I need this....gratitude awareness! Do you?

Want to know a simple secret to happiness?

Gratitude.

Yes, it’s really that simple.

It is very beneficial to write down the things in your life for which you are grateful.  It can be as simple as a beautiful flower you saw on a walk or as profound as the love you have for your family. It can instantly put you in a new state of happiness and awareness of all your blessings.  When you do this on a day that is particularly trying, it actually has the power to change the direction of your entire day!

There is nothing more powerful to change your perspective than to be grateful. Life is always presenting challenges and ups and downs. We are constantly living with a challenge, getting past a challenge or starting a challenge.  Our character and strength have continuous opportunities to grow.

Sometimes it is hard to understand why we have these challenges. Some examples might be:

·       Why does my friend have cancer?

·       Why do small children become sick and suffer?

·       Why is that customer so difficult to deal with?

Regardless of the scope or size of the challenge, there is always one thing challenges have in common: the opportunity to grow. No matter how bad things are in our lives, there is always a reason to be grateful. By focusing on our purpose and blessings, we are able to put the negativity in its place.  When the negative becomes our sole focus that is what we will find, and we will become self involved and swallowed up by the problems.

By focusing on what is good and right in our life, the bad things recede and become smaller and we experience an opportunity for growth.

 Thoughts of gratitude:

Be Thankful

    Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,

    If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

    Be thankful when you don’t know something

    For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

    Be thankful for the difficult times.

    During those times you grow.

    Be thankful for your limitations

    Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

    Be thankful for each new challenge

    Because it will build your strength and character.

    Be thankful for your mistakes

    They will teach you valuable lessons.

    Be thankful when you’re tired and weary

    Because it means you’ve made a difference.

    It is easy to be thankful for the good things.

    A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are

    also thankful for the setbacks.

    GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.

    Find a way to be thankful for your troubles

    and they can become your blessings.

    ~ Author Unknown ~

Gratitude list for the day….

I am grateful for abundance today…

the sunshine

bright ideas

a loving spouse

little hugs and BIG good mornings

opportunities

friends

I’d love to hear how gratitude shifted a negative or bad day for you? Share with me below!  AND write in your journal daily with your gratitude every evening!

Have an amazing day!

In health,

Cheryl Love

Imagine Fit ©2015

Dieting & Weight Loss – 14 Secrets to Move the Scale for Good

Well hello!  SO I am finally getting into the swing of things after the prep and completion of a joyous event!  YES, a joyous event...my oldest son married!  And wow, did we have some great food choices for the rehearsal, the wedding, the day after...from dinner items to cupcakes to a cook out!  And I was very mindful, well mostly, of what I was choosing and walked a bunch!  There were about 54 steps up and down from the one area of he lodge to the upper level!  Aren't they great together!

But you know we live in a funny society.  We look up to the slim, thin, skinny and we dole out mountains of processed snack, junk and fast foods.  We sit around and watch television instead of getting up and walking to the park or grocery store.  Or we "play" on the Internet! NOTE:  there was no TV watching or Internet surfing for me this past weekend! Except for posting pictures!

It seems like it is a constant obsession to try to get fit and healthy, yet all the time we keep reverting back to the food and entertainment forms that are so prevalent. Every single family get together, every holiday, every celebration is centered on food and drink.  Most of the time gluttonous food and drink! Do you see that in your family?

So, when we start to become unhappy with the way we look (no one associates their illness or sluggishness with food) we start cutting calories.  Every New Year the diet industry pulls out all the advertising plugs, because every New Year we resolve to lose all the weight we put on the years before.  Diet pills, replacement shakes, artificial sweeteners, surgeries, magazines and fad diets.  The problem is, these things all make our problem worse.  We may lose weight quickly at first but we lose muscle at the same time and then gain back all fat, which is not so good. 

Then we are minus the muscle and plus more fat.

If you want to lose weight and keep it off, look to people who have successfully done it.  You will notice that they did not use diet pills, meal replacement shakes or fad diets. Here are my quick best tips to lose - get healthier and keep it off!

