BFLFW--Principle 1: Embrace Adversity

This is the second post of the series "Body for Life for Women" by Dr. Pamela Peeke. If you want to catch up, you can read the first post in the series, but it doesn't really say much.

Principle 1 in the book is Embrace Adversity. You are going to change your life over the next twelve weeks. There are going to be obstacles, and you are going to overcome them. Dr. Peeke explains it better than I can. "Anticipate that there will be obstacles in your path. Then, when you meet up with them--and it's not a matter of if, but when--you'll greet them as opportunities to sharpen your skills at keeping your self-care on track. Instead of getting frustrated by those obstacles, embrace them. Remember that in the midst of difficulty lies opportunity. Identify the opportunity to allow adversity to make you a stronger, wiser woman. " The rest of the principles will give you the tools to do this.

The first principle in the book asks you to sign a contract with yourself. This contract basically says that for the next twelve weeks, you are make your physical well-being a priority. It doesn't mean that for the next twelve weeks, you are going to obsess about everything you eat and exercise like a mad woman. For the next twelve weeks, you are going to focus on getting healthier.

The first time I did this, I used the exact contract from Dr. Peeke's book. Every twelve weeks since then, I've tweeked it a bit. My latest contract was short and sweet and didn't say much at all. I think it's because I was really tired of fighting this seemingly unending plateau. For almost three months, my weight stayed about the same. It was frustrating for me, because I was exercising a lot. However, I wasn't doing as well with eating. For me, I needed to just get back to the basics--eat less junk and move more. My latest contract reflects my simple needs. Honestly, though, my last contract didn't work well at all. It had a lot of measurable goals, including how many fruits and veggies I'd eat, how much weight I'd lose, etc. I generally like measurable goals. In this case, however, it just didn't address what I really needed to work on, which is my attitude. So, I'm returning to my roots. I'm skipping over the measureable goals and going back to working on my attitude.

Date: August 22, 2008I, Lori S. Broach, commit to starting my Body-For-Life for Women on Friday, August 22, 2008, completing this 12-week weight removal segment on November 14, 2008.

I believe that I can accept and complete my challenge to the best of my ability. I realize this is work and accept the self-care price I must pay to achieve my mental and physical transformation.

I will continue to:

• practice the 10 Power-Mind principles to help me stay the course
• pursuing progress, not perfection, in my eating and training
• take my mini-chills and strive to become a master regrouper
• be self-assertive and fight for the right to take care of myself

I will work harder at:

• not ruminating, bitching, moaning, whining
• keeping my daily Mind-Mouth-Muscle journal
• expect and adapt to adversity and embrace tough times as learning opportunities
• eating at least two veggies and two fruits daily
• finding joy to neutralize my stress
• acknowledging and rewarding myself for my achievements along the way

By completing the Challenge, I signify honor and respect for myself, and affirm that I deserve health, happiness, and joy.

What is the right contract for you? I don't know. Write what moves you. Write what you want from the next twelve weeks. My contract reminds me to continue doing the steps that I do well, while challenging me to work harder on things I'm struggling to do.

Next week, I'll post on Principle 2: Find Your Motivational "Bull's-Eye." It's a very powerful principle.