I grabbed five pullups ~ YES!!
I assume that all holiday weeks will naturally be a little funky. The kids were off school this week, I had two tests and Jay had one. They ended up doing P90X with us several times, and we squeezed it in during the time of day when we could...sometimes in the morning, other times in the evening. We moved Wednesday's workout to Sunday....and so on.
By the way...Sunday is our new "day off" after the rearrangements we made during our Week 10.
We decided to take Thanksgiving day off. We spent time with family, enjoyed the traditional holiday food including pie and wine, and kept our portion sizes small. We chose not to have any of the day-after-Thanksgiving leftovers, though.
The morning after turkey day, we woke up and worked out first thing. Of course, I had trouble sleeping after two glasses of wine...I fell asleep quickly, but I woke up at 3 am and couldn't sleep for about an hour. And, my tummy was upset for the next 24 hours. I think we've just reduced our saturated fat so much in our daily intake that my system wasn't used to it. Even though I didn't have much, it was enough.
Overall, it was an awesome holiday week. We got in five workouts, partook in the holiday traditions, and ate clean the rest of the week.
Let's Change Your Life
Two years ago, Christmas of 2008, I was a different person.
I had gotten caught up in the trap that so many others in their late 20s-mid 30s seems to find themselves in....work/commute/mortgage/kids/never have time for yourself. Having been a former college scholarship swimmer, I felt that I had let myself down in the most significant of ways. See, I knew how to work out. I knew how to eat correctly. I had spent years and years making sure that I ate foods that gave me energy. I had spent countless hours in a pool and in a weight room fine-tuning myself for better performance. I cross trained, I avoided injury, I was an athlete. And, then that Christmas, I looked at myself with disgust. I could barely see a shadow of the person I once knew. Enough was enough.
When is it time to change your life?
Do you wait until a doctor has a stern talk with you? Do you wait until your heart palpations and heartburn have gotten so severe that you take antacids following each meal? Do you walk into a boutique full of cute clothing and find that you cannot fit into a single pair of pants? Do you avoid the park because you don't have enough energy, instead telling your children to play XBox at home? Do you attempt a weight loss surgery, diet pills, or any other artificial means of putting a bandaid on a gaping wound?
Here's the thing...if you look at junk food right now and know that you cannot go a month, a week, a day without stopping in the drive-thru or breaking out the bag of potato chips, then you've got a problem. You're addicted. If you cannot find the time to maintain a consistent rigorous exercise schedule for longer than a few months, then there's a problem. If you blame your genetics without taking into effect the environmental factors of your health, then it's time to do some serious self examination.
The traditional way of weight loss is about deprivation, will power, and self control. If that didn't work before, then why would it work now? The traditional way of dieting is about having the strength to avoid all of the bad stuff. Nobody is that strong. That is a road that leads to shame, beating ourselves up, and feeling like we've once again failed ourselves.
Try a different approach.
Your body is a holy being. It was created clean and whole. It has needs, it has a pH balance, it is most precious. It yearns for deep, natural sleep and quality nutrition. Years of polluting this beautiful gift of a body causes fatigue, muddy skin, irratibility, weight gain, and ultimately disease.
Pills and surgery don't address the underlying problems, which are still manifested and resurface. The road to health is paved with self reflection, patience, balance, priority, and learning how to turn off all of the noise around us so that we can learn to listen to our body and respond appropriately. We must change the psychology that is inside of our heads and our hearts in order to change. It is a gentle, kind, loving approach that is not at all about shame.
This Christmas, give yourself the gift that nobody else can give you - more energy, better sleep, more years on your life and a better cholesterol reading. Let's slim your waistline down and rewrite your story. I'm not a psychologist. I'm not a nutritionist. But, I can help you in your journey.
It doesn't happen overnight. But, it does happen.
I had gotten caught up in the trap that so many others in their late 20s-mid 30s seems to find themselves in....work/commute/mortgage/kids/never have time for yourself. Having been a former college scholarship swimmer, I felt that I had let myself down in the most significant of ways. See, I knew how to work out. I knew how to eat correctly. I had spent years and years making sure that I ate foods that gave me energy. I had spent countless hours in a pool and in a weight room fine-tuning myself for better performance. I cross trained, I avoided injury, I was an athlete. And, then that Christmas, I looked at myself with disgust. I could barely see a shadow of the person I once knew. Enough was enough.
