Teasing The Positive Out Of A Negative Situation

The last several weeks I have been somewhat distant and less transparent/vocal in the social media world.  I just finished up my last 90 day challenge, not with the results I had hoped for but results none the less, of those I have written about in a previous post.  

For now, I feel as if I am on my back-and as Les Brown says (paraphrased), if you are on your back, your eyes are open, then you can get back up. I have been pondering my "getting back up" physically and emotionally.

For the last month I have not felt my normal, usual self.  I had a relapse of the Iritis in my right eye, I have had laser vein ablation (that was the least of my issues LOL), I developed a wicked case of what symptomatically was lateral epicondylitis (Tennis elbow) in my left elbow, and multiple and increasingly frequent aches and pains in my joints.  For example, right now my left index finger is swollen and sore and my right big toe feels like I have a cactus spine in it...I checked, nothing there.  Every joint hurts, I'm tired and I've had a headache for a month now (thought it was sinus but not).  And then there are my bowels... Because of the Iritis, my eye doctor wants me to follow up with a Rheumalologist...me I'm thinking maybe some of this is related to the side effects of the only medication I take....

Anyway I am not writing this down to complain or look for sympathy, just background information.  It is so easy to fall into a pattern of "Poor Me" or "Why Me" and get negative and depressed, I know it's easy, I am battling doing just that every day.  Instead I am focusing (refocusing when I get angst-y) on what positive I can tease out of this current temporary situation. 

I confess I am a driven person who doesn't allow pain, fatigue or illness to stop me from what I'm doing until it flattens me on my back.  I also confess that I have little tolerance for people that allow every little ache and pain to derail them from what they are doing.  In many ways I am empathetic but what I have come to realize is that the empathy I exhibit is shown but I sure as heck don't feel it.  The situation I am currently in physically is teaching me that it's ok to slow down, to not do everything, that it's ok to sometimes just cry in frustration and the fear of the unknown--but not to allow those feelings and emotions to effect my thoughts and beliefs about myself--and in this journey I can then be more authentically empathetic to others who have chronic pain or whatever.  We all go through trials in life, life wasn't meant to be easy (I'm re-reading The Road Less Traveled), it is what we take from those trials, what we allow to happen within ourselves, that determine if you move past the issue or you forever hit re-wind and stay stuck in that place. 

I was pondering my new 90 day challenge, what I should do, what would drive me.  Weight loss is always good however at this point in time I have been thinking that I am focusing too much on the number and not enough on health and wellness.  In my mind I would love to be at the gym everyday working out, building lean muscle, getting more fit-in my head I would love to run-my body doesn't cooperate at this point.  

SO  I am torn between setting goals for myself that are pushing me and that I may not reach (as in my last challenge) or to choose a goal that is pushing me a bit ( at this point a 1/2 mile walk is pushing it) that I can build on.  I am scheduled for another Vein ablation on 11/5/12 after I come back from St. Louis, I go back to the eye doctor on the 13th and he'll probably refer me to the Rheumatologist...my 90 day challenge starts tomorrow..so this is it for now and will increase/update as my physical health dictates ( struggling with how "wimpy" this challenge sounds BTW--another area to work on in my personal growth)

My Challenge begins 10/22/12 and ends 01/22/13, taking me through the holidays and all the glorious food, events and distractions of the season.  

• By 01/22/13 I will fit into size 14 jeans or smaller
• By 01/22/13 I will lose 10 pounds
• By 01.22.13 I will be exercising 5 days a week 

I will be reducing my intake of Dairy products, especially cheese and focusing on proteins and low glycemic vegetables.  I have looked at the Paleo eating and for whatever reason I 'm having problems wrapping my brain around it although I believe it would be a good way for me personally to eat considering my food allergies to Wheat and Corn.  I may incorporate this into my challenge when I understand it better. 
I will also be more consistent with my water intake, I am working on drinking a minimum of 120 oz a day.  I will also be posting more to be more accountable to what I 'm doing and what I am going through.   Feel free to follow my journey, call me out, encourage me etc. 
 ~JmF~

90 Day Challenge Wrap

Giving up is the easiest thing to do-that is what separates those who are winners, those who are successful, those who meet their challenges and goals, from those who do not.   

