Rearview Mirror

We are two weeks into 2017. We are still going sister strong with what have set out to do together. I will attribute that to the wonderful accountability partner. 

With that being said, wouldn't just be easier to go back to the way I ended 2016? Those habits would not get me to where I want to be, but it would be where things were comfortable. 

This past week my husband had appointments out of town for two days. Going to Rochester and eating out you want to go to all the places that we usually go which includes great food and out of control portions. Being only two weeks into 2017 I am still working on establishing new habits. I'll honestly admit. While in Rochester I was not as good as I had hoped I would be. I will say I was better than I would have. I tracked my food and exercised while there. I did also make better decisions on food choices than I previously would have. Going to Rochester creates a stressful situation. Knowing myself I am a stress eater and look for those comfort food. 2017 is a great year to start to change that. 

The two days taught me I need to stop looking in the rearview mirror of life. Looking through that mirror looking back does not get me to where I want to be looking forward. I have a vision of where I want to be, established my short term goals and laid out an action plan that I review daily. When I look in the rearview mirror I see spending habits, feelings, thoughts, mindset, food choices, excuses and cravings. I am now tearing down that rearview mirror and only looking out the windshield to the path ahead. The path is full of new adventures and that is exciting. 

2017 is the year of new spending habits, management of feelings and thoughts, growth mindset, no excuses, and control of eating and cravings. 

Every week, every day, every meal and every hour is new. Looking forward is the bet path to be on. 

I have the power to change my life. - Jeff Sanders

Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Proverbs 4:26

#sisterstrongblog

Melissa

Balance

The struggle is real, balance is difficult to achieve.  I tend to have an all or nothing, go BIG or go home view.  Applying that to something like a lifestyle change has been a struggle.  I have made strives to lose excess weight before and trying to maintain balance was the biggest struggle.

In college, I followed the South Beach diet and cut out bread and pasta completely (I LOVE bread and pasta for the record and this wasn't an easy transition).  I would eat steammed veggies and a bunless burger or chicken breast for most meals and was completely fine with it.  I hit the gym and would get a good workout in every day.  The only problem was, I was 22 years old, living in a college town where outside of group projects the biggest social gathering was at a bar.  I didn't cut this part of my diet out, frankly I didnt even see it as an option.  I lost weight and felt great but knew that long term this wouldn't be the best solution.  Eventually the pasta and bread would come calling my name again, and when they did the weight went back on.

After I was married, my new husband and I started weight watchers and in order to buy a few extra calories each day we switched to low calorie or no calorie foods.  Keep in mind they all tasted horrible, but we had some wiggle room in our daily goal.  After a few months of eating "butter" that only had 5 calories and "diet" or "fat free" and "sugar free" items that really didn't fix the cravings that we had those items were tossed in the trash.  We decided that it would be better to eat actual food and enjoy the taste and flavors rather than save a few calories.

So here I sit today, still struggling with balance.  Since we first had our daughter we've become wheat bread eaters and only keep whole grain pasta in the house.  Most of the things that I cook are whole foods or at least I know the ingredients in them.  I make an effort to cook at home as much as possible.  But in the name of balance, we eat out and will continue to.  I love pizza and homemade just isn't as good sometimes.  And to be frank, some nights its great to let someone else do the cooking and clean up so that I can just relax and talk to my kids.

Its so easy for me to get discouraged when it hasn't been a great meal/day/week but trying to remember to find balance has been helpful in being able to continue instead of tossing all the hard work out the door on a few missteps.  We're heading on a long talked about family trip to Disney this weekend and balance will be what keeps me going.  The diet will not be great, there is only so much control that I have over that.  But I plan to offset that by the massive amounts of walking we'll be doing.  Additioanlly, this trip is an awesome experience for our whole family and I want to be present in the moment and enjoy my kid's faces as they experience the rides, not stressed about where we will eat next and how expensive it will be in both dollars and calories.  Balance...deep breath....balance.

