committment to change

Making the choice to change fixed ways definitely has a mixed bag of emotions attached to it. Excitement with cautiousness comes to my mind. Excited about the possibilities that I know I can achieve and cautiousness about temptations and potential pitfalls. AHL has definitely taught me about forgiving myself of temptations and pitfalls. Now, I can approach the journey with multiple daily recommittments if needed. I can regroup and redirect with optimism and quickness without going on a downhill slope for days or weeks. Bright days are ahead with possibilites, a changed outlook and a new group of people to support me.
Thanks to all that have helped me see the journey ahead.

This week I have cycled twice, stetched, made yummy split pea soup and did Qi Gong on Tuesday eve. Looking foward to Geri joining me next tuesday evening and our signed up refresher at Tai Sophia for Redefining Health.

-Myra

Lime shake

Made a vanilla protein shake with fiber and added a teaspoon of sugar-free lime jello. And as usual, topped with a swirl of whipped cream (only 15 calories)! Delish!

Have been more vigilant about taking my Going Going Gone and have been seeing a real difference in my appetite. Also finishing the day with a cup of detox tea with a dab of honey.

One stumbling block is the amount of food I eat at dinner. Am going to try to make sure I take the GGG 1/2 hour before and not with dinner to see if that helps. : )

Anne

Savor That Cup of Tea

I've rediscovered the enjoyment of savoring a good cup of tea and in the process have been reading up on the health benefits and varied ways to enjoy tea.

For centuries, drinking tea has been synonymous with taking time to relax or sharing hospitality. Today mounting research suggests that tea is good for your arteries as well as for general health. Tea ranks as high or higher in antioxidants than many fruits and vegetables, nutrition experts say. The key antioxidants in tea are flavonoids, which can help prevent blood clots and lower cholesterol. One study at Boston University showed that flavonoids in black tea inhibit the formation of plaque in artery walls. Somes studies have found an association between drinking three cups of black or green tea a day and reduced risk of heart attack. The varieties of teas are endless and include white/yellow, Black, Oolong, Pu-erh, Green and many more. Some contain more or less caffeine. Four fun ways to enjoy tea include:

• Add dried loose tea leaves as a rub for meat
• Add tea leaves to marinades or brines for meat or poultry
• Steep tea in rice or in place of liquids in sauces, cookies, breads or cakes
• Use tea leaves along with wood chips for smoking meats

Betty Robinson (8 week challenge post submission)

Reminder - Open Mike This Week on TUESDAY!!

Hi everyone!

Just a quick reminder that this is our week for Open Mike. And, due to balancing other commitments, we are doing our Open Mike Night on TUESDAY at 8pm.

We are so looking forward to being with all of you tomorrow night. So come with your questions, AHAs, successes and challenges.

And why don't you think about how to practice Extreme Self Care in February - we see this month as being about Love with Valentine's Day and we need to start with loving ourselves. So what can YOU do to show YOU how much you care about YOU!

Call in at 712-432-0180 PIN: 939046.

The AHL Recording from last week will stay on one more week, so if you want to listen to that recorded call, dial: 712-432-0189 PIN 939046 at any time!

You Matter. Love - Gerri

Weekly Update

Here I am. In my weekly accountability report I must say, without judgement, my week was not what I had hoped for. My weight jumped from 196.6 to 199. But I am thankful I can turn right around and be part of the group synergy and keep doing the next healthy thing. I know what I must do. I need more calories burned than consumed, and that's plain and simple. To that end, I will work out 5 times this week and increase my water (area of lack last week).

I was able to listen to the call twice, which is helping me to "retrain my brain" to adopt the AHL principles. I am replacing unserving language with positive affirmations. I am adopting an "I CAN ATTITUDE"! I CAN reach my goals and I WILL reach my goal of 10 pounds gone by the end of this eight week session. I wrote in my journal and I've acquired an empowerment partner. I am choosing the bright train. I am choosing fuel for my body.

This week I will loose the 2.4 pounds I found this week by using our tools.