Never Give Up~sometimes it is easier to say, to grasp, to share the idea~and more often then not, it's a lot harder to follow through and not give up~ It is in those moments of struggle, when you look at both paths, that pivotal point ( whether it looks pivotal or not) when you make a choice and a decision-

90 Days ago I started a challenge, to lose weight, lose inches/body fat and to exercise both my body and my mind.  I usually would make a video but decided to just write it out this morning.  My challenge "officially" ends on Monday October 22~this one anyway, the joy of a 90 day challenge is that I can start all over again =D  

The last 90 days has had it's share of ups and downs emotionally, physically and financially.  I did not allow these life events to derail me for any substantial length of time~ never give up~  I did not meet my original challenge goal in it's entirety, however I did meet parts of it and regardless, I am better off today then I was in July.  

I lost an overall total of 6 pounds which was my revised goal from September, for a total weight loss of 30# since I originally started on the challenge.  I have read through and started practicing principles of 2 personal growth books and have a few more I am in process of reading. I am down  another pants size which is always great.  My exercise was not what I had planned to do, I still need to focus on that aspect of my life.  Having had surgery in the course of this challenge with another one scheduled the day I return from St. Louis, has had an impact on my exercise routine~ this is only temporary as I anticipate that the pain and discomfort are temporary and that with these procedures, the pain I experience with exercise will diminish =D

So this weekend I will take an "after photo", I took before photos but want to compare them, I am interested in seeing if I can see any difference.  I KNOW I can see a difference in my daughter, who has been doing the challenge along with me. Sometimes it's easier to see changes in other people rather then on yourself, hence why taking photos is so important~ they give you a difference perspective, I can look at the photo and be more objective rather then subjective.  

Although my challenge isn't officially over until Monday I am starting to think seriously about what my next challenge will entail.  The Challenge Showdown is over but I have found that making videos is a good way for me to keep myself accountable so I will continue to post videos and pictures of my progress.  I believe that this next challenge, which will take me through the traditionally "fattening" time of year, will focus on health, exercise and water intake.  Losing weight is great and fits into those areas for sure but focusing on it as the main "goal" is often self defeating and frustrating~  I don't want to be sick and skinny anymore then I want to be sick and overweight~ it is the health issue that is paramount~ I have been pondering my health and my goals~ maybe it's partly due to my age--50 is not far up the road, there are changes in me and in my body I don't really appreciate or like that really are awakening me to the fact that I must get my act together or I will wake up one day and wonder where my life went....

Here's to the Future!!!
~JmF~

On Relationship Building

From Marc  and Angela Hack

In Twelve Years----

People won’t remember what clothes you wore, which car you drove, and maybe not even your full name.  

But----

In Twelve Years----

They will remember how you made them feel and the positive memories you gave them.  

The true impact you make on people will depend on the time and attention you give to teaching those who know less, caring for those who have less, supporting those who are striving, and tolerating those who are different than you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I read this morning, I came across this "truth" and it made me stop and ponder why I do what I do, why I pursue the things I pursue....what drives me.....

I strive to help people, to help others better themselves, to share information and knowledge with other people so that they can have a better life if they choose.  I think that people don't always get the"WHY" I do things, it just looks like I am a workhorse and I don't always "care"--my why is good but I think I need to work on my execution of it better, to really let others know how much I care regardless of what choices they make in the end.  That is key in building relationships, as that saying goes, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care".  

I care a lot--it doesn't always come out in a way that people may find accepting...so that is why I go on, working on myself first--to be the person I would like to be around..to be mentored by....JmF

Life is SUPPOSED to be a certain way..

