Category Archives: Meditation

2012 Yearly Wrap Up

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2013 3Hello and Happy New Year!!!

After taking a short break to my “get crap back together” after the school thing, am very happy to be back and will be blogging again regularly. Missed everyone but have been busy learning new fitness, nutrition, and motivation tips and tricks to help us all!

But first a quick wrap of “2012 Goals Achieved“!

INCHES LOST: I lost 4 inches off my bust, went from 22 to size 16/18 in pants and from 1X to Xlarge and some Large/Medium as well. Sold or Donated 80% (or more) of my clothes and shoes and, except for one shopping trip, have gotten everything but sneakers from Goodwill.

FAT LOST: I lost 15 pounds this year and have kept it off. Went through a cycle of gaining and losing, then plateaued for about 5 months but kept going.

STRENGTH: I am doing much better. Can do 3 rounds of full range of exercises with trainer. Bench press 40 pounds and squatting 60 pounds. Much better endurance and able to run 2 miles easily.

MOTIVATION: I began working in July with an amazing trainer and hit the gym at least 3 times a week now, if not more. That includes fitness classes, strength training, C25K training, and yoga. Also tried P90X with a group.

RUNS ACCOMPLISHED: I completed 3 separate 5K’s this year, up from 1 last year. Also decreased time on the last one – Thanksgiving Day – by 15 minutes!

DIET: This year I struggled with sweets and junk food, especially pastry, but was able to get friends on board with my “healthy eating program”. Also did a great job with food choices during the holiday’s compared to last year, and did a 1 day water cleanse yesterday – even with going to a friend’s gathering a being surrounded with AMAZING FOOD.

BREAKFAST: Eat breakfast every day, use stevia not sugar, cook with cooking spray.

WATER: Drink it like it’s out of style (at least a gallon a day). That, coffee, and protein shakes are all I drink now.

ENDING THE BLAME / GUILT CYCLE: I am finished blaming my weight gain on my condition (1 med a bit of an issue but have overcome it), my mom for passing the condition down, and beating myself up when I slip off the wagon, hit a wall, or fail at something. Now I can accept life as it comes, deal with it, and move on to make healthier, smarter decisions next time. This is a HUGE step for me!

TAKING CARE OF MYSELF FIRST: After the whole “class thing” and backsliding, I have been extra vigilant about self care, meds, preparing healthy meals, eating on time, and getting to the gym. The healthier I am in all areas of my life, the better wife, friend, and overall person I will be. Can’t help others with half a tank!

OTHER GOALS ACHIEVED OF NOTE:

SOCIAL: Went from anxiety/depression central and trapped at home 2 years ago to planning and hosting 3 parties/gatherings this year: a “Harry Potter Movie Marathon and Authentic Menu” Party, “Cocktails/Mocktails” Party, and a “French Country Christmas”. Also captained the 2012 NamiWalk, great success! Am almost anxiety free now and ready to kick another med to the curb! And will be reconnecting and visiting with friends monthly.

EDUCATION: Signed up for and completed 90% of a college class.

FINANCIAL: Also studying and creating a financial plan for my family for next year to knock out our debts. Paid off car and refinanced house this year. Exciting plans for 2013.

Have another set already of goals for 2013, some carried over from 2012, but many new.

Pleased to report that achieved almost everything on our “2012 Vision Board“. So for those of you who don’t know what a vision board is or just haven’t used one – I HIGHLY recommend it! Seeing your goals in color every day and the “check marks” stuck to the one’s you’ve achieved is an incredible motivator. Gives such an amazing feeling of pride and accomplishment. Have a blog entry from January 2012 explaining how to make your own vision board but even if you just create a “2013 Goals List” and display it where you’ll see it every day, then check things off as you do them, you’ll still get those “warm fuzzy feelings”.

So, welcome back everyone! 2013 is a year of challenging myself like never before, beating the sugar monster, and getting in the best health I’ve been in since my late 20’s. And I challenge you to go after your goals and “knock them out of the park” as well! Would love to hear some of your plans and goals for the New Year and your accomplishments in 2012. This is going to be exciting and thrilled you’re along for the Ride!

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Taking Care of Business

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Quick update (and a shout of Thanks to Sandy Sue and other terrific supporters for your words of wisdom!):

– Depression beater 1 million: an hour deep tissue massage. Use a Groupon or online coupon. Hurts like heck during it, but could actually move and stretch again after a few hours. A bit sore today but not unbearable. Don’t be cheap, go for the hour to really hit all the knots depression hides in.

