What's a Bucket List for?

One of my favorite movies of all time, “The Bucket List” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman” inspired me to work on my own Bucket List to realign myself with what’s really important and balance it with the things I want most in life.

What is a bucket list?  A bucket list is just is simply a list of all the plans you would like to accomplish, desires you would like to satisfy and experiences you want to enjoy before you die.

Why have a bucket list? If you don’t live by goal setting and planning, most likely,you’re giving out  your time in the hustle and bustle of this frisky world.Do you  feel your days are passing by without any solid achievement to brag about? Have you thought of the the things you have done for the last 3 to 6 months? What about your plans for the next 3 to 6 months? Consider the things you’ve done and the things that are yet to be done, do they mean something supposed you die this very moment?That’s the idea of a bucket list.Having a bucket list reminds you of what really matters, of what is it that you really want in life, hence, you'll take action to fulfill them.

If you live by strict standard and itinerary, you're probably focused on a definite framework or system. A bucket list takes you out of that framework. It’s a way  to line everything you’ve ever wished to try or do, whether big or small,simple or complicated, shallow or deep.It’s just like re-aligning your life, picture painting, editing, directing and accentuating the  main feature of your life story.

I have written a 200 itemed-bucket list and writing it allowed me to think about my purpose in life and review the things I have achieved over the things that I wish and hope for and learned  many new things while enumerating the things written on it.It was remarkably a contemplative activity that I enjoyed so much.Having my own bucket list gave me a renewed zest in life, and my eyes open for something beautiful to happen. It serves as a reminder of all the things we wish to attain in our time right here, right now instead of spending our time with nonsensical things.

If you haven’t created a bucket list yet, I suggest you start doing it now.It doesn’t cost anything and it’ll just take 30 minutes (an hour, maybe) to write. What does it profit you? Purpose and direction.

The intent of a bucket list is not merely to expect death,although we know that it’s an inevitable thing, rather, to maximize each moment of our existence and live our best life by becoming the best person that you and I can be.

My Weight Loss Vision Board

I find it really hard to get inspired and motivated sometimes that is why it is important that I stay clear of my desires and goals to keep me on the right track. To help maintain my focus, I use a vision board as it gives visual pictures for achieving my goals.  For me, it’s a great mental reminder of the things I want to be, do, or have in my life. I learned about Vision Boards from  my favorite celebrity  beauty queen and I thought  it was a great idea, so I made one for myself and I have proven this really effective in my life and I use it for the longest time.

What is a Vision Board? A vision board is an effective tool for achieving your goals. It is literally, a board on which you display pictures that represent whatever you want to become, do or have in your life. In this age of digital revolution, you can also create vision boards to display on your computer screen and mobile devices like what I have in my laptop and mobile phone. Well, the point is to keep you visually focused on your goal.

Late last year (2011), I have made several vision boards for 2012 targeting different aspects of my life: career, financial, spiritual and health – here, I made a weight loss vision board.

A weight loss vision board can be useful to help you attain your ideal weight and will keep you visually focused and more likely to make healthy and better options. When you look at pictures of slim and healthy bodies, you feel inspired to have the same for yourself. By instilling your subconscious with such images, you program your mind to be motivated and to take actions that lead to success!

Creating a vision board is quite simple. It doesn't matter if you prefer a corkboard (with lots of pictures on it) or  a digital one. More important is the content of your vision board:

• First you have to select pictures that can affect emotional impact. There should be an emotional response every time you look at them so you have to choose colorful pictures that reflect life, strength and energy, such as smiling faces, exercise machines, weighing scales,people running,jumping or exercising- these pictures should move you to action!

• Use Before and after pictures (desired future image). Of course your vision board should have a picture of yourself in the present form or figure. You also have to put your desired body there. You could place images of fit and healthy people you would like to imitate.

• Select pictures of healthy food. If you want, you can place pictures of yummy healthy foods such as salads, fruits and veggies presented artistically, and look really appetizing.

• Be specific.  Don't forget to indicate how many pounds and inches you'd like to lose and yes, you can write down the date when you want to see those goals achieved. It will challenge you to make good, make every day count and waste no time.

• Write  affirmative statements and quotes.  It will definitely get you moving if you include motivating phrases and statements like “No pain, no gain” or “Just do it” or some motivational quotes- choose one that will provoke you to do your BEST ! Using affirmations can help you express who you really are and free you from those limiting beliefs, and remind you  that your potential is limitless and the possibilities really are endless.

