It seems I've fallen into the habit of being super healthy, motivated and on track during the week, and falling off the wagon every weekend.
It's easier to stick with routines and schedules during the week. On the weekend -- anything goes. I might sleep in (until, gasp!, 8:30 a.m.!), I might work out extra, I might be busy visiting with friends or family from the time I get up until the time I go to bed, or I might spend the whole weekend vegged out on the couch in front of the TV. Every weekend means a host of different activities, but one thing remains the same: I eat horribly. It's ironic, because at the same time I am eating horribly, I am shopping and prepping healthy foods for the week.
Is it just the lack of routine? Is it because I allow myself to eat out? Is it because I sometimes can't control my meals, what time I eat them and where? Is it because I've developed an attitude that says, "I've been good all week, I deserve a splurge?"
I'm not sure, to be honest (Translation: those were all rhetorical questions above). I am sure that there is nothing wrong with a splurge or a couple of meals eaten in restaurants. I've read a lot about dieting, and I've seen the 80/20 rule referenced a lot. The principle is that you should eat healthy 80 percent of the time, and allow yourself to splurge the other 20 percent.
But, as I believe I've posted before, splurges* can be a slippery slope. Once I let my guard down and let one unhealthy but delicious treat pass my lips, it's like I've opened the floodgates for more. It's easier to stay in control if I stay strict, but at the same time, I can't be strict 100 percent of the time. I feel like this is something I'm going to be navigating the rest of my life.
Does anybody know what I'm talking about? Can I get an amen!?! (Or just some suggestions on how to improve my weekend eating?)
*I apologize for my overuse of the word splurge tonight. Apparently my internal thesaurus is malfunctioning.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Loved
One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
It seemed apropos to explore some aspect of love today, even though Valentine's Day has never been a very big deal to me. Over breakfast I began thinking about what I would post tonight and these verses popped into my mind. I tried to ignore them at first, but all day long I kept coming back to this single thought: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
It is a pretty radical verse, one that is the epitome of Jesus' teaching. But a few years ago, I heard it preached in a different way and I wish I could remember the speaker and the event to give them credit, but I can't. Perhaps more importantly, though, I have looked at this verse, and myself, differently ever since. The point was that in order to follow Jesus' teaching and love your neighbor as yourself, you have to first love yourself.
Let me let that sink in a bit.
Sometimes the hardest person to love is ourselves, especially for women. It's easier to focus on our flaws. It's easier to say- "My hair is weird" or "I'm fat" or "Nobody loves me on Valentine's Day" or "I'm a bad wife/sister/mom/friend" or whatever it is you say to yourself to beat yourself up.
But you are a child of God, a uniquely created being. There will never be another you. God knows the number of hairs on your head and he loves you beyond measure.
"This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us." 1 John 4:10
"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19
So today, no matter what your relationship status or your feelings toward Valentine's Day, remember that you are loved and remember to love yourself. If you have that straight in your mind, you are so much better equipped to go and love your neighbors.
What are some ways you show yourself love? Today, I stopped letting Singles Awareness Day affect my mood by reminding myself of this post I had been pre-composing in my head. It helped me to remember my value and in turn was able to eat a healthy meal at home for dinner as planned, instead of making a rash stop for junk food on the way home. Oh, and I've also been reading over a pretty sweet list written yesterday by my best friend that lists 101 reasons why she loves me. That's helped too :)
Matthew 22: 35-40
It is a pretty radical verse, one that is the epitome of Jesus' teaching. But a few years ago, I heard it preached in a different way and I wish I could remember the speaker and the event to give them credit, but I can't. Perhaps more importantly, though, I have looked at this verse, and myself, differently ever since. The point was that in order to follow Jesus' teaching and love your neighbor as yourself, you have to first love yourself.
Let me let that sink in a bit.
Sometimes the hardest person to love is ourselves, especially for women. It's easier to focus on our flaws. It's easier to say- "My hair is weird" or "I'm fat" or "Nobody loves me on Valentine's Day" or "I'm a bad wife/sister/mom/friend" or whatever it is you say to yourself to beat yourself up.
But you are a child of God, a uniquely created being. There will never be another you. God knows the number of hairs on your head and he loves you beyond measure.
