Mental Muscles

I am giving credit to Stephanie from Nieniedialogues.com for the video above. Amazing and really motivating if anyone needs some new exercises for their daily routine!

I need some new exercises for my mental muscles. What I am gathering from my blog reading of late is that the bottom line is it is all in our heads. If our heads are right our actions follow. Of course if we can manage the right actions long enough, our heads get in gear and follow too. Back to the original chicken and egg debate I guess. Mental then action or action then mental. Ideally one should support the other. The stronger my mental muscle is directly affects my choices and decisions. BUT while I am growing and stretching that weak mental muscle, my actions of exercising consistently and eating healthy encourage and inspire the often times weak mental muscle.

Mental muscle workout: I want the evening unhealthy snack. If I give in I reinforce the instant gratification brain muscle and promote my normal cycle of defeat. If I stretch that mental muscle (review my calories, goals, long term desires) and push past the instant food gratification, I strengthen my mental muscle. When I do that I can almost feel my brain growing. I mean that in jest but wait- not completely. When I go to bed with my mental muscle strengthened and stretched my head feels like it is bursting with pride, accomplishment, growth, and peace. Defeat is such a discourager.

I am thinking out loud here, and almost confusing myself. Bottom line is this is my to me, myself, and I pep talk to get it together. NOW. During the month of February I lost ZERO pounds. ZERO. Let's see....at that rate I will get to my goal....in...a..NEVER. NEVER. Never is not okay. I have a little rose jacket waiting for me. Now is the time in my yo-yo history where I begin drinking hot cocoas (already begun), hang clothes on my elliptical, and model my stretchy pants. Okay the stretchy pants have not really ever gone away yet, but I dream of the day they do. So reality check before I gain the 14 pounds back. Yes they are still gone thank goodness. I also lost 12 inches since I measured on January 13, 2010. So 14 pounds and 12 inches gone are a great start, but I need to keep going forward!

This brings me to my goals.  I did not do very well with my February goals.  I did accomplish some of them.  I did journal my food and exercise more than not.  I did start my closet.  I did have family game night.  I have been debating to goal or not to goal for the month of March.  Debating for 4 days into March.  I know I need some goals, but I don't want my goals to stress me out giving me an excuse to give up.  So I guess I will say a few goals out loud that I am thinking and hope I find the metal muscle to make them a reality.  Today I will start journaling my food and exercise again.  I need to finish my closet before one of my children gets lost in there.  I need to lose around ten pounds to fit into my Easter skirt from two years ago.  Ideally I would like to do this by, yes, Easter.  That means ten pounds in the next 4 weeks.  Start working out mental muscles cause I am gonna need you!