Monday, December 28, 2009

Inbetween the Holidays!

Here we are in "tween" time, not Christmas or Chanukah, and not yet New Years. So many people, including me in the past, sort of view this week as a "throw away" week in terms of health and fitness. After all, why not wait until after the first of the new year to really buckle down and get serious?

Well, my strong suggestion is to Carpe Diem, seize this day and embrace NOW whatever your health and fitness priorities are TODAY! I promise that if you focus today on YOU, you will immediately begin to feel better, be encouraged and see results. There is no time like the present to embrace the importance of you! You are worth it! Love you more than you love empty calories!

I had a wonderful holiday. If you read my last post, you know that I gave myself a day off on the 24th and 25th. I had treats and enjoyed every one of them! It did feel very good, however, to go right back on program on the 26th! I actually did a Jay Robb's 3-day Fruit Flush to help balance out my system. Today is my final day of the flush and tomorrow I will resume my normal eating habits of lots of lean protein, whole grains (in 1/2 cup portions) fresh vegetables and fruits, healthy fats, and lots of water and herbal teas.

I did keep up on fitness everyday though! On the 24th, my trainer kicked my butt. Thank you Kathi! On the 25th, we took a nice long walk up a big hill! I did yoga on the 26th and a 90 minute killer workout on the 27th! Today I will do 60 minutes of cardio. It feels good!!!

I am teetering on the brink of cresting 60 pounds and I will be excited to share with you when I hit that milestone!

Fun detail - I bought a pair of cute size 10 jeans that actually fit well! They have adorable buttons and crystals on the back pockets......so fun! The best part is that I found them on sale at TJ Maxx for under $20! I love a bargain, that fits!

Desire, dedication and discipline.....it works!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

It's Ho Ho Ho Time!

So Christmas is upon us, with apologies to my dear friends who celebrate Hanukah......it's the most wonderful time of the year, and also, arguably, the most calorie laden time of the year!

What are you most looking forward to enjoying? For me it the delicioius assortment of cookies that find their way to my parent's house! Or is the pecan laden cinnamon rolls that come fresh out of the oven on Christmas morning at their house? Or perhaps it is the lasagna with homemade noodles and sauce that is dripping with cheese that is not to be missed!

So you get the picture....the holiday is completely intermingled with love, family and scary calories. My goal this year is to focus on the family and the love and enjoy small amounts of the unnecessary calories. I will let you know how I do.

The truth is that since I had successfully completely altered the way I eat, it is truly difficult for me to overeat. My stomach simply cannot hold as much as it used to. This is a good thing! My plan is enjoy whatever I want on the 24th and 25th and jump right back into the plan on the 26th.

So Merry Christmas to you all....I will check back in on the 26th! God bless. I hope you enjoy, however you celebrate!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Shed Another One!

Whew, made it through a packed weekend and shed another pound! I am now at 58 pounds down and staring at the big 60! So happy with my progress! YAY!

This weekend was filled with holiday gatherings galore....and I still shed a pound! Hurrah! I baked cookies and tasted them. It was very satisfying....my beautiful sister came over to help with the baking, which allowed me to also make a big pot of delicious bean, ham and vege soup! So last night, we all had soup for dinner with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top. I served mini rolls with the soup (broth from a ham bone, leeks, carrots, celery, onions white beans and garlic) and cookies for desert. I served bourbon balls, date nut bars, gingerbread people and brownies - cut into very small bite size pieces. I have decided that if the taste is small enough, it can be legal!!!

I also kicked my own ass in the gym yesterday. It felt great. I had an awesome yoga session on Saturday morning too....so very satisfying!

We saw some of our most favorite people on Saturday for dinner. We were with our dear friends that we have know for 20 years. These folks are the picture of health and fitness - they really do live it all the time....and yet this perfectly shaped and toned gorgeous woman still wants to shed a few pounds. It is amazing how linked we all are with the desire to seek better health and fitness levels! I enjoyed our conversation about what works ( and what doesn't work) for her.

So, no matter where you are on your journey, just know that we are all around you in different shapes and sizes and stages of our journey. Just reach out and ask for help when you need it.

Desire, dedication and discipline - make it happen - even through the holiday season!

Friday, December 18, 2009

An AWESOME Gift!

O.K.....so I have heard from several friends very recently that they have begun their own healthy journeys and are meeting with much success and find inspiration in reading about my journey! THANK YOU! for letting me know! It is a wonderful gift to learn that someone else is positively impacted by my journey! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

So, let's all keep on keepin' on and roll forward together! One friend said she had busted through a "decade" number on her scale and was so happy because it was in a downward direction (an not the other way around!) Another friend has experienced a loss of some formerly pesky healthy symtoms that have simply disappeared with her exercise and new eating plan! HOW AWESOME IS THAT????????????

