2018 - The Year of " I AM "

Snooozie

Happy New Year Hatters!!

It's a brand new year - and a brand new opportunity to start thinking about what we really want for ourselves health wise, and to make this year the time to MAKE IT HAPPEN for ourselves!

I decided to title this year's thread 2018 - The Year of ' I AM " because those two little words? they are two of the most important words in the English language, because whatever YOU put AFTER them - will determine your "reality"...

I've been thinking about that little quote for a while now.. its a pretty famous one as such.. and I think it's a great one to focus on this year for those of us who are here working on our health and fitness goals.

Because when you really think about the power of those two little words... “I am”? It makes you realize that whatever we put after them is indeed what we think of ourselves... and often times what we are saying about ourselves... on a daily basis... well... lets just say we are often our own biggest critic!

But WE have the power to decide who we are and who we would like to become. The truth is that most of us and specifically women, are very critical and don’t have the most positive beliefs about ourselves. At the same time, many of our own beliefs have actually stemmed from the beliefs of others. We have allowed others’ thoughts about us to have so much power over our own influence that we believe that is who we are. (I don't know about the rest of you... but that totally relates for me... I was always "the fat one"... so that's how I came to think of myself (I realize looking back now!) It was my "defense mechanism - anything wrong I could blame on it as long as I stayed that way!)

Our thoughts and words have crafted our present and are currently crafting our future – they are not in a secret lock box hidden from the world, they affect us and others directly and publicly.

If we want to change aspects of our life as well as success (like in our weight loss efforts!) we must learn to re-program our thoughts and keep them positive – especially the thoughts about ourselves!!


“I am” is one of the most powerful statements we can make. Whatever follows “I am” starts the creation of it.

Yes it’s true – “I am” is a 100% pure statement of creation and we can take action and remember that we get to choose what to think about ourselves. You’ve got to believe it to see it – that’s why an “I am” statement is so important.

So I'm hoping that if we start here.. and START this year off quite simply... with right now just starting to CHANGE the way WE think about ourselves, we WILL succeed in getting what we want!

These are of course, just my own thoughts on a theme for us for this year...and I would love to hear everyone elses ideas thoughts plans goals etc etc etc !

seehe

Love love love your theme for the start of this wonderful new year Snooozie. One of the mantras in my meditation series is So Hum which means I am .

I start my new year with “I am a field of all possibilities” as I commit to achieving optimal health !

suzyqholland

Wonderful theme, Snoozie! Love it! Susan, your “I am” statement is very inspiring. I’m so thankful for this group of extraordinarily supportive women.

I am full of optimism.

Happy New Year everyone!

cbmcphillips

I am.....
Strong Beautiful and Smart
Carol

Happy New Year ladies

Vailara

Happy New Year!

I love your post, Snooozie! Very pertinent. I

I am looking forwards, I am open to new opportunities.

Time2LoseWeightNOW

oooohhhh...AWESOME I AM's , girls!!
I want to use all of yours and add one to it:
I am FABULOUS!! just the way I am .......
but
I am going to tune it up a little this year.



Like Suzy said last week , I have made great choices so far today.

No carbs for 1st and 2nd breakfast (I have a bit of Hobbit in me..)

30 minute walk done 2 more scheduled throughout the day before going home.

2 glasses of water aiming for 10 total

5 minutes of 130 lb leg presses. with 15 lb. hand weights for a full body heart rate increasing mini workout. I plan to get in 1or more sets of of these.

My goal is to walk 5 minutes at the beginning and end of every hour that I can think about.....it gets me up and moving for a bit. even I stand all day as opposed to sitting at my desk. And wording it that way keeps me from feeling guilty about walking 10 minutes during work time. It is my micro breaks.

After hours is my tricky time....so I will need to plan before going home...maybe fill up on my fiber stuff so as to not tilt back the fridge and go at it!! Wish me luck!

Oh yea , I am about 8 lbs up from my last weight lost , so I am going to weigh this afternoon and see what I end up with.

Best wishes to us all!!

