Lighten Up! Laughter Helps You Lose

Always save room for the most enjoyable abs workout there is: laughter. Let's face it, exercise can be downright hilarious. The good news is that in order to get in shape, everyone is in the same boat. Jumping around from side to side, flexing muscles and sweating out aggression is all part of the fun. Before you get too serious lifting those heavy weights, remember to stop and have fun with your workout. A good laugh is a great way to boost energy levels and help you release stress.

PLEASE Read. Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Your Help is Needed!

My friend's 19 month old granddaughter needs your help. Her name is Alexis Harding. Here is her story.

I am 19 months old and I have a seizure disorder which has not yet been diagnosed. I started having seizures at 24hrs old, I am hypotonic, developmentaly delayed and also failure to thrive. My seizures are a variety of different ones. My head and eyes deviate to the right or left and I have clusters which last sometimes for hours. I also have staring and drop seizures. After I have a seizure I cannnot use my right arm sometimes for minutes, sometimes for days. I have been on 8 meds that have not worked and the ketogenic diet. The meds that failed to work are phenobarb, lamictal, topimax, kepra ,clonopin, clobazam, acth and trileptal. I am currently taking 3 of these meds all at once to try and get some control on the seizures without any success. Because of my size and age the doctors are limited on what they can give me. My seizures used to come once in a while but the older I get the worse they get. I am having anywhere from 5 to 30 seizures a day for periods of 4 to 5 days in a row. Sometimes they will stop for a few days for whatever reason and then they will start again. I have been hospitalized once a month since I was born, this month being the worst I have been in the hospital 16 out of 24 days so far. I have had 6 MRI's, a spect scan, pet scan, spinal tap and tons of genetic testing all of which has come back normal. I have been through weeks of video EEG's which have showed spikes coming from the left side of my brain and they have captured 3 of the 5 types of seizures I have. If anyone has any information that might help us find out what is wrong with me please comment or email us. Please help my Mommy and Daddy help me.

How You Can Help

First, if you do have an answer or any helpful information her email address is alexisharding01@yahoo.com

Second, leave your supportive and encouraging comments and prayers in the comment section below. Her parents and grandparents will appreciate it.

Finally, share this story with others. Everyone knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone... You can click on the share button and share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter, etc. Also, you could post her story in a blog post of your own.


Thank you so much for taking the time to help this child.

A New Perspective for a New Year

As the New Year arrives, it is customary to make New Year’s Resolutions. The question is how you are going to be one of the people to keep your New Year’s Resolution. I found I needed to change my perspective when trying to achieve my goals of weight loss and being physically able to accomplish more activities. I had to make the commitment to these goals. This time around, I am achieving a lifestyle change not just being on a diet until I lose the weight. I know the choices I make when deciding what foods to eat and choosing to exercise will determine if I will achieve my goals. I know once I have achieved the weight loss I desire, I will have to maintain this lifestyle change if I am going to be successful in keeping the weight off. Otherwise, I will regain the weight just as I have so many times in the past.

I am motivated and determined to make this lifestyle change. I have changed my views about food. It is the fuel my body needs in order to sustain life. It is not like I can quit eating all together in order to lose the weight. Although food can be an addiction, and I believe it is an addiction for me, I cannot expect to quit it like smoking cigarettes or using drugs. It is unhealthy to stop eating all together in order to get a quick weight loss. It never works. You end up gaining all the weight back and a few extra pounds on top of the ones you lost. It is better to lose it slowly.

I have also used food as a reward or to celebrate some event like Christmas and New Years. We all have gone out to eat for a birthday, a holiday, a graduation, or a promotion. It always seems like there is something to celebrate and our culture has planted food into our celebrations. There are many other things we could do to celebrate. We could go to the movies, a sporting event, a concert, or a play. We could reward ourselves with gifts like clothing in our smaller size or that pedometer that talks we have our eye on. We could plan a day at the park, go for a stroll on a nature trail, or spend a peaceful day of fishing on the lake. There are many rewards and celebrations out there for us to choose from which do not involve food and can be done for little or no cost. Just let your imagination run wild.

One of the things I have done to achieve my goals is to plan for success. I exercise daily. I like to get up early in the morning and exercise outside. When it is too cold outside I use my living room instead. I alternate by working out my upper body one day and my lower body the next. I like to take a walk every other day in the evening. I have been able to increase the distance I walk little by little over time.

