A Day In The Life Of A Runner

It's Saturday morning, 5:30 am, my alarm is going off. The mental game begins. "I'm too tired to go for a run. Is that aching in my hip going to return? Will I have the strength to do 9 miles today? I missed all of my runs this week, so maybe I won't even try to do the 9 miles. It wouldn't be a good idea." My lazy altar ego, which we will call resistance, shows no mercy. I have to push all these questions and doubts out of my head as I finally drag myself out of bed 15 minutes later. I am slow and inefficient with my time--more resistance?--and I don't head out the door to begin my run until 6:30. Joining me today are my dog Koda, my sister Denise, and my support crew--Chi Running app on my phone and Garmin heart rate watch on my wrist. Although we are heading out so early, I am in short sleeves and capris, a tribute to the beautiful spring weather we have been enjoying this week. I am not out to break any speed records today; indeed, I am still run-walking most of my longer runs, but still I am feeling better and more confident as soon as I am out the door, doing what I want to be doing--running. Slowly. 9 miles. For 3 hours.

The first 4.5 miles of our run are hilly and a somewhat challenging for me. Koda keeps us well entertained with his antics, trying so hard to stay in his "heel" while still sniffing, exploring, and marking as much as he possibly can. About a mile in he takes a pit stop, for which I am prepared with my little blue biodegradable bags. He seems very concerned when Denise runs off down a side street, as I take the time to clean up after my pooch. Her detour separates us for 10 - 15 minutes, during which Koda is nervously looking over his shoulder the entire time. Where could she be???!! Denise is faster and in better shape than I am at this point, so in order for us to run together she must take little side trips so she can push herself sufficiently hard while still feeling okay about doing her runs with me. Koda is very uncomfortable with this, to say the least, and can't keep from watching for her constantly until she finally returns. Once all is right in his universe again, he trots happily along, content that his 2 humans are safely with him. We run the first 4 1/2 miles on this hilly stretch, after which we drop Koda off at home and continue the rest of our run without him. This feels a little lonely.

The second half of the run is more challenging. Those first few steps back out the door of the house feel heavy and difficult. Now my muscles are feeling a bit more stiff and I am starting to feel some cramping in my quads. We continue on, however, and I try to pay more attention to my form as I go, endeavoring to relax my body more, align my spine, engage my core, and really lean into the run. This feels better for a couple of miles, but inevitably I hit that point in those final miles where my body keeps wanting to stop and walk. This is where the run becomes much less about form, heart rate, stamina, etc. and much more of the mental game. This is where that resistance really ramps up her efforts and tries to take over. She tells me that I am really feeling tired, that certainly I have pushed myself hard enough for one day, that walking would be better and more comfortable, and that there is no need to run anymore. Every time I slow down to a walk, I have to remind myself that I do still have the strength for a slow run, and that there isn't any need to walk. I don't have any major aches anywhere that might justify a walk instead of a run. I can do this, contrary to what the resistance is telling me.

And so the battle rages, step after step, block after block. I am grateful that this route is an out and back so the resistance can't talk me out of going the full distance at this point. All she can do is try to convince me to slow down, to walk, to complain, to feel sorry for myself. I must say that she is very, very good at her job
. But I keep going, running as much as I can and walking the rest, until I am only a short distance from home and I finally allow myself to slow to a cool-down walk. I have completed, in the end, more than 9.5 miles of walk-running, which, I note, is more than I have ever yet run (or run-walked as the case may be) in my life. What an accomplishment! I feel very happy!

Could I have done it without my team? Although somewhat less entertaining and a bit more lonely, I could have done it without Koda. At least I wouldn't have to carry poop bags with me. (o: Although it is a useful tool, I could have done it without my Garmin (which, by the way, died halfway through the run--oops! Guess I should have charged it the night before.). I could have done it without my Chi Running app beeping my cadence and whispering various selected form focuses into my ear. I hope that I could have done it without my sis, but I am glad for the time being that I don't have to do it without her. The long runs are so much more fun when she is with me. As for my lazy altar-ego, the devil on my shoulder, the resistance whose voice is always in my head, I am not sure if I could have done it without her. I think she is there to continually challenge me. She asks me why I am doing what I am doing, and she makes me decide whether I really want it. And the answers to those questions are what keep me going. So no, I don't think I could do it without her. I am glad she came along.

10,000 Hours

During my 7-mile walk-run this past Saturday I had the unexpected pleasure of the company of my brother, James Batchelor. Just as a bit of background, James is a very talented writer who is working on his lifelong dream of becoming a successful full-time author and writer, allowing him to support his family with his pen, or keyboard, if you will. As fellow dreamers, James and I have been down a lot of the same roads and struggled with some of the same challenges, doubts, and limiting beliefs along the way. This has led to some very interesting conversations. We are quite the philosophers, James and I, and exploring our experiences together has brought me a lot of insights, ideas, and even a few game changers. Our conversation this past Saturday seems be leading me to another of those game changers.