Having a weight loss vision board prompts me to press on and make progress towards achieving my weight loss goal and I am sure it will do the same to you. Whatever happens to your day, your vision board will be a constant reminder of where you want to be. Consciously and subconsciously, it can keep your mind focused on the favorable outcome, your attention on your intentions, and your life headed in the right direction. So be motivated in your weight loss journey; Start using a weight loss vision board for a weight loss success now!

Confessions of a Former Addict

I confess that I was an addict. Yes I was addicted to food. I love food a lot and there was a point in my life that I thought that it’s the most important thing in this world. My Mom kept reminding me to “eat to live” but it seemed to me that my motto during those days was “Live to eat.” Sad, but that was how I treated food- I was uncontrollable with my eating, as if I would die without food, I was a slave to food, as if my world was revolving around it….food,food,food.

Factors like stress, the intricacies of being a disturbed teenager, the occasional drama of family and relational issues, the misdirected freedom to eat everything I wanted (unaware of its ill effects) and there was also the confusion of not knowing what I wanted to "be when I grow older" …..all these contributed to the addiction. I used to suffer periods of depression and those were the "dark days" when I couldn't stop eating. It felt good and food has become my comfort zone.

I thought that it would be best to gratify myself with much, much food- choco chips, ice cream, hamburgers, chocolate bars, softdrinks and just about any "junk" food I could reach. It started as “just for fun" then it gradually turned into a daily and habitual action. I'd eat until my stomach would bulge that it was uncomfortable to stand up or sit down. Every move I'd made seemed uncomfortable! I also had a hard time looking for clothes for my body type, it reached to a point where some people thought I was pregnant! And that was really embarassing, even insulting because I was single and so young then.

For the longest time, I had practiced a destructive pattern of always starting a "new diet."…. After a very light breakfast of one slice of white bread and jam, it would be followed by a heavy lunch then a heavier meal (snack) and after that, an even heavier dinner; the following day, I would skip breakfast then a heavy meal again and a heavier meal after and the pattern went on and on….A brief "high" would be followed by an extreme “low”and the more I wallowed in guilt and defeat. I was such a loser. In consequence, I would  mentally punish myself for having no self discipline, I used to "trash talk" a lot and the only thing that would make me feel good was … more eating. Food ruled every moment of everyday. The sad part was it literally, ruled my life.

The good part is it didn’t rule my life forever. I was healed from food addiction. I didn’t undergo professional help,though. And how did I do it?

I had made a thorough research on how foods affect the body ( how unhealthy foods can cause sickness and eventual death), I learned how to read labels, plan my meals and count calories. I made an effort to learn good nutrition. It was a slow process of properly educating myself coupled with self control and the conscious effort and determination to be healthy. I decided to direct my eating habits on nutrition, rather than my emotions.

I changed my MINDSET. Since I knew it wasn't just a simple physical battle but a "battlefield of the mind", I stopped indulging in depression and powerlessness.I got tired of feeling bad about myself. I just wanted change… I started counting my daily blessings and journal the things that made me happy and the little successes I had along the way. Every day I tried to write down at least 10 things I am thankful for in an attempt to excercise contentment and simple abundance. This process helped me a lot and I still do it to this day! Oh well, I still have a lot of unnecessary things going on in my head from time to time, but I’ve learned  to intentionally focus more on what is positive in my life.

As an aftereffect of my “360 degrees turn” to good nutrition, I deliberately stopped eating foods with names I could hardly pronounce-time to let go of  pasta al pomodoro, fettuccine carbonara and all those foods I could not even spell. This became elemental in my weight loss. If I backslide, and there was a point I did- well, at least I was not hard on myself anymore. I’d forgive myself. I'd go back and start again, read through my journals- go over the progress I'd made, and I'd love to re-read articles about other people's (athletes, successful people, celebrities) weight loss journey.

Today, over two decades later, Life is so much brighter! I confess ….I still love food! Only now, I am no longer a food addict and more importantly, I’ve shifted to healthier options. I realized, it's all about moderation and being conscious of what you do to your body… I love to plan my meals, and really enjoy every meal. Yes, I still do enjoy food but no longer controlled by it. After all, “I eat to live, NOT live to eat”.