#sisterstrongblog

Happy New Year 2017!

New year, new you, new goals, new everything!  The new year always signals a time to reflect back and to look forward; usually with hope, determination and renewed zeal. That's what makes each January great.  There is a clean slate wide open with opportunity.  Ive been itching to get control of my health and to become more intentional so when I received a request from my awesome sister-in-law to be her accountability partner I jumped at the chance!

I have been making great progress but hit the usual holiday plateau.  It's now cold and snowy outside so I can't go out and be as active as I have been all summer.  With he addition of a new job (and dramatically different schedule) just finding time to fit in the usual household and family obligations and put dinner on the table was a challenge.  But I'm ready and prepared.  I've been in the thick of things like this before and was able to be successful so I know I can do it again.  

I love the word intentional.  This really struck a cord with me when Melissa and I were first discussing how to tackle this goal.  It helps me realize that my choices everyday are just that...choices.  Ultimately I'm the one that is in control.  

So bring it on 2017, this is going to be a great year!
Shelly

#sisterstrongblog

One Word

Three years ago I read the book, One Word that will change your life by Jon Gordon, Dan Britton and Jimmy Page. The authors discovered a way to become their best. Instead of creating goals and resolutions, they discovered using one word to focus on for the year to be their driving force.

I have been using one word to center my daily thinking. For 2017, my word is 'Intentional'. Living each day with intention. It is my daily planning, exercise and eating plan. Every action I execute in my day needs to be intentional. Starting in October, I begin writing down words that strike me a cord with me. As December approaches, I begin praying on the words on my list. I ask God to show me the word that will drive me during the upcoming year. Then the word that surfaces is the word I will focus on during the upcoming year.

In the past, my words have been self-control and yet. I am very excited about 2017 and the great year it is going to be. 

On the One Word website they have videos that explain the value of the One Word. The favorite tool on the site is the the action to finding your one word for the year. The resource page is a great place to start. The book is a good read. Get it and read it. 

Shelly and I have been meeting our check-ins. Being honest and working hard to be our healthiest in 2017, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Happy New Year!

"Comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good wor and word." 2 Thessalonians 2:17

Melissa

#sisterstrongblog #OneWord

Prepping for 2017 - Sister Strong Style

When you read health magazines, blogs or other health related articles often you are encourage to have an accountability partner. I know for myself that I am at my best when I have someone to talk with. For a couple of months I had thought about who would be a good fit and a positive accountability partner. Time after time I came back to the same person. A person I admire, who is active, open to having open conversations and at a place where I am in a healthy journey. My sister-in-law Shelly.

So two weeks before 2017, I messaged her to see if she would be willing. I was so relieved when she responded with an astounding 'YES'. So, now for the real work. How were we going to do this? She lives in Sioux Fall, SD and I live in Blue Earth, MN.

Our plan:
* check - in two times a week on Sunday and Wednesday evenings
* share our goals for the days between check - ins

A perfect place to start for the two of us. The week of Christmas we did just that. Each of us aware of our goals, but not necessarily being successful at them. To be positive we are at least off and running with a plan that we both are feeling good with.

At Christmas, we took our day one picture.

On my way home, I was doing some thinking (not always a good thing). I want to be accountable and also tell the story of our journey. Two sisters that have high hopes for 2017 to be healthy and happy. I messaged Shelly to get her thoughts on doing a blog. Again, I was relieved to know that she is ready like me to be the best that we can be.

Today we talked on the phone. Time to set up that blog. What to call it? We wanted to use words that resonated with both of us for the title of this blog. Sister strong. We know that through adversity and trial we will be strong for each other and be the encouragement we need to make the healthy choices. Already from our phone conversation today that we are the perfect pair. Only good things will come to us this year.

People learn from one from one another, just as iron sharpens iron. Proverbs 27:17 (GNB)

Here we go:)
 Melissa