So, as part of my 12in12 challenge I wanted to get back out walking starting February 1. Today I just found this cool walking challenge that starts on the 1st and encourages you to walk 1049 minutes (30 minutes a day for 35 days) and the number of minutes is based on the number of miles for the Iditarod Sled race. Here are the details from the site:

The Idita-Walk is an event to promote physical fitness in the spirit of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. The Iditarod Sled dog race is 1049 miles long from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. To complete the Idita-Walk, simply walk 30 minutes a day for 35 days between February 1, 2012 to March 31, 2012 for a total of 1049 minutes (any combination of minutes will work – just reach 1049 during the 60 day event!).

Want to join me? It’s only $10 and the money is for charity. You can sign up here: www.idita-walk.com

You can even register your dog!

Post below if you’re going to join in! It will be fun to watch out for each other’s results.

Darlene

Be A Star! Post your comments below and join in the conversation (or get it started!) and then share this post with your friends using the different share buttons on the blog. I'd sure appreciate it! Thanks!

Who is Darlene Hull? Click here: www.darlenehull.com to find out!

So, on Friday I talked about my journey into the Discipline of Discomfort and my desire to push through the uncomfortable barriers in my life that are keeping me stuck.

Now, if you’re like me, and a bit of a “Type A” personality combined with ADD you will have a list a mile long of things that need to change in your life, or things you want to push through. Tackling them all at once (as we tend to do in the first week of January…) is only going to get you frustrated.

I like to try to add one thing per week, but even that is overwhelming and I burn out too quickly. Right after the New Year I came across Chris Brogan’s blog post “My 3 Words for 2012” and he mentioned a personal trainer named Jackie from Fitarella.com who uses a concept called “12 in 12″. Every month you pick one thing that you’re going to do consistently for 30 days. At the end of the 30 days you decide if you’ll continue or not. Regardless of the decision on that first item, you add a second item to work on in the next 30 days. Check out the blog post to get more detail.

The main area that is frustrating the heck out of me is the weight that refuses to budge, regardless of the diet, exercise, or magic potions I might try. SO unbelievably discouraging. If you can’t lose weight walking 100+km a week, while eating a healthy diet, there really is little hope. Currently I have the cold/cough from hell that refuses to let go, so my options are somewhat limited here as well. However, last month I began a program of supplementation/cleansing that I’m hoping will boost my energy and help me sleep better. I’ve been pretty faithful with that. The first two weeks of January have been about healing this blasted cold/cough, but I’ve also been doing some research into programs that will help me get fit and lose the weight without stressing my daily schedule too much.

Several years ago I found Zna Trainer and found her stuff very interesting and backed by a huge amount of science. It’s pretty weird, though, and is based on some rather odd breathing practices. It’s only 5-10 minutes a day and the results seem pretty astounding. I spent about an hour chatting with her on Facebook and then spent more time exploring her site and some of the success stories, and then 15 minutes working on figuring out the O2 exercises which are unbelievably powerful. Just the O2 Breathing exercises alone gave me a full abdominal and facial workout! I will feel this tomorrow.

So, between now and the end of January I’m going to do her O2 exercises every morning for 5 minutes. In February, my intention is to start back with my walking, which is nearly impossible right now with the combination of this cough and the cold weather. Hopefully by the end of January, the cough will be history!!

Why not join me? Pick one thing you’re going to do between now and the end of January, every day, faithfully, regardless. Post below what that is, and we’ll motivate each other!

Make it a great day!

Darlene

Be A Star! Post your comments below and join in the conversation (or get it started!) and then share this post with your friends using the different share buttons on the blog. I'd sure appreciate it! Thanks!

Who is Darlene Hull? Click here: www.darlenehull.com to find out!

I just have to admit it. I’m a wuss.

I love being comfy. Snuggling in warm blankets, drinking warm cocoa, sleeping in, curling up with a good book and some tea, doing what I want, when I want…

I’m also spoiled. I have a brilliant family who is always jumping in to give me a hand and make my life less awkward. I deeply appreciate it, but the truth is, I’m getting soft(er) and not in a positive way. I really struggle against anything that makes me push harder or go beyond my comfort zone. “I just can’t be bothered” is becoming a catch phrase in my life.

