Minty Mondays: Mattering

11/21/2011

A Mini Minty MoMINT

“The  purpose of life is not to be happy – but to MATTER, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you have lived at all.” – Leo Rosten  

My mom says that I matter and that I make a difference to her… AND I LIKE IT!

Life is Minty Fresh!
 

xoxo

 

 

 

 

Good morning Mintdom!

In the past two weeks, I have attended a new church. So far, I like it a lot. The handout they gave out at the door included a little brochure called Gifts that Give Hope 2011: Help Build Hope Today. This brochure listed EIGHT separate opportunities to help others during the holidays. What struck me is the fact that SO many people in our community and in the world do not have the things that I have – most of which I often take for granted. There are so many people in need that it overwhelmed me. These people are from all walks of life and range from infants to seniors. The other thing that struck me was not just the request for monetary gifts and gifts, but also the requests for help in the warehouse (there is a warehouse!), help distributing to needy families, mentoring, and help people shop for gifts. There are gifts that are going overseas to our soldiers and to their families that are here. There are gifts for children in Haiti. There are gifts and activities for families that have parents in prison and there are gifts and activities for those that are in shelters.

In just the few moMINTS that it took to read this brochure, I felt convicted and grateful all at the same time. After the service, I picked up a couple of things that I will gather and give in the name of my two grandchildren. I am doing it, not because I feel guilty, I am doing it because I am so grateful for ALL that I have. I have my faith first. I am healthy and getting healthier. I have a wonderful family and amazing friends. I have a safe, clean (most of the time ha ha) warm, place to live. I have a GREAT job that I love and that is close enough to go home for lunch and to take care of one of my biggest blessings – Minty. I put that brochure on my bulletin board at my desk at home to remind me of all that I have and to remain grateful.

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” – William James

This is a sweet video but BEWARE – the music will stick with you!  LOL!  http://tinyurl.com/wechangetheworld

AffirMINTion: I CAN make a difference in the world

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

Advertisement

Attitude * ComMINTment * AND Trivia

01/31/11 – 10 Minutes of Exercise – Dancing – Strength Training Arms + Chest Added – H2O – 6 Glasses – 5,363 Steps
02/01/11 – 10 Minutes of Exercise – Dancing – H2O – 8 Glasses – 3,423 Steps

Good morning, Mintdom,

I did not do my strength training yesterday; however, I made up for it this morning and did both arms and legs. The one extra thing that I need to comMINT to today is, to make a doctor appointMINT.  I am anxious to go and dreading it all at the same time. It is not for anything important; I just need to go for a physical.  I just do not like going at all. I know, I know, I need to change my attitude. I am working on it!

I am on a food kick right now.  I am working on eating healthy meals.  In order to eat healthy, I have to know what I am eating; therefore, I am looking at food labels. I also like to take do the Trivia Quiz on www.Sparkpeople.com .  Here is an interesting question.  Minty will have the answer for you below. 

Which of the following ingredients is a sign that a food product is made with 100% whole wheat?

1. Wheat flour
2. Multigrain
3. Unbleached wheat flour
4. Enriched wheat flour
5. Stone ground wheat flour
6. All of the above
7. None of the above

I actually got this question correct on the quiz.  How did you do?

AffirMINTion: I LOVE going to the doctor. I can hardly wait to make my appointment.

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

A Minty Mini MoMINT

My mom says… the answer is number 1*, just like me, and I LIKE IT!

Life is Minty Fresh!

Proud that My Mom Knew the Answer!

 

xoxo

 

 

 

 

 

*EXPLANATION (from Spark People)
To make sure you are getting 100% whole wheat bread, look at the ingredients list—not the front of the package. “Whole wheat flour” or “100% whole wheat flour” should be the first ingredient and the only flour listed. Do not fall for deceitful terms such as “wheat flour,” “unbleached wheat flour,” “multigrain,” “enriched,” or “stone-ground wheat flour.” These are just sneaky ways of saying refined white flour.

“I Can Do ANYTHING Good”

01/04/2011 – 10 Minute of Exercise – Spark People Coach Nicole 10 minute cardio – H2O – 8!!!

