Avocados and pears

Monday, July 20, 2009

Happiness.

I'm shrinking even if my weight stays pretty much the same!



Since my last body measurements in April I've lost inches all over my body.

My waist to hip-ratio went from an avocado to a pear, which is really good news, as the estimated health risk is lower.

I _could_ be discouraged about my weight since I first visited the weight I am today in April, and have fluctuated since, but the overall trend is downward and I'm trusting the process. And since the inches are falling off my body I'm chosing to be HAPPY.

I know I'm getting more toned (thanks to strength training!) and I'm in way better shape than I was. I can run my regular run without walking, and faster each week. And I'm happier. Whee!

If you struggle with a scale that won't budge, keep at it and see if you are consistent with your program. If you are, it WILL work!

Monitor other things beside the scale, like how clothes fit, how you feel, your stamina, your body shape changing.

Here's what I do:
I track all food, get consistent exercise (strength and cardio) and stay within my given calorie range (given the correct info of calories burned weekly). I drink enough water and get enough sleep (mostly).

I can live with that! In fact I can't live without it now!

Trust the process!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

H-2-OH 7/30/2009 9:44AM

Losing inches is great. In fact, I think I'd rather lose inches than pounds. It's a sign you're looking more toned, gaining muscle, getting healthier...and Happier! Report Inappropriate Comment

MARCHMAID 7/28/2009 8:35PM

Yup. It's not only about the weight. I've always weighed more than I was "supposed" to and have been a size 8 or 10 (back in the day when that was small, now I think it's a 6 or 8---LOL) and had such muscle tone that I could weigh 10-15 pounds more than recommended. . . . doubt I'll see those days again, but I'm just sayin'. Report Inappropriate Comment

SWEETZMIX 7/22/2009 4:56PM

GO MARIT, GO MARIT, GO MARIT!! You are always a breath of fresh air! Report Inappropriate Comment

LADYROSE 7/21/2009 12:57PM

YAY you're getting more concentrated!!! and darn it, now *I* want that recipe, too. LOL!!! Report Inappropriate Comment

FIT_TERI 7/20/2009 10:29PM

Yay for you not being a slave to the scale. You are fitter, faster, stronger than you were in April. And happier! My guess is that the scale will catch up. Regardless, my friend, you continue to make such excellent progress. And thanks for your comment on my blog. I am not worrying about speed now, but I can't help but noticing how slow I am. I think a turtle ran by me. You just keep doing what you're doing cause it's working! Report Inappropriate Comment

_RAMONA 7/20/2009 1:44PM

LOL! I had to laugh when I read SIMPLE_TAILOR's comment... ME TOO! LOL! I'm even happier to read this one, though. Your faith in the process and the results you are getting have been inspiring me for some time now and a part of my own motivation and determination has developed from walking in YOUR footsteps! Thank you, Marit! {{{{{{{{{{{ HUGS }}}}}}}}} Report Inappropriate Comment

WOLFKITTY 7/20/2009 12:31PM

YAY!! You really ARE doing so well, the proof is in the list of things you can cite that show your healthy living!!! Congrats! Jocel yn Report Inappropriate Comment

SIMPLE_TAILOR 7/20/2009 7:51AM

And here I was expecting some unique new recipe idea in this blog. You are so right about getting trapped by the scale when there are so many more things to measure ourselves by. Sometimes all it takes is a quick reminder. Thanks. tty l Report Inappropriate Comment

Taste

Friday, July 17, 2009

Can you taste it?

The aroma as you lift the strawberry to your mouth, tickling your nose? The juice filing your mouth as you bite into a red berry?

In my garden red jewels nestle and each morning I tip-toe out and pick two; one for me and one for my darling. We smile into each others eyes as we share the gift of the taste.

I want to eat all my meals with the same presence. The same sense of awareness.



Can you taste it?

