Tag Archives: Vacation

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes!

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Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes

Changes by David Bowie

I am so buzzing with positive anabolic energy that I was up most of the night cleaning my office and reaching out to clients I’ve been meaning to reconnect with for a while. What’s inspiring this jolt of energy?

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes!

While spending the week in Sedona, Arizona, with the amazing Kendra Thornbury I fully connected with my vision for empowering women to:

  • Become so comfortable with their bodies that they want to freely have sex with their partners instead of hiding out under the covers.
  • Feel confident in a swimsuit so they eek out every ounce of fun with family and friends beach- or poolside.
  • Let go of body shame once and for all.

Cleaning my office was literally making space for a revolutionary new coaching program that will take women step-by-step to feeling lean and sexy on the inside so they can be lean and sexy on the outside.

Let’s face it, there’s a lot of advice out there telling women to just look in the mirror and tell themselves, “I love you.” But to many women that just feels like a big fat lie.

Everything I will be doing—a new website and blog, a breakthrough coaching program, speaking engagements, and intensive retreats will be targeted to help women go from feeling fat to fabulous.

Join me on this exciting new journey and begin to embrace the lean and sexy goddess within.

Together we can do it!

We’re Having Fun Now!

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When you think of having fun what comes to mind?

Typically fun is associated with relaxation and recreation (re-creation). For most people, having fun means being on vacation, perhaps at the beach or on a cruise, or having a drink with friends, or being at a sporting event. Fun is defined by being kicked-back with nothing to do and no responsibilities.

While this kind of re-creation is indeed fun and incredibly important for recharging our positive anabolic batteries, when fun is so narrowly defined, most of life is spent not having fun.

What if you were to broaden and expand your definition of fun? What if you began to include what you’re doing?

Fun is laughing so hard you cry, being with friends and family, and feeling free, but it’s also solving problems, achieving a goal, being engaged in the task at hand, and the satisfaction of a job well done.

Fun is pushing yourself to and past your limits, knowing you gave something your all, reaching out to help another, and shifting how you think about a situation, person, or event.

Fun is pursuing things you’re passionate about, embracing who you truly are, learning from experiences that many might call mistakes, and being aligned with your core values.

Fun is taking responsibility for everything in your life, is quiet moments of meditation and appreciation, and is striving for excellence.

Fun is repairing damaged relationships, admitting when you’re wrong or don’t have all the answers, and is striving to be the best possible version of you.

Fun is taking life as it comes, focusing more on where you are than on your future destination, and making decisions that move you towards your ultimate goal.

Fun is seeing the opportunities in every moment, cultivating a belief that everything is always working out for you, and enjoying the heck out of the ride that is life.

How can you broaden your definition of fun to include what you’re doing? How much does that increase the amount of fun you’re having? How might that impact your life?

Together we can do it!

Photo by worradmu / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Five Tips for Feeling Great about Bathing-Suit Season

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I’m starting to see a lot of bathing suit advertisements. This used to be a terrible reminder that my body wasn’t where I wanted it to be.

The Internet soothed some of the agony of actual bathing suit-shopping. It’s much less painful trying on those innocent-looking torture devices in the privacy of your own home, but your morale can still take a hit. (Is anyone else amazed that such small pieces of material require such contortion to maneuver in and out of?)

While I am much, much kinder and more appreciative of my body then I used to be, I still catch myself judging specific body parts, and feeling insecure in any swimsuit that doesn’t have shorts or a skirt to camouflage trouble spots.

In our action-oriented society, people often just focus on diet and exercise to get bathing-suit ready. The problem is, unless we shift the underlying thoughts, emotions, and beliefs at the same time, you will probably struggle to meet your goals—and most likely won’t be able to maintain them.

When you take into consideration the Foundation Principle that “Energy Attracts Like Energy,” also known as the Law of Attraction, focusing on illness, being out of shape, and hating our bodies is actually taking us in the opposite direction of where we want to go.

Not only will shifting your negative thoughts enough to attain a feeling of relief turbo-charge your wellness actions, it enables you to feel better right now. And the better you feel about yourself, the better you look—and the more fun you allow yourself to have. That in turn boosts your ability and desire to stick to your plan to eat healthy and move your body, and the next thing you know, you are in a positive, anabolic energy spiral that is helping you meet your goals.

How do you make that change? Here are five tips for shifting your thoughts to improve your feelings about the upcoming swimsuit season.

1. Practice “new” thoughts using affirmations, such as “I appreciate that my body is healthy, and that I am present and enjoying this moment,” or “I am fit, strong, and lean, getting fitter, stronger, and leaner.” Create or choose an affirmation that makes you viscerally feel better.

2. When you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts about your body, shift your attention to other parts you can appreciate. For me, shifting my focus from my belly to my legs feels better.