Bad News / Good News:

Bad News – I had a bad food day yesterday with too many calories

Good News – I knew that I had a bad food day yesterday because I tracked it!

More Good News – I drank 8 glasses of water!  Whoo hoo!
 
Good morning, Mintdom!

I was not going to write this morning because once again I have technical issues with my computer, but I need to be consistent; however, this morning, I am keeping things light and would like to share with you this awesome video.  I am taking this little girl’s example and standing in front of the mirror to say my affirMINTions.  What a GREAT way to start any day – with an encouragement to myself!  Try saying your affirMINTions* for the next 21 days in front of the mirror and let me know if you see a difference in your attitude and self-esteem.
 
http://tinyurl.com/CanDoAnythingGood

AffirMINTion: I can do anything good! I can be me better then anyone! I love my life!
 
Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.
 
What are you waiting for?
 
Life is good!

* Hint: I have a stack of 3×5 cards with affirMINTions written on them

A Mini Minty MoMINT
 
“To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are.” – Author Unknown
 
My Mom says that we love each other just the way we are…. AND I LIKE IT!
 
Life is Minty Fresh!

STOP IT!

01/02/2011 – 10 Minutes of Exercise – Zumba (beginners) 3 Minutes of Core Exercise- Ball – H2O – 4

Good morning, Mintdom!

I had a GREAT day yesterday.  I cooked, cleaned and did laundry, which always makes me, feel good. In addition, I had some nice quiet time and did some organizing.  I even got on the floor like a kid and played with Minty – I think we wore each other out, and if you know Minty, that is quite a task!

During my quiet time I remembered seeing this video.  It is the perfect video for stopping or starting a habit.  They are both from the same skit but one is quite a bit longer. I have watched the long version a couple of times, and now I plan to watch the short version regularly as a reminder to stay on track.  It is a very simple message.  If I am overeating or not eating the correct things I will just Stop It!  It takes away all my excuses and justifications. I highly recommend this!

 Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit. – Vince Lombardi

 http://tinyurl.com/StopStopStopit 6:21 minutes

http://tinyurl.com/StopItShort 1:21 minutes

 I am having technically difficulties this morning so if this looks a little different or is late in arriving, I apologize. 

AffirMINTion: I am taking steps each day to better health!

 Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!

A Mini Minty MoMINT

 My Mom said… that part of her good habits is getting on the floor and playing with me and…. I LIKE IT!

Life is Minty Fresh!      

Helping Mom to Form Good Habits - Wanna Play with Me?

 

xoxo

Trivia – Not Trivial!

08/02/10 – 6,792 Steps
5 glasses of water
(Missed water aerobics yesterday)

Good morning Mintdom,

Even though I missed my water aerobics class last night, I still feel like I had a successful day yesterday.  It was one of those very full days with lots of action and people going on – I loved it!  I hope to get to the pool tonight.  In August, I am playing a version of Battleship on Spark People, and in order to get a guess, I need to burn 300 calories.  I am also doing this with my buddy from the summer camp challenge so I will need to work on this.  These Spark People sure know how to keep me busy! LOL In addition, I am learning a lot; in fact, I am learning so much I decided to start Trivia Tuesday.  See if you know the correct answer for the following questions. 

True or False: Your body needs an adequate amount of carbohydrates to be able to burn fat.

TRUE:For fat to be metabolized properly, carbohydrates must be present. The basic message is simple when it comes to selecting the amount and type of carbohydrate foods. Carbohydrates should make up 45% – 65% of the total daily calories in a healthy diet. At least 130 grams of carbohydrate should be included in the diet to prevent ketosis. Whenever possible, replace highly processed/refined grains, cereals, and sugars with minimally processed whole-grain products. For optimal energy and nutrition, learn

 

True or False: Carbohydrates are the only source of energy used by the brain. 

TRUE: Carbohydrates are necessary for the regulation of nerve tissue and are the ONLY source of energy for the brain

 

I actually got one right!  How did you do?  Were you surprised at any of the answers?

AffirMINTion: I focus on my path to a healthy balanced life.

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

What are you waiting for?