As we walked, we found ourselves discussing a book James had read recently called Outliers. He told me about the first part of the book where it discusses three divisions that can be seen among the students of The Juilliard School at any given time. I won't attempt to repeat the entire conversation, but there is one point that stayed with me and that I have not stopped thinking about since that walk. The top tier of students at Juilliard always consists of those students who apply themselves to such an extent that they have reached or will reach at least 10,000 hours of dedicated practice in their area of focus by the time they reach age 20. This equates to roughly 3 hours every day for 10 years. It doesn't matter how much raw or innate talent the students have. All that matters is how much time they apply themselves to practicing their art. After 10,000 dedicated hours, they become experts, or masters. They know that thing inside and out--it becomes a part of them.

So here is what I took away from the conversation. First, anybody can become anything they want to be if they are willing to apply themselves. Second, if I want to really master anything, I have to dedicate my time and energy to that thing in a very significant way. I will have to sacrifice other, less important things in order to devote more time to this one, chosen path.

Now I have some decisions to make. I am the type of person who does not do things halfway. I want to be the best at everything I do. But if being the best means devoting so many hours and so much energy and intention each day to that one thing, then I have to make a choice. I cannot master everything. Prior to this conversation I think maybe a part of me thought that I could, and now I find myself in this conundrum as I see that I cannot keep moving down this path I have been traveling. I must choose, but what is the best path for me? What thing am I most passionate about? What will bring me the most happiness and satisfaction at the end of the day? Which choice will bring me the greatest success? What will help me reach my goals for my life? What would you choose?

Decisions, decisions...

February results and recommitting to these eating guidelines

Yes!!! We are not even halfway through this month and already I am posting my results for the previous month. This is amazing! I am turning over a new leaf. (o: And now, without further ado, I submit to you my February results:

	1/1/2014	3/3/2014	Change	% Change
Weight (lbs)	179.2	168.2	-11	-6.1%
Waist	41.5	39	-2.5	-6.0%
Hips	44	42	-2	-4.5%
Chest	42.2	39	-3.2	-7.6%
Right Arm	13.8	13.5	-0.3	-2.2%
Left Arm	14.5	14	-0.5	-3.4%
Right Thigh	22.5	23	0.5	2.2%
Left Thigh	22.8	23.5	0.7	3.1%
Body Fat (%)	42.9	39.8	-3.1	-7.2%

Please forgive me for the analytics. There is still a little bit of accountant in me. In any case, the results are pretty good, but perhaps not as good as they could be. In this post I would like to review my eating guidelines and then recommit myself to them, since I really haven't been following them very well for the last month and a half. I know, I know, as a health coach, I should know better. So let me just remind myself of how I would like to be eating, and then we'll talk.

Guideline #1: Eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods (unpackaged, unboxed, without labels). No-brainer.

Guideline #2: Keep sweets and junk food to a minimum. When you do eat them, eat them right after a healthy meal (ideally, lunch). If you eat your dessert after a good meal, you are likely to eat less of the not-so-good stuff, and you will not have the blood sugar spike that would come from eating the treat on an empty stomach. Win-win.

Guideline #3: Lunch will be the biggest meal of the day, breakfast the second biggest, and dinner the smallest. This is based on the body clock in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The theory here is that the different organs of your body are strongest and most capable at certain times of the day. Your stomach is strongest in the morning (between 7am and 9am) and your small intestine--the primary digestive organ--is strongest between 1pm and 3pm. Those are the times when your body will be able to digest food most effectively. Keep your dinners small (e.g. soup or salad).

Guideline #4: Do not eat after 6pm. Your body  goes into repair mode in the evening, but if it is still trying to digest your latest meal (i.e. your dinner was too large or you ate too late) then it focuses instead on the digestion and skips the repairs for the night. THIS IS BAD! You need that nightly maintenance. It keeps you young and healthy and keeps everything in good working order.

Guideline #5: No snacking. Eating snacks or being on the 6-small-meals-a-day plan forces your digestive system to work all the time. It needs to rest and your body needs to be able to focus on something else for awhile. Also, if you are eating so constantly that you never allow your blood sugar to drop a bit and then to stabilize on its own, you will become (or remain) very dependent on food as your body will lose the ability to regulate blood-glucose levels on its own, as it was designed to do. So stick with the old, traditional 3 meals a day, like your grandma used to eat, and you will be healthier and happier. (For more on this, take a look at the following link.)

