Welcome 2010! Ressurecting the Blog....

So, as I look at the date on my last post I cringe. Obviously blogging wasn't a high priority in 2009! 2010 will be different. How many of us that that at the beginning of a year? So many things have happened in the Shaw house since I last blogged I don't even know where to start... so I won't. We'll just leave the last eleven months in a vacuum. It doesn't mean anything horrible happened, it just means I am looking ahead, and not behind.
What I AM going to do is use this blog as a platform to address some issues that are near and dear to my heart. What better to talk about at the beginning of the year than goals? Stay tuned because I will begin posting about the ABC's of better health, and will not only revive the blog, but give it new life. Last year I toyed with different methods of reaching more people. This year, I am going to worry less about the method, and more about taking action. Systems are great, but for some of us they immobilize us and we never move past trying to develop the best, most effective program. So without further adieu:

What do you intend to do in 2010? Did you achieve your goals in 2009? If not, why not? What can you do differently in the coming year to make your dreams become a reality? There comes a time when commitment has to give way to action, else it remains a never fulfilled intention. It may just be a southern colloquialism, but I grew up hearing. “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” After having spent the past several years immersed in personal development books I have come to the conclusion that our generation has redefined “intention.” According to Brian Klemmer, if we intend to do something, we make it happen. If for any reason, it doesn't come to fruition, it is because we lacked intent. I have discussed this with friends and family, and they don't agree. We always look for excuses, don't we? Part of it might have to do with the context in which Klemmer explains it, but we do have choices. When we say we “can't” do something, it really means we won't make that choice because of the consequences. It isn't that we failed at our intentions, it just wasn't worth the cost... we didn't really intend for it to happen. We might have hoped that everything would fall into place so that it happened without much effort, but we weren't really ready to achieve our goals regardless of the cost. Like many others words, “intend” has lost its potency. When our words lose meaning, our ability to live them out does too. So, if we want to empower ourselves, we have to return to the unwatered down definitions of the words we choose. Rethink your resolutions, your goals... Are you living life intentionally, or just letting what happens, happen?

Words, once filled with energy and power, are becoming more and more anemic as we allow ourselves to expect less and less. We live in a society where we struggle to express ourselves because so many words have lost their meaning. We've crippled ourselves in so many ways by attenuating our words to the point that many are meaningless. I belabor this point simply because we can set goals all day long, and make declarations about our intentions, but only when we embrace them fully will we get the results we are seeking.

So again, I ask... what are your goals? What is your track record for actually achieving what you set out to do? Do you desire to improve your success rate? Would you like to know how to have bullseye AIM when it comes to reaching your target? What are your challenges? What is holding you back? I ask these questions with sincerity, not rhetorically. I'd love to hear from you!

Cheating Just a Little

I wanted to blog tonight. I needed to blog tonight, but my brain wasn't cooperating. Too many wheels turning to focus. So I thought I would resurrect some old articles that I wrote.
When I think about how quickly people turn to drugs to fix their problems it makes me cringe. Why? Because I know enough about pharmaceuticals to know they are dangerous, deadly even. Not just an isolated case here or there. I am talking about unbelieveable numbers of deaths. You can get your head around if you compare it to a jumbo jet plane crashing every day - several hundred people per DAY die from properly prescribed drugs. My question is, if you look at the analogy, how long would the airlines still be allowed to put planes in the air if they were causing several hundred deaths per day? Can you even begin to get your head around that? It baffles me!
Several years ago a friend became a statistic.
...and so I wrote...