So, to those friends who are generous enough to share their journey...I say...THANK YOU! I am renewed in my desire, dedication and discipline to contiune achieving greater success!!!

Happy Friday!!!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

A Fun Holiday Lunch!

Yesterday, a collegue and I took our boss to lunch at a special seafood restaurant. It was a delicious lunch enjoyed by all, even me! I allowed myself some special treats, yummy cioppini and some sourdough bread to mop up the yummy red sauce. I even had a bite of the desert they ordered. I enjoyed the company and the food!

You can enjoy a special holiday lunch toooooo! Just remember to plan for it, create a calorie deficit before and after and as soon as the lunch is over, go right back to your plan.

Desire, Dedication, and Discipline. Make It Happen!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

A New Way to Avoid Calories! Not Recommended for You!

Last night, we had a dinner party for our dear friend's the Chris and Sandy Good and their beautiful daughter Demi and her boyfriend. I had planned the party to try out a complete dinner of recipes I had not tried before. I was excited by the creative outlet of it all! I had been thinking about how to try all the delicious things on the menu without totally blowing my calorie count.

So, guess what! On Saturday morning I wasn't feeling very well, took my temperature and it was 102. I went straight to bed, thought about what to do about the party, because, frankly, we had already spent a great deal of money on the ingredients. so I called my Mom, who lives very near, and she agreed to come over with Dad to help my husband finish the cooking for the dinner. So, while I was upstairs in bed, the party carried on without me and I didn't ingest one single extra calorie. BTW, I heard that the she crab soup was off the charts delicious!

I think my lesson is one of those "be careful what you wish for 'cuz you just might get it!" I think I just need to relax and enjoy the season without overdoing it.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Friday Morning FF Latte

I just had a Friday morinng treat, a fat free decaf sugar free latte and it was yummy! It was my mid-morning 100 calories snack today! Friday mornings around my office are a challenge because around here it is "Free Breakfast Friday". The company supplies a breakfast buffett to all employees on Friday. They always put out quite a spread. This year, I have been simply avoiding the buffet. This morning I went down and had a bowl of fresh fruit. It was delicious. I walked right past the breakfast quesadillas, the sausage, the donuts, the eggs and waffles....etc. and just enjoyed the fruit.

It is truly AMAZING how much food is present in our lives. Yesterday, a tin of cookies arrived at the office from a business contact. Someone asked if I was going to have one and I said no thanks. I said that on Saturday I was preparing a special meal and I would enjoy that. Then I have a "free" day on 12/24 and 12/15. The woman I was talking to said "How do you do it??? How can you tell yourself that you won't eat treats except on designated days?" My answer is simple - DESIRE, DEDICATION AND DISCIPLE - once you have the mindset, the rest is easy.

I am now 56 pounds lighter in my journey. How is your journey going?

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Mid-Week Slump

On Wednesday, I typically feel happy that it is the middle of the week...today however, I feel like I am in a mid-week slump. I made my Ezekiel english muffin and 3 egg whites for breakfast with a delicious sweet juicy pear - it was all yummy, but it fed my stomach and not my soul. So I am reflecting on where my "slumped" mood may be coming from......if I figure it out, I will let you know! Maybe it was just the horrendous traffic I sat in this morning!

I watched the finale of The Biggest Loser last night and was so happy for the weight loss success of all of those people. What a journey they are on! I hope and pray they will be able to maintain their success on their own once the cameras have been turned off!

I have not watched each episode, but I do like how they find find a way to incorporate the contestant's emotional pain or baggage into their story line. Each of us is the sum of all of our experience and no one gets dealt a struggle-free life. We all face struggles, large and small. I do agree with Jillian and Bob (the trainers on the show) that it is necessary to be reflective and examine the source of over eating (or trying to medicate with drugs, alcohol or sex - think Tiger is listening?). Don't be afraid to look inside!

So, wishing you all a happy Wednesday. Go out and make it a great one!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

A Happy Holiday Parade

Saturday night was the annual Encinitas Christmas parade. It is a fun hometown goofy type of parade. No big floats, just marching Indian princesses, boy scout troops and the local dog walking club.

The parade has become an annual tradition for my husband and I, my parents and other local family members. In years past, we always buy a few yummy local pizzas and consume hot adult beverages that we bring from home. This year was much the same...the big difference for me was that I ate a big salad (no dressing) and had 1 (as in singular) slice of pizza and a Sobe Lean drink. I thoroughly enjoyed the parade, my dinner and everyone's company. What I am trying to say is that I did not eat multiple pieces of pizza, which we all know rapidly racks up calories, sodium, and fat grams!

Similarly, today Allen and I made a batch of cookies for a dinner party next weekend. I had ONE. It tasted good. I revelled in my ability to stop after one!

