Love Not Lipo ... Live a Little, Love a Lot

Oh Wow!! At the risk of sounding cliche, I can’t believe how busy I’ve been!  I miss writing to you guys.  Things have finally settled down and gotten back to some semblance of normalcy.  Here are the updates:

my poor honey injured himself pretty badly playing basketball.  He is miserable, and I am certainly never going to take for granted all the amazing things he helps me with on a regular basis.  For example, what it feels like to be pounded with snow for the bazillionth time, except this time while he’s out of commission.  I hope my poor baby gets better soon, but I have to admit I have thoroughly enjoyed going out with him for the last two sundays for my favorite meal of the day, breakfast, whereas usually he was at the Y with his boys playing bball.

The next big piece of news is that I did some analysis and determined that the largest barrier to my getting to the gym these last few weeks was the agony of packing and unpacking all of my stuff at night to be ready to get up at 5:30 when I’m already dead tired from all my other activities.  And so because I was not adequately prepared, I was missing workouts.  so I made the big decision to join a gym up the street from me.  I was very reluctant, as I feel very safe and comfortable at Scotia Planet fitness which is spotlessly clean with all new equipment, and is CHEAP!!  My new gym has older equipment and is a little more expensive.  However, it has turned out to be a life changing decision, and I am back in the full swing of my normal routine, and am feeling amazing again!  I can actually just roll out of bed, throw on my gym clothes, then return home to get ready for my work day.  No packing, no figuring out clothes ahead of time, no forgetting things and having to stop at walmart to buy a bra before heading to work!!  Listen, time is money, and I’m working 1 full time and 3 part time jobs, and I need to figure out where I can cut corners.

Here is where else I’m cutting corners:

Food has been all about merging health with convenience these last couple weeks.  Healthy portable sustainence like almonds, hard boiled eggs, Larabars, bananas, Ezekiel flourless cinnamon raisin english muffins with almond butter, and finishing the day off with my Arbonne Shakes (which the way I prepare them taste like total cake batter) for dinner have been a light and economical alternative.

• 1 cup vanilla almond milk
• 2 scoops vanilla Arbonne shake mix
• 1 banana
• 3 ice cubes
• cinnamon
• 1tbsp peanut butter (or not)

Aside from the fact that I’m doing well nutritionally, my grocery bills have been about $50 less than usual for the last two weeks.  I guess “letting things go” can really have an upside!!

This is the project that occupied my time ALL WEEKEND LONG and prevented me from writing in my blog:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

My home office is finally cleaned and organized!! It involved moving all of the food out of the pantry and into the kitchen.  Moving the kitchen stuff into the  mudroom to make room for it all, and inserting file cabinets into the built-ins.  These pictures may not LOOK like a big deal, but this was an extremely labor intensive project, that brings me an incredible amount of satisfaction and relief, and will enable me to manage my businesses more effectively.

And the highlight of my last two extremely eventful weeks, is the commencement of my Arbonne partnership with my first beautiful business partner, Nancy.  Her courage and tenacity gives me the motivation and inspiration to get up every day and work as hard as I can, with an awesome attitude towards every aspect of my life, because she deserves nothing less from me as her sponsor.  Every amazing place I am about to go will be largely credited to her influence in my life.

As my readers know, I’m currently obsessed with Body for Life.  B f L is mostly a strength training program, with a more moderate interval training cardio component.  Lately I’ve been surfing the net to learn new exercises, then I stick them in the Body for Life training format, and keep it fresh.  Thanks to YouTube I’m watching the angle of my tricep re-emmerge.  I’m loving the sense of power I feel propelling my body up a flight of stairs courtesy of 5 sets of 80 pound barbell squats 2 times a week. 

However to keep me thinking forward, and thinking fit, I’ve already started fantasizing about my half marathon.  Granted it may seem kinda silly to be thinking about September in January, but how better to stay true to New Years Resolutions then to continue to think about them all the time?  I printed out the registration form today, and looked at the pictures taken along the route and really felt that pang.  I miss you Running!! I’m excited to see you this Fall!!

So I went with the inspiration, and started researching half marathon preparation and found this cool training schedule:

So according to this program matching up to the calendar/race day, I would start this training program on July 3rd, exactly one year to the exact weekend since I created LoveNotLipo.  That gives me chills. 

I am keenly aware of the fact that many people read along with me could care less about my fitness goals, or their own fitness goals.  But you know what? This is actually not about fitness whatsoever.  Being free from addictions….being happy, is so much about replacing the emptiness inside you with a sense that something matters; that something is bigger than you, that if you just keep having the courage to feel the feelings and show up and be present anyway, no matter what life throws your way, everything will truly all be O.K. in the end.

I dressed up yesterday for the first time in a while for Todd’s work post holiday holiday party.  My choice was a simple, elegant, and forgiving Ralph Lauren little black dress with diamonds and pearls for accessories.  All I can say is, Body for Life is working, no control-top hose necessary, life is good.

It was nice to get out, get dressed up and have some laughs with some of our friends.  I love holiday partys AFTER the holidays.  This coming Friday is MY work party, so we’ll do it all over again, and I just may wear the same dress! 

