Got stress? I do. I’ve found it doesn’t take much for me to get stressed and wake up the next day with a cramp in my neck and shoulders. For me, when I get stressed I put all my tension into my upper back. I always wonder what I can do to relieve it. It’s become somewhat of a problem recently because I can’t seem to unwind and it’s starting to affect how I interact with others (aka I’m short, snappy, and tense).

I’ve been on a mission to figure this out. I know many people do yoga to de-stress and feel more relaxed. I’ve done hot yoga (Bikram) before and I actually loved it. Although it didn’t relieve much stress for me, I noticed I slept better! I felt like yoga pointed me in the right direction to relieve tension.

I’ve tried coaxing various people to give me backrubs at night in exchange for the TV remote or homemade desserts, or working out later in the night to get it out of my system. I’ve tried it all, but at the end of the day my mind still goes a mile a minute before bed, and I ultimately wake up stressed and in pain.

I found this interesting meditation article from Shape magazine that I’m going to try this week. The article discusses what meditation can do for your health, like lower your blood pressure and increase creativity.

The article suggests doing one, simple technique everyday so it becomes a routine and a healthy habit. You should set a timer and start with giving yourself 5 minutes of meditation and slowly increase the time to 20 minutes. It’s important to breathe through your nose with your mouth closed, and focus on your breath and the movement of your stomach. If you’re like me and your mind starts to wander, they suggest trying to re-focus by bringing your mind back to your breathing (or try counting to ten or repeatedly saying a phrase like “peace”).

Shape also gives suggestions on how you can work with certain situations when you can’t get your body to relax or feel like you don’t have enough time to spare.

I really enjoyed discovering different techniques on meditation and how I can learn to control my body, breath, and mind. I’m going to try it tonight and for the rest of the week (if I remember!) and report back on how I start feeling afterwards! Until then, relax!

Normally when I achieve a goal, whether it’s getting in exercise for the day or I lost a pound in a week, I like to reward myself. I don’t give myself a mere pat on the back, but instead I treat myself to something tangible and reinforce the good habit.

Like many people I know, I usually reward myself by getting a delicious dessert. Sweets and I have been in a steady relationship for years now (longer than any boyfriends have lasted!). I’ll either get cake from this phenomenal bakery in town or I’ll be sure to ask for the dessert menu when I’m out at a restaurant for dinner.

I’ve decided it’s time for a change. I need to rethink my rewarding strategy. I’ve realized that although desserts are yummy, they definitely can pack on the pounds over time. I began asking myself, “Why am I rewarding myself with sweets after I work out? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose and put me back to square one?”

After coming to this realization (which honestly, I probably knew deep down all along), I decided I need to come up with a different method for my reward system. I’ve wanted a new dress, manicure, and new workout shorts for a while now, why not reward myself with something like this? I’m going to start rewarding myself with something other than food.

I constantly think about what meal I’ll have next, what I’m going to make for dinner, what kind of cookies I can bake to bring to the office, or what kind of dessert I can have after I successfully worked out everyday of the week. This isn’t a healthy mindset to have. One afternoon I inquired about where we’d be going for dinner that night, and my friend said, “You know we’ll figure it out when it’s time for dinner. You think about your next meal too much. Relax. You’re going to have a next meal.”

It took that friend to make me realize how obsessed I’ve become. I’m not on death row or starving, so why do I need to think about what meal I’m going to have? I will have a next meal.

Once I start getting on the mindset that my life doesn’t have to revolve around desserts and food, I think I’ll see I don’t need to rely on these comfort foods as much. Jason Alexander just posted a great video blog about how he has come to the realization that comfort and joy are not the same thing. I could not agree with him more. I’m choosing joy from now on.

I’ve decided that after I RUN this race on Sunday I’m going to reward myself, but not with food. Maybe I’ll get those new workout shorts to prepare myself for spring and get motivated to continue my running…or maybe I’ll opt for that manicure!

Val's turning the big 5-0!

I just read Good Housekeeping’s article about Valerie Bertinelli. I can’t believe she is almost 50; she doesn’t look it at all! I really hope I can look like that when I hit the big 5-0.

Her down-to-earth personality shined as I read about her struggles, obstacles she has overcome, family life, and accomplishments. She truly seems to be happy in her own skin now. She explained how Jenny Craig has helped many aspects of her life because she was able to understand why she had been overeating, and learn how to face the emotional problem rather than fill a void with jalapẽno cheese poppers! I recall so many times where I have eaten to solve my relationship woes, and Val is right, we have to learn different ways to deal and cope.

