Monthly Archive for February, 2008

Life Lessons I Learned From A Jigsaw Puzzle

I saw this and LOVE what it says…..I share with you too:

Don’t force a fit. If something is meant to be, it will come together naturally.

When things aren’t going so well, take a break. Everything will look different when you return.

Be sure to look at the big picture. Getting hung up on the little pieces only leads to frustration.

Perseverance pays off. Every important puzzle went together bit by bit, piece by piece.

When one spot stops working, move to another. But be sure to come back later (see above).

The creator of the puzzle gave you the picture as a guidebook.

Variety is the spice of life. It’s the different colors and patterns that make the puzzle interesting.

Establish the border first. Boundaries give a sense of security and order.

Don’t be afraid to try different combinations. Some matches are surprising.

Take time to celebrate your successes (even little ones).

Anything worth doing takes time and effort. A great puzzle can’t be rushed. 

-Anonymous

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy

Valuable You

How do you show yourself that “you” matter?  Do you constantly break promises that you make to yourself?  How often do you let yourself down?  If you treated another person the way you treat yourself, would they stay in your life?  If you talked to someone else the way you talk to yourself, would they continue to be in your life?

Take responsibility and own your choices.  If you want to obtain different results, you need to behave differently.  If you want to lose weight, don’t berate yourself for what you weigh or your food choices.  Make it different.  Honor your body by making choices that reflect the value you hold of yourself.  When Ben and Jerry’s calls your name, make the choice to value yourself by staying on track with your diet. 

Stay aware of your inner talk.  When you catch yourself saying something that you wouldn’t say to your best friend, stop.  The inner conversation you have with yourself is important.  Just as healthy food is important to feed your body, healthy self-talk is equally important to feed to your head and heart.

Treat yourself as lovingly as you do for those that you value.  Value yourself.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy

Eating At Nighttime

Instead of munching out in front of the television, keep your hands busy and your thinking clear by picking up an engaging hobby such as knitting, scrapbooking, or doing the daily crossword puzzle.  An even better idea?  Get in your exercise for the day.  Walk on your treadmill, ride a stationary bike, yoga, free weights, or some stretching.  Anything that gets you moving instead of eating is a healthy, smart choice.

Evening eating many times is merely a habit.  Think about it:  Where do you do most of your evening snacking?  Chances are it is in front of the television while you’re vegging on the couch or your favorite chair.  Even if you’ve just eaten and not hungry, force of habit combined with tempting treats or snacks, combined with enticing food commercials can trigger your appetite.

Just as habits can be started, habits can also be broken.  Pay attention to your nighttime eating.  Become involved with a hobby or exercise to create a new healthy habit….and ditch the couch potato habit.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy

15 Things To Remember…

1.  Keep your long-term goals in mind, and act accordingly.

2.  Keep your short-term goals in mind each day as you make daily choices.

3.  Not everything on your to-do list is urgent and important.

4.  You should accept help from others so that you can accomplish your goals.

5.  If you get four things on your list done in one day, you are accomplishing a lot.

6.  There is only so much you can accomplish in one day. 

7.  Your best varies day to day.

8.  If your system isn’t working, figure out why, fine tune it, fix it, and try again.

9.  Look at today’s schedule today.

10.  If you do it now, you won’t have it hanging over your head later.

11.  Remaining in “victim” mode will always prevent you from living your best life and reaching your dreams.

12.  Just because today seems a mess, it doesn’t mean that tomorrow can’t be wonderful.  

13.  Just because you’re having a bad morning, it doesn’t mean that the afternoon won’t be great.

14.  Turn your goals into an action list rather than merely a wish list.

15.  Want to lose weight?  Shut your eyes and see that slimmer person.  What is in the gap between where you are now and in that person?  Make those changes NOW.  See it to be it.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy

Get Results

“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost, that is where they should be.  Now put foundations under them.”  -Henry David Thoreau

People that are positive thinkers have dreams, set goals, make plans, follow through on their plans, and get results.  Action is the key to getting results.  The more we believe in ourselves, the more we are able to accomplish. 

One way to start have positive results in our lives is to watch how other people succeed.  If we observe people with winning results and learn from their attitudes and behavior, with persistence and consistency, we can accomplish anything we want.

So…..what do you want?  Go for it!!

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy

Happy Valentine’s Day….to You!

Many of us find it easier to love others and do for them than to love and do for ourselves.  We may think that if we love ourselves, we are conceited, egocentric, or selfish.  Ot, maybe while growing up we received messages, both overt and covert, that we were not loveable. 

Perhaps we can love others only to the extent that we love ourselves.  Maybe we can give to others only that which we can give to ourselves.  We cannot share water from a bone dry well.

