Where do I want to be 365 days from now? Wow, that is one big question but I actually think I have a pretty good idea. Give or take the minor details, my life looks like this in a year...
6:00 am - awake, vibrant and full of energy. I feel rested from my sleep and eager and excited to take on the day. I start my day with a jog around the neighborhood. If the baby is up, she's coming along for the ride. I'm training for some sort of fitness challenge (maybe a 1/2 marathon or maybe something a little different like http://toughmudder.com/). Throughout the day I enjoy my food and I definitely don't count calories. I do not stress about what I eat, I simply take joy in nourishing my body. I have no power struggle with my weight. I maintain my happy weight effortlessly. I do not obsess over the scale but if I did get on I'd bet I'd weigh between 106-112 lb. I'm slender and toned. I feel strong physically, mentally and emotionally. I cook the majority of my meals not because "I have to" but because "I get to". I enjoy my work and each day I'm filled with the excitement of the impact I can make in my life and the lives of others. My family feels loved and appreciated, as do I. I have close friends that share my same joy and passion for life.I have learned how to meditate and I never take things to seriously...life is about being flexible. My hair and skin are beautiful, youthful and lustrous (it must be all those fruits and veggies I'm eating). I treat people kindly. I love wholeheartedly. I have a strong relationship with my hubby and we take time to treasure and enjoy our little girl. At the days end I smile and realize everything is just as it should be.
...basic, right? I'm excited to look back a year from now and see what my life actually looks like compared to what I had envisioned.
So where do I start? I think my first order of business will be to work on mindfull eating. The way I eat bothers me more than most other things. I need to start connecting eating well with being happy vs. eating what I want and feeling crappy (this is where I currently am and it sucks). My mantra for the week is...eating wholesome, nutritional foods = happiness (in time I hope to link all the things I want to achieve with happiness because complete happiness and fulfillment are the ultimate goals, my day-to-day actions are just my channels I use to get there).
Things I can do to be a more mindful eater
-Breathe and breathe deeply before and while I eat. Hopefully focusing on my breathing with allow me to slow down and be more present.
-I will think about the choices I'm making and question why I'm eating what I'm eating. Are my reason good? If not, I'll work to redirect myself and focus on the fact that making change will take action and practice.
These are two basic strategies but if I can truly implement them I know they will be a significant step in breaking free from my food issues and the bad feeling that surround them. I'm totally eager to work within to feel good throughout. The journey starts now.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Starting Point
This year has been a whirlwind...a year unlike any other. Almost a year ago I got married to an incredible guy who I had known for almost 6 years; shortly after that I got pregnant, which was completely unexpected; and not long after that my older brother, who was easily one of the most important people in my life, passed away. So as you can imagine, my year has been filled with an astounding amount of joy but has also been, by far, one of the hardest years of my life. Talk about emotions pulling you in every imaginable direction. Due to the history of this past year I am absolutely at a place where I now understand, with more certainty than ever before, that your health, your state-of-being is something to treasure, nourish and care for on a daily basis and that's exactly what I plan to do. So as a point of reference, lets take a look at where I currently am.
Physical
As of right now, I am VERY pregnant. In a matter of weeks we will be welcoming our new baby into this world. I am definitely no longer able to touch my toes without feeling discomfort. I am slightly swollen in my hands and feet. My energy level is a 5-6 on a scale of a 1 to 10. My skin is relatively clear. My butt is huge and I am unfortunately experiencing cellulite like never before. My thighs touch...who am I kidding, they totally rub to the point that I'm sure a fire could start if I walked fast enough. My arms are bigger and much more flabby. My sleep is interrupted by numerous bathroom trips and continuous discomfort. Thus far I have gained 23 pregnancy pounds.
Exercise
On average, I exercise by doing light cardio or strength training 3-4 days a week for about 20-30 minutes.