Guideline #6: Guidelines 1-5 are not rules, they are guidelines!!! Do not take them too seriously. Do not be rigidly compliant, to the point of refusing to eat the bite of wedding cake offered to you by your new spouse on your wedding day. Do not beat yourself up for not being perfect. Just do your best, pay attention to when you do stray a bit, ask yourself why, and then get back on track.

That's it! And just so you know, I am recommitting to these guidelines here and now, with you as my witness. March will be better! Yes! Go team!

Chi Running Instructor Certification Pending...

Just today I sent an email submitting the last of my requirements to become a certified Chi Running and Chi Walking Instructor. The irony is that about 6 weeks ago, I was ready to throw in the towel. So what happened?

Here's the background. At the end of last March, 2013, my sister, Denise, and I attended a training/workshop that was part of the requirement to become a certified Chi Running Instructor. To be honest, in preparing for this workshop a lot of work and studying had to be done, and I was in the midst of a very rigorous full-time massage therapy program. I almost gave up. I felt like I couldn't possibly comply with all the requirements just to get to that workshop, let alone to actually become certified. So I called my sister up early one morning when I was supposed to be studying, and I told her I wasn't going because I just couldn't do it. Mind you, this was about 2 weeks before the workshop, and we had been preparing for months. Well, my wonderful sis talked me off the ledge, so to speak, and I ended up going to the workshop. As it turned out, the 2 of us were much better prepared than we realized and we passed through the workshop with flying colors.

Fast forward 10 months, and I am staring the one year completion deadline in the face (we have one year from the workshop to complete the remaining requirements). I felt like I was sinking into a pit of complete overwhelm as I was trying to grow my business and manage my time and my stress levels (no, I was not living in the "now" very effectively at that time). In an effort to avoid a complete breakdown, I switched to damage control mode. I looked at everything I had on my plate and found what I felt I could get rid of--and the Chi Running certification made the list. I knew I would eventually get certified, but missing this deadline would mean I would have to go to another weekend workshop, with additional travel time and cost thrown in, and then I would still have to complete all of the very demanding requirements at some future date. But why do today what you can put off until tomorrow, right? So I sat down with my sister and very gently told her, once again, that I wasn't going to be able to complete the requirements and that I would have to miss the deadline and get certified at a later date. We talked about it for a while, and in the end she accepted it with some reservations but also with understanding for my situation.

A few days later, however, I found myself thinking it over once again while I was out on a run, and some very persuasive reasons came up that had me rethinking my decision. When I got back from my run, Denise happened to be at my house, and without my saying anything about my own reservations, she brought up the very same things I had just been thinking about, and then started laying out a plan that would enable me to navigate my busy schedule and get the requirements completed.

To make a long story short, I pushed through, took things one day at a time, did the best I could, and with lots of support from Denise I completed the last of the requirements just 3 weeks shy of the deadline. Phew!

So here is what I learned from this experience:

• When you are stressed out and on the verge of a breakdown, having a true friend in your corner is invaluable!!! I don't know what I would do (or where I would be) without my sister Denise! She has helped me through rough waters more times than I can count. What a miracle she is in my life!
• When you are in a state of overwhelm and can't see any way out, try taking a step back and looking at things from a different angle. Sometimes you get so lost in the midst of the trees that you can't see the forest. When this happens, try climbing a tree. As they say, it is always darkest before the dawn, so don't give up!
• Trust God, open your eyes to your blessings, and take it one day at a time. All you have is today anyway, so quit worrying so much about tomorrow. Just make sure that when you go to bed tonight, you don't have any regrets about today.

So that's that. Within a week or two, I will be a certified Chi Running and Chi Walking Instructor.

Thanks for reading! February results coming soon!

This is harder than I thought it would be...

As I stood on my scale this morning, looking at a number that has not budged in the last five days or so, I found myself wondering why my weight wasn't dropping as quickly as I expected it would. "This shouldn't be so hard," I said to myself. Well then, let's review the evidence.

First of all, I had in the last couple of years completely let my diet go. Please note that when I say diet, I mean it in the true meaning of the word, i.e. the food I eat on a regular basis. Anyway, I had let junk food gradually creep back into my diet until I was consuming it on a regular--even frequent--basis. I was also eating out A LOT more than I used to. Now, although I still allow myself to eat sweets now and then, the amount and the frequency with which I eat them has dropped significantly. And eating out doesn't really happen but once in a month. My meals are almost always home cooked and loaded with healthy whole foods, including many veggies. That is a big difference, right? So shouldn't it be making a big difference to my waistline as well?

