Good Eats*

One thing I definitely do well is making food for my family on a regular basis. We normally sit down for dinner (at the table and without the television) even if we're only having soup or the occasional cereal meal. I alternate between home cooked meals and frozen but eating at home saves us so much money (and calories). Plus taking three children out to eat is a daunting task. This particular meal consisted of bruschetta-with fresh tomatoes and basil, salmon, and homemade creamed corn from Cooking Light. I know it seems a little random but I just go with what sounds good. And it works.

*Thanks Alton for the title.

Great Stuff

OK I will admit it's getting harder to think of titles for the "positive" posts but I'm surprisingly not having a hard time coming up with positive things. I think it just takes a perspective shift.

This week I realized I constantly tell myself I should be doing more and then I looked at my training log and realized I have been active almost 5 days a week for three weeks straight. Go me. I am beginning to understand I have to up the intensity and duration but I think I have a pretty great base.

Good Things

I have renewed my vow to take the dog for a walk every morning. I need it and I know for sure he needs it. We walk about a mile, which conveniently tires him out in the heat. I don't even count the walk as part of my exercise. I can remember a time when a mile walk was all I did. I feel pretty good about being able to do more and more.

Positivity Day 1

As I was riding my road bike this morning I realized how far I have come. Last year, (was it last year?) when I started riding my road bike it took me a good five minutes to extract myself from the bike. I mean like my legs would seize up and I would have to stand straddling my bike until I could move my leg enough to swing it over. This was very amusing, as you can imagine, unless your neighbor happened to walk by. Looking concerned.

Now I don't know if I've spent enough time on the bike or adjusted it somewhat or just become immune to the pain, but I don't have that experience. I can swing my leg over my bike and walk normally. Sometimes I have even attempted to run directly after! Can you imagine?! I rode this morning for 11 miles, which is the longest ride I've had in a while. And I did not fall down! Despite the fact I was worried I would have to reacquaint myself with being clipped in. Working on being able to drink, steer and pedal at the same time.

Accentuating the Positive (and Eliminating the Negative)

As the song goes, I am going to start accentuating the positive. Sorry if that song gets stuck in your head. Of course if you have no idea what I'm talking about then you're safe. But you could always look for it on YouTube. I realize a lot of my writing is complaining. That's what blogs are for. In good times, in bad times, my blog will be on my side for evermore. And after that obscure reference I also realize, I am doing the thing some label as insanity and/or addiction. That is, doing something over and over and hoping for a different result. I know I cannot eat, let's just say a lot, and hope to lose weight. I also cannot lose weight without exercise. It is what it is and that is all. But along this road I have become increasingly harsh to myself. I suppose it's punishment for being here in the first place. Even though I can't go back in time and change it because I'm not Marty McFly (and yes, there are a lot of out of the blue 80s references today). All I can do is keep doing what I know I need to do. There will be setbacks. And there will be victories. But I cannot keep on beating myself up. So for the next month (possibly beyond) I will only write positive things on this, my newly designed carefree blog. I will be giving myself props all month long. Join me if you will.

Back on Track (Again)

I managed to track my eating and work out five times last week. I'm slowly coming back. I read something somewhere that talked about how Americans love quick and simple and how this hampers our drive to lose weight and stay healthy because we want it NOW. I will admit to being someone who weighs every day and then is disappointed when the scale doesn't move (or moves the wrong way) after one day of "good" eating. I lecture my husband about not weighing all of the time and being disappointed but I can't seem to remember that myself! In other news, I took my daughter shopping for a bathing suit. Always a humbling experience. I so do not like looking at my butt in the three way mirror. But in an odd way it's motivating. I think about how it will be when my butt does not look like that. Someday. Focusing on being healthy and not on being skinny is definitely better psychologically. But just once I would like to look in the mirror and like what I see.

Losing It

I am totally re-posting a blog entry I did for my SparkPeople page. Because I like to multitask like that (and I am lazy). I know I've kvetched (the Yiddish grandmother in me is coming out) about all of this before. But it makes me feel better. One day there will be a blog entry about how I am on the track to success and taking no prisoners. But today is not that day.

This year has been tough. I shouldn't complain (but often do) because the adversity was a result of good fortune. I was able to take two classes each semester in pursuit of my Masters in Social Work, I had two kids in all day school and one in preschool, and my husband traveled more but at least he still has a job! I guess I didn't realize how swamped we were until school was over. Suddenly I look around and realize I can't remember the last 10 months of my life. I feel so disconnected from my kids school life this year and I'm starting to question my own decision to go back to school. Which evidently means I must eat to make it all go away or feel better or some other nonsense my brain talks me into. Fitness is almost nonexistent right now and pretty soon I'll be right back where I started.

I just can't figure out how I constantly take two steps forward and then like 50 back. I'm not very good at giving myself a break and considering the fact that I am probably healthier now than I ever have been. I just keep looking for this miracle schedule or cure that will all make it easier. And then I beat myself up for wasting so much time thinking about it and not doing it.

OK enough whining. I know I have to just get on with it. But it's so easy to say that day will be tomorrow (especially with the impending birthday party for my daughter at our house and the stress of getting ready for all that). I will admit-head hung in shame-that I had cake and gummy bears for breakfast. But that doesn't mean I can't go on with my day. I promise I really am much more entertaining and lighthearted than this!

Healthy Time Suck

As if I needed another reason to spend endless hours in front of the computer...

I have heard, and looked at, the SparkPeople site before but I was always a little overwhelmed. And then I received an email from my friendly neighborhood personal trainer about starting a SparkTeam and I felt the pressure to join. Because I'm a joiner people. So I went on and there goes another two hours of my life. Seriously though, it could be worse. I could be spending two hours on celeb gossip sites, which I don't do anymore because I think the whole thing is just kind of creepy. But I digress. You can track your food and fitness on SparkPeople and there's so much stuff you will spend days just looking at it all. Which is kind of the opposite of the intent (to be active and healthy). But maybe it will fire you up to get healthy! They even have diet and fitness plans. And it's FREE. So come and join me. Be my friend. I'm registered as "momathlon" (of course).