Getting Real and Setting/Sticking with your goals.

    Holiday are here!!! This can be a great time of the year. It can also be like riding a bull and trying to hold on to dear life just to be thrown off. It can take your breath away to feel like you totally failed yet again. When this happens (and it will for most of us) it is what we do after that makes us great or makes us feel like we just can't seem to get it.

  So how do we pick ourselves back up? Here is my SECOND Key to success.

First: Realize that it is real life and learn to FORGIVE yourself and not to give up just because you maybe had 1,2,3, even 4 days (or more) of celebrating the Halloween holiday.

Second: It is important to make promises to yourself then KEEP THEM!!! When I started to run I would make promises to myself such as;" I promise that I will make it to the stop sign" (Even when it was only 10 steps away) When we do this it makes us feel good and helps us believe in ourselves.

Third: Get your paper out and write down your goals in detail and WHY you want them.
Don't just say that you wish you could loose 50 lbs. Tell yourself that you are GOING TO DO IT. And Believe that you are capable and worth the effort. I remember looking at the scale at 216lbs and thinking "How am I EVER going to loose 70+ lbs? It is so far away and I just don't know if I can do it." Then one day I changed my self talk and belief. I told myself that I just had to take the first step (Running) and that was where I had to start.

Forth: Make an action plan. In any game they do this. Take football, they create a plan. They take timeouts to reassess when necessary and plan again. They also take time to study their opponents. What are your opponents?  Make a plan to over come them and then write them down and review your why.

Fifth: Reward yourself when you hit mile stones. This can be a period of time, hit a mini goal, had a perfect day, or even a perfect hour, kept a promise you made to yourself.                

  Things come up that causes stress. It is part of life! Learn to love yourself and know that you are made from the great creator and that you can do anything because of who you came from. (God) 
If you ask He will help you in this journey called LIFE. We are not alone and He knows you and loves you and wants you to be successful in this life.

   It is late and I am getting tired, so for now I just want you to know that it is really important to keep "trying 'til you win" It is a process and I do believe that we learn when we fall. I know that I do NOT like the way that I feel right now after falling off for a few days. I look forward to a new day, a clean slate.
Good night all. Hugs, Emily

    

Day 6 Life is GREAT!!!

   Today is day 6 and it feels like I have had a break through. I posted earlier about how I wanted sustained energy. I have to tell you it has been a little bit of a struggle in the way of feeling like I miss meat, CHEESE!!!!, eggs, ect. I have NOT been perfect in the last 5 days but I have been trying. It is amazing what happens when you just TRY.
  This morning I woke up at my usual 5:00am to start my day. I usually roll out of bed and convince myself that this is what I do and that  I LOVE (convincing myself again) mornings. Well, today was a little different. My alarm went off and I almost jumped out of bed. Ready to go!!!!! I was surprised by this. I didn't have any extra sleep or anything like that. I just felt refreshed and ready to go to the gym. It was very nice to feel this way. I hope that I can continue having this side effect!!!
   I was asked by a friend on myfitnesspal how to do a 30 day raw till 4. That is what I am going to talk about today. I will tell you my daily schedule and what I eat and when.
   5:00 Get out of bed dress and drink a HUGE glass of water. Big enough that my tummy hurts. I think my glasses hold around 20-24oz. Sometimes  I squeeze half a lemon into that.
  5:30 Hit the gym
      a) Warm up 5-10 minutes
      b) Weights
      c) HITT workout usually on the treadmill (If I have time) or run
      d) Cool down/stretch if I am not running late.

  6:45 Home to make my kids breakfast before most of them head to school.
 (I drink another big glass of water at this time and make myself a veggie juice.)
    8:10 Those who are in school are gone and I start my fruit portion of the day.
This can look like some of the other posts that I have posted. Bananas are usually involved at this time. I will eat a big bowl full of fruit. This morning I had 4 Bananas chopped up and in the blender I had Mangos, Strawberries, and Dates. Blended up and mixed into my bananas.
   9:00 I do school with my son whom I am homeschooling this year. I will set him up then maybe get some blogging in. :0)
   11:00 We walk to go and pick up "Beeps" who is in Kindergarten.

Isn't she cute. :0) This is our baby.

When we get there I play a math game with Buddy. It goes like this "I am thinking of two numbers that when times together equal __________" If he gets it right I have to do 5 burpees. If he gets it wrong he has to do them. It is fun and I get a little more cardio in and he gets more math. :0)
   12:15 We are home and time for lunch :0) Today I want to the store and purchased some of the big plums I will eat as many of those as I want to. I am guessing around 5 of them.
   1:15 More school for Buddy and studying for me as well.
   2:45 Pick up "Spice" from school.