Second, in the past year or two I have been what we used to call in the mission field a fubeca, or in other words, a major slacker, at least where exercise and movement are concerned. (Incidentally, if you speak Portuguese then go and check out this link. It is awesome! http://www.dicionarioinformal.com.br/fubeca/) My working out was sporadic at best, and completely nonexistent at worst. To add insult to injury, I was in school full-time for most of last year, so I found myself sitting in a desk for many hours each day. My life was the definition of sedentary. Since the beginning of this year, however, I have been extremely active, exercising on an almost daily basis, and I have been up and about much more due to the nature of my work as a massage therapist and a yoga instructor.

Alright, I have laid the evidence before you. It seems like the weight should just be melting off with these changes I have made, don't you think. Me too! And yet, here we are.

I have decided, however, that this is really a matter of perspective. When I am watching the scale anxiously for every pound and every tenth of a pound drop, thinking that the weight should be melting off so easily, then I get impatient and frustrated when it doesn't drop as fast as I think it should be.

At the same time, if my focus is on these lofty expectations I tend to miss the reality of the situation. I am dropping weight, slowly but surely. The drop may not be happening as fast as I would like, but it is happening. Even were I to only lose 2 pounds a month, if I did this on a steady and consistent basis, I would still eventually reach my ideal weight. And all the while, as I am eating right and exercising regularly, I will be building muscle, improving my cardiovascular health, and generally improving my level of fitness all the while. Think of that--by the time I actually reached my goal weight under this scenario, I would be this super fit individual, filled with energy, life, and vitality. Isn't that my ultimate goal here? Why yes, now that you mention it, it is.

As I said before, it is all about perspective. So for today, anyway, I am going to check my impatience at the door, and I am going to allow myself to feel grateful for that slow and steady decline in the number on the scale while I continue to exercise, eat right, and get fit!

January results . . . finally . . .

Okay, I apologize for the delay. This bug I had was a nasty one, and I ended up going an entire week with no exercise at all (bleh!). It seriously knocked me flat! Definitely no fun. I am sure, however, that this came about as a result of stress and over training, so I am approaching my workouts a bit differently now that I am back on my feet. More on that later (i.e. in another post).

Anyway, I promised to post my January results so here you go:

Measurements (as of 1/1/2014):	Measurements (as of 2/4/2014):
Weight: 179.2 lbs	Weight: 172.8 lbs
Body Fat: 43.3%	Body Fat: 41.1%
Waist: 41.5”	Waist: 40”
Hips: 44”	Hips: 42.2”
Chest: 42.2”	Chest: 40.5”
Right Arm: 13.8”	Right Arm: 13.2”
Left Arm: 14.5”	Left Arm: 13.8”
Right Thigh: 22.5”	Right Thigh: 23.5”
Left Thigh:  22.8”	Left Thigh:  23.5”

These results are a combination of eating well (I will post my eating guidelines in the very near future), exercising regularly, getting plenty of sleep, and hoping for the best.

So here are a few tips that are working for me. Perhaps they will be helpful to you as well:

1. I have not starved myself or deprived myself in any way. I will talk about this more in my "eating guidelines" post, but suffice it to say that any kind of deprivation diet is not sustainable. If this is what you are using to lose weight, I wish you the best, but I do not believe you will be successful. In any case, I have never been successful (in the long term) losing weight with a severely restrictive diet.

2. I eat healthy, whole foods and keep processed foods to a minimum. This one is pretty self-explanatory. In general, if the food is packaged, and especially if it has a long list of ingredients, it is not good for you, no matter what it claims. Keep these types of food to a minimum.

3. I go to bed as close to 10PM as possible and I aim to get up around 6AM. A good night's rest is crucial to weight loss as well as to your overall health and vitality and mood. Don't skimp on sleep, even if it means missing your workout that day. Your body needs that time to repair and regenerate. So if something from your to-do list has to go, don't let it be your sleep.

I am happy with these results, and I am on track to reach that goal of weighing less than 120 lbs. by the end of the year. Yee-haw!

When Things Don't Go Your Way

My voice has been gone for these last couple of days. It is amazing how powerless you feel when you can't talk.

Speaking of feeling powerless, you may remember that I mentioned in a recent blog post how I used to get sick all the time. We're talking seriously ill: off my feet, missing work, miserably ill, at least once a month. At that time I was very unhappy, working in a job I didn't feel fulfilled in, living far away from my family, eating a very poor diet (way too many sweets), and all my closest friends were getting married and moving on while I stayed right where I was--alone and depressed. So now that I have painted this lovely picture for you, is there any question as to why I was getting sick all the time? Didn't think so.

Fast forward five years to today. I am living near my family (most importantly my twin sister, who is only 10 minutes away, and my mom), I am eating a very healthy diet, and I am running my own business (with my sis) doing exactly what I want to be doing. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention, I am also, once again, getting sick constantly--we're talking every other week. What??!!! This doesn't make any sense! That time before, now that made sense. But this??? What in the world is going on?

