Randomness.... Pink Bunny - by Candy Bird

Pink Bunny

This was taken from the amazing French artist, Candy Bird's website.  It has some really nice illustrations.
I like this one for reasons that are obvious to some... and maybe to you.  :)

Procrastination and that Battle with Pefection

Just saw this video in my YouTube subscription and thought that I must share it with you!  Some great, simple insights that I found resonated with me as soon as I heard it.  They also make a couple of reading recommendations that I will check out.  If you suffer from procrastination, maybe this might resonate with you as well.

Much love.  Mahalo.

Green yourself

I haven't been doing much except studying these past few days.  

I haven't done a run since I last posted.  :(  

But I have been making green smoothies (as if that cancels out!). 

So here was dinner last night.... plus a green smoothie.

This is my own recipe.  Used garlic and onions, reduced sodium soy sauce, curry powder, white pepper and some agave syrup on the chicken leg.  Cooked at low heat so that the onions would caramelise and the skin would soak up the juices.  

This green smoothie I used a lot of stuff.... whatever I had.  I think it was a little too intense.  Next day I woke up with a sore throat and nose bleed -- a sure sign that I had added too much yang to my body.  

What did I use?  Kale, spinach, bananas, coconut, frozen mixed berries, flax seeds, chia seeds, bee pollan, spirulina, aloe vera and coconut water.  If I could do it again, I would skip the chia seeds and pollan and spirulina.  Was definitely an overkill.  : P  I photographed it next to my green pot to compare the colours.  *haha*

This morning's green smoothie is a lot less intense on the "heat" or yang side.  I used collard greens, kale, green apples, kiwi, strawberries, avocado.  Much better.  :)  I'll keep tweaking the recipe and sharing the results.  Meanwhile, I made at least 4-5 servings of fruits and veggies with that one blend.  I've refrigerated the other half in a glass to enjoy later.  

What did you have for breakfast?

Funky slump

I'm in the odd place right now.  I'm still doing my runs, but it's a struggle to stay on track.  I've noticed big gains (or should I say "losses") in the fit department.  My jeans are less awkward on me and my figure is slimmer.  But I'm in such a mental slump.  Difficult to describe.

I wonder if I am pushing too hard, too fast.  Ben Davis just posted a link to the Hal Higdon's running guide that he used to train for his races.  Looks like there is one for beginner-beginners like me!  I'm going to use his 30/30 plan, which is similar to what my life coach suggested.  This will provide a more regimented routine and I'm going to do the 30 consecutive days thing (hard time of year to start but I'm game!).  It's an easy start pace and cranks it up really slowly.  I'm pretty sure I've been cranking it too hard for someone with little aerobic base.  So back to square one.  I'm okay with that.

Hey, stranger!

It's been a whole week since I last posted anything!  Wow.  That was really bad of me.  I think it's because I struggled a lot with this week.  I did my runs on Sunday, then Tuesday and now Today, so I haven't completely fallen off the wagon.  However, I haven't run as much as the previous weeks.  As expressed before, I've been toying with the idea of training according to my heart rate zones to maximise on my time.

Grundle, who posted a comment on this blog pointed me to his website for further info on heart rate training.  A lot of his info is derived from Dr. Phil Maffetone here.  Since I'm so unmotivated to run lately, I'm going to take advantage of the slower pace and try working within the proper heart rate zone.  I think that by changing it up, I won't burn out so easily and give up on the whole thing.  So thanks again to Grundle for sharing this material!  :)

Oh yeah, and today's stats from the run/walk:
1.75mi in 26:25
Avg heartrate was 157 bpm.
Fastest lap happened on the second lap and was 2:53.  Ho-hum.

I finished my take home final exam

... ON TIME!!!!!

This is my happy dance!

EDIT:  I should explain my elation.  I spent 12 hours (9pm - 9am) working non-stop through the night to get it done.  1500 words put together in (hopefully) a meaningful way.  That's why I'm doing the happy dance.  ;)

Weigh-in Day

Today is weigh-in day and a run day.  I was going to blow off my run in exchange for working on my paper.  However, I found myself distracted and constantly thinking about running.  It was a VERY ODD feeling.  I was actually uncomfortable with NOT going for my run.  Funny how momentum works, isn't it?  

Anyway, I decided rather than be distracted about running, I would just go out and do it.  Figured it would be a good way to get my brain juices flowing.  I'm under a tremendous amount of pressure right now and so now is the time to keep my sanity and mental health.... and I concede that running has become a part of that therapy.  

So which one first?  Weigh-in or run?  Okay.  Run.

Took a slower pace today for a few reasons.  In looking at Monday's heartrate, I decided to learn a bit more about heart rate zones and such.  I noticed that I was mostly working in (the Red Line) Zone 5, which, according to my findings,  is not really where I want to be working out in.  It's beyond the anaerobic zone (4) and way above the fat burning zone (2).  Each zone does different things.  One builds endurance; another burns fat, another burns carbs, etc.  So I dialed it back to see if I could bring the heartrate down a touch and go a little longer/further in a jog.  Turns out that I can!

