Guideposts.com - Advice from a Loser: "All I Needed to Know About Life I Learned from My One-Year-Old"

All I needed to know about life, I learned from my one-year-old.

Okay, well maybe not everything I needed to know about life…but there is a lot of truth to that statement!

My youngest son turns one this month. And just being his mother the past year has taught me such incredible life lessons. My eyes have been opened to things that maybe I hadn’t taken the time to notice before—or at least not in the past eight years (the last time I had a baby around).

Things like…

It’s okay to cry when you don’t feel good.

You need to eat—and eat often (as long as it’s the right things)—in order to be healthy.

Getting a good night’s sleep can make the difference between a good day and a bad day.

There’s just something wonderful about being held by somebody you love when you are feeling cranky.

Before you can ever learn to walk…you’ve got to fall down a few times. (Okay, many times.)

When you take the time to notice them, even tiny seemingly insignificant things can be amazing.

A belly laugh really is contagious.

Even the worst day can be turned around with a sweet smile.

Everything that looks good, doesn’t necessarily taste good—like red crayons—and is not good for you.

The squeaky wheel does usually does get the oil.

But probably the most significant thing my one-year-old has taught me is something I really already knew: Nothing compares to unconditional love.

Think about all the blessings you have in your life. And take a moment to reflect on some of the most simple truths you know. You may find, like I have, that there’s a lot of wisdom in the innocence, thoughts and actions of a child.

If we pay attention, we can actually learn a lot.

Guideposts.com - Advice from a Loser: "Goal Setting for the New Year"

There’s a popular saying, “Shoot for the moon…even if you miss you’ll still land among the stars.” And while that may be good advice in some things, as we begin the new year I want to suggest something kind of contradictory to you: aim small!

Now before you go, “Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Julie,” let me explain what I mean.
I am not suggesting that you underestimate yourself or your potential in any way. As children of God we have within us the power to excel and achieve. But in regard to a weight loss journey—or really any monumental task that you have set for yourself—I say take it slow.

I not only look at my own experience, but I am basing this on what I’ve heard hundreds of others say as they share their experiences with me. They look at how quickly we did things on The Biggest Loser and compare those results to their own. Sometimes it seems unrealistic and discouraging. Sometimes if you look at the big picture all at once it’s easy to get discouraged. Discouragement leads to excuses. And excuses lead to giving up.

At the beginning of my journey to lose nearly 100 pounds, if I had really thought about all that I would have to do to reach that goal, it would have been easy to let discouragement set in. So I learned to set little, achievable goals for myself. And that’s what I recommend to others. Take it one day at a time; one pound at a time. Every pound lost is a victory. And then I recommend that when you’ve hit a milestone or a significant marker along the way (no matter how small)—CELEBRATE!

I used to celebrate significant accomplishments with a big piece of chocolate cake. Not so anymore. I encourage you to be creative in your rewards for yourself. But you do need to acknowledge your hard work and your accomplishment. Go get a pedicure. Or make a date with your favorite person to go on a nice, relaxing walk in the cool of the day. Or you might even treat yourself to a new piece of clothing one size down. But whatever you do, celebrate yourself.
And then before you know it, all your little goals will add up to the one big accomplishment you are striving for. And you will realize how strong you are and have a true feeling of achievement.

Remember, anything worth having is worth working for, and working hard for.

I wish you the very best in whatever it is you are working for in 2009. Just remember to take it one day at a time, be consistent, don’t get distracted by the big picture, and don’t be afraid to be your own cheering section!

Guideposts.com - Advice from a Loser: "What a Difference a Year Can Make!"

When I think back on life just one short year ago, so much has changed for me.
A year ago I was coming off the excitement of eight months on a reality TV show. I came home and faced the challenge of blending all of the things I had learned through my experience on The Biggest Loser with real life. My household hadn’t really changed, but I sure had. And I had a lot of work to do to get the rest of the family “up to speed” in regards to a new way of viewing food, exercise and healthy living.

I didn’t end up morbidly obese overnight. But my experience on The Biggest Loser had given me plenty of opportunity to realize why and how I had ended up that way.
I had always struggled with my weight. Some people are just prone to that and I am one of them. But I really began to lose the battle of the bulge when I got married and became a mother. I had the very best of intentions. But it was like everyone and everything else took precedence over my own well-being. I just couldn’t “neglect” my husband or son or home or friends or church responsibilities. They all needed me. So who did I neglect? Myself.

