When's the right time to get healthy?

In real life and in the blog world, I hear a lot of chatter about what keeps people from getting fit, getting healthy, losing weight, etc. Often, it is life events. School, work, family, deaths, money, kids, and the list goes on. I've heard people say the emotions, stress, etc caused by these life events mean they will wait till next year to start getting healthy.

And since this is the start of a new year, I just wanted to put something on the table.

Life is busy, hectic, sometimes sad and scary. But that's life.

Don't wait for life to be stable to start focusing on your health.

Here's a life fact: there will never be a year when your life is stable, easy and stress free.

But here's a hint: being healthy will give you the energy and clear head and strength you need to deal with it.

I have worked on and found health during some of the hardest and saddest years of my life. There is always time, always. I doubt I would have recovered from the depression and grief icaused by my father's death in the time that I did if I had turned to food. If my body had deteriorated like my mind was doing, it would've caused an endless spiral. But here, almost a year and a half later, I am well into the healing process.

I hope anyone who reads this who might already be coming up with excuses why this year might not be a good year to get healthy, reads this and knows that whatever they must face in this coming year and in the years to come, they will face with a clearer, stronger resolve if they are healthy in all ways.

And as an accountability update: weighed in at 122 today- up two pounds since Tuesday, but still in my happy range (119-123)! 

Peace and Light- I wish happiness for all of you <3

Hedonism and No Chip 2014

Well, I'll be honest. New Years Eve/Day were completely hedonistic and selfish and not concerned with health. I didn't ever purposely set out to eat a lot or to be destructive, but I also didn't stop myself, either!

So, in a nutshell... I didn't eat dinner on NYE, but did eat chocolate, went out to the bar around 9, stayed there dancing till 4 AM (in that 7 hour period, I drank about 5 drinks and ate a piece of pizza).

We went back to our friends where we (and some others) were staying. Stayed up talking till 6 AM (and I ate half my friend's quesadilla)... everyone slept till 10 AM, but not me, because I'm a weirdo. I stayed up reading my Game of Thrones graphic novel.

Chris and I got back to Albany around 2 PM, we ordered spicy Thai soups and curries, and laid on the couch all night eating them and watching terrible TV.

I don't normally act that way, hahaha. But New Years (and a couple other events through the year - like a music festival) are times where I completely let my inhibitions go and act like I am a college kid with no worries, concerns or cares. Eat, drink, party, not sleep, like I have no plans.

But these are isolated incidents.

I don't feel guilty. I hope that's not too weird for all you out there reading!!

I am right back to normal life today. Ate my yogurt, about to take the dog on a (VERY SNOWY) walk, then it will be coffee/yoga/school work time. Food will be paleo and clean and totally healthy for me. There will be no more alcohol for a long time.

And tomorrow will be the same.

And 95% of this year will be made up of the same behaviors. Lots of activity, lots of healthy food, no grains, limited drinking, etc.

And I will end next year at the same weight I ended this last one. It's a promise!! (Like I said before - unless pregnant, haha).

AND...

Since No Chip December was so successful and I didn't miss the chips OR the weight I gain when I eat them.... Chris and I decided we could go this entire year without eating chips. They are devoid of nutrition and full of bad fats and calories.

I guess that's a resolution of sorts! So, there we go.

Hope everyone enjoyed ringing in the New Year and are off to good starts being who they want to be this year!

Namaste <3

Going into 2014 with balance in mind

There are a few big themes that run throughout my blog: Eating clean and organic. Being active. Finding balance. The belief that your body will never be healthy if your mind or spirit is sick.

I never really had balance before. I never really pursued balance before.

I won't say I am completely balanced NOW, but the pursuit of it has shown me that it is possible to be satiated, mind, body and spirit all at the same time.

This year has been so full of filling those three aspects of myself - 

Mind: I read a LOT. I created two classes and wrote all the lectures (which meant a lot of research). Worked on my dissertation. Traveled, learned, asked. Surrounded myself with thoughtful, intelligent and curious humans.

Spirit: I became interested in Buddhism and even went to a Buddhist retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh. We went to Japan with the main goal of learning about Buddhism and Shintoism, seeing the temples and shrines. I realized I just don't fit into any organized religion, but want to fill my spirit with a power greater than me. I do believe in something. And I believe that that something wants me to be kind and gentle.

Body: I didn't gain weight this year, after the death of my father, like I did after the death of my mother. I reached and maintained the lowest weight I've seen as an adult. I began strength training and yoga regularly again, to get back the muscle tone I had worked so hard for before my father's death. I am the smallest and the strongest I've ever been.

I go into 2014 as balanced as I've ever been, with the aim of learning more about how to gain and maintain balance. To find true happiness and be completely content with life. Mind, body, spirit.

I weighed in at exactly 120.0 today. I am very happy with that. I've never come out of the holiday season lighter than I went into it. The OCD part of me actually very much likes that very round and even number, hahaha :) It will be easy to remind myself that I started 2014 at 120 pounds... and if I am not pregnant next year, I aim to end the year the same way!

