It’s a Long Road
I can kind of see why the Israelites wanted to return to Egyptian slavery. I still fall into my bad eating habits and I’ve been going the healthier route for two years now! We think that habit is so much easier because we don’t have to think about what we are doing. Do I wish that I could snack, indulge, and eat huge portions every day and have no consequence? Sure! Is it very difficult to restrain myself and follow the rules of a healthier lifestyle? You have no idea (or maybe you do)! I must remember that it hasn’t become easy for me yet because I haven’t fully bought into it yet. Patience and slowness is exactly what I need to succeed in this massive life change. I know I can’t do that alone! Thanks be to God!
♫We’re having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave♫
My favorite running temperature is between 55 and 65 degrees. If you add 15 degrees due to a rise in body temperature during a run, then that is like running in 70-to-80-degree temperatures. Perfect. If you add humidity in there, then the 80 degrees is not so perfect…
Summer is coming and I’ve signed up for a race on June 30. Thank goodness it is for a good cause and I love the race hostess or I would have said, “no way, Jose” to that! The OBX Half Marathon is always perfect for me because it is usually right around 55 degrees at the start of the race. I’m chilly at first, yes, but my run is so much easier and more comfortable with that air temperature!
It is getting warmer outside. Most of Virginia has inconsistent weather, but it has still seemed unseasonably warm already in 2012. Normally, during the summer, I would run on my treadmill…with the air conditioning blasting. I will not make it through this particular race, however, if I use that strategy. I must learn how to run in the heat!
I won’t run as fast. I will be a sweaty mess! My breathing will be labored. There are a few rules to which I must adhere! I must be HYDRATED! If it is a long run, then I must stash some fluids along the route. Chewing gum will help in between sips. I must be well hydrated BEFORE I leave the house! I should probably plan routes that offer shading from the sun. I should also make a strong effort to wake up early and run first thing in the morning. These tips will be important for my summer loving running success.
What are your tips for running when the heat is on?
PS: I’m getting a kick out of my pop culture references throughout this post (even if they are old school)!
I have maintained my healthy goal weight for a solid year now. I’m so super proud of myself! Also, for a year, I have wished for a bonus five-pound loss. That hasn’t happened!
I think it is a combination of things, but at the top of the list is that I’m happy with where I am, so I’ve stopped trying so hard. I’m not disappointed in that. I will continue to strive for the goal, though.
I’m looking for fresh kick-start ideas. I chuckle predicting what some might suggest!
On a related note, I found this nugget from Runner’s World to ring true:
Treat Trap…After a long run,meet a limit of “reward calories,” Nisevich Bede says. ”A safe number is 200 reward calories, and if you went for a really, really long run, 400 calories.”
I frequently fall into the treat trap. Do you?
Sometimes 10 minutes is all you have to spare. On Pinterest, I kept seeing a list of exercises to complete that I consistently wrote off thinking that is wasn’t something that would interest me. Then, I found myself in a situation where I didn’t do anything because I didn’t find that extra 30 minutes to sweat.
When I’m training for a running race, I do take rest days. If I don’t, I usually either wind up injured or burned out. Certainly, neither of these scenarios are optimal for race day! Sometimes on rest days, though, I want to do something, but I don’t want to take a lot of time to do it. I decided to try the 10 minute trick, but tweaking the original list that I found.
And now, I get to share it with you. I tried it and I liked it! I got sweaty in 10 minutes and I was sore the next day! I kept a Jillian Michaels attitude and gave it my absolute all for 10 minutes. Now, I complete this list every other day to supplement my aerobic exercise.
Try it and see what you think. Don’t forget to pee before beginning this exercise!
Sometimes, I feel like a yo-yo!
Today, I am starting over…again. You see, I have a hard time balancing. I remember the Wii Fit balance board frequently saying, “Unbalanced” to me when I would play the balance games. It also would say, “Oh, that’s obese!”. Both were true at the time. Now, the obesity is gone, but balance is still an issue…especially as my to-do list grows longer.
As suspected, when I stepped on the scale today, it was five pounds heavier than the last time I looked. I don’t even care what the number is…I could tell by looking in the mirror and buttoning my pants.
In the past several weeks, I have enjoyed my family during spring break and enjoyed my children’s Easter candy as well. I have not logged what I’ve eaten and I have not exercised. I get what I get.
For me, keeping a log is essential. I view it the same way as keeping a calendar. Both keep me organized and on target.
When I don’t write down what I eat or when I exercise, I start to ignore my behaviors. When I do log, I am forced to pay attention to my behaviors. I also know that you have access to my log, so I am held even more accountable.
So, I’m starting over today. I wrote down my breakfast on My Fitness Pal. I’m dressed for a run. I signed up for a 5k yesterday. I’ve got my plan. I’ve done all of this before and I will likely have to do all of this again. I’m human, but I know that I get the gift of a brand new day and I can make choices.
Do you live anywhere close to the Raleigh, NC area? If so, please consider registering for the Second Annual Raleigh’s Finest 5k! It is an emotional race that I think you’ll love. Find out more details here.
I like lime with more than my Corona!
I made my April Menu yesterday and did not save it to post on here. Tonight’s menu was Honey Lime Chicken, Cilantro Lime Cous Cous, and Strawberries. I can’t wait for strawberries to come in season so I can pick and eat them fresh. Those little bitty small ones are so yummy delicious!
I followed a recipe for the chicken, but I made some short cut amendments. It was as tasty as I imagined it would be. My meals never turn out as beautiful as the picture on the recipe from which I use to make them! I am not a culinary artist to say the least!
I will provide links to the recipe for the chicken and cous cous. The recipe for the cous cous is actually for rice, but I wanted cous cous. When my husband is out of town, I cook new foods as a practice run, but I also cook foods that I know he doesn’t care to eat, like cous cous.
In a nutshell, this is how I will cook the chicken next time:
Place chicken thighs in a casserole dish. Top with lime juice, honey, and soy sauce. Bake covered with the skin on top for 2 hours on 300. Turn chicken, top with more honey and soy (or use what is in the bottom of the dish) and bake for another hour uncovered. I swear, this is actually less time-consuming than the recipe below.
For the rice, I think I will follow the recipe and see if I like that better. I just squeezed the lime juice and added cilantro in the rice cooker. I thought the cous cous, even though it took no time to cook, was dry. I’m not sure how the rice would have been in the cooker. It had good flavor…very summery!
Lime and Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs
Cilantro Lime Rice (Chipotle Style)
I cooked this entire dinner after my kids got home from school. It did not require a lot of ingredients and it wasn’t very time-consuming. The flavor was just right for the kids not to realize that I fancied up the chicken! I will make these recipes again!
All jokes aside, really, trying on clothes without having "prepared" is optimal so they fit well no matter what!
I bet I get bonus readers today with that caption! I’m so excited because tonight, I get to see one of my 1/2 Marathon girls AND she’s spending the night so it can turn all giggly slumber party!!! CiCi is a Vault Demin representative with Southern Girl Blues. She has agreed to outfit my neighborhood girlfriends with stylish jeans and other types of trousers. I’m a jeans kind of girl. I just love them. I’m not a bling jean kind of girl, but I do like a well-fitted pair of blue jeans. I’m so excited to share this adventure with my local friends. I’ve got some hot friends, you know!
So, what have I done to prepare? NOTHING! I can’t believe it. Who plans to go shopping without preparing the body for fitting into the best size possible? Oh, only me? Okay… I don’t know what has come over me, but I’ve found myself too busy to exercise. Wait, that can’t be right. Let me phrase it another way. I have chosen to work on other projects this week, while sacrificing time to exercise. My body is pretty mad at me for it, too. Have I been super-productive? Yes. Without a doubt. This body (and yours) needs exercise, though.
My challenge today is this: Fit in 30 quality minutes of sweat producing exercise in addition to dusting, vacuuming, mopping, running a few errands in town, making apple chips, and making kale chips. I can do this. I must do this. Now, I better look up some booty exercises to fit nicely into some bling jeans!!!
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this segment tomorrow…with some pictures from the Southern Girl Blues party!
What kind of gum do you chew?
I have been meaning to Google why “sugar-free gum” has 5 calories. Do you have to swallow the gum in order to consume the calories or do the calories secrete to your saliva, which you then swallow? The answer to that is the latter.
Chewing gum while I run helps me not get so thirsty during shorter runs. Certainly, during longer runs, I keep a stash of water for refueling along my route. I like Extra the best of the brands I have tried because it keeps its flavor and texture the longest.
Now, Snack Girl is telling me that Extra is bad. I am going to give both Glee Gum and Pür Gum a try, and then come back to report my findings.
Click the Snack Girl link above to find out what she says about sugar-free gum (and to learn more about Glee Gum and Pür Gum).
Do you chew gum while you run?
I have often said that I just got a great ab workout from laughing so hard. There is so much to a simple laugh.
I went to a party this weekend and surprisingly didn’t lose my voice from talking so much, although I so enjoyed catching up with neighborhood friends. The next day at church, I was a “greeter” and found myself having a jovial interaction with just about everyone who crossed my path to enter the sanctuary.
Did I mention that I have a particularly loud laugh?
Today is Monday. According to my Facebook News Feed, not many people feel like laughing on Monday. Robin Thompson from Daniels, West Virginia, however, has a different perspective, as outlined in her fabulously named post, “Fun At Work: Statistics to Laugh About”:
1. The average pre-schooler laughs or smiles 400 times a day. That the number drops to only 15 times a day by the time people reach age 35.2. People smile only 35 percent as much as they think they do.3. Laughter releases endorphins, a chemical 10 times more powerful than the pain-relieving drug morphine, into the body with the same exhilarating effect as doing strenuous exercise.
4. Every time you have a good hearty laugh, you burn up 3 1/2 calories.
5. Laughing increases oxygen intake, thereby replenishing and invigorating cells. It also increases the pain threshold, boosts immunity, and relieves stress.
...Oh, Honey Honey
A reader asked a question about SWEETENERS. Here is a list of Clean Eating Magazine’s list of favorite clean and natural sweeteners (posted on their site in December 2011).
After sending her the link, I followed up with this statement:
You can buy a big bag of Stevia in the Raw at Food Lion. You can also buy bottles of Agave (not on this list, but I’ve seen it in some of their recipes) at Food Lion (Domino brand). Make sure you get Raw Honey. I use 1/2 cup of Stevia in the Raw (a bit sweeter than regular sugar) in 1 gallon of green tea. It’s perfect for us. I used to sweeten my coffee with one heaping teaspoon of Stevia (now I drink it black). I bake and everything with the Stevia instead of sugar. I also buy the Splenda/Brown Sugar blend…
So, is this guy running?
I’m a virtual member of a running club. I posted yesterday on their Facebook page that I went for a jog. I got some feedback on my choice of words.
“Did you say “jog”??? That is not acceptable. You went for a run. I don’t care what your speed was.”
“I thought it was just me, but don’t say I’m jogging unless it’s a warm up or cool down.”
The dictionary defines “jog” in the verb tense used without an object as:
to run at a leisurely, slow pace, especially as an outdoor exercise
In contrast, “run” is defined as:
to go quickly by moving the legs more rapidly than at a walk and in such a manner that for an instant in each step all or both feet are off of the ground.
Okay, I can’t be for certain whether what I did yesterday was technically a run, but what I do know is that it was leisurely. I came back after an hour of running at a leisurely pace not feeling winded or tired. I guess the definition of “run” does not require feeling winded or tired, though, does it?
So, fine, I went for a run. It was a leisurely run that may or may not have been a jog at times. All I know is that it was good.
Do you ever jog or do you only run?
Today is Albert Einstein’s birthday. Reading about this event reminded me of Mr. Einstein and other famous talents who did not let learning problems hold them back from ultimate success. Did you know that there are a slew of famous people with learning and other disabilities, which caused them to have difficulty learning in school? Guess what they did? They kept trying. They found their strengths. They did not quit.
When I worked as a School Psychologist, I kept a list of famous people who were either officially diagnosed or believed to have a Specific Learning Disability or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder on my bulletin board. If I was working with an older child who felt defeated by their learning difficulties, I whipped out the list. If I was talking to a parent who had difficulty accepting their child’s diagnosis and didn’t see the potential in their child, I shared with them the list. The list seemed to bring people hope. It might have even made some of them feel “cool”.
Below is a list of my favorites (in alphabetical order by first name). At the bottom of the list, I will reference three websites with more comprehensive lists and accompanying diagnosis/descriptive information. It is important to note that not all of these individuals were actually diagnosed, but displayed characteristics of learning disorders in their youth.
My question for you is this: Is a certain condition defining you?
Sources:
How many times did I try to lose weight with this method???
Let me tell you a little something about me. I think about food all. of. the. time. Not just food, like a foodie, either. I think about eating food. I go to bed thinking about what I’m going to eat the next day. I get excited about it…getting to start over with calories!
It has been very tough for me to restrict since my weight loss journey. I just love to eat. I like to munch at parties. I like to get seconds when I eat something delicious. I like to do this all of the time, though. Not just in moderation. Although I have learned some self-control, the thoughts continue to consume me.
And, now, for Lent, I almost get irritated when I open the cabinet and see the Oreos. I think only 4 have been eaten since my husband bought them on the first Sunday of Lent. If it wasn’t for Lent and my promise to God, they would be gone by now. Yep, I would have eaten them all by now, I’m sure.
Today, I am fasting. Now, before I receive a lot of criticism for doing this to my body, let me explain. I’m following a Lenten challenge presented to a friend’s church congregation. I was supposed to fast on yesterday, but I didn’t read my assignment until after I had eaten breakfast! Anyway, I liked the little assignments for each day during Lent and decided to hop on board.
I decided on a liquid fast. I prayed about it and got plenty of conviction regarding not eating any solid food today, but as I researched acceptable fasting practices, and then prayed about it some more, a liquid fast was my final decision and I felt at peace about the decision.
I really thought that all I would do was obsess over the food I wasn’t eating today. On the contrary, I’ve blared the Contemporary Christian station all day and focused on God (while completing daily chores and activities). So, I wondered…am I really an addict?
I already understand the concept that we as a society overuse certain clinical terms, addict being one of them. Another two that I frequently hear over and misused is OCD and ADHD.
Addiction is defined as the continued use of a mood altering substance or behavior despite adverse consequences.
Source: Angres D.H., Bettinardi-Angres K (2008). The Disease of Addiction: Origins, Treatment, and Recovery. Disease-a-Month, 54 (10), 696-721
I don’t know…the jury is still out on whether or not I’ve experienced an over-eating addiction. I know that I’ve been able to restrain. I think perhaps maybe I once did have an addiction, but now I’m recovering…
I really did make a March menu. I was especially excited about tonight’s feature:
I couldn't have said it better myself!
In a post written just over a year ago, I compared what we see in the mirror to what we think in our minds. The post was entitled, “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall”. I inserted a picture of the Barbie doll and made a caption of how unrealistic her actual dimensions are and how we could never look like that in real life.
On this day in 1959, the first Barbie doll goes on display at the American Toy Fair in New York City.
Eleven inches tall, with a waterfall of blond hair, Barbie was the first mass-produced toy doll in the United States with adult features. The woman behind Barbie was Ruth Handler, who co-founded Mattel, Inc. with her husband in 1945. After seeing her young daughter ignore her baby dolls to play make-believe with paper dolls of adult women, Handler realized there was an important niche in the market for a toy that allowed little girls to imagine the future.
Barbie’s appearance was modeled on a doll named Lilli, based on a German comic strip character. Originally marketed as a racy gag gift to adult men in tobacco shops, the Lilli doll later became extremely popular with children. Mattel bought the rights to Lilli and made its own version, which Handler named after her daughter, Barbara. With its sponsorship of the “Mickey Mouse Club” TV program in 1955, Mattel became the first toy company to broadcast commercials to children. They used this medium to promote their new toy, and by 1961, the enormous consumer demand for the doll led Mattel to release a boyfriend for Barbie. Handler named him Ken, after her son. Barbie’s best friend, Midge, came out in 1963; her little sister, Skipper, debuted the following year.
Over the years, Barbie generated huge sales–and a lot of controversy. On the positive side, many women saw Barbie as providing an alternative to traditional 1950s gender roles. She has had a series of different jobs, from airline stewardess, doctor, pilot and astronaut to Olympic athlete and even U.S. presidential candidate. Others thought Barbie’s never-ending supply of designer outfits, cars and “Dream Houses” encouraged kids to be materialistic. It was Barbie’s appearance that caused the most controversy, however. Her tiny waist and enormous breasts–it was estimated that if she were a real woman, her measurements would be 36-18-38–led many to claim that Barbie provided little girls with an unrealistic and harmful example and fostered negative body image.
Despite the criticism, sales of Barbie-related merchandise continued to soar, topping 1 billion dollars annually by 1993. Since 1959, more than 800 million dolls in the Barbie family have been sold around the world and Barbie is now a bona fide global icon.
Source: History.com
As a mom, I’m not a Barbie-hater. There is a difference between fantasy and real life. As a lifelong dieter (let’s face it, I’ll have to log and balance my calories for the rest of my life to stay within a healthy range), I’m also not offended by the Barbie doll. She’s beautiful and I like to brush her hair. Hey, she doesn’t cry when I brush her tangles! The trick to loving Barbie is to see past her “perfection” and love her anyway.
Oh, A-HA! I love when I’m writing a post and a light bulb flickers!
Barbie is made in an “ideal” image, but she is ridiculed. When the toy company tries to diversify her, there is still criticism. I’ve heard countless lifelong petite women wish they had more curves or could build up muscle tone, or were taller so they wouldn’t have to hem all of their clothes they buy. It consumes as much attention as the busty girl who just wants to be a C-cup, or the plus-size teen who just wants to shop the cute clothes in the Junior section. My point is, there is always another point of view. One might say, “you can’t win”, but YES,YOU CAN!
These are just perceptions, my friend. Love who you are on the inside and the outside doesn’t matter. Teach your children to love themselves on the inside and the mold of the Barbie doll doesn’t matter! I know, that’s easier said than done, but what’s easy? Oh, complaining is easy… Well, I’m usually not one to take the easy way…
This post kind of sounds like a rant. That is not the intention. I’m just passionate about loving yourself enough to take care of yourself! While you’re at it, try to look at the other person on the inside and love them anyway!
I’m going to re-post a blog by Keenun Barley that I received in my inbox this morning. It is related to yesterday’s post about substituting the potato chip! The link is below. In a nutshell, she describes (with pictures) how to make Kale Chips and other ideas for homemade and healthy chips (including good old potato chips! Enjoy!
http://keenunbarley.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/chips-oh-how-i-love-chips/
Dear How Did You Do It:
Do you have any suggestions for a replacement for chips? I love sandwiches. I have replace most bread with lettuce, but I love chips with my sandwich. I feel like I’m missing out if I don’t eat them. I’ve tried cukes, carrots, and different fruits, but it’s just not the same!
It seems so natural to pair a sandwich with potato chips!
When I answer a question, I first blurt out what is on the forefront of my brain. Then, as I have time to think for a moment, I discover more answers to the question. Finally, I turn to Google. For this post, I will organize the response in a fluid way (even though I already sent the disjointed response to the reader in a message!).
I don’t crave chips or even sandwiches, like many people do. I am more of a carb addict and sweet tooth. What I do know is that raw fruits and vegetables just don’t seem to be a viable substitute for junk food. Sure, I suppose if you force yourself long enough, you will acquire a love of them…kind of like coffee and beer, but in the beginning, it just doesn’t cut it!
My question to the reader (and to other Chips Lovers) is this: What is it that you like about the chips?
Answering these questions may help you find a substitute that will satisfy your elimination of the traditional potato chip.
I did not draft this prayer below, and I don’t know who did, but I wish to share it because it is how I feel today.
God,
There are people I love and care about who are depending on you,
Who, in Your grace and wisdom,
have designated me as Your servant to them.
Please help me to take care of myself today
So that I may serve them and You the best that I can today.
Help me to focus on the tasks of today
And let You worry about tomorrow.
Amen.
Pop of color in the white fallen snow!
It’s snowing in Central Virginia. When the first flake falls in this vicinity, we tune in to see if school will be cancelled. Hey, safety first! Actually, New Kent, where I live, is located in the Hampton Roads region of the state, but I still lean towards Richmond because that is my native city.
New Kent got the best kind of snow: beautiful snow falling without sticking to the roads! As I type, the snow is still falling, but the kids went to school ON TIME!
Runner’s World magazine showcases a “Rave Run” each month. One such run that caught my eye was someone running through snow-covered terrain. I’ve always wanted to do that, but have worried too much about possibly slipping and falling. Once the kids got on the bus, I grabbed my iPod and hit the pavement before the snow changed over to rain.
It was exactly what I expected. I intentionally looked in the neighbors’ lawns to see pops of color through the snow from flowering plants. I looked in the trees to find a cardinal. Have you ever noticed just how quiet it is when snow is falling? Everything about it is peaceful.
Yes, today I had a Rave Run, indeed!
What would be your Rave Run?
Would the Real Ritchie Valens please stand up?!
Okay, that was the name of one of my favorite movies as a pre-teenager. Yes, before that, it was a popular song by Ritchie Valens, who, to me, will always look like Lou Diamond Phillips. I’m not really going to talk about Ritchie Valens or La Bamba in this post, though…
Today is Leap Day. Is that supposed to make today something special? I don’t know. It is fun to revolve crafts and lessons around this day at school. It is also nice for the folks who were born on February 29 to celebrate on their actual birthday.
Buddy Holly and his Eyewear
Today, in 1980, Buddy Holly’s signature eyeglasses were pulled out of a vaguely marked, sealed manila envelope. You can read about that here.
I think that is pretty special. I do think that we place significance on rarity.
Isn’t something more valuable if it is a rare find? Don’t we perk up and listen to the speaker who doesn’t often contribute? Don’t my blog stats increase significantly when I’ve taken a few days (or weeks) off and then I post something? The answer to all of these questions is, “yes”.
Leap Day occurs once every four years. Therefore, it is not mundane or ordinary. Buddy Holly was a popular entertainer and his look was complete with his signature eyeglasses. His glasses were found hidden away on Leap Day. Maybe today is your day to be extraordinary. Maybe you sign up for that race or you call that friend you miss.
A manila envelope may seem ordinary, but what is inside may be extraordinary! You may feel ordinary, simple, like you are no big deal, but wise up! Open up your envelope (or heart, or mind, or whatever) and discover what you (and someone else) might find!
Open it. See what's inside!
Turkey Vultures can soar for hours without flapping their wings.
My backyard is a turkey vulture’s playground today.
I was watching a documentary on Netflix about Angels and Demons while eating lunch when I saw shadows out the windows behind me. I freaked out a little.
I decided to look outside and saw what I termed “turkey buzzards” flying in that circular pattern in my backyard. Ew, I thought! I banged on the window with little success.
Then, the birds started landing in the trees in the backyard. They spread their winds with a presence!
I shuddered, thinking, “how ugly!” and “What does this mean???”
I went straight to Google. I found a site that said, “Turkey Vulture Facts”. I clicked.
It turns out there are a lot of things I didn’t know about turkey vultures. I had made an unfair assumption about the birds. For one thing, they’re not buzzards. They’re vultures. For another, just because they are circling around my house doesn’t mean that there is a dead animal they want to pick at and eat in my backyard! The best explanation (Oh! One just flew by my window low to the ground) is that they are playing. Well, that’s cool. I like playfulness in my backyard!
Often we rely on our first impressions and assumptions based on erroneous information. I’m glad that I took the time to look up more information about turkey vultures to dispel any misinformation I might have heard (and may have relayed) in the past. It also took away the fear that I first felt when I saw the shadows of their vast wingspan fly past my window.
What is something new that you will learn today?
1 Oreo = 70 calories...but who can eat just one???
Who primarily does the grocery shopping in your house? When I first got married, my husband primarily did the shopping. His “list” consisted of whatever was on sale. Truth.
Now, I primarily do the shopping. Sure, I still shop sales if they are relevant, but I’m not buying the Cheese Nips just because they are on sale. I’ll save even more money just leaving them on the shelf!
I make my monthly menu and create my weekly shopping list according to the menu. I also shop for our other staples.
Apparently, I don’t buy enough junk food…
My husband went to the store yesterday. He came home with one item on my list. He also came home with the one item I knew he said he needed (which was also on sale). He came home with four bags. Included in those bags were:
Sigh. I’m pretty sure I let him in on the fact that I gave up desserts for Lent. I didn’t complain. I’m simply resisting temptation. I did eat a fair share of Bugles yesterday…
We all get tempted. Even Jesus got tempted. I think it makes us stronger when we succeed in resisting temptation. It makes me feel more empowered and satisfied that I chose God over my sweat treats. I know it must please Him! Thanks be to God!
I had a college roommate say to me once, “A watched pot never boils.” She was talking quite literally about the pot over which I was hovering, waiting for it to boil so I could insert my pasta for supper.
Something about that moment – that phrase – has stuck with me.
Obviously, when I’m boiling water on the stove top, I hear her recite those words. Today, however, while taking a walk, I got to thinking about another friend. This friend has been searching for a job for over a year. She has her sights on a job that offers a lot of good and free coffee. She loves good and free coffee. She has decided to give up coffee for Lent. I bet she gets the job!
What does that have to do with watching a pot? I’ll tell you.
As I was thinking about my friend and her sacrifice, I thought, “You know, she should start some time-consuming project, like making another quilt or something. It’s often the times that we are not expecting or paying attention that our opportunities come to pass. If she starts that quilt, then perhaps out of the blue, the phone call she’s been waiting for will come. If she just sits by the phone all day (she doesn’t do this, but I’m illustrating a point), then perhaps that phone will never ring.
A watched phone never rings…
Oh, this is fun. Reply back with your own quip. These little phrases can apply to almost anything! The point is to move forward. Expect your breakthrough, but don’t just sit around and wait for it. Keep moving and then, BAM!, it’ll come in perfect timing!
Do you have your rice bowls? I don’t, but I’ll improvise. I made a very necessary decision as to what to “give up” for Lent this year. It will be a sacrifice for sure! I haven’t been able to give up such for myself, but I will do anything for God.
Last year, I gave up diet soda. Guess what?! I’m still soda-free!!! I put the money I would have paid for soda in my “rice bowl” and donated it to my church when the Lenten season ended (well, I just wrote an extra check).
In 2010, I gave up Facebook and put the time that I would have spent on Farmville (wow, I haven’t missed that game) into bible study.
In 2009, I gave up secular music and only listened to Christian music. What a blessing that was! Although I do now also listen to secular music, I have found a love of contemporary
Christian music!
Before 2009, it is a blur.
It has only been within the last five years that I really understood the almsgiving part of Lent. I just gave up something without returning anything to God. Well, I mean, other than money, but I didn’t really realize why I was putting money in the rice bowl. In fact, I sometimes didn’t give up anything and just took this time like any other. Treated it as nothing special.
Father John Leonard illustrated for me the importance of almsgiving in addition to sacrifice during Lent. I learned so much over the years from his homilies at St. Michael Roman Catholic Church when I regularly attended there.
Since Christmas, it appears that I’ve developed a daily and overindulging sweet tooth. I used to not be such a desserts kind of girl, but over the past two months, I have found myself eating an average of two desserts per day. My jeans are getting snug. It’s like I can’t help myself and I indulge anyway. Well, if there is something that I know about myself, it is that I will do anything for God. Yes, of course, I fear that He will ask me to do something I so do not want to do, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.
I’m giving up desserts for Lent. I didn’t say “sugar”, I just said desserts. So, if I slap some chocolate peanut butter on my banana, that doesn’t count. Cakes, cookies, ice cream, pies, candy, etc.–all of that counts. I can still eat a Zone bar for breakfast even though it has chocolate as an ingredient. It’s not a dessert for me.
I’m taking the path of giving money as my alms for my sacrifice. So, I’ll estimate how much I’m “saving” financially in the desserts I’m not eating and I’ll put them in my “rice bowl” and donate the money on Easter Sunday.
Father in Heaven,
the light of your truth bestows sight
to the darkness of sinful eyes.
May this season of repentance
bring us the blessing of Your forgiveness
and the gift of Your light.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL)
Hello, snow!
Central Virginia finally got some snow so the kids could play! I love to watch snow fall. This was the perfect snow because it fell just enough for one full day of play and then it all melted and life can now go back to normal! Despite myself, I like order. I like for things to go as planned. I’m trying to loosen up…
Yesterday, my kids dressed and undressed about a dozen times in their snow gear. I guess since they had already made mini snowmen during the recent dusting, they didn’t feel the need to make a larger one yesterday. Besides, by the time the snow was the right consistency to even make a snowman, my kids were burned out. They did have fun sledding and just running around in the snow.
Snow play offers major calorie burn! It takes more effort to run around and play in the snow and I always get so hot and sweaty! I missed a lot of snow play yesterday. A family was coming to look at my house that is for sale, so I had to do the impossible…clean the house while the children were still at home! You know what that’s like, right? Yes, like shoveling snow while it’s still snowing!
Thankfully, the children are finally old enough to go outside by themselves! Yes, I had to keep a door open so I could hear, therefore letting heat escape (safety first), but they were able to play and I was able to clean. Of course, I didn’t get a single picture of this year’s snow play! Oh well. I took plenty of pictures during the season’s first snow, which was a dusting. It was enough. The faces there were more full of joy that day!
Did you get to play in the snow yesterday?
Yes, indeed, love lives here.
You know how people have those cute decals on their walls? I envision one somewhere in my home that says, “Love lives here.”
Perhaps it is because we just celebrated Valentine’s Day, but that phrase keeps repeating in my mind.
I Googled it, of course. I got a song by The Faces, but the lyrics did not at all apply to my interpretation of the phrase. I also found a ministry for “the poor, addicted, homeless and/or socially marginalized”. That did not fit what I was thinking either!
My home is for sale. There has been a lot of love displayed in this home. From the details of construction to bringing home a new baby; from hitting my rock bottom to losing 50 pounds; love has brought me through it all. As strangers walk through my home, I wonder if they will feel the overwhelming love that I feel when I’m inside my home…or will they just see walls and flooring?
I’m convinced that after I’m gone, the love will remain in my house. I will leave a part of it here and will have plenty more to share as I move forward.
Yes, indeed, love lives here.
No Chocolate Temptation This Year!
I meant to write a post yesterday to plead with my Valentine not to give me chocolates this February 14. I got so busy finishing up my Valentines that I didn’t have time to come to the computer and write before spending the afternoon at the school to eat lunch with my Valentines, make Valentine’s copies for this week’s labels drive, and participate in Valentine’s parties in the classrooms. When we got home, we made Valentine cookies (that Daddy had requested) and Valentine’s dinner. After dinner, we hung out and just loved one another. It was a perfect day.
Do you know what else was awesome about this day? My husband felt absolutely no need to bring me home any chocolate! Yippee!
You know how it goes, “It’s Valentine’s Day, a little chocolate just this time will be okay.” But do you know into what that turns? There’s a holiday or party of some kind every month, every week even! I’m not saying abolish the chocolate (never!). But if I indulge every time there is a “special occasion”, then it would be all of the time!
My life is full of special occasions! I like it that way! I just have to remember that each day is special and live accordingly!
Add a little cinnamon to your day!
I started drastically upping my caffeine consumption after my second child was born. I had one in the terrible twos (and it was everything that they show in the movies) and a newborn. I was emotional and tired.
I started drinking coffee that was flavored and sweetened so that it didn’t have to taste like coffee. I also consumed a lot of diet soda. If I had known about the deliciousness of Red Bull (I have recently tried it once and vowed to stay away because I know I could become addicted to that stuff!), then I would have chosen that beverage.
When I gave up diet soda last year for Lent, and then thereafter for good, I went exclusively to coffee and green tea for caffeine consumption. By the way, soda still tastes NASTY to me now! I thought my husband’s Diet 7Up was my water last night and took a sip and had to spit it out in the sink!
Okay, back to the title of this blog post (small sidebar): Can the way I prepare my coffee be used as a yardstick for my overall maturity?
Well, maybe not completely, but let me explain.
When I first started drinking coffee, I sweetened it with about two tablespoons of Splenda. If I accidentally took a sip without first sweetening it, it tasted so bitter and nasty! I then progressed to being able to reduce the amount of sweetener (and switched to Stevia) I used in each cup to less than a teaspoon. I wanted to progress to no sweetener at all, but how do people drink this stuff black? I like to tell people that I’m not grown up enough yet to drink my coffee black. It usually provokes a chuckle.
This weekend, I sweetened my first cup of coffee and forgot to sweeten the second. I didn’t realize it wasn’t sweetened until I was halfway finished. Yes, it’s pumpkin spice flavored, but I realized at that moment that I could drink coffee without adding anything! This morning, I decided to try cinnamon in my coffee based on a post written by Dr. Oz:
Tip of the Day: Try a half teaspoon of cinnamon for an easy way to boost your metabolism and burn calories. I like to mix it with a cup of tea.
Newsflash! I used my husband’s leftover k-cup of Caribou (which is not flavored) and had some leftover cinnamon in the bottom of my mug. I did not sweeten it and it was delicious! Oh my, am I growing up???
PS: Cinnamon does not dissolve in your coffee, so the last swig is undrinkable, in my opinion…
Moving and Grooving to Musicals
I’ve been on the treadmill all week. Usually, I’m a groove to my music kind of girl when exercising. On the treadmill, though, sometimes even my favorite songs don’t help the time pass and I get bored. I also don’t typically like to watch television while I am on the treadmill because I don’t like waiting through the commercials (even more boring than music).
My husband gave me an iPad for my birthday (score!). I installed Netflix on it and have enjoyed watching various documentaries that scare the fool out of me regarding where our food comes from, etc. Yuck. Anyway…I decided to watch something different yesterday. Something, perhaps, more catchy. I chose Hello, Dolly!.
It turns out that I’m a musicals kind of girl! Today, I watched Gypsy. The only glitch is that I’m obviously not going to exercise for the entire duration of the movie. I then find myself taking my iPad around the house with me with it on as I do my daily chores.
What is your favorite thing to watch on the treadmill?
Dream Big Even If Everyone Else Thinks You're Small.
For whatever reason, I looked up “Today in History” on Google. I was just curious, I guess. I first read an article about the capture of Roanoke Island during the Civil War. It was cool to read names that correlate with streets I have actually run in Manteo (Burnside, anyone?).
I scrolled a little further down and saw this headline in history:
Spud Webb!!! I used to love watching that little guy! Maybe because I was always (affectionately) picked on for my short stature… I think there are some lessons we can learn from Spud Webb.
What do other voices say about you? Do you believe them? Listen to the voice of Truth that rests inside your heart.
Slow and Steady Wins the Race! Don't be a hare. Keep moving!
I saw a heading for a post today that read,
“There are no shortcuts”
Isn’t that the truth? No, really, it is. How many times have you tried to cut a corner just to discover that you ended up spending MORE time than you would have if you would have just done it correctly in the first place?
I feel this way about diet and exercise. There are no shortcuts in this arena. Well, there might be, but aren’t they usually short-lived? I think so. Think of the Aesop Fable of “The Tortoise and The Hare”.
The Hare and the Tortoise The Hare was once boasting of his speed before the other animals. "I have never yet been beaten," said he, "when I put forth my full speed. I challenge any one here to race with me." The Tortoise said quietly, "I accept your challenge." "That is a good joke," said the Hare; "I could dance round you all the way." "Keep your boasting till you've beaten," answered the Tortoise. "Shall we race?" So a course was fixed and a start was made. The Hare darted almost out of sight at once, but soon stopped and, to show his contempt for the Tortoise, lay down to have a nap. The Tortoise plodded on and plodded on, and when the Hare awoke from his nap, he saw the Tortoise just near the winning-post and could not run up in time to save the race. Then said the Tortoise: "Plodding wins the race."
You see, the hare didn’t take a shortcut, but this is what he did do (the way I see it): he thought he could slack off and lose diligence and then quickly make up for it when he needed to do so.
I am guilty of this. I might indulge in too many desserts and snack foods. I might watch the scale creep up a few pounds. Then I say, “well, that’s no problem. I can just reign it back in for a few days and get it all back where I want things.” The problem with this philosophy is that the fix is temporary. It is also very frustrating. Why not just work slowly and steadily and make good choices from the beginning?
You don’t have to cleanse. You don’t have to work out until you pass out. Just take your time. You will win this race!
Rainy Day Gal's Beef with Broccoli
Oh, can you say YUM? Monday night’s dinner was Beef with Broccoli from my kitchen, not the Top’s China down the street. I bet mine tastes better!
On a website entitled, “Rainy Day Gal”, a cute lady named Jenny from Seattle, Washington shares recipes and such that are approved by her adorable family.
It was so easy and very yummy delicious. Give it a try!
This easy version of the Chinese takeout classic requires only a short marinade to make the beef fork-tender. Serve over white or brown rice. Serves 4.
Prep Time: 10 minutes + 1 hour for marinade Cook Time: 8 minutes
First, marinate the meat:
1. Whisk together the baking soda, sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, water, and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Toss the steak with the marinade to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, then proceed below.
1. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, flour and sherry until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a large wok or saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over high heat until shimmering. Add broccoli and saute 3 minutes, stirring often. Transfer broccoli to a plate.
3. Carefully add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the hot pan. Add the marinated meat and half of the sauce mixture and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink. Stir in the broccoli and remaining sauce. Saute 1 minute more. Serve.
Article printed from rainy day gal: http://rainydaygal.com
URL to article: http://rainydaygal.com/2011/02/03/beef-with-broccoli/
Over the weekend, I ate cake and I ate pizza, I admit. I am happy to report, though, that I did not munch during the Super Bowl party. I was even able to resist temptation by standing near the food without reaching for any nibbles. I stuck with my plan and ate before the party. Success, indeed!
This morning, I’m excited about my weekly menu. I have two new-to-me recipes to try this week. I’m also making one of my favorites, Chicken and Dumplings (my style). I’ve attempted many recipes to find the one I love. I’ve finally found it by piecing three different recipes together! A friend of mine calls it “Chicken Pastry”. Fine, it can be that, too. I just call it DELICIOUS!
Chicken and Dumplings
For Chicken:
Directions:
Dumpling Sauce:
Directions:
...and this is NOT what I mean by getting more organized...