Jillian Michaels, who was my trainer on the show, asks this very powerful question: “Would you treat your children like you treat yourself? Would you skip their doctor’s appointments? Would you feed them junk? Would you withhold play time?”

The answer is an emphatic “No!”

Then why do we do that to ourselves?

I guess one of the most valuable things I have learned over the past year is that “selfish” is not a dirty word. And when I say selfish, I really mean a healthy concern for yourself.

I now know that by taking care of myself and making time to exercise and plan healthy menus and find some time just for Julie, that I can be so much better at all the things that really matter.

See, before I was trying to run this “machine” that is my body with absolutely no fuel whatsoever. I fed it the wrong things, I deprived it from rest and restoration, and I even let a busy schedule deprive it from spiritual nourishment. And the result? I was a train wreck.

With a new mindset I am able to be a better wife and mother. I am more productive. I am healthier and happier than I have ever been. And you know what? My husband and children have totally “survived” that new way of thinking just fine! In fact, it’s better for our family all the way around.

Eleven months ago we adopted a precious newborn baby. And mixing late night feedings and diaper changes and the general care of a baby is exhausting. A wonderful blessing; but exhausting. I felt the temptation to neglect myself in order to get everything else done. So I had to make a conscious decision not to do that and to really practice what I preach.
But through determination and God’s grace, it’s all coming together beautifully. And that’s my wish for you in the coming year.

Don’t be afraid to make yourself a priority in 2009. And I bet you the results will not only be a Happy New Year—but also a “Happy New You!”

Blogging for Guideposts.com

Hi everyone.

I have recently been given a wonderful opportunity to work with Guideposts.com.

Guideposts Magazine ("America's Favorite Magazine") has been providing its readers with inspirational stories since 1945! And I am so happy to be joinging them as one of their online contributors.

So please visit: http://www.guideposts.com/ to read not only my blogs - but all of the information, stories and articles about health & wellness, prosperity, relationships & family, faith & living and personal change. It's a great place to "visit" just to be encouraged.

I am going to post my blogs from Guideposts.com here on my personal blog as well.

Hope you are experiencing a wonderful holiday season and that the coming New Year will be especially blessed for you and your family!

Love,
Julie

Our Orlando Trip

We just got back from a long weekend in Orlando. I had some business to take care of in Winter Park on Friday and then we decided to enjoy a day at "Sea World" and then take a leisurely ride home on Sunday, which was Father's Day - and I happen to be married to one of the best fathers in the world! My sister Jennifer and her roommate Rachel went with us. They are the best!! And definitely made the trip more memorable.

As soon as I walked through the gates of the Park, I was greeted by some avid fans of "The Biggest Loser." That's always neat. Later in the day my son Noah was featured in the new Shamu Show "Believe." The Show itself was incredible – but as a mom it was so moving to see my child so excited about something. They asked him what his dream was – and he said to be a veterinarian. He beamed when they took him down to the front of the theater and showed his image on the huge screens. It really was a neat experience. After we left the Show he was still buzzing about how cool it all was. We asked him, "Noah, which was more exciting? Be in the 'Believe' Show just now or being on national television on 'The Biggest Loser'?" He thought about it for a second and said, "I guess the Shamu Show just now…because there were so many more people watching."

Mike laughed and said, "Yeah, 14.5 million television viewers for the Biggest Loser…they had to have twice that many people in that amphitheater." (Not.)

The whole day was interesting - - different this time - - but in a lot of good ways. As I've said before – food is going to always be an issue for me. Making good choices is a decision that I've got to make everyday. And it's something that does get easier in some ways (because I know Jillian will fly to Florida and kick my butt if I don't), but it would still be very easy to fall back into bad habits. So I was SO EXCITED to see that Sea World now has a healthy alternatives restaurant called "Mama's Kitchen." If you are visiting the park you really should try it. They've got salads and turkey sandwiches and whole wheat pasta salad. They even have sweet potato chips. It was good to see that mainstream venues like Sea World are offering healthy options for those of us who are trying to eat right – but want to still enjoy all the fun everybody else is having.

And I know this probably sounds silly to mention – but I haven't been to a theme park in years. And I couldn't believe the difference in how it feels to sit on a roller coaster and not be afraid that the bar will fit over me. Or not be embarrassed on a ride that my butt is spreading over into the seat of the stranger sitting next to me. It was a great feeling!

