True Colors....

Today,

someone's true colors shown through for me to see......

someone who abused her position of authority.

someone who demonstrated that some people wear many different faces.....

And.....

I reflected as to what my true colors are, and what I want these to be.....

AND....

Am I showing these colors in my daily activities?

And welcome week two.....

Monday.

BRRRRRRRR!!!!! It's cold outside!

After a gorgeous week of sunshine, winter has returned. Or perhaps, the weather more specific to this time of year. And it is freezing this evening!

Last week, I lost 3.0#.

Last week, I ate predominantly fruits and veggies.

I felt great. Looking forward to this week.

Tomorrow, the goal is to run and train. And teach spin in the morning.

Maybe it will warm up.

The Third Law

The Third Iron Law is:

When you feel SATISFIED (not overfull),

STOP EATING!

Sounds simple....but how many times does mindless eating happen. The bag of chips, nuts, the plate of food is gone before you know it!

By eating away from the TV, focusing only on eating while eating, and putting my fork down between bites to chew.... I have been able to spend the time enjoying my food. Sometimes, I can eat more than other times. (I might be hungrier). And sometimes, I just need a bite or two or three and I am satisfied.

I remember being told about the 80% rule-- eat until you are 80% full, and you will never over eat. For someone who hasn't taken the time to learn about themselves, this is hard to comprehend. But I am discovering where this is..... and I am less likely to overeat and feel 'stuffed' after eating.

And the second law.....

The second iron law is to: EAT CONSCIOUSLY.

Eat slowly and enjoy every mouthful.

Someone suggested putting a timer on, set for 15 minutes. If you are finished eating before the timer goes off, you are eating too quickly.

Another reminded me that our stomachs do not have teeth. Digestion starts in our mouths, and yet, there are times I inhale my food. Especially, if I am multi-tasking, or sitting in front of the television.

I cleaned my kitchen and cleared the kitchen table this weekend. Regardless of what else is going on in my life at that moment, I am sitting at the table in the kitchen (or the one on the deck, now that it is spring) and eating. I am finding that this is giving me a break from the busy-ness in my life at that moment.

Happy Spring!

Today........

I did two training sessions. A 3.5 mile run, at an easy pace, and a weight training/athletic development session. Med ball work, remedial mini-band work, and other stuff targeting on the core, legs and upper body.

I also ate like a vegetarian, having only some jarlsberg cheese with my lunch and a yogurt in my shake breakfast shake.

I am enjoying the variety.

And I really am not missing the 'meat'.... I know I will enjoy some fish or other animal protein at some point, I just don't want it now.

I feel great and am enjoying it.

Tomorrow evening..... I fast.

Day One is Complete.....

I am sitting reflecting as the sun is setting.

It was a good day. Soon, I will head off to the YMCA and do my training for the day. I taught spin this morning, and after work I needed a nap. I have learned that napping is a good thing after a 5.30 am spin class.

My day's focus was on the Iron Laws, specifically the first one: When you are Hungry, EAT. If you are not hungry, DON'T EAT.

It sounds simple. But as I have shared before, how many times do I find myself doing this. Sitting in front of a movie, and just eating for entertainment.

And.... how frequently do I eat when I should be drinking water.

My focus was drinking more water, enjoying my rest time, and limiting my coffee consumption.

How was your day?

Taking a step....

Take that step. Change your direction.

In a year from now, you will thank yourself for it.

OR.....

You could stay where you are doing the same things you are doing.

You know, INSANITY, by definition is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

So.... I have begun in a new direction to achieve the same goal.

1. Eating in my kitchen. -- it is amazing how satisfied I feel without over eating since there is no distraction to my eating.

2. Eating only when I am hungry -- I woke this morning to teach spin, and I was thirsty. I drank water..... and I felt satisfied. I felt hungry after my spin class.

3. Choosing wisely -- eating junk, makes me feel like junk..... so, I need to choose wisely the food I want to put in my body.

These three steps are helping me in the new direction.

What step are you taking today?

