Year 31 - Reclaiming Myself

Well I made it for one week solid doing what I said I was going to do... and I am pretty sure PMS hormones were trying to thwart my attempts the entire time. And I do beleive that it is also the reason that I went from 140 to 141 overnight and feel like a blimp. YAY for water weight. I woke up too late to do my 15 min, but I had enough time to do an improvised 10 min and while it took hell and high water to get me OUT of bed... I am glad I did even if it was late. It is also cold, foggy and I want hash browns and eggs instead of a protein shake... but I am sufficing myself with my protein shake and Im caving and having a cup of orange spice black tea. Its making me happy right now and hopefully getting my eyelids to lift a few more millimeters. I am looking forward to this weekend. It is general conference weekend in our church which means that the church leaders hold a global television broadcast - which means i dont have to wear pants. (well, I have to at least wear jammy pants...

Got back on track last night... but do you know what the dumbest thing in the world is?? Having BOTH feet cramp so hard that it cramps your calves WHILE you're having to point your toes for pilates. Im not sure how effective last nights session was considering the pain of the cramps was really distracting. But whatever. Yoga was good this morning... I love Raquel Welch. But I think I am finally getting limber enough and strong enough to move up to something a little more challenging. Maybe... I really do love those 15 min videos. I have also discovered a new way to help wake up and get my blood moving. Apparently its something like a swedish spa treatment - so in the hot shower, you alternate temperatures between hot and cold water and let me tell you what.... THAT wakes you the heck up.  Im not sure I'll be hitting my goal of 138 by Sunday.. I do have a chance for 139 though... am at 140.5 this morning so I will be celebrating getting under 140...its like my body just g...

Skipped pilates last night... why? I unintentionally passed out cold at 9:30. I was so dang tired. And I still am tired. My guess is PMS. But I will power through. And really last nights pilates sesssion was only a 12 minute stretch program so I didnt miss much and I'll pick it up tonight. I yawned throughout my yoga this morning... but it still felt really good. But I did cave and have a cup of plain black tea - functioning this morning was a little more difficult. I've made it to 140 without starving!! I love the perks of eating right and exercising. You not only get to feel good, but you get to start looking good. And just in time too! We have family photos this afternoon and the only clothes my entire family has that goes together is red, white and navy. Up until today my navy skirt has been too small around the hips/butt area and hikes up the lining which had looked really funny. BUT when I crossed my fingers and slipped it on today it went on with no problems! YAY! I ...

So I've been at this for about a week or so now... (oh I decided to take Sundays off from exercising as my rest day - I still stretch though) and even this early in the game I am noticing changes - yes, dropping weight is noticable, but more in how I am feeling and my relationship with my body. I remember hating it so much that I didnt eat for years and was completely underweight while still thinking I was a whale. When I finally got over that, a few years later I had my son and realized just what my body could do. I remember for the first time really truly appreciating my body. But it was still a battle to be as thin as I thought I should be. I didnt do so bad on that though, I was teaching dance and conditiong and while still eating better, it still probably wasnt enough. But I was healthy, but still body concience. Then I had my daughter, had to take a desk job and went back to school. My weight went back up to 145 - that is the heaviest I had ever been. Now dont judge me here, ...

So Monday started off with me waking up at 6:30 instead of 6:15... so needless to say yoga didnt happen this morning. But I did stretch a bit in the shower so I'm not totally thrown off and I did making it out of the house on time. I was a little bummed, but it is dark in the mornings now so I wonder if my body is adjusting to it. My goal for this week is to go from 141.5 to 138 by Sunday, do pilates every night and elliptical at least 1 mile a night.  Hubbys birthday was Sunday and I made a ton of good food but ate portion sizes and even had some cookie dough... but I was good. Plus I had fasted all day anyways. Still feeling ok... Im still a little off since my day  didint start as planned. Im one of those people where if I get thrown off my track or routine it takes me a bit to get back on a track. Plus it didnt help that I forgot to file our B/O tax report on Friday, so I had to do that first thing this morning which again, threw off my schedule of events for work. S...

So I signed up for www.dailyburn.com and I am LOVING IT. I hate going to the gym because I dont know what to do.. I usually just stay on the elliptical and watch house hunters. And I really dont like lifting weights there unless there is NO ONE there which only happens at 5am. So one thing I discovered I love last night is that there are programs that you can go along with that is like having a personal trainer - no one day is the same thing and it gives you a goal of finishing the program in like 14 days. I decided to start with Pilates. I've never done pilates, But after day one I am totally hooked. And sore. I think it will be a good fit considering I need to really build back my core  - I tried the CORE program, but the guy that did the first workout was just too annoying for me to get into it. I like pilates I think because its like yoga... its like ballet stretches and workouts, and since the only time I have to work out is between 9:30 and 10:30pm... its low impact. Who ...