I also bought a food scale today and just to recalibrate, weighed several things to remind myself about portion control. I had purchased some jumbo apples at the store yesterday and was curious how many ounces they were and the subsequent calories. One apple weighed 15 ounces, which equals about 240 calories, I did say they were "jumbo" didn't I? So I cut it up and will have half of it with my breakfast and half of it as my afternoon snack! Yummy! I also weighed out 1 ounce of almonds....not very many almonds!....because I tend to snack on raw almonds. It was a good exercie to see with fresh eyes, how many almonds are in an ounce!

I did all this almost a year ago and enjoyed recalibrating today. I don't compulsively weigh and measure every morsel that goes into my mouth daily, but it is good to be able to accurately "eyeball" portions so you can be true to a healthy calorie estimate!

Little victories....that is what I like to celebrate!

Friday, December 4, 2009

Weighing In on Saturday Morning.....

So, I have established a routine where I weigh myself once a week on Saturday mornings. There is so much debate about how often to step on the scale. One of my personal breakthroughs was actually making friends with my scale. For a long time, I avoided the scale because the scale was not my friend. Then one day, I simply stepped on the scale and accepted that IIWII = it is what it is...my new favorite acronym! Then as I began shedding pounds, I actually looked forward to Saturday mornings because I could see evidence that my efforts were successful.

Some of my friends say they weigh every morning. Others say twice a week. Others say once a month. You get the idea....each of us must decide what works for us and simply do it! I encourage everyone to use the scale as a measure of your journey, along with taking your waist measurement. My waist is now 11 inches smaller than this time last year. That makes me happy.

So, tomorrow morning, I will wake up and hop naked onto the scale and hope for the best...another pound gone forever!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

So, last night I had an interesting workout. I went to a "boot camp" class taught by my favorite instructor, who is also my trainer. I LOVE her! The short story is that I jogged out of class after the first 10 minutes.

The longer story is that I was struggling with all sorts of internal self-speak. The class starts out with warm up walking, jogging, skipping in a big circle. I found myself going at a slower speed that other members and telling people to pass me. I struggled with the image of me going slower than others. It's funny, I am perfectly comfortable going at my own speed, unless it is visible in a very public way, like in class last night. Then she had us stop and do push ups on the floor. O.K., anyone who knows me knows that I am a real "girl". I don't like getting down on a dirty floor without a mat or a towel.....so I didn't like that....so to cut to the chase, I gave myself permission to leave class. I did finish a full hour of great cardio on the Precor runner machine. I worked up a good sweat. It's not as if I blew off my workout....and yet, I still have a nagging feeling of having failed.

So my question to ponder today is....why am I so hard on myself and did that bad habit contribute to my struggles with my weight gain? How can I break this bad habit so it does not coem around to bite me in the butt as I strive towards successful maintenance?

It is always interesting to (as my sister would say) hold up the mirror to yourself and explore why something is uncomfortable.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

December is here!

It's the most wonderful time of the year AND it's the scariest time of the year because of all the food land mines. Everywhere you look people are pushing candies, cookies, cakes, champagne, wines, cordials,....lions and tigers and bears OH MY!

Today at my company, we are having an all employee holiday lunch celebration. It is being catered by a very popular local diner. The menu promises hamburgers, onion rings and milk shakes. Everyone is super excited EXCEPT me!

So I did what I have learned is a successful best practice...I brought my lunch and will eat before going to the party so I will be able to resist the onion rings and the milk shakes....because who doesn't like a good onion ring or 10??? :-)

I also have a department holiday dinner and dinner with good friends and the list goes on. So - I have assessed the "landmines" and have selected when and where I will indulge because I simply CANNOT eat poor food choices at all of these events.

Of course, this strategy works everyday of the year, it is just that during this holiday season, there are an extreme amount of temptations. I vow to stay strong and focused. I will reach January having shed another 4 pounds in December (1 per week)!

What are you planning to do to not sabotage your own journey in December?

Friday, November 27, 2009

Thanksgiving was spectacular and delicious! Today I went to the gym and did a long weight workout with my trainer, Kathi, followed my 30 min. of hot cardio. It was GREAT! I also had 3 protein shakes - I like Jay Robb's powder - today. I had pink beans and brown rice for dinner tonight.....yummy and full of fiber!

It was important for me to get right back into program...."get back on the hoorse"!

My favorite part of Thanksgiving was talking to my wonderful nephew who shared that he has become healthier this year to the tune of 48 pounds gone! I am SO PROUD of him! He said he is walking more and replacing processed carbs with lean protein. I told him we were nothing but a couple of big losers! We cracked up!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed however you celebrated!