14 Proven ways to lose weight for good:

1. Eat breakfast
2. Eat all day long
3. Drink more water
4. Eat at home
5. Eat whole foods
6. Reduce stress
7. Get a good night’s sleep
8. Get moving
9. Keep a journal
10. Eat some good, high quality protein
11. Take a vitamin supplement
12. Eat more vegetables
13. Give up the “c”‘s
14. Do a kitchen makeover and get the unhealthy foods that tempt you out of your house.

This is what you eat!

• Fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains
• Small amounts of high quality protein
• Small amounts of healthy fat (coconut oil, avocado)

  

What do you think of skipping the fad diets?  Relying on the "newest" and "quickest" way to lose!  JUST Start eating healthy!  Add in simple things to increase veggies first!

If you want to lose weight, eat more green vegetables and less simple carbohydrates.  Give up the “C”‘s - cakes, cookies, candy and chips!  Once those are out of your house and your life you WILL notice a difference on the scale!  Or rely on Mindful Eating!  You can read more here in this e-book:  Mindful Eating - Practicing Mindful Eating not only transforms your health, but your relationship with the foods you ingest, as well. Happy eating!

 So...Quit going to McDonalds and Burger King or any other fast food places...and then come back and leave a comment (will probably take 24 hours) about how good you feel! AND if you do eat out often...what are some tips for that?                   Coming soon....

This is not a normal BLOG post! 

 It's a gift! 

  From me to you!  

Yes I have some amazing fans!  

AND I hit a milestone this week! 

 Well, a milestone for the Facebook world! 

  IMAGINE FIT business page hit 1K LIKES! 

 So to celebrate and thank everyone for their support...let's do this Challenge! 

 JUST CLICK HERE TO REGISTER !

WOW, have your cupboards looked like this?  Mine have!  Do they still?  If you are my friend, and you follow me...I hope not! But seriously, I know many still rely on these quick fixes.  Are they all bad?  No, probably not (ok - yeah mostly) BUT what is worse is they can lead you down the path of addiction - to what?  Maybe sugar, maybe just convenience, maybe to some additives in them!  I challenge you to clean them up.  

And what can help!  Learning more about food addiction!  That's a start!  

As a health coach, one thing I love about this industry is the connections and friendships I have made.  And the fact that we are a very diverse group.  We each have a passion for our niche!  And many of us specialize in one thing or another!  My friend Angela - she specializes in food addiction.  If you want to know more about that...join her for a FREE educational webinar on June 16th at 5PM PST/8PM EST  Just click here and register!  Or copy and paste this link into your browser.  

https://eo248.isrefer.com/go/ffa/cplove/

I am so excited for Angela - webinars are my scary place!  Can't wait to see all the great info she brings to you! Once you watch...let me know!  

register here!

For more information about Health Coaching - what it is, how I can support your healthy changes...visit me at Imagine Fit!

Here's a hint that you may have a food addiction!  Take this quiz!

Am I a Food Addict?

---

To find out, answer the following questions as honestly as you can. 

1. Have you ever wanted to stop eating and found you just couldn't? 
2. Do you think about food or your weight constantly? 
3. Do you find yourself attempting one diet or food plan after another, with no lasting success? 
4. Do you binge and then "get rid of the binge" through vomiting, exercise, laxatives, or other forms of purging? 
5. Do you eat differently in private than you do in front of other people? 
6. Has a doctor or family member ever approached you with concern about your eating habits or weight? 
7. Do you eat large quantities of food at one time (binge)?

Click here for the full quiz...Am I A Food Addict?

Thanks for your support and can't wait to hear what you learn on this webinar...share your "aha" moments here!

Cheryl Love

INHC/AADP

I LOVE CHERRIES!  

AND they are in season....expensive as all get out!  But in Season! And I am in heaven! 

 I have already bought them twice!  What about you?

With a short peak season (May to July), high susceptibility 

to disease and short shelf life after harvest, cherry season

comes and goes very quickly!