Since we haven’t had any real winter weather in my town, I feel okay about “Spring Cleaning” in February. The motivation actually comes from the need to de-clutter and open up my house in order for it to go on the market. Slowly, I’ve been packing, purging, and reorganizing. Ah, it feels GREAT!
I find that I keep giving my activity the term, “thinning out”. When I look around at my current home decor, which looks more like a model home now than my home, it relaxes me. Don’t get me wrong, I like my stuff. But this feels more streamlined and breathable. I guess that is the point when potential buyers come to determine whether or not they can envision themselves living in my home.
This got me to thinking: is there a correlation between being more organized and losing weight? Y’all know I am a believer in one small change leading to other small changes, etc. So, if I de-clutter my drawers, cabinets, and closets, for example, might that also motivate me to take care of my own body a little better? I think it does.
My philosophy is this: a well put-together home (not a rigid, OCD-type home, mind you) makes you feel a little happier. When my room is clean and my bed is made, I just feel fresher…happier…cleaner. It makes me want to clean the next room and so on. But it also makes me want to take care of other aspects of myself more, like my nutrition and exercise routine.
If you can get organized in your file cabinet, for example (um, I haven’t started there and it’s a MESS), you can maybe make a menu, which leads to a concise grocery list, which saves money, which makes your husband happy. See how this all works? And, you’re not freaking out at 3pm because you forgot to pull something out of the freezer and you have to “quick thaw” it to make a last-minute meal. My husband always calls me out on “last-minute meals”.
If you have a plan (which is part of organization), then your life just runs more smoothly, which is better for your health (both physical and mental). This I believe. It’s not based on any research that I could find. I did run across a few articles that agreed with my philosophy.
Get rid of the clutter. Get rid of the junk. Interpret this however you need to in order to simplify your life. You will like the results!
Please click on the link below to read a wonderful and relevant post by Nicole Carline.
I don’t know how this weekend filled up so quickly, but my daughter was invited to two birthday parties and my son was invited to one birthday party. Then, we have the Super Bowl to watch on Sunday.
Let’s face it…I don’t watch football, so I’m not going to see one iota of the game. I will probably be back in the food area where I will hopefully do more gabbing than eating. Oh, but this is the best food EVER! Better than Thanksgiving, I dare say. All of the delicious munchies all on one table AND beer on tap with which to wash it all down!
I don’t need to wash it down with beer. It is a Sunday night, after all. My kids will be at the party and I have to put them to bed and then get them ready for school the next day. Okay, so be wise with the spirits. I can do that!
In fact, here’s my strategy: I will plan to drink wine. If I have a glass or two of wine, then it will not go at all with the football food staring at me deliciously on the table.
I have the drinking and snacking plan…but what if I’m hungry? Simple! I will feed my family dinner before we go. The party is (slightly) after dinner time, so that shouldn’t be a problem. This way, I can let my kids eat the chips and it won’t turn in to their dinner! I will have a full belly and we can just move on from the food on the table and I can talk instead of eat. Awesome!
What about the birthday parties? They both surround meal times (or at least my meal times). The first one is at 11 am. I tend to eat lunch early. I don’t know why. I’ll have to eat a 10:45 lunch and maybe have cake at the party. Oh yea! The second party is at 6pm. One could say that I could eat before I go, but I have a 40-minute commute to the party, so I’ll have to eat in the car…or, have dinner ready at 5 and gobble it down. Yes, that’s the plan. Early lunch; early dinner.
Do you see what I did? I made a PLAN. That’s really the trick. Look at the cards you’ve been dealt and then make a plan. I’ll have to incorporate a little prayer that I actually stick to the plan and not eat my meal at home and then still indulge at the parties… I’ve been known to do that. I’m always sorry that I did that, though.
PS: I plan to take something that I can feel good about eating at the Super Bowl party so if I do feel like I want a little nibble, then I’ll go for what I brought and know what I’m eating. Okay, girls (and guys?), some of you reading this will be at said parties this weekend. Now I know I can’t let you down!
I received this tray as a wedding gift and still love to look at it every day!
As I say my daily prayers, a verse from The Lord’s Prayer keeps interrupting.
“Give us this day our daily bread”
The list goes on and on! When we ask God to give us just the right amount of what we need each and every day, we can move forward and stay on track. You’ve heard it said that God doesn’t give you more than you can handle (well, at least with His help in handling it). Sometimes we want more and more and more. Maybe what we need to focus on is what God thinks is perfect for us.
I think I need to chew on that…
I read a blog post by Pete Wilson today. Pete Wilson is the founding and senior pastor of Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee. He writes a blog that I enjoy entitled, “Without Wax“. In today’s post, entitled Voices in My Head, he makes a brilliant ending statement. I want to share it with you.
“Be yourself. Live your giftedness. Listen to the voice of your Creator which is the only voice that really matters and tell those other voices to shut up.”
This applies to each and every one of us on so many levels.
Well, not quite Five Man Electrical Band, but you get the idea.
I like words. I have a Pinterest board dedicated to just “Words”. My favorite words, of course, are contained in the bible.
Yes, that’s two words. I like it, though. It sums up my weight loss process perfectly.
“Active Obedience” is a phrase that my pastor used during his homily yesterday. The reading was from the Book of Hebrews (which is one of my favorite books of the New Testament).
In fact, most of my favorite Scripture readings have to do with what you receive “by faith”. ”Your faith has healed you” said Jesus to over and over again. ”By faith”, so many wonderful things happened and by faith, success can happen for you, too.
One of the biggest hurdles we face in any challenge is actually believing we can do it. This is especially true after the first stumble (or perceived failure). Press on and get ready for what can happen when you live by faith!
Determination is another “word for the week” according on an online bible study based on the book, Made to Crave, by Lisa TerKeurst. I found this bible study after completing the book. I am not following the bible study, per se, but I am reading the posts and making it my own. The word for last week was “Empowered” and this week is “Determination”.
I think you have to be determined to have active obedience. It’s not just going to happen because you believe in God, your diet, etc. You have to actively be involved, too.
Oh, that brings me to another song…
“Don’t give up; you only get what you giiiiiiiivvvve!”
I like to look at put-together outfits on Pinterest in the event that one day I might actually buy a complete outfit to wear. I currently shop in pieces…and wear the same things repeatedly. My husband’s side of the closet is way more packed with clothes than my side!
I’ve noticed a trend. Many women who pin these adorable outfits on Pinterest write in the comment section something like, “I’d love to wear this if I lost 30 pounds” or “I wish I could wear something like this, but I need to lose weight first.”
I will admit that shopping was absolutely no fun when all of the cute clothes didn’t fit or when I had to go up and up and up in size… Oh, how many dressing rooms have seen my tears?!
But, wait! Why can’t you dress adorably and right now – where you are? We should dress in clothes that fit us. I know…if you are on a downward slope on the scale, you don’t want to spend a lot of money on “in between” clothes… But you have to feel good when you leave the house each day. Don’t resign yourself to sweats and dream of the cute outfits that you don’t think you can wear right now.
Follow Stacy and Clinton’s advice from TLC’s What Not To Wear: wear clothes that look good on your body right now. As your body changes, change your attire. Try really hard not to look at the number on the tag. It’s extremely difficult, I know. The number on the tag (and the number on the scale) DO NOT DEFINE YOU. Your heart defines you; and I think it’s beautiful.
Jon Acuff wrote a blog post yesterday that tied in to a post I recently wrote. Read it from his perspective here. I like it! I’m so awesome!
I have heard about polenta on various cooking shows, but I have never actually tried it…or even looked up a recipe so that I could try it. Perusing the aisles at Trader Joe’s, though, I saw a tube of it. It comes in a tube? Like sausage??? Okay.
I bought it. It was cheap and I was curious. It’s been sitting in my pantry closet for about a week. Buck has asked me what it is and I simply read the description on the wrapping. I then made the assumption that it is kind of like cornbread…maybe?
I found the courage today to try some. I cooked the polenta and then I poured creamy tomato soup over top. Mmmm! It does taste like cornbread! It was nice! I enjoyed it! It’s only 70 calories per serving…at least 40 calories less than a cornbread muffin would have been! Hey, every calorie counts!
I realize some of you are laughing at me right now because you make your own polenta or you know that it comes in forms other than just a tube. I am entertained that it came in a tube and I enjoyed it anyway. I wonder what I will try next?!
This is the scale that I use. It is consistent no matter how much I try to manipulate it!
I’m making Thursdays my official weigh-in day. Are you confused? Haven’t I lost 50 pounds??? Yes, I have, but I became complacent right after Christmas and gained 7 pounds in 2 weeks. Yep, sure did. So, I’m back at it to shave that off (it has almost completed fallen off within the first week of trying).
What does that tell you, by the way? It tells me that when I eat and exercise LIKE I’M SUPPOSED TO DO, then my weight stays healthy. When I slack off in exercising and I don’t pay attention to what I’m eating, then the weight just piles right back on. My body is saying, “Nooooooo”!
Every day last week (through the weekend) I obsessively weighed myself every morning. You know how I weigh myself…except for I got this new scale and the “lean forward” method seems to make no difference. Darn.
It’s not beneficial AT ALL to weigh yourself every day. I know this. I know to weigh myself in the morning because my weight fluctuates up to 4 pounds throughout the day. Each day can fluctuate, and do I really want to feel defeated because I was obedient the day before, but was still “up” for some mysterious reason the next morning? And, so what?! The number on the scale DOES NOT define me!
Even when I’m at my goal weight, I’ll need to keep my weight in check. Starting today, I’m only going to weigh myself on Thursdays. I strategically chose Thursdays, you know. It’s far enough away from any weekend binges (which I’m trying not to do anymore, but it happens) and I can feel good that I was on track the rest of the week. It’s just a good day for me to assess my progress and/or maintenance.
Are you willing to commit to weighing yourself only once per week? Stop laughing. It’s possible…and smart!
My family bought me the iPad 2 for my birthday and I am hooked! I had the My Fitness Pal app on my cell phone, but I switched a lot of apps over to my iPad so I could preserve battery and data usage on my phone!
My Fitness Pal recently updated its application! Maybe it has always been there, but it seems new to me and it excites me! I am specifically talking about the diary portion of the app. When I go to add a food item, what I first noticed was the scan button. I tried this out. I scanned some Vitamin Water Zero, Lemonade flavor and it recognized it immediately! I’m sure the item has to already be in the database, but there is also an opportunity for you to add the item to the database if it is not currently there. I think this is so cool!
I also like how when I type in an item to search it (versus scrolling down what I’ve already eaten to find it), it comes up with just a few things that I have already used in my diary. You see, I’m both a leftovers girl and a shortcut queen. Yes, it has the function of copying yesterday’s meal, but I don’t always eat the exact same meal…just components of it. And, yes, I eat leftover supper food for breakfast!
This is just a small part of the entire application to help you keep track of your food and exercise on a daily basis. It’s so easy, especially once you set up your own database of sorts. I don’t know about you, but I tend to eat the same foods over and over, so logging them becomes fairly easy.
Speaking of keeping a food and exercise diary, I’ve gotten on and off of the wagon since I’ve reached my goal weight and I am now realizing that I don’t have the luxury of losing diligence. I’ll talk about that mountain trek on another post, but as of now, I’ll leave you with my commitment to be obedient to God by taking care of my body, within which His Spirit dwells. I will hold myself accountable for what I put in my body and how well I exercise it to stay fit. I’ve made very reasonable goals and will stick to them. You’ll (hopefully) see a lot more consistency from me on My Fitness Pal. I’ve even made it pop up as a tab each time I click on the internet. If you join, look me up! My username is “angzcal”.
I prefer sweet over salty. The only time I crave salty is when I’ve been working out hard. This craving is likely due to my body needing to replenish the salt I’ve lost from sweating. In general, I will choose sweet snacks over salty snacks.
I also prefer fruits versus vegetables. You can probably guess why. I like berries better than melons. I like apples, bananas, and kiwi. I like sweet citrus, but not tart or sour citrus.
My daughter wants strawberries year-round. It is difficult to buy fresh fruit out of season. I like frozen fruit. Is it okay to eat?
 The first commercially frozen fruit was sold in 1930 as Birds Eye Frosted Foods. Serving Size
½ cup.
How to Select
Choose bags where the fruit is still in individual pieces. If they have become a solid block, this may indicate some thawing and refreezing.
How to Store
Store frozen fruits in your freezer until date on package, or up to 8-12 months at 0°F for best quality. Food is still safe to eat with longer storage but may be of lesser quality.
Nutrition Benefits
Check the label on the package. Frozen fruits are harvested at their peak and frozen within hours, so are very close to “just-picked” nutritionally. They are economical, cleaned and ready to use!
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Snow Cone. Blend in a blender with crushed ice to make a snow cone.
Smoothies. Use with 100% juice or skim milk to create delicious smoothie combinations.
Top Your Cereal. Use on top of cereal.
Quickie Salad or Dessert. Create a last-minute fruit salad for dessert with your favorite combination of frozen fruits.
Fruit Soup. Use to make a fruit soup
Bake Them. Use in baked goods such as cobblers, fruit crisps or breads.
Mix with Yogurt. Add to plain low-fat yogurt.
Fruit Sauce. Thaw and mash through a strainer to make a fruit sauce. Use on pancakes, waffles or fat-free ice cream or sherbet.
Cool Your Drink. Use in place of ice cubes to cool a drink.
Right Out of the Bag! Enjoy as a snack right out of the bag.
Source: ©2008-2012 Produce for Better Health Foundation. All rights reserved.
How do you use frozen fruit?
I’ve only seen 30:30 and 1:1 thus far, but today, I found a 3:1! If you’re interested, here you go!
http://motiontraxx.com/podcast80.php
Burst my bubble, I also found a 2:1!
I am an excellent student. I AM. My sweet children have taken after me in being pleaser-types in the classroom. SUCCESS!
Alas, I have not taken some of my own advice and now I’m SUFFERING!
I’m pretty sure I’ve talked about making sure you have fuel to exercise. You can’t drive a car without fuel and you can’t exercise without properly fueling your body. You also need to replenish that fuel once it gets close to empty (well, you don’t wait until your car stalls because it is out of gasoline to re-fuel, do you?).
I exercised this morning without eating first. I drank my coffee and then got distracted with other things before deciding to finally work out. My body didn’t have anything fueling it but caffeine. After my workout, my stomach started cramping! OUCH!
I have now eaten a recovery meal and hydrated. I feel better, but I could have avoided the whole thing if I had just “stayed awake” and “listened to my own lecture.”
I know this sounds so weird! It has, however, become one of our favorites!
I wanted to learn about the genesis of this dish, so I turned to Wikipedia (what?). There’s not a lot on the page, so you can click on the link and read it if you are interested.
I know you want the recipe, though! I think you ought to give it a try!
Makes 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. poultry seasoning
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 egg
1 egg white
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup buttermilk (I had to make my own…)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, seasoned with salt, dried thyme, and black pepper
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup chopped scallions
Warm maple syrup
Preheat waffle iron to high according tot he manufacturer’s instructions
For the waffles, combine 1/2 cup flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, poultry seasoning, and cayenne in a large bowl.
Whisk together egg, egg white, 1/2 cup milk, and buttermilk in a small bowl; whisk into flour mixture just until blended. Coat waffle iron with nonstick spray and pour in about 1 cup waffle batter. Cook waffle about 5 minutes, remove and keep warm; repeat cooking with remaining batter.
For the chicken, dredge each breast in the 3 Tbsp flour (Reserve leftover dredging flour for gravy.)
Heat 3 Tbsp oil in a large saute pan over medium-high. Add chicken and saute until golden, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, flip chicken and saute until done, about 6 minutes. Remove chicken.
For the gravy, add reserved flour to pan and make a roux. Cook roux 1-2 minutes. Slowly add 1 1/2 cups milk, whisking continuously to make a smooth gravy. Simmer gravy until thickened, 5 minutes; add scallions and season with salt and black pepper.
To serve, top half of a waffle with a chicken breast, 1/4 cup gravy, and a drizzle of syrup.
Per serving: 510 cal; 17g fat (4g sat); 163 chol; 896mg sodium; 38g carb; 1g fiber; 50g protein
I serve with cantaloupe.
On Sunday, the congregation at my church heard the first of a 4-part series written by the pastor entitled, “Bounding Faith”. He spoke about “rest” and then he defined it in terms of when God gives you rest.
I know you were hoping that I was going to tell you to go ahead and take that rest on the sofa because you have been working hard on your goals so far this new year…
I won’t attempt to even paraphrase Pastor Steve’s homily, but I will type what I took away from it on Sunday. It all ties in to yesterday’s post.
You see, when God gives you rest, it doesn’t mean that he clears your calendar and quiets your kids so that you can take a nap. Rest in this instance is equivalent to peace.
I beat myself up a lot. My brain is CHAOTIC with constant internal debates about my performance as a mother, wife, friend, housekeeper, organizer, dieter, exerciser, etc.! My husband calls this a “confidence problem”. I call it an anxiety disorder. I exhaust myself sometimes!
The real issue is that I don’t allow myself to receive God’s peace. Actually, I’ve come a long way, but there’s always work to be done. You still have to work hard when you are at rest. There’s no need, however, to agonize over the work you do. Do your best and receive God’s blessings (and thank Him for them).
Amen.
Cheryl Richardson is a life coach who teaches from her own experience…hmmm…sound familiar? She sends out a weekly post to which I subscribe. They are short, sweet, and self-care focused. She sends 52 posts per year.
Yesterday, I received in my email inbox “Week 2 – Stick To It: Making changes with loving kindness”. When you click on the link, scroll down to “Topic of the Week” and read.
The first question she posed made a sudden light bulb flash in my brain!
Did you know that long-lasting growth happens in fits and starts?
Brilliant! That is so true! I think if we recognize this truth, then we might be motivated enough to stick with it when the motivation begins to wane.
So, what does “fits and starts” actually mean? It’s one of those idioms. You know, not everyone “gets” idioms…..
Noun 1. fits and starts - repeated bursts of activity; “they worked in fits and starts” Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2011 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.in fits and starts also by fits and starts
without regular activity or progress Though it moves along in fits and starts, this story is so imaginative it is a lot of fun to read.Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003. Reproduced with permission.
You might have made your list of New Year’s Resolutions. I have already veered away from a few of mine (I mean, on the first week!). I just remind myself that these goals are ones I created and are very doable. Today is a new day.
I will stick with my goals and forgive myself when I take two steps back. I will also give praise and be thankful when I take one step forward. I’m already impressed with the long-lasting progress of my initial goal. I guess you have to be desperate and reach that rock bottom before you get there, but even if not, long-lasting change takes time and patience and the entire gamut of emotions.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” ~Matthew 11:28 (NIV)
Oh, boo! Boooooooo! Exercise TV has shut down as of December 31. Here is an article about it:
http://www.examiner.com/weight-loss-in-national/exercsetv-on-demand-channel-website-shutting-down
BUMMER!
Jon Bon Jovi still rocks! He still has the best hair, too! Yes, I love Bon Jovi!
This lyric sung by Bon Jovi caught my attention:
“You can’t win ’til you’re not afraid to lose”
Ooh yea! I actually think about my youthful fears and a current fear of my son’s: failure.
In the eighth grade, before advancing to high school, I did not try out for the cheerleading squad. History had demonstrated that I don’t make the team as a newbie. I didn’t make the squad in sixth grade and I didn’t make the squad when I moved from one school to another in the seventh grade. It took until the eighth grade to make the squad. Never mind that I was awarded “Most School Spirited” that year. I still didn’t try out as a rising ninth grader. I did go on to cheer during the second semester of my freshman year and also tried out for my new school’s team when I moved again in the tenth grade. I needed ready-made friends, so I decided to try out and see what happens.
I was afraid to lose, but I did it anyway and I won! Well, I made the squad and cheered for the duration of my high school career. I wimped out again in college. College is overwhelming enough! I not only didn’t have the confidence to try out, but I didn’t want to juggle extracurricular activities when I was overwhelmed with studying (see, Dad, I really was ALWAYS in the library studying…).
Okay, I’ve gotten off track a little bit… My son started a new “Athletic Advancement” gymnastics class. He looked like he was having fun. They took baseline data and then they will go through the drills again at the end of six or eight sessions to mark improvement. When we got in the car, I asked him what he thought of the class. He said, “I’m not good at it.” Well…the point is to work up to improvement. If we were all successful right out of the box then we would have nothing for which to strive!
In his folder, my son got a form to sign up for baseball. I asked him today if he was interested (I don’t think baseball is really his sport, but I’m open to him exploring various options). His first question was, “Is it hard?”. Poor baby. He declined the offer for fear of him not being successful on day one.
If we approach everything in life this way, then we won’t do anything! I’m not going to force him to play baseball, but I do want him to have the confidence to try knowing that he might fail. I’ve written many times the quote by Soichiro Honda:
“Success is 99% failure.”
Well! It’s true! Sometimes we have to try something knowing that we might lose. We might not lose, you know! And besides, how much sweeter will that win be after a string of losses?
I commented before how after completing Jillian Michaels’ 30-Day Shred, I would take it easy and do something not so intense. I get burned out if I’m constantly “in training”. I like to relax every once in a while, while still burning calories, and enjoy my exercise program! Seriously, do you think that I enjoy half marathon training and Jillian Michaels??? Well, I do it, but I don’t love it!
I do love walking! Remember that 3-Day in which I participated back in September 2011? Of course you do. I couldn’t stop talking about it. If you know anything about me, you know that I lost 50 pounds, run the OBX Half Marathon every year with the same fabulous ladies, and walked 60 miles in 3 days in Washington, DC! It’s all I talk about, right?
Well, I love walking! I didn’t love walking miles and miles for the 3-Day, but it sure was better than running! I also love Leslie Sansone. She is a positive, upbeat, and encouraging lady. I dig her!
Leslie Sansone has posted a “New Year’s Resolution Challenge” It doesn’t start until Monday, January 9, 2012. Isn’t that smart?! I’m having a hard time fitting in any exercise since the new year began because I’m packing up tote after tote of Christmas decorations and I’m trying to clean my dirty house from a couple of weeks of my kids being on winter break! I think that by Monday, I’ll be focused and ready to start my regimented routine again.
There is a calendar on the post that outlines how far to walk on which day. If you click on the calendar on her page, you can see a larger version (and print it out if you wish). It is a 21-day challenge. Now, y’all also know that I will probably cheat and run some of the longer (and shorter) distances to speed up the process. Hey, I’m a busy girl! On second thought, I might use the elliptical trainer on some of the shorter days and run or walk (or run-walk) the longer distances. Oh, you never know!
Those food labels can be very tricky. It seems the manufacturers are more interested in the marketing benefits of the food label (duh) than providing accurate and easy-to-understand information. How many of you have bought one product versus another for the sole reason that you saw the words, “all natural” on the label? It is a chore to inspect each and every label. I know this because my son used to have food allergies and I had to be diligent in making sure the dozens of different ways to write “milk protein” were not included on the ingredients list.
Another food label trick I often see is using the word “Light” (or worse, “Lite”). If you are a calorie counter (like me) then those words can really entice you. ”Low Fat” and “Reduced Fat” is another trick…sure, read the label and it will be lower in fat and maybe even calories…but what does the ingredient list say? Usually a bunch of stuff I can’t pronounce. Yuck. I don’t want to eat gobbledygook! That’s why I buy Breyer’s ice cream. I know, I know…it’s still ice cream, but at least I can pronounce every ingredient in the “standard” flavors. I will take fat and calories over science-lab created ingredients.
Okay, I’m not perfect, of course. I fall for these tricks all of the time! I don’t regularly read labels…or I read only a few to compare and then move on to the next aisle. I recently read two articles and wanted to share them with my readers. I read these warnings all of the time, but alas, I forget! It is a good reminder. Take care of your body. You deserve it (and your body deserves it)!
Jan 4
I just love “Life is good.” tee shirts. I’m too cheap to own any for myself, but I enjoy looking at the art on the shirts and how genius (and true) they are! Maybe I like these shirts so much because I consider my life to be good. They are so full of optimism, and [...]
The September 2011 issue of Runner’s World magazine posed an interesting question in the Ask Miles segment.DEAR MILES,
Which one is better? Run a lot but eat unhealthy or eat healthy and don’t exercise?—JOSHUA H., Robertsville, Missouri
Oh, isn’t that a great question??? I mean, if you could only have to choose one…
Let’s see what Miles’ answer was:
I put this to Bill Roberts, M.D., our “Ask the Sports Doc” blogger on runnersworld.com. His reaction: “That’s like asking, ‘Is it better to shoot myself in the right foot or the left?’” When pressed, Dr. Roberts says, “I would think that heavy exercise will compensate better for a poor diet than a perfect diet will compensate for no exercise.” The good news is we don’t have to choose between these extremes. So no need to shoot ourselves in either foot. Which is lucky, as that would really put a crimp in our training.
So, there you have it. You should both eat well and exercise. I guess moderation wins again!
Think about it, though…if you are exercising, you don’t want to completely blow all of the hard work you just accomplished, so you might be more mindful of what you are eating. Of course, I’ve been known to indulge with food knowing that I exercised that day… Tricky, very tricky!
Let’s have a little chat about motivation. How many times have you said, “I need some motivation.”?
We rely on so many external sources in our daily lives. For example, I rely on my coffee in the morning to wake up. I rely on my alarm clock to get to the bus stop on time. I rely on the post office to mail my letters. The list goes on and on. I don’t think it is realistic to go without many of the external sources upon which we rely every day. It’s just not smart. Use your resources.
How about for motivation, though? I mean real motivation? Sure, you can use different websites to chart and graph your weight loss or exercise progress and it can be motivating to complete your information, but that alone likely becomes short-lived.
“Motivation is literally the desire to do things. It’s the difference between waking up before dawn to pound the pavement and lazing around the house all day. It’s the crucial element in setting and attaining goals—and research shows you can influence your own levels of motivation and self-control. So figure out what you want, power through the pain period, and start being who you want to be.” (Source: Psychology Today)
I think gaining motivation from outside sources is only beneficial if you already have the internal motivation to want to accomplish that goal. I think to start something that you will actually finish, YOU have to WANT it. If you don’t have the burning desire already planted in your heart to accomplish a goal, then the extrinsic motivators are not going to help you reach that goal. If, however, you do have the internal desire to meet a particular goal, I believe that having extrinsic motivators can be a very valuable tool.
Am I making sense? Let me illustrate it another way:
Sally Sue is a couch potato. She knows that she should get off of the couch and away from the chips to exercise for 30 minutes a day, but she really doesn’t feel like it. She reads all of her friends resolutions on Facebook and decides to comment on a few saying, “I really should get in shape and get off of the couch. I need y’all to motivate me to put away the chips and munch on carrot sticks instead. Please make sure I do this and don’t let me fail.” She signs up for a gym membership and peruses the produce aisle. She begins even though she really doesn’t feel like it. Her friends report their success in their new goals and she replies with praise, telling them how awesome they are and how they are an inspiration to her. She then asks them to send some of their motivation her way so she can actually go to the gym instead of saying, “not today, maybe tomorrow”. She never really reaches her goal because she didn’t really care about the goal in the first place. Even if her friends made her out a schedule and came to pick her up, she’d have an excuse ready. Her motivation didn’t start from within.
Sticking with a goal is tough; even if you really want to accomplish that goal. That’s when you use the extrinsic motivators. I really wanted to lose weight. I was desperate for it. I made the decision and had the desire first and then I figured out how to do it…and I needed help! I signed up for website, enlisted my friends for help, and begged God to help me. I couldn’t solely rely on the websites…I had to actually log on and be honest about the data I inserted. I couldn’t rely solely on my friends, either. I had to want it badly enough that when they cancelled an exercise date, I went ahead and did it alone instead of waiting until they were available. I even couldn’t solely rely on God. I had to do my part and trust that he was doing his in his timing. Are you catching my drift?
Oh, this wasn’t a motivating message at all was it?! All I ever want from all of my readers is for you to love yourself enough to want to become a better you. Fully examine your heart. Dig down deep. What is it that you really want? How can you do it? How badly do you want it? You can do it, and I’ll be a big cheerleader for you along the way!
Decide today that the rest of your life will be the best of your life! (Adapted from Louise Hay via Cheryl Richardson)
Ah, here we are: January 1, 2012. I guess that most people have either officially made their New Year’s Resolutions or they are thinking about what they’ll resolve to do in the new year today and – start tomorrow.
Nobody really starts their New Year’s Resolutions on New Year’s Day, do they? Especially this year, being that today is Sunday, January 1, 2012. We’ll start fresh on Monday!
I was curious, so I looked up “New Year’s Resolutions” on Wikipedia (why not?). Turns out that I was not entirely aware of the actual definition of a New Year’s Resolution. What I wanted to know (and I will get to it in a bit) was the actual success rate of a New Year’s Resolution and how long it took before people abandoned their resolutions (you know, when the novelty and excitement of starting a fresh new year wore off).
You see, I thought that the definition of a New Year’s Resolution was something that you resolve to do for the entire New Year. I did not even think about the option that it could be a goal to accomplish something…and if that something was accomplished, say, by March 1, then you were considered to be successful in that resolution even thought it doesn’t last the whole year long!
“A New Year’s resolution is a commitment that a person makes to one or more lasting personal goals, projects, or the reforming of a habit. This goal must be reached by the Next New Year. Keep in mind that this is a goal, not a wish and should be something that you as a person could strive for.” (Source: Wikipedia)
What about success rate? I think that the “new” definition should help to increase the success rate of accomplishing the goal of a New Year’s Resolution. I can resolve, for example, to paint my powder room sometime in 2012 and realistically accomplish that goal. At any rate, it is estimated that between 12-22% of New Year’s Resolutions are successful.
It will be tough to beat the awesomeness of 2011. I am not entirely sure yet what my concrete New Year’s Resolutions are. Of course, I need to be more organized, study more, help more people, exercise and eat right, etc. I do resolve to make a monthly menu and stick to making one all year long (he he).
Have you made any resolutions? What is your top resolution? Why have you chosen that goal? Is it a goal that can realistically be obtained before we ring in 2013? Stealing from a variety of sources, I leave you with this: “It’s not how you start; it’s how you finish.” Happy New Year!
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 10,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
The
January 2012 issue of Woman’s Day magazine featured an article about how certain aromas boosts certain areas of your life, as contributed by Alan Hirsch, MD, director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago.
I am very intrigued. I find that I have different aromatic moods. I wonder if this is because I’m craving some effect that it gives. I have no idea! I enjoyed the article and it is not yet reprinted online yet, so I am going to highlight it here. I will go back and update with a link to the entire article next month when it becomes available online.
Okay, wait…I have to say that I own a Green Apple candle that I like to burn in my kitchen…maybe that’s how I did it…
So, get out your candles, your warmers, essential oils, and perfumes. Happy sniffing!
I dare you to do this with me. | Jon Acuff\’s Blog.
Thump. I read the above blog and I’m the same way. I’m great at starting things, but not as much when pulling off the big finish. Read this blog and see if it inspires you in 2012.
I know what you’re thinking: I do finish things…and I do…but I know I can be even greater. I need to brainstorm my next big FINISH and then figure out the details of the start and middle.
Thirty days have come and gone since I presented the 30-Day Shred Challenge to my readers! I did 27 days before I got sick (yes, I’m the one who said, “No Excuses”), so now I have to catch up, but let’s hear it for our first finisher, Melanie Ali!!!
Taking time to do, well, anything during the holiday season is challenging enough. We prioritize things, first based on basic need and then on what we perceive as most important. Melanie took the challenge head on and mastered that baby!
Other participants are still pushing forward. I have two more days to reach my 30, but I’m going to redo Level 3, so I really have 9 more sessions with Jillian and her “best girls”.
Don’t let the hustle and bustle of the holiday consume you. Don’t make Christmas a season to “get through”. Really enjoy it. You are in control of how you handle the holiday. Just like eating right, exercising, and finishing your homework on time, you have to make the decision on whether it is a Merry Christmas indeed or if you feel like it just passed you by you “finally get to rest now that it’s over.”
Merry, merry Christmas, my friends!
Ah, yes…it’s holiday time. It all started with us cursing the Halloween candy. Then, we moved on to the comfort food of Thanksgiving. Now, it’s the hustle and bustle of Christmastime, complete with parties, Chex Mix, cheese balls, and Christmas cookies (among many other things). Of course we are to indulge during this season of celebration. Why, though, do we wait until New Year’s to work it all off?
I propose that we stay consistent in at least our exercise efforts to offset the agony of shedding the holiday pounds starting January 1. Why have to work extra hard? I just read that we really only gain an average of 2 pounds during the holidays (the myth was an average of 5 pounds). Well, still…how discouraging to see the scale go up. In addition, our bodies are being asked to manage foods that we don’t typically eat (as well as more spirits, including fancy holiday drinks full of sugar).
I plan on indulging during the holiday season (I mean, why suffer or try to resist it???), but I am also making sure I get my 30 minutes a day. I might as well do my part so I don’t beat myself up in January. I know it’s an extremely busy time of year, but what better present can you give yourself than time to actually take care of yourself?
Don’t get so busy this holiday season that you forget to actually enjoy it. Don’t get so busy this holiday season that you actually forget why this season is so special. Be deliberate. I’m counting each of you in my blessings!
Check out this article regarding addictions you may not know you have. I found it very interesting. Maybe some of my addictions aren’t so uncommon afterall…
When is the right time for you to get the full benefit of exercise?
During my most recent “30-Day Shred Challenge”, I have embraced the “No Excuses” mantra and have completed 11 out of 30 days so far. The time of day I get my workout, however, is inconsistent.
Do you have a “best time of day” to work out?
One evening, I worked out around 7pm. I was tired from a full day, but it wasn’t yet bedtime. I thought the workout that day was tough.
The very next morning, a mere 12 hours later, I woke up (on my own, without the use of an alarm clock) feeling refreshed and went downstairs before anything else and worked out. I felt awesome that morning. Tons of energy and an overall easier workout session.
The observation got me thinking: what is my best time of day to complete a workout?
I’ve worked out mid-morning, after the children board the school bus. I’ve worked out mid-afternoon, just before the kids arrive back home from school. I’ve worked out after supper. I’ve worked out in the early morning.
I’ve observed that my peak time to work out immediately after I wake up from a good night’s rest. If it’s just a 30-minute workout, then I don’t need to eat before hand, nor do I need my coffee. I can resume my regular morning after the workout.
Of course, the norm is not that I can just sleep until I’m no longer tired and then go immediately to a workout session. I live in the real world! But, I still think it’s good to know what works best for your body.
Gobble, gobble, butt kicks!
I have a heaping pile for which to be thankful. My life is so full of abundance, I don’t even know where to begin!
I’m especially proud tonight of the participants in the 30-Day Shred Challenge. There are 17 members. Seventeen!
I am 1/6 of the way through the challenge. Halfway through Level 1. It’s getting easier.
Whatever you are doing to offset your normal holiday eating and workout habits, I applaud you.
We wouldn’t have to work so hard to get our bodies ready for bathing suit season if we stayed consistent all year long.
I like the feeling that I did something healthy for my body each day. Sure, I try to feed it well, but I ate Sonic for lunch and then cooked hot dogs and S’mores by the campfire for supper.
Holiday food is not always kind to our waist line, but accomplishing a short, albeit intense, workout during the holiday season makes me feel a little more – balanced.
Today, I want to thank my body for making it stronger than I thought it was. I am thankful for my mind that is more determined that I ever dreamed it was. I am also most thankful for a heart that loves myself enough to take proper care of my body (most of the time). My faith is strong and there is nothing like the season of Advent and Christmas to remind you of the magic of the miracle.
And if you must know: my Christmas tree is up and decorated before Thanksgiving. That’s right. I love that the kids are in bed and my husband turned it on to look at it. Look around you at your blessings everywhere. They are abundant.
Follow-up: Day 1 of Level 1 of the 30 Day Shred is complete. I will have no excuses. If you are up for the challenge, it is not too late. Reply with a request to be added to the Facebook page created for the 30-day challenge. So far, we are 12 strong. Impressive!
Joy Laurence was the first person in recent memory to say those words to me with conviction. Thank you, Joy.
Sometimes I forget words of wisdom and I return to the life of a fool.
I’m getting ready to run a half marathon this weekend. This is one of my biggest events of the year. Yes, I have a lot of big events.
I plan to soak in every moment of the half marathon weekend. For me, it is way more than just running 13.1 miles. Actually, it was the year before my first half marathon that I decided to make a healthy change…but it still revolved around the OBX Marathon weekend.
My brother (yes, the one that beat me in the 10 5k) ran the full marathon in 2008. That weekend, I decided that I was going to “exercise every day”. I’m sure that didn’t last and I made plenty of excuses. I don’t remember them at the moment. I did enjoy the delicious and beautiful cake my mom had made for me for my birthday…yes, I remember that!
You know the story of 2009: first half marathon. Goal was just to finish. Goal accomplished.
And in 2010: run the entire 13.1. Again, goal accomplished.
It’s 2011 now, and I have set a goal: finish in 2 hours. I think I can do it.
Let me get back to my foolish thoughts, though. I have become complacent in my eating and exercise habits. Yes, I know I’m outside all of the time running, but that’s training for this specific event. What lies ahead next week?
I’ll tell you what lies ahead: Jillian Michaels. I want her back in my life. It was during my first 30 days with Jillian that Joy spoke those wise words: NO EXCUSES. I will repeat them again (you know how I like my mantras). I will repeat them again and again for 30 days.
I know what you’re thinking, “That’s the holidays! I’ll be traveling. The kids will be out of school. I’ve Christmas shopping to do.” I could easily say all of this, too. I could include that I’m going to Walt Disney World in the middle of that 30 days. Thanksgiving always takes me out of town. I’ll have just finished a half marathon.
There are all sorts of reasons why I should just put this on my New Year’s Resolution list and wait until January 1 (or 2…). I’m not going to. I’m going to start on November 15. It is decided. It’s 20 minutes of my life. I can do this. You will hear no excuses from me!
Scott's #1, Scott's #1!
My son is NOT a good sport. He gets it honestly. I can also be a poor sport.
No, I won’t scream and cry and throw a fit, but I will sulk. I will find excuses (and say them to myself and maybe my closest friends). I will be dissatisfied.
So…remember that little 10k race to which my oldest brother challenged me? Well, he won. HE WON.
Charlie Brown's strategy to resist eating too much candy...