"This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us." 1 John 4:10
"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19
So today, no matter what your relationship status or your feelings toward Valentine's Day, remember that you are loved and remember to love yourself. If you have that straight in your mind, you are so much better equipped to go and love your neighbors.
What are some ways you show yourself love? Today, I stopped letting Singles Awareness Day affect my mood by reminding myself of this post I had been pre-composing in my head. It helped me to remember my value and in turn was able to eat a healthy meal at home for dinner as planned, instead of making a rash stop for junk food on the way home. Oh, and I've also been reading over a pretty sweet list written yesterday by my best friend that lists 101 reasons why she loves me. That's helped too :)
Sunday, February 13, 2011
This Week's Tastiness Part Two
I loved the Chile Verde recipe I made last week so much, that I decided to make it again this week. I hope that makes it a strong enough endorsement for you to consider adding this recipe to your arsenal of favorite recipes. I know I've added it to mine. It's so easy. It takes about ten minutes of chopping vegetables, but then you just dump it all in a crock pot and let it cook for eight hours and you're done!
Mom and Dad were here this weekend and while they were getting packed up this morning, I went ahead and started making my meals. This gave Mom the chance to taste a fresh tomatillo and Dad the chance to correct my pronunciation of it (he doesn't like tomato-like products). It also gave me the chance to impress Dad with my ability to cook two meals simultaneously. He's a great multi-tasking cook, and he was proud to have passed the skills on to me.
My second recipe I found on the Bell Plantation web site. Bell Plantation makes PB2, a powdered peanut butter product that I've heard lots of people rave about on various diet/healthy living blogs. It is just ground peanuts with a bit of salt and sugar, so it is much healthier for you then the peanut butter you buy in the store. You can either mix it with water to make peanut butter or you can use it in the various recipes they have on their site. If you've been reading the blog, you know I love peanut butter, and I thought this would be both a healthier way to eat it and a simple way to control it (you only mix up enough peanut butter for one serving at a time.)
I decided to order some this week, because I've been curious about it. Mixing it with water actually makes pretty tasty peanut butter, but I also wanted to try some recipes. So I found PB2 and Pasta Bake on their website and set about making it. It wasn't until I was done that I realized the recipe never told me when to put the PB2 in! It has it listed in the ingredients, but never told me what to do with it, so it ended up being a regular old pasta dish, with no exciting peanut buttery twist. Oh well, it's still pretty good.
Here's a picture:
Mom and Dad were here this weekend and while they were getting packed up this morning, I went ahead and started making my meals. This gave Mom the chance to taste a fresh tomatillo and Dad the chance to correct my pronunciation of it (he doesn't like tomato-like products). It also gave me the chance to impress Dad with my ability to cook two meals simultaneously. He's a great multi-tasking cook, and he was proud to have passed the skills on to me.
My second recipe I found on the Bell Plantation web site. Bell Plantation makes PB2, a powdered peanut butter product that I've heard lots of people rave about on various diet/healthy living blogs. It is just ground peanuts with a bit of salt and sugar, so it is much healthier for you then the peanut butter you buy in the store. You can either mix it with water to make peanut butter or you can use it in the various recipes they have on their site. If you've been reading the blog, you know I love peanut butter, and I thought this would be both a healthier way to eat it and a simple way to control it (you only mix up enough peanut butter for one serving at a time.)
I decided to order some this week, because I've been curious about it. Mixing it with water actually makes pretty tasty peanut butter, but I also wanted to try some recipes. So I found PB2 and Pasta Bake on their website and set about making it. It wasn't until I was done that I realized the recipe never told me when to put the PB2 in! It has it listed in the ingredients, but never told me what to do with it, so it ended up being a regular old pasta dish, with no exciting peanut buttery twist. Oh well, it's still pretty good.
Here's a picture:
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Diet Drink Detox
A play by play of my detox. Is it too much info for you? Sorry.
