no matter how far down that road.......

Do you ever think you have gone so very far down a wrong road that there is no way you can ever turn back around & go ...."right?" Of course you do, we all do.....sometimes more often than we would like to admit! I have a confession to make. I'm not perfect. Sometimes, I fall off the wagon with my diet and fitness activities. Sometimes I eat more fat than I would like too. Sometimes I eat foods that don't make me feel great. Sometimes I end up being sedentary for a little while. Let's face it. It's rare that you'll find someone who will commit 100% to something and never look back or have a breakdown. But your ability to succeed will be measured by your determination and focus, as well as your ability to learn from your “mistakes”. Don't Be Hard on Yourself We're really fast at acknowledging our shortcomings, but much less at acknowledging our successes. It's very easy to beat yourself up when you fall off the wagon and never take time to celebrate all the successes you've had so far. So don't be hard on yourself and just look at what you've accomplished, no matter how small it may look! Compared to where a lot of people are at right now, you've already come a long way. List Your Benefits When you have the time, take a moment to list all of the reasons *why* you are committed to a healthy lifestyle. Why do it at all? Unless you know the *why*, you won't know the *how*. Any small difficulty will throw you off balance. So your homework assignment is to list at least 25 benefits or reasons for eating well (however you define it at this point) and exercising. Then put this list in a place where you can see it! Recommit Commitment is very important. It just means that you're willing to do whatever it takes to get to where you want to go. After you've listed your benefits, take a moment to commit to your success. All it takes is *share* your list with someone else, someone who can support you (ideally, your “success buddy”!) and tell them you commit to achieving those results. Give Yourself a Goal In addition to writing your list of benefits, give yourself one to three short-term goals that you believe you can accomplish within the next 6 to 12 months. Maybe it is to *release* a certain amount of weight. Maybe it is to lower your body fat level down to a certain percentage. Or maybe it is to succeed doing so many push-ups in a row. Set a few realistic goals that are also a little challenging, and keep your mind focused on them. Be Prepared for the Next Breakdown No matter how well you do in life, there *will* be another breakdown. I'm not saying that you'll necessarily fall off the wagon. Maybe it will just be a period of doubt and fear. Or you'll find yourself in a situation where you're not sure how to maintain your diet. Prepare for success and envision different things that could potentially be challenging. What would you do in those moments? Take a moment to think about that and discuss it with your coach or someone who supports you. Get Coaching and Support Even the best athletes in the world have their own coaches. How do you think that you will make it without one? A good coach will not only push you to get beyond where you want to go, but will also support you in the process and celebrate your successes with you. Without coaching and support, it will be much more difficult to make your list of benefits come true........~~~~~ *****mine would be a WONDERFUL woman Julie, my leader! THE BEST!!!! EVER!!! ***** A low fat ranch dressing will leave you feeling cool as a cucumber! Light and refreshing, perfect on a simple wedge of lettuce, with tomatoes and cucumbers. This ranch dressing was lightened up with Greek yogurt, low fat buttermilk and light mayonnaise along with cucumbers, Spring chives, parsley and a hint of lemon. If you don't like mayonnaise you could replace it with more buttermilk and yogurt. Skinny Cucumber Ranch Dressing Servings: 7 • Serving Size: 1/4 cup • Old Points: 1 pt • Points+: 1 pt Calories: 43.4 • Fat: 2.4 g • Protein: 2.1 g • Carb: 3.6 g • Fiber: 0.3 g 1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk 1/4 cup light mayonnaise 1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt 1 small cucumber, peeled and seeds removed 3 tbsp fresh parsley 1 clove garlic 1/4 cup chives or scallions juice of 1/2 lemon 1/8 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper 1/4 tsp salt Combine all ingredients in a blender. Makes 1-3/4 cup.