Day Ninety: Reflection

My husband and I flipped a house once.

We bought a home that was an eyesore. Beaten up and abused, it had been neglected for years. When we purchased, we took the property off the owners hands just in time so that the bank wouldn't take it. When we painted, landscaped, and remodeled, the neighbors were relieved. When we had skilled, professional contractors come in and do polished work, they got recommendations and more work within the neighborhood. And, when we sold the house, a family moved in that would never had realized its potential if they saw where it began.

Everybody won.

Some of us don't realize our own potential. Some of us were abused and neglected by others, then by ourselves. We don't understand what we are capable of becoming. It takes a lot of hard work, difficult days, and an investment to turn what everyone sees as a lost cause into something amazing.

It can be done.

It takes commitment. It takes determination. It takes some elbow grease, inspiration, timing, and a little bit of art. When it comes to our bodies, it takes submission, listening, and working through our issues instead of running away from them.

You've begun that journey...90 days is a long time. But, it's a blink of an eye compared to the rest of your life. Isn't it good to actually be living instead of trying to just get through each day? Imagine what the rest of your life can bring...

Three months into your journey, I challenge you to take pictures. I challenge you to journal, to reflect on what you've begun. I challenge you to read love letters, and maybe write one.

May the rest of your journey be amazing....just like that house, may you realize your potential and come into your own.

Day Eighty-Nine: Milestones

Who doesn't enjoy projects?

Corporate project managers set up their projects according to their timelines, resources, and deliverables. School is wrapped up into a semester, about four months that finish with a bang. There's an exam every few weeks...then a final.

Milestones are an important part of any project.

A favorite way to look at health and fitness goals is as a series of projects. You might have a goal to complete a fitness program, then a goal to run a 5K...then a goal to lose 5 pounds or do a triathlon. It's important to set final goals, but realize there's never really an end...more of a continuation.

Some tips that help with this include:

• Set up a couple of projects a year, maybe 3-4 or so. Having something new every few months helps keep it interesting. It also allows you to cross train, be a more versatile athlete, and avoid injury.
• Utilize seasons...warmer weather can bring about activities that are outdoors, you can plan indoor activities during the winter.
• Break up big goals into smaller ones. You might have a big goal to finish a marathon. That's a year or two commitment. Train for it...5K, 10K, 20K, 30K....and so on. Break up the project into a series of projects.
• Celebrate your milestones as you have them. Every 3-4 months, you should be celebrating something.
• Do not celebrate with time off. Time off is for rest and repair as your body needs it. Celebrate with a massage, buying a new outfit or swimsuit, going on that ski trip...
• Do not celebrate with food. Food is fuel, food is not a reward.
• Overlap projects. As one is wrapping up, already commit to another one. This gives you the ability to finish the current project, celebrate the milestone, take any rest/repair time that you need, and get back into the swing of things so that your next project begins and you're up and training.
• Calendar and structure. As you are planning your project, plan your training for it. Think about your other commitments and responsibilities. Determine what your next several months are going to look like to see if it's manageable, if not...search for another project and come back to this one when you've got the ability and resources. Or, break this project up into smaller, more manageable chunks.

I challenge you to plan your training projects and celebrate your milestones.

Day Eighty-Eight: Your Story

Eighty-eight days ago, this journey began. It was Day One. New Year. You were resolved to change.

It is almost three months later, and your story continues. It is far from over, only a small part of it has been told. No doubt that you looked to others for support and guidance during these three months. Certainly, you searched out inspiration and found people to motivate you. You probably had hard days and setbacks, and looked to others to help pick you up when you were feeling down.

As you continue on your journey, take time to think about giving back.

"The reality is that your health and fitness move beyond you. It impacts the people around you. You, whether you like it or not, have the power to change lives based solely on your own personal transformation. Inadvertently, you become a catalyst for change." -Tony Horton

I challenge you to share your story....the good, the bad, the ugly. In the raw, be real. Other people are motivated by your story. Other people are helped through their rough times by knowing how rough you had it...it lets others know that they're not alone.

Use your gifts, skills, and talents to help others. Teach aerobics. Train runners. Write. Invest in the people around you just as the people around you have invested in you.

I challenge you to share your story and give back. Here's mine.

