WW@W

We started Weight Watchers @ Work today...yay. I was dreading it and worried, but now that I'm home and have eaten my points for the day ~ I'm excited! I was proud to be under my points, but the leader told us today to make sure we eat our full points. So I was able to have a snack before bed. Of course, now I must go right to bed to make sure I don't have another snack. I don't usually eat after dinner, but that does not mean I won't start today.

Nothing too exciting but this is the most committed I've felt in a long, long time. While I've been a member of TOPS for almost 7 years, it is much different to go to a meeting during the day and living it with people you spend your entire freaking day with. Support is so important in both groups, so I'm happy to attend TOPS and WW@W...something has to click in my brain thanks to these great groups.

I used to work for Weight Watchers during one college summer...at the customer service call center in KS. True story:

Me: Thank you for calling WW...how may I help you?
Dude: I need to know more about WW. I'm anorexic.
Me: I'm sorry sir. I cannot recommend a meeting to you due to your condition.
Dude: Are you kidding me? I have a fat ass. I'm just kidding you.

Oh, crazy summer days. Cheers!

It's not a nail biter!

I had to develop a goal that I could accomplish in 6-18 months. I chose to lose 20 lbs.
Putting that in writing scares and tires me...and the goal had to be very specific and written in present tense in order to make it more real.

"I've lost 20 lbs, and my joints are pain free, and I am very physically fit! I no longer eat out of sadness, boredom, or loneliness. I can eat what I want and be satisfied."

No small feat, and putting it into words is very helpful.

Another aspect of this is to give up a non-constructive habit. Of which I have several ...hundred. :-).
I'm giving up nail chewing. I've done it ever since I can remember (probably since teeth!).

Whenever I realize I'm about the nibble on a nail, I do the following...

1. Pause
2. Feel Contentment (takes time sometimes ), know that I hold everything I need within me.
   
3. Remember my goal, say it, and visualize it.
4. Give Thanks (to whomever i like.)

Then do this for 40 days.
We are on day 38.
So far so good :-)

A quote! George Bernard Shaw!

We got this quote a couple of days ago. Kind of interesting.. and a little Denis Leary-ish...remember that most yoga traditions operate under the belief that each person carries God or the "Almighty" within him or her, and you can see how we got this one from our teacher...

"This is the true joy in life: Being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one, being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."

Day Four, lots of fulfilling

So in the last 4 days I've done yoga and meditation around my "Mission Statement" or Dharma Code. All the yoga and meditation has centered on figuring this out.

Here's the fun part. This isn't just what I want to do for a job, or whatever. It's the mission of my soul here on earth. and I probably don't have it exactly right after working on it for a day or two, but here's what I came up with...

"To communicate to other people connections that exist between seemingly different things (they could be people, ideas, places, things"

I love love love finding out two very different things are actually related, if it's two different types of people, I'm overjoyed.

I also have begun working with community marketing at work, so that helps to show some connections.

So my mission statement is set and ready to go! More soon on other good stuff.

The Yoga of Fulfillment

So I'm getting ready to head out the door for Day 2 (of 5) of my annual Yoga-cation.
I'm studying under a system called Para-Yoga taught by Yogarupa Rod Stryker. We spend 5 days learning the teachings that have been handed down to the Yogarupa by descendents of Swami Rama. (for real. This is the coolest thing ever.).

The goal for this intensive is to learn how to take the peace that you create on your yoga mat, and bring it with you into your corporate office, family dinner, attempts at weight loss, or anywhere that you need peace.

I'll try to bring you a couple of great quotes. I thought I had some, but i can't find them!

On the physical side.. the poses we did yesterday has affect muscles i didn't know existed in my hips. Lots of emphasis on twisting.

Day 1 again. And again.

Sorry to steal your title, Kristy! But it fits what I'm feeling. This week's motivation is coming from wanting to have a baby, this skinny lady I just saw on House Hunters (and her hot Italian husband), more clothes choices, and just not wanting to feel blah any more.

I've been thinking a lot about all the goals that Kristy has set. I have one in mind for myself...30 minutes of activity a day. I'm perpetually late...I hardly get to work on time, pick the child up after work, cook dinner, bathe the child/put child to bed...and then, I'm freaking tired. Either FB calls to me, or I sit in bed and read/watch TV. I would like to start taking walks. And if I don't take a walk that day, then I need to do something else active - laundry, cleaning something, or just shaking my booty to my Zune tunes. Anything!

