169.6 Odds and Ends

I've been thinking more about the balance ball comparison with weight loss and weight management and want to add to what I said yesterday. In both cases, practice and experience make things easier. In other words, I'm not going to be afraid of totally losing control in terms of what I eat forever. And, over time I will gain more control and confidence in what the heck I'm trying to do on the balance ball! :)

This morning I received a quote from one of my online friends that I like very much. "Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy." --Norman Vincent Peale. (Jeff received a book by Norman Vincent Peale when he was about 12 years old from his father. He gives it credit for shaping a lot of his thinking and he has been a successful and happy guy.)

And, I humbly celebrate my 451st post! Who knew this blog would exist for this long?

194.6 Giving Up The Comfort Zone

After a long break, I went back to Paradise Valley Community College to start the second semester of ESL (English as a Second Language) there. I had 17 students this morning, the most I have ever had since I started doing this in 2006. They are from all over the world and vary in age from early twenties up to over sixty. They do inspire me.

Today I tried to inspire them to challenge themselves. This is a free class and there is no preparation required. We do an hour of conversation and an hour of reading, and I plan everything. So, this morning I shared with them my weight loss saga and how everyday I have had to challenge myself to stay with the program. And, I encouraged them to set some new behaviors in place to reinforce what they are learning, and to practice. I talked with them about speaking English in their homes, even for a short time each day. And to watch American TV so as to immerse themselves in English, even for a short time each day.

You know, there are cable TV stations that originate in countries all over the world that can be made available to anyone who wants to see them. It used to be that if you lived here you could only watch stations that were transmitting from the U.S. What can happen now is if you are from Iraq, for example, you can watch only Iraqi TV, live in a neighborhood that is predominantly Iraqi, and you can get along pretty well...unless you want a job, or you want to experience life as an American. Obviously, the folks that are attending my class want to expand their horizons, but they are having trouble giving up their comfort zone. Hello! That's exactly where I found myself when I embarked on this weight loss adventure as I have called it. No matter what the new is all about, what it may promise, it is hard to give up the old.

no scale Bellagio Christmas

This is a very complex place to visit. I definitely have an ambivalent view of Las Vegas. Right now there is snow on the mountains that we look out at from our room, and it is simply gorgeous. But down on the street things are pretty gritty and grim. I have done surprisingly well with my gambling fortunes so that has been fun, and unexpected. And, I have been walking everywhere, very different from past visits. It means a lot to me that I can walk.

The Andrea Bocelli concert last night was absolutely fabulous. What is so phenomenal about seeing him perform is that he sings effortlessly, whether he is singing an aria or a Christmas Carol. I didn't realize this about his style and was struck by it throughout the performance. Whether it was an unusually high note or low note, it was sung effortlessly and beautifully. Can weight loss be effortless? I think that depends on the definition of effort. It does take discipline and practice, I can attest to that!

So, home tomorrow!