#134 Motivation

• Message Boards Post of the Month
• Do You Have a Good Post of the Month?
• Tip of the Week: Sunscreen on the Slopes
• Recipe of the Week: Sweet and Tangy Strawberry Salad
• New Year, New You WOWY™ Style Is Here!

"Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things
before breakfast."

Congratulations to Ol Sarge for this inspiring piece posted on Dianed's P90 Results thread. This was nominated by both Dianed and Laura. Enjoy your
T-shirts!

Good Morning Di,

I don't get to check your thread as often as I would like. But when I do, I am always amazed at what I find. The people you have touched, and the words of encouragement are sometimes overwhelming. What makes it so incredible is that you and everyone else on your thread are average, ordinary, everyday people. This is not a panel of exercise and nutrition experts or sales people trying to sell a product. You are all real people, just like me.

It reminds me of a story I would like to share with you.

When I was a young boy, my father had a milk route. He had a big truck, and he would go to farms and pick up milk. The milk was in ten-gallon cans. I am sure you have seen these. Most of his customers were Amish. Anyway. One of the most interesting things I can remember about the times I would ride with my dad is he would be driving along between stops, and would just stop in the middle of the road and jump from the truck. He would run out into the field where a flock of sheep would be and upright one of the sheep that was on his back. I asked him why he did that and he explained. Sheep are funny creatures. They are very weak willed, and must remain with a flock to survive. If a sheep gets over on their back, because of their wool it is very difficult to get upright. They will try only so long, and then they will just lie there and die. This is more the reason flocks of sheep are looked over by shepherds than the concern of wolves getting the flock. Shepherds look after their sheep and make sure they remain upright. A sheep can lie down, but will not normally lie on their side for fear of getting over on their back. Once they do, they are done for, without some intervention.

What is the moral of this story? This website is made up of ordinary people. They come to this thread to seek many things. They come to remain upright. People are not like sheep; they will not just roll over on their back and give up. But when they do get on their back, they could always use a little help getting upright.

You were once a part of the flock, and still are in a big way; however, you have taken on the roll of shepherd to many people (including me). I read about Mary and Sara and I read your counsel to them. And you are right. Bottom line is wanting to be healthy and to live a habitually healthy life style. It is very tough in this fast food society that we live in. We are Americans, and we are used to having what we want, when we want it. But successful weight loss and maintaining a healthy life style is not as easy as we are used to. If we want it bad enough, we will have it. We are fortunate. There are many people in this world, who, no matter how much they want something, will never get it. No matter how hard they work, or how determined they are, the possibility of having what they want is nonexistent. Sad but true, no matter how you slice it.

Mary and Sara have now become an inspiration to me. They want what I want. That is to be a little thinner and stay that way. There is no magic pill. There is no magic wand. How do they say it in the JC Penney commercials? "It's all inside." We can have what we want if we work for it. We are Americans. We just have to remember there is no drive through window. Success is a habit, in any endeavor.

However, we can all use a little help from the shepherd getting back on our feet. And it doesn't mean we will not roll on our back again. If we do, we will hope that the shepherd is there when we need their help. Thanks for being my shepherd when I get over on my back. That is where I am this morning. Thanks for uprighting me.

When skiing, it's ultra-important to protect your skin from the sun with a block that screens both UVB and UVA (ultraviolet B and ultraviolet A) light. Popular ingredients avobenzone or Parsol 1789 have been discovered to deteriorate in sunlight, so make sure your sunscreen contains both titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. There is no perfect sunscreen, but wearing any lotion with an SPF of 15 or higher is still effective. Using a day skin cream each morning that contains sun block is a great habit to get into.

Summer might be a distant memory, but Kirsten H. has written in with a fruity salad idea that'll bring you back to the days of BBQs and sunburns. Serve this concoction with a little halibut and a glass of Chardonnay. Out of sight!

Thanks, Kirsten. Enjoy your T-shirt, even if you have to wear it under a sweater for the next couple months.

Ingredients
2 cups fresh spinach
¾ cup strawberries, chopped
1 tsp. sweet onions, chopped
1 tsp. green onions, chopped

Dressing
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. dry mustard
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
½ green onion, chopped

Put all dressing ingredients in blender and blend until creamy.

Add two tablespoons of dressing to the salad. Mix and enjoy! (You can save the rest of the dressing to use on other salads you eat that week.)

If you have a recipe you think is both healthy and delicious, send it on over to us at recipes@beachbody.com. If we publish your recipe, we'll send you a free Beachbody T-shirt!

During the month of January, WOWY.com is giving away a $100 Gift Certificate a day--every day--to one lucky WOWY participant. Only those WOWY members who have submitted a photo of themselves will be eligible to win, so be sure to upload your photo now. Check out WOWY.com today for the official announcement, rules, and regulations.