I am so excited for the new year to begin. 2012 has been a wonderful year, we bought a house, got a puppy and I lost 70 pounds! But as good as that all was.... I am ready to forge ahead into a brand new year full of possibilities. I have so many great ideas for 2013. I want it to be even better than last year! Over the next few days I am going to sit down and write out my plan for the new year, I cant wait to share it with you. I hope you have a wonderful and safe New Years Eve and I hope you will be ready to take a journey with me in 2013. Til then have a blessed for days!
Heather
Friday, December 28, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Emotional Eating
As of today I have lost 72 pounds in the last 6 and a half months. But in the last 4 weeks I have only lost 2 pounds. What has caused this slow down in my weight loss? While reading comments in the weight loss group I belong to on facebook, it hit me...I am an emotional eater. If you are overweight or not comfortable with your size or if how you look when you get up in the morning affects your mood for the day you are most likely an emotional eater too.
We all know how to lose weight, its really simple, eat better and exercise. We all have the knowledge so what is it thats holding us all back from reaching our weight loss and health goals? Its our emotions. If we want to succeed we need to examine the issues holding us back and get out of the emotional eating pattern for good.When people gain and lose weight over and over again, there is more than just bad food choices underlying the issues. Our relationship with food is one of the most intimate and potentially addictive relationships we create from an early age. If we use food to soothe, numb, celebrate or for any other emotional purposes we run the risk that food will always be at the core of these emotions.
So if you are about to embark on a weight loss journey, in the middle of one and plateauing or you have been on the weight loss roller coaster for sometime, maybe its time to take a time out and examine your emotional state, do some soul searching or maybe even seek professional help.We all have issues, obviously some more than other, but it is really about how we deal with those issues that will determine our success. Some of us are dealing with tramatic pasts, low self esteem and stress. And all of these can effect how we became overweight and why we cant lose the weight for good.Without taking care of the emotional baggage that may be at the core of our food issues, we all run the risk of being a "lifer" in the weight loss world. Rather than counting calories , it is far wiser to dive down to a deeper level of awareness about our eating habits and to bring it to a level of consciousness, deal with it in a healthy way and by doing so we can be in charge of our eating habits instead of them controlling us.When I started my weight loss journey I was on a high, the weight was coming off and I was getting tons of compliments, life was great! Recently I started plateauing. I am finding I am less motivated to get out of bed and workout, finding myself returning to old eating habits and making excuses for why I am lacking motivation. By why is this happening? Why now? First there has been some stress in my life, selling and buying a house is stressful and time consuming and I have found that when I am stressed I eat and over snack. I am also someone who takes things and runs with them until the next thing comes along, they take over my thoughts, for the last 6 months losing weight has been my life and now that we are in the middle of buying a house its consumes my thoughts and weight loss has taken a back seat. Second I have started concentrating on how much I still have to lose, instead of how far I have come and I have let self doubt enter my mind. Recently I had to do an honest examination of how I became fat in the first place. I believe it started in childhood with a lack of healthy eating habits and physical activity, to a lack of self confidence(sometimes it seems like I am full of self worth but inside I am still a little shy girl, without a lot of friends) to pretending that my weight was not a big deal, that you could be overweight and still be healthy, but that was just me not dealing with reality. So now that I have laid it all out there and been honest with myself its time for me to deal with these things and move forward. I dont want my emotions to prevent me from succeeding. I want the same for you. I want you to succeed and live your best life. I know life isnt all flowers and roses and stress and bad situations will come along, its all how we deal with it that counts and using food isnt a coping mechanism that works well. Once you have been honest with yourself and start to deal with your issues, its time to deal with the pattern of emotional eating and start eating with awareness.
Breaking the Pattern
In order to become an individual who eats with awareness, you must stop when you sense the urge to eat, take a breath and focus on your awareness back to how you are feeling. Is it hunger or is it stress?
Try some of these steps to start practicing awareness eating:
1.Take sips of water with each bite.
2.Do not take the entire container or bag of food. Dish out the amount or serving size you would like in a small dish or bowl.
3.Use a fork, knife and spoon to slow you down, take deep breaths between bites and chew your food slowly.