In Memory of Becky

My friend Becky died recently. They found her in her bed with a benadryl blister pack in her hand. Apparently she was trying to counteract the reaction she was having to a drug she had been prescribed. She became another statistic. The cause of death was a properly prescribed dosage of a pharmaceutical. So, as Becky’s friend I ask, “Where was the double blind placebo study that proved that the combination of drugs she was taking was safe?” I so often hear that question as a challenge when I try to educate people about micro-nutrients. People want to know where the research is that proves that food is safe, but don’t think twice about mixing their drugs. Just because a drug has been tested as ‘safe’ doesn’t mean that it has been cross-tested with other pharmaceuticals that are being taken simultaneously. In fact, rarely are drugs tested in conjunction with other medicines to see what the effect would be.
For Becky, it proved to be fatal. What bothers me the most is that she had been to the ER several days before with breathing issues as a result of the drug combination she was taking. I have to wonder if Becky would still be alive today if she had listened to me. I feel like I failed her even though I know she made the choice. I can’t help but wonder though, if I had presented it differently, or provided her with more scientific data – would she have listened? My wonderings brought me to the point of writing this article in memory of Becky: to remind me why I am so passionate, to help those I have offended understand why I am so persistent, and to encourage people to take their health seriously.
Some people think I am pushy and a bit overzealous when it comes to promoting nutrients and utilizing natural means for healing and maintaining health. I try really hard, but I have a difficult time walking away when people I talk to prefer to stick with conventional methods. Becky’s death has reminded me why... I am zealous because I care. It is because I care that I am writing this article and it is because I care that I have a hard time giving up and letting people make their own choices. I wish I had been more persistent with Becky. Her death has given me a renewed passion to educate people. For those that I have personally offended by things I have said and written, please know that it is because I care.

I recently read an article (with the statistics and references to back it up) that said that in reality the medical system is responsible for almost 800,000 deaths per year outnumbering heart disease and cancer to make “health care” the number one cause of deaths in America. I was astounded. If you want to read the article email me, and I will send you a copy. Sooner or later the medical system is going to crumble. I am already hearing from friends that the insurance companies have begun to “rate” people based on their lifestyle. If you make unhealthy lifestyle choices the premiums are higher. Why? Because the likelihood of preventable conditions increases when you don’t actively pursue being healthy. This is how insurance companies can get around the pre-existing condition exclusions. You might not have diabetes when you apply for insurance, but if you are overweight they can charge you a higher premium and they can raise premiums for those that are already enrolled. Others tell me that prescription coverage is also changing. Insurance companies can’t afford to keep everybody happy anymore. Folks are being told that they’ll have to buy their own anti-depressants now. What is going to happen to the already failing medicare system when the baby boomers start retiring enmasse? It’ll go belly up because of the sheer volume of people with chronic health conditions. The only apparent answer is for us to take control of our own health and preventively seek wellness instead of waiting to be broadsided with illness and degenerative diseases. It makes me sad because so many people are like Becky and are complacently happy taking a handful of medications morning, noon, and night. It only makes sense that if 95% of all Americans are going to die of a preventable cause the only way to be a part of the other 5% is to actively employ prevention! Don’t wait until you are sick and tired of being sick and tired to pursue wellness. In the long run it is cheaper and you get the opportunity to live longer as an added benefit. If you are already exasperated with your health (or lack thereof) it is not too late to change. It is too late for Becky...

Lessons in Life

Here I am, coming to the close of the week, and though I can look back and see accomplishments, I still wonder what I've done with all my time. Hey, some days just making it through is an accomplishment! This was one of those. I am not quite sure why the kids were getting on my last nerve. Nothing out of the ordinary was happening. But some times it is the same ole, same ole, that grates on you like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Part of my frustration comes from the looming project of letter writing, and flyer designing. Our new YES (your economic stimulus) plan has me really excited about helping people. My biggest challenge is finding the time to get on the horn and let everyone know what's coming down the pipeline, so I decided the best method of broad exposure was to write a letter and send out a mass mailing. I am no wordsmith, so facing that project head on is daunting, to say the least. Knowing it had to be done, and realizing that the longer I procrastinated, the harder it would be to put pencil to paper (or fingers to keyboard), I gave myself an ultimatum to 'get-r-done' today.
I did manage to complete a rough draft for one part of the mailing, and my dear cousin who puts up with my mooching off of his marketing skills agreed to proof it for me. One down, two to go. Typically I get into the 'on a roll' mentality and tend to improve my motivation and ultimately the outcome once I get past the 'getting started' barrier.