3. Think about the love that All-That-Is (God, the Universe, Source Energy, Higher Coach—whatever works for you) has for you and your magnificent body.

4. Recognize that your body is a gift for which it is appropriate to be grateful.

5. Appreciate the healthy food and exercise you are doing and how that is helping you create the fit, strong, and healthy body you desire.

Pay attention to those habitual patterns of negative thoughts that you have about your body and your life. How can you consciously shift your thoughts so that you feel a sense of relief? What can you do to practice those new thoughts? What difference do you think that might have in your ability to achieve your goals?

Together we can do it!

Photo by Maggie Smith / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How Abundant Are You?

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In yesterday’s blog, I wrote about my awareness of a few cranky moments that I experienced while on vacation, and how I shifted that energy. Today, I want to write about those moments that stood out because I had a new and more positive perspective.

We caught our flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from Atlanta, Georgia. We drove down the day before and spent the night with my brother. He advised that because of the city’s heavy traffic, we needed to leave his house at 6:15 a.m. to catch our 10 a.m. flight.

Even though we left at his suggested time, traffic was already backing up. Because I have that issue about being on time, in the past I might have stressed and worried. This time, however, as I noticed all the cars, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of abundance.

I acknowledge the abundance of all those people who had the means to purchase cars. We passed neighborhoods—both rich and poor—and I felt the abundance of homes for so many people and the accumulation of love generated by all those families.

As I looked at the high-rise buildings in the distance, I felt the abundance of jobs that people were headed to, the opportunities people had in those jobs, and the ideas that were being generated and acted on. I acknowledged the abundance of the sunshine and the beauty of the dawning day. I even gave thanks for the abundance of time that we had to make our flight.

At the airport, I felt the abundance of so many people who are able to fly to their destinations. I could see the abundance of the airport itself—the jobs it’s providing, and the food, shops, and bathrooms where people can fulfill their needs as they move across the nation—and the world. Even the miracle of flight and travel felt abundant.

Falmouth, Jamaica, one of the stops on our vacation.

This feeling of abundance persisted throughout the trip. Where in the past, I might have focused more on lack and scarcity—thinking that to lift my eyes from the problems would make those problems worse and would mean I was an uncaring person—allowing myself to revel in all the amazing evidence of abundance was actually awe-inspiring in the truest sense.

Everywhere the intricacies and power of the Universe (God, Source, All That Is, Higher Coach—whatever works for you) was apparent. It made me realize that yes, there are problems, but there are also solutions and those solutions may not come in the form that I think they should. That solutions may actually be bigger, bolder, and more intricate than I might imagine and they are evolving right along with the problems. That there is a perspective far greater than my own that is more than capably directing those things that are outside my control. That it is OK for me to let go and focus on what is in my purview.

When you consider my experience in the context of the Foundation Principle, “Energy Attracts Like Energy,” also known as the Law of Attraction, it makes sense that focusing on abundance and appreciation would generate more evidence of abundance and things to appreciate—and that the reverse is also true.

What can you do to acknowledge your abundance—the things, opportunities, good fortune, ideas, and love in your life? How might focusing on and appreciating abundance shift your perspective? What impact might that have?

Together we can do it!

 

Vacation Accountability

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I’m sitting here drinking a green protein shake (spinach, banana, flax-seed, vanilla protein powder, cold water, cinnamon, and ice) feeling good about getting back on track nutrition-wise.

My husband and I in Labadee, Haiti

My husband and I just returned from our first cruise, which we took to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. And boy, people are not exaggerating about the food on cruises. Delicious food is everywhere in massive quantities!

Before I left, I blogged about my plan to deal with food and exercise during the trip and asked you fabulous readers to help keep me accountable.

My intention was to enjoy myself and to feel like I was having a vacation, but also to come back feeling good, balanced, and with my healthy habits intact.

While I didn’t write down what I ate every day (hey, I was on vacation!), knowing that I would be reporting to you all on how I did, I kept a running tab in my head and was planning to give myself a grade of “B” for how well I navigated the week.

But rereading my intention has me re-evaluating that grade. I actually met that intention spot on! I never felt deprived, kept my indulgences mostly in balance, and feel the momentum to resume my healthy habits. Good on me!

Here’s how I did.

Food—I avoided the bread basket all but the night of our anniversary and selected fairly healthy meals. I did eat a lot more beef than normal, but since I am allergic to fish or seafood, I would have been eating the same chicken dish over and over otherwise. Instead of my normal five to six  small meals it was definitely more like three larger meals with one snack, but for the most part I avoided empty calories and indulged in healthy fruit because it was so good and fresh.

Sweets—My wonderful husband, David, surprised me which a romance package that included two evenings where appetizers and desserts delivered to our room. The good news was most of the canapés had fish or seafood, so I couldn’t eat them. But the desserts definitely got eaten. Other than that, I ordered dessert every night, but limited myself to a few bites.

