When you act without thinking, you don't make the decision, the decision makes you.

Being fat is hard.
Losing weight is hard.
Maintaining weight is hard.

The more you invest of yourself, the harder it is to surrender. In which of the above are you most invested?

CHOOSE your 'hard'!


"It is not about 'will power'. Be committed to a plan, be consistent, and be persistant and you WILL have the POWER." MELLIE810 (paraphrased) ...

When you act without thinking, you don't make the decision, the decision makes you.

Being fat is hard.
Losing weight is hard.
Maintaining weight is hard.

The more you invest of yourself, the harder it is to surrender. In which of the above are you most invested?

CHOOSE your 'hard'!


"It is not about 'will power'. Be committed to a plan, be consistent, and be persistant and you WILL have the POWER." MELLIE810 (paraphrased)



MY ON-GOING FITNESS ADVENTURE:
November 2009

My continued focus is to be PURPOSEFULLY UNCOMFORTABLE and CONSTRUCTIVELY CHALLENGED...

GOYAAM!
'Get Off Your *AHEM* And Move!' Plan:
* SparkPeople 'New YOU Bootcamp' daily for four weeks (ST)
* at least 30 minutes cardio 5 days a week - rebounder (10 minutes), jumping jacks (10 minutes) & stairs (10 minutes)... walk a 3km circuit once a week with a friend... walk daily before I do anything else... seems to set me up for the day
*100 Pushups Challenge - modified "wall" pushups - 30 minutes per week
http://www.hundredpushups.com/index.html

Check out my blog for 'before' pictures, and to see how it's going! I'll take pictures every six months... next pics at the end of November!

MAY 2009 'Progress Pictures'
http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public
_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=2108514


ALSO...

* purchase heart rate monitor and BMI calipers with Christmas/birthday money
* Interview as many as is necessary, and hire a personal trainer by the end of October 2009... actually starting to re-think this... not sure I need a trainer anymore
* Find a boxing gym in my community (apparently NOT as easy as one might think - still looking - considering Turbo Jam as a substitute "?")
* Read 'Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle' and revise my goals/program to reflect what I learn
* Join my GOYAAM team Bootcamp thread & '100 Pushups' thread - DONE!
* Go 'public' within my family... my rather lean brother-in-law is wanting a little competition on the way to getting buff... and I intend to give him some (did I mention he's almost 10 years younger than I am? ...And if you think I'm being unrealistic, check out my friend Karen7360's page - she started working on buff AFTER she turned 50)!

"When I let go of what I am
I become what I might be."
LAO TZU


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"The most important tool in this process is your brain."
DIANE REUTER (BAMOM19)
Lost 145 pounds with SparkPeople

FEELING MOTIVATED toward success is the BY-PRODUCT of what I CHOOSE to think and believe about any part of this journey. What I choose to think and believe about myself, my process and what I want out of life determines how MOTIVATED I will feel in any given moment, and will determine my SUCCESS, or lack there of.

* COMMITMENT is choosing to believe that every outcome of my life is within my own ability to determine.

* DETERMINATION is choosing to believe that consistency of results is less important than is consistency of effort.

* CONSISTENCY of effort is choosing to believe that good habits are the foundation if any achievement.

* ACHIEVEMENT is choosing to believe that how I respond to failure determines my ultimate success.

* SUCCESS is ultimately choosing to believe that my failings are simply opportunities to better define the focus of my commitment!


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"Today is my gift from God. No one or nothing can take it away. I can and will share my gift, but it will not be stolen from me!" XSOLA_FIDEX


"We are ever being born, or dying, and the thrill of choosing which, is ours. Only once must we be born without our own consent. Only once must we die without our own permission." CALVIN MILLE

November 1st:

I've been at SparkPeople for almost 22 months now, and though I can't yet claim the stellar weight loss that others have accomplished in a similar amount of time and though I'm almost 50 years old, I'd say it is here that I have finally 'grown up' and experienced success. My journey toward my goal weight is my own personal adventure... a coming to myself... and each victory over the distractions along the way is giving birth to ME, continuously anew to myself, and for those I love.

