breakfast recently is
whole grain english muffin
with egg
cooked in this fabulous random buy

canadian bacon
and a piece of cheese
i just saw on fb a friend that suggested
adding spinach
so i will

and from my already chopped up veggies
i'll fill a large ziploc full of
broccoli
red, yellow, orange peppers
a few carrots
and i was hoping for cherub tomatoes
but all 3 of my boys have finished them off
again

cuties oranges also a favorite
of mine
and theirs

key for me is to get
whole grain
protein
veggie
fruit
at each meal

16 oz water before i leave for work
32 oz water by lunch - even if i have to chug it
32 oz water by 5p - sometimes share a little with the plant in my office
16 oz water before bed



-tvz

I DECIDE 2012

HEALTHY BY CHOICE,
not by chance!


i have led a "live healthy america" weight-loss team for several years
their tagline is
change your choices,
change your life!


so, i have made some choices for 2012


I DECIDE this is the last year I will need to lead a live healthy weight-loss team because i will achieve a normal BMI in 2012 by losing at least 2# every week
http://www.livehealthyamerica.com/

I DECIDE i will drink half my body weight in ounces of water every day

I DECIDE i will take my vitamins and a fiber supplement every day

I DECIDE to train at least 3x per week with the c25k plan

http://www.c25k.com/c25k_treadmill.html

I DECIDE i will run at least 4 5ks in 2012 (Apr, May, Jun, Jul)

I DECIDE i will not count calories, rather, i will make certain that i only eat from a plethora of healthy real-food options

I DECIDE i will weigh once a week, only

I DECIDE i will reward myself at each 5# milestone by purchasing a new shirt J

on a nearly daily basis i will blog with quotes, tips, links to articles, etc. to keep myself inspired and accountable

this is also an excellent opportunity for you to share your journey

please contact me and contribute a guest blog post!

or

if you are not comfortable writing a post,

please forward me your inspiration and tips

so that I can weave it in to my blog posts to share with others

"It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."  --J.K. Rowling

i-decide-well

tvz