Also, I keep track of the foods I eat. If I am going to go out to dinner, I plan for the meal by looking up the restaurant on the internet and deciding my meal before I leave. I plan for the foods I love to eat. I plan for a couple of cookies every now and then. I keep healthy foods on hand so I will not be tempted to eat the high fat/calorie foods. If I am going to eat something I have not planned for then I add extra exercise to make up for that food.

Through positive thinking and determination we will be able to achieve our New Year’s Resolutions. We can live a healthy lifestyle if we look at it from a new perspective. We must stay motivated and reward our successes. Remember our diet consists of the foods we eat to fuel our bodies. It is not something we are on; it is a part of our life. It does require a lifestyle change to be successful. We may slip and fall from time to time but we cannot let that get us down and kill our motivation. We just need to do the things necessary to get back on track. We can achieve the weight loss we desire. We will accomplish our goals. We can make our resolutions last the whole year.

“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Mathew 19:26

Blurt: Love is…

… Caring for yourself
… Caring for your health
… Paying attention to what you eat
… Journaling
… Reading nutrition labels
… Giving your family healthy choices
… Exercising
… Setting a good healthy example
… Setting goals for yourself
… Not beating yourself up when you make a mistake
… Living a happy life
… Smiling and sharing it with others
… Being positive
… Surrounding yourself with positive people
… Leaning on your friends for support
… Hugging
… Doing your best
… Being kind to others
… Sharing your life story
… Forgiving others
… Showing love as you wish to be loved
… Family moments and quality time
… Allowing and planning for the things you enjoy

And the most important of them all…

Love is… God’s Grace, Mercy and Love for YOU!

Thank you for showing me your love and support!
Have a Happy Healthy and Successful Love Filled New Year

Merry Christmas!

Conquering the Binge Monster

Are you gorging on foods at night? Do you grab a bag of your favorite chips to watch TV? Do you overindulge on your favorite snack? Do you splurge and overdo to satisfy that feeling of depression? Do you find that after you open a bag of cookies it is gone or almost gone before you go to bed? During this time of year when goodies and treats are everywhere we turn, it is easy to overeat if we are not careful and not paying attention to our behavior. I know certain foods I must avoid completely or be very careful to make sure I do not go on a bender. If we follow a few simple guidelines we can achieve and maintain the weight loss we desire. It is possible to live a healthy lifestyle but requires our commitment to our success. Here are a few guidelines to help you overcome binge eating.

• Eat properly throughout the day where your body will not go into starvation mode and make you hungry and want to eat everything in sight. If you eat a nutritious breakfast, lunch, and dinner and healthy snacks in-between you will be less likely to overindulge at night.
• Drink cold water or unsweetened tea to keep that hand to mouth movement habit satisfied.
• Eat your meals at the table not in front of the TV or computer. If you are concentrating on your meal you are less likely to overeat and you more likely to eat healthier.
• Avoid eating anything while you are doing something else like watching TV, using the computer or reading.
• If you must have a snack, pre-measure the serving instead of eating out of the bag or container. It will let your brain see what you are eating and help satisfy that feeling of hunger.
• Do not purchase your favorite high calorie and high fat foods. If you are buying them for the rest of the family put them out of sight and request they not eat in front of you while you are adjusting to your lifestyle change. I’m not saying to deprive yourself and never have your favorite, just be sure to plan for that special occasion.
• If you are eating due to feelings of depression, loneliness or some other emotion concentrate on why you are eating and deal with those emotions of stress in another way that is healthier. You could take up a hobby like cross stitching, wood carving, needlepoint or crocheting.
• Brush your teeth after your meal to give you a fresh clean feeling and make you not want to eat anymore for the night.
• Go for an evening walk to help relax, relieve some stress and change your evening habits.
• Put up a kitchen is closed sign. A friend of mine told me this helps her stay out of the kitchen at night. She actually has a rope that she hangs to block the entrance.

We must remember it is a lifestyle change not a temporary fix or we will fall back into old habits. We can achieve our weight loss goals if we plan for our weak moments. If you are not eating properly throughout the entire day you are more likely to binge eat. We must eat in moderation and avoid overindulgence. I have had difficulty with binge eating in the past but by planning for success I am achieving my goals. I am sure you can also achieve victory and together we will be successful in our journey to a happier and healthier lifestyle. God Bless and Take Care.