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

CJROMB 7/18/2009 6:24PM

This is a GREAT blog! My mouth is watering, and what a nice thing to do each morning. Sweet, in more ways than one. You're right, it's important to pay attention and eat with awareness. I like that. I will think of the strawberry next time I'm eating. Report Inappropriate Comment

ZIRCADIA 7/17/2009 2:02PM

WOW, those look incredible. :) Report Inappropriate Comment

RUSSELLORAMA 7/17/2009 1:23PM

Awesome! It's wonderful to slow down and take the time to really enjoy and savor our food. I just discovered wild strawberries growing in our yard. It was a great surprise! Report Inappropriate Comment

_RAMONA 7/17/2009 11:49AM

Marit, your blog is just like that strawberry... the idea of eating all my meals with the same presence... the same sense of awareness is indelibly written on my awareness. Thank you! BEAUTIFUL! Report Inappropriate Comment

WOLFKITTY 7/17/2009 11:44AM

YES! Yes I can! YES YES! HEHeee. Good reminder about eating with purpose. Everything is so much more delicious that way, too! Hey, on another note, your pictures remind me of when I was a kid and my parents were still married - at that house we grew a few little plants of strawberries! :D Thanks for the memories. HEhee. Hugs! Jocelyn Report Inappropriate Comment

WILSOCA 7/17/2009 9:18AM

Oh .. you're making my mouth water. I don't think there could be anything more enjoyable than sharing a special treasure from your garden with the one you love !!!!! Have a great weekend, C.J. Report Inappropriate Comment

H-2-OH 7/17/2009 9:09AM

Yum. I planted a blueberry bush this spring and am looking forward to that same kind of experience. This is a great concept: eating all your meals with THAT kind of awareness. I bet if I did it I'd be much thinner. I'm going to try to remind myself of this. Thanks for sharing. Report Inappropriate Comment

SIMPLE_TAILOR 7/17/2009 8:45AM

Nothing better than a fresh strawberry . . . . with a little light whipped cream. Enjoy. ttyl Report Inappropriate Comment

Confession

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

It has been one of _those_ days.

I went to the gym after my oatmeal breakfast and I was ravenous after working out for two hours at the gym, so I got a rather large taco wrap at the gym for my lunch. I could have easily stopped when I had eaten half, but polished it off.

Some friends of ours are moving into our neighbourhood and were picking up the keys to the house today, and when we got home I had planned to make a whole-wheat lasagna with ground pork (low fat) to share with them. Said friends turned up early and were really hungry and I hadn't even started making dinner - we decided to go out to eat instead.

They wanted to go to a steakhouse to celebrate being houseowners and soon-to-be-broke.

I had a steak and fries and a choice of the salad bar. I had just a _bit_ too much to eat, and topped this extravaganza off with a banana split...

This feels kind of strange - exactly the kind of meal and portions I'd be so used to eating a bit over a year ago...

Lately such meals have been rare and at least the portions have been smaller. I went over my calories today, and I know I'm "back on track" (never really veered off, just had a little detour down Splurge Alley - after all I did deliberately chose the banana split and steak myself) and I have no worries on that score.

And haha - now I'm so uncomfortably FULL! Urk. I will take a walk before bed today just to get my stomach settled.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

FIT_TERI 7/16/2009 8:30PM

your attitude about this is everything. you view this as a splurge. it's not the norm. it's meant to happen only occasionally - for special occasions. that is fine! I think the fact that you identify it as that and move on is huge. we have to be able to allow ourselves these splurges as occasional treats, but with care to not fall back to old, unhealthy behavior. Report Inappropriate Comment

SWEETZMIX 7/16/2009 10:20AM

Splurges are good. It's nice to just be wild and eat what we please. Plus it's a good reminder that we shouldn't eat too much b/c our stomach's can't handle it. Glad you enjoyed yourself with your friends. It's GOOD to hang out with friends! Report Inappropriate Comment