Happy New Year!!

suzyqholland

What a fantastic day, Gail!! Meanwhile...here I sit, sick for the past two days. What a great way to start my new year.

Here is something I read online today (with some editing because it was much longer). I know it’s long but it really spoke to me.

“One thing that has become apparent is that our culture is becoming increasingly hostile to stillness, to inner beauty, and to intimacy. No one designed it to be this way, yet it has become so nonetheless. I would say that it is obviously more difficult to be centered and unrushed today than it was 10 years ago. But Nature has not done this. We have done it. The good news is that we’ve come to a time in history where we now have the power to redesign our life and way of living ourselves. I assert that we can and must do this. Embrace what is new if it helps us, makes us healthier, brings meaning into our life, and saves us time which is our ultimate resource in this world. Reject that which steals our time, or makes us chase after illusions like a dog chasing leaves in the wind. The litmus test is easy; look back over the year and identify what you actually remember. Look back over the year and identify what touched you most in the core of your heart. What awakened the best in you? Who and what inspired you? What you remember, what moves you, these are the things that have truly impacted you, and the rest is gone in a forgotten history. We have the power to create the world over again, so we need to decide how we are going to do it. And how we do this will be in some big decisions, but mostly in small decisions.

New Year’s resolutions get us started. But, it doesn’t matter what you decide to do tomorrow as you go to sleep in your comfortable bed - what matters is what you do when the alarm clock goes off in the morning. It doesn't matter what kind of diet you decide to begin when your stomach is full - what matters is what you do when you're hungry and you are choosing what food to eat. The most critical decisions we make that shape our lives are those we make during discomfort, upset, loneliness, fear, and shame, etc. Because that is when we are tempted to succumb to the most expedient path to feeling better rather than the best path for becoming better. When you are about to make a decision under duress or stress, remember to ask yourself; which choice stands for love and dignity? And which choice will cause me no regret? Decide. Because our life is the result of millions of small choices.”

I am sick right now but I’m still optimistic!

Snooozie

suzy... I LOVE your post.... I want to read it again a few times before I post, but I am actually going to do what it suggests during this week of "transition" as I am calling it - getting my mind and body switched over to where it needs to be to get what I want... and I am going to add the reflection of 2017 and looking at who and what impacted me, and what absolutely did not! And the last paragraph... omg.... I may print that and put it on my cupboard its so true... and so necessary to remember that it aint when its easy that counts... ok apparently I'm not going to wait to comment after all lol.. but I really do want to read it over again a few times and keep it handy!

hope you are starting to feel a bit better... I can't wait til this dayshift is over to be honest these frigid temps are not helping the 4am alarm any easier LOL....

milove1029

Merry Christmas and Happy New year dear Hatters!

I had a wonderful time in Montreal, the food was so delicious, yes I center my enjoyment with food first what can I say. But I ate to my heart's content and as my grandchildren summed it up (Its the best food ever!!) lol. The snow was awesome and had to layer up double to triple for the weather on one day was 16F below or 26C below, and while at a ski lodge in another part of Quebec it was minus 32. Stil!l had a great time, everyone was so nice and welcoming!!

Snoozie, I am is a nice name for the thread, it brings me to mind in the Bible when Moses is confronted with the burning bush and he asks God who am I.....Exodus 3.

I am back to reality I received my recent blood work and my A1C improved tremendously but I am still having problems with my cholesterol. So I will be focusing specifically on that for my New Years. It improved within a few points which might be a real improvement but more of a calibration difference. So I was very disappointed because I thought I was doing better with the eating (Not while on vacation).

I am going to try really hard to decrease my transfats and saturated fats by lessening not eliminating meats and meat products.

Suzy sorry to read that you are not feeling well and your writing touched home, I read it after my above post and I can say that it is so true. That is when I usually drink too much wine. I said this year I want to pray more and get in touch with my spiritualness because it has helped me so much in the past. I use to go to church every Sunday and it started feeling like a hardship instead of an inspiration. So I know I am not ready to start back to church but I do want to continue to feel God's presence.

