Final thoughts

Michelle: 

It's hard to believe it's been twelve weeks already! It's been a road of ups and downs for me. I came into this thinking I could just change everything overnight and found out that I was wrong. I was disappointed at first, but thanks to some great conversations with Michelle Graham from the YMCA, I learned to think of what my accomplishments were each week rather than what my failures were.

My number one goal was to quit smoking. I found myself cheating once in a while and sneaking a smoke here and there, but my goal was to quit completely, so I did, cold turkey. The first week was tough, but with each passing day I found that the urges would go away as quickly as they came on. I have been tobacco free for over two weeks now and it gets easier every day. I can feel a difference already and it feels good to know that I don't smell like a smoker anymore as well.

Now that I have kicked the smoking habit, I can focus more on fitness and healthy eating. Trying to do it all at once was just a little more change than I could handle at once. With that said, I can say that I didn't lose any weight. At first I found myself noshing a bit more, but I have been trying lately to make a conscious effort not to replace smoking with snacking.  

I am thankful for the BetterU program, and thankful that they picked me. It gave me the motivation I needed to make positive change. This time next year I will be able to look back and say that in the last year I gave up cigarettes, embraced exercise, and learned how to make healthier food choices.

 

Laurie:

Twelve weeks are finally done and this is my last post, so let’s see what I have learned:

You never know how a person lives their life just by looking at them.

Some of us are capable of big changes, some of us make smaller ones over longer periods.

Habit’s might not be broken, but they can evolve.

All movement is forward movement.

Fruit is ……okay. :)

The pictures in the American Heart Association book of all the different women wearing red outfits was the first thing I noticed, they were all shapes and sizes.  Maybe, I thought to myself, being slim isn’t the goal? Perhaps, it is important to look at what is going on inside and if I need to make changes there.

Some of us made huge changes in such a short time frame, they accomplished in 12 weeks what I have been struggling with for 5 years. But does it matter how long it takes? Does it matter if you just change one thing at a time or if you make sweeping changes? I don’t think so, I think it all count’s equally, it’s all a step forward.

Which brings me to habit’s, good & bad, everyone has them, so why not use them?  Hate breakfast, then put a small dish of finger foods by the computer and munch on dried fruit & nuts.  Hate to exercise, start walking, it’s only a mile to the store, walk there! Husband hat’s fish, then eat it for lunch at work.  I made some small change’s, I did them over and over until they became a habit. Good habits!

There was a plank challenge this fall that I started, I got to the 90 second and hated it so I quit doing the whole thing. But I knew I could do it so I went back to when it was fun and added it to my day. As a matter of fact, I just stood up from the computer and did a 45 second plank and 10 squats. Everything I do that is not just sitting here is a forward movement, it is a choice to live strong.

Meh, fruit……….. I do not get the fascination, but I will listen to others who are smarter than I and I guess I like dried cranberries & cherries!  Okay, honestly, I learned a lot about the food choices I was making and not just a “Don’t eat that!”  I look at WHERE my food comes from, WHAT is in my food and going in me, WHEN to buy my produce and WHY do I need this.  It is okay to be hungry, eat! Just eat more of the protein and less of the starch, look for fiber to balance your carbs, try new things. It’s about balance.

To finish, let me say, these are not the things I thought I would find when I started, although I’m not sure what I wanted to find.  I found out the Y is a really friendly place, despite the torture rooms.  I found ways to help myself and my family eat healthier, without turning our lives upside down.  I learned that I am doing a really good job at taking care of myself and to keep it moving forward.  Merry Christmas & Happiest New Year!

Oh! And Thank You, everyone!