I look forward to speaking with you on our open call this Tuesday.

With much love and gratitude,

Tina D.

I'llness or We'llness

I went to an Open House yesterday at the TAI Sophia Institute just south of Columbia MD. I do love the energy and philosophy and people in this place. I was learning about some of their new Masters Certificate programs. One of the breakout sessions was on their Transformative Leadership track. I've always felt so many overlapping principles here with what I have with Arbonne and especially what we have created with Abundant Healthy Living.

Anne, the Director of the program, was sharing an insight from one of the students in her current program. And she wrote two words on the board.

I'llness and We'llness

Talk about a lightbulb going off. I got chills. Wellness is more than just us, as individuals, making better choices. It is about community, love, support and so much more. Our wellness journey is about WE. Our power to change, to recommit, to believe we deserve to be healthy, is enhanced and expanded by being on this road together. When we isolate ourselves, when we think we can go it alone, that's when we create an opening for i'llness.

This moment yesterday expanded my gratitude for all of you, for what we are doing together, for a healthier NOW and a healthier future that opens up new possibilities for each of us.

Loving you even more today than ever - Gerri

A good Saturday

I find that there are things/actions that I do that start days on a good note. For me, it is getting up to exercise, having things on my schedule for the day and doing my morning seated Qi Gong meditation and stretching (just picking one actions can do it!) This morning I mediated and lightly stretched and followed that with a vanilla protein shake. There are sooooooooooo many ways to start out in the negative. I have the choice and when I make good choices, the day usually runs well. AHL priniciples talk about choices in our day. I am trying to commit to better choices. As we all attempt this task, all of us deserve a round of personal applause as well as a group applause. Here's to healthy positive choices!!

-Myra

Recommit Kind of Day

Fessing up. Had a few challenges yesterday and indulged in chocolate mint cookies. Even tried to rationalize it by buying the brand 'Back to Nature.' Not one of my best days when it comes to choosing fuel or poison.

What's great about this? I recognize that that is not who I really am. I just veered off track briefly and now recommit to my AHL choices again. Simple as that. No guilt. No mulling over what I could have done. The past cannot be changed, only this moment can.

I do realize that one way I sabatoged my day was not having breakfast. I just kept getting side tracked in other things and before I knew it, it was late morning. That's never a good thing for me. Lesson learned. Breakfast IS important! And today I'm starting with my favorite - Arbonne's protein shake with Fiber Booster AND my vitamins too. I already feel so much better and more focused.

I'm creating a better day today and I'm definitely looking forward to it. Happy Friday everyone! Honor that healthy, vibrant inner YOU today!

Love - Gerri

Scheduling in Self Care

I love Betty's post. It really is important for us to schedule in the things that make us feel good and that serve us. We often think of these as the flexible part of our 'to do' list. When, in reality, they should be a priority and therefore merit a line in our planner - a commitment.

I also know it's easier said than done! I'm starting to put more things on my calendar that I want to take time for. It's easy to schedule my walks with San, but I don't put the same emphasis on my exercise/movement time on the other days. When the commitment is to ME, then I should write these things down too!

That doesn't mean that things don't come up and that sometimes I may have to reschedule. The key is to set another time rather than writing it off altogether.

So what can you schedule with yourself? Is it time to exercise, to walk, to journal, to do some activity that brings you joy. Think of the things in your life that you MISS doing, and write them on your calendar. ReCommit to YOU!

