Yes, yes, nearly the end of the second week and I'm only now just posting.
It's been one of those weeks where life reminds you that you can have plans--and life may just laugh at you.
My plan had been to eat a salad each day AND do cardio at least 3 times this week.
In reality, I've started coming down with something--so my food desires and even my ability to remember that I was going to eat salad are hampered--and my knees have been acting up, which makes the cardio very hard; and I can't swim because of my shoulders (even if I actually had the time to go swimming).
So, I thought about what to do with this plan of mine and here is how it has worked out:
*I've had salad a few times this week. I consider this a lead-up to next week where I can make sure to eat a salad every day.
*I've been reminded that they typically say 3 weeks (at least) to a new habit. If my shoulder care and fruit first rules from the first week are the only thing I stick to this week and next, they are still new habits being created. If I only added in something new every 3 weeks, I'd be adding 17 new habits a year! Wow! And right now, I've got 2 habits going on, so if adding 2 things every 3 weeks becomes a habit, then that's 34 new health habits in a year.
Are you creating your own habits? Doing your own 12 weeks of something? Set yourself some rules, but at the same time, be gentle with yourself and be flexible when needed.
Showing posts with label food consumption. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food consumption. Show all posts
Friday, June 5, 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
12 Weeks to Better Health -- Day 5
How have you been doing with your week 1? Those first small changes can be really hard to make. I know that, already, I've been struggling to make sure to have a serving of fruit before I eat anything else in the morning. And really struggling to remember to do my rotator cuff physio exercises. The first while is the hardest, absolutely. It's the reason people last 2 days with things like New Year's resolutions: it can be hard to change our habits. It pushes us out of a comfort zone. Our comfort zone doesn't care about how healthy or better things are outside of it, so we have to sometimes deliberately challenge it so that it changes its size or its content.
I've been thinking ahead to my Week 2. I want to be exercising at least 3 times a week--Monday, Wednesday, Friday. So, I already started. Why? Well, because by the time I get to next week, it won't be as hard to stick to. My comfort zone will have been stretched a bit already.
The last post, I said I would share about my using "rules" rather than "goals." I do have a goal in mind--80% healthy eating, for example--but I know that the way to reach that goal is to break things down to develop habits bit-by-bit. But there's something that goes on in me that if I say my goal this week is to have fruit first thing every day, I might not actually achieve the goal. The goal is not the action itself, but the ending. So, what action do I need to take? I need to actually eat the fruit every morning. How do I make sure that I will stick with it? For me, setting it as a rule works. With a rule in place, I'm far more likely to actually follow through on the planned action because I don't want to break my rule. And the rule is reasonable and doable, so I'm not setting myself up for failure and actually helping myself be successful with the change to fruit first by setting it.
What about you? Would setting yourself a rule work for you? Or do you resist rules and tend to want to break them? What would be your "thing" to encourage you to actually stick with your planned action? For some people, it might be charting--and keeping the chart in a spot where others will see it to help with accountability. For others, it might actually be having a buddy to be accountable to and you don't want to have to admit you've messed up that day, so you're more likely to actually do it. There are all kinds of possibilities, it's just a matter of connecting with what would work best for you.
I've been thinking ahead to my Week 2. I want to be exercising at least 3 times a week--Monday, Wednesday, Friday. So, I already started. Why? Well, because by the time I get to next week, it won't be as hard to stick to. My comfort zone will have been stretched a bit already.
The last post, I said I would share about my using "rules" rather than "goals." I do have a goal in mind--80% healthy eating, for example--but I know that the way to reach that goal is to break things down to develop habits bit-by-bit. But there's something that goes on in me that if I say my goal this week is to have fruit first thing every day, I might not actually achieve the goal. The goal is not the action itself, but the ending. So, what action do I need to take? I need to actually eat the fruit every morning. How do I make sure that I will stick with it? For me, setting it as a rule works. With a rule in place, I'm far more likely to actually follow through on the planned action because I don't want to break my rule. And the rule is reasonable and doable, so I'm not setting myself up for failure and actually helping myself be successful with the change to fruit first by setting it.
What about you? Would setting yourself a rule work for you? Or do you resist rules and tend to want to break them? What would be your "thing" to encourage you to actually stick with your planned action? For some people, it might be charting--and keeping the chart in a spot where others will see it to help with accountability. For others, it might actually be having a buddy to be accountable to and you don't want to have to admit you've messed up that day, so you're more likely to actually do it. There are all kinds of possibilities, it's just a matter of connecting with what would work best for you.
Monday, May 25, 2015
12 Weeks to Better Health--Day 2
I have a confession to make:
It is only Day 2 and I almost forgot my first rule for myself this week: Fruit first!
But I did remember, so that's all good. But let's say I had forgotten. What would you do if you'd forgotten? Would you say to yourself, "Ugh, I messed it up. I'll try again tomorrow." Or maybe, "If I can't even remember to do today, how am I going to do make it through 12 weeks?" If these are the kinds of things you'd say, I'm going to suggest something else, what I would have done had I eaten something else first:
"Oops. Let me eat some fruit right now." I could follow it by, "What can I do so that tomorrow morning I'll remember?"
It's really that simple.
It's exactly what I did for my rotator cuff care this morning. I had the fruit, got on with my day and realized I hadn't done my exercises. So, I did my exercises pretty much right then. They're done.
There's no need to beat yourself up or get down on yourself if you forget. Don't throw it all away if you have a goal you're working toward and you really goof on it one day. It's okay. The rest of the day can be in line with your goal. Or your rules. I'll write more about my "rules" for myself rather than my "goals" for this tomorrow.
It is only Day 2 and I almost forgot my first rule for myself this week: Fruit first!
But I did remember, so that's all good. But let's say I had forgotten. What would you do if you'd forgotten? Would you say to yourself, "Ugh, I messed it up. I'll try again tomorrow." Or maybe, "If I can't even remember to do today, how am I going to do make it through 12 weeks?" If these are the kinds of things you'd say, I'm going to suggest something else, what I would have done had I eaten something else first:
"Oops. Let me eat some fruit right now." I could follow it by, "What can I do so that tomorrow morning I'll remember?"
It's really that simple.
It's exactly what I did for my rotator cuff care this morning. I had the fruit, got on with my day and realized I hadn't done my exercises. So, I did my exercises pretty much right then. They're done.
There's no need to beat yourself up or get down on yourself if you forget. Don't throw it all away if you have a goal you're working toward and you really goof on it one day. It's okay. The rest of the day can be in line with your goal. Or your rules. I'll write more about my "rules" for myself rather than my "goals" for this tomorrow.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
12 Weeks to Better Health--Week 1
I have been inspired to start a 12-week program. Or rather create my own 12-week program to better health.
This is not a program that I have all typed up in a document and ready to share. It'll evolve, I'm sure, as I go through the 12 weeks. Maybe you'd like to follow along with me--or maybe how I'm doing this will help you to create your own 12-week program.
