Stress, overwhelm and overload are a perfect recipe for emotional eating and overeating.

This is one reason that so many high achieving women overeat. One of the trickiest things about feeling time-crunched and rushed is that it usually seems like you can’t afford to take any extra time or energy to step back, get a handle on the situation, or figure out how to do it differently.

“I’ll just get through this and start fresh on Monday,” is a typical approach, and in the meantime, the stress eating and other emotional overeating continues to be an ineffective bandaid or coping strategy that usually contributes its own additional stress to the situation (because you don’t feel good about what you are doing).

When you are stressed and overwhelmed, you don’t have a lot of time, so here are some quick tips that I use to feel better, stay focused, and avoid overeating and emotional eating. These are not tips for the long haul—no one can operate with too much to do forever, but using these tips can help you get through a stressful time with minimal overeating and stress eating damage.

How not to overeat when you have too much to do:

1. Plan what you are going to eat. It’s basic, but we tend to overlook it don’t we? Working through lunch and being starving at three o’clock when you are under deadline doesn’t cut it (and leads to overeating). Make sure you have meals to eat that are balanced and have protein to help even out your energy.
2. Don’t keep everything in your brain. Make sure you have a document somewhere that lists everything you have to do and remember. Dump it there. You’ll be amazed how much energy and stress this saves you.
3. Break your to-do list into small items and cross them off as you work through them. You want to create a breadcrumb trail so you can see movement, so you can see where you are going, and so you can see that you are being effective.
4.  Set mini goals. Sometimes we have to live fifteen minutes at a time. Know what your focus is for this fifteen minutes of your life. Set a timer and give it your all. If you feel tempted to stress eat, try delaying for fifteen minutes. Set the timer and choose a task to focus on–or take a break.
5. If you can’t figure out where to focus or if you can’t maintain a focus either pick any one thing on your priority list or take a fifteen minute break. By the way, a break doesn’t mean skimming your email or mindless eating. A break means walking away and clearing your mind. I go for a run or go make a cup of tea. You might go outside and breathe, take a short walk, go fold a load of laundry or even do some dishes. Don’t spend your break worrying—remember, it’s a reboot.
6. Speaking of walking away, don’t eliminate physical activity when you are stressed. It not only lowers stress and reduces overeating, it gets you out of your head and helps you refocus.
7. Have a stopping point each day. Do not let work and emails saturate all the areas of your life. Do not charge your phone in your bedroom if you can help it.
8. Don’t sacrifice sleep if there is any way around it. Getting consistent good sleep curbs overeating and emotional eating and will give you energy, focus, and creativity to be more productive with less time.
9. Sprinkle in lovely rewards, treats, and indulgences that are not food. Put on music, wear a color that you love, light a candle, use the great lotion that you’ve been saving. Put flowers on your desk and call a friend at the end of the day. Something as simple as savoring your coffee in a comfortable chair instead of drinking it while you are hunched over your computer screen can shift your mood, replenish you, and keep you going.
10. Say it out loud and make a commitment. Acknowledge, at least to yourself, “I’m stressed and overwhelmed, but it’s not going to always be this way. I’m going to do my best as I get through this, and that includes taking the best care I can of me.”
11. Rinse and repeat these tips until this episode passes, but remember, they aren’t a recommendation for how to live your life long term. Life’s too short to live on a hamster wheel of surviving and not thriving, so if you don’t see an end to this episode, get the help you need to move forward differently in the big picture.

Take good care,

Melissa McCreery

Today, February 13, is the 44^th day of 2012. We’re a month and a half into our new year. If you are like me, it may feel like the time has flown. I’m posting today to ask you to take a quick inventory.

How are you progressing on the goals and deadlines that you set for yourself at the beginning of the year? Are you making progress or are you feeling stuck or like you have fallen off your priority list?

If things have not gone as planned, please don’t despair. Life happens. From time to time we all fall off track (or even forget where we are going). Sometimes the goals that feel the most inspired aren’t enough to keep us moving. It happens.