I think it’s beginning to cost me. Experiences that I could be having are being missed because it’s too much effort. Growth I could be seeing in my life is hindered because it’s too awkward to deal with. I need to take some lessons from Paul, who says in 1 Corinthians 9:27

I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.

Into this introspection, that’s been going on for a while, comes this fascinating little book, “The Flinch*” Julien Smith. A fascinating, short treatise on forcing ourselves into discomfort in order to move past personal blocks. This isn’t about hair shirts and self-flaggelation. It’s more about looking for an opportunity to lean into uncomfortable situations in order to move forward. Some of his suggestions include taking a cold shower every morning for a week, saying “hello” to people you pass in the street, or saying “yes” to any and every opportunity that comes up over a certain period of time.

In light of my own realizations regarding my discomfort with discomfort, I’m going to be taking on the challenge of doing awkward things. In fact, I’ve already begun by taking on more social engagements involving crowds of people in order to move my business forward. Sounds small, perhaps, but I normally try to avoid situations that require my mingling with groups of people I don’t know well. They are, however, extremely important for my business growth.

There are other things I’m wanting to try, too, but my current battle with a truly nasty, debilitating cold/cough is holding me at bay. While I’m waiting, however, I’m forcing myself to take a regular dose of Buckley’s. Surely that has to count for something! In fact, even their website says: “When it comes to being sick, there are two kinds of people in this world. Those who want comfort, and those who want to get better.” so I figure I’m in good hands.

And the other things I’m going to try? Well, check in on Monday, and I’ll tell you all about it!

Darlene

PS: The book is free. Go get a copy! “The Flinch*” and yes, that’s an Amazon link, but as the book’s free, it’s not really an issue!

Be A Star! Post your comments below and join in the conversation (or get it started!) and then share this post with your friends using the different share buttons on the blog. I'd sure appreciate it! Thanks!

Who is Darlene Hull? Click here: www.darlenehull.com to find out!

As I said in my post on Monday, I do love getting fitness gadgets for Christmas! I’ve been in a real slump, fitness-wise, over the past several months. I’m struggling to find the time I need to commit to my fitness goals, and my life, as a result, is getting more and more sedentary. I know the “UP Bracelet“ is going to help with that. However, that wasn’t the only fun gadget I got! Let me tell you about the other one!

The other gadget I got was actually a kit; a Yantra Mat kit with almost 9000 acupressure points in the form of little, prickly discs all over the mat. You lay on it – kind of like a bed of nails! – and the first 5 minutes are quite painful and uncomfortable, but after that there’s a flood of warmth that goes through your body and causes some deep relaxation. The kit comes with a mat, a pillow, two bands that you can tie onto/around any body part that needs a little healing or relaxation, and two rings for stimulating your fingers.

I tried it out last night before bed. Very cool. I’m going to use it for my naps during the day and see how I feel. If nothing else, it will ensure that I am willing to wake up on time when the nap is over!

Have you ever tried the Yantra Mat? If so, share your results below!

Happy Walking!

Darlene

Be A Star! Post your comments below and join in the conversation (or get it started!) and then share this post with your friends using the different share buttons on the blog. I'd sure appreciate it! Thanks!

Who is Darlene Hull? Click here: www.darlenehull.com to find out!

Hello all! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that you get a more relaxed week this week to enjoy family and friends!

I had an amazing Christmas! My husband and son are techies. One of their favourite things is to find me some new techno-gadget for Christmas, and this year was no exception.

The first gadget thing was a pair of incredibly warm gloves that allow me to use my iPhone/iPod without needing to take them off. In our cold Calgary winters, this is a real plus. They’re soft, unbulky, and while it sometimes takes a little more effort, they do a great job of communicating with my iPhone. These are going to be very useful for the next few months!

The other unbelievably cool thing I got was an “UP Bracelet” which I wear 24/7 to track my eating habits, activity levels, and sleep patterns. I can create and/or join challenges, create a photo food diary, and just generally keep track of how I’m doing health-wise. It’s very easy to use, and has graphs and charts that make tracking-at-a-glance really easy. I’ve just started to use it, and am still learning the ins and outs, but so far, it’s a riot. It’s comfortable to wear, waterproof, has a long battery life, and works together with an iPhone/iPod app to keep track of everything.