4. Do not keep your favorite treats in the house such as cookies, chips or ice cream. If its readily available, you are more likely to fall off the wagon during those times of emotional stress.
5.Try to make your meals last at least 20 minutes. It takes that long for your stretch receptors in your stomach to tell your brain "Hey I am full!"
6.Buy some gum and have it available to grab and gobble when the urge hits.
7.Do not skip meals, it can leave to overeating.
8.Allow yourself to get hungry, and feel your stomach grumble, its important to identify real hunger pains versus eating merely for the sake of boredom or according to the clock.
When you are emotional and want to eat try these instead:
1 Talk to a friend or trusted family member about the issues you are having with food, there are also wonderful psychologists and counselors who specialize in emotional eating and they can be of great value.
2. Go for a walk, in my experience fresh air and some time alone can do wonders
3. Journal-writing can help you express your emotions
4. Turn on your favorite music and get lost in it.
5. Try to avoid stressful situations(not easy bit take steps to reduce it as much as possible)
Keep in mind, winning the weight loss battle involves both a psychological and physical component. Once you take control of the underlying issues you will feel and enormous burden lifted that allows you to enjoy food and nutrition , without emotional results.Now that I have examined why I overeat I hope I can deal with these issues and move forward.I hope I can become more aware of my triggers and find more positive ways of coping with them, like avoiding them or distracting myself. Losing weight is not easy, its a physical and emotional journey but its a journey worth taking.We all deserve to be happy and healthy and we all deserve that. We all have the knowledge and know how, its really about examining why and how we got to this pint in our life and making changes to better our lives.Its about being aware of our habits and consciously being aware of our emotional triggers and finding a better way of coping with them instead of heading the fridge or local fast food restaurant.
We can all do this and we can all live a healthier life!
Blessings,
Heather
We all know how to lose weight, its really simple, eat better and exercise. We all have the knowledge so what is it thats holding us all back from reaching our weight loss and health goals? Its our emotions. If we want to succeed we need to examine the issues holding us back and get out of the emotional eating pattern for good.When people gain and lose weight over and over again, there is more than just bad food choices underlying the issues. Our relationship with food is one of the most intimate and potentially addictive relationships we create from an early age. If we use food to soothe, numb, celebrate or for any other emotional purposes we run the risk that food will always be at the core of these emotions.
So if you are about to embark on a weight loss journey, in the middle of one and plateauing or you have been on the weight loss roller coaster for sometime, maybe its time to take a time out and examine your emotional state, do some soul searching or maybe even seek professional help.We all have issues, obviously some more than other, but it is really about how we deal with those issues that will determine our success. Some of us are dealing with tramatic pasts, low self esteem and stress. And all of these can effect how we became overweight and why we cant lose the weight for good.Without taking care of the emotional baggage that may be at the core of our food issues, we all run the risk of being a "lifer" in the weight loss world. Rather than counting calories , it is far wiser to dive down to a deeper level of awareness about our eating habits and to bring it to a level of consciousness, deal with it in a healthy way and by doing so we can be in charge of our eating habits instead of them controlling us.When I started my weight loss journey I was on a high, the weight was coming off and I was getting tons of compliments, life was great! Recently I started plateauing. I am finding I am less motivated to get out of bed and workout, finding myself returning to old eating habits and making excuses for why I am lacking motivation. By why is this happening? Why now? First there has been some stress in my life, selling and buying a house is stressful and time consuming and I have found that when I am stressed I eat and over snack. I am also someone who takes things and runs with them until the next thing comes along, they take over my thoughts, for the last 6 months losing weight has been my life and now that we are in the middle of buying a house its consumes my thoughts and weight loss has taken a back seat. Second I have started concentrating on how much I still have to lose, instead of how far I have come and I have let self doubt enter my mind. Recently I had to do an honest examination of how I became fat in the first place. I believe it started in childhood with a lack of healthy eating habits and physical activity, to a lack of self confidence(sometimes it seems like I am full of self worth but inside I am still a little shy girl, without a lot of friends) to pretending that my weight was not a big deal, that you could be overweight and still be healthy, but that was just me not dealing with reality. So now that I have laid it all out there and been honest with myself its time for me to deal with these things and move forward. I dont want my emotions to prevent me from succeeding. I want the same for you. I want you to succeed and live your best life. I know life isnt all flowers and roses and stress and bad situations will come along, its all how we deal with it that counts and using food isnt a coping mechanism that works well. Once you have been honest with yourself and start to deal with your issues, its time to deal with the pattern of emotional eating and start eating with awareness.
