Newsletter Archives

 

A Weighty Issue

July 2007

 

Well, summer is here! What are you looking forward to this summer? What will be different this year from last?

Last year, I wake boarded and mountain biked for the first time in my life. This summer, I plan to hike more, get myself a road bike and volunteer to work at a road race. I'm still trying to figure out how to get myself to Iron man Canada in Penticton next month so I can be inspired by those amazing athletes - but whether I get there or not, the best part of my summers are now trying and doing something new.

In this month's newsletter, I'll share with you what I told to the graduating class of Highwood High school 2007 and how you can be inspired by watching others workout!

Whatever summer brings you, I wish for you a moment of quiet to reflect and be thankful because we have our health, we have each other and life is good.

 

"Live your best life"

 

Recently, I had a wonderful opportunity to share some insight with a graduating class. Here are bits of my speech.

When I was first asked to come speak to you today, I thought, "No one ever ever remembers who spoke at his or her high school graduation. I DON'T remember who spoke at my graduation and when I asked around - no one else did either". So, that being said, since you won't remember me anyways Class of 2007, I thought I would change things up a bit.

The thought occurred to me, that over the past 3 years, you might have questioned your parent's intelligence. Am I right? I mean, I was thinking about when I was 17 - and I did, in fact, have the dumbest parents on the face of the earth - it was because they were always saying the most ridiculous things to me. Things like....

• If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?
• Do you think money grows on trees?

Or the parental standard...

• Because I said so...

One of the most classic that stands out in my mind is something that my Mother would always say to me...She would say..."Stephanie Lin, these are the best years of your life" (and I knew I was suppose to be listening because she used my middle name!) Couldn't she see though that I was having a bad hair day, we lost our volleyball game and Mrs. Commodore the Math teacher hated me...so these WEREN'T the best years of my life!!!

So, tonight, instead of speaking to you, Class of 2007, I would like to speak to your parents and grandparents (and yes, the teachers whose intelligence has been questioned at one time or another over the past 3 years). I thought you might think they need a little help and since everyone has spoken to you today, I figured we needed a change.

I want to speak to you about living the best years of your life. As the graduates well know, the world is their oyster. Their entire future lays ahead of them, full of possibility. We tell them that, just as it was told to us, but how do you get there? How do you make these dreams and possibilities come true?

How do you live the best years of your life whether you are a teenager or in your 20, 30's, 40's, 50's and on? How do you reach those goals? Tonight, I want to share with you the 3 steps that will assist you to reach your goals, regardless where you are in life.

Think back to that day that you graduated. How you felt, how full of promise you life seemed...how they seemed to be, in fact, the best years of your life. (And how you wished the banquet would finish quickly so you could get out to the grad party!) (Yes, Grads...your parents partied too)

Today's event, takes me back to the time just before my graduation too. We would often sit around discussing our dreams for the future. Elaine, wanted to be in government. Now, she's the Deputy Premiere of the Yukon Territory. Mike wanted to be a Doctor. Now, he's one of the best cardiologists in the world. Jean, an entrepreneur , is annually listed on the most successful businesswomen in Canada list. I - I wanted to be a lawyer - based out of New York, a jetsetter, who worked international business deals. I live in High River and have 3 kids. No, not exactly as I imagined, but I'm not unusual. And I have in fact discovered something very important - that yes, these are the best years of my life.

Recently, I ran a marathon, 42.2k. Big deal! Lots of people run marathons, in fact, there may be people reading this who have run a marathon. What makes the marathon an unusual or perhaps inspiring experience for some to hear about, is that I used to weigh 320lbs.

How did I go, from a 17 year old with dreams of being a successful business person, world traveller to being a 34 year old, morbidly obese woman who felt like she had no hope, lost dreams and was a failure?