Do you wait until a doctor has a stern talk with you? Do you wait until your heart palpations and heartburn have gotten so severe that you take antacids following each meal? Do you walk into a boutique full of cute clothing and find that you cannot fit into a single pair of pants? Do you avoid the park because you don't have enough energy, instead telling your children to play XBox at home? Do you attempt a weight loss surgery, diet pills, or any other artificial means of putting a bandaid on a gaping wound?
Here's the thing...if you look at junk food right now and know that you cannot go a month, a week, a day without stopping in the drive-thru or breaking out the bag of potato chips, then you've got a problem. You're addicted. If you cannot find the time to maintain a consistent rigorous exercise schedule for longer than a few months, then there's a problem. If you blame your genetics without taking into effect the environmental factors of your health, then it's time to do some serious self examination.
The traditional way of weight loss is about deprivation, will power, and self control. If that didn't work before, then why would it work now? The traditional way of dieting is about having the strength to avoid all of the bad stuff. Nobody is that strong. That is a road that leads to shame, beating ourselves up, and feeling like we've once again failed ourselves.
Try a different approach.
Your body is a holy being. It was created clean and whole. It has needs, it has a pH balance, it is most precious. It yearns for deep, natural sleep and quality nutrition. Years of polluting this beautiful gift of a body causes fatigue, muddy skin, irratibility, weight gain, and ultimately disease.
Pills and surgery don't address the underlying problems, which are still manifested and resurface. The road to health is paved with self reflection, patience, balance, priority, and learning how to turn off all of the noise around us so that we can learn to listen to our body and respond appropriately. We must change the psychology that is inside of our heads and our hearts in order to change. It is a gentle, kind, loving approach that is not at all about shame.
This Christmas, give yourself the gift that nobody else can give you - more energy, better sleep, more years on your life and a better cholesterol reading. Let's slim your waistline down and rewrite your story. I'm not a psychologist. I'm not a nutritionist. But, I can help you in your journey.
It doesn't happen overnight. But, it does happen.
"Parents Are Junkies..."
The other morning, I fired up the computer over a very strong cup of coffee. Jet and Kimber were having their breakfast that my sleepy-eyed husband had made, and we were in that web of space we have each morning where we take a big breath, smile, and look at each other with full knowledge of what's ahead.
The only way I know how to describe that moment each morning is like being in the first seat of an enormous roller coaster as it climbs up toward the sky, getting ready for the ride. Click. Click. Click.
When we saw this article about parents being junkies...addicted to parenting...we both laughed out loud.
The article talks about the many parenting moments of frustration followed by a singular, magical moment of pure bliss. The author, Shankar Vedantam, makes a considerable argument about neurotransmitter release in the brain, comparing it to the junkie who wants their next hit of a drug. If nothing else, the article is definitely entertaining, and worthy of any parent's 3 minutes....between changing a diaper or helping with homework.
I offer another explanation to why we parents love parenting, even though every single study conducted has shown how much unhappier people who have children tend to be...
Gravity.
I look back on the life of both myself and my husband before we had children. Fun...absolutely. Carefree...without a doubt. Expendable income, limitless time, the ability to have a conversation, or a glass of wine, to sleep late, or jet off to a foreign country with our only worry being that of finding our passports. Happy?? That depends on how one defines happiness.
The first night we brought our son home, I had the most serious wake-up call of my life. At 2am, after hours of not sleeping, he was still screaming. Hearing the words of one of my coworkers floating around in my head, "If you've tried everything and nothing seems to work....Mylecon..." Bam! Sleeping baby.
Gravity...my world had forever changed.
We got married because we had a child. We went back to school because of our children. I study twice the material in half the amount of time because I've got kids. We've stayed together during the really tough times because of those little heartbeats. There's something about the cement of sharing DNA that makes us both try harder. It's not easy, its not always fun, but having both of our children gave us a purpose outside of our own selfish desires and forced us to focus...not just for our future, for theirs. It gave us purpose, it rearranged our priorities, it gave us perspective. It gives us another reason to climb onto a treadmill or watch our saturated fat intake.
We dream about what they're going to be like as adults. We can't wait until we show them Germany or Hawaii. Jason's planning on building a chopper with Jet. I open my mouth every time Kimber wants to look down my throat hoping its a sign of a future career choice. Our dreams and hopes aren't so much about us, but about them.
Make no mistake, we don't try and live through our kids, we incorporate everything about them. We also very much recognize that in 12 very short years, our first child will be 18, and we will be having each other to look at. Jason always says to me, "At the end of the day, you'd better like me...because one day it's gonna just be you and me again..." I'd be lying if I said we didn't savor date nights, and we avoid at all costs talking about laundry, bills, or the what the kids need to do while we're on dates. But, I'd also be lying if I said that our family days, the times when it's just the four of us at the park, or hiking, or on a vaction, aren't equally savored.
