One of the things I realized this term is I need to continue to work on making my writing more presentable. I am looking at taking classes to improve my writing, so this is being added to my goals for the future, with details to be determined.

My 30th ups (And how a t-shirt and donations made my birthday)
My 30th birthday was interesting to say the least. It had its ups and downs, but there are a couple very special things I had to talk about.

Everyone who knows me knows how much I care for the Susan G Koman Foundation. The women who has been one of the biggest inspirations on my journey of changing my life is my adopted nana Carol Kennedy, she is a survivor of breast cancer and any of you who have the pleasure of knowing her, know that she is one of the most amazing women you will ever meet, she has lived every day to its fullest and to take a look at the things in my life that may not be going the way I expect, look at what I can learn from them and make the next moments better. I do not know where I would be without her.
I asked my friends on Facebook if they could donate on behalf of me to the Foundation to help celebrate not only me turning 30, but how those lessons have helped me change my life. And I was so excited and surprised when three people who I also consider inspirations and sources of support did it. Thank you so much Vicky Trabosh, Vicky Vilcan and Sara. You guys do not even know how much that means to me.
And then there was the t-shirt..
I came into my second home Team Quest for Friday night FIT class and my coach was absolutely loving the idea that I was 30, and was telling everyone. He was also giving me a little tiny bit of crap to deal with about my age. It was such a fun workout because it consisted of the one thing that always seems to get my heart rate going jumping and footwork obstacle courses.
He had my fellow classmates give me a applause for my birthday but as I was walking out he stopped me at the counter, he had a Dirty Boxing t-shirt that had not even existed yet and he was having the guys that where there last night sign it. It means so much to me, and made me smile so much. To have the guys like Zac, Matt Linland, and Judo Jon who have helped me so much a long the way sign it, it now has a special place on my wall.
Thank you Zac and my extended family at TQ for making my birthday night so special. I had to take a couple pictures of my new t-shirt.

I also have to thank some awesome people who took time out of their day to wish me a Happy Birthday, you guys rock and I am so lucky to have friends like you. Asher, Jessica, Colleen, Judi, Jenni, Mary Lou, Hedi, Kimberly, Ashley, Carl, Alise, Gillian, Kae, Stacey, Vicky, Victoria, Sara, JR, Coni, Nikki, Sandra, Tosha, Papa Mel, Tracy, Crystal and Marie for the wishes, I have some good friends out there and I love ya… all. Thank you SOOOOOO much

I caught this from Amy and Phil’s newsletter and I releated to this so much because when I first lost weight, I was really depriving myself. Its only when I realized I could not do that, that I lost my weight.

Diets do not work. I can say that as a person of the utmost experience. I have been on them all. This is how it would go. Monday morning I had a new diet to try. I would work myself up and tell myself I was going to have willpower. It would go pretty well for about two days and then the feeling would leave and I would “cheat”. Then I would get depressed at my “lack of discipline” and eat everything I wanted. It was a vicious cycle that never got me anywhere.
Why don’t diets work? They don’t work because we all have to live in the real world along with cheesecake and Doritos. The only way to survive in the weight loss process is by changing our mindsets, getting educated, and getting in touch with the emotions associated with food so that we can change them long term.
I was talking with a friend recently and I heard her say that she needed to go on a diet and “be good”. When she is on this “diet” she doesn’t eat any pie. The desire for pie builds and builds and one day she will be down about something and will stop by the store and buy a pie and eat the whole thing. Then she feels like a failure and deep inside a seed is planted that she can’t do it. That she will never be able to lose the weight.
Recently we went to a dinner party and it was a lovely, healthy dinner. After dinner the host brought out a gooey delicious caramel pie. We looked at each other and both said simultaneously, “do you want to split a piece? . So we did and it was great. Our friends said that they were impressed by the fact that food doesn’t have power over us but we manage it.
Our way of thinking should be that we don’t focus on what we can’t have but rather on what we are gaining by being moderate in our choices. You don’t have to give up everything, just modify how much and how often you treat yourself.
Our kids used to get pizza all the time. Anytime we were working late or were too lazy to cook we would run in the pizza place and grab a pepperoni pizza. There was nothing special about it at all. Now when our kids get pizza it is a treat and it means more to them. You can plan to treat yourself on a weekly high calorie day and that will give you something to look forward to. and that will give you something to look forward to.
When we were on the ranch we always had a “high calorie” day where we ate up to 3,000 calories in a day. The next day we would drop back down to a lower calorie amount. The idea was that having a high calorie/ rest day once a week kept your body guessing so that you wouldn’t reach the dreaded plateaus. So it is actually good for your diet to treat yourself!
Just remember don’t look at this process as something you go on and off of. This is a lifestyle change. You are changing the way you look at and manage food. The good thing is you don’t have to deprive yourself.
Phil