9:30 a.m. Sunday: decided not to buy any more diet coke/pepsi and to break the habit when my supply ran out
9:30 a.m. Sunday: decided not to buy any more diet coke/pepsi and to break the habit when my supply ran out
7:30 a.m. Monday: decided to just have one diet coke each morning until they are all gone; should be gone mid-weekend
7:30 a.m. Wednesday: had last diet coke of my life, but did not realize it would be the last; I didn’t even say goodbye
7:30 a.m. Thursday: didn’t start the day with my usual diet coke, but thought I would wait and see if I could stretch the time in between last coke to next coke; decided I would have it mid-morning instead
Midmorning Thursday: was too busy to think about diet coke
2:30 p.m. Thursday: headache began, but had forgotten about the lack of diet coke and thought it was stress-related, rather than caffeine
3:15 p.m. Thursday: went to the gym to cycle, hoping the distraction would clear up the headache
4:15 p.m. Thursday: done at the gym, but headache had gotten worse
4:30 p.m. Thursday: realized headache was because of the lack of caffeine; decided that since I had already
dealt with it a couple of hours, I would just power through and not drink any more diet cokes
5:15 p.m. Thursday: left work to head to local gym for Body Pump (still using my free week pass)
5:45 p.m. Thursday: thought that when you have a headache, weight lifting is the worst form of exercise to be doing
7 p.m. Thursday: arrived home from gym and showered, headache was still horrible, but kept forgetting to take medicine
8 p.m. Thursday: remembered to finally take some extra strength Tylenol
8:30 p.m. Thursday: felt some relief
10:30 p.m. Thursday: went to bed with headache back in full force, couldn’t fall asleep
12:30 a.m. Friday: woke up to text message from stupid cell phone company, headache still raging
12:30 a.m.-6:30 a.m. Friday: slept fitfully, waking repeatedly; shouldn’t a lack of caffeine in my system help me sleep better?
7:30 a.m. Friday: woke with no headache; prepared breakfast and stared mournfully at one diet coke and one diet pepsi left in the fridge
8:30 a.m. Friday: went to work and told Judy K. about my impromptu ditching of the diet drinks; commiserated with her about some foods tasting better with soda
9:30 a.m. Friday: felt sad about no longer drinking diet coke; began thinking about wanting to go out to lunch to mourn my friend (diet drinks), but made plans to walk with Monica outside in the sunshine during lunch hour instead
10:30 a.m. Friday: couldn’t stop thinking about eating lunch out; ate snack instead
12 p.m. Friday: decided I was being stupid about wanting to eat lunch out and ate the lunch I brought from home, like a good girl
3 p.m. Friday: caved under self-imposed faux-pressure to drink something besides water; went to vending to get caffeine-free Sprite
3:15 p.m. Friday: realized that Sprite has 140 calories in one can! You can bet I won't be doing that again. That's more than what's in a light beer!
7:30 a.m. Saturday: 72 hours caffiene free and slept like a baby.
It really was not bad at all! Here's hoping it helps with these last 5.5 pounds!
3 p.m. Friday: caved under self-imposed faux-pressure to drink something besides water; went to vending to get caffeine-free Sprite
3:15 p.m. Friday: realized that Sprite has 140 calories in one can! You can bet I won't be doing that again. That's more than what's in a light beer!
7:30 a.m. Saturday: 72 hours caffiene free and slept like a baby.
It really was not bad at all! Here's hoping it helps with these last 5.5 pounds!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Self Confidence Secret
Can I tell you what makes a big difference in my self confidence these days, but really doesn't take all that much time?
Lean in close. It's a secret.
Abdominal work.
I used to never do ab work. I just figured, "What's the point of having ripped abs, if you can't see them under a layer of flab?" I thought I should be spending all of my time on cardio, and even if I did strength training, I skipped the abs. I hated doing them.
When I first started doing ab work consistently, I was surprised to discover how quickly I could tell a difference, and what a difference it made. During the last couple of months I have not been super consistent in the weight room (which is where I do my ab work), only getting in there once or twice a week. It has left me feeling really flabby.
However, the past several weeks I've been more consistent. What a confidence booster it is to be able to feel my strong muscles! This is true for all muscles, but for the abs especially. When my abs are tight, it makes me feel/look slimmer with a defined waist line, even if I haven't lost all of the weight yet. My abdominal muscles may not be visible to the eye, but I can definitely feel them.
I've changed up my routine from when I last posted about abs (link included above) and now include exercises for the lower abs and obliques, in addition to crunches for the upper/middle abdominal muscles. The whole set only takes about 10-12 minutes, and I only do it three times a week, but that seems to be enough.