SIMPLE_TAILOR 7/16/2009 8:10AM

You already know what this was, a detour down splurge alley. Just don't make it a long weekend and you will be fine. ttyl Report Inappropriate Comment

LADYROSE 7/15/2009 7:48PM

Yeah, what Ramona said - calorie cycling... re-feeding... whatever... Not that you need validation for it. It's life, it happens - hope you enjoyed the heck out of it and move on. But if it makes you feel better, it's totally going around - I have been an absolute fiend today! Mostly for anything and everything protein related, but still... weird. And have read several folks who have had a major splurge in the last 24 hours. (most of them handling it less gracefully than you!) And besides, sometimes we need a taste of our 'old ways' just to be sure we're on the right path. ;) Comment edited on: 7/15/2009 7:49:41 PM Report Inappropriate Comment

_RAMONA 7/15/2009 6:33PM

Call it 'calorie cycling', drop your calories jsut a smidge tomorrow, and call it a day! LOL! You're still doing great, Skinny! I LOVE this quote: "Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense." -RALPH WALDO EMERSON- {{{{{{{{{ HUGS }}}}}}}}} Report Inappropriate Comment

GINILEE4 7/15/2009 5:26PM

I know that feeling. I once in a while think I'll go for broke and eat till it's all gone. I am the one who pays. LOL LOL I know you'll feel better ina day or 2 so I won't say poor you, but when will we learn? Gini Report Inappropriate Comment

WILSOCA 7/15/2009 5:11PM

Hum .. that's funny. I did the same thing. I went over to a friends last night for dinner .. and she was making samosas... yes, they're fried in oil. I ate more than one ... and then we had ice cream. I knew it was a bad idea, as I was doing it .. but I kept going. Last night and today my stomach felt terrible and I felt bloated. This is a one off like yours .. but sometimes I wonder why I do that .. when I know I'm going to feel terrible after. Back on track for us :):) C.J. Report Inappropriate Comment

WOLFKITTY 7/15/2009 4:36PM

Oh my gosh, those feelings are so WEIRD, right?! It's amazing to think that was normal sometime ago. I hope you soon start to feel better, and OH MY GOODNESS, TWO hours at the gym? I'll have to take a look at your fitness tracker to see the time you put in there. ;D Take care, Jocelyn Report Inappropriate Comment

ZIRCADIA 7/15/2009 4:06PM

I HATE that uncomfortably full feeling -- but at least you know this is the RARE OCCASION and not the norm for you anymore, AND you know you're right back on track next thing. :) Report Inappropriate Comment

Tracking - Progress, not perfection - Dropping the Fatitude

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

I get to know myself a lot better on this journey, and I love that part of getting healthy. I didn't realize before I got started that I would do so much mental work alongside the workouts. I'm a work in progress, and I do a lot of thinking and mulling about how I react to things and ways to cope with the "why's" of becoming a fat person.

I still don't understand the shift in me, and do a lot of thinking about that, but I really cherish the change and want to keep cherishing that as long as I live - not being afraid of change is very empowering.

I haven't kept up with yoga as much as I would have if I still attended lessons, but I have learned to (re-)focus breathing and just centering myself a lot more, which helps my stress level and any anxieties I have.

My stress levels have plunged A LOT the last week since I started my vacation! Three weeks off work, and I'm staying at home enjoying the place and working in my garden, and will do some small chores.

We also do some running almost daily and I'm really getting into my "back to basics" tracking and feel that the "glass floor" I've been bouncing off in my weight loss has really cracked. My weight is on the way down again, and I believe a lot of that is due to consistently keeping at it.

Seems my body will take a while to catch up with what I do and take a breather before responding with weight-loss again.

Here's my weightloss graph broken into day of the month and I love how July isn't tangled up with April, May and June.



I've been doing some thinking of my year so far, seeing we're half way through 2009 and I'm really proud of myself for sticking so diligently to my workouts. It is truly getting to be a habit, and the feedback I get from friends, family, co-workers and even strangers help me to keep doing it. I also feel out of sorts if there's more than two days where I get to move.