– Projects Help: A Lot!: continuing painting in the dining room and, even without doing trim work, is starting to look pretty amazing. Benefit: a mindfulness exercise, low stress, get in some exercise, but have to pay attention. Which keeps me from obsessing over…well, everything. Also went out and bought fabric for next big stitching project. Last one took 4 solid months. This one looks like about 8. Another mindful, mindless project that yields results to be proud of. Some people garden, cook, do woodwork – I sew.

– You May Gain A Bit of Weight, But You Probably Will Be Able to Lose It: Depression eating isn’t new, heck, many of us overindulge when we’re not depressed. But it’s only during an episode that I’ll make a 9″ pan of brownies and eat it all. We won’t talk about the brownie or cookie dough runs. However, after the initial “food medicating” is past, it takes a bit but one can get back on the horse, and with some initially hard work, lose that weight. Yes, it sucks. Yes, we initially feel even crappier thanks to the scale monster. Yes, we can do this…again. I gained almost 5 pounds in about 2 weeks and lost about .6 in 1 day through heathier eating. Imp: Results may not be typical!!!

– One Sure Fire Sign You’re Coming Out of It: ok, more than 1. You showered today and brushed your teeth. You were able to go back to work. You are back on your healthy eating program. You can stretch, move around, and want to get back to exercising, doing errands, and all that other life stuff. You may not FEEL 100% but you’re moving in the right direction. I’m at the “doing self care, eating better, and ready to get back to exercising”. Yay!

Only you know your “depression remedies” – and hopefully your significant other/support system in case you need reminding. As a rapid cycler, mine are horrible but short lived. If your main diagnosis is depression or you’re a BP1, your episodes may be much longer and require different remedies and much more time for you to see relief. That’s why it’s always so important to contact doc asap to discuss your plan and what you can do to get through this one and help make future one’s shorter and more manageable. I’m not a doc myself but after 14 years on this merry go round, have learned a tad bit. Hope this helps any of your out there or at least was an interesting read!

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Sunday AM Gratitude

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Good morning! If you are in the States, did you change your clocks yet?

– and while you’re at it, maybe take a moment to think about a few things you

are grateful for on this beautiful Fall morning! And sending best wishes

to all those impacted by Sandy.

Train Like Your Stronger Fitter Evil-Twin is Plotting…

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How hard do you train? More importantly, what are your real fitness goals? Are they written down? Have you even thought past just losing weight and being able to shop in cooler stores?

When I started this journey in April of 2011, my only goal was to lose weight, mainly because I was just so miserable and disgusted with myself. But actual fitness goals aside from what I needed to do to lose the weight, not really. There were a few ambiguous ones like being able to walk for 20 minutes, get through a whole yoga class, that sort of thing. Now, a bit over a year later, 80 pounds lighter, and spending more time at the gym than I ever dreamed I would, now I have goals. They are:

* Consistently do at least 30 minutes of sustained activity 30 minutes 6 days a week.

* Complete 2 5K’s by December 31, 2012. (Have 1 scheduled for October. And doing the C25K program.)

* Complete a Half Marathon in 2013. (Start training in January.)

* Reach my goal weight of 160 by December 31, 2012 – and be at 25% body fat percentage (the normal range).

* Biggest: At least double the amount of weight I can lift, strength training I can do, and incorporate a program like P90X to really push losing fat and building muscle.

* And of course, ditch the “white stuff” – sugar, white flour, salt, butter/margarine (ok they’re not white) and eat as cleanly as possible.

These are my goals – sure that yours may be different in many ways. However, the next most important piece is planning how to reach whatever your goals are. Planning how you’ll do it, creating a schedule, journalling/charting your progress, and celebrating milestones. All this seems pretty basic, right?

Basic until you ignore your eating regime to have oatmeal right before bed. Til you blow off gym class to do, well whatever. Letting your schedule slide because life is getting in the weigh (family, work, school). Unless you have a plan, look at it regularly, and have a method to hold yourself accountable, it’s so very easy to let life takeover one tiny piece at a time until you’re sliding backwards and even more stressed out.

If you don’t have a plan, consider making one. If you’re not journalling to keep your food under control and charting your fitness progress, there are tons of great sites and apps to make it quick and easy. A small notebook works, too!

Don’t do what I did last night – ignore my trainer’s advice to have a protein shake at night if I get hungry and instead carb load and let it turn to fat overnight. Especially after busting butt for over an hour with my trainer that afternoon. Stepping on your own success is only frustrating and discouraging. Let that “future you” you’ll become be your guide and advise you. I ask “what would future Lara want me to do right now to help her become the fit, toned, and healthy person she became?”. The answer is: move more, eat clean and smart, and keep going! This journey is truly a marathon not a sprint. Pace yourself, do your best, and you’ll get there. In the meantime, be firm but gentle with yourself “on the weigh”!

