I took the summer "off" yoga. My lower back did not thank me, so I went today...and then remembered why I took my "break."
Yoga is hard. Yoga is hot. Yoga is my muscles being to the point of quivering, threatening to collapse. Yoga is pain.
After I left class though, I felt better because of the other side of yoga.
Yoga is being in the now. Yoga is clearing your mind. Yoga is remembering to breathe deeply. Yoga is about embracing your limits and then expanding them. Yoga is being centered. Yoga is there for the challenge, and as long as you take the challenge you are successful. There is no try in yoga. You just do. Maybe that's why it rhymes with Yoda.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Launch Day!
Today is the first day of school for my four oldest kids. Three of them woke up on their own before 6:30 am. Amazing. New outfits, new backpacks, new shoes, new lunch boxes. Each and every kid was excited to pack their lunch. Also amazing. All the kids enjoyed a hot breakfast. All were ready to go. Dad dropped off the three elementary kids, and the brand new 7th grader headed to the bus stop.
I turned on PBS for the youngest two, and sat down with a sigh a relief.
8:26am, the 7th grader returns.
"Mom, the bus didn't show up."
"Okay guys, shoes on and in the car NOW!"
We made it, at 8:42. Horribly close to the official 8:45 start time. This would never do.
The bus company had warned me that if they didn't anticipate any students at a stop, they might skip it. I had changed our address with them(twice.) Did it not take?
So I came home and called the bus company.
"The bus driver was late. Arrived at the stop at 8:22."
One minute after my almost tearful 7th grader gave up. Argh.
A friend reminded us that "bus riders don't count as late if the bus is late."
BUT it's the first day! At a new school! I wanted this to be perfect for him! Standing in the rain for 20 minutes just to have mom drive you isn't perfect.
But your 4 &5 year old instantly obeying, stop watching tv, and get in the car in less than 3 minutes is.
The seventh grader trying to launch at drop off with a smile is.
The seventh grader saying "thanks mom." is.
The no fighting between the 4 &5 year old in the car is.
The 4 year old, buckling his own seat belt for the first time is.
And maybe, for the twelve year old, knowing mom will have your back in the face of uncertainty is too.
I turned on PBS for the youngest two, and sat down with a sigh a relief.
8:26am, the 7th grader returns.
"Mom, the bus didn't show up."
"Okay guys, shoes on and in the car NOW!"
We made it, at 8:42. Horribly close to the official 8:45 start time. This would never do.
The bus company had warned me that if they didn't anticipate any students at a stop, they might skip it. I had changed our address with them(twice.) Did it not take?
So I came home and called the bus company.
"The bus driver was late. Arrived at the stop at 8:22."
One minute after my almost tearful 7th grader gave up. Argh.
A friend reminded us that "bus riders don't count as late if the bus is late."
BUT it's the first day! At a new school! I wanted this to be perfect for him! Standing in the rain for 20 minutes just to have mom drive you isn't perfect.
But your 4 &5 year old instantly obeying, stop watching tv, and get in the car in less than 3 minutes is.
The seventh grader trying to launch at drop off with a smile is.
The seventh grader saying "thanks mom." is.
The no fighting between the 4 &5 year old in the car is.
The 4 year old, buckling his own seat belt for the first time is.
And maybe, for the twelve year old, knowing mom will have your back in the face of uncertainty is too.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
nonscale victories
In the group I'm in on FB, we have a type of post we call non-scale victories. I think it's one of the best ideas ever. It helps us all through those times when we're not "perfect" (like say, every day.) It keeps us from getting discouraged. It keeps us from getting too hung up on weight and numbers. It says, "SEE, this is making a difference! What you do DOES matter!" So today, since I'm on another gym lapse until school starts, I thought I'd dedicate this post to nonscale victories, some of which I've already posted on the board.
1) Stairs. They don't hurt anymore, even going up. I can walk them one foot each. I don't even think about them, except to marvel at how easy they are when I get to the top.
2) Public restrooms: I'm not limited to handicapped stalls anymore. Yep, I was so wide I couldn't "reach" in the regular ones, or my knees would hit the sides. Not true anymore.
3) Clothes: They're smaller, and fit better. I've always been that dreaded "apple" shape. Now there are more inward curves, so I don't have to buy sizes that are too big in the shoulders and hips to fit across my bust/abs. I thank aqua aerobics for this.
4) Food. I'm not feeling too rushed to eat breakfast anymore, because the payoff later in the day is HUGE. Piece of cheese and fruit takes no time. Or peanut butter and fruit. Yeah, my kids became fruitetarians honestly. Also, cutting down/out junk food is a great way to make room in your grocery budget for better quality proteins. The kids will adapt. Really. Mine did.
5) Self perception: It's good to feel like I can accomplish something. It's nice to look in a mirror without squirming. There is so much more to my mental game and how it's changed and is changing than I can fit in a single blog.
Remember, just keep dancing!
1) Stairs. They don't hurt anymore, even going up. I can walk them one foot each. I don't even think about them, except to marvel at how easy they are when I get to the top.