I want to share with you the story of when I made my decision to make these the best years of my life. As an Occupational Health and Safety Consultant, I tell businesses daily how to keep their employees healthy and alive. In my own home, I was practicing this by going through our fire safety plan and procedures with my kids. At the time, my oldest - Matt was 10 years old and wise beyond his years. My twins, Katie and Jack were 3 years old. I was explaining to the kids, in my serious Mommy voice...you know, the tone that demands that they listen.

I was explaining to the kids how to escape our bi-level home in case of a fire. This is what the fire alarm sounds like and when you hear this Mommy will come to the room and get the fire escape ladder out of the closet. The kids followed to the closet and I pulled out the ladder. I looked at the twins...blonde hair, big blue eyes...wide with alarm and attention. I turned to the window and went on to say "Mommy will open up the window and place the ladder out it..." and then I stopped. I looked up slowly at the kids. Matthew knew what I was thinking...he saw my face flush red. The twins watched my eyes closely.

You see, in that moment, I realized that I couldn't fit out that window. I couldn't do the thing that was most important to me - and that was take care of my children. As parents, I know you understand this.

It was a proverbial "light bulb" moment. I couldn't fit out the window. I had stopped living my life. My dreams had disappeared. I felt lost. My outside didn't match my "inside".

In that moment, I knew I had to save myself. My life. My heart. My soul. I realized that when I was 17, I had all the intentions, dreams and aspirations that everyone had. But I never did a thing with them.

How do you turn your dreams into reality?

The definition of "intention" is: a course of action that one intends to follow.

The definition of "action" is: something done as opposed to something said.

People ask me all the time - How did you get healthy? How did you lose over 160lbs? I did it one step at a time, one lb. at a time, one moment at a time. I understood process so I reached out to people who knew more and learned about nutrition & exercise. I knew I had to get healthy. Losing weight was the first step for me.

I discovered new dreams. I discovered new aspirations.

What would it feel like to participate in life again? What would it feel like to move freely, physically and in spirit? What would it feel like to feel alive, that I had chosen to be here instead of ending up here by default? What would it feel like to take control of my life again, instead of looking outside for validation?

Along the way, there were setbacks. There always are. It's called life.

I kept moving forward, realizing that everyone was going to benefit from me finding my way again. I intended to get healthy and start that by losing some weight - and then I acted - I actually did something about it.

So after 2 years and 8 mos, I was finally at a healthy weight. During that time, I rediscovered what it felt like to be accountable for my choices. I rediscovered me, healthy and strong, capable and confident. Those qualities I had when I was 17...lost but not forgotten.

My "next big thing?"...A marathon.

A marathon is not just a foot race. It is a test of mental tenacity. It is in fact, 90% mental and 10% physical. To run a marathon would challenge my self-beliefs system. No one else could run it for me. No one else could put it into action.

There is that word again - ACTION. I intended to run a marathon. Now I had to do something about it. I had a base of running experience. I turned to others who knew more and asked for their help. I joined a marathon-training group. I ran fast to challenge my body. I ran hills to build strength. I ran far to build endurance. I was putting into action, my intention. I wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away.

On May 6th, I finished the Vancouver International Marathon, 170lbs lighter than what I was 5 yrs ago.

What I discovered is that it takes more than having a dream and putting it into action. If that were the case, each graduate in this room would have scored 100% on their diploma exams (I'm sure there was some praying and dreaming going on before those!) and we would all be independently wealthy!

There is a 3rd step. You can have all the intentions in the world, you can start to act upon them - but you have to have test your limits. You have to have the courage to succeed.

Courage is the "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty"

The 3rd step, the one that escapes many people, is the courage to stay strong when it gets difficult, to test your limits and to dig deep.

How did I develop the courage to succeed? Perhaps it was because of those seemingly crazy pieces of advice my parents offered me. Now, I am many years older and I know now that many of the other things they said are true.

• Failure is not fatal
• The cup is 1/2 full, not 1/2 empty
• Expect the unexpected and expect it to be wonderful

Today readers, I offer you this - You are never too old to take those intentions, act on them and have courage to succeed because these are the best years of your life.

