It's Giveaway Time !

It's been tooooo long! I know, I have been a bad blogger.  So first off, let me apologize to my readers for being offline for about a month.  It wasn't intentional.   I had been away for nearly 2 weeks then got hit with the flu. During that entire time, I really didn't have much to share in terms of my low carb journey.  I have since recovered from the flu and settled back into my groove.  I openly admit that while I was on holiday I did not stick to my plan either in the food or exercise department.  The amazing thing is that I did not gain weight.  In fact, the change almost seems to have boosted my metabolism.  I am now almost 2 full pants sizes leaner (ok,  one and a half) and the inches keep coming off.

I have decided though to avoid the scale.  I just don't think it is the best way to track progress.  Personally I think sticking to your exercise and eating plan and going by how you feel and how your clothes fit is the best way to go.  Why the change in mindset?   Well I caught myself recently becoming a slave to the scale.  I have been that way in the past and never want to go there again. So time for me to change things up!

More changes have occurred as well.   I have increased my weights, added more exercises to my training program and increased my cardio all since starting this journey a few months back.  To me, that is great progress!  I am building muscle, slimming down and increasing my strength and endurance. All is good and flowing along very well.

As a way to re-energize this blog since my last post I have decided to offer my readers a giveaway.  Is it diet related?  Nope, not really.  It is mindset related.

You see over the years I have come to learn one very important lesson:  You will not succeed in anything in your life if you let negative thoughts or influences enter into things.  The key to happiness is all in the mind.  If you think positive thoughts, if you truly love who you are, and if you set no limits for yourself,  you will see GREAT CHANGE.  The important thing to note: you must live in that zone!

Too often we start an exercise plan because we don't like ourselves. What happens is we lose all the weight and you guessed it , still don't like ourselves.  That is a sure fire recipe for disaster because then we wonder why we bothered with all the hard work in the first place.  And yes, boom, back comes the weight - probably even more than you lost to begin with.   Dieting, as many of us know, can be one vicious cycle.

The secret, in my personal opinion, is a combination of healthy mind, body and spirit practices that we incorporate into our daily lives.  Before you jump into any health makeover you need to clean out your junk first !  By working with affirmations, meditations, journal writing, catching yourself in negative self-talk, you will move into a state of positive energy.  Only good can come from this. You will integrate these techniques so much into your lives that they will become habit. And with this foundation the world opens up all possibility.  You won't worry about failing or not being "good enough" because you will know, at your core, that you DESERVE THE BEST IN LIFE.   With this new found knowledge you won't be afraid to step into your life with positive actions that go hand in hand with your positive thoughts; because though thinking and feeling positive is essential, so is action !

If for you the best means having a slim, trim and healthy body then you must first love yourself as you are.  You must care for yourself and ensure you are at the top of the priority list. When you love yourself it becomes second nature that you take extremely good care of yourself. Why wouldn't you? You are important !!!   Believe - this isn't all mumbo jumbo.  It does work but it takes time and dedication.  This is no quick fix but trust me, once you move into that state you will see yourself and this world in an incredibly new light. And then you will find yourself walking the walk.  You will clear out your life clutter (this includes thoughts, people and things... not necessary in that order) , find renewed energy, have incredible self-esteem and you will kick your life up a notch - a big notch. You will raise the bar to what is good for you - what you will accept and not accept in your life.  Like I said, trust me, it works.

All of this brings me now to my giveaway.  I have always been a huge fan of Cheryl Richardson and Louise Hay.  I have an ever expanding library of their works.  Both of these glorious women have had such a significant impact on not just me but millions of others who have taken the time to read their works and listen to their wise words.  Recently these 2 ladies joined together to write a new book titled You Can Create An Exceptional Life.  I have read it (and re-read it) and I feel it is a great kick-off point for someone new to the realm of "the positive mind" but also a wonderful refresher for anyone who feels the need to revisit lessons they may have once put into place but have strayed from over time.  It isn't too "heady" or esoteric. It speaks to the masses in words we can all understand. The guidance isn't extreme or beyond impossible to put into place. It is just straight forward cosmic common sense!

So let's lay a good foundation for success shall we?  You have to start somewhere - let's make it great!   Because I believe so passionately in the messages within this book,  I am offering a brand new copy to my giveaway winner as a way to say thanks for following this blog and also as a way to share a great gift to others - an easy way to implement key strategies that can bring you a truly abundant, joyous and exuberant life.

So if you would like to participate all I ask is that you follow this blog via Google Friend Connect and add a comment below that you are participating in this draw. To follow simply click on the Join This Site button located on the right sidebar and follow the instructions.  One entry per person.  I will announce the winner on December 2nd, 2011.  This draw is open to all my followers worldwide.

I wish you all luck !