Ahh, nothing like a new gadget to help me get off my butt and get going!

How about you – did you get any fitness gadgets this Christmas? If so, share below! I’d love to hear about it!

Happy Walking!

Darlene

Be A Star! Post your comments below and join in the conversation (or get it started!) and then share this post with your friends using the different share buttons on the blog. I'd sure appreciate it! Thanks!

Who is Darlene Hull? Click here: www.darlenehull.com to find out!

If you could only do ONE THING to vastly improve your health, what would it be?

Watch this video and see:

I’d love to hear your comments!

Happy Walking (more so now, than ever!)

Darlene

Be A Star! Post your comments below and join in the conversation (or get it started!) and then share this post with your friends using the different share buttons on the blog. I'd sure appreciate it! Thanks!

Who is Darlene Hull? Click here: www.darlenehull.com to find out!

I thought this article was awesome! I love it when people take the initiative to do something different, adventurous, and a little crazy. It think all of us would be better off if we had the courage to go against the grain a little more.

Hiker eludes bears, hungry skunk on cross-Canada trek

So, once you’ve read that and get yourself inspired, what challenge might you take on in 2012 to break out of your comfort zone and experience something new?

Post below and share!

Happy Walking!

Darlene

Be A Star! Post your comments below and join in the conversation (or get it started!) and then share this post with your friends using the different share buttons on the blog. I'd sure appreciate it! Thanks!

Who is Darlene Hull? Click here: www.darlenehull.com to find out!

Yeah. Well, not quite the results I wanted, but we’re still fighting the “focus thing”. I can only focus on one thing at a time, and last week, that wasn’t weight loss either! Sigh. I’ll post because I need to be accountable, not because I’m delighted with the results! :S

Get your own graph at skinnyr

However, I did end up having a great call with a coach, the result of which completely changed the way I’m now handling my time. Currently I spend most of every day working on our HotSpot Promotion business, marketing and helping business owners with getting the word out about what they do. I enjoy that work and the delight I feel in helping others meet their goals.

But where I really get excited is in the area of healing – physical, emotional, mental – all of it. It really excites me to be able to offer people something that helps them get unstuck. The exploration I’m doing right now on the Emotional Release with Essential Oils program really has me buzzing, and I have 6 books to work through in order to really understand it. With my current schedule, I’ll be 80 before I get through all that, even with my current reading speed.

The truth, however, is that we have a great group of clients already with HotSpot Promotion and while we are certainly open to more clients, the ones we have are enabling us to both make ends meet, and move forward with some of our other goals. I don’t need to be marketing 4 hours a day to keep HotSpot Promotion running. So, I’ve decided to now work part time for HotSpot Promotion, and use the other days to further my studies. This has created a gentle weekly schedule for me that is still very productive, but it allows for much more flexibility with regards to reaching my goals in all areas that are important to me.

Kinda cool. This is the first day I’m trying it out, and so far, so good. I’ve kept up with my weight loss activities, and my HotSpot Promotion activities, and am still feeling relaxed.

How cool is that?! I love it when simple changes make a huge, transformational difference. Don’t you?

Happy Walking!

Darlene

Be A Star! Post your comments below and join in the conversation (or get it started!) and then share this post with your friends using the different share buttons on the blog. I'd sure appreciate it! Thanks!

Who is Darlene Hull? Click here: www.darlenehull.com to find out!

I >turned 50 this year. While I’m not really having an issue with it, it has found me pondering a little on aging. Getting old. Slowing down. Wondering if it’s necessary, or if I can keep on trucking, full strength, until I drop dead.

The other day in my Twitter stream I found a great answer! Take a look: Ed Whitlock’s still going at 80

Now if that doesn’t get you up and running, nothing will, haha! Here’s something along the same lines that showed up on my Facebook page recently to give you one more swift kick where it counts:

So, that being said, I’m heading out for a walk. Catch ya later!

Darlene

Be A Star! Post your comments below and join in the conversation (or get it started!) and then share this post with your friends using the different share buttons on the blog. I’d sure appreciate it! Thanks!

