Forty Days to Fit and Fabulous!

I just realized the holidays are upon us.  For whatever it is worth, it seems like quite a few of us have been eating more of our comfort foods and doing less moving and shaking lately.  Why?  Well, I have two theories, at least from where my four pound (yes, I know, the same four from a month or more ago) gain has materialized from.

The first is due in part to writing my and reading other's blogs, which keeps me immobile for more time at a stretch than ever before.  After training and/ or teaching exercise, I used to dash through emails, write for about an hour (a book I have been in process with for a few years) and maybe check out a few shopping sites or look up professional information.  It seems that since I started blogging with some regularity, I have been on my computer and therefore sitting for approximately two hours extra per day.  Not good!

The second theory I have, regarding my four pounds, is that since I have decided to budget and not spend so recklessly, I have been eating and entertaining at home a whole lot more.  I have become obsessed with preparing delicious foods with regularity so as to make up for the lack of spontaneous entertainment. Today, I truly believe this will be an advantage for me in the forty days until Thanksgiving because I can prepare foods with less  (fat, salt and sugars) than most restaurants deliver.  I just need to make some shifts in how I have been consuming my yummy creative cuisine.

My purpose these next forty days is to impart the Bodeci wisdom of a fitness lifestyle to you, my faithful followers.  I will not be getting off track with too many posts about canning tomatoes or the new outfit I bought or the ways I have been able to save $;  that is for my blogger friends to share with you and you can find their marvelous blogs listed in my blog roll.  


I will be including a small 'to do' for each of the Bodeci strategy headings and will be posting every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to be delivered to you no later than Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and my strategy headings are:

Helen in February said, "Don't make me diet!"

• Begin
• Organize
• Drink
• Exercise
• Calories Count
• Imagine

For today and until my next post:

She says just begin with small steps and never look back!

Begin today with a new attitude.  You have the ability to shift your attitude from one of victim or incapable to that of I can and I will!

Helen has lost more than 35 pounds on the scale.  She now curls 35 pounds with a smile!

Organize the food in your home.  Toss the old crap to make room for new and improved foods to help you on your way to Fit and Fabulous.  Make a shopping list of foods that you know will support you. Purchase and prep them so they are ready to create meals.  (I will be giving shopping lists in future posts to help with some of the mystery, but for now, rely upon the information you know has worked for you in the past.)  Spend at least a half an hour today, tomorrow and Wednesday on this.

Take it away!

Drink water all day long especially fifteen minutes before your meal.

This one seems so easy.  Trust me, you will need to make sure the water is at hand!  Just drink.

Exercise doing a half an hour of cardiovascular exercises on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  This could be anything from running, walking or jogging to in-line skating, hula hoop or jumprope.  The choice is yours.  Just do it regularly and don't blow it off!  On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday do your weight training.  If in doubt as to what to do, just follow my 'BODECI WORKOUT' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_nY10yaHeo .  I will be giving new exercise programs throughout the forty days, but for right now, this quick program will offer enough to create muscle strength and tone.

When in doubt, scrub your floors quickly!  Check out my other youtube
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YxpmqveC6s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUHYCz58vCw

Calories count no matter what anyone has told you.  The best way to begin changing your caloric intake is to only eat one serving for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack(s).  This means you will not be eating slices of cheese while preparing dinner or dipping a spoon into the ice cream container mindlessly.  It is about focusing on making your meal then eyeballing a serving of protein (size of the palm of your hand), a serving of grains or non-white carbohydrates (about the size of your fist), a serving of vegetables (about the size of your two hands making a large bowl) and a serving (the size of your thumb) of healthy fats such as olive oil, nuts and nut butters and avocado.  My personal plan calls for about one hundred extra calories per meal for dairy, wine, condiments and/ or fruit.  

Bodeci poached egg atop sweet potato and red pepper hash.

Yummy!!  Yummy!! Yummy!! Yummy!! Yummy! Yummy!! Yummy!!  Yummy!! Yummy!! Yummy!!

Imagine you are making these small and time affordable changes to your day and how fabulous you will feel as a few pounds begin to drop from your body.  Imagine how great it will be when you arrive at a holiday party wearing your favorite outfit and you are perfectly comfortable in it.  Imagine just exactly what you want for your body and feel how great your emotional self is during the upcoming season!

Do you see her?  She is your fairy godmother.  She is within all of you.  Listen to her wisdom, for once!

I want you to succeed.  Let me know how you would like this program to fit with you.  I am here for you. 
Tell me where you are having difficulties.  I love my clients and students and YOU.  I am here.