You have arrived.

How many times have we made a fitness goal? Often a certain weight? Each day you get out of bed to exercise because you aren't there yet. You deprive yourself of your favorite foods (or quantities) because you aren't there yet. Are we there yet, are we there yet?

How good would it feel to say. YES YES YES!
Well here is how- focus on your journey. Your perfect day. What does that look like? Do you eat 1600 calories? Do you work out for an hour? Do you meditate for 30 minutes? Draw your perfect day- then live it. Don't think about some future day you have to hate/abuse yourself until you reach it, and then you'll be happy. You usually won't make it, and then you'll hate yourself more, and then start hating yourself towards a new goal. FOCUS ON THE JOURNEY. All roadtrippers know, you have to enjoy the view- or it is going to be a long drive. Yes you can be there today. Not in 5 months, not in 5 years. Today. Everyday you eat well, get up early, work out hard. You have arrived. Love yourself.

Empower or Manipulate?

Marketing, million dollar marketing. It affects us, and they spend millions trying to get us to do what they want. So are we powerless, do we give in and die? Some times I feel like a pod in the matrix

They tell me what to buy, where, when, Kohl's 30% off coming to mind??
So what are we doing about it? I started an anti-marketing campaign in my life. I ask myself when I come across something, does this help "empower" me to reach my goals, or does it "manipulate" me to change my goals, or at least my direction? I want to make my own choices. Repeat. I WILL MAKE MY OWN CHOICES.

Eating Credit Cards

No, I am not suggesting we cut carbs by eating plastic. This is kind of a big idea. When you put all we know about money management to work in our health/fitness- we find amazing parallels. You heart/mind/legs give you a hefty daily allowance. Imagine if you got $1500 to spend- cool right? would you spree it on cloths? Pay down a mortgage? Well here is the thing, you need that for maintenance. but you get to pick how to spend it, customize as much as you want. Those 1500 calories are every bit as real as the $. You get them everyday. So what happens when you get a credit card and spend too much? You go in debt. Nasty, nightmarish debt. The deeper you go, the scarier it gets. Health problems  loom- and what do you do? You underspend and pay it back, or declare bankruptcy. The problem with Health bankruptcy is it involves no personal change. Surgery, drugs- they may take away some of the debt, but over-spending will bring it right back. So next time a candy bar says "Eat Three of Me!" tell it "I can't afford you" and "6 months from now, I don't want to still be making minimum payments at the gym". Good Luck! Shred the plastic, and eat to live.

The More Monster

Yesterday I was out with the kids. We were going to Chick Fil A, and my daughter got some ice cream. Now Ice cream is definitely in an avoid category, but as I am getting it ready for her, I asked "can I have a bite" I take a bite of the cold creamy deliciousness with a trace of chocolate syrup- just the way I like it. I hand it to her, and continue driving. My happy mouth turns dangerous- " . . more .  ." it whispered. Again and again, louder, pleading "MORE". Why, hadn't I already succumbed enough. Didn't I appreciate the treat I had already had, why did I need more? Ahh, because it is a monster. Food eated purely for taste, doesn't satisfy; at least not for me. So what did I do? (yes I had another small bite)  but better than that, I started some self coaching. Do not ask me to do that- "taste it, don't eat it" is my current approach for those magical sweet moments, but giving in, buying a large shake? no- It isn't worth it, thanks anyway.

Grocery Store Deception

Counting calories changes you, literally. After reading label after label I realize that the grocery store was not organized for health-conscious shoppers. Sure they put all the dairy together and produce has its own section- but if calories had values- the store shelves kid jewelry next to diamonds. Can you imagine having all the beautiful dark chocolate in a isle where you never went- except on your birthday? I don't shop at tiffany's - I know I can't afford it. But why am I shopping surrounded by food without enough calories in my wallet to pay for it?

So funny.

My husband showed this to me, needs no comment.

Parenting Myself, I thought I wasn't a teenager anymore. . .

This morning I had a talk with a good friend about failed attempts at dieting, etc. It was amazing to see how many shared feelings we had. One I wanted to put out there was the idea of "parenting" myself. I decide my life (eating) is as good as it should be and it is time for change. I need some will power, and I look for a source. In my past the way to get things done regardless of the pressures was "because I said so" from Mom or Dad. Enter my internal self Parent. Lets call her Suzie. For the first week or two, Suzie and I are best friends. "Thank you Suzie for helping me with this, I couldn't do it alone". Then week three comes around and Suzie says "come on Laura, I believe in you, don't give up". Good right? Until we make it to week four and Suzies evil nature is revealed. I am losing steam  and she is out of ideas of how to parent well, and she starts telling me things like:

1. "Are you really giving up again?"
2. "You can't eat that, you know better"
3. "I said no"
4. "I don't care if you don't like it"

and the battle begins, but it is a civil war. All the casualties are your own. Suzie is me, Laura is me, and they are fighting back and forth. It usually ends the same way all parenting does, the teenage kid says don't tell me what to do, and boom an adult is born. Only this time being an "adult" means lapsing back into old habits and lots of brownies. In reality it is more like fighting myself for control, not adult at all.

The answer?? I want to keep myself together, realize the battle is an external thing, fight against the culture of french fries and find peace with myself. Peace and Health. I want both.