It may seem silly, but this for me feels like so much more than working toward 'fit & healthy'. I feel like I'm redeeming and reclaiming myself in some small way. I have had a habit of allowing life, circumstances, inertia, and a perceived sense of defeat to steal away from me the things that make me feel most alive. For (perhaps) the first time in my life I made a commitment to myself, and I am following through, one concrete step at a time, regardless how long it's taking me to accomplish what it is I'm here to do.

You don't need to be determined, you just need a plan that fits into your life right now (you'll refine as you go along). You don't need to feel motivated every minute of every day, you just need to work your plan the best you can dialy and have fun doing it. Knowing better doesn't change your habits. It's taken you significant time to develop your 'bad' habits, and it will take time to replace each 'bad' habit with a better one. Start with one small thing, and when you're doing that consistently add in another. When that one is going well, add another. Continue on like this until the overall focus and purpose of your habits is health, joy, and living the life for which you were created. That's all you have to do.

There is no magic moment, solution or feeling. This is a LIFE-LONG PROCESS - a lifestyle. You just need to do what you need to do! You CAN do it!

Too many people still think that it's about losing the weight, and it is NOT. Losing the weight is simply a very happy by-product of understanding how our bodies were created to function, learning to respect and fully embrace that truth, and embracing who you were created to be - your passions, your sorrows, your responsibilities, your unique giftedness, your natural rhythms, and your own sense of purpose in the world.... And you don't have to be actively pursuing weight lost every minute of every day to consider yourself successful and moving toward your goals!

So, regardless of whether you just now found your way here, or if you are returning to yourself in a new way, welcome to those of you who are here to learn how to CHOOSE and LIVE your life on your own terms! Embrace the miracles waiting to happen for YOU!! I'm so grateful and joy-FULL to be in the company of all of you who are also committed to the transformation... not by 'magic' but through community, baby steps, good habits, and an ABUNDANCE of knowledge, solutions, graciousness, and encouragement.

May your every day be all you need it to be. May an all abiding peace fill your thoughts, rule in your dreams each night, and conquer all your fears. May God manifest himself in ways you have never before experienced. May your joys be fulfilled, your dreams be closer, and your cares be lifted. I pray that faith enters a new height in you, that your territory be enlarged, and that fulfillment is just one step closer.

MAY GOD ABUNDANTLY BLESS YOU, and those you love, in every way that you require. May he hold you gently in the palm of his hand in a very personal way, and may you rest in the fullness of his love, his grace, his strength, his wisdom, his rescue, his redemption, his healing, his inspiration, his restoration and his mercy as you require it! May you carry in your heart always an extra special awareness of God's great love for you, may you feel his sweet and gentle touch upon your life, and may you see his miracles all around you. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen!

RAMONA


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"The hidden well-spring of your soul
must needs rise and run murmuring to the sea;
And the treasure of your infinite depths
would be revealed to your eyes.
But let there be no scales to weigh your own treasure;
And seek not the depths of your knowledge
with staff or sounding line.
For self is a sea boundless and measureless."

KAHLIL GIBRAN


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"A woman is often measured by the things she cannot control. She is measured by the way her body curves or doesn't curve, by where she is flat or straight or round. She is measured by 36-24-26 and inches and ages and numbers, by all the outside things that don't ever add up to who she is on the inside. And so if a woman is to be measured, let her be measured by the things she can control, by who she is and who she is trying to become. Because every woman knows, measurements are only statistics, and STATISTICS LIE!"

AUTHOR UNKNOWN



"A strong woman is a woman who loves
strongly and weeps strongly and is strongly
terrified and has strong needs. A strong woman is strong in words, in action, in connection, in feeling. What comforts her is others loving her equally for the strength and for the weakness from which it issues...
Strong is what we make each other."

MARGE PIERCY


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JOHN WOODEN'S 'TEN RULES TO LIVE BY'

1. 1 Corinthians 13... "and now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."

2. Make each day your masterpiece.

3. Drink deeply from good books.
* Books I recommend:
The Road Less Travelled by M. Scott Peck
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Safely Home by Randy Alcorn
Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto
New Rules of Lifting for Women by Lou Schulen
MTER67's Blog

4. Freedom from desire leads to inner peace.

5. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. I will get ready and then, perhaps my chance will come.

6. Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.

7. Help others.

8. It is better to trust and be disappointed occasionally than to distrust and be miserable all the time.

9. Almost anyone can stand adversity, but to test a person's character, give them power.

10. Be more interested in your character, which is what you really are, than in your reputation, which is what others perceive you to be.