2) Public restrooms: I'm not limited to handicapped stalls anymore. Yep, I was so wide I couldn't "reach" in the regular ones, or my knees would hit the sides. Not true anymore.
3) Clothes: They're smaller, and fit better. I've always been that dreaded "apple" shape. Now there are more inward curves, so I don't have to buy sizes that are too big in the shoulders and hips to fit across my bust/abs. I thank aqua aerobics for this.
4) Food. I'm not feeling too rushed to eat breakfast anymore, because the payoff later in the day is HUGE. Piece of cheese and fruit takes no time. Or peanut butter and fruit. Yeah, my kids became fruitetarians honestly. Also, cutting down/out junk food is a great way to make room in your grocery budget for better quality proteins. The kids will adapt. Really. Mine did.
5) Self perception: It's good to feel like I can accomplish something. It's nice to look in a mirror without squirming. There is so much more to my mental game and how it's changed and is changing than I can fit in a single blog.
Remember, just keep dancing!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
It is August,
at the moment, my gym time has screeched to a halt. The pool is closed I take aqua at for the next two weeks, and my motivation go to bed early/get up early has been sorely lacking. Evening is my best window in this heat for cooking and cleaning. We've been pretty busy with all the back to school and sports starting stuff too. That does not mean I've given up on my 'be healthier' journey though.
What I've noticed lately is, the change in my perception of food. I really am starting to not even want food that makes me feel like garbage. I may think I want it sometimes, but I'm catching myself avoiding it more and more.
There's chocolate syrup available, but I put fresh blueberries on my ice cream instead, because I want to.
The kids make a frozen pizza, but I eat a salad, because I want to.
We ate dinner at BK. I ordered onion rings, then gave most of them to my kids because I didn't want them.
Obviously, our eating habits are still far from perfect, but my preferences are shifting...and I'm not the only one. Si Guy always prefers milk to soda. Princess D eats fruit instead of fries. My husband has given up soda altogether. It's a ripple effect, one that will give our family better health and better futures.
What I've noticed lately is, the change in my perception of food. I really am starting to not even want food that makes me feel like garbage. I may think I want it sometimes, but I'm catching myself avoiding it more and more.
There's chocolate syrup available, but I put fresh blueberries on my ice cream instead, because I want to.
The kids make a frozen pizza, but I eat a salad, because I want to.
We ate dinner at BK. I ordered onion rings, then gave most of them to my kids because I didn't want them.
Obviously, our eating habits are still far from perfect, but my preferences are shifting...and I'm not the only one. Si Guy always prefers milk to soda. Princess D eats fruit instead of fries. My husband has given up soda altogether. It's a ripple effect, one that will give our family better health and better futures.
Friday, July 22, 2011
tai chi....
I am still really enjoying Gary's class. He's an excellent teacher. He knows how to leave a good bread crumb trail leading you at your own pace down the path. If you want to push yourself more physically, he has multiple levels of classes. If you're a word nerd, he'll sell you books. If you're into weapons, he has a weapons class and makes really pretty broadswords. Tomorrow, he's doing a workshop. I'm thinking about going. Push Hands. Tai Chi w/ partners, broken down for beginners. This is something I'd like to see. Anyone else in kc curious about tai chi, here's the link to Gary's site
Further on and Further in y'all.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
getting my *spark* back
The last couple of days, I've restarted tracking what I eat on http://www.sparkpeople.com . Like many things it's a tool. I like the daily water tracker. They have greatly improved their food tracker. It's much easier to use than my last go round.
The only thing that bums me out on this site, is it's "exercise tracker." Sometimes I don't know what "category" my exercise should go in. I'd rather have a tool where I enter what I do for how long, and the program tells me if it's "cardio" or "strength training" or whatever other categories are in at the moment.
I understand the point of having variety in our exercise. Different types of exercise have different benefits. Yet a lot of what I use the site for is "getting a pulse" on what I'm doing, if it's enough, and is it balanced. The idea of these trackers is to have something quick and convenient. Spending twenty minutes figuring out which box is the right one to enter tai chi in is neither.
Overall it's a great site, with a wealth of information and articles, support boards, and more. It sends out weekly e-mails based on my interests, since I want them. It's a way of keeping "self" accountable and that's a good thing. It allows you to have "friends" and form your own groups and that's a good thing too. It's got a lot going for it. I suspect I'll be more consistent with it once we have a data plan for our phone. So thank you Spark, for being one of the resources that keeps me trying, whether I feel like it or not.
The only thing that bums me out on this site, is it's "exercise tracker." Sometimes I don't know what "category" my exercise should go in. I'd rather have a tool where I enter what I do for how long, and the program tells me if it's "cardio" or "strength training" or whatever other categories are in at the moment.
I understand the point of having variety in our exercise. Different types of exercise have different benefits. Yet a lot of what I use the site for is "getting a pulse" on what I'm doing, if it's enough, and is it balanced. The idea of these trackers is to have something quick and convenient. Spending twenty minutes figuring out which box is the right one to enter tai chi in is neither.
