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I’m really good at botching re-told stories but bare with me and you’ll get the gist. When I was in Toronto at my favorite yearly seminar, I Can Do It, Life Coach Robert Holden recalled a personal incident with one of his previous clients who suddenly decided he no longer needed Roberts services believing they weren’t applicable to HIS life. You see, this previous client, we’ll name him ‘John’ was an extremely wealthy man, very prosperous in his career and SO busy that he often spent most of his time writing To Do lists and not actually doing what was on them because he had no time. None the less, shortly after he stopped being life-coached, ‘John’ got back in touch with Robert with absolute regret that he didn’t take his advice. Since leaving Robert, ‘John’ suffered a massive heart attack sending him into immediate open heart surgery. His ‘too busy’ a life clearly got the best of him leading to a near death experience which showed him, he hadn’t been living at all!  He claimed that he literally saw his life pass before him and realized there was one thing missing in it: Him. He was not present in his OWN life. He was TOO BUSY to pencil his own SELF in HIS own life! Can you relate to this? I sure can!  Last week at Linda’s however, I felt compelled to snap a photo given the conditions of our session.

Here she is ladies and gentlemen, flat on her back right out of an abdominal crunch circuit; Meet Linda…and her 3 beautiful children…and her amazing dog (and behind the scenes, Linda’s husband in the office and cat out of camera frame) Yep! That’s Linda’s life on a somewhat typical day in her household; not to mention her Law career and various children’s activities. If anyone could find reasons NOT to train, Linda could but she is a great example of a person who has managed to put her SELF back into her own life not allowing her every responsibility sabotage HER health!

We all have reasons why we shouldn’t make the time to exercise but you only need one reason why you SHOULD: because you MATTER! Without you in great health and peace of mind, your family won’t function the same, your career won’t function the same…YOU will simply not function the same.

Find at least 1 hour, 2 days a week to fit your Self back into your life and incorporate some form of fitness that will rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit.

Meet Jamie Eason. My favorite inspirational fitness model.  Ever since I’ve been following her training techniques, my routines, well HER routines in fact, have been through the roof.  I’m usually a fairly good grocery shopper too, but this list has helped me clear out a lot of the boxed items I used to buy in the past.  It’s a helpful guide to get you back on track.  With a couple of things removed, like red meat and all of the spices because the list became too long to post, I’ve left 90 percent of it.  Print and shop!

Jamie’s Suggestions for a Healthy Grocery Shopping List

Proteins

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
• Tuna (water packed), or White Meat Chicken (water packed)
• Fish (tilapia, cod, halibut, and on occasion salmon and sea bass)
• Shrimp
• Extra Lean Ground Beef or Ground Round (92-96%)
• Protein Powder (lactose free)
• Egg Whites or Eggs
• Eye of Round (Cube Meat, Stew Meat, Bottom Round , 96% Lean Ground Round)
• Extra Lean Ground turkey, Turkey Breast Slices or cutlets (fresh meat, not deli cuts)

Complex Carbs

• Oatmeal (Old Fashioned or Quick Oats)
• Sweet Potatoes (Yams)
• Beans (pinto, black, kidney)
• Oat Bran Cereal (watch sugar, less than 6 grams)
• Brown Rice
• Ezekiel Bread (frozen healthy section of Kroger’s or Whole Foods)
• Farina (Cream of Wheat from box)
• Multigrain Hot Cereal
• Pasta (Whole Wheat, Ezekiel brand – watch serving, very dense)
• Rice (jasmine, basmati, Arborio, wild, brown)
• Potatoes (red, baking, new)
• Kashi Low Sugar Cereals (less than 6 grams of sugar)
• Whole Wheat Pita (Low Carb Variety)
• Carbdown Flatbread (Wal-Mart)
• Corn Tortillas (Food for Life Brand is best, microwave to make crispy)
• Whole Wheat Tortillas
• Rice Cakes (lightly salted only)

Fibrous Carbs & Veggies (Fresh 1^st , frozen 2^nd , canned last choice)

• Green Leafy Lettuce (Green Leaf, Red, Leaf, Romaine)/Bagged Salad
• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• String Beans
• Black Beans
• Spinach
• Bell Peppers
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Mushrooms
• Pickles
• Cabbage
• Sprouts
• Cucumber
• Green or Red Pepper
• Onions
• Garlic
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini
• Squash
• Spaghetti Squash (my fav)
• Pumpkin

Fruit

• Berries (blueberries and raspberries)
• Lemons or Limes
• Melons (not watermelon)
• Grapefruit
• Apples
• Grapes
• Oranges
• Eat bananas, strawberries, peaches or plums sparingly (lots of natural sugar)
• No dried fruits, including raisins (loaded with sugar)

Healthy Fats

• Natural Style or Organic Peanut Butter, even better, Peanut Wonder (Whole Foods Market)
• Olive Oil or Safflower Oil
• Nuts (peanuts, almonds)
• Flaxseed Oil
• Avocado

Dairy & Eggs

• Low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese
• Eggs
• Low or Non-Fat Milk (eat dairy only occasionally)
• Non-fat yogurt (look for low sugar only)
• Fat-free String Cheese
• Fat-free Cream Cheese

Beverages

• Bottled Water
• Iced Tea (decaf)
• Coffee (decaf)
• Diet Soda
• Crystal Light or Wal-Mart Brand Sugar-Free Drink Mixes

Condiments & Misc.