Life is good!
A Mini Minty MoMINT

“You learn something every day if you pay attention.” –Ray LeBlond

My mom is learning a lot about living a healthy balanced life from Spark People, and I like it! Try it for yourself – it is FREE!  www.SparkPeople.com

Life is Minty Fresh!

 

 

xoxo

You Can Also Read The Spark Book!

Mintdom – Back and Not Forgotten – I Hope!

10/13/09 – 8,192  (whoo hoo!!)

Food Journal – No

10/14/09 – 8,461

Food Journal – No

10/15/09 – 12,517 (double whoo hoo!!)

Food Journal – No

10/16/09 – 8,035

Food Journal – No

10/17/09 – 5,467 (sigh)

Food Journal – No

Happy Weekend Edition, Mintdom!

Even though I have not posted since October 12, I HAVE been keeping track this week while I was away.  I love that my steps were in the 8,000, but my body (especially my left knee) is screaming at me! I have been icing my knee since yesterday, and after it calms down, I am going to try the elliptical machine.  I am also doing some of the knee exercises that I found on Spark People (www.Sparkpeople.com).  I know that I NEED to be diligent in this and I am comMINTing to myself to do so.

“Never Quit. “Don’t ever, ever quit. Recognize that stopping now, regrouping to try a new approach isn’t quitting. If you quit you’ll regret it forever.” -Rudy Ruettiger

Check out Rudy’s story here http://www.rudyintl.com/

I spent this week with an awesome group of leaders in the real estate world, helping to put on a retreat.  We held team building exercises from the beginning to the end, both indoors, and outdoors in the rain – talking about never quitting!  It was wonderful to watch individuals (and even competitors in the real estate world) come together as a team!  We held the retreat at Nemacolin, in Farmington, PA, not far from Pittsburgh.  If you ever get a chance to go, go; it is fabulous!

One of the team building exercises was for each market center (there were nine) to put on a musical skit.  Here is an example of one of the market centers.  You can find others by going to www.YouTube.com and search KW Rocks ALC Retreat.  You can also find them on Facebook.  They are a hoot!

http://tinyurl.com/KWRocksLG

Although the retreat was work for me and my body is screaming at me, I loved every minute of it!  The group that I was working with is not only energetic, smart, capable, dependable, and upbeat, but they are also ALWAYS upbeat, and positive. We are very blessed with that same kind of leader, and one that thanks you with time at the spa!

I am excited to be home in my real life, and to regroup with a fresh outlook and approach to my health (trying the elliptical machine, and some new recipes), and mostly to be back with you!

AffirMINTion:  I love trying to ways to reach my goals!

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to

Life is good!

PS  I cannot stop without posting these two items.  One is a poem from an unknown author, and the other are the lyrics to the song ‘The Climb’ I hope you enjoy and are as inspired as I am with these words!!

“When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but do not quit.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit-
It’s when things go wrong that you must not quit.”

~ Unknown

http://tinyurl.com/ItsYourClimb2

The Climb

By Jessi Alexander and Jon Mabe

(from the movie Hanna Montana sung by Miley Cyrus)

Miley Cyrus – The Climb Ringtone

I can almost see it,
That dream I’m dreamin’
But theres a voice inside my head sayin’
You’ll never reach it

Every step I’m taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep tryin’
Gotta keep my head held high
Theres always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a up-hill battle
Sometimes i’m gonna have to lose
Ain’t about how fast I get there
Ain’t about whats waiting on the other side
Its the climb

The struggles I’m facing
The chances I’m taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But, No, I’m not breaking
I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I’m gonna remember Most, yeah
Just gotta keep goin’

And, I, I got to be Strong
Just Keep pushing, on
‘Cause theres always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a up-hill battle
Sometimes i’m gonna have to lose
Ain’t about how fast I get there
Ain’t about whats waiting on the other side
Its The Climb

Yeah

Theres always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a up-hill battle
somebody’s gonna have to lose
Ain’t about how fast I get there
Ain’t about whats waiting on the other side
Its the climb

Keep on movin’
Keep climbin’
Keep the faith baby
Its all about
Its all about
The climb
Keep the faith, keep the faith woah

Be Active – Get Moving Today!