Don't eat in front of the television!

Mindless calories.... is usually what happens when we sit in front of the TV to eat. Before you know it, that bag of 'chips' is empty, the plate of food clean.... even though you may no longer have been hungry half way through. When we eat in front of the TV, we are distracted. The focus is no longer on the food, the meal, and the enjoyment of it. I know if I eat in front of the television, I am distracted.

Living alone presents challenges. I eat many meals alone. It is easy to focus on many other things.... except when I am 'sharing' my meal with my cats. They like what I eat.

I was recently introduced to the book, F*ck Calories (you can down load here for free!).

The author shares interesting insights. I laughed through some of it, and thought much of it is wisdom I have shared. I encourage the read.... as the author shares thoughts that dispute conventional wisdom.

Challenge

Today's assignment:

Run 30 minutes as fast as possible.

Sounds simple..... BUT: If I go out too fast, I will crash and burn. If I go out too slow, I will not cover the ground necessary.

I don't want to die. I need to be able to move quickly for a long period of time.

Another reason why consistency is important. Another reason why I need to continue to challenge myself, daily.

The result: it was a hard 30 minutes. 6K was covered. It was challenging.... but I made it.

NOTE TO SELF: squatting before a hard run may not be the best option, next time.

Comparison

Comparison is the thief of joy. No matter what we do, most of us will never look like supermodels or celebrities, or perform like elite athletes. Accepting that will make our lives a whole lot better.

It is easy to look around at the starting line and compare......

It is easy to look at different body physiques, at body structures, at leanness, at abs, at legs, and then look down on yourself because your body is different.

All of us have something we might want to change about our physical self, our outward appearance. Instead of putting ourselves down, we need to embrace our differences. We need to work at being the best that we can possibly be.

I cannot change my height, but I can change the amount of body fat I carry on my frame. I can choose wisely my food. I can eat when I am hungry and not out of boredom. I don't have to eat the whole container. I can be more active. I can choose to be consistent. And I can love who I am every day.

Grapefruit....

I just love the smell of grapefruit in the morning. It is eye-opening, and wakening.

Last week, I bought a bag of grapefruit and it is absolutely amazing to walk in my kitchen and smell the fresh citrus. It is better than coffee. Yes, I am a crazy person who might buy several grapefruit just for the aroma.

Fortunately, these are sweet and juicy and taste as wonderful as they smell.

Tips for Living an Awesome Life

Mark Twain’s 9 Tips For Living An Awesome Life 1. Approve of yourself. “A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.” 2. Your limitations may just be in your mind. “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” 3. Lighten up and have some fun. “Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.” “Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.” 4. Let go of anger. “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” 5. Release yourself from entitlement. “Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.” 6. If you’re taking a different path, prepare for reactions. “A person with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.” 7. Keep your focus steadily on what you want. “Drag your thoughts away from your troubles… by the ears, by the heels, or any other way you can manage it.” 8. Don’t focus so much on making yourself feel good. “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.” 9. Do what you want to do. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did so. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Friday, 2 March

Today, I woke to snow. Not a lot... but the kind that goes crunch under your foot step. The cats enjoyed some 'play-time' on the deck to put their foot prints in the snow. Well, I am not sure Aries was too thrilled about it, but he wasn't going to miss out on something that Leo was doing.

I have been observing that I have been eating junk. It is easy to do so, when funds are short, or I am feeling lazy, and well.... it is sad, because my body is craving the good stuff! It is time to drop the extra few pounds that are the hurdle that haunt me. I had considered (again) different programs to follow.... but the truth is, I don't follow them, and do not want to be tied to a point system. I just need to eat clean. Lots of fruits and veggies, lean meats and resume my fasting. I feel good when I do that. And I need to train regularly and consistently. And do resistance training. The resistance training is the stuff that gives me the strength to do what is necessary to run, swim and bike. Period.

March is upon us. It is the beginning of the third month of this year. AND 2012, is going to be amazing!!! It is already Rocking.... I have one race under my belt.