Note: Binge eating disorder is a newly recognized condition. Most of us overeat from time to time, and many people feel they frequently eat more than they should. Eating large amounts of food, however, does not mean that a person has binge eating disorder. For more information about this disorder visit:

HealthGuide.org
MayoClinic.com

100 Push Up Challenge

I have started the six week training program which is designed to increase your strength in order to be able to do 100 consecutive push ups. I believe I can do it and I challenge you to participate as well. After you complete an initial test to determine your current level, the program is designed to achieve this goal over a six week period. It states, "All you need is a good plan, plenty of discipline and about 30 minutes a week to achieve this goal!" Of course there are some of you who can already do many push ups but most people aren't able to manage 20 and if your like me when I took my initial test, 10 is difficult. However I'm determined to achieve this goal and I believe you can too. Just click the image or this link to start the hundred push ups training program. Good luck to all of you and please report back and let me know how you're doing.

First Christmas Party of the Season

As we all know the holidays can be a time when we can easily get caught up in all of the fun and excitement and put our weight loss goals on the back burner. The holidays start earlier each year beginning with Halloween and all of the candy. Once Thanksgiving arrives, we are bombard with parties through the New Year. In fact, the average person gains 7 to 10 pounds during this time of year. So how do we prevent this? We must first make the decision we are going to concentrate on our health.

Well I'm proud to say I survived my first Christmas party last night for this year. I did not deprive myself of anything. I had a few appetizers (5 points) and for the meal I ate mostly vegetables with some lean ham and one chicken tender. I did have a small piece of chocolate cake for dessert but after tabulating the points for the day I still had 4 points left over.

We had a wonderful time! As many of you know I recently moved and this was a party for my Sunday school class. My class is the largest in the church and we have about 55 members. After we had our meal, they had all of the new members this year come up to the front to be initiated into the class, something they do every year. There were about 10 of us. As we faced the group they had us say a chant repeatedly. All they told us was that the spirit would move us and once it did to go over to the leader and tell him how. We raised our hands above our heads and started by saying "Ohwha" then we lowered our hands to about shoulder height and said "Tagoo" then we lowered them further as in a bow and said "Siam" After doing this about three times he stopped and asked if the spirit had moved any of us, which I promptly said yes. I went over and whispered the magical phrase into his ear and was able to sit down. Luckily for me I already knew what the trick was as soon as he said "Ohwha" the first time because I was a scout leader for many years. Are you asking yourself, okay how did the spirit move me or what is the magical phrase? Well, it is "Ohwhatagoosiam" or Oh what a goose I am. LOL It took a few times for some and much longer for others to get it. They kept speeding up the chant but some just didn't understand. A couple of ladies that couldn't get it were laughing so hard in the middle of all of this they had to excuse themselves temporarily so they wouldn't P in their pants. The room was in hysterics by the end and my cheeks were so sore from laughing for so long.

Then we moved all of the tables to the wall and our chairs in a big circle to unwrap presents which everyone had brought one and placed under the tree when we first arrived. We each drew a number and as our number was called we could either go get a present under the tree and unwrap it or if we liked something someone else had already unwrapped we could go and take their present from them and they would have to go get another. Once a present was taken from another a second time that present could no longer be "stolen" and the person kept that present. I had number 58 and ended up with "The Big Black Book." It is a book which has information in it on a variety of subjects everything from medical info to raising children to managing finances. I stole it from someone and never had to unwrap a present.

As you can tell, I had a really great time and was very happy I stuck to my plan to stay within my daily points. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and a very Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

Mark 6:39-44

Blurt: Try, Try Again

They say don’t look back and keep moving forward. Persistence overcomes resistance. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Take it one day at a time. Hang in there. Push it to the limit. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Keep on keeping on. Keep on trucking. All of these contain the same message; keep a positive attitude and no matter the problems you face to continue to follow your path to your goals.

Sometimes it is difficult because we are not seeing the results that we desire. But if we look at our failures as a learning experience than we can do it better the next time around. Every time I fall I am one step closer to achieving my goal. If I make a mistake, I determine what caused me to fail and correct it the next time around. It is important to look at what, if anything, we are doing wrong.

At times, we just do not see the results right away. When trying to lose weight we reach plateaus and do not always see the results for our efforts. If you look back and realize you have done nothing wrong, do not worry. Just continue on the same path and you will see the results of your efforts.

