Take Your Pick: Excuses or Results?

I was chatting with my mom yesterday evening.  She mentioned how she's recently been beating herself up for letting her healthy eating & exercise habits go by the wayside and gaining back what she'd lost.  I know this cycle all too well, having been through it myself so many times before.

I've realized, and was able to relate to her from my own experience, just how unproductive it is to beat ourselves up for the choices we personally make.

I've deliberately stepped off the healthy eating & exercise habit for the past couple of weeks.  It was a conscious choice.  There's no use in looking back and making myself feel bad for doing so.  My mom also chose to hop off the wagon, though from her earlier perspective, reverting to old habits and putting the weight back on seemed inevitable, out of her hands.

I'm really beginning to realize my own personal power over my life.  I can make responsible choices or I can make excuses.  Both take the same amount of energy, yet one produces stunning results, whereas the other keeps us stuck, spinning our wheels.

This evening, my mom and I enter (as competitors and companions) our local downtown YMCA holiday weight loss challenge.  Yes, we will be competing in a weight loss competition OVER THE HOLIDAYS -- the most temptation-filled season of the year. Yikes!  We shall weigh in, take measurements and "before" photos.  January 16, 2013, is our final weigh in date.  On or shortly after this date, she and I will post our final results.

We plan to begin Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred this Thursday morning, November 15, 2012, as well as running, yoga and other various workouts at the Y.  "After Shred" photos and results on or shortly after December 16!

Stay tuned to cheer us on and watch our progress!

~ Chandra S.

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