Snooozie

Will be back later but milove - so glad you had such a fab time in Montreal - it will always hold a warm spot in my heart having grown up there! And good on ya for using the celsius temps LOL... you weren't by any chance at Mount Tremblant for the ski chalet were ya??

As far as going to church ... well just my 2 cents.. i'm personally no longer a church goer, but my mom was the epitome of a good Christian, and attended church regularly ..but when she was physically unable to go to church at all the last 20 years of her life.. it didn't make her less of a good person with a strong faith.. she walked the walk and lived her life helping others and keeping her faith strong so in my opinion, how and where you keep your faith is between you and your deity and is perfectly fine.. either way I hope you are able to find a way that does help you reconnect and become inspired again!

Speaking of reality, my doc called today with blood test results i had done before xmas.. for the last 3 month period.... BOTH my A1C and my cholesterol were UP from just 3 months ago... but im not freaked or bummed because i had already decided to smarten up and start taking care of myself again.. and the call just shows my plan to get back on track with not just the weight loss, but proper eating too, is an absolute necessity along with me deciding I WANT it for myself..

I am using this first week of January as a transition week..every day making small changes from bad habits to good so come saturday (my shift ends tomorrow) i will be ready to commit to what i want 100%.

I did weigh in on January 1st and reset my ticker to my current weight. I did come in 2lbs under what i started 2017 with... but that really means nothing because its still 25 lbs above where I want to be again. And it whats ahead that counts.. and I AM going to get to a healthy and comfortable weight by summer, and improve my numbers and overall health.


Suzy i've had a chance to re read your post.. and that first line .. "One thing that has become apparent is that our culture is becoming increasingly hostile to stillness" really hit home (along with the last paragraph which i'll address more later!) but that one... i think i'm going to really work on that aspect of me this year on the side... i find i tend to be in a constant state of ..frenetic? not sure of the right word... i'm always "ON".. my work is fast paced and changes from minute to minute as such.. and over the years trying to do everything and be everything kinda always kept me in that "frenetic" ON pace.. always rushing to do things blah blah... funny enough my doc suggested that part of my physical pain is from either an adrenal burnout or the fibro myalgia - both of which are thought to be caused by excessive.. i dunno how to splain it lol.. but anyway... i have actually been working on forcing myself to stop when i find myself rushing around all the time... and just breathing for a few minutes.. and rethinking ok. .stop... relax... you don't have to finsih this this second... just breathe.. that kind of thing.... but even sitting here typing i find i am still "wired" from today if you will.. so the stillness thing.. is something i am going to def work on..

ok... lot of yammering by me again... another resolution.. shaddup already Snooz LOL

talk soon!!

suzyqholland

Milove, I’m so glad your trip went well but girl....those temperatures?!?!!! No way!!! My southern blood would freeze solid! It sounds like you had your fun and are now focused on getting back on track. Good for you!

Snoozie, one of the positive effects of backpacking and hiking is that it’s not a fast paced thing. It forces me to slow down and just appreciate the moments. I’m a much more relaxed person now. I really don’t let much get me riled up anymore. It’s also an activity where you mostly unplug from all technology due to no cell service.

I used to be an every Sunday church person...taught Sunday school and children’s drama, as well. I became disillusioned with organized religion from dealing with the politics within the church and the judgemental attitudes. Anyway...my husband and I consider our time spent hiking in the woods and mountains on Sundays our church now. It brings us peace.

I’m feeling so much better! If it’s not too bitterly cold tomorrow I may try going for a short walk.

I am motivated!

2018 is looking up!

milove1029

Thank you Snoozie and Suzy, yes I agree, I am a good person and I give myself and financially to those in need. I presently work at a high school mostly at risk children and I am the school nurse. I find myself giving as much as I am able. I became disillusion with church because of their politics also within the church when they were caught with their hands in the cookie jar. I tried staying after more than half the congregation left but it was so difficult giving ten percent when they were building a second mansion and not using funds appropriately. I am not judging just decided to do better with ten percent like feeding kids at school or helping them with personal matters.