This is true in other aspects of life as well. Sometimes when looking for a job we do not use the right kind of resume to highlight our strengths. We try a different fabric softener and our clothes are not as comfy. We try to quit smoking but continue to relapse. Most people do not quit smoking on their first attempt. We do not make a sale and have to call on another client. We face many disappointments in many areas but we can learn from our choices so we can make better choices in the future.

But at times it is beyond our control. Life doesn’t always give us what we want. It is that part of life that makes it great to be alive. Sure we get aggravated and frustrated at times, but if we keep a positive attitude we can overcome these hard times. I have had many trials and tribulations along the way but I keep the faith and keep on trucking. I know at times I may fall but I can pick myself up and brush off the dust. I will reach my goals and achieve a happier and healthier me. My weight loss may not be seen every time I weigh in, but as I press forward I will see the results I desire. One of my favorite sayings is one my Weight Watchers© instructor uses. She always says, “You CAN and WILL do it!”

I know I can and I believe in you as well. God will give us the strength to reach our dreams. I believe this is true. One of my favorite poems is:

I believe in the sun, even when it's not shining.
I believe in love, even when not feeling it.
I believe in God, even when He is silent.

May God’s Blessings Always Fall Down on You!

With God’s power working in us,
God can do much,
Much more than anything we can ask or imagine.

Ephesians 3:20

I CAN WALK!!!

Most people take walking for granted. I know I did for a long time. We are always talking about taking those baby steps to reach our goals. Well yesterday, I took a leap of faith and took a great giant baby step and I was very proud. For awhile now I have been coasting and needed something to pump up my motivation and after I had my little stumble with cheese dip last week I decided it was time to take that next step.

You see, it wasn't that long ago I was bed ridden and couldn't walk. I had let myself fall into a state of depression and I really had no motivation at all to do anything about my health. The warning signs were there. I had had two so-called anxiety attacks and then in 2006, I had congestive heart failure for the first time. You would think that would have motivated me, NOT!

Then I started getting progressively worse. I had fallen a couple of times and the doctor told me I had arthritis in my hip and knees so I was having some difficulty walking but still I made no effort to lose any weight. Then in 2007, I had an infection which left me bed ridden. I was already morbidly obese but this episode put even more pounds on my frame and eventually created atrophy in my legs. I had difficulty just walking the 5-7 feet to the bathroom.

Finally, by Fall of 2008, I said enough is enough. I started making baby steps. I would walk to the kitchen, about 20 feet, and sit down and rest because I was totally out of breath and then after resting I would make the trip back. I did this for a long time before I could finally make the trip there and back without resting. Then in February 2009, it happened. I had congestive heart failure and respiratory failure and had fallen into a coma.

At that moment, in this time of sorrow and worry, a time when all hope was nearly gone, when the doctors had little hope for me, when my parents felt the pain of the possibility of losing their first born child; it was at that moment, as the minister and those around me began to pray; My vital signs began to improve. God stepped in and said He was not ready for me. He had more for me to do. It is for that reason I decided to embark on this journey, to make myself whole and complete, to make myself well again, to find the strength to walk again, to lose the weight I had acquired through my gluttony for life. To live, to be, to one day love again. and rekindle my love for myself and the love for my family. To fulfill the dreams I once had, to ride the roller coaster of life. He had saved me once again.

So the journey began. After waking up with a tube down my throat the realization of my situation had finally sunk in. I began taking those baby steps and making progress. I was motivated and I lost a lot of weight. I started going to WW meetings and took it seriously for awhile. Then, for a short time, I couldn't go to meetings and slowly started putting some weight back on. But luckily, before I got too far gone, I moved and was able to start going to meetings again and I have had great success since.

This brings me to yesterday. I have been walking as part of my exercise routine on a regular basis but never for more than maybe 15 minutes at a time. Whenever I would go to the grocery store or Walmart I would get one of those electric carts and ride around because I was afraid I would get somewhere in the middle of the store and not be able to walk. But yesterday I decided I would finally try to walk around to do my grocery shopping. What did I learn? I CAN WALK!!! I DID IT!!! I was able to walk around the store for about an hour and a half. I was so proud! Sure I was a little sore afterward but this morning I feel great! No pain at all as I had feared.

So now I'm motivated! I can't wait until tonight when I see my friend at choir practice who has been asking me to join her walking group. I can now tell her, YES, I CAN WALK!!!

