My Personal Health Brand

How would you brand your health and wellness lifestyle?  How do you want others to know you in this area?

My healthy brand. It is an interesting question, and it ties into my post last week about searching for a way to incorporate my passion into my life full time. I want my personal healthy lifestyle brand to be about perseverance, whole life health, and reaching for your goals. A brand that supports you in all areas, that knows that there is a life to live and that perfection is not the goal, progress is. 

I am making progress. I ran again this morning, not even 12 hours after my super fast night time run last night. And I am signed up (sort of) for my first race! I am doing a 5K next Saturday. I am excited and nervous. I am going to work on that distance all week - but I will also make sure to be easy on my legs Thursday and Friday.

My brand would also be about being a role model for those around us, and I am beginning to realize that I am a role model. I was designing my personal logo this afternoon the Monkey look at it and that's a mom, and she's running. Because mommy runs. Because mommy is a runner.

Mamavation and New Balance are giving away a pair of shoes on Mamavation TV tomorrow night. I still remember when I started playing volleyball in high school and New Balance had women's sneakers in my size - a hard thing to find a lot of the time - so they have a special place in my heart. Go here to enter the enter the giveaway, and to find a new place to get the support you need on your fitness, health, and wellness journey.

 “This post is sponsored by New Balance and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway hosted by Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women“” 

If I Had a Million Dollars

Have you ever had the "if I won the lottery" day dream?

No? Just me? Hmm, maybe it's because I am always broke...

Anyway, there have been commercials on TV for the latest Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes. I am not planning on entering, but the giveaway/prize is $1million dollars and $5000 a week for life. That is the part that always interests me. You could blow through $1 million pretty quick and be in a worse situation than you were before, but with money coming in every week, if you were the least bit responsible, you would really be set for life. Not an extravagant life, but a nice comfortable middle class one (that is really what I aspire to).

And I think to myself, I I won $5000 a week for life and didn't have to work, what would I do? Would I still want to be a teacher? Maybe, I really do love being in a classroom, and if I was not dependent on the salary, I think I would teach at least part time, and probably in an economically disadvantaged school.

But I don't think teaching would be my primary passion. I think I would want to devote my life and my work to getting healthy and fit, to getting my family and loved ones healthy and fit and to teaching/helping other people be healthy and fit.

And when I think of that, I think of the scene in the movie Office Space where the main character asks another "What would you do if you had a million dollars" (I would link to it, but the language is a little PG13) and he goes on to say (basically) your answer to what you would do if you didn't need money is what you should be doing with your life, because that is what would make you happy.

So I am left thinking, if I would devote my life to getting healthy and getting other people to be healthy and fit - what should I be doing now instead of trying to be a teacher? Am I on the wrong path? And if I am on the wrong path, what should I do so that I can merge my current path with one that will allow me to bring health and fitness to myself and others?


What would you do if you didn't have to worry about money?


If you were going to devote your life to health and fitness, what would that path look like to you?

Food Issues

Okay, everyone knows (well, lots of people know :) ) that eating is 80% of the healthy body-weight loss- fitness equation. Fantastic! If I eat right I have most of my mission conquered right there. Get in some movement that I like consistently and that is the whole package, I am all set.

Except...

What is eating right?

Is it Paleo? Low Carb, High fat, High protein, High carb, clean eating, calorie counting, carb counting, macro-nutrient counting? Do I have to count something? Do I have to give up something? Do I have to give up everything?

Next Saturday is my monthly shopping trip. I am trying to figure out how to stick within my grocery budget ($300), make approximately 100 meals (give or take) for a family of 4 for one month. That in itself is hard enough, but I need also need help in figuring out the best, the healthiest, the easiest, the most sustainable way to eat to help me conquer my food demons and lose this weight.

• So - I ask you - what eating plan / lifestyle works best for you? 
• Why? Do you make allowances for "life" (birthday parties, holidays, special occasions) or do you maintain your eating style during those times too?
• How expensive or budget friendly do you feel your way of eating is?

Any advice would be helpful and appreciated. I want to get this food monkey off my back!