Halloween was on Monday. Halloween parties started on the Friday before Halloween. There’s a lot of candy in your house. Candy you don’t even like. I know I should have written this post a week ago, but I didn’t. By now, if you’re like me, you’ve smuggled several pieces of candy from your children’s stash into your own mouth and belly.
Let’s just put an end to this!
No rocks in my stash!
On Tuesday, as part of my plan to burn tons of calories so I could eat, eat, eat (and as part of my half marathon training plan…), I ran 14 miles. Now, I know that most people reading this blog are not going to just decide to go out and run 14 miles. I’ve written before about how much I love finishing long distances because you get more than a days worth of extra calories to eat! Yep, I exercise so I can eat more without gaining weight, essentially.
Of course, I exercise to stay healthy, but eating is my true love. I just love food. There, I said it.
No rocks in here, either!
So, here’s my plan (because I can’t use the excuse of “look how many calories I have left to eat today” any longer): Give the candy one more day and then get it out of my house. For me, this usually means sending it with Buck to work. Sure, the kids will be disappointed, but the novelty of the candy for them is already wearing off and Buck and I are the only ones eating it. Well, Libbie might be eating one here and there, too. Jake has yet to eat one single piece of Halloween candy.
So, bite the bullet and get the candy out of the house. If you decide to indulge, make sure you don’t over-indulge! I’ve got to make some room for Thanksgiving leftovers!!!
Charlie Brown's strategy to resist eating too much candy...
Halloween was on Monday. Halloween parties started on the Friday before Halloween. There’s a lot of candy in your house. Candy you don’t even like. I know I should have written this post a week ago, but I didn’t. By now, if you’re like me, you’ve smuggled several pieces of candy from your children’s stash into your own mouth and belly.
Let’s just put an end to this!
No rocks in my stash!
On Tuesday, as part of my plan to burn tons of calories so I could eat, eat, eat (and as part of my half marathon training plan…), I ran 14 miles. Now, I know that most people reading this blog are not going to just decide to go out and run 14 miles. I’ve written before about how much I love finishing long distances because you get more than a days worth of extra calories to eat! Yep, I exercise so I can eat more without gaining weight, essentially.
Of course, I exercise to stay healthy, but eating is my true love. I just love food. There, I said it.
No rocks in here, either!
So, here’s my plan (because I can’t use the excuse of “look how many calories I have left to eat today” any longer): Give the candy one more day and then get it out of my house. For me, this usually means sending it with Buck to work. Sure, the kids will be disappointed, but the novelty of the candy for them is already wearing off and Buck and I are the only ones eating it. Well, Libbie might be eating one here and there, too. Jake has yet to eat one single piece of Halloween candy.
So, bite the bullet and get the candy out of the house. If you decide to indulge, make sure you don’t over-indulge! I’ve got to make some room for Thanksgiving leftovers!!!
It happens. I’ve actually asked God to put up roadblocks to steer me away from situations that I should avoid. Well, the Big Brother 10k Challenge has been postponed due to weather. I think it was roadblocked for the best…as long as my brother can get off of work for the rescheduled date! Saturday will be cold and rainy. Personally, I think it’s pretty wimpy that they didn’t go through with the event. It’s not severe weather. Just chilly and rainy. I’m already disappointed in the race participation in this town. I mean, I know there are more runners that who show up for these races. Plus, I won’t be able to wear my Halloween costume.
Oh! But how sweet!!! It’s my birthday weekend. I WILL be wearing my birthday button. Now, too, I’ll be available to attend a holiday multi-vendor event for some Christmas shopping! See, sometimes roadblocks are good. I had a packed weekend this weekend and was fitting in the race because of my competitive streak. Next weekend will be more relaxed and I think a better race date for me…except that I wasn’t planning on a 10k race one week before my 1/2 marathon…..
Stay tuned!
I love Google. LOVE IT! If Google had been around when I was in school, it would have been referenced SO MUCH! I would have coasted so much more easily…I would just pull out my smart phone and Google EVERYTHING and then answer with confidence! You can be so smart behind a computer screen!
The arch of my foot hurts. It has hurt before, but this time it is different. It is just my right foot and it throbs. It actually keeps me up at night. It feels better when I wear my running shoes with good arch support, but have I mentioned how I only love my running shoes for actual running? Around the house, I love to be barefoot. I like my ballet flats when I’m out and about. I love the flip-flops in the summertime!
So, I want to know why my foot hurts and how to make it better. Naturally, I turn to Google for the answer. It led me to all kinds of WebMD-type sites. It’s all mumbo-jumbo to me. I need what I’m looking for!
Drastic or sudden increases in mileage, poor foot structure, and inappropriate running shoes can overload the plantar fascia, the connective tissue that runs from the heel to the base of the toes.From the August 2004 issue of Runner’s World
Well, of course my mileage has increased…I have a half marathon in 4 weeks! I have insanely high arches, too. I’m sure my running shoes are appropriate. One out of three…great. That is simply not good enough for this overachiever!
The stress of overuse, overpronation, or overused shoes can rip tiny tears in it, causing pain and inflammation, a.k.a. plantar fasciitis.
Well, that’s brilliant! I overuse and overpronate (although the shoes are supposed to help with that). So, I’m torn…literally. The run must go on. I will treat and rest, of course. So, I’ll slip on my shoes even when I’m just around the house. I’ll stretch in the morning and ice at night. This thing won’t beat me! At least I can still run!
How did I ever live without the internet? Yes, Runner’s World magazine was around when I was in school, but that would have been even more cumbersome to look up this minor issue than using an encyclopedia!
Try it; You'll like it!
I am trying my hardest to like squash. I still can’t stomach the aftertaste of yellow squash, but the butternut and acorn varieties are nice when paired with autumn-like spices (and maple syrup…).
Tonight, I took a gamble and made something new:
Butternut Squash Lasagna
Ooh, and guess what…my entire family LOVED it!
This is huge for three reasons:
Plinky asks: What’s worse, extremely cold weather or extremely hot weather? Well, shoot, you can just keep up with your Facebook feed to get in on that debate! I’d like to write today about running weather.
Well, this is running season!
These are my ideal running conditions: Fifty-five degrees and overcast skies.
Under these conditions, I can:
I don’t like running wearing sunglasses or hats while running. I also don’t like the sun in my eyes. Overcast skies remedy that. When the temperatures creep into the 60s and above, it makes my breathing more labored and I can feel the heat and sweat. Not good.
I know people think I’m crazy when it’s in the 50s outside and I’m wearing summer clothing. I see folks all of the time bundled in their sweat shirts and yoga pants. There I am, though, tank and shorts. Probably knee socks, too, but not for warmth, of course. Yes, knee socks are fashionable!
Running coach Jenny Hadfield says regarding cool weather running, “Dress for 15 to 20 Degrees Warmer: Over-dressing is easy to do in winter running. Dressing for 15 to 20 degrees warmer than it actually is will allow your body temperature to increase and reduce the risk of overheating and excessive sweat. You should feel chilled when you walk out the door. If you are toasty warm, remove a layer. Less is more.”
So, at my ideal 55 degrees, it’s like I’m running in 70-degree weather, which is perfect because I live in a golf course neighborhood and I once saw a sign that it’s always 70 degrees at the golf course!
PS: if it is warmer outside, like in the 60s or 70s, I welcome rain during my run. It cools me off. If it’s in the 80s+, I run on the treadmill; in the air conditioning.
He was in 5th grade when I was in kindergarten and would walk me to the bus stop!
When I think about my experience with sibling rivalry, my mind immediately comes to my brother, Eric, who is a year and a half older than me and was a year older than me in school. Our lives were more similar, thus, more “rivalry”. We didn’t necessarily compete, though, as I recall as a kid. Well, basically, I knew that my role was little sister. As long as I remembered that, we all did okay.
I have another brother. A lot of people who graduated high school with me didn’t know I had two brothers. It was always “Eric and Angie”. That’s because my other brother, Scott, graduated high school before Eric and I moved to the location of our alma mater. Scott is five years older than me.
In high school, Scott was a star runner on his track and cross-country teams. Now he’s got “bad knees”. He stopped running due to his knees and started other forms of fitness. Wouldn’t you know it??? That fool has challenged me to a DUEL! He loves running and has decided to pick it back up again, bad knees and all.
There is a race put on by Scott’s local YMCA on Halloween weekend. I merely suggested to the race coordinators that they should rename the race from “Autumn Classic” to something more “Halloween” in nature and encourage participants to dress up. I wasn’t going to sign up because I have some parties going on that weekend that I plan on attending.
Scott wants to race me in the 10k. I don’t care if he is over 40 and has bad knees…that boy is going to SMOKE me. I’m the endurance runner, but I’m not fast. He has endurance and speed. My blood pressure is rising just thinking about this. I’m tapping so hard on the keyboard right now! Worse than that…I’m a trained “little sister”. If I were to miraculously beat him in this race, I fear I’ll be riddled with guilt (after I do my victory dance!!!).
I’m telling you, I was just out in the rain running with a bug flying in my mouth thinking about this. I was daydreaming about race day. About me winning. About my kids cheering and doing the victory dance with me. About shaking Scott’s hand and saying, “Good game”. I felt like it just wouldn’t be right if I won. Well, we’ll see.
Neither of us have even signed up for the race yet. I think this will happen and I think he will beat me (he’s not going to let his little sister win, I assure you…he might be even more competitive than me…I let my kids win…he never does!).
Oh no…I just thought about it…no, he wouldn’t…would he scope out a short cut? Would he get his other police officer friends who are working the race to create sabotage? Well, now my imagination is running wild!
Whew! Sibling rivalry!!!
Photo: Con Poulos/Woman’s DayNote: I altered this recipe. My changes will be in parentheses.
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Store bought cheese ravioli gets dressed up for fall with a savory mix of butternut squash, garlic, and fresh thyme, plus a generous dusting of salty Parmesan cheese.
Prep Tip: Instead of using ravioli, toss the squash mixture with any short pasta or serve with seared steak, lamb or pork chops.
Perhaps because I just immersed myself in breast cancer awareness, I’ve realized that there is a lot of support for eradicating breast cancer in America! Yay! Yes, there are many causes that also very important and are promoted throughout the year. I don’t want to limit myself to just breast cancer research, but it is going to be today’s focus.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. October, when the leaves start changing colors to red, yellow, orange, purple, and brown. October, when we decorate our homes with black and orange in the fun of Halloween. Pink is a spring color, yes, but I must say, pink looks good on you, October!
It’s also going to look good on me in November, but that’s another blog post for another day…
So, what can I say that you don’t already know about breast cancer? Probably nothing. There is an article, though, in Clean Eating magazine that I enjoyed reading. Are you one of those people who try to take a pill to eliminate any bad thing that comes your way? I am not, but I do tend to try to think of the easiest solution versus what might be best in the long run.
“In an age in which more than 200,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, it’s easy to see why researchers are constantly examining the role of supplements and diet in risk factors for the disease.” ~Sarah Tuff, Clean Eating Magazine, October 2011
Did you know that I can go an entire day (and sometimes days in a row) without eating a single fruit of vegetable? I just pop my multi-vitamin and consider it “taken care of”. I know, of course, that this is WRONG! I make my kids eat 3-5 servings of the fruits and veggies every day regardless of how much they complain about it, so why not extend the same courtesy to myself?!
“The bottom line? Maintain a balanced diet for overall good health with lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and little – if any – alcohol.” ~Sarah Tuff, Clean Eating Magazine, October 2011
Well, shucks. I mean, isn’t that how we’re supposed to live anyway? But the yeast rolls (“fat pills”, as the grocery store clerk calls them) are so good! A multi-vitamin is so easy! Chicken and Dumplings are delicious!!!!! Yes, all of this is true, but I apparently can’t make an exclusive diet out of them. I have to grow up.
Tonight, I’m making squash. I’m hopeful that it will be a delicious butternut squash ravioli recipe. I’ll let you know. If it’s a winner, I’ll post the recipe. If it’s a failure…well, I tried!
In case you’re wondering what else is celebrated in October, here is one list that I found:
Why do I love long runs? It’s simple – I can eat more!
Fresh off of the 3-Day high, I’m diving right in to 1/2 marathon training. Whoops…it’s 40 days away and I’m behind. I’ve certainly gotten the mileage in, but now I have to focus on the running if I still plan on improving my time from last year.
Today, I picked up training where I would have been if I had started without distractions from day one. Therefore, my assignment for today was to run 11 miles. It just so happens that from my mailbox to the end of the street is 1/2 mile, so I decided to run up and down the street. I stashed my water, gum, and GU in my mailbox and I even had a bathroom available (that wasn’t a porta potty!!!).
It was cooler today, which was perfect! It even rained a little. It took me 2 hours and I had to walk the last 2 miles of the route due to knee pain. I’ll build myself back up and be able to coast right through this half… Oh, and I burned 1,117 calories, so bring on the pasta!!!
The Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure is ultimately a fund-raiser. I begged all of you for money and you did not let me down! Here are the numbers for the 2011 Washington, DC event.
Sixty miles in three days is a lot of walking. At the same time, there was tons of support to get us through. Cheerleaders were all along the route yelling and screaming for you. People dressed up and handed out candy. Signs were posted in people’s yards. Some of the slogans were so funny! I’m going to post some of my favorites in today’s blog post. Enjoy!
Beautiful balloons at Opening Ceremonies. Lend a hand!
Give a cheer!
We got our pink on in Washington, DC!
For my mom, Hope Zincone
Other signs I saw said, "Blisters Don't Need Chemo" and "Complaining Causes Blisters".
All of the sweep vans were decorated and quite festive! I liked this one.
Nice reminder when we want to complain about walking in the rain.
This guy wore his pink wig and drove his Mini as part of the Hokies for Hooters team. He handed out candy, including CiCi's favorite, caramel.
This cutie handed out stickers at the Rescue Squad on Days 2 and 3.
This girl bought cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes and handed them out to her team. She then offered CiCi a cupcake...and then we all had a cupcake and her box was empty!
There were some crazy costumes in support of the walkers!
These cheerleaders were for the team 60 Miles or Bust, but they cheered for everyone. Other cheerleaders had the cutest chants!
This was drawn in chalk on someone's driveway.
Check out the sign on the right. We took candy from strangers!
I didn't even know this was a guy when I took my first picture of him! Great sports!
Gratitude was displayed all over the route.
I like being a life changer.
12 miles seemed so do-able after walking 48 already!
Read these buttons. I especially love the top button and the bottom button.
Yes, I cried when I saw this girl and her sign.
Oh glorious day!
You can see Angel front and center (wearing pink sunglasses) on the survivors stage.
Very emotional shoe salute to the survivors. I have chills just posting this one.
Pit stops are good! They provide cheerleaders, food, drinks, medical tents, and bathrooms! Okay, they are still porta-potties, but still! Each pit stop had plenty of porta-potties, hand sanitizing wipes, water, Gatorade, and snacks. Plenty of snacks! Peanut butter and jelly graham crackers, cheese sticks, pretzels, Cool Ranch Doritos, Cheese Nips, oranges, granola bars, etc. You did not go hungry during this walk!
Each pit stop had a theme and plenty of crew members playing the part. It truly was a celebration every 3 miles! Here are some pictures from various pit stops. We loved when local cheerleaders would come and make up the cutest chants using the breast cancer theme. We also loved all of the candy and stickers being handed out by the crew!
Porta-potties at every stop!
Pit stop at the rescue squad
Food Tent
Beverages Tent
Medical Tent
Pit Crew Member
Sep 27
This gallery contains 5 photos.
I cannot say enough about the 3-Day Crew! These folks woke up earlier than I did and went to bed later than I did. They served our food, stopped traffic so we could cross the street, and cheered us on all day. One crew member had the nerve to thank ME for walking. I thought, [...]
Day 1 began at 4am in a hotel room in Arlington, VA. It was a very cushy hotel room. It had zebra print pillows and everything. We set the alarm for 4am. Yes, this is the exact alarm below that I set for CiCi, Kris, and me. At 4am, I danced…and the others squinted and looked at me like I was a crazy fool!
Wearing ponchos in the rain at lunch on Day 1
After starting with promising weather, the bottom fell out. It rained throughout Day 1. Our feet were squishy. We wore stylish ponchos. Our hair was dripping wet. When we arrive at camp, it’s MUDDY.
The first thing you do is find your luggage and grab a 6×6 pink tent from the truck. I wasn’t sure if I would have a roommate or not, so I grabbed a tent and looked for my spot in the wet grass. I couldn’t find my spot and finally a girl came out of a tent and said we were roommates.
Poor girl…she had spread her stuff all over that tent thinking she was by herself! I would have done the same thing if I had gotten there first.
Hey, but SWEET, she had the tent all set up! Not so sweet was that she didn’t put up any tarps and the inside walls were wet. So…I slept on a wet pillow. No worries, I just put my dry sweatshirt on top of it. The next morning, my new favorite word was “hotel”.
I didn’t get a hotel room, though. Angel and John DID get a hotel room, so I inherited their tarped up tent and my former roommate and I could each spread out! By Day 2, the rain left and when we returned to camp (after 40 miles DONE), I put up some special decorations.
These decorations may not look like much to you, but it took me hours to assemble and it represents everyone who got me to this tent, to this walk! Maybe you donated. Maybe you simply set up a coin jar in your place of business. Perhaps you were on my team. Certainly if you were affected by breast cancer and I knew about it. I wanted to recognize you because without you, I would not have been there!
So, at camp, they fed you, entertained you, and massaged you! We had hot showers and sinks with mirrors. The only restrooms available were porta-potties. Period. That was fun when it was all muddy, too…because one long row of them were positioned on a baseball field, right at home plate.
Our 3 Angels BUSTing Cancer tents.
We really weren’t at camp for much time at all during the event, so this is all I am going to say about that. Oh, and since I didn’t set up the tent…I didn’t know how to take it down. Yes, that was quite fun! I barely knew how to zip up the thing! I think I’m more of an RV camper………
Okay, okay! You’ve heard me talking about the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure since I registered on March 29, 2011! Well, folks, Angels BUSTing Cancer SURVIVED it and CELEBRATED it!
First, our SURVIVOR, Angel Valentine. This girl is YOUNG and endured breast cancer (and conquered it)! Now, she tirelessly supports breast cancer causes, including walking 60 miles this weekend, with her awesome husband, John. Let me tell you something, this was not easy, but they held hands and pushed through. She had the best attitude! I mean, this girl has already fought the real fight of breast cancer, yet she walked in the POURING RAIN, slept in a tiny tent, drank instant coffee, and used porta-potties!
Beth and Chris Schneiderman embracing after 57 miles DONE! He walked the last 3 miles with us!
Since we’re talking about love stories, let’s move to Beth Schneiderman. Her sweet husband hopped on a plane from Chicago, IL to Washington, DC on Sunday just to cheer her on the third day and experience Closing Ceremonies. I heard that man gave a good hug, so I had to get one!!! Oh, the love was oozing out of these two and I was so proud of Beth who ROCKED those 60 miles (all while taking care of everyone else, too)!
CiCi high-fiving a cheerleader at the finish line!
Next up, CiCi Carroll. She was our sentimental one. I tried so hard to get a “crying” picture of her all weekend. She also vowed to chat it up during the walk and she eventually found someone with a mutual friend! CiCi walked 60 miles in 3 days and did so with dancing feet!
Michelle was chosen to carry a ceremony flag during opening ceremonies in memory of her mother.
Michelle Sweitzer. This girl was a trooper! I mean, she took 2 showers a day and admitted that she “cannot camp under these conditions”! She was the girl who posted most of our pictures during the walk and she even was told by a crew member to please put her phone away! She is very resourceful, mind you…she asked everyone from the Starbucks barista to the ambulance driver if she could use their outlet to recharge her phone. She even found an outdoor outlet at the fire station at one of the pit stops! Michelle, YOU just walked 60 miles, girl!
Kris after Day 1
Another fabulous walker…Kris Walker! Kris has wanted to complete a 3-Day walk for about 10 years and she finally got her chance. Kris is a 5th grade teacher and her sweet students made her tent decorations and were rooting hard for her! Kris, you walked 60 miles in 3 days…and then you trekked another 18 blocks to Union Station with your suitcase in tow!
Bank of America offered foot and back massages (and it was fabulous). CiCi, Kris, and I enjoyed a break after Day 2!
And me? Well, I did it. It wasn’t nearly as bad as you might think. Yes, my sleeping conditions were damp and it was muddy and I had to use a lot of porta-potties. We walked all day, but each morning, I knew that I could do it again. I could have done it again today. I miss my team already. Y’all, I walked 60 miles this weekend!!!
60 miles in 3 days...YES, we did that!
Stay tuned for more posts this week about camping, crew members, money raised, and other walking stories. Thank you all for your support and love. YOU got us through this!
60 miles in 3 days...YES, I can do that!
This is it! Tomorrow is the day I board an Amtrak train headed north to Washington, DC to embark upon a major adventure! I want to thank each and every one of you who have gotten me this far. I have raised $2862, walked roughly 120 miles, and now, have packed my bags! I’m ready and I’m excited. I cannot wait to experience this weekend to the absolute fullest and then return Monday to report it all back to you! Thank you!
What is the sandpaper in your life?
Do you enjoy everyday life? I subscribe to a free magazine entitled, “Enjoying Everyday Life”, published by Joyce Meyer Ministries.
In an article, entitled, “Don’t Ever Quit”, Joyce Meyer wrote this:
“God kept putting people in my path I didn’t want to deal with, but He placed them there because I needed them. They were the sandpaper I needed to rub off my rough edges.”
Oh, that’s good! Who or what is the sandpaper in your life? I’ve had a couple of squares of sandpaper rub off some rough edges along the way. The biggest one, though, obviously was weight management. I’ve learned so much through the weight loss process. Not only about health and nutrition, but about myself. Having been forced to lose 50 pounds just to be healthy really rubbed at some rough edges and have now made me a smoother (if not svelte) person!
I learned to care enough about myself to be healthy. I learned that we are all different, therefore I can’t compare myself to anyone else (or compete with anyone else). I learned that I can’t be lazy. I learned that excuses are just lies. I learned that I’m stronger than I thought I was. I learned that I was an emotional wreck and that needed to be dealt with just as importantly as melting the fat. I learned that nothing of importance comes easily. I learned that fighting for what I want and having to struggle to get there is much more rewarding than having it handed to me for free. I learned that I need God more than anything. I learned to trust and release control.
I learned so much that I can’t list it all here. I’m thankful for the sandpaper!
For your free subscription to Enjoying Everyday Life magazine, click here and complete the form.
I made the most delicious batch of pancakes today! I have made them before, but I feel like bragging about them today.
Ingredients:
Leaning tower of pancakes!
I cook mine on the griddle at medium-low heat. The sweet potato makes them so dense. The lemon juice makes them so fluffy. The flavor is delicious! I can’t wait for my kids to gobble them up for their first day of school tomorrow!
Tonight's Dinner
I am giving a new website a try. The school year is approaching and my last post outlined a busy month, indeed. So, in an effort to gain a few minutes of the day, I am turning to a website called “Skinny Crock Pot”. I love using the crock pot. So easy!
On the menu for tonight: Chicken and Dumplings. Oh, this ought to make my daughter super happy. At Cracker Barrel, she salivates when she orders Chicken and Dumplings and then she gobbles up the dumplings and is miraculously too full to eat any of the chicken…or the vegetables.
The best part about the recipe for tonight is that I don’t have to shop for it. I already have all of the ingredients and I can just get it all together and set the timer! Oh happy joy!
It is finally September and, for me, that means a month chock full of big milestones!
First up: Tomorrow – the first day of school. I’m ecstatic that my kids are so excited for school to start. I loved school and I want them to be as motivated as I was to learns my 3Rs!
Secondly, the moment I’ve been waiting for since, when, March???, is here. I’m telling you…I’ve got major butterflies! The 3-Day Walk for the Cure begins in 16 days!!!
In between that, my son turns 7 and I have a New Super Mario Bros. Wii super cool obstacle course party to finalize!
Shucks, I haven’t even completely restocked my fridge and pantry from after Hurricane Irene! I’ve been gone most of the summer (I was out-of-town for 36 days – I counted) and although it has been great, I’m feeling grossly disorganized!
Did I mention that I’m going out-of-town again this weekend???
I need to breathe! I need to focus! I need to breathe!!!!!
My elliptical trainer
I over-indulged tonight, so my 37 push ups (whoop whoop) weren’t sufficient in my mind. While my husband was cutting the grass and my kids were playing, I sneaked in 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer.
Let me tell you about my elliptical:
We got it on a great 2-for-one deal when we bought the treadmill. It’s only an 18-inch stride. It kicks my butt.
It usually just sits there collecting dust while I use the treadmill on hot, cold, rainy, or days I slept too late to run before my husband left for work. Wait, my kids usually use it while I’m on the treadmill, so not a total dust collector…
I haven’t actually used the machine in a very long time. We’ve had it for probably 4 years and I’ve logged less than an hour on it. It’s true. I remembered loving the elliptical at the gym when we had a membership. Maybe because this one has a shorter stride, it feels more like a stair-stepper to me. The first time I tried it, I made it for about 3 minutes before switching to my trusty treadmill. The furthest I had made it before today was 10 minutes and that was with tremendous effort. Today, it was a relatively easy (albeit sweaty) 30 minutes. Woo hoo!
The elliptical trainer is a great cross-training tool. It’s a total-body workout and easy on your joints. You will sweat and your heart rate will soar! If you need to change it up, why not give the elliptical a try?
Fish and Chips
I made my best “Fish ‘n Chips” to date! At least I think so! My husband didn’t ooh and aah, but he did clean his plate.
How did I do it?
I brushed flounder fillets with pesto and baked them until flaky.
I sliced potatoes and tossed them in olive oil, parsley, and a citrus seasoning blend. I also baked them.
(convection multi-rack setting with fish on the bottom and potatoes on the top; temperature set at 450 – but the convection always sets it at 25 degrees cooler; I turned the potatoes once).
In about 30 minutes, the meal was complete. I placed some diced cantaloupe on the plate and voila, ready to eat. It was REALLY good. I really wanted seconds. I restrained myself.
Note: I almost burned this entire dinner…but it made the chips extra yummy! I got distracted (surprise, surprise) and the pesto that had fallen in the dish turned black. I gasped, but the fish was perfect and the chips were nice and crispy and not burnt! Whew! Success!
Yesterday, I decided that my upper body has lost some form, so while I was babysitting my nephew, I did some push ups. I did 10, took a 10-second break, did another 10 with another break, and finally, struggled through one more set of 10 push ups.
So, I only completed 30 push ups and today I had difficulty raising my arms! It took 3 miles of running before my arms stopped hurting when I pumped them! Whew knew that this much damage could be done with 30 simple push ups?!
I found a site that featured a “Push Up Test”. According to the chart, within my age and gender category, my performance ranks me as “good”, which is one step below “excellent”. Hey, I’ll take it! So, to reach excellence in the push up department, according to this site, I must complete at least 37 push ups (without a break). It’s a new goal for my “off” days…starting tomorrow.
How many can you do in one setting without stopping?
My training plan called for 17 miles of walking today. That is A LONG WAY! I did not do it all at once, but I did get it done.
We are season pass holders at Busch Gardens, Europe. I’ve completed an 8-mile training walk there before with a friend. Today, I was “alone”.
To say “alone” is putting it mildly…THE PARK WAS PACKED! By the time I finished my chores this morning around the house, it was 1pm. By the time I navigated detours to avoid traffic on the way to Busch Gardens, it was 3pm. I then discovered that I would have to park in the satellite parking… I thought today would be a shoe-in because of the threat of rain (we’ll get to that in a minute) and the poor air quality from the wild fires in the Dismal Swamp.
Okay, get parked, wait in line for the tram, and get to the park. It’s 3:30pm. Time to get started…if only I could! I have to zig and zag through people. It was thick (it was only drizzling). Ah, finally…the DOWNPOUR I was waiting for! I did not have a poncho. I wore only my Spibelt for gear. I carried my water bottle. I also wore a visor so the rain did stay off of my face.
When the rains came, the people scattered (indoors). I had the sidewalks almost to myself for about an hour! Yes, I got wet, but you know what, I wasn’t sopping! My shoes weren’t squishing and you couldn’t ring water out of my clothes. My visor brim was dripping, though.
The main path through the park is roughly one mile. I just made loops. I strategically avoided Sesame Street (bahahaha) and was almost able to tune out conversations and screaming kids. In these situations, when I’m not with my kids, I begin to miss them when I see families together having fun.
I refilled my water bottle 3 times. I had to pee 6 times! At first, I had to go once a mile. Then, I guess I started sweating more. I kept hearing girls complain about how cold they were (rain and drop in temperature) and I felt fine… I bought and ate a large soft pretzel and a packet of GU. Wow, the energy after that! I also felt a hot spot on my foot and feared that a blister was forming, so I stopped at the First Aid Center and got a band-aid. That did the trick!
I made 12 laps around the park, and at least 12 times I heard the following expressions:
“I don’t think we’re going the right way.” or “Wait, is this the right way?”
“Oh! That’s the Mach Tower! It’s not open yet. Ah, man!” and “There’s no way I’m riding THAT!” (and then they proceed to take a picture of the attraction with their cell phone)
“What’s that? The Griffon? I’m not riding THAT!”
Other frequent sightings:
And my favorite country is decidedly France. I have always had an affection for the culture and after paying more attention, it’s the best at Busch Gardens, Europe!
I’m still up. I’m watching the Republican Presidential Debate because I think it’s time I grow up and know what’s going on come election time. Okay, so I’m Facebooking and Twittering (and now blogging) at the same time.
It is past my bedtime and I’m yawning. Guess what…I feel HUNGRY! My stomach just growled. I refuse to eat, of course. I’m drinking water so now I’ll be up and down throughout the night.
If I had gone to bed an hour ago like a good little girl, then I wouldn’t even feel tempted to eat a late night snack!
Esau sells his birthright for a pottage of lentil soup.
Esau gave up his birthright for a bowl of soup. (Genesis 25:27-34)
When I heard this scripture presented this way, it punched me in my gut. While I may not have given up anything wildly important in a moment of weakness, I sure have created some setbacks.
What are some things we do in moments of weakness that end up hurting us in the long-term (even if it seemed to help us in the short-term)? Some people might reference this as “taking the easy way out”.
Some things I have done that I usually end up regretting:
I follow someone named Snack Girl on Twitter. She posted an article today entitled, “Is Snacking Good for You?”
I’ve said before that I’ve found that simply eating 3 main meals a day works better for me because snacking just makes me hungrier and therefore I will overeat. Snack Girl made a good point, though, that I find to be true when I do decide to snack.
Your snack should be between 100-150 calories and consist of a mini-meal – for example not just an apple but an apple with peanut butter.
It’s true. When I reach for just an apple, I eat it and didn’t feel like I ate anything! If I slap some peanut butter on it, I find that it is much more satisfying and I don’t continue eating after it is all gone.
I think part of the phenomenon might be that you had to spend extra time in preparation for the “mini-meal”. Yes, I understand the grand convenience of having grab-and-go snacks available, but they usually leave me munching more!
Forget about it when I grab the snacks that come in a bag or wrapper. I’ll undoubtedly eat more and still be dissatisfied when the snack is finished. That is why I decided not to snack in the first place. If I just went ahead and ate dinner at 4pm instead of snacking first, I was more satisfied while eating less.
I’m not saying that I don’t snack. Believe me, I do. This summer has made me hungry and I’ve craved the junk variety of snack foods. Let’s all learn to snack smarter!
I stumbled upon (not officially through Stumble Upon, but whatever) a blogger who seems to be a lot like me. She introduced me to something new: Wordle.
You know those magnets that have a ton of words that you can arrange on your fridge? I love the idea of those, but all of those tiny parts are just not as clean and streamlined as I prefer. Plus, I’d end up finding dozens of tiny words all over my house because little hands would think they were cool to play with…
Well, I can use this cute little website and create my Wordle! I could have it printed out on a magnet if I wanted to! I can make different motivational ones for different areas of my house (yes, I post little “reminders” throughout the house). I can’t wait to play and have all kinds of fun with this little gadget!
Below is a Wordle of some common words I’ve used in my blog. Enjoy!
Click on the picture
You might actually only use 1/2 cup on a cone - but then you have to count the cone!
Of course, I do both of these things, and then I actually read the label and fall out on the floor!
Serving sizes are RIDICULOUS! Who really stops at 1/2 cup of ice cream (140 calories)? Who only eats 2 ounces of pasta (200 calories) at one time? One ounce of cheese is 90 calories and I guarantee that not many folks stop at just one little slice!
When you are going down the aisle at the grocery store, I bet you flip over the box and take a peek at the nutritional information. You might say, “Sweet, this spaghetti sauce is only 60 calories!”, when in reality, you’re going to use more than a measly half a cup in your 4 ounces of pasta!
Not all labels are misleading. Chobani Greek Yogurt allows you to eat the entire 6 oz. for the clearly reported 140 calories. I don’t have to get all excited because I can have yogurt for 70 calories, just to find out that it’s only for 1/2 a container and you know I’ll eat the entire thing!
It’s important to read both the serving size and the calories per serving size when deciding whether it’s a “good deal” if you are a calorie counter (as I am). I got suckered just today, in fact. I erroneously thought that a packet of flavored powder you add to water was 15 calories. Wrong! It’s 15 calories per serving, but there are 2 servings in the tube. The directions are to use the entire tube in one bottle of water!!! Why don’t they just say, then, that it’s 30 calories per packet?! I’m really not interested in drinking 30 calories anyway…I’m taking the unopened boxes back to the store!
So, don’t be fooled, friends. Look at the label. Be realistic. Measure it out so you are not surprised if your weight isn’t budging despite your lower calorie diet.
There’s a fun little article entitled, “The Absurdity of Recommended Serving Sizes”. You can read it here.
Be proactive. Get a chuckle over what the food labels consider a serving. Also keep in mind that the cleaner foods tend to be more realistic in their serving sizes. Why, you might wonder? My guess is because it’s not such a shocker to see what you are consuming in a reasonable serving versus some of the more caloric foods.
Hey, and while you’re taking a closer look at the calories and serving sizes, you might as well make sure you can pronounce all of the ingredients listed!
Happy Shopping!
“One trick is to sprinkle cinnamon in your coffee, as it boosts metabolism and gets things moving!” ~Coach Jenny Hadfield
Okay, this quote caught my attention, but in reality, the article entitled, “Run From Trouble” (Women’s Running magazine, July/August 2011) had good information. I hesitate to write about bodily functions because that’s just gross, but some people might want to know how to handle such situations!
Coach Jenny Hadfield answers questions about blisters, chafing, and preventing pit stops when logging in 10+ miles. I’ll summarize, but the actual article is not available on the magazine’s website at the time of this post.
Garfield is an expert in two areas: Lasagna and SLEEP!
I’ve gone back to my (fairly rigid) routine because I’ve been feeling sort of out of control lately.
Part of my routine is to get 8 hours of sleep. For me, that means lights out at 10pm and feet hit the floor at 6am.
After I hit my rock bottom, part of my solution was to get more sleep. When you hop on the maintenance train, some of the old habits fade in and out without much overall damage. I’ve slipped out of my sleep routine and I’ve been tired.
I went on vacation last week and I didn’t set a single alarm. Wait, I did set one alarm and then turned it off and completely ignored it. I came home on Saturday night, and after getting another great night’s sleep, I woke up revived and refreshed on Sunday morning. I had the most productive day on Sunday! Nothing motivates me more than productivity.
I decided on Sunday night that my rigid routine must be reenacted (at least during the week days when I have control). I failed almost immediately when I realized it was 10:20 pm before I turned out the lights. I promptly set my alarm for 6:20 am. Then, my husband wanted to talk about the nation’s budget for another 10 minutes, so this morning, I rationalized that sleeping until 6:30 am was okay.
The point is, I put my feet on the floor at 6:30 am and immediately made the bed (no temptation to get back in – especially if a little one decided to snuggle while I was in the bathroom). I walked to the kitchen, started my coffee, and ate my breakfast. [Curious what I eat every day? Friend request me on My Fitness Pal (username: Angzcal)]. I logged in my entire day’s planned menu (so I’ll stick to it) and got dressed in my exercise clothes. By 7 am, both children were still asleep, so I checked out a 30-minute exercise video On Demand.
Have you done this yet? If you have Cox Cable (other companies likely have the same feature), go to On Demand, then Free Zone. Select Health and Wellness, then Exercise TV. Bam, many choices for your quickie workout enjoyment. Choose whatever your mood dictates. I wanted simple aerobics this morning.
Wait! Aren’t I training for both a 60-mile walk and a half marathon?! Yes, I am, and Mondays are traditionally “rest days”, but I did not get my mileage in this weekend (there, I said it) and so I vowed to do something for 30 minutes each “off” day (even if it’s upper body because my legs need to rest).
Okay, back to my routine… My daughter woke up with 12 minutes to go in my video. She loves when I do workout videos “upstairs”. She joined me. She said afterwards that she felt good, but she was not sweaty. She makes me laugh.
I completed my entire workout before my son woke up at 8 am! God is so good! This boy routinely wakes up around 6 am and is promptly cranky! This brings me back around to the title of this post: Sleep!
My kids fall under the phenomenon of go-to-bed-early-and-sleep-longer. I realize not everyone falls into this category, but my kids do (especially my son). Sleep is important for a litany of reasons (equally for children and adults). How much sleep is right for you (because we’re all different) can be measured by how alert and well-rested you feel without the dependence on coffee.
Here are my top 6 reasons I try to get 8 hours of sleep (because 8 seems to be my magic number):
A British study found that drinking coffee improves memory in older people. (Tea doesn’t seem to have as strong an effect.) Coffee may also help control blood sugar and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes–which may help protect memory function.
(Source: Woman’s Day magazine, August 2011)
Yes, it was my way!
I’m a firm believer in individual differences. You just can’t “cookie cutter” people. Even if you share DNA with someone else, you are you. Yes, there are similarities among groups of people and of course I understand and believe in the normal curve, but sometimes you have to take the popular answer and tweak for your individual success.
Having said that…I am a rule follower. I know, I wish I could make up my mind, too. Hear me out. I search out plans and I start out following them to the letter. Then, I figure out what works about that plan and what doesn’t work. Once I figure out the modified plan that works for me, I follow that to the letter. I can be pretty rigid about it and I’ll tell you why: when I stray from the plan, I regress. It’s true. If I don’t document what I eat, I gain weight. If I skip a scheduled day of exercise, I’ll skip a week. Even worse: my brain plays tricks on me and I feel like I have to START ALL OVER when I’ve strayed.