Getting Organized to Achieve Goals

Hi Everyone - Unfortunately I was unable to make the call on Monday, but I will be listening to what was discussed on the recorded session this week. I wanted to make a blog contribution this week with some helpful tips. For me, in conjunction with losing weight and staying healthy, another goal of mine is to stay organized because it helps me to achieve other aspirations and goals. I hope that the following reminders are useful for others (Betty Robinson):
Be Your Own Time Master
With our to-do lists ever-growing, assigning tasks to our calendars can be a simple way to manage time and reduce stress. The simple act of writing down the things we need to do releases us from having to remember it all "upstairs." Here are some tips to help you successfully manage your tasks and calendars:

• Be realistic about how long each task will take
• Learn to say "no"
• Delegate: when you authorize others to take over some of your activities, you free yourself to focus on where you can make your best contribution.
• For those little things that take only a minute or two (such as putting away your dirty dishes) sometimes its best to just do them right away.
• If the task will take 15 minutes or more, choose a specific time in which to do it. Schedule an appointment with yourself. You may need to communicate to others that you are unavailable due to scheduled work.
• Without a place to "assign" tasks, you'll always be in a reactive mode. Use your calendar diligently. Do things on your time, when you are ready. You are in command.
• Don't double-book yourself or plan your appointments too close together. Planning for delays will keep you calm and allow you to enjoy the current moment. Forget about multi-tasking sometimes to simply enjoy the pleasures of each task you do.

Setting Goals, Committment and Facing Realistic Detours

After tonite's call, I am committed to keeping my path clear and defined. I know that we all have the strength to committ daily and succeed. The talk tonite made me think about how various AHL goals could produce global benefits for me. In regards to my health, eating healthy foods would allow my body to conserve energy for healing and steer well deserved nutrients to my organs efficiently. My body would be using less energy to process poison foods. Positive thoughts and achievements would directly influence my motivation, increase optimism and in turn benefit all and everyone that I interact with. I kinow that we all will have good days with peaks in our motivation level. Of course those days come with the opposite, days of diffiulties, resistance to change and less motivation. My goal is to increase the days that I can be proud of, while accepting those days which I could have been more mindful of. Cheers to AHL goals and creating most days to be proud of. Thanks to all of you that make this experience worthwhile.

-Myra

Time for a SeaSource 7 Day Cleanse

I'm starting Arbonne's SeaSource 7 Day Cleans today. One of the great things about this is that it really makes me aware of fuel vs poison because it's really important while I'm doing this that I only take in fuel. Of course, it's always important to be aware of fuel vs poison - this is just a time that I find it easier to set that intention and awareness.

This helps me practice this powerful principle and in the end it's a wonderful way to cleanse out toxins and 'reset' my body as well to a more finely tuned and healthy state.

8 Week Committment & Healthy Choices

Hello AHL'ers! Happy Saturday. I tuned back into the AHL principles 1/2/10 @ 203.2 lbs. I am pleased to say that I checked in today @ 196.6, with a near 7 lb. loss. Over the past two weeks I have increased my activity level and have exercised 3 to 4 times per week. I have increased my water tremendously..I think I'm floating. I've been taking my vitamins again. And, I have increased my awareness of what is going in my body and what effect it will have - i.e. will it move me toward my goal or keep me from my goal and from the changes I so desire.

This past week I have made some great choices. When I come home from work I am usually a bear . I was so stressed at work that it was literally killing me. I'd come home and drink wine, then eat snacks and then go to bed. Bad choices. I am so grateful for the leaders of this program! Because of their healthy examples, and being fed up with not reaching my goals, I have decided to take care of myself. My good choices this week have been diversions for jaws - and rather than wine or sugary food or other poison for my body, I chose a bath and cup of hot tea. After the bath I was so relaxed and forgot about the poisonous desires. These choices created positive brain chemistry, as our program teaches. They also fostered the positive reinforcement of success. I successfuly walked away from what I would naturally choose. Last night I was at my aunt's house and I love her brownies. Of course, she had a freshly made batch. I looked at them and convinced myself they were poison and that I would have something else when I got home. It worked :D I came home and forgot about the brownies and also about the urge for a "treat".

Here's what I am committing to for the next 8 weeks.

- I will exercise 4 times per week.
- I will listen to the recording on Saturday morning so I get a double dose of the AHL principles. (While I'm listening, I'll be on the elliptical trainer.) I will also be listening on Monday night.
- I will pause before eating and drinking something and be aware of what it does for my body - fuel or poison.
- I will take care of me - drinking my water, reducing stress, taking vitamins, getting regular chiropractic adjustments.
- I will loose 10 pounds by the completion of this session. (186.6)
- I will post my weight weekly and share my accomplishments for the week.
- I will set realistic goals, and once again believe in me.