One day last week I set my alarm to wake up and walk before work. After 34 years, there is nothing that is going to make me a morning person. I snoozed my alarm for at least another hour that day ~ then I was late.

I've thought about walking at work. There is a great pond across the street with a trail around it. However, I'm a sweater. And my feet are stinky. Plus I hear the geese attack you.

Next up, I'm thinking about walking after work. Unfortunately, Curious George is on. If you have a two year old the thrives on routine...then I've said enough. And baby bed time is typically a non-negotiable item.

I'll try this whole activity again this coming week. I will also report on my second goal: to eat less when going out. I always eat too much. I need to really listen to myself and order just what I need. Seems simple. It's hard to get the brain, belly, and mouth to all work together sometimes.

We're supposed to be starting Weight Watchers at Work (at work). I've joined three times already and even worked in their customer service call center one summer. But I need something to get my brain going again...maybe this will work. We'll see.

Happy Weekend!

Day 1 again.

So good intentions, road to hell...etc. etc.
I haven't been so good with my diet this week..i had two days that were spot on, and it was pretty much downhill from there.

So much like I did when quitting smoking, we begin again. Tomorrow is Day 1!

I'm making the timeline until I leave for New Orleans on April 16th...when, as you know, all bets are off for a while :-).
So I have 32 days to work with eating well and exercising regularly.
Woot!

It's already March?

Unlike Kristy, I have no plan right at the moment. I find her details about detox and all that good stuff very inspiring. I'm pretty sure I would starve to death. Sugar is my friend. You can't effectively bribe a two year old without it!!! Stickers go only so far...

Seems like soooooo long ago when Kristy and I got together, talked about the blog, and decided to start over. The good news: I'm almost inspired again. The bad news: I'm easily bored. Every few years I want to radically change everything about my life to keep life exciting. The problem is that I'm just too exhausted after a stressful job and a child in (dirty) diapers. Yes, that's an excuse, but one that I find incredibly valid. Since my child is three times the size of other two year olds, I find her three times as exhausting (and I'm sticking with that story!).

My current inspiration: the hubby and I have talked about having another baby! I was pretty excited earlier in the week about the prospect of having another child. Then I realized how many hours I would have to stay awake day/night to take care of a newborn. If there is one thing I like more than eating, it is sleeping. And I've been blessed with a child who loves to sleep. What if the second one isn't like that??? The advantage is that I'm already eating for two (or three!). Ha! Just kidding...

Okay, I wrote this post out of guilt for neglecting my blogging duties. There really is no point. I'm fat. I'm tired. And...I'm thinking about being committed...to weight loss. Soon. Very soon.

Decadence

It's no secret that I not only love food...I absolutely Adore it.
I sit and think about new combinations and spices for old recipes...a couple of my co-workers and I sit around and think of ways to make bbq pork EVEN tastier. As I drive home from work I plan 1-2 meals to take care of my hunger.

This takes up a lot of mental space for me and makes me very happy. Ahhh.

So it's Time for another DETOX!! :-). I've successfully completed 2 rounds of "detox dieting" so far...and since it's very gentle and VERY healthy, I've doing 3 weeks this time around with 2-3 well planned and executed decadence-splurges to get me through (strawberry margaritas....ooh...no the homemade margaritas down @ Chimichanga's...).

We'll take one week off of dieting for good behavior, then do another 3 weeks.. (then go to New Orleans...which will be it's own post.)

Since the timeline is longer than just 9 days...I'm going to loosen the restrictions...

So the normal detox diet I was following called for eliminating foods. the Don'ts are...

• White anything...rice, potato's, sugar etc.
• heavy fats. only use olive oil sparingly, no p'nut butter, regular butter
• no dried fruits...too much sugar.
• Nothing fried
• No meat.
• no bread
  

The Do's

• Unlimited fruits and veggies
• Low fat cheese (1-2 oz max)
• 2 cups whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat)
• limited white rice. (ya, i know what it says above...but only so many restaurants serve brown rice. And the beauty of this diet is that I can eat @ Asian restaurants).
• Lots of lentils, chickpeas, beans , tofu, etc. for Protein
• Some nuts
• 1 veggie patty per day (i LOVE these things now)