Let’s take, for example, my recent family vacation. I did not document what I ate last week. I certainly snacked and ate other foods that I don’t normally eat. I also drank more adult beverages than I normally do during a typical week (seeing as I don’t drink on weeknights). My brain started seeing my tummy enlarge! I’d become surprised when I slip on my rings and they easily slide on and off. I also would do a double-take when I looked in the mirror and discovered that my face still looked thin. I saw “Fat Angie” in my head all week long!
I did step on the scale this morning after I returned home from vacation. The verdict: three pounds gained. I returned to my normal eating habits today and my clothes already feel roomier. I’m serious. Those three pounds will be gone by next week’s weigh in. I’m going to have to go back to my rules, though.
There are many varieties of very good health plans in existence. Remember that “nothing ventured, nothing gained”, so don’t go straight to the quick fix. It will likely result in a waste of time. Go for what makes the most sense to you and then make it your own. What are you waiting for?!
“It is said that you don’t know what you’ve got until its gone, but it is also true that you don’t know what you’ve been missing until it arrives.” (Source Unknown)
I want to write a little bit today about giving up bad habits and picking up good habits. When you want to extinguish one behavior, you must be ready to replace it with another behavior. In theory, you should be extinguishing a negative behavior and replacing it with a positive behavior.
For example, people who wish to quit smoking might chew gum when they feel the urge to smoke, thereby replacing the habit of reaching for a cigarette by reaching for a pack of gum and chewing it. The theory is, if you continue the new habit of reaching for and chewing the gum instead of smoking, then you will extinguish the habit of reaching for a cigarette and smoking.
You can have an addiction that has also become a habit. You might be addicted to caffeine, for example, and you’ll get a major headache without your morning java, but you’ve also created a habit of fixing that cup of coffee in the morning and drinking it.
So, back to my quote… I was a self-proclaimed diet soda addict, remember?! I gave up the soda and replaced it with daily coffee (instead of periodic coffee and solely soda otherwise) and iced-green tea. I was recently in a situation where I was really thirsty and I didn’t want to drink the tap water…I took a sip of a Diet Coke and I THOUGHT IT TASTED TERRIBLE! I couldn’t believe it! I thought I was going to rejoice in the party going on in my mouth when I took that sip, but it was awful! I thought it was going to be a “don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone” moment, but it wasn’t – at all! Good riddance!
What else I’ve learned is that I really didn’t know how delicious healthy foods can be! Clean Eating Magazine’s recipe for “Cleaner Scalloped Potatoes” taste a million times better than Betty Crocker’s version. I can’t even stomach the stuff from the box anymore. If it’s the only option on the table, I’ll skip it altogether! My body feels better now that I’ve branched out to eat more veggies (even if I have to hide them so I don’t taste the texture…). I’ve made better choices and my body can really tell the difference. So, I guess I didn’t know what I’d been missing until it arrived!
Are you taking the paved path or the desert road?
I listened to a guest sermon presented by Jon Acuff and he said to not see the desert road as a punishment from God, but rather as a gift. He said that God loves you too much to send you down the easy path. I thought about that. Yep, it makes perfect sense!
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a proponent of Tough Love. I’ve said over and over again that nothing worth having is easily obtained. My husband says repeatedly that you get what you pay for. It’s all related.
So, get this: I actually said one time, in front of my pastor, that God must want me to be fat because I cannot seem to lose any weight. He must have cracked up on the inside. About a year later, I was at my goal weight. It was definitely a desert road, though. It was a TOUGH year. Losing 50 pounds (or 10 pounds) does not come easily. It just doesn’t. You have to go through every emotion. You have to just look absurd to others because the lengths you are going through just don’t make any sense to them. You have to take it outside of yourself and just give it to God.
You see, I had to get fat. It was the only way, really. I could eat an entire pizza in high school and still be tiny. I remember how excited I was in the 10th grade when I was finally out of the “kids” section and could shop in Juniors. I remember again at age 20 when I saw “hips”. I felt so womanly! Fast forward a few years and I got fat, folks! What?! I did! I never had that challenge to deal with. It was shameful, for sure! I was ashamed, mostly, with myself for not caring enough about my health to take care of it! I was indulgent. How dare I?!
So, I had to travel down the desert road to make a real and significant difference. It was more than just losing weight. It was a full-blown transformation. If I had the easy diet pill to take to drop those pounds in a few short weeks, then I would not have gained anything. I would have missed the entire point. Don’t take the short cut. It’s not as short as you think!
“Walking up stairs burns nearly three times more calories than going down. ” (Source: The Cooper Institute, a preventive medicine nonprofit)
“So often we are told, just take the stairs. That is a false message of lethargy! If you want results, they ain’t coming’ for free!” ~Jillian Michaels, fitness trainer, as said during her “30 Day Shred” DVD.
These two quotes at first appear to be conflicting, but I don’t think so.
The Wright Memorial
When I read the first quote, I immediately thought about high school cross-country practice. The coach had us run up to the Wright Memorial, and then we could walk or jog down. Burn, baby burn!
Running stairs can be good exercise…and it’s a nice balance to run and then walk down.
However, if you delude yourself into thinking that the only exercise you have to do each day is park further away and take the stairs, you’ll also wonder why you aren’t losing any weight!
I see the parking further away and stair-climbing as bonuses to your already active exercise schedule.
What do you think?
*Based on your total calories consumed for today, you are eating too few calories. Not only is it difficult to receive adequate nutrition at these calorie levels, but you could also be putting your body into starvation mode. Starvation mode lowers your metabolism and makes weight loss more difficult. We suggest increasing your calorie consumption to 1,200 calories per day minimum.
The above is what My Fitness Pal said when I finished logging my calories today and the total was a mere 1,086. Listen, I know that all women should eat a minimum of 1,200 calories per day. Today, I wasn’t hungry enough apparently, and I ate what I ate. The notation is correct, though. I’m only sabotaging myself when I go below the limit.
Many physicians recommend 1,500 calories per day for those seeking weight loss. As a guide to minimum calorie intake, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that calorie levels never drop below 1,200 calories per day for women or 1,800 calories per day for men.
An alternative way of calculating a safe minimum calorie-intake level is by reference to your body weight or current body weight. Reducing calories by 15-20% below your daily calorie maintenance needs is a useful start. You may increase this depending on your weight loss goals.
So my question for you is this: Are you eating enough food?
Calm down and count to 30!
When I was a cheerleader, I rehearsed the routines in my head repeatedly before I had to go perform. I’d fall asleep rehearsing them mentally. It worked for me.
An article in the April 2011 edition of Woman’s Day magazine has an article entitled, “Think Yourself Thin”.
Hmmm…
The article reads:
When that bag of potato chips comes calling, close your eyes and visualize eating 30 of them–the crunch, the salt, the greasy texture. Chances are you won’t end up scarfing down nearly as many as usual. Carnegie Mellon researchers found that when people imagined (in detail) eating 30 M&M’s or cheese cubes, they were less likely to gorge on the real thing.
“Your brain gets used to a food stimulus after a number of bites,” says study author Carey Morewedge, PhD. ”Even if some of those bites are imaginary, taking a lot of them seems to reduce your desire to continue eating.”
This technique doesn’t only help you avoid junk food–you can also use it before meals to help you slow down, pay attention to when you’re feeling full and not overeat.
~Abigail L. Cuffey
Here’s the problem: I’m realistically not going to do this. I wish I had done it before I just scarfed down more than one serving of Birthday Cake ice cream. Sigh.
I’m willing to give it a shot effective today. I’m supposed to be taking things off of my plate, not adding to them! One more thing for me to have to remember. Hey, it might work!
This weekend, I logged in 19 miles at the high school track (12 miles on Saturday and 7 miles on Sunday). I walked a lap, then ran a lap. All in preparation for my 3-Day walk. Yes, I ran half of it because I was by myself and just walking it was going to take too long!
Some people might consider a high school track a very boring place to train for long distances. Well, I also enjoy interstate driving/riding, so maybe I don’t need the external scenery to stay interested. Besides, I happened to LOVE high school. Yes, I did! I have so many fond memories and it was really fun!
So, while pounding the asphalt running surface today, I lost myself in my high school memories while listening to a playlist I created including songs I liked to listen to in high school. It was awesome! I especially remembered home football games (likely because I was running around the football field). I remembered being completely spastic while cheering with my friends. I remembered thanking God for the girls on the squad that knew the difference between defense and offense (because I seriously didn’t have a clue what was going on…I was just chanting, jumping, and dancing with the marching band). I even remembered being tackled. That was fun.
So, why not change it up? Go somewhere nostalgic, customize your playlist for the situation, and let your memories be your scenery.
One of the songs on my playlist:
PS: I arrived at the track at 7am. Four different walkers/runners came and left while I was still there doing my thing. One man walked about a mile and the rest completed walk-run intervals for 1/2 mile. One mom, however, made me smile. She led her teenage children around the track twice and then – wait for it – SHE MADE THEM RUN THE BLEACHERS! Oh, my former track coach, Smiley Guiley, would have been so proud!
My husband likes to watch NASCAR racing. Ever since we began dating, it proved to be the ether that would nod me directly to dreamland! I’ve even fallen asleep at an actual live race!
Yes, I like the tailgating part. I even find watching the pit stops interesting. Watching the cars go around and around…well, it’s like when I watch football: I haven’t a clue.
I do like to listen to the TV commentators while I’m watching the race so I know what I’m seeing.
Back to dreamland… I’ve been logging in a lot of miles and I’m tired. My body is tired. Oh, and I got another blister…on my pinkie toe. I need new socks! Anyway, after I completed a 12-mile walk/run on Saturday, and then took my kids to the Children’s Museum, I was happy for bedtime to finally arrive.
Most athletes in training require rest for many reasons, but I rarely nap when I’m training. Yes, I take “rest days” meaning that I don’t exercise for a day, but I don’t actually sleep any longer than usual.
Last night, after the kids were in bed, my husband turned on the NASCAR race. I strategically requested that we “watch” this race in the bed. Within five minutes, I was snoozing! Ah, before kids, I remember lazy Sunday afternoons napping on the sofa while my husband watched the race. It always does the trick for me!
Sweet Dreams!
I currently use My Fitness Pal and want to provide a tutorial for the site to make it easier for my readers to use.
On the left of your home page, you’ll find a sidebar entitled, “Your Diet Tools”. I have absolutely no problem calling what you eat and how you eat a “diet”. Diets are not just for people who need to lose weight. A diet does not equate deprivation. In fact, the first definition of the word “diet” is food and drink regularly provided and consumed (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). We all eat. We all drink. We all diet.
Okay, back to the sidebar (after my own sidebar)… If you click on “Track Food”, you can type in any food and a plethora of options will be listed. You can even be specific. I’ve put in there a recipe I found in Clean Eating Magazine and it was there! Sweet! Once you click on foods to put in your log, the foods will be saved. The default is “Most Used”, but I prefer using the “Recent” tab because I tend to be a repetitive eater. Your list can become quite long. You can go in there and delete items from your list so that you can find what you are looking for more quickly.
I haven’t used the “My Foods” and “My Meals” tabs yet. I’ll work on that and get back to you. I have entered in recipes. What I like about entering in my recipes is that I can put in my own serving sizes. I know, for example, that when I make a chicken casserole, how much I’m realistically going to eat and I can adapt the overall portion size so that it’s customized for me.
That’s that for the Food Diary. Now, on to the Exercise Diary.
Log any actual exercise you do each day. Allow yourself to eat the adjusted calories. Just trust the experts on this one.
I don’t love the exercise database. It’s extensive enough, but, for example, “running” seems to be based more on if you were on a treadmill. I often have to find an exercise that is similar to what I did. Okay, so now that I just looked at it, you can click “My Exercises” and create your individual exercise. I should do that. What I do like is that they even have “cleaning” in the database. Ha! Okay, I don’t log if I cleaned and I don’t “eat” those calories burned while cleaning. Do what you have to do…
Do you have specific questions about the food or exercise diaries? Please respond and I’ll clarify. I tried to answer some questions today that people have asked, but I’m sure there are more questions.
Happy journaling!
Oh, did you know that you can use My Fitness Pal for weight maintenance and weight gain? Seriously, once you’ve reached your goal, you must still be very aware of your diet. You do not want to step on that scale and discover that you are 5, 10, 20 pounds heavier and have to start over! If you’re my “friend” on the site, you’ll chuckle because I am absent for weeks sometimes and then I’m diligent for at least a week. That meant that I tipped the scales in the wrong direction and needed to be reigned in. If I was just more consistent and logged in every day then I’d be more consistent and wouldn’t feel so frustrated!
I’ve reviewed My Fitness Pal before, but I just tweaked my settings and wanted to share some specifics with you in case you are using this website. I know that it can be overwhelming to follow all of the advice thrown at you when trying to “diet”, but just keep it simple and find what works for you. It is important to find a plan that you can actually follow with success because if it doesn’t seem doable for you, you will fail.
Even in my weight loss journey, I tweaked. I’m currently very happy with My Fitness Pal, so that is the one I am promoting today.
Step 1: Go to www.myfitnesspal.com and register for your free account.
Step 2: Weigh yourself around the same time each day, week, whatever. I like to weigh first-thing in the morning. Record that weight and then record your goal weight. Be realistic. If the number seems too high (read: unattainable), enter in your first 10% instead and work in increments.
Step 3: Time to figure out your normal daily activity level. According to their descriptions, I thought I was “inactive” (the horror). After collecting data on my pedometer, however, I changed mine to “active” because I can log in 4 miles per day just doing my daily activities. Also complete the workout information. Since I’m training for a 60-mile walk and will begin training for a half marathon alongside it, I have a lot of exercise activity worked in. This is good news for me because I can eat more! Even though you filled out this information on this page, you will still need to log your specific exercise. Bonus calories = happy eater! They work all of this out for you and just trust it.
Step 4: I already know what you’re going to put as your goal…we’re all going to put 2 pounds per week. That’s likely going to stick you with 1200 calories. If that doesn’t seem like enough calories for you, then enter in losing 1 pound per week and it will adjust.
Here is a phantom profile I created:
To help us update your personalized fitness goals, please update your profile by making any changes to the values below.
Congratulations! Your personalized diet and fitness profile is now complete. Based on your answers, here are your suggested nutrition and fitness goals.
| NUTRITIONAL GOALS | TARGET |
| Net Calories Consumed* / Day | 1,200 Calories / Day |
| Carbs / Day | 165 g |
| Fat / Day | 40 g |
| Protein / Day | 45 g |
*Net calories consumed = total calories consumed – exercise calories burned. So the more you exercise, the more you can eat!
| FITNESS GOALS | TARGET |
| Calories Burned / Week | 580 Calories / Week |
| Workouts / Weekends | 3 workouts |
| Minutes / Workout | 30 minutes |
If you follow this plan…
Your projected weigh loss is: 1.9 lbs/week
You should lose 9.3 lbs. by August 12
Step 5: Once you click on “Get Started Now”, you’ll see your home page. If you want to make any changes to your diet profile, from your home page, click on Settings (top right tab) and you’ll see your account settings.
Step 6: Check out the extensive food database. You can also enter in your recipes. Once you’ve built up your own personal database, it won’t take very long at all to make entries to your food diary.
I feel like this post is long enough, so my next post will be all about the food and exercise diaries. Now, go check out My Fitness Pal!
I might have had my coffee if I finished my workout at a diner!
It’s after dinner and I just realized that I didn’t drink any coffee this morning. It was innocent enough – I exercised first thing this morning, so I drank cold beverages. I meant to fix a cup just before I was ready to leave for an outing, but I got distracted.
I’m not ready to give up java for good, but I recognize this pattern:
I actually look forward to my coffee. It just tastes good! Yes, I also count on the caffeine benefit. I just love my Keurig.
There’s a drawback…I’m yawning now. I have to keep working tonight until my job for tomorrow morning is done. I will.
Of course, I took on a tedious job of tying little pieces of yarn around about 100 spokes, but whatever. I can’t make coffee now or I’ll pay when I’m finally ready to go to sleep tonight.
I like the fact that exercise gave me enough energy to function all day without coffee!
I boasted to many about how I never get blisters. Never.
I have good socks. I know how to tie my shoes just right. I have the right shoe for my foot. I have callused feet. I just don’t get blisters, people.
Until, I did. I got a whopper!
I walked a hard 11 (but it was really 12 because my Garmin told me so) miles on a gravel trail this weekend. I wore my good socks. I mean, I wore these same socks on my Busch Gardens walk and rode Roman Rapids and did not have any trouble! On mile 8 I could feel discomfort and I emptied out my shoes (again). I loosened them as well. My knee also started hurting, so I was walking rather awkwardly for the rest of the afternoon.
THE BLISTER FORMED ON THE ROUGHEST PART OF MY FOOT! I couldn’t tell at first because it didn’t look like a blister. My naiveté convinced me that if you have calluses, you can’t get blisters. I swore I read that somewhere. Nope. I’m wrong. I probably didn’t even read that correctly. I just wanted to believe it.
Oh, that’s a blog post all on it’s own…believing what you want to believe versus the truth, but I digress.
So, I followed the rules for blister care and I am healing. Thank goodness it’s summer so flip-flops are my main source of footwear, but I’ll have to sport some sneaks tomorrow for another training walk.
What are the rules for blister care? I’m glad you asked.
The direct result of a friction rub, blisters can be caused by pressure in the shoe or moisture from perspiration. Staying well hydrated is important for all aspects of an injury-free walk, and this includes blister prevention. Dehydration allows the skin to fold on itself and create a friction rub. Proper shoe and sock selection also are key to preventing blisters. Hot spots are places on your feet where you feel tenderness, pressure, heat or pain. If you feel a hot spot during a training walk, stop and change your socks. Increase protection over that area by applying moleskin, second skin or a bandage. Moleskin should not be removed until the end of the walk to prevent peeling off of the skin. Be sure there are no creases in the bandage, which could cause friction.If you develop a blister, try not to pop it. Blisters are nature’s way of creating a protective cushion and protect the skin from infection. Small blisters should be covered with a square of second skin and a BandAid® or a corn pad. Do not leave second skin on overnight as it will dry out and can irritate the skin.For large painful blisters, clean the blister with an alcohol pad and have a medical professional drain it with a sterile needle. Be sure to keep the open blister covered with antibiotic ointment to prevent infection. Benzoin liquid, New Skin® or “Tuf-Skin® spray are sometimes used to “toughen” the skin at problem areas. Do not wear toe rings on your long walks. The heat may swell your toes and feet, decreasing their blood circulation.
So, there you have it. It’s healing and I’ll try again tomorrow with precautions in place.
This lesson reminds me of a song:
You’re a grand old flag,
You’re a high-flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave.
You’re the emblem of
The land I love.
The home of the free and the brave.
Ev’ry heart beats true
‘neath the Red, White and Blue,
Where there’s never a boast or brag.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on the grand old flag.
You’re a grand old flag,
You’re a high flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave.
You’re the emblem of
The land I love.
The home of the free and the brave.
Ev’ry heart beats true
‘neath the Red, White and Blue,
Where there’s never a boast or brag.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on the grand old flag.
As you know, today is Independence Day! Yes, today we, as Americans, celebrate our freedom and the “birthday” of our country. Y’all know how much I like birthdays, so I celebrated all weekend long with fireworks, boating, grilling out, etc. Today, the kids will participate in a neighborhood parade and I’ll watch “famous” fireworks on television after they go to bed. This is a great holiday. One of my favorites. God Bless the USA!
I mean on the inside. Are you free? Do you feel like a prisoner or do you feel free to live a happy and healthy lifestyle?
Don’t feel defeated. There aren’t many worse feelings than that of defeat. I’m going to pull the old, “You never know until you try” cliché on you. It’s true. Just like my soda addiction. I didn’t think I would want to live without it, but now I’m free of “the fizzy goodness”.
There are so many areas in my life that I’ve broken the chains that were binding me. The world was holding me back, so I got to know God better and He freed me. That was a big one. The world’s demands can be so incarcerating! Break free!
My love of food and my disdain for exercise was keeping me fat, which filled me with shame. I broke free! I’m now healthy and active and happier than I’ve ever been!
It might seem daunting at first, but what is it that you really want? Are you really satisfied just passively existing each day or do you want to actually make each day count? I mean seriously count. Stop making excuses and break free.
Even worse, do you think you are free because you can “do whatever you want and nobody can stop you because you’re invincible”? That’s not freedom…that’s rebellion!
Freedom entails a genuine inner peace; not just a satisfaction. You’ll know when you’ve truly reached it and you’ll wonder why you were goofing around all this time. I am NOT a fan of wasted time, and you shouldn’t be either.
You can do this. You want to do this. If it’s broken, fix it and get on with living. Life is not meant to just be passed by…it’s also not a competition. It is meant to be lived. Live it.
You may remember that I gave up diet soda for Lent this year. I will do anything for God. When my friend asked me to give up soda, however, I found that her love for me was similar to the love God has for me, and I wanted to please her just as much.
What I now realize is that soda was so insignificant. It was so easy to give it up for good! I don’t even crave it. I no longer look longingly at a 2-liter bottle. My stomach actually turns a little.
Don’t misunderstand. I don’t judge soda drinkers. There’s still soda in my house. I just no longer prefer it and the amount of consumption in general has decreased dramatically. My husband has turned to coffee and he now drinks maybe one soda a day. That’s a huge change for him! Heck, it’s a huge change for me to no longer drink soda at all! HUGE! It literally feels like two magnets repelling the bottle and me.
Below is what Beth wrote. It’s good information. What I have yet to have researched is other drinks that are “naturally” sweetened. Does this have the same effect as the sweeteners (sugar or artificial) have in soda?
When you give up something, you must replace it with something else. Generally, this should be something healthier than what you’ve given up. I’m guilty of upping my iced green tea (slightly sweetened with Truvia) and Vitamin Water Zero (also uses Stevia). Are the Vitamin Waters causing the same battle zone with sweets as the soda was? I don’t know! Who’s going to research that for me??? In the meantime, here’s Beth:
Beth Arena and her beautiful family
I believe in synchronicities in life and I just have to respond to Angie’s blog post about potentially returning to diet soda. I made a New Year’s Resolution to only feed my body what is natural for it to consume. Excluding soda from my diet was part of this resolution. Friday, April 15th, marks my 4 month anniversary of no soda. You know I am an avid fan of REGULAR Dr. Pepper.
So I am just going to say it. Join me. I challenge you to give up soda for a year. One, I think you can. Two, I think deep down you know you really should and want to. And three, since I have BFF status, I know you will at least listen to my argument. I want to tell you what convinced me 4 months ago.
First let me just take the body’s point of view on soda…
There is nothing of nutritional value in it, but you already know that. Here’s how things like soda play out in your body. Whether it is real sugar or artificial sugar (as in diet soda), the consumption of sweetness causes your body to release insulin from your pancreas. Insulin causes your body to take up this extra sugar (real or artificial) into your cells so that your body isn’t left with too much in your bloodstream. When insulin is released into your body, it causes another hormone to be released whose function is to limit fat being used in the body as fuel. As a result we then retain fat in our cells and the body is forced to use carbohydrates as its fuel source. When we get depleted of carbohydrates in our body, that is when we feel tired and lethargic (or in a bad mood) especially toward the end of the day. So bottom line of all that, EVEN diet soda can cause you to retain fat. That is what happens when we consume too much sugar (real or artificial) despite the source.
Now here is what convinced me…and I think you are like me in this regard….I mean you aren’t trying to lose weight anymore…but now your commitment is to being healthy.
Our immune system is the body’s surveillance system. It is on watch 24/7. It is basically playing cops and robbers all day long. Our immune system is the police force. The thieves that our immune system cops are trying to catch are anything unnatural entering our body. This means anything from pollutants in the air, allergens, viruses, bacteria, and unnatural or artificial substances (of which soda is chocked full of).
Now here is the astounding fact-70-80% of immune system is in our gut. So this means what we consume as food and drink is the largest piece of information we literally feed it. Anything processed or unnatural or artificial is considered a foreigner, an invader. Our immune system then has to seek and destroy. And though we can’t see it or feel it happening, our wonderful body is protecting us from all the bad stuff we ingest. This is a REAL nuisance for our bodies. The bottom line to health and to feeling good is to put things in your body that it needs.
Here’s the reality of how we were made. Our bodies weren’t made to fight off artificial and processed food we put in it. Our immune system was made to be ready to fight when something really threatening attacks us—viruses, bacteria, cancer, etc.. We over tax our immune system with things like soda and processed food consumption constantly taking away its valuable resources to do its real job-to keep us healthy and performing optimally. And if our body is too busy having to fight off and expend energy to remove from our body everything that shouldn’t be there and has no value in keeping us alive, well, then it is no wonder maybe it will miss that virus that causes us to get a cold or God forbid a cancer cell or two or three that it should be destroying.
Now I am not saying soda or diet soda gives you cancer, but I do believe firmly that each and every one of our bodies is programmed with a certain amount of wear and tear and eventually it will crack when it can’t keep up getting rid of things that don’t belong or aren’t helpful to us. Sodas, excess sweets, processed foods take an unbelievable amount of energy to digest and get rid of in our body and yield little to no nutritional value in our body. And the point of health is to have a machine (our bodies) running optimally. Sodas are among the thieves that will never allow that to happen.
Now, as long as I have been a soda drinker, I have known all that stuff I went on about above. I mean, healthcare is my field. I chose to ignore that knowledge for a long time because for me, soda was very mental. I know I am not the only woman on this planet who thinks I am doing the full-time job of two or three people each and everyday. Soda for me was the extra little boost of energy I needed to make sure I could make it until midnight and get it all done and still plant my feet on the ground at 6 or 7am the next morning.
I stopped listening to my body when it said slow down. Instead, I would cure it with another swig of energizing soda.
But let me tell you something that I am NOW a firm believer in: If you don’t listen to your body eventually it will stop you…you’ll get sick…you’ll get overwhelmed…maybe depressed b/c you are now so overwhelmed….maybe an accident b/c you are spread too thin…getting my picture? Don’t let the need for more energy be the reason you drink it.
So don’t drink it! It is bad for your body. It is really doesn’t serve you mentally.
So will you do it? Will you join me? Heck you’re nearly 40 days in. What’s 324 more? You’ll make it a year and then quite possibly the rest of your life….I betcha….
There were several factors that led me to sign up for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. I’ve said before that I’m walking for those who can’t. I’m walking for the mamas who can’t. I have on my page a list of those in memory. I don’t want anyone else to lose a loved one to breast cancer.
When I initially signed up for the walk, though, it was for one person. I know, a lot of you might think that one person is my mom. You see, she was a lucky one. The research and hard work that the various cancer foundations have done paid off for her and she is living a breast cancer-free life. Hooray! Money put to excellent use!
Although my mom’s story is an important one to my heart, the top of my list is really for someone else.
It’s for Barbara.
You see, Barbara is my friend and she lost her mother to breast cancer. Nobody should lose their mama to breast cancer. She guest blogged for me before I had even heard of the 3-Day for the Cure and her story moved me to tears. I’m going to re-post it below in its original form.
Please read her story. Even if you’ve read it once, please read it again. If it moves you to walk 60 miles, then do it. If it moves you to help me walk 60 miles, then please click on the donate icon on the right sidebar of this blog. I’m $500 from being able to complete online check-in. I really want to make my goal. Search your heart and if you feel so moved, react! Thank you.
Angie asked me to guest blog about my motivations and my journey to getting fit and healthy.
It’s a long story with many miscellaneous factors involved. I wish it were as simple as “I was just tired of being fat” and while that’s part of what got me started there is so much more background information needed to really understand what got me to this “place”.
Background on the ups and downs of weight gains and losses
We’re going way back…to high school. I was pretty active. I was a cheerleader so most of the school year I was very active every single week day. Monday – Friday we either had practice or a game. Keeping in shape and thin was NEVER an issue. Add a teenager’s metabolism and I could kill a Mike’s Super Sub without a second thought.
On to college we go. I did gain the obligatory “freshman 15”…times 2. I ended my freshman year weighing around 163. I remember my mom being shocked I only weighed 20 pounds less than she did. I remember being quite shocked as well.
Cut to the end of my sophomore year and I was offered a job in Salter Path, NC waiting tables at a seafood restaurant for the summer. I was able to live with my grandparents and save all of the money I made…which was A LOT! If you ever need to drop some pounds go wait tables for a busy summer at the beach. The extra pounds fell off…by the end of the summer I was 127 and I stayed that way right up through graduation.
Then came the babies. I had my first son in 1998. The lowest I got after his birth was 149. Oh, what I’d give just to glimpse that number on the scale again. The second son came in 2002. The lowest after him was 169. I’m almost back THERE!
My Mother
My mother I guess around 1972
When I was 15 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was 37…the same age I am now. Can you imagine, 37 three kids ranging in age from 15 to 4 and being told you have breast cancer? I didn’t realize how hard that must have been for her until I had my own children and came to the realization that I’m the same age. I don’t feel old enough or mature enough to handle something like that, it must have been terrifying. If it was, she NEVER let on to us kids.
DisneyWorld when I was 8
My mother lived for 18 years fighting this disease off and on along the way whenever it decided to show up for an encore. In November 2003 the cancer was back…for good. There was no cure, just treatment to slow the progression.
She was doing great until early 2007. Then her health just went downhill at lightening speed. By May she had to stop working and was on oxygen 24 hours a day. She had to sleep in a recliner to be comfortable and was on morphine and various other pain medications to be comfortable. It was finally to the point that the treatment of chemo and radiation was doing more harm than good, so the treatment stopped. She lived long enough to see my brother get married in August of 2007. I saw her at Thanksgiving and 3 weeks later she died…9 days before Christmas. Talk about a tough Holiday.
August 2007 at my brother's wedding
Rock Bottom
Since I’ve had children I’ve been “on a diet”. Trying to watch what I eat but not really. I love to cook and I love food. I love to eat. Love it! When my mother died I weighed about 190. In the year after her death my father remarried and moved to California…another difficult “change”. By Christmas 2008 I was at 204. I fooled myself into thinking I looked good but the pictures don’t lie.
2009 was going to be the year for me. I had discovered Facebook and reconnected with some old friends. I was recruited into an elite group of 8 other AMAZING women to run a half marathon in November 2009. I was crazy. I trained. I ran when I could and walked when I couldn’t. I got back down to 192, finished that race and felt like Wonder Woman. Christmas 2009 I was at 185.
Angie and me at OBX Half Marathon 2009
2010 for sure was MY year. If I could go 13.1 miles I could do anything. In February 2010 I lost my job. That was rock bottom. I didn’t realize it until May or so, but I fell into a major depression (my husband noticed right away and had to convince me). Back up to 198. I knew why I was depressed. I was mad and sad about losing my job but mostly is was all of the time I had to myself. Time to think, time to grieve the death of my mother, time to mourn the “loss” of my father (3500 miles is long way). It all came down on me at once. When there is no “outside focus” like work to get your mind off of things and to push all of those emotions deep down where you don’t have to deal with them they come down on you at once and the weight is unbearable. I didn’t want people to know. I felt weak. I had never struggled with anything like this before. I knew WHY I was sad. There were no repressed memories or traumatic events. Just plain old grief.
I had to get out of my funk. I was weighed down with sadness and fear. There is not a day that goes by that I’m not absolutely terrified that one day I’ll go to the doctor and he’ll tell me I have breast cancer. NOT ONE DAY. Some days the fear consumes me. I have said countless times if insurance would pay for me to have my breasts removed as a preventive measure I’d do it without question (I don’t have a long enough family history…I’ve looked into it). If I was willing to do something that drastic couldn’t I at least take prevention measures I could control? Diet and Exercise. Now I was motivated.
The Change
I had already committed to running the 2010 OBX with the same girls and I had no excuses for not training or eating better so I dropped to 185 and stalled. Sweet Angie decided to do the 30 day Shred DVD so I committed to do it too. Around day 16 or so the changes started happening. I dropped 10 pounds. Now I was motivated.
My husband committed to run the half with me and we trained together all the way up to November.
Chris and Me after finishing the 2010 OBX Half Marathon
We completed the half and got through the holidays with zero exercise. I didn’t gain any weight but I got squishy again.
My husband decided in January he was DONE with being out of shape and out of breath so we bought P90X. I was terrified. We’ve been doing it for 7 weeks now and the changes are amazing. We’ve changed the way we eat and the way we live. No more weekends camped in front of the television for hours on end. We are active, healthy and happy. We’re still on our journey, but we’re on it together and we’re on it for the rest of our lives.
Everyone’s motivations are different and everyone’s rock bottom comes at a different time. But there it a rock bottom for everyone. Even the happiest people you know.
When you feel like you’re lying at the bottom of that deep hole remember you can’t keep digging and expect to get out. You have to climb out one step and a time and sometimes you’ll fall back down…GET UP.
Sometimes you can’t do it by yourself. Sometimes you need help and you have to be willing to accept it. You have to be willing to accept that it doesn’t mean you’re weak because you can’t do it on you own.
You have to surround yourself with amazing people who love you no matter what and who support you through your successes and failures. If you don’t have people like that in your life…get rid of them. NOW! They are of no value to you. And if they treat you poorly, you need to accept that you are of no value to them.
Angie and Me now. She's the type of person you need surrounding you. She is one of my rocks and she is my friend.
But most of all you have to believe that YOU are worth it. Your life is worth LIVING not just being. There is a difference between being alive and LIVING! When you realize the difference you can be AMAZING.
Pronunciation: /ˈlī-kə-ˌpēn/
Function: n
: a red pigment C 40 H 56 isomeric with carotene that occurs in many ripe fruits (as the tomato)
Recently, a suggestion was made to a friend to rub tomato slices on her face. I’m not making this up. She said that it felt so good on the skin and that tomatoes contain lycopene, which is also a helpful substance for our bodies.
I thought and thought and thought about that suggestion. My face has taken a toll since I got pregnant with my daughter five years ago. Every time I looked at a tomato, I thought about rubbing a slice on my face. I would then shudder at the thought and finish making the salad.
Yesterday, there were three grape tomatoes ready to be picked on our vines. I cut them up for Libbie and stared at the ends of the tomatoes that I was going to throw away.
I did it. I rubbed the ends on my face.
IT FELT SO GOOD!
My skin just absorbed the moisture of the tomato tip like a sponge. When I used up all three tips, I was disappointed that I didn’t have any more. I didn’t rinse off the tomato juice. Immediately, I felt my face. It felt as smooth as silk. I wasn’t wearing any make-up, yet my skin looked as smooth as if I was wearing foundation.
IT WAS AWESOME!
I don’t know if it had anything to do with the lycopene, but I can’t wait for more tomatoes to ripen so I can do it again!
There. I did something else “scared”. Oh, and please discard what you rubbed on your face. No one wants any part of your face in their salad or their sauce!
I have discovered a new love in the kitchen. It is my rice cooker. Sure, I already knew it could steam even brown rice to perfection. I also already knew that it could steam my vegetables to that tender crispness that I prefer. What I’ve just discovered is that I can do that all at the same time. It’s perfect!
Tonight, for example, I steamed some rice in the bottom while steaming green beans on top. This will go with some pan seared tuna. Yum to the yum yum yum. I popped the items to be steamed in the rice cooker and turned it on. By the time I helped my son with his homework and got the mail, it was done and perfectly cooked!
Try this awesome time saver yourself and rediscover the joy of an easy meal that goes beyond the casserole and/or pizza in the oven!
Do not let this be you...make a decision to make the most of each and every day!
I rented Slumdog Millionaire from Netflix on December 27. I finally got around to watching it last night. It’s been sitting in my drawer for over three months! I knew it was in there. Sure, I don’t watch a lot of television, let alone movies, but I had time between now and then to sneak that in. In fact, I thought about it several times and “just wasn’t in the mood” and let Buck (apparently, he’d rather be called by his own name in my posts versus the generic “my husband”…) pick some Matt Damon or Bruce Willis movie to watch…again…
The next movie in my queue is The Bucket List. My movie procrastination, along with thinking about the next movie in my queue reminded me of a guest blog written a few months ago (seriously, how is half of this year already gone?). Keenun Barley guest blogged about fence jumping. Today, in her own blog, The Single Wife, she again mentioned the topic of “making a decision”.
I had to make a decision that I was going to stop making excuses and exercise and eat right. I had to make a decision to write down everything that went in to my mouth no matter how time-consuming it was at first. I had to make a decision that my health was more important than passively snacking while at social events. I had to make a decision that my health was more important than the convenience of processed foods. I had to make a decision to become better.
What I discovered when I finally took the leap was that it IS better. The food tastes better. My body feels and looks better. My attitude is better. EVERYTHING is BETTER! It had to be a conscious decision, though. It didn’t just happened. I had to make it happen.
PS: It doesn’t mean it has to be all work and no play! In approximately ten minutes, I’ll be on my way with a friend to Busch Gardens to complete my eight-mile training walk. We’ll also take the time to ride a few rides, etc. I’ll march in place while standing in line and we’ll walk and walk and walk. See, staying healthy can be fun!
I tend used to be a worrywart. I hate the feeling of worry, yet it seemed to consume most of my mental state. What a waste of good brain function!
So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble. ~Matthew 6:34
I have spent a significant amount of time in my life either worrying about something or trying to figure out a way to free myself from the imprisonment of worry. Most of the battle has been inside my own head, of course. Otherwise, I’ve talked it out with anyone who will listen (oh, how much time has been spent on the telephone analyzing my latest worry with one friend after another); taken anti-anxiety medication; talked to professional counselors; and prayed without ceasing for God to “take away my anxiety”.
Finally, I learned that I can just give my worry to God. My pastor, Steve Hodges, just talked about that this past Sunday. During Children’s Time, he handed a brick to a young child and then allowed that child to give the heavy brick away to relieve the weight on his small arms. I was asking for God to take away my anxiety instead of just giving it to Him.
I’m very slowly reading, “Battlefield of the Mind” by Joyce Meyer. She wrote the following snippets that helped me put my heart (and mind) to rest:
“Let’s learn to use the time God has given to us for what He intended.” ~ “Don’t spend today worrying about tomorrow. You have enough things going on today; it needs all of your attention.” ~ “Worry is the mind racing around trying to find a solution to its situation. The proud man is full of himself, while the humble man is full of God. The proud man worries; the humble man waits.”
