Maria, I hope she's ok and the headache doesn't last. To be w/o a car, that's a fait worse than death.lol!
Vivian, thank you for sharing a little more about yourself. Growth is a wonderful thing.
Hanna, I don't always comment, but I always look forward to your tip of the day ( as well as other things too). You encourage so many of us. You are such a blessing.
Muffinman, I also am getting a late start on the challenge. Some things need my attention & then I'm starting.

Love you guys. The support is everything I need.

Do you want to know how Michael Phelps won 8 gold medals in the last Olympics? Do you think you could apply and implement those strategies to make you a Transformation Master, or even a Transformation Champion? Just click on the links below and we might just be watching you get a Transformation Medal, put on you, with your name on it.!


Michael Phelps - Keynote Speaker - YouTube


Michael Phelps on Reaching Goals - YouTube

Wednesday, well my panic attacks have been horrid lately, I really don't know why. I think its tied to a seasonal thing. It took so long to get off those meds, I don't want to go back on anything. I just feel its hard to catch my breath and a bit on edge. Anyway, I went to a kick boxing class with family today and wow, it was fun. I also dropped by my gym and jumped in the pool and did 8 laps.

My meal plan for the day:

Breakfast: 3 egg omlette with soy cheese and spinach, a bowl of special k with berries and almond milk.

Snack: 2 apples and a right light shake with almond milk

Lunch: salmon fillet with spinach

Snack: 1 large orange and one carb masters yogurt

Dinner: my amazing greens / green drink and a chicken breast with string beans

Please pray for me people, I'm doing great and God is good to me, I just feel worried about the anxiety coming back. It took all last year for me to detox off anxiety meds I was on for 15 years since I was 15 years old. I just pray that panic attacks do not come back. I am open to any suggestions.

Hi, Emitra.

I stopped by your profile page, and you have had an amazing Transformation! I see that the program helped you to get off the medication in the first place, and I totally understand the strong desire not to go back to meds. I feel the same way about antidepressants.

What keeps my depression in check is eating right, exercising and crowding out negativity in my life with positivity. Once I get into a foul mood it can stick, and it can easily begin to feed itself. It causes me to pay more attention to the negative things around me and get even more negative. It's a downward spiral and a trap for me.

There are a number of things I do to stay positive; perhaps the most significant has been systematically removing stressors from my life. For example, I unsubscribed from cable TV because just keeping up with shows was stressful, and the advertising got to be unbearable. The expense weighed on me, too. I can't even begin to tell you how peaceful my life is now that I'm not constantly bombarded by people trying to sell me things.

Meditation also helps me to get centered again. When I'm feeling flat or demotivated it's a warning sign to me that I need to get back in touch with something that will get me fired up again. For this challenge my Step 1 homework is a good starting point. Getting outdoors and spending some time in the sun always helps, too. If I'm feeling especially lost, I try to think of something that scares me. Perhaps that sounds a bit intense if it's anxiety that has you trapped, but you don't need to face the fear that makes you anxious. I'm talking about finding something that's outside my comfort zone--something that I have never done before, but there's no rational reason why I cannot. For me that might be something as simple as taking a class or traveling somewhere I've never been, or it might be something a little more wild. In January, for example, I did an "introductory flight training" and flew a plane!

Forcing myself to go experience new things reminds me that I can. That distracts me from the temptation to feel unsatisfied, which is the beginning of the slippery slope for me toward depression.

I hope your anxiety quiets down and you find your calm, centered self today.

Cheers!
Chip.

Hello, Masteries!

Just a quick-ish update on this morning's workout. We were supposed to do the 5/25 LBWO, but Autumn's was more like the 3/25 and mine was the 4/30, lol. In other words, we burnt out! The upside is that the intensity was there. For the most part.

One unfortunate part of the 5/25 LBWO for me was hitting the wall with my grip strength. All of the exercises are based on gripping dumbbells while doing leg movements with no rest, and my forearms simply couldn't keep up. In particular, my calves were not at all challenged by toe raises, and I could have done heavier squats with a barbell on my shoulders than with a dangling dumbbell. Nevertheless, my heart rate and sweat-factor were through the roof, and I think I got a pretty good overall workout. I did kill it on lunges, at least.