So I guess that's it. I just wanted to share a little bit about our weekend. I hope everyone is having a great week so far and that all you dads out there had a blessed Father's Day.

Take care.
Julie

My best advice

I made the following post to my blog on "Myspace" - but my friend Tammie reminded me that not everybody uses Myspace so she suggested that I put this information here - on the Blog associated with my Web site. So here it is..."My best advice"...for what it's worth.

Hi everybody! Life continues to be so busy - - but wonderful. Both my boys are growing by leaps and bounds before my very eyes. Noah is almost as tall as I am and he's only seven! (Ok, so Mike calls me a legal midget, but still...) And Jaxon turned three months old yesterday. And he is barely fitting in his 3 month outfits. Life is good!

I spoke at a local middle school today and I am often asked the same questions. I am flattered that people even care what I have to say. It's kind of odd but good at the same time if you know what I mean. I still maintain that I am just an ordinary person who was presented with an opportunity to take control of an area of my life that was in desparate need of some attention.
I really do mean it when I say, "If I can do - anybody can do it. There's nothing extraordinary about me." Actually it seems to be that statement that resonnates so loudly with people. And I am thankful that I can share that viewpoint because I really do believe it.

One of the teenage girls at the school today - who is also a Myspace fan - asked me for some advice. There are a few key points that I think were very significant in my own journey and I like to share them with others when they ask. And I do actually get asked that a lot. This sweet girl was very appreciative of the time I spent talking to her and said, "You really should post that advice on Myspace! I'd love to be able to go back there and read it again."

So I thought, you know, that's not a bad idea. It's only my opinion. There's nothing magic to the words I am about to share with you. But I am going to share them anyway. If nothing else they are a good reminder to ME.

Most of you who are reading this probably know that fought my weight most of my life. I was never really thin. But I finally understood that THIN doesn't necessarily mean HEALTHY. And it really is about good health and quality of life. It's not a vanity issue.

So here's my best advice to anyone struggling with weight issues like I was:

1) Start today!
Stop putting it off. Stop making excuses.

2) Find your motivation.
For me it was the example I was setting for my son. It was the desire to have another baby. It was the fact that I wanted to grow old with my husband. That was the defining motivation for me.

3) Don't look at the big picture.
Take it one day at a time. One pound at a time. Looking too far ahead will only discourage you.

4) Move more and eat less.
Burning more calories than you consume is the ONLY way you will lose weight. You have got to get moving. Take it slow but do it.

5) Surround yourself with positive influences.
Rid your home of bad foods. Surround yourself with supportive people who will encourage you. Set yourself up for success!

6) Set small achievable goals and then when you reach them...CELEBRATE!!!
Don't have a piece of chocolate cake though. Go get a pedicure. Or take a walk with your best friend. Buy a piece of clothing one size down that NOW you can get in to. Do something for you.

7) BELIEVE you are worth it. Because you are!!
I think that last one is one of the hardest. Because as an overweight person I was faced with a lot of rejection. Prejudice against the obese is the last acceptable prejudice left in society. And it's hard not to buy into the lies we hear all around us. But you've got to do it. And then when you are on this side of the struggle you'll be so glad you did.

You know my motivation t-shirt on the Show was "To finish what I started, for once." I've had so many people tell me they could relate to that slogan. But you know what? I have realized that I will never "finish what I've started." This will be an ongoing journey for me for the rest of my life. So my new slogan is "to continue what I've started...forever."

"Paying it Forward: Biggest Loser Style"

Hi everybody. The following article hit the newspaper in Jacksonville today so I guess it's ok to share the info with you.

You know "The Black Team" loyalty runs deep. We really are like a family with "Momma Jillian" looking after all her "kids."

As the following article explains better than I can - after the Final Four this year were determined (in "real time" not what you saw on TV last week) I had a phone conversation with KELLY. She is - in fact - absolutely as sweet and sincere as she appears on TV. She was struggling to get in "the groove" in prepping for her upcoming Finale. So it seemed like a no brainer to invite her to come to Jacksonville - and move in with me and my family for six weeks - and work together. And that's exactly what happened.

We've had a great time and she has worked so hard. My local trainer Margie has very similar leanings in her training style as Jillian. So there was no mercy shown. The end result to all of Kelly's hard work from the past several months on the Show leading up to now - as you will on April 15 - is amazing.