This snapshot shows you everything but my avg heartrate which was 170bpm.  Monday's was 173.  

Today's first lap was 3 seconds slower than Monday's, but I went further for longer.  I'll have to experiment with all that in the coming weeks.  I think Friday will be a walk day.  I like the idea of burning fat instead of just carbohydrates.  ;)

As for the weigh-in results:

179.6 lbs.

Though my weight is sticking stubbornly close to 180, I've noticed an improvement in my shape.  I'll take that over losing weight!

And now, back to papers!!!  Tell me, how is your week going?  

Great run song!!

Because my music collection is so out of date (last bought a CD when A&B Sound were still around), I listen to our local radio station (100.5 The Peak).  One of the songs that I'm almost sure to hear is this one and it always helps me pick up the pace.

Florence and the Machine - "Dog days are over"

Running karma

So I'm suppose to run in the mornings, right?  That didn't happen this morning (while it was still dry).  By the early afternoon, it had started to rain.  But, I promised myself that I would run.  So when I got back from school this evening, I put on my runners and jacket.  Knocked off a pretty good run, actually!  I'm seeing minute improvements on my times!  I improved on my total run time by another full minute!!

This is a graph with my heartrate overlaid with my pace.  I'm working hard!  ...maybe too hard.  Anyone good with heartrate zone stuff?

Total distance:  1.75mi
Best lap:  2:44 (again, my first lap!)
Avg pace:  12:30/mi
Avg heartrate:  173 bpm

Saturday Morning Walk

Did a quick stroll for 3/4 of a mile.  Just wanted to get out there and move a bit.  Thought I wanted to run, but definitely didn't feel like it when I got to the track, so I just did a few turns and then walked home through the neighbourhood.

Surprise!

It's Friday and I've done my run already!  Wahooooo!

The ground was definitely wet and covered with mounds of melting snow.  So how does running in that stuff go?  Something like this:

Splish, splash, splish, SWOOSH.  Woah.  Splish, splash, splish....

Today, I changed things up a bit.  I skipped my warm up lap (my walk to the track is about the same warm up time) and started running on the first lap.  My stats definitely reflect that change.  Oh, I also calibrated the watch to auto-lap every 1/4 mile.  This time, it counted all my laps properly.  ;)  But the total distance thing becomes different.  Oh well.

Total distance:  1.75mi

Best lap:  2:53 (my first lap!)

Avg pace:  13:09/mi

Avg heartrate:  171 bpm

Brrrrr

Vancouver is sitting in a blanket of white.  My apartment is sitting in a blanket of cold.

Tomorrow is my run day and I have to figure out a way to get out onto the track (which will surely be covered in snow).

Any ideas??

Wahoo!

Temp:  -5C (actually, -11C with wind chill)

Had a great run today.  In fact, I did two of my laps so quickly that the Garmin watch missed one of my laps!  I'm not kidding -- look!

So that means that I had two laps that were under 3 mins!  That's the first time... and my silly watch missed it! *haha*  The stats also show that I shaved a whole minute off of my run from Monday (same distance).  So today is a WAHOO day!  :)

Total distance:  1.8mi

Best lap:  around 2:55

Avg pace:  12:46/mi

Avg heartrate:  159 bpm

Wednesday morning

Looks like it's going to snow later today (5-10 cm).  I better get my run in before it starts to fall!

To take drugs, or not to take drugs....

As I start to run more, the possibility of injury or aches and pains looms.  No matter how careful you are, sometimes these thing can't be helped.  So what do you do when that happens?

Take an ibuprofen and ice the area?

That seems like fairly common knowledge.  Well yesterday, I read a great article that cast doubt on that.  In it, it mentions some preliminary studies that show that inflammation is a part of the process for the body to heal itself.  When we reduce the swelling through anti-inflammatory drugs or ice, according to this study, we risk proper recovery in the long term.

Crazy, isn't it?

Read up on it yourself: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/alex-hutchinson/take-a-pass-on-the-advil-swelling-may-help-you-heal/article1808598/

Now, I've never been a fan of taking any pills for pains, headaches or whatnots.  I've always thought that if it hurts, my body is probably trying to tell me something.  But that's just one way to deal with it.  What do you do when it really hurts and you need to get back to functioning?

Brrrrrr-run

Temp:  -4C with 24 km/h winds

Such a chilly day today!  Holy cow!  My finger tips were getting icy while I ran.  Any skin that came in contact with the air had a ruddy red hue to it.  *hahah*

On the plus side, the school oval was dry (or frozen over) so that meant I didn't have wet socks or muddied pants when I got home.  Who knew that running in the cold could bring such bonuses?!  :)  And because of that, I forced myself to do an extra lap.... even though I really wanted to get back home and warm up.

