There Is No Finish Line (Part I of my AMAZING Saturday)

Yesterday's Priorfatgirl event could not have come at a better time.  It's my first week back on Weight Watchers and my first week back having healthier mindsets.  This week also happens to be one of those summer weeks.  You know which ones I am talking about.  The kind where there are several fun events to go to, each with more food than the last.  Yup.  This is one of those weeks.  It would have been really easy for me (especially the way that my mindsets have been this summer) to say "Meh, next week sounds good."  But then I think about two things:

1. This ISN'T a diet!  It's a lifestyle. 
2. I tell my students NO EXCUSES, so why can I make them? 

So, a change of mindset it has been.  You might be thinking at this point, "Emily, you are talking a lot about mindsets today.  What's up with that?"  Well, this is where I get into talking about yesterday and the fantastic takeaways from the day!

As I was saying back when I started this post, yesterday could not have come at a better time.  I signed up for the event even though I knew that I wouldn't be able to go to the afternoon session because of family commitments.  But I really wanted to go to the morning session.  I didn't really know what to expect.  I knew that I was excited and ready to learn, but what I didn't realize was that I was going to be walking into a community of people, many who already know each other, that are like me.  A support group of people that I really hope I get to know better as this year progresses.

I walked into a room to hear people talking about their weight loss, websites, exercising, food, and their journey and struggles.  I am sure people in my life are so sick of hearing about these things from me.  But our journeys, what we are doing with our lives, this was what everyone in the room had in common.  Trying to lead a healthier existence.  It made me teary to think that there are so many people out there that can relate to my journey.  People that are farther along or just beginning, but regardless it doesn't matter, because the common denominator is our want for a different lifestyle.

I introduced myself to Jen, which was also very exciting for me.  It's exciting to meet someone who's blog your read. (side note: I kept seeing faces yesterday that I recognized from blogs that I read.  I thought that was pretty awesome too).  She asked me if I knew anybody and after telling her that I knew not a soul, she called over to Kris.  Kris shared part of her story with me.  She has lost over 180 pounds!  I was BLOWN AWAY.  She was also just a kind and funny person.  We talked a bit about gaming and a lot about weight loss.  She also made me feel right at home in a room of people that looked pretty familiar.  She gave me her card and shared that there is a twitter community that supports each other.  At the break I started following her on twitter so I could be sure that I find new ways to stay connected.  I didn't even really realize how much I have been missing in the Twin Cities as far as weight loss communities go.  Looking through blogs on Kris's website, I have found all different kinds of opportunities and people that are right here.  If you haven't already, I would check out Kris's blog and others that I listed on the new "Inspirational Blog" page.

As the morning continued, I kept writing down things that I wanted to share on the blog.  Inspiration quotes or thoughts that spoke to me.  I wish that I could just have recorded and posted both sessions because there was SO much to take away from them.

Mary from www.fitthisgirl.com started the morning.  She was awesome to hear speak.  She was very very honest in what she said and sharing her story.  She used to heavier, a smoker, a drinker, and someone who wasn't very healthy.  She talked about her transformation and how it took time to get where she is now.  She was very inspiring and is CLEARLY living proof of what you can do if you put your mind to it.  She talked about consistency in what we are doing and how we are staying healthy.  Here are some of my big takeaways from her session:

• Focus on SPECIFIC goals.  When you set your GPS, you don't set it for Anywhere, USA do you?  No, you type in a specific location and have a route to get there. 
• Focus on the solution.  Be solutions-oriented and don't just focus on the problem.  Is there a candy bowl on your walk on the way to the bathroom?  Instead of focusing on the fact that it's there, come up with a solution. 
• There are strength in numbers.  Instead of being jealous and envious of the people who have achieved what you want to achieve, look at them as mentors, connect with them.  What good does it do to be jealous?  Surround yourself with like-minded people and the journey may be easier.
• Change your mindsets.  Your mindset is exactly that, something that you are setting your mind to.  You decide what your truth is and make sure that your reality matches the truth that you have set for yourself.
• Get rid of negative and neutral talk.  Instead of TRYING, DO it!  Just like I tell my students, I CAN'T is poisonous.  If you say you can't do something, you won't. 
• Be consistent in your movement, your food, and your mind.  
• Do new things!  Do new weight-training, cardio, and heart rate training workouts!  Did you know that weight-training is actually better for you than just doing cardio.  When you are done running, you stop burning calories, however, if you increase your muscle, when you are resting, you are still burning calories.  (I think I simplified that quite a bit, but it was a HUGE A-ha! moment for me!)

The more she spoke, the more invested I was in her ideas.  What she was saying REALLY made sense to me.

I want to keep writing, I haven't even gotten to Jen's portion of the day or the food photos I took, however, I have to get ready for the next family function so I am off for now.  I am going to leave you with my three favorite quotes from Mary's presentation...

"There is no finish line." -Nike (I will talk more about this later because this has REALLY stuck with me.)

 "When someone before you has done it, anyone can do it." -Mary (from FitThisGirl)

"I know for sure that what we dwell on it what we become." -Oprah Winfrey