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Weeks 2 and 3 have been filled with successes and challenges, but for the most part, I am still trucking along. I encountered some obstacles that I feel were handled very well. I had an out of town guest and with that usually means meals out and less ability to have 100% focus on what’s going into my body. I was not going to let this stop me from losing focus on my 8 weeks to wellness and from posting a weight loss… and it didn’t! I paid special attention to my choices and made much healthier choices than I may have in the past. Overall lesson: Every special occasion is not an excuse or permission to “fall off the wagon”. It is however, a time to pay extra attention to the choices you make and when you do indulge, remember moderation is the key. So, for all the times I did eat away from home, I made all of them fit into my plan! Fighting off some sinus troubles has been a challenge this past week. It may be my body’s way of getting toxins out, but it made getting in good consistent workouts very hard.

Here’s a little story we can all benefit from. I was doing a nutrition response testing with a patient this morning and she is doing the 8 weeks to wellness and seeing some great results. When we were all done testing, she looked at me and said “I am really feeling good; I think I am addicted to this!” I responded with the only thing that fit, “That’s awesome! Wouldn’t it be great if we were all addicted to wellness?!”

So, here’s a little update on me:

1. Water intake up.
2. Supplements taken daily.
3. Food Journal completed every day. (This is a big deal for me!!!)
4. Total weight loss: 6.4 pounds! J

Goals for next week:

1. Increase and amp up work outs.
2. Increase water intake.
3. Start training for 5k run!

All in all, I am still super excited with my wellness progress and am looking forward to moving forward.

Dr. P

Week 1:

I have never written a blog before and as I sit down to do it for the first time I find it slightly intimidating. I don’t know whether it’s the fact that I am not sure exactly how one should go about blogging or if it’s the fact that I am about to publicly journal what I consider to be a very private journey for myself. As most of you have probably heard or read about by now, Claddagh Chiropractic is kicking off its 8 Weeks to Wellness Program. This consists of 8 consecutive weeks of Nutrition Response Testing, tailored to you and your personal health goals for 2012. It will be like having your own personal coach to help you achieve whatever goals you have in mind.

At a staff meeting last month, where we were ironing out the details of the program, Dr. Devlin was talking about how we could really help the patients with nutrition and how they could understand the great results they can get from it. As I sat at the conference table, listening and thinking about this, I had this overwhelming feeling that I could really help with this. Let me first explain that in recent years, I have not been one for making New Year’s resolutions. From past experiences, I am that person that goes great guns for a couple weeks and then slowly falls down a slippery slope back to the same old behaviors. So, why will this time be different? I don’t know if I can truly answer that for you, but for the first time, I am just putting it out there in a truly different way for me. I will be sharing things with you that I normally would just keep to myself and I am going to set goals and let everyone I see in my daily life know about them, hold me accountable for them and ultimately provide support that I have never opened myself up to before. So, I vow to you right now, THIS TIME WILL BE DIFFERENT.

Let’s start by sharing my health goals with you. These are 5 things that I want to improve upon (they can be any kind of goals you want). Ultimately, they are things that will improve my overall health and well being.

1. Weight loss.

a. It’s time to stop making excuses and finally lose the weight that has crept up on me a few pounds at a time over the last decade.

b. Goal #1 – 10 lbs in 8 weeks. At the end of the 8 weeks, I will set a new goal. It will be easier to chunk it down a piece at a time than to stare at a large number that will take months and months to chip away at.

2. Increase exercise.

a. 4-5 days per week of consistent cardio and strength training exercise.

3. Increased energy.

4. Improved diet à Improved digestion.

5. Improved sleep.

So, there they are for everyone to see and even ask me about when you see me. I want you all to know that this is a HUGE step for me. I am, for the most part, a very private person. So, for me to share this in a public forum, I have already gained something by just committing to these 8 weeks. If I can do this, so can you!

Another thing you will find in this blog is my progress. I will share with you week to week, my successes, stumbling blocks, opinions and advice. It will be honest and straight forward. I spent this first week getting my nutrition testing done, starting my supplements, focusing on reorganizing and planning how to incorporate these changes into my already full schedule. I did not change my diet drastically during this first week. Instead, I spent time adding in healthy things and eliminating the unhealthy things. I think taking time to transition into a healthier diet will work better for me than to just go “cold turkey”. I tried that method all the other times and I failed every time. I am making realistic changes that I will be able to stick to because at the end of these 8 weeks, I want to have met or exceeded all of my goals and I want to tell you that those 8 weeks were just the beginning…

I look forward to your comments, your insight and your support. And, please let me offer help, support and insight to you, whatever your goals may be. Call me or come into the office and learn more about how the 8 Weeks to Wellness can help you reach YOUR goals.

Dr. P