30 out of 40 Usually a C+ would not look so good.

30 out of 40.  Yup, I am recommitted and back on a new challenge.  It is kind of interesting how it came about.  I was on the phone with my friend ..., I will call her... Wowanda, I was also driving to Sumits Hot Yoga at the time.  The new semester had started and I was trying to start right by making time for me to be centered and healthy.  I digress.    So Wowanda said to me "Laura, I feel like I've gotten the work out part in line but I can't get the food under control.  What plan should I do?"

Now, Wowanda and I had been around this track a time or 10.  Each of us had multiple kids and neither of us came with a good metabolism.  So I honestly said "Wowanda,  why are you asking me, for the love of god, I can't figure out what to do either."    So we giggled about it and I went off to do my workout.  

When I got to the club there was a sign saying "30 in 40 Challenge sign up..."  Well if you know me you know I am sucker for a challenge.  I did a 30 in 30 last spring, so I knew I could do it.  Ok, my third quarter in 2013 was rather poor compared to other times, with a busy work load and a bunch of sickness running around my house it was hard to get to the mat.  To add to this the challenge started the day before so I would already be doing 30 in 39.  I decided to think about it on the mat. 

Around I went in my head and I thought, it is just 39 days.  I am not going to concentrate on what needs to be done this year or this season or semester.  I eventually came to the decision that I was going to do it, however only if I looked at the challenge in a different light, I would have to include food too.  I thought of Wowanda and her question.  What to do? 

Which diet, food changing plan, habit changing plan, etc... to do when you have done so many.  It is just so hard to really stick to things and do things on a long term basis.  Yet I was just looking at 39 days.  It is not like I would jump into a vat of sugar the day I was done the challenge.  Maybe if I just concentrated on the micro goal and not the full daunting goal.

So which food system to use? It came to me rather easily.  Back in the early 2000's I did a diet called The 5 Day Miracle Diet.  This was a system created by a dietitian in NY that wrote this book with lots of details, rules and motivation.   I did this system before I got pregnant with my first child.  It worked but required some prep.  The main point is to get your body into good blood sugar by eating often with specific types of snacks.  It also goes along with some food combining rules I have seen in other diets as well.   

I committed to the challenge; 30 hot yoga sessions in 40 days and doing the 5 Day Miracle Diet for that same time.  The diet allows for occasional extras so it leaves room for real life at the same time the work out plan allows for occasional skips so it also is flexible enough to face real life.  Of course it goes without saying that documentation is a key to success so that is in there too.  The challenge winds up on the 21st of February.  The good thing about this is, it is not a forever commitment, it is just a bite out of the pie.  Wish me luck.       

3 Videos to Help You Feel Good and Powerful on a Cold Winter Day

Today I wanted to share some amazing sources of inspiration I have recently found in the on line world.  In this beak, cold, depressing, frigid, never ending winter, many of us could use a little pick me up today. Enjoy!

1. 100 days of working out fundamentally changes this ladies outlook. This young lady inspired me.  Not just that she is doing it, fighting the fight and taking names, but that you can see the transformation in her soul as she find value in herself.  This video came out three days ago and as of right now has almost 300,000 views. 

2. Lady takes on a bully for all the larger ladies out there.  This video is a little older being from Oct 2012 however it has over 14 million views.  This lady has my heart, being a larger lady myself.  I love the message that your self worth should not be formed by a few mean voices, but by the love of many. 

3. Now that you are all motivated lets look at an active step you can take in two minutes to help yourself fake it until you make it. OK, I admit the video is a lot longer then then that but you will see...  Your body language shapes who you are. This is a wonderful ted talk that will help you on the road to power and authority.  This video has over 9.6 million views. See how only two minutes can greatly increase your chances of success.