Not so tonight. For some reason I decided to treat myself to a home spa. The Sensual Bath Salts have been calling my name ever since Beth wrote up such a lovely review for Hannah at
http://plussizemommy.blogspot.com/2009/01/feature-of-day-hannahmade-soaps.html
So, after the kids were all tucked in bed I gather together all my goodies and headed to the tub. Not only did I enjoy the Salts, but I snagged some of the Sugar Scrub too. My tub was lined with Pamper Yourself goodies. As a birthday present to myself I ordered some things from www.terrafirmacosmetics.com while they were having a sale. I am not a big 'masque' person, but when I eyed their Chocolate Mask, I decided I had to give it a try. I still regret not taking advantage of the Spa credits I had in Cancun to experience a Chocolate Honey Wrap. Doesn't that just sound yummy! While I lounged in the tub with my dead sea salts, I applied the masque, enjoyed a Wild Berry Jack (Daniels) wine cooler, and snacked on the last of my Java Twix. Just as a side note, if you ever see Java Twix in the store don't buy one - they are addictive! It is a good thing they are a limited edition, or I would quit telling myself that nothing tastes as good as thin feels. I am a danger to myself when it comes to chocolate. I also took with me Jack Canfield's book, Success Principles and managed to read a couple of chapters while getting only a small amount of chocolate masque on one page.
I have to say, I feel much better after my Spa. However, it didn't facilitate a mood to finish writing letters or proposals. It relaxed me enough to make me think I could actually go to sleep if I went to bed. So now I have this eeny-meeny-miny-moe thing going on: Do I write, or do I go to bed?
I opted to write a short blog just to say I had accomplished something, even though I have gotten to the end of writing here and realize I didn't even cover the topic I had intended to write about. I think I'll procrastinate and save "Lessons In Life" for another day. Post script title... ???? Pampering While Procrastinating?

Expanding my Horizons and Still Trying to Connect the Dots

Well, the past few weeks have been a furor of webby bloggy kind of sedentary activity for me. We launched Hannah's biz at http://www.hannahmadesoaps.blogspot.com/ and I have been consumed with finding ways to accelerate the discovery process. Seeing as how I am the sole investor, it is in my best interest to make it profitable as quickly as possible. Hey, I just want my seed money back! Actually, I really want to see the business take off for her so that she can benefit from all the hard work and diligence she has invested in bringing this dream to fruition. It isn't just about making soap either. This girl is up every morning milking goats, and in peak production, she milks twice a day. The goat milk that goes into our soap is farm fresh let me tell ya - farm fresh!


Simultaneously to this venture, I decided to take a bit of a detour from wellness coaching. Well, actually I just added another job to juggle, but, since I've had such phenomenal success with Oh So Lean, I launched a Biggest Loser Challenge that will run through May. I wish I had some before pictures to show you... but you know what a size 14 looks like, right? 170 lbs on a petite sized 5' 4" frame ain't purdy. I avoided the cameras so much that I have no 'before' pictures. Which doesn't really cause me any duress, except that I'd like to have a dramatic pictorial testimonial page. All that to say, I now have another blog http://www.perfectbodyshapeforyou.com/ that just went live. I'll be fast and furiously transferring some articles I have written in the past, so hopefully you'll find some helpful information there if you are looking to lose weight and/or be more fit. I'll also be adding new content as time permits. My goal is a weekly post that will be educational and motivational. Wednesday's Weight Loss Tips? Or something a little more original maybe.


I do have an 'after' picture, even though I am still a work in progress. This was taken back in November when we went to Cancun (all expenses paid - the best vacation ever!)

