IT'S A CURVY PERSPECTIVE, May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day to all!  To me, being a mother is the greatest gift.  I love my two boys with all of my heart and soul.  My husband and kids mean the world to me.  This past week I lost a dear family member, Buzz our almost 12 year old German Shepherd.  We had to put him down.  It was one of the hardest things I've had to do in my life.  We had to put our other German Shepherd, Shadow, down about 2 years ago.  She was almost 11.  The only things that give me comfort is that he is no longer in pain, and that they are reunited again in a better place. 

IT'S A SIGN

I believe in Heaven, karma, signs...etc.  Well the day we had to put Buzz down I saw the most splendid sign in the most unusual place.  Later that afternoon my husband and I decided to run to the grocery store to pick up a few things.  We just needed to get out of the house, and needed some things for dinner anyway.  We were over in the deli section at the local grocery store.  Next to the deli is the bakery section.  As we wandered past we noticed something.  You know those cakes where they can take a real picture image and transpose it on to a cake for any occasion, but usually for birthdays...well they had 'prop cake' up on the wall and it had two, happy, smiling German Shepherds on it and it had the wording 'Road Trip!!!' on it!!!  I gasped out loud and started to tear up as I yelled to my husband "They're here!  They're telling us they are OK!"  "They are together!"  That is what I call a sign.  It is was something so special to me and is helping me in my grieving process.  I will never forget that moment as long as I live.  I loved those dogs w/all my heart.

DON'T HOLD IT IN

It's so important to let your emotions out in a healthy way.  All of them!  Anger, sadness, stress, joy etc.  We all have our own way of expressing our emotions.  It's important not to hold it in.  Whatever way works for you, do it.  It's OK to feel that emotion.  It's normal and healthy.  That is why we are human.  Let it out....FEEL it.  It only makes you stronger. 


PUT YOUR BURDEN DOWN SOMETIMES

I leave you with the following story:

"A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a
 glass of water and asked, 'How heavy is this glass of water? 'Answers
 called out ranged from 8oz. to 20 oz.

 The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on
 how long you try to hold it.'

 'If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an
 hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.

 If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.'

 'In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier
 it becomes.'

 He continued, 'And that's the way it is with stress management. If we
 carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes
 increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on.'

 'As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest
 before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the
 burden.'

 'So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work/life down.
 Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.'

 'Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you
 can. Relax; pick them up later after you've rested.

 Life is short.. Enjoy!'

 And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

 1 * Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the
 statue.
 2 * Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat
 them.
 3 * Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the
 middle of it.
 4* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their
 Maker.
 5 * If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
 6* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was
 probably worth it.
 7 * It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a
 warning to others.
 8* Never buy a car you can't push.
 9 * Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you
 won't have a leg to stand on..
 10 * Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
 11 * Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
 12* The second mouse gets the cheese.
 13 * When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
 14 * Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
 15 * You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the
 world to one person.
 16 * Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
 17* We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and
 some are dull..Some have weird names and all are different colors, but
 they all have to live in the same box.
 18* A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour."

Hugs,

CG :)

IT'S A CURVY PERSPECTIVE, May 1st

Wow have I realized that my motivation has dropped off quite a bit.  I still want my goals really badly, I just haven't been putting out the effort lately to achieve them.  I know this is normal, and I've got to battle through it.  I am changing habits, not just dieting.  This month (May) I am going to do my 30 day motivational challege (also previously listed on my FB page).  This will help me focus more intently on my goals.  These set backs teach me valuable lessons.  I will learn from them and move on in my journey to a healthier life!  I found a new walking challenge (also posted on my FB page) that I'm going to try as well.  The mind controls everything so I've go to get in on track!

Have you ever changed, or tried to change, the way you eat? Most of us connect the word “diet” with “weight loss”, but people adopt particular diets for a number of reasons. If you’ve ever been on a diet you’ll know that commitment is crucial. Many of us have been trying to lose a few pounds for years, often half-heartedly “dieting” again each Monday, and never making much progress. Others might manage to stick with a routine for a few weeks, only to come unstuck at the first vacation, birthday or holiday that comes along.
Here are some ways to stay committed to your diet:

Set Out Your Guidelines

If trying to lose weight, you might want to omit certain foods some or all of the time. For example, you might decide that you’ll only eat chocolate on weekends (in moderation of course!), or that you’ll avoid full-fat cheese altogether. (Tip: don’t try to be too restrictive – many find this is counter-productive as it can lead to binging.)

Record What You Eat

If you’re struggling to stay committed to your diet, recording what you eat is a great way to keep on track. You don’t need to keep an elaborate diary or journal: in some cases, you might simply tick days on the calendar when you’ve stuck to your guidelines.

Keeping a log of your eating patterns can also help you to identify particular times or situations that tend to knock your commitment to your diet. Perhaps you always end up eating fatty, salty processed foods with a particular group of friends, or maybe you tend to succumb to candy in the afternoons.

Join With Like-Minded Friends

There are thousands of groups, both physical and virtual (like Curvy Girl), for all sorts of different diets.  If your friends and family don’t support your diet, this is a great way to surround yourself with people who do.

Make Gradual Changes

In some cases, overhauling your diet instantly isn’t going to be realistic. You can get healthier and lose weight by making incremental changes – you don’t have to be “perfect”. Build new healthier habits!


Music

This is a big motivational factor for me when I am walking/working out.  When I listen to music I get pumped up and more into the exercise.  With that being said I'd like to try and post a song each time that pumps me up!  It will be all different genres!  If you've got a song that gets you going....POST IT HERE!  I'd love the tip!

Song:  "Stuck Like Glue" by Sugarland

Until next time....Have a Curvy day!

CG :)