10/09/09 – 5,383

Food Journal – Yes

10/10/09 – No Data

Food Journal – No

Good Morning, Mintdom,

Yesterday, my pedometer reset itself.  I do not know when it happened, but when I looked at it last night, it said that I had only walked 1,500 steps.  I KNOW that, that was not the case since I did do some intentional walking yesterday, plus a little shopping, which always boosts my steps.  Anyway, that is why there is no data from yesterday. The pedoMINTer that I am wearing these days is the Weight Watchers one; it is my fifth pedometer.  Speaking of pedometers, I just saw this article on www.SparkPeople.com that re-enforces that I am on the right path!

***************************************************************************************************************

Add Steps to Subtract Pounds

Pedometers Motivate & Encourage — By Nicole Nichols, Fitness Instructor & Health Educator

Researchers from the University of Tennessee asked overweight women to clip on pedometers to track their steps. They divided these women into two groups. One group was told to aim for 10,000 steps a day (the common recommendation considered to be “active”), while the second group was told simply to walk briskly for 30 minutes, most days of the week (a common—but minimum—fitness recommendation). The study found that the step counters averaged over 10,000 steps daily, while the minute counters averaged between 8,270 to 9,505 steps on the days the DID meet their 30-minute goals, and merely 5,597 steps on the days they didn’t exercise for 30 minutes. The researchers conclude that setting your goals in steps (rather than minutes) may be the best way to increase your overall activity.

Action Sparked
If you’re having a hard time getting into a regular fitness routine, using a pedometer may help motivate you. It’s a simple way to track your progress, and you can easily continue to beat your past records (even if only by 5, 10, or 100 steps). Tracking your steps is another way to gauge your activity level—especially for the average deskbound worker. (People with active jobs, such as servers, may exceed 10,000 steps at work alone, but should still plan structured fitness activities.)

Walking less than 5,000 steps daily is considered sedentary, 5,000 to 9,999 is considered low to somewhat active, and 10,000 steps or more is active.

***************************************************************************************************************

Yikes – walking less than 5,000 steps daily is considered sedentary!  Now THAT is a real revelation!  Therefore, from now on, I feel like unless I am sick or injured, I always need to walk at least 5,000 steps per day!  I know my goal is 7,000 for October, and it remains that, but I am now adding a minimum!

With that, I am going to go take a little walk now.  IIf you have not been to www.SparkPeople.com, go now.   love you all and I hope you are having a GREAT weekend!

AffirMINTion:  I am becoming an active person!

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

Life is good!

Stop Today!

10/05/09 – 3,164

Food Journal – Yes

 Good morning Mintdom

 I know that yesterday’s step cont is low.  I am ok with that.  I decided to give myself Mondays off basically – HONESTLY!  It is in my Spark People** goals.  Mondays are a Toastmaster; sit at my desk, once a month networking day.  I just cannot get it all in – even getting up at 5:00 or 5:30 in the morning!  I DID keep track my food journal up, although I went over in my calories. I have been so much better about my food since I started keeping track of it.  I do not know why I resisted for so long.  It is not so difficult and it does not take up a lot of my time. 

 Time is certainly on my mind lately. There are so many choices on how to spend my time.  One of the good things about being single, (see – there ARE good thing about being single) is that I can be a little more selfish on how I spend my time. I think my issue is that I tend to get TOO busy to stop and just enjoy.  I get too busy doing, and not just being. I want to be a human being, not a ‘human doing’.  I do take time in the morning just to sit and be quiet, which is a step in the right direction, but ten or fifteen minutes in the morning is probably not enough.  I think I need to do more… err I mean less LOL! 

 “You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry.  And be sure to smell the flowers along the way”
~ Walter Hagen ~

 I could use some suggestions.  Do I take a whole day off every week?  What do I do with that day?  Do I time in the middle of the day?  What activity or non-activity would I do for let’s say, a half-hour?  I would love it if you would share your thoughts here, just click on reply.  I am sure that I am not the only one that needs help with this.  Just thinking about it makes my palms a little sweaty because I am thinking  that if I take out this half hour, or whatever time, I am going to have to be busier in the other time, to make up for it!  I am rather stuck in a time spiral!  I LOVE having a full life and I want to live it for a long time, but I think that I need to pace myself if that is going to happen.  I do not know about you, but I need help with this!  Maybe Ringo Starr can get us started.  He gives us advice on this video.

 www.tinyurl.com/StopToday

 AffirMINTion:  I take time to smell the flowers

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

 Life is good

  **Visit www.SparkPeople.com for a VERY cool health / goal site.

Winning Locker Room!

