I'm single again. It's not a "D'oh!" it's a "Hip Hip Hooray!" Why? Because I was with the wrong person. It's funny because I put everything I ever wanted in a guy on paper, and he seemed to be just it. But I started convincing myself he was right for me based on that, even though my gut was saying he wasn't.
So I've gone about two weeks without any hard core workouts. I feel fat. My pants being tight on me have confirmed that feeling. FML. But, it's back to the gym and I'm getting back on track. I'm going to try to run more and will log more. I have a bad habit of doing this for a few days and then stopping, so I'm going to make a very honest effort to keep it up.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Crap, and I just had Chick-fil-A too.
Alternate title: put the fork down fatty.
I was checking out another Crossfit blog. Here is an excerpt from one of their posts encouraging the Paleo diet. Even though its promoting a specific way of eating, I think the "Tough Love" they post is great for any person needing to improve their nutrition.
Link to full post: http://whole9life.com/2009/07/the-w30/
First two sentences of number 2. Solid win.
I was checking out another Crossfit blog. Here is an excerpt from one of their posts encouraging the Paleo diet. Even though its promoting a specific way of eating, I think the "Tough Love" they post is great for any person needing to improve their nutrition.
Here comes the tough love. This is for those of you who are considering taking on this life-changing month, but aren’t sure you can actually pull it off, cheat free, for a full 30 days. This is for the people who have tried this before, but who “slipped” or “fell off the wagon” or “just HAD to eat (fill in food here) because of this (fill in event here)”. This is for you.
1. It’s not that effing hard. (Yes, I wanted to throw an f-bomb in there.) Don’t you dare tell me this is hard. Giving up heroin is hard. Drinking your coffee black is. Not. Hard. Substituting Sunday morning French toast in favor of a giant omelet and side of crispy bacon is not hard. Eating fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables every day is not hard. So I don’t want to hear one single complaint. You won’t get any coddling from me on this one, you won’t get any sympathy for your “struggles”, and you won’t get any second chances. Not in my house. It’s thirty days, and it’s for the most important cause on earth – the only physical body you will ever have in this lifetime. So shut up and do it.
2. Don’t tell me you “slipped”. Unless you physically tripped and your face landed in a box of Krispy Kremes, you DID NOT SLIP. You made a choice to eat something of poor quality. It’s always a choice, so do not phrase it as if you had an accident. You make a poor choice, even once, you’re out. You don’t get to re-start, you don’t get to keep posting. Commit here, 100%, for the full 30 days, or go somewhere else.
3. Don’t lie to me. Don’t even try.
4. You never, ever, ever HAVE to eat anything you don’t want to eat. You’re all big boys and girls. Toughen up. Learn to say no. Learn to stick up for yourself. Just because it’s your Mom’s birthday, or your best friend’s wedding, or your company outing does not mean you “have” to eat crappy food. It’s always a choice, and I would hope that you stopped succumbing to peer pressure in 7th grade.
5. This does require a bit of effort, people. If you’re cutting grains and dairy for the first time, you have to replace those calories with something. You have to make sure you’re eating enough, that your vitamins and nutrients are balanced, that you’re getting enough protein, fat and carbohydrates. Don’t expect me to fill in the blanks for you. Figure it out. There are a ton of good resources out there. I’ll list some in my next post, to get you started. But take responsibility for your own plan. Improved health, fitness and performance doesn’t happen just because you’re now taking a pass on chocolate milk.
Link to full post: http://whole9life.com/2009/07/the-w30/
First two sentences of number 2. Solid win.
Friday, January 22, 2010
What an inspiring post from a Crossfit blog!
LINK: The CrossFit Watertown Mindset
1) I will promise to do my best. My best will vary from day to day, from hour to hour, from minute to minute. But in that minute, I will do the very best that I can.
2) Lactic acid is my friend. The wind is my friend. Anything that opposes me is actually helping me to become stronger. If I had no opposition, I would be weak.
3) If I can run, I run. If I have to walk, I walk. When I am forced to crawl, I crawl. And then I rest and live to fight another day.
4) I fear no man but I fear my workout. If I don’t fear my workout, it isn’t hard enough.
5) I may puke. I may cry. But I will not quit. Ever.
6) I never cheat. There is no honor in cheating. What joy can there be in a victory I did not earn?
