Where did this weekend go? It is Sunday at 5:30 in the evening. We have had a very full day! Instead of the gym this morning, we hiked up Mt. Woodson in the Poway area of San Diego. We hiked up 2,500 feet of elevation in a 2.2 mile distance. Of course, we hiked back down again, as a helicopter transport is not in our budget this year. :-) It was definitely a good exercise session. I got my heart rate up higher than I have ever had it. No, not because of the elevation climb, but because we had just started down the mountain and we heard a distinctive rattle. Yes, it was a live rattlesnake, all coiled up and looking at us! I thought I was going to fly back down the mountain. I didn't know my feet could move that fast. After I stopped shaking, we resolved to walk in the center of the trail, with Allen in front of me....I am not sure I like being that close to "nature"!!!
We had lunch with friends. I had a grilled chicken salad, no dressing, with iced tea. I also had about 2T of a hummus appetizer. So, I stayed on plan. For dinner I am roasting a pan of veges including beets, onions, sweet potatoes and butternut squash. Should be a yummy plate of dinner! Right now, I am snacking on soy crisps. If you haven't found them yet, see if you can find them in your store. The brand is Full Circle. They are Sea Salt Soy Crisps. A serving is 21 crisps. They are round crisps about 1.75 inches in diameter. One serving has 120 calories, 3 grams of unsaturated fat, 8 grams of protein and 15 grams of carbohydrates. The ingredients are soy flour, rice pieces, sunflower oil and sea salt. They are delicious!
I am holding steady at my plateau. I am embracing my plateau as a proving ground for maintenance. I know that when my body is ready, I will shed my final 14!
Desire to incorporate new types of cardio. Dedication to avoiding poisonous snakes on the trail. Discipline to stay on plan while enjoying friends and food!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Find Your Bliss
It is Saturday morning and I am still filled up with gratitude for an amazing sunrise this morning. I watched as the sky turned from black to grey to tinges of pink to blazing striations of red, orange and magenta and then to blue. It was quite a show! Now, I am about to begin my yoga practice, but first I need to give my tummy a few minutes to digest my breakfast. This morning I had an Ezekiel english muffin toasted with some avocado on top. It is a delicious healthy 240 calories. And so satisfying! Lots of nutrition from the organic whole grains and creamy healthy fat from the avocado! MMMMMMM!
As I watched the truly blissful sunrise, I was struck by how important it is for us to find our bliss and ensure we wallow in it often enough. For me, my Saturday morning yoga practice is blissful. I almost always walk away from my yoga with a very centered mind, body and spirit.
Finding the right activity for YOU is what is most important. Is it a walk at your special place? Is it meditation? Is it cooking or baking something nutritious to fuel yourself or your family? Is it spending time with your puppy or kitty? Is it carving out time to spend with your partner? Is it some other form of physical expression? Dance? Painting? Making music? Whatever it is, please experiment and find it. Then do it. Often enough to fill you up with gratitude for your beautiful life! Part of our healthy journey is appreciation for what is, at this moment, right now.
Desire to find your bliss. Dedication to honoring your bliss. Discipline to frequent wallowing in your bliss!
As I watched the truly blissful sunrise, I was struck by how important it is for us to find our bliss and ensure we wallow in it often enough. For me, my Saturday morning yoga practice is blissful. I almost always walk away from my yoga with a very centered mind, body and spirit.
Finding the right activity for YOU is what is most important. Is it a walk at your special place? Is it meditation? Is it cooking or baking something nutritious to fuel yourself or your family? Is it spending time with your puppy or kitty? Is it carving out time to spend with your partner? Is it some other form of physical expression? Dance? Painting? Making music? Whatever it is, please experiment and find it. Then do it. Often enough to fill you up with gratitude for your beautiful life! Part of our healthy journey is appreciation for what is, at this moment, right now.
Desire to find your bliss. Dedication to honoring your bliss. Discipline to frequent wallowing in your bliss!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Spooky, Scary and Fun!
With Halloween upon us, we all know we are entering the zone of temptation between now and New Years day! It is time to navigate the land mines of holiday parties and celebrations including Halloween candy, Thanksgiving gorging, Hanukah and Christmas feasting and New Years extravaganzas!
My goal this year is to get through this plethora of temptation with the mantra of "keep it healthy"! If you think about it, orange is the color of Halloween and carrots are orange, pumpkins are orange, sweet potatos are orange....there are plenty of healthy options that we can enjoy and still make healthy choices. For Thanksgiving the same is true! Roast turkey is one of the healthiest things we can eat! All of the fall veges taste amazing when they are roasted in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt. With Hanukah and Christmas, there are tons of options to incude in the food part of celebrating, most all of them can be made very healthy!
