Starting Again

"Starting again is not the same as starting over. Everytime we start again we don't lose the experience of our first steps, we bring them with us. We don't forget our beginning, we learn from it. And our beginning gave us the base to define where we are currently, and where we need to go. I just need to keep moving forward. And if moving forward means healing, then recovery is not moving backwards...it's readjusting the speed of the journey....of the experience."

I wrote those words this past January to remind myself that life is what you make of it. For me, focusing on the things that I do know, instead of worrying about the details life has yet to bring.


I'm starting this new blog about my thoughts on food, diet, and eating, because I started to ask myself the question, "What's my thing?", What am I all about?  Yes, I train hard, I love my kettlebells, I love to exercise, but, I believe it's only one part of a bigger picture of reconnecting with our bodies. This is my blog....my personal journal, detailing my daily experiences, for reflection, and personal growth. I'm constantly learning, teaching, and coaching, and through my connections with so many, that relate to this part of life, I'm inspired.

I'm inspired to share this crazy, lucky, miracle about how my relationship with food, eating, my body and training is constantly evolving, for the better. And I can see how every one can start to feel better about themselves, about life, by being happy and grateful, then trusting the rest will follow by being, and staying a positive force.

I deserve to have a joyful life, full of the physical freedom to move my body, to eat good foods, and to think good thoughts....the same as everybody....every...body.


Life is good. Life is joyful. Food is joy. Eating is joyful.

After taking some time going through the last 1 1/2 years of blog posts, on Rediscovering Strength, I was so happy that I had so much information journaled, not only about my training, but my food and diet. Looking back I was able to see how I've changed, sometimes for the better, and sometimes not!

I started my original blog because I would always get people asking me for exact details on what I ate, and how I trained, to have been successful in losing over 120lbs. So I thought, OK, you wanna know! Well here it is....exactly!

I've been lucky to have established habits over the past 3 years that has helped me maintain my weight loss. Food journaling was one of them. And although I keep a hard copy food journal, I stopped posting my daily menu for the most part....that's when I realized that accountability was the true habit!

I will edit and post my food journal, daily, on the first day of the week, for my own data. That will include my daily weight, all workouts...and possibly my thoughts and feelings about the day.

Week of Sunday, March 23, 2008

Sunday AM weight 133.8

8:00am Bikram yoga

6:00pm 45 min walk

Menu

coffee /cream 100 cal

fuji apple 100 cal.

radishes w/greens saute, brown rice/quinoa/chicken, and dressing 450 cal.

almonds, raisins, celery, carrots 300 cal.

large broccoli/cabbage salad w/tuna/mayo/spicy peanut dressing 500 cal.

steel cut oats/honey 250 cal.

misc. 80 cal

Total calories 1780

MondayAM weight 133.4

7:00am 1000 KB swings

6:30pm 45 min walk

Menu

coffee/cream 100 cal.

nuts/veggies/dip 300 cal.

butternut/veggie/collard green soup w/chicken 400 cal.

chocolate mocha coffee drink 400 cal.

pork, beans, apples, beets, escarole 500 cal.

Total calories 1700

Well, I have to admit, I purposely did not stop at the Mexican Bakery for pastries specifically because I knew I would have to journal it...damn! Oh well, this reason is part of the point, isn't it? lol

Update, Monday evening.....I ended up walking with my sister, Donna, 45 min. after walking 30 minutes to the market and back. When I came home I started eating my favorite snack, turned into meal, turned into mega meal....yogurt (plain, lowfat)/ raisins / sliced raw almonds. By the time I was finished, around 8:45pm, a 16oz container of yogurt was gone, about 1/2 c. raisins, and another 1/2 c. almonds.....and 1/2 c. ice cream...whoops!

This is what I know.....it tasted soooo good. I enjoyed every bit of it. I feel so stinkin' lucky to even have the choice to eat food so good! How lucky am I?

Tuesday AM weight 134.2 (eating alot after 6pm will do that to me!)

9:15am Bikram yoga

11:30 KB sw/cl/pr/sq

Menu (low calorie day)

coffee/cream 100 cal.

lg broccoli and cabbage salad w/chicken, spicy peanut dressing 450 cal

veggie, barley, beef soup 450 cal

decaf coffee w/half & half, 70 cal.

Total calories 1070

I had two killer workouts today, and then spent the afternoon in the kitchen. I made barley soup with beef shanks.... yum...I made some veggie soup with spring garlic and turnip greens to serve over parsnip and turnip puree, (photo and details to be posted soon.) I'm working all day on Wednesday and my food is already prepped, I just have to pack it! I'm so lucky, today was a good day....like everyday.

Wednesday 133.4 (see blog post)

Thursday AM weight 136.0 (cool!)

6:30 Bikram yoga

9:00am 600snatchworkout

Menu

coffee/cream 100 cal

med salad, cabbage broccoli 250 cal

tuna/mayo 250 cal

iced tea (passion fruit, Starbucks) 0 cal.

butternut/collard green soup w/chicken 400 cal.

Total 1000 cal.

After the Easter candy/chocolate binge, I kept the calories low. For whatever reason, I'm never hungry the day after choosing to overeat.

I just chose to write 2 things I wouldn't normally write. The word "cool" after my weight, my first thought after knowing I would have to admit that number, was "ouch", but so what....I'm am so freakin' tired of the freakin' judgement I put on myself about a stinkin' number I can change whenever I want to....God....get over it!

And "binge". I've been avoiding that word as much as possible choosing instead phrases like "high calorie"....I'm so freakin over it. I'm just too tired of all of the word game playing for today. it is what it is and I am what I am which is goodness....crazy goodness.

Friday AM weight 133.2 (see post, lamb shanks)

Saturday AM weight 133.4

7:00am 35 min. KB

8:00am Bikram yoga

Menu

coffee/cream

soup w/beans and pork

lots of yogurt

lots of nuts

ice cream

cookies

....lots!

Life tastes good.