Change!

2010 is all about change for me. Call it my mantra. Call it my Little Word of the Year. Call it what you will, it is Change.

Hopefully my goals will also reflect my focus on Change. Here they are:
1. Get $125 from Laura Clark ~ this I will do by losing 25 lbs.
2. Keep a Gratitude Journal ~ Elder Eyring suggested looking for the hand of the Lord in our lives daily. I hope to remember to appreciate all that the Lord has given me, even "when skies are gray and days are dark and life kind of gets you down."
3. Exercise 3 to 5 times per week ~ during the winter when I just want to stay wrapped up in warm blankets and during the summer when it's just too dang hot.
4. Organize, organize, organize ~ time, sewing room, stacks of papers all over my house, files on my computer, pictures in albums, etc.
5. Read and learn ~ take the time daily to study, ponder and learn new things.
6. Take a vacation ~ I will need one by the end of this year.

My one word mantra is "Calm"

1. stop biting my nailswhen i am stressed!
2. say more positive things - find the good - instead of dwelling on the negative.
3. establish a better evening routine for my kids: scriptures, prayers, make lunches, pick up, get bags ready for morning, homwork, ready for bed - then TV.
4. Eat dinner together. Actually plan meals and prepare.
5. Pray every morning
6. Date night once a week

Laura Clarks Word and Goals

I've decided my one word mantra for 2010 is NOW. It is to remind me not to procrastinate and do it NOW, if I don't lose weight NOW, when will be a better time, I need to live in the moment and appreciate NOW, rather than always focusing on something else.

My 2010 goals are:

1) Create and follow a schedule and chore system, with rewards, for my children.

2) Create and follow a schedule for me, i.e. fly lady. My reward will be the time I save looking for things and not paying the fines I pay for late library books and the reduction in stress!

3) Create a healthy menu plan, including grocery lists and recipes, for one cold month and one hot month.

4) Read the Ensign from cover to cover each month and read my scriptures every day.

5) Do the things necessary to lose weight.

6) Magnify my calling as the Family History Consultant.

It was extremely hard to limit myself to only six, but the achievement of these goals would really make a difference in my life?

I'm excited to see your word and goals!

Logging food and exercise

We found this fantastic sight that help you log food/calories, water intake and exercise. It is really easy to use. You fill out personal information and set your goal and you are good to go. It has every food imaginable. Every costco item we have punched in has been there, restraunts, even the red Mango which I had never even heard of until we drove by Saturday. It gives progress reports and predictions of where you will be if you keep up the pace. The most amazing part to me is to see the calories of different foods. I didn't know a banana has almost double the calories of an apple....did you? It really is interesting. Bruce is hooked and walks around with his I-phone figuring everything out. It isn't quite that easy for me, but I try! It is free and can be found at www.myfitnesspal.com.

More about goal setting ~

Here I am again, posting from someone else. I have come to the conclusion that other people have far better things to say than I do. This is from a blog post by Heidi Swapp:

I hadn’t really thought about the fact that this was even a whole new DECADE until I was watching the amazing Dick Clark last night. I think that it made me even MORE excited and READY for this new year… and NEW DECADE!! I thought back to where I was 10 years ago…I remember it vividly. There is no way that I could have guessed where I’d be today then. It’s SO exciting to me to think about what the next 10 years holds!

I have mentioned that I was working on something very cool for kicking off this NEW YEAR –but more than that, it’s really a strategy for getting what you WANT out of this year, (this decade)… recently, I attended a seminar about GOAL SETTING and the focus of the message was to “PLAN WITH THE END IN MIND”… have you ever heard that? the cool thing about it… is that by planning WHERE you want to end up… you harness the power of your sub conscious mind that will be looking for opportunities and relationships that will get you what you WANT! This whole concept is totally proven and blah blah blah… but I want to give it a try for myself… so really, I have put this whole thing together for ME, and thought that you might want to join me on the most AMAZING journey ever. I am sure that like me, you have found in your life if you set your mind to something, you can pretty much do anything! But when there are too many things to juggle, too many distractions or obligations that press on you, it’s so easy to loose sight of what you really want! Or what you set out to do.

So before you go with the whole : “I am just not a goal-setter” or “I hate new years resolutions- I just break them anyway”….consider thinking of the whole thing back to front: PLAN WITH THE END IN MIND.

You can visit her blog here.

The 6 change method

There is a lot of good information on the blog Laurie directs us to in her post and it has some good ideas on breaking bad habits, etc. Here is the main idea here for the 6 change plan to get you started, but spend some time looking around the blog too.