I'm not sure why this "12 weeks" has hit me this week, but it has hit me as not being a huge amount of time and yet 12 weeks is 84 days, and 84 days of better habits can lead to some tremendous improvements. How much better would my health be if I exercised a few times a week for 12 weeks? How much better would my health be if I got enough fruits and vegetables for 12 weeks? Truth be told, this isn't going to be a challenge of doing 12 weeks of this or that, but more step-by-step, but even if it's only my first step for 12 weeks, I would see a difference.
And so, this first week of my 12 weeks, I'm focusing on how I start my day. My first rule for myself this week is that each morning has to start with at least one serving of fruit or a green smoothie. After I've had my fruit, I am free to eat as I normally would, so I can have that piece of toast or bowl of cereal or whatever after I've had the fruit. That said, I started my day today with a little fruit salad of fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries and some banana slices, probably 1.5 cups worth; it ended up being my breakfast because there was enough of it that I wasn't hungry for anything more. Fine by me! My second rule for myself to start my mornings is on the physical activity side of things. My rotator cuffs are still a problem, and I've been badly neglecting them, and so my rule for myself this week is to actually do my physio exercises each and every morning.
Are you going to join me for the next 12 weeks? Will you start your day with fruit? If you don't get enough fruits and vegetables each day (like me!), then I'm going to challenge you to do that: start each day with fruit. If a full serving is too much, then make it a bite of something, a single strawberry, a couple of grapes. Just get the habit going.
This is not a program that I have all typed up in a document and ready to share. It'll evolve, I'm sure, as I go through the 12 weeks. Maybe you'd like to follow along with me--or maybe how I'm doing this will help you to create your own 12-week program.
I'm not sure why this "12 weeks" has hit me this week, but it has hit me as not being a huge amount of time and yet 12 weeks is 84 days, and 84 days of better habits can lead to some tremendous improvements. How much better would my health be if I exercised a few times a week for 12 weeks? How much better would my health be if I got enough fruits and vegetables for 12 weeks? Truth be told, this isn't going to be a challenge of doing 12 weeks of this or that, but more step-by-step, but even if it's only my first step for 12 weeks, I would see a difference.
And so, this first week of my 12 weeks, I'm focusing on how I start my day. My first rule for myself this week is that each morning has to start with at least one serving of fruit or a green smoothie. After I've had my fruit, I am free to eat as I normally would, so I can have that piece of toast or bowl of cereal or whatever after I've had the fruit. That said, I started my day today with a little fruit salad of fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries and some banana slices, probably 1.5 cups worth; it ended up being my breakfast because there was enough of it that I wasn't hungry for anything more. Fine by me! My second rule for myself to start my mornings is on the physical activity side of things. My rotator cuffs are still a problem, and I've been badly neglecting them, and so my rule for myself this week is to actually do my physio exercises each and every morning.
Are you going to join me for the next 12 weeks? Will you start your day with fruit? If you don't get enough fruits and vegetables each day (like me!), then I'm going to challenge you to do that: start each day with fruit. If a full serving is too much, then make it a bite of something, a single strawberry, a couple of grapes. Just get the habit going.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Oy.
Definition of OY
—used especially to express exasperation or dismay <oy, what a mess>
From the Merriam-Webster online dictionary
As I sit here working on the laptop with the TV on in the background, there are commercials running that I'm not paying too much attention to. Then something in one of them catches my eye. Not in a good way. It's a Slimband commercial. My reaction is, "What?" So I rewind and discover, ironically enough, that there is a Burger King commercial right before it. Regardless...
Onscreen image: a cartoon overweight woman thinking, "Yay! I lost 2 lbs." and a calendar with "Week 1." The voiceover says (as images change):
"So you start a new diet and then you get invivted to a baby shower or you go to the movies and then along comes the big family event. With temptation everywhere, no wonder it's so hard to lose weight." (Image now shows she's gained 3 lbs. at week 4)
"But it doesn't have to be that way. Slimband works because you can enjoy the foods you love and lose weight. Want to learn more? Then visit us online to see if Slimband is right for you. Because life is too short to be on a diet." (Cartoon woman is slim and eating movie theatre popcorn.)
Oy. OMG. Oy. What else can be said about this? A mentality that says that aiming to eat correctly isn't worth it and you should just get Slimband done so you can keep eating whatever you've been eating, but now you're stomach space will be smaller so you'll be full faster? It IS dieting, what they are doing. It is restricting how much food people can consume. It's just that you don't actually have to grow in self-respect, knowledge. Oh, but wait! A quick look on the Slimband site reveals that part of the procedure involves access to consultations on nutrition. Oh, and once you've had the procedure done, they recommend, and I'm copying and pasting from their website here:
What types of food should I stay away from?
We recommend that you choose nutrient-rich foods. This means avoiding high-calorie, low-nutrient foods like milkshakes, ice cream, pudding, mashed potatoes, carbonated drinks and other junk food. Some patients may also have a bit of difficulty processing some breads and pastas, so eat these in moderation.
Hm. Two things here: 1) But you still get to, quote, "Enjoy the foods you love!" according to the commercial. 2) What they are recommending is part of a healthy lifestyle! To have the best success on Slimband, you have to do what their commercial says you don't have to do: eat healthily. Let me share another FAQ from their site:
Will I feel hungry or deprived with the Slimband?
You'll probably feel slightly hungry for the first six weeks. This is your body's natural response to the adjustments you'll be making in your eating habits and patterns, and also to the post-op nutrition plan. Eventually, when you have fully adjusted to your Slimband, the feelings of hunger will subside and you'll find yourself satisfied by your three small meals a day.
Um, okay, so you'll feel the hunger pains of dieting, but you won't have room to put food in. And you have to follow their post-op nutrition plan for a while. AND your body will be adjusting to the changes made in your eating habits. But you don't have to diet. No. *shakingmyhead*
Okay, another 2 parts from their FAQ:
Can I eat any food in moderation?
After your recovery period, once you're back to eating solid foods, you can eat anything that does not cause you discomfort. However, because your portion sizes will be smaller, the ideal foods to choose are vitamin-rich and filled with nutrients. Filling up on fatty and sugar-laden foods will reduce the efficacy of the Slimband.
What about alcohol?
Alcohol is high in calories; it breaks down important vitamins, and it can also irritate the stomach lining. Drinking in moderation with an occasional glass of wine is fine; however try to avoid consuming alcohol often. [Followed by more FAQ's that talk about changing habits, exercise...]
Again, you need to be on a healthy "diet" for this to be properly effective. One price I found for this procedure was... wait for it... $16 000. So, you are paying $16 000 for a procedure that will force you to diet, even though it's supposed to help you avoid dieting "because life is too short to be on a diet." One testimony wa that you have to be on a liquid diet for 3 weeks post-op. Well, flip, you'll lose a lot of weight being on a liquid diet for 3 weeks. How much of the weight loss from Slimband is from the post-op diet and all the restrictions they seem to be placing on clients. Oh, and this testimonial about the liquid diet? A later post on that blog reveals that 2 years post-op, she is gaining weight.