Over the years I have beat myself up for not reaching my goals. And by setting my goals over the top and continually falling short, I was programmed for failure. I like how we are striving to enjoy the journey. San, while I too would like to be a size 8, now I am making daily positive choices toward health and wellbeing. I now feel good. I like feeling good. I like myself (A little Michael Clouse here..LOL)

Thank you once again, for allowing me to be on this journey with each of you.

Move at Noon to Nip the Dip

Like the rhyme? Guess I'm starting the day a bit chipper.

This little tip from RealAge. I read a short article on afternoon energy dips. And in that article there were 3 myths that were discussed.

Myth 1 - Dips are caused by what you ate for lunch. If some foods are a factor, it's likely that they magnify an afternoon slump rather than cause it. A lunch with a good balance of protein, carbs and fat is a better choice.

Myth 2 - Afternoon slumps mean something is wrong. Not necessarily so. This may actually be a part of your natural circadian rhythms.

Myth 3 - Lunchtime workouts make an afternoon slump worse. Workers are actually less likely to suffer the slump on days when they exercise during lunch. And the type, duration, or intensity of exercise doesn't seem to matter. So even taking time for a good long stretch, or a 15 walk outside can make a difference.

So how about trying this out? Try a week where you do some intentional movement or exercise at lunchtime and see how you feel in the afternoon.

Here's to a Healthy and Happy Friday!
Love - Gerri

NEWS FLASH!

Abundant Healthy Living just got easier!

Arbonne's fabulous protein shakes are now available to grab and go!!
Our same nutritious formula and same wonderful taste are now available in an easy to use carton with straw. They do not require refrigeration so you can a leave where it's convenient.

• 20 grams of Arbonne's proprietary Vegan Protein Matrix (derived from pea, rice and cranberry).
• 20 vitamins and minerals
• INNER G-Plex® Proprietary Blend (CoQ10, alfalfa, kelp, ginseng and alpha lipoic acid)
• Flaxseed for heart health
• Vanilla or Chocolate
• Natural Stevia Sweetener
• 11 oz portion
• 190 calories
• 12 pack for $33 retail ... Just $2.75 per serving

We'll still want our protein powder to create our wonderful concoctions but this will save us when we need to dash!

Delicious and Nutritious

Glad to Be Back

After being away for the most of the last session, it was great to start a brand new session which I know will reinforce what I have learned from the Abundant Healthy Living empowerment group. Unfortunately, I had to take a short break from the Monday night calls, due to a variety of demands during November and December.

It feels like a fresh start again for me. I did not abandon my commitment or knowledge gained during the time away, my personal training and exercise has continued weekly and I have started a new baseline for this session. I am about five pounds lighter than I was during the last session, even after the holidays and I am very happy about this. I will commit to a minimum of one blog post per week (but will try for more if I can) as part of the 1-blog-per-week challenge (for the 8 week session) mentioned by Gerri last night.


I look forward to next week's call and am starting the week with much enthusiasm and a "can do" attitude. Fuel vs. Poison? will definitely stay in my mind as I eat to be healthy, discipline myself and stay focused on reaching my goals . . . .Good luck to everyone in their personal journeys. May the Force be with us. Betty Robinson

Yum

"Day 12: Eat slowly, with gratitude for the nourishment provided for you. Delight in deliciousness. Keep your body strong with healthy food and exercise, for your body is your instrument of praise to your Creator." - from Gratitude Therapy; Abbey Press

Healthy Fit Thinking

This IS who WE ARE!