In pouring over the data, I've been trying to find meager signs of improvement.  Looks like my lap times are a few seconds shorter and that my heart rate is lowering (trust me, not from lack of effort!).  But when I'm out on the track, I can't seem to run further or longer and it doesn't seem any easier.  I'm glad I have the watch to give me an accurate idea of where I'm at.  That's one of the reasons why I've stuck with using the oval... so that it's easier to track the differences in lap times.  Don't worry.  Eventually I'll move off of the track and onto the street for longer distances.  Promise.

Total distance:  1.79mi
Best lap:  3:00
Avg pace:  13:21/mi

Avg heartrate:  157 bpm

Monday morning

... ya know what that means, right?

Today's temp shows as being -4C.. with wind chill making it feel like -11C.

I can't wait!  See you in an hour!

Sweet tooth

For some reason, fighting the sugar cravings bad tonight.

This is what I'm craving.  One of the best gelato places in town.  My two favourite flavours are cherimoya and marzipan.  By the way, now that Christmas is around the corner, the little Italian grocery stores in my area are finally stocking marzipan bars again.  Yay for that!!

For now, I'm brewing some Mint Chocolate Truffle tea and sweetening it with agave syrup.

Oh!  There's the tea kettle whistling!  :)

Sleep!

I love how timely this photo article is!  Yes, indeed.  Sleep does help the brain be more alert!

Neglectful me

Now that I have Daily Mile that reports my "huffing" attempts, I've noticed that I'm less inclined to write a post about them as well.

Now is not a good time to do it (while trying to finish an essay), but I did want to note that I went out on Monday AND Wednesday.  Tomorrow will be my last running obligation for the week.  I'm pleased to have gone to the track 4 out of the last 5 days.  I think that's great!

I also think it's great that I'm finally sleeping in my own bed again (long story) and that I'm sleeping WELL in it.  It pleases me to no end to say it because I bought a beautiful new bed and mattress at the beginning of this year only to find that I couldn't sleep well in it!  But that doesn't seem to be the case of late.  Yay!

Anyway, maybe my next 'real' post will be about sleep and its importance to our health.

Bye for now!

The waiting is killing me!

I'm soooooooo eager for my bananas to ripen!  I've been smoothie-less for the last few days and the suspense is killing me.  Reminds me of an old 80's commercial.....



Do you remember this?

Weigh-in Day

So today was a weigh-in day.  It's already been 14 days since the last one.  Highlights from the past two weeks include car accident, insurance company wranglings, attempted car break-in, more insurance stuff, three computer infections and two hard drive reformats.  It also includes two insightful conversations with my life coach, a new training plan, two less papers to worry about and a nifty watch to keep track of it all.  I also finally had the courage to pick up the urn with the remains of my Snoopy and Bijou from the vets.  That was a big deal.  They're home with me now.  May they rest peacefully.

Okay, I've delayed this enough.  The results are....

180.6lbs

That makes me +0.2lbs, which I suppose really isn't good/bad.  But it's also not weight loss.  Must do better next weigh-in.  However, I am glad it wasn't as high as it was earlier last week.  The running/walking these past few days have helped, I'm sure.

That's it for now.  Life, love and light to you.  Namaste.

Quote of the Day

"The groundwork of all happiness is health."-Leigh Hunt

Threw in a quick run!

I have now scheduled my runs to happen on M-W-F in the mornings.  But today, after getting off the phone with someone, I thought a run might clear my head.  It didn't really help, but at least I knocked off a run.  And from the looks of it, I improved slightly from yesterday's times, too!  Yay!

Distance:  1.55mi / 2.49km
Time:  21:23
Avg Pace:  13:50/mi
Max BPM:  186
Avg BPM:  160

Tomorrow is my weigh-in.  It's not going to be pretty.

EDIT:  By the way, I signed up for DailyMile and added their widget onto this page so that you can see my last run at a glance.  Neat!

PS: No pics

Sorry for the lack of photos.  Ever since I discovered my camera's SD card has a virus, I'm afraid to plug it into my computer.  I've got papers to finish this weekend and I've already lost a week and a half to this fiasco, so please excuse the text-only posts.  I'll try to find interesting photos/video from others to include instead.

Get yo' run on!

After reading sooo many good reviews on the Garmin Forerunner 305, I decided to pick one up at our local Costco for $149.99CAD.  Sounds like the price had come down a fair bit and that it would be a good investment for my running training.  It also makes it easier for me to report how long/far/fast I did my exercise for the day.  Keeps me honest!  ;)  After a few laps, I lose count and can't report back the distance completed.

So how did I do today?