• Fat-free Mayonnaise (on occasion)
• Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
• Reduced Sodium Teriyaki Sauce
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Balsamic or Raspberry Vinaigrette
• Salsa or Fresh Pico De Gallo
• Stevia (no calorie all natural sweetener)
• Sugar Free Maple Syrup
• Sugar Free Jelly (Polaner or Smuckers)
• Chili Paste
• Tomato Paste (low sugar)
• Mustard (yellow or Dijon)
• Extracts (vanilla, almond, etc)
• Low Sodium fat-free beef or fat-free chicken broth
• Plain or reduced sodium tomatoes sauce, puree, paste (look for low sugar)
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Fat-free cooking spray

Other Items to Purchase

• Sugar-free Jell-O
• Sugar free applesauce

Whenever I see a product claim that blows my mind I have to share it even for the sake of a good chuckle.  Many years ago, I decided to ‘pamper’ myself with a body wrap claiming to remove several inches from my body.  I lay down wrapped in some kind of gooey seaweed for what felt like an hour; sticky, uncomfortable and just plain nasty.  When it was over, the wrap was removed leaving me cold and clammy and along came the lady to take my ‘new’ measurements.  According to her, I’d lost about 5 inches from my body.  I tell you, my body was EXACTLY the same.  My clothes fit just as snug…the lbs on the scale hadn’t budged.  The point is, I wanted to believe I could do anything BUT change my eating habits and exercise to get amazing results and I left about 40 dollars less and disappointed.

Now, does this Instant Wrap Away product actually work?  Let’s look at the before and after claim! This is always the fun part. If this company can honestly say all this woman did was use this product, I’M SOLD! But they can’t, because it would be a big fat LIE. For anyone to get these kinds of results, one would need to drastically reduce their calorie intake. They would need to drastically increase their fitness lifestyle. If this product comes with an exercise and nutrition plan, THEN I might believe the results…but again, the results of the entire package, not the wrap alone.  Please people, don’t be fooled!  At the end of the day, we all want to look good but don’t be sold by marketing gimmicks out to make a dollar off of you. Do your research and you’ll see it always comes right back down to the tried and true:  Healthy eating and exercise!

When you’re on the right track to reaching a goal, ANY goal, at the very beginning just before you begin to pick up momentum, it’s easy to get swayed by nay-Sayers, disbelievers, negative talkers and basically anyone with a bad thing to say about your progress.  Some will casually remind you of your ‘failed’ attempted history; others will drop a comment that will have you doubt you can do it. The sad reality is, some people LIKE others to follow in their motionless footsteps so when they see you’ve actually set a goal and are headed towards it, they start to make comments out of pure jealousy or fear because they don’t want you to change! Sometimes you will learn the hard way by forgetting you ever made any goals and falling right back into the old patterns and lifestyles of yesteryear: frequent drinking, skipping your workouts, eating out more often or just simply losing the bit of motivation you DID have because something someone said sets you back.  While it’s normal to ‘allow’ others to affect us at times, you’re more in control than  you may realize! Here are some actual ways we can be sure to stay on track.

Write down a list of both the positive AND negative people in your life who have any kind of influence on you whatsoever.  The positive ones stay, the negative ones GO. It’s really that clear cut.  Perhaps you’re saying that the negative person is your mother, your sister, your spouse? Limit your exposure to them in regard to your goal. If you have to be around them on a regular basis, keep your goal to yourself. Protect it! Tell ONLY the people on your positive influence list.  They are the ones you need on your journey to the top. If you don’t have positive people on that list, join a group and start searching for them.  They exist- WE are two of them!

Second, providing the negative people aren’t in your living space on a daily basis, write your goal on a big piece of paper and plant it RIGHT on  your refrigerator.  You have to eat several times a day so where better than there? Not to mention, if it’s a weight related goal, the constant in your face placement of it will be a pretty good reminder when you reach for a not so desirable food item.  If you share living quarters with the negativity, STILL write it down and keep it in your car, your wallet…your bedroom mirror, your sock drawer!! Wherever you feel you can expose yourself to it.  You need a commitment, from yourself!

Finally, reward yourself!  Just because it’s a new year, doesn’t mean you have to suddenly wake up PERFECT.  That’s NOT reality.  Reality is trying to achieve a goal and in the process, having a few obstacles but getting back on track as soon as they’re recognized. Good friends in your circle who know your goal will help to remind you about it in a positively healthy way.  If you set SMALLER goals, and reward yourself as you go, you’ll be much happier along the journey to the destination.  Say for example you want to lose 50 lbs before June, try saying you’ll lose about 8 lbs a month in a natural healthy way. Every month when you’ve met your 8 lb goal, celebrate! Not with food, but with some personal pampering…go away for the weekend, buy yourself a new piece of clothing; something to say ‘hey, you’re doing just fine!’

And guess what, you are!  I found the following on the internet…print it…post it…say it! Do whatever you need to do to keep you on track, but remember it starts with what YOU say, think and feel…once you’ve decided you won’t let negative voices stand in your way of success, the rest is just Doing.