Smiling is contagious!

My senior quote in my year book stated: "If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours."  What's the chance you are not going to get one back?  Smiling is contagious.  A smile is so powerful you can entice a stranger who you know nothing about to send one back to you.  Have you ever been having a really bad day and someone randomly smiles at you and your heart feels a little warm?  It's a positive energy we can send outwardly or take in.  

“It only takes a split second to smile and forget, yet to someone that needed it, it can last a lifetime. We should all smile more often.” ― Steve Maraboli

Bare with me- this blog is full of quotes because they make me smile! AND, they might make you think about smiling more often.

Smiling is a sign of kindness, happiness, approval and amusement.  People who see you smile are attracted to you.  They want to get to know you and spend more time with you because your smile is a positive energy that make others want more.  A very consistent compliment I get from my students while teaching is, "I just love your smile, it make the class so much more enjoyable".  

"Here's to the people who always have a smile on their face and no matter what they're going through, they put others before them."

Did you know that smiling can improve your health?!  Here are a few reasons to smile according to Dr.  Mark Stibich with About.com


Smiling Relieves Stress
Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. When you are stressed, take time to put on a smile. The stress should be reduced and you'll be better able to take action.

Smiling Boosts Your Immune System
Smiling helps the immune system to work better. When you smile, immune function improves possibly because you are more relaxed. Prevent the flu and colds by smiling.

Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure
When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor at home. Sit for a few minutes, take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?

Smiling Releases Endorphins, Natural Pain Killers and Serotonin
Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good. 
Smiling is a natural drug.

Smiling Lifts the Face and Makes You Look Younger
The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger. Don't go for a face lift, just try smiling your way through the day -- you'll look younger and feel better.

Now I ask you- don't you want to reduce your stress, boost your immune system and look younger?  And if those aren't reasons enough, how about just helping someone have a nice day?

"Smile, it is the key that fits the lock to everybody's heart."

G

Mirror Mirror On The Wall

Me legs are too big.  My butt is saggy.  My arms arms are flabby.  My stomach is poochy.  My face is pudgy.  I have two chins.  I have cankles.  I have thunder thighs.  I have a muffin top.  I have a double chin.  AND... 

Sound familiar?  Are you guilty of claiming any of these?  Have these exact words come out of your mouth?  Women have severe issues with their self-image.  We are all guilty of spending more time disliking our bodies than appreciating our assets.  

self–im·age

 noun \ˈself-ˈi-mij\

: one's conception of oneself or of one's role

What we see, or think we see in the mirror is not necessarily what others see.  A study found that women overestimate the size of their hips by 16% and their waists by 25%, yet the same women were able to correctly estimate the width of a box.  I believe we have warped minds and I don't necessarily know how it works.  In high-school I was athletic, very active and wore a size 8.  At 5'2" that's NOT the perfect size.  In college the freshman 15lb was more like the freshman 50lb for me.  I've been able to maintain a size 2-4 for the past 12 years (not including pregnancies) yet I still look in the mirror and see thunder thighs, professional football player calves and thick arms.  My incredible husband tells me EVERYDAY how beautiful I am and that he loves my legs.  Obviously I don't see what he does, but I'm glad he feels that way.

I don't want my daughter having these issues and I know I set an example for her.  She hears every word that comes out of my mouth and she internalizes them.  It's important to me that my daughter loves herself and sees a beautiful young lady in the mirror when she stands in front of it.  So, if I expect her to believe this, then I need to get over my own issues and stop putting myself down.  How do I accomplish this impossible feat?  To start, we all need to realize it's NOT IMPOSSIBLE, it just takes effort.  Remember the children's book The Little Engine that Could?  "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!  

MedicineNet.com experts suggest the following steps to improve your self-image.  

