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!