When I wanted to get pregnant with Kimber, it was not because I was so addicted that I just had to have another. It was because in my heart, I knew our family was not yet complete. Our family felt out of balance, and I knew how badly Jet needed a sibling. "The greatest gift you can ever give your child is a brother or sister...." that same friend told me when I was contemplating getting pregnant. Thank God I listened to her. For us, it was right to have another.
So, last night when my daughter had her first school program, and kept leaving the stage to come and get a hug from me during the middle of each song, did I have that burst of oxytocin? Absolutely. I let the tears flow as I watched her time and time again climb back on the stage, go to the piano and hit a key while the pianist was playing, then say "hello" into the microphone during the song. She didn't do a thing she was supposed to do, and did everything she wasn't supposed to be doing. It didn't make me want to have another child, it made me want to cherish the moment for exactly what it was. It was worth any sacrifice I'd made.
And then, this morning....there's that strong cup of coffee.
The only way I know how to describe that moment each morning is like being in the first seat of an enormous roller coaster as it climbs up toward the sky, getting ready for the ride. Click. Click. Click.
When we saw this article about parents being junkies...addicted to parenting...we both laughed out loud.
The article talks about the many parenting moments of frustration followed by a singular, magical moment of pure bliss. The author, Shankar Vedantam, makes a considerable argument about neurotransmitter release in the brain, comparing it to the junkie who wants their next hit of a drug. If nothing else, the article is definitely entertaining, and worthy of any parent's 3 minutes....between changing a diaper or helping with homework.
I offer another explanation to why we parents love parenting, even though every single study conducted has shown how much unhappier people who have children tend to be...
Gravity.
I look back on the life of both myself and my husband before we had children. Fun...absolutely. Carefree...without a doubt. Expendable income, limitless time, the ability to have a conversation, or a glass of wine, to sleep late, or jet off to a foreign country with our only worry being that of finding our passports. Happy?? That depends on how one defines happiness.
The first night we brought our son home, I had the most serious wake-up call of my life. At 2am, after hours of not sleeping, he was still screaming. Hearing the words of one of my coworkers floating around in my head, "If you've tried everything and nothing seems to work....Mylecon..." Bam! Sleeping baby.
Gravity...my world had forever changed.
We got married because we had a child. We went back to school because of our children. I study twice the material in half the amount of time because I've got kids. We've stayed together during the really tough times because of those little heartbeats. There's something about the cement of sharing DNA that makes us both try harder. It's not easy, its not always fun, but having both of our children gave us a purpose outside of our own selfish desires and forced us to focus...not just for our future, for theirs. It gave us purpose, it rearranged our priorities, it gave us perspective. It gives us another reason to climb onto a treadmill or watch our saturated fat intake.
We dream about what they're going to be like as adults. We can't wait until we show them Germany or Hawaii. Jason's planning on building a chopper with Jet. I open my mouth every time Kimber wants to look down my throat hoping its a sign of a future career choice. Our dreams and hopes aren't so much about us, but about them.
Make no mistake, we don't try and live through our kids, we incorporate everything about them. We also very much recognize that in 12 very short years, our first child will be 18, and we will be having each other to look at. Jason always says to me, "At the end of the day, you'd better like me...because one day it's gonna just be you and me again..." I'd be lying if I said we didn't savor date nights, and we avoid at all costs talking about laundry, bills, or the what the kids need to do while we're on dates. But, I'd also be lying if I said that our family days, the times when it's just the four of us at the park, or hiking, or on a vaction, aren't equally savored.
When I wanted to get pregnant with Kimber, it was not because I was so addicted that I just had to have another. It was because in my heart, I knew our family was not yet complete. Our family felt out of balance, and I knew how badly Jet needed a sibling. "The greatest gift you can ever give your child is a brother or sister...." that same friend told me when I was contemplating getting pregnant. Thank God I listened to her. For us, it was right to have another.
So, last night when my daughter had her first school program, and kept leaving the stage to come and get a hug from me during the middle of each song, did I have that burst of oxytocin? Absolutely. I let the tears flow as I watched her time and time again climb back on the stage, go to the piano and hit a key while the pianist was playing, then say "hello" into the microphone during the song. She didn't do a thing she was supposed to do, and did everything she wasn't supposed to be doing. It didn't make me want to have another child, it made me want to cherish the moment for exactly what it was. It was worth any sacrifice I'd made.