It was a hard morning to get out of bed. But I did it... and I got through my yoga... but I dont feel like it was effective as the other days. But I did it. I have gone from 145 to 141.5 since Sunday. :D That makes me happy. Here are some of the changes I've made: 1) 20 min light exercise at night (will get harder, but starting slow and building up to it) 2) 15 min yoga in the morning 3) 5 cups green tea daily 4) More water than usual (easier than I thought) 5) Daily multivitamin 6) I cut out ALL refined flour and since I have a wheat allergy anyways it was fairly simple, but I've started substituting my wheat flours with quinoa and spelt. (I dont know how I lived without quinoa.. soooo good!) 7) I cut out most sugar - this one is important - I dont believe in completely depriving yourself, so if I feel like a couple tootsie rolls or a cookie then fine. But I've noticed I dont crave it and half the time I just really dont feel like it anymore and I crave flavor an...

Its Wednesday and I am pretty sure sometimes Wednesdays can feel worse than Mondays. I think maybe because it is in the middle... not the beginning when there is potential to have renewed vigour for the week and goals ahead and not the end where you can just relax... Today was one of those Wednesdays. Yes, I did get up and do my yoga, take my vitamin and have my protein shake for breakfast. But I did yawn more than usual and I wished dead-mans pose would have lasted about an hour longer. But I think the important part is that I did it and didn't do my usual "dont feel like it... not gonna." and go back to bed. I was super tired by 9pm last night however and so staying up until 11 probably didnt do me very well. It is now dark in the mornings again and COLD. I love it :D Since Monday I am down 3 pounds... from 145 to 142...yay for eating clean! (and atkins protein shakes!) I really havent cut anything out, just either eat less of it or a healthier version. And its nice...

So I did really well the first week, the second week everyone got the flu... so nothing happened. But now that all has calmed down, I started again yesterday and even two days worth now I feel a difference. I love that doing even the 15 minutes of yoga and stretching and breathing wakes me up and I notice that when I roll out of bed Im not so creaky and sore. I also noticed that my energy levels are maintained all day long - I am not having slumps at 2pm anymore where I just want to curl up under my desk. I also notice that my breathing is easier - not that it was awful, but now its just easier. I have decided that I have spend so many damn years focusing on looking good.... this year I am focusing on FEELING good. There is some truth to look-good-feel-good... but if inside you feel drained or sluggish... even if you look good you wont look the best you can be. And really, what are looks? I am 31 now, and thrilled about it. It is time I started feeling good and just enjoying me for...

I have successfully completed two consecutive days of yoga in the morning. The first day I got up at 6:45 which was  a bit late, I completed a ten minute yoga session and then got to work RIGHT on time. So today, I decided to ease myself into getting up early and got up at 6:30 and did the entire 15 min routine and had plenty of time to shower and even stop by the store for breakfast before work. I like the 15 min yogas because its only 15 min (lol) but really, that is what i am looking for right now. Easy stretches that promote flexibility, but also wake me up. Maybe as i gain flexibility and strength I will move on to harder things, but the realization that I havent moved in 2 years is pretty apparent. I also have resolved to eating better... Two days in a row I have made clean and healthy choices and this morning I got back on a multi-vitamin. If I am to work all day and then from 6-9 teach and stuff, I need to be at peak performance. I heard a quote the other day that is go...

So I have decided to be intentional about my health this year. I sluffed off pretty well the past two years and am ten pounds heavier than I'd like to be and probably not as healthy as I could be... and I have noticed that every year I get more aches and more creakiness and its a "roll" off the bed instead of jumping out... I probably should get myself moving. I remember in massage school they said the number one cause of old age as we know it is lack of flexibility and they gave examples that showed the working western worlds elderly and compared them to the japanese elderly. You rarely have Japanse elderly with humps on thier backs or not being able to walk by themselves because they constantly keep moving through tai chi, yoga, etc... it was a really interesting study. I knwo I am far from being elderly, but I better start now before it gets too late. So... Starting tomorrow morning I am going to start these goals at 6am every morning: (and I say GOING to because I...