Breaking the Pattern
In order to become an individual who eats with awareness, you must stop when you sense the urge to eat, take a breath and focus on your awareness back to how you are feeling. Is it hunger or is it stress?
Try some of these steps to start practicing awareness eating:
1.Take sips of water with each bite.
2.Do not take the entire container or bag of food. Dish out the amount or serving size you would like in a small dish or bowl.
3.Use a fork, knife and spoon to slow you down, take deep breaths between bites and chew your food slowly.
4. Do not keep your favorite treats in the house such as cookies, chips or ice cream. If its readily available, you are more likely to fall off the wagon during those times of emotional stress.
5.Try to make your meals last at least 20 minutes. It takes that long for your stretch receptors in your stomach to tell your brain "Hey I am full!"
6.Buy some gum and have it available to grab and gobble when the urge hits.
7.Do not skip meals, it can leave to overeating.
8.Allow yourself to get hungry, and feel your stomach grumble, its important to identify real hunger pains versus eating merely for the sake of boredom or according to the clock.
When you are emotional and want to eat try these instead:
1 Talk to a friend or trusted family member about the issues you are having with food, there are also wonderful psychologists and counselors who specialize in emotional eating and they can be of great value.
2. Go for a walk, in my experience fresh air and some time alone can do wonders
3. Journal-writing can help you express your emotions
4. Turn on your favorite music and get lost in it.
5. Try to avoid stressful situations(not easy bit take steps to reduce it as much as possible)
Keep in mind, winning the weight loss battle involves both a psychological and physical component. Once you take control of the underlying issues you will feel and enormous burden lifted that allows you to enjoy food and nutrition , without emotional results.Now that I have examined why I overeat I hope I can deal with these issues and move forward.I hope I can become more aware of my triggers and find more positive ways of coping with them, like avoiding them or distracting myself. Losing weight is not easy, its a physical and emotional journey but its a journey worth taking.We all deserve to be happy and healthy and we all deserve that. We all have the knowledge and know how, its really about examining why and how we got to this pint in our life and making changes to better our lives.Its about being aware of our habits and consciously being aware of our emotional triggers and finding a better way of coping with them instead of heading the fridge or local fast food restaurant.
We can all do this and we can all live a healthier life!
Blessings,
Heather
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Daytime Date Ideas
Everyday(we almost everyday) feels like a date for Carl and I but I know many of you have kids and getting a babysitter for date night can be tough ,so how about a Day Date, maybe finding a sitter for a Saturday or Sunday might be easier,here are some ideas for this very special daytime date.
- Go out for brunch. Finding a place with nice outdoor seating is a bonus.
- Play golf, mini golf, tennis or beach volleyball.
- Go on a hike, run, or bike ride to enjoy the passing scenery. Don’t forget your camera.
- Go to the beach or lake for a refreshing swim or walk along the shore. If it’s too cold to swim, try flying a kite together.
- Rent a convertible or any other kind of car and go for a drive in the country. If you can’t afford this option take your own!
- Go on a literary picnic. Pack your favorite novel and plan lunch around the setting of the book. Take turns reading the book aloud to each other. Or camp out at your favorite bookstore and scan the aisles for a new favorite.
- Go to a movie matinee. Sit on the back row and kiss often!!
- Go canoeing or kayaking on a river.
- Visit a local museum.
- Go to a farmer’s market and pick up your favorite food for dinner.
- Play a board game in a local park, like Scrabble, Chess or Checkers.
The most important part of a regular date together is keeping the enjoyment of each other’s company at the forefront. In the business of life this is often the first thing to be neglected, but at what cost! Your relationship will still be there after all your children are grown and gone. What it looks like then depends on how you invest in it now.Carl and I dont have children(yet) and we like to do these types of activities now and someday if we have children we will still take the time to do things like these and make our marriage a priority. Make sure your relationship is a priority too!!!
