Well, Im already off to a good start. Had a little thing happen tonight after work that made me smile:

After work, I decided to run to Target to pick up some marshmallow creme to make fudge for my family. I decided on Target because the grocery stores are CRAZY right now and Target is on the way home.

Needless to say, I grabbed a cart and walked the perimeter of the store and eventually made my way around to the food section. I looked and looked and didnt find the marshmallow creme. As I made my way to the front of the store, I took a real good look in the stuff that had made its way into my basket while I had been cruising the aisles: a sweater for Jack, a hat for me, a game, a new cleaning product I had wanted to try, a CD, a couple of spices, and a new lip gloss.

Random stuff, right?

I stopped right in the middle of my store and asked myself: What did I REALLY come in here for?
That sweater for Jack? $30
That hat for me? $12
The game? $9
The cleaning product? $5
The CD? $13
The spices that I probably would never use? $3 each
The lip gloss? $6

The total $78.

$78 for stuff that I didnt NEED.
$78 for stuff that I had NOT come into that store for.

What did I do? I grabbed my purse, slung it over my shoulder, and walked out of the store, leaving the basket with all of the stuff still in it in front of one of the registers.

I saved $78 and also accomplished a tiny goal of not bringing more useless crap into the house. Victory.
Im going to seriously start doing this every time I go to the store.
Did I come into the store specifically for that item?
Do I REALLY need it?
Will I USE it or will it end up shoved in a closet or under a bed?
Do I already have one? (or in the case of the lip gloss, do I already have 130?)

Still, I have no marshmallow creme but I DO have the $78. Its a fair trade I think :)

This is me. I started losing weight last year and making changes but I found my emotions always throwing me into a tail spin. I'll have a few great months and then BAM, I lose my motivation and desire. Desire, I have learn is the key fuel to create almost any change. Desire is often stifled by depression, loneliness and old past shit we never completely healed.

I started doing Debbie Ford's "21 Day Conscious Cleansing " and it's shed some light on some things I know I must hurdle or all of my attempts, as in the past will be useless.

In season I try to grow most of my food. I will buy organic first depending on quality and availability. When you grow beautiful organic food its really hard to pay 1.50 for a fucked up looking cuke that was probably picked too soon and sat there too long.

I've been slowly getting rid of shit I've carried around for years. It's been hard because I get attached to things and this is a process I am learning. I don't need this big house and all this land. I really want to down size and live more simple and frugal as well. I learned that my attachment to money and the importance I place on it is just unhealthy. Living more simple and to continue to live more independently- growing my food, preserving, etc. gives me true freedom. Money really can't give that to me but what it can give me is stress.

I have the same problem with food. I'm sure something from my past. I hate the waste. I've been more conscious and prepare things I know I can make a few meals or worse case it's healthy enough to mix in with dog food or one of my other animals can eat.

I share shopping with my sister. she goes one week i go the next and when my son goes to work or run an errand I have him pick me up things. I've saved at least 40.00 a month in gas, maybe more just by doing things different.

TD do you juice or smoothies? This makes a huge difference for me. If I get lots of fruits and veggies into my system I have less cravings. Increasing this will also help MANY illnesses- the list is way way long but Fibro is on it.

I haven't dated at all. 2009 was exciting and yet filled with intense heartbreak. I spent quite a few years healing from a bad break up and 2009 was the year I thought I could fall in love. I did and got my heartbroken and although I'm not the same person i was in round one, I'm smarter, it still hurt and made me withdraw. This year I am working on myself and opening myself up more to the idea. I'm not looking but I'm praying and opening my heart, for the first time in a long time to find a partner, lover and friend. Someone that is also ready to slow down, enjoy life, grow a garden, walk in the woods, hold hands and sit on the front porch. I have a feeling this person will enter my life this year or maybe my desire is setting in. lol

I have so many animals and decided to adopt out a few dogs I had rescued and planned on adopting but kept one too long. I finally adopted him to a wonderful family but I'm having a really hard time with this. More so then normal. I've rescued and adopted out dozens of animals but this really affected me. I have more to go, to make my life easier but I'm a little freaked by this.

I'm looking for the right roommate that love farm living to share the house and garden. I'd like to spend some serious time in Costa Rica by the ocean. If I get the right roommate I can afford to do this and hopefully she/hy can start living their best life too.

It's going to be quite a year but its off to a great start. I'm simply opening myself up to receive and trust in God to bring me the peace and balance I long for.

I would love to have a pool. I love water and swimming. This is the hardest thing for me in winter and living in a house without a pool.

I love all this. One of my biggest problems this past year was the fact that I teach online and have become even more attached to my computer (as I told my boss, my chair is being welded to mah butt!). Sedentary lifestyle is a challenge for me and it is something that has to change. To that end...

** I'm with y'all about chucking sugar out the door. Explicitly in my sight is HFCS (high fructose corn sugar). This hidden gem is in nearly everything and I have suspicions has a far more addictive quality than regular sugar.

** get rid of my dependence on soda (even diet soda). A few years ago I managed to kick it and lost 5 lbs -- and this was **DIET** soda I had stopped drinking.

** more water. Because of T, it's even more important than before and being sedentary doesn't help either. For those who have iTouch/iPhones, there is an app called "Water". This helps keep track of how much water you drink in a day and how much you need by body weight. It's been an eye-opener for me.

