recipe for success?

When thinking about my goals and how to reach them, I find it inspiring to look at all the wonderfully successful people around me. I have a friend who recently reached her goal of shedding 40 pounds in 6 months (by exercising and eating healthy). I know so many people who have set out to loose weight but given up half-way through. So what made her succeed?

• Positivity. She is in general a very happy, positive person. During the whole process she has focused more on the benefits of her changed lifestyle rather than the difficulties. I.e. she focused on how much better she felt, and looked, rather than on that ice-cream and chocolate she had given up, to reach her goal.
  
• Goals. She set her self a clear goal, with smaller goals to celebrate along the way.
  
• Babysteps. She didn't try to change all of her bad habits in a day or two. In the beginning she only focused on improving her eating habits. Then she gradually started exercising.
  
• Resilience. Like most of us, she had her weak moments. The key to success is getting back on track rather than loosing oneself in self-pity and despair.
  
• Role-model and/or support. One of her friends had recently succeeded in reaching a similar goal. This friend was both her role-model and support throughout the process.
  
• Internal Drive. She was fed up, and wanted to loose weight for her own well being. I think this is essential and that it is difficult, perhaps almost impossible, to reach your goal if it is only motivated by what you think you should do.

Are there other factors that you consider important ingredients in the recipe for success?

Have a wonderful weekend! /Di.

Staying Healthy While On the Road

This is a guest post from Mike Manning, who writes about health and positivity on his blog Manning's Musings.

Staying Healthy While On the Road

We've always suspected, but now the Mayo Clinic confirms it for us that being on the road makes eating right and getting the right exercise a lot more difficult. Whether you are headed on the road for a much-needed vacation or you have to travel regularly for business, you'll find that it is extremely hard to find ways to stick with your regular exercise regimen. Here are some tips to keep up the fitness battle on the road.

Plan Ahead

When you are booking your hotel, it is worth your time to see what kind of exercise facilities that they have. For example, many people find that staying at a hotel with a gym allows them to keep up with their exercise while they are on the road. Make sure to do some research on reviews sites on what type of amenities that hotels offer in the area. On a recent trip to Las Vegas I searched many reviews on hotels in Las Vegas that were in my price range. I ended up booking one that fit my personality and price range perfectly. It will truly make your trip much more enjoyable if you are in a place that fits your personality. You may get a chance to try out new exercise equipment when you are there, or maybe you can get a few laps in in the hotel pool. If the hotels do not have a gym, consider finding a hotel with a trail area where you can walk or jog.

Consistency

When you want to make progress with anything, you need to think about how you can do it consistently. If you are someone who has created a workout habit, do not allow your time on the road to break it. Too many people allow their exercise routines to get disrupted while they are traveling. Not only does this make your exercise harder to get back to, you will also discover that it can slow your process. When you are consistent about getting exercise even when you are on the road, you will continue to progress.

Eating Well

Part of staying healthy while you are on the road is eating well. When you are traveling, you are often confronted with a lot of food options that are not your usual choices. Skip the fast food, and if you cannot, stay away from anything that is fried. Opt for green salads and fruit. If your hotel has a kitchen, do some of your own cooking instead of eating out. Not only will this keep more money in your pocket, it will prevent you from taking on calories that you do not need.

Exercise After Driving

Have you ever noticed how tired you feel after driving? Many people feel quite fatigued after they have been driving for a while, and all they want to do is to slouch around the hotel room. The truth is that after all of the time cooped up in the car, it is a lot better for you to do a small amount of exercise. This will reinvigorate you and help you sleep more soundly. Remember that even doing a bit of exercise is far better than doing none at all.

Take a few moments to consider what your options are when it comes to eating well and getting enough exercise while on the road. It takes some time and some planning, but it is an entirely possible goal. Think about how important exercise and good food are to your schedule and move on from there.

Working Your Way Through Illness

This is a guest post from Melanie Bowen of All About Health and Happy Runnings. Very much worth reading. Thank you Melanie!

Contrary to some beliefs, fitness programs are not harmful to patients who have been diagnosed with cancer. Just the opposite is true.  Patients who have been going through treatment for a great length of time, those suffering from just about anything from breast cancer to mesothelioma, and people who have been newly diagnosed can all benefit from regular exercise during their struggle. Exercise strengthens the body rather than weakening it as its fights off cancer cells.