1. Healthy, Fit People … have habits and lifestyle that support and nurture our well being.
2. Healthy, Fit People … eat to live not live to eat. We think about food as fuel not as an experience.
3. Healthy, Fit People … are proactive about our health: vitamins and other supplements, daily exercise, head time, acupuncture and other holistic modalities.
4. Healthy, Fit People … move because it feels good and we want to! It doesn’t have to be jogging and the gym … it can be walking outdoors, swimming, yoga, and gardening.
5. Healthy, Fit People … have a huge life force … a glow and attitude because everything is moving inside … chi, oxygen, blood, lymphatic drainage and digestion … all humming and happy!
6. Healthy, Fit People … have energy to work and play, in fact, energy to spare.
7. Healthy, Fit People … favor fresh, whole, raw, organic food and small portions.
8. Healthy, Fit People … know where to buy the best food locally and make it a priority.
9. Healthy, Fit People … identify foods that make us feel good and are easily digested into energy.
10. Healthy, Fit People … sleep well.
11. Healthy, Fit People … have a longer life span
12. Healthy, Fit People … never stop learning about our bodies and minds

Healthy, fit people listen to our bodies … eat the best foods when we are hungry, move because it feels good not because we should and love the vibrant feeling of wellness. This is our life style, not a short lived campaign.

One Week

Just a quick note - which makes this my 3rd blog this week too! This meets one of my commitments for our new 8 week session!

I have also been able to exercise at least 30 minutes for 5 days this week. 2 days I did over an hour walk with San at the Mall. It always goes so quickly with great company! And the other 3 days I did at least 30 minutes with my Wii Fit Plus. I must admit I did a little internal dialog on Friday - almost talked myself out of that last Wii Fit session. Abundant Healthy Living principles prevailed and I feel so much better for doing so. It's been a while since I've been that consistent with exercise so I'm finding a little internal resistance. Now that I've done it once, I know that I can do it again!

I'm looking forward to kicking off a new 8 week session of calls on Monday. Hope everyone will join us! ~ G

What's IN your glass?

Hi all!

I wrote this on Facebook today and it's very applicable here as well, so I'll share in both places. I heard this on a training CD I was listening to, and it really resonated with me.

It doesn't matter if your glass is half full or half empty. What's really important is what's IN your glass? Fill your glass with positive, abundant and empowering thoughts, laughter with friends and family, joy in each moment, love and all good things. Once you do that, I'm sure your glass will be overflowing!

Tips to Boost Our Success

Dear friends -

What a motivating call last night!  Since the majority of us are looking to lose 10 pounds (or in that neighborhood) I thought the following article might have some good tips for us - http://www.prevention.com/smallchanges/index.shtml

Here is a summary of a few things that appear in the article - Small Changes that Take Off Big Pounds

1. Keep a food journal.  By picking up a pen after every meal, you live in the awareness that is key to our program.
2. Get up and move during commercials when you are watching TV. Skip, dance, go up and down some stairs, run in place—anything that gets your heart rate up so you feel somewhat breathless, Do it for each 2-minute break during a typical 2-hour TV night and you'll burn an extra 270 calories a day—which can translate to a 28-pound weight loss in a year.
3. Limit high fat foods to once a week.  Remember another part of our program centers around the recognition that we are human - and that means that sometimes we crave the foods that aren't good fuel sources.
4. Sign up for e-newsletters about health and wellness.  The more you know the better off you will be.
5.Walk 5 minutes more every day. Some simple ways to get moving include:

• Walk around the perimeter of the grocery store at least once before heading toward the items you need.
• Move in place whenever you're talking on the phone.
• Go through or around the entire shopping mall instead of parking near the store you need.
• Take a walk around the block at lunch and after dinner.

6. Strength-train in mini-bursts.  Try this mini-workout: Do 10 reps each of knee push-ups, squats, crunches, lunges, and chair dips. Then gradually increase the number of reps it takes for your muscles to feel fully fatigued.
7. Climb 3 extra flights of stairs daily.
8.Take a pedometer wherever you go. Research shows pedometer users take nearly 2,500 more steps a day (over 1 mile, or about 100 calories) than nonusers. Over a year, that's enough to burn off about 10 pounds.
9. Brown bag at least once a week to save money and calories.
10.Obey the 1-mile rule during errands. Burn calories instead of gas by following this rule: If your errands are less than 1 mile away, vow to walk them at a brisk pace instead of driving. Or park where you can run several errands within a mile instead of moving your car each time. Walk every day and you'll be 13 to 17 pounds lighter next year.