If you didn’t wake up today feeling unstoppable, confident and effective in your life, this is your signal that it’s time to shake things up. Don’t fall into the trap of pushing harder at something that just isn’t going to work for you. Sometimes change requires working smarter and differently than you are used to.

The first steps I always recommend:

• Make sure you really know how to put yourself and your goals on your priority list.
• Make sure you are truly spending your valuable time and energy in the places that are important.
• Make sure you have a system in place that ensures that this continues to happen.
• Make sure that guilt and self-blame aren’t distracting and sabotaging you. They serve no one and do nothing but waste time and energy for everyone.

If you aren’t already doing these things, know that they can make an almost instant difference in your life. Simple shifts can free up time and energy, improve your focus and your efficiency, and leave you less irritable and frustrated and more able to give to the others in your life that you care about. (It’s like a Valentine’s Day bonus for everyone )

If you struggle to put yourself first without feeling selfish, or simply don’t know how to start, the best resource I know of is the Put Yourself First 7 Day Blast-off. I designed this program for my private clients who needed a quick and easy way to get started on just this issue. Now it’s almost instantly accessible for you to use too.

In just one week, the Put Yourself First Blast-off walks you through the steps so that you can:

• Create (and take) me-time (even if you are busy)
• Craft your winning mindset (and stop setting yourself up with plans that don’t work)
• Find out how to take action without getting stressed or overwhelmed
• Learn some of my best tricks for making it as simple and struggle-free as possible

All in daily, easy-to-digest tips and downloads that show up in your email inbox.

Today is day 44 of 2012. It’s the day to take stock and ask yourself whether you are poised to make the most of the next 322 days. If the answer is not a resounding, “YES!”—it’s time to make a shift.

Are you ready to join the blast-off? Here’s what past participants accomplished in just seven days:

• “I started going to the gym. Adding more veggies/fruit/water.”
• “It was of great help to me to get me started on a daily plan that I wanted, but never seemed to find the time to do.”
• “This program is very powerful and I would recommend it to anyone.”
• “Mission Accomplished Big Time!”
• “Totally loved the program. Have been in a great mood all week just from Putting Myself First. My energy has increased and people are noticing. My friends are contacting me more because I am happier with myself.”
• “My self esteem has increased from focusing on myself. This is powerful and naturally builds confidence which is much more sustainable.”
• “I am calmer throughout the day!”
• “(This program) filled in some pieces I didn’t know I even needed to think about or identify.”

Small changes can pay off in big ways. Are you exactly where you want to be today or is it time for a change? Go here to learn more and get started before another week passes.

Take good care,

Melissa McCreery

When you are struggling with too much—whether it’s too much weight, too much to do, or just too much stress, setting goals and deciding to change can feel impossible.

“I know where I want to end up, but when I look at how far I have to go, it feels overwhelming,” a client in one of my emotional eating coaching programs shared. “How am I going to make all the changes I need to make? When I look at the weight I need to lose (135 pounds), I feel hopeless.”

When you are overwhelmed, overloaded, or overeating, the hole you see yourself in can feel pretty deep. If your stress level is high to begin with and your calendar is crowded, thinking about your weight loss or life balancing project can exhaust you before you even really get going.

What do you do when change seems insurmountable?

Dream big and step deliberately. This is a theme that has been coming up quite a bit with my private coaching clients and I want to share it with you.

If you are a high achiever who expects a lot of herself, this can be a delicate balance, but it’s the key to really getting where you want to go, not selling yourself short, and not creating a lot of stress and overwhelm that sabotages your success.

Here’s what you need to do.

Set your GPS. Define your destination. This is the big, bold, juicy place where you want to end up. Don’t short change yourself. Dream big. Your vision is about thriving not just surviving. Set your sights on what you really, truly want. It’s okay if your goals feel too big to even wrap your head around.  This is your vision. It’s the destination that’s off on the horizon. You don’t have to get there tomorrow, but you do want to be navigating in this direction. In the meantime, your focus is going to be on your feet.