If you are reading this and thinking of going the Slimband route, or you know somebody who is thinking of it, please, please, don't spend $16 000 (possibly more now; the price I found was from 2011) on a procedure that still requires that you learn to eat healthily. Contact me instead; I'll do what I can to help you--for FREE. (To avoid automatic email collectors, hopefully you can figure out the following: you can email me at emicolas. I have a yahoo.ca account. :D ) Have I ever done such a thing before? No. But that's why I'm offering my assistance for FREE. Why do I believe I can help? I have been learning about nutrition and different "food lifestyles" (if I may call them that; the word "diet" has too many different meanings) for over two decades. I have seen the effects of the diet mentality in a family member and know from experience what my own habits--and food sensitivities (you might be surprised at how much of your weight is the result of your body protecting itself from a food senstitivity by retaining water)--do. I also know the difficulty in moving out of a comfort zone, the difficulty in making huge, sudden switches in what is eaten.
Anyhow, I put this out there. From everything I've been reading about Slimband, the "successful" people are those who have changed their eating and exercise habits. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars and undergo a surgical procedure to do that.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
My Mom Has Cancer
My mom got a bit of surprising news yesterday: she has cancer.
She had been having stomach issues for a while (which may have actually started with h. pylori but still waiting the results on that test; more info on potential connection here), but had been seeing her doctor and was actively working at figuring out what was going on, rather than other people I have heard of around her age who waited and waited, which just led to further problems. She has to have it all confirmed with an oncologist, but the gastro specialist she was seeing is pretty sure it's not a carcinoma but a lymphoma, so that's very good news. The specialist doesn't seem too concerned; he actually said it was good that it wasn't just the narrowing they thought it was because she shouldn't need surgery, just chemo. And it hasn't spread anywhere, it's just at the top of her small intestine.
My mom was a bit of a mix of emotions with it yesterday. The C-word always raises fears, doesn't it? Even though most cases we've known have recovered. Her mother had cancer on her tongue and was treated and it never came back. Her father had colon cancer and while he spent the last years of his life without a colon, it was not cancer that got him. (No, he fell, broke his hip and never seemed to recover properly from the anesthetic!) Her sister-in-law is a breast cancer survivor. We have lots of examples of people who had cancer and beat it.
Unfortunately, there is a very personal case of someone with cancer who had chemo and didn't make it: my little sister.
She was only 2 when they discovered the leukemia. She was barely 3 when she passed away. It may have been a long time ago (33 years!), but I know this is still very much in my mom's heart and knowing she now has to have chemo raises fears. She is, fortunately, trying to have some fun with it and playfully laments she's spent the past few years trying to grow her hair to have the right biker hair and what will she do? :)
She's doing much better with this today and just feeling very positive. I do believe she'll beat this. The gastro doctor doesn't seem too concerned; if she doesn't need surgery, it's not very big and much more treatable. I'm actually feeling very calm about this all, which could be denial or shock rather than faith and hope, but I guess we'll see in time. Right now, she has about a 3-week wait until she sees the oncologist (another sign it's not seen as hugely urgent), so there's not much to do except wait. And learn.
The one thing on my mind is what can I do to help prevent cancer in me and my husband and kids? I know telling my mom about going vegan or raw or anything like that won't have her changing her diet at this point. And I know research is very contradictory when it comes to food, but I just know that my gut (no pun intended ;) ) has been telling me to go in a certain direction for some time and this is a reminder how important it really is. I plan on living until over 100; I've got to make sure I take the steps to do so. :D
In any case, over the next while, expect to see things here about cancer-free living!
She had been having stomach issues for a while (which may have actually started with h. pylori but still waiting the results on that test; more info on potential connection here), but had been seeing her doctor and was actively working at figuring out what was going on, rather than other people I have heard of around her age who waited and waited, which just led to further problems. She has to have it all confirmed with an oncologist, but the gastro specialist she was seeing is pretty sure it's not a carcinoma but a lymphoma, so that's very good news. The specialist doesn't seem too concerned; he actually said it was good that it wasn't just the narrowing they thought it was because she shouldn't need surgery, just chemo. And it hasn't spread anywhere, it's just at the top of her small intestine.
My mom was a bit of a mix of emotions with it yesterday. The C-word always raises fears, doesn't it? Even though most cases we've known have recovered. Her mother had cancer on her tongue and was treated and it never came back. Her father had colon cancer and while he spent the last years of his life without a colon, it was not cancer that got him. (No, he fell, broke his hip and never seemed to recover properly from the anesthetic!) Her sister-in-law is a breast cancer survivor. We have lots of examples of people who had cancer and beat it.
Unfortunately, there is a very personal case of someone with cancer who had chemo and didn't make it: my little sister.
She was only 2 when they discovered the leukemia. She was barely 3 when she passed away. It may have been a long time ago (33 years!), but I know this is still very much in my mom's heart and knowing she now has to have chemo raises fears. She is, fortunately, trying to have some fun with it and playfully laments she's spent the past few years trying to grow her hair to have the right biker hair and what will she do? :)
She's doing much better with this today and just feeling very positive. I do believe she'll beat this. The gastro doctor doesn't seem too concerned; if she doesn't need surgery, it's not very big and much more treatable. I'm actually feeling very calm about this all, which could be denial or shock rather than faith and hope, but I guess we'll see in time. Right now, she has about a 3-week wait until she sees the oncologist (another sign it's not seen as hugely urgent), so there's not much to do except wait. And learn.
The one thing on my mind is what can I do to help prevent cancer in me and my husband and kids? I know telling my mom about going vegan or raw or anything like that won't have her changing her diet at this point. And I know research is very contradictory when it comes to food, but I just know that my gut (no pun intended ;) ) has been telling me to go in a certain direction for some time and this is a reminder how important it really is. I plan on living until over 100; I've got to make sure I take the steps to do so. :D
In any case, over the next while, expect to see things here about cancer-free living!
http://xavisangels.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/cancer_awareness_ribbon.283122200_std.jpg
Monday, November 26, 2012
Day 4 - Pre-Christmas Challenge: Water!
Like all other flowers (lol), I need water. Every so often, actually, fairly often, I don't make sure to get enough water. When I don't, like other flowers, I wilt. And I sometimes set up problems with my sinuses and get nasty headaches, too.
Today being Monday, let me look ahead at a typical Monday and my water consumption: Monday afternoons, I teach a French class to a group of homeschooled children. With preparation and busyness in the morning, my attention on the class for the full two hours of the class in the afternoon, and then I rush off to pick up my nieces and nephew from school, a process that takes about an hour, I have a tendency to not drink enough water on Mondays.
Not getting enough water is a common problem, it seems. How many health resources out there say, "Drink your water!" It's important for so many reasons:
- your skin (especially with winter hitting us here in the northern hemisphere and dare I say, very clearly here in the north-central Canadian prairies)
- your brain's ability to think
- your digestion
- your kidneys and liver
- inflammatory conditions (sinusitis, arthritis, etc.) become worse when you get even a little bit dehydrated
- many cite it as important for weight loss
- so much more...