Unfortunately, I don't have the answers yet, but I do believe it is somehow linked to my deep-seated fears. Fears of what, you ask? I don't really know for sure--fear of failure, fear of success, fear of getting hurt, fear of loneliness, fear of letting my clients down, all of the above? Maybe it has to do with all of these things plus some that I haven't even listed. What I do know is that I am letting myself get way too stressed out about things again, and I am not trusting in my God enough. I have not been living mindfully these past few weeks. Instead I have been worrying and losing sleep over deadlines and sundry administrative obligations, and the stress has grown exponentially in that time. And now, at this very moment, I am sicker than I have been in years--probably since the last time my body and I were playing the "always sick" game.

So what now? Even though I don't understand all that is going on with my body right now, there are still some things I can do to make the situation better right now. First of all, I have done some energy clearing with my sister, Denise Mason, who is an energy coach, and I can feel my energy and my mood--and my body--changing already. I am also getting back to trust, hope, and mindfulness. I am trusting in the Lord again, and remembering that He has always taken care of me, and that He will continue to do so as long as I am doing my best to stay close to Him. This gives me great hope! I am striving to be present and live mindfully, not letting the deadlines and worries of tomorrow rob me of today. It is time for me to set my fears and my stress and my worries aside and just take things one day at a time--again. Add to all this a healthy dose of gratitude, since I know that recognizing my blessings will always raise my energy and my joy.

Now, it may seem to you that I had this all figured out a month ago; it seems that way to me too, and to tell you the truth, I am not sure why I have to figure it out again. But, looking on the bright side, at least I am figuring it out again just a month later, rather than a year later, or five years later. Before long these things will just be a part of me, and I won't have to keep forgetting and re-figuring things out.

So what is my answer to what you should do when things don't seem to be going your way? Trust God, be full of hope and gratitude, and choose to really live each moment of your life--that is my solution. Feel free to find a better one, if you can.

P.S. I have my January "get fit" results. I will post them in another day or two.

So you got sick ... now what?

I have done it! I have achieved something that has hitherto been completely unknown to me (at least in the last decade)! I have gone 4 full weeks, exercising every day (except for Sundays, which are always my day of rest), without missing! You read that right. 4 weeks straight! Woo hoo!

So this morning, going into week 5, I woke up with an annoying little stomach bug. After the worst had passed by mid-morning (ha ha, no pun intended), I quickly fell back to sleep and did not wake up until around 1:30 in the afternoon. As you might have guessed, I haven't done any working out today ... yet! So here are my thoughts on exercising when you are under the weather.

First, no matter the ailment, if you are going to work out when you are ill you should plan to scale down the intensity appropriately. When I exercise today I will do more of a walk-through of my exercise program (currently Les Mills Combat), possibly breaking a little sweat; however, no serious huffing and puffing, muscle-fatiguing, floor-stomping, barf-worthy workout will be happening today (just for the record, I have never actually barfed during or after a workout, but I know people who have and I think they might possibly have been overdoing it a bit--but who am I to judge?). The important thing here is to teach your body that you are serious about your commitment to exercise and that, if at all possible, you will be moving your body in some way on any day that you have scheduled a workout.

Also, remember that exercising, if you can find just the right balance of movement without excess (hint: this means learning how to listen to your body) can actually speed up your recovery time from many illnesses. It gets your blood and lymph pumping through your body, thus getting the gunk out more quickly. Working out will also encourage you to drink more water, which is essential for cleaning out your whole system. So go ahead and exercise when you are sick, and you may be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Second, there is no need to be perfect. I generally do yoga 6 days a week (I am a yoga instructor, after all) and I like to go for a run most days (I am almost a Chi Running instructor, after all), in addition to the quality time I spend with the Les Mills gang. Today I thought about going out for at least a walk after I woke up from my long, mid-day nap, but I was still feeling pretty lousy, and being that it is winter outside it is a bit chilly for an evening walk (assuming I was feeling better by this evening), so I decided to forego that part of my workout today. I am not stressed out about this. Missing one day will not kill me or cause me to lose any significant amount of fitness, and it is important that I allow my body to heal. So no running (or walking) today.

What about yoga? Besides the yoga I did while lying in bed trying to find a comfortable position without aggravating the nausea, I may do a few light, low intensity, easy poses after my Les Mills walk-through, but nothing too intense. Like I said, perfection is not the goal; teaching your body that you are serious about exercise is.

Third, if you had to be driven to the urgent care to get an IV full of healthful fluids to help you mend, chances are you are too sick to exercise today. Even if you have to break a 4-week long--or 40-year long--exercise streak, listen to your body. Be wise. Don't exercise at any intensity if your body is telling you no. And sometimes, it will tell you no.

