Recently I joined weight watchers and have been very successful so far, having lost almost 10 lbs! Our benefits here at WOU allow us to enroll in Weight Watchers for free. We even have an at work meeting at the library on Tuesdays.
After years of struggling with weight issues and high cholesterol I thought, "Fine, I'll try it" and as I said it really works! Weight Watchers is my AA if you know what I mean, I MUST go to the meetings. It makes such a difference to be around other people working towards similar goals.
Our leader asked us to think of what was the turning point in deciding to commit to WW and to write it down somewhere so we can remember it on tough days. Although it was not necessary to share it with anyone, I thought what the heck, go for it. I have openly told everyone that I am on weight watchers and I think it has helped me succeed that much more because I'm not doing it on my own and others are supportive of me. Friends and family members have been really nice about making dinners WW friendly for me.
So here goes:
The true turning point for me and the reason I ultimately chose to join WW was when:
Over the course of a weekend I ate an entire batch of Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies. By myself.
Can we say rock bottom?
Looking back on it I can laugh, but it was definitely the turning point. My ultimate goal is to be maintaining my goal weight before I have children. It has been shown that children born to overweight mothers are much more likely to be overweight or obese from childhood into adulthood. Of course this may be also due to the eating habits they learn from their parents, but there is definitely a genetic component involved.
I look forward to this new adventure in life.
Plus, when I reach my goal weight I'm going to be a total hottie. LOL.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
I'm Thankful For
My health
My caring, funny, wonderful husband
My family
My (crazy) friends
My spirituality
Puppy kisses at 5:00 Am
My amazing job, co-workers and boss (es)
Our cozy warm apartment
New socks
Frozen dark chocolate candy bars
Pumpkin pie
Love
Laughter, so much laughter
Friday, November 19, 2010
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
I am a newcomer to the world of non-profits, university advancement and arts administration so I try to take advantage of every opportunity to read and learn whatever I can about this industry I am part of. I recently stumbled on an article in my new favorite publication The Chronicle of Philanthropy titled "Generation Gaps Threaten Nonprofit World's Harmony" by Heather Joslyn that struck me as an excellent article on a problem that we at our office are facing.
The article outlines the four main generations of people in the workforce today: Silent Generation (born during The Great Depression and WWII) Baby Boomers (1946-64) Generation X (1965-81) and the Millenials (1982-present).
Our office at WOU represents all but one of these generations (The Silent Generation), however we do interact with many donors and board volunteers from that generation. As stated in the article these wide range of age groups can cause tensions among employees. Although our office has begun to embrace these differences it still remains an issue in day to day communication and work ethic.
I was really struck by the comparisons between the Baby Boomers and Millenials (of which I am part) and the many similarities between them, particularly the "Let's Just Do It" attitude. At the same time, the Millenials are more comfortable with technology and adapting to new technology. In addition the Millenials tend to blend the various parts of their lives and do not "affiliate work with their location" (i.e. checking work emails at home).
The section titled "Postponed Exits" was particularly meaningful to me as I have a mentor at work who I do not believe will completely retire once she turns 65 next year. I think it is very beneficial for older employees to remain available in part time or advisory positions. They are like a knowledge and experience database that you can search and access at any time. I have been very grateful for the opportunity to have a mentor to watch over my work and guide me, while at the same time giving me enough independence to grow my leadership skills.
The Generation X group is also fascinating to me. In the article, the author states there is a feeling among this generation that they have been skipped over for the Millenials, due to the fact the Gen X-ers tend to be more skeptical and more hesitant, often questioning "Are we doing the right thing?" or "Is this how we should go about doing this?". I think part of the issue is Gen X-ers were pushed in their younger years towards "big business, big money" and have now in their 30s rebelled against that and sought other careers, while the Milennials and the Baby Boomers have felt more free to explore, experiment and find what makes them happy. The Gen-Xers skepticism is fueled by the disallusionment experienced in the "Big business, big money" world of the 1980s.
The main point of the article is that we need to be able to acknowledge and appreciate these cultural differences and have a means to discuss the way they affect our organizations and work ethic. I think that beginning the discussion can be as simple as passing on an article such as this to other co-workers and having a discussion about it. And that's exactly what I did! :)
Your turn Organic Eloquence!
If you'd like to read the article I have placed it as a jpeg below, just click on it to make it bigger. It is unfortunately not accessible through the Chronicle's website.
The article outlines the four main generations of people in the workforce today: Silent Generation (born during The Great Depression and WWII) Baby Boomers (1946-64) Generation X (1965-81) and the Millenials (1982-present).
Our office at WOU represents all but one of these generations (The Silent Generation), however we do interact with many donors and board volunteers from that generation. As stated in the article these wide range of age groups can cause tensions among employees. Although our office has begun to embrace these differences it still remains an issue in day to day communication and work ethic.
I was really struck by the comparisons between the Baby Boomers and Millenials (of which I am part) and the many similarities between them, particularly the "Let's Just Do It" attitude. At the same time, the Millenials are more comfortable with technology and adapting to new technology. In addition the Millenials tend to blend the various parts of their lives and do not "affiliate work with their location" (i.e. checking work emails at home).
The section titled "Postponed Exits" was particularly meaningful to me as I have a mentor at work who I do not believe will completely retire once she turns 65 next year. I think it is very beneficial for older employees to remain available in part time or advisory positions. They are like a knowledge and experience database that you can search and access at any time. I have been very grateful for the opportunity to have a mentor to watch over my work and guide me, while at the same time giving me enough independence to grow my leadership skills.
The Generation X group is also fascinating to me. In the article, the author states there is a feeling among this generation that they have been skipped over for the Millenials, due to the fact the Gen X-ers tend to be more skeptical and more hesitant, often questioning "Are we doing the right thing?" or "Is this how we should go about doing this?". I think part of the issue is Gen X-ers were pushed in their younger years towards "big business, big money" and have now in their 30s rebelled against that and sought other careers, while the Milennials and the Baby Boomers have felt more free to explore, experiment and find what makes them happy. The Gen-Xers skepticism is fueled by the disallusionment experienced in the "Big business, big money" world of the 1980s.
The main point of the article is that we need to be able to acknowledge and appreciate these cultural differences and have a means to discuss the way they affect our organizations and work ethic. I think that beginning the discussion can be as simple as passing on an article such as this to other co-workers and having a discussion about it. And that's exactly what I did! :)
Your turn Organic Eloquence!
If you'd like to read the article I have placed it as a jpeg below, just click on it to make it bigger. It is unfortunately not accessible through the Chronicle's website.
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