Life is supposed to be a certain way....well not really.... I read this today on 10 Lies You Were Tricked Into Believing

 "It is ultimately only our own thoughts that hurt us.  Simply feeling what we are feeling, and dealing with it honestly, can be very healing.  We always have the freedom to choose how we wish to respond to whatever life presents to us.  Let go of how you thought your life should be, and embrace the real life that is trying to work its way into your consciousness.  Change what you can change, change your thoughts about what you can’t change, and move on in peace."

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I was at a training this weekend and learned many many things about relationships, people and myself.  Have you heard the expression "Life is what you make of it?"  This just dawned on me as I was sitting here typing..

Life truly IS what YOU make of it!!

Sometimes the external circumstances don't ring true to what you are thinking about--sometimes they do--and when they are not where you want to be, in order to change your reality, you must first change your perception of the reality.  

Change Your Thoughts!!  

If you are broke and struggling, focusing on that just creates more of the same--what you focus on grows----don't believe it?  Think about a day when you woke up and everything seemed dark, dreary, you were worrying about getting the bills paid, you became angry at your partner because they don't listen to you, you walk out to the kitchen and you drop your coffee cup--another mess, you get more angry--you hit every red light, you're late to work--you get the picture--one of those "anything that can go wrong will go wrong kinda days."   Next time this starts happening to you--change your thoughts--instead of focusing on what is BAD, focus on what is good....you can find the good in anything..really..your partner doesn't listen to you?  Find something they do that is good, be thankful you HAVE a partner, many people don't and want one...be grateful the coffee cup didn't have hot coffee in it..etc etc. I know it sounds trite at first but if you start this small and simply, you will begin to create a habit of gratitude and thankfulness.  

This can and will change your life........it is in keeping our vision below the horizon line, nose to the grindstone, day in day out, nothing changes, it's always the same Crap attitude that keeps you a prisoner-- don't be captive to your feelings--feelings are just that--feelings.  Look up, stay positive, look for the half full glass, the goodness in people, bring them up, not down--negative nasty backstabbing people don't prosper.....they never step into the life of greatness that they were born for, their purpose is forever on the horizon yet they never see it............When you change your perception of, you CAN change your reality!  Start now!
~JmF~

Avoid Needless Drama

Avoid needless drama and those who create it Never create unnecessary drama, and don’t surround yourself with those who do.  Choose to spend time with people who you are proud to know, people you admire, who love and respect you – people who make your day a little brighter simply by being in it.  Don’t walk away from negative people, RUN!  Life is too short to spend time with folks who suck the happiness out of you.  from Marc  and Angela Hack

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Something to remember for this morning-as your day starts, as goes your day.  I pray not to be the negative person in others lives because I allow the negativity to effect my life...it is a viscous circle...negativity breeds negativity, peace and happiness breeds peace and happiness.

It is so true that what you focus on grows.  If you live for the "thrill" of drama, the "thrill" of gossip--you just get more and more "stuff" in your life that doesn't feed you.  I have a friend that seems to thrive on "News" whether it be good or bad--I have found that mostly the news is negative and/or subversive at best.  I just love this person, they are funny, a bit on the sarcastic side.  Some people you can only take in smaller doses for your own emotional health.  At 48 I just don't care about drama anymore--

Philippians 4:8 gives us truth in how we are to live our lives and I am meditating on this verse every day to further ingrain the principles into my day and thought life

Finally, brethren,

whatever things are true,

whatever things are noble,

whatever things are just,

whatever things are pure,

whatever things are lovely,

whatever things are of good report,

if there is any virtue and

if there is anything praiseworthy—

meditate on these things.

(NKJV)

Have a blessed, drama free positive day!

~JmF~

 

Never Lose Hope

I read the quote below and it 

really was what I needed today.  

~Hope Springs Eternal~ 

Something I have heard my whole life, 

we must learn to never lose hope because of the events in our lives. 

Embrace these events  that cause you to take a step back and ponder what you have done, the decisions you have made, and the chance to make course corrections and do things differently.  ~JmF~

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Every mistake, breakup, and setback in life is an opportunity to do it better next time.  