I have been rambling about my activities, but I really haven't gotten to the meat of what is on my mind. Much of the time I have invested over the past few weeks has been overwhelmingly eye-opening. I feel a little like Alice peeping into the tiny door of another magical world. How long does it take one to get acclimated to the world of web 2.0, bloggydom, the social network sphere, and all that still lies over the horizon, undiscovered? I am not really sure how to balance it all. I can remember when I worked in IT part of the software we used compiled the data collected from multiple sources and reported the merged streams all in one place, in a way that was manageable. I am envisioning something like that for this newbie to be able to keep up. Somebody somewhere tell me it exists... please? You know - a split screen with all your social networks flashing updates, color coded ones to let you know when something really urgent needs your attention. Even if that handy dandy tool isn't on the market yet, I'd just like a simple tutorial on how to link blogs together, build buttons, badges, headers, and scrolling button ads. I guess I am asking too much. Hopefully, all our new followers will bare with us as we tackle each challenge, one search at a time. In the meantime, I'll try to put up a widget with links of all the blogs I am currently managing. What I find most frustrating is hindsight. Not knowing to build all the blogs under one umbrella. Maybe I'll explore the import blog option so that I don't have people thinking I have a split personality... signing half my comments as me, and the other half when logged in to Hannah's site. Sometimes I forget to note that I am operating under an alias.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings. Please feel free to leave me tips or instructions on how to make any of the above tasks easier or less time consuming. I will become your most faithful follower if you do. :)

The Long Version

In 1967 I came into this world skinny, and then I ate. LOL Okay, so I wasn't fat as a kid. I was a string bean. I could eat anything and never gain an inch. When we had pizza, I got a medium one all to myself. When we had spaghetti, you couldn't see the flowers on the rim of the CorrelleWare for the pile of noodles. Then, puberty hit and with it came curves.
I was a bit obsessive compulsive as a teenie-bopper so my solution was to binge and starve. I waited tables as my high school job, and my daily diet consisted of either milk shakes, ice cream, french fries, and hot ham & cheeses (in that order), or salad. There was no in between for me -I looked to my uniforms to tell me what the menu of the day would be. Back then, I was a size 3/5. Then I went off to college and learned how to eat healthy (or at least the America way), and exercise. Despite my rigorous workout routines, I gained the freshman 15 my first quarter! My wardrobe had to expand with me, and when I got married a year later, I was finding that a size 6 was snug, and 8's were required if I wanted to bend at the waist.
We were in college, and living on a $35 per week grocery budget (think lots of pasta and potatoes.) We kept such a busy schedule that exercise was a luxury. Two years into the marriage our family of two grew. From there life accelerated in warp speed fashion, and birthing babies became a bi-annual event. In between times, I was nursing so 'dieting' according to my method of thinking wasn't allowed. I managed to get my figure back pretty quickly, until baby number 4. I actually GAINED weight after he was born. I had exercised religiously during the pregnancy, and was very careful with my food choice (in a healthy way). He was born skinny just like me, but my body wasn't making enough to satisfy him. In hindsight, I probably should have just upped my water intake. Instead, I used it as an excuse to eat everything but the kitchen sink, to borrow a worn-out phrase. And that started the beginning of my matronly figure. With each subsequent baby (remember I have given birth to 12) I gained a few more pounds, and lost a few less before beginning the cycle again.
During this time, I had health challenges that sent me searching for answers. I became a health nut. We grind our own wheat, make our own bread, you get the picture. Sugar is very limited, and we have some general rules - no sodas, no artificial sweeteners, no MSG, no nitrates, no food dyes, no high fructose corn syrup, no hydrogenated oils... so by all accounts we should all be skinny. With a no-purchase list like that, there really isn't much else to choose from! Don't laugh though, through diet changes and nutritional supplementation I got my life back, and restored my health. I became a wellness consultant, and started sharing what I learned. Even still, the fat clung to me with the tenacity of a pit bull. I gave up, and consoled myself that at least I didn't fall into the category of 'obese', just overweight.
Then something happened. It was subtle, but it hit me like a locamotive. Subtle in that, I can't pinpoint when my attitude changed. I had been reading lots of different personal development books to help me improve my business skills. I also turned 40. Approaching the top of the hill was a defining moment for me. I remember moving beyond the 'want to' and stepping across the threshold of 'have to'. I wouldn't say I had a mid life crisis. Forty was the best year of my life - thus far. I will say I made a midlife re-evaluation. What I decided was that it was possible to find the Perfect Body Shape that was buried under the years of accumulated blubber.
I became a certified Perfect Body Shape coach, and began the journey along with my clients. If you have ever tried dieting and found that it didn't work, or that it didn't 'stick' (meaning the weight returned later), then I have good news! You didn't fail, your diet failed you!
What do I mean by that? Do some research... look at the statistics, particularly the steady gain in the nation's weight problems while we've been fed propoganda about low fat, low carb, low calorie diets. Heart disease has gone up since we swapped out our saturated fats and replaced them with 'better for you' hydrogenated oils. Diabetes has sky rocketed while all the 'low fat' dieters wonder why they aren't losing weight. Low cal folks might lose it right along with the low carb folks, but the fat will return... and usually with a vengenance. My problem was that I wasn't eating the right things, or that I was eating too much. I wasn't eating enough, or often enough, to satisfy my thrifty gene that had been in overdrive since high school.
So, I implemented low glycemic healthy meals 5-6 times per day. I supported my body with the proper nutrition designed to help support weight loss. And I lost weight, along with a few dress sizes. I still had some problem areas though, and I was frustrated (but not enough to find time to exercise.) Then I added in a patented peptide product that targets fat loss. The inches literally melted away. I achieved my goal, and then some. I started out my journey forcing myself into size 14 pants. Now my size 6 clothes fit loosely. I have blogged on the Lean for Life group at Fabulously40. I posted my baseline, and where I am now. I am only one inch off my goal in the waist and hip area.
The only area where I have failed is exercise, which leaves me with flab. This year, it has to go! Exercise can no longer be avoided. So, I started an Oh So Lean Challenge at Fabulously40 to help me stay focused, and I joined the ModernMom Challenge for back up support. Please leave a comment and let me know I have folks in my corner (or watching over my shoulder) to help me with my exercise goals. Let me know if you need some encouragement. I was born to be a cheerleader!