From an article by Dr. Mercola:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/08/02/health-benefits-cherries.aspx*

8 Top Health Benefits of Cherries

Tart cherries are also used to make juice concentrates that may offer some unique health benefits. Some of the most notable health effects of cherries include…

•  Antioxidant Protection
•  Cancer-Preventive Compounds
•  Reduce Inflammation and Your Risk of Gout
•  Support Healthy Sleep (Melatonin)
•  Arthritis Pain Relief
•  Reduce Belly Fat
•  Reduce Post-Exercise Muscle Pain
•  Lower Risk of Stroke

• Be sure to click the link above for all the details!*

Cherries make me think of summer!  And summer reminds me that it is a new season and lots of great seasonal foods are available.  Thinking of seasonal foods leads me to a seasonal cleanse/detox.  A way to GET READY FOR SUMMER NOW !

So why do I feel a seasonal cleanse/detox is a good thing?  Imagine if you lived in a very small space.  What would it be like if you could only remove 20% of the trash you brought in?  What would it feel like to be in that space after a week?  What about a month? A season? Now imagine a year!  How does it feel to be in that space now?  This is how your cells feel when they cannot release waste.

Detoxing your cells will improve your ability to absorb nutrients.  "Like all those good things from cherries" It also can stabilize and improve energy. Detoxing also supports the elimination of waste that can cause weight gain and that  waste can also cause cravings.  SO....when your body does not eliminate well it becomes toxic and acidic, your blood and your cells slow down.  Your body slows down and breaks down!

GET SUMMER READY NOW is my signature summer program!  Just 14 Days to a Summer Glow!  Real food, real results!  Let's get rid of the winter and spring junk now and maybe throw in a loss of a little more junk!  Just do it!  

MESSY DESK...MESSY MIND...OR GENIUS AT WORK?

So it is confession time!  I have a messy desk!  I am a paper person...have to print it and file it and log it and keep it forever!  BUT I am a fairly organized messy desk person...I know where everything is! 

  IT'S ALL ON TOP OF MY DESK!  

I was reading an article this week about this.  It was in the little SpryLiving paper that comes in with the newspaper!  It was written by Scott Bea, PSYD, a Cleveland Clinic expert. I tried to find a link for you, but I guess I will just have to tell you about it!

Someone asked the question:     

Is my cluttered desk keeping me from being productive?  

He replied:  A person with a messy workplace may just be busy and more engaged with their work than with clearing the clutter.  - or something close to that!  GREAT - that sounds like me!

But wait: "A study published in Psychological Science found that people with messy desks were more likely to be more creative and produce new or fresh ideas than those whose desks were neat.  On the flip side, neat freaks were more likely to "do the right thing" like making a charitable donation or eating a healthy diet"

Now just wait a doggone minute...I feel like I always "do the right thing" and I eat a "healthy diet".  Creative...I don't think so...I try not to re-invent the wheel.  So which is right?

The article went on to say that messy desk or not, if you feel you are not as productive as you would like to be, clearing your desk could help.  AND they suggested a "desk - clearing" day on your calendar each week.  BUT really, experts say the most important thing is for your mind to feel uncluttered and if it isn't then do something about it.  

"If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what, then, is an empty desk a sign?" Albert Einstein once asked. 

 (from an article on pshycology.about.com) 

I like the way he thinks or thought or whatever!

Either way - my desk is messy and sometimes it helps me get focused and sometimes it clouds my mind.  In search for some solutions - I went to the WEB. I found "5 TIPS TO ORGANIZING YOUR OFFICE" ! And so I begin.

First a trip to STAPLES for more files folders and hangers.  Must get that paper off the desk and into files and organized so I know(for sure)where to find stuff!  I will set aside 30 minutes two to three times per week to sort through each of the baskets, review the documents and take the appropriate action.

Accountability is key for me...so I have an accountability partner I will check in with. Thanks Robin! AND I will schedule it in my calendar weekly!  