And then, this morning....there's that strong cup of coffee.
P90X: Week Ten and P90X GIVEAWAY!!!
It was a very interesting week, and didn't go at all like I initially thought.
On Thursday, I did a modeling job for the new Kopoma hair relaxation treatment. I showed up at the salon and got shampoo'd in. As the relaxer was being applied to my hair, I learned that I couldn't get my hair wet for 48 hours from the time of application, including sweat. Well....that's not true... I could get my hair wet, but it would risk the long-term effectiveness of the relaxer. So, I had a choice. I could have the relaxer done, do the photo shoot, and continue with my P90X schedule, sweat and all. Or, I could choose to take 4 days off from my P90X routine...
I'm sure you know what I chose.
I didn't work out Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. On Monday, my body was ACHING for a workout. My sleep on Sunday night was crap because I yearned so badly for that stored energy to be expelled. I was moody...well, ok, more moody than I normally am.
After talking it over with Jay and making sure I was meeting his workout needs as well, we decided to postpone the start of Week 10 until Monday, 11/15. We also decided to tag on an additional week at the end, Week 14. So, instead of wrapping on December 9th, we'll be wrapping on Monday, Dec 20th.
As for the outcome of the hair? I've attached the marketing promo flyer for you to see (click on the image to enlarge). Amazing!! Soft, shiny, and healthy. I love it. If any of you are looking for a gentle, yet effective relaxer, I would highly recommend Patsy Franco and the Kopoma Treatment. It was so gentle that she didn't even wear gloves when she applied it to my hair!
AND for all of you who have read along with me while I've been doing P90X and want to join in....my P90X coach is having a P90X Giveaway so that someone can get their life back this Christmas.
On Thursday, I did a modeling job for the new Kopoma hair relaxation treatment. I showed up at the salon and got shampoo'd in. As the relaxer was being applied to my hair, I learned that I couldn't get my hair wet for 48 hours from the time of application, including sweat. Well....that's not true... I could get my hair wet, but it would risk the long-term effectiveness of the relaxer. So, I had a choice. I could have the relaxer done, do the photo shoot, and continue with my P90X schedule, sweat and all. Or, I could choose to take 4 days off from my P90X routine...
I'm sure you know what I chose.
I didn't work out Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. On Monday, my body was ACHING for a workout. My sleep on Sunday night was crap because I yearned so badly for that stored energy to be expelled. I was moody...well, ok, more moody than I normally am.
After talking it over with Jay and making sure I was meeting his workout needs as well, we decided to postpone the start of Week 10 until Monday, 11/15. We also decided to tag on an additional week at the end, Week 14. So, instead of wrapping on December 9th, we'll be wrapping on Monday, Dec 20th.
As for the outcome of the hair? I've attached the marketing promo flyer for you to see (click on the image to enlarge). Amazing!! Soft, shiny, and healthy. I love it. If any of you are looking for a gentle, yet effective relaxer, I would highly recommend Patsy Franco and the Kopoma Treatment. It was so gentle that she didn't even wear gloves when she applied it to my hair!
AND for all of you who have read along with me while I've been doing P90X and want to join in....my P90X coach is having a P90X Giveaway so that someone can get their life back this Christmas.
Vegetable Soup
Eating healthy food can be so challenging, especially when you've got to pack your lunch for work or school. I hate veggie soups with tomato bases. To me, they taste acidic and overpowering. This simple vegetable soup is one of my favorites. This vegan version of it is in the P90X cookbook, or you can add chicken and chicken stock instead for a non-vegetarian version.
Look at all of those colors! Organic carrots, celery, onion, and four red potatoes are chopped and mixed with organic, low sodium vegetable broth, onion powder, and black pepper. Simple, amazing, and free of poisons and toxins.
Chop all ingredients along with 3-4 cloves of fresh, organic garlic. Sautee in large soup pot with small amount of olive oil until carrots and potatoes are slightly tender. I added in a can of drained, rinsed black beans for additional protein in this vegan soup.
Top with fresh parley or chopped fresh basil. On a cold day, enjoy this with a cup of hot green tea and a slice of Ezekiel bread with soy buttery spread.
I always make enough to last several days.
I love taking this with me to school, so I spoon out a serving into a plastic container.
My son's lunchbox is one that has a zipper pouch at the bottom, perfect for adding the soup and ensuring it won't spill or topple when the lunchsack is placed into the backpack. Complete with a piece of fresh fruit and slice of cheese, this vegetarian meal provides the right amount of protein, carbs, natural sugars, and fiber to ensure we eat clean and healthy on the go.