It's important to drink your water! Maybe you can't have filtered water or bottled water or whatever. Getting enough water is important regardless of the quality. (Says the person who's issues yesterday came from days of not getting enough!) So this is my challenge to you today: Drink at least 8 glasses of water! Fill a pitcher with the amount you are going to drink during the day, keep tally somewhere, do something to make sure it happens. I find I tend to do even better when I drink more than that, but it does depend on what I've eaten during the day.
Doing this a little differently, I'll end this post with my Day 3 recap:
I posted early morning (early morning for here) yesterday, but I already had a sinus headache causing me problems. Part of this issue seems to be tied to my neck muscles, which I tried to work on with my yoga the night before, but clearly all kinds of different factors mixed together and left me almost incapacitated. It's not the level of pain in my right sinus but somehow just how the pain was, if that makes any sense. I had at times pressure and pain going in behind my eye, into my ears, no balance at all if I was standing and my eyes were closed... I thought about my self-imposed challenge and how would I be able to do the exercise if I was in that state? I tried alternate-nostril breathing (a yoga technique) which helped clear some things out a bit, but didn't do enough. I tried to find trigger points and massage them. I tried massaging my head, which felt fantastic, but only went so far. I tried taking two Advil; it might have helped take the edge off a bit. Typical OTC sinus medications are not an option for me (ended up in emergency last time with severe heart palpitations!) A few people have told me a neti pot is the way to go when it flares up like this, but I don't have one. I finally ended up with a heated magic bag on my neck and base of my head, propped up in a specific way on the couch where it still hurt a bit, but I could function, at least function as much as I needed to laying on a sofa with a laptop. Sitting in a normal position meant me constantly massaging my head and around my eyes and cheekbone. It wasn't fun. And the sad thing is that it was the second time this past week. The other time? Thursday evening, after a day of 4 hours of French classes and getting even less water than usual.
You see where my recommended challenge is coming from today? Do not do as I have done! Especially if you have sinus issues!
I was hungry and decided I had to eat. This was before trying everything to ease up the pressure. I had some of Ani Phyo's coconut breakfast cake batter left, so I plopped it on a plate, put some maple syrup and... could barely eat any. Made me feel sick to my stomach. After easing up the sinus issues, I was able to finish it but still didn't have much of a desire to eat, even though my stomach was saying it wanted food. It did, however, make it easy to be raw for the morning. (I know maple syrup isn't raw, but that's a nitpicky thing I don't count. Just like the pasteurized orange juice that goes into my green smoothies.)
The avoiding junk was hard. Because I was feeling blah and tired, I really wanted junk. I saw frozen tart shells in the deep freezer. "Mmmm, 'butter' tarts would be delicious." Then I thought about making chocolate chip cookies. Neither times did it hit me they would be considered 'junk'. When it did hit me and I was still craving something, I thought about making Sarma Melngailis's chocolate coconut truffles and was so close to making them when a little voice said, "Wouldn't that count as junk, too?" Does it? I don't know. I decided it wasn't the healthiest way to satisfy the craving, so I didn't make them. But boy, was it difficult to stand against it! I eventually made myself a little trail mix with raw pumpkin seeds, raw sunflower seeds and some raisins.
Late afternoon, my headache and sinus pain had eased enough that I could do some other things, but not too much. In retrospect, a day with the laptop helped me read blogs I haven't read in a while, blog, and write something like 4800 words for NaNoWriMo. The things I can get done when I'm not busy with everything else!
It hit me that I had still to do my exercises. I finally managed to get to them. I decided to still focus on my glutes, but I kind of created my own sequence from different exercises. I just think it's important to not do the exact same thing every single day. I also did some yoga.
Despite most of the day being very rough, I still managed to accomplish everything I set out to do--including avoiding the junk! A little voice is saying to me, "Avoid it today, too!" I might as well. But the main focus will be the raw food in the morning (I don't even know what I have in the house, eek!), get the exercises in and water.
Are you going to make sure you hydrate yourself enough today?
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Day 2 of the Pre-Christmas Challenge
Did you join me in starting a pre-Christmas challenge? What did you decide to do?
Recall that my goals were:
1) Start the day off with raw food (trying to have nothing but raw all morning).
2) Do some exercises for my ITBS issues/tone my glutes.
3) Maintain the yoga habit I already have
How'd I do for day 1?
*I drank green smoothie--orange juice, water, banana, baby spinach and frozen blueberries--all morning, so that goal was achieved!
*I did some searching for ITBS exercises. Some people swear by them, others don't. I eventually just picked a routine I found in an October 2011 issue of Fitness magazine. There is an online version here: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/butt/exercises/butt-shaping-exercises/
Because my glutes are so out of shape, I did only one set of each exercise and only 10 reps per set. I know my glutes are going to feel it!
*Followed up with some yoga.
Friday's fitness and food goals achieved! That is not to say that I ate super well later on... I'll have to be careful or I'll sabotage the good I do in the morning. At the same time, I know from past experience that once I get into a habit of morning being pretty much only raw, I turn to the crud less. In any case, it was very easy to achieve. Perhaps too easy, but if I can stick with this easy stuff, it's still a step better than what I've been doing for ages.
One thing I did look up was Egoscue itbs and Pilates itbs. Both methods can apparently help with ITBS. Egoscue is usually best done first thing in the morning. I'm thinking I might use my Pilates book and start doing that, especially the legs sequence, before yoga. If I do a Pilates sequence would then not be getting just a legs/butt routine, but a whole body workout. Sounds good to me! Of course, I can mix it up between the Pilates and the Egoscue and the butt-shaping exercises above.
Now onto:
But right now, I'm going to indulge in a little me-time and play Sims 3. :)
Btw, it's never too late to join me! Why don't you set yourself a pre-Christmas goal and share?
Recall that my goals were:
1) Start the day off with raw food (trying to have nothing but raw all morning).
2) Do some exercises for my ITBS issues/tone my glutes.
3) Maintain the yoga habit I already have
How'd I do for day 1?
*I drank green smoothie--orange juice, water, banana, baby spinach and frozen blueberries--all morning, so that goal was achieved!
*I did some searching for ITBS exercises. Some people swear by them, others don't. I eventually just picked a routine I found in an October 2011 issue of Fitness magazine. There is an online version here: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/butt/exercises/butt-shaping-exercises/
Because my glutes are so out of shape, I did only one set of each exercise and only 10 reps per set. I know my glutes are going to feel it!
*Followed up with some yoga.
Friday's fitness and food goals achieved! That is not to say that I ate super well later on... I'll have to be careful or I'll sabotage the good I do in the morning. At the same time, I know from past experience that once I get into a habit of morning being pretty much only raw, I turn to the crud less. In any case, it was very easy to achieve. Perhaps too easy, but if I can stick with this easy stuff, it's still a step better than what I've been doing for ages.
One thing I did look up was Egoscue itbs and Pilates itbs. Both methods can apparently help with ITBS. Egoscue is usually best done first thing in the morning. I'm thinking I might use my Pilates book and start doing that, especially the legs sequence, before yoga. If I do a Pilates sequence would then not be getting just a legs/butt routine, but a whole body workout. Sounds good to me! Of course, I can mix it up between the Pilates and the Egoscue and the butt-shaping exercises above.