Worry, for me, is a distraction. It’s a time waster. If I put the energy I’ve put into worry over the years into positive actions to better my life and those around me, then it’s going to be a WOW moment! I choose to do that effective immediately. I trust God that much. Do you?
Honeysuckles!
I went out for one of those “quick runs” this morning…
My cell phone battery was almost dead, so no Pandora. I grabbed my iPod and old school headphones because I couldn’t find my cute little Frog ear buds. I popped in fruity gum because I couldn’t find my minty gum.
I was determined to make this a quick run!
I got through one song on my iPod before it went silent. I was only 1/2 mile in to a 3-mile run. I let the headphones hang around my neck and kept going.
Mmm! Honeysuckles! Ooh! Fog on the pond! Oops! Heavy feet scare away rabbits and cranes! Perfect! A train whistle in the distance!
So, the nature sights, sounds, and smells were nice after all.
I have to admit. I prefer to be plugged-in. I like the data on my Garmin (that was dead, too). I like music to distract me from the huffing and puffing. If I don’t have music, I like the chatter of a friend. I picked up the pace and completed my run.
Oh, I did wear my pedometer. So, the mileage is not perfect, which I already knew. I didn’t adjust it for running, either. It wasn’t that far off, though. I am quite pleased with the steps I’ve now recorded so far for the day. It’s 8:30 am and I’ve walked as much as I did all day on Sunday! YES!
Now, let me go charge all of my gadgets!
Jun 6
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My new Walk 4 Life Elite pedometer gives the following data: Number of steps taken Miles walked kcals used Current time Action time Remember when I posted my reaction to the documentary Super Size Me? It indicated that the average American takes approximately 5000 steps per day. I’ve also blogged about how I tend to [...]
♫I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For♫
I heard a snippet of a podcast this morning on the radio and I can’t find the exact place to reference it! I was listening to K-LOVE and although I found the actual podcast in its entirety, it was what the commentator, John Fuller, said afterwards that hit home with me.
God gave you the family that was meant for you. (paraphrased)
How many times have I wished parenting was easier? How many times, when I’m in a situation that I have to leave because my child is melting down, yet someone else’s child is perfectly content, have I wondered why my child can’t “deal”? I can go on and on.
God hand-picked my family just for me.
I listened to the podcast. Lysa TerKeurst was the main speaker. She wrote a book entitled, “Am I Messing Up My Kids?…and Other Questions Every Mom Asks” Isn’t that great?! She talks about a mom’s greatest fear and how to pray boldly for our kids.
I shared this message with my husband on the way to church. I loved his response:
“I think that can apply to everyone in their every day life. God gave you the family that was meant for you. God gave you the body that was meant for you. God gave you the stress that was meant for you. Because if you trust God, he’ll help you with all of the areas of your life.”
Then, I went to Sunday School. The lesson was on Joshua leading the people to the Promised Land. Someone inquired about “the Joshua tree“. It was awesome because I immediately started singing U2 in my head… Anyway, the author of the lesson was trying to make the point that God told Joshua to be courageous and trust fully in the Lord. Yes, Joshua was going to have to go to war and battle many, but this was God’s war and he would not let Joshua fail.
God’s only instructions at that time was to have courage and trust Him.
We then proceeded to the worship service. Do you know what the pastor’s homily was about? God will bring situations into your life to make you stronger when you get through if you will trust Him.
On the way home, my husband shared his interpretation of Pastor’s message: “God will set you up in life, but he will never leave you. It’s a set up, not a set back.”
So, the whole day was just tying all together like a pretty little bow!
What are you going through? For many reading this blog, it’s some type of weight loss or exercise motivation. Same concepts apply. Have courage. Trust. You are worthy!
Do you have one on your calendar? I do!
I know several of you reading my blog are either ready for your first half marathon (you know you’re thinking about it) or you are ready to improve upon your last half marathon! I’m going to help you get there!
IMPORTANT: I know I push Jeff Galloway, but it is for the HALF MARATHON training that it is most important to heed his advice!
Pay attention to his first two points:
1. I don’t recommend that first-time half marathon participants try for a time goal. Do the first one to finish, running/walking at a comfortable training pace.
2. To begin this program, you should have done a long run/walk within the past 2 weeks of at least 3 miles. If your long one is not this long, then gradually increase the weekend run/walk to this distance before starting this program.
Reminder: I completed my first half marathon after only 10 weeks of training. I was 50 lbs overweight and did not run at all. I didn’t even jog or shuffle. I did, however, walk – up to 4 miles – on a regular basis. If you are a walker, you can do this. If you are a jogger, you can do this. If you are a run-walker, you can do this. Bottom line: YOU CAN DO THIS!
Now, look at the calendar. If you are signed up for the OBX 1/2, for example, then you need to begin training on July 17.
I’ll still be training for the 3-Day on July 17…and September 17 for that matter! You’re right. I’m going to follow my 3-Day training through the 3-Day event…with a twist! I’m going to take the requirements of the 1/2 marathon training and run/jog that and then walk the rest.
For example, on day 1 of half marathon training, I will run for 3 out of the 9 miles for my training walk. I might warm up for a mile, run 3 miles, and then walk the last 5 miles.
If I feel like run-walking, then I could walk 1 mile, run 1/2 mile, walk a mile, run 1/2 mile, walk a mile, run 1/2 mile, walk a mile, run 1/2 mile, walk a mile, run 1/2 mile, walk a mile, and run 1/2 mile. Bam, 9 miles done with walking and running!
I just completed my calendar, so I know exactly how it will look. If you are crazy like me and walking a 3-Day in September and signed up for a half marathon in November, then write it all down on your calendar and make it work for you.
For the most part, you’ll always have to walk further than you have to run, so you can just run part of your training walk. There is one day where that is not the case, and tweak it the way you think is best. If you need help organizing your calendar, let me know and I’ll help you!
Well, shoot…I just noticed a plan on Galloway’s site that is for time goal runners. I’m going to ignore that. I’m going to train my best and let my legs do the rest.
I’ll be in better shape than I was last year and I’m certain I’ll be pleased with my end result.
As a matter of fact, I’ll still be on the high from the 3-Day walk and my fellow runners are the entire reason that makes this particular half marathon event just that: AN EVENT!
The OBX Half is by far my favorite fitness event to date…all because of my teammates!
It’s official. I’m all signed up for my 3rd Annual OBX 1/2 Marathon.
It will certainly be interesting training for this event. I will have just completed my 3-Day Walk less than 2 months prior to the half. Going from walking to running…yes, interesting.
Of course, I have a plan.
Y’all know how I like my training schedules and I’ll treat this no differently. At least I’ll have the distance covered.
I’ll have to train my brain to not get all caught up in beating last year’s time. I was so pleased with last year’s time! Under 2:15!!! Admittedly, I put this year’s estimated time finish as 2 hours. Yep, I did.
The time is drawing near to sign up for a fall half marathon so that you can start to train for it. I know it’s hot in the summer, but if you can muster the heat to train, the actual event will seem much “easier” and certainly be more enjoyable. Thank goodness for treadmills and moisture wicking outfits!
My next blog post will help give be the 1/2 Marathon version of my “Mark Your Calendar” series. Stay tuned!
Picture of my new pedometer
I once blogged about my pedometer (see post here). I thought all pedometers were created equal. I was WRONG.
My old pedometer fell in the toilet and stopped working. The battery still worked, but the mechanism to record steps taken stopped clicking.
I went for weeks without a pedometer and decided that it was time to find a new pedometer.
I researched pedometers and decided on a $25 little number from Ebay called Walk 4 Life Elite. You can buy it from other retailers, but this was the best price I could find for it online (especially because shipping was FREE).
I received my pedometer, read the instruction, measured my stride, and got to walking.
I never felt like my old pedometer did any justice to the mileage I must have covered based on number of steps. I know that this pedometer is also not completely accurate for that function, but I like the way it reads much better!
Yesterday, my daughter and I went to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. I wore my pedometer. In a normal day (without any extra exercise or activity), I average 11,000 steps per day. Yesterday, I logged in over 16,000 steps and it translated to 6.75 miles! I was supposed to complete an easy 3 miles for my 3-Day Training Walk, so I consider that mission accomplished!
Any extra motivator is key in your journey. I have stopped paying attention to what I’m eating and I can tell! Today, I’ve decided to make my menu for June, make sure I have plenty of “lunch box” food for when I’m on-the-go, and, perhaps most importantly, regain my relationship with My Fitness Pal! I’ve fallen off of the organization wagon and I need the structure in order to be successful…even if that success is merely maintenance and no longer weight loss.
Happy June!
Image via Wikipedia
It’s Memorial Day weekend. I’m at the beach with my family and it started raining. The movie ”Top Gun” is on TV. Awesome.
I come to the beach to SLOW DOWN. Ah, vacation!
I also had training walks to complete this weekend. Seven miles on Saturday; six miles on Sunday.
Did I mention that I signed up to be a training walk leader for the 3-day? One of my teammates signed up! There was an official form and everything!
I mentioned before that sometimes I cheat and run part of the way so I can get the walk finished and move on with my day. CiCi and I walked. We walked 7 miles through beautiful Manteo, NC on Saturday and made 4 1.5-mile loops around my beach house neighborhood on Sunday.
WE WALKED. We slowed down. We talked. We saw snakes. We saw ducklings. We saw an empty egg and then a snake slithering away…..
I often feel like I need to be speedy. I frequently feel like I’m in a hurry. This weekend has been relaxed. No time constraints. It’s been nice. Now, I’m going to put my feet up and finish watching “Top Gun”!
PS: Tomorrow is a rest day! Ah!
Healthy Snacks for Runners at Runner’s World.
Nice little list as a reference when you’re craving a snack. I thought I’d share! Click the link above!
Super Size Me?!
Wow. I just watched Super Size Me. I’ve watched other documentaries before and have felt quite terrorized by their message. I liked how Super Size Me started – trendy, almost. It certainly drew me in, especially with their soundtrack.
Have you watched Super Size Me? You can watch it via Netflix, which is what I did. You can also watch it here.
“Super Size Me” is one man’s journey into the world of weight gain, health problems and fast food. It’s an examination of the American way of life and how we are eating ourselves to death. Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock unravels the American obesity epidemic by interviewing experts nationwide and by subjecting himself to a ‘McDonald’s only’ diet for thirty days straight. His Sundance award-winning feature is as entertaining as it horrifying as it dives into corporate responsibility, nutritional education, school lunch programs and how we as a nation are eating ourselves to death.
I can’t get Mandisa out of my head. Every night, before falling asleep, her song, Stronger, is blaring in my head. I love that song!
Mandisa is another example of someone accomplishing great things after hitting a rock bottom!
“Often an artist’s strengths inspire their best work. But for acclaimed contemporary Christian singer Mandisa, it’s her very human flaws and frailties that gave birth to her stellar third album, What If We Were Real. The two-time GRAMMY ® nominee knows that nobody is perfect—and she wants her fans to realize that, too. Her new career-defining project, released on Sparrow Records, reminds us all that everyone struggles.”
Yes, everyone struggles. None of us are perfect. We all have our own struggles and our own ways of handling them.
Know this: You are not alone. Make the decision to get stronger. Move forward. I believe in you!
It’s like I panic…and then comes the sabotage. I’m ready to break this cycle! I just finished my training walk and on my “off” days, I will commit to something that will “tone” my muscles…push-ups, anyone?
Do you do this? I did this in college…exams were coming and all of a sudden I got really tired and slept through important “study time”.
End the cycle of sabotage!
What will you do TODAY that will provide you increase instead of defeat?
Catch some Zzz's to lose some lb's!
During my weight loss journey, I realized how important it is to get sufficient sleep to improve your health (including weight loss). Your body needs sleep!
During my “rock bottom” days, I made a commitment to sleep for 8 hours per night. I turned off the lights by 10pm and I was up at 6am. I was awake before the rest of the family and I felt great!
I also went through a 9p-5a sleep period (when I had a morning running date). I’ve fallen off of that wagon now and I can tell!
If you are tired, you are less active. If you are tired, you feel hungry. If you are tired, you might reach for that soda in desperation. For goodness sakes, you might fall into the trap of amping up on coffee in the morning, just to have to settle down with wine at night to go to sleep at a respectable time!
I know; we are busy and sleep is the one thing we push aside because we have so much to do!
If you are feeling run down, know this: your to-do list will still be there in the morning. You might just figure out a more efficient way to get it all done and you might decide to minimize your distractions from getting it all done; all the while getting the precious sleep that your body needs and YOU WANT!
For more information, read this article from Spark People.
Milk mustache, anyone?
I’ve used almond milk before, but today, I made my recovery smoothie using the beverage and it is so yummy!
Blend together and drink.
The almond gave it an extra delicious flavor that I wasn’t expecting.
Why did I make this as a recovery drink? I took my walk today for 3-Day training and my Achilles tendon is hurting, so I wanted to make sure I got recovery nutrients to avoid any extra injury. Chocolate milk is frequently suggested as a quick and easy recovery drink. I used almond milk instead and added strawberries. Absolutely delicious! I like mine more like a shake, so I added ice cubes. Give it a try…and get creative!
Just do your best and forget the rest!
For the second time in my life, I’ve been described as a perfectionist by a complete stranger. I thought about it all day today while I was working on the never-ending chores around my house.
I’ve never considered myself as a perfectionist! Of course, then I started to think that maybe that was because I never think it’s “perfect” enough…
Let’s see how Webster defines “perfectionism”.
”a disposition to regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable”
Well, there you go. I can compromise and I can quit before it’s “perfect”. Perfectionism is a form of anxiety, of which I have plenty! So, I tend to worry more about pleasing others, which may make me work a little harder to make it the best I can. I will tell you this, though: I am not perfect. I do set my bar high, but I don’t know when I’ve ever been perfect. I’m okay with that.
Ah, I just described myself…I do the best that I can…that is far from perfection, but it is the best I can do! I don’t obsess over whether or not it was perfect. I simply do my best and then let it go.
But…I was thinking about it today as I was cleaning the interior of my minivan…..it’s NOT perfect, but it really is the best I can do with the tools I had. Any better will have to be left to either my husband or a car detailer. I then thought about the training schedules that I have posted and follow. I feel my best when I follow them to the letter. I don’t beat myself up if I don’t follow it exactly, but I do feel more successful when I have followed them as written. Maybe these things make me somewhat of a perfectionist…but, again, I’d like to view it as doing my best in everything I do. I think you should, too!
PS: As I was searching for a picture to go with this blog post, I noticed the A+. Oh no. There it is. I do strive for the A+ always. I need to think about this descriptor a little longer….. I wonder if I’ll start trying to perfect my method of not being a potential perfectionist…
Here it is: The 10k! You’ve conquered the 5k. You’ve either completed an 8k or there are more opportunities to sign up for a 10k. I wrote a lot about my 10k experience in various posts about the Monument Avenue 10k, but I didn’t lay out the plan. For any distance race, I most highly recommend Jeff Galloway. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, his method is smart and conservative. You can’t run while injured, people. Obviously, if you are a seasoned runner, you might have other plans, but even when I’m running for a time goal, I use Jeff Galloway’s plan because IT WORKS.
My first 10k was more walk than run. My second 10k was more run than walk. My third 10k was all run. In all three scenarios, I used Jeff Galloway’s training schedule. You know how this works: this blog is called, “How Did You Do It?”, so I’m going to lay out how I did it!
| Week | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| 1 | walk or XT | run 20-25 min | walk or XT | run 20-25 min | walk or XT | off | 2 miles |
| 2 | walk or XT | run 20-25 min | walk or XT | run 20-25 min | walk or XT | off | 2 miles |
| 3 | walk or XT | run 25-30 min | walk or XT | run 25-30 min | walk or XT | off | 3 miles |
| 4 | walk or XT | run 25-30 min | walk or XT | run 25-30 min | walk or XT | off | 4 miles |
| 5 | walk or XT | run 30-35 min | walk or XT | run 30-35 min | walk or XT | off | 4 miles or 5K |
| 6 | walk or XT | run 30-35 min | walk or XT | run 30-35 min | walk or XT | off | 5 miles |
| 7 | walk or XT | run 30-45 min | walk or XT | run 30-45 min | walk or XT | off | 5 miles or 5K |
| 8 | walk or XT | run 30-45 min | walk or XT | run 30-45 min | walk or XT | off | 6 miles |
| 9 | walk or XT | run 30-45 min | walk or XT | run 30-45 min | walk or XT | off | 6 miles or 5K |
| 10 | walk or XT | run 30-45 min | walk or XT | run 30-45 min | walk or XT | off | 7 miles |
| 11 | walk or XT | run 30-45 min | walk or XT | run 30-45 min | walk or XT | off | 3.5 miles |
| 12 | walk or XT | run 30-45 min | walk or XT | run 30-45 min | walk or XT | off | 4 miles or 5K |
| 13 | walk or XT | run 30-45 min | walk or XT | run 30-45 min | walk or XT | off | 10K Race |
Let your light shine for you!
I like to change things up. After the Monument Avenue 10k, I took a break from running. I signed up for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk and have really enjoyed walking. Here’s the thing: once you start running, walking takes too long! I love it, though! This weekend, as part of my 24-week training schedule to prepare me to walk a cumulative of 60 miles within 3 days, I had to walk 5 miles on Saturday and 3 miles on Sunday.
I cheated.
I decided to walk-run the 5 miles on Saturday and walk the 3 miles on Sunday. It’s Mother’s Day weekend and we had a lot to do! Last Thursday, I had to walk 4 miles at a moderate pace. I chose to jog 3 miles and walk 1 mile as a cool-down. I’ll continue to modify my method of getting in mileage as the training moves forward. The training schedule is very conservative because some participants might currently be inactive or at least not as in shape as I am lucky enough to be.
The point is this: I like to follow plans to the letter. I figure someone smarter and more experienced than me came up with the plan and I need to take heed. Having said that, I’m willing to modify it just enough to meet my needs without compromising the total effect of the training regimen. Don’t be afraid to play with a plan, but do it for the betterment of your overall result. Don’t cheat yourself by doing less and don’t hurt yourself by doing more than you can handle. Individual differences are good when coupled with common sense!
This is re-posted from Joel Osteen Ministries.
” So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days”
(Ephesians 5:15-16, NLT).
Time is the most valuable commodity that we have in life. It’s more valuable than money. You can make more money, but you can’t make more time. When you woke up this morning, God gave you a present called “today.” And with that gift comes a responsibility. The Scripture tells us to redeem the time, to make the most of every opportunity. That simply means don’t let it go to waste. Don’t live this day unfocused, unhappy, negative or defeated. Make the most of every day. God has entrusted you with His life. He has breathed His very breath into you. He has put gifts and talents on the inside of you. You have seeds of greatness deposited in you. You’re a person of destiny, and you have an assignment and a purpose to fulfill!
I encourage you today to evaluate how you are spending your time. Refocus your life. Let go of any distractions. Shake off any self-pity, any discouragement, any disappointments of the past and run your race with purpose. Be careful how you live and redeem the time so that you can fulfill the destiny He has prepared for you.
Father in heaven, thank You for the gift of today. I dedicate this day to You. I dedicate my mind, will and emotions to You. Use me this day for Your purposes and keep me on the path You have for me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Don't just wait for a tow; DRIVE YOURSELF!
I heard yesterday that, “You can’t drive a parked car.” This is true on so many levels!
Joyce Meyer was the person who introduced this directive to me. I was listening to her podcast during my “4 miles moderate” walk for my 3-Day training. Joyce was talking about not waiting for the spirit to help you, but to DO SOMETHING to help yourself and the spirit will fill in as needed.
I’m going to share a version of the story that she said she tells at every single conference, all over the world.
Get Up and Clean Up!
In John 5 there’s a story about a man who I believe represents a lot of people who refuse to change.
During a Jewish feast in Jerusalem, Jesus visited the Bethesda pool where sick people gathered, hoping to get healed. One of the people waiting to get healed was a man who had been crippled for 38 years. When Jesus saw him, He asked if he wanted to be healed.
To me, the man’s answer tells us why he hadn’t been healed in 38 years. He said, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred.” Bottom line, the man had avoided responsibility.
His second problem was that he blamed others. The man said, “While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”
How did Jesus respond? Jesus didn’t feel sorry for him. Instead, Jesus said, rather sternly, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” In other words, stop being lazy and get on with your life.
For change to occur in your life, it’s not only important that you stop being a prisoner of your circumstances. You also have to choose to become a prisoner of hope. This means being a person who cannot get away from hope. If you’ll do this, you’ll receive double of anything that’s taken away from you. That’s a promise from God.
I say to apply this to any area of your life where you feel stuck. Don’t dig yourself into a deeper hole by doing nothing. Lift yourself up by doing something! Keep moving forward. One foot in front of the other. If you experience a set-back, pick yourself back up and keep moving forward. YOU have to want to not only be in the driver seat, but turn the key in the ignition and DRIVE!
It’s that time of year when there are a lot of school activities (and spring cleaning) that keep me away from my computer. I was reminded of something VERY IMPORTANT, though, today.
This morning, I woke up earlier than usual and still ran late. As I was running out of the door, I had my coffee in hand, yes, but I did not eat anything for breakfast, nor did I pack something to eat for breakfast on-the-run. So, at mid-morning, I was feeling weak…and there was a muffin/danish tray… Normally I can pass over these items because they don’t actually taste all that delicious to me. Today, I needed SOMETHING, so I chose one-quarter of a very large muffin. Guess what that did: increased my hunger pangs! So, I ate probably the best apple pie danish I’ve ever had (again, it was probably a quarter of an entire danish).
Then, I went home. I still felt as hungry as if I hadn’t eaten anything, so I dived in to leftover spaghetti. After that, I felt stuffed. I haven’t felt that full in a long time.
I used to not stop eating until I felt that way.
It now felt disgusting. Even at dinner time, I managed to get down a chicken breast cutlet, but that was all I wanted. I will say that I was surprised that I didn’t just continue the eating binge all day long. That could have easily happened.
So, tomorrow is a new day. My lesson is learned! I will eat a sensible breakfast tomorrow and then enjoy a special lunch with my little girl whose preschool is hosting a Mother’s Day luncheon – my favorite event of the preschool year!
Grazing does not keep me slim and trim!
I was struggling with the fact that I function best eating 3 hearty meals instead of the “recommended” 6 small meals per day. I just over-eat when I try to eat small meals and the 3 “regular” meals worked for me. I had decided to do it my own way (and I think you should do it the way that works best for you and your body), but I felt so relieved when I read this article in Runner’s World magazine this morning: The Golden Rules of Weight Loss.
Rule 5: Stop Grazing!
A few years back, “grazing” came into vogue in dieting circles. The idea was that instead of eating three meals a day, you’d eat six or so small meals. The rationale seemed reasonable: You’d never get too hungry, and then you wouldn’t eat too much at any one meal. but a study published in 2010 in the journal of Obesity found that people who eat low-calorie diets feel more satisfied and less hungry when they eat three times a day compared to six times a day, suggesting that mini meals aren’t beneficial for appetite control. People also tend to graze on unhealthy foods like crackers or cookies, says Bonci. ”Most people don’t graze on vegetable or chicken.” Eating constantly throughout the day increases salivary secretion, explains Bonci, and the production of digestive enzymes that stimulate the gut. ”The appetite switch is always on,” she says. ”You can’t really know if you’re hungry or full if you’re constantly exposed to food.” As Bonci puts it: “Cows graze. People shouldn’t.”
Download Gateway to 8k podcast for free!
5k’s not enough? 10k still scares you a little? How about a compromise with an 8k?
If you like the “Couch to 5k” program, then perhaps you’ll also dig the “Gateway to 8k” podcast. I know I said that I like to plug my training into my calendar, but some people like the podcast route. In fact, I enjoy following a podcast, but I also like the visual on my calendar.
Step 1: Sign up for a 8k event that interests you. Make sure you have 10 weeks to train for it.
Step 2: Download the Podrunner podcast for FREE using the hyperlink above.
Step 3: Ten weeks before race day, start with Week 1 on the podcast.
Step 4: Follow the plan to the letter until race day. You’ll be ready!
GATEWAY TO 8K — SERIES OUTLINE
| WEEK 1
42 minutes from 132 to 145 BPM (Beats per minute) BPM CHART: |
WEEK 6
62 minutes from 134 to 147 BPM BPM CHART: |
| WEEK 2
46 minutes from 132 to 145 BPM BPM CHART: |
WEEK 7
58 minutes from 135-148 BPM BPM CHART: |
| WEEK 3
50 minutes from 133 to 146 BPM BPM CHART: |
WEEK 8
58 minutes from 135 to 148 BPM BPM CHART: |
| WEEK 4
54 minutes from 133 to 146 BPM BPM CHART: |
WEEK 9
62 minutes from 136 to 149 BPM BPM CHART: |
| WEEK 5
58 minutes from 134 to 147 BPM BPM CHART: |
WEEK 10
60 minutes at 136 to 149 BPM BPM CHART: |
To find an 8k near you, check out these websites:
A cozy and casual dish
Shrimp and Chorizo Paella: This recipe takes time to actually cook, but the prep was easy and I had most of the ingredients already in my pantry and refrigerator. It was YUM!
The Athlete’s Palate: Rocco DiSpiritoA contributing chef and triathlete serves this carb-and-protein-packed meal at postrace dinners with friends.
By Rocco DiSpirito |
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Shrimp and Chorizo Paella
DiSpirito gives this Spanish dish a healthy makeover by using brown rice (high in complex carbs) and less chorizo, which lends rich flavor without too much fat. 2 ounces chorizo, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook until the fat begins to render (about two minutes). Add garlic and saute until fragrant (about one minute). Add saffron, rice, and broth. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes and juice. Cover pot, and continue to cook another 25 minutes. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Stir shrimp and peas into mixture, adding more broth if the rice appears dry. Cover, and continue to cook until shrimp are cooked through and rice is tender (about 10 or 15 minutes). Allow paella to rest for five minutes, covered. Fluff rice with a fork. Serves four. CALORIES PER SERVING: 341 Every spring, ROCCO DISPIRITO looks forward to the start of triathlon season. “I ramp up my training,” says the chef, who will race in three triathlons in the coming months. His packed weekly training schedule (running 30 miles, biking 150 miles, and swimming nearly daily) helped him lose 35 pounds and stay slim and fit for five years. For more, see his book, Now Eat This! Diet, and go to roccodispirito.com. |
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I know several people who were successful with the “Couch to 5k” program. I have never tried this, but I want to highlight it for you. There are apps for this that you can download onto your phone, but my favorite thing to do is to look at the plan and mark the exercises in my calendar so I know just what to do.
Step 1: sign up for a 5k event that interests you. Make sure you have 10 weeks to train for it.
Step 2: Ten weeks before race day, start with Week 1, day 1 on the chart below.
Step 3: Follow the plan to the letter until race day. You’ll be ready!
| Week | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 min walk 2 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | 5 min walk 2 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | 5 min walk 3 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | Relax! |
| 2 | 5 min walk 3 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | 5 min walk 4 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | 5 min walk 5 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | Relax! |
| 3 | 5 min walk 6 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | 4 min jog 5 min walk 4 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | 5 min walk 7 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | Relax! |
| 4 | 5 min walk 7 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | 5 min walk 8 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | 5 min walk 9 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | Relax! |
| 5 | 5 min walk 9 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | 6 min jog 5 min walk 6 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | 5 min walk 10 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | 5 min walk 11 min jog 5 min walk |
| 6 | 5 min walk 11 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | 13 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | 15 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | Relax! |
| 7 | 15 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | 8 min jog 5 min walk 8 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | 16 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | 17 min jog 5 min walk |
| 8 | 17 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | 18 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | 20 min jog 5 min walk |
Relax! | Relax! |
| 9 | 20 min jog | Relax! | 12 min jog 5 min walk 12 min jog |
Relax! | 24 min jog | Relax! | 25 min jog |
| 10 | 25 min jog | Relax! | 27 min jog | Relax! | 30 min jog | Relax! | Race Day! |
Y’all know that I’m a Jeff Galloway fan…so I’m not going to leave him out because I think his training schedules are smart and effective. The plan below is a 15-week plan, so you’ll need to sign up for a race that’s 15 weeks away instead of the 10 weeks outlined above in the Couch to 5k plan. Again, follow it to the letter and you’ll be forever thankful! It’s only a little chunk of time out of your life that will make a big difference!
| 5k Training Schedule | |||||||
| Week | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| 1 | walk or XT | run 10-15 min | walk or XT | run 10-15 min | walk or XT | off | 1 mile |
| 2 | walk or XT | run 15 min | walk or XT | run 15 min | walk or XT | off | 1 mile |
| 3 | walk or XT | run 15-20 min | walk or XT | run 15-20 min | walk or XT | off | 1.5 mile |
| 4 | walk or XT | run 15-20 min | walk or XT | run 15-20 min | walk or XT | off | 1.5 mile |
| 5 | walk or XT | run 20-25 min | walk or XT | run 20-25 min | walk or XT | off | 2 miles |
| 6 | walk or XT | run 20-25 min | walk or XT | run 20-25 min | walk or XT | off | 2 miles |
| 7 | walk or XT | run 25-30 min | walk or XT | run 25-30 min | walk or XT | off | 2.5 miles |
| 8 | walk or XT | run 25-30 min | walk or XT | run 25-30 min | walk or XT | off | 2.5 miles |
| 9 | walk or XT | run 30 min | walk or XT | run 30 min | walk or XT | off | 3 miles |
| 10 | walk or XT | run 30 min | walk or XT | run 30 min | walk or XT | off | 3 miles |
| 11 | walk or XT | run 30 min | walk or XT | run 30 min | walk or XT | off | 3.5 miles |
| 12 | walk or XT | run 30 min | walk or XT | run 30 min | walk or XT | off | 3.5 miles |
| 13 | walk or XT | run 30 min | walk or XT | run 30 min | walk or XT | off | 4 miles |
| 14 | walk or XT | run 30 min | walk or XT | run 30 min | walk or XT | off | 4 miles |
| 15 | walk or XT | run 30 min | walk or XT | run 30 min | walk or XT | off | 5K Race |
Races 10-15 weeks from today that might interest you:
Are you stuck? No motivation? Just not feeling it? Well, what are you waiting for: SIGN UP FOR SOMETHING!
Signing up for a race forces you to train. You want the experience to be enjoyable, right?
I’m currently training for my 60-mile walk. I downloaded the 24-week training schedule and put it on my calendar. I especially like to train with others. Yes, I admit, I love just listening to my music and staying at my own pace when I’m trying to achieve a time goal; but for the walk, I’ve enjoyed having conversation with others while I complete my mileage. I actually look forward to exercising when I’m meeting someone else!
It is optimal to sign up for something that is slightly beyond your current comfort zone if what you need is extra motivation.
Are you comfortably walking 2 miles? Sign up for a 5k walk (3.1 miles). Can you walk-run 3 miles? Sign up for an 8k (5 miles). Like to go to extremes? Go for that half marathon (13.1 miles). You don’t have to be a runner to sign up for a race. Most “races” allow walkers. The idea is to push your body just a little further than it is currently comfortable doing.
I am going to do a series this week of different training schedules for the novice “racer”. If you are a novice, then it is best to focus on mileage and not worry about speed. Give yourself plenty of time to train and complete at least the mileage of the race before the actual event.
I am not saying to over-schedule races. I am saying to get one thing on the calendar so that you have to plan out a training schedule on your calendar. First up, in the next post, will be training for a 5k. Again, I’m focusing on mileage, not speed. So…you can sign up as a walker, walk-jogger, run-walker, jogger, or runner.
While you wait for my next post, check out which races are being offered in your area by visiting Runner’s World’s Race Finder.
Beth Arena and her beautiful family
I believe in synchronicities in life and I just have to respond to Angie’s blog post about potentially returning to diet soda. I made a New Year’s Resolution to only feed my body what is natural for it to consume. Excluding soda from my diet was part of this resolution. Friday, April 15th, marks my 4 month anniversary of no soda. You know I am an avid fan of REGULAR Dr. Pepper.
So I am just going to say it. Join me. I challenge you to give up soda for a year. One, I think you can. Two, I think deep down you know you really should and want to. And three, since I have BFF status, I know you will at least listen to my argument. I want to tell you what convinced me 4 months ago.
First let me just take the body’s point of view on soda…
There is nothing of nutritional value in it, but you already know that. Here’s how things like soda play out in your body. Whether it is real sugar or artificial sugar (as in diet soda), the consumption of sweetness causes your body to release insulin from your pancreas. Insulin causes your body to take up this extra sugar (real or artificial) into your cells so that your body isn’t left with too much in your bloodstream. When insulin is released into your body, it causes another hormone to be released whose function is to limit fat being used in the body as fuel. As a result we then retain fat in our cells and the body is forced to use carbohydrates as its fuel source. When we get depleted of carbohydrates in our body, that is when we feel tired and lethargic (or in a bad mood) especially toward the end of the day. So bottom line of all that, EVEN diet soda can cause you to retain fat. That is what happens when we consume too much sugar (real or artificial) despite the source.
Now here is what convinced me…and I think you are like me in this regard….I mean you aren’t trying to lose weight anymore…but now your commitment is to being healthy.
Our immune system is the body’s surveillance system. It is on watch 24/7. It is basically playing cops and robbers all day long. Our immune system is the police force. The thieves that our immune system cops are trying to catch are anything unnatural entering our body. This means anything from pollutants in the air, allergens, viruses, bacteria, and unnatural or artificial substances (of which soda is chocked full of).
Now here is the astounding fact-70-80% of immune system is in our gut. So this means what we consume as food and drink is the largest piece of information we literally feed it. Anything processed or unnatural or artificial is considered a foreigner, an invader. Our immune system then has to seek and destroy. And though we can’t see it or feel it happening, our wonderful body is protecting us from all the bad stuff we ingest. This is a REAL nuisance for our bodies. The bottom line to health and to feeling good is to put things in your body that it needs.
Here’s the reality of how we were made. Our bodies weren’t made to fight off artificial and processed food we put in it. Our immune system was made to be ready to fight when something really threatening attacks us—viruses, bacteria, cancer, etc.. We over tax our immune system with things like soda and processed food consumption constantly taking away its valuable resources to do its real job-to keep us healthy and performing optimally. And if our body is too busy having to fight off and expend energy to remove from our body everything that shouldn’t be there and has no value in keeping us alive, well, then it is no wonder maybe it will miss that virus that causes us to get a cold or God forbid a cancer cell or two or three that it should be destroying.
Now I am not saying soda or diet soda gives you cancer, but I do believe firmly that each and every one of our bodies is programmed with a certain amount of wear and tear and eventually it will crack when it can’t keep up getting rid of things that don’t belong or aren’t helpful to us. Sodas, excess sweets, processed foods take an unbelievable amount of energy to digest and get rid of in our body and yield little to no nutritional value in our body. And the point of health is to have a machine (our bodies) running optimally. Sodas are among the thieves that will never allow that to happen.
Now, as long as I have been a soda drinker, I have known all that stuff I went on about above. I mean, healthcare is my field. I chose to ignore that knowledge for a long time because for me, soda was very mental. I know I am not the only woman on this planet who thinks I am doing the full-time job of two or three people each and everyday. Soda for me was the extra little boost of energy I needed to make sure I could make it until midnight and get it all done and still plant my feet on the ground at 6 or 7am the next morning.
I stopped listening to my body when it said slow down. Instead, I would cure it with another swig of energizing soda.
But let me tell you something that I am NOW a firm believer in: If you don’t listen to your body eventually it will stop you…you’ll get sick…you’ll get overwhelmed…maybe depressed b/c you are now so overwhelmed….maybe an accident b/c you are spread too thin…getting my picture? Don’t let the need for more energy be the reason you drink it.
So don’t drink it! It is bad for your body. It is really doesn’t serve you mentally.
So will you do it? Will you join me? Heck you’re nearly 40 days in. What’s 324 more? You’ll make it a year and then quite possibly the rest of your life….I betcha….
Vacation cross-training!
We’re on vacation this week for spring break. We came to our beach house on the beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina.
I’ve been working my fanny off since we got here!
I brought a trash bag full of dirty laundry from home to wash. I’ve run the dishwasher at least once a day since I’ve been here. I’ve steam mopped the kitchen already (I’ve been here 2 days). I walked 3 miles each day for The 3 Day training. I dropped my pedometer in the toilet. I even camped out in a tiny closet with my kids during a tornado warning in the “middle of the night”. AND my kids have woken me up every day at 6am.
Sleeping in the closet
After the kids went to bed tonight, my husband asked if I felt like I was on vacation… I did soak up some rays this afternoon on the deck while the kids fed the ducks. I’ve met some new neighbors at the playground. I’ve put in a lot of miles on the golf cart, all while my son steered and my daughter operated the gas pedal, so I just rode! We even had dinner guests and lounged on the sofa talking while the kids played.
Tomorrow is BEACH DAY. We’re going or bust. Then, my parents will be here from Tuesday through Friday with my niece and nephew, so the kids are super excited about that. My dad loves to walk, so training will stay on track. The kids will help us burn loads of calories just trying to keep up with them! I can’t promise how consistent I’ll be with blogging this week, but I’ll make up for it when life returns to normal.
Last week’s bible study had much discussion about the topic of temptation. The Lord’s Prayer instructs us to ask God to “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” The priest goes further to say, “Deliver us, Lord, from every evil and grant us peace in our day.” I’ve had to write myself a reminder note to “lead me not into temptation” and stick it in my kitchen.
I’m really working on my self-control, and I’ve come an unbelievably long way. I used to have zero self-control when it came to snacking, drinking, etc. If it was within reach (or view), it was in my hand and then my mouth!
Now, I just don’t want it anymore. I look at it, think about what I really want (or if I really want it), and then turn a blind eye. This is major progress for me and I couldn’t be more thrilled with my newfound freedom!
Later this week, Beth Arena will guest blog about another specific temptation you should avoid, but it really has a message for a more generally healthier you. Stay tuned! You’ll see the beautiful irony of the date I post it!
Holy Thursday - Official End of Lenten Season
I still think about having a diet soda every single day. It hasn’t gotten any easier. I have not, however, given in to the temptation. I thought about cheating maybe twice. On the mark of Holy Thursday, I am free to guzzle the fizzy goodness again…but do I want to? Never mind, the answer to that question is YES. Let’s try this: should I? I know what at least one person’s answer is. It’s true that the likelihood of diving right back in to my addiction of diet soda will resume if I take that first sip. Is it like an alcoholic celebrating a year of sobriety with a beer? I’m not sure!!!