On the menu this week:

Breakfast: 1 Organic Nitrate Free Turkey Frank, 2 slices soy swiss cheese, 1 banana

Snack: Corn tortillas with 1/2 Tbsp almond butter and 1 Tbsp each shreeded unsweetened coconut

Lunch: Crock pot chicken Tiki Masala over Kasha (Buckwheat)

I just threw a bunch of chicken thighs and a couple pork chops in my crock pot, smothered them in two jars of tiki masala sauce from the ethnic section of the grocery store, turned it on low and cooked for four hours.  I simmered the Kasha in chicken broth for 10 minutes which will make a delicious base to soak up all the sauce. 

Afternoon Snack: Brown Rice Veggie Crackers with Pine Nut Hummus

Dinner: more tiki masala with Broccoli Slaw on the side

I’ll skip the buckwheat for dinner because I’ve had enough complex carbs for the day, and replace that with a nice pile of slaw on the side.  I buy shredded brocolli from the produce section, and throw it in boiling water for about four minutes.  I drain it then mix with olive oil and sea salt.  I forgot to buy fresh herbs this week, but it’s even better tossed with chopped dill, parsley, or chives.

Here’s to a happy and healthy upcoming week!

I always emphasize to my clients the importance of specificity in developing goals.  I made sure I had representation of spiritual,  physical, aesthetic, natural, and financial areas in my goals.  The optimism of a new year has filled me with a freedom and lightness these last few days in reflecting on how I would like to define 2011…. 

• Get fitted for ideal running sneakers by February 1st
• Complete Body for Life by March 5th, then determine next full body fitness program
• Participate in at least 4 community service/charity events this year 
• Redesign my sunroom and office
• Blog 3 times per week minimum
• Limit desert/dark chocolate to 3 times per week
• Facilitate 4 new marketing opportunities for my business
• Pay off 1/3 0f my debt, minimum, by January 2012
• Run the Adirondack Half Marathon this September (so scary, but so exciting) Register by February 1st
• Do or say one thing that is uncomfortable or scary, yet beneficial, per week

What are your goals for 2011?

This morning I unlocked my office, walked in, and was greeted with the most wonderful suprise!

But my suprise was even greater when I opened it to find that my staff purchased me the gift at the top of my Christmas wish list!!   How did they know??  Considering we’re doing a very fiscally conservative Christmas this year in our household, this was a particularly special treat!!

The best part was the card that accompanied it, with such beautiful messages from my employees.  I feel very grateful to have this team, and to work in a career that I feel so incredibly passionate about.  Today I distributed the fudge to all of them along with these beautiful vintage Christmas cards.  I was so happy with this find, and I loved that everyone could have an individualized card that reminded me of them.

All of these suprises came hours after my day (which commenced at 5:30am) was already in full swing.  I am really really enjoying ”Body for Life.”  What I was concerned was complicated and obscure program, is actually straight forward and very manageable.  The biggest part I continue to struggle with is my fear that it’s not enough cardio to help me lose the rest of the weight I still want to lose, which leads me to think about how many “calories” I’m eating.  I LOATHE thinking about calories!! I am not this girl anymore!!

But tonight as I lay here catching up on my favorite blogs, and I take the time to notice my various body parts one by one, and they are just aching like crazy!  Hour long daily runs did not leave me with this evidence of physical conditioning.  I am going to continue to trust the process and following the program to the letter all the way through the 12 weeks.  Last night in the middle of a minor skepticism-tantrum I picked Bill’s book up again and settled back down quickly when I read the following:

“Myth: The longer you exercise, the better.  Your workouts should provide you the precise amount of stimulation needed to trigger an adaptation response.  You work out with weights only three days a week and do a special kind of aerobic training three days a week on alternating days.  No more.  No less. Once you stimulate the muscle, you need to move on and start the recovery process because that is where the magic happens.  With exercise, as with so many things, it’s not as simple as “the more you put in, the more you get back.”  There is a point of diminishing returns beyond which, if you keep pushing your body, it will begin working against you.  I’ve found most people who work out a lot and have little to show for it rarely think working out less could produce better results faster.  Instead, they work out longer and more often, clearly under the galso assumtpion that more is better.  (please don’t make this mistake.) ”

I have been working out in a gym for 15 years, and have lost a ton of weight and overall kept it off, but I always kinda feel like I’m hanging out in limbo not knowing what to do with myself next.  So honestly guys, what do I have to lose in letting go of some of stubborn willfulness and following the advice of a guy who looks like this?

Is it in any way possible that he is more qualified to know what is good for me than I am?  And the fact of the matter is, I feel awesome.  This morning at 5:30 am I went downstairs to get my workout clothes out of the dryer.  When I went back upstairs I kinda startled myself when I sprung up the stairs.  Yes up the stairs…like my feet were on springs….and it’s pitch black outside.  I feel strong and tight like something is driving me throughout the day, and that “something” makes me conceptualize the body as a metabolic machine.  I completed a 10k this year, and I truly enjoy having a new goal to focus on.  Both Bill Phillips, and my hero Rita Davenport emphasize the importance of specifics in stating your goals.  “I wanna lose weight” doesn’t cut it.  Committing to an intensive 12 week program does.

This M Scott Peck quote is written on my white board in my office.  I have left it up there for several weeks because it’s just so simple and perfect.  On rough days where it feels a little harder for me to stay grounded (and this season seems to be robust with those kinds of days) I repeat it silently to myself countless times throughout the day.  “When you consider yourself valuable, you will take care of yourself in all ways necessary.”