Now onto:
It's Saturday today, which means, for me, there's no real routine. Every Saturday is different for some reason. I have NaNoWriMo to fit in today, I have to go to the library, stop at the grocery store, avoid all the other stores during the newly founded Canadian "Black Friday weekend sales", get laundry done, all the usual. We have a family birthday party tonight, which means we likely won't be home until late. Fitting in 5-10 minutes of yoga before jumping in bed is doable; adding on actual exercise might not be. I think I need to consider doing Pilates or the sequence shared above during the day rather than in the evening, at least for today. Of course, I also need to make sure to get as much raw as I can this morning!
But right now, I'm going to indulge in a little me-time and play Sims 3. :)
Btw, it's never too late to join me! Why don't you set yourself a pre-Christmas goal and share?
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Hopping Back On Board
Well, baby-hopping my way back on board!
Today is the first day of school here which is a good time for new beginnings. Somehow, it's just easier to push ourselves through with something new on a day that seems "new" anyhow.
I have decided it's time to hop back on board and baby step my way over the next week or two. I was feeling so good when my mornings were almost entirely raw, lunches were raw or mostly raw and then supper was cooked but high veggies and often a salad. It's been weeks since I've eaten like that and the results are clear: low energy, headaches and sinus problems are back, skin's a mess, my ears constantly feel slightly plugged, allergies are through the roof... I hate this. I keep getting mentally stuck on the "perfect" (sic) way to eat and some part of my mind broke through and finally said,
I can do something, can't I? Of course I can.That something for me is starting off my day with fresh fruit or a green smoothie. I actually did so yesterday, but that was just a "bonus day" of sorts. Today is the beginning of the actual commitment to do this. I know I'm going to feel so much better!
At the same time, my daughter and I have plans to have a gluten-free day this week. Clearly it's not today. Tomorrow's probably too soon and Friday probably wouldn't work, so I guess Thursday will be the day. I'll see what I can come up with for simple meal suggestions and we can even buy necessary items if we need to tomorrow. She is very used to eating wheat of some sort at lunch and often breakfast, so it could be particularly hard for her. I think people in general tend to get into ruts with what they eat and to pull themselves out and try something different doesn't always feel satisfying!
Btw, I'm still doing my 100-day yoga challenge. Yesterday was the 22nd day in a row. It's never too late to create your own challenge and to join me in either yoga or healthier eating!
Today is the first day of school here which is a good time for new beginnings. Somehow, it's just easier to push ourselves through with something new on a day that seems "new" anyhow.
I have decided it's time to hop back on board and baby step my way over the next week or two. I was feeling so good when my mornings were almost entirely raw, lunches were raw or mostly raw and then supper was cooked but high veggies and often a salad. It's been weeks since I've eaten like that and the results are clear: low energy, headaches and sinus problems are back, skin's a mess, my ears constantly feel slightly plugged, allergies are through the roof... I hate this. I keep getting mentally stuck on the "perfect" (sic) way to eat and some part of my mind broke through and finally said,
"Just do something each day that's better."
I can do something, can't I? Of course I can.That something for me is starting off my day with fresh fruit or a green smoothie. I actually did so yesterday, but that was just a "bonus day" of sorts. Today is the beginning of the actual commitment to do this. I know I'm going to feel so much better!
At the same time, my daughter and I have plans to have a gluten-free day this week. Clearly it's not today. Tomorrow's probably too soon and Friday probably wouldn't work, so I guess Thursday will be the day. I'll see what I can come up with for simple meal suggestions and we can even buy necessary items if we need to tomorrow. She is very used to eating wheat of some sort at lunch and often breakfast, so it could be particularly hard for her. I think people in general tend to get into ruts with what they eat and to pull themselves out and try something different doesn't always feel satisfying!
Btw, I'm still doing my 100-day yoga challenge. Yesterday was the 22nd day in a row. It's never too late to create your own challenge and to join me in either yoga or healthier eating!
Friday, July 27, 2012
A Mid-Summer Update
Wow, I didn't realize it had been almost a month since I last posted! Eek!
Since last month, my family and I have gone on a trip to Victoria and Kelowna, both in British Columbia. Some time to just have fun is always important! :)
My husband has most of the pictures on his phone, but here's a picture of French Beach, not far from Victoria. We spent a few hours there, mainly enjoying the tidal pools with all the wildlife: little crabs, a pleco, tons of tiny little hermit crabs running around everywhere (even fighting at times!) and more. It was absolutely fascinating!
Since getting back, we have been working on having a clutter-free basement. It's still not done. :/ There's a lot of stuff to go through, a lot of stuff that accumulates during 11 years in a house! Especially with growing kids and running a home daycare! My dayhome (that's what we call home daycares here) has come to an end for full-time children and I will only have my nieces and nephew after school in the fall. The youngest of them will be 5 and no more babies in the house, so I'm giving a lot of stuff away, both to people and to Goodwill. We're also finding a ton of clothes. It seems our cat, who is always trying to escape, thought that there might be another way to escape the house?
A lot of garbage and recycling has gone out, too. The basement and crawl space are looking so much better! There is still quite a bit to go through, but I'd say it's more than half done. The more clutter-free it becomes, the happier we are! If you've had a cluttered area that you've been ignoring, it's so worth the hassle and frustration and work
One thing that has not been good since getting back is junk-free and overall healthy eating. It's starting to affect me: huge sugar cravings, sinus issues (I used to have sinus issues all the time; I haven't in ages and I am not liking it!!)... I worked yesterday at getting back on track by eating a lot more fruit, which that alone reduced my huge sugar craving. Food is so important! I think it's by eating better and feeling better, then "slipping up" that it really hits how important it is; it's too easy to get used to things slowly get worse and worse and not realize just how much we are being affected by food we really shouldn't be eating, or eating in the quantities we do.
That's it for now! There is laundry to be done. Wouldn't it be nice to have a laundry-free life? :D
Since last month, my family and I have gone on a trip to Victoria and Kelowna, both in British Columbia. Some time to just have fun is always important! :)
My husband has most of the pictures on his phone, but here's a picture of French Beach, not far from Victoria. We spent a few hours there, mainly enjoying the tidal pools with all the wildlife: little crabs, a pleco, tons of tiny little hermit crabs running around everywhere (even fighting at times!) and more. It was absolutely fascinating!
*sigh* Blogger insists on having this picture this way.
French Beach; that's Washington state on the other side of the strait. We did not get a phone signal until we had gone so far down the beach that we managed to get an AT&T signal from the US!
Since getting back, we have been working on having a clutter-free basement. It's still not done. :/ There's a lot of stuff to go through, a lot of stuff that accumulates during 11 years in a house! Especially with growing kids and running a home daycare! My dayhome (that's what we call home daycares here) has come to an end for full-time children and I will only have my nieces and nephew after school in the fall. The youngest of them will be 5 and no more babies in the house, so I'm giving a lot of stuff away, both to people and to Goodwill. We're also finding a ton of clothes. It seems our cat, who is always trying to escape, thought that there might be another way to escape the house?
