Remain Coachable

The hardest days require the most attention. They require alignment to yourself and to your being. At least that is what I tell myself. I did not want to meal prep for the day. I did not want to eat the same type of salad. I was getting ready to walk out the door and just wing it.
Then I thought about :

• The hard work I've put in the last two weeks.
• The way I've been feeling after a good meal. 
• The way I'm feeling today and how it may contribute to bad choices. 

So I put on my jeans that fit after two weeks ... and prepped a salad for lunch.

Spinach Mix Salad

3 cups of spinach
2 T of Arugula
1/2 of a red pepper
1 egg
2/3 cups of purple potatoes
3T of garbanzo beans
1/3 cup of yellow cherry tomatoes
1 T of sun dried tomatoes
2T of mozarella cheese
1T of cranberries
2T of walnuts

I included cheese because I knew I wanted something creamy in the mix. Also because yesterday three different people told me the same thing: Don't be so hard on yourself.

So I remain coachable by staying on track and practicing balance in every day decisions.

Have a great Friday.

True Thursday

There will be meals where you make a bad choice. Don't let it discourage you. Simply pick up where you left off.

Yesterdays bad choice. Chips and salsa at the Mexican Restaurant. I did well half-way through the meal and then I cracked (or should I say crunch? ). Then I had beans and cheese but stopped there and avoided the flan and cheesecake. 2 out of 4. Hooray!

I spent my night and morning going through old albums. It used to be painful to see some of those pictures. But it also brought back several memories, including not shying away from photos as much as I thought I did. I have many more pictures then I originally thought. I never looked at them afterwards and hid the albums. All this time I thought they were at my mothers...NOPE they were in my house!

In some ways it helped to see the pics. I thought,  girl look at where you have been and now you know where you want to be. It is a journey and today is a new day so get up and go.

Here's a pic a found of Elaine and I. You can see how far I have come. Make good choices.

WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY

Training has been difficult for me to get to these days. My body does not feel the same but yesterday I showed up with my "I'm a lover and a fighter" t -shirt ready to play.  I was off my game but kept pushing.

Acknowledgement of the tee from other gym mates always gets me going too.  Like I need to prove I can fight hard! So I did.

Meals were on point!

Breakfast: Greek yogurt, 1 hard boiled egg, and one slice of wheat toast.
Snack:  banana and almonds.
Lunch: steak salad. Red cabbage,  broccoli, zucchini, green onions, radishes, cilantro,carrots and shredded carne asada.
Snack: 1/2 cup of mixed fruit salad. Strawberries, pineapple, and cantelope.
Dinner: Turkey soft tacos with pinto beans and green salad. Turkey meat was cooked with lots if veggies to up vegetable intake. I used whole wheat tortillas for the soft tacos.

I am also meditating two times a day to get my mind on the game. I have avoided sweets for two days. I don't miss it. I am at peace.

Have a great day!

Sunday Funday

Well it's a wrap...oh wait the day is just starting!!! I've got a  busy day at Disneyland. I've also got a day of bad choices behind me.

Today will be a meal/food challenge and I'm up for it.

1. I can resist foods that do not benefit my body. 

 
2. Fun does not have to be associated with food. 

3. Being healthy is a priority.

So I start my day by working out with the coach and releasing guilt over yesterday.

Here we go!!! 

Remain Coachable

Once we take on the attitude of we have learned it all, or "we know it already", we cease improvement. Listening to everything as if it were "new" allows us to expand our vision. This is key because once we boast about how much we know the arrogance impedes our development.

This has been key for me this week. I have been in my field for many years. I, after listening to many lectures,  realize how much I know. But I went into each session with a specific listening, "this is all new to me." It allowed me to stay alert and pick up on a few key elements. I have learned key ways to improve upon what I am doing. 

I am applying this concept to my weight loss journey. I cannot continue to do the same thing or act like, "oh yea, I've done this already." What helped me loose the first 80 may not help now. Simply because I need to learn new ways of eating, exercise to improve on the overall methods of weight loss. I remain coachable.

HERE'S TO KEEPING AN OPEN MIND AND LISTENING TO THE NEW.

Workout Tryout

Training mode to me usually includes trying a new workout weekly to determine where I am fitness wise. The challenge can sometimes encourage or discourage me.

I did the sportskool cardio combat 1, 28 min. video. It was one of those I watched last month while I was sick. 

It started out with a ball sequence,  then a few Kickboxing combos and finally a stick sequence. The video was okay. I give it a 3 of 5 star rating.

I felt like quitting a few times because there was a high volume of lunges and leg rotations so my knee was a concern. I would get frustrated and a bit discouraged but I kept going.

In the end, I did not sweat as much as I did with  yesterdays workouts . I know it was probably because I did not push hard during certain parts of the sequence due to knee concerns. 

I will definitely try this again once I feel confident about my abilities just to compare fitness level. 

For now I will continue with my other planned activities to continue with knee rehab.

Here's to trying new things and pushing forward.

Life goes on...

Keep Going

I have motivational quotes, posters and sayings that keep me going. Then I have life happening...which can at times stop me. Example, I received news of my friends medical condition on Tuesday, 01/21 and what followed were old habits. Over eating, lack of activity and the numbing of emotions through food. By Friday, 1/24 I felt a higher level of stress and my body was hating my mind for indulging in old bad habits. I allowed myself to continue the trend through the weekend but by Sunday Night I declared NO MORE. 

From left to right: Xoch, Kiki and Mari. Friends since infancy. 01/26/14

My Sunday was spent at a family baptism and a park reception. The activities performed through out the day opened my eyes. I was able to climb rocks, climb the jungle gym, slide and swing without fear of the pole shaking due to my weight. I did things I haven't been able to do comfortably in years!!! The feeling was awesome and provided the reality "CHECK" I needed to get back on track. 

My Bestie since Birth. 01/26/14 

The smile on my face and the feeling in my heart provide me with a healthier escape. Exercise relieves stress and it makes me feel better. Good food makes me feel better and makes my immune system stronger. Which means in turn, I can take better care of myself and my friend which will need me more than ever in days to come. To getting it together and working through it. For my bestie Andres.