10/1/09 – 5,049

Food Journal – Yes

11-Knee Exercises – No

Good morning Mintdom,

If it takes 21 days to make a habit – I think it only takes 2 days to break it!  When I was going to the gym and or walking every morning, I swear I had more time!  I know that it does not make sense.  I have the same amount of time in my day, but since I started adding the knee exercises to my program, I do not have enough hours in my day to do them!

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein”  -H. Jackson Brown

OK (rolling eyes) last night I came upon this quote – darn it.  Jeepers – do you mean that I have the same amount of time in my day as ALL those people?  Well, that is certainly humbling for me.  This quote tells me that I DO have enough time in my day; I am just not prioritizing the knee exercises.  It means that I have NO EXCUSE for not doing them and that I need to be vigilante about getting my exercise in.  In addition, I guess it means that I need to do another 21-day sprint – on Facebook, and now I can add the Spark People site. Starting Saturday, October 3, 2009 (I need to put a date on it) I will do the 11 exercises for 21 days in a row – stay tuned!  The famous coach and speaker, Lou Holtz said, “Excuses come from the losing locker room.” I want to be in the winning locker room – do you?  What important things are you putting off because you do not have the ‘time’ to do them?  Think about it.  Are you making excuses?  Let us all stay in the winning locker room!

AffirMINTion1:  I prioritize my time for the important things in my life

AffirMINTion2:  I do what it takes to be in the winning locker room

Here is a tip:  If you can relate to the AffirMINTions that you see, or find them helpful, write them down on a 3×5 card and keep them with you.  Repeat throughout the day.

Make it a GREAT day, IF you choose to.

Life is good!

What Matters Most!

09/29/09 – 6,348

Food Journal – Yes

11-Knee Exercises – 4

Good morning Mintdom!

I only did four out of the 11 exercises yesterday; however, I DID LQQK at the rest of them.  LOL!  I also went over my 6,000-step goal so as you can see, I was on the move yesterday.  I feel good about the day.  I feel good about my program.  Through Mintdom, Weight Watchers and Spark People, my program is getting deeper.

It is not just about the physical aspect of my program; it is about the emotional and mental part too.  One of the benefits of regular exercise is that I feel better in general.  I have more energy; I am more focused, and less stressed.  In addition, as I go through this journey, I am forming new relationships with people who focus on their health and overall well-being too.

The other day, I asked for ideas for non-food rewards. One of my new friends wrote the following:  “Personal rewards for me are ‘scheduling’ time with girlfriends…be it coffee, lunch…walking or just even to give my permission to sit and chat!”  Then she went on to write what I think is worthy of the quote for the day.

“Relationships are what keep us connected…to what really matters in life!”

–Mary L. (Hospice worker)

I know that most people would say that Mary deals with death everyday so she understands what matters in life.  I say that Mary deals with LIFE everyday so she understands what matters in life and I agree with her – our connections with others is what really adds to our overall well-being and it is what matters in life!

Speaking of important relationships today is my Mom’s birthday. I am blessed to have the BEST mom in the whole world!  My mom (and Nancy, Becky, Jeff, and Jon’s mom too) can be as fierce as a lion (if anyone hurts her kids) and as soft as a lamb (if any of her kids get hurt).  Mom is there for us through our mistakes, and there for us through our triumphs; sometimes our mistakes turn out to be our greatest triumphs. Mom is there when we are sick and when we are well.  Mom is our teacher, our encourager, and our example of grace under extreme pressure.  Mom is beautiful inside and out and a one in a gazillion Mom.  Happy birthday Mom, I hope your day is filled with love and laughter.  I love you, Mom xoxoxoxo

One in a Gazillion