Tomorrow is yoga - one of my favorite workouts of the week because it allows me the time to really go inside and reflect and meditate. Everyone should practice yoga!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Great news! I am completely healthy! I had a meeting with my doctor yesterday afternoon to reveiw recent blood work. He said that I am "too healthy" for him-YAY! All of my blood chemistry markers are super healthy. Prior to beginning my journey, a few of my blood chemistry markers had inched higher, still within the normal range but on the high side of normal. My cholesterol and blood sugar had inched higher as well as my blood pressure.

Yesterday, Doc said I had the health picture of a 35 year old, which is AWESOME, seeing as how I am 54!

This is what I was striving for when I began my journey....a healthier me, not a skinnier me. The smaller body is a nice side effect of all the work on the health picture, but for me, the true value is increased overall health! The doctor warned me that since I was so much smaller that my rate of weight loss would begin to slow. He said it is inevitable. Not having that happen would "simply deny the rules of thermodynamics"-whatever that means! I will need continued support from all family and friends to keep my desire high, my dedication strong and my discipline firmly in place!

Still, I reamin very motivated to continue reducing and building lean muscle mass.

To celebrate the wonderful news from the doctor's appointment, I went for a long walk with Allen at sunset yesterday. The horizon stayed a brilliant orange glow long after the sun had set. It was a fantastic way to celebrate good news!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Happy Tuesday...and it is a happy day for me! I finally broke through a 2 week plateau. I weighed in one pound less this morning and I was very happy to see my progress...slow and steady wins the race!

My trainer, Kathi - who is awesome - convinced me that I needed to add a few more calories to my input in order to metabolize more efficiently. Imagine that .....eat more lose more! I like it!

I am rushing today so I don't have much time. I'll share more tomorrow!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Thanksgiving Week

So, here we are at the start of Thanksgiving week! I definitely invest time in reflecting on the amazing abundance in my life, for which I give thanks regularly!

However, for those of us on a quest for a healthier smaller body, Thanksgiving week also represents a minefield of calories and unhealthy choices. So, I resolve to approach this week with a desire to enjoy it and all it brings to me, with dedication to my fitness (even doubling up on workouts the day before and the day after) goals and with the discipline to define when I can have special treats. I am allowing myself a "free" day on Thanksgiving day and a "free" day on Saturday when we celebrate Allen's birthday.

For me, loving myself enough to be disciplined about when to flex and not going "hog wild is an important component of my success.

What are your strategies for success through Thanksgiving week?

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Happy Sunday! I love Sunday's for so many reasons, but mostly because I can take as long as I want at the gym and not feel time pressure. Sunday's I do an hour of weight training and 45 minutes of cardio. It feels luxurious to invest all that time in me!

Sunday is also the day I think about food the most...the marketing, food prep for snacks for the week and what will the evening meals probably be????

For me, this journey has had a dominant focus on food and eating. I have always been a healthy eater. I just had to focus on portion control and planning. For instance, right now, I am roasting a leg of lamb for dinner tonight. We will probably have a lamb stir-fry for dinner tomorrow and a lamb bean soup on Tuesday. I also chopped up celery and carrots and put them into zip lock baggies for my snack bag this week, enough for sharing!

I find that if I have good choices available to me that it is (almost) easy to resist all of the temptation that presents itself throughout the day. Believe it or not, if I have sliced red bell pepppers and carrots to crunch on, I literally don't want the cookies and candy that flood the office on a regular basis.

I imagine that my biggest challenge to reaching my next goal will be sugar.....it is like crack cocaine to me....so bad for you and so hard to resist. Of course, my ultimate goal is lifetime maintenance.....for sure it will be an ongoing journey.

A woman came up to me in the gym today to compliment me. She said..."You are wasting away to nothing!"...which isn't true but sure is fun to hear! We chatted for a few minutes and she said I had inspired her to attack her stubborn 10 pounds. In turn, she shared one of her favorite exercises which I added to my workout today. I love the sharing and give and take!

I am plateauing right now. My weight hasn't changed in 2 weeks. My positive rational brain says.....it's good to learn how to maintain....my emotional brain is very frustrated. If you have any ideas on how to break a plateau, please let me know!

So I am off to enjoy dinner with Allen. Yummy roast lamb, roasted butternut squash and carrots and a big mixed green salad with evoo and lemon juice. Yummmmy in my tummmmy!

C u 2mrw!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Hello Blog World!

I now know how other people feel when they post their first blog! It is exciting and fun! I am doing this because so many friends have told me what an inspiration I am to them. You see, I have been on a journey to improved health since the beginning of 2009. So far I have lowered my cholesterol by 60 points, achieved a very healthy blood pressure reading and shed 54 pounds! I have reached my initial goal of 50 and am on my way to my stretch goal to shed 20 more. I've been achieving this success the old fashioned way - move more and eat less!

I invite you to read my blog and share your thoughts too. There are so many of us who are on this same journey!
I will post daily with updates, frustrations and successes! I hope my thoughts will be a positive addition to your journey!

C u 2mrw!