Team Urban Moms

Goal Setting -Intention is key

Andrea Page — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:27:57 -0500

Goal Setting in the traditional sense is an activity where one specifies desired outcomes , time-lines and targets to help them get there. Now while all these things are important in making change ,once you become a mom your view of the world often changes. When your view of the world changes you may not realize that some of goals conflict with your vision. With all the upheaval in the world some women experience anxiety for the world their children are inheriting. Successful goal setting for moms must have a purpose that is compatible with the change they want to see in the world. It is with this purpose every step towards achieving goals actually creates not just change in oneself but change in the world around them. I believe most people want to make a difference and when you become a mom that inner desire is amplified. In the words of Deepak Chopra “consciousness is coming” and I happen to believe that mothers will have great hand in elevating the consciousness of the world. In my own observation I have seen the most corporate woman make small to very drastic conscious changes inspired by motherhood. I have seen very aware women turn that awareness into powerful action, again inspired by motherhood. I have also seen the opposite fear based reactions, especially in myself. These reactions were driven out of fear and a desire to ignore the things that scare me . When we buy into the idea that we don’t have the power to make change in the world we can justify striving after only self-serving goals. This mentality as a mom is not sustainable. In fact the more conscious one becomes it will be less sustainable to approach life in a self serving way. Creating goals with consciousness is an amazing experience that keeps moms committed to themselves and their desire to see a more maternal world . This can apply to goal setting around family, fitness, career, financial security ,relationship and anything that you want to include.

Motherhood is a very vulnerable and growth defining moment in a womens life . Many of us will see the best and worst of ourselves in this highly charged experience of life.Goal setting that aligns your purpose as a women, mother, in the areas of relationship, career, parenting and personal health is essential.

The first thing I suggest is writing your personal vision/mission statement to clearly define how you view your role in the world. Then write or re-write your goals to make sure they align with your vision/mission statement.

An example of a vision/ mission statement.

I want a world for my children and I where abundance is the right of everyone and fear doesn't drive my decision making. In this world my life would be filled with appreciation for the now and includes everyone I come into contact with. I see gratitude and forgiveness as the foundation from which love is expressed.

Your goals are yours and serve a purpose in your life. The key to knowing if they are aligned with your vision for your world is if you feel at peace in your pursuit of them. If not ,it may be time to re-evaluate. Moms often go through this when deciding when and if to go back to work. Career goals conflict with mothering goals quite frequently. The key is to find the right mix to achieve a life that feels balance.

Recommended Resources

Books I have read are:

The Power of Now by Eckort Tolle

The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer

Wishing everyone a peaceful today and time to reflect!

Andrea

Detox to a New You!

Christine Sachse — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:21:41 -0500

Happy New Year! It is snowing outside and after reading Andreas article on Gratitude I am feeling extremely grateful. So grateful in fact that I am actually excited to start my annual January Detox! Each new year comes and I feel the desire to shed a litle extra and find the health within. This year is no different. Starting in late January (I am delaying simply b/c I am doing it with a whole group of people and we all need time to get our ducks in a row) I will be embarking on a 4 week detox. I find it is one of the best ways to get healthy, shed some weight and really reinforce great eating habits. Below you will find some of my top tips for detoxing.

1) Clean out your kitchen. Eliminate the following foods: Wheat, dairy, red meat, meat by-products, bad fats (ie. trans and saturated), alcohol, coffee (yikes!), sugar and white things (such as flour, white rice, potatoes etc).

2) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Drink 2 litres of water per day and replace your coffee with green tea or herbal teas.

3) Exercise! Since our skin is one of our largest detoxification organs sweating can be really detoxifying. Aim for at least 3 x 30 minute cardio sessions per week. (If you can't find the time to work up a sweat...how about a nice steam?).

4) Eat less, more frequently. Use the Japanese philosophy of eat until you are 75% full, no more. Giving your digestive system a break can be the best thing you can do for your body. 10% of your energy is spent digesting, save a bit of that and the rest can be used for detoxing! Think 5 mini meals instead of 3 big ones.

5) Fruits and Veggies. 75% of your plate should be filled with high nutrient dense, but low calorie dense fruits and vegetables. The more colourful the better!

If you do the above things for 4 weeks I can almost guarantee you will come away feeling lighter, cleaner and more energetic than you did coming in!!

Happy Detoxing,

Christine

Christine is a nutritionist, yoga instructor and personal trainer who specializes in weight loss and womens health at Four Forty Fitness for Women in Burlington, Ontario. Check out the website at www.fourfortyfitness.ca

Gratitude brings Goodness...and today is all we have

Andrea Page — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:41:08 -0500

Lets talk about Jane. She passed away on Christmas day suddenly but not shocking. She had been battling breast cancer for over a year. She was diagnosed shortly after the birth of her second child. At first they thought it was mastitis. Misdiagnosing breast cancer in breast feeding women with mastitis can happen. Although this starts off quite sad my point is to acknowledge the gratitude and joy of the last year of Jane's life as acknowledged by the people that knew her well. Except when doing chemo therapy she had her kids with her all the time. She wanted it this way. She wanted to spend every second she could with them. She still worked out and took care of herself. She had a great circle of friends that she kept close to enjoy life with. For Christmas her family and her went to a warm place to spend time together. Christmas eve brought an unexpected set back. She could not get out of bed , had a headache was rushed to the local hospital then to Florida by air ambulance. She died the next day from inoperable tumors on her brain. Her husband returned home with their 14 month old and 4 year old children by himself. Jane or anyone else must not die in vain. We have a responsibility to the loss of every human being to celebrate the life we have today.We should try and enjoy everything especially things that are often clouded with a negative attitude. Nothing should make us miss the point of being alive. No matter what your health problems, money problems or relationship problems you are here today and only you can decide what that experience will be. Will you Honor your mind,body and spirit even in the face of adversity so that each valuable second will be honored as well? Being grateful for life takes practice. Here is one of the things that I do ( and should do even more ) to keep my intentions and purpose clear.