Cheers!
Chip.

Jason thank you for the links to MP. Very interesting indeed.
Emitra, you look fantastic. I too visited your profile. How is it that our paths never crossed???
Chip, you & Autumn are comical. I got a visual on the 2 of you working out. Maybe I should give 5/25 an other go?

Good Afternoon!

I wanted to check in and see how everyone is doing.

Emitra: I read your posts and can totally relate. I am a loner too and it is hard for me to check in due to my crazy schedule. I also have been dealing with anxiety issues for the past several months. I was having a hard time breathing and just felt jittery all the time. I could not relax! SO I feel for you girl! I like Chip's advice and I do some of the things he mentioned.

How's that for getting past your excuses? I'm not a runner but can still take note of the idea. Things are going well this week and I'm happier with my actions than I have been in a while. I know this will only improve in the weeks to come. I'm baby stepping just a little but I get older it seems to take a little longer to recover if I overdo and odds of injury go up. Hmmm, that sounds like I'm making excuses for myself so will have to do a little thinking on the topic.
Did the daily double walk yesterday for 90 minutes total. Work was busy so while I didn't get all of the stair sets done I did manage 336 which is still a lot of steps. I was going to say only but stopped myself as I didn't want to minimize it.
I did another stir fry for dinner last night just digging through the fridge and freezer for any kind of veg I could find. There I was in the kitchen feeling really hungry and right there was an open bag of . . . and I just started eating it by the handfuls! Can you guess what it was? Nope, no- not that either. It was a bag of cole slaw mix - 2 kinds of shredded cabbage and carrots. You would have thought it was a big bag of candy. I had to laugh at myself as who would have ever pictured that?
I've been finding more short time increment exercises that I can hop in the storage room and do during breaks. I need to pick up a yoga mat to keep here in the office. I can do body weight exercises that won't get me too sweaty and save the others to compile for a full workout at home. There's an 11/11/11 which is pretty similar to the 5 x 25 and another bunch called fit in 6. I'm still looking at the TRX System as well. Has anyone had any experience with it?
Off to do more stairs and get more water down. Hope you're all having a Wicked Wednesday!
Colleen

Sherri - Hey Sistah! So glad to see you here.

Chip - I think you can find some padded grips to add that make it easier on the hands and also improves increases the results. Well that's what the advertising says anyway.

Emitra - kick boxing with the family sounds like a blast!

Vivienne - it's great to see you again as well!

Hello Everyone!! I am Mellissa, 25 years old from Canada! My Aunty Thia introduced me to Transformation in December 2009, I started an 18 week challange in January 2010, but Life on Lifes terms interviened. I am a recovering addict, Single Mother raising two beautiful children, a 5 Year old son and 2 Year old daughter. My son has recently been diagnosed with disability FASD-ARND and ADHD. My Goals are to STAY on the right Path in Life, Really understand myself and be able to cope Spiritually, Mentally and Physically. My life is Very Demanding and I feel learning to Master Myself will help me along the way. I am so excited to be on this journey with so many supportive people. I plan to upload my Beggining photo's and measurments this Tuesday, and I am able to Start my exersize program Wednesday March 21! Im looking forward to getting to know everyone

Mellissa <3

Hello! Been doing well this week, busy, but I like that. I have been doing some extra running at night after work since it stays light out til 7pm (yay) and the weather is like June right now (double yay). I ran a couple miles with my 12 year old son the other night & yesterday he actually asked ME to run again tonight when I come home because he wants to go 3 miles now. He is starting track soon & wants to do a good job & keep up with his teammates, so I am glad to do it. It was also kind of fun running with him and encouraging him and coaching him. Of course part way through his leg was "burning" and he wanted to walk a little, but I encouraged him to go a little further (because I knew it was just his mind talking) & did just fine. He was really proud to tell his dad he did the whole thing without stopping, so I am hoping that boosts his confidence and he wants to keep doing it with me.