I can do all things through Christ,

because He gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

Ok, this has got to be one of the easiest recipes to make. It is only 2 points per muffin on the Weight Watchers plan. A friend of mine from church gave me the recipe. I plan on making them for Thanksgiving and having it for dessert instead of the usual pumpkin pie.

Course: Dessert
Points® Value: 2
Servings: 24

Ingredients:

1 package Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix
1 can Pumpkin
1 cup Water
24 paper baking cups

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F Mix ingredients into a large bowl until moistened. Place baking cups into muffin pan. Spoon mixture into baking cups (If not using baking cups spray muffin pan with cooking spray) Bake for approximately 15-18 minutes. Muffins are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool before serving. (Or if you’re like me, wait about 5 minutes and take your chances. LOL)

WEIGHT WATCHERS and POINTS are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc.

You CAN and WILL do it!

You

You have the control over your life and your goals. No one can keep you from succeeding except yourself. You choose your own path in life. You choose how you are going to feel. No one can make you feel anything. You can look at things positively or negatively. It is your choice. You decide how you will react in situations. Don’t waste your time blaming others, you are responsible for you!

CAN

You have the ability to succeed! Ask yourself, what is holding you back? If it is lack of knowledge then do your research, study and learn how to accomplish your task. If your own feelings of self worth are in your way examine why you think you can’t. Have faith in yourself. Surround yourself with positive people and influences. Find the support from others to gain the feeling of confidence. Find the tools you need to make it happen. This could be merely buying a scale or a pedometer to track your progress. You do have the ability to succeed.

And

Now you know you have the ability but it also takes action.

WILL

Visualize yourself as being successful. Think of yourself as already achieving your goals. See yourself as being thin and healthy. Think positive. Have faith and believe. “I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

Do

It takes action! How are you going to achieve your goal? What steps do you have to take in order to be successful? You must be active and exercise. You must eat a healthy diet. You cannot sit back and do nothing and expect results. It takes work. You must actively pursue your goals. Keep them in mind when you go to a restaurant to eat. Make healthy choices at the grocery store. Make time available to plan and track your progress. Stop making excuses!

It

Only two letters but probably the most important of all. Name it; write it down! You must see your target to reach it. Create both short term and long term realistic goals. Do not think you will achieve success overnight. Your goals must be realistic. What is your motivation? Why do you want to achieve success? What will be the benefits to you once you have achieved your goals? List them and keep them where you can easily reference them as you need motivation. Give yourself the motivation and define your goals, IT.

You CAN and WILL do it! It has become my mantra to achieving my goals. Every time I achieve a milestone it is reinforced. Every time my self esteem dwindles it helps me realize my worth. When I fail it makes me pick myself back up and try again. Those six tiny words have great meaning. Have faith.

You CAN and WILL do it!

What Was I Thinking!?!

Okay, it really wasn't the best week for me this past week. I had a slight gain of 1.2 pounds and I know looking back at that week now I didn't really eat properly. Sure I kept within my points for the week and I tracked every day. But, it was one of those weeks where I really didn't eat a lot of fruits and I could have exercised more. So when Wednesday got here and I stepped on that scale, there it was, a GAIN.

But that really isn't the worst of it. Afterward when I got home, what do I do? I go in the fridge and pull out the left over cheese dip my daughter made for her schoolmates and dig into it devouring way too much dip with way too many chips. (I just love her dip because it has just the right amount of fire to satisfy my taste buds.) Of course, this caused me to use all of my Weekly Points on the first day of the week with something that is totally non-nutritious and high in fat. Not only that, Thursday came and I decided I wouldn't eat as much but still went and ate some more cheese dip and chips. (Of course this time I did track it as my lunch and made sure I stayed within my Daily Points)

Sure I could blame my week's attitude on being sick and not feeling well but I don't think that was the cause either. Chips and dip are a trigger food for me and if they are around I tend to gobble them up. I had been doing well using Pringles Light chips because a serving is only 1 point and I can easily measure them out for my lunch, put them on my plate, and then put the rest of them away. As they say, out of sight, out of mind.

Of course as I am doing all of this eating, I am thinking, I'll make up for it this weekend and get in lots of activity points. Guess what? Didn't happen. I had a busy weekend and started and finished reading this really good book. So here I am on a Sunday night beating myself up for the mistakes I made last week. I have done well in keeping on track this weekend, I'm just afraid it is not going to be enough when my weigh in rolls around again on Wednesday.