2009 Biggest Loser Challenge

Since I linked to my blog, that means I am committed to posting about my Lean for Life/Perfect Body Shape journey. However, my momma duties dictate that I can't do it now. I promise to journal about it tonight. I am gathering the troops to start a Biggest Loser Challenge, with the prize being a month's supply of nutritional support products. We have weekly cheerleading - encouragement calls. I am connecting with moms around the globe to form a support team. I lost mine, now I want to help you lose yours so I can enjoy the journey of success again, vicariously through all my cyber buddies. NOTHING feels as good as rediscovering your self esteem, and appreciating your hard work in the mirror - except maybe the satisfaction of helping someone else get comfortable in their own skin.

You can go here to learn more about a *healthy* patented technology that targets fat loss. And best of all, it comes with a 6 month satisfaction guarantee. http://www.mtexpro.com/preenroll.php?uname=codeoflife&nopop1=&er=1&firstin=1&promocode=goland3/biggestloserchallenge
It helped me go from a tight size 14 to a loose size 6!
I'll blog more later tonight. For now, I'm off to supervise the kidlets getting their school done. This afternoon we'll be visiting with old friends. Old, not in age, but in length of friendship... just to clarify (in case she reads my blog! LOL)

I can't believe...

1)that is is 2am and I am still up &
2)that it is Jan 5th and I am already 4 days behind.
Jan 1st came and went, with no New Year's Resolutions broadcast to the world so that I might hold myself accountable.
So, here goes - albeit, 4 days late.
I hereby resolve to:
spend more time enjoying my family - wording choice was intentional - subtly different than enjoy spending time... but different all the same;
devote more time to prayer and meditating on God's Word
be a good role model as a Weight Management Coach by exercising more
be more focused on what I need to accomplish when I am on the computer
and get my new blogs up and running as well as help Hannah establish a profitable business at http://hannahmadesoaps.blogspot.com
2009 is a year I have claimed for myself as my year to shine. The spark has ignited, and the flame is flickering. I enjoyed spending a couple of days participating (not just watching) in a Parelli Clinic with Raja right before Clay left to go back. It was amazing. I can't wait to continue to develop what we started there. My goal for this year is to complete level one.