Day Eighty-Seven: Through The Fire

I'm not who I was when I took my first step. I'm clinging to the promise that you're not through with me yet. So if all of these trials bring me closer to you, then I will go through the fire if you want me to...

The stage was silent. A man emerged from somewhere behind the folds of a curtain. On his arm was a woman. Small in stature, he gently guided her. He paused to tell her something. Unsure, she raised her foot onto the stage...then the other. They slowly made their way to the piano.  Ginny Owens sat down and immediately her demeanor changed. Gone was the woman insecure about her footing. As her fingers ran over the keys and she spoke into the microphone, she was undeniably at home. Then, an angelic song emerged from her tiny body that sounded as if it were written directly for me.

For being blind, her sight penetrated the soul.

We don't know why we were born to the family we were born into. We have no idea why the circumstances that plagued us during our youth seemed to choose us. There doesn't seem to be any reason why Ginny lost her sight by the age of 2, while other children have perfect vision. We don't know why we were given a particular body type, were raised on soda and cheetos, or developed an unhealthy relationship with food at a young age. We hear often as a child that, "the world isn't fair."

It isn't.

The refiner's fire is a fire that purifies us. Just like heating metallic material separates the purified metal from the waste, choosing to walk through the fire burns away the impurities. It takes bravery and courage. It is part of growth...and it's a choice.

Some people may be delivered entirely of their addictions, their unhealthy habits, their poor choices. That would be very, very nice if that were always the case. The rest of us usually have some form temptation that greets us each day. Our food addictions subside considerably, maybe even go away altogether for a long period of time. But, one day they crop up again. It may be when we're shopping on an empty stomach and go down the cookie aisle...it may be when we've had an argument with someone and look for a Butterfinger.

We get better and better at recognizing our triggers, identifying what our body really needs, journaling, exploring our emotional relationship with food or other substances, releasing negative energy through exercise, surrounding ourselves with accountability partners, and reducing the situations we put ourself into where temptation arises. But, each day presents new choices and new opportunities. Each day may present stuff from our past working its way into our present.

Each day we can choose to go through the fire or relapse.

I challenge you to choose refinement, purification, and letting go and releasing that energy. I challenge you to continue to journal, explore therapy, go for a walk, or take a nap. I challenge you to choose natural over artificial, real over fake, being present over choosing an escape. I challenge you to choose to recognize your vulnerabilities and sensitivities instead of pretending to be strong or telling yourself that they're not there.

I challenge you to walk through the fire. You won't walk alone.

Day Eighty-Six: Subcutaneous vs Visceral Fat

Did you know that there are different kinds of fat that our body stores? Most people assume that fat is fat...where we gain it is up to our genetics. Thats not necessarily true...

The two kinds of fat are named by their location within our body:

Subcutaneous Fat is located just under the skin on the outside of the abdominal muscle wall (sub=under, cutaneous=skin). It is what we see in love handles, cellulite, and the jiggly under the arms and on the thighs. It is what gives women a "pear" shape. It is difficult to get rid of, but poses the lesser amount of risk in relation to the other kind of fat.

Visceral Fat is located underneath the abdominal wall (viscera=pertaining to the internal organs of the body). Because this kind of fat it is located near our vital organs and secretes substances, it can present serious health risks. It is what gives women an "apple" shape and men that "beer belly" or "pot belly". Because this fat is packed in under our abdominal wall, we cannot pinch it...the stomach may feel tight even though there is an excess of adipose and the belly protrudes over the belt. This kind of fat can infiltrate our heart, liver, and other organs. It puts us at serious risk for heart disease, hypertension, and onset diabetes.

So, what are the causes of visceral fat, and how do we reduce it?

While many feel that genetics plays the most important role in where we gain fat, there are many research studies that show that genetics plays some role, but our environment is a large contributing factor. Diets that are high in saturated fats and low in physical activity show an increase of visceral versus subcutaneous fat. And, it didn't get the name "beer belly" for no reason...excess alcohol consumption is very highly correlated with visceral fat. To reduce visceral fat, experts recommend exercise and a healthy diet, replacing saturated or trans fats with unsaturated fats, and reducing alcohol intake.

I challenge you to think about where you gain your fat, and think about your intake and habits. Do you see a correlation?