Dream big

Thursday, August 05, 2010

In a sense, this has nothing to do with weight loss, but in a roundabout way, as always, it does, so bear with me.

It will be our 25th anniversary in about 2 months -- and DH's 50th birthday in about a month -- so a big year for us.

And I've been dreaming big. DH, as always, has a work trip right on our anniversary. This has been quite good for me for the last few years -- it's gotten me to Delft, to Paris, to Dresden, Prague & Vienna.

This year the trip is to Japan. He has been to Japan at least 4 times before, but I have never been. Because it falls right on our anniversary, he was thinking of taking me this time.

And I've been saying all along that Hawaii is halfway between here & Japan. It's where we went for our 20th anniversary (the one where we always said we'd go to Alaska, but somehow when it came, we decided Hawaii sounded better).

Well, lo & behold, he now has an invitation to a conference on Kauia in Nov.

It's pretty doubtful that he'll actually be able to go. I could use good vibes, because while I'd love to go to Japan, I admit I'd rather go to Hawaii!

So here I've been dreaming of Hawaii all this time, and if I'm really lucky, it just might happen. So I've started to visualize it. I'll be fine if it doesn't happen -- I may yet be all alone on our anniversary -- but I'm still gonna dream big.

We have to dream big when it comes to our healthy lifestyles, too. Sometimes it all just seems so unreachable, but it can be. If we dream big. Then take the actions to make our dreams a reality.

I can't do anything to help make my Hawaii dream a reality. But I can take lots of actions to make my dreams of a healthy weight a reality. How bout you? What big dreams are you dreaming?

Oh yeah: my other big dream of the moment is to hear from the computer store today that my computer is fixed -- and it didn't cost an arm & a leg. All my Dreden, Prague & Vienna photos are frozen in there!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

IFDEEVARUNS2 8/5/2010 10:08AM

Sending those positive vibes your way! Report Inappropriate Comment

HEALTH4LYFE 8/5/2010 9:40AM

Maybe you can dream about going to both Japan and Hawaii! Would that be a dream which is possible? Hope you do get what you wish for and Happy Anniversary!! Report Inappropriate Comment

DAYHIKER 8/5/2010 8:43AM

I hope you get to go, Judy! My (United Airline) son/wife went to Japan to visit my niece/hubby then came home via Hawaii and loved it. I hope that can work out for you!! Report Inappropriate Comment

KEAKMAN 8/5/2010 8:42AM

What an awesome dream - sending thoughts of sunshine and warmth your way (and his and the bosses or whoever makes the decision!) Right now my "big" dream is to run a whole month without any injuries. Just when I thought it would happen, I got rear-ended and yet again, am starting all over again. At least this time it's not my fault. Report Inappropriate Comment

FRECKS96 8/5/2010 8:18AM

Wow!! The power of positive thinking is huge. Good luck to you with all of your celebrations and (hopefully) travel plans! Report Inappropriate Comment

SEKSUNSHINE 8/5/2010 8:08AM

I'm dreaming for you so hopefully that will help get you to Hawaii! Love the new profile pic. Sounds like your plans are coming together to end this year on a high note! Good for you. We just celebrated our 29th the 1st. Time sure goes, by the way when we got married, we were given six months. Do you think we made it? LOL!! Happy early anniversary my friend. Enjoy which every trip you take. Report Inappropriate Comment

Being healthy isn't just about food . . .

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

. . . it's also about being fit and at peace.

Don't you just love that quote? It's from raw-pleasure.com.au/Articles/5-tips-
on-being-the-partner-of-a-raw-fooder .

It's what I keep working on. I don't strength train only to look good -- I do it so I can carry heavy things when I have to -- like lugging my luggage (hey, I just realized that must be how luggage got its name!) up the stairs at Penn station.

The being at peace part is part of what I was trying to get at yesterday. Finding that balance that lets you make healthy choices and still live your life. I keep working towards that, but it often seems an elusive goal.

I've always been much more interested in cooking/baking than keeping house.

Yesterday I think I made fairly good choices. The food wasn't that exciting, and thankfully there were no desserts to tempt me. I had a bunch of raw veggies, 2 small slices of pita, 2 tiny crostini, 2 shrimp, 2 scallops, and about a tablespoon (or perhaps a tad more) of blooming onion dip -- my one indulgence.

I took some of my own advice and stayed far away from the cheese and crackers, since that's something I could have any time.

I was just a bit hungry when I got home. I wanted to finish off my raw chocolate mousse, but decided that I didn't really need that (plus it was slotted for today's breakfast) -- so I had a cup of grapes and one square of Lindt fleur de sel. I was proud of myself for that!



I bought the above dress maybe about a decade ago. Never wore it -- always too tight. It's kind of shapeless, too, really, but the belt took care of that. Really clingy but I stuffed myself into Assets (the budget version of Spanx that at least used to be available at Target -- haven't needed to buy anymore so don't know if it's still there).

