Inspriational Snack: Stay Out of the Gray Twilight

Far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by defeat, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory or defeat.

-Theodore Roosevelt

INSPIRATIONAL SNACK

Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.

- Will Rogers

INSPIRATIONAL SNACK

The greatest risk is to risk nothing at all.

-Leo Buscaglia

Be FINANCIALLY HEALTHY: Still Debt Free!!

Just a quick reminder.

:0)

Be HEALTHY: 6 weeks of (mostly) sugar-free, fake food-free, gluten-free amazingness.

WEll, I had intended to track my progress over the past 6 weeks with the Spent program (It's not a diet!!), but, well....that didn't happen. So instead, you get a nice and compact summary of the past 6 weeks, all wrapped up with a neat little bow.

Rather than focust on all of the things that I haven't been eating over the past 6 weeks, I'd like to share all of the delicious culinary curiosities that I have been enjoying.

1) The Breakfast Smoothies. Watch out Jamba Juice...here comes my blender! As part of the Spent Program, Dr. Lipman recommends eating a protien- and green powder-packed smoothie each morning.  I've done Raspberry/Blueberry/Banana, Strawberry/Mango/Banana, Blueberry/Avocado, Ginger Pear (one of my favs), even Chocolate Avocado (yes! chocolate for breakfast!) ...They are absolutely delicious and refreshing.

2) Almond Milk - So I originally bought this just as a smoothie ingredient (since cow dairy is off limits), and now I find myself looking for excuses to drink it. My latest gem: almond milk on gluten-free granola. Delish.

3) Quinoa - I've fallen in love all over again with this delicious grain. I think my fav was quinoa with butternut squash and pine nuts. mmm.

4) Goat Cheese (a.k.a. chevre.. tre french, oui?) - So I think you're really not supposed to eat dairy products at all, but I took the "sheep/goat milk is ok" loophole and ran with it. Turns out goat cheese is creamy and delicious and spreads on toast (rice toast) just like cream cheese! It is really delicious with berries on top, too.

And how do I feel after 6-weeks of energy-inducing eating? Great! I don't feel the ups and downs of energy throughout the day that I used to. I've lost 5 pounds. I'm eating food that tastes good, not just food that is available.

It hasn't all been roses and sunshine. I've had to pass on a lot of beer, french fries, and nachos (St. Pattys day was one of the most saintly days I've had all year...). Co-workers' birthday cake? No thanks.  Wine at Tuesday Night Dinner? hahaha...maybe once or twice. I'm not a robot!

Which brings me to one of the most valuable lessons I've learned from my detox program (it's not a diet!): stop "shoulding" and start accepting. There were actually specific sections of Dr. Lipman's book dedicated to basically telling you to chill out and stop being so darn hard on yourself. So yes, I had a glass of wine here and there, or a birthday scoop of ice cream. But that doesn't mean that I failed at my overall goal, which was to Be Healthy. I feel healthier, more energectic, and more centered and in control than I did 6 weeks ago.

Oh, and did I mention that I get to eat chocolate for breakfast??

INSPIRATIONAL SNACK

"The deepest friendships have nothing to do with proximity; they aren't based on how long we've known each other but on how well we love each other."

-Paige Williams, Oprah Magazine

INSPIRATIONAL SNACK

Not all who wander are lost.

J.R.R. Tolkein

BE HEALTHY: Making Some Changes

I am in week 5 of my 1/2 Marathon training. Here's a quick overview of what I've accomplished in weeks 1-5:

Total Miles Run To Date: 68
Total Pounds Burned: 2
Total Donuts Burned: 48.83
Longest Run: 8 Miles (wahoo!)
Fastest Pace: 9:58 per mile on a 4 mile run

Overall, things are going great! I feel like I'm getting stronger and faster and my bones haven't given out on me yet. I can see a bit more muscle tone all over. And the energy boost I get from the regular exercise is great! Like caffeine, but waay better.

This being said, let me direct your attention back to the first two bullets above. 68 miles run to date, 2 pounds lost. To be perfectly honest, I expected the weight loss from this training to be more significant. I know, I know, I'm building muscle mass which weighs more than fat. But still...