I loved Val’s video interview with the behind-the-scenes of her photo shoot. She looked so happy, healthy, and was embracing getting older. She talked about being grateful, learning to love and forgive. It made me realize how at any age we should be grateful for everything we have been given. She also taught me how truly important for us to forgive others, but most importantly, ourselves. If we can’t forgive ourselves how can we possibly learn to forgive others and move forward?

I thought her article was truly inspiring and put me in a great mood to kick-start my weekend! Thanks, Val!

Val's before and after!

Have you ever put motivational pictures on your fridge so you stay on track, and won’t grab that late-night pint of ice cream? I have!

I thought instead of putting a picture up to keep me from munching, I would put the Jenny Craig team up on JC Talk! This way they all act as reminders and inspiration on my online “communal fridge.”

Here are some awesome pictures to keep you  motivated along with links to Val, Sara, Nicole, and Jason’s video blogs, plus a behind-the-scenes too!

Valerie

• http://jennycraig.com/successstories/blog/valerie/100007
• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/33/3q056PjdYK8
• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/4/07NLLGW0p84

Sara

• http://jennycraig.com/successstories/blog/sara/saravlog2
• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/8/vDEb2zBBbk4

Nicole

• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/25/Wu_hBeTNfDE
• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/0/cIGp0v3liao

Jason

• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/9/fq1WC-9uh_c
• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/1/2DC8pE0LiJA

Behind the scenes with Valerie!

Sara in December

Sara in January

Nicole in October

Nicole in February

Are allergies bugging you as much as they are me? This past week was a nightmare. Although I absolutely love spring, when the seasons start to shift from winter, my allergies go crazy from all the budding flowers and pollen.

I made the big mistake of going on a run after work and a block after I started, realized I should turn around. But did I? Of course not. I finished my three mile run then came back with swollen eyes, a stuffed up nose, and an inflamed throat. Thank you, pollen!

As a result I have been sneezing and blowing my nose for the past week. Of course I put running outside and training for my race on hold as to not make it worse. I decided I’d take my workouts inside. It’s also important to build muscle when training for a race rather than just running alone.

As for the market, I went on Sunday morning and LOVED it; I can’t wait to go again! The best part was when I stopped by a honey stand and discovered how raw honey can help allergies, obesity, and insomnia amongst others. Local raw honey helps your allergies because the bees get nectar from local flowers, which helps you build immunity to the flowers and pollen in your area. Check out these interesting articles I found from howstuffworks.com and EatingWell magazine about how honey can help allergies!

If you get local raw honey from your local markets you are not only helping your allergies but your farmers as well. It’s a win, win situation! I’ve been adding this honey to my tea and in the morning either on my banana or replace butter and jam on my toast with it. You can also add it to your dinner, like with this honey-soy broiled salmon recipe Remember not to eat too much honey. It does contain sugar so you’ll want to limit yourself to three tablespoons a day. I must say, after trying local honey I will never go back to the store bought kind. It tastes more fresh and floral, and knowing that it was made locally instead of on a conveyer belt helps too.

Maybe Winnie the Pooh was onto something!

So as I previously pledged, I’m going to participate in the local St. Patrick’s Day race. I officially signed up this morning (eek!), and now I have to stick with it! I’m going to have to figure out a good routine to either get up early or run after work to train. I have a little less than a month so wish me luck and I’ll keep you posted! If you’re interested in finding a local race or marathon check out Cool Running’s website and find what’s coming up in your area!

In the meantime, since today starts my “no eating after dinner” vow for the next 46 days (April 3^rd seems so far away!) I’ve been trying to think of other ways I can get excited and enthusiastic besides late-night snacking while watching the Olympics.

I’ve decided I’m going to replace a bad habit with a good one. I absolutely LOVE to cook, although I do prefer baking! Since I can’t (correction, won’t) eat late at night, I’m going to make phenomenal dinners so I won’t have the desire or the stomach space to eat late.

Rather than just going to the grocery store and roaming the aisles for inspiration I decided visiting local farmers’ markets would be more fun! Not only are there awesome fruits and veggies that you can sample, but some of the stands offer free recipes as well! It’s a great way to get out with friends or family, and be a part of the community and get fresh produce. I found a great website where you can look up your local farmers’ markets, so rather than lounge around all weekend I’m going to hit up my local farmers’ markets! I’m excited to see what I can find, taste, and take back to create my next masterpiece! Who needs late-night snacks now?!

In honor of Mardi Gras starting tomorrow I thought I’d look into cooking a classic Cajun style dinner. Cajun food is absolutely delicious, but can pack on calories with butter and starch.