So, I'm feeling a little discouraged right now but I know I have to put that behind me because there is really not a whole lot I can do to change the past. What I can do though is learn from this experience to give me strength the next time around, keep on track, eat more fruit, exercise, and do all the things I need to do today.

The Value of a Smile

This is one of my favorite poems. It have a plaque on my wall with these inspirational words which I have had since my youth. It always brings me a bit of happiness every time I read it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and please pass one of your smiles along.

The Value of a Smile

It costs nothing, but creates much.

It enriches those who receive without impoverishing those who give.

It happens in a flash & the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.

It cannot be begged, borrowed, or stolen,
but it is of no earthly good to anyone until it is given away!

So if in your hurry you run across someone too weary to smile,
leave one of yours.

No one needs a smile as much as he who has none to give.

Author Unknown

Having a Happy Healthy Holiday Season

As the holiday season rolls in earlier and earlier each year with our lives being bombarded with decorations and advertisements from all directions and our friends and family putting numerous demands on our time, it is easy to feel frustrated, stressed and apathetic about our health. In our efforts to achieve a happier and healthier lifestyle it is important for us to plan for our success.

During this season the average person gains 7 to 10 pounds, but this can easily be avoided if we plan our meals correctly and remember the turkey gets stuffed, not us. It is not necessary and unhealthy to stuff our bellies full when we sit down for our Thanksgiving meal. I know it is easy to do but consider making the meal itself healthier. We can easily fill up on healthier foods and limit the amount of high-calorie, high-fat foods we consume.

In order to achieve this we must first make the decision we are going to concentrate on our health. Why wait until New Years Day to begin taking care of ourselves? Most New Year’s resolutions fall by the wayside and are forgotten. There are numerous excuses we can make for ourselves but the truth is we are the ones in control. It takes looking into the mirror and deciding we are going to change our habits. If we don’t, we will find ourselves gorging on holiday treats and buffets and then feeling guilty because we made the decision to fail.

Sure the red velvet cake tastes great at the time but is it really worth the guilt and torture you put yourself through 20 minutes later when you feel bloated and are asking yourself why you over indulged? Not in my opinion, however, if we decide to fill up on healthy vegetables and fruits before diving into the stuffing and piling on the gravy, we will feel better about ourselves and can avoid the need to make New Year’s resolutions we have no intention of keeping in the first place. A good plan is to fill half of your plate with veggies, one-quarter with a lean meat and the other quarter with your starch.

There are many other things we can do during this holiday season in order to keep from gaining weight. When going to a party, begin the day with a healthy breakfast rich in fiber and protein and be mindful of your calorie intake throughout the day. We need to realize appetizers are not meals! Nibble on the healthy snacks like nuts, wheat crackers, veggies, and fruits. Stay away from the buffet table and walk around and mingle. Don’t feel you have to say yes to everything someone offers you to eat. Remember, drinks contain calories too, especially if you plan to consume alcohol.

Weight gain should not be our only concern for our health. There are many stressful situations we will deal with during this holiday season which can leave us feeling achy, irritated, and depressed. One of the easiest things we can do to relieve stress and also help us avoid gaining weight is exercise. This is especially important if you have a lot of traveling to do. In an airplane or a car we can do knee hugs lifting our knees toward our chest, twist our necks rotating them around, and shrug our shoulders up and down to stretch out the kinks of our travel.

To avoid the irritating situations of shopping, gift wrapping, long lines, cooking, and the numerous other events going on in our lives, we must have a plan. Staying on top of all of these events can be achieved through following Santa’s advice by making lists and checking them twice. However, even the most organized person can feel over extended during the holiday season. Things which have helped me overcome the aggravation are taking deep breaths, shopping online or at local merchants to avoid crowds, and going for a leisurely stroll just to unwind and relax. You must make time for you!

Also, loneliness and depression are common feelings among many people during the holiday season. There are a few things you can do to overcome these feelings. You can spend time outside in the sunlight, get up and dance around, have sex, watch a funny movie or exercise to increase those feel-good endorphins. Pick up the phone and call a friend; this may raise your levels of progesterone, a mood-boosting, stress relieving hormone. If you are experiencing extreme depression please seek the advice of a health professional.