When I do a simple Google search on “diet soda”, the second post on there says this: “Diet soda Linked to Heart Attack, Stroke Risk”. Great. So, I clicked on it and I then learn that the research study was “bad” and perhaps unreliable. Okay…
Another site says that, “Drinking a reasonable amount of diet soda a day, such as a can or two, isn’t likely to hurt you.”
I’ve made my decision. I will use diet soda, without guilt, on occasion. If I’m craving something sweet, but I’m not necessarily hungry, I won’t hesitate to reach for a diet soda. I will limit my intake to no more than two drinks per day, on average. That’s my compromise.
Did you miss my post about giving up diet soda for Lent? Read it here.
60 miles is a LONG WAY!
I started this blog because I lost 50 lbs in less than a year. Now, what to do? I don’t need to lose more weight, but I do want to continue to be inspiring.
I’ve decided that I can use my new body to raise money for various worthy organizations! Yes, I have completed two half marathons, but I didn’t do that to help anyone (except for helping my own self-esteem).
My first “new body challenge” is to complete The 3-Day walk to eliminate breast cancer. I’m going to walk 60 miles in 3 days. My obese body would not have been able to cover such mileage. My new, healthy body can and WILL.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to post about the 3-Day in every post from now until September, but I am excited that my transformation has transferred from my internal psyche to something bigger. Much bigger than little ol’ me!
I’ve always felt called to make a difference in people’s lives. I’m excited to know that the money I raise, as overwhelming as it may seem, is being put to GOOD and APPROPRIATE use.
A publication by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® organization (who created The 3-Day) outlines how your donation dollars count:
Your Dollars at Work: Since 1982, Susan G. Komen for the Cure® has invested more than $1.5 billion in breast cancer research and community programs and promises to invest another $1 billion by 2017.
Of every dollar spent, 84 cents goes toward mission (research, education, screening, treatment); the remaining 16 cents goes toward administrative and fundraising costs.
In fiscal year 2009, Komen made grants to more than 1,900 community organizations totaling more than $93 million. Those dollars funded grants allowing:
The local hospital in the small town where my husband grew up received one of these grants to offer FREE mammograms to women ages 40 and older who can’t afford one otherwise. Just like early intervention is essential for your children, early detection is important to save lives!
Click on over to my personal page for more information. Maybe there’s a 3-Day walk near where you live! Each and every organization that is doing GOOD is worthy and important. I think my mission will be to use my new healthy body to walk, etc. for various organizations in the future for all of those special people who can’t!
Caffeine!
Y’all know how I love my caffeine. Why, with 2 mega-cups of coffee (I really should photograph my mugs for you) each morning, I also enjoy a multi-vitamin with as much caffeine as a cup of coffee and I might throw in a GU pack for “dessert”, which also contains caffeine. I am a self-proclaimed ADDICT! I did give up the diet soda for Lent and I miss is terribly. I love the fizzy goodness as much as I love the caffeine buzz! I’ve written about said “caffeine buzz” and you can read that post here.
Well, woo to the hoo hoo hoo! Researchers at the University of Connecticut found that caffeine boosts stamina in cool and hot temps if you are exercising outdoors! Athletes who consumed six milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight were able to go farther (in both 53○F and 91○F temps) than athletes who took a placebo. That equates to about two strong cups of coffee for a 150-pound runner.
So, when folks asked me how I got such as fast (a PR for me anyway) time in my latest 10k, maybe the answer is what I originally said, “I kept going for the folks who had cancer and couldn’t run that day,” or “because my knee started hurting and I just wanted to get it over with,” or, maybe, just maybe because I had a mega cup of coffee and 3 GUs throughout the course of the morning leading up to and throughout the race. I’m just saying…
Pink Pedometer...fitting!
This week begins my 24-week training schedule for the 3-day walk for breast cancer. Last week, I pulled out my pedometer to get a baseline of how far I walk each day without the addition of exercise. I am now slightly obsessed with my pedometer!
I bought my pedometer years ago from Weight Watchers. You can buy one almost anywhere, though. I learned from Weight Watchers that you must reach 10,000 steps to achieve weight loss. I remember back then, I had to incorporate a 30 minute exercise routine in order to get that number. Now, I average 11,000 steps per day if I don’t exercise. Like Wubzy would say, “Wow wow wow!”.
The first step is to measure your stride. My stride is 18 inches. Next, clip the pedometer on your hip and walk! I put it on my bedside table to so I can remember to put it on first thing in the morning while I’m still in my pajamas. Did you know that by the time I have gotten both kids ready for school and sent them out the door, I’ve clocked in almost one whole mile?! It’s true! Imagine if I had a 2 story house and had to run up and down stairs all morning!!!
I think that by looking at what you already do during the day, you realize that maybe 3 miles, for example, isn’t as far as you thought. I’m “walking” 3 miles per day just doing my daily routine…and my legs don’t seem to hurt from that! I can’t wait to wear this pedometer during my training walks and see how the steps increase! I’m challenging myself to increase the number a little every day (or at least try to break some personal records). So far, the highest number I’ve seen is over 14,000, but that’s with a 2.5 mile walk-run added to my normal day.
To view my personal page for The 3 Day, please click here.
Carol Dinsmore and her first race ever!
Just recently, I had the awesome experience of completing a 10K! What I want you to know is that this was my very first race EVER and I was late getting started with the “training”.
I, like many of you, am a mom and stay very busy with caring for them. My entire family is active in our church and we all seem to love our hobbies, too. I had to “create” my training schedule around what my time allowed to somehow try to match up to the actual schedule. Instead of training for a day with a run, then resting a day, then cross training, then resting another day and then run again I had to do it 3 days in a row. So I started running on Tuesday morning, doing Zumba on Wednesday mornings and then running again on Thursday morning.
If my husband’s schedule allowed him to be here on Saturday mornings, then I’d get to run then too. Needless to say, usually by a Thursday run I was sore. My first time out I felt pretty strong, however my feet outdid my breathing and I only made it about 1.25 miles before I needed to walk. My second run out I made a conscious effort to slooooow down my pace and I ran 3 miles. This was a huge accomplishment for me because it was the farthest I had ever run.
I stayed at 3 miles for a bit before I was pushed by a friend of mine (Angie) to run 4.5. This was also what my schedule called for, so I needed to do it. Having a strong partner like her really drove me to push through it and we did! So, once again, another huge milestone for me because now, not only have I just run the farthest that I’ve ever run, BUT I’m also getting closer to the 6.2!
Well, the next morning I woke up and had more than just the typical soreness….I realized that something had been injured in my foot, below my ankle. This was really frustrating because I felt no symptoms of it during my run or even after. After talking to my trainer Nancy at Active Life Fitness Center she comforted me by letting me know it sounded muscular and just to rest it and ice it. I waited 4 days and decided to just try to do a 3-miler. I felt good starting off, and then, when I hit the 2 mile mark, the pain was back. I had to get home one way or another so I kept running.
At this point I was wondering if I should just throw in the towel.
That week, my daughter got very sick, so I was not able to do any sort of training. I was okay with this because my foot probably wasn’t going to allow it anyway.
So now it’s Saturday, I’m feeling all better and I’m ready to run but today according to the schedule is the 6-miler. The race was in 2 weeks and I had rested for nine days! I was dreading it – scared of it – mad at it, but flat-out determined to go as far as my foot would let me. I prayed constantly during this run and by the strength and grace God gave me, I made it! So now it’s ON! I know I’m healed, and I’m ready for this 10K!
It’s been interesting to me to experience the feeling of all the different emotions you have while running. The first mile is hard for me, I’m trying to get my feet and breathing in rhythm and then the 2nd mile usually feels pretty good and then I start to feel like I’m working a little but then the 3rd hits and it’s like my body just goes “okay so this is what we’re going to do” and we roll on.
When race day came, I was excited, nervous, determined, and anxious. You have to understand, I’m a very competitive person, so I’m ready to go just beat somebody at something, ha-ha….so we arrive and I really have no clue what to expect. The crowds didn’t seem so bad UNTIL I went to get lined up in my wave. That was a very weird feeling, but at the same time exhilarating. Amazingly enough God put a runner right in front of me with Philippians 4:13 on the back of her shirt. “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me”. I’m so ready at this point I have to constantly tell myself to calm down, it’s just a run and DON’T take off to fast!
Me and my youngest daughter
So I’m off and I got to see my husband and daughter at the start line and I almost began to cry because I had finally made it and off I went! It was so neat to see all the people out there cheering us on and getting settled into the run.
The first mile was great. Then, for some reason I was sure that they had not marked the 2 Mile mark because I felt like I never got to it. I finally saw 2 and I was like “my goodness what have I done”…..I was watching the runners go towards the finish line on the opposite side and was envious. But before I knew it we were turning around at the 3 mile mark and headed towards the finish line. In this direction the sun was in our face and I got hot so I had to take advantage of the watering spots.
I only allowed myself to walk for those few seconds while I hydrated and once I got inside of the last mile I walked for a short period of time just to collect myself because I knew I was going to push with the excitement of the finish line coming and I wanted to be sure I could finish strong.
And I’m happy to say I did just that.
Determined to finish strong!
Once I got to a point where I could see the finish line, I almost began to cry again. It was such an amazing accomplishment in my life and I was just so proud and I felt so good! I’ve never proclaimed to be a runner and never knew I could do this but I DID! I finished my first race ever in 66 minutes.
Whose stomach didn't drop on the King Cobra at King's Dominion back in the day?
Even the most positive people get in slumps. Life is a roller coaster and there are ups and downs. Life happens, people. How do you get out of your slump? There are several approaches, but today I want to focus on a little trick I like to use called Self Affirmations.
The first thing you need to do is change your thoughts. Even if you don’t believe them at first, if you will just keep repeating little affirmations to yourself, eventually, you’ll start living it. If you think negative thoughts, you will have a negative mood. Most of our thoughts are based on past experiences and we seldom realize that past outcomes do not have to equate future outcomes.
WRONG: I’ve tried to lose weight before…many times. It didn’t work then, so it’s probably not going to work now.
RIGHT: I deserve to be healthy and happy.
WRONG: I’ll never find a job.
RIGHT: I am a smart worker and people want to hire me.
WRONG: Life is just passing me by.
RIGHT: I choose my own happiness and my life is full.
I type some of these out that I need for my current situation and tape them to my mirror, car sun visor, and computer keyboard…my daughter frequently asks me what all of the little slips of paper are for and I tell her they are Mommy’s little reminders!
PS: After writing this, I read a post by Jon Acuff, whose blog I follow. He put “handling rejection” in a different perspective that I also respect, although I still think reciting self-affirmations is important to do when you’re stuck in a pit. You can read his blog post here.
Seriously, everyone could use a little PINK in their wardrobe!
It got my very first mammogram last week. The radiologic technologist told me that I no longer have “newbie boobies”. I feel like this was a right of passage for me!
I bet each one of you reading this blog right now has been affected by cancer in some way. My Papa died of lung cancer when I was in elementary school. My Grandma had cancer. Plenty of aunts and uncles have fought the disease. My own mother had a double mastectomy 2 years ago!
That’s what I’d like to focus on…my mother. You see, she’s been getting breast exams, mammograms, and biopsies for YEARS! Calcium deposits is what they’d always end up finding. Then, precancerous cells. She was diligent about her prevention strategies by getting exams done early and often. When they found cancer (something I think she always knew they’d find, she just didn’t know when), she nipped it…right then and there. I remember thinking, “Just chop them suckers off!!!”
Of course, I have no clue the emotional roller coaster someone with cancer goes through. I hope I never will! I don’t know what it feels like to get biopsies, sit and wait for results, or to have my own breasts removed and/or reconstructed!
But I do know this: I want to be part of the solution!
So, I’m supporting the Susan G. Komen foundation to complete their 3 day walk to raise money for breast cancer’s extinction! Walking 60 miles in 3 days is A LOT, people! I’m up for the challenge. I don’t want to just stand by and watch others make a difference…I WANT TO BE THAT DIFFERENCE!
I need help, of course! Sure, I can train and even get my own travel expenses together to CAMP OUT in Washington, DC in (potentially humid) September, but the foundation needs money and won’t let me walk unless I raise enough! More than that, I WANT to raise MORE THAN ENOUGH!
The machines are getting better; the awareness is getting better. Let’s END this thing! Let’s Save the Mamas and everyone else who is hurting because of cancer. Please look to the side of my blog and click on the picture and see what YOU can do! Thank you!
Same old "before and after" picture, but it's honest and real.
A dear friend reminded me that it was a year ago that I hit my rock bottom. Well, it was the day after the Monument Ave. 10k last year (so that would have been yesterday), but whatever…
I was very excited when I stepped on the scale for my official weigh-in last week. Maybe you noticed my ticker on the sidebar of my blog. Do you see what it says? Fifty-one pounds lost!
Now, I know that you also see that my “ultimate” goal is 135…I’ve already explained the reason for that is so I never see 140 again…at night; one week monthly; after a weekend binge…NEVER! I tend to fluctuate four pounds, so 135 seems safe.
But never mind that. The BIG news is that it’s been one year and I finally saw the scale tip below 140!!!!! When I “met” my goal prior to writing this blog, the low was really 140.5 and I called that a win, but I really wanted to see 140 even.
I’ve now seen 139.5 and I’m through. I’m through obsessing about weight! I finally feel free of that burden.
2010 was a year packed with emotions. 2011 has already promised to be a FANTASTIC year and I’m on such a wonderful high from the many blessings in my life. They are abundant!
What? You think this blog ends just because my weight obsession ends? No way! Stay tuned for many more blog posts about improving your life…that’s what I try to do every day…make it a better day than the one before! I set my bars high! YOU SHOULD, TOO!
I’m new to blogging and I don’t really know what I’m doing, but I enjoy it anyway… I’ve started to read tips on increasing readership and this one stuck out:
“It takes patience. Too many people abandon ship right before good things arrived. Don’t be one of those people.” ~Bryan Allain (www.blogrocket.com)
I can remember some distinct times that I have said to people in my life, “Your breakthrough is coming.” The response usually is, “I sure hope so!” Let me tell you this: when I told one girl that she WOULD find the man of her dreams and get married and have beautiful babies…SHE DID. When I told another two that their businesses WOULD take off and that they WOULD have enough to pay the bills…IT DID!
I’m telling YOU the same thing: DO NOT ABANDON SHIP RIGHT BEFORE GOOD THINGS ARRIVE. You WILL get your breakthrough. Have you plateaued? Keep pushing! Your breakthrough is coming. Are you thinking of NOTHING but food? Think otherwise! Your breakthrough is coming. Do you DREAD exercising? GET OUT THERE!!! Your breakthrough IS COMING!!!!!
Me before the race: sun is in my eyes!
Below are some Facebook posts regarding their run today during the Monument Avenue 10k. Some names were omitted and replaced with friend:
. Congrats to all the participants today!And the cheering squad:
Yep…… #6…..thanks Flip for the encouragement♥
After the race with my friend, Kris!
My journey begins on July 10th, 2010 while on a weekend trip to the OBX. We were down with some great friends for a long weekend enjoying a relaxing day on the beach when I realized that I was overweight. I knew it all along but it wasn’t until THAT day when I knew I needed to make some changes. Something in my head told me that I needed to change my ways and become a healthier person for my family. (More later on what that “something in my head” was.) After spending some time in the water with my son, I returned to my chair, opened ANOTHER Miller Lite and told my beautiful wife that when we got home, I was going on a diet. Her reply was, “Yeah, OKAAAY.” That was all I needed. It was on.
The following Monday I started to watch what I was eating closely. No big changes in diet other than portion size; and I stopped having my usual beer to end the day. Through this alone I was able to shed close to 10 pounds before our week-long vacation to the OBX, which began on August 6th.
Something happened on August 5th, the day before we were supposed to leave, that has forever changed my life. One of my good friends had a massive stroke, on his 30th birthday. Read more about that here. Words cannot describe the plethora of emotions that were running through me at this point. Kevin and his family were supposed to be on vacation that same week in the OBX and we would meet up a few times that week, as we had done the two years before. The Jolly Roger for karaoke had become an annual trip. Not this year.
Kevin was healthy and this happened to him – why? I still do not understand, but what I do know is that God has a plan and that is enough for me. What I did know was that if it could happen to him, then it could certainly happen to me. I knew that I needed to do something more than what I was doing to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. On Friday, August 6th, I decided I would become a runner. Not just for me, but for my family, inspired by Kevin’s tragedy.
I went to the Runner’s World website and found a running plan for beginners (8 Week Runners World Plan). I started the plan on August 9th, 2010 and stuck to it through all 8 weeks. I promise you that if I can do that, ANYONE can do it. It was easy to stick to the plan the week of vacation because I did not have anything to interfere with the 30 minutes. However when I got home, I knew I would need to be held accountable to actually follow through with the plan. Luckily, I had a friend who decided he would run with me, even though he was and still is MUCH more experienced and faster. Thank you, Robert Collins. Since that time, I have competed in two 5ks and will make the Monument Ave my first 10k on April 2.
When I weighed myself on July 11th, 2010 it was 218.6. I have hovered around the 220 mark for years but did not think I was overweight. The BMI calculator said otherwise. I weighed myself this morning, March 24, 2011 and I am now at 172.
I used the same website that Angie did to calculate my calorie intake. I stuck to this strictly and still do for the most part. I eat a lot of the same foods I had before, just A LOT less of it! The one thing I did give up is alcohol. I will still have a glass of wine or an Ultra Light beer here and there, but I would rather spend my calories on great food. I cannot resist birthday cake! In the last few months I have been paying more attention to what goes in my mouth and not just how many calories are in it; more whole grain products and foods that are less processed.
Now about that voice telling me in July that I need to lose weight……It was not until I went to a Christian Leadership Conference in October that I realized who was talking to me. I shared my story with my pastors and they both agreed it was the Holy Spirit. They were exactly right and I should have realized it sooner! One of the speakers that weekend was Perry Noble. He also has a similar story on weight loss that can be read here. If you have the time, his daily posts are encouraging.
I could not have accomplished any of this without my faith and love of Jesus Christ and the love and support of my WONDERFUL wife, adorable son, and my friends who have encouraged me (and some who even get out and run with me). I thank God EVERYDAY for blessing me with such great friends and family.
I had to suffer the loss of great friend to make me aware that I needed to be a better father and husband, but I could only do that after I became a better me.
If you are struggling with weight, or any other matter, I hope my ramblings will inspire you.
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. ~1 Corinthians 6:19-20
This is a picture taken Easter Sunday, 2010. I was somewhere around 220 pounds.
This is a shot of Marianne and I at our Sunday School’s “Tacky Christmas Sweater Party”. 45 pounds less of me!
Note from Angie: Thank you so much, Chris, for being my first male guest blogger! Chris wrote this post on Sunday, March 27, but I saved it for today, “Friend Friday”.
If you haven’t decided which carb/protein dish you were going to have on Friday night, then maybe this is the one for you:
4 Servings; Prep 15 min; Cook 10 min
Credit: Rachael Ray Magazine, March 2011 issue
Tomorrow is the first day of the EXPO. I didn’t go last year…someone picked up my packet for me (thank you, Peggy).
Think about what you NEED, but remember that impulse buying is probably not a good idea at the EXPO.
For example…let’s say you’re at the EXPO and you see the cutest running skirt and you think it will be just perfect for Saturday’s race…if you can’t try it on, you might not want to buy it! Even worse…shoes! You do not want to run in brand new shoes on Saturday. You just don’t! You also do not have enough time to figure out a GPS watch between now and the race, so skip it. I bought a pair of sunglasses one year and ditched them almost immediately because they slid off when I would sweat.
I love this fanny pack!
Tastes like chocolate frosting!
What you might want at the EXPO is one of the fanny packs…very useful. You also might want to pick up a GU gel pack (yummo GU Chocolate Outrage). It’s only 6.2 miles, but I plan on using a GU gel after 4 miles in my race. That stuff is like magic. If you haven’t used one before, the salespeople will warn you that it could upset your tummy if you’ve never tried it before, but I took the risk and it didn’t bother me. I tried the Jelly Belly Sport Beans, but I don’t think they work nearly as well. You might be okay with just the Gatorade along the route.
So get your cute little bag, go ahead and pick up 4 safety pins, and look for freebies! Soak in the excitement of the EXPO and get revved up for Saturday!!!
I’m running speed today. I’m going to go full-out for 40 minutes and see what happens. I haven’t really done any speed work during my training and I’m not sure it’s going to help (and I hope it doesn’t hurt…) to do it now, but it’s what I want to do, so I’m going for it! I’ll rest tomorrow and do another speed run on Thursday and then be done. I’m as ready as I’m going to be. I feel certain I’ll meet my goals on Saturday and I’m just going to enjoy myself.
Do you have a goal? You should. It might be to finish. It might be to stick to your run-walk pattern. It might be to enjoy yourself. Maybe it’s a time goal. Maybe it’s to run the entire thing without stopping. Heck, maybe you want to just make it to the starting line on time! No matter your goal, set one and feel great about achieving it! Don’t forget to post your results/thoughts/feelings about your race on Facebook. I think I’ll take some of the emotions from my friends’ posts and incorporate them into a blog post for next week. Could be a fun read!
Bonus: Get your playlist ready! I like The Buff Broad’s “Monday Music Mayhem”. Each Monday, she posts a suggested playlist. Yesterday, she posted her playlist for an 11.5 miler she ran that very day! To read her post (and to get her playlist), click here.
I'm getting so excited! It's finally here!
This is it! This is the week! The Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k is THIS WEEKEND!!!
I’ve only run this race once, and I’ve already blogged about it (here and here), but I’m going to take this week to talk about some things you might be wondering if this is your first time!
I used the word "minivan" 3 times in this paragraph...
I went by myself last year. I left the house at 7:15 am to arrive downtown by 7:50 am. I parked about a mile east of the Monroe Park. I parked my minivan and guzzled some Gatorade. I put on my bib number (this year, my number is PB28156) and fastened my timer chip on my shoes. I put the “other” tag on the other shoe by mistake and didn’t realize it until a friend told me about it later… I was so nervous! I put everything I needed in my fanny pack and left everything else in my minivan.
I used the walk from the minivan to Monroe Park as a warm-up. Some people jogged, but I just walked at a brisk pace. I didn’t have any idea what I was doing! I didn’t even know where the starting line was!!! I got to Monroe Park and found some people I knew. I didn’t check any bags and all of my friends did, so I lost them and went on my way. I decided to go up the Cathedral steps because I saw others doing it and I could get a better view. I thought it was so cool that so many people went inside for the “blessing for runners” before starting their race. At this point, I still did not know where the starting line was. I was not aware that I had to go to Broad Street. This was the Monument Avenue 10k…what do you mean it starts on Broad Street?
All of a sudden, I realized that no one was going to announce to me that it was time to get in line. I followed a group of people who had the same letters on their bibs. I then realized I had to go to Broad…and I had to pee. This was not the redone VCU part of Broad and no one advertised public restrooms. Crap. No worries…I’ll just sweat it out… So, I got in line and got chatty with a lady next to me who was going to walk the whole thing. Okay, so I signed up as a run/walker in the same wave as a lady who was going to walk the whole thing. She probably beat me!
Once you get started, you just follow the crowd and you’ll get through. You’re going to love the bands. You’re going to love the little league cheerleaders. You’re going to love the college students who are drinking and playing beer pong in their front yards and paying absolutely no attention to you! You’re going to get to the finish and you are not going to receive a medal. Boo. I like medals. The tee-shirts and bags are pretty, though. I’m willing to pay more money to get a medal, but that’s just me.
So, this is Monday and the race is Saturday. It’s taper off time in case you haven’t already. You have run at least 6.2 miles in your training, right? If not, maybe get that in today so your legs won’t freeze up at the “last” furthest mileage you’ve completed. If you ran at least 6.2 within the last 2 weeks, then you’re golden. If you ran a long run yesterday (Sunday), then rest today. No need to beef it up at the last minute…no injuries!!! It’s going to be AWESOME!
Last week, I mentioned a website called My One Word. I now wonder this: maybe you want to pick a word. If you do, then click here to learn about the process of picking your one word.
There are all kinds of words! I’m going to steal some of these words and put my own twist to them for future The Sunday Word posts. I didn’t choose one word for the year, but, I do have a mantra, as I explained last week.
There are going to be a lot of words written about the upcoming Monument Avenue 10K. This week, I’m going to give some race motivation and last-minute jitter busters. Then, of course, after the race, you’ll get to hear all about the runner’s high of such an awesome event! Stay tuned!
Keenun interviewed me and here is the result.
via The Single Wife
For the Shrimp Stock:Directions:
recipe by: CUISINE AT HOME
When offered the opportunity to “guest blog”, I immediately felt honored and excited. Then, almost as quickly, I felt a wave of concern as to what type of narrative could I craft in order to enlighten and inspire as adeptly as Angie? Taking a moment to calm my mind, the theme emerged as if by Divine inspiration…Wise Friend…a testimony about lessons learned from a Wise Friend and on finding Real Love. So, here goes my feeble attempt to share some wisdom, encouragement, and gratitude in the same spirit as our Wise Friend, Angie.
Most of us carry around the present and cumulative effects of many wounds, so there is no one person who owns the market on personal hardships. Everyone has “baggage” so to speak. It’s what we do with that baggage that defines us. For me, it’s been an evolution that is still ongoing.
To be honest, I can’t deny that painful past experiences have left me feeling some insecurity, especially with regard to relationships. Upon reflection, I realized that my feelings of insecurity sometimes manifested as “getting” and “protecting” behaviors. In other words, my actions were based on ensuring I was getting something out of a relationship and/or insulating myself from getting hurt. Ultimately, there was a sense of distrust in myself and others which inhibited me from experiencing unconditional love, or Real Love. What helped me not fall into a total pit of despair was the realization that my circumstances were more of the norm, although more than most would care to admit. So many of us use “cover stories” to hide our true selves for fear of rejection. We experience a lingering emptiness and pain from a lack of Real Love. As a result, we find ourselves in transactional, Imitation Love relationships. This type of “love” is evident in relationships that fall apart when either you aren’t getting what you want or you aren’t giving others what they want. That is, when terms and conditions exist.
When confronted with Fear, our tendency is to either retreat or lash out. What I’ve learned is that if I stay mindful of these natural instincts, it helps me view people differently. For example, I have risen quickly in my professional endeavors and at times been perceived as threatening to some. This has caused certain people to the extremes of absolute avoidance or blatant bullying. At first, I was shaken and hurt by their reactions to me. I even felt victimized, which anyone who knows me well understands that this is not a persona I care to inhabit. Yet, once I changed my perceptual lens, I realized that their reactions weren’t about me at all but, rather, fear-based and related to their own insecurities. Perhaps, they used to be at the top of their game but were now living a more mundane existence. Or, they were full of potential they never acted on. Or, maybe they felt professional achievement was completely out of their grasp. In this epiphany I finally discerned that their problems were only impacting me because I allowed them to. I realized that I had been sucked into the vortex of irrational insecurities and, most unfortunately, prostituting my own dignity to obtain their approval all in the name of Fear. I had lost my azimuth. At first I retreated, but with time and the help of Wise Friends, my perceptions and reactions changed. Instead of responding in kind with my own fear-based reactions, I decided to look upon my aggressors with compassion. It didn’t necessarily change their hearts but it changed mine.
Self-awareness is the first component to change. I believe realizing unconditional love is possible if we consistently follow these steps: have a desire to change, exercise faith, tell the truth about ourselves, and avoid trying to manipulate others. Like the game show Millionaire, it also helps if we can “phone a friend” (a Wise Friend) for a little help. A Wise Friend is someone who feels sufficiently loved and, thereby, is capable of accepting and loving us when we share the truth about ourselves. As we experience Real Love consistently, we can all become loving enough to be wise friends for each other.
I’ve had the good fortune to have several people in my life who I consider to meet the Wise Friend profile, including our favorite blogger—Angie! I’m embarrassed to admit that I have not always been a Wise Friend in return. However, because Angie is a Wise Friend, she has extended me forgiveness and empathy, as well as continued friendship and love. Her Wise Friend example to me, as well as her initiative to share her story via this blog in order to help others, exemplifies the meaning of Real Love. I feel a profound sense of gratitude to her that I’ll never be able to fully express. In the spirit of honesty, I’ll admit that I’m a work in progress but my ultimate hope is to be an ever-reliable Wise Friend to all.
Angie, it’s my honor to know you, Wise Friend! Thank you for extending me this opportunity to speak my Truth.
Acknowledgements: To God, thank you for giving me Wise Friends Real Love, by Dr. Baer, is a great read on this topic if you wish to grow more in this most important area of life. I’m quite certain he was Divinely inspired, as well.
Guest Blogger, Sonia, and her husband, Marc
Image via Wikipedia
I made these last night and they were so good…and so easy! My house still smells delicious!
Ingredients:
Chicken Mixture:
Sauce:
Instructions:
ONE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees
TWO: Combine all chicken mixture ingredients in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove mixture for pan and set aside. [I actually tossed the chicken (after I browned it in the pan) along with the other ingredients in the stand mixer so that it all mixed, got warm by the chicken, and the chicken shredded while being mixed.]
THREE: Combine all sauce ingredients in same nonstick pan used for chicken. Set over medium heat and cook until warm, about 10 minutes.
FOUR: Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of an 8×11 inch casserole dish. Divide chicken mixture evenly among tortillas, fold left and right sides over to close and place, seam-side down, snuggly in casserole dish. Top enchiladas evenly with remaining sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bake on center rack for 20 minutes. To serve, sprinkle with cilantro or parsley, if desired.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 360, Total Fat: 7g, Sat. Fat: 2g, Carbs: 36 g, Fiber: 4.5 g, Sugars: 6g, Protein: 37g, Sodium: 561 mg, Cholesterol: 76 mg
Image by danceonair1986 via Flickr
I have a lot of friends who like to dance. I don’t think I have a lot of rhythm, so dancing is not my forte, but I fake it for the sake of the party. When someone wants to go out dancing, I actually get NERVOUS. Okay, so there’s no surprise there…I get nervous about a lot of things! But I do. I’m a “let’s hang out in at someone’s house with some quiet music playing and just talk and be silly” kind of girl.
BUT…I’ve made a decision. In my quest to “do it afraid”, I have decided to embrace my inner Ginger Rogers and live up the dance. In a few weeks (exactly nine, but who’s counting?), a beloved friend is moving away and I’m going to miss her dearly. She wants to go dancing. I’m going to dance and I’m going to enjoy it. Not fake enjoy it, but ENJOY IT! I’m working myself up to actually looking forward to it.
I’m so self-conscious when I dance, but no more. I’m going to loosen my hips, put my hands in the air, and wave ‘em like I just don’t care! I’m just going to feel the music and get DOWN! I’m doing this primarily for Beth (ha, I’m naming names!), but I’m also doing it as one more way to push myself into a new level of living!
Now, I need to find some YouTube dance videos with current music so I have some kind of idea of what to expect…..
I’m not sure if everyone reads the comments underneath my posts, and I’m sure you don’t if they were written after you read my post, so I wanted to share this with you because it changed my mantra.
My old mantra was “Stop – Pray – Love”, meaning, when I’m frustrated and about to GO OFF, I remind myself to STOP, pray about it, and then act with love. It has worked for me especially while riding in the car with my kids…..
A comment following The Sunday Word’s “Fear” post said this:
“Love this post, Angie! I have to share another quote about fear that I seem to ‘favor’ most. I call it ‘throwing yourself under the bus’, but Marianne Williamson says it much more eloquently.
‘Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some; it is in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.’ – Marianne Williamson, co-leader of the United States Department of Peace movement (quote often wrongly attributed to Nelson Mandela).
So rock on girl with sharing your story. Your courage has empowered me to enter the 10K in April and I’m going forward in faith that I can face the challenge. Be that light of change you wish to see in the world and keep on sharing
“
Who wrote this, you might ask??? None other than Friday’s Guest Blogger, Sonia Klein.
After I read her quote, I meditated on it and I changed my mantra. It is now:
(Have confidence, live with joy, act with love.)
Interested in guest blogging? Reply to this message and I’ll get in touch with you.
What do you see? 2 profile faces or a goblet?
I’m still catching up with my magazine reading and I saw an article in Runner’s World that had a tag line that fit me perfectly:
“The memory of being fat never subsides–even after you become fit.” ~Peter Sagal, “The Road Scholar”, Runner’s World magazine, March 2011
This article goes on to say, “If you’ve ever been fat, you will either be fat for the rest of your life or you will worry about being fat for the rest of your life.” ~Jonathan Reynolds in the play “Fighting International Fat”
You can read the entire article here.
This article caught my attention because I am 100% guilty of this mindset. I’m still very used to being fat. I feel great, yes; and I look fantastic; but, I do overly rely on the number on the scale. I’m absolutely petrified of regaining the weight I lost and I have a misperception of how quickly that could happen. For example, If I overeat one day, then I immediately start to see myself as fatter in the mirror. Even if my clothes don’t feel any differently, my face looks fuller in the mirror when I overeat. I then find myself pleasantly surprised when the scale does not indicate a punishment from my overeating. After I see the positive affirmation from the scale, I suddenly also look slimmer in the mirror again. I’m not saying this is psychologically healthy!!! I’m just saying it’s my perception. And, if you know me, you know that one of my favorite personality theories was George Kelly’s “perception is reality”. Thankfully, I also believe that we can change our perceptions, therefore, can change our realities!
I learned from a (fabulous) Weight Watchers instructor that people have an image burned in their memories of when you were heavy if weight was a long-time issue for you. So, each time people who don’t see you daily lay eyes on you, they’ll swear that you have lost “even more weight”. My weight has been steady since November of 2010, but when I see people after maybe a month has passed, they’ll insist that I’ve lost more weight (and that I’m going to whither away to nothing…). I try to accept the compliment graciously, but I also like keeping it real and I don’t want people to think I’m intentionally trying to diet my way to anorexia!
I’m still taking one day at a time and I’m learning to rely more on how I feel and how my clothes feel versus how many calories I consumed that day. Each day is brand new and I’m so thankful for that!
Angie asked me to guest blog about my motivations and my journey to getting fit and healthy.
It’s a long story with many miscellaneous factors involved. I wish it were as simple as “I was just tired of being fat” and while that’s part of what got me started there is so much more background information needed to really understand what got me to this “place”.
Background on the ups and downs of weight gains and losses
We’re going way back…to high school. I was pretty active. I was a cheerleader so most of the school year I was very active every single week day. Monday – Friday we either had practice or a game. Keeping in shape and thin was NEVER an issue. Add a teenager’s metabolism and I could kill a Mike’s Super Sub without a second thought.
On to college we go. I did gain the obligatory “freshman 15”…times 2. I ended my freshman year weighing around 163. I remember my mom being shocked I only weighed 20 pounds less than she did. I remember being quite shocked as well.
Cut to the end of my sophomore year and I was offered a job in Salter Path, NC waiting tables at a seafood restaurant for the summer. I was able to live with my grandparents and save all of the money I made…which was A LOT! If you ever need to drop some pounds go wait tables for a busy summer at the beach. The extra pounds fell off…by the end of the summer I was 127 and I stayed that way right up through graduation.
Then came the babies. I had my first son in 1998. The lowest I got after his birth was 149. Oh, what I’d give just to glimpse that number on the scale again. The second son came in 2002. The lowest after him was 169. I’m almost back THERE!
My Mother
My mother I guess around 1972
When I was 15 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was 37…the same age I am now. Can you imagine, 37 three kids ranging in age from 15 to 4 and being told you have breast cancer? I didn’t realize how hard that must have been for her until I had my own children and came to the realization that I’m the same age. I don’t feel old enough or mature enough to handle something like that, it must have been terrifying. If it was, she NEVER let on to us kids.
DisneyWorld when I was 8
My mother lived for 18 years fighting this disease off and on along the way whenever it decided to show up for an encore. In November 2003 the cancer was back…for good. There was no cure, just treatment to slow the progression.
She was doing great until early 2007. Then her health just went downhill at lightening speed. By May she had to stop working and was on oxygen 24 hours a day. She had to sleep in a recliner to be comfortable and was on morphine and various other pain medications to be comfortable. It was finally to the point that the treatment of chemo and radiation was doing more harm than good, so the treatment stopped. She lived long enough to see my brother get married in August of 2007. I saw her at Thanksgiving and 3 weeks later she died…9 days before Christmas. Talk about a tough Holiday.
August 2007 at my brother's wedding
Rock Bottom
Since I’ve had children I’ve been “on a diet”. Trying to watch what I eat but not really. I love to cook and I love food. I love to eat. Love it! When my mother died I weighed about 190. In the year after her death my father remarried and moved to California…another difficult “change”. By Christmas 2008 I was at 204. I fooled myself into thinking I looked good but the pictures don’t lie.
2009 was going to be the year for me. I had discovered Facebook and reconnected with some old friends. I was recruited into an elite group of 8 other AMAZING women to run a half marathon in November 2009. I was crazy. I trained. I ran when I could and walked when I couldn’t. I got back down to 192, finished that race and felt like Wonder Woman. Christmas 2009 I was at 185.
Angie and me at OBX Half Marathon 2009
2010 for sure was MY year. If I could go 13.1 miles I could do anything. In February 2010 I lost my job. That was rock bottom. I didn’t realize it until May or so, but I fell into a major depression (my husband noticed right away and had to convince me). Back up to 198. I knew why I was depressed. I was mad and sad about losing my job but mostly is was all of the time I had to myself. Time to think, time to grieve the death of my mother, time to mourn the “loss” of my father (3500 miles is long way). It all came down on me at once. When there is no “outside focus” like work to get your mind off of things and to push all of those emotions deep down where you don’t have to deal with them they come down on you at once and the weight is unbearable. I didn’t want people to know. I felt weak. I had never struggled with anything like this before. I knew WHY I was sad. There were no repressed memories or traumatic events. Just plain old grief.
I had to get out of my funk. I was weighed down with sadness and fear. There is not a day that goes by that I’m not absolutely terrified that one day I’ll go to the doctor and he’ll tell me I have breast cancer. NOT ONE DAY. Some days the fear consumes me. I have said countless times if insurance would pay for me to have my breasts removed as a preventive measure I’d do it without question (I don’t have a long enough family history…I’ve looked into it). If I was willing to do something that drastic couldn’t I at least take prevention measures I could control? Diet and Exercise. Now I was motivated.