Make a gratitude list ( here is mine that I shared on my most recent newsletter from newmom101 and FITMOM . My top 5:

I'm grateful for three healthy boys. They're loud and crazy but that is a good problem to have.

I'm grateful that my mother came back into my life after 20 years and this well be our first holiday together. Although there is a ton of baggage and trials to overcome, another chance is a gift.
I'm looking outside at this horrid weather and really remembering that 95% of the world doesn't have what I have.
I'm warm and fed and so are my boys. How can I forget this?

I am not alone. I have many people who love me and my children. Without this I cannot be sure how I would cope. The gratitude on this one makes me explode with joy. In order for that to happen though I have to keep it top of mind. Gratitude is a practice.

I'm grateful for the strength to be vulnerable. It is good for all of us to share ourselves, not always perfectly polished.

Thank you for reading and sharing.

Andrea.

Andrea Page, Founder of FITMOM(www.fitmomfitness.com) and NEWMOM101 has worked with over 10, 000 women during the childbearing years in a variety of ways. FITMOM provides classes, personal training, 40 day coaching programs and online support via www.newmom101.com

BOOST YOUR METABOLISM FOR 2009- now is the perfect time.

Andrea Page — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 22:56:14 -0500

NUTRITION TIPS FOR BOOSTING METABOLISM IN 2009

§ EAT BREAKFAST: Eat first thing in the morning to charge your metabolism A.S.A.P.

§ STAY LEVEL: Eat small frequent meals. Let no more than 3 hours go by between meals to ensure your glycogen levels don’t drop. This leads to fat storing and your body will start to utilize lean muscle as backup. Cravings will more likely be triggered at this time. Small regular meals promote higher metabolism.

§ PLAN MEALS: Planning what you are going to eat helps keep you focused on your nutritional requirements. It also reduces the chances you’ll eat quick, over-processed foods with few nutritional benefits.

§ MAKE/STORE BACKUP MEALS: When cooking healthy meals, make extra and keep this stored for times when you don’t have time to cook. Or find healthy recipes that can be prepared in 15 minutes. This will help you avoid less nutritional replacements (i.e. like ordering in!!!).

§ JOURNAL: Keep track of what you are eating and when. You might be surprised where hidden calories or triggers lie.

§ ALLOW “CHEAT” DAYS: Reward yourself for good behavior in a calculated manner. Constant denial of things you crave leads to greater chance of overall abandonment. Everything in moderation. “Cheat” on days that you are most active and not late at night.

§ REDUCE PORTION SIZE: Portion size in North America is out of control (as is obesity). Note the portion size on food labels and stick with that. A “deck of cards”, not a board game of meat is all you need!

§ EAT CLEAN: This term describes eating in a way that optimizes nutritional intake, minimizes overall fat intake and maximizes results. Approach this gradually and focus on health and feeling of well-being, rather than external results.

o EATING CLEAN SUGGESTIONS:

§ Breakfast should include 1 serving complex carbohydrate, 1 simple carbohydrate, 1 protein, 1 dairy (optional)

§ A.M. Snack should include 1 serving complex carbohydrate, 1 simple carbohydrate, 1 protein

§ Lunch should include 1 serving of complex carbohydrate, 2 simple carbohydrates, 1 protein

§ P.M. Snack should include 1 serving of complex carbohydrate, 1 simple carbohydrate, 1 protein

o Dinner should include 1 serving of complex carbohydrate, 2 simple carbohydrate, 1 protein

o Not so late snack-only if needed-try to stay away from carbohydrates before bed

§ INGEST BEST FOODS

Complex Carbohydrates: Grains, high fiber and enriched products like couscous, oatmeal, cream of wheat, rice, sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, peas, pumpernickel bread/bagel. Eat sparingly pastas as they are cause for water retention (when you do eat pasta eat it early in the day), as well eat sparingly bread products as they are generally high in fat.
Simple Carbohydrates: Vegetables/fruits – broccoli, spinach, beans, cauliflower, carrots, lima beans. Fruits – apples, oranges, bananas (1/2 = 1 serving), peaches, pineapple, melon, strawberries etc
Protein: Meats, chicken, turkey, fish (tuna, salmon (heart smart), and other selections not fried or breaded). Nuts (sparingly as they are high in fat but generally do contain essential fatty acids) and legumes.
4. Dairy: Contains calcium but choose non-fat dairy as it is high in fat and cholesterol. Also supplement your diet with calcium supplement. Yogurt, milk, cottage cheese. Low fat cheeses.
5. Essential Fatty Acids: The essential fats of which the proper quantities are not found in our diets. Fish oils, OMEGA 3,6,9 caplets etc. Good fat helps us break down bad fats.

To the best "you" that "you" can be in 2009

Andrea

Andrea Page is the founder of FITMOM INC a nationally recognized prenatal, postnatal and beyond fitness program that has served over 10,000 women during the childbearing years and beyond. FITMOM also hosts the sister site www.newmom101.com the online moms resource for FITMOM programming. January 1, 2009 visit our new online FITMOM digs at www.fitmomfitness.com.