Thus I went on a mission to find a healthy dish. I finally came across a Cooking Light recipe that looks out of this world. The best part is not only is it healthy, but other New Orleans recipes are included as well!

So what the heck, lets try out a few! My top picks to make are the Jambalaya with Shrimp and Andouille Sausage, and for my sweet tooth I’ll make the Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce. Both recipes are under 500 calories a serving, which is awesome! This may seem like a splurge, but if you plan ahead you can enjoy a special meal and keep on track.

Speaking of Mardi Gras, is anyone giving something up for Lent this year? I decided to challenge myself. After going back and forth trying to figure out whether or not I actually wanted to commit, I’ve decided no more eating after dinner. I’m going WAY out of my comfort zone. It will most definitely be hard to give up late night chips, popcorn, and dessert, but I think I can do it!

If anyone has advice besides locking my cabinets and refrigerator or placing an alarm system in my kitchen to keep me away from snacking, I’m all ears! For those of you who are also going to give something up this week, good luck! I’ll let you know how it went in April (eek that sounds far away); I should probably pick up a late-night hobby for the next 46 days!

I must admit, when I started hearing about doctors recommending drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day I wasn’t fazed. I am without a doubt, the biggest water drinker I know. To keep up with my water trends, over the years I have gone from trendy athletic water bottles to the newest, Klean Kanteen.

Needless to say, although I think of myself as a water expert, I was fascinated when I came across this water article on Oprah. Although I know the 8 glasses a day rule, I never really knew the logic behind why our bodies actually need and crave water. There’s got to be a reason why our bodies are comprised of 60% of water, eh? I also discovered our bodies can actually give us signs and signals for as to when we need water when we are dehydrated, need energy, or to aid in digestion.

The article ends with a challenge that is something we all can try. For a week when you start to get thirsty, go for water rather than coffee, soda, or juice and pay attention to how your body and mood feels after. You might start noticing you don’t need that caffeine fix or morning cup of orange juice to you get you going. Water can give you the boost you need without the calories!

Perhaps they were onto something when they deemed water the elixir of life!

Way to go, Valerie!

As we spring forward into the new year it’s important to also focus on our bodies as well as food. Let’s face it; some of us haven’t hit the pavement or the treadmills in quite some time (if at all) and tend to put exercise at the bottom of our lists.

Whether you’re getting outside or staying in the gym, it’s important to remember the best approach for your body.

Check out this article I recently read from Shape Magazine that gives great running tips for beginners and pros. As someone who is not always the most enthusiastic about jogging, this article really helped me realize some of the things I have been doing wrong, as well as how I can better myself when I hit the ground running!

In fact, after watching Val’s half-marathon video blog I was inspired to get out there and see what I’m capable of. I’ve decided to do a local St. Patrick’s Day race. I’m starting small with a 5k (3.1 miles), and see where I can take myself from there! Whether it’s walking, run-walking, or full on sprinting, let’s continue to challenge ourselves this year like Val has!

Beyond Halfway!!!!

This was one of the most stressful weeks on my program. First of all, I had to work over the weekend, so by Friday of this week I had worked ten days straight! Second of all I had a long-term customer of mine tell me (admittedly due to a mistake on my part) that I was unprofessional and had lost all credibility. The last straw was the possibility that my job could be eliminated. So you roll that ball of stress up and what do you get? For me at this point in my life it meant sticking even closer to my program. I have finally learned that when things external to me and beyond my control are spinning it is even more important for me to follow my JC menu. On my 10^th day of work I calmed myself with some Evian water and magazines at 9pm at night at the end of my workday. I passed all the drive-through restaurants that used to be my retreat in times of stress when I would convince myself that “this” was just not a “good” time to follow my program. Now I know ALL the time is a GOOD time to follow my program. So what was my reward for taking exceptional care of me? I didn’t meet my halfway goal of 40 pounds, I PASSED IT and lost 2.8 pounds for a total of 41 pounds GONE. YAY ME!

It hit me that I had finally grown to a point where the opinions others have of me don’t define me. I get to determine who I am, and I know I AM professional and credible, independent of what that customer said about me. I know I am someone who will land on my feet regardless of what happens to my job. Why? Because I have decided on whom I am, and that’s a woman who knows how to put herself on her “to-do” list of top priorities.

I haven’t felt this proud of my choices in a very long time. I could get used to being powerful and not pitiful.

I’ve also attached a picture of me in front of the poster at my center. I think I’m looking pretty good if I say so myself!

Hope

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