A marathon is just a series of steps.

I began running marathons a few years ago. In the process, I’ve met a lot of people with incredible stories—women who went from not being able to walk two miles to running 26.2. Women who lost 100 plus pounds and changed their lives—inspiring stuff. But here’s the deal. They didn’t do it (and I didn’t run my first marathon) by simply going out and running 26.2 miles right away. We set our vision and then we put our trust in a series of actions and smaller goals—which we took one small step at a time. We ran a marathon by taking a first step. And then another. And then, as it got easier, a bunch more.

When I trained for that first marathon, I never looked farther ahead than the week I was in. It would have been too scary. I had no idea how I was going to run a marathon, but I could take on the challenge of that week’s training plan. When I got to the starting line in Portland, I didn’t think about mile 25 or mile 26 (I never do). I thought about the first mile.

Getting where you want to go doesn’t need to be overwhelming, and it shouldn’t add stress or overload to your already busy life. Set your GPS and then focus on where you are going to put your foot down next. Take steps—steps that are the size that work for you. As long as you keep your feet moving, and your GPS calibrated, you’ll be fine.

Take good care,

Melissa McCreery

If you’re like many reading this, you are a busy woman who is used to creating success. You run a business or are moving forward in a profession where you excel. Maybe you manage a busy family. You juggle, you prioritize, and you get things done.

Except for maybe a few very important things—personal goals and priorities which are important to YOU. Taking control of overeating, changing the number on the scale or the way your pants fit (or don’t), improving your health, your stress level, and your well being. For many of you, your life is going gang-busters, but YOU feel like you’re being left behind.

If you are like many high-achieving women I know, you may have crafted a story to tell that makes it look like you are okay with the way things are. You mask it with confidence and you focus on the other things you are so good at. You may even tell YOURSELF that this is the way things have to be. That you can’t have everything and that there’s just no time for you right now.

You may have “them” convinced and you may even believe it yourself, but please hear me say to you what no one else may be telling you:

It isn’t true.

Not only is there room for YOU in your busy life, there’s a place for your hopes and dreams and personal goals. Go without them for too long and you’ll lose a huge part of yourself that makes you successful, effective, and who you are. If you are like many smart busy women I know, you might already feel like this is happening. Putting yourself at the bottom of your priority list, spending the time and energy struggling with wellness goals that you aren’t succeeding at, and wearing yourself out pretending it doesn’t matter takes a huge toll.

It is possible to make a change and the secret recipe is usually not “more willpower, more tough love, and a dose of more hard work.” The life you want shouldn’t burn you out.

This strategy isn’t for everyone, but if you are serious and ready to get on track with your goals in the fastest, most lasting way possible, here is the power tool I recommend.

Hire a coach–the right coach for you.

You’re used to pushing yourself and working hard, but you probably aren’t accustomed to asking for and receiving high quality support, assistance, and consultation and strategy—at least when it comes to your personal goals. Too many high achievers live their lives by different rules than they’d have for their loved ones or their business. They push themselves too hard, go without the tools and techniques that add ease to the process, and may have never had the experience of having someone in their corner who is invested in getting them to their destination.

If your business was failing, you’d call in an expert or a consultant. You would invest in success. That’s what coaching is—it’s putting a highly trained expert on your team whose job is getting you to your goal. If you mean business, it’s well worth it to invest in yourself. Go for quality. Do your homework and find a coach who has the credentials you respect, who speaks your language, and who has expertise in what you need. Prepare to commit for a length of time that will allow you to be effective. My six month private coaching programs are designed so that we work through the energy of the “honeymoon” and are still working together when you hit the rough spots and places you might generally get stuck—because succeeding through these places is what creates success that lasts.

High achievers are generally good at convincing others that they don’t need help. You are so capable and competent that people tend to assume you know what you are doing—even when you feel like you are failing miserably.

The right coach is going to help you get past that and learn a better way—by leveraging the strengths and skills that you already have, factoring in the demands of your life, and helping you chart out a course that you can actually navigate.