Thank God I didn't need to use the bathroom or I might never have been able to wiggle back into them!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

DRJJ2004 8/4/2010 10:21PM

LOL!! You crack me up..you look great!! And totally LOVE the shoes!! I haven't worn heels in years..but those are gorgeous!! Report Inappropriate Comment

GEODAWG 8/4/2010 7:04PM

Looking good! Loved the quote! Glad you didn't have to wee-wee! Report Inappropriate Comment

TEMPEST272002 8/4/2010 4:45PM

I love the quote & I find that the 3 - eating healthy, being fit & being at peace - go hand in hand. I was feeling a little antzy this morning. A few little stresses, but all at once. When I noticed that I was spending a lot of time wandering aimlessly in the kitchen, I decided it would be healthier to deal with that stress with some serious sweating. I feel so much better now! Sounds like you made really good choices at the party. You look FABULOUS in your little black dress! Report Inappropriate Comment

FRECKS96 8/4/2010 3:20PM

Glad you had a good dinner. Love the dress! Report Inappropriate Comment

DAYHIKER 8/4/2010 1:30PM

Lookin' good, Judy! You look so classy! And my toes hurt just looking at those shoes! You made good choices afterward, too. Sometimes getting home can be a challenge if you've been good while out. Report Inappropriate Comment

SLIMMERJESSE 8/4/2010 11:05AM

Nice photos! Thanks for sharing them. Have a wonderful day. Report Inappropriate Comment

A healthy lifestyle or taking over my life?

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

I'll tell ya, it's a good thing I'm not working because work would just get in the way of my exercising and food prep.

Yesterday I decided that if I was in the mood I'd go for an easy run in the morning. I'm not sure I was really in the mood when I got up, but I put out everything the night before so it's harder to make excuses.

I woke up early enough (I don't use an alarm clock), and it wasn't raining, so I figured I might as well head out. Kate, you'll be happy to hear I left the Ipod at home today. I like to use it for downloaded running podcasts because they tend to push me harder than I'd push myself.

But today I figured I'd just do an easy run; I knew I had a difficult Insanity workout coming up, and with going out tonight -- something we so rarely do -- I didn't want to be exhausted.

Only then I decided to do hill repeats. Which worked fine without music, but so much for my easy workout. With the breeze, despite the warmer temps & higher humidity, it was a pleasant run.

Came home & went back out with the dogs.

Came home and spent some time on the computer, then tackled today's Insanity workout.

Had a smoothie to recover, hopped in the shower, and then it was food prep time. I've been on a real raw kick the last few weeks -- with the exception of dinner due to DH (oh, and that one vitamuffin that was my pre-run snack) -- and on today's menu was raw chili (no meat, that is).

It came out to swoon for, but probably took at least a half hour of chopping veggies. Well worth the effort, tho.

Raw food can be quite simple (salad, anyone?) or complex, and I like to do both, obviously. Probably wasn't the best choice considering today is a busy day, but I never said I always make the best choices.

And there was a little bit of agility fun with the dogs in there.

There should have been some bathroom & kitchen cleaning and laundry in there too, but I somehow doubt that's going to happen.

I don't really have much of a point. I enjoyed myself today, mostly, but can't say as I did the things I ought to do around the house. Oh well, summer vacation, right? And let's hope I burned off enough calories for whatever may be on the menu tonight (you'd think almost 2 hours of exercise would do it, but that remains to be seen. At least I have one more day til WI & TOM is over).

I could be cleaning the bathroom and the kitchen instead of sparking, but I need that inspiration to carry over into tonight, right?

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

TEMPEST272002 8/3/2010 11:00PM

I'm not working right now either... and I've often marvelled at how people combine working with eating right & exercising. I barely have time for it all and my biggest task of the day is doing the dishes. Sounds like a great run. I've found that if I can talk myself into an "easy" run, I discover I'm up for a little bit more. The hill trials sound interesting. Are you following a program to deal with hills or working on your own? I have a lot of hills on my run and am always on the look out for articles related to running technique. Report Inappropriate Comment

KEAKMAN 8/3/2010 8:37PM

I love how you spent your day. I am hoping to be able to do some of that myself here, soon! Report Inappropriate Comment

FRECKS96 8/3/2010 7:51PM

Sounds like a great day to me!!! Now is the perfect time to enjoy yourself in this new lifestyle. There is time for everything else later. Report Inappropriate Comment

LEONALIONESS 8/3/2010 4:03PM

Which raw chili did you do? Happy Herbivore has one that I keep meaning to try. Report Inappropriate Comment

GEODAWG 8/3/2010 3:09PM

Someone asked me what I did now that I was not working. I said I exercise. Keeping fit is a full time job! And I don't believe cleaning the kitchen and bathroom really works off that many calories so I just put it off until I have to. You know in order to cook or shower. Report Inappropriate Comment

Summers should be easy -- why aren't they?