OK, I'll admit it...we all have a trigger....something that is at the top of the list entitled: "OMG - this is so freaking good that I simply must indulge"! What is at the top of your list? I came face to face with mine last weekend (inset spooky scary music here please).....I was shopping with my glorious gorgeous amazing 15 year old niece. We went to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Knowing I was in a danger zone, I did not have any bread/butter, I skipped a glass of wine, I ordered a salad (hold the cheese, croutons and dressing). I enjoyed the salad because I know I wanted to taste the pumpkin cheesecake! You may know that it is only available seasonably around this time. So I seized the opportunity to indulge. My niece said it was one of the best things she had ever tasted. Thankfully, she ate most of the piece. I did, however, enjoy my 3 forkfuls of heavenly pumpkiny delicious rich and smooth pumpkin cheesecake. I did not feel guilty because I had planned for a successful indulgence. Planinng for success is the key!
So, know when to hold 'em. when to fold 'em and when to walk away (thank you Kenny Rogers!)!
Desire to intelligently indulge. Dedication to thoughtful celebrations. Discipline to plan for a healthy holiday season!
My goal this year is to get through this plethora of temptation with the mantra of "keep it healthy"! If you think about it, orange is the color of Halloween and carrots are orange, pumpkins are orange, sweet potatos are orange....there are plenty of healthy options that we can enjoy and still make healthy choices. For Thanksgiving the same is true! Roast turkey is one of the healthiest things we can eat! All of the fall veges taste amazing when they are roasted in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt. With Hanukah and Christmas, there are tons of options to incude in the food part of celebrating, most all of them can be made very healthy!
OK, I'll admit it...we all have a trigger....something that is at the top of the list entitled: "OMG - this is so freaking good that I simply must indulge"! What is at the top of your list? I came face to face with mine last weekend (inset spooky scary music here please).....I was shopping with my glorious gorgeous amazing 15 year old niece. We went to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Knowing I was in a danger zone, I did not have any bread/butter, I skipped a glass of wine, I ordered a salad (hold the cheese, croutons and dressing). I enjoyed the salad because I know I wanted to taste the pumpkin cheesecake! You may know that it is only available seasonably around this time. So I seized the opportunity to indulge. My niece said it was one of the best things she had ever tasted. Thankfully, she ate most of the piece. I did, however, enjoy my 3 forkfuls of heavenly pumpkiny delicious rich and smooth pumpkin cheesecake. I did not feel guilty because I had planned for a successful indulgence. Planinng for success is the key!
So, know when to hold 'em. when to fold 'em and when to walk away (thank you Kenny Rogers!)!
Desire to intelligently indulge. Dedication to thoughtful celebrations. Discipline to plan for a healthy holiday season!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
I LOVE My Girlfriend!
A member of our community, who happens to also be a dear dear friend, recently returned from a business trip. She shared an experience that struck me about the collective power of our healthy journeys!
She happens to be a highly placed executive with a huge well known corporation. She is responsible for (among many other things) how all the benefit programs are designed and offered to all employees', including health insurance. She was visiting a manufacturing plant to communicate a new health insurance package for 2011. Evidently, at this plant there is a high percentage of really overweight employees (think t-shirts ordered in size 8X for some employees). Now, this company offers many very progressive health forward programs that go unused by many people. As she addressed the groups of employees, she used the opportunity to stress the benefits of making healthy choices in life to help the company try to avoid having to increase benefit costs in the future. She stressed how much unhealthy choices, such as poor eating habits, lack of exercise and smoking, were costing the company (and ultimately costing the employees with unhealthful outcomes from obesity such as diabetes, heart problems, etc.). She did an amazing job of weaving real life examples, many of them personal, into her presentation to try to inspire more people to decide it was time for them to make more healthy choices.
Her story struck me about the power of how many of us are engage in our own healthy journey, and how our efforts are like stones dropped in the water that create ripples that travel outward. The power of our little ripples go far beyond our own lives! Think about the power of my friend's decision to decide to share her knowledge of healthy choices and potentially influence hundreds of these employees. It is exciting to think about who among them was motivted to begin their own healthy journey and begin to make better choices and ultimately reap the benefits of a healthier life!
Don't hesitate to share your own story and create your own healthy ripples! Share your power and experience the positive energy of paying it forward!
P.S. I have already shed the 2 pounds that I picked up while enjoying my birthday celebrations!
Desire to share our lives with others. Dedication to caring about others. Discipline to practice what we "preach"!
She happens to be a highly placed executive with a huge well known corporation. She is responsible for (among many other things) how all the benefit programs are designed and offered to all employees', including health insurance. She was visiting a manufacturing plant to communicate a new health insurance package for 2011. Evidently, at this plant there is a high percentage of really overweight employees (think t-shirts ordered in size 8X for some employees). Now, this company offers many very progressive health forward programs that go unused by many people. As she addressed the groups of employees, she used the opportunity to stress the benefits of making healthy choices in life to help the company try to avoid having to increase benefit costs in the future. She stressed how much unhealthy choices, such as poor eating habits, lack of exercise and smoking, were costing the company (and ultimately costing the employees with unhealthful outcomes from obesity such as diabetes, heart problems, etc.). She did an amazing job of weaving real life examples, many of them personal, into her presentation to try to inspire more people to decide it was time for them to make more healthy choices.