Snoozie the ski lodge was Mont Sutton. It had the best price for lessons. I was blessed that all of my children and two grandchildren except my oldest one from Jersey accompanied me plus my cousin and her daughter.

Suzie, I AM motivated too for 2018

Snooozie

iT'S -32f HERE RIGHT NOW.... yup MINUS 32 FARENHEIT.. see i'm using farenheit hahaha

suzyyyyyyyyyy wanna come for a visit???

back in a bit.. need a hot tea to thaw out!

suzyqholland

No. Way. I’m freezing my *kitten* off enough here in a balmy 24 degree Atlanta!!!!

milove1029

haha you would be in a heat wave Snoozie in our weather lol. Everyone is wearing ski masks and it 30 degrees.

Snooozie

Good morning Hatters!

Well the deep freeze is supposed to "break" today - if it doesn't I'm heading your way ladies!

I have a gig at the LAC this morning but wanted to pop in because my "transition week" is at an end and i'm heading full steam into working towards both my weight loss goal and my overall health goals. I spent the week cutting back on crap and resetting my brain to understand that this is something i WANT, not something i'm "subjecting" myself to....I believe if my brain knows it's something i WANT for myself it will work along with me as opposed to fighting me every step of the way (imo!)

I also spent the week looking back at my time here at MFP. I went through my check-ins list and started back at 2012 when I first came here, and wrote down my logged weight every six months or so.

it was a pretty eye opening and slightly ..tough exercise - I won't bore you with all the numbers but I hit my goal weight on Dec 31/2013... and since then have steadily INCREASED my weight... seeing it go up pound by pound month by month... and realizing that in six months i had regained almost 10 lbs, and within a year and a half by 2016 I had regained almost 30 lbs

That was bad enough, but realizing that i have STAYED at that same 30lbs REGAINED weight for past 2 YEARS?? truly struck me in the face full force. I realized that it's been 4 years since i hit my goal weight and that i immediatley started gaining weight back.. steadily and over each month..until i got here at close to the same weight i was when i first started here.

and i have been here on mfp the whole time since.. for 4 years AFTER i hit that weight in 2013 AND regained it all.. and it's now the end of 2017.. - i've been here talking the talk and preaching and vowing and promising myself and yada yada yada...all talk, no action.. for 4 years...... 4 years after having lost the weight, AND after having regained a large amount of it, and I'm still yapping about it and accomplishing.. absolutely nothing.

FOUR YEARS.

ya i know i said that a lot. But that my was ... moment.

So, having said all that.. I've had my ephiphany.

i'm here this year on MFP to lose the excess weight and to improve my overall fitness and health. I'm going to be talking less and doing more, but i'm not going anywhere - the support and encouragement from the few of us that remain in our group has been invaluable, and i'm grateful for it..and i will continue to return same to you. Just let me know what i can do.

I AM going to get what i want for myself this year.

suzyqholland

Yes, you are Snoozie!!! You can accomplish anything you set your mind to. I know you can do it this year. I know it!

I feel the exact same way. I’m tired of all my blah blah blah about losing weight and getting healthy when I’m not actually putting in the effort to accomplish my goals. That’s all on me. I’m the only one preventing myself from achieving my goal weight and fitness level. Me! Just me! What it boils down to is how badly I want it. How hard am I willing to work for it? Like my long post said before...it’s easy to make those plans when you’re warm, cozy and fully satisfied but what decisions am I going to make for myself when I’m cold, tired and hungry? How badly do I want it?

I am worth the effort!

Snooozie

Suzy that post and that section as I mentioned earlier too really struck home with me.. how it's all well and good to posture and proclaim when i'm feeling good and motivated and pumped.... but its what I do when i'm NOT that counts... and yes exactly - how badly do I WANT this.... you "am" absolutely worth the effort !!! - we ALL are... and I WANT it and I AM GONNA GET IT FOR MYSELF!

cbmcphillips

Hi ladies

Well said Snoozie and Suzy :

I'm in the same boat and on the same roller coaster....

