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General Weight Loss Tips

Why Today Was Awesome

Today I created a list to live by based on what I consider to be a successful day. It’s slightly embarrassing to share this on the internets, but I really love lists and encouragement so here goes…

To take care of my body by:

Exercising: 60 minutes a day (taking Sunday’s off)

Eating Well: planning meals a day ahead, taking time to cook and count calories

Caring for my skin: Washing my face morning and night, using moisturizer

Caring for my teeth: brush morning and night (minimum), floss and use mouthwash

Caring for my feet and hands

To take care of my environment:

Keeping the dishes clean:  not going to bed with a dirty kitchen

Making the bed and putting clothes away

Quick tidy-up in the bathroom, living room and dining room

Caring for plants and animals: watering and tending

To Work Hard:

Complete “musts” on to-do lists

Complete small chunks of large projects daily

To meet deadlines and fulfill expectations, to do more than expected

To Be Creative:

To blog daily

To create new jewelry

Create new recipes

Take photographs

Paint and sew

To Connect:

Return emails as I read them

Stay in touch via phone, email, visits, twitter and facebook

Leave comments on blogs

Take time to do something fun with husband every day

Plan special events with husband, friends and family

All of the red tasks are items that I checked off my “successful day” checklist. I won’t do this every day, but it’s good for me to check in with my goals and to see if what I’m doing every day is taking me closer to them.

I’m making a true effort to get my eating in check this month. I feel like I keep saying it, but I really need to do it. It’s not that I feel that I’m eating horribly, but I can do better. My plan is planning. For tomorrow I have my breakfast and lunch already planned out and prepared with the calories counted. Everything is in a container and ready to go. I feel good about this, but I always feel good on day one. We’ll see.

We’ve entered week SEVEN of insanity and I just cannot believe it. I can hold a steady plank pose now. My stretches are much deeper and I am moving better in general. I’ve noticed that I don’t want to eat bad foods because I am having the thought “I won’t feel good enough to exercise if I’m bloated, or feel sick from food”. Having that thought is shocking for me. That is a thought that I think truly healthy people have; considering food choices because of how they makes you feel. I want to do so much that eating poorly would only take my energy away. I’m just now realizing this, food=energy, bad food takes energy, good food gives energy. Why did it take me so long to realize this?

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Deserving

I’m entering (or have entered) a new chapter in my life. A chapter that isn’t marked by a graduation, marriage, or child. Instead, it is marked by a change in perspective or enlightenment. To the outside world I probably appear to be the same person I was a few months ago, but to me I feel like I’ve just shed a skin. I’m still me, of course, but now I actually believe I deserve goodness in my life.

I can’t explain it, and honestly I see it all around me, but none of us truly seem to believe we are worth the extra effort. The investment in our lives to make it exactly the way we want it to be. It feels indulgent, and selfish once you’re here; there is the usual fear stuff that pops up. This chapter is scary for me, because it’s new.

What exactly do I mean? I’m taking inventory of my life right now and liking what I see. And not only do I like what I see, but I feel like I deserve what I’ve brought to myself. I don’t mean perfection, I just mean satisfaction. I deserve a healthy body that can move, so I exercise. I wanted to be around creative people, so I sought them out. I wanted a beautiful space, so I created one. I wanted a good marriage, so I chose the right person (it helps that he chose me too). I wanted to feel and share love, so I adopted two kitties and sponsored a child. I want to learn new things, so I read ( a lot). I want to connect, so I reach out. I want to explore, so I travel. I want to eat good food, so I cook. I want to express myself, so I blog.

All of these actions bring me to the space I want to be in. The space I never really believed I deserved. I look at all of these little things and think “how did I get so lucky?” and realize that it’s not just luck, it’s intention. And sometimes all of these intentional actions make me feel like an alien in a world of people who do not see themselves, or me, as deserving. But we are. And I am. Even though I’m sometimes scared to admit it.

There is a lot of guilt that comes from living your life to the fullest (whatever that means), especially when there is so much suffering in the world. Should we not dress well because many people cannot? Should we not make our space as beautiful as possible? Should we not exercise our bodies because some people are not able? Should we not eat the best food possible because others are starving?

I think about these things a lot. And I’ve come to realize (for now anyway) that to not be the best version of myself, to deny opportunities, to not exercise the body that can move- would be a disservice to myself. If I am presented a door and choose to not open it, no one benefits.

I believe that when I fully take advantage of my gifts (and believe I deserve to) not only do I improve my life, but those around me. I cannot help anyone if I don’t believe I’m deserving of goodness.

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Energy

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about energy. Stuff, items, people in my life that give energy and those that take energy. Exercise gives me energy, TV takes energy. Fresh home cooked food gives energy, processed foods take it away. Folks with a sense of humor and an easy smile give energy, those with excess drama take it. Having clutter takes energy, organized spaces gives energy. I want to bring energy into my life, and give it out too.

In the past couple of years I’ve really pushed myself to grow as a person. Pushing myself to put kindness first. To be vulnerable in friendships and relationships. To be the first one to smile or offer help. I’ve stopped waiting for other people to be the better person. And by doing this, my energy has lifted. I’m still not perfect at this, because it’s truly a challenge.

Being better everyday takes a lot of energy. To be the person I know I can be- takes lots and lots of energy. And I wasn’t sure until now that I was up for the challenge. Some days I still don’t think I am.

Being a healthy person inside and out takes a lot of work. It’s work to take care of myself when I’d rather sit and work for hours (forgetting to eat, drink or even pee). It takes energy to show up and be there for myself- to exercise, to make an alternative food choice, to eat less. To show up and not tune everything out is hard. To shut down when stress steps in, or when things aren’t going my way.

When I don’t take care of myself I want to zone out with bad food and TV. I’ve seen this pattern over and over in my life. Escaping when I stop nourishing my body and mind.

I say part of this to say that when Miranda mentioned giving up TV for Lent I jumped on board. What in the world would I do instead of watch TV? Probably lots of good, energy giving activities. Maybe I will just sit outside and stare out. Maybe I will learn to sew myself a skirt. Maybe I will write a kind letter to a friend. I want to get energy and give it back by not watching TV. Watching TV doesn’t nourish my soul or give me energy in the ways I always hope it will.

So instead of giving it up just for Lent; I just need this now. I’m giving it up for two months starting today. The only exception, of course, will be in case of an emergency and exercise DVDs. No more jeopary, marathon episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, or my beloved PBS specials about things like wolverines.  I’m kind of excited, and kind of scared.

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