Do you have issues with messy desk?  What's your best tip for clearing up the clutter? Here's another resource I found, and I will be watching!  Check it out!

Home Organizing by Alejandra.tv

Can't wait to hear from you on how you deal with messy desk, clutter!

6Weeks Sofa to Sensational!

You need to exercise.  I need to exercise.  I moved ahead to write this chapter because I have a struggle with myself when I am working on too many exciting things and that is to leave my time in for exercise and fitness.  Luckily I have a great workout partner for 3 days a week, but seriously if she cancels…it’s hard to go alone! BUT, the problem is, once you quit moving so do our endorphins and it gets a little depressing. No depression wanted here, what about you?

#1 Make time…no matter how busy…make the time!

We think we don’t have time but actually we do.  I have found in my experience, the more time I make to move my body the more time I have in the day.  Funny how that works! I think it is because I have more energy and I am sure that endorphins have something to do with it as well.  The truth is, the more you move, the more active you become! And I know we are all busy, but there are so many ways to squeeze in a little time. 

#2 Find something you love to do!

You need to do something you love.  It doesn’t really matter what it is as long as you do it.  I love to dance and I love to strength train with bodyweight exercises.  I know it sounds funny, but I get a thrill being able to enjoy my “me” time and having others with me and I love how it makes me look. Not just in my body, but in my SMILE! 

Do you love a BOOTCAMP?  What comes to mind when you here that word?  TOO MUCH WORK, I WILL SWEAT TOO MUCH, I DON”T THINK I CAN DO IT?  All those things have been in my thoughts before! But what is a BOOTCAMP?  Seriously…it is defined as “Bootcamp is a group exercise program packed with fun and energizing activities designed to help you reach a fitness goal.  Often run outdoors in the fresh air.” Or “a training style camp for military recruits”?  Which brings up a good picture in your mind?  I see a Bootcamp as a combination of exercise, learning, fellowship, accountability.

#3 Pair it with something you love!

You can even do things you don’t love to do.  However, these are the hardest.  That is why you need to pair it up with something you do love to do.  I know some of you who are reading this know what I mean.  The thing that I am trying to say, is that if you choose something you don’t like to do and have a higher purpose you reach new heights of satisfaction you would never have known otherwise.

Experiment and find what is right for you.  Some people like to play.  If that is you then join a basketball team or perhaps a volleyball team.  Sometimes if you pair it with being social then it doesn’t feel like exercise.  Dance is exercise too! Pair it with romance!

#4 Clarify what you want to achieve.

Do you want to lose weight, de-stress, build strength, improve your golf game, rebuild your knees?  If you need to get to the grocery store, you have 3 choices, walk, ride your bike or drive.  If you want to rebuild your knees, you are not going to pick lunges well that just doesn’t make sense.  If you can’t figure it out, don’t be afraid to hire a professional trainer.  They have been taught to know the things that you do not.  They know what you can do that will best achieve your goals.  You can hire them for one visit to make a plan or you can hire them for a few to show you how or long term to build on your success.

#5 Make an appointment with yourself for exercise.

Schedule it into your day.  The reason I say this is because, if you show up you will do it. SCHEDULE this into your calendar – APRIL 4^th, 9AM SNAP Fitness, Radcliff –

Barre Latte Bootcamp – coaching, movement and fun!

#6 Do your homework and know why you are moving it and shaking it!

It helps to know that if you don’t work out on a regular basis that you are going to be sick.  Exercise prevents heart disease, diabetes, cancer, depression, osteoporosis and arthritis (just to name a few).  Exercise makes you smarter (proven), leaner and healthier.  If that isn’t enough exercise gives you energy!

#8 Look for a mentor!

There are tons of people out there who have done it.  Those are the people you want to find.  They are also very willing to show you how to do it.  The secret is to find someone who is doing what you want to do and learn from them.  You don’t have to do the same thing over and over because you can learn new things and add it in to your old routines.  You can diversify.

#10 Exercise just like food, changes everything.