So, I started this journey at 220 July 2011... yikes... WTH... now at 200... after being down to 185 in 2015

It's creeping up and down... but this is the heaviest I've been since the journey began

Gotta get back to the exercise ... had to give up Zumba because good news is that I was able to switch my hours to 7 - 3:30 so that I could avoid the traffic. But Zumba starts at 5:30.

The up side is that this year Brian Jr got a TV for the basement and I purchased a DVD player for it. I also bought some exercise DVDs so "no excuses"....

Back to water.. exercise and less chocolate ....

I AM strong, beautiful, smart and worth more than the junk food... just gotta remember that

Talk to you later ladies.

Carol in Jersey

suzyqholland

Carol, your numbers are mirrors of mine! Same exact story...only my lowest weight was in 2014. We are definitely worth more than the junk food! It’s time to make ourselves the priority in our lives!

suzyqholland

Oh....Snoozie, found this online today. My daughter sent it to me because my feet are always freezing in winter.



Hahaha! Made me think of you freezing your tootsies off up north!

Snooozie

haaaaaaaaaaaa LOVE EM!! I'm thinking of wearing my mukluks indoors at this point! but these might do the job and look way prettier LOL

milove1029

Cutie socks. I just weighed in and I am 1 lb or 2.2 kg more than I started last year January. So I reset my ticker.
Have a great day!!!

Snooozie

Looks like we've all reset our tickers and are ready for a fresh start at getting what we want for ourselves Milove!

I reset my ticker and updated my profile; i almost deleted my previous entries but decided to keep the ones i put there that led up to me hitting my goal weight because i think they will help remind me how great i felt while i was working towards it.

My plan for the rest of January is to focus more on what i am putting in my mouth, choosing more fruit and veg, less red meat, more good fats and far less of the white crap (pasta bread and as much processed crap as possible). And simply eating less all around. I'm not going to be counting calories at this point; i think better choices and less going in me, will automatically reduce my calorie intake but open to returning to CICO if needed. I'll be taping part of suzy's post to my cupboard, and my profile statment. Reminding me why i came here and what I want.

I AM sure i WILL lose the excess weight I carry now this year.

seehe

OMG -32 degrees Snooozie- you have GOT to be kidding !!! Was that with wind chill or all by itself ? I think a visit to the Ol Peublo here is long overdue. We are the only place in the country not experiencing the cold.

Suzy- love your post about stillness and what we do when we are hungry etc.i have been taking more time for stillness in the last couple of years with some meditation but I need more reminders throughout the day. Coincidentally, I recently purchased an Apple Watch which I wear mostly when hiking and walking, and it has a reminder on it to take a few deep breaths every so often. I am going to remind myself to do that when I’m not wearing it, too.

I hear you ladies about the weight loss and regain, as well as the complacency. I have been having some serious talks with myself about that. One thing I am struggling with is the redistribution of my weight. All of a sudden I looked like I was 6 months pregnant and then it got even worse. I thought for sure I had gained weight but I hadn’t and in fact have been slowly losing weigh. So I am actually 10 pound less than last year , yet I went up a size. This has been most discouraging to say the least . Anyone else had this happen? It’s only been in the last year at the ripe age of 61.
Nevertheless, I shall persevere. I am currently trying to figure out what to do about dinners. I like to eat earlier, but I’ve added some new students to m tutoring schedule and now can’t start dinner until 6:45. So I need to come up with fast and easy to cook dinners to keep me from resorting to snacking or eating frozen processed food dinners . Any suggestions?

Stay warm fellow Hatters !

Hugs~ Susan

suzyqholland

Snoozie, sounds like a good plan. Eat less, eat healthy, move more!