I am so very proud of her. And in the process I've developed a friend for life. I don't want to sound cheesey, but I've got to say that I believe that God allows us to go through extraordinary experiences in this life not to keep it all to ourselves but to share those blessings with others. My "Biggest Loser" experience was life-changing. So I had to "pay it forward" with Kelly. It really was a privilege to be able to do that.

Hope you enjoy the following article. Thank you to writer Mark Woods and the Florida Times Union.

'Losers' team up to tone up, slim down for NBC finale

By MARK WOODS, The Times-Union

While eating lunch with two participants in NBC's The Biggest Loser, one past and one present, I asked if strangers ever recognize them.

As if on cue, when Kelly Fields got up from the table, a woman approached her.
"Thank you," the woman said excitedly. "You're such an inspiration. I hope you win."
If the woman had glanced back at the table, she would have seen - and probably recognized - the reason that Fields, a 38-year-old nurse from Titusville, was in Jacksonville.
Julie Hadden was the runner-up on The Biggest Loser's fourth season. She lost 97 pounds, going from 218 to 121. And she has been where Fields is now: beginning the jarring transition from reality TV to reality.

"You learn so much from being there [on the show]," Hadden said. "You have to pay it forward."
So when the fifth season headed to its final phase - with the four remaining contestants leaving a rigidly controlled environment and heading home for several weeks before the season finale - Hadden offered to help.

She invited Fields to come live with her family and to work out with her trainer, Margie Marshall.

The short-term result: Despite being limited by a herniated disc in her back, Fields has continued to drop weight and jean sizes.

"Stairs, stairs and more stairs," Fields said with a laugh last week. "I came here between a size 10-12. In three weeks, I'm down to a six."

The long-term result: By spending time with Hadden, Fields has an idea what is ahead. Life after the finale.

The term "reality TV," of course, is a misnomer. Most of the genre involves more fantasy than reality. And when shows end, with the exception of a few big winners, the reality is that little changes. The bachelors and bachelorettes don't get married and live happily ever after.
But that's part of the appeal of The Biggest Loser. Many of the participants - not just the eventual winner of a $250,000 prize - say the experience is life-changing. And that has touched a nerve with viewers.

So an obvious question is what happened when Hadden returned to Jacksonville last December.
To start with, she no longer could run a "quick" errand.

She'd go into Wal-Mart and inevitably someone would recognize her and start pouring out their own story, often through tears.

America loves a good makeover. And The Biggest Loser produces the most dramatic ones on television today. The most viewed video on jacksonville.com this year used to be a song about Jack Del Rio. Now it's "Julie Hadden's Amazing Transformation."

She was scheduled to go to Washington to talk to Congress about the importance of nutrition. But in January, something bigger came up. She and her husband, Mike, adopted a baby boy, Jaxon.
So she has gone from life on The Biggest Loser ranch to life at home. Changing diapers, waking up for 4 a.m. feedings, doing activities with 7-year-old Noah, church, shopping, bills, meals and ... OK, here's the answer to the question you want to know: No, she hasn't turned into The Biggest Gainer.

She is about 10 pounds heavier. But that's compared to the unrealistic bar set by the season finale. She's still nearly 90 pounds below her old weight and determined to stay there. She has changed her lifestyle and eating habits for the long term. And for the short term, she has some familiar motivation. She wants to look good for another season finale.

She will be on national TV again on Tuesday, this time as Fields' mentor.

"I saw myself in her at the beginning of the show," Hadden said. "I could just tell that her self-esteem, her persona was almost sad. Some people are like, 'I'm going to win this thing.' She was like me, saying, 'I just hope I make it until tomorrow.' "

Fields kept making it to tomorrow. She went from 271 pounds at the start to 178 in the show that aired this week. And in the process, she has developed loyal fans, which is both flattering and strange. A co-worker asked her for an autograph. Strangers call out her name. After she ordered a meal recently, another diner asked the waitress what she had. And when the show's ardent fans see "Kelly from Season 5" together with "Julie from Season 4," it's like they've hit The Biggest Loser jackpot.

Hadden was getting her hair done recently. Fields and Marshall, their trainer, stopped in to chat. While they were talking, a girl and her mother burst through the door.

"I'm sorry, but we've walked by here 15 times," the mother said. "Are you Kelly from The Biggest Loser?"

When Fields said she was, the two strangers let out yells.

"What are you doing here?" one of them asked.

"I'm visiting my friend," Fields said.

The hairdresser spun around the chair, turning Hadden toward them.

More screams.