Hot spot, my eyeball!!

Well, here I sit in a Second Cup at the corner of University & Front, after taking 15 minutes to try and connect. The "hot" in "hotspot" is feeling kind of lukewarm, truth be told. But enough complaining...sigh...

Hello poppits! It's the second week of February and reality check on my Machu Picchu goal has set in...it's not so bad! Let's see...

- I realized I have only TWENTY-FIVE more pounds to lose (vs. the THIRTY-FIVE I originally thought). The good news about math not being my strong subject is that I lost 10 lbs. without doing a darn thing! If only life were really like that...

- in less than three months, I will be in Peru, 25 lbs. lighter and ready to climb the Inca Trail. YOWZA!! I can't believe it is as close as it is.

I've been hiking with the Inca Chicks each week. Truth be told, I'm one of the few that have consistently showed up each week. I can really see progress in my hiking. We did the Sixteen Mile Creek again this week. If you recall, this was the one I wandered around for 2 1/2 hours until the mother/daughter angels found me and drove me to my car. Now I can climb the steep hills without having to stop. My heart still pounds, but I make it up the hills each time with no break. Also, I'm able to do the 62 stairs (yes, I've counted them!) with no problem. I'm telling you, climbing those stairs each week has really helped. I know I have a way to go, but let me tell you, I am celebrating how far I've come! Seriously people, if I can do this at my age of 29 Euros, ANYONE can!

As I work my way through my coaching practicum, I'm in constant reflection mode. It's good as it really makes me focus on what I'm doing well and where I need to improve. It's confidence boosting...well, most of the time...:)

So, I thought I'd take a moment to jot down a few key learnings from my journey to good health:

1) Everyone has their own definition of "normal". I've learned to modify my view of what is normal for me in terms of what goes in my mouth and when. The key is to understand what works for you and, work it bay-bee!!

2) Dieting without exercise just won't cut it. As much as I absolutely HATE working out, it's become a steady part of my life and always will be. You may be able to get away with just diet changes initially, but trust me, soon enough you will have to get your butt off the couch and onto a treadmill if you're gonna achieve and maintain your optimal weight!

3) Surround yourself with positive, supportive people...the folks who want to see you succeed. At the end of the day, if you don't have at least one person you can go to to be your cheerleader (and you WILL need a cheerleader), then your journey will be really hard. BTW, you can ALWAYS count on me for that support...whatever your journey happens to be! Heck, if you ask me nicely, I may even put on a cheerleader outfit for you. Just don't ask me to do the splits...

4) Be patient with yourself. And, if you're cleansing or fasting, be patient with everyone else! Seriously,it's important to realize you're not perfect. For me, falling off the wagon during my "binges" is just par for the course. I have to forgive myself and accept that it's gonna happen. The key is to figure out the triggers that put you over the edge and to try and prevent them from happening again.

5) You are the one in control. I know it sounds basic, but what an "aha" for me! The Evil One asks me all the time "How badly do you want it?" I think what he's trying to get through my thick skull is that I am the one in control of my journey. I control what goes into my mouth, when I exercise, what I do about the gzillion cravings I seem to have...yada, yada. If one can look at that objectively (vs. feeling guilty after shoving an entire chocolate cupcake into your mouth), it's quite empowering. So poppits, eat the cupcake or not eat the cupcake...know that decision is totally up to you!

I'm sure there will be more learnings to write about, but for now, those are the ones that stand out for me. I'd be curious to hear YOUR thoughts!!

Go forth and be the ROCKIN' awesome person you are!!
(a)yt xox

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