There are more great ideas in the article.

Here's to being lighter!
Tee

My 8 week commitment

As we get ready to start a new round on our wonderful Abundant Healthy Living Principles, I wanted to go on record with what I am committing to for this time period.

I am committing to strengthening my healthy fit habits. I am currently at 139 - my best this past year has been 137.5. I know that by committing to increasing my movement and decreasing my poison I can achieve that again and more (or less, depending on how you look at it!).

- My goal is to be at 137 by the end of the 8 weeks (March 1).
- I am going to focus more on weekly meal planning, which will help both Mark and I.
- I am going to fit some intentional movement each day, and commit to at least 30 minutes exercise 5 days a week (walk, Wii Fit, other).
- I am going to be a more consistent blogger, and blog at least 3 times a week, because keeping my connection to YOU is as important to this program as anything else!

I am so looking forward to the weeks and the year ahead, made even better by being part of this Abundant Healthy Living Community!

Love - Gerri

Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

I know that I am a sweet tooth girl.  Some people crave the salty but I crave the sweet.  I realized that for 2010, I needed to find ways to satisfy my sweet tooth that are consistent with the principles of our program.  I have been crimping the pages of magazines every time I see a good idea.  So I thought I would put the good ideas all in one place.  I hope these are helpful to you as we all move forward together.

- 3 Hershey's Dark Chocolate Miniatures are equal to one ounce of anti-oxidant packed goodness
- Apples and Cinnamon - Chop up a Fuji or McIntosh (or any apple for that matter) and put into a ziploc bag  with some cinnamon and then shake it up.  Yummy, healthy goodness. 
- Jello Mousse temptations - convenient 60-calorie treats in three yummy flavors - Caramel Creme, Dark Chocolate Decadence and Chocolate Indulgence
- Popcorn with a little Splenda and Salt for a Kettle Korn Taste
- Clementines - these tasty little darlings are only around for a short period of time.  So get them while you can

Lots of love!
Tee

'Thoughts Become Things'

'Thoughts Become Things' ... so use your thoughts to create the Abundant Healthy Fit Life you want in 2010!!
YYY San
And if you are not already a fan, check out Mike Dooley and sign up for his Notes from the Universe at www.TUT.com

WE THE CHANGE, MUST BEGIN WITH I THE CHANGE

We The Change must begin with I The Change. The question is: are you allowing this to happen? I was not.

I read this quote while reading a blog which referred to the changes a caterpillar must endure to evolve as a butterfly. (butterflies speak to me) With that being said, I cannot change without being completely and totally honest and accountable. And more than anything, I want to loose this weight, be transformed and SEE the beautiful person within.

I'm starting today, Jan 2, 2010 with a reality check. I am sharing this information so I cannot hide from, or deny the truth. I am 5'8". I weigh (at this very moment) 203.2 lbs (with clothing). I'm up almost 20 lbs from 2 years ago. I WILL make the small, gradual changes needed to make this a lifestyle change and not a "DIEt". I will commit to weighing one time each week, and posting here, and I hope this is ok in our 'safe' environment. I am also going to REcommit to this program.

My daily goals (for the next week):

1. Exercise for 20 minutes @ least 4 times (I just did this for 20 min. on
elyptical and burned 227 calories).
2. Increase my water - a LOT.
3. Order my NEW Arbonne pre-made shakes for convenience @ work, and no excuses.
4. Be completely honest and accountable and participate full-out in AHL, by
retraining myself to think of fuel vs poison.

I hope you will not mind this post. I'm so inspired by San, Gerri and Tee not only by the results you've obtained, but also the incredible program you've put together for me and for anyone who chooses to "be the change". Thank you for allowing me to be a part of AHL.

With love and gratitude,