So keep your head held high.  We can live without a lot of things, but hope isn’t one of them.  Cultivate hope by latching onto stories of triumph, and words that inspire.  But most of all, listen to the quiet whisper of your inner strength when it tells you that this is only temporary, and that you will get through this stronger than you were before."  

from 11 Things You Forget You're Doing Wrong

Daily Persistent Intentional Action

Persistence always wins. 

 As Winston Churchill once said, “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”  It may take more than one swing to compose an efficient hit, so make sure not to give up on strike #1.  And remember, a river cuts through rocks not because of its power at a given moment, but because of its persistence over time.

I read this and it hit me once again that the only way to fail is to quit--it's not just a saying or adage or idea  that I need to apply simply to my business but to my entire life.  If we don't persist at the things that matter, our relationships, our health, our loved ones, our businesses, then we lose the focus that we so need in order to keep what is important in the forefront.  For the short term, losing focus, not being persistent at what we want for our lives may not appear to have lasting impacts but small actions and decisions compounded over time, lead to massive results--good and bad--this principle doesn't just apply to a penny compounded daily for 30 days-- 

I have decided to choose Philippines 4:8 as my focus verse for my life for now--applying it's principles to my work, my business, my relationships and my personal walk through life.   Read it and you will see why as always the Word is truth and is never void :) Think about how meditating on the words and applying them to your life would create a quantum leap in the quality of your life.  

Daily Persistent Intentional Action. 

~JmF~

 

BlueBerry ViMuffins

Made these last night, I thought they were yummy!

Use a Silicon pan   Makes 6
Mix together
3 Eggs ( or eggwhites if you want to reduce fat)
1 tsp oil or 2 tsp melted butter
2 tsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 tsp Agave Syrup or Honey
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 C coconut flour
1/4 Cup ViShape Protein
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 C baking Stevia or 1/2 Cup baking Splenda 1 C fresh blueberries ( I used less

Heat Oven to 400
Mix Wet ingredients in a bowl
Mix Dry ingredients separately, then mix the dry into the wet
Mix until smooth
Either fold the blueberries into the batter gently or since I had Bar shaped silicone forms, I just pressed in the blueberries after I poured the batter into the form. 

Divide Batter evenly into 6 muffin cups ~Silicon works best but if you don't have Silicon, use FOIL muffin cups or heavily sprayed muffin tins (paper sticks and who wants to eat paper?!)  Bake for 15 minutes on 400 degrees. I always put my baked goods on for 12 minutes then check the last 3 minutes.  Non-wheat baked goods sometimes need less time baking.  Allow to cool then remove from form.  I sprinkled a little sugar on top when they first came out of the oven, that is totally optional.

Estimate breakdown is 110 calories a muffin~the recipe I modified said 100 calories a muffin but I used half the blueberries called for and I added the protein (180 calories over 6 muffins)

Procrastination and Goals

Procrastinating on the goals that matter to you.

There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.  Follow your intuition.  Don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do.  When there is love and inspiration, you can’t go wrong.  And whatever it is you want to do, do it now.  There are only so many tomorrows.  Trust me, in a year from now, you will wish you had started today.~ Marc and Angela Hack
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I like to think that I am not a procrastinator but in reality I am...Just like this moment--I know I must exercise this morning yet here I sit, thinking and writing about it--time is passing by--time that will never be retrieved


........there is no tomorrow, only yesterday and NOW.  We don't know the number of our days--or the quality--or who will be with us in that time. 

Start today.....right now.......

So hitting save, share and getting on with my day--because I know that by doing what I SAY I am going to do and doing it, I will feel better for it--rather than SAY I'm going to do something and then not do it--
~JmF

Words From Unexpected Places

I don't think I received the fortune cookie at PF Changs that is in my photo for no reason--I am refocusing and aligning my feeling and actions with my thoughts--

August 18 2012 Rambling Thots

Every step in the right direction, no matter how small, is significant!

