Tag: Exercise

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General Weight Loss Tips

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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General Weight Loss Tips

A Clean Kitchen and Dining Space

I’ve been spending a lot of time doing some pre-spring cleaning and things are feeling really good in our home. Cleaning + daily exercise makes me feel like I’m on the right track. I started with the kitchen and dining room which needed a good scrub down and reorganization. Things got really out of control during the holidays and I am always motivated to cook more when everything is clean and in order. Behold:

After taking these photos I realized that it looks more cluttered than it feels in the photos. An empty and clean sink!

Cutting boards, mixer, fruit stand, bento box, one of my many salts, and a photo of Simon (the cat).

Cook books and cooking magazines.

And the dining area (right beside the kitchen):

And there you have it. Our small, but mighty (that’s what she said!) kitchen and dining area. I love our home so much, this space was one of the reasons why I fell in love with our house. It feels like us in here.

Categories
General Weight Loss Tips

Back to The Grind

Hello Monday! I have to say this: I (with my husband) worked out six days last week and it was awesome. Most days we worked out in the morning and a couple of the days we worked out in the evening, but we did it! We were sore pretty much every single day. Insanity was majorly ass-kicking. By far, the hardest workout I’ve ever done. Ever. We scream at Shaun T during the suicide drills. I hate you Shaun T., but I love you too.

I like the schedule we set up: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: Insanity. Thursday is one hour of yoga and one hour of strength, and then we finish with Insanity on Friday and Saturday. Our goal is to complete the 60 days worth of Insanity and start running outside again when it gets warmer.

I’m staying away from the scale for awhile, and hope to find it again mid-February or March. Truth be told, and saying this here makes it seem even crazier, but often the reason why I give up so soon on diet and exercise is because I don’t see immediate results on the scale. Which is crazy, but somewhat true for me.

For example, this past week I worked my butt off with exercise. I was consistent, I ate well, I cooked at home a lot, I counted and tracked calories. I worked for it. But, in my mind I think “okay I worked hard, have I lost 50 lbs yet?!” or “how could I NOT lose 10 lbs this week?” it’s so crazy, but I let the scale guide me rather than my actions. I’m looking for insant results and when the scale doesn’t show it- I give up.

So I don’t know what I weight, or how much water or weight I’ve lost. And I won’t know for a least another month. I’m letting my actions guide me right now. I’m trusting that I’m doing the right things for the results I want. Moving more+ eating less. That’s all I can hope for. And I had a real moment with myself when I said “If I just lose 40 lbs this year, that would be great”.

So with that said, I’ve got another week of action goals. Six days of exercise, just like last week. Count and tack calories and cook often.

What are your action goals this week?

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