Today we’re going to be our own best friends and be brutally honest with ourselves!

This is Day 4 of our on-line class and we welcome your perspective on this.  Add your voice to the discussion.  We learn from one another !!

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Everyone has a victory they can celebrate.  List at least five today!  Post them on the boards to encourage others.  And you don’t have to stop at five.

Follow these tips for full fun, with no compromises.

- Eat something before you go.  Even if you’re certain you can navigate the menu, having a little something before you head out will keep you from mindlessly nibbling on the bread, the chips, the appetizer for the table.

- Avoid appetizer samplers.  Research at the University of Pennsylvania has shown that when people order a sampler they consume 10% more calories than they do when ordering a single item. 

- Close the menu.  This is the “out of sight, out of mind” principle.  If you’re not looking at the pictures and the descriptions you’re less likely to be seduced away from your original plan.  If you lay out your guidelines in a polite way almost any establishment can accomodate your requests.  After all, this is what they do…feed people.  You’re not going to be their first customer with a special request. 

- Beware the broccoli.  Yes the broccoli.  Many restaurants will pair a side of steamed broccoli with a buttery, cheese laden entree.  The broccoli is a good choice but it’s not a “get out of jail free” card.  Be discerning about the pairings.

- Avoid anything with words like “indulgence” or “death by chocolate” in the name.  These are aimed at your weekend mindset. ” Tough week?  Indulge a little.  You deserve it.”  We’ve all felt that way but think about the great start you can have on Monday if you take good care of yourself all weekend. 

Bottom line for a great night out….Leave your inner brat at home!

That these things are happening simultaneously is not coincidental.

It’s time to stop running from the truth about our health habits. It’s time to make some changes, starting with our perspective – and that will direct the other changes that need to happen.

One of the things we’re looking forward to in making these changes is the September class here at Marilu.com. Twenty-one days of accountability will help us focus, but it won’t be all drudgery – Coach Evi has some fun things planned for our (virtual) European semester! If you’re looking for some assistance with your own new perspective, become a member and take the class. There will be plenty of recipes and lots of encouragement as we all help each other stay focused, and stop running.

Now, get moving. Because running (or walking) for exercise is something we aren’t going to stop.

//www.marilu.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/03 - When I Stop Running.mp3

When I Stop Running from TFDI
available on iTunes and Amazon.com

We all have something that seduces us, that feels so right, yet it’s so very wrong. Sure, the song’s about a man (and it could be a person for you, too) but a lot of times, it’s the little things we forget are bad for us.

Make this song work twice for you. Think about what you’re better off without, and commit to doing without it … and get up and move.

//www.marilu.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/04 Best Thing I Never Had.mp3

But most of us are going to have to get over some things to get there.

What’s holding you back from living your dream?
What can you do about it?

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If one of the things you have to get over is the idea that fitness is too much effort, or too much time, or too much money… well, get up and move. March in place, or dance, or do some squats or jumping jacks.

//www.marilu.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/03 - Gonna Get Over You.mp3

A bribe is really something you get when you do something to make someone else happy.
A reward is something you get when you do something that makes you happy.

As a parent, you’ve probably bribed your kids into good behavior – or seen it at the grocery store. “If you’re good, I’ll let you pick out a candy bar at the checkout.” (Why not offer an apple after they’re paid for? But that’s a different issue.)

As an adult, you can reward yourself for doing your exercise every day, for drinking enough water, for eating 5 servings of vegetables each day, for dropping a dress size. Choose a reward that will motivate you to do your best. Here are some we love:

• Jewelry * The good stuff. Maybe a charm bracelet with a charm for every reasonable increment (10 pounds, or a dress size, or every half-marathon, or something like that).
• Stars * On the calendar, yes. For every day of exercise, give yourself a gold star. It’s motivating to see them add up through the month.
• Tickets * Choose a play or concert or movie premiere you want to see, but maybe can’t quite justify. Reward yourself by enjoying the event. If you miss your goal, give them away. (No, we’re not kidding.)
• Sporting goods * If you want some new equipment, put it out there as a reward. This could be a new or new-to-you bicycle, treadmill, kayak, golf clubs, tennis racquet, or … whatever you want.
• Membership or Lessons * If you’ve been working out at home, a gym membership might be the perfect reward. Dance lessons or a fitness class or a cooking class (healthy cooking!) are other options. Or maybe you want to learn about meditation or flower essences or making soap. Maybe you want to learn a foreign language or how to play an instrument. If it’s interesting to you, learn it as a reward.
• Travel * Whether it’s a weekend in a downtown hotel or a week in your dream destination, reward yourself with a trip to get away from it all.
• Spa * From a manicure to a massage to a full day of treatments, a spa is a delicious reward for a busy person.

You’re the only one who can make your dreams come true. It’s easy – and sometimes even fun – to put that responsibility on someone (or something) else, but you know in your heart that it’s up to you.

So whatever your dreams, take action to make them happen.

Do something today to make your dream a reality. If your dream is a hot bod, then get up from your computer and commit to some exercise. If your dream is a long life, then make choices to improve your health, no matter your age. If your dream is a smaller dress size, then check your portion sizes and take the stairs. We know it’s not always that simple, but you have to start somewhere.

While you think about your plan for today, get up and dance to this classic Hall & Oates song. We chose it because Marilu heard them in concert last night at the Hollywood Bowl – and it was played at a wedding we attended this weekend.

//www.marilu.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/07 You Make My Dreams.mp3

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Ask yourself one question.

‘Am I the best version of myself?’

~ Marilu Henner

What can you do to become the best version of yourself? The question can get overwhelming, but don’t let it. Don’t make a whole list of things you want to change – that can be depressing and counterproductive. Instead, focus on just one thing – the first thing that comes to your mind. That’s enough.

Remember, it’s all about progress, not perfection. Just do a little better today than you did yesterday. You’re building a better YOU, step by step, day by day – and it works. That’s how you build a legacy.

No matter what you’re trying to change, if your environment doesn’t change too, you’ll slide back into your old habits and patterns. Your environment is the key to your success.

The first thing you’ll want to do to most efficiently develop, manufacture, and maintain a newer, fitter, healthier you is to organize your environment tin a way that’s most advantageous to your goals. You have to set up your environment to win. And the best way to do that is to make your whole environment a health workshop.

If a factory is designed to manufacture gloves, then there is no way it will efficiently produce shirts. If your home environment is not designed and built to make you healthy, it’s very unlikely that you will be healthy, or at least as healthy as you want to be.

~ Marilu Henner, Wear Your Life Well: Use What You Have to Get What You Want