Is this strategy for you? As I said, it’s not for everyone. Are you ready to invest in yourself and to start living the success you really want? Your mind may go to war with you over this, but if you are ready, you know it in your heart. What do you want to achieve in the next twelve months? The next five years? If you were there now, would the investment have been worth it?

Take good care,

My private coaching programs are open to women worldwide. Sessions are held via phone and/or Skype. I have just opened four spaces in my six month private one-on-one coaching program. If you are interested in learning more, please click here to schedule a (no cost) phone consultation with me. All services are customized (of course) to meet your goals and situation.

Melissa McCreery

“This is harder than I thought!”

If you are like many smart busy women I know, you tell yourself that making you a priority should be simple. But let’s be honest, with all that you have going on, it can be a real challenge.

I have a confession. When I created my Put Yourself First 7 Day Blast-off (how to put yourself first without feeling selfish), I knew it was something that was desperately needed, but I was not sure that those who need it most would let themselves have it. After all, you must say, “I’m worth it” to invest your time, energy, hope, and money into something that is just for you—even if the real investment required is just minutes each day for a week.

But I created this program anyway, because I know that if you can’t put yourself on your priority list, bad stuff happens.

• Your health suffers
• Your pants get tight
• You get cranky or sleep-deprived and a lot less fun to be around.

And no matter how much you spend on the next miracle solution for stress or weight loss or to help you make more money, it won’t work. Because you will still be stuck in the pattern of being too busy, too stressed, and too overwhelmed to give your priorities the attention they deserve.

I have a serious question for you. How many hundreds of dollars of unused “advice” do you have taking up space on your bookshelves, your bedside table, and on your computer because you just haven’t gotten around to reading or implementing the advice that you’ve learned?

For many of you, learning to put yourself first and finding out how to carve out the time for you is the missing piece.

In a few weeks, I’m going to release a new program to help you jump start your success with overeating and emotional eating. I’ve taken lots of your feedback and I think many of you are going to love what I’m going to share. It’s going to be simple and do-able and have the pieces you need to be effective. I can’t wait to share it with you.

But here’s the thing. It doesn’t matter how wonderful any program or product or expert is if you aren’t able to make good use of what is offered. No program works if you can never quite get around to focusing on you. Knowing how to put yourself first and honor your priorities is the first step towards any successful change. It’s critical.

I want to be helpful to you, but without this piece, my hands are tied. I truly believe that the Put Yourself First 7 Day Blast-off is the first step in making peace with your life, peace with food, or achieving your goals.

If you already know how to prioritize yourself, I am so happy for you–you know how key this is. If you are still struggling, NOW is the time to take action. I know, it’s something that is hard for you, but take the first step. Don’t try to skip it. Start building the foundation you need to really take on the world.

Take good care,

Melissa McCreery

If you are you a busy woman, a business owner, or mom with too much on your plate, here are three easy ways to start moving from stress and overload to ease, abundance, and success.

1. Set the tone. Your busy brain finds and collects the information that it’s looking for. If you want to spend your day focused on stress and overload, begin by worrying about what you haven’t done. Want more ease and calm? Set an attitude focused on accomplishment and positivity.  List three things you are grateful for before you even get out of bed and review three things that you WILL accomplish today. Put on music that inspires and create and live in positive energy.
2. Don’t ignore the food and don’t deprive yourself. Ease and calm require consistent fuel. Eat something for breakfast that has protein in it. This will tide you over much better than a bagel or a bowl of cereal or the nothing that you usually feed yourself. Give yourself a short deadline (two minutes is plenty) and decide NOW what you will have for lunch and dinner if you don’t already have a plan. Unmade decisions create stress. Hunger and low blood sugar lead to bad decisions and (often) overeating.
3. Slow down. Rushing, even when you are busy, rarely makes anyone more productive. Focus does. Hold on to your vision of ease and calm and your three priority tasks. Do one thing at a time. In a world of mutitasking and Twitter, giving your whole self over to a task can be grounding and even meditative. Really. Ask yourself throughout the day where you want to place your energy in this moment. Close down the other windows on your computer, let your phone go to voice mail, and let the other tasks wait until it is their turn. Enjoy the job you dive into, the feeling of undivided attention, the conversation you have while being fully present, and the lunch you get to savor.