This is "Spice" Not real name. She is our second oldest.

3:00 If I walk back to pick up "Bear" it is time for me to leave again.

"Bear" is our second to the youngest.

 

 If I am hungry I will grab something Banana, Strawberries, Pineapple, Apple, Grapes, what ever I have in the fridge. That is easy. I can walk and eat or if I am running late I can drive and eat. :0) I will usually leave at the same time. If I want some extra reading time I take along a book and read while I wait.

4:00 Home and homework time with snack in I want it. Same kind of food as above.

5:30 Make dinner: Tonight I am going to have a salad. As will the children but I am going to make Home made mac and cheese for them as well. With Wheat Noodles.

If I am still hungry I have a bakes spaghetti squash that I will eat with salt and pepper. Mmmmm

6:30 Free time

7:30 Finish homework and clean house.

8:30 Story time and scriptures

9:30 Kids get ready for bed Family Prayer and bed

10:00 Time with my hubby. He is not home right now he is at training so this wont happen till Friday.

10:30 TRY to get to bed

11:30 Usually get to bed.

 

Now that you know my schedule and what I am going to eat today back to the question.

What is raw till 4 diet and how do you do it?

Raw till 4 simply means that everything I eat is raw and vegan until 4:00 pm. After that I am still vegan but I can have cooked foods if I feel like it. Or I can choose to stay raw for the rest of the day. It really depends on what I feel like doing but after you eat cooked you should not eat raw again for 3-5 hours after you eat cooked. Different foods digest at different speeds. :0) Like a race car. Vroom Vroom. Some things like cooked food takes longer to digest then raw food does. Especially fruit!!! You also should not mix veggies with fruit. I usually add only a LITTLE to my morning juices. Usually half an apple. 

I am still studying food combinations I will post more about that in another blog after I fully  understand it.

 I hope that this helps. :0) You should just jump in and do it if this seems like something that feels right. You don't have to be perfect you again just have to TRY!!!!

 Hugs, Emily

This is my oldest "Sugar" This was last winter at a piano recital.

Then there is "Buddy" our one and only living son. Right smack in the middle of the girls.

 

Buddy and my Hubby. Love my family!!!!

Day 4 One of the Keys.

  On my first day posting about this 30 day challenge I talked about important "Key's" to fulfill goals. That is what I want to talk about tonight.
  As we all know that once you start something the excitement of it gives you "will power" or "motivation". The trick is to KEEP that motivation when you REALLY want some of your old favorites. Brownies and ice cream  are huge downfalls of mine. Tonight at the party they had both. How does one stay "motivated" when 2 of your 3 downfalls are right there staring you in the face?
 Find out your reason WHY!!!! Why are you doing ____________. You fill in the blank. Lets use health as and example.  WRITE IT DOWN!!!
    Ask: Why do you want to be healthy? Then ask it again, and again. Find your "root" purpose. Again, write this down and read it EVERY DAY!!!
  Here is how this works. I will use  my 30 day raw as an example of how this should look.
  Question: Why are you trying to do the 30 day challenge?
  Answer: Because I have been reading about going raw and I want to have the experiences that they have. Such as sustained energy, bright eyes, and I want to hit my optimum weight.
  Question: Why do you want that?
  Answer: Because I believe that my body is a temple and I know that I need to take care of it the very best I can. Also, it is a challenge, and I want to prove to myself that I can be the one in charge of my body. Also I know that I need to train my body to "crave" the things that it needs not what it craves or wants.  Because I know that I can do hard things even if at first I am NOT perfect. It is the process that brings me closer to my goals.
  Question: And Why do you want that?
  Answer: Well, God gave me this body and tells me that I am to govern it as best I can. That it is a temple and that it is the only one that I get. I want to do the best I can to live by His commandments and to do the things that He tells me to do. I also want to become more then I ever have before. I also want to help other people know their true potential.  
   True Reason; WHY I want to do this challenge.
     ROOT Answers:
               1. God gave me this body and it is a gift as well as a temple.
               2. I want to live Gods commandments as best I can and be healthy.
               3. To show others that they can achieve their true potential and that they don't have to be perfect. They just have to TRY!
   Sometimes it may take more than three times of asking and answering.  I am sure that I could go on with some of my answers like my last one but it is late and I need to go to bed but before I do. The important thing to remember is to find your reason why you want to do something. As you do this and you find that you are having a rough time sticking to it. You have already found your why. If it is truly your real reason and you truly what it then this "KEY" will help you stay or get back on track.
    I truly help that this helps you. It can be a very beneficial practice to incorporate into your life, your goals, your dreams.
  Hugs, Emily