So here is the take home message: Listen to your body. If you are under the weather but are still feeling up for a little exercise, be sure to lower the intensity appropriately and stop when your body is ready to stop. And when you are feeling like yourself again, get back to it, and be grateful for every day that you are alive and able to move your body. What a blessing that is!

Going on vacation? How to stay on track.

This past holiday weekend I vacationed in a warmer climate and it was so wonderful!!! Well, let me qualify that--the sun was wonderful, the relaxation was wonderful, the family time was wonderful, the 3-pound weight gain was NOT wonderful! I wanted to get that out there right off the bat, lest you think I have this one completely figured out.

So, how do you stay on track when you are on vacation? Here are a few tips that helped me navigate the weekend successfully, and a few that would have helped (had I followed them).

Tip #1: Know what you are going to do for exercise and when you are going to do it (i.e. what time of the day, which days, etc.). If you have the option/willpower, go to bed at a reasonable hour each night and get up early each morning to exercise. Getting it in before the activities (or relaxation) of the day get started will ensure it doesn't get lost in all of the fun and chaos that accompany most vacations.

Tip #2: If possible, stay in a place where you are able to prepare your own food so that you can AVOID EATING OUT FOR EVERY MEAL!!! Eating out for every meal, several days in a row, will add pounds and water retention faster than you can say "I can't see my ankles!"

Tip #3: Watch out for the "I'm on vacation, I should be able to eat whatever I want" mentality. In essence, what you are really saying is "I'm on vacation so I have the right to feel awful and gain all the weight I want." Don't fall for that rubbish! Please, love yourself enough to rise above this mindset and continue to nourish your body appropriately, even on vacation. I am not saying that you shouldn't allow yourself any treats. Just don't let the potato chips and sweets take over your entire diet while you are away. Choose to eat a dessert with lunch or dinner one or two days, or allow yourself to indulge in some way that appeals to you, but that will not be ongoing through the entire vacation.

Tip #4: If you are going to snack (in the car or in the hotel), prepare by bringing healthy snacks that will not leave you craving more and more. Sliced up veggies with hummus, apples or celery with peanut butter, raw nuts, or another healthy, whole foods snack will help to curb hunger cravings while helping you to avoid sugar or salt binges that leave you wanting to snack constantly. And when you do snack, be sure to SNACK MINDFULLY! (I know, I know--this is really two tips hidden in one!) Pay attention to what and how much you are eating, and be sure you are listening to your body so that you know when to stop.

If you follow these four tips the next time you go on vacation, I guarantee you will feel great throughout your trip, and you will come back from your vacation looking as svelte as ever, without having to fear that next encounter with your scale. Oh yeah--in case you were wondering: I followed tips #1 and #2 very successfully, but failed miserably on tips #3 and #4. Three pounds!!! Oh dear!

Does "now" exist in your world?

Have you ever noticed that when you are super stressed or worried about something, that 'something' generally exists in either the past or the future? Have you ever wondered why you are told to focus on your breath during meditation? Did you ever wish you could slow time down a little and just enjoy being alive?

I personally have spent a considerable amount of time pondering these things, and I have learned something that sounds very simple, but which is having a profound impact on my life. It used to be that I would wake up each morning in a stressed out state, with everything I had to do already running through my brain before I even rolled out of bed. I would then proceed to rush through my day, trying to fit everything in, worrying about how much time I took doing A, B, and C because I still somehow had to work in X, Y, and Z. At the end of my day I would collapse into bed, exhausted and still stressed over the things I hadn't been able to get done, and I would fall asleep thinking about how I could fit those things in the next day. This would inevitably continue until the stress, exhaustion, and overwhelm finally won out, and I would have a mini nervous breakdown which generally consisted of staying up all night (sometimes several nights in a row, depending on the level of breakdown) playing computer games or watching movies, getting really depressed because I was such a big, fat failure, and wishing I could do things better. Eventually someone (usually my super awesome and amazing twin sister) would come to my aid, give me a pep talk that would motivate me to start digging myself out of the pit, and I would set some new goals for myself and then repeat the whole process. I cannot tell you how many times I have done this, but it's been the story of my life for longer than I care to remember, only the all-night movie marathons have been replaced by different things at different stages of my life (for example, I used to get really sick instead, which really sucked). This may come as a shock, but these were not the happiest, most successful years of my life, to say the least.

Now I am here to tell you, after riding that train for too many years, that there is a better way to do life. I have a quote hanging on one of my vision boards that goes as follows: "You've got a lot of choices. If getting out of bed in the morning is a chore and you're not smiling on a regular basis, try another choice" (Steven D. Woodhull). This year, I am trying another choice. I am choosing to live each day fully present, enjoying the moments as they pass. It hasn't been an overnight transition, and I am still figuring it out, but for now I begin each day with gratitude for my day and for my health, which helps me transition right into my daily exercise. I pray each morning that I will be able to move gracefully through the day, giving my time to those things that are most important, and then I do my best to do just that, without worrying about what isn't getting done or what I have to do.