As many of you have realized, I'm a numbers geek, and here are some of the things I celebrate today:

In 2009 I've done some sort of workout 152 of the 195 days so far, and I've stuck to my two-day rule for activities. Hence, I'm one of the regulars at my gym and we've been to the gym 83 times (the instructors and other regulars greet me).

I've tried lots of new things this year: I have started and keep up with strength training and work on that consistently. I keep track of the exercises I do and weights I can lift in my little black book.

I've tried spinning, and recently some yoga, and I am planning to sign up for a pilates course if the time fits me over the summer.

Foodwise I'm not doing badly either, I'm not eating aimlessly and I stick to my calorie range given by Spark, I'm supposed to eat between 1560-1910 kcals daily and burn around 2000 kcal weekly.

One of the habits I will focus on the rest of the year is to get enough sleep. I'm a night owl and never want to go to bed, and I believe I will feel better with better sleep habits.

I'll also keep working on my mentality and learn about myself and my actions and reactions.

I'll read your blogs and learn from you, because talking and reading about this subject is really fascinating, and I learn a lot from my spark friends.

And Coach Dean is one of those I learn a whole lot from, he has a way of writing which really resonates with me!

If you haven't read his "Drop the Fatitude and get a Winning Attitude" yet, please do:

www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivat
ion_articles.asp?id=1366

Part of the shift in me and the change I cherish is that I have dropped my "Fatitude"!

I really feel I'm optimistic enough to put in an honest effort and see what happens. (TRACKING helps with this, I see the progress!)

I'm staying focused on what I CAN do instead of fretting about things I CAN'T do anymore. (TRACKING and blogging helps - I see the improved me doing more!)

I'm patient enough to take things one decision and one day, even one moment at a time instaed of wanting instant results (TRACKING helps here, I see the progress over time!)

See mistakes and problems as learning opportunities (TRACKING helps here - I can spot mistakes early, and I'm aware and present in my life!)

Have I told you lately that I LOVE SPARK PEOPLE?
Hope you have a lovely week!
Enjoy progress, not perfection!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SIMPLE_TAILOR 7/15/2009 1:12PM

Great post. You are so right about keeping track of everything helps so much. You are doing FANTASTIC!!! Keep at it and let the results come when they do. They may not come immediately, but they will come. ttyl Report Inappropriate Comment

WOLFKITTY 7/14/2009 4:27PM

This is fantastic Marit!! :D You sound like you're in a really great place, and there's all kinds of successes in your future!! I just read the Fatitude article again today and it lead me over to the Mind Over Body Wellness Resource Center. Some of the articles in the 10 steps I've read, some I haven't, and I think I'm going to go through each of them - at least 1 per day. I want to give myself enough time to really think about what I'm reading instead of blowing through them too quickly. Anyhow, congrats on seeing the changes! You're doing fantastic! And it truly is one decision at a time, right lady? HUGS!! Jocelyn Report Inappropriate Comment

ZIRCADIA 7/14/2009 3:40PM

YAY! :D I love your blogs. They are always so positive and mentally centered and just fabulous in general. :) I hope pilates works out for you because I LOVE IT and I know you will, too. Report Inappropriate Comment

LADYROSE 7/14/2009 2:54PM

I loved that article and am so glad to see the BUT/Fatitude busting going on with you! When you finally get "it", when things finally click, you transition into the lifestyle, rather than the temporary mindset of "OMG must lose weight or ELSE!" You ROCK! Report Inappropriate Comment

SWEETZMIX 7/14/2009 2:32PM

Marit, you are living and learning! Thanks for sharing. I know the 3 weeks off will do you some good. All of the greatest stories in life consists struggles, so it's good that we struggle sometimes. Progress not perfection is one of the things I tell myself daily! Report Inappropriate Comment