Her story struck me about the power of how many of us are engage in our own healthy journey, and how our efforts are like stones dropped in the water that create ripples that travel outward. The power of our little ripples go far beyond our own lives! Think about the power of my friend's decision to decide to share her knowledge of healthy choices and potentially influence hundreds of these employees. It is exciting to think about who among them was motivted to begin their own healthy journey and begin to make better choices and ultimately reap the benefits of a healthier life!
Don't hesitate to share your own story and create your own healthy ripples! Share your power and experience the positive energy of paying it forward!
P.S. I have already shed the 2 pounds that I picked up while enjoying my birthday celebrations!
Desire to share our lives with others. Dedication to caring about others. Discipline to practice what we "preach"!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
I'm Not a Dirty Girl!
I went with a friend this morning to try an outdoor boot camp. It was misting, not raining, and it was in a local park. I lasted 15 minutes. The exercise was not challenging but all of the exercises required being in contact with the ground...... First up, we had to sit down on the ground, on mats to pull a tire. The mat I sat on was soaking wet so I had a wet tush right off the bat. I decided to bug out when I had to put my hands on the ground and couldn't find a spot that didn't have rabbit poop on it.....gross! The other participants didn't seem to have any problem with the environmental issues at hand...every pun intended!
So, self-awareness is a good thing! I am more a princess than a tomboy. I know this about myself. I guess I should have not have even gone to the session, but at least I tried~ But not to worry. I finished my workout by going straight to the gym where I was wet because of my own clean sweat!
Desire to try new things. Dedication to self awareness. Discipline to finish what you start.
So, self-awareness is a good thing! I am more a princess than a tomboy. I know this about myself. I guess I should have not have even gone to the session, but at least I tried~ But not to worry. I finished my workout by going straight to the gym where I was wet because of my own clean sweat!
Desire to try new things. Dedication to self awareness. Discipline to finish what you start.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Congratulations and Best Wishes!
A member of our community, Sarah, married her longtime sweetheart last weekend! She posted photos on Facebook and she looked positively radiant! I just wanted her to know that we are out here taking great joy in her happiness!
I am celebrating my birthday this weekend and having a ball! Yes, I have indulged in treats, and yes, I worked out for 2 hours today. I hope to break even on the input and output of energy! But I think it is so important to celebrate life's big moments! The celebration has not only been about food, in fact, it has centered on being with loved ones and sharing special moments! So far I have celebrated with my husband, parents, siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews and dear friends....that's mucho celebration! I am immensely blessed and have enjoyed every hug, every song and every tasty morsel that has passed these lips! THANK YOU!
Desire to celebrate life, dedication to family and friends and discipline to know when to indulge and when to stop!!!
I am celebrating my birthday this weekend and having a ball! Yes, I have indulged in treats, and yes, I worked out for 2 hours today. I hope to break even on the input and output of energy! But I think it is so important to celebrate life's big moments! The celebration has not only been about food, in fact, it has centered on being with loved ones and sharing special moments! So far I have celebrated with my husband, parents, siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews and dear friends....that's mucho celebration! I am immensely blessed and have enjoyed every hug, every song and every tasty morsel that has passed these lips! THANK YOU!
Desire to celebrate life, dedication to family and friends and discipline to know when to indulge and when to stop!!!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Feeling Great and Grateful!
Nothing compares to feeling great! My back is back to normal and I am very grateful. I learned much this week and would like to remind everyone to listen to yourself, listen to your body, trust yourself, take care of yourself. You are worth it!
I took a few days off of exercise and then walked 3 miles for a few days, then went back to a big workout on Thursday. I am glad I waited a full week to lift weights!
Not surprising that my weight stayed the same this week (with the reduced exercise). But I am learning to live with my plateau and trusting that my body will begin to let go of the final 15 in due time!
My birthday is next Friday on the 8th. I know I will indulge in several days of treats to celebrate. I am also celebrating with a weekend away with my honey, and with a wonderful massage! I LOVE my birthday and LOVE celebrating. Having another birthday is so far superior to not!!! My hubbie calls October - National Patty Month! He is the BEST! (love u honey!)
So join me in being grateful for all the gifts in our lives. Health, love and abundance and time to enjoy all 3!
Desire to be in a state of gratitude and grace. Dedication to those in my life who bring me so much love. Discipline to stay connected to the best people and the healthiest practices!!!
I took a few days off of exercise and then walked 3 miles for a few days, then went back to a big workout on Thursday. I am glad I waited a full week to lift weights!
Not surprising that my weight stayed the same this week (with the reduced exercise). But I am learning to live with my plateau and trusting that my body will begin to let go of the final 15 in due time!
My birthday is next Friday on the 8th. I know I will indulge in several days of treats to celebrate. I am also celebrating with a weekend away with my honey, and with a wonderful massage! I LOVE my birthday and LOVE celebrating. Having another birthday is so far superior to not!!! My hubbie calls October - National Patty Month! He is the BEST! (love u honey!)
So join me in being grateful for all the gifts in our lives. Health, love and abundance and time to enjoy all 3!
Desire to be in a state of gratitude and grace. Dedication to those in my life who bring me so much love. Discipline to stay connected to the best people and the healthiest practices!!!
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