A lot of garbage and recycling has gone out, too. The basement and crawl space are looking so much better! There is still quite a bit to go through, but I'd say it's more than half done. The more clutter-free it becomes, the happier we are! If you've had a cluttered area that you've been ignoring, it's so worth the hassle and frustration and work
One thing that has not been good since getting back is junk-free and overall healthy eating. It's starting to affect me: huge sugar cravings, sinus issues (I used to have sinus issues all the time; I haven't in ages and I am not liking it!!)... I worked yesterday at getting back on track by eating a lot more fruit, which that alone reduced my huge sugar craving. Food is so important! I think it's by eating better and feeling better, then "slipping up" that it really hits how important it is; it's too easy to get used to things slowly get worse and worse and not realize just how much we are being affected by food we really shouldn't be eating, or eating in the quantities we do.
That's it for now! There is laundry to be done. Wouldn't it be nice to have a laundry-free life? :D
Monday, June 11, 2012
Back from a hiatus!
Once again, my attempt at following the 30 (or is it 31) days of the 10-Pound Shred book have been foiled! This time: I got sick. From Tuesday until Saturday morning, I woke up each morning with a fever and a headache. I was tired, sometimes exhausted, could get out of breath just cleaning the kitchen. Not fun. Unfortunately, being out of it like that means I probably didn't eat super well. I couldn't even begin to tell you what I ate last week! I just don't know! I can tell you that I did not exercise.
I asked Tommy Europe, the book's author, what to do since I'd been off it a week. He said to back track to Day 8. So, I redid Day 8 today. Day 8 is a motivation day: do whatever physical activity you like. So, I warmed up on the treadmill and then did some ballet exercises. (My daughter's dance recital on Saturday inspired that!) I used a book I have had since I was, hm, 12? 13? I used to be able to do so many of the things in it easily, more of a turnout... *sigh* If you don't use it, you lose it, don't forget that!
Some things I've observed over this past week however: my body really doesn't like sugar. White sugar, I mean. We had a birthday celebration for my sister-in-law and my niece (her daughter; I babysit her during the day) and I made a cake on Friday to bring to the celebration. I made it dairy-free so I could eat it. It was delicious, I have to say, but I did get a little hint of a headache after eating it, even though I was fine with anything else I ate.
Just now, I dipped into some of the remaining frosting. As it so often happens, an almost immediate headache. (When will I learn? I guess the yumminess still outweighs the small headache!) I first noticed this correlation between a certain type of headache I get and sweets when I was 16. I'm now 37. I'm a slow learner in this regard, it seems. Or too apathetic. :(
Other observations: I did weigh and measure myself as scheduled last week. Weight has not changed, but I felt very puffy, so perhaps it had changed and I was retaining water that day. Some measurements have gone down. Woot! That means my very unused muscles are tightening up! That's good news. I was disappointed that my weight hadn't changed. I had eaten so much more in terms of fruits and vegetables compared to previously, cut back on grains and I think eliminated junk. It was just one of those moments of feeling like it doesn't matter what I eat, the weight is staying the same. But then it hit me how much better I had been feeling, how even my seasonal allergies were simmering down even though other people I know are still having serious problems (people whose allergy symptoms' severity matched my own in previous years). Yesterday, I decided to try a piece of a raw apple. It didn't cause me to itch. Now, sometimes apples don't bother me, but most of the time they do. I don't think it's a coincidence that I'm in the middle of a season where others are having a hard time with allergies, and here I am, have been eliminating the crud from my diet and upping the whole fruits and veggies, and I was able to eat some apple. It's been 12 years since I first started having problems with apples. I was pregnant with my son. Years later, someone said to me it sounded as though my body needed to detox. I think she was right. And I hope that's what I'm now working on. Of course, eating the frosting isn't very helpful to that. :/ But things are improving and even if the weight isn't changing (yet), my health is, and that's so much more important.
I asked Tommy Europe, the book's author, what to do since I'd been off it a week. He said to back track to Day 8. So, I redid Day 8 today. Day 8 is a motivation day: do whatever physical activity you like. So, I warmed up on the treadmill and then did some ballet exercises. (My daughter's dance recital on Saturday inspired that!) I used a book I have had since I was, hm, 12? 13? I used to be able to do so many of the things in it easily, more of a turnout... *sigh* If you don't use it, you lose it, don't forget that!
Some things I've observed over this past week however: my body really doesn't like sugar. White sugar, I mean. We had a birthday celebration for my sister-in-law and my niece (her daughter; I babysit her during the day) and I made a cake on Friday to bring to the celebration. I made it dairy-free so I could eat it. It was delicious, I have to say, but I did get a little hint of a headache after eating it, even though I was fine with anything else I ate.
Just now, I dipped into some of the remaining frosting. As it so often happens, an almost immediate headache. (When will I learn? I guess the yumminess still outweighs the small headache!) I first noticed this correlation between a certain type of headache I get and sweets when I was 16. I'm now 37. I'm a slow learner in this regard, it seems. Or too apathetic. :(
Other observations: I did weigh and measure myself as scheduled last week. Weight has not changed, but I felt very puffy, so perhaps it had changed and I was retaining water that day. Some measurements have gone down. Woot! That means my very unused muscles are tightening up! That's good news. I was disappointed that my weight hadn't changed. I had eaten so much more in terms of fruits and vegetables compared to previously, cut back on grains and I think eliminated junk. It was just one of those moments of feeling like it doesn't matter what I eat, the weight is staying the same. But then it hit me how much better I had been feeling, how even my seasonal allergies were simmering down even though other people I know are still having serious problems (people whose allergy symptoms' severity matched my own in previous years). Yesterday, I decided to try a piece of a raw apple. It didn't cause me to itch. Now, sometimes apples don't bother me, but most of the time they do. I don't think it's a coincidence that I'm in the middle of a season where others are having a hard time with allergies, and here I am, have been eliminating the crud from my diet and upping the whole fruits and veggies, and I was able to eat some apple. It's been 12 years since I first started having problems with apples. I was pregnant with my son. Years later, someone said to me it sounded as though my body needed to detox. I think she was right. And I hope that's what I'm now working on. Of course, eating the frosting isn't very helpful to that. :/ But things are improving and even if the weight isn't changing (yet), my health is, and that's so much more important.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Day 7 and Day 8 combined!
I didn't blog about Day 7 yesterday! It was an "active rest" day for the program, so do something mildly active. I didn't do anything first thing in the morning, did some ballet pliés and relevés while getting ready for the day (still feeling my calf muscles on those) and did some yoga/stretching in the evening. Food-wise... Hm. Trying to remember. Oh, yes, green smoothie in the morning and leftover coconut breakfast cakes and... hm... lol. I can't remember. What did I eat for lunch? No clue. Had spaghetti with sauce for supper. And munched on watermelon throughout the afternoon and as a small snack after supper.