** remove any and all processed foods from my diet. If it's not from a tree or the ground, then it ain't going in me. This means removing flour, sugar, etc.

** more exercise. I've started this (although this week was a bit of a washout because of the early start and long end of day). Thankfully, I don't teach this particular class that often. To this end I have a few things to help:

1. Iron Gym (hangs in the door -- every time I enter or exit I do or try to do 10 pull-ups)
2. Blue Rubber Fitness Band (use this for curls, flyes, raises, etc and I can do it when my colleague is teaching)
3. Yoga iTouch App (10 min x 3 times a week)
4. Kettle Ball exercises (30 min x 3 times a week)
5. Do the X number of exercises 3 times a week (as part of Kettle Ball workout)

• 100 pushups app (3 times a week to try to eventually be able to do 100 pushups)
• 200 situps app (as above)
• 200 squats app (as above)

** go through my books, sell what I can or give it away. Keep only what I truly need.

** go through clothes, sell, give away or toss.

** go through old documents and such and toss anything over 7 years (age that most tax Ministries or Departments require you to keep stuff)

** sell Dell system (after February) as it's not needed. Return Dell laptop to corporation (not used/needed)

** enter at least 3 blog entries into my personal blog a week and 2 a week in the cigar blog (yes, I won't give that up since it's limited to 1-2 a week)

** do a weekly ToDo that includes many of the above to help me keep track

I think this is a good start for now. I may add more but for now this will do. Go Team BFP!

Hey all! I am loving everyone's "Get Healthy" lists!

I was about to post that I have sucked lately at cutting back on the sodas but when I really think about it, I have done better than Im giving myself credit for. For instance, yesterday I had half a can of coke in the morning and half a can last night. That was IT all day long. I had some sparkling apple cider with Jack when I got home from work and my nightly cup of hot tea.

I am definitely not drinking enough water so cutting back on the Cokes needs to equal more water for me.

Today, I drank half a Coke before leaving for work and am now swilling away on a Diet Mountain Dew. These are wonderful but chock full of caffeine so I wont have any more soda today once Im done with it.

Water Water! I need more water! I am going to take the suggestion about the iPhone app from Linus and try to track my water :)

Best of luck to all of us. Little changes along the way can mean BIG results later.

XO

Am I the only one here who KNOWS I need to do this stuff ..but am totally feeling whiney, and annoyed at giving up my beautiful smokes, cake, and soda??

*whine*

Nope. Im having a totally grouchy day because I ate a turkey wrap for lunch and didnt have chips or anything sweet with it. I want my fuggin' SUGAR.

And Im totally annoyed that there is a biggo gallon of Rocky Road in the freezer that I will want to kill when I get home because my hormones are in overdrive. :hanging:

Thank you!!

I've delayed starting the diet, and quiting smoking thing becouse I've felt so..mad about it. Not mad that I'm fat..not mad that I smoke. I've felt mad that I NEED to do this stuff..and I dont WANT TO!

I've decided not to start until I really feel like I WANT to..otherwise? It will never work, and in turn I"m going to feel like a total failure.

I want to WANT this..I really do. I just dont right now.

xoxo

This post is brought to you by the letter 'w' for water
 

I :stillheart: water, thank Goodness. Every once in awhile, I attempt to drink some of those sugar-free water flavorings, but more often than not, they mess with my stomach and give me wicked cramping.

Do any of you track your food/calories on www.thedailyplate.com? It's pretty cool and I find it so much easier to keep track of every teensy little calorie. I need to get back to eating better and exercising more. Every day I try to do a little better. Like PapaC says: Three steps forward and a few steps back.

Cheers!

cara

I've actually used it before and even have the app for it. I think I'd need to get back into that habit again to track everything so I can see when I do good and when I need to redouble my efforts. Changing a bad habit into a better lifestyle does take a bit of work.

Nice job, Gemme! :) One other thing I like about dailyplate is that you can add in your fitness, no matter how small, and it will take those calories from your daily total. It takes all the guess work out of it. :)

Yes. Both the act leading to it (foreplay) and the actual act (intercourse) do burn calories. For an idea as to how much see here: http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

Thanks for this link cara. I just signed up and I love it. I took the "eat more fruits and veggies" dare.

I quit eating all meat except for fish in December and I hope to remove fish from my diet in the coming months. I’ve flirted with vegetarianism off and on for years, but 2010 is the year it becomes a permanent lifestyle for me! I’ve been trying to do it right this time and not just live off of bread, potatoes and sweets. So, I’m learning to use fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Even though it’s been only a few weeks, I can see a difference in my energy level and my skin. I love it!

Eating this way definitely takes a lot more time and preparation. To make sure I don’t have a lot of produce going bad, I’m making trips to the store several times a week now. And I have to actually prepare a meal instead of just picking up fast food on my way home from a long day. The pull of “quick and easy” is the hardest urge for me to fight at the moment.

I like the “You Are What You Eat” books by Gillian McKeith. You can also see the show by the same name on BBC America.

I need to get back to the gym; it’s been too long. It seemed like I was always too tired after work before. But, hopefully, this increased energy will help me get back on track! It’s great to have a group to support the positive changes we are all making.