Monday, August 02, 2010

The abundance of fresh, healthy foods available in summer ought to mean that it's even easier to lose weight. The longer daylight hours (altho they are getting shorter, have you noticed? Wish I'd cottoned on to the beauty of a very-early morning run earlier!) should make it easier to move more.

So why is it still so darn hard?

Well, the things that work for us work against us, too. There are more opportunities to eat more, too, it seems. More time to get together with friends. More parties. Fairs and the very unhealthy fair food. It's easier to go out to eat, and really, who wants to slave over a hot oven when it's 90 or more out anyway?

We went out for dinner on Saturday. Saturday was a very active day for me: I went out for an early morning run, followed by walking the dogs, some Insanity later on, and capped off with actually walking to the restaurant. Then we walked over to the ice cream place for dessert (I only had one spoon of DH's ice cream -- silly man, doesn't he know ice cream ought to contain chocolate?). Loads of activity and a fairly healthy dinner.

Yesterday is where we got a bit off track. I finally sweet talked my husband into helping me bring in my computer to be fixed. It's only been frozen more than half a year, and he hasn't been keen on sharing his computer, yet expects that mine will somehow magically fix itself.

Then I had the bright idea that we could go out to the new sushi buffet for lunch. I've been dying to try this place, and lunch is cheaper than dinner. Or so we thought. Only they serve dinner all day on Sundays.

We walked over to the buffet next door, which had a sign proudly announcing the opening of their sushi bar. Which only had a few sad rolls. I loaded my plates (yes, 2 plates) with mostly veggies, some sushi, 1 dumpling, and 1 veggie spring roll. Skipped the desserts altogether.

Still, I wasn't all that hungry for dinner so that tells you something. We had popcorn.

Tomorrow we are going out to some event for DH's work up in Saratoga. No idea what the food situation will be, only that there will be some. I have been trying my best to eat healthy with that in mind, yet I've already eaten out twice this week -- and wasn't happy with the last WI to boot. The only saving grace is that TOM has actually arrived so I'm hoping that at least I won't gain anymore.

Here are a few tips for dealing with summer:

1. Always, always, always have a healthy snack before going to a party or event. Never, ever go hungry. Make sure you have some nuts or a protein bar tucked away in your pocketbook just in case you won't have time to eat at home first.

2. Forget about portion distortion, continue to weight and measure your food. Too much of anything -- healthy or not -- will derail your weight loss efforts.

3. It's ok to say no. Don't feel obligated to go to every event you're asked to. Pick and choose.

4. When you can, bring a healthy dish of your own, so at least there will be something there you can eat.

5. Don't load up on the stuff you can eat any time -- cheese & crackers, for instance. Indulge in something truly amazing that you truly want, and make sure to sit down and savor it.

What are your favorite trips for navigating the perils of summer?

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SUSIEMILO 8/3/2010 4:10PM

I SO wish I had read this blog before last weekend. I got caught being hungry at an event (thought dinner would be served several hours before it actually was) and ended up eating chips/dip because I was starving and there was nothing else to eat! I found you through Judy's page (GEODAWG) and like your writing style, so I'm adopting you as my newest SparkFriend. Susie Report Inappropriate Comment

MOMGABE 8/3/2010 9:08AM

I like your tip #5. My philosophy on tempting desserts is: If I am going to consume the calories, it had better taste incredible. If not, it's not worth the extra calories. Report Inappropriate Comment

GEODAWG 8/2/2010 7:05PM

My downfall in the summer time is the vegetables I adore. Butter beans, field peas, zipper peas, boiled peanuts are all much higher in calories and I love them better than kindergardners love recess. But I measure out just half a cup because that is 100 calories. Believe it or not, that satisfies my craving. Report Inappropriate Comment

KEAKMAN 8/2/2010 4:33PM

"It's okay to say no" That's a biggie for me.....growing up, food was love, so saying no to any was a slap in the face.......But I am getting better! Report Inappropriate Comment

TEMPEST272002 8/2/2010 1:21PM

Summers are a very social time for us. Tons of company & parties. So much fun, so much food! I'm eating more than I should to lose weight, but balancing it out with exercise. My tip for keeping on track in the summer... get out there and enjoy all that summer has to offer - hiking, kayaking, swimming! Report Inappropriate Comment

DDHEART 8/2/2010 1:09PM

Very smart approach....now all we have to do is follow it!! LOL Report Inappropriate Comment

DAYHIKER 8/2/2010 10:23AM

Summers are hard for me because of all the good things in the garden! I love to bake and strawberries are made for shortcake and cream, rhubarb for pies, blackberries for pies, cobblers, jam, etc. I baked, ate, and was merry until the waistbands began to tighten. Then there is so much extra work to do from early spring through harvest that it is easy to not take the time to exercise. Things have slowed a bit as I'm not having more than a couple of canners a day now but there is still a lot of work to be done. Thanks for the reminder tips! You remind me of a Weight Watcher leader or something... Anonymous Report Inappropriate Comment

FRECKS96 8/2/2010 9:55AM

Great tips! And you're right, as counter intuitive as it is, it really does seem harder in summer. Less structure and more socializing. Hopefully August will be kind to both of us. Report Inappropriate Comment

Mindful exercising

Saturday, July 31, 2010

It's not just eating we have to be mindful of.