This is the only life you are going to live today. Be in it.

How do you release stress and create calm and ease in your busy life? Share your thoughts and ideas by leaving a comment.

Take good care,

Melissa McCreery

The term “life balance” comes with a lot of baggage—especially to many women who are stressed and busy balancing work, family, relationships, and more. I’ve encountered everything from anger to extreme defensiveness when I’ve brought up the term.

More than one successful woman has told me “I don’t believe in life balance.” “Work-life balance is a myth,” and even, “balance isn’t possible–it just sets us up for failure.”

Gulp. Strong feelings. The idea of creating balance in a busy life is overwhelming, emotional, and feels like a dream for many.

I got my haircut last week and that meant leafing through some big, fat, ad-filled magazines that I don’t normally read. I reached for O and ended up reading Oprah’s interview with Mehmet Oz (Dr. Oz) in the December issue. They were chatting away, covering ground I am familiar with. Eating well, learning how to say, “No.” The importance of setting boundaries so that you can take care of yourself. And then Oprah fessed up. She offered Mehmet Oz “. . . some advice, even though I’m not taking it myself.”

Oprah went on to say that she believes it’s important to make a conscious decision to create balance in your life—but she’s not doing it. She even said she’s not making any more resolutions until she creates more balance for herself—and Dr. Oz says something like, “Well when you figure it out, let me know, because I don’t know how to do it either.”

If this is something that you struggle with, you are in good company.

Maybe it’s just me, but it all sounded a bit like lip service. Like these two incredibly influential people don’t really believe this whole balance thing is possible. It reads a bit like “yeah, right. Balance is nice, but if you want to  be successful….”

I may be wrong about this. Oprah and Mehmet, I’d love to hear from you.

If Dr. Oz and Oprah can’t figure it out, can you?

Of course you can.

First off, stop getting all tied up in knots about the concept.

I’ve heard the arguments. “Balance is always changing.” There is no “perfect” balance. “Rhythm” or “flow” are better words to use. “I don’t balance, I dance.”

Great. Here’s what I think. I believe that when most of us talk about “life balance (or whatever words we choose),” we’re speaking about creating a way of spending or budgeting our energy and time that feeds us and that is aligned with our priorities. Yes, it’s different for everyone. Go ahead and use whatever words you want. But rolling your eyes at the idea is really an expression of feeling stuck or powerless or (maybe) content with the way things are.

Some high-achievers hide their fear of being stuck or incapable by pretending they like things the way they are or by pretending that it’s silly to want anything different.

Are you living your best life? I believe that you were put on this earth to be your best, unique version of yourself. If you aren’t spending your energy and your time in a way that allows you to bring your gifts to the world, something is out of whack. That’s my belief and my litmus test for balance. You are free to have a different one.

Want to create better balance in your life? I absolutely believe that it’s possible. Of course, it’s usually not an instant, “snap your fingers” kind of shift, but there is almost always a way to make things work better.

If you want more ease, flow, or balance in your life, here are some ways to get started:

Stop believing (openly or secretly) that it’s impossible.  You may not have a clue how to get there, but that does not mean there is no way out of whatever trap you find yourself in.  Does Oprah believe she will ever be able to create that balance that she craves?  I really don’t know. It sure sounds like she knows that she’d benefit if she could achieve it. Most of us know that if our life worked better for us we’d sleep better or stress less or lose weight or whatever. But do we really believe it’s achievable? That’s the first step. Faith that your best life is out there and that it can include more of the good stuff that feeds your spirit and your soul is an essential key to creating balance and ease in your life.