Overall it's a great site, with a wealth of information and articles, support boards, and more. It sends out weekly e-mails based on my interests, since I want them. It's a way of keeping "self" accountable and that's a good thing. It allows you to have "friends" and form your own groups and that's a good thing too. It's got a lot going for it. I suspect I'll be more consistent with it once we have a data plan for our phone. So thank you Spark, for being one of the resources that keeps me trying, whether I feel like it or not.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Something that's been gnawing on me
I'm a member of a facebook group to help keep my motivation for exercise. A lot of this groups members are doing the high protein/low carb thing. Some of them have decided all grains are evil, and try to get all those carbs from fruit veggie sources. So to be fair, and make sure I haven't missed the boat, I've been doing a lot of reading, (and rereading) about nutrition lately.
In my opinion the truth is, they're partially right. BUT, so are my already thin and extremely healthy friends who avoid animal products like the devil.
Through the pages, and pages, of contradictory slanted, "research" I've been reading there is one truth.
Overly processed food is crap.
This means avoiding white flour and processed sugars like the plague, something both extreme camps agree on.
It means eating more dark green leafy stuff, again something both camps agree on.
It means avoid eating "fake" food, like artificial sweeteners and trans-fats...Both camps agree again.
I'm not ready to jump in the low/carb high protein boat. I know what ketosis is, and have already had a broken bone. I remember my dad's kidney stones courtesy of Atkins. I have enough memory issues...mostly from having too much to keep track of already.
I'm not ready to ditch animal products either. Meat tastes good. It has *ready to absorb * iron, B vitamins,etc. Look at our teeth. We're meant to be omnivores.
So what do I do? Well, *when I'm paying attention,* this is what has always worked for me. (Insert I'm not a nutritionist, doctor,etc. disclaimer here.)
1) Drinking more water. I have a diet soda habit, a fierce one. Every time I cut back on soda, I lose weight. I've never had any success quitting cold turkey, but I have had a lot of success alternating water with my flavored beverage of choice, preferably with a lot of ice in it so I get even more water. Interesting side note, the more I exercise, the less I want to drink soda too.
2) I aim for the 25g of fiber thing, through FOOD. One way I do this is if/when I eat grains, they should follow the 4g fiber per serving rule. That pretty effectively douses the enriched food thing. I also look at the sugars. The lower the better.
3) Making sure I eat some decent protein from an animal source. The vegetable sourced stuff has been associated w/ longer life spans & all that, but I am sluggish and cranky without meat. Not just any meat will do. Bacon, sausage, and really high fat beef will still leave me sluggish and cranky, so it has to be protein w/ some fat, not fat with some protein. Research has backed me on this one too. A moderate protein diet has been declared the winner on sustained weight loss.
4)Eat a green veggie every day. Other veggies can be whatever color I want, but dark green leafy (or cruciferous) kinds are something special.
5) Exercise. Do it. Preferably daily.
I'm not saying I'm great about all these things. I'm just saying they have worked for me in the past, and in the present are working me back down to where I should be.
In my opinion the truth is, they're partially right. BUT, so are my already thin and extremely healthy friends who avoid animal products like the devil.
Through the pages, and pages, of contradictory slanted, "research" I've been reading there is one truth.
Overly processed food is crap.
This means avoiding white flour and processed sugars like the plague, something both extreme camps agree on.
It means eating more dark green leafy stuff, again something both camps agree on.
It means avoid eating "fake" food, like artificial sweeteners and trans-fats...Both camps agree again.
I'm not ready to jump in the low/carb high protein boat. I know what ketosis is, and have already had a broken bone. I remember my dad's kidney stones courtesy of Atkins. I have enough memory issues...mostly from having too much to keep track of already.
I'm not ready to ditch animal products either. Meat tastes good. It has *ready to absorb * iron, B vitamins,etc. Look at our teeth. We're meant to be omnivores.
So what do I do? Well, *when I'm paying attention,* this is what has always worked for me. (Insert I'm not a nutritionist, doctor,etc. disclaimer here.)
1) Drinking more water. I have a diet soda habit, a fierce one. Every time I cut back on soda, I lose weight. I've never had any success quitting cold turkey, but I have had a lot of success alternating water with my flavored beverage of choice, preferably with a lot of ice in it so I get even more water. Interesting side note, the more I exercise, the less I want to drink soda too.
2) I aim for the 25g of fiber thing, through FOOD. One way I do this is if/when I eat grains, they should follow the 4g fiber per serving rule. That pretty effectively douses the enriched food thing. I also look at the sugars. The lower the better.
3) Making sure I eat some decent protein from an animal source. The vegetable sourced stuff has been associated w/ longer life spans & all that, but I am sluggish and cranky without meat. Not just any meat will do. Bacon, sausage, and really high fat beef will still leave me sluggish and cranky, so it has to be protein w/ some fat, not fat with some protein. Research has backed me on this one too. A moderate protein diet has been declared the winner on sustained weight loss.
4)Eat a green veggie every day. Other veggies can be whatever color I want, but dark green leafy (or cruciferous) kinds are something special.
5) Exercise. Do it. Preferably daily.
I'm not saying I'm great about all these things. I'm just saying they have worked for me in the past, and in the present are working me back down to where I should be.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)