Been an interesting last few days-not that anything has been HUGE or different, just things going on in my head.  I see where there is a lack of consistency in my thought life-what I am pleased about is that I recognize the inconsistencies much more quickly then I used to and I change my thoughts when I see that what I am thinking is not inline with what I want.  I can't allow what others think, do or say affect me--they are not even talking about me anyway!  That can be freeing for sure!  People think, act, say and do out of their own belief systems, out of their own fears and out of their own desires/shortcomings etc.  If someone is unhappy is that really my doing?  Heck no! Just as I am responsible for how I "feel" so is everyone else! 

Don't allow how others think, feel, say or do affect who YOU are today, what you feel, think etc!!  Don't give your power away ever! Especially to others who don't deserve it and probably have no clue they were wielding it anyway, not knowing or caring that you GAVE IT TO THEM!

Course Correction

I have been thinking about what I have been doing the last 3 weeks and know that I need a course correction--not just in my physical being but definitely in my mental and emotional as well.  I tend to go at things really hard and in that, ignore the other 20 things that I was doing..it's sometimes not until the tower falls that you "see" that you have been ignoring the foundation and it cracked.

So read this a few minutes ago........I don't think my path is wrong, it's just that I need to be operating with a full wheel--a chair with 4 legs--right now I am teetering on a 4 legged stool that has 3 broken legs..


"Change your path when you must, but keep moving forward. – There are thousands of possible paths one could take up the mountain of life.  You get to choose which one you take, and you can jump from one path to another if you run into a hazardous road block.  All of these paths are unique, but lead in a similar general direction, so it really doesn’t matter which path you start off on.  The only mistake you can make is by wasting time running around at the base of the mountain, telling everyone that your life path is wrong." (From 10Ways to Write a Life Story Worth Living)

I have stopped doing things that only 4 months ago brought me joy, happiness and I have gone back to my mindset of work work work, not enjoying the moment, that nothing happens unless I do it...blah blah blah, it goes on and on.  An Island, I can do it all myself. 

It sucks.

So today it's Monday ( is it just me or do a lot of people start things on Mondays because in the work week it is 'the beginning' IDK...........

• I am working on getting clutter out of my life--it is an outward and visible sign of where I am emotionally--not pretty at the moment......so one area a day gets de-cluttered...
• I have stopped playing my guitar, I did last night, God, my fingers were sore but I have missed doing this one thing for myself.....so Facebook will just have to have less of my time...it doesn't feed me, playing does.  I am also not going to care if people thing I don't play well enough-the only opinion that matters is mine and if I put something up on my Youtube Channel then it's there for me not everyone else.
• I am going to commit, not just "say" I'm going to exercise......I need to do this for ME, my health, not anyone else, not the challenge, not my business...only for me because if I'm not doing it for ME........it won't be a long term habit.
• I am changing up my eating pattern. I "know" I should be eating more, I think what I'm eating needs to change and that I need to find a happy medium between the 1350 I was eating and the 1800 the Metabolic Rate Calculator says I should eat--
• I have stopped reading-everything it seems except ViSalus related posts and this needs to stop--I understand that what I focus on grows however I need to grow a lot of things and what I've been doing has not been working. I have some great books on Kindle that I need to read.
• I am looking at the events and activities in my life that I believe I "MUST DO" and working through them....I can't do everything and I also can't care what others think about me not doing some things.  We are all give 24 hours a day--I can't do 36 hours worth of stuff...all the time management in the world can't do that---my sleep, emotional health, relationships are all suffering.

So that's what I'm doing........
Exercise More, Eat differently, and take care of what feeds me so that I don't burn out--because if I stay on the path I am at the moment,
I will have a total mental and physical collapse.  Not Acceptable!

Best Part Of The Day

I love early morning, the quiet of nature, allows me to collect my thoughts and plan my day/life before the demands of the day of others invade my life.  There are so many things that I think about in the morning that I would like to make changes about, things in my life that are not serving me, actions I take that frustrate me and I know the only way to make things better is to do something different.   