The Change
I had already committed to running the 2010 OBX with the same girls and I had no excuses for not training or eating better so I dropped to 185 and stalled. Sweet Angie decided to do the 30 day Shred DVD so I committed to do it too. Around day 16 or so the changes started happening. I dropped 10 pounds. Now I was motivated.
My husband committed to run the half with me and we trained together all the way up to November.
Chris and Me after finishing the 2010 OBX Half Marathon
We completed the half and got through the holidays with zero exercise. I didn’t gain any weight but I got squishy again.
My husband decided in January he was DONE with being out of shape and out of breath so we bought P90X. I was terrified. We’ve been doing it for 7 weeks now and the changes are amazing. We’ve changed the way we eat and the way we live. No more weekends camped in front of the television for hours on end. We are active, healthy and happy. We’re still on our journey, but we’re on it together and we’re on it for the rest of our lives.
Everyone’s motivations are different and everyone’s rock bottom comes at a different time. But there it a rock bottom for everyone. Even the happiest people you know.
When you feel like you’re lying at the bottom of that deep hole remember you can’t keep digging and expect to get out. You have to climb out one step and a time and sometimes you’ll fall back down…GET UP.
Sometimes you can’t do it by yourself. Sometimes you need help and you have to be willing to accept it. You have to be willing to accept that it doesn’t mean you’re weak because you can’t do it on you own.
You have to surround yourself with amazing people who love you no matter what and who support you through your successes and failures. If you don’t have people like that in your life…get rid of them. NOW! They are of no value to you. And if they treat you poorly, you need to accept that you are of no value to them.
Angie and Me now. She's the type of person you need surrounding you. She is one of my rocks and she is my friend.
But most of all you have to believe that YOU are worth it. Your life is worth LIVING not just being. There is a difference between being alive and LIVING! When you realize the difference you can be AMAZING.
On my sidebar, you’ll see a link to K-LOVE…a radio station that I love. The music is “positive, encouraging”. It’s really a contemporary Christian radio station. At the beginning of 2011, I heard the morning DJs talking about My One Word. It’s kind of where I got the concept of “The Sunday Word” except that I change my word weekly whereas My One Word focuses on choosing a word that will be your “theme” or focus for the year.
It’s not a “New Year Resolution” – it’s One Word that you use to cast a vision of the person you want to be in 2011. Pastor Mike Ashcraft of Port City Church in Wilmington, NC, developed the idea years ago to help him and his church get past the disappointment of broken resolutions, but instead choose one word that focuses on your character and creates a vision for your future. ~Eric Allen, co-host for K-LOVE Morning Show from Indianapolis, IN.
The other co-host for the morning show is Lisa Williams. The One Word she picked for 2011 was “clear“. She went on to explain her choice by reading the World English Dictionary’s definition of the word:
- free from darkness or obscurity; bright
- without discoloration, blemish, or defect
- easy to see or hear; distinct
- free from doubt or confusion
- certain in the mind; sure
- perceptive; alert
- evident or obvious
- serene; calm
- without qualification or limitation; complete
- free of suspicion, guilt, or blame
- free from debt or obligation
Obviously, being a DJ for a Christian radio station, when she focuses on the word clear, she is thinking of it from a specific perspective, but she’s also applying it to her real life. I think the word clear applies to real life for all of us, especially when we start to lose focus in our weight loss/fitness/good health journey. Stay clear. Stay focused. Stay committed. You can do this!
I want to make something clear: I don’t diet. Yes, I count calories because I need the accountability…it’s kind of like why I use a credit card instead of cash…I never seem to know where the cash (or calories) went… This “prayer” was revealed to me by a friend and I chuckled because I can relate so well to its stanzas! I hope you enjoy it!
Dieter’s Prayer
Lord, my soul is ripped with riot
incited by my wicked diet.
“We are what we eat,” said a wise old man!
And, Lord, if that’s true, I’m a garbage can !I want to rise on Judgment Day, that’s plain,
But, at my present weight, I’ll need a crane.
So grant me strength, that I may not fall
Into the clutches of cholesterol !At margarine I’ll never mutter
For the road to hell is paved with butter.
And cream is cursed, and cake is awful,
And Satan lurks in every waffle !Give me this day my daily slice,
But cut it thin and toast it twice.
I beg upon my dimpled knees,
Deliver me from jujubes please !And when my days of dieting are done,
And my war with Snickers bars is won,
Let me stand with the heavenly throng,
In a shining robe…size seven, long !I can do it, Lord, if You’ll show to me,
The virtues of lettuce and celery.
Teach me the evil of mayonnaise…
Of pasta a la Milanaise, potatoes a la Lyonnaise…
And crisp-fried chicken from the south …
Lord, if you love me… shut my mouth !~Author Unknown
via The Single Wife
Y’all know how I like my themes…so for St. Patrick’s Day, I’ll blog about something green (and maybe Irish).
“The modern celebration of St. Patrick’s Day really has almost nothing to do with the real man,” said classics professor Philip Freeman of Luther College in Iowa.
Who Was the Man Behind St. Patrick’s Day?
The real St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish.
He was born in Britain around A.D. 390 to an aristocratic Christian family with a townhouse, a country villa, and plenty of slaves.
What’s more, Patrick professed no interest in Christianity as a young boy, Freeman noted.
At 16, Patrick’s world turned.
He was kidnapped and sent overseas to tend sheep as a slave in the chilly, mountainous countryside of Ireland for seven years.
“It was just horrible for him,” Freeman said. “But he got a religious conversion while he was there and became a very deeply believing Christian.”
~excerpt from John Roach’s article for National Geographic News (Updated March 16, 2010)
Today is St. Patrick’s Day and plenty of us will celebrate with food and beer. Here is my advice for the indulgent: Make sure what you ingest today is delicious. If you are making your great grandma’s corn beef and cabbage recipe, make it and enjoy it, but skip the canned corned beef hash (for the sake of the holiday)….. Also, drink the beer, but stick with something authentic, like Guinness, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll only consume one or two instead of downing a 12-pack of Natural Lite…..
Do you have a recipe that you will make for tonight (or this weekend)? Please share!
YUM! I think we should make some of these tonight!!!
via The Single Wife
A friend recently emailed me a short story. I loved it and it certainly applied to my life as a mother, but I wasn’t sure it was relevant for the theme of my blog. Then I realized this: when I’m frustrated with my kids for pretending like I don’t even exist, I EAT! It’s just another stressor of being a mom and living life, but when you default to food in these situations, then a few reminders are in order!
In September of 2008, an author named Mary Lynn Plaisance wrote a short story entitled, “The Invisible Mother“:
The Invisible Mother
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I’m on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I’m thinking, ‘Can’t you see I’m on the phone?’ Obviously not; no one can see if I’m on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.I’m invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I’m not a pair of hands; I’m not even a human being. I’m a clock to ask, ‘What time is it?’ I’m a satellite guide to answer, ‘What number is the Disney Channel?’ I’m a car to order, ‘Right around 5:30, please.’
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude – but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She’s going, she’s going, she’s gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, ‘I brought you this.’ It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe .
I wasn’t exactly sure why she’d given it to me until I read her inscription: ‘To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.’
In the days ahead I would read – no, devour – the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals we have no record of their names.
These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, ‘Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.’ And the workman replied, ‘Because God sees.’
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, ‘I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you’ve done, no sequin you’ve sewn on, no cupcake you’ve baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can’t see right now what it will become.’
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction, but it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.
The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don’t want my child to tell the friend he’s bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, ‘My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.’ That would mean I’d built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, ‘You’re gonna love it there.’
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we’re doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
I’m behind on my magazine reading. I cleaned out the basket yesterday and discovered I have a lot to read. I got a little crazy with some free magazine subscription offers, but there are three magazines for which I pay (or that I specifically requested as a gift).
One of those magazines is Women’s Running. I just read the first article yesterday in the January/February 2011 issue. I loved it and thought it would be relevant for this blog. Yes, I know it’s March, but if you’ll read the article in its entirety, then you’ll discover that this might just be the perfect time for making (or re-evaluating) your resolutions!
When Angie first approached me, about “guest blogging”…..I was nervous. I have my own blog and, as Angie knows, I’m a “talker”…..I tell loooong stories and my posts are long! Angie’s blog posts are short and sweet! I am pretty hard on people – “Just eat healthy and work out…DO IT! Geez!” – Angie is more tolerant than I am…..she’s MUCH sweeter and more understanding! So, I was nervous…..worried because our styles kinda clash. I wanted to point out Angie’s accomplishments, because the girl does NOT give herself enough credit…..she’s so modest, right, Angie?? I had to look for common ground. Then, something Angie said totally clicked with me! One thing we have in common…..We are both “Fence Jumpers”! You are, too…….maybe you just didn’t know it!
Angie and I reconnected about 2 years ago. Well, it was the summer of 2009. I’d set a goal to run the OBX Half Marathon in November of 2009 and there were 7 other girls on board with that. (THANK GOODNESS!) As Angie has already explained, most of us hadn’t seen each other in over 15 years! Same thing, with Angie……we hooked up and it was so great to see her…..she had not changed, at all!!!
Angie and Me - November 2009
Still spirited and funny and sweet and full of gusto!!! Well, she had put on some weight, since high school, but I mean, she was still the same…..on the inside! Anyway, I told her about the plan……that a bunch of us were doing the half marathon. Throughout the evening, she would say things like “That is awesome!” and then dismiss the idea with “I CAN’T run……I USED to run, but my knees won’t let me do that now.” As the evening went on, she kept turning the conversation, back to the half…..wanting to know if the “other girls” were running or walking…..things like that. Angie proclaimed “I am not a RUNNER, but I CAN walk.” I just let her talk it out with herself…….Angie claims that I “talked her into the half marathon”, but that’s not true. I just let her talk HERSELF into it and refused to let her talk HERSELF out of it……THAT is the truth. I KNEW she’d end up doing the half, that year, and I was soooo right. By the time I’d driven home, from our little get-together (a 4 minute drive)……Angie had all but signed up!!! Oh yes, she was on board and it was exciting! Our group had grown to NINE Strong, just like that!
If Angie’s blog interests you……..if you tune in, to be inspired, by her……my guess is you are looking for motivation and wondering if you can do what she did. You can. Don’t let Angie’s sweetness and bubbly personality fool you, she’s a tough chic and so are YOU. Today, I want you to make a commitment, to me…..to Angie…..and most importantly, to yourself. We are “fence jumpers”……so are YOU!
What is a “fence jumper”??? This is how I explain it, to people:
Have you ever seen a dog in a yard that has an electric fence??? He runs and runs and runs……but…..juuuuuuust before he gets to that invisible line he stops dead in his tracks. 
Why??? Obviously because he’s tried to cross that invisible line before and it SHOCKED the heck out of him!!! Right? He can’t SEE the “fence”, but he knows it’s there. He’s tried to cross it before….and it HURT. So, now, he just stays in his comfy little yard, living his little life day to day….knowing his boundaries, and NEVER trying to cross that fence, again. BUT…..what that little doggy doesn’t know is that if he just ran as fast as he could….right through that invisible fence….right through that moment of pain…..he’d be on the other side and he’d have complete and utter freedom!!! FREEDOM!!!! Did you ever think about that??? We, especially women, have many invisible fences in our lives and we’ve even crossed a few. How many did you cross before you finished college? Before you found Prince Charming? Before you got that job promotion? When we cross those fences…it CAN hurt…..but, most of the time, if we push on through…..we finally get to the other side. I am a Fence Jumper. Angie is a Fence Jumper. You are a Fence Jumper…..and that’s how I KNOW you can do this……YOU can make changes, in your lifestyle and eating habits. YOU can lose weight…..YOU can get healthier and more fit…..YOU can do ANYTHING! It’s TRUE!
AMAZING! Hard word and dedication pays OFF!
This is no different from any other fence you’ve jumped. Understand that. Let’s face it….your not striving for World Peace here, lol….you just wanna get fit and healthy! You’ve mastered many things in your life and you will master many more…..this is just one of them!
Angie can tell you……this is what I preach:
1) Get over it
2) Move past it
3) Get on with it
You have to get over it. You are GOING to get out of breath….and that’s okay. You are going to feel like you can’t go any freaking further….and that’s okay. You will probably break down and cry, at some point…..and that’s okay. But what you will NOT do is give up. You WILL keep going and you WILL inspire your friends, your coworkers, your family……you WILL set a good example, for your children. Don’t you dare teach your children that it’s okay to give up on the way to a goal simply because it’s harder than you thought. You WILL show your kids what it looks like to set a goal and bust your BUTT to achieve it……it’s a life lesson! The key is….you don’t get to hang your head and scurry home just because you feel a little out of breath – No Ma’am! You WILL push through it and you will keep going and eventually, you WILL jump that fence. DO NOT allow yourself to give YOU less that 100%. Do not let your mind tell you that you are not capable of what you ARE fully capable of doing. It’s all psycological….don’t psych yourself out. Push yourself harder than you want to push yourself. You’ve done SO many things and jumped so many fences…..YOU can do THIS!
Angie……AFTER! Gorgeous, happy, healthy, and amazing!
THIS is what a Fence Jumper looks like. (Can you tell I am proud of this girl?)
Thanks, for letting me be a part of your journey. I love you and I am proud…..you know this. Keep spreading the word and leading others to find their own AMAZINGNESS!
xoxoxo
Keenun
Image via Wikipedia
There are a plethora of quotes pertaining to fear. It’s one of our most common and necessary emotions. An article in Psychology Today (no author was given) says this:
Fear is a vital response to physical and emotional danger—if we couldn’t feel it, we couldn’t protect ourselves from legitimate threats. But often we fear situations that are in no way life-or-death, and thus hang back for no good reason.
Did you catch that? I want to focus on that last sentence…that what we often fear is not a life-or-death situation, and thus we hang back for no good reason. How many of you have yet to take “that first step” out of fear? Usually, the fear associated here is the fear of failure; or the fear of embarrassment.
I was scared this week. I was frightened, but I “did it afraid”. I’ve been writing this blog for months and haven’t shared it with everyone I know. I’ve gone to great lengths, in fact, to keep it hidden. I decided that it wasn’t doing anyone any good to write a blog and hide it from the mass public. The folks who have seen my blog seem to enjoy it and why not share it with everyone else?!
I said in a previous post that I’m a fan of Joyce Meyer Ministries. She wrote an article entitled, “Do It Afraid!”. Read it and know that it’s okay to feel fear. Sometimes we have to take that first step while we are still afraid!
“The key to change…is to let go of fear.” ~Roseanne Cash
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.” ~Ambrose Redmoon
“Ultimately we know deeply that the other side of fear is freedom.” ~Marilyn Ferguson
and finally, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
I wrote part of this for Keenun’s blog (if I had known she was going to POST IT, I would have added pictures and made it all pretty, but whatever…). Anyway, it’s the truth and I want you to read it.
via The Single Wife
Here is another crowd favorite recipe. I found it on All Recipes. Every time I make it, I get rave reviews! YUM! I add steamed broccoli and sticky rice for a complete meal.
WARNING: you must have your chops thawed in time because they have to marinate for 6-8 hours. If you are a fan of vacuum sealing, you can freeze the marinade with your chops. Fabulous!!!
Chinese Pork Chops |
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Submitted By: Ben
Photo By: Ali
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“This is a great and easy way to add flavor to pork chops, and it is always a hit at family gatherings. Just take a few minutes to make the marinade and let it sit for several hours. If cooking in the oven, set at 350 degrees F and cook for 30 minutes, or until done.”
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1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
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1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
6 boneless pork chops
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| 1. | In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, vegetable oil, ginger, and garlic powder. Set aside some of the mixture in a separate bowl for marinating during cooking. Pierce the pork chops on both sides with a fork, place in a large resealable plastic bag, and cover with the remaining marinade mixture. Refrigerate 6 to 8 hours. |
| 2. | Preheat the grill for high heat. |
| 3. | Lightly oil the grill grate. Discard marinade, and grill pork chops 6 to 8 minutes per side, or to desired doneness, marinating often with the reserved portion of the marinade. |
| ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2011 Allrecipes.com | Printed from Allrecipes.com 3/9/2011 |
Now that I’ve exposed my March menu, maybe I ought to post some recipes! My friend follows the The Belly Fat Cure diet and made this recipe from the book written the diet’s creator. I don’t follow this diet, and I don’t presume to know anything about it other than that its premise is to reduce sugar intake to a nominal amount per day.
What I do know is this one particular recipe that she got from the book is delicious and easy. I don’t know the exact name of the recipe and I don’t have measurements. I just call it “Amber’s Chicken Parm” and I follow the steps she followed that night (she’s one of my many friends who is a natural in the kitchen…you know, one of those who doesn’t measure anything and it turns out perfectly).
Ingredients:
Instructions:
It’s a crowd favorite for my entire family! I also add a salad and I allow my hubby some bread (but I’m not a huge fan of bread, so I don’t waste my calories on it).
Speaking of calories, here is how My Fitness Pal breaks down this recipe per serving: 633 calories; 46g carbs; 34g fat; 5g sugar; and 7g fiber.
Image via Wikipedia
My husband always has dinner (or meal planning in general) on his mind. I always seem to think of it at the last-minute. His way is right; mine is way wrong! Think about it. When meal planning is last-minute, it’s likely going to be something convenient, and it is likely going to be processed.
Does this only apply to me? I know; if it wasn’t in my pantry to begin with, then I wouldn’t have it as an option. Spaghetti and sauce, however, is always in my pantry. Hey, at least I no longer store Hamburger Helper in there!
If we remember, my husband and I will make a menu for the week. That usually lasts for one week and then we forget (read: we get too busy and the menu gets neglected). This month, I made a monthly menu. I went through my favorite recipes and also sneaked in a few new ones to try. We’ve already discovered one of the “new ones” to throw out of the mix…
My March menu - my husband cooks on the weekends and I let him plan that!
This new system (I’ve done this once before and it only lasted a month, but it was a great month of meal planning) has helped tremendously. Each Monday morning, I go to the grocery store with my list of ingredients that I’ll need for the week. My mother-in-law introduced me to a phrase that her father used to say: “A high grocery bill is better than a high medical bill.” I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the cost efficiency of my healthy and unprocessed meals.
So, why not give it a try? You don’t have to have a different meal for each day of the month. Some of our favorites are included once a week for the entire month. It’s so easy this way. The only glitch is to make sure I pull out any frozen protein in time to actually marinate and/or cook the meal…it’s a work in progress!
Image via Wikipedia
I forgot about Lent. I like to give up something and then give alms. I just do. I haven’t given this any thought and I’m taking this blog post to figure it out.
One year, I gave up Facebook and read the bible when I would have instead been playing Farmville. Another year, I gave up secular radio and only listened to Christian radio. I had a priest who really loved to go to the movies. He gave up movies and put that money he would have spent into his rice box.
I’m trying to think about something meaningful and something for my health. What are my current vices?
I know. See, if I hash something out for long enough, it will click.
I’m giving up diet soda. This will be hard for me because I love the fizzy goodness. I just bought 3 bottles of Coke Zero yesterday. They’ll have to stay in the fridge because I’m not drinking them all tonight!
I will pay alms in my rice box (I need to get one of those…) for what I would have spent in diet sodas during the time of Lent.
Maybe I can finally break this addiction. It’s so good, though. One step at a time!
Finishing the Monument Avenue 10K in 2010 in approximately 72 minutes. I'm on the far left in hot pink.
One year ago, I trained for my first Monument Avenue 10K. I shared my journey with my 9 Strong using a private Facebook page. I went back to look at my “journal entries” and I am now going to share some of them with you.
Reminder: I was 50 lbs overweight while writing these posts!
January 27, 2010 at 7:22pm: I have this energetic friend in my neighborhood keeping me motivated to push hard for my 10K in March!
February 17, 2010 at 4:43pm: I ran 5 miles today as part of my 10K training and I’ve cleaned out the cupboards for clean eating. YES! Girlfriend, I completely understand the weight struggles…I just don’t know why it keeps piling back on… Yes, I do, but I don’t realize it until too late, dang it!
February 17, 2010 at 4:53pm: I’m caught up reading your posts. Prayers are uplifted and encouragement is available. I think of each of you all of the time. Life is going really well here and I continue to be overwhelmed by the super-duper fantastic friends I have…both from the past and the present. Thank you for the gifts, ladies!
February 17, 2010 at 10:07pm: Ouch! I just got Achilles tendonitis today. Boo hoo hoo. I’m going to take care of my tendon and figure it out. 10K or bust!
February 23, 2010 at 6:16pm: Girlfriend said, ”2.65 miles today…not very fast, walked most of it. I don’t know how you girls do it. I need to find my motivation.” I replied: If I don’t have a friend to go with me, I have zero motivation and walk most of it or just quit. Keep up the good work!
Whew! I'm finished!
March 30, 2010 at 11:50am: Girlfriend said, ”I just fell running to the mailbox and back…it’s about a quarter of a mile total. Just figured I run down the driveway and back for fun and coming back I didn’t lift my foot high enough up and fell UP the brick steps. It’s only three of them, but I was going full on and hit the concrete porch HARD, my hands are scraped up and my shoulders hurt where I caught myself. That’s the first time I’ve ever fallen OUCH! And my left foot hurts where it jammed into the brick.”
Replies to the above unfortunate incident (edited to protect privacy):
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23; NIV)
This weekend was devoted to my “9 Strong”. I knew it was going to special and I knew I wanted to tie it in to my Sunday Word post…so I did some research. When I realized that there are nine fruits of the Spirit, I got excited! Biblically, the number nine may be associated with being fruitful. I decided some time ago to be fruitful in what I do – I want to produce good fruit!
I love my “9 Strong”. They bring me joy. I find peace in them when I’m feeling unsettled. If I’m lacking self-control, they show me forbearance. Their kindness is overwhelming and they will tell me the truth with gentleness. Their faithfulness to the group is strong and they help me produce goodness in my everyday life.
I see how the Holy Spirit is working in me and the other eight girls on my team…even if we walk on different levels of faith. They’ve helped me spread seeds beyond the “9″ to continue to bear good fruit for others. I’m thankful for that.
If Barbie was life-sized, her measurements would be 39-23-33 (in 2004 the average woman in the USA measured 40-34-43). According to studies done by both Yale and Duke Universities, in order for Barbie's measurements to be "normal" she would have to be at least 7 feet, 4 inches tall.)
When I was obese, I used to obsessively compare myself to others in a room. I mean, my judgement was obviously off since I didn’t even realize that my weight had gotten so out of control! At first, I would constantly ask my husband to find someone else in the room whose figure compared to mine. He did not like that request (and he never did comply). Each time I would find someone who I thought “looked like me”, he would insist that I was skinnier than that… Oh, he’s a good man.
Once I got back into a healthy weight range (and I felt so much better about myself overall), I stopped comparing myself to others. We all compare, though, right? It’s easy enough to compare to the models on television and in magazines. It’s not a fair comparison, but it’s natural to do. I was worried that as my waist line decreased, I would try to compare myself to those whose bodies I would never realistically equal (I never aimed to be a size 4, for example, but I worried that I would start to want that once I reached the single digits in general).
The point is, once I regained a healthy focus, my body image issues diminished. Do I still have a “mommy pouch”? Sure! It’s my badge of honor! Do I still have flabby arms? You bet! I have body fat, but I’m healthy. More important than my healthy body is my healthy mind!
I’ve been guilty of this. If I don’t think I can do something well right out of the box, then I cower with fear.
The “old me” would come up with every excuse I could think of to turn you down if you asked me to start a new workout program with you. So, when people turn me down, I usually recognize it very quickly.
A sweet friend used to invite me to her gym for a class she loved. I didn’t think I could do it very well and would feel embarrassed, so I never seemed to have time to go with her. Once I started (very slowly) running, I was flooded with requests to join various running groups. I in no way wanted to join an already established group! In fact, when I set up a running date with anyone, I quietly celebrated when it was cancelled at the last minute so I could go alone…at my own turtle’s pace.
I love quotes. I try to find positive quotes that either fit my mood for the day or that might impact someone else that is on my mind. One day, I read this Chinese proverb:
“Be not afraid of moving slowly. Be afraid of standing still.”
I think it’s normal to fear the unknown and it’s very difficult to start something new and unfamiliar. I decided that it’s okay to move slowly…at least I’m moving! This concept is not just for exercising…it’s moving forward in any area of your life. Let’s say you already have a consistent workout schedule…or weight loss isn’t an issue for you. Let’s say you have some other habit you want to break or something new you want to try. It doesn’t matter if there is a learning curve or if you won’t be an ace at it from the beginning. Moving slowly is better than standing still. I had to learn that baby steps are okay!
This is the first day of the rest of your life!
♫It’s gonna be all right!♫
“There are 1440 minutes in a day — that’s 288 “chunks” of 5 minutes.” That’s how an email I recently received began. That got me thinking – if I don’t have enough time to exercise for 30 minutes, or take 5 minutes to log the food I ate that day, or pull a Rachael Ray and cook a nutritious dinner in 30 minutes–then how am I spending my time? I don’t even want to admit how much time I spend on my blog…let alone “researching” on the internet each day…
If there are 1440 minutes in a day, and 288 5-minute chunks, then there are 48 30-minute chunks. I realize part of that involves sleeping. Still, if I break up my to-do list that I’m realistically going to accomplish each day, there is no reason why I can’t sneak in 5 minutes to log on My Fitness Pal, 30 minutes to complete some sort of exercise, and 30 minutes to cook a healthy meal at night.
“With just one of those 5-minute periods, you can experience incredible, transforming life-change.” That line was also in the email. So, how did I go from a “I don’t have time to exercise and eat well” to “I crave activity and nutritious meals”? I simply tried it (because I had hit my rock bottom). After I made a habit of it, and saw awesome results, I craved it! Yes, I fall off of the wagon PLENTY, but I now know how to get back up and start again…and each time is a little bit easier. I then wonder how I ever fell off of the wagon in the first place because I feel so good when I’m living well.
So, my question to you is this: How much time do you have?
Oh, this is heavy, but it’s worth discussing. On my Christian journey, when I finally read and understood John 5: 1-15, I was knocked to my knees when I felt like Jesus was asking me if I wanted to get well.
Let’s face it, some of us just don’t want to get well. Our confidence is stolen and we have given up in a gradual, passive kind of way. I say those folks just haven’t reached their rock bottom yet.
It’s true, though – change will not happen unless you want it to happen. It’s not going to just happen because you talk about it. You might even start doing a little something, but it’s not really in earnest. You have to truly (or maybe even desperately) want to DO something to make a positive change.
Self-pity is not going to make positive change. Believing in yourself (even if you’re “faking it until you make it”) will help you jump that first hurdle. Jesus was essentially saying to the man who laid beside the pool for thirty-eight years in this miracle, “Don’t just lie there, do something!”.
I really like how Joyce Meyer puts it: “be pitiful or be powerful”. You might have lived the last umpteen years as pitiful, but it’s your turn to be powerful! So, the question is – do you want to get well?
This week, I want you to focus on love. More specifically, focus on loving yourself enough to believe that you deserve and will get your breakthrough.
“You must know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is within–the Spirit you have received from God. You are not your own. You have been purchased, and at a price! So glorify God in your body.” ~1 Corinthians 6:19 (New American Bible)
"Don't give up. Don't ever give up." ~Jimmy Valvano
I’ve written in more detail about two items on my sidebar (Jeff Galloway and Motion Traxx™).
Those seemed to be my most frequently asked questions with regards to running.
If you would like more information about a link on my sidebar, then please add a comment and I’ll provide more details.
I don’t want to assume, for example, that everyone knows what Pandora Radio is and how to use that website.
I thank each and every one of you for reading and supporting my blog. I look forward to hearing your success stories, your frustrations, and your questions!
I might even invite some guest bloggers in the future! Stay tuned and KEEP MOVING!!!
I know there are many folks in training right now for a 10K or Half Marathon and this is a nice guideline for refueling during your training…and race!
via Buff Broad
Nine fabulous pairs of shoes ready to attack their first half marathon!
This website is full of FREE downloadable podcasts to meet a variety of your fitness needs. You have to subscribe to download tracks. I found Motion Traxx™ through a plug given by Jeff Galloway.
This is how their website describes Motion Traxx™:
“There’s no power quite like it. The energy. The inspiration. The motivation. Music gets you moving like nothing else. Deekron The Fitness DJ, a leading expert in workout music, presents Motion Traxx™ – a music podcast specifically designed to boost your energy and set the pace during your workout. The episodes feature fun, up-temp mixes that get you in motion and make it easy to stay in motion. Best of all, Motion Traxx™ is FREE. See (and hear) how Motion Traxx™ moves you – subscribe and download this inspiring fitness music podcast today!”
I used this site specifically to download Episodes 35: “Run-Walk Intervals (30-30) w/Jeff Galloway” and Episodes 40: “Run-Walk Intervals (1-1) w/Jeff Galloway” podcasts. There are other episodes that might be of interest to you! Be sure to click on the “Archived Podcasts” to find more options. You can also sign up for free podcasts through iTunes.
Once you download a podcast, send it to your mp3 player (phone, iPod, etc.) and you are set. When you are ready to work out, press play and do what it says. It’s that easy! I hope you have as much fun with this as I do.
I'm in purple...just having finished my second half marathon!
I have several links on the sidebar of my blog. It’s time to get down to specifics. First up, under “Moving and Grooving” is Jeff Galloway’s Injury Free Running. Of course, I will refer you to his website for the most detailed information, but I’m going to break down what I got out of what I call, “The Jeff Galloway Plan”.
Jeff Galloway was a member of the 1972 US Olympic Team and has run over 120 marathons! I like his conservative coaching style and his quest for injury-free running. What good is running anyway if it’s just going to hurt and if you have to sit out almost right away due to injury?
What I currently get most out of “The Jeff Galloway Plan” is his training schedule. When I sign up for either a 10k or a half marathon, I only follow Jeff Galloway’s training schedule. I’m a “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” kind of girl! It works for me and I have always ended up doing BETTER than expected! Win-Win! Of course, you make your own training goals and find a plan that works best for you, but this blog is about how I did it, so here you go!
What Jeff’s website says about his TRAINING PROGRAMS:
TRAINING PROGRAMS
Jeff’s quest for the injury-free marathon training program led him to develop group training programs in 1978, and to author Runner’s World articles which have been used by hundreds of thousands of runners of all abilities. His training schedules have inspired the second wave of marathoners who follow the Galloway run-walk, low mileage, three-day, suggestions to an over 98% success rate.
When you sign up for a 5k or 10k race, your next step will be to pull out your calendar and go to Jeff’s 5k/10k Training Page. The 5k training schedule is at the top. You can scroll down to find the 10k training schedule. I start from RACE DAY and count backwards using his training schedule to document how many miles I need to run on each weekend. I like rules and parameters, so I basically follow his plan to a tee: I run on Tuesdays and Thursdays, walk on Fridays, and run mileage on Sundays. I put it all in my calendar so I know exactly what to do every day.
I use the same method when training for a half marathon, but I go here. I’ll be honest…I skip the “magic mile” stuff right now and just use the training schedule.
FOR BEGINNERS:
I did not do what I wrote above in the beginning…because I couldn’t even run 1/4 mile without having to walk. If you are not a runner or you are a beginner – YOU MUST TRY THE RUN-WALK PROGRAM! Get some kind of timer (don’t try to count in your head) and try these ratios. Once you “master” the first time ratio, go on to the next. These are the time ratios I used:
I found that my limit was the 3:1 ratio. When I tried to increase my run-to-walk time any more, my time slowed down significantly. It really was true for me that I performed FASTER when I incorporated walk breaks, as Jeff Galloway’s research has indicated for many.
Below are some examples of timers to help you keep track:
: This is a product sold on Jeff's website. You can set the timer to vibrate, beep, or both based on the ratio you are using. I have one and I liked using it (but the battery died on me a lot!).Second hand or stopwatch on your wristwatchStopwatch or other app on your phone.If you are just starting out, give the run-walk-run ratios a try. You will be successful and you’ll feel awesome about your accomplishment! If you are signed up for a race, follow a training schedule that you find to be doable.
For my last 10k, I set my timer to run-walk at 3:1 ratios and I was consistent throughout the race (whether I felt like I needed a walk break or not, I took them) and BROUGHT HOME A TROPHY! The lady that trailed behind me (and ran the entire way) noticed that I took frequent walk breaks and asked me about my strategy. When I shared it with her, she commented that her husband suggested the same strategy to her and she balked at it…but now she is a believer!
Sometimes what seems illogical (taking walk breaks to get a faster finish time) actually is the best strategy! Give it a try and see for yourself!!!
I’m all about being HEALTHY, so I blog about weight loss…but this blog post by Buff Broad is IMPORTANT! Please read!
via Buff Broad
The weekend wasn’t a complete bust. My friend did make some delicious and healthy recipes that I can’t wait to share with my husband. Mostly, though, what I predicted in yesterday’s post held true about my weekend. Today is (another) new day.
I’ve made my “clean” menu for the week. I’m going grocery shopping today. I kept my morning running date. I haven’t stepped on the scale. I have until Wednesday! I’ll cook and photograph both the finished product and my husband’s reaction (he doesn’t quite know about this yet…).
On my way home yesterday, I thought about my weekend and started to feel frustrated and guilty. The Lord’s Prayer popped into my head. This is my mantra for now: ”And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” I’m going to write that down somewhere where I can see it during the day. I’m going to repeat it in my head. Today is a new day and I’m thankful for the gift.
Image via Wikipedia
It’s going to happen and you’ll do the very best you can. I’m coming back home today after a long weekend visiting a friend. Whether it’s visiting a friend or staying at a hotel, when you’re away from your “control zone”, things are going to happen! Here’s what usually happens to me:
Okay, I’ve put it out there now! Up for tomorrow: how my weekend actually went. I’m excited. If I was a complete failure, then tomorrow will be a new day! If I was successful, then I can’t wait to step on the scale on Wednesday! Either way, I can say with confidence, even though I wrote this in advance, that it was a fantastic weekend!
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| Arise, Shine
Today’s Scripture: ” Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you” Today’s Word: I believe that in the coming decade, God wants to exceed your expectations! He has amazing things stored up for you. He’ll take you places that you’ve never dreamed and give you breaks that once seemed impossible. I believe that His glory is rising upon His people. I believe that things are going to fall into place so that you can accomplish what God has placed in your heart. Even the hidden dreams that you’ve given up on, God has not given up on them. He is going to do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond all you could ask, think or imagine! Your mind may try to talk you out of it, but if you’ll listen with your heart, it will resonate on the inside of you. Don’t let discouragement hold you back or keep you down. It’s time for you to arise. It’s time for you to shine. Let that sink down into your spirit today because it’s time for you to receive His blessing so you can be empowered to do everything He has called you to do! Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, I come to You today with an open and humble heart. Thank You for choosing me and for preparing a bright future for me. I will rise up and reflect Your glory! Let everything I do bring honor to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. |
Image via Wikipedia
Someone asked me about this in a previous post and I answered that I don’t eat the calories that I burn through exercise. I said that I account for the amount of exercise I do each week when calculating my allotted calories for the week.
I started using a new website that I really like for calorie counting and other types of documentation regarding my weight loss efforts (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/). It already asks how active you are in your daily routine and then it also does something that is very dangerous for me. Printed right there in front of my face (if I document exercise) is HOW MANY EXTRA CALORIES I’VE EARNED FROM EXERCISE TODAY. It changes all of my numbers. I’m not sure what to do!
“You’ve earned 481 extra calories from exercise today”
Even if I put “Sedentary” as my activity level (although, I think of myself as more in the “Moderate” range…), it allows me the usual 1200 (gasp, that’s the lowest it will go and the lowest I will go). Then, if I log in any exercise, it adjusts everything automatically and makes me think I can eat more.
I’ve decided that I’m going to give it a try. I love that at the end of each day, you get a little message about if every day was like today then by (fill in a date) you will weigh (fill in a weight). That’s motivating for me.
“If every day were like today… You’d weigh 138.9 lbs in 5 weeks”
This is what I’ve decided (for now): stick with the site the way it is designed and see if it tells the truth (assuming I am telling the truth – Yes, I’m logging the Reese’s Pieces…). It will surely motivate me to exercise so that I can eat more!
What do you do…eat the calories burned through exercise or take them as a bonus?
I used to be one of those “ask for forgiveness” kind of people. Now, I’m completely annoyed with that philosophy. If you plan to do something, consciously knowing that you’ll have to ask for forgiveness later, then my guess is that you shouldn’t do it in the first place. How would you prefer to feel: successful or frustrated and guilty? This is the debate I have with myself when I lose self-control at 9pm and eat that Reese Cup or when I hit the snooze button in the morning and skip exercising for the day.
100% of the time, when I suck it up and ignore the temptations, I feel SUCCESSFUL and so much happier (and more motivated!). I thought the extra chocolate or sleep would make me feel better; and for about 10 minutes it might. Then, guilt and frustration settles in. Why did I do that? It would not have been that difficult to just go to bed or have something (non-caloric) to drink instead. It would have felt so much better (because it always does) to have just gotten up when I knew I wouldn’t be able to fit in a workout otherwise that day.
Guess what happens to me when I’m mad at myself for “cheating”…I CHEAT SOME MORE. I EAT. I know, it’s awful! I’m not talking just a little cheat that I can account for in my calorie counting. I’m talking full-blown, unnecessary cheating that sabotages my goals! I’m still learning to STOP before I act to determine whether the action is going to uplift me or bring me down. We all have bad days, yes. We even all deserve a break and indulgence every once in a while. I’m not saying that. But, if you prefer the feeling of success over frustration and guilt, like I do, then be conscious of your choices – in all areas of your life!
Not Joy's actual egg rolls, but the closest picture I could find that looked as beautiful and delicious as hers!
We talked about my need for novelty, right? Yes, we did. I signed up for a blog called, “Losing It In Ottawa” (http://losingitinottawa.wordpress.com/). I like hearing about folks who are just starting their weight loss journeys. They are super-motivated, frightened, and full of new tips and ideas that they are trying. One blogger introduced me to http://www.myfitnesspal.com/. He said that he liked Spark People, but he loved My Fitness Pal. So, I thought I’d check it out! It’s simpler than Calorie Count and easy to navigate. I still love Calorie Count, but I thought I’d give this a try for this annoying 10 pounds I want gone.