It was so nice to check in & see the posts today. Chip-Again, you are so on target with things. Your advice about depression/reducing stress really makes me take note. Eating better, exercise & surrounding yourself with positive people/activities. I have been trying to cut down on computer stuff (my phone, Facebook, etc.) and other distractions because I always seem so preoccupied & unfocused on those around me & I think TV does that to me too (especially with the negativity). I have a few shows I like to watch regularly with my husband, but we try to keep it to a minimum or DVR them so we can watch them later when I have time. Previously I was finding that I would come home & rush around so I could be done to watch my shows & God forbid if anyone needed anything because it would totally throw my TV schedule off. Since I stopped doing that a couple of years ago, things are much less stressful around the house & people aren't afraid to ask me for something. I also discovered meditation through Transformation last year & I still don't do it as regularly as I want/should, but it truly calms me & helps me focus each day. So Dr. Chip-you are giving some good advice to all of us-thanks!

Mellissa-Welcome! You have a wonderful role model & person in your Aunty Thia! She is the heart inside T.com! Looking forward to hearing more about you.

Hope everyone has a great night-Kathy

One unfortunate part of the 5/25 LBWO for me was hitting the wall with my grip strength. All of the exercises are based on gripping dumbbells while doing leg movements with no rest, and my forearms simply couldn't keep up. In particular, my calves were not at all challenged by toe raises, and I could have done heavier squats with a barbell on my shoulders than with a dangling dumbbell. Nevertheless, my heart rate and sweat-factor were through the roof, and I think I got a pretty good overall workout. I did kill it on lunges, at least.


Cheers!
Chip.[/quote]



I have been using lifting straps for years primarily to overcome the loss of grip strength when doing heavy back work (pullups, pulldowns) and heavy Romanian Deadlifts or standard Deadlifts. For most exercises I recommend avoiding the straps up to the point where the forearms become too fatigued to allow for proper grip. I have used many straps but found the Versa Gripps to be THE most user friendly and effective. They are available in a variety of colors as well as in sizes for both men and women. Click on the picture below to visit their website. These are also available on Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more.

Welcome Mellissa. Not only have you connected to the most positive/supportive community on the web, but I am certain you will also soon discover that we have an abundance of the "best of the best" this community has to offer right here in our Mastery Group. We look forward to learning and growing alongside you as we all strive for excellence in our quest for Self Mastery.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mellmcm Hello Everyone!! I am Mellissa, 25 years old from Canada! My Aunty Thia introduced me to Transformation in December 2009, I started an 18 week challange in January 2010, but Life on Lifes terms interviened. I am a recovering addict, Single Mother raising two beautiful children, a 5 Year old son and 2 Year old daughter. My son has recently been diagnosed with disability FASD-ARND and ADHD. My Goals are to STAY on the right Path in Life, Really understand myself and be able to cope Spiritually, Mentally and Physically. My life is Very Demanding and I feel learning to Master Myself will help me along the way. I am so excited to be on this journey with so many supportive people. I plan to upload my Beggining photo's and measurments this Tuesday, and I am able to Start my exersize program Wednesday March 21! Im looking forward to getting to know everyone Mellissa <3

Hello Mellissa! welcome to the group! I think it all starts with mastering yourself, glad you are taking this journey with us. I'm sure your head is spinning with your son's diganosis. We just went to the doctor not too long ago for my girls (I have 3) and I don't have any specific labels to attach to their quirks yet. The dr asked if I had ADD, which can be tied into their groups of things that we are talking about (like executive processing disorder, sensory processing disorder). Big hugs! Your Aunty Thia is a wonderful person btw

Colleen - SO glad you didn't put *only* by how many stairs you did I did a few dozen (didn't count) while running around exploring this huge almost empty office building. My step-son had a braces appt and my 4 yr old loves to check out the building. To make it fun I was running up the stairs and at least got my heart rate up a bit.

Jasun - thanks for sharing

Emitra - I've struggled with anxiety and depression. I'm still trying to come to terms with the anxiety. I don't know if I'm doing it right, but my approach has been to acknowledge it, take some deep breaths, and ask myself why I might be feeling anxious. I don't always get an answer but it's much better than trying to ignore it or will power my way through my feelings. Our feelings are not bad, they are there to send us messages. I read Tony Robbins book Awaken the giant within and it lists some emotions and what they are trying to tell you. I'll come back in a bit with a short version of what he lists. (have to go pick up the older girls from school).

Chip - exercise burnout happens, I know you'll be getting back on that horse!

