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Posts from the ‘Weight Loss’ Category

May 8

5 Comments

That was an excuse!

Pushing past the excuses & doing the thing you don’t want to do, always leads to the best stuff!

It’s no secret, I’ve been struggling to stay on the healthy living path since I uprooted all things familiar and moved to Maine last year.

This past weekend, my friend Anne visited from MN and saw that struggle when she noticed how far “up” I am in my current weight. I’m guessing she also noted that there was not quite as much pep in my step. Being the “rock star” friend that she is, Anne asked me to get up early and go for a walk the next morning. We did.

On our walk, Anne inquired as to why I had not been doing my power walking this spring — we used to walk together in MN and she knows I love it and need it. “The weather has really sucked,” I responded. “The road is dangerous, and not scenic.”

And there it was! Three excuses in a row = Lori in a rut, stuck and struggling. Can you relate? Read more

Mar 18

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Grit, Gratitude & Grace

I love the 3 G’s — Grit, Gratitude, and Grace — as a way of being, a way to live out this daily courageous life.

It takes GRIT to follow your dreams over the long haul through all of the setbacks and struggle, and especially to stick to those dreams amidst the pull of short-term desires and distractions. It’s even more difficult when the “how” is not clear.

It’s so much easier to give in to short-term gratification than to stay the course when the going is tough. It is in these times that I rely most on my GRIT and determination. And, of course, I don’t win every battle but I always get back in the game. That’s grit, and I thank my Dad.

GRATITUDE grounds us and keeps us positive and in a positive headspace rather than allowing us to be a victim of circumstance. Personal development guru, Tony Robbins, said it’s impossible to be in a state of gratitude and focused on the negative at the same time. I agree, and have used various gratitude practices over the years to keep me on a positive path, especially when the going gets really tough. Read more

Mar 5

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So you’re not perfect. It’s okay. Perfect isn’t cool!

Ever hold yourself to a standard of perfection, only to find that it kept you stuck, stalled & living in a state of constant worry? Good News: Perfect isn’t cool! And striving for it can actually be a form of self-sabotage.

Last week I was on vacation with one of my “besties” in sunny 80-degree Florida! It was a planned birthday trip, combined with a respite from winter in Maine, and a much needed soul recharge to visit a close friend.

The Tampa weather was warm and sunny and it felt amazing to be walking outside every day. I walked 2-4 miles most mornings for outdoor cardio and we walked the beaches as much as possible. Truthfully, I couldn’t get enough! We ate healthy, too. My friend, Mary, is a dietician and an amazing cook who makes the best salads! Plus, I was on a personal mission to eat grilled Gulf shrimp and Grouper as often as I could.

The combination of eating healthy on vacation and moving outside in the sunshine every day totally lifted my spirits. Not to mention, the added psychological benefit of laughing and spending quality time with one of my closest friends. I came home focused and re-energized. Just the way it should be after vacation. Right?!

Reality set in when I returned to a very windy and cold Maine, and resumed the task of making a new life where I have yet to establish a solid routine. Transitions are hard for me in general, but I know this and was determined to continue my momentum upon returning home.

Fast forward a few days and, well, I am struggling. So what happened?

Well, life! Nothing too crazy, just normal stuff. Can you relate? Read more

Feb 18

Time to up the ante on food tracking

Awareness + Accountability + Focus on Long-Term Goals vs. Short-Term Wants

It’s a pretty undisputed fact: Research has shown that people who keep track of what they eat and weigh are more likely to succeed at losing weight and keeping it off than those who don’t.

A New York Times article I re-read recently quoted a research expert who summarized it this way: “Self-tracking teaches people how their environment and behaviors affect their health, said Carly Pacanowski, a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow who studies eating behavior. “It’s a preventive daily strategy that always stays with you,” she said. “Over time, it provides a lot of interesting information. It lets people be more in the driver’s seat with regard to their health.”

I agree. Though keeping a daily food log and tracking your activity takes focus and consistency, and it doesn’t work for everyone.