If you're looking for a quick way to feel better about yourself, determine a routine (perhaps something as simple as two sets of 15-20 regular crunches and 2 sets of 15-20 side crunches) and stick to it consistently for a few weeks. Do it at least three times a week, but you can do more if you want. You'll feel the difference in no time!
Lean in close. It's a secret.
Abdominal work.
I used to never do ab work. I just figured, "What's the point of having ripped abs, if you can't see them under a layer of flab?" I thought I should be spending all of my time on cardio, and even if I did strength training, I skipped the abs. I hated doing them.
When I first started doing ab work consistently, I was surprised to discover how quickly I could tell a difference, and what a difference it made. During the last couple of months I have not been super consistent in the weight room (which is where I do my ab work), only getting in there once or twice a week. It has left me feeling really flabby.
However, the past several weeks I've been more consistent. What a confidence booster it is to be able to feel my strong muscles! This is true for all muscles, but for the abs especially. When my abs are tight, it makes me feel/look slimmer with a defined waist line, even if I haven't lost all of the weight yet. My abdominal muscles may not be visible to the eye, but I can definitely feel them.
I've changed up my routine from when I last posted about abs (link included above) and now include exercises for the lower abs and obliques, in addition to crunches for the upper/middle abdominal muscles. The whole set only takes about 10-12 minutes, and I only do it three times a week, but that seems to be enough.
If you're looking for a quick way to feel better about yourself, determine a routine (perhaps something as simple as two sets of 15-20 regular crunches and 2 sets of 15-20 side crunches) and stick to it consistently for a few weeks. Do it at least three times a week, but you can do more if you want. You'll feel the difference in no time!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Updates
Sometimes I think I write a blog with questions or problems and then never get back around to telling you what I decided about said question or problem. Maybe sometimes I go back to the comments, but you might not read all the commnents. So, here's a round-up update of sorts to some recent blog posts, in no particular order. (Original posts are linked in each title.)
Saying Goodbye to Diet Pepsi
I've decided to try and say goodbye to my favorite drink. I did not buy any more at the store last week, and I'm rationing out the rest. At this rate I will be out over the weekend and seriously detoxing on Sunday or Monday. I'm nervous about it, but excited too.
Tri Triaining
My triathalon training is going well. I've been biking, swimming and run/walking two days a week. Even though I've done two 10ks, running is still the hardest part and the easiest for me to neglect. I've got plenty of time before the May 21 Turtle Crawl Triathlon to work on it.
My Perfect Day
I never went and printed out the Perfect Day plan, but I am remembering a lot of it. It has helped me a lot with my water drinking and with changing my attitude toward food. I'm now usually more thankful for the food I put in my mouth and savoring it just a bit more.
Natalie Grace
My neice is 3 1/2 weeks old, and came home from the hospital today! She really progressed through all the stages of her stomach surgery well (from not being able to eat anything to slowly taking on more and more milk to being so good at drinking it all from the bottle that she got to be released).My parents are coming this weekend to meet her for the first time. (I don't know if I mentioned earlier, but mom got shingles the week before Natalie was born and couldn't come until she was no longer contagious.)
Oatmeal
I loved that I got so many responses to the oatmeal post. Based on your suggestions, I just sort of started experimenting with what I added to my oatmeal. I still had this box of disgusting Original instant oatmeal in my cupboard and don't want to buy another flavored box (based on your reccommendations) until it's gone. So instead, I've been adding a smidge of milk, some cinnamon some days, some fruit other days. It's actually not that bad, and I think the key has been making it with milk instead of water. Or really, part milk and part water (cause I'm always trying to keep my calorie count down). I'm mainly consuming it for a snack, because it scares me a little to change up my breakfast routine. I've been eating the same kashi cereal since I started this crazy journey in August 2009. Oh, also, my friend Meghan (actually, her husband Matt) made me some steel cut oats, which are the super healthy kind that Dr. Oz reccommends. They take a bit more effort (cooking for thirty minutes on the stove), but provide a lot more bang for your buck in terms of protein and fiber.
Saying Goodbye to Diet Pepsi
I've decided to try and say goodbye to my favorite drink. I did not buy any more at the store last week, and I'm rationing out the rest. At this rate I will be out over the weekend and seriously detoxing on Sunday or Monday. I'm nervous about it, but excited too.