I did read everyone's posts this morning, just haven't had time to reply until now...and now I gotta go!

Have an ASOMEALIZTICIOUSNESS day everyone!!!!!!

I haven't been one to opt for the 'quote'/comment method of communicating but for some reason I feel compelled to in the moment so I'm rolling with it.

Kathy, I personally believe one the most powerful ways we can make a difference in the world is by beginning at home with our family. Modeling a healthy lifestyle for our Spouse and our children to emulate is incredibly important. You are doing a fantastic job of that. We can never force feed our practices or beliefs but we can certainly be a living example. Leading by example is the only way. Words are powerless when our actions are contrary.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ksukus Hello! Been doing well this week, busy, but I like that. I have been doing some extra running at night after work since it stays light out til 7pm (yay) and the weather is like June right now (double yay). I ran a couple miles with my 12 year old son the other night & yesterday he actually asked ME to run again tonight when I come home because he wants to go 3 miles now. He is starting track soon & wants to do a good job & keep up with his teammates, so I am glad to do it. It was also kind of fun running with him and encouraging him and coaching him. Of course part way through his leg was "burning" and he wanted to walk a little, but I encouraged him to go a little further (because I knew it was just his mind talking) & did just fine. He was really proud to tell his dad he did the whole thing without stopping, so I am hoping that boosts his confidence and he wants to keep doing it with me. It was so nice to check in & see the posts today. Chip-Again, you are so on target with things. Your advice about depression/reducing stress really makes me take note. Eating better, exercise & surrounding yourself with positive people/activities. I have been trying to cut down on computer stuff (my phone, Facebook, etc.) and other distractions because I always seem so preoccupied & unfocused on those around me & I think TV does that to me too (especially with the negativity). I have a few shows I like to watch regularly with my husband, but we try to keep it to a minimum or DVR them so we can watch them later when I have time. Previously I was finding that I would come home & rush around so I could be done to watch my shows & God forbid if anyone needed anything because it would totally throw my TV schedule off. Since I stopped doing that a couple of years ago, things are much less stressful around the house & people aren't afraid to ask me for something. I also discovered meditation through Transformation last year & I still don't do it as regularly as I want/should, but it truly calms me & helps me focus each day. So Dr. Chip-you are giving some good advice to all of us-thanks! Mellissa-Welcome! You have a wonderful role model & person in your Aunty Thia! She is the heart inside T.com! Looking forward to hearing more about you. Hope everyone has a great night-Kathy

Hello everyone!

checking in. I've been reading all through the thread and must say there is so much amazing advice already that you could bind it would no doubt be an amazing personal development book!
Just getting into the eating and exercise routines. I must say it is costing Meeting all my will power to get this ball rolling!
Any advice other than Just do it! :-) ?

Melissa> welcome to the group! I've just started the journey here myself and as stated above, the reading of all the advice, tips, stories I think are indeed the most important thing.

Michael> Many thanks for sharing Chips texcel file today. It was just what I needed!
Chip> thank you for the work of making the file.

You are not alone Emitra. I struggled with anxiety/panic attacks for a number of years. Beginning at around age 12 I began having frequent panic attacks. It was crippling to the extent that I missed rather large blocks of time from school as a result. My parents carted me from one physician to the next over a period of two years with one misdiagnosis after another until finally one of them was able to pinpoint the issue. At the time, I don't believe anti-anxiety medications were available (I'm thankful they weren't). Once we understood what we were dealing with we were able to take steps to combat it. To this day a big part of overcoming these attacks was simply understanding what they were and that there wasn't anything physically wrong with me.

Relaxation techniques, avoiding too much caffeine and (for me the single biggest factors later in life) eliminating the use of alcohol, cleaning up my nutrition and getting regular exercise finally put an end to the episodes.

To my knowledge, research on the matter has yet to rule out a genetic component. I am led to believe genetics may play a role considering my 20 year-old son has experienced some rather severe panic disorder.

I encourage you to incorporate meditation while eliminating as many stress inducing activities/substances as possible.

There are a few youtube videos that are also somewhat useful in understanding the issue. Here is on such video:



Also, I've heard some very good things about the Silva Method but haven't personally used it.

I pray you discover freedom from this debilitating condition.