Now, when I forget to be present, and I find myself spiraling down into that stress pit that I used to spend so much time in, I pull myself out by remembering that the past is in the past, the future is out of my reach (I leave it in God's hands), but the present is what I can influence right now. And by the way, that is what focusing on your breathing in meditation is all about. If you want to get better at living your life more fully present, start by spending a few minutes each day meditating--just focus on your breathing--and by catching yourself in your stressful thoughts, then come back to the present, and just enjoy the moment. Because life is all about the moments.

Some days are harder than others...

Why is it that one day you can feel completely wonderful, on top of the world, and the next you feel like you just want to go back to bed and sort of skip the day? Today is one of those 'skip' days for me, but I can't just go back to bed or I'll have to deal with the consequences tomorrow, and we all know that's not pretty. So I just keep trying to plow through the day, doing my best to get something productive done, but not feeling great about anything I spend my time on. "Should I work on that? Nah. Maybe I should try doing a little work here? No, I don't really feel like it today." Why am I feeling this way? Let's examine the evidence.

Exhibit #1: I stayed up a little too late last night and got up a bit earlier than usual this morning. Okay, so I am a little tired. That definitely contributes to the low energy. Sleep is so important, and I suffer every time I don't get enough sleep on a consistent basis. So tonight I will get to bed a little earlier, and I will sleep in a little later tomorrow if I feel the need. Done.

Exhibit #2: I have been fighting off a cold. I do feel like I am winning the battle, with the help of Dr. Christopher's herbs plus lots of herbal tea and OnGuard softgels (of course, I ran out of the OnGuard capsules yesterday so I don't have that extra boost anymore). However, perhaps the combination of not enough sleep and trying to fight off this bug is causing my energy to flag somewhat. Okay, so I will continue to pound the herbs and the herbal tea, and I will pick up more OnGuard softgels tomorrow. And I will get more sleep. Check.

Exhibit #3: It is snowing outside. NOT IT!!!! I love snow and it makes me feel happy and peaceful watching it fall. Maybe I just need to spend a little more time enjoying the falling snow to boost my energy. (:

Exhibit #4: I have exercised every day (except for Sundays) since December 30th without missing a day. So here's something interesting. When you move your body less (on a regular basis) your cells produce less mitochondria, which are your energy super factories, because you don't really seem to need them. I mean, why maintain a super factory if you aren't using up all the output, right? Up until December 30th, my exercising was very sporadic, to say the least ("I hope not sporadically." --name that movie). Plus, I was in school full-time, Monday through Thursday, from January through October. It's probably safe to say that I was living a rather sedentary lifestyle for most of the year, so my energy factories were shut down and the workers were all laid off. Now that I am moving my body again on a regular basis, they are busting their buns trying to get those factories rebuilt and all the workers re-hired, but they are having a hard time keeping up with the demand. I am doing pretty well fueling my body with sufficient amounts of nutritious food, but my cells can only build so fast. However, because I knew this was going to happen, having experienced it many times before, I called in reinforcements this time. I have been taking DoTerra's Mito2Max capsules to help my body build those factories more quickly and efficiently, and let me tell you, they work!!! I have suffered none of that typical fatigue and lethargy that I am used to feeling when I start trying a new workout regimen (yes, it's that same fatigue that has undermined my workout goals--and yours???--many, many times in the past). The thing is, though, I ran out of my Mito2Max capsules about 2 days ago. Hmmm.

Well my friends, based on the evidence I think we might have found our guilty party (lack of Mito2Max supplementation) and his accomplices (lack of sleep and cold bugs). Yea! I feel better already. I will get that Mito2Max tomorrow and I will continue to fight the good fight. (: For today, just know that I did get my workout in, despite the sluggishness, and I am happy for that. Now, back to trying to be productive. Well, maybe I'll go enjoy the snowfall for a few minutes first. (:

Thanks for reading. Sorry for the uber-long post, but it was really therapeutic for me today.

Laying It All On The Line

In my last post I told you about my new year's resolution to weigh less than 120 pounds by the end of the year. It has been a very long time since I have been anywhere close to that weight, but never in my life have I been so far away as I am right now, so this is what you might call a real "shoot for the stars" goal. Now for the moment of truth: I lay before your eyes my "before" stats, with a promise to you and to myself that my "after" stats, come December 31, 2014, will be significantly lower, come what may.