Give yourself space to start figuring out what better balance looks like and feels like for you. That’s not always easy and there is no cookie cutter formula. It involves listening to yourself. Don’t worry about the big picture and how you are ever going to balance the bajillion things you have going on. That’s a trap that may overwhelm you and keep you stuck. Start small and do-able. You are creating a path, one step at a time. Tune in to the path and the steps you need to take by carving out me-time religiously—just like you make time for brushing your teeth, commit to making time for yourself. Don’t worry, you don’t have to take a weekend retreat on a deserted island. My Put Yourself First 7 Day Blast-off and my Success Soundtrack™ program show you how to make incredibly productive use out of just ten minutes of me-time a day.

Finally, don’t get freaked out when you don’t have the answers. Doing some things differently may mean that you are going to need to acquire some new tools or expertise to move forward. Give yourself permission to know where you want to go and seek out what you need to figure out the best way to get there.

And Oprah and Dr. Oz? I’d love to take a stab at helping you define your paths. You’ve got the potential to help so many even more than you already do. Please, please, please, don’t lose your faith in the possibility of a life that works better.

Take good care,

Melissa McCreery

The winter holidays are here and with all the joy and excitement, they also include challenges and realities that can throw your goals, routines, and eating off course. As much as many of us look forward to this time of year, we know that it is stressful and that the food-filled festivities can be a recipe for overeating and weight gain.

The research on holiday weight gain and stress is worth paying attention to. Holiday stress has a particular impact on women, who take charge of many of the holiday celebrations, particularly the tasks related to food.

Women are more likely to report increased stress during the holiday season. Women have a harder time relaxing during the holidays and are more likely to fall into bad habits like emotional eating to manage overload or overwhelm. Our health can take a further hit because, during the holidays, people are much more likely to choose non-active (and ineffective) activities like watching TV, sleeping, eating and drinking to manage their stress.

Many people engage in emotional eating and other unhealthy behaviors to cope with their stress levels during the holidays, and as you probably know, weight gain is a big issue. People gain more weight during the holiday season than any other time of year. It gets worse. We’re less likely to lose the weight we gain over the holidays, and, if you are already overweight, you are likely to gain more weight than average.

I’m not trying to be a downer here, but the holiday season is definitely a time to be proactive if you want to avoid overeating, weight gain, and stress and begin the New Year feeling on track and in control.

Here are five essential ingredients for staying on track with weight, health, and stress over the holiday season:

1. Set a goal. Be clear on what it is you plan to accomplish over the next several weeks. Be realistic; make sure it’s manageable; and be concrete. Your goals don’t have to be huge. Maybe you are going to pack a healthy lunch every day or walk on your lunch hour. Maybe you will only eat dessert on certain days of the week. Pick a goal that fits you and make sure that you can easily tell whether you are on track or not.

2. Create a plan. This is not the time of year to take anything for granted. Make sure you know the how and the when of anything you plan to do. Schedule time for your goals NOW before life gets any busier. Write things down. Identify the steps you will need to take. For instance, if you are going to pack a daily lunch, make sure you have ideas of what you will take, that you have the time to prepare it, and groceries on hand. Set yourself up for success by thinking things through on the front end.

3. Keep it do-able. I’m repeating myself here because it’s important. When you set goals that are too big, you are setting yourself up to fail and to feel ineffective. This is probably not the time of year when you will maximize weight loss, in fact, for many women, the goal may be not to gain. That’s great. Be honest with yourself about what you want to do and what you really can do over the next six weeks. Remember, small changes—the ones you can maintain–can create big results.

4. Savor and be selective. Think about food ahead of time. You probably encounter some special foods over the holidays that you don’t want to pass up. Plan for these, and whatever you do, make darn sure that you stop and savor them (without guilt). You can’t really indulge if you are busy feeling bad or mad at yourself for what you are eating. Make those calories count!

On the other hand, you’re going to encounter lots of unhealthy food you probably don’t really care about over the next few weeks. Consider making some policies for yourself about foods you are willing to forgo. Do you really care about the store-bought dinner rolls or the eggnog? Get clear NOW on what you will happily skip.