Perhaps the most unselfish and loving thing we can do for others is to first love and accept ourselves unconditionally.  This kind of selfishness can be a virtue.  Think of something wonderful that you can do for yourself.  Watch a favorite dvd, take a bubble bath with candles, hike to a special place, get a massage, cook your favorite meal just for yourself, look at an old photo album, take a vacation, or get a babysitter so you can spend an evening getting away from the kids. 

Think of something you would truly enjoy.  Now…do it!  Remind yourself that you deserve this gift from yourself this Valentine’s Day and EVERY DAY.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy

Weight Loss Coaching Works

People stick with their diet and fitness plans better if they change their eating habits and exercise by partnering with someone.   As we know, it is difficult to make changes much less make them permanently.  To have your own coach work with you to create momentum and reach your goals enhances your success.

There are many reasons for this.  Others can motivate us on those days when we need it, appreciate our successes, and offer advice and ideas for achieving our goals.  In terms of weight loss, it can also be immensely helpful to have a weight loss coach that has went through what you’re going through. 

You don’t have to go it alone without your own one-on-one support system.  Make your weight loss plan easier and more successful, join forces with a weight loss coach.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy

Real Rules To The Weight Loss Lane

Food rules can be so limiting and restrictive.  No wonder diet programs only work temporarily.  You can create your own diet program through working with a weight loss coach.  Here’s some food rules to ignore:

Eat at the same time every day:

Huh??!!  Listen to your body and its hunger cues.  Eat when you’re hungry and not when the clock says it is time to eat.  It can help to keep some consistency to your meals, but don’t eat when you’re not hungry.  Don’t override your body’s hunger cues to favor the clock.  Forcing yourself to eat when you’re not hungry or forcing yourself to wait until you are makes it harder to stick to your diet.  If your schedule requires that you eat at a specific time, such as lunch hour at work, plan your other meals accordingly so you are able to eat only when your stomach says it is time.

If you eat something off your diet, you’ve blown it so wait until the next day to get back on track:

Your diet isn’t made up of blowing it or not blowing it.  What you need to blow out is the black/white thinking of being on/off your diet.  This is completely fiction and not fact.  Every meal matters.  If you ate some cookies, get right back on track with your next meal.  A day of being on your diet plan isn’t determined by full days of healthy eating.  The choice to get back on track is available at any time of the day. 

To maximize your weight loss, skip a meal:

Not only does this not work to promote weight loss, it actually compromises it.  You’re more likely to overeat when you skip a meal.  You’ll be more hungry throughout the day so your chances of overeating are greater.  Skipping meals also slows your metabolism so you’ll burn fewer calories throughout the day.  To keep your body’s furnace burning consistently and weight loss steady, keep your metabolism high.

Clean your plate club:

It is better to have food go to waste than to your waist.  Zero in on your body….are you satisfied?  Let your body tell you when you’ve had enough rather than your plate. 

Maximize your weight loss success by following your own set of rules as to what works best for your body and you!

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy

Treat Your Body Better Than Your Car

Of all the equipment or machines you will ever use, there is none more important or requiring more careful maintenance than your own body.  Your body is miraculous yet you must treat it with care and proper maintenance.  Would you drive your car without oil, good tires, and regular maintenance and expect to obtain high performance?  Your body is one machine that, at least for now, you cannot trade in for a newer model if it should fail and break down. 

How much time do you spend taking care of your body?  How much maintenance do you give to it in the form of healthy nutrition and adequate exercise?  How careful are you to fill your body’s tank with the right, high quality fuel and keep out contaminants that will make it break down?  Do you let your body operate regularly with exercise, activity, or movement?

Take as good of care of your body with high quality fuel and regular exercise as you would any other valued possession such as your car.  The way to enjoy your life and live to the fullest is to take care of your body.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy

It’s Not In A Bag Of Chips…Walk Your Way To You

Are you feeling stressed?  Are things just not going the way you want?  Are you having a bad day?  Maybe you’re feeling impatient, anxious or frustrated.  For many of us, that’s enough to get our feet walking to the kitchen for a chill pill in the form of a less than heathy food choice that we’ll regret later.

Take a break.  Not forever, just long enough to take a walk to change your environment and clear your head.  Leave the house or office, leave the people who are causing your frustration, and be with yourself.  Allow yourself the time to change your perspective and more in control.

A short walk around the block, up/down the stairs, or get outside may be all you need to lose the negative feelings, to pull yourself together and decide how you want to react to the situation.  Sometimes you can’t pull yourself out of negative feelings or a situation while you’re in it.  You have to remove yourself from the situation and people that are involved. 

After the “Me Minutes” you’ve take, you’ll gain perspective, and clarity that will return the control back to you.  Which is where it belongs…the answer and strength is in you and not in a bag of potato chips!

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy

It’s a good thing somebody invented shoes.