Distance:  3.0mi / 4.82kms
Time:  45:10
Avg Pace:  15:05/mi
Max BPM:  187
Avg BPM:  152

I'm slow as a snail, but going to work hard at getting quicker and going further.  The times and distance also include the leisurely walk to the oval and back.  I originally had it loaded onto Garmin to show, but figured that for the sake of privacy, I probably shouldn't show my start and end location.  ;)

UPDATED: Bananatastic Smoothie recipe

Okay, I posted this recipe of mine earlier, but I've since tweaked the formula and made it even more irresistable.  So here are the deets:

Ingredients:

• bananas
• young coconut flesh
• can of coconut milk
• (almond) mik

Prep:

• Buy a bunch of bananas (organic or otherwise) ahead of time and let them ripen to a full speckle (but before the ends get dark/bruised).  This is the stage where you get the most bananatastic flavour.  Peel them, put them in a ziploc and then place in freezer.

• Buy a young (green) coconut at your local asian grocers (not the regular hard brown coconuts).  Open carefully or you'll spill the juice like I did.  You may need to experiment with a technique a few times, but it's OH-SO-WORTH-IT!  Drink/Save the coconut juice (you can use it in this recipe if you like).  Pull out all the fresh coconut meat.  I use my small hands, but for sausage-fingered guys, a spoon is just as good.  Put the flesh into the same ziploc bag and freeze.  

Make:

Place 1-1/2 frozen bananas into blender.  Add a small chunk of coconut (don't need a lot.).  Pour a little coconut milk for added creamy-ness.  Maybe 1/2 of a cup.  I eyeball it.  Then fill the rest with unsweetened (almond/soy/regular) milk (10oz).  Blend till smooth.  

[I use a magic bullet, so the serving size is perfect for one person, one glass... which truthfully, is all I should be making for myself.  I would guess that the serving size is about 355ml (a can of pop).]

This comes out smelling like a tropical beach.  I'm always so excited with anticipation during the time it takes me to make it.  And because I have my fruit ready and frozen, it takes me less than a minute to whip this up when I feel like a treat.  It's unbelievably simple and quick, and yummy-nummy!!!  The hardest part for me is waiting for the bananas to speckle!  *ahahaa*  

Try this recipe and let me know what you think!  

Quote of the Day

"If you don't do what's best for your body, you're the one who comes up on the short end."-Julius Erving

Sit-ups (kinda)

So when the heck did sit-ups become so difficult??  Must have happened sometime in the last 8 years.  That's how long it's been since the last time I remember doing sit-ups.

Embarrassing, yeah..... I know.

But hey, this isn't about being "perfect", right?  So this morning worked on upper abs and last night, worked on lower.  I'll get better at this.  Promise.  :)

Quote of the Day

"The first wealth is health."-Ralph Waldo Emerson

  

>>What can I say?  That pretty much sums it up.

My dearly missed companion

I'm not sure why, but I suddenly burst into tears at the thought of my Snoopy.  He was my constant companion for almost 15 years.  Aside from when I wasn't in town, I almost always slept with him in my arms and/or at the foot of the bed.  He passed away at the end of July.

Now, I know this blog is largely about my journey back to physical health.  But Snoopy was such a huge part of my life and my happiness.  I adored everything about that cat and made sure to let him know every day how much I loved him.

These are just a few of the things that I loved about him:

• he would usually come when called.  And if my voice was panicked when calling, he would call out to me as if to reassure me that he was okay and was on his way.
• he loved to follow me around the house.  I loved having him follow me.
• on the weekends, I would hold him and take lovely cat naps on lazy, sunny afternoons.
• he would give me cat kisses on my face if I asked for them.
• he would let me hold his paws, even though he didn't really like it.  He knew how much I adored his white paws.
• he stayed next to me if I was crying.  He would sit with me now, if he could, and try to comfort me.

I miss him.  I guess I wanted to share that.

I'm sick...

.... of my computers getting sick.  Blah.

In the span of a week, both of my computers manage to get heavily infected with viruses.  [No, I don't surf porn... though at this rate, it wouldn't make any difference to my computer's security!]  It's been a very frustrating experience as I haven't had computer access or internet access.  I've just reformatted my laptop.  I'll have to do something for my desktop (which won't be easy given it doesn't have a partition with Rescue and Recovery options built in).

I've also been managing this week very poorly.  I'm a little mentally run down from having back-to-back challenges.  Haven't been running (though I've been walking a bit).  My diet has been erratic.  Last time I stepped on the scale (a few days ago), it registered 184.  But I'm not down about it.  This week, I will make sure to get to the track at least 3 times, but I'll strive for 5.  Wish me "hard work"!

Mom's soup!

I don't know what she put into this soup, but I guarantee you that LOVE was the major ingredient.  [Gawd, does that sound as cheesy as it looks?!?]  :D  *hahaa*

But I love my mom.  And she adores cheeeeese!  *BIGgrin*

So I thought I'd share a picture of my brekkie/lunch.  I dare you to tell me that her soup doesn't look like it was made with love!  Actually, why don't you share with me your favourite soup recipe?

