Kind of liking this....

Okay, so that first post of mine felt really cathartic and I felt cleansed. I might keep trying this whole blogging thing. It felt good just to WRITE, actually. I haven't taken the time to write something that wasn't academic in a long time.

I just got back from an hour of yoga and forty minutes of cardio at the gym (I don't do strength on yoga days, downward dog is all the strength training I need!).

I was thinking last night as I laid in bed about my whole process, my transformation. If you've read my first post, you know this has been years in the making. But this year, I feel brand new. I feel like a healthier person than I was when I was 131 lbs and running all the time. Now, I am only about 5 pounds heavier than that now, and it might not seem like much, but I can definitely notice that 5 pounds on my body. For someone with kind of screwed up self-esteem, it is hard to deal with. But, realistically and logically, I know my body is stronger and cleaner than it has ever been in my life!

I attribute a lot of the changes in the past year to research and reading (both academic information and real-person blogs). The first blog I ever really followed was Jen at PriorFatGirl. She is a similar age to me and, when I started reading her, she was mostly in maintenance mode. She is working more now on losing some gained weight now, so I still feel something in common with her! She posted daily and honestly and I loved knowing that I was NOT alone in this. I don't do everything she does, I don't do everything ANYONE does, I do what I have decided is right for me.

I branched out and started reading blogs by people in all stages of their journey. It helped me to remember where I was, remember what I had gone through years ago. It helped me to remember I could not let myself backslide too far, in fact: forward progress is best!

Over the past year, I have obsessively read a few people's blogs. I have cheered for them and cried for them and shook my fists in frustration at them! But all silently. I never did think it was my place to tell them what to do, I am not in their life and I know it is not easy.

I took little pieces from everyone. I learned some good things and some bad things. I cared more and more about proper nutrition, most of all, after reading blog after blog debating about types of food, amounts of food, etc, etc. I think I will do a more focused blog post JUST about my food in the next couple of days, what I eat and why I do.

But for the short form: the only rule is UNPROCESSED. I especially avoid high fructose corn syrup (I have a sneaking feeling that is a huge culprit in many health problems), any wheat products that have any words in front of wheat (enriched, unbleached, etc), and anything hydrogenated.

I made the wheat change a few years ago, HFC a year ago, and set down a firm rule right before Thanksgiving: nothing processed, no refined sugars. I made that rule because I thought it would help me avoid some of the junk at holiday time. I could still have homemade yummies, and that was enough.

I noticed these rules completely changed my diet. Compared to 5 or 6 years ago, I am 180 degrees different in my eating.

I eat vegetables every meal. EVERY MEAL. I never thought I would say that. I come from a family where veg wasn't important. My 96 year old grandmother hates vegetables. Haha. But I love them. I love the really nutritious ones, too: beets, brussells sprouts and spinach are staples in this household.

I don't eat bread with every meal. Also a big change for me. I love bread and bready items. I substitute sweet potatoes and rutabaga and other "starchy" items to satiate me. Also get bread made with less than 6 ingredients most of the time. Hearty bread!

I drink only water and tea (aside from the occasional alcohol of course!). Soda doesn't exist for me anymore. When I started hiking, I glommed onto Chris' (my guy) habit of downing a diet soda on the ride home to stay awake. I got completely addicted to diet Dr. Pepper. Wow. I had previously given up full sugar soda since as a kid I drank 4-5 cups of soda a day. Then I found myself on diet soda two years ago... ew! Chemicals, chemicals, chemicals. The no-processed food rule went into effect I and I gave it up. I had some cravings, but I haven't touched the junk since. It's been good for me.

Wow, so that's not a short version, huh? I am word-vomiting out all my thoughts all at once!!!

I don't really talk to anyone besides Chris about these things. My friends probably never noticed my changes, I never made a big deal about it, just quietly went about filling my house and my life with good fuel. But I like talking about it. I think it is important.

I think I will stop now. Time for breakfast (I had grapes between yoga/cardio but now for some serious good stuff): farm-raised egg, egg white, peppers and onions and this amazing bread I got from my local co-op with seeds and flax. Oh, man, that bread is out of this world!! I only have one piece though :D

As my yoga instructor said to us as we left today:

Namaste

<3