Doing Alright

Last night I slept terribly but today I was determined to ignore how tired I felt and blazed a trail to the gym with three small boys in tow. The house was left in an utter disaster as I enjoyed every minute of my stress relieving workout. 

Today I was late for Barre class so I decided to do my own style of workout and conditioned hard. I warmed up by jogging and finishing off with a run for 15 minutes. Then I went back and forth weight machines with 5 minute running breaks at the treadmill. I repeated this 5 times. Wow, the endorphins were pumping nicely and I felt so great.

When I got home I fed the boys a quick lunch then sent the younger two to their naps while I enjoyed a lovely bath of Epsom salts and lavender oil. Ahhhhhh! Then the day continued with its regular routine. It took two hours to cook up a simple meal of stir fried beef with vegetables and rice because the boys needed a lot of attention. Now those little rascals are in bed early to make up for the long night last night. 

Now I am so tired and feel the soreness creeping into my abs but I am so proud of myself. My meals were a mixed bag of good and not so good. I really need to cut back on the carbs but figure that since I spent much time running today the carbs really weren't a bad choice. 

Weight tends to fluctuate normally for all people. I think that looking at my average over the past week, I'm down a pound. 

I am looking forward to being coached. I really know what I should be doing but having a couch should really help me stick to my guns. It's one thing to make up your mind and do something but having someone there to call you on your excuses and encourage you is another. 

After considering my goals some more, here is what I want to achieve for this year:

~ Eat much more produce on a regular basis. It's hard to say this but an 80/20 diet should be good for me. 80% produce and 20% everything else.

~ Lower my cholesterol to normal and perhaps from normal to some super human level of excellent. Really, I'll go with normal.

~ Become more "regular." Yes, I have problems in that department and suspect a large number of the population does too. My problem is mechanical. I have extra bends in my small intestine and my gastroenterologist commended the 80/20 diet.

~To have bi-annual detox cleanses in Winter and Summer.

~ To lower my body fat.

~ To run at least a 5K. I can do this, I know, but it's the actual doing part that I want to achieve.

~ To get more rest.

Gonna Get Coached

Today I filled out a questionnaire about the status of my overall health. I expect to receive a call from my coach, who I haven't met, to follow up on a plan. I am excited!

Guilty as Charged

I am in the process of eating an entire bag of my mom's Dark Chocolate Moose Munch Snacks from Harry and David. I'm gonna have a lot of "splaining to do Lucy!"

Go back two spaces and lose a turn.

:p

It's a Beautiful Day and I'm Hibernating

The sun is shining! Aw, lovely. For anyone that has spent any real amount of time in the Pacific Northwest, the sun can feel like a long lost friend. Once found again it fills empty space one forgot was there. It can make the grumpiest old-timer feel the giddiness Spring even in the dead of Winter. Times like this I want to go outside and play! It's nap time for the kids, however, and I've promised my family I would catch up on the weeks of laundry I've let go of during the holiday season.

I feel so discouraged right now. My heart longs for the outdoors, sunshine, art, music, good food, and good company. This is all I really need to be happy. I don't need tons of money, traveling, expensive and stylish clothing, or even popularity. Though all those things would be very nice.

This time in my life is filled with beautiful young boys and a long state of hibernation. What a precious time with precious children. A time I will never get back. They will grow and all this will change. I will be a little older, hopefully a little wiser, and ready to re-enter a world that is a little bit more about me. This time of hibernating with young children is a time of inner-world challenges. Everyday I am asked to stretch my character just a little further because who challenges you more than your own children? Sometimes every piece of me aches for peace, solitude, and time to do what I want.

While my heart aches to be filled by my own personal needs, I look at my three little boys and remember how my heart is now filled in a different way.

I remember a time I could do whatever I wanted and yet always found excuses not to do them. I worked too hard, ate too much unhealthy food, sat too much, watched too much television, and whined too much. I also had a different sort of ache and longing I couldn't put my finger on. Well, after having kids, that ache is gone. So yes, my days of excess are over. Having the responsibility of these little ones has given me a satisfaction I never felt before.

Have you ever wished a time in your life was finally over only to get there, reflect back upon those days and wish you could revisit?