I think both as an athlete and a future coach this class has really changed my perspective towards coaching and how much is involved in truly becoming a good quality coach,
For me, I really understand now, that coaching is more about being a good teacher and not a coach, because you truly have the chance to have an impact on your athlete outside the athletic venture. My coach is such an amazing example of it, and I never realized the impact and the power of this until I started working through this class and could point out so many examples of the concepts that NFHS talked about that he actually used with me.
After taking this class, I realized as an athlete that I need to listen to him more and I owe him an apology for those times that I did not listen to what he was trying to say, because I was being stubborn or whatever. That is one of the biggest reasons I have not progressed the way I could be progressing.
I am hoping that I learned here will not only help me be a better athlete and student to my coaches epically the one who works with me one on one (Sorry Zac). But it will help me as I build a foundation to be the best coach I can be in the future.

I have to admit, spending so much time on these goals has been a good experience for me because it has helped me realize that I need to set realistic goals that I have a chance of achieving in the circumstances, hens you will see that there has been stuff taken out of the original time line versions. Some of these have been hard to get rid of, but it made more sense for me to have reasonable goals for where I am at.

After futher delibatation and taking everything into account this is it.

Bonnie Wilson
Goals

Academic Goal: End of Summer 2009: Degree Plan
Work with my adviser to have a better picture of the classes I will be taking and when so I have a better picture of where I am in my academics

Academic Goal: End of Summer 2009: Coaching Research
Research different coaching degree program options or training options that will allow for me to develop my coaching abilities.

Academic Goal: End of Summer 2009: Improve my GPA
Continue to improve my overall GPA by .2

Fitness Related Goal : September 20th 2009: Shatter my 5K personal best
In honor of my adopted nana’s being a breast cancer survivor my goal is to break my 5K personal best. (39:41)

Intermediate Goals
Fitness/School/Career Goal: End of 2010 (Pending scheduling): Crossfit Certification
Crossfit is the standard in which functional fitness training is. The certification will help me better understand how to train people using the functional movement methods.

School/Career Goal: End of 2010: Personal Trainer Certification
Per ACE (American Council on exercise) The process to study all the material involved is 6 to 8 months.

School Goal: Ongoing/Through 2011 Scholarships
Continue to look at scholarship options that will make the financial burden of my education a little less.

Long Term Goals
Summer 2012: To complete my degree in coaching or physical education.

Stuff that I am still working on the specifics of:

Academic/Career Goal: End of Year 2009 ACSME Membership
Research how I can use ACSME membership to further my career development in sports and fitness.

To continue on build my network of contacts in the industry of sports, fitness and coaching.

To work on learning how to build strength and conditioning plans that will help me with my future career goals and my own training.

For those of you who do not use it Google Docs is a great way to share documentation online and be able to collaborate on documents together. I have been using it pretty extensively this term.

https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=writely&passive=true&nui=1&continue=http%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2F&followup=http%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2F&ltmpl=homepage&rm=false

Part one: The Birthday Thank You’s
I wanted to do a quick blog to the people who made my 30th birthday so special.
Thank you Asher, Jessica, Alise, Colleen, Judi, Jenni, Mary Lou, Hedi, Kimberly, Ashley, Carl, Stacey, Vicky, Victoria, Sara, Melissa, Sarah, JR, Coni, Nikki, Sandra, Tosha, Papa Mel, Tracy, Crystal and Marie for taking the time to wish me a Happy Birthday.

Melissa, thank you for chatting with me and making me laugh so hard and remember some amazing stories. (I am still not willing to share, sorry)

Judo Jon, Damen, Gane and the Friday night regulars at TQ- You guys made my day period!!

Matt Linland- Thank you for signing the shirt it means a lot.

Zac George- What can I say, you surprised me tonight. Thank you for the little things you did to make my birthday so special. That t-shirt means the world.

Vicky, Vic and Sara for their donations to Susan G. Koman on my behalf. Anyone who knows my story knows that one of the biggest inspirations in me changing my life is my adopted nana Carol Kennedy, who is a survivor. At 60 plus years old, she is a women who you would find the picture of under amazing. She is really the one who taught me to live my life each day to its fullest. When things have gotten rough, she has been a person of constant strength and has reminded me that I can let the rough roads bring me down, or I could look for what I could gain out of it and learn. Koman is something that means so much to her because it was the foundation that helped her through her cancer. Our hope is that future generations will not go through what she did.

All of you mentioned, thank you!. You guys are such a blessing in my life and have inspired me to keep doing what I am doing

Work Your Legs Like a Dancer- From Denise Austin newsletter

While we weren’t all born with the legs of a prima ballerina, we can definitely get our leg muscles looking leaner with a simple exercise — the plié!
Pliés are great because you can do them anywhere — the only thing you might need is the back of a chair, to hold on to for balance. In addition to working wonders for your thighs, butt, and calves, pliés help improve your posture and alignment. There’s a reason dancers do them so much — they’re a miracle exercise! To get an even more effective workout, I encourage you to hold small dumbbells while you plié. This will work your arms and will increase the resistance of your body as you bend and lift.