Although we are quite busy this season, catering to the soul is necessary. Make the time to take care of yourself. Take time to volunteer and help the less fortunate. This can easily redeem a sense of joy and thanksgiving in all of us. By taking this time to supply another’s needs, one’s heart will feel complete. Take care of yourself this holiday season and have a safe and joyous Thanksgiving.

Daily Inspiration: Strength for Your Bones ~ WFW

The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs...and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Isaiah 58:11

Since it’s inception, the purpose of Word-Filled Wednesday is to share God’s word through photo, or graphic image combined with a verse from the Bible.

Word-Filled Wednesday is now being hosted at Internet Cafe Devotions. Please take the time to to visit and link to others participating in today's Word-Filled Wednesday. God bless you, may your day be filled with peace and joy.

Daily Inspiration: Start Living Today

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.

Dale Carnegie

Daily Inspiration: Security and Risk

Security is mostly superstition.

It doesn't exist in nature nor do the children of man experience it.

Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing!

Helen Keller

Blurt: Fear of Failure

Everyone who has ever tried to do anything has failed at one time or another. It doesn’t matter how talented, wealthy, intelligent, or important a person is, the only way to avoid failure is to hide out in a cave and do nothing. However, I believe it is important to continue to try to achieve your goals. We cannot live in fear saying to ourselves,

“Don’t take a chance or make waves to rock the boat.”
“I better just stay right here and hang onto what I have.”
“I shouldn’t change a thing because there is nothing out there for me anyway.”
“I don’t have what it takes to be successful or to make it.”
“I’ll probably just try and fail and then I’ll be sorry.”
“I’ll just end up wishing I had stayed where I am.”

You may be surprised to learn many successful and influential people have failed before they finally reached their goals or experienced success in their lives.

• Charles Darrow was unemployed before he invented the game of Monopoly. When he introduced his first version of the game to a toy company in 1935, it was rejected saying it contained 52 “fundamental errors.” Today, Parker Brothers prints more than 40 billion dollars of Monopoly money each year which is twice the amount of real money printed by the US Mint.
• Elvis Presley was fired after his first performance at the Grand Ole Opry and was told, “You ain’t going nowhere son.”
• In one of Fred Astaire’s early screen tests he was described as, “Can’t act, Can’t sing, Balding. Can dance a little.”
• One of the famous tenors, Enrico Caruso, was told by his voice teacher that he couldn’t sing at all.
• Albert Einstein was four years old before he could speak and seven before he could read. He didn’t do well in high school and he flunked his college exams being advised by a teacher to drop out and said, “You’ll never amount to anything, Einstein.”
• Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor saying he lacked creativity and good ideas.
• Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace and Anna Karenina, flunked out of college.
• Steven Spielberg dropped out of high school and even though he returned later attending a class for the learning disabled, he dropped out again after only a month.
• Henry Ford barely made it through school.
• F. Scott Fitzgerald flunked out of college.
• Admiral Richard Byrd had been retired from the Navy as “unfit for service” before he flew over both poles.
• Michael Jordon was cut from his high school basketball team.

As for me, I know with my own attempts to lose the weight I have failed numerous times on many different programs but to date I have lost 139 pounds. In the past I would lose for awhile but then I would fall off of my “diet” and regain all of the weight and usually a few pounds on top of what I had originally lost. This is why I believe it is so important to have a mindset this is a lifestyle change and not a “diet.” We must look at our failures as opportunities to do better next time. We must ask ourselves,

“What did I learn from this experience?”
“What will I do the next time to achieve a different outcome?”

“What will my attitude be?” Will I look at my failure and beat myself up smacking my head against the wall. Will I say things like, “How could I be so stupid?” “What a dummy I am! I can’t believe I would be so stupid to let that happen.” “I guess I’ll never amount to anything anyway.” OR Will I look at my failure and try to examine what I did wrong so I can do better next time and succeed. We must be able to say, “I made a mistake. I can’t go back and change what happened. If I could, I would, but I can’t. Here’s how I will handle the situation differently if it happens again based on what I have learned.”

We cannot let the fear of failure rule whether or not to strive to achieve our goals. We must keep pushing forward and realize we will have setbacks. We will fail from time to time. But if we continue to strive and learn from our mistakes we will be successful. I wish you all of the best in achieving your goals. God bless you.

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits that neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in that grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

“God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7