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Week 11

Is your well being a top priority for you?


From "If I'm so smart why can't I lose weight?" by Brooke Castillo

Self-Care Tool #1
Make You the Number One Priority
in Your Life
I cannot count the number of times I have heard
clients say they don’t have enough time to plan
meals, feel their feelings, or exercise. It’s a tragedy.
All of these well-meaning women give so much to
everyone else, but leave the scraps to themselves. I tell
them all the same thing: you can’t pour love from an
empty pitcher.
The hardest part of this scenario is that giving to others
at your expense can be externally rewarding. You
are viewed as a giver and you really are; but inside,
you are starving for your own attention. I think this is
one of the reasons we become overweight; we are trying
to get our own attention. The most important
person to take care of is you. Period. If you aren’t
healthy, you won’t be any good to anyone. Also, for
those of you who have kids: You need to remember the
best legacy you can give to your kids is an example of
a life well-lived. They may listen to what you say, but
they will do what you do. If you tell them to take care
of themselves and you don’t do it yourself, what kind
of message are you sending?

You must become number one. You do not ever sacrifice
healthy eating, exercise, or your emotional health
for the sake of anyone else…ever. If someone really
needs you, they need you to be healthy and available.
Put your own oxygen mask on first and then take care
of the kids or anyone else who needs you. The ironic
part of this process is that once you start taking care of
yourself, you have so much more to give to others. It
doesn’t take away from them; it adds value and joy to
their lives. So grab that to-do list and make sure you
are at the top of it every time!
I am sure you have heard this advice before and
understood it intellectually, but now it is time to start
applying this practice. I am very extreme with this
advice and I require my clients to at least try it out.
What this means is that (sometimes) the kids have to
give up on some of their activities so mom can have
one of her own. This means that friends don’t always
get the help they need and dinner is not quite ready at
the exact time expected. This is very difficult for many
women. I have had one client in tears when she told
her family they would have to wait twenty minutes to
leave for the amusement park because she wanted to
get her exercise in. Her family was shocked by the
request. They were used to her dropping everything so
the family could be happy. She had taught them that
her need to take care of herself wasn’t important. She
should have expected them to be shocked when she
showed them a new way to treat her by treating her
workout as important.
Another common situation I hear from my clients is
that there was a special circumstance that made it
impossible to have fuel food ready or time to workout.
When I inquire about the situation, it is usually a party
they were throwing for someone or a PTA meeting or
a son’s basketball tournament. The truth is that there
will always be these things vying for your attention.
My answer is that those things are all secondary to
your emotional health and physical care. If you can’t
take care of yourself and throw a party, cancel the
party. If you can’t work out and attend your son’s tournament,
you don’t see your son play. Almost 100
percent of the time, my clients find a way to do both;
if they can’t, I insist they put themselves first. I can
hear the complaints from you reading this as clearly as
I hear my clients. This seems extreme to them and out
of the ordinary. I assure you it isn’t. It is one of the
most important actions you can take to make this program
work for you.

Exercise:
• Make a list of your top ten priorities. Make sure
your health and well-being are at the top.
1. ____________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________
5. ____________________________________________
6. ____________________________________________
7. ____________________________________________
8. ____________________________________________
9. ____________________________________________
10. ____________________________________________
 

My favorite stuff

 

"Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts inspire your words. Be careful of your words, for your words precede your actions. Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits. Be careful of your habits, for your habits build your character. Be careful of your character, for your character decides your destiny." - Chinese proverb

Today


I find that I'm better motivated to stay on track with diet and exercise when I keep healthy stimulus in my environment.  Here are some of my favorite sources of inspiration.  I, like you all, are so busy and these little things help me to keep my focus:

  • "Fitness" Magazine
  • Kathy Smith DVD's and Books
  • Bob Greene Books
  • The Book "If I'm so smart why can't I lose weight?" by Brooke Castillo
  • Fit TV "All Star Workouts"
  • Madonna Grimes Videos (she's so cool)
  • Any kind of dancing movies or videos (I collect them)
  • Fit TV "Shimmy" for the bellydancer in all of us
  • Dr. Oz appearances on Opera and his books (he endorses Zumba ya' know)
  • Buying a great pair of jeans
  • Buying a great pair of new sneakers to workout in
  • Getting a checkup and hearing my doctor rave about my resting heart rate and low blood pressure
  • Playing basketball with my kids
  • Walking my dogs Rosie and Winston
  • Keeping in mind that if I take good care of myself I can take much better care of the people who depend on me

What inspires you?

 
All Content provided by Carol Casper