To start, begin in ballet’s second position, with your feet wider than hip width apart and your toes turned out. Pull your abs in toward your spine. If you choose to use weights, hold them in front of your thighs or at your hips. Now, inhale as you bend your knees and lower yourself (plié), bringing your knees out to the sides. Exhale as you press through your heels and inner thighs to rise. Repeat, and hold the down position of your last repetition for as long as you can, trying to open your knees outward as you do so.

Go on, achieve the legs you’ve always wanted. They’re only a plié away!

This is a great article for those of you like me who worry about eating on vacation. Enjoy

http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=57761&sc=3030

Hungry Girl Goes…on Vacation

Article By: Lisa Lillien
Print
Email

Summer’s still here, which means you’re likely heading somewhere for a few days of R & R. Don’t let a quick trip derail your eating habits. Here are Hungry Girl’s top eight ways to stay on track while on vacation…

Summer’s still here, which means you’re likely heading somewhere for a few days of R & R. Don’t let a quick trip derail your eating habits. Here are Hungry Girl’s top eight ways to stay on track while on vacation…
Read the article below

ADVERTISEMENT

1. Stock up on emergency snacks.
If you’re going to be staying at a hotel for a few days, make a trip to the grocery store beforehand. Pick up some guilt-free, shelf-stable snacks to have during your stay. My picks are Fuji apples, turkey or soy jerky, 100-calorie packs of almonds and freeze-dried fruit. Grab a bunch of water bottles while you’re there, too (see related tip below!).

2. Stay hydrated.
Bring along a slew of on-the-go drink mix packets. Keep them with you at all times so you can spike your water or even your cocktails at the hotel bar! Water + 1 shot of liquor + ½ sugar-free drink mix packet = guilt-free goodness! That’s a much better bet than those frozen cocktails loaded with hundreds of calories.

3. Do your homework.
Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you should splurge at every meal. Bring your laptop and use that free Wi-Fi to find out what’s available at the local restaurants. If you check out the menu ahead of time, you’ll be less likely to make impulsive, last-minute decisions.

4. Dine out smart.
Don’t forget the restaurant basics: dressing on the side, skip the bread and butter, avoid fried items and dishes with creamy sauces. You know the drill.

5. Don’t be lazy.
A vacation is the perfect opportunity to explore. Pick up a map of the area, lace up those walking shoes and get out there, or just pop into the hotel gym for a while. Bring a bottle of water, an emergency snack or two (like jerky or a Fiber One Chewy Bar) and you’re ready for action!

6. Survive those vending machines.
Make sure you stick with diet sodas and water when searching for something to drink out of a vending machine. And look closely at everything offered in those snack contraptions. There are usually a few good options in ‘em like baked chips, sugar-free gum, hard candies and low-cal and low-fat treats.

7. Expect the unexpected.
The museum was so exciting that you stayed for an extra three hours. The beach got too crowded so you decided to leave two hours early. Did it rain on zoo day? There are lots of reasons vacation plans can be altered, but you shouldn’t be caught unprepared. Always keep snacks and a plan B on hand in case your plans change at the last minute.

8. Less is more (for later).
Most hotels have mini fridges (or at least the option for one), so take advantage of them. When you eat out, ask for a to-go box when your meal arrives so you can take half of your dinner back to the hotel with you (do this before you start eating if you can!). You’ll save calories and have a snack or mini meal for later!

Where will Hungry Girl go next week? Check back to find out!

More About Hungry Girl
Read our exclusive one-on-one article with Hungry Girl about her new cookbook.

Learn how Hungry Girl came to be—and more!

Hungry Girl, aka Lisa Lillien, distributes her tips, tricks and takes on new food products through her daily emails and Web site. Check out www.Hungry-Girl.com

This is from Sparkpeople, this means a lot to me, because if you know anything of my story, you know I have had to deal with breaking the cycle of faliure myself because there are a lot of things that I have done that have not worked as well as planned.

Experience is not what happens to a man. It is what a man does with what happens to him.

- Aldous Huxley, writer

Breaking the cycle of failure

One experience builds on another and that is how life evolves. We should not simply “live and learn” but rather “live, learn, and improve.” We all make mistakes in life. Do you learn from yours or do you have a cycle of making the same ones over and over? Perhaps you want to lose weight but always seem to fail, never seem to finish your reports at work, or have a hard time following through on your obligations. Examine some past failures and review where you went off track with your goal. Don’t mistake failing with “I am a failure,” as no one is perfect all the time. Take what you have learned and apply it to the next situation.