We passed!

 

The importance of a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables was the topic of our “5 or 50″ Women’s Sustainable Weight Loss & Healthy Lifestyle Group meeting last night. As you know, I’m a huge advocate of a mostly plant based diet. So, no surprise, it’s a topic our group has explored more than once. I’m proud to say the ladies have taken heed to our conversations.

Our guest speakers Greg and Keith (our first time having guys at the meeting) are reps from Monavie. Monavie has this cool new VIEW scanner or what the fellas call the “Fruit/Vegetable Lie Detector.”  The Monavie VIEW scanner helps determine if you are getting enough antioxidants. After scanning the ladies in our group, the entire group (even the newcomer) scored with medium to high levels of antioxidants. Yes! We passed with flying colors. The fellas said it was the first time ever that they had a group collectively score this high. Yes! Yes! Yes!

 

 

I say it again,  Eat Your Colors.

 

--

Life Scores from our group: Four scored purple including myself, three scored green, and one scored blue. Read more about the VIEW scanner and Life Score here.

See a recent blog post on the importance of fruits, veggies, and antioxidants here.

Gettin' SMART

 

In July, I formed a women's group -- 5 or 50" Women’s Sustainable Weight Loss & Healthy Lifestyle Group. A time for us gals to come together -- bond, share, encourage. To dispel negative thoughts of ourselves, of each other, and approach weight loss sustainably. Over the months, we've done just that.

At the year end meeting, I challenged the ladies to start looking forward to the new year. "Claim 2013 as your best year yet." Though I don't believe in new year's resolutions, I do agree that the new year is a great time to hit the refresh button. So we spent our final meeting of 2012 by discussing SMART goals. Their homework over the holidays was to fill out a SMART goal and Action plan packet.

To kick off 2013 we created our SMART goals with the help of Clark College Health Professor, Erin Staples! Erin was my Wellness Coach professor last fall and taught me what I know about SMART goals and coaching. Once I got the ladies started I thought It would be nice to have the guru step in.

Thanks again, Erin -- we appreciate you for helping us get SMART.

More about SMART GOALS---

A SMART goal is:

• S is for SPECIFIC. Decide what you are going to do and how to do it.
• M is for MEASURABLE. Keep track of how you are doing.
• A is for ACHIEVABLE. Pick something you think you can do. Start with small changes. Is running a 4-minute mile possible for you?
• R is for REALISTIC or (REWARD). Be realistic about the goals you set. Getting down to your high school weight after having 3 children may not be realistic. Set a goal that you can not only attain, but is in reason for you. You know yourself best.
• T is for TIME-SPECIFIC. Give your goal a deadline.

SMART goals are to be written down in a certain way, it gives them even greater power. 

“Goals not written down are just wishes.”

We are SMART

"We've been playing it safe." I said to the group. "I've been treading lightly with you all. But, it's time for us to up the ante. I want more for you. I want more for me."

Filling out the end of year survey

Last night, marked our final "5 or 50" meeting for 2012. As the facilitator, as the leader, I'm supposed to well, lead. I've spent the last five months getting a feel for my role (this is my first time ever doing this), but more importantly I've been learning who the women are that make up the group.

I want the group to be a safe place, a comfortable environment. Where we can share and grow. In order to grow, however, we are going to have to get a little uncomfortable. I told the ladies. "We have to come out of our comfort zones."

Now that I have a sense of who the regulars are that attend the meetings and their personalities -- it's time. It's time for me to really start helping them make significant life changes.

With a fist pump, I said, "We can't stay here and change."

I created the group with them in mind. I want to empower them to change and I want them to own the group. So for our meeting last night I put together a survey to get their feedback about the group thus far and to help guide our future time together.

"I want to start 2013 off STRONG." I said. "Let's claim 2013 as our best year yet."
"2013 will be our best year yet." The group said together in unison.

To gear us up for the new year I put together a SMART GOALS and ACTION PLAN packet (the Wellness Coaching class I took last year at Clark College in full effect). Then we went around the room going over small changes that we can implement between now and the new year. The SMART packets are our homework over the holiday break. When we come together for our first meeting of 2013 we will share them with one another and then get to work, making the changes. And, ultimately changing our lives.

We are beautiful, strong, capable, and SMART.

Gen and Peggy -- Newcomers

More about SMART GOALS---

A SMART goal is:

• S is for SPECIFIC. Decide what you are going to do and how to do it.
• M is for MEASURABLE. Keep track of how you are doing.
• A is for ACHIEVABLE. Pick something you think you can do. Start with small changes. Is running a 4-minute mile possible for you?
• R is for REALISTIC or (REWARD). Be realistic about the goals you set. Getting down to your high school weight after having 3 children may not be realistic. Set a goal that you can not only attain, but is in reason for you. You know yourself best.
• T is for TIME-SPECIFIC. Give your goal a deadline.

SMART goals are to be written down in a certain way, it gives them even greater power. 

“Goals not written down are just wishes.”

The blog post that inspired the group:

5 or 50 

Join us for our first meeting of 2013

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

6 - 7:30 p.m.

Cascade Park Community Library
Family Room
600 NE 136th Ave
Vancouver
360.256.7782

"5 or 50" Changing Lives

Our NEW poster

Have you ever thought of an idea and without much forethought -- just went for it? Well, I have. Three months ago, an idea came to mind. An idea to start a women's group to support, encourage, and motivate.

After years of blogging about weight, health and fitness -- I've talked to a number of women.  Sadly, there seems to be the same common issues among us. Often times, women will come to me for advice, support and I'll exchange a few words with them on the blog, FB, at an event, maybe back and forth via email, but that would be the extent of our dialogue. I started feeling like there was more that I could do to help. More that I wanted to do to help. It's one thing to hear from a doctor, nutritionist, or trainer, but it's entirely different to hear from someone who lives it every day.  And so I created "5 or 50" Women's Sustainable Weight Loss and Healthy Lifestyle Group so the dialogues could continue. So we could share, grow, support, encourage, inspire, and motivate one another. So we could cast out negative self image, look beyond physical attributes, and stop obsessing over our weight and every bite we put in our mouths.

Last night, we held our third meeting, had our second guest speaker, welcomed five newcomers, and had a nice time sharing our "Outside of the Box" changes we've been making. At our August meeting I asked the ladies to think of things they could do differently that they would normally not do "Outside" of their comfort zone.  It warmed my heart to go around the room and hear the ladies comments. Here's a few of them:

"I've started walking in the evenings even on the nights I don't feel like it." ~Maria
"I volunteered to be the President of TOPS. I would never have done that before, but something just came over me." ~Jaleit
"I had my hair cut and colored." ~Jennifer
" I mowed my lawn. I wanted to see if I still could." ~ Carol
"I really have been trying to eat less packaged food. I cook at home a lot more." ~Toni

And then this morning, I received this FB message from Debbie (it just about killed me over): " I have so much new information from last night! Can't wait to check out the books mentioned and the Costco 21 spice idea."

My heart is full. It's such a beautiful feeling to know that I'm creating an environment for women to share, bond and realize their potential. My short sighted idea is working, I'm helping change lives.

Read the blog that started it all: "5 or 50"

Sue sharing her story -- she's lost 100+lbs.

Debbie sharing her juicing recipe/tips

The ladies