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January 2009
"DONE!" ...And BEYOND!

This all started back at the beginning of December when I returned to active sparking, fully expecting to have been 'left behind' by those who had diligently continued on. In a couple of cases, and to my delight, I was. Mostly I was just 'left'. With respect to teams, friends, and inspiration, I was starting from scratch. It was initially a bit disconcerting, but then it quickly became an exciting exercise in discovery and SELF acknowledgement... I'm visible to myself (and, I think, others) in ways I don't ever recall being before now. I realized that even though I was off-site, I had continued to forge ahead in unexpected ways... and I couldn't have returned to the places I left if I had tried. I would challenge all of you, if you've been here awhile, to step out of your 'comfort' zone, and away from what is familiar, and go looking around to see what else may be out here to further enhance your journey. It only stands to reason that as you grow, your needs will change. And you may want to ask yourself (if you've been here awhile... and especially if you're not achieving your goals to the degree you would like), if you really are in the right place.

In my search, I joined the 'DONE GIRL' team. One of the team requirements is to write out your 'DONE' mission statement. Here's my 'manifesto':

Because I can't change what I don't acknowledge, and in no particular order:

I AM DONE first and foremost, being a fat girl (notice I didn't say THE fat girl).
I AM DONE living a life (in deed, in choice, in relationship, in circumstance) that supports my being fat.
I AM DONE living for yesterday and tomorrow while I let the riches, value and lessons in TODAY slip through my fingers.
I AM DONE living with my 'pretty face' (as pointed out by people who know it would be bad manners to comment on how fat I am).
I AM DONE making excuses for anything (my pain, my fears, my excesses, my lassitude, my vulnerabilities) keeping me from the life I was created to live.
I AM DONE eating food that is less than nutritious, or less than sublime in taste.
I AM DONE allowing my life to be shaped by a lack of decision.
I AM DONE not fully exercising both my body, and my choices.
I AM DONE being sick and tired of actually being sick and tired.
I AM DONE 'settling' in any manner, shape or form within myself, in my relationships, or with respect to my desires and dreams.
I AM DONE living a life shaped by my fears.
I AM DONE apologizing for who I am, what I want, what I need, or for my capabilities.
I AM DONE simply eating in response to the physical pain eating at me.
I AM DONE playing small, and shrinking into the boxes other people create for me.
I AM DONE living to satisfy the comfort level of others, while neglecting my own authenticity.
I AM DONE lying to myself, and as a result lying to others.
I AM DONE behaving as though my value in this world is equal to the sum of my imperfections.
I AM DONE minimizing how important certain things are to me.
I AM DONE worrying about how much I weigh - I no longer accept the number on the scale as a measurement of my worth, my success, or my lack thereof.
I AM DONE putting off what is important to me until 'the time is right'.
I AM DONE living with clutter on my body, in my house, within my relationships and throughout my life.
I AM DONE avoiding any opportunity to be all I am capable of being.
I AM DONE backing off, backing away, backing down and backing into.
I AM DONE choosing by default.
I AM DONE reacting to circumstances as though every moment of life was mine to control.
I AM DONE assuming (by default or otherwise) responsibility for others.
I AM DONE acting 'my age'.
I AM DONE stressing over what other people may think/say of me, and about me.
I AM DONE being simply comfortable, and mindlessly busy.
I AM DONE consistently putting myself at the bottom of every list.
I AM DONE being less than I really am for any reason what-so-ever.


It IS when I let go of what I am that I become what I might be...


... SO, because I believe that the power to transform my life exists in focusing on the positive, and because I believe in running TOWARD and THROUGH, rather than running 'away from':