All Saints Day

Today is a weigh-in day.  Stepped on the scale and revealed a 180.4lbs.  Not an earth shattering moment, but that's okay.  Glad it didn't go up.  Down about a pound.

Saw my mother yesterday.  We went out for dinner.. had Shanghainese food.  Ever try it?  Super tasty.  Little bit on the greasy side, but Mom rinsed all her food in warm water.  Sounds kind of silly to do that, but I support whatever she needs to do to lose weight and gain back her health.  All the medication that she has to take is tough on her.  Both of us rarely, rarely take medication... unless absolutely necessary.  Now she has all kinds of pills to take.  It's a difficult reminder about our health and mortality.  I'm hoping that my continued progress spurs her on as well.

Tonight, I had some lovely borscht that she made for me.  Good, delicious soup for cold autumn days.  I gobbled it up so quickly that I didn't take a picture.  I have some leftovers, so I'll be sure to show you tomorrow.  For now, hope you all had a ghoulish Hallow's Eve.

Much love and blessings...

What do you carry with you?

Weight:  180lbs

Did my run today.  I can almost do 3/4 of the track now.  Woohoo, baby!  Small victory. *high five*

Sorry for the protracted silence this weekend.  Didn't think the car accident would throw me off my game, particularly since it wasn't anything major.  However, it did.  I recognise that now.

You know, one of the biggest things that I battle with is not letting go of things.  It makes a bad situation worse.  I was upset about the accident.  I didn't cause it, but it still upset me and I blamed myself for not being able to avoid it.  So that got me unhappy this weekend... .and hence, no blogging, no running, nothing.  I got bogged down about being 'bogged down'.  Talk about unproductive feelings!

I've spoken before about forgiveness because I think guilt is something that most of us hold onto in one form or another... and often without realising it.  Ask yourself today, what haven't you forgiven yourself for?  What haven't you let go?  Down on yourself about not doing enough house chores?  About missing a jog?  Or having dessert?  About a certain life choice you made?  Or the little choices you made along the way?

How would you feel if you forgave yourself for that?  How would you feel after letting that go?

Bananatastic!

Last night, I made an awesome smoothie .  Super yummy and healthy.  Thought I'd share it with you!

• 11/2 frozen ripe banana (peel the skin ahead of time, then throw into freezer overnight)
• 1/2 of the inside of a young coconut (find at asian grocers - the soft meat pulls out of the shell easily)
• 10oz of almond milk unsweetened (substitute with your "milk" of choice)

Blend till smooth.  I used a magic bullet 'cause it was convenient.  Whatever blender you have at home will do.  

It's sweet and fragrant from the ripe banana, and rich and creamy from the coconut meat.  How simple is that?  If you can't find young coconuts, don't worry about including them.  I've made this without it and it's still tasty.  Kids love it 'cause it's such a treat.

Grrr...

Totally grumpy tonight.  Had someone t-bone my car.  When I called in the claim, the adjuster said that the other party gave a completely different account.  So now it has to go to a special adjuster.

GrRrrr.... ARgh!

Tomorrow will be a better day.  It will.  I'm sure of it.

Weight:  179lbs

Do Life.

So I want to give a shout out to one of the people who inspired me to take up the challenge of improving my health and to blog about it -- Ben, of Ben Does Life fame.

Ben made a decision two years ago to change his life.... and he's been on that journey ever since.  He started out at 358lbs and is now down to an incredible 240lbs-ish!  He's done tons of races and a few marathons and even an Ironman.  He's completely turned his life around.  But it's not the numbers that impress me most.  It's the attitude he's shown and his generosity of spirit.   He shares a lot of himself (unvarnished).  And though he's not quite at his goal weight, his blog seems to have taken on a new purpose (though I don't think Ben has explicitly said it):  to give back, and to help, and to inform and inspire others on their own journey.

But don't take my word for it.  Check it out his blog and watch his story!


Have a great day, everyone!  Live an inspired life.

What do you do when it's a slog?

Weight:  179lbs

Tonight I made it out the door and did a run.  Yay!  I know it's a small, but crucial victory.  I didn't go for very long, but it was great to see that I could run a little bit longer still.  I must admit, it feels great to notice the improvements in stamina and breathing and heart rate.  I'm starting to be able to run 1/2 the track now.  That's still only 200m and a few seconds longer, but it's an IMPROVEMENT!!!  :)  I'm looking forward to the day that I can go for 40mins of running without stopping.  That's something I've never been able to do, even when I was younger and much fitter.  So that's one of the goals that I'm working towards.

I was hungry and tired after class, so as an incentive to complete my activity, I promised myself that I would only have to run for as long as it took the frozen lasagna to heat in the oven.  How's that for making sure I didn't have a long workout??  *haha*











I know I promised to share some insights into my core values, but I'm bushed and have a lot of readings to complete before I can go to bed.  So please, excuse me as I beg off.  The books are calling.