Tri Triaining
My triathalon training is going well. I've been biking, swimming and run/walking two days a week. Even though I've done two 10ks, running is still the hardest part and the easiest for me to neglect. I've got plenty of time before the May 21 Turtle Crawl Triathlon to work on it.
My Perfect Day
I never went and printed out the Perfect Day plan, but I am remembering a lot of it. It has helped me a lot with my water drinking and with changing my attitude toward food. I'm now usually more thankful for the food I put in my mouth and savoring it just a bit more.
Natalie Grace
My neice is 3 1/2 weeks old, and came home from the hospital today! She really progressed through all the stages of her stomach surgery well (from not being able to eat anything to slowly taking on more and more milk to being so good at drinking it all from the bottle that she got to be released).My parents are coming this weekend to meet her for the first time. (I don't know if I mentioned earlier, but mom got shingles the week before Natalie was born and couldn't come until she was no longer contagious.)
Oatmeal
I loved that I got so many responses to the oatmeal post. Based on your suggestions, I just sort of started experimenting with what I added to my oatmeal. I still had this box of disgusting Original instant oatmeal in my cupboard and don't want to buy another flavored box (based on your reccommendations) until it's gone. So instead, I've been adding a smidge of milk, some cinnamon some days, some fruit other days. It's actually not that bad, and I think the key has been making it with milk instead of water. Or really, part milk and part water (cause I'm always trying to keep my calorie count down). I'm mainly consuming it for a snack, because it scares me a little to change up my breakfast routine. I've been eating the same kashi cereal since I started this crazy journey in August 2009. Oh, also, my friend Meghan (actually, her husband Matt) made me some steel cut oats, which are the super healthy kind that Dr. Oz reccommends. They take a bit more effort (cooking for thirty minutes on the stove), but provide a lot more bang for your buck in terms of protein and fiber.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Humility
The word that keeps popping into my mind lately is humility. It seems like such a strange virtue, one that doesn't come easily or naturally. It takes work, but it is something I believe we can all try to cultivate.
I'm not sure why it keeps coming to mind, except that I don't think I have been the epitome of humility lately. When I'm busy, I lose patience easier. People around me irritate me either with their actions, their attitudes or their words. I am quick to think, "that person is so stupid.," "What's wrong with him?," or "Why would she do that?"
On the surface it seems like I'm just a girl with a hidden mean streak, but really the heart of the issue is humility. This attitude shows that I think I am better than the person at the other end of these thoughts. I am not. We were all unique creations from the same Creator, and I have my own flaws and make my own mistakes. I often don't hold myself to the same high standard I seem to be looking for in others. I'm working on trying to remember these things when I get upset.
Humility is also hard to manage at this time in my life because I still get many compliments on how I look or how I've changed. Honestly, I love these and treasure them in my heart, but I don't want to become dependent on them or train myself to seek them out. I don't want my happiness tied to them. How do I humble myself in the midst of the praise?
And what about the flip side of humility, pride? Pride is an obvious sin, but is it okay to have some pride in how I look and how far I've come? If so, where does that line fall?
These questions are more just questions for my self, things I think about, although I would love any thoughts you have on the subject.
I'm not sure why it keeps coming to mind, except that I don't think I have been the epitome of humility lately. When I'm busy, I lose patience easier. People around me irritate me either with their actions, their attitudes or their words. I am quick to think, "that person is so stupid.," "What's wrong with him?," or "Why would she do that?"
On the surface it seems like I'm just a girl with a hidden mean streak, but really the heart of the issue is humility. This attitude shows that I think I am better than the person at the other end of these thoughts. I am not. We were all unique creations from the same Creator, and I have my own flaws and make my own mistakes. I often don't hold myself to the same high standard I seem to be looking for in others. I'm working on trying to remember these things when I get upset.
Humility is also hard to manage at this time in my life because I still get many compliments on how I look or how I've changed. Honestly, I love these and treasure them in my heart, but I don't want to become dependent on them or train myself to seek them out. I don't want my happiness tied to them. How do I humble myself in the midst of the praise?
And what about the flip side of humility, pride? Pride is an obvious sin, but is it okay to have some pride in how I look and how far I've come? If so, where does that line fall?
These questions are more just questions for my self, things I think about, although I would love any thoughts you have on the subject.
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