How many times do you just go thru the motions? Get to the gym, and just wanna get it over with? Just want to get your 10,000 steps in any way you can?

Well, yesterday I made sure my exercise counted. I took a few minutes before I actually started to think about what I actually wanted to get out of it. And then as I was going thru it, I thought about the various body parts as I was working on them.

And you know what? It actually made it a bit easier. When I wasn't so focused, I would just be watching the clock to see when the torture would end. Most likely it made my exercises more effective, too.

I spent some time thinking about my morning run today before I ever got out of bed. Thinking about what I wanted to get out of it, visualizing myself running with a smile on my face (should've visualized a little heater to go along with me!).

I haven't actually signed up for my next 5k yet, but I'm pretty sure it will be in the beginning of Oct. I've been visualizing that before I go to bed. Visualizing myself crossing the finish line with a smile on my face (and a certain time on the timer).

I like this new mantra I snagged from choosingraw.com :

Progress, not perfection

Ranks right up there with Imagine, believe, receive

And here are tips #11 & 12 for what to look at when you're maintaining and you don't want to be:

11. Are you getting enough sleep? I definitely make sleep a priority, which annoys the heck out of most of the people in my life because it seems that I'm surrounded by a bunch of night owls. I can function on a few hours, but I certainly don't thrive on less than 7 or 8.

12. Are you suffering from IDI syndrome, which means are you suffering from I Deserve It syndrome? I've been so good, so I deserve a treat. I'm training for ____, so I can afford to eat more. You know if you're a sufferer.

So think about what you want to get out of exercise, visualize it, take your time with it, and don't forget: progress, not perfection!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SUSIEMILO 8/3/2010 4:14PM

Excellent blog! And it helped me realize that lately I've been suffering from IDI. Admitting the problem is the first step to recovery... And I will now prep for doing the workouts. I like that idea, and I'm positive that it produces a far more effective workout. Great posting - thanks for putting that out there! Report Inappropriate Comment

KARBIE18 8/1/2010 1:05PM

Great blog! I've read that focusing on muscle you're working, particularly during ST, can make your workout more effective. I totally suffered from IDI syndrome! Thought I was so disciplined that I deserved a daily treat. Felt that, as long as it fit in my calorie plan, I should be able to eat it. Now I'm only eating desert once a week or so, and despite the fact that the scale hasn't moved yet, I more confident that it can happen. Report Inappropriate Comment

GEODAWG 7/31/2010 6:14PM

Such marvelous insight. So true. How many times have I rewarded myself and then wondered why I had not lost any weight? I am hoping I am on the right track now! This is such a good reminder of what to do. Report Inappropriate Comment

KEAKMAN 7/31/2010 5:24PM

Mindfulness is the reason that I run without headphones. I find that I lollygag with music....even ramped up music. But when I have to pay attention to me, how I feel, how I am breathing, how my legs are doing, etc etc I have better runs....sometimes faster, but I ALWAYS feel so much better after I pay attention to what I am doing. Report Inappropriate Comment

FRECKS96 7/31/2010 11:18AM

ooh, love it!! Such a great concept! And, I do suffer from IDI, thanks for the label. Now hopefully I can deal with it. Report Inappropriate Comment

DAYHIKER 7/31/2010 10:49AM

Ouch. I have been pretty much avoiding "exercise" because I have been working hard and am tired. But the canning is winding down...only a canner of tomatoes today...and I COULD start being more consistent if I would put my mind to it. Thanks for the boot in the rear, Judy. Enjoy your weekend--it's lovely cool and gray here this morning with a couple of intermittent showers! ~Cindy Report Inappropriate Comment

SHEILA1505 7/31/2010 10:42AM

I think you have a good point here - yesterday I tried a new class (to me it was new) - it was NIA - if you google NIA exercise you'll get a much better idea than I could ever give you - cos I felt like a 5year-old pretending to be a tree or seaweed waving gently in the sea - Anyway ... we had to focus on the muscles and joints we were using and I actually felt some tenderness in completely different parts of my body during today's Aqua class. Hopefully the gym will schedule some more of these classes so I can add surprise to my muscles :) Hugs Report Inappropriate Comment