Oh, you thought I had reached my goal already? Well, I have…sort of. See, I know weight is “just a number”, but let’s face it – for many of us, it’s not “just a number”. I stepped on the scale on Sunday morning [mistake number one...it wasn't my weigh-in day and I ate FIVE of Joy's delicious egg rolls (http://caloriecount.about.com/joys-egg-rolls-recipe-r394224) the night before]. I have also been fighting a cold, so I have been guzzling the fluids and not exercising.
Long story short (what, it’s already long???), my goal was always 140. The lowest I’ve actually gotten to was 140.5, so I take that as a win. My ultimate goal, however, is to never see above 140 on the scale (I consistently gain 4 pounds for about a week once a month…). My theory is that if I get down to 135, then even if I fluctuate, I won’t rise above 140. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s what makes me happy. Besides, 140 is the top of my BMI range, so I don’t think I’m pushing it too hard!
You might notice the new badge on the right hand side of this blog. It’s the new calorie counting site I’m trying…just for fun. If you haven’t quite found the site you love for calorie counting, then maybe you can try it, too. Happy Counting!
#068 – P90X Newsletter – Organic Foods – Fitness, Nutrition, Diet, Weight Loss Official Web site.
I wish I was better at buying local and organically! It’s a goal, for sure. I thought the food in this article looked GOOD! Enjoy!
I like how this blog tells it like it is! I enjoyed reading this post today, and I hope you do, too!
via Buff Broad
So…yesterday, you read how involved my preparation is for going for a “quick run” – the very activity that a whole group of people describe as the easiest sport because you can just throw on a pair of shoes and go…
Well, now that I’m all geared up and out the door, there is another entire set of “rules” I have to go by just to complete the run efficiently! Here goes:
So, I think I’ve covered it. Maybe the seasoned runners do all of this unconsciously. I don’t. It is getting better. There was a time when I never heard a single song on my playlist because I concentrated so much on my technique. It was a glorious day when I let the music move me instead of my brain! Baby steps!
I keep reading about how little equipment you need to be a runner and how you can “run anywhere”. I wondered why I needed an entire arsenal of gadgets and strategies before I went out for a run when it’s supposed to be such a minimalist sport. It dawned on me that for seasoned runners, or maybe “natural” runners, all you need is a pair of shoes and pavement, but for the novice runner like me, it requires much more. I’m just not a natural runner. In fact, I remember telling people, “I am not a runner. I can walk for miles and miles, but I cannot run.” Two specific people in my life continue to remind me of saying those very words to them in the past.
There has been a lot of trial and error when it comes to my running journey. I’ve already posted about what I wear (but I forgot about the Garmin…how could I forget my friend, Garmin?), so today I’m going to write about gadgets and strategies. When I first started out, it was all about the intervals because running just hurt and was not at all enjoyable. I had to concentrate on every move I made. I had to focus on breathing. I had to focus on how my foot hit the pavement. I had to focus on posture. I had to focus on how my arms were swinging. I had to focus on running downhill. I even had to focus on tying my shoes correctly!
This got a little long…so, I’m going to let you wait until tomorrow to read about my running strategies once I’m finally geared up and out the door! What preparation do you need to “go out for a quick run”???
AltruismNow, there’s a word! I find myself thinking about altruism a lot. In graduate school, there was the great debate about whether there was any real altruism or if we were all egoists. I remember those arguing on the side of egoism. It nagged at me because I believe in altruism.
I love reading in the New Testament about when Jesus performs some miracle or otherwise does something awesome, and he instructs the people to “tell no one”. See, Jesus didn’t need it announced to the entire universe that He brought Jairus’ daughter back to life (among other miracles).
I have really thought about whether my acts are altruistic or egoistic. I’m certain I am not an egoist. Strive to be an altruist!
I was perusing my blog ideas and GOOGLED “exercise for weight loss”. I thought this article was very readable and wanted to share it with you. The link is below.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/SM00109
What are MY favorite exercises?
1. Running (it is astonishing that I can now say that)
2. Walking (my first and true love…but now I want to GO GO GO!)
3. Martial Arts (not professionally – just through exercise tapes)
I like to keep this post generally positive, but if I had to report my least favorite exercise, it has to be Cycling. I find the entire process to be uncomfortable and difficult! There you have it. What do you love to do for exercise?
Laughter is awesome exercise!
Can we get some zero gravity around here???
Is today your weigh-in day? You know there’s a method to it, right?! When I went to Weight Watchers, everyone used the restroom, wore their lightest weight clothes, removed their jewelry, and took off their shoes before stepping on the scale. I went so far as to suck in and tighten up my muscles hoping it would make a difference. Later on, when I thought my scale was broken last year…I figured out a little secret.
First, you must not consume too much liquid the night before a morning weigh-in. If you’re zig-zagging your calories, then weigh-in day should be the day after your “light” day (awesome results). Next, when you wake up in the morning, go to the bathroom. If you feel like you need to weigh after a while – once you get up and moving – then fine. Before you eat and preferably before your coffee, potty again and then strip down. Position the scale on a hard, level surface. I make sure it’s not placed on the grout of my tile floor. Take a deep breath and then step very carefully on the scale. Put your feet at equal distance apart and put your weight on your big toes. That’s my secret. When I slightly lean forward, I get a better result.
Don’t tell me that I’m cheating…it’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Besides, I realized the only way the scale worked correctly was if I was correctly balanced on it…leaning forward just makes me feel a little lighter! I bet we all have our tricks. This is mine. Oh, and I’m all about getting a “best out of three” weights. Just record the lightest one you see. Oh, don’t judge me! :)
Do you have a scale trick?
It was an exciting Sunday. Oh, there was a Super Bowl? I don’t know much about that, but what I do know is that deep down, I wanted to run the Monument Avenue 10k this year. I kept trying to convince myself that I was already committed to the P90X and that I can only handle one exercise program at a time. It was tugging on me, though. Facebook friends left and right were posting about their training. I wanted to post about my training, too! So, I’m signing up.
It was a nice day on Sunday and I hadn’t exercised yet as of 3pm. I had on my workout clothes and I planned on doing the Kempo X that I had skipped on Saturday. I contacted a friend and offered to fully train with her and go at her pace on race day if she signed up for the race with me. Her answer was, “um, okay, sure.” That’s all it took. I tried to call her house, but I got her machine… I looked at my husband and said, “I’m going running.” He smiled and told me to take off. I geared up, popped in a stick of gum, and ran out the door. I knew that if I ran around the frog pond in my neighborhood and back that it was a beautiful 3.1 miles. My Garmin wasn’t charged and I didn’t look at the clock before I left the house (it took me a little bit to get laced up, get my music ready, etc.). He was organizing his tackle box…
It keeps going up as you round the corner!
The biggest hurdle when running from my house to any destination in my neighborhood is the hill right at the start. It’s a killer (well, not compared to my friends who actually live in the mountains, but whatever). I ran up that hill faster than I should have and promised myself that when I got to the top, I’d pace myself better. I was going to stick to the main road where it’s not so hilly, but then I cut over to the walking path.
Right before I hooked right to go around the pond, some other brave soul was doing the “high knee” jog. He waved very jubilantly at me. It was awesome…but I digress. I had a side stitch and I faked it in front of that guy, but I was hurting. I kept going, refusing to walk because I was under-dressed and cold. Heck, I still had my rings and pearls on from church that morning!!!!! I don’t usually exercise while wearing jewelry.
Path at the frog pond, with the cutest fishermen!
After getting back on the main road, with a little more than a mile left to go, a song came on the radio reminding me, ♫ But when I call on Jesus, All things are possible ♫ (Nicole C. Mullen), so I did and the cramp immediately went away. Cool. Thanks be to God! So I picked up the pace and ran back home and came in the house panting and sweating…and my husband was not finished organizing his tackle box!!!!! I asked him how long I was gone and he said, “I don’t know, it only seemed like 10 minutes.” Well, I ran 3 miles, so that is highly doubtful. I told him to think harder. He’s better at estimating time than I am. We settled on less than 30 minutes!!!! Are you kidding me? I mean, my legs were already starting to tighten up and I walked funny all day on Monday, but I don’t care. It was so great to be back outside and moving in the fresh air! I hadn’t run or walked outside for exercise since November 2010!
My friend is still figuring out if the Monument Avenue 10k is going to interfere with Opening Ceremonies for her kids’ baseball season, but either way, I’m signing up. I’ll either be a trainer or a runner…not sure which and really don’t have a preference. I’ll get her in a race eventually and she’s going to feel so much empowerment! My heart rate is up just thinking about it. I swear, if I hadn’t already done Kempo X this morning, I’d go out for a run!
Are you interested in this race? Click here for more information: http://www.sportsbackers.org/events/10k/10k.htm
Personally, I believe that you must look good to run a good race. This does not mean make-up (it will run in your eyes!). It does mean a cute (but comfortable) outfit (I love the running skirts), a good sports bra that wicks (you do not want chaffing), good shoes (go to a running store to get fitted), and knee socks are optional, but way preferred. I also start with a music source and end up ditching it because I get pumped up by the crowd. Make sure your music is reliable. It’s so frustrating to have to work on that when you could be getting your groove on. I take my cell phone and place it, along with gum, in my fanny pack. I love to run and chew gum at the same time.
The 9 Strong girls adopt a color each year for the OBX 1/2 Marathon in November. Our first year’s color was blue. Purple was the color for 2010. I’m not entirely convinced it was a coincidence that the official OBX tee-shirt for 2010 was blue…we were that awesome the year before…and perhaps next year it will be purple…we’ll see. Let’s go from head-to-toe to explain my fashion sense in the picture above.
Pig Tails: I don’t think we should operate randomly. I like to attach meaning to the things I do. The pig tails were to honor the memory of one of the 9 Strong’s dad. I wore purple pigtail holders to add to the ensemble. Tied to the pig tails were custom-made pirate ribbons.
Custom Tee Shirt: Another one of the 9 Strong owns an embroidery shop and makes custom tee’s. If at all possible, put your name on your shirt. I find this to be an essential, along with a catchphrase. I like to get noticed!
Sports Bra: Not a fashion statement here, but somebody is probably going to ask…
Running Skirt: Okay, last year, when I was obese, I could not wear a running skirt (or running shorts). The chaffing would have been unbearable. I couldn’t wear a skirt PERIOD without chaffing. But, even though my thighs still rub together…I can now wear a running skirt and I LOVE IT! They have built-in underwear (as do running shorts), they are comfortable, and THEY ARE ADORABLE. 
Fanny Pack: I put my cell phone, gum, and GU in this fancy little waist belt. I clip it in the back and I wear it low on my hips.
Knee Socks: If you have nice cushy shoes, then knee socks are awesome. If your shoes are not soft, cushy, and supportive, skip the knee socks and go for supportive socks! I have really awesome shoes, so it’s novelty knee socks all the way for me! In 2010, we went with the Purple Pirate theme, although none of us went to ECU… Oh, and underneath these socks, my legs are coated in Ben Gay…just in case!
Shoes: I really wanted my shoes to be super cute…I did, but I needed to choose comfort and support over fashion on this one. I’ve said it before…go to a running store and find out which shoes are best for you. It really does make a difference.
It’s important to me to get noticed during a race because when people recognize and cheer for me, it motivating. It puts an extra pep in my step! You might as well have fun with it if you’re going to work so hard otherwise!
I’ve been a cheerleader for as long as I can remember. It started with Little League, then middle school, and then, of course, high school. I was named “Most School Spirited” in the 8th grade at Manteo Middle School and in the 12th grade at Park View Senior High.
I’ve got a cheerleader’s attitude. In the 8th grade, the cheerleaders were charged with making buttons to give to people for game day. I made a lot buttons and handed them out fully expecting to see each and every one of those friends at the game. They usually came if I gave them a button! ”Go Braves, Go!”
In high school, there seemed to be a divide among the students in the school. I found myself planted right in the middle of the folks who wouldn’t normally come to a game. I was told that I was very convincing. Unexpected folks came to cheer for the Dragons! ”Let’s Go Green, GREEN! Let’s Scream White, WHITE!”
I love to cheer for people! I constantly cheer for my kids and I love cheering for my friends as they reach for their goals! There’s something you need to know: I am not just fluffing it when I get excited for you. I mean it! When I tell you that you’re awesome, I truly believe you are awesome. When I write something like, “YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEHHHHAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWW” on your post, you can literally imagine me shouting that from my computer (because I am). My heart starts pounding, I smile a wide smile, and sometimes I even applaud. If I realize you are cutting yourself short or you are about to give up, I will jump in with a, “Don’t you dare!”.
I believe in each and every one of you. For a long time, I didn’t believe in myself, but now I do and I know that you and I can DO ANYTHING! Reach for it, grab it, OWN IT! GO GO GO! A-W-E-S-O-M-E! 
I’m going to take this directly from David E. Rosage’s “Abide in Me” (1985):
“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe!” (Jer 29:11)
“We may be anxious, worried, or perplexed by certain happenings in our daily life, especially when trials and sufferings, heartaches and disappointments come our way. In God’s providential plan all these difficulties serve a specific purpose. They are for our welfare. From a future point of view, we may look back to discover that something which seemed at one time to be tragic was really a wondrous blessing. God’s plans are always for our welfare, even though disguised at times.”
Have a blessed Sunday!
This post started out as an answer to a question sent by a valued subscriber regarding healthy options at restaurant food chains. I decided to scope out some databases online (many of which you can also use on your smart phone) and share the ones I thought were both comprehensive and easy to use.
While on Weight Watchers, I learned about Dotti’s Weight Loss Zone. Apparently, six years later, this site is still popular for WW members. You can find the restaurant of your choice and scroll down the menu items to see how many POINTS that dish is going to cost. My method was to look down the list for the right number of POINTS and then check to see if it was something I’d want to order! Also listed is the other nutritional information, so if you are simply counting calories, you can check that, too. http://www.dwlz.com/restaurants.html
Another website that I found, which seems fairly comprehensive, although they don’t have a Red Robin listed…is entitled, “Healthy Dining Finder”. On this site, you can click on a restaurant name, see the full menu or read their compiled list of what they think your best options would be. This website only offers nutritional information, so you’d have to pull out your slide to calculate POINTS if you are using WW. http://healthydiningfinder.com/
Exercise 4 Weight Loss seems to have a database similar to Dotti’s. You can click on the restaurant link and it will list items with nutritional information and overall POINTS. It appears to be a bit easier to navigate than Dotti’s. http://www.exercise4weightloss.com/weight-watchers-points.html
Finally, a website that I tried before SparkPeople and Calorie Count was CalorieKing. It doesn’t give POINTS, but it calculates other nutritional information so you can judge what you are eating. It tends to give averages, but sometimes that’s all you need to make your decision. http://www.calorieking.com/foods/
Among the above choices, I think I might rank Exercise 4 Weight Loss as the winner. Check them out and see if any work for you. The goal is to make it easy so you’ll actually use it. I made a folder on my bookmark bar entitled “Weight Management” and I file these types of websites there so I can easily find it when I want it.
“Remember, there are no mistakes, only lessons. Love yourself, trust your choices, and everything is possible.” ~Cherie Carter-Scott
You are. YOU ARE. I will never forget when I first heard this song. It was April 24, 2010. It was after I hit my rock bottom, but before I started seeing major results that motivated me. I had already committed to working out every day doing SOMETHING, but I didn’t have a clear plan other than work out for 30 minutes a day and count calories. I hadn’t yet started The 30 Day Shred (that wasn’t until May 25, 2010).
It was a Saturday morning. My husband was playing with the children while I decided which On Demand workout video I wanted to complete that day. I chose Cardioke with Sharon and Billy Blanks, Jr. I completed the entire workout (singing and all) and then came the cool down. Words scrolled across the screen. Sharon Blanks was singing and Billy, Jr. chimed in periodically.
♫ Start from where you are. Take a deep breath in. Take a brave look in the mirror at the soul inside your skin. Perfection’s overrated, and simply stated.
It’s gonna be all right.
Every flaw is magnified underneath your hardened eyes. You pick yourself apart; and cut you down to size. It’s just standard operation for your self-humiliation. It’s become so much your normal that you don’t realize:
You are enough; You are enough; You are exactly where you need to be. Right now it’s tough, but all that you need to get through is already in you. You are enough.
There’s so much pain all around you; from the nerdy plain Jane to the pretty girl, too. You just never know; so you think that you’re alone; that no one can relate to you; and you’re the only one.
It’s gonna be all right.
Don’t like your job; don’t like your life; you’re fighting with your husband; you’re fighting with your wife. No one understands you. They’ve never been your age. It’s funny each new generation has the same old rage.
You are enough; You are enough; You are exactly where you need to be. Right now it’s tough, but all that you need to get through is already in you. You are enough.
There’s never been another you before; so how can someone tell you how to be? I wish that I could take away your doubt and set you free.
Start from where you are. Take it in stride. Call it all good. Call it a win. Reach from inside.
You are enough; You are enough; You are exactly where you need to be. Right now it’s tough, but all that you need to get through is already in you. You are enough.
You are enough; You are enough; You are exactly where you need to be. Right now it’s tough, but all that you need to get through is already in you. You are enough.
I am enough!♫
Well, that was it. I was bawling. I was crying so hard! My husband came in the room because he thought that I had fallen or otherwise hurt myself. I quickly turned my head so he wouldn’t see my tears and I told him I was fine. I then took a shower and cried some more. After my shower, I came to the computer and looked up the video. I cried some more. I teared up just posting this today. For me, this song was profound. Please believe in yourself! You are enough!!! I believe in you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czqjxuFUC74
Curves! I forgot about Curves! Before I hit my rock bottom, I had to fit into a bridesmaid’s dress. To probably nobody’s surprise, I ordered a size too small….. I joined Curves and I LOVED IT! The only reason I quit Curves was because their hours of operation did not conform to our family schedule. I lost 16 pounds in a short amount of time while I belonged to Curves. Of course, I also ate well and took an extra daily walk with my sweet friend who thought I was crazy to exercise twice a day.
Here’s what I liked about Curves: it was 30 minutes from start to finish. That included a cool down stretch. I liked the routine of the machines working every major part of the body. I liked the music and the people. They measured and weighed me and gave incentives for meeting my goals. Some Curves are better than others regarding atmosphere, but if you find a fun one, you’ll look forward to going and it will seem more like a break than a workout!
For more detailed information about Curves, please visit their website: http://www.curves.com/
My daughter does not like to sit through commercials while watching her favorite shows. Many of the “kiddie” stations don’t have commercial breaks and other shows that do are often recorded on the DVR so we can fast forward through the commercials. I try to encourage her to wait through the commercials and that her show will resume shortly. This makes her cranky.
Weight loss plateaus are kind of like commercials. Oh, there’s nothing more frustrating that having a steady decline in weight and then, “BAM!” you hit a standstill. We all hit plateaus. Our bodies like balance. Just keep pushing through and rejuvenate your motivation so you can get on with regularly scheduled programming!
How Did You Do It Response:
I have very little self-control, so the list of taboo foods are long. On the top of the list: Dean’s Dip. I love that stuff! I could eat an entire container in one setting. I also love Oreos (funny, I remember when I didn’t like Oreos…or brownies…but now I do.). If these items are in the house, I will eat them until they are gone.
Guilty Pleasures: Dt. Dr. Pepper and Coke Zero. If not for coffee, then I could consume an entire 2-liter of one of these sodas in one day. I have to really limit my guilty pleasures because they quickly turn in to taboo foods! I love pasta and do allow myself pasta…in fact, I don’t deny myself any food. I just count my calories and move on with it.
I’d like to take today to answer any specific questions you have regarding my blog. Post your question as a comment and I’ll see about turning that question (or a group of questions) into a post. Ask away!
Deliberate.
This week, I want you to focus on being deliberate in everything you do. When working out, be deliberate with your movements. When cooking a meal, be deliberate with your ingredients and method of cooking. Most of all, be deliberate in your thoughts and actions in every way.
“You are precious in my eyes / and glorious and…I love you.” (Is 43:4)
Me on the far right - half way to my goal. I've shrunk to a size 10/12!
Did you save some of your clothes from when you were thin? I had a drawer full of sizes 8 and 6. I held on to them, too. As the numbers on the scales started going down, I obsessively went to that drawer and tried them on to see if they fit yet. It took a long time, but I was victorious!
Actually, I had different sizes in different locations. I had the “final goal” sizes in the drawer of the guest room. I also had “middle of the road” sizes still in my closet. Once clothes started feeling roomy, I’d start trying on the smaller sizes. I loved moving something from its holding cell to the main line-up of my closet! I bet at least once a month I’d try on clothes to see if they fit yet. It was a motivator for me.
The day will come when you reach your goal and you’ll feel more alive and healthy than you’ve felt in a long time. In the mean time, take Stacy and Clinton’s advice from TLC’s “What Not To Wear” and wear clothes that fit you well for where you are. That final shopping spree when you reach your goal weight will be awesome – and well deserved!
As part of my denial that I was fat, I wondered why my rings were shrinking. The only ring in my jewelry box that would fit was my wedding band…and it was getting tight. Sure, I would force my engagement ring and another favorite ring on my fingers, but I would then have to wear them for several days, around the clock, until I finally worked them off with olive oil. My fingers would hurt so badly from pulling them off! You know how you get a muffin top when your pants are a little snug in the waist? Well, I had one on my fingers when I wore rings. As I lost weight, I was able to wear my engagement ring again. Then came the ring trying on obsession! My right hand is somehow larger than my left (I never noticed this before). One of my gauges for getting thinner was if my rings would fit. I am happy to report that I can now wear all of the rings in my jewelry box once again.
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This was at a 5k 2 weeks after my first half marathon (bib 105). Notice how thick my lower leg looks. Underneath that stylin' knee sock is an Ace bandage with my pants tucked in. Ouch!
I know it does. It does. Injuries are painful. It is so frustrating when you are finally motivated to start an exercise routine and now you’re hurt. Not just sore muscles, but injured. In fact, I’m currently committed to the P90X Lean, but my knee hurts. It really hurts. I’ve decided that I have to modify the exercises so that it’s low impact on my right leg especially. I happen to have strong legs and it’s not a problem area of mine, so I’m okay with concentrating on other parts of my body.
There’s only one thing to do when you sustain an injury. REST. Let it heal. When I was training for my first half marathon in 2009, I had chronic shin splints. I made the mistake of “working through the pain”. After finishing the half marathon and taking the holidays off to rest, I dived back into training for a 10k in March of 2010. I quickly started hurting in my shins again – but it was worse this time! It hurt so much to even walk. Then, I’d get to a point where it didn’t hurt to walk, but as soon as I even slowly jogged, I was crippled with pain…and forget running uphill! I had to just stop, let it heal (using lots of ice), and start again when I could. No fun!
It just wasn’t fair! Oh, I fussed at that devil! I even looked up Matthew 16:23 when Jesus said, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me.” Seriously, when my knee started hurting one day while doing the 30 Day Shred, I said, “Get behind me, satan!” and my leg stopped hurting. Just like that! God is so good.
If you are unable to exercise because of a lower body injury, try working your upper body. There are boxing videos that you can try that burn a ton of calories and don’t hurt your lower body a bit! If you just can’t find any type of exercise that is going to feel good for you and that you can consistently do, then you’ll have to adjust your calories accordingly. That’s my only advice. Other people might have other suggestions.
I still think that a lot of my injuries stemmed from vigorous exercise when I was obese. I thought that if I could lose the weight, the injuries would subside. When I trained for my second half marathon (while just above a healthy weight range), I was able to fully train and complete the race injury free. There were other factors for my success, of course. I trained correctly and learned some tips along the way. I still don’t have shin splints. I do, however, have an aching knee right now…
I'm on the far right - this was in September of 2010. I was 10 lbs away from my goal weight.
I know. I’m hungry, too. You will get used to it. You see, when you’re accustomed to eating until you have to roll out of the chair, you’re hungry when you cut the calories. Plus, if you’re an emotional eater like I am, then you’ll want to eat because you’re frustrated that you have to cut calories in the first place. You’ll throw your hands up and say, “Screw it!”, while pulling out the Oreos and chowing down. Are you aware of how many calories Oreos contain? UGH!
The beauty of journaling your calorie consumption is that you might be able to eat more than you thought. Actually measure out your portions if you can…sometimes eyeballing it backfires – you could have eaten more (or you might have eaten too much). If you do the zig zag, that low calorie day is HARD! Figure out what works for you, but STAY IN YOUR CALORIE RANGE. And don’t you dare dip below 1200! I’m hungry during the day, so I consume most of my calories before 4pm and then eat a very light dinner. That works for me. That might mean that I have to eat what everyone else ate for dinner the next day for lunch. That’s okay with me. I love leftovers.
If it’s close to dinner time and I’m hungry, I’ve decided to just eat dinner early. Otherwise, I eat a snack and then dinner and consumed unnecessary calories. My family has adapted to my different schedule and actually doesn’t seem to be phased by it. We still all sit together for dinner and now I’m more available to get up a million times to get the kids more of whatever they need. I’ve also found it helpful to drink a glass of iced green tea (sweetened just a little bit with Splenda) to curb my hunger until dinnertime. For me, drinking plain water when I’m thirsty nauseates me.
Find out what works for you. I am not a dietitian/ nutritionist or a medical professional. Be smart. Be deliberate. Get enough nutrition. Don’t starve yourself. If you are exercising, you’ll need to consume more calories. Fill out the information accurately on the calorie calculator (located on my blog roll) and you’ll know what your range is based on your lifestyle.
“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” ~Christopher Robin to Pooh (written by A. A. Milne)
Or, as I like to say it: You’re stronger than you think you are.
![Jillian Michaels: 30 Day Shred [DVD]](http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/public/_7Jfd2cGabj7SStS0dCC2Q7Iw1F7MVvXfx0ZqOhXsnmS0qd_i4cSr9BlAK4ZHS3jujXWJ1KAEhQR6HfYZkcE6dC73Kh-gzJX19nzjZg7YLSVpyxaTq7GOsuh3gH5sTxBTzjJGopUwq4COviUwZ9sPqD8L0b1t7rmx7b8EmXQd6C8jA)
Don’t forget to adjust your calorie range for daily exercise. I clicked on the “every day” option on the calorie calculator to make the necessary adjustment to my range.
You might not seem to be losing weight at first. Some people have reported GAINING weight initially (these were people who are already within a healthy weight range). Don’t give up. Exercise is good for you and if you choose this route, then stick with it. When you’ve completed your 30 days, make an adjustment to your calorie range and see what happens. Maybe you lost inches. Maybe your clothes (or rings) feel a little looser. Maybe your weight decreased. Good luck and have fun! It’s a love-hate relationship that I have with Jillian Michaels! :)
I had to learn to like coffee. I always loved the smell, but couldn’t muster the taste. I was a diet soda addict. I still love a good and fizzy diet soda. What’s the point of any of it if it doesn’t contain caffeine?! I love a caffeine buzz.
The multivitamin I take contains as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. They haven’t seen my coffee mugs… At one point, I was consuming up to three of my mega coffee mugs full of coffee. We recently got a Keurig. I’ve reduced my daily coffee intake to one of my giant mugs. It is the Keurig equivalent to a large and medium cup.
Did I mention that I was sensitive to caffeine? Oh yea, just ask anyone who used to ride around with me as their passenger in high school (I did not drive my hand-me-down minivan around town). We’d invariably go through a drive through and I’d get a soda. Then I got giddy. Well, I’m still an animated person and I just love the “bouncing off of the walls” feeling. I do!
Before I managed to like coffee, I could easily consume an entire two liter of diet soda – in one day! I’ve cut back on the caffeine, but I still enjoy the buzz. I drink my big mug in the morning and I might have some diet soda during the day…or at least some iced green tea.
I recently Googled, “Does caffeine help you lose weight?” I wondered because my multivitamin contains caffeine. The best answer I could find was from the Mayo Clinic. You can read the answer here: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/HQ00369. I don’t want to turn anyone in to a caffeine junkie!
By the way, I also drink a lot of water. I happen to like water. As you can imagine, I’m in the bathroom a lot. Cheers!
After I just posted about variety, I’m going to come at you with what is constant in my exercise routine.
These are my constants. They get me through and help me function at my best.
I’m a trained school psychologist, so I feel qualified in assuring you that I meet criteria for ADHD. Most people love that about me. I’m spirited, full of life, bouncing from here to there, have constant chatter, etc. Anyway, one thing I need in an exercise routine is NOVELTY. That’s why I like On Demand through Cox Cable. I can go to the Free Zone, then to Health and Wellness and then I get a full menu of exercise routines that run the gamut from walking to boot camp. I have my favorites, sure, but if I was completely successful on one particular “program” then the novelty wears right off for when I want to try it again. If you don’t have a free exercise channel on your television, try swapping videos with friends.
Take for example, Weight Watchers. After I got married, I successfully lost 40 pounds as a member of Weight Watchers. I loved it! I loved going to the meetings. I loved journaling. I loved it! Then, I had a baby. I went back to Weight Watchers and completely lost all motivation. It was no longer “new and exciting”. I quit Weight Watchers.
Other than the half marathon training, my next “program” was Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. I committed. It was only 20 minutes and I sweat like crazy. I had a friend who committed with me, which was a huge help. I also took the DVD and a set of weights with me when I went out of town. Again, 20 minutes of my life and it made a big difference! I completed my 30 days and it shed at least 15 pounds off and I felt great! Those pounds didn’t come off right away, friends. It wasn’t until 3 weeks after completing the Shred that I saw the decline. Don’t be discouraged!
After finishing my 2010 half marathon, I thought I would do another round of the 30 Day Shred, but alas, no motivation. I did buy a kettle bell and will try her Shred It With Weights sometime in the future. Currently, I’m sticking it out for 90 days for the P90X Lean. I borrowed the DVDs and I work it in. To make it work (because the workouts are long), I strive to wake up early…before the rest of the family awakes. Sometimes I slip (I’m human, after all) and I have to fit it in at another time during the day. My day really does run more smoothly if I wake up and get it done. I know a lot of folks already have to wake up super early for work…find a time to get some kind of exercise in that works for you…do the best you can. When you exercise, YOU CAN EAT MORE!
There is no right or wrong. The point is, you’ll find something that works well for you, then you’ll finish it and you might find that you need a change. That’s okay. JUST DO SOMETHING! I’m rooting for you!
People loved reading these shirts!
It wouldn’t have happened without my Nine Strong. Who are my Nine Strong? I’ll tell you. We are a group of women who all set out to attempt our first half marathon at the same time. We all grew up in the same town. We all knew each other in different ways and we were never a clique in and of ourselves. So, apparently, some of the girls wanted advice on how to start running. The rest were then recruited by the one and only Keenun. I was one of the late recruits. I was approached early enough, but I put it off until I came face-to-face with Keenun. You cannot say no to that girl! She’s special. We set up a group page on Facebook and shared thoughts, tips, concerns–stuff. Then, it was finally here – race weekend!
We were all so pumped up! Truly excited and very nervous! We started out waking up on Saturday morning and finishing the fun run. You know, for the tee shirt and medal. My goal for the fun run was to run the entire mile. I DID IT! I was exhausted and thought I was going to hyperventilate, but I finished that mile without walking. My dad was there to cheer me on. Did I mention that when I was a freshman in high school, I ran both track and cross country? I hated running then and I didn’t love anything about this fun run. But my dad held me accountable and I ran the entire mile. Then, I thought I was going to throw up. We got our medals and went out to lunch…and then we went back to the cottage to rest.
6 out of 9 Strong after the Fun Run
We signed up for the official OBX 1/2 Marathon Spaghetti Dinner. We were novices…we had to do it all! We met some pretty awesome pirates. Argh!
8 out of 9 Strong at the Pirate Pasta Dinner
Who could sleep when you have to run 13.1 miles the next day? During my training, I only made it 9 miles. Never the full 13.1. I might not have even made a full 9 miles…I might have estimated that length to make myself feel better. We got up that morning, ate our pre-race breakfast (I totally couldn’t eat), put on our custom-made tee shirts, and headed to the starting line. Oh, I was nervous. My stomach ached. Why was I so worked up? If I had to walk the entire thing, who cares? I WAS NERVOUS. I had put Ben Gay on my shins (I had chronic shin splints), wrapped them up in Ace bandages, taken my Advil, and had an energy bar in my fanny pack. We were quite full of ourselves at the starting line. We took off. I thought I could breeze right through. I forgot to pace myself. I hooked up with one of the other nine girls in my group. We found some others on the Galloway plan. We hung with them for a while. I pushed through, but didn’t do a consistent walk-run. I just ran when I could and walked when I couldn’t run. When a camera was rolling, I became quite animated. Yes, I’m an animated person! By the time I got to the halfway point, I was walking almost exclusively. I refilled my pint-sized water bottle at every drink station. I was afraid of the gels, so ate a protein bar instead. When I got to mile 10, my legs cramped up. The last 3 miles were by far the longest and most miserable of my life. They called my name when I crossed the finish line. VICTORY!
9 Strong ~ We did it!
All I knew is that I could not sit down. If I sat down, I would not stand back up again. I didn’t care that my feet hurt, those shoes were staying on. I didn’t care if my legs were shaky, I was not sitting down. I wandered around in a stupor. I had no idea what I had just done. We took pictures, talked about our run, and then went to find the free beer. I thought I’d be too sick for beer. It was actually tasty. We then went to lunch. I finally wanted fuel. We all hugged good-bye and promised to see each other soon. I then traveled the 3 hour drive back home. When I walked in to the house to greet my two children who were staying there with their grandparents, I was hobbling. I limped for about 3 days. I just ran a half marathon, folks. I felt like I could accomplish anything. We signed up for a 5k two weeks later. Then, I signed up for a 10k. Was I a runner?
Do you know someone who is not afraid to make things happen? Plant a seed that you need an ounce of motivation and see how far that friend will take you! It’s okay to be afraid to push the limits. The more difficult the struggle, the more glorious the victory!!! YOU CAN DO IT!
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I always started running when I saw the camera pointing in my direction.
Let’s get one thing straight: I DON’T LIKE TO EXERCISE. I mean, once I get in to the routine of exercise, then it happens out of habit. But if I take an “I didn’t feel like it today” day off, then forget it. Game over. It’ll be weeks before I attempt to work out again.
It was August of 2009 when I signed up for a half marathon that was a mere 10 weeks away. Did I mention that I was obese? My brain never thought I was obese. My brain still thought I could do anything a 20-something could do (I’m 35). Well, y’all haven’t met Keenun (and if you have, then you know exactly what I’m talking about). She’ll make you think that you can do ANYTHING and she’ll give you the data to prove it. She introduced me to Jeff Galloway’s injury-free run/walk plan. Oh, it’s good. It’s gooood! Check it out along with other useful articles at www.jeffgalloway.com.
I signed up for that half marathon. I then proceeded to spend $200 at Under Armor for “gear”. Additionally, I needed $125 shoes. Investments.
The biggest obstacle of training with others is that they might not “get” your plan. You’ve found a plan that sounds awesome to you. It’s working. You can run for 20 seconds at a time and you get to walk for 40 seconds! I mean, can you say “doable”? But, your partners might be a touch more advanced than you. They’ll follow your plan because they love you, but then they’ll take an extra lap around the block at warp speed while you huff and puff to your minivan and drive home drinking your Myoplex Lite.
I survived the half. My goal was to beat my brother’s full marathon time from the previous year. I did that. My ultimate goal was to finish. I also wanted to run some of it. I walked most of it and it hurt. I was happy when it was over. I was in a stupor. And then I hit the high and thought I was completely invincible. I subscribed to Runner’s World magazine (another comprehensive and great website – www.runnersworld.com). I was then introduced to the literary delights of Marc Parent (The Newbie Chronicles). I identify so well with that guy!
So, how in the world did I survive a half marathon while I was obese? Stay tuned for the next post entitled, “Running my first half marathon, a weekend event”.
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Don’t be discouraged if you have a bad day…or 3 bad days in a row. There are many nights when right before I go to sleep, while thinking about all of the “cheating” I’ve done that day, I recite, “Tomorrow is a new day.” It is. Accomplishing any goal is about many things…among them are: baby steps and trial and error. Japanese Honda Motor Company founder Soichiro Honda wrote, “Success is 99% failure.” Your breakthrough will come. Try not to beat yourself up over eating that bag of chips instead of sticking to just one serving. It’s okay. Write it in your log (you might surprise yourself) and know that tomorrow is a new day.
I have a team of folks that helped me to climb out of my hole.
Remember these from health class? No one liked this test!
People don’t like that word. I’m about keeping it real, and I was obese. It’s such a stigmatic word and your friends will not like it when you use it. If you are truthful with yourself and your situation, then you will see better results. Besides, you’ll love the euphoria you’ll feel when you slide out of the obese category!
The Centers for Disease Control’s definition of obesity: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/defining.html
This is me at my top weight...and at a party...you don't want to weigh in after a good party!
You’ve already recorded your “top weight” and you’ve calculated the calories you need for the rest of the week according to that weight. Weight fluctuates, so it really is important to pick one official weigh in day and stick to it. Yes, I know you are going to still step on the scale every day, but only write it down one day per week. BUT WHICH DAY? The day I first chose was Tuesday. It was my Weight Watchers weigh in day and it sounded good to me. Here’s the problem with a weigh in day that is early in the week: you might not have flushed out your weekend binge yet. I moved my day to Wednesday. Thursday could be good, too. Pick a day that works for you. Wednesday works for me.
Let's get something straight: I love everything on the bottom of this pyramid! There, I said it!
Look, there’s a lot of trial and error when it comes to finding what works for you. I contemplated counting Weight Watchers POINTS again, but I wanted more food! So, I checked in to counting calories. Calories in-calories out, right? Sounds like a plan.
I was devastated when I saw this picture in print - my three girls on the right are gorgeous, of course - I had no idea my belly was that big!!!
Jan 19
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So, here’s my blog. People want to know how I lost 50 pounds in less than a year. Well, it’s taken much longer than a year, of course, and it’s still going on, but what people see on the outside was a transformation that occurred from March to November of 2010. You’ve got to hit a rock [...]
People want to know how I lost 50 lbs. in 1 year. With faith, focus, and love, you can do ANYTHING!