Today's question:  What do you do when motivation is low and it's a challenge to get yourself out the door?

More about the journey

You know, as I came home today, I was reflecting on my day and what I would blog about tonight.  I'm pretty exhausted.  Really tired because I stayed up all night trying to get some school work done.  Finally had to lay down for a couple of hours because my eyes were super dry (had an eye injury before) and my brain was showing me the Principle of Diminishing Returns.  *haha*

These are so soft and tasty... yum!

Just finished dinner.  My first meal / food today.  Not great, I know.  But what can you do?  These are water dumplings.  LOVE them.  Quick and easy.  I almost gobbled these all up before realising a picture might be nice to share.  Yum!

See how they're almost gone!  I started with 12 of these little suckers!

So putting that aside, I thought I would share with you a little more about what this journey means to me.  These last few days have been filled with introspection and reflexivity.  Those of you who know me, know that I do this pretty often as is!  ;)

This time around, I've been reeeally focused on only two things:

1) Remembering my core values.  Making sure that I am clear about the values that I most cherish in my life for my life.  (ie What are the things that mean the most to me, and bring me the most joy and love and happiness?  What are the things that give me the best quality of life?); 

 2)  What do I want to achieve for myself?  What is the path I need to take to get there?  

These are the kinds of questions that my beautiful, amazing life coach put forward to me.

As I get my head/health/heart back on track, I'm finding myself in a better head space and gaining more clarity every day.  And that is what this whole blog is about.  Getting back on track...!  Moving towards those goals that speak to my core values!  This journey isn't about losing weight, or fitting a particular dress/image.  It's about discovery... finding myself.... and choosing the kind of life that I want for me.

How exciting is that?

Tomorrow:  I will share some of my core values with you.
Weight:  179lbs

School work day

Weight:  178

Priority is school today.  I've got a mad dash to finish a paper for school.  Running to meet deadlines seems to be my most consistent form of running

Hrmph.

On a good note, obviously the juicing helped.  Weight dropped 3 lbs from yesterday.  But I can't put stock into that number.  Weight can fluctuate so wildly.  Besides, this journey is not about losing weight.  It's about gaining my health back.  ...which is why.... I've decided to record my weigh-ins on the 1st and 15th of each month.  I'll likely weigh myself a bit more regularly than that, but I'm not going to get too excited about making a note of it until the specified days.

Ran before the rain

Knocked off an activity today.  Getting ever so slowly better -- little by little.  I can run for a little while longer and I can push myself more frequently.  I still can't run around the entire track without stopping, but I'm sure I'll get there.  Figured out that the track is a 400m oval, so I can also figure out my pace from there.  Yay!

Bitter (drink) to swallow

Have you ever heard of bitter melon?  Ever tried it?  Seen it?

I was at the Asian supermarket the other night and decided to pick one of these puppies up.  In the past, I used to have it whenever my mother used the juicer.  So let's just say it's an acquired taste.  :P

This morning's juice continued the green theme from last time.  I chose these items less for their taste, and more for their detox properties.

- 1/2 bitter melon
- 1/2 cucumber
- 2 stalks of kale
- 2 stalks of celery
- bit of spinach
- bit of thai basil
- 1 lime
- 1 apple
- 1 bit of ginger
- 2 kiwis (not juiced, but eaten concurrently)



End result?  A pint of that green liquid goodness!  Because it is highly perishable, you should drink it immediately.  Right now, my tummy feels full and jiggly from all this juice.  Unfortunately, I'm hungry and the juice did nothing for it.  Have to wait till my system processes a bit before I have room for toast.

Weight:  181

Oh, snap!

Boy, today has felt like a bit of an off day.  No jogging, big dinner (yummy dumplings), bad-for-you BUT oh-so-tasty snacks... If I didn't know better, I would feel bad about it.

HOWEVER.  This is not about feeling bad.  It's about being okay with mistakes and imperfections.  It's about letting go of that heavy yoke called guilt that we all wear like a dirty hairshirt.  And instead, moving towards a healthier place -- in all aspects.

So today, I'm saying it's okay that I took the day off.  Tomorrow, I'll get back at it again.

Meanwhile, I had the munchies after dinner.  I attempted some redemption with the following:

How did I do?

Blooming bush

I have a lovely gardenia standard (ie a bush trained into a tree) in my place that has just given me my first autumn bloom.  A few more ripe buds will follow suit shortly.

They are one of the most wonderful, intoxicatingly fragrant flowers to have.
Can you smell it?
Sweet, creamy, heady, exotic.  *sigh*


The blooms last but a few days, so I enjoy them while I can.  I feel blessed to have them.

My friend says, they bloom just for me......  Now isn't that a lovely thought?