Susan, that is so weird that you’ve lost weight but gone up a size. I’ve always carried weight in my waist area so I don’t know about that changing. Just curious but do you think it’s a bloating thing? As far as meals go...have you ever checked out the skinnytaste.com website? They have some really yummy recipes. I made one the other night that was quick and delicious.

https://www.skinnytaste.com/one-skillet-chicken-with-bacon-and-green-beans/

Snooozie

Suzy i'm making the broccoli cheddar potato soup from skinnytaste tonite (well a variation.. I bought a can of fat free evaporated milk to use rather than whole milk to cut down the carbs and sugar of milk) making it... to freeze down...but i love that site i will have to check out your recipe as i love chicken and bacon and green beans lol!! having roasted veggies for dinner; and perhaps a small boneless pork chop.. I've been trying to find some vegetarian meal recipes but they all either have weird stuff I don't eat (like tofu) or they are made with pasta... im just trying to find new ways to incorporate veg in case i get bored with the usual side dishes. i will have leftover roast veg for tomorrow and and perhaps a crustless quiche tomorrow.. maybe if I do your recipe I can use one slice of the bacon to do up the sautéed swiss chard with bacon and onions that I love... thanks!

Susan - wow that's awesome on the 10 lbs!! I don't get the redistribution either.. have you tried googling belly bloat as suzy said, or tried cutting out some grains or legumes (only cause I've heard they can cause tummy sensitivity?) maybe try googling body recomposition after 60 or something like that - maybe you'll come across some possibilities for it?? That sucks tho...not fair if you are losing weight that your tummy isn't cooperating!

as far as the dinners; i'm thinking maybe a crock pot dinner if that appeals? or casserole types that you can prep ahead and then just pop in the oven 1/2 an hour or so before you're done with your last student? so the minute they're out the door you can eat?

suzyqholland

My niece is a huge believer in meal prep. She makes a big batch of something on Sunday and puts it in individual containers. If you’re so inclined, you could make a couple different things on the weekend and package them up for at least a couple days during the week. I wish I was that organized. My problem with casseroles is that they tend to be very heavy on the calories. I am going to prep some veggies though.....all that chopping!!!! Ugh!! At least if I do it only once a week it isn’t so bad.

Snooozie

My problem is no matter how well I plan out a few days of meals invariably I don't feel like whatver I planned at some point. Plus while I freeze a lot of stuff I don't like eating the same thing more than two rounds - like dinner one night and leftovers for lunch next day is fine ... What I need actually. Is a damn personal chef lolol. I made a really nice vegetable crustless quiche tonight which I will have a slice up for breakfast tomorrow and did up some roast veggies to have tomorrow night

suzyqholland

I don’t mind leftovers but the same thing more than twice in a week is a bit much for me. My niece eats the same thing five days in a row, lunch and dinner. She’s a bit obsessive though. Snoozie, haven’t we talked about replacing pasta with zucchini noodles? Have you tried that? And you can replace rice with cauliflower but I’m sure you know all this. That’s the ironic thing, isn’t it? We know all this! It’s the implementation where I have the problem.

I’m off to the gym today for a yoga class and some elliptical fun. Have a great day everyone!

Snooozie

I actually bought a bag of frozen riced cauliflower - and used it once LOL. I'm like you tho - twice is enough which is why I like freezing the soups and stews and chilis so at least I can switch it up. But I spent the afternoon yesterday chopping veg.. and by the end of it that phrase came to mind about what are you gonna do when you're tired/hungry etc lol.. cause I didn't wanna see another one by that point..! I think I ate a week's worth of veggies yesterday LOL.. and my gut may pay for it today... !! A little overkill no question.. but I have dinner tonite and lunch tomorrow taken care of so that's a plus.. The scale IS moving slowly in the right direction but as we know our weight can fluctuate up to 5lbs in a day, I think I'm going to go with an official weigh in on the last day of each month for myself.

Woo hoo on the yoga and elliptical Suzy!! So glad you posted that.. I've been working on getting my head into the same "I WANT THIS" category for exercise, but admit its a harder concept for that than the weight... exercise is slowly moving from the "I have to" to the I want to.. but isn't there yet. However your post has inspired me to try to speed that up! Extra congrats cause I know mornings aren't normally your thing so kudos on getting out there early too...! I AM proud of you!