 

 

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What Can You Do Now?

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Depending on where you are with your personal weight loss journey, and at regular intervals, it’s a terrific idea to think back to where you started and take a few minutes to compare what you could do then versus what you can do now. Not the obvious things like being able to walk around the block, finish a gym class, are overall healthier and have more energy.

The less obvious ones:

* Being able to run to the car through the rain without being winded.

* Being able to bend over in the shower to shave your legs.

* Automatically reaching for an apple instead of a donut without realizing you’re doing it.

* Doing a yoga pose instinctively, perfectly, the first time, to your own amazement.

* Getting up from a low couch without leaning on something or needing help.

* Comfortably crossing your legs.

* Leaning over and wrapping your arms around your legs while seated on the floor, again without thinking about it.

* Moving past the conscious decision to do a healthier activity because so many are now second nature. Like taking the stairs and parking farther away to get a little extra activity.

* And the very little things like going to sleep at a decent hour because you’re honesty tired, not because you’re eyes are fried from too much tv or video gaming, but because your body has reset itself.

* Finally, the feeling developing deep in yourself that you’re a thin person, a healthy person, temporarily wearing a fat suit. That happened to me a few days ago and it’s been instrumental in strengthening my commitment to reaching my fitness and weight goals.

As you keep a food journal, an exercise journal, maybe think of starting a list of “new developments” list of thoughts and actions that you look back and realize how long it’s been since you were able to do them, if at all. More than a number on a scale or the amount of weight you’re able to lift or miles you can now run, it’s the little things that we now take for granted that truly make all the difference.

Start that list – you’ll be glad you did. Plus you can use it for a confidence boost when your commitment wanes or you hit a plateau!

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Help, I’m Out of Control!

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I’m Out of Control And Really Need Help

After 6 weeks I finally got the scale back and guess what, I’m almost 4 pounds heavier. Pretty upset about this.

It’s time to admit that I have a problem and figure out what to do about it. Yes, I’ve lost almost 80 pounds and for the most part have kept it off. BUT since losing that bulk of weight and still having 40 that I want to lose, I’ve been fighting a losing battle with emotional and impulse eating for the last 4 months. I’ve plateaued and been ping-ponging on the scale.

One of the reasons I’ve gained back 4 pounds is 2 weeks of limited exercise (no trainer sessions, no body pump classes, only a solid weekend of hard work outside). Even after the major lawn overhaul and then the following week getting ready for and getting some major dental work, the 2nd reason is that my eating is out of control. I try to stay with the plan my trainer gave me but during the weekend and the time around and after the dental work (about a week), it’s been carbs, carbs, carbs and SUGAR. Getting takeout, going out for lunch complete with pancakes two days in a row. Ice cream one night, a half container of caramel almond butter with chocolate chips another. Making mega brownies. Eating half a challah loaf two days in a row. No wonder the pounds are flying back on.

Add sitting on my butt on the couch for hours a day and not using the fitness equipment sitting in the other room and it all makes sense.

Although my trainer says over and over, it’s your fat percentage that counts and how your clothes fit, especially as you gain muscle and lose fat (muscle weighs more), because I am still so overweight that’s not the issue now. Get me down to 10 pounds to goal and we’ll talk.

I feel like I’m at the end of my rope – I’m sneaking sweet stuff again, staying on plan during the day and then blowing it at night, not getting in enough movement, and letting temptation rule my food choices. I’ll go for weeks on plan and then blow it over a weekend. And to make matters worse this Friday and Sat we’re eating out to celebrate with friends. So I’ll do great until Friday night then blow it with the bread at the restaurant. Saturday is a birthday party complete with cake that I’ll be making and dinner out at a japanese steakhouse. That’s what’s been happening the last few months and why I’m not making any progress. I’ll stay on plan and then at the slightest opportunity, fall right off. Sure I get back on but the damage has already been done.

Crappy factoid here: within a few hours of a high fat meal we put on 3 teaspoons of fat around our middle, waiting to move somewhere else on our body. 1 meal!!!

I’m feeling so discouraged when I should be grateful that for the most part I’ve kept off what I lost over the last year. The problem is I’m not at the maintaining stage yet and still have a ton to lose. And my willpower seems to have taken a vacation.

