Emperor Penguins are some of the most social and well traveled animals in the world as shown in recent big screen movies like Happy Feet, Surfs Up and March of the Penguins. Their unique habitat and way of life is not duplicated anywhere in the animal kingdom. Once an egg is born an unusual phenomenon occurs. The mothers gently transfer the egg on the top of her feet to the top of the feet of the father.
The males then shuffle into groups. Their eggs still tucked above their feet. To survive they must generate their own heat by huddling. Speeding up the action, reveals an unparalleled display of sharing as each penguin works its way to the warmer center. Emperors are the only non-territorial penguins and they have to be. If they lose the huddle for even a moment, precious heat escapes.
Their greatest test lies ahead—winter blizzards. The temperature plunges to seventy-five below zero. The birds at the edge of the huddle bear the brunt of hundred-mile-an-hour winds and shelter those taking their turn in the middle.
The penguins huddle together, tighter and tighter in what looks like hump after hump of snow-covered, black, furry mounds in concentric circles. Their senses tell them their personal survival depends on their fellow penguins. Their instincts tell them the next generation, tucked safely between belly and feet, needs them to endure.
In many ways we are like Emperor Penguins. We've hatched this egg (our desire to lose weight), and now it's up to us to keep it safe until it hatches (reaching our goal weight). And just like the Emperors we can huddle together to keep our egg safe. Here are ways we can do it:
- Keep to the 5&1 religiously - like the Emperors if we step outside the huddle we loose precious energy or face certain "death" of our egg. I like the saying, "Cheating only keeps me fat longer". Each bite we take out of the "huddle" throws us out of fat burn, sabotaging all the work we've done!
- Report in each week to your Health Coach. Reporting each week allows us the opportunity to take our turn in the center of the huddle. All week we've been out in the blizzard and it's time to come in from the cold. Your Health Coach has been where you've been! We've survived the winter blizzards and lived to encourage, strengthen and support you!
- Take advantage of all the support available.
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