7) The workout missed is the opportunity missed. I will not cheat myself of the opportunity to become a better athlete and person.
8) I understand the value of the push-up, the pull-up, the sit-up, the squat, and the deadlift. Just as there are a million ways to make chicken, so too are there a million ways to squat, sit up, pull up, push up, and deadlift.
9) I will give everything I have. And then I will find more within myself.
10) I don’t complain. Complaining is for crybabies. There are 11,232 babies born in the US everyday. I will leave the crying to them and I will soldier on.
11) I will bite off challenges, spit out results, and beg for more. What are you going to do?
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Focus: Living in the present! one reason yoga can help with weight loss .... or whatever change you want/need to make in your life
Here's something I wrote on my yoga-oriented tumblr. I added a little more content here though. You guys get the non-abridged version.
Yoga can help with weight loss! Those who think they are *failures* for messing up their diet may often think “What’s the point of trying to change?? I screwed up anyways. Where’s the ice cream?” … stop living in the past or future, live in the present!
Yoga can physically change the body through the poses but, more importantly, through concentration during the poses we can change the mindset. Even during the simplest of yoga poses, we try to be *present* by focusing on the body parts "not in use". Are my abs still supporting my chest, shoulders, my upper body? Am I using my leg muscles or just resting in the bones? If you're thinking about potential texts you have on your phone, what another person is doing in the class, or the hectic day at work that has passed you can't really concentrate on your pose. So, in a way, just concentrating on the poses can bring your mind to a calmer, present state.
Your current appearance is a result of your past - the immovable past. Do not live in the past with guilt. Also, do not live in the future by worrying. The event hasnt happened yet, why stress now? Why dwell on a future event you want to lose weight for when your current actions and thoughts are the true measures of what you will be at that event? Didnt make your "goal weight" and the event is in 30 minutes? Its funny how most of us will go full circle and regress by living in the past again with regret. "I should have dieted more last week" "I didnt exercise enough" Blah blah blah. Then, another event or meeting that you *should* look a certain way for arises and many of us go right back into living in the future, worrying about that event. If you're peering into the future on your tiptoes all the time, you can't stay balanced. (Also, if you want to add a Law of Attraction angle -> if you worry about something you will manifest it in your life. Simple example: if you worry about the future, you currently ARE a worried person. I was also watching The Biggest Loser - Season 9, Ep. 2? maybe - The contestants had to cross a narrow beam over water. Maria had an immobilizing fear of water. She knew water would somehow bring her harm - which, again, is living in the future. She displayed an obvious fear of getting hurt at this challenge. And if that woman didnt stumble off the beam and smack her face on the pavement, I'm not sitting here right now! She manifested her thoughts into reality.). If you want change in your life, you MUST live in the present. It doesnt mean we do not make goals or have dreams, just do not trust the future. What you do today matters.
Eat mindfully. Eat calories that provide for the body (with vitamins, fiber, nutrients) - not empty calories! Low calories can still be empty calories (I’m looking at you rice cakes). Stay away from processed foods. Take on a karmic stance towards eating. Ask yourself - how far removed is this food from what my body needs to be strong? Be mindful of lustful cravings. Your body might take time to acclimate to healthful eating so be patient. Be, eat, and live today who you want to be tomorrow.
Listen to the body! The body knows what it needs and has its own type of intelligence. Stop overthinking and mandating what your body should look like. Your body already looks like what it should look like.
Don’t dig your grave with your teeth!
Action: Practice being still in your poses. Move, find your pose. Once you find that comfort, don’t fidget. When you fidget, you aren’t in the present moment.
Yoga can help with weight loss! Those who think they are *failures* for messing up their diet may often think “What’s the point of trying to change?? I screwed up anyways. Where’s the ice cream?” … stop living in the past or future, live in the present!
Yoga can physically change the body through the poses but, more importantly, through concentration during the poses we can change the mindset. Even during the simplest of yoga poses, we try to be *present* by focusing on the body parts "not in use". Are my abs still supporting my chest, shoulders, my upper body? Am I using my leg muscles or just resting in the bones? If you're thinking about potential texts you have on your phone, what another person is doing in the class, or the hectic day at work that has passed you can't really concentrate on your pose. So, in a way, just concentrating on the poses can bring your mind to a calmer, present state.