Today is Day 8 of my 10-Pound Shred book: resistance day. I guess because the first week is over, he stepped it up. Oh boy, did he step it up! I couldn't do all of the exercises as much as he said to. My shoulders, in particular, just aren't strong enough to do some of the stuff he focused on today. But, I pushed myself and that's what counts. (And I do mean I pushed myself: on one of the exercises, it was the last round and I still had 10 seconds to go but I knew if I bent my arms at all, I was simply going to collapse to the floor!)
Food-wise... Well, I have a confession to make: I made cookies. With white flour, white sugar, margarine and eggs. The cookie dough was amazing, but... After a few minutes, I had my usual "sugar headache". Drank some water, kept going and it went away. But then I had two cookies. But now I feel done. I've got a sugar headache again and I'm just done. The craving was satisfied and I will just move forward. Other than that naughtiness on my part, I had oats and almond milk for breakfast and a largish salad (red leaf lettuce, some parsley, chopped up cauliflower, salad dressing and hemp seeds) and leftover pork chop for lunch. I like to avoid meat at lunchtime, but nobody was eating it and it had already been in the fridge since Sunday. If the pig had to lose its life, I figure the least we can do is not waste it.
I now have to figure out supper. :P
I'll leave you today with a video from the Raw Food Family/Ka Sundance (nothing related to my post, I just liked it!):
Today is Day 8 of my 10-Pound Shred book: resistance day. I guess because the first week is over, he stepped it up. Oh boy, did he step it up! I couldn't do all of the exercises as much as he said to. My shoulders, in particular, just aren't strong enough to do some of the stuff he focused on today. But, I pushed myself and that's what counts. (And I do mean I pushed myself: on one of the exercises, it was the last round and I still had 10 seconds to go but I knew if I bent my arms at all, I was simply going to collapse to the floor!)
Food-wise... Well, I have a confession to make: I made cookies. With white flour, white sugar, margarine and eggs. The cookie dough was amazing, but... After a few minutes, I had my usual "sugar headache". Drank some water, kept going and it went away. But then I had two cookies. But now I feel done. I've got a sugar headache again and I'm just done. The craving was satisfied and I will just move forward. Other than that naughtiness on my part, I had oats and almond milk for breakfast and a largish salad (red leaf lettuce, some parsley, chopped up cauliflower, salad dressing and hemp seeds) and leftover pork chop for lunch. I like to avoid meat at lunchtime, but nobody was eating it and it had already been in the fridge since Sunday. If the pig had to lose its life, I figure the least we can do is not waste it.
I now have to figure out supper. :P
I'll leave you today with a video from the Raw Food Family/Ka Sundance (nothing related to my post, I just liked it!):
Sunday, May 27, 2012
First week almost done!
I'm working on Day 6 of the program today. It was strength/resistance day. Boy, was it HARD. lol. Definitely got me sweating and wondering how sore I will be tomorrow. Food-wise, I probably didn't have the best supper last night and other than that, just had the grapes and the coconut breakfast cakes I mentioned yesterday. Very unusual for me.
This morning, Tommy's food plan said two pieces of whole grain toast and although I was going to try to avoid wheat today, I decided I really, really wanted toast, so I had sprouted grain toast (no margarine! I've had far less margarine this week than usual, so that's good) with peanut butter (with sugar; still haven't gone to the grocery store to replace the natural stuff) and a little bit of honey. As a snack, I had some of my leftover coconut breakfast cakes. For lunch, I had a HUGE salad. After I'd already eaten more than half of it, I thought about taking a picture to show:
Super simple to make! I just sort of invented it based on things I've been eating lately:
*6? red leaf lettuce leaves (I didn't really count, I just took as much as I thought I would eat)
*small amount of parsley
*6 or so large red grapes, cut into quarters
*sprinkle of raw sunflower seeds
*sprinkle of raw pumpkin seeds
*splash of lemon juice
*small splash of extra virgin olive oil
Tossed it all together and sprinkled on some hemp seeds (why afterwards? because I remembered I had them). It was delicious! I feel so proud: I created something without following someone else's recipe. lol. I may make a similar salad to accompany supper tonight. (Mmm, corn on the cob as part of supper tonight. I'll try to remember to avoid the margarine!)
I have to say that I'm finding my eating habits this week a little odd. I thought with more exercise, I'd have more of an appetite, but I actually have less of an appetite. It makes me wonder so many things:
The program doesn't have you weigh yourself until Day 15, which is another 9 days away. I'd love to see if there's been any change yet weight-wise, but I'll "obey" and wait. Hard to say if my clothes are fitting any different because I bought new jeans last week and have been wearing mostly them. :P I haven't really noticed anything with any of my shirts. I'm not at a point of having a doctor say I'm overweight, so not much weight might come off me (if I lost even 20 lbs, I'd probably be too skinny), but I sure am feeling fitter! If I can stick with this healthier eating, and even improve on it, I know the small amount of excess weight will eventually come off although perhaps not within the 31 days. I'm just starting to feel excited. :D Before, it was kind of an, "I really want to do this," but then I didn't really do it. And now I can say, "I am doing it! I'm working out harder than I have in ages, my diet is getting better, I'm feeling stronger and healthier..." Feels good. :D
This morning, Tommy's food plan said two pieces of whole grain toast and although I was going to try to avoid wheat today, I decided I really, really wanted toast, so I had sprouted grain toast (no margarine! I've had far less margarine this week than usual, so that's good) with peanut butter (with sugar; still haven't gone to the grocery store to replace the natural stuff) and a little bit of honey. As a snack, I had some of my leftover coconut breakfast cakes. For lunch, I had a HUGE salad. After I'd already eaten more than half of it, I thought about taking a picture to show:
(Oops: didn't mean to get my hand and my reflection in there. lol)
Super simple to make! I just sort of invented it based on things I've been eating lately:
*6? red leaf lettuce leaves (I didn't really count, I just took as much as I thought I would eat)
*small amount of parsley
*6 or so large red grapes, cut into quarters
*sprinkle of raw sunflower seeds
*sprinkle of raw pumpkin seeds
*splash of lemon juice
*small splash of extra virgin olive oil
Tossed it all together and sprinkled on some hemp seeds (why afterwards? because I remembered I had them). It was delicious! I feel so proud: I created something without following someone else's recipe. lol. I may make a similar salad to accompany supper tonight. (Mmm, corn on the cob as part of supper tonight. I'll try to remember to avoid the margarine!)
I have to say that I'm finding my eating habits this week a little odd. I thought with more exercise, I'd have more of an appetite, but I actually have less of an appetite. It makes me wonder so many things:
- Does cutting things out of my diet this week leave my body better able to process the good stuff?
- Have I been eating more good stuff so my body needs less food?
- Have I had more energy due to the exercise and/or cutting out lots of bad food, so I'm less likely to do the eating-cuz-I'm-tired thing?
- Have I been better at just ignoring little hints of boredom eating?