My days are busy, noisy, messy, long yet short. I've found some gray hairs and my skin is no longer perfect. I'm usually covered in food, boogies, and sometimes probably other unmentionable stuff that I'd like to pretend never happened. I am home too often and managing everyone else's days but my own.

One lesson I've learned in life is to take advantage of all opportunities. I may not be able to get out and about like I used to. My career is on hold as I watch my friends make leaps and bounds past me. This doesn't mean I give up and allow my whole self to become all about my family. My family is incredibly important to me and I have the privilege to choose not to work. Yet, this doesn't mean I can't learn and grow on my own and in quiet ways. In fact, having children and wanting to be a good example to them is all the more reason to find opportunities to grow in ways I choose to.

Notes

Eating:
Doing okay but really needing to get serious here. I've cut back on the bad stuff and am doing research on cleanses.

Exercise:
Does the steam room count? lol. Hey, I got to they gym and that's part of developing a habit. It also raises your heart rate and detoxes. This is flu and cold season and so I figure that hitting the steam room is good and healthy.

Other:
I picked up epsom salts today and will use that in the evenings in a bath along with essential lavender oil to help draw out the toxins. It also reduces inflammation and some believe its great for reducing the discomfort of over worked muscles. Using epsom salts will be even more useful when I finally find or develop a cleanse. Also, kept to my promise of only checking FB in the morning. Loving it!

Feeling:
Overwhelmed as I try to run a household with three small boys. I am breathing so much better after the steam room so now I'm relaxed and oh so tired. It's just past 11p and I am still up and running around the house doing chores... this going to bed early idea isn't quite working. Hmmm... I would also like to get serious about planning a cleanse and this is making me feel anxious. I don't want to lose momentum.

It's late, good night!

Notes

Food:
coffee with maple syrup and milk
organic corn chip and salsa
dark chocolate
didn't eat the cookie
organic, grass-fed beef stir-fry with tons of veggies and walnuts
peanut butter sandwich

Exercise:
chased after kids all day
ran 2 miles on treadmill
Zumba class

Other habits:
checked FB only once in the morning

Habits in the New Year

One of the reasons I am committing to a year of blogging journal themes is I want to do everything I can to re-enforce new habits so I can see success in areas that are important to me. I want to take my physical fitness and artistry to a new level. Being a mom of three young boys keeps me very busy. Yet, time won't wait for them to grow. We are not guaranteed another day. 

Habits should be created so that one may allow themselves the energy to put towards their needs and goals. However, I think one point we often skip over are habits that are no longer serving us. It is important to be willing to change ourselves to make room for new habits. 

There are a few habits I should probably let go of. First, alcohol and junk food should go. I've already taken the first step, I've stopped as of last night. Oh! But it's not a habit yet! I can't allow myself to slip for one moment. I have to be solid and consistent to let go of this habit. Another habit I should get rid of? Constantly checking in on Facebook. Perhaps I should start with one FB look a day? Hmmm... To start I'll do once in the morning and that is it! I'll re-evaluate later after I've been consistent. 

New habits to start... oh this one is a doozey! There is so much change I want including daily juices, smoothies, salads, fresh and organic foods, tons of water, and quarterly cleanses. I also want to exercise daily so that if I miss a day or two in a week, I am still very consistent. Cause really, I am a mom of three small boys and there will be days I just won't make it to the gym. Another habit will be to go to bed earlier and get up earlier. I should probably get up between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. if I want to get a good start on my day. That means falling asleep no later than 11 p.m. 

Oh, I am laughing at myself right now. How I love to stay up a little too late. As a mom it allows me to have quiet time and I need it! Yet, I just don't think staying up late is serving me as well as I'd like it to. I'd like to have time for morning coffee, a quick freshen up for the day, gym bag packed, breakfast prepared for the family, all before the kids wake up. This is not what happens in the morning. Currently, every morning I am stressed out mom who has one hour to make coffee, feed a family breakfast, and get the older kiddo dressed and out the door to preschool. I am nuts! In my defense, I am coming off of a major sleep deprivation stint with my two younger boys who happen to be twins. After the twins started to sleep through the night, I had to teach my body how to sleep again. Now that I have that down, my reason is simply an excuse that doesn't serve me well anymore. I am not happy with how it affects me and the family so it's time for change.

I came across this interesting article on BrainPickings.com: William James on Habit.