PS  The species I have are known as gardenia jasminoides.

School work day

Weight:  181lbs

This morning, I'm torn between getting out and knocking off my activity for today, or staying in and getting some much needed reading done.

Drat.  Just checked and there is a wind warning in effect.

Okay.  Reading till 11am.  I'll see where I'm at then.

Breakfast  leftovers from last night.  Tofu and veggies.  Asian-style.  What do you guys think about savory foods in the morning?  Is that crazy?

Brekkie for a blah day

Weight:  180lbs (stubbornly holding steady)

It's grey and dreary.  But it's dry.  So I'm going to put on my runners and huff my way around the track.

Breakfast this morning was not plain toast as I had originally planned.  Instead, I did it Elvis-style -- peanut butter and banana.  Great pick-me-up for a blah morning like today.

I'm off to run!

IT GETS BETTER

A couple of days ago, I missed out on wearing purple for Spirit Day on Oct 20. Didn't even know about the event until I got home.

Whether it's for being gay, or overweight, or different, bullying can be such a difficult issue in a young person's life. I may have missed the opportunity to show my support that particular day, but it's an issue that can be addressed every day.

Please know, IT GET'S BETTER. It really does. In a few short years, you can move on and leave those bullies behind. Go out in the world and find those who love and accept you. They are out there. And they can't wait to meet you! =)

Much love. Namaste.

Edit: Turns out that I didn't completely miss my opportunity.  I did post an awesome song that really speaks to today's message.  "Things will get better!"  Have a listen.  Make it your anthem.

...the old man is snoring....

This is what I'm looking at this weekend.  Check out those rainfall totals!

 I'm not keen enough to slog through the rain and I don't have a rainy day plan yet, so......

Okay.  I guess I'm doing sit-ups and push-ups tonight.

Buttering bread

Weight: 180lbs

This morning's weigh-in revealed that I'm back up a pound. I'm not super concerned... yet. I've only just started this, so there's little need to panic. However, I am wondering if I should be weighing in daily.  Is that just obsessive and excessive?  Maybe a bi-weekly weigh-in would be more appropriate.  What do you think? "Weigh-in" on the poll.

Just looked at the time and I've gots ta get meself to skool!  Eeek!

Breakfast:  buttered toast.  Thought about substituting with jam, but then reconsidered all that sugar.  Not sure which is the lesser of the evils (fat vs sugar).  Tomorrow I'm going to try plain toast.  Maybe with a banana.  Leave a comment if you have a preference or suggestion.  :)

Things will get better!

Music by bendsinister

In the soundtrack of my life, this has been my anthem for this past week.

It's so green I can SMELL it!

Came back from my walk/run, and my place smells like freshly cut grass.  *haha*  Might explain what I drank this morning.  *grin*

I'm tuckered out.  Tried running a bit more this time.  Still can't run for very long.  Feels like I can only run for a few seconds and then have to stop.  I can run for about a 1/4 of the track.  I've also noticed that doing the slow jog thing doesn't make it easier for me.  I don't last any longer and I definitely don't get any further.  But it's getting better.

If you've got running techniques, or even health/diet advice or comments, I'm totally up for hearing them!  :)

Feeling green this morning?

Weight:  179lbs

Less hectic this morning, so I made some green juice.  Kale, chard, cucumbers, lime and ginger.  One word.

Eech.

My fault for not putting some sweet fruit in there.  I didn't want to chance it.  The juicer was groining about the kale and chard.  In fact, it decided to quit while mid-juicing.  Tomorrow I'll give it another try.  See if I really broke it or not.  :)

Was thinking about going down to the oval in my neighbourhood.  Worried about interfering with the high school kids and their gym classes.  Maybe that's just an excuse.  If I do a quick 30mins, I might be done and gone before they're there.  Okay.  Good plan.

Now go do it.

Grocery shopping while hungry

No news today.  Had school work on my plate, so I forewent anything nutritious or active.  Skipped breakfast and lunch (*bad*), but I make it a point NOT to eat on campus since it's so expensive.  Plus, I parked the car in the parkade ($14 bucks... YIKES!), so I definitely wasn't eating till I got home.  Unfortunately, that meant I went grocery shopping while hungry......

So what does a hungry bunny buy?

- whole wheat bread (doing okay)
- tomatoes (still okay)
- butter (for baking, maybe not a good thing, but alright)
- frozen lasagna on sale (sliding a bit)
- can of soup (slowly down the skid)
- bag of Sunchips (uh... )
- bag of halloween-sized peanut butter cups (what?!)

I've actually been thinking of sunchips for a few days.  I'll keep them around.  Portion it out.  Make them last till Halloween.  That's my goal.

Forgot to mention that I did my exercise today.  30mins of walking/running.  Yay!  By the way, going to start publishing my morning weight.  That sounds super scary to me.  But I'm going to put it out there anyway.