Your current appearance is a result of your past - the immovable past. Do not live in the past with guilt. Also, do not live in the future by worrying. The event hasnt happened yet, why stress now? Why dwell on a future event you want to lose weight for when your current actions and thoughts are the true measures of what you will be at that event? Didnt make your "goal weight" and the event is in 30 minutes? Its funny how most of us will go full circle and regress by living in the past again with regret. "I should have dieted more last week" "I didnt exercise enough" Blah blah blah. Then, another event or meeting that you *should* look a certain way for arises and many of us go right back into living in the future, worrying about that event. If you're peering into the future on your tiptoes all the time, you can't stay balanced. (Also, if you want to add a Law of Attraction angle -> if you worry about something you will manifest it in your life. Simple example: if you worry about the future, you currently ARE a worried person. I was also watching The Biggest Loser - Season 9, Ep. 2? maybe - The contestants had to cross a narrow beam over water. Maria had an immobilizing fear of water. She knew water would somehow bring her harm - which, again, is living in the future. She displayed an obvious fear of getting hurt at this challenge. And if that woman didnt stumble off the beam and smack her face on the pavement, I'm not sitting here right now! She manifested her thoughts into reality.). If you want change in your life, you MUST live in the present. It doesnt mean we do not make goals or have dreams, just do not trust the future. What you do today matters.
Eat mindfully. Eat calories that provide for the body (with vitamins, fiber, nutrients) - not empty calories! Low calories can still be empty calories (I’m looking at you rice cakes). Stay away from processed foods. Take on a karmic stance towards eating. Ask yourself - how far removed is this food from what my body needs to be strong? Be mindful of lustful cravings. Your body might take time to acclimate to healthful eating so be patient. Be, eat, and live today who you want to be tomorrow.
Listen to the body! The body knows what it needs and has its own type of intelligence. Stop overthinking and mandating what your body should look like. Your body already looks like what it should look like.
Don’t dig your grave with your teeth!
Action: Practice being still in your poses. Move, find your pose. Once you find that comfort, don’t fidget. When you fidget, you aren’t in the present moment.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
New Year, New Me with The Master Cleanse
I'm on day 2 of the master cleanse. I can't believe I've actually decided to go through this agony again. The second time around is so much easier than the first time. I actually have energy and I've been able to workout. Granted, this is only day 2, so we'll see what the future holds. I weighed in at 135.4 lbs and 26.5% body fat initially. I didn't weigh myself this morning so I don't know how much the scale has decreased. I can say that I probably lost a pound or so, especially since I think my calorie intake was somewhere around 400 calories yesterday. I know that's too small of a number. But, I wasn't that hungry, or at least I thought I wasn't. Apparently, my body got mad at me around 3 pm because I got this raging headache. I kept saying to myself, "Drink the lemonade and you'll be fine." With every sip it seemed to get a little better.
Today I taught a spin class. I also did a little bit of yoga afterwards and I will be teaching yoga tonight. I hope that my energy level stays the same because it's nice to be able to workout while doing the cleanse. Last time I was on the cleanse I could only workout on day 7 or so.
Today I taught a spin class. I also did a little bit of yoga afterwards and I will be teaching yoga tonight. I hope that my energy level stays the same because it's nice to be able to workout while doing the cleanse. Last time I was on the cleanse I could only workout on day 7 or so.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
What I'm taking with me post-detox, fast
Sorry, just had to share that picture. Its not as good as the Dr. Phil one ... but still pretty amazing.
In the future, if I see myself trending towards some bad habit (I tend to gravitate that way, eh?), I'll fast that aspect out of my life. Go on a break, rest, retreat from it. Give myself around 10 days with no [insert vice].
Sometimes things that give us momentary pleasure can really destruct us in the long run. Whether it be meaningless sex or a second helping of cake. Breaking yourself from the temporary pleasures can really help put things in a longer, healthier perspective.
Plus, the fast weight loss (when it comes to food related fasts) doesnt hurt either!
The end.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Over the Hump of Master Cleanse
It's Day 6. I'm over the hump. I've lost 5.5 pounds and my pants are officially a bit looser. Theoretically things should be getting easier because it's all downhill from here. But, I've had some challenges along the way. For example, two nights ago I dreamt that there were all these desserts and I caved from the cleanse and ate them. I went as far as to cut off the edges of the cake so that I would have lots of icing. Luckily, I woke up and realized it was, in fact, all a dream. Failure is really not an option for this cleanse. I'm going to follow it and I won't cheat.