Blessings,
Heather
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Marriage Challenge
I love challenges!!! I especially love challenges that serve to make relationships stronger, so today I am posting a 3o Day Marriage Challenge (if you arent married you could do this challenge with a boy/girl friend, your best friend, even your children, just make a few changes). Once a week I will post an update on the challenge and how its going in my relationship. If you decide to do it also, I would love to hear how its going for you too!!! Here are all the days challenges listed in order:
1.Ask "what can I help you with today?"
2.Go a whole day without correcting your husband today
3.Hug your husband 3 times today
4.Kiss your husband the first time you see him today
5.Tell yourself " he really loves us and is doing his best for us everyday"
6.Bake, make or buy his favorite food
7.Leave him a sweet note
8.Put at least one date night on your calender this month
9.Imagine what it feels to be in your husbands shoes
10.Todays focus: Kindness
11.Tell him " I am so glad I married you"
12.Pray for wisdom in being a wife
13.Do not use sarcasm with your husband today
14.Remember that being a wife is a blessing
15.Think only positive thoughts about your husband today
16.Thank him for all he does for you and your family
17.Laugh with your husband today
18.Who is a wife you admire? Try to be more like her today
19.Dont ask him to any chores or honey-dos today
20.Todays focus:Patience
21.Forgive him when he makes a mistake
22.Assume the best about your husband today
23.Treat him with respect today
24.Do not interrupt your husband when he talking
25.Ask your husband his opinion today
26.Encourage your husband
27.Do something good for his health today(make a healthy dinner, go for a walk together, make an appointment for his annual checkup)
28.Look at him admiringly, make sure he notices
29.Turn off your cell phone, computer, or tv when he is in the room and give him your full attention
30.Todays focus: Love
I hope you all join me in this challenge, its so important to put your relationships as a priority and show those more important to us, just how important they are!
Blessings,
Heather
1.Ask "what can I help you with today?"
2.Go a whole day without correcting your husband today
3.Hug your husband 3 times today
4.Kiss your husband the first time you see him today
5.Tell yourself " he really loves us and is doing his best for us everyday"
6.Bake, make or buy his favorite food
7.Leave him a sweet note
8.Put at least one date night on your calender this month
9.Imagine what it feels to be in your husbands shoes
10.Todays focus: Kindness
11.Tell him " I am so glad I married you"
12.Pray for wisdom in being a wife
13.Do not use sarcasm with your husband today
14.Remember that being a wife is a blessing
15.Think only positive thoughts about your husband today
16.Thank him for all he does for you and your family
17.Laugh with your husband today
18.Who is a wife you admire? Try to be more like her today
19.Dont ask him to any chores or honey-dos today
20.Todays focus:Patience
21.Forgive him when he makes a mistake
22.Assume the best about your husband today
23.Treat him with respect today
24.Do not interrupt your husband when he talking
25.Ask your husband his opinion today
26.Encourage your husband
27.Do something good for his health today(make a healthy dinner, go for a walk together, make an appointment for his annual checkup)
28.Look at him admiringly, make sure he notices
29.Turn off your cell phone, computer, or tv when he is in the room and give him your full attention
30.Todays focus: Love
I hope you all join me in this challenge, its so important to put your relationships as a priority and show those more important to us, just how important they are!
Blessings,
Heather
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Pinterest Challenge Day 1 Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Q
Today is day 1 of my Pinterest Challenge I decided to go with something simple...Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies. Here is the finished product
I found the recipe at http://thegspotrevolution.com/?p=6611 and I followed the recipe as directed, mine arent as pretty and round like hers but they are good. They are a gluten free recipe and great for breakfast or a snack.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Pinterest Challenge
I am addicted to Pinterest! About this time last year a friend invited me to Pinterest. I started saving recipes, and fun DIY projects. At first I was trying these things but lately it has become more about pinning the ideas but not doing them. I recently spent an entire after reorganizing all my boards!!!! I have 67 boards with over 4000 pins, thats a lot of internet "hoarding". So I have decided to start putting some of those great ideas to the test! Once a week I will attempt either a recipe, diy or beauty tip and I will share the results with you.I am calling it my "Pinterest Challenge" if you are interested in following me on Pinterest here is the link http://pinterest.com/ashbysowner/, and if you see something on my pinterest you would like me to try just let me know!!! See you all next week for our first challenge!