1. Stop negative self-talk immediately. While you still may not like what you see in the mirror, Martz says, learning to describe yourself with neutral, objective phrases can help stop the cycle of poor self-esteem. So, instead of saying to yourself "I have really ugly thighs," think "My thighs could use some work."
2. Find and focus on the things you like about your looks. It's best not to link your looks to your self-esteem, but with body image so intimately entwined with self-image, that can be hard to do. The next best thing is to find something about your image you really like. "It can be great hair, great nails, terrific teeth. Find the things about yourself you can say something good about, and every time you look in the mirror, go there first and say something positive to yourself," says Martz.
3. Treat yourself with the same kindness and respect you show your best friend. "Would you respect and care about a person who says about you what you are saying about yourself? If the answer is no, then begin treating yourself at least as well as you are treating others in your life," says May.
4. Say what you mean. Sometimes, hating your thighs is all about wanting thinner thighs. But sometimes, Kaufman says, negative body thoughts are a way of expressing discontent over other issues in your life. Learn to decode these messages, she says.
5. Dress the part. If you're putting off buying new clothes until you like your body better -- don't. Whether you're bursting at the seams in duds that are too tight or swimming in oversized clothing to hide your body, you are eroding your self-esteem. "Buy what fits you, and look the very best you can. It sends a powerful message to yourself that you are worth it," says Aronowitz.
6. Recognize that people naturally come in different shapes and sizes, and cherish your body's uniqueness. And, Martz says, remember this: "Only 2% of the world's women fall into the supermodel category. That leaves a lot of room for the rest of us!

To the 98% of us real women, I would like to share a quote with you I learned at a very early age from my incredible, beautiful, wise mother: "Pretty is as pretty does".  

G

Learn to say "NO"!

After a crazy, busy, exhausting week I find myself on this Sunday morning wanting to do NOTHING! 

Wed- prepare for house guest and pick up at the airport
Thurs- taught 2 classes, delivered cupcakes to school and went out for my sons' birthday dinner celebration
Fri- Lunch with a friend at 11:30am, 3 hours of Zumba to fight Diabetes on Friday night
Sat- CXWORX launch on Sat am which required a LOT of choreography studying, a private Zumbatomic birthday party for a precious 9 year old girl on Saturday afternoon... AND I hosted my twin boys' sleepover birthday party Sat night

I look back on the stress, lack of sleep, and shortness of temper and find thoughts in my "think cloud" consisting of "Why do I do this to myself?"  I think I can do it all, but really, it wears on me and my family suffers, the ones that mean the most to me.  A dear friend of mine told me once, "Every time you say yes to someone, you are saying 'no' to your family.  This is a good lesson to learn, if I could just apply it!  

In an article by Power to Change ministries they state:
"There’s a simple way to sum up the fall out of excessive busyness. The things that are important — our health, our souls, our relationships — are put aside for what is immediate and urgent. The things that demand our attention NOW receive more attention than the things that matter most to us. Demanding people, last minute requests, intrusive phone calls, guilt-laden responses to others’ appeals keep us constantly reacting and concentrating on surviving rather than truly living."  (Read more of the article at Tips for Women Who Juggle too Much)

What do I really want?  To survive?  Or to LIVE!  I want to live!  But... I want to live life at it's fullest why helping others.  The balancing act is hard.  Bottom line is I don't need to put others needs in front of my own family's needs and my own person well being. 

In summary, from the above article "Saying no is often a matter of passing by the good for the sake of the best. It’s also a matter of admitting that we’re not indispensable and that others can do things for themselves."  

Easy to agree, but difficult to follow.  Who is with me for trying to say "NO" every once in awhile?  

G

The List

How many of you start your day reviewing or making THE LIST? Is it on your phone, in your planner, on the white board, a tablet, or the paper pad that has a magnet on the back that you get out of the $1 bin at Target and hangs on your refrigerator?  

To do list:

What’s on it?  Are you at the top?  You should be!

If I asked you why you are NOT on the list….you would give me another list of priorities that come before YOU.  The kids, the house, the errands, the laundry, ...just not enough time in the day.  

Well, if Momma ain't happy then nobody is happy.  If this is true, then why wouldn't we want to take the time and make the effort to help ourselves be happier and put ME at the top of the list?  Taking the time to care for your health will in return create a happier, healthier momma, with a higher self-esteem.  If you don't need to lose weight, you can still benefit greatly from exercise and raise the happiness meter.  