Today's weigh in:  179lbs (down a pound from yesterday).

Veggie crazy?

Last night I dropped by the grocers and picked up some fruit in anticipation of juicing.

What did I have this morning?

Organic Green Kale
Celery
Carrots
Beets
Green apples
Lime

Thai basil

Ginger

How did it taste?  Zingy!  It had a light zest to it.  The lime, basil and ginger were my favourite parts.  Perfect as my morning pick-me-up!  And I love the bright contrasting colours!

Lunch was simple.  Buckwheat soba noodles with Mom's special homemade XO sauce, seaweed and soba sauce.  Delicious and easy as heck to make.







Dinner was a big spinach salad loaded with an egg, half an avocado, a tomato, some provolone and mushrooms, and a sprinkling of dried cranberries.  I'm going to have to learn portion control.  :)  Even with salads.

Lemonade needs a juicer

Today, I hunted down a juicer so that I could start making more juices for myself.  Good healthy way to get more nutrients into your system.  I picked up an oldie-but-a-goodie.  Mom used to have one of these at home and it lasted for decades... until she accidentally threw out the filter screen.  Oops!

So I found the same one on Craigslist -- the Braun MP50.  It's loud and big and bulky.  But it's also affordable and dependable.  Check out the label.  "West Germany".  This baby is at least 20+ years old!  

Tomorrow we'll see what kind of work I can make it do.  

Can I also mention that I'm a big fan of giving items a second chance at a new life.  It's a great way to help the environment.  There's so much junk in the world, but some of it is bound to be someone else's treasure.  Just think about it.

Ms. Huffy-puffy on the bike

So I've knocked off my activity for today.

50mins on the bike to a local farmer's market.  Round trip around 6km (if you include my getting lost).

It was embarrassing!  Haven't been on my bike for three years... and it SHOWED!  I used to do 16km in about the same time.  Granted, Richmond is totally, blessedly flat and I took quiet side roads.  Aaah, those were the days.  *haha*

Anyway.  Glad to dust off the bike and take it out for a ride.

Wild about wild rice!

We all know that whole grain foods are good for you.  What might be news to some is that it can taste fantastic.

Yesterday, after my first walk/jog (yay!), I made some wild rice for dinner.  Here's what I used:

1 cup of roasted organic wild rice
1 yellow pepper
1/2 long eggplant
1/2 onion
3 cloves of garlic
4 shitake mushrooms
1 honey garlic sausage (optional)
sprinkling of parmesan cheese (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

1. Soak rice overnight so that it begins to flower.  Combine rice w/ about 4 cups of water.  Bring to full boil.  Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 30min.

2. Chop veggies.  Throw everything into pot, except yellow pepper.  Leave those till the last to retain colour and crispness.  Toss in a pinch of salt.  Reduce heat, keep covered.

3.  If you want to use a sausage like I did, remove pork from casing and cook separately.  Break it into little pieces with your fork.  Then add it to the rice pot.  Pancetta would also go nicely because of its rich, smoky flavour.

4.  Depending on how firm/mushy you like your rice, keep over low heat until satisfied.  Drain the remaining water, if any.

I used enough water and waited long enough for the water to burn off in the uncovered pot.  What I was left with was nice, soft rice.  If you like, sprinkle with some parmesan cheese after.  Hmmm..... Plenty of leftovers.  Serves about 4-5 servings.  Enjoy!

Welcome!

So last night I decided that as a part of my quest to get myself back to a healthier place, I would put up a blog.  If other people can read it, that means I need to be more accountable for the goals I set for myself.

My mother recently underwent a heart procedure (angioplasty) to help get more blood into her heart.  It was a wake up call for her.  And for me.  Over the years, I've slowly been gaining weight.  Clothes that used to be my favourite now languish in the back of the closet because I can't fit them.  And going clothes shopping is just plain humbling!  I've gone up as much as 4 sizes.  Seeing my mother change her diet and eating habits, and witnessing her physical change within a short month's time has inspired me to make a change.

This past year has been incredibly challenging.  Personal relationships.  Love loss.  Job loss.  Pet loss.   Mom's health.  Back to school full-time.  I was spiraling into a tail spin and feeling so overwhelmed.

In fact, I still feel very overwhelmed.  But I want to make a difference in my life.  I NEED to make a difference.  So I'm going to start with simple, small things.  Change my diet.  Incorporate some exercise into my routine.  Take on a life coach.  You heard me.  I have a life coach!  Actually, a life coach-in-training.  The amazing Ms. S has provided me with this opportunity for a symbiotic relationship.  I'm her guinea pig and she's my coach.  She is one of the loveliest persons I've met.  My journey with her will last six months.  I'll keep you posted.

For today, I just wanted to start this off.  Share a bit.  Tomorrow I'll do the same.  And the day after.... Thanks for being a part of this.

Namaste.
bunny