The types of exercises that are beneficial to cancer patients are not those that are long and strenuous. Routines such as these can leave them feeling drained. Patients undergoing cancer treatments are often already in a weakened state due to radiation therapy and other forms of conventional treatment. Exercises that provide benefit are mild activities such as walking and resistance workouts that keep the body active during the course of treatments. Studies have revealed that people engaging in light to medium exercise during cancer treatments live longer and have much higher survival rates.  Women suffering from breast cancer who perform daily exercises have been shown to live 50% longer than women undergoing treatment without any type of exercise program.



Exercise has been shown to lessen the side effects of treatment in addition to lengthening the survival time of patients. Patients, who lose their appetite and feel nauseated due to traditional cancer treatments, have reported a return of appetite after engaging in mild exercises.  Many patients also face problems maintaining a steady weight during treatment.  Exercising assists in regulating the body's metabolism to help keep this aspect of treatment under control.



Patients going through cancer treatments have also noted that exercise considerably enhanced their quality of life during the experience. Cancer sufferers are extremely prone to depression and difficulty sleeping.  Exercise continually proves to be a remedy in these areas by inducing the release of endorphins throughout the body. The activity and the fresh air that comes with walking or jogging elevates the mood of the patient, allows them to set goals for themselves, and combats feelings of isolation. Prostate cancer, the most common form of cancer in men, also reflects lower mortality rates when conventional treatment is combined with regular exercise.  There is a 30% reduction in the number of deaths.

Even after treatments have ceased, patients in remission still report the benefits of maintaining a regular exercise program.  Exercise is effective as both a treatment and a preventative measure. The positive effects from a steady regiment of activity impact heart health, bone density, muscle strength, and provide pain relief. Talk to your doctor today and get started on a program that will help you mentally and physically.



Weekly Commitment 2: drink more water

My first weekly commitment was to eat mindfully. It was more difficult than I expected. The first couple of days I forgot about it quite a few times, but even when I remembered it was not easy. Just eating felt inefficient and unproductive. I felt líke I should be checking my email, reading a newspaper, or even watching the tv.

But it got easier, and eating more mindfully helped me to eat healthier as I became more aware of how the food actually tastes and makes me feel. I realized that some of the things that I grab as treats, actually make me feel bloated and bad.

This week it is simple: drink more water. I constantly forget to drink water. Most of the liquid I consume during the day is coffee. Sometimes tea. I rarely drink juices or sodas. According to health experts it is very important for your body to get enough fluids to work optimally, and even slight dehydration can apparently drain your energy and make you feel tired.

From what I read 6-8 glasses is approximately the amount of water one should drink during the day. I'll start by drinking at least one big glass of water each time I sit down to eat something, that should be about 5 big glasses per day...and is definitely considerably more than I am currently drinking.

Cheers!

Weekly Commitment 1: eating mindfully

In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People the first habit is to be proactive. One thing that the author Stephen Covey encourages as a way to become more proactive is to make small commitments and keep them.

Starting today I will make small weekly commitments every Monday. Hopefully some new and healthy habits will come out of this, but my focus is only on one week at a time.

My first weekly commitment is to eat mindfully, i.e.:

• turn of distractions such as computer, tv, radio, etc. while eating
• put down the cutlery between mouthfuls
• always eat of a plate, i.e. nothing goes straight from the fridge/cupboard to my mouth
• concentrate on the taste and texture of the food
• focus on my body, my feelings, and my reaction to the food

Bon Appétit!

2013

Here is a list of some of the things that I want to do in 2013

• Meditate every weekday for at least 10 minutes
  
  
• Write in my journal every day
  
  
• Go through the steps in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and the The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play (use my journal, affirmations, and the meditation as tools)
  
  
• Half my debt, which is currently about 10.000 usd
  
  
• Read 10 novels, including Anna Karenina, The Idiot (Penguin Classics) and Ulysses
  
  
• Run 5k in less than 28 minutes
  
  
• Learn to do headstand
  
  
• Spend a day alone in a museum
  
  
• Draw portraits of my children
  
  
• Do Random Acts of Kindness every week
  
  
• Continue to grow and learn to dream BIG

I still want to focus on my impeccable year that I outlined last May. However I also want to make sure that I focus on the basics.

In January I will:

• Make meditation part of my daily routine
  
• Write in my journal every day
  
• Read again about the 1st Habit in Covey's 7 habits and blog about it
  
• Write at least 1 blog post on the Now Habit
  
• Do Random Acts of Kindness 4x

And as January is health month I will also:

• Re-establish my exercise routine
  
• Do yoga and focus on Wide-Legged Forward Bend
  
• Find two ways to improve my diet (any ideas??)
  
• Define my health goals

cheers, D