Benefits of Exercise

Manages your weight

Increases energy

Increased self-esteem

Increased mental focus

Decrease risk of heart attack

Decrease risk of osteoporosis

Reduce depression (production of endorphins (feel good hormones)

Decrease stress level

Improve sleep

Increase sexual drive

If you could improve in some or all of these areas would you be happier?  Fast forward 20 years from now….if your children were copying your current lifestyle choices/habits how would you feel?  Could you pat yourself on the back for setting the example of the choices they make?  How are their self-esteem?  

So the next question is HOW? How do I put myself at the top of the list when there are so many other things to take care of?  I feel guilty taking time for myself.  Sound familiar?  

 1) Accept that you deserve to be happy and understand that you are an example of what your kids will follow.  2) Each and everyday, put yourself at the top of the list.  Stop feeling guilty about doing this for “yourself”, because it’s for YOUR KIDS (or loved ones).  4) Engage in family activities- hiking, biking, sledding, swimming.  5) Find a buddy so that you can motivate each other to commit to a schedule or program.  

If a look into the future of your child(ren) doesn’t motivate you nor does being healthier and happier for yourself or loved ones, then maybe here's one last way to look into the mirror and consider putting yourself at the top of the list: 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

What will be at the top of tomorrow's list?

G

A day of rest.

A week into our New Year of 2013.  How are we doing with our goals and resolutions?  Are you going to be a statistic that accomplished week one, and then dwindles off from your commitment?  Maybe you make it through the first month... and then... back to your old ways.  OR, are you really going to accomplish your goals this year?!  I'll share a very important tip with you- rest!  Avoid the burn out!      

Genesis 2:2-3-  And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.

According to the American College of Sports and Medicine adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-instensity exercise per week.  Exercise recommendations can be met through 30-60 minutes of moderate- intensity excercise (five days per week) or 20-60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise (three days per week).  This means you get to rest a few days and take some time off.  To ready more in detail check out this article Recommendations of quality and quantity of exercise.  Another great source is by the Center of Disease control Physical Activity Guidelines. This article breaks down recommendations by age group.  

Our muscles need recovery time.  As much as I personally have a hard time accepting it, there is such a thing as over training.  Overtraining can lead to injury and muscle teardown, quite the opposite of what we are wanting to achieve.  

So, take a load off today  (or pick another day or two to rest).  But don't burn out too soon.  We've only gotten started! 

G

What's for breakfast?

By now, with all of the magazine and internet articles, morning show clips and Biggest Loser hype you should know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Right? No one skips breakfast anymore, do they?  Shame on you if you do!  If you are behind the times and haven't learned this yet, please take a moment to read this article: Fact or Fiction: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day

Now, the big question: WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST?  You have to have to have to include protein in this #1 meal.  Unfortunately, traditional breakfasts in our society don't- waffles, pancakes, muffins, cereal, etc.  How about eggs, yogurt, ham, canadian bacon or a protein shake/smoothie?  If you are on the go and eat breakfast walking out the door, or in your car- try boiling some eggs the night before, peel them, and wah-lah... protein on the go!

I want to share with you my all time favorite breakfast.  It has 20g of protein, healthy carbs, it's gluten free and most importantly it's delicious!

Oatmeal pancake
3 egg whites
1/2 cup oats (old fashion or quick oats) Use gluten free oats if desired.
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 Tbs of olive oil
2 Tbs of natural peanut butter or almond butter
1 to 2 Tbs of honey

Mix egg whites, oats and cinnamon together.  Whisk until you get a batter like consistency.  Heat olive oil in non-stick pan on medium heat.  Pour mixture into pan and flatten out like a pancake.  It should be about 6 inches in diameter (depending on the size of your eggs).  Cook for a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown.  Spread peanut butter and honey on top.  Enjoy!

Some interesting tid-bits about honey and cinnamon can be found in this article: Honey and Cinnamon Remedies

Let me know how you like my recipe.  It is a staple in my diet!

G

Can't never could.

As we move forward with our resolutions and strive to break a bad habit or create a new one on a daily basis, let's think for a moment- is this realistic?  Did you set achievable goals?  We have to take one step at a time and be patient with our progress.  No one ever said, "I'm going to run a marathon today" and accomplished a run of 26.2  miles without a lot of dedication and training before the big day.