I WILL focus on the journey, NOT the product of my efforts.
I WILL be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous - and manifest these qualities in every aspect of my life.
I WILL live a life that supports good health, vitality, physical strength and a healthy BMI (22, or lower, to be exact).
I WILL hold on to TODAY as though it is a precious jewel and live, moment by moment, savouring and incorporating the riches, value and learning each has to offer me.
I WILL live with my 'pretty face' and bask in the knowledge that my body goes along with it throughout this journey (and I will no longer ignore the rudeness inherent in 'pretty face' comments).
I WILL find the reasons to overcome, and find healing in, all that is keeping me from living the life I was created to live.
I WILL eat only food that is of the highest quality and rejoice as it nourishes my body, and feeds me such that I am able to achieve my goals... eating is a feast for all of my senses.
I WILL make decisions which reflect my aspirations, goals, desires and the life I want to live.
I WILL exercise my body, believing there are no limits to what I may achieve.
I WILL exercise my ability, and responsibility, to choose every aspect of my life.
I WILL acknowledge my limitations and treat them with respect, in as much as it is necessary, while allowing that there is likely a way around them.
I WILL hold myself, my relationships, my dreams and desires to a standard defined by excellence, respect, and vitality.
I WILL live my life as though I cannot fail; a life defined by consistency of effort; a life shaped by my passions and inspirations.
I WILL at every opportunity, celebrate who I am, what I want, what I need, and my capabilities.
I WILL respect my physical pain as my teacher, and learn to respond to it directly... I will ask, "What is my headache trying to tell me?"
I WILL be all I AM; defining for myself what, when, how and where I will occupy space.
I WILL speak with my own authentic voice, and that voice will resonate in my choices, in my actions, and in the fruits of my effort.
I WILL be truthful with myself, no matter how uncomfortable or painful, knowing that the truth really will set me and those I encounter in this life, free.
I WILL behave as though my value in this world is simply in my BEing, perfections and imperfections included, neither more valuable than the other.
I WILL express, and stand up for, what is important to me.
I WILL embrace my weight on the scale as simply being a number... with no more importance than that of the colour of my eyes... something to consider only with respect to how it may, or may not, be affecting the quality of my life.
I WILL do something daily to express and live out the values, dreams, and desires which are important to me; recognizing that 'when-ever' I am, is 'right'.
I WILL respond to my body, my home, my relationships and my life with an attitude of simplicity and with gratitude for the abundance they already contain - remembering that they are sufficient unto themselves.
I WILL accept the boundless invitations, of which I am surrounded, to be all that I am; and recognize that there is always more that I might be.
I WILL walk on despite conflict, walk toward in faith, walk up to with acceptance and compassion, and walk directly toward with conviction.
I WILL make choices relevant to my goals, dreams and values - recognizing that it's okay to defer making a choice 'until'....
I WILL respond to the circumstances of my life as though each is a gift... something to be accepted, received, unwrapped and experienced for what it offers on my journey.
I WILL take responsibility for myself alone.
I WILL live my life with a vitality that belies my age...and never allow a number to dictate the passions of my heart.
I WILL be more concerned about what I think of/about myself, refrain from putting words in the mouths of others, and I'll deal with opinions and observations as they are expressed directly to me; fully refusing to substitute anyone else's judgement for my own.
I WILL live my life purposefully uncomfortable, and constructively and mindfully engaged.
I WILL make room for my SELF on every list, in every relationship, and in all circumstances.
I WILL be the hero of my own life and, by my example, that of my daughter's life.

Whether (or not) you join the 'DONE' team, I invite you to consider what all you may be 'DONE' with, and let it be the beginning for defining your goals for the duration of your journey.

So, my battle cry continues to be: "I will be the person God created me to be, not the person I've become for lack of faith in Him who lives in me!"


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Malachi 3:3 says:
"HE WILL SIT AS A REFINER
AND PURIFIER OF SILVER."

"This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver, and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.' She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?'

He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.'

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire , remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you."

AUTHOR UNKNOWN


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THE SPARK PEOPLE USER GUIDE CAN BE FOUND HERE:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/user
_guide_ALL.pdf

1. Rookie Orientation: Where Do I Begin?
2. MySpark - Your Personalized Home Page - In Depth
3. Nutrition Page, Meal Plans & Food Tracker
4. Nutrition Page - In Depth
5. Fitness Page, Tracking Cardio & Fitness Plans
6. Community & Message Boards
7. SparkDiet
8. The “Unknown” SparkPeople


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"FEELING PANICKY?! BUTTON FOR IMMEDIATE HELP!"

Look under:
'Community' (top right of every page)
click on 'Message Boards'
Scroll down to 'Results!!' (red title bar)
Click on 'Panic! Button for Immediate Help'
Choose the topic that suites your immediate needs


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Read More About _RAMONA (Updated November 1)

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