I don’t know whether I need to go see my therapist again for a booster or figure out what’s really going on mentally that’s blowing my progress. Going to a training session today and hopefully trainer will help put this in perspective. That and planning ahead for this weekend’s meals, making a single layer cake (just use 1 pan), and starting to journal food again. The picture journal is a lot of work and a real pain which is why it was a short lived venture. Trainer has nixed the calorie counting but a simple daily listing of intake seems like the best way to go.

Even bought a book about stopping emotional eating, which I put down after a few chapters and haven’t picked back up. Can’t tell if I’m not ready to face this yet but if I want to achieve my goals I really need to suck it up and figure out how to be the winner when faced with chocolate (and ice cream)! Something has to change and stay changed for this journey to continue and figure out how not to fall back into sabotaging habits. Many of you have inspired me so much and would love your feedback on this. Right now I’m my own worse enemy!

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It’s All About Inspiration!

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What is the hardest thing about achieving and then maintaining weight loss and any kind of fitness program?

Yep: Staying Inspired and Motivated!

That’s the reason I post videos, motivating quote pics (see above), and reblog great posts from bloggers who inspire me. You can count calories all day, run until you can’t breathe, and spend hours at the gym. But at some point, we all hit the wall.

It’s when we stop caring what we put in our mouths, whether we make it to the gym, and that cool workout and yoga stuff we bought to have at home starts collecting dust. The business world calls it burn out, I call it just plain tired.

Today’s tip is to embrace the burnout. It’s your body’s way of saying it needs a break. You may also be in a weight loss plateau at this point. That’s normal, too. When we have a lot of weight to lose (or even just a little), it’s typical to get to a certain point and stall. And to control how far we fall off the wagon, it’s a good idea to plan ahead for these burnout periods. To build in 2 slices of pizza (but not 4). To allow yourself a weekend off activity wise and let yourself get completely bored watching telly and finally getting up to “go do something”. It also gives you a chance to research a little and make some minor adjustments for when you get back to work. Changing what and how you’re eating a little, switching to a new/harder class, doing cardio before instead of after strength trainer (or the reverse), adding or subtracting a day.

A few posts ago I talked about the cruel truths of long term maintenance and leading an active, healthy life. Mixing it up on a regular basis is one of those truths. Your body gets bored the same as your mind. It gets used to a routine / way of eating and gets complacent. It’s your job in the control room to keep it guessing and challenge it!

In that vein, here’s the perfect example of an inspiring blog from a blogger I admire very much. She’s a Runner. Pre-Service PE teacher. Personal Trainer. Sports Nutritionist. Les Mills Body Pump Instructor. Yogi. Torquay & Surfcoast Lover. Wow! So if you’re feeling sluggish this morning and not in the mood to get in much activity check out what she’s doing today. And get that butt off the couch!

juice-cleanse-day-2

There is NO “I Can’t”

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There truly is no “I Can’t” and the only limits we have are those we impose upon ourselves. No one exemplifies this more than South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius, a quadriplegic who is competing head to head with the rest of the those running in this summer’s 2012 Olympic Games in London.

“Oscar Pistorius, running on prosthetic legs, finishes last in race, first in hearts”

(South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius pops out of the starting block in the men’s 400m semifinals during the Summer Olympic Games on Sunday, August 5, 2012 in London, England.)

At the tiny gym I go to now (not sure it’s really a gym, more like a place where serious athletes and body builders train), one of the owners – my trainer Liz – is going to put a huge poster of Oscar on the wall so anytime anyone says “I can’t” or wants to quit when they still have something in them, she’ll point him out as an example. Not only did he make it to the Olympics, and even with all the padding, those prosthetics HURT! He’s in pain and he’s still running! And maybe he came in last in his first race but he still has the 400 to go. Talk about “never say die”!

I’ve posted the “Versus” motivational video numerous times because it is so powerful. Any goal we want to achieve – mental health, weight loss, getting in shape, relationship or career goals, school, whatever – can be daunting, especially if we don’t have a solid ground of support and/or achievement. There comes a time when it’s necessary to become our own cheerleaders. To discover the strength we have RIGHT NOW inside us to start down a new path. If it helps, print out Oscar’s picture and put it where you’ll see it the most. Use his example to remind yourself that anything is possible, anything that can be dreamed can be achieved.

I believe in you. Now it’s your turn. If you’re already there, I’m working my a** off to catch up!

Dream BIG, No BIGGER!

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Reading your wonderful comments, other bloggers, and nifty inspirational stuff has led me to one very basic conclusion, and sure you all know it:

Change is scary, even positive change…

But the scarier it is, the higher probability that it’s something you,

deep inside,

really want to do!