H-2-OH 7/14/2009 12:58PM

Great blog. I just read that fatitude article today and loved it, too! Report Inappropriate Comment

_RAMONA 7/14/2009 12:24PM

Hey there, Beautiful (you REALLY are, Marit)!!! Here you are, humbly awesome as usual, pointing the light in the right direction and leading the way by example. This is why YOU so ROCK in my book! Did you notice that I linked your page from my blog? I hope the traffic picks up over here, because judging from a lot of what I'm reading these days, some serious 'fatitude' busting is required... and it's examples like your that will do it! You certainly busted up mine adn I THANK YOU!!!! {{{{{{{{{ HUGS }}}}}}}}} Report Inappropriate Comment

Accountability

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

This public accountability is really the thing for me. Putting it in writing makes me want to DO it. I've been tracking my food again, and it isn't such a hassle after all! Duh!

Today I was out in my garden and one of our neighbors (I hardly know her) started to chat over the fence.

She wanted to let me know she's been watching me and my darling getting fitter and slimmer and was telling me how she needed to get started.

I let her know about how I got started last year - started small with short walks and built from there. But I didn't want to pontificate or overwhelm her, as I know just how hard it is to get momentum going. I'll see if there's a chance to tell her more about Spark People - we were interrupted I didn't get a chance to tell her how valuable this site is to me.

When I got inside, I realized how I have changed.

"Before" ANY talk at all about weight loss or exercise or health would have made me uncomfortable and I was hypersensitive about the whole issue.

How my self-confidence has grown, how my mentality has changed! I think that is the BEST part of all this lifestyle change! That - and the ability to inspire others around me to move and live a bit healthier!

It's a bit humbling, ant it makes me want to keep on with it.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

WOLFKITTY 7/13/2009 1:36PM

Hi lady!! I totally identify with the "before any talk would have...". ME TOO. :D Congrats on getting that surge of pride in yourself! You're doing great! HUGS! Jocelyn Report Inappropriate Comment

H-2-OH 7/8/2009 5:19PM

This is awesome. I love how much you've changed your life for the better and how you keep it real and stay accountable. I know what that feels like and I know how important it is. I've been flailing around aimlessly this past month and it's been showing in how I feel and look. Ugh. Time to get re-committed! You inspire me. Report Inappropriate Comment

CJROMB 7/8/2009 1:05PM

I think you've changed a lot just in the time WE'VE been interacting on SparkPeople, and not just on the outside. I "see" a person whose self-confidence has increased, who sees herself now as someone who CAN lose the weight, who CAN be fit and healthy. You've come a long way on the outside AND the inside, and I think it's awesome that you're enjoying the inspiration that can be for others. :) Just weight (pun intended) until your neighbor sees the rest of the story. :) Report Inappropriate Comment

SWEETZMIX 7/6/2009 4:41PM

WHOO HOO for not only having a neighbor notice your transformation BUT you were able to give a few pointers to help her out without being overwhelming. Maybe you can print out one of those sparkpeople business cards, and when you run into her just give her one. YOU ROCK MARIT! Keep on inspiring!! Report Inappropriate Comment

MTER67 7/2/2009 10:03PM

Yay--for your neighbor to notice the transformation you have made and yay--to you for wanting to evangelize a bit about everything you have done to get healthy. I hope that this will spark (no pun actually intended!) a friendship between the two of you now! Report Inappropriate Comment

GREENEYES334 7/2/2009 9:13AM

What a wonderful feeling - motivating others! One by one we will make a difference. YOU ROCK! Report Inappropriate Comment

LADYROSE 7/1/2009 7:20PM

That is awesome!!! And proves that what's written down and meausured is achieved! It's interesting because there's times when I'm /more/ uncomfortable now talking about health or weight related things than I was when I got started... it's really dependant on who is asking. I am able to discern more who is asking to be nice and who is asking because they seriously want information. Kudo's for you for giving your neighbor 'just enough' to get her going. :) Report Inappropriate Comment