So Planning the day, it all starts with what I think about.  

I am happy and grateful for the time I spend in the mornings reconnecting with who I am, not who I think I ought to be.  Taking care of myself needs to become more important-not something I SAY I should do but something that I DO-evidenced by my choices, decisions and actions. 

I am grateful for my health and that I have the ability to change it and make it even better. 

That said, here is today's health plan:
Vi Shape Shake
Roast Beef
Vi Defy/Raspberry Neuro
Nectarine/Yellow Pepper
Vi Shake
Chicken Marsala ( going out for dinner so need to plan for this

3 sets 8 reps Arnold Presses 
3 sets 8 reps Flies
3 sets 8 reps squats 
3 sets 8 reps curtsy squats  
3 sets 10 reps crunches
Modified push ups



 

Live A Life Of Gratitude

"Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: 

it must be produced and discharged and used up

 in order to exist at all."

William Faulkner

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Live a life of gratitude, I am choosing to be and do this today-focusing on what I am grateful for, giving thanks and not focusing on what I don't have or haven't done.  What you focus on grows. 

 

As I sit here writing, it is kind of astonishing how "not simple" this can be~ we are so programed in our nature to focus on the negative, to whine, complain about what it is we don't have in the here and now when we need to see with our eyes, hearts and minds those gifts already given to us.  It seems that the things that mean the most are also those that are taken the most for granted. 

 

Is it REALLY important that the scale number goes down today and if it hasn't to be bitchy or is it more important to be thankful I woke up, I am not in pain, I am breathing, I have air conditioning, and that I have two amazing children that love me regardless of what an ass I can be?  We all have struggles--I am grateful for my husband~ even in the times when things may not seem to be going well, how many people out there are not in a relationship that is important enough for them to work through?  

Yes I am sitting here typing, taking care of me instead of rushing to work--and I choose to be thankful that I have that place to go to~it serves it's purpose and is a bridge to even better places.

 

What are you thankful for today?~JmF

Never Lose Hope

Never Give Up. It is the only way to fail. That is my mantra today...

I will not lose hope of a better future,
a better body, a better life,
a better way to work,
to make my dreams become reality

I will never give up on my dreams,
or on myself.

Wanting to stay accountable, if only to myself.  I am still tired, almost as tired as when I went to bed.  I think it's emotional, an emotional tired.  I go all day and then I am exhausted.  I shouldn't be so tired at 4 am tho--

I woke up this morning and made my coffee--doing walking lunges back to the bedroom to get ready for work, will do some squats at the sink--anything to get started--I need to do something everyday even if it's not what I "think" is the "right" or "enough" exercise to do.....anytime I make the effort to change my mind, to act even when I don't "feel" like it is a victory for me..

~Coffee with non fat milk, vitamins-Yeah, remembered the iron
~Vi Shake with frozen peaches, strawberries and whatever else is in that mix made with unsweetened almond milk

~Homemade plain yogurt with strawberries
~1 grilled chicken thigh
~1 nectarine
~Pro/Vi-Defy
Ah, forgot going to lunch today--sushi place, oh how I don't like Sushi.
need to replace the grilled chicken thigh at lunch with something else..... maybe garlic chicken and only eat half of the lunch portion and only  an oz of the rice.........that should work.

Dinner will be a Vi Shake............

I like cheese--it is fast and easy but I should not be eating it as often as I do... it's a thin slice at 100 calories.

Weighed today, I didn't gain didn't lose, status quo but that will change, I must keep in mind the focus and the goal.

Another Day

Yesterday was a successful day in that I am SO glad I decided to do a bit of strength training in the morning, because by the time I got home, I was exhausted and didn't feel well.  I actually took a nap for about 30 minutes-SO NOT ME! 