5. Commit to me-time. Remember all that stuff about holiday stress? As busy as you may be this holiday season, it’s important to set aside regular time just for you. This will help you manage your stress, stay connected with your needs and your goals, and feel better. You’re likely to be less irritable, more focused, and more productive if you commit to taking regular me-time. As little as ten minutes a day can reduce stress, add ease, and make an incredible difference in how you feel and function.

What are your holiday survival tips? I’d love to hear. Leave a comment and let me know your challenges and how you plan to stay on track this year.

Take good care,

Melissa McCreery

If you read my newsletter, you may have noticed that I’ve been reminding you about the upcoming Too Much on Her Plate Week for a while now and you may be wondering just what it is and why you should care. Well, here’s the scoop.

Too Much on Her Plate Week is an event I created out of appreciation for you. I know you are busy and I am honored that you take time out of your full lives to visit my website, read my articles, and converse with me on Facebook. You are amazing women doing amazing things and I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of your lives.

I also know that for many of you, those lives could be easier. Many of you would love to have things flow better—to have less stress, less clutter, or to have a better handle on certain habits or routines.

In my work, I run across some amazing experts as well—people who have great stuff to offer who are wonderful resources for women with too much on their plates. Too Much on Her Plate Week is my way of thanking you, and, hopefully, adding more ease and joy to your life and your work.

Beginning November 14, my colleagues and I have made available a huge assortment of free gifts for you. No sales pitches, no credit card numbers required. All you do is register and then select the gifts that you want to receive!

Sound good? Keep an eye on your mailbox for news about how to attend. Remember, the doors open November 14 and they will only be open for a week.

Take good care,

PS: Beginning this week, I'll be introducing you to some of the experts participating in Too Much on Her Plate Week by having them guest post, here, on our blog. Let me know what you think!

PPS: This event is open to everyone. If you know a busy woman who might benefit, my best advice is to have her sign up on my mailing list so she will get all the news too. Just send her to http://TooMuchonHerPlate.com
 

Melissa McCreery

If you’ve been a part of my community for long, you probably know that dreams are important to me. I believe strongly that this is the life we were given to live, and it is too short not to be living our best version of it. I have to say that for me, I NEVER dreamed that best version would include running. In fact, in my twenties or thirties, I would have bet a great deal of money that I would NEVER run a half marathon or a marathon. Life is funny like that.

I started running when I was 40, and surprised myself by how much I love it. I've met some incredible people, and along the way, somebody said, "We should train for something." Oh boy. The rest is a long story that I'll save for another post. Here's what this one is about:

You may have heard that my big juicy goal for the year has been to run the New York City Marathon on November 6. This will be the fourth marathon I’ve run, but it’s the one I’ve wanted to run for a very long time. Many of my running friends dream of running the Boston Marathon. Me, I’ve always wanted to run New York. This year, I finally got in. I’ve trained hard, and now, I’m entering the final countdown for the race. Two weeks from today, I'll be getting on a plane to New York City. Gulp!

At this point, I’ve completed all my long training runs. I’m focused on staying healthy and getting all the final details in place. One of which (of course), is what to wear.

I’ve been a fan of running skirts (skorts, actually), for years. Last year, I ran the Twin Cities Marathon in pink polka dots (that's my dad handing off water. He's coming to New York just to cheer me on!!).

Now I have to choose the perfect skirt for my dream marathon. This IS New York after all! <grin>
I’m polling my friends, family, and YOU.  Will you vote?

Note: I’m taking a vote, but in the spirit of last-minute-nervousness-and-obsessing, this woman reserves the right to make the ultimate decision ..

Here are the choices:

Skirt One (Black Paisley):

Skirt Two (Heartstooth):

To contribute your two cents, just leave a comment at the bottom of this post. Oh–one more request: I need to update my playlist with lots of motivating, mojo-generating music. What song(s) would you suggest? Please leave your suggestions in your comment too!

Thanks for your help!

Melissa McCreery