Making Your Dream a Reality
    By Dotti

Last time Al talked about "Your Christmas Resolution", about getting started now instead of New Years. Today we are going to talk a little about your dreams and how you can make them a reality. I'd like to start out with some motivational words from Rosemary DePaolis which describes our talk today.

1. Ask some of your friends or family for some ideas on how you can make your dream a reality. You will probably get many useless ideas or ones that would never work for you but you will most likely get one or two great ideas!
2. Let's make a game of it. There are many different games you can play which will result in a visual of the progress you have made. Set up a small tin of paper clips (I like the large colored ones). For every pound (or any amount you prefer) lost you add a paper clip to the starting one. You are creating a beautiful, colorful necklace which shows you how much weight you have lost.
3. For a small visual you can use two pencils, a large piece of styrofoam and a roll of Life Savers. Stick the two pencils into the styrofoam and hang the Life Savers on the left. As you progress through your milestones transfer a Life Saver to the pencil on the right. When all the Life Savers are on the right it's time to celebrate!
4. Make sure you know your boundaries, which means don't try to plan to do something that you know you won't accomplish. Remember that we are all on the same Journey but we do the Journey in different ways. If you come upon a part of your Journey that you just cannot do, then don't. There is always an alternative. Making this Journey your Journey is what makes us all unique and a Success.
5. Get enough sleep. Believe it or not, getting enough sleep will help make your Journey so much easier. I've certainly proven that concept to be correct.
6. Find at least one friend that is highly motivated like you are. Of course not all your friends will be, but I will bet that you can find one that will be. If not, remember there is a ton of support at your meetings and on the Internet; at DWLZ for instance.
7. One step at a time. Try journaling for one week, drinking water for the next one, walking a couple times a week for the next week, etc. Trying to do too much at once can be overwhelming. Take baby steps.
8. Visualize the reality of your dream. Look into the mirror and think about the compliments you'll receive on your new look; see yourself at your goal weight and let yourself feel proud of what you've accomplished.
9. Do you have any past important moments in your life that you treasure in your memory? Or have you had a previous longtime dream come true? If you did, think back to those times and feel those feelings again. Let those feelings into this dream, your Journey. Positive recollections are a great way to get into the right frame of mind for your dreams to become a reality.
10. Write down all the positive affirmations (I will do this, I can stay on Program, I'm worth it… ) you can think of. Cut into strips (use different colored paper. Find a pretty jar (decorate it too!) and add the motivations to them. Pull one out every time you need that extra push of motivation to stay on your Journey.
11. Storyboard your Journey? Think of a starting point and an ending point, filling in the interim steps. You can write out the steps but drawing out the steps or using pictures are a great visual of your Journey. Hang it up where you'll see it.

• Failed in business at age 21.
• Was defeated in a legislative race at age 22.
• Failed again in business at age 24.
• Overcame the death of his sweetheart at age 26.
• Had a nervous breakdown at age 27.
• Lost a congressional race at age 34.
• Lost a congressional race at age 36.
• Lost a senatorial race at age 45.
• Failed in an effort to become vice-president at age 47.
• Lost a senatorial race at age 47.
• Was elected PRESIDENT of the US at age 52!

• You'll also find a free E-Book there that includes 20 weight loss tips from Dr. Temes!

Thank you to all of you who continue to be there for me and support me in my Journey to becoming a healthier me. Thank you for caring! And remember, "If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got." Dotti

1. Bagel, 5 ounces
2. 1 cup cereal flakes + 2 slices bread + 1 cup rice
3. English Muffins, 2 ½
4. Rice, 2 ½ cups
5. Baked Potatoes, 2 1/2 (each size of computer mouse)
6. Bread Slices, 5
7. Puffed Wheat Cereal, 10 cups
8. Rice Cakes, 10
9. Popcorn, 15 cups
10. Oyster Crackers, 120

1. Steak at steakhouse; 24 ounce precooked = 18 ounce cooked
2. 3 eggs + 3-ounces turkey + 1 cup lentils + 6-ounces cooked sirloin steak + 3-ounce can tuna
3. Cooked salmon, 3 pieces, 6-ounces each
4. Six 3-ounce cans tuna
5. Eggs, 18 count

1. 1. Pint Orange Juice, 16 fluid ounces
2. 1 orange + 2 kiwi + 1 cup blueberries
3. Cantaloupe, 2 ½ to 3 cups
4. Mixed Berries, 2 ½ to 3 cups
5. Grapes, 2 ½ to 3 cups (approx 75-90 grapes)
6. Oranges, 3
7. Tangerines, 6

• 5 cups water
• 1 cup carrots
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 14 ½ oz can whole peeled tomatoes with juice (Mexican seasoning is optional)
• 5 beef bouillon cubes
• 1 tsp fresh or dried oregano
• 2 tsp fresh or ground cumin
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped fine, divided
• 1 lb very lean ground beef (4% fat)
• ½ cup uncooked rice
• 1 egg
• Salt and Pepper
• Green onion, chopped - optional
  
  
• Place the first 11 ingredients into a large pot. Only use half of the cilantro. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, adding more water if necessary.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the ground beef, rice, egg, remaining cilantro, salt and pepper. Wet your hands to shape mixture into balls so it won't stick to your fingers.
• Gently drop meatballs into the soup and simmer 20 minutes more or until the meatballs are fully cooked.
• If desired, sprinkle green onion on top of the soup before serving. Per serving: 140 Calories, 3g Total Fat, 3g Dietary Fiber, 12g Carbohydrate, 15g Protein