I did succumb to about 1/4 cup of gelato, but accounted for it in my calories as well as a Reeses..nothing to be proud of, it is what it is. What gets me is that I already Understand why I do these things to myself, almost a self sabotage of my eating plan...I didn't gain so much weight when I was younger by just eating food because I was hungry--I was eating to fill a void.. I wonder how many people do that and don't even understand why...

For me it is multifaceted, yes, it's a stress response coupled with some deep seated identity issues--I don't eat this stuff because it tastes good--heck LOTS of healthier things taste good, I made those choices and decisions because I was stressed--an excuse is what it is, an excuse to beat myself up with food because I was unhappy.  I allowed a fleeting emotion to control what went into my mouth.  How stupid is that?  Lately my emotions are far from fleeting--

but that's for another blog and story.......................

So woke up at 345 am this morning, remembered last night to set up my coffeepot--even bigger then that was I remembered to reset the clock as we had a power outage yesterday afternoon.......  so did some squats and walking lunges before I turned on the computer.  The scale was down .4 from yesterday--anything is welcome at this point--being in my late 40's my metabolism is just a joy--the whole hormonal thing, etc etc

Plan for today:
I CHOOSE to not work late
I CHOOSE positivity despite how I "feel"
I CHOOSE to eat in a way that benefits my body and will not feed into my depression....

Coffee with non fat milk and stevia-right now
Water water everywhere until I've drank 110 oz
Vi Shake on the way to work  Today's flavor probably simple with some spinach and half a banana and pro/neuro, I like that one best it seems
Chicken Thigh
Half Red Pepper
10 strawberries
Small Chef salad from Safeway
Vi Shake to recover--I WILL do my cardio and more exercise today

Dinner, up in the air, I don't like to eat dinner, I tend to want to eat earlier in the day then when Mark finally decides to come home.  I like to eat by 5--so I eat alone

August 6th Muse

It is early morning, the sun in Arizona has not quite risen, the clouds uncharacteristically hang low in the sky.  I got on the scale today and didn't see any results of the good things I've been doing the last 16 days.  I will not falter tho.  I went into the kitchen and got my food ready for the day, waited for the coffee to brew and decided that I didn't need to wait for later to get things started.  So did the following with 5# weights except the walking lunges- I increased the weight from 3#:

2 sets of 8 Arnold Presses
15 walking lunges
2 sets of 8 squats
2 sets of 8 bicep curls
2 sets of 8 forward lunges
2 sets of 8 reverse lunges

Later today I will do some cardio and abdominal/core exercise.  





 Breakfast:  Vi Shake with .25 frozen banana, 1/2 cup fresh spinach, 1 Cup NSA Almond Milk and 1 PRO 1 Lemon Neuro

Food Packed for Lunch and snacks:
15 cherries
2 chicken thighs grilled
small box of Strawberries
1 large nectarine
Vi Shape ( always at office)

Dinner: Vi Shake

A change of Theme so to speak......

I have been on a journey in weight loss starting at age 3 months--seriously, I was gaining weight too fast and the pediatrician put me on a different formula mix (back in the day when mom's not only did everything around the house, they also made the baby formula)

I was an overweight kid, started Lean Line and Weight Watchers in 4th grade and have basically been on some sort of weight management program since--

Yo Yo dieting has nothing on me! I topped out in 2002 at a whopping 340 pounds--
Using every tool known to man, I managed to drop down to 178 pounds --

Whew success at last--
Not so much....we all know that weight loss and body image starts in our head.

So, feeling terribly fat, size 10 weighing 178 pounds--I fell into old behavior patterns and regained 65 pounds back....

So over the years since I've been struggling with those blasted pounds I regained--thank goodness I halted it at 65 lbs.

I am on a quest to improve my physical, mental and emotional health.  I will be posting here my intake, exercise and progress--success is a journey, not the destination for sure--daily consistent steps in the right direction, regardless if I can "see" change, it is in the doing that change will come.  I will also be posting thoughts, feelings, frustrations, writing etc.  Be prepared, it isn't all pretty but it's all real.