Jay's Birthday
His socks are never in the right place. He taught me how to do laundry, and then seemed to forget where the washer is. He's loud, aggressive, and embarrasses me at least once daily. He always says what's on his mind, which can be a scary thing.
And...
He wrestles with the kids. He and Jet have this thing where they sit on each other's head and fart. He cooks dinner, washes Kimber's hair (she won't let me because I get water in her ears), and handles the majority of the discipline situations.
He plays tag at the park with Jet & Kimber...really plays tag - like, gets up off the park bench and runs around giggling like he's 8. Yesterday, his dad didn't call and he didn't get mad....even when he found out that his father had accidentally sent his brother a birthday card instead of him. He makes me laugh...not just me, but everyone in the room. He says what everyone's thinking. He may be loud, he may be aggressive, but he's honest, real, and he's not trying to impress anyone.
In light of the education he's pursuing, his newfound self-description is "a misanthropic recalcitrant". What many people don't know is how much of a softie he really is under that hard shell. His professors love him, and the other students can't believe he's, "Almost 40!"
He knows how to straighten my hair, how I take my coffee, and what perfume I'm wearing.
I'm glad he chose me.
Priority and Creativity
My father contracted polio at the age of four. This is one of the ways that he's chosen to get and stay fit.
If it's a priority, then we'll be creative with it.
If it's a priority, then we'll be creative with it.
Love Letter #4
When I'm having difficulty sleeping, I sometimes go back and read the love letters that I've written myself over the last couple of years. This is one of the initial ones I wrote. For some strange reason, I feel a need to share it with you.
"Reality:
You sabotage yourself. You judge others. You're emotional. You eat foods that make you feel lethargic, tired, cranky. You worry about what others think. You're out of balance, you ache desperately for more time with your children. You miss your husband and wish for a conversation with him like you used to have - two friends laughing, loving, enjoying each other's presence.
Truth:
You are right where you are supposed to be. God is working in you and in others right now. Let it go.
You will have it. You will let it go, and one day you will have it. It will happen in God's time, not yours. You'll have the balance and energy you crave, the time and relationships you desire. You'll stop feeling shame over those areas of your life that you had no control over. You'll stop judging others for who they are as you begin to accept and love yourself for who you are. You'll be real, honest, and won't have to hide behind what you think that you should be.
Release it. God is asking you to stop clenching your hands around it and place it into his hands. Let it go. You are beautiful, you are loved, you are growing. Give him the burden."
"Reality:
You sabotage yourself. You judge others. You're emotional. You eat foods that make you feel lethargic, tired, cranky. You worry about what others think. You're out of balance, you ache desperately for more time with your children. You miss your husband and wish for a conversation with him like you used to have - two friends laughing, loving, enjoying each other's presence.
Truth:
You are right where you are supposed to be. God is working in you and in others right now. Let it go.
You will have it. You will let it go, and one day you will have it. It will happen in God's time, not yours. You'll have the balance and energy you crave, the time and relationships you desire. You'll stop feeling shame over those areas of your life that you had no control over. You'll stop judging others for who they are as you begin to accept and love yourself for who you are. You'll be real, honest, and won't have to hide behind what you think that you should be.
Release it. God is asking you to stop clenching your hands around it and place it into his hands. Let it go. You are beautiful, you are loved, you are growing. Give him the burden."
P90X: Week 8
Rough week.
We woke up sick on Nov 1st, the morning after Halloween. All four of us. We ended up taking 2 days off, day 5 and day 6 of week 8. On day 7, our normal day to either take off or stretch, we thought about doing stretch, then decided to just get the rest, fluids, and time to heal that our bodies were asking for.
Week 9 begins today.
We woke up sick on Nov 1st, the morning after Halloween. All four of us. We ended up taking 2 days off, day 5 and day 6 of week 8. On day 7, our normal day to either take off or stretch, we thought about doing stretch, then decided to just get the rest, fluids, and time to heal that our bodies were asking for.
Week 9 begins today.
Halloween Photos
As Halloween fell on a Sunday this year, we made it an early evening. After the Madeline Park costume parade and trick or treating, we let both Jet and Kimber each have a couple of pieces of candy. After putting them to bed, we went and sat outside and gave all of the remaining trick or treat candy that Jet & Kimber had gotten out to the trick or treaters who came by the house...no need to have it around.
Jet was a NASA pilot, and Kimber opted to put her fairy wings on top of her princess dress.
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