1. Pick 6 habits for 2010.
2. Pick 1 of the 6 habits to start with.
3. Commit as publicly as possible to creating this new habit in 2 months.
4. Break the habit into 8 baby steps, starting with a ridiculously easy step. Example: if you want to floss, the first step is just to get out a piece of floss at the same time each night.
5. Choose a trigger for your habit - something already in your routine that will immediately precede the habit. Examples: eating breakfast, brushing your teeth, showering, waking up, arriving at the office, leaving the office, getting home in the evening.
6. Do the 1st, really easy baby step for one week, right after the trigger. Post your progress publicly. (Read more.)
7. Each week, move on to a slightly harder step. You’ll want to progress faster, but don’t. You’re building a new habit. Repeat this until you’ve done 8 weeks.
8. You now have a new habit! Commit to Habit No. 2 and repeat the process.

Six Changes

As the New Year approaches and we are lead to think about resolutions and making positive changes in our lives (which I might add, I never really commit to so I never really make those changes), I wanted to share a link to the 6 Changes blog.

As I was reading this blog the other day and really thinking about my desire to change by implementing better, healthier habits, I wanted to commit to deciding on six things in my life that I want to change then actually following through with those resolutions. What better way to achieve that than to involve my friends, my support group, in making changes with me?

So, are you with me? Would you like to implement six changes in 2010 too? Great! Head on over to the 6 Changes blog and put a little thought into some things you would like to change and we will get started on Friday!

Now, one other thought I have been having.....that is to choose a word for the new year and focus on that word. Many choose words like simplify, organize, peace, productive, believe, focus, etc. But it can be any word that will help you remember your yearly goals.

That is the second part of my challenge to each of you. Think about choosing one word to help you stay focused on the changes you would like to make in your life. Then share that word. Tell everyone. Write about it. Blog about it. Think about it. Scrap it. Post it. Let it help empower you throughout the upcoming year.

I'm excited to do this!
Laurie

Amanda's Recipe from Super Saturday

Hi all. I asked Amanda for this recipe. It was very tasty and would definitely work on a diet, especially if you used ground turkey instead of ground beef and pretend you don't see the comment about serving with chips, sour cream and cheese! I've started using greek yogurt instead of sour cream and it tastes almost the same.

Amanda's Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef

1 16 oz jar of salsa (I use mild Pace. The type of salsa you use will determine the flavor of the soup. If you want to spice it up use medium.)

2 cans of dices tomatoes

2 cans of black beans (drain and rinse)

1 10 oz bag of frozen corn (2 cans of corn work also. drain.)

1 zucchini cut into bite size pieces

2 tablespoons of chili powder

Brown the ground beef in the bottom of the pot. Drain fat. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then turn down to low to simmer. Stir occasionally. Simmer for 20 minutes or until heated through. Also works good in a crock pot.

Serve with grated cheese, sour cream or tortilla chips. Enjoy.

Calories in, Calories out....

I found this article online and thought it was informative. If you take your goal weight and multiply it by 10 calories you have the amount of calories you need each day to achieve your goal. See the note on how exercise changes this amount. Have a great day.

Calories

What's the magical formula to achieve your weight goals?

In order for your weight to stay the same, the energy (or calories) you consume should equal the energy (or calories) you expend. In most cases, it’s really a simple matter of energy balance: “Calories In” must equal “Calories Out.” “Calories In” includes what we eat and drink. “Calories Out” includes our resting metabolic rate, thermic effect of food, andphysical activity. Your personal calorie requirement depends on these three factors.

Calculate Your Total Calorie Needs

There are many equations to estimate your total calorie needs based on your RMR and level of physical activity (NOTE: the thermic effect of food is usually not accounted for since its role is so minor). It is important to realize that all these equations are just estimates. You may need more or less depending on genetic differences in RMR and your body composition. Consult a qualified health professional for more information about your personal calorie needs.

Step 1: Estimate RMR

Men Healthy body weight x 11 calories

Women Healthy body weight x 10 calories

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is just an estimate of what your body requires at rest. If you have more muscle than the average person, you probably require more calories at rest than this equation suggests. If you have more fat than the average person, you probably require fewer calories at rest than this equation suggests. Remember, muscle mass is much more metabolically active than fat tissue. If you are 30 lbs. or more overweight (and that excess weight is mostly fat, not muscle), you can use your desired vs. actual body weight when calculating your RMR.

Water

Laura Groskreutz's sister, who is a personal trainer, came to the meeting today. We were talking about water and she mentioned a water mixture that has a cleansing effect. Here is the recipe:

2 liters water (about 8 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon freshley grated ginger root (has to be fresh)
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
12 mint leaves

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher, chill in the refrigerator, and let flavors blend overnight.

She said it tastes really good. If anyone tries it make sure you post on the blog and let us know how you like it.