Saturday, January 28, 2012

Love Your Tummy!

Tummy.  Belly.  Stomach.  Gut.  Love pillow.  Jiggly bit.  Paunch.  Abs.  Abbie-domen. 

Why don't we love our tummies????  This morning at the gym, I was speaking with a friend who was having a tough morning.  This woman is about a size 2, maybe a 4 on a bloated day.  She is fit, healthy and lovely.  Yet, she was in a full blown negative funk about how mad she was at her body for aging.  She was ranting about her "obscene" belly.  She said she was sick and tired of sitting down, looking down and seeing her "fat" stomach.  It was all I could do to not burst out laughing right in her face!  She actually tried to grab the flesh on her abdomen to make a point and all she came up with was the fabric of her shirt.  More internal laughter on my part.  She said that getting older sucked because it was impossible to stay thin.  .....more internal laughter from me.

Of course, I did not laugh at her.  She was in the midst of her own tough moment, no matter how laughable it was to me.  I had to wonder, what messages did she get as a child that would have her so upset over her body at mid-life.  Instead, I put my arm around her shoulder and told her it was OK to be in a funk as long as she promised me that she would remember what I know to be true. So she asked - what's that???  I told her that 16 years ago when my friend Monica was dying from cancer, she made me promise to really celebrate every birthday because she would not have any more.  My friend from this morning said - thank you- for making me remember what is important.

We all have our our funk moments.  We all have moments when we are less than satisfied with a body part (or two) and we all have moments of yearning for the former 20 year old body.  I don't know about you but I would not trade my 50+ year old brain for my 20 year old body!!!  Just please promise me that you will ultimaely honor and love your body, mind and spirit, tummy pillow and all!  There is so much to love!

Desire to honor Monica with celebration of life.  Discipline to minimize the negative funk.  Dedication to loving your body!   

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Am I Strong Enough?

Today, during my workout with my trainer, she had me do bicep curls with a 35 pound bar.  It felt good to be able to curl that much weight.  I did sit-ups with a 25 pound plate from a decline position.  I did chest press on the ball with 25 pound dumb bells.  I did step ups to a  shoulder press with 12.5 pound dumb bells.  I am really pleased with my physical strength and my ability to power through a workout.  I am really strong!  Yay!

BUT - my recurring challenge is with food.  I really want to re-double my efforts to drop more weight.  I want to say good-bye to the holiday pounds - yes, I did gain a few - CRAP - and for me it is all about the food.  Am I strong enough to push away the food that is no longer serving me?  I say YES. 

January is a time of rebirth, of new affirmations, of renewed focus, of fresh direction, of strengthened targets.  What is in your cross hairs?  Are you strong enough to go in the direction that will best serve you?

I SAY YES!

Desire to stay strong. Dedication to your forward direction.  Discipline to embrace the YES.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

I LOVE Jicama!

Yum yum!  Jicama is my newest yummy guilt free snack food.  Have you tried it?  Do you know this vegetable?  I read somewhere that it is also called a yam bean - who knew???  One cup of jicama, 4.5 ounces, has only 49 calories, zero fat and 7 grams of fiber!  It is delicious raw, very crunchy, a mild faint sweet flavor.  It is perfect in salads or as the vehicle for hummus or any other dip you may enjoy.

Speaking of hummus, making your own is a great way to control the sodium, fat and calories!  I just made some with garbanzo beans, tahini, the juice of a whole lemon, the zest from the lemon, some EVOO and a whole bunch of fresh parsley.  It turned out delicious and is packed with the nutrition from a ton of fresh parsley.  I hadn't made that flavor before and I am excited to eat it!

Why all this food talk?  Well, I am getting ready to watch the Golden Globes and in honor of staying on point, I am serving hummus, jicama, carrots and sliced cucumbers.  For dinner I am simmering a big pot of pork and beans.  It was fun to cook and will be fun to eat.

Desire to keep finding yummy things to eat.  Dedication to make recipes at home.  Discipline to manage ingredients and nutrition.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Fighting a Cold!

Two weeks ago, I fought off a cold and thoroughly enjoyed the holidays and my brother's visit.  Well, well, well....the cold decided to pay me another visit and I am back fighting it again.  It is REALLY annoying!  I have a small tickle in my throat that is causing me to cough all night long and all day today.  Fortunately that is my only symptom, but, trust me, it is enough.....

So,  the good news amidst the annoyance of coughing is that my appetitie is minimal.  Feed a cold? Starve a fever/  Or vice versa?  I'm not sure, but whichever it is, I am not tempted by food right now.  There is my silver lining!

Which is it for you when you have a cold?

Also, I did get up and go to the gym for an hour of cardio mid-day.  I am glad I exercised, and I was happy to come home to shower and take a nap. 

I have a really busy week and I need to be healthy, so wish me luck on winning the fight against the cold!

Fortunately, it is rare when I catch a cold and I can't help but think it is an opportunity to be so very grateful for my good health the rest of the time.  I get really annoyed fairly easily by having a cough.  My heart goes all the way out to people who have chronic serious health issues. God bless them as they struggle to be healthy.  It is why this "healthy journey" is so consumingly important to me.  I know that a person who is healthy - meaning a healthy weight, a healthy blood pressure, a healthy heart rate, a healthy fitness level, healthy blood chemistry, a healthy outlook, and so on....are much more likely to live a longer life with increased quality of life. 

So, go out and find your way to great health.

Desire to be healthy. Dedication to find healthy options.  Discipline to always focus on health.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

A New Year - A Fresh Renewal - An Awesome Opportunity!

Happy New Year 2012 and welcome to the latest chapter of your (and my) healthy journey.  There is something so inspiring about the first day of the year!  It is a fresh new canvas upon which we can paint our personal picture.  We have the freedom to create whatever we want to create. 

So many newscasters and newspaper articles are reporting on the top 5 resolutions, the top 5 ways to live a better life, the top 5 this and the top 5 that.  Well, I say, don't do what they say, instead go within yourself and figure out your path to your healthy journey 2012! 

Let's be honest, it is not always easy to make healthy choices.  It is always POSSIBLE but it is not always easy!  So, as you design your journey, make sure it is filled with personal motivation and personal meaning so you can stick with it, especially when the going gets tough!

What is your motivation?  To lower your cholesterol score?  To control your sugar level?  To control your blood pressure?  To fit into a smaller size?  To live longer than a parent who you lost?  Figure it out, and make it real for you.....find a way to keep your personal motivation accessible so that it is always there to guide you on your journey.

Desire to write your own story.  Dedication to embracing your personal journey.  Discipline to find your motivation and stick with it.