If you’re a regular follower of this blog, you know that I believe the process of losing weight and keeping it off is PERSONAL — meaning what works for one person is not necessarily the answer for everyone. My overall approach to weight loss, as with most things that fall into the personal development category, is to “know thyself.” Read more

Feb 11

The warrior within

From “victim” to “warrior” – there’s no stopping now!

One of the most frequently asked questions I get asked when I speak to an audience about my personal transformation for the first time is: “If you had to choose between sustaining the internal changes you’ve experienced and the external changes — losing & keeping off -200 lbs — which would you choose?”

The answer is easy. Without hesitation, I would choose to keep the internal changes, including: Gaining self-love and acceptance; learning radical self-compassion and self-care; learning to restart without beating myself up; unstoppable grit and determination; perseverance and patience when things are tough and the confidence that I will be okay; a quiet confidence that I can do absolutely anything I set my mind to; and the gift of a healthy mindset and a WHOLE life!

Often people are surprised by my answer. But, for me, it’s simple: The personal growth I’ve experienced is dramatic and life changing. So much so, that if I did put all of the weight back on (God forbid), I know I could get it off again because of the changes I’ve made on the inside. In essence, it’s my internal transformation that makes ALL the difference.

This has never been more prevalent than it is for me today. Read more

Feb 4

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2019: The year of STRETCH!

She made a promise to herself: This year, she will be brave and bold about EVERYTHING!

I’m back! And it’s been quite a journey to get here.

In August of 2018, I embarked on an adventure to live “A Year by the Sea.” I packed up my belongings, rented my house in St. Paul, MN, and ventured off to Maine — my self-prescribed “Happy Place!”

As I drove off to make the trek across the country, friends and family wished me well and commended me for living brave and bold. Yet I know many of them secretly thought — “What the hell is she doing leaving everything behind and starting fresh in her 50’s…alone?!” Or perhaps they wondered, “Why can’t she just be happy with her nice life in MN?!”

Well, that’s easy. I knew deep in my gut that this was something I needed to do. This is for my soul. It’s aimed at busting myself open to discover what next. It’s meant to push me way outside my comfort zone and it absolutely includes doing hard things.

Once I decided that I needed a fresh new start, including time and space to crack open my heart and live into the answers, there really was no stopping me. To stay in my familiar life would have been the easy choice. But I don’t believe you get “really good” without doing hard. And we all know that I’m not interested in living safe and small anymore. I am on a mission to live up to my absolute greatest potential — and that changes and evolves as I change and grow. Therein lies the work of this journey! Read more

Oct 9

Tomorrow starts today!

Need help with Mindset, Motivation & Momentum?
Join me on Instagram now AND in person on Nov. 12!

Ok peeps, today is the day. Not tomorrow, not the next day, or even next Monday. Nope, it’s today!

Today is as good a day as any to begin…to get yourself back on track…to stop making excuses…to stop whining about how hard it is or listing all the reasons you can’t. It’s time to start, restart…just do it!

Are you with me?

Today’s blog is part confession and part invitation. Let’s get real, and be honest with ourselves and each other. I need a restart too! Together, let’s STOP making excuses, STOP self-sabotaging, STOP whining about all the reasons it’s hard…and just START. This is your wake up call and your invitation…and mine!

If you find yourself in need of inspiration, motivation, accountability, support, or perhaps in need of a massive mindset shift — and trust me, it’s all about mindset — join me.
Read more

Sep 4

The mountain and me

“The mountains are calling and I must go.” – John Muir

8.6 miles, 24,000+ steps, 99 floors/flights. 4 hours.

Those were the stats logged on my fitness tracker from Sunday’s stroll up and down Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine. This, on top of mountain climbs on both Saturday and Monday, making it a perfect 3-3 hiking weekend.

Cadillac Mountain was the one I thought just might break me – the now “out of shape” and imperfectly perfect, middle-aged me. This hike was a mental game. Just about everyone I met on the trail was in their 20’s and clearly physically fit. I felt like I was back in weight-loss boot camp pushing myself past every mental limit or barrier just to finish with some dignity.

Near the end of the 4.2-mile hike down the mountain, I focused my attention on things other than how tired and sore my knees were from the pounding. I kept my self-motivation tape on speed dial and kept repeating: “Lor, we’ve got this. You can totally do this!” Read more

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