The program doesn't have you weigh yourself until Day 15, which is another 9 days away. I'd love to see if there's been any change yet weight-wise, but I'll "obey" and wait. Hard to say if my clothes are fitting any different because I bought new jeans last week and have been wearing mostly them. :P I haven't really noticed anything with any of my shirts. I'm not at a point of having a doctor say I'm overweight, so not much weight might come off me (if I lost even 20 lbs, I'd probably be too skinny), but I sure am feeling fitter! If I can stick with this healthier eating, and even improve on it, I know the small amount of excess weight will eventually come off although perhaps not within the 31 days. I'm just starting to feel excited. :D Before, it was kind of an, "I really want to do this," but then I didn't really do it. And now I can say, "I am doing it! I'm working out harder than I have in ages, my diet is getting better, I'm feeling stronger and healthier..." Feels good. :D
Friday, May 25, 2012
Day 4--TGIF!
I'm only at day 4? lol. This week seems to have dragged on so long, I was sure I had done more than that, but I guess not. TGIF!!!
I still did not manage to set my alarm early enough to fit in all of today's workout. I wonder if it's actually set up to gradually add more time each day! lol. Today was resistance day: treadmill warm up, then a sequence of 8 resistance exercises done all the way through 3 times, followed up by a treadmill cool down. I had to cut back on some of the rest times and even on the cool down. I'll get this figured out eventually.
Food-wise yesterday: Um... Not sure. Yesterday was "one of those days". I did not give into sweets or anything and didn't go crazy with horrible food, I just can't remember clearly enough what I ate. It was decent though. It hit me, though, that I'm going to have to work at eliminating certain foods, like bread. *sob* Unless I can find some that doesn't have chemicals and white sugar added to it. Even my soy yogurt will have to go: I had a look at the ingredients yesterday and was not impressed. Dextrose is one of the ingredients that comes to mind. :( *sigh* At some point, I'm going to have to accept all the signs pointing me to a natural foods diet and stop resisting!
I do know what I'm having for lunch today: leftover Monkey Minestrone!
I still did not manage to set my alarm early enough to fit in all of today's workout. I wonder if it's actually set up to gradually add more time each day! lol. Today was resistance day: treadmill warm up, then a sequence of 8 resistance exercises done all the way through 3 times, followed up by a treadmill cool down. I had to cut back on some of the rest times and even on the cool down. I'll get this figured out eventually.
Food-wise yesterday: Um... Not sure. Yesterday was "one of those days". I did not give into sweets or anything and didn't go crazy with horrible food, I just can't remember clearly enough what I ate. It was decent though. It hit me, though, that I'm going to have to work at eliminating certain foods, like bread. *sob* Unless I can find some that doesn't have chemicals and white sugar added to it. Even my soy yogurt will have to go: I had a look at the ingredients yesterday and was not impressed. Dextrose is one of the ingredients that comes to mind. :( *sigh* At some point, I'm going to have to accept all the signs pointing me to a natural foods diet and stop resisting!
I do know what I'm having for lunch today: leftover Monkey Minestrone!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Day 3 and another 28 to go
I'm now on Day 3 of Tommy Europe's 10-Pound Shred book. My muscles aren't as sore as they were yesterday, so that's good, although I had a hard time after the session on the treadmill to get myself to the floor to stretch.
Today was a cardio day (he alternates between cardio days and "resistance" days). I could not do the level of intensity he suggested, so I had to cut it back a bit. It's still so much better than I did last year when I tried to follow the program. Like yesterday, despite getting up earlier, I didn't have the time to complete it exactly as indicated, so I'm going to have to get myself up quicker after my alarm goes off or set my alarm for even earlier. Ugh. I'm going to have to start getting to bed earlier, but that might be hard since my 14yo, husband and I have a routine of watching an episode of X-Files on Netflix every evening, starting at 9:30, when our 11yo is in bed. Maybe the trick will be to be completely ready for bed when it starts, then I will just have to pop myself into bed when it's done. (Although, let's be honest here: how often is one's mind going to be calm and ready to sleep right after watching X-Files??)
Like I've said before, I'm not following his food plan, but I think I still did well yesterday. Here's what I ate (dairy-free as usual and yesterday turned out to be vegetarian:
*1/2 cup of oats with almond milk
*1 whole grain piece of toast with dairy-free margarine (I should probably learn to cut that out) and peanut butter (unfortunately, not the "just peanuts" kind--I should get some more of the just peanuts kind) and honey
*watermelon slices (not sure how many)
*Monkey Minestrone (see yesterday's post!) for lunch--lots of veggies, only some noodles
*a banana
*some hummus and baby carrots (didn't count how many, but it wasn't many)
*Monkey Minestrone for supper with a slice of white (eek) toast with margarine (ach) and garlic on it
*some dairy-free yogurt with some Nature's Path granola
I'm probably still low on the fruit and veggie consumption, but the above has so much fewer grains than what I normally consume, so that's good! And there aren't any chocolate chips, tortilla chips with Daiya cheese, Ritz crackers or anything like that in there. :D
I thought I might go crazy not giving into little junk items, but I didn't even crave them yesterday.
With the workout done, I just have to stay on track with the food! I'd really like to go for a nap though! lol
Today was a cardio day (he alternates between cardio days and "resistance" days). I could not do the level of intensity he suggested, so I had to cut it back a bit. It's still so much better than I did last year when I tried to follow the program. Like yesterday, despite getting up earlier, I didn't have the time to complete it exactly as indicated, so I'm going to have to get myself up quicker after my alarm goes off or set my alarm for even earlier. Ugh. I'm going to have to start getting to bed earlier, but that might be hard since my 14yo, husband and I have a routine of watching an episode of X-Files on Netflix every evening, starting at 9:30, when our 11yo is in bed. Maybe the trick will be to be completely ready for bed when it starts, then I will just have to pop myself into bed when it's done. (Although, let's be honest here: how often is one's mind going to be calm and ready to sleep right after watching X-Files??)
Like I've said before, I'm not following his food plan, but I think I still did well yesterday. Here's what I ate (dairy-free as usual and yesterday turned out to be vegetarian:
*1/2 cup of oats with almond milk
*1 whole grain piece of toast with dairy-free margarine (I should probably learn to cut that out) and peanut butter (unfortunately, not the "just peanuts" kind--I should get some more of the just peanuts kind) and honey
*watermelon slices (not sure how many)
*Monkey Minestrone (see yesterday's post!) for lunch--lots of veggies, only some noodles
*a banana
*some hummus and baby carrots (didn't count how many, but it wasn't many)
*Monkey Minestrone for supper with a slice of white (eek) toast with margarine (ach) and garlic on it
*some dairy-free yogurt with some Nature's Path granola
I'm probably still low on the fruit and veggie consumption, but the above has so much fewer grains than what I normally consume, so that's good! And there aren't any chocolate chips, tortilla chips with Daiya cheese, Ritz crackers or anything like that in there. :D
I thought I might go crazy not giving into little junk items, but I didn't even crave them yesterday.
With the workout done, I just have to stay on track with the food! I'd really like to go for a nap though! lol
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