It's time to face the music. It's something that I've been dancing around most of my life. I have poor eating habits. I always have. When I put the effort foward, I make great, heathly meals. But when I'm tired and busy at work, or just making food for myself, I put far less effort forward. At these times I turn to cereal, energy bars, bagels, pizza...you get the gist. It's (seemingly) a lot easier to grab a piece of pizza and a coke than to make a sandwich in the morning.  And cookies and ice cream are absolute kryptonite to me. And I am really doing my body a disservice by putting bad food into it, then asking it to run for miles and miles. I should be filling my body with good, nutritious fuel.

So I've decided to make some changes. My dear friend, Olivia, has recently been blogging about her great experience with the Spent program, created by Dr. Frank Lipman. The goal of Spent is to restore your body to its natural rhythms through nourishment, which includes diet, sleep, relaxation and meditation. It proposes a wellness philosophy that encompasses both western and eastern medicine.

Step one of the program: No Sugar.
Perfect!

The program takes preparation, a.k.a. ridding cupboards and fridge of all packaged, sugar-filled foods. I was looking around my kitchen tonight, noticing all of the items I was going to have to throw away. I could feel the resistance building inside me. But then I thought to myself "why am I hanging onto food that does not benefit me? Why would I choose to continue a behavior that is unhealthy? Why don't I choose health and well-being?"

So today I choose health. We'll see how this goes!

Be FINANCIALLY HEALTHY: Debt Free!!!

This post is waaaay overdue, but I had to announce:

I am credit card debt free!!!!

It feels awesome. I still have my school loans to pay, but I am free of all debt that was generated as a result of poor fiscal management.

Next step is to keep it this way. As I now have some more free cash, I want to continue to be disciplined, responsible, and smart with my money.

Over the next couple weeks, I'll think more about some resolutions that will help me along my journey toward financial health.

BE HEALTHY: I'm running HOW far?!?

One of my resolutions this year is to be healthy by doing things that are just generally good for my physical and mental health.

A bit of background: I've always considered myself to be an athlete; I've been swimming since I was 9, played soccer for a stint from 6th-8th grade, then switched over to water polo for high school and college. I love sports and excercise as it is a great way to relieve stress, keep the scale in a happy place, and I've always been blessed to have awesome teammates who were there for a laugh, a cheer, and a good kick in the butt when I needed it.

After taking a bit of a hiatus from the world of athletics after college (I tried the gym thing...we just really didn't get along. We've agreed to disagree), I'm back on the sports bandwagon! I've been part of the FINS Aquatics team for a year now, and had an awesome time playing Soccer and Softball (Yeah Master Batters!) last year.

...and now it is time for a new challgenge. On April 23, 2010 I will be running a half-marathon. Yes, that's right, I will be running 13 miles. The water girl is going amphibious in 2010. Watch out!

I'm totally scared and intimidated by the idea of running 13 miles (apparently I have to do it all at once...). But here's why kicked the fear to the curb and signed right up:

1) It's something new. I am stepping outside of my comfort zone. ("What do you mean I won't be in a pool!?!?") I suspect (and will report on later) that stepping out of my comfort zone in one area of my life will lead to the same in other areas of my life. Today: run 13 miles. Tomorrow: conquer the world!


2) It's something to work toward. After college, there are very few opportunities to set concrete, short-term goals for yourself. So all of that energy that I used to put toward college applications/midterms/finals/group projects/job applications, I will now be putting toward bettering myself and my heath. My Type A side is rejoicing.


3) Focus and Discipline. I'm going to be training for 12 weeks to prepare for the big race which will be an awesome exercise in focus and discipline. Especially on the days when running a breezy 7 miles seems unappetizing....


4) Better Health (a.k.a. Skinny Pants).  As I will be running 10-20 miles per week for the next 12 weeks. I better lose some weight. Oh yeah, and improve my cardiovascular health and muscle strength which will help me to fight heart disease and osteoporosis later in life.


5) Cuz my crazy boyfriend asked me. Did I mention this was his idea? It'll be great to have the quality time with him while doing somehting fun and healthy...and he'll be there to give me a little push when I need it (literally...he's already had to push me up a hill!)

Well, stay tuned for progress reports!