I will leave you with calligraphy from Thich Nhat Hanh... we have "I have arrived, I am home" by our front door.

He says about this saying: "Our true home is really in the here and in the now. Because only in the here and the now can we touch life. As the Buddha said, life is available only in the here and the now, so going back to the present moment is going home. That is why you take one step or two steps and you awaken to the fact that you have arrived. You have arrived in the present moment."

I hope everyone can stop, breathe, and enjoy the present moment that they are in as we go into this new year. Enjoy where you are and who you are, without worrying what has been done this year or will be done next year.

Be here, find peace, and life will flow much easier....

Namaste <3

Hitting goal for 2014?

My goal was to go into 2014 weighing what I weighed on my wedding day. I felt the most beautiful on my wedding day and absolutely love looking at pictures of myself on that day. I feel that I am small and fit and strong. When people look at my wedding photos they're always commenting on my muscles and arms, hahaha.

An example is below... I was laughing with the minister here: 

The way I felt that day is how I want to feel every day. 

I set the goal of weighing 119 pounds when 2014 rolls in. It's not an arbitrary goal or an arbitrary number, but a number I felt amazing at.

So, how's it going?

Well I will say I gained a little bit of weight after the wedding, I fluctuated a little bit. But I never gained more than 5 pounds, I never saw 125 pounds or higher. And I've spent most of September through December around 122 - 123 pounds.

And most of December has been spent at 120 - 121 pounds. I'm 120.2 today, as I've been for days.

I may or may not see 119 on the scale tomorrow. Is it a fail because I didn't hit goal? Not in the slightest!!

I set goals and I reach for goals to keep me on track, to make sure that I don't veer completely off the rails and slowly gain a ton of weight.

And I haven't done that, I've been at or around my goals all year. I've stayed fit and healthy, and it's all I can ask of myself.

I'm happy with where I'm at right now :)

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I don't completely deny myself the pleasures in life. I hope that people who read this realize that it is so very possible to maintain a fit and healthy body and still enjoy life. It's not about hating your life while you lose weight.

Example: I had a big piece of (paleo) pumpkin pie last night, made by my husband:

The crust is almonds, pecans and eggs. The filling is pumpkin, eggs, spices, honey and maple syrup. I knew I'd be eating it that night, so I left around 300 cal free so I could be a little guilt free when I ate it.

Maybe little indulgences like a few glasses of wine or the pumpkin pie are the reasons why I am 120 pounds instead of 119 pounds. But I just don't care. Life is too awesome not to taste it every once in a while. :)

But, also if you read my blog a lot, you know I'm a big fan of balance. I exercise every day. I eat mostly Paleo and mostly clean. And I do track my calories. It's how I know I can fit those little treats in!

I live this way because I've lost the weight and am no longer obese or overweight. I was much stricter and those times because I didn't want to spend one day more than I had to being unhealthy. But here, after weight loss, I'm working on being balanced.

Balance is tricky. It's really easy to go too far one side or the other. I've been on both sides.

I think, that right now, I'm going into the new year balanced. 

Namaste <3

Almost Dead

Nope, I'm not almost dead, don't worry :) That's the name of the band we went to see last night! It's a Grateful Dead cover band made up from some of the best musicians in the jam band scene- they don't really play shows a lot, it's just a project, a celebration of the music... And something really special to be able to witness.

Chris and I ate salads for dinner before our friends picked us up from our hotel. We went to a taco bar so everyone could eat but Chris and I just had a few drinks, I had two vodka drinks. At the show, I drank water and had some sips of Chris' beer - it was a decently long show, but I barely noticed, super fun. Great having a ton of my friends there (though some of them got very drunk and there were a few incidents, hahaha, not my stories to tell though!).

So, very successful and fun night, we got a ride back to the hotel from friends, and I ate a chocolate bar in the car. It was really awesome (I was actually starving, we ate the salad around 5 PM and it was just a salad so not super substantial to sustain us for the next eight hours of our night of dancing!). Chris and I shared a little bit of wine back at the hotel and stayed up till four in the morning :)

We are now on the road back home, going to pick up the dog from the kennel, it's a clear and crisp and beautiful day here. The dog is going to be wanting a long walk and I think we're both excited to do that!

Oh yeah, we stopped for breakfast and I am proud that I made a good decision at the deli, and got a western omelette to go. Even though I was craving a bagel and cream cheese or an egg sandwich! Just a little off Paleo with the cheese, but no big deal. Wheat is more of my enemy than dairy.

Enjoy your weekend, friends!!! 

Back to normalcy for us the rest of the weekend! 

Namaste <3

Post-Christmas Weigh In

So I bit the bullet and weighed in today, on my own scale and at the normal time- 120.2! Seems like my goal of seeing 119 going into the new year is entirely possible, after all.

This weigh in hardens my resolve- the more possible a goal seems, the harder I work to get it... And this is very possible!

