Food & Exercise Journal ~Printable

Keeping track of everything that goes into the mouth is an excellent way to keep track of your weight. It's nice to be able to look back at the week and see what foods made you gain, lose, or maintain. Below is a 15 page journal with places to mark off your water intake, food consumed and how long you exercised. I'm big on quotes so there's a sweet and encouraging quote at the top of each page.

Exercise Journal

On Facebook Strike

The other day I ran across an article talking about facebook. It talked about 'faking' it on facebook. About posting a happy facade on facebook and not portraying what really happens. Have you ever done something so you could brag about it on facebook? I'm sure I have. So, I have decided to limit my time and actually live life instead of trying to make it look glamorous. In a way I think I just post the good things because I want to be as positive as I can about things. It doesn't help to always complain. I get on ocassionaly but just to see what friends are up to and to see if my daughter (who lives 300 miles away) has posted any updates on her own life. But no more checking facebook when I'm out with the family and at work and out with the hubby. No more "my husband is the BEST"....he is the best, but there are also the not so fun times when I want to strangle him. Isn't that normal though? Goodbye constant posts to facebook and telling the entire world where I am everytime I go somewhere. Goodbye to letting it run my whole day when someone posts something that makes me mad. And hello life..it's nice to see you again.

Does "It Works" Work?

I'm kind of embarrased to even admit this. The "It Works" body applicator is advertised all over the place...and I just couldn't resist. The website http://bodyshapingwrap.com/ claims that you can lose INCHES off your waist in 45 simple minutes. I did do some research online and only saw a couple of people who complained, saying it didn't work at all. Since I saw more positive results than negative I ordered a couple of them. They sell wraps for the neck and the larger applicators for belly, arms and love handles. Of course the models on the site have no fat or cellulite or stretch marks at all but I've seen several pictures of before/after where the person had significant results. My plan is to measure before and after both wraps. The wraps can be placed on every 72 hours. The good thing is that these are all natural so I'm not playing with any chemicals being on my body for a long amount of time. These are pretty pricey...the cheapest I could find them was $25/each. If they were cheaper I would buy several boxes and wrap them on from thighs to ribs...If anyone has tried these, I would love to hear your opinion! The site sells all sorts of vitamins, kits and exercise dvd's but I am most interested in my 'cellulite having a smoother appearance'. I will update with my two cents as soon as I try them! *FINGERS CROSSED*

 

****UPDATE****

I'm not sure how people keep finding this post. To answer your questions, here is my answer. When I tried the product, it did work. Almost every time I wrapped I would lose inches. I truly don't know if it was water or not. I know it made me feel better, and thinner. I signed up to be a distributor. I got my friends to sign as distributors. Each month the company said 'push the kits, they are ONLY $99 THIS MONTH!'. THE PRICE NEVER CHANGED FROM $99 IN THE YEAR AND A HALF THAT I WORKED THERE. I haven't been in any MLM companies before and it is truly a dog eat dog business. I signed up because it worked for me. Then I started using the other products. My first red flag was when someone in the forum asked about BHT. This company says that all of their ingredients are natural. BHT is a class 3 carcinogen. I truly think the post was up for about ten seconds because when I went to look at it, the post was gone. As I mentioned, I started using the 'herbs'. One that I thought would really help is Confianza. I have issues with anxiety and the company touted that it would help with anxiety. What DID happen was I started having major palpitations and I went to the doctor with complaints of this. I had an ekg which did show abnoralities. The doctor told me to quit taking any herbs. I didn't even tell him i was taking any. A month later I had a repeat EKG and it read better. Coincidence?? I also found out while I was with the company that some of my 'loyal customers' had entered their credit card information and the company 'accidently' charged their accounts without approval. I spent literal HOURS on hold on the phones constantly. The company and the people on my topline kept telling me to 'hang in there' and that it would get better. In the meantime, I spent thousands on stock and keeping my status high so that I would get my monthly commission. After my topline left the company for another wrap company and a skin care line, I realized that *gasp* I really wasn't one of their fiends. They just needed me to be able to make a pretty commission themselves. On the positive side, I did meet a lot of great customers and I made one of my best friends through selling her a wrap. So all of the money and time lost was worth it. I decided however, that I would not try to sell my friends (or anyone for that matter) something that might cause cancer and something that I couldn't even take myself. In the beginning I believed in the company and the product. Then I educated myself and the wraps got worse and worse, having almost no magical gel on them at all. While millions of people were trying to keep their status and make commission, I read in several places the rumor that the company bought an actual island. So there is my opinion. If you are considering spending your money on the product or the company, PLEASE educate yourself and read the reviews :)

Goal Board Tutorial

I was reading about Muhhamad Ali and going over some of his quotes. He has a quote: "WHAT KEEPS ME GOING IS GOALS." that I fell in love with. So I was thinking, if it works for Mr.Ali then I will be more attentive to my goals! I came home and made this swanky way to display my goals. I call it a GOAL BOARD. Here's how you can make your own. I had all of these items in my craft room so it was absolutely FREE.

My mom had some remodeling done this winter and I saved some of the boards (Is this called craft hoarding?). If you don't have a random board hanging around you can get the perfect size you want at any home improvement store. After laying out a huge piece of freezer paper (to protect my table), I began by painting the board. This handy sponge (i call it a dabber) is GREAT for the sides and covers it well.

Using a piece of scrapbook paper and some stamps I got for a dollar at the flea market for a dollar, I began stamping. As you can see, I am not a pro stamper. Just do what you love with the colors and stamps you like. If you don't have stamps or don't want to stamp you can simply write out the quote.

For the glitter text I painted a LOT of paint onto the stamp and poured glitter on after stamping it onto the paper. This turned out very well and I wish I would've made them all glitter. I glued the entire page onto my board and let it dry overnight.

Next, I had my husband pull the binder out of an old three ring binder. Next time I will buy the metal part at home depot or similar store. I warn you that getting it out is a BOOGER. After you rip the binder out, use two small nails and nail the binder onto your board. The holes are in the center of the metal binder.

I made pages on microsoft publisher with the number that I weigh all the way to my goal number. Example: 172, 170, 168,166,164,162,160

Each number has a quote with it and DATE GOAL REACHED so that I can save it to see my progress. You don't have to have any fancy programs and can just write out each goal if you'd like an easier way.

After using a 3 hole punch, open and add the pages to the binder. Add hangers to the back of the board and hang in a prominent place. As each goal is reached, remove the page to see the next goal.

This does not have to be done with weight. You can add financial goals, destinations, bucket list, the sky is the limit!

Here are some great goal quotes I came across:

"Goals allow you to control the direction of change in your favor."
Brian Tracy

"There is no achievement without goals."Robert J. McKaine

Goals in writting are dreams with deadlines.
Brian Tracy

"This one step - choosing a goal and sticking to it - changes everything." Scott Reed

"People with goals succeed because they know where they're going." Earl Nightingale

I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacation with better care than they do their lives.Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change.
Jim Rohn

"If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else." Yogi Berra

"Go for the moon. If you don't get it, you'll still be heading for a star." Willis Reed

The establishment of a clear,central purpose or goal in life is the starting point of all success.
Brian Tracy

"It is those who concentrate on but one thing at a time who advance in this world."
Og Mandino

"Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success." Stephen A. Brennan

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! Did you make a goal board? I'd love to see!