Personally, one of my biggest dreams was not to be scared all the time.

Those of us dealing (or have dealt in the past) with anxiety, especially clinical anxiety/panic disorder, know all about fear. It controlled me most of my life. Early home life was chaotic and toxic, never knew what was coming next, only that it would be bad and I would have to handle it. Anxiety/fear then followed me in adulthood until diagnosed with a mood disorder and then it completely took over. Got so overwhelming I could barely stand to drive or even be around friends, much less other people/crowds. I finally sought out serious help, learned excellent coping skills, started meditation, yoga, exercise, and eliminating anxiety provoking foods from diet. Now it’s going from hourly/daily anxiety/panic attacks to maybe once a month.

One of my most anxiety provoking triggers is going to the gyn, which is no picnic for any woman. It kept me from going for over 15 years and only the last few have been manageable. After the mirena experience (not fun, truly not fun), I found myself in a panic in the office Wednesday afternoon the minute I walked into the office. Serious, full blown panic attack. But using breathing techniques and every coping skill I could think of, I was able to get things under control. That and waiting almost 2 hours for the doctor – fear finally gave up in the face of complete boredom!

I’m still dealing with a bit of anxiety about taking a college class after years away from the books, the C25K program, and two other upcoming decisions/activities. A bit freaked – but like the pretty graphic says- if you’re not scared, your dream isn’t big enough! (No problem there!)

Today’s point is: whatever your dream, whether it’s to lose 20 pounds (or 200), to get in shape, maybe try a 5k even, improve your relationships, get a better job, go back to school, or take down that horrible wallpaper in the kitchen you’ve hated since you moved in, some fear (called “preparatory anxiety”) is normal. After you’ve pushed past it, and pushing becomes a habit, you steal fear’s thunder and it’s replaced with excitement about your new goal / next step.

Congrats to all of you who keep pushing past, trying new things, re-trying old ones, and staying strong and positive “along the weigh”!

What Will They Think Of Next? Fitness Teas! And a Bit More…

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I was taking a few minute to look through recent Facebook posts and one jumped right off the screen at me!

The Republic of Tea (a pretty good company with a wide range of mid-priced but tasty teas) has come out with a whole range of “Fitness Teas“, a sporty “tea” bottle and cute cups, for those who have to have the whole set.

Everything from revving your metabolism, increasing flexibility, achieving better endurance, and helping your recovery time, these teas have exotic sounding herbs and a nice video to endorse them.

Will need to read up a bit more on these but am including the link for you here:

Category.aspx?c=ACTIVE

http://www.republicoftea.com/facebook/Category.aspx?c=ACTIVE

But for those of us who’ve been doing this for a little while (a very little while for me), it seems like there is a bewildering number of products out there to do all the same things, at varying price points. Dynatise has a great protein powder and I recently invested in their “recovery” powder, basically a branch chain amino acid mix that supports you during your workout and helps decrease soreness and shorten recovery time. Personally, I found it very helpful. It’s a bit pricey though. Supplements are always an option at a lower cost. So is a few ibuprofen and a rest day :-).

And, just when you think you have a handle on things, there’s something new to learn. At least the basics hold true. Staying hydrated ALL the TIME with plain water, preferably cool so it gives your stomach something to work on, supplementing that with green tea for metabolism if you can tolerate it, throwing cinnamon and chili into food as another metabolism booster, and frequent small, balanced meals. Those seem to be pretty consistent.

But then you get into what time of day is best to work out, how long is a good rest period, how soon before and after working out should you eat and what and how much, stretching, using a foam roller, machines versus free standing strength training, to run or not to run, the whole sugar thing…Whew!!!

In that vein, yesterday, the wife came home and said she spoke to her doctor who said your last meal should be at least 3 hours before you go to bed, otherwise the food just sits in your small intestine. Ok, so no chocolate chunk ice cream an hour before bed. Or ever! (That last one’s not true – treats are important for the long term so we don’t completely burn out and go on a carb/sugar/fat (the holy trinity!) binge.) But your small intestine??? Yet another thing to wonder about and finally do some research on.

The NerdyGymRat had a great post today about the best time to exercise. Am? Pm? WhenM? Turns out, according to studies, it doesn’t matter what time of day you exercise as long as you’re getting your heart rate up and exercising consistently. So if you wake up late tomorrow and can’t get to the gym until the afternoon when you’re usually a 6am’er, no worries!

Hope you enjoyed today’s post. No pretty pics of food but some good information and a new product to look into. We’ll close today with a nifty motivational quote – more tomorrow!

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