Last night, I was pretty moody, and I think it's because I haven't had real food. I was not craving anything in particular, just not the lemonade. I also tried going to yoga class just down the street from where I live. I couldn't do hardly anything until the stretching at the end because I just didn't have the strength. Child's pose was my friend last night. I was frustrated with my practice because I have never been that easy on myself. I always push it to the next level, muscle through it, or think the motto, "no pain no gain." But, this time was different because I knew that I just needed to take it easy because I was drinking all my meals and didn't feel like I would have sufficient protein afterwards to recover. It was one of those days/nights when you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. You don't know where you are going, what you are doing, and what the meaning of life is. By the end of the night my mood had improved because Scott called and encouraged me.
This morning, I was on my regular drive to work. When I drive now, I seem to be more observant. For example, one of the street signs on the way to the office is called, "Amador," which is the last name of one of my good friends. While driving, I also started to wonder, "Who am I?" I have been keeping to myself all this week. I haven't done my regular routine of working out, eating, socializing, etc. Normally I'm ALWAYS on the go with a rigid schedule. I do like exercising because I feel like it keeps me limber and cancels out part of what I eat every day. Sometimes I get the runner's high or have a wonderful yoga practice and I feel on top of the world. Because I've ommitted this part of my life for the cleanse I don't feel like I'm on top of my game. I am an extrovert and making conversation comes easily to me, but this week I've ommitted that because I really didn't know if I would have the energy to see anyone, much less be around them if it was dinner or happy hour.
In case the human race hasn't noticed, eating is a social activity. I grew up having family meals throughout the week. My mom would make a fabulous heavy meal each Sunday afternoon that would last us the rest of the day. My favorite weekend activity is brunch. The thought of having an omelette, biscuit, waffle, scone, or anything my heart desires makes me quite happy. When we go to work and want to socialize with someone, we ask if he/she wants to go to lunch. If people have a birthday cake at work you are looked down upon if you don't partake by having a slice. Except, of course, for Milton in "Office Space." No one cared or even noticed when he was the only one who didn't have cake!
We have to eat to live, but aren't there other ways to be social that don't revolve around food?
Last night, I was pretty moody, and I think it's because I haven't had real food. I was not craving anything in particular, just not the lemonade. I also tried going to yoga class just down the street from where I live. I couldn't do hardly anything until the stretching at the end because I just didn't have the strength. Child's pose was my friend last night. I was frustrated with my practice because I have never been that easy on myself. I always push it to the next level, muscle through it, or think the motto, "no pain no gain." But, this time was different because I knew that I just needed to take it easy because I was drinking all my meals and didn't feel like I would have sufficient protein afterwards to recover. It was one of those days/nights when you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. You don't know where you are going, what you are doing, and what the meaning of life is. By the end of the night my mood had improved because Scott called and encouraged me.
This morning, I was on my regular drive to work. When I drive now, I seem to be more observant. For example, one of the street signs on the way to the office is called, "Amador," which is the last name of one of my good friends. While driving, I also started to wonder, "Who am I?" I have been keeping to myself all this week. I haven't done my regular routine of working out, eating, socializing, etc. Normally I'm ALWAYS on the go with a rigid schedule. I do like exercising because I feel like it keeps me limber and cancels out part of what I eat every day. Sometimes I get the runner's high or have a wonderful yoga practice and I feel on top of the world. Because I've ommitted this part of my life for the cleanse I don't feel like I'm on top of my game. I am an extrovert and making conversation comes easily to me, but this week I've ommitted that because I really didn't know if I would have the energy to see anyone, much less be around them if it was dinner or happy hour.
In case the human race hasn't noticed, eating is a social activity. I grew up having family meals throughout the week. My mom would make a fabulous heavy meal each Sunday afternoon that would last us the rest of the day. My favorite weekend activity is brunch. The thought of having an omelette, biscuit, waffle, scone, or anything my heart desires makes me quite happy. When we go to work and want to socialize with someone, we ask if he/she wants to go to lunch. If people have a birthday cake at work you are looked down upon if you don't partake by having a slice. Except, of course, for Milton in "Office Space." No one cared or even noticed when he was the only one who didn't have cake!
We have to eat to live, but aren't there other ways to be social that don't revolve around food?
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