34. RISE AND SHINE.

I woke up acknowledging me. RISE and SHINE!

Day 8 of Mindful Eating

Before grabbing a snack to eat, I will ask myself, Am I really hungry for food? or Am I hungry for something else? And Is this the best quality of food available to me?

Food

I had the late night munchies and was ready to go for the crackers and cookies as a snack. Then I thought about the mantra for the day and stopped myself. I had two glasses of water and went to bed instead. YUM!

Activity

I completed my first 4 days of scheduled exercise. I did not do the jogging portion on either day but added yoga to every morning. Working on building the schedule. 

To living!

35. Perspective.

Day 7 of Mindful Eating 

I will try to notice when I am about 80% full rather than 100% full and stop eating at that point. I will trust, from experience, that with the food I have eaten so far, I will be full shortly and if I continue, I'll move from satisfied to stuffed.

Activity

"I'm not allowed out of the house without first completing PiYo!" -- Yep, that's what made me get up and work-out this morning. It's strange how I fight the work-outs in my head and find excuses but once I'm doing it and I'm done...I feel AWESOME! I'm also -- yes, I'm doing it again -- going to start a squat challenge in September. I shared the link on facebook and I have a couple friends who accepted the challenge. Yay!

Reflection

I struggle because I want the drama. I say it is hard but once I'm in to it, once I jump in...it is easy. My body knows exactly what it wants and I have all of the tools to reach success. It is mind over matter.

To jumping in!

36. Cravings.

Day 6 of mindful eating

I will pause periodically to check in with my belly. Am I full? Am I thirsty? Is this food satisfying me?

Gimmie some greens!

I craved nothing but greens today. So I had a vegetarian meal for lunch : portobello mushroom skewers,  cucumber and tomato salad, roasted vegetables and quinoa. For dinner I had what was on the weeks menu but added a salad to satisfy my veggie crave. 

Activity

I've done my daily PiYo and have added yoga to both days. I did not complete my scheduled mile jog. I know I did my best today and I'm letting it be. 

To making improvements and getting out of my head. 

37. Direction.

Day 5

I will eat my food sitting down at a table. Not in the car. Not in front of the TV. Not standing by the fridge.

Action

Today's mindful eating exercise made me avoid over eating.  Always a plus.

To finding the path.

38. Planning.

Day 4 of mindful eating training. 

I will put my fork down between bites and take 1 to 3 deep breaths before picking it up again.

Meal Planning for Week 08/25

Action

I forgot at to put my fork down at one point while having breakfast and lunch.I recalled once I thought about the texture and crunch in each bite. In the end I felt good about my choices and meals. 

I also planned my dinner menu for the week which will include plenty for lunches. 

To filling meals. 

39. Making it.

Day 3 of mindful eating training

I will chew my food slowly, concentrating on taste and texture. I will pay attention to the crunchiness, creaminess, and flavor of what I am eating.

-- the effects -- 

We went to a diner for dinner. I ordered my usual, a turkey dinner, thinking I will eat half. As I ate I thought of the statement above.  The mashed potatoes became too buttery and the green beans were not crunchy enough.  I craved a different type of food. I was satisfied with a lot less than half of my portion and I look forward to a nice berry salad for breakfast and green salad for lunch tomorrow. We'll see about dinner. ;)  

To craving health. 

40. Today or yesterday? 8/22.

Mindful Eating Training Day 2

Before taking the first bite, I will take a moment to think about how grateful I am to have this delicious food available for me.
I ended my day at disneyland.  It was a food success: no churro, no turkey leg, no ice cream, half of a serving of clam chowder and pineapple. Yay!

Activity

Since I'm already doing the PiYo exercises I figured I would sign-up for the Beach Body Challenge and get my 60 day t-shirt. Done and Done.

Inspiration & Jump Starts

Having positive people around me is key. Every once in awhile I get a recommendation to read a book, article or movie. Well last night I watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead . The movie was informative and it inspires me to be active and eat micro nutrients to be healthy. I need to consult my doctor before I start a juicing cleanse but I will be looking at the possibility soon. First I will complete my mindful eating and then see where I am. I do not want to overwhelm myself to exhaustion like I tend to...most of the time. 

To being patient and taking it day by day.

41. Mindful Eating. Active Body.

Back-Track

After days of not tracking meals, not counting calories and not monitoring exercise I come to this conclusion: it does not become easier. But this is not about easy or hard, wrong or bad. It is simply about what I truly want for myself and my life. HEALTH.

I loss sight of my goal and went for what was easy. The unhealthy meals, the skipped work-outs and before I knew it the bad habits creeped back in. I questioned if it was the fear of my new body. I thought maybe it was the praise I received from so many people on my 100 pound loss.  Then I questioned my accomplishments when I would exercise in new circles where I was the "fat" one in the group. Where people questioned my ability to do certain movements or exercises. My old way of thinking, "a cookie or a blood pressure pill", was no longer working.

The Gain

I skipped a month worth of meetings at weight watchers. I went back three weeks ago and I had a gain...then two weeks ago I had another gain. It was starting to show but I kept on going with unregulated eating. On Saturday 08/16, BAMN 233 POUNDS - a total 15 pound GAIN. I did not fall into guilt or hate mode. Instead I simply looked in the mirror and stated the obvious: This is not what I want for myself or my life.

Behavior

I'm  responsible for applying the behavior and habits that will allow me to reach my goals. I want to be off medication by my birthday. I'm done with thinking and thinking about it over and over again. My statements won't completely make the change. The change comes when I STOP all of this thinking and ACT. Walk the talk.

Implementation

1. ) Food has 80% to do with weight loss and so my attitude about food needs some adjusting. Today I started my MINDFUL EATING TRAINING .

Today's habit for my eating routine was : "I will do my best to start each meal with some deep breaths and pause to become fully present. I will pay attention to the colors and smells of my food and think about how it made it to my plate."

2. ) I'm following a work-out schedule I found through a google search. No more make-ups and skips. I'm just following the schedule below as a must. I will add  favorites or bonuses like ROAR and Yoga as time permits.

From Blog Life by Ky

3. ) Everything I need is already within me. I believe I can do this and I am doing it for self-love. 

To living the journey.