Being a group fitness instructor, I see 100's of people hitting the gym in January with BIG goals.  The trick to success in developing motivation to stick to your goal is a gradual start.  Yesterday in an intense strength and endurance class I taught there were two new students.  They struggled the entire class and sat out to catch their breath half the time.  I commend them both for trying, but it was very obvious they left feeling like they failed.  What are the chances they will come back?  Very slim I would guess.

We tend to get impatient very quickly when it comes to losing weight.  There is not a magic pill.  It takes commitment, motivation, and patience.  AND, we have to be logical in how to make that happen.  Baby steps.  Measure your success every two weeks.  Don't get on the scale twice a day!  Your body weight can fluctuate up to 6 lbs daily due to water.  I recommend measuring circumference of your waist, hips, thighs and arms with a measuring tape and just stay off the scale altogether.  Another form of measuring your success is body fat %.  You can have this done in just about any gym with a personal trainer.

So... before we get any further into January setting ourselves up for failure because our New Year's resolutions aren't realistic, let's rethink and re-plan our next few weeks with goals that are attainable!  Smaller waists and firmer butts is what we all want and if you find yourself saying I can't, then do something you can!

Moving on...

Been there done that.  Don't look back.  What's done is done.  You can't change the past.  Learn from your mistakes.  You've heard these phrases and used them to comfort a friend, but can you apply this concept to your own life?  Day 2 of 2013.  A new beginning.  A chance to close chapters and start new ones.

We've all had experiences that have caused heart ache and emotional pain.  Leaving a relationship can be very difficult, rather the relationship is personal, work related, or possibly even food!  I believe we experience relationships of all kinds so that we can create healthier ones in the future.  We learn what not to do "next time".

I've had bad personal relationships.  I'm divorced.  But, I can tell you my marriage now of thirteen years has been better because of what I learned from the first one.  I've had a terrible relationship with food.  I turned to food for comfort and became depressed the more weight I gained.  The bigger I got, the more depressed I became and the more food I ate.  But, I can tell you with a lot of will and effort that I was able to end that unhealthy connection of comfort and have found other ways to cope with life.  Does any of this sound familiar?

Moving on... it's not easy, but it is possible.  Sometimes we move on not to leave something behind that is negative, but because something better lies ahead.  In general, most people fear or resist change.  Why?  Because of our fear of the unknown.  We like the familiarity of what we do know.  But what about "the grass is always greener on the other side" theory?  How will you find out if you don't go check out "the other side"?

G

Happy 2013! A new year, a new start.

Happy New Year!  May 2013 be a year of happiness, better health, accomplishments and making a difference...  Beginning the year at a young 43, I am looking forward to celebrating life this year!  2012 was pretty amazing, but with my determination to be positive in all aspects of life 2013 is bound to top it!

I have so many ideas I'd like to share about being a better person, a spectacular wife, an amazing, loving mom, and living a healthy lifestyle so that we may serve others and make a difference in someone's life.  In this blog I intend to communicate my "think cloud" thoughts regarding fitness and exercise, diet and recipes, stress management, relationships, and life experiences- the good the bad and the ugly so that you may read and think to yourself, "thank God!  I'm NOT alone!"

So... the day of new resolutions, it's here!  45% of Americans usually make resolutions.  The top 10 for 2012 were:

Rank	Top 10 New Years resolutions for 2012
1	Lose Weight
2	Getting Organized
3	Spend Less, Save More
4	Enjoy Life to the Fullest
5	Staying Fit and Healthy
6	Learn Something Exciting
7	Quit Smoking
8	Help Others in Their Dreams
9	Fall in Love
10	Spend More Time with Family

TAKE NOTE of the #1 top resolution generally made each year.  It just happens to be something I know a little about.  My passion, career, and continuing education is used to help people achieve #4 by accomplishing #1 by creating and practicing a regime to be consistent with #5 by doing #6 which will motivate one to tackle #2 and #3 so they can love themselves which HAS to happen before #9. When we can be better at these things then #8 will inevitably happen!  And if you have already achieved #9 then #10 may be where your goals lie... yada yada yada!

Are you with me?  What is YOUR resolution?  Can I help you achieve your goals for 2013?  Let's do this together!

Happy New Year!

G
Gwenda Hansen's "think cloud"