It also changes my plans a little, as far as drinking. We are heading downstate tonight (closer to CT) for a show, and we are staying overnight (free hotel room). Lots of friends are attending the same show, too, so it'll be extra fun. However, I don't think I'll be drinking as much as everyone else- I'll probably have a couple, though, and make room for it in my calories! I was originally planning to let a little more loose tonight, but NYE is coming up (where I will definitely indulge like it was a Roman orgy, hahaha) and I want to be at goal that night!

Chilling out at home for now- had my yogurt, about to workout, have my coffee and do a little school work!

Namaste, my friends!

The Post-holidays Awesomes

I've never really understood the postholiday blues. People told us we would experience something similar with our wedding, that all the excitement leading to that one day would culminate in being kind of sad afterwords -- that the party was over, our friends were gone, the focus was off of us, whatever.

I didn't feel that way about my wedding and I don't feel that way now, about Christmas. Yes, there was a lot of excitement leading up to Christmas and a lot of looking forward to all the nice times. And then we had nice times, and they were really awesome. I got a really awesome day, and really awesome memories, and that's nothing to be sad about.

Now I have all those other things in life to look forward to. I'm seeing friends and a show this weekend. New Year's Eve is less than a week away. I have my daily walks with my dog that I look forward to. TV nights with friends. Chris's birthday is coming up. My new job will be starting soon. All the awesome things that encapsulate LIFE.

So, I'm urging everyone, don't be sad because something great is over. Be so grateful that it happened at all.

Not sure how much I weigh, I won't weigh at an unfamiliar scale just once. Who knows what it'll say or if it'll be lined up with my scale at home at all.

The past two days have not been Paleo or very clean. We are heading home tonight and to our normal food. We will be heading away for one more night this weekend, but we are going to have salad then foods we normally eat with us.

So I'm not focusing on my weight right now, today while I'm still at Chris's parents house. Going to enjoy these last few hours in the house, watching the snow fall and talking with the family.

I hope everyone is as grateful for today as they were for yesterday, and smiles just as much.

Our Christmas walk yesterday :)

Namaste <3

Merry Christmas!

Already basking in the afterglow of a sweet, homey, warm, loving and successful Christmas morning with my husband's family!!

Peace and Light and Love to you all!!

Namaste <3

Life lessons on Christmas Eve

Was back to my old tricks yesterday. Ate clean, ate Paleo, walked the dog, worked out:

I've told you guys about this App before. Love it!! Yesterday I picked a 30 minute moderate strength/cardio workout - the push-ups and mountain climbers have my arms decently sore this morning!

Still 123, but I'm bloated from that TOM as well. Just more motivation to behave during the holiday tonight and tomorrow!

Haven't been perfect this December, but I've been WAY better than last year. I've definitely learned a few lessons, but not all of them :)

I'll leave you with this thought on Christmas Eve:

All my love to you all - I hope the next few days are filled with love, light, and contentedness for all of you.

Be peaceful and kind, my friends,

Namaste <3

No sleep, carb coma

So, my weekend is really awesome, really fun. I spent most of it with friends and family.

Saturday was the Brother's Past concert, started off by going to a turkey dinner at a friend's house. I decided I would drink alcohol that night, but not too much. I had a few glasses of wine at my friends house and one beer when I got to the concert. I was glad I didn't overdo it but still enjoyed myself! I did get quite a buzz. And we danced till very late, it was morning by the time the show ended.

And by some unfortunate twist of fate, I could not fall asleep by the time we got home. It was almost daylight by the time we got home and it's just very difficult for me to settle down at that point.

So, no sleep on Saturday night. And at noon on Sunday I had a family party. (The party itself was really great, it was great to talk to all my cousins and aunts and uncles and, especially my grandma!!) I hadn't eaten by the time I got to the family party and they were serving only pizza and eggplant Parmesan. So I ate it. It was my only meal of the day, but it was about the opposite of everything I ever eat.

Sleep deprivation and extreme hunger are not what you want to be feeling when you go into a carbs only food situation!

My payment for that string of bad decisions? 123.

Not great, but expected. I'm sure it'll be less tomorrow because I'm going to cleanse my body of alcohol and grains for the next couple days! And I'm going to make better decisions when we get to Chris's family's house for Christmas. I will be well rested, I will have had a sensible breakfast, and a lot smarter.

I smiled all weekend though, and feel rather content and pleased in general. The gain isn't upsetting me, just letting me know what I have to do this week!

Hope your heart is full this week,

Namaste <3

Happy Solstice! - a new cycle begins :)

I'm a big fan of the solstices and equinoxes- starts of new seasons. If you want to make a change in your life, this is technically a more auspicious day to do it than our arbitrary calendar New Year!!

I'm celebrating by going to a dinner at my friends house and then a bunch of us are going to go dance the night away to one of my favorite bands- Brother's Past!

Still 120.2 today (third day in a row). Going to eat paleo and clean today - even at my friends for dinner :)

Start the season right - take care of yourself and those you love!!

Namaste <3