 

Healthier Ways to Eat When Traveling

Smart Substitution: Foods for the Road

It's hard to eat healthy on the road. You're driving hours to your final destination and the last thing you're worried about is what you're eating. All too often people focus on arriving as quickly as possible and overlook taking care of their own bodies. And it leads to exhaustion before you even arrive.

There are many tactics at your disposal to ensure a refreshed and invigorated feeling when you arrive. Believe it or not, nutrition is pretty basic. Step No. 1 - drink plenty of water. Dehydration can cause fatigue and make you feel just plain lousy. Yes, this will mean more rest stops and bathroom breaks. Trust us, it will be worth it in the long run. As a special note, alcohol causes dehydration. Drinking alcohol on the plane (or even the night before your trip) is not the wisest course of action. If you do order a glass of wine or two, make sure to match every drink with an extra cup of water.

Try eating an extra-healthy meal the night before leaving. Your body will be better prepared to handle the rigors of traveling. Load up on foods you think you might be skimping on during the trip, such as fruits and vegetables. Don't go overboard on the calories; just make sure you're getting as much out of your meal as you can, nutrient-wise.

We all know that rest area food and airplane meals aren't so great. Either they taste horrible, or are so loaded with the bad stuff (fat, grease, sodium) that you know you'll be doing your body a disservice by consuming them. So what can you do? Bring some food with you! That doesn't mean packing an oversized cooler (although you can if you have room in the car). It means bringing small, easy to pack, easy to eat, nourishing foods. Items such as nuts, fruit, energy bars, granola, or raw veggies are simple snack ideas. Individually wrapped items are especially useful when traveling. Pull one out, munch down, and at the next stop, pitch the wrapper (in a trash can of course).

It's key to eat at regular intervals throughout the day. Don't skip meals just because you're "making good time." You'll need the energy. When it comes down to it, use your head. Try to eat as healthy as you can, just as you would any other day.

_{(This article is from www.sparkpeople.com)}

 

 

"Will" yourself to work out!

A lot of people comment to me all the time about how much "willpower" it must take to exercise regularly.

Although I would hesitate to call it willpower, what it does take is practice. Yes, that's right. Practice. Like anything, you need to work at it, especially on those days that it's easy to talk yourself out of making a choice that is healthier.

Here are 3 steps that will help you "will" yourself to workout:

• Visualize it
  Picture yourself putting on your walking shoes and going for a walk, stretching your muscles, riding your bike or participating in a yoga class. Now imagine what it will feel like to feel the fresh air on your face, or the sweat that comes with hard work on your neck. Picture the route you will walk, the people you will see, or the sense of peace you will feel.
• Have a close encounter
  Wear your workout clothes around the house until you feel comfortable in them. As a runner, I'm still not comfortable being seen in spandex, but I wear it because I can, it prevents me from chafing and I have come to the conclusion that no one cares! Spend time at the park, pool or gym in your workout clothes and watch others working out. They can and will be very inspiring to you to feel comfortable and join in.
• Take a "taste" test
  Pick an activity you will enjoy and "try" it out for 10 minutes. Allow yourself to make longer workout dates and make sure you mark them on your calendar. As you progress and begin to see and feel results, you will be strengthening your "will" to workout!

Upcoming Events:

I wanted to share with you some exciting events for me over the next while.

In November, I've been booked by the Calgary Health Region to present my workshop "The Weight is over". This workshop will be open to the public and be available for registration in the fall catalogue from the "Women's Health Issues" department.

I'll also be speaking at the Pajama Party at the Chateau Lake Louise October 19-21, 2007. This is a wonderful weekend getaway with fabulous speakers (I know many of them personally), incredible food and lots of laughter.

www.thepajamaparty.info

 

"To dream anything you want to dream, that is the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do, that is the strength of human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed."

Bernard Edmonds