Alcohol—The plan was to stick to one cocktail or glass of wine a night. Here I did pretty well. I only had two glasses of champagne twice—the night we arrived when David had scheduled a bottle of champagne to be waiting on us in our room, and the actual day of our anniversary. If I was going to indulge, lower-calorie champagne was definitely the place to do it!

Zip-lining in Jamaica

Exercise—We only hit the gym twice, but were walking, swimming, and active the other days. My body was letting me know that it was pretty good idea to also take a slight vacation from the gym. As a result, a slight back injury is feeling much better and I should be able to get back to hitting the workouts hard in the next week or two. And as soon as I finish this blog, I’m going to head upstairs to exercise.

Sleep—We did a good job of balancing our activities with adequate sleep. I definitely felt relaxed and rested at the end of the cruise.

Healthy Thoughts—Making wellness a lifestyle means consistently practicing healthy thoughts, as well as actions. One thing I noticed is that I felt much less self-conscious in my swimsuit than I have in the past. That is definite progress!

Arriving at Labadee to go snorkeling

How I planned to evaluate my success at achieving balance over our vacation was that I would come home having maintained my weight and feeling good physically and mentally. While I didn’t weigh this morning, my jeans fit just fine and I do feel good. Mission accomplished!

Fun, rest, and relaxation are absolutely an important part of our wellness journeys. Maintaining balance is the key.

Together we can do it!

Are You Tempted?

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I’m packing today to go on my first cruise to celebrate my 20th wedding anniversary. To say I’m excited is an understatement!

But I’m also aware that I will be facing lots of temptations, and it might be easy to let my attention to health and wellness slip a little—or even a lot. I’m already feeling vacation’s siren song of rest, relaxation, and indulgence.

Making wellness a lifestyle means consistently practicing healthy thoughts and actions no matter where you are, even a cruise. To me, it also means finding balance and a little bit of freedom without undoing all the mental and physical momentum I generate on a daily basis.

My intention is to enjoy myself and to feel like I’m having a vacation, but also to come back feeling good, balanced, and with my healthy habits intact. To fulfill that, I’ve created a plan.

I will know my plan was a success if when I come back I have maintained my weight and feel good physically and mentally.

Select and Sample

One thing I know I will be facing is lots and lots of food options. It’s important to remember that there’s no way I am going to be able to eat everything I want, and trying to go there will mean paying for it later.

So I plan to use the plentiful food options to my advantage. What that means is that I will be able to select healthy food and portions most of the time.

My intention is that I will be selective and eat those treats that I truly want, but I am going to choose not to eat as much of them as I might want. A bite or two that I savor and enjoy is truly enough. I find that after that, the taste of what I’m eating becomes less intense and what I’m doing as I continue to eat is trying to regain that first taste-sensation.

Although I’m having visions of drinks with little umbrellas, celebratory champagne, and superb wine pairings, I am also going to be careful with alcohol, which is where empty calories can sneak in so easily.

What I’m going to do here is choose one each day. Once a day I will have either a Pina Colada, a glass of champagne, or a glass of wine with dinner. (And I will choose lower-calorie and better for me wine or champagne most often.) Since I normally don’t drink much, any one of those will be an indulgence. My head and body will thank me in the morning (and after the trip), if I maintain some moderation here. Drinking plenty of water during the day will also be key.

I’m bringing along protein bars and individual portion packs of almonds for quick and healthy snacks while on excursions. By not letting myself get too hungry between meals, I will be much more likely to stick to my plan.

Pack Workout Clothes

The ship we’re sailing on has a gym, outside track, climbing wall, surfing simulator, and even an ice rink! While I’m nursing a mild back injury, there should be plenty of fun ways for me to move my body every day.

A workout doesn’t have to be perfect to leave you feeling better and more energized. You just have to do it.

Catch Some Zs

One of the keys for making sure I stay on track while traveling is to get adequate rest, which can be a challenge in a strange bed hearing noises that I’m not used to, as well as having so many fun things to do that I’m not getting to bed until late.

I know what adequate rest means for me, so I intend have fun, but allow myself to get the sleep that I need.

Accountability

I would also like to ask you fabulous readers to hold me accountable when I get back. Knowing that I’ll have to report to you on how I did at following my plan will absolutely help me think twice before sticking my fork into some delicious dish.

And if I do find that I drank a second glass of wine, heeded the call of dessert, or chose having fun over sleep, I won’t beat myself up. To achieve optimal wellness, we only need to be consistent, not perfect.

What do you do to maintain your wellness while on vacation? Please share the travel and vacation tips that have worked for you. The best way to learn is from each other.

Together we can do it!

Photo by Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net