• Weight as of 1/1/2014: 179.2 pounds
• Body fat % (according to my not-so-accurate but fairly consistent scale): 43.3%
• Measurements:
• Waist: 41.5"
• Hips: 44"
• Chest: 42.2"
• Right Arm: 13.8
• Left Arm: 14.5
• Right Thigh: 22.5
• Left Thigh:  22.8

As you may have noticed, I will need to drop at least 60 pounds during the year in order to reach my goal. No problem. That averages to only 5 pounds per month, and I feel completely confident that I can meet and even exceed that amount. It won't be easy, of course, but I am not afraid to work for it.
And whether I succeed or not, I will not stop working and learning and progressing, so whatever that scale says come year-end, I will be a success.

So what is your "shoot for the stars" goal? Do you want it bad enough to work for it, every single day? Come and take this journey with me, and we'll enjoy the adventure together (which is, of course, much better than going it alone)! See you on the road to realizing our dreams!

January 4th and so far so good...

Well, my friends, we have reached the first weekend of our new year already! How is it looking for you so far? For me, it's a pretty good sight! Did you make new year's resolutions? I did, of course, because as you may or may not know, setting goals is one of my favorite things to do. I wish I could say that achieving goals is one of my favorite things to do, but I have to admit that I don't have very much experience with that part...yet!

Anyway, new year's resolutions. So, I have a very big resolution this year--well, one of 3 or 4 big resolutions. I am trying really hard to not over-resolute (is that a word???) like I have done so many times in the past. I am still aiming very high, as in years past, but I am limiting the number of big goals I set for myself. Anyway, back to the point (I feel like I keep getting off topic today--did anyone else notice that?). One of my new year's resolutions this year is to weigh less than 120 pounds by December 31, 2014. Now, before anyone jumps to criticize or judge my new year's resolution (I emphasize the my because I believe everyone has the right to set their own goals, free from others' judgments, so whether you think my goal is good or bad or awesome or unreachable or whatever, it's my goal so please leave me alone to set and work toward it as I choose), let me assure you that I have thought about this a lot, and I feel great about it, very optimistic, and yes, I can reach this in a healthy manner (no starvation or deprivation diets of any kind). Also, I would like to emphasize that health and skinniness are not synonymous, and I only chose to focus on weight because it is easily measured and wraps up in a nice, neat package several diet and lifestyle changes I would like to implement (permanently) over the next year. In any case, what I wanted to say about it is this: I want to not just share this resolution with all my blog readers, but I want to share my journey over the coming year as I take steps to actually realize this grand goal. I hope that by sharing my triumphs and my struggles, and with the support of my readers, I will find the strength and the courage to make better choices for myself and my body, and I will be successful. And this week, I am successful!

Thanks for reading! Come visit next week for more, including my "before" stats and more details about the daily journey. I hope you will join me and begin your own journey toward better health and overall wellness!

Lessons from 2013

Here we are beginning another new year and, yes it is true, over a year has passed since I last posted anything to my blog. I apologize for being absent for so long. Let me tell you what I have been up to. In 2013 I did the following:

Hitting the ground running this year!

• Went to massage therapy school and received my massage therapist license and master bodyworker certification
• Graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and became a certified holistic health coach (AADP certified)
• Gained 20ish pounds
• Exercised only a handful of times (seriously--over the entire year)
• Practiced yoga only a handful of times (boy am I stiff!)
• Opened my own massage studio in the basement of my mom's house (doesn't sound very chic but I assure you, it is beautiful!)
• Went to a Chi Running Instructor Training (still working on the certification)
• Sent out Christmas cards (first time ever, so never mind that they went out well after Christmas--and maybe New Year's).

In a lot of ways I feel that 2013 was all about getting to the starting line--my own personal starting line--for the amazing success that is waiting for me. I put some things that are very important to me on the back burner and focused on getting this education that I feel will propel me into the realization of my dreams and the amazing journey that will take me there. I gained a lot of weight, but I let go of the belief that deprivation is the only way to lose weight, and I am so much happier living without deprivation in my life. What a relief! I stopped exercising almost entirely, but I learned to more effectively listen to my body, and now that I am back to exercising regularly (3 days in a row so far--woohoohoo!!!) I am paying more attention to what my body is telling me in the process. Surely this will lead to much more success in maintaining a long-term workout program, and will help me to prevent injury. Another major victory! I learned that loving my body isn't just about loving what I see when I look in the mirror--but that is a story for another time, and another blog post.

There are so many other things I have learned this past year, but rather than go on and on and overstay my welcome, I will end by telling you that 2013 was an amazing year, that I am so grateful for the lessons that I learned and all that I experienced in 2013, and that you will be hearing from me A LOT in 2014! Duh! I have to share the rest of my lessons some time, don't I?

Here's to a fabulously happy and successful 2014. And who knows, maybe I will actually have somebody to kiss on New Year's Eve of 2014. Anything is possible!