Be A Star! Post your comments below and join in the conversation (or get it started!) and then share this post with your friends using the different share buttons on the blog. I'd sure appreciate it! Thanks!

Who is Darlene Hull? Click here: www.darlenehull.com to find out!

So, here we are at week 4! Lookin’ good. I’m so pleased with my results so far. My week was kind of up and down – a big birthday celebration for my daughter at “The Olive Garden where I simply enjoyed myself and my dinner consisting of Shrimp & Crab Tortelli Romana, their amazing endless tossed salad and breadsticks (only had one of those…) and a delicious dessert choosing the Tiramisu from their selection of tiny desserts called Dolcini. YUMMM! We had a GREAT waiter (Thanks, JB!) and lots of fun.

For the rest of the week I was pretty good, though I did enjoy the odd treat, which is how I like to diet!

My results? Take a look:

Get your own graph at skinnyr

No change in inches overall.

It’s been kind of an interesting week this week. I began working with an intentional goal dealing with increasing the set-point of my body’s very sluggish metabolism. I started experimenting with intentional goal setting a while back but (as usual) had trouble following through.

This time, instead of starting with an ideal weight set-point, I started with revving up my metabolism with the following intentional goal:

By the end of 4 weeks at the latest (Nov 6, 2011), I will have done whatever is necessary and appropriate to increase the set-point of my body’s metabolism by 10% – 15%. I will notice it because my body will be pleasantly and comfortably warm (including my hands and feet), excess fat will drop off, and I will feel healthy, lean, energetic, vibrant, clear-headed, strong, joyful, and alive.

I will have done all this joyfully and easily, according to the perfect will of God and for the highest good of me and of everyone else involved.

There is a specific, somewhat time-consuming method to wording this exactly right, and you can get more information on that here: Changing Your Unconscious Body-Weight Set-Point. Once you’ve got the goal exactly right you repeat it daily, 100x until you see the evidence that it’s working properly.

Now, the interesting thing is, while I’ve still been a little hit-and-miss with the goal setting thing, I’ve been plugging away at it, and the first thing that came to mind was a recipe I’d found and modified from Dr. Axe (whose site, while always great before, seems to be indicating some sort of malware, so I won’t share the link!). The recipe is as follows:

Detox Drink:

• 1/4 C. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 C. organic apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp cassia cinnamon
• 10 drops therapeutic grade Grapefruit Essential Oil (if it’s less than therapeutic grade it can do you harm if you ingest it)
• 750 ml iced green Oolong tea

Mix together, and drink 250 ml before each meal. (note, you might need to put 1/3 into a large glass and dilute it with water or more green tea. It’s quite strong! Also note that Cassia Cinnamon turns to a kind of mucous if you leave it in the mixture for a while, so add 1/3 tsp to the bottom of the glass, then slowly add the mixture and mix as you go).

This recipe is a strong fat-burning mix but I’m not sure exactly if/how it stimulates metabolism. I drink it for its fat-loss qualities.

Then a couple of days later I was reminded of the chapter on Thermogenesis for weight loss as recorded in Tim Ferriss’ book “The 4-Hour Body“. Taking their suggestion, I started drinking ice-water every morning upon awakening. Over the next two weeks I’ll be adding in other things that also fire up the fat-burning metabolism of my body.

Finally, I remembered that at a recent health seminar I went to they listed the main symptoms of hypothyroidism as being:

• Tiredness/Low Energy
• Forgetfulness/Slower Thinking
• Weight Gain and
• Cold Intolerance

All of which I have in abundance! So I started researching that, as well, with some fascinating results that I’ll share with you on Wednesday! Stay tuned!

And I’m off for my walk! Catch ya’ll later!

Darlene

Be A Star! Post your comments below and join in the conversation (or get it started!) and then share this post with your friends using the different share buttons on the blog. I’d sure appreciate it! Thanks!

Be A Star! Post your comments below and join in the conversation (or get it started!) and then share this post with your friends using the different share buttons on the blog. I'd sure appreciate it! Thanks!

Who is Darlene Hull? Click here: www.darlenehull.com to find out!