Quote:

Originally Posted by emitra Wednesday, well my panic attacks have been horrid lately, I really don't know why. I think its tied to a seasonal thing. It took so long to get off those meds, I don't want to go back on anything. I just feel its hard to catch my breath and a bit on edge. Anyway, I went to a kick boxing class with family today and wow, it was fun. I also dropped by my gym and jumped in the pool and did 8 laps. Please pray for me people, I'm doing great and God is good to me, I just feel worried about the anxiety coming back. It took all last year for me to detox off anxiety meds I was on for 15 years since I was 15 years old. I just pray that panic attacks do not come back. I am open to any suggestions.

Congrats on the improvement of your blood profile numbers Laurie. That's fantastic news.

One area I wanted to touch on during Monday's conference call was the importance of having a complete Physical Examination including comprehensive blood work. Many of us can struggle for years wondering why our diet/exercise programs seem to be falling short of optimal results even when we appear to be doing everything correctly. It is possible that something easily correctable is happening with your internal environment that is preventing you from maximizing the benefit of your exercise and nutrition. For example, deficiencies in iron (easily correctable and somewhat common among women). Some of the symptoms of iron deficiency include:

• fatigue
• pallor
• hair loss
• irritability
• Transformation - Welcome
• pica
• brittle or grooved nails

My sister is a classic example of this. She has struggled mightily for years with oxygen uptake during cardiovascular exercise. She hated running and could never understand why she couldn't progress or become more efficient. She was always very lax in having regular examinations done. Recently she developed kidney stones and while treating these, her doctors discovered a critical deficiency in iron in her blood. Long story longer, by beginning regular iron supplementation she has discovered an ability she previously did not have ... better cardiovascular efficiency. Turns out that iron has several vital functions including acting as a carrier of oxygen to the tissues from the lungs in the form of hemoglobin.

Moral of the story? Have a yearly examination done complete with blood work. For most of us with health insurance this should be a no-brainer because preventive care is typically covered 100%.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaurieJane Just got some good news from the medical desk. My blood lips have improved over the past two years! As soon as I get the numbers in the mail I'll post them. I have a vitamin D deficiency so I'll be starting up on D3 again. Also my thyroid levels are low so they will retest in a month. I'm really feeling some amazing positive momentum in this group and so happy to be a part of it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpeleoFool Hello, Masteries! Just a quick-ish update on this morning's workout. We were supposed to do the 5/25 LBWO, but Autumn's was more like the 3/25 and mine was the 4/30, lol. In other words, we burnt out! The upside is that the intensity was there. For the most part. One unfortunate part of the 5/25 LBWO for me was hitting the wall with my grip strength. All of the exercises are based on gripping dumbbells while doing leg movements with no rest, and my forearms simply couldn't keep up. In particular, my calves were not at all challenged by toe raises, and I could have done heavier squats with a barbell on my shoulders than with a dangling dumbbell. Nevertheless, my heart rate and sweat-factor were through the roof, and I think I got a pretty good overall workout. I did kill it on lunges, at least. Cheers! Chip.

Chip - with your "Vibram-ocity" calves, you probably can't find enough weight in the entire gym to push those bad boys any more! ;-)

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaurieJane Just got some good news from the medical desk. My blood lips have improved over the past two years! As soon as I get the numbers in the mail I'll post them. I have a vitamin D deficiency so I'll be starting up on D3 again. Also my thyroid levels are low so they will retest in a month. I'm really feeling some amazing positive momentum in this group and so happy to be a part of it.

Great work!!!

Welcome Melissa!
Laurie I sent you a message thyroid unfortunately is something I know way too much about.

I have been MIA it has been a hard week my schedule is over packed. It ended today when I had to take my 15 year old daughter to see a pediatric endocrinologist as she has thyroid disease. I feel so bad it is my side of the family my Grandma, Dad, Mom and me have various forms of thyroid disease

I topped the day off with having to get a temporary crown put on a cracked tooth. Think I am giving up almonds or will have to eat them chopped LOL getting old here. My mouth is just starting to feel something and I definitely don't feel good now.

No exercise today but I did manage to get in some great exercise the last few busy days. I am finding my progress at least on the scale to be very slow.

Michele