Blessings,
Heather
Blessings,
Heather
Monday, August 20, 2012
Why Do I Blog??
Why do I blog?? I was pondering this question this morning as I lay in my bed not feeling well. I have 2 blogs, this one and a recipe one. I am a sporatic blogger at best, sometimes letting life get in the way. I was trying to come up with an interesting topic for a blog post and I asked myself why do I blog anyway, no one reads it, no one is interested in reading about your crazy life, you are not an expert on anything , and you are not famous. So why do I write this blog and why should anyone read it?
It all started when I was a child, my real dream in life was to be a writer. I loved reading books and imaged someday writing a book and millions of people flipping through the pages of a novel I had written and escaping into the imaginary world that I had created. Well here I am 35 years later and I am not that famous writer, I have not written that novel yet. I am stay at home wife. A decision my husband and I made together a few years ago. I have a great family, a few wonderful friends and a very happy fulfilling life.
A few years ago I came across my first blog and instantly became a fan. Since then I have found other blogs on different topics. I have learned so much from ordinary woman just like me. Each of these woman all have different life experiences and different gifts to share. I thought I could this, so I started this blog. I had no intentions for it, no idea what it should say, no message I wanted to share. But it has slowly tuned into something I am proud of. I love the name, living a life of joy and gratitude, something that I strive to do everyday and something that has served me well, a life lesson I can share with others. And this is what I have learned over the last little bit, I am an expert on something...living my life. I have lived through a lot of things in my 35 years, some of it not good but most of it wonderful. And if I can share that with others and inspire others to try to live with joy and gratitude then I have accomplished something.
I may not have a huge amount of followers but thats ok, I am greatful for the followers I have and the feedback I have received and the new friends I have made. Through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the blogs I have been inspired and want to share the things I have learned.
So I blog to share my life and the lessons I have learned so far, to inspire other people and to learn from others. Its my way of being a famous author. Its writing what I know about...me! I blog cause its fun and to let that author inside of me come out. Maybe someday I will sit down and write that book or novel but until then I will write here. My own little space to share my thoughts, my ideas, my story !
Blessings,
Heather
It all started when I was a child, my real dream in life was to be a writer. I loved reading books and imaged someday writing a book and millions of people flipping through the pages of a novel I had written and escaping into the imaginary world that I had created. Well here I am 35 years later and I am not that famous writer, I have not written that novel yet. I am stay at home wife. A decision my husband and I made together a few years ago. I have a great family, a few wonderful friends and a very happy fulfilling life.
A few years ago I came across my first blog and instantly became a fan. Since then I have found other blogs on different topics. I have learned so much from ordinary woman just like me. Each of these woman all have different life experiences and different gifts to share. I thought I could this, so I started this blog. I had no intentions for it, no idea what it should say, no message I wanted to share. But it has slowly tuned into something I am proud of. I love the name, living a life of joy and gratitude, something that I strive to do everyday and something that has served me well, a life lesson I can share with others. And this is what I have learned over the last little bit, I am an expert on something...living my life. I have lived through a lot of things in my 35 years, some of it not good but most of it wonderful. And if I can share that with others and inspire others to try to live with joy and gratitude then I have accomplished something.
I may not have a huge amount of followers but thats ok, I am greatful for the followers I have and the feedback I have received and the new friends I have made. Through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the blogs I have been inspired and want to share the things I have learned.
So I blog to share my life and the lessons I have learned so far, to inspire other people and to learn from others. Its my way of being a famous author. Its writing what I know about...me! I blog cause its fun and to let that author inside of me come out. Maybe someday I will sit down and write that book or novel but until then I will write here. My own little space to share my thoughts, my ideas, my story !
Blessings,
Heather
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