You Can Be Santa

Santa is seen as a spirit of giving; an individual who thinks of nothing but bringing joy to good children and encouraging those that aren't doing so well to do better.  Now I know that this is something that many kids believe in and very few adults do, but why discourage believing in Santa?  Hear me out.

Santa is more than a person.  Santa represents the good that can dwell in everyone's hearts.  He is the idea that everyone can help those around them, brighten their day, and lift their spirits when they are feeling down.  And even though it is only for a brief period, that spark of joy & wonder that Santa brings can help ignite a fire of love and hope in the people that the spark touches.

Now, a lot of people would say that it is wrong to tell kids that Santa is a real person and that they are only letting them down when they are older.  I can understand the disappointment that a kid can feel when they find out that Santa is not a real person but there is no need to kill the spirit of Santa within them.  Every child should be able to hold onto that sense of wonder, joy, and love for others that they get when they believe in Santa.

So, on this holiday season, I will continue to believe in the spirit of Santa and the good it can do for this world.  I will do my best to embody the best qualities of Santa, not only now but during the whole year.  Maybe if everyone can do this, the world will not seem so dark.

(Picture from: https://d3ewd3ysu1dfsj.cloudfront.net/images/stories/large/18904.jpg)

Weigh In Time (Part 1)

So, we had our first official weigh in for the weight loss challenge.  I lost 4.6 pounds since the initial weigh in (last Wednesday).  Not to bad of a start to the challenge.  Now the key thing will be to continue loosing the weight while not gaining any of it back.

I can't say that I did much to loose the pounds, other than got sick.  I was able to talk myself out of picking up several sodas through out the week, which I don't keep in the house for that very reason.  The next hard step will be to continue to hold on to that willpower and say no to things that I shouldn't have.  This means continuing to cut back on sweets and how much soda I drink.  (For those that say I should cut it out completely, that isn't going to happen so don't harp me on it.)

The other part of my plan to keep the weight from coming back is to get more exercise into my life.  Since I work 2 jobs, heading to the gym is not an option plus it is an expense that I really can't afford right now.  Every day I do not work my 2nd job, I plan on working out in my living room either on the Wii or using one of the 2  workout videos that I have.  I want to try to do at least 30 minutes on those days.  On the days that I do work both jobs, I have a little workout sheet that challenges me to do a certain amount of planks, crunches, squats, and push-ups every day, with every 4th day or so being a time to rest.  Ideally, I want to do one of each of those challenges but I will settle for doing two on the days that I work both jobs.

So, here is hoping that this week's success is a good sign of things to come.

It Is For Your Own Good

With the new year upon us, it is time for people to start making those new year's resolutions.  We all do it, even if we don't say them out loud.  According to statisicbrain.com the top 5 resolutions are:
1) Loose Weight
2) Get organized
3) Spend less, save more
4) Enjoying life to the fullest
5) Staying fit and healthy

Any of these sounding familiar?  And according to the same site, 45% of Americans make new year's resolutions, although it didn't say what the percentage was of people actually keeping them.

I will admit that my "unspoken resolution" is the 1st one on the above list.  (Hey I didn't say it, I just wrote it so it is still considered an unspoken resolution.)  And since I work at a school, they are doing a a weight loss challenge.  It costs $20 to enter and you are weighed in every Friday.  At the end of 13 weeks, a winner will be chosen based on the percentage of weight lost.

Now, I will admit that this will be a challenge for me.  My weight is definitely not where I would like it to be, due to lack of exercise and my veracious sweet tooth.  However, it is something that I need to do.  Heart problems run on both sides of my family and weight induced diabetes runs on my mom's side.  Plus it would help my lower joints tremendously if I could loose some of the weight and keep it off.

Why am I telling you any of this? I do plan on documenting my experience in this challenge.  Maybe someone will see it and it will encourage them.  Maybe it will act as a reminder to keep trying.  I'll share my weight at the start (194 pounds) and at the end, and hopefully, there will be a good change in the numbers.

I just need to remember....it is for my own good