Committment Issues...

So I confess, I may have some committment issues. I just may have some. Idk. This epiphany came to me a couple of weeks ago while I was attending a training for people who are enthusiastic about helping others lose weight.  We were like a cult--lol--all lovers of helping others maximize their potential. It was really funny to see so many other people who had  hearts like you to see others grow, develop, and most of all, be happy with their bodies and themselves as a whole. It was during a discussion amongst this group about maintaining goal weights that jarred my thinking.

You see, my initial goal was 130 (October of 2010) and since then I've lost an additional 13 or so pounds.  Yet, I have kept my goal weight as 130. Normally, you readjust your goals as you begin to feel more comfortable with where you are. But me, I knew I was not returning to 130lbs but  yet I feared adjusting my goal to 120 or something else.  I noticed that when I thought about changing it...the what ifs creeped in or the thought that I would be unable to stick with one thing for a lifetime.    I feared failure and so I did nothing. I didn't commit...because of fear.

It's amazing how fear can just creep in when you aren't even paying attention. I realize during this transition to healthy living that its important to nip things in the bud before they take root and lead to other issues. So here is my uprooting of this fear plant that is trying subtly choke my beautiful flowers. I have decided that I will readjust my goal and stick with it. I know you may be thinking whats the big deal. The big deal is that decisions you make in one area of life often mirror other areas in your life.

Like many, I have been in the situation as it relates to transitioning to healthy living, that I would not commit to anything because of fear. I would let things just happen with no focus because of the fear of committment leading to a failure that I could not handle emotionally. So I did nothing.  Thinking that at least if I did  nothing, I'd really couldn't pin point the blame on me, right?! Well no more!The time is now to uproot those fears and go for the gusto!! Who's with me!! What is keeping you from committing to certain things in your life? Lets get it ! The time is now!:)

April Showers Come May Flowers!!

Wee hee the seasons are changing, the seasons are changing...can you feel it?! I know it has its ups and downs...cold rain here, and sun here and there, etc, but I don't care tho, cause I know whats a coming lol!! Soon it will be summer and with summer comes my favorite fruits!!

I hereby confess that I am a fruit-a-holic.

Check out this uber sexy asian pear!! Am I the only one who gets turned on by this lol!!

Okay back to the subject at hand....alas the seasons are a changing and I realize that for some reason, I tend to want to eat lighter as the seasons change. Anybody else feel that way? So here's a simple fruit roll call for ya.  What are your favorite fruits and veggies and how do you dress them up (you know, make eating them fun)?

Like for me, I love my blueberries in a cup of cottage cheese or in plain greek yogurt (sweetened with splenda).  Oh...and dipping bananas in chocolate and freezing them!!
Sometimes I make a pine-apple and banana smoothie ....
Or I eat little fresh apricots...

Tell me some of your fruit or veggie concoctions!! Lets get it!

Oh side-bar, this past weekend I went to Weight Watcher BLS training (the training to become a fabulous and dynamic Weigh Watchers LEADER) in Boston...hung out with some cool peeps (incorparted them into lifelong buddies) but most of all I learned how to continue to encourage and empower people on this journey to healthy living tee hee!! So watch out world!! Meet the Boston's Best BLS Group eva coming to a meeting room in your neck of the woods!!

I need some me time---

 Let me tell you about a fantabulous woman:) My grandmother, the world's biggest most caring person is known for taking care of everybody and even their grandmother, lol. In fact, the running joke is that when you came home,  you didn't know who was going to be in the house taking residence on the sofa...as my grandmother would often take in family members, people off the street, etc.

Growing up, I saw my grandmother take care of countless people and even heard of her caretaking days pre-Tekeah (you know, before i was born). So keeping that same line of caretaking, my first job out of grad school was a social worker with therapeutic foster care kids...needless to say, I was taking care of other people's childen, and everything in between. I knew their date of births, their last dental, physical, vision, etc. ..all that and then some. I learned as a social worker that when working with people and their lives, something is always going on as people's lives never stop. I mean they never stop!! I also learned during my almost 6 year tenure as a social worker that I created a dangerous pattern of putting others before me.

This pattern left me, sadly overweight, depressed, and unhappy. I can't eat lunch because I "had to do" others people's stuff.  I seemed to always say yes when I should have said no.  As I've transitioned to healthy living, I've realized my worth, my value, and how important it is for me to make time for me and also for me to say no when it is at the expense of my happiness or my mental health wellfare.   Think about this...out of 24 hours in the day, what time have you made for yourself? I know for some you have kids, you have work , you have this....but let me tell you this...because you have all these things YOU MUST plan your ME TIME. You are that important to plan time for you....even if its reading 5 pages of a must read book while using the bathroom (away from the kids, lol,etc). Create that me-time happiness for you---you are that important--and its essential to healthy living:)

Share how you created your "ME" Time space:

I'll start, there is a certain meeting I go to on Saturday mornings, when I could work those days (make some extra money for some future planning lol)...but that time is my time! It keeps me balanced...and unless I'm out of town! I'm there with bells on:)...cuz its my time!

Baby!! YOUR A FIREWORK!

I was driving in my car last week when I heard this song by Katy Perry...the lyrics hit me like a ton of bricks... the lyrics went like :

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, oh
As you shoot across the sky

Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go, oh
You're gonna leave 'em falling down

When I heard this, I said to myself this will be my theme song for my life. I am a fire work. We are good at so many different things and we exhibit so many different colors.We are  all fire works.

That song made me reflect on the years and the times that I did not realize that I was a fire work and literally and figuratively, a spectacular sight to see.  As I have gotten older, and all through this transition to be healthy both mentally and physically, I have realized that sometimes life has so many things going on that our fires are put out or we are either doing so many other things that we suffocate our own fires.  So when we try to exhibit our fire works...they end up as duds. I'm sure you remember as a child having a great fire work only for it to fizz for 2 seconds and then its done. What is left after the fizz?  Smoke or a cloud of sadness...for some us it is depression (I hate depression!! it sucks!!) That depression sucks up our fire works, our energy, our glory, and also our motivation.

So what does this have to do with transitioning to healthy living? We have to push pass the smoke...depressive thoughts, lack of motivation, to get moving.  I know, I know...but i don't feel like it!  Let me say this...you won't feel like it sometimes...but guess what, your body has a natural anti-depressant built in it(my little friends called happy endorphins)....it just takes you to get moving to activate it. Thats right !! FREE LEGAL DRUGS!! already in your body to combat against the depressive smoke that tries to choke your life....they are waiting for your to activate them:) My question is have you took your happpy drugs today?!! If not, its  not too late...I guarantee that you will notice a difference!! *singin....cuz baby your a fire work....:)