Eating
My eating has been interesting. For example, yesterday I had a tall chai latte (and not the skinny version) and a cake donut for breakfast; a salad for lunch; an apple and yogurt for snack; a super rich and creamy chicken, green chile lasagna (accompanied with a white dinner roll with a nice slather of butter) for dinner; and a fudge bar and grapes for dessert. The days before were a blur but I know one day this week included me scarfing down 2 large pieces of cake (I strategically took the corners because they had the most of the delicious butter cream/cream cheese frosting on them) and a chocolate chip cookie with milk all within a 30 minute time frame. But on some days I'm drinking green smoothies and eating low-sugar greek yogurt, fruits and veggies and black bean burgers. So depending on the day, I'm either a hot mess or a relatively healthy senorita. There is really no rhyme or reason to my eating but overall I would say I eat poorly 50% of the time and semi-well the rest of the time.
Emotional
"Numb" would most likely be how I'd describe my current emotional start. Since my brother passed away the thought of truly engaging with what has happened (especially now that I'm pregnant) has been a bit too much for me and therefore has caused me to just be a little numb to emotions in general.
My Level of Gratitude
I am continuously refocusing on all that I am grateful for and therefore would consider my gratitude level relatively high.
My Overall State-of-Being
I would say I am very much going through the motions of life...nothing too intense, nothing too exciting, although the decision to take this year-long journey has definitely sparked an excitement in me, a passion I had long been missing.
-
Physical
As of right now, I am VERY pregnant. In a matter of weeks we will be welcoming our new baby into this world. I am definitely no longer able to touch my toes without feeling discomfort. I am slightly swollen in my hands and feet. My energy level is a 5-6 on a scale of a 1 to 10. My skin is relatively clear. My butt is huge and I am unfortunately experiencing cellulite like never before. My thighs touch...who am I kidding, they totally rub to the point that I'm sure a fire could start if I walked fast enough. My arms are bigger and much more flabby. My sleep is interrupted by numerous bathroom trips and continuous discomfort. Thus far I have gained 23 pregnancy pounds.
Exercise
On average, I exercise by doing light cardio or strength training 3-4 days a week for about 20-30 minutes.
Eating
My eating has been interesting. For example, yesterday I had a tall chai latte (and not the skinny version) and a cake donut for breakfast; a salad for lunch; an apple and yogurt for snack; a super rich and creamy chicken, green chile lasagna (accompanied with a white dinner roll with a nice slather of butter) for dinner; and a fudge bar and grapes for dessert. The days before were a blur but I know one day this week included me scarfing down 2 large pieces of cake (I strategically took the corners because they had the most of the delicious butter cream/cream cheese frosting on them) and a chocolate chip cookie with milk all within a 30 minute time frame. But on some days I'm drinking green smoothies and eating low-sugar greek yogurt, fruits and veggies and black bean burgers. So depending on the day, I'm either a hot mess or a relatively healthy senorita. There is really no rhyme or reason to my eating but overall I would say I eat poorly 50% of the time and semi-well the rest of the time.
Emotional
"Numb" would most likely be how I'd describe my current emotional start. Since my brother passed away the thought of truly engaging with what has happened (especially now that I'm pregnant) has been a bit too much for me and therefore has caused me to just be a little numb to emotions in general.
My Level of Gratitude
I am continuously refocusing on all that I am grateful for and therefore would consider my gratitude level relatively high.
My Overall State-of-Being
I would say I am very much going through the motions of life...nothing too intense, nothing too exciting, although the decision to take this year-long journey has definitely sparked an excitement in me, a passion I had long been missing.
-
Healthy In a Year?
This blog was originally titled 30-days to healthy but can you really "get healthy" in a month? I think you can definitely get "healthier" in that time frame, but would it really be possible to dramatically change the way you eat, the way you think, the way you live, the way treat people, your level of gratitude...your overall state-of-being in just one month? For me, the journey from where I am, to where I want to be, will be most likely be an evolution that will take much longer than a month. It may take a year for some of the significant changes to take place (that's where I am now) but will most likely be an evolution that spans my lifetime. My good o'le friend, Anthony Robbins (famous life coach) says, "if you don't grow, you die." So this is why my journey to health and wellness will be forever growing and developing (you will likely see a new blog title in the future but I promise, it wont be for at least a year). So for this year, what's my plan? My plan is to take a good look at where I am, get clear on where I want to be and then develop an action plan on how to get there. Thanks for joining me on this journey and please feel free to contact me or post any of your thoughts or comments but please keep your communication positive...this journey is all about positivity and growth ;-)
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