Thursday, November 10, 2011
The Warrior Dash
This post and pictures will come tonight, just wanted to given of as ear peak about next blog!
Surprising myself, and lifestyle change
I know, I know, it has been quite awhile since my last post. Well, that brings me to my first topic...a lifestyle change.
I was saying to someone the other day that I am feeling frustrated because I just want to be able to get this goal done. But isn't that always how it is? Well, it is for me! Most people want an instant fix, no delayed gratification. I CAN be like that, but for the most part I have learned that delaying my gratification and working through the struggles will bring me a victory like no other and it will make me stronger too. However, when It comes to hitting my 100 pound goal, I have to tell you, it is frustrating to not be there yet. I know that a laser focus on my goal is what will get me there. Unfortunately, obstacles come up, I am learning, they aren't always obstacles, but different priorities, like I talked about regarding Jaelynn in a previous post. With that said, I think that I have been using that and figuring that the transition and things going on is just too much to do both on somedays. To an extent, that is true, but now, I that we are both to the point where I can just plan on going to work out and just saying, this is what I need to do, I hope you can join me when I work out. Then, even when i want to just spend time with her, I go, even if I need to adjust my schedule more. I might have mentioned that I decided I would just go in the morning because I changed my schedule at work. Well, I am finding it is not as easy as I thought. I need to work with what I have and who I am, and I am not a morning work out person on a regular basis.
So, lifestyle change...things are always going to happen in life, and we may have set backs occasionally, or have to make adjustments to our schedule and sometimes the transition time is longer than you would like and people may say you are making excuses,only you know the truth on that. But, in the end, that is life and fitting these things into your new lifestyle is really all you have to do. Nothing to stress about, things are going to happen in life no matter what we do. Only you know when these transitions are done and you are ready to refocus..just remember that along the way, you need to be mentoring with a coach so that you can get honest feedback and guidance, have some accountability, and someone to help you really look at things to see if you are being true to yourself and your goals.
Surprising myself...jaelynn has a friend visiting, so i saw this as the opportunity to really make sur I get my workouts in, because she won't be alone all day, and will need interaction less, and I will feel less guilty about going to the gym instead of doing something at home. So, I mentioned this to Sabra, my awesome trainer, and she sent me a work out schedule. I have to say, I expected it to be much more difficult than it is, but I know I can always do more. Well, the first thing on the list was for Wednesday night, I had run on Monday and I take Tuesday's off. I only had a short time slot, so thought I would probably end up skipping work out on we'd, but do all of the other days of the week..well, she listed 30 minutes on elliptical. WHAT!?!? I do not Ike that machine. I never understood when people said, "oh, I love how I feel when I do that, it never hurts my knees, and it is so much easier than running!" I have never felt that way. I have always just tried it and felt so much burning in my quads, I hated it. So, I got to the gym, left jaelynn and her friend in the apartment and justmwent, even though I wanted to hang out. Started the elliptical.
2 minutes..wow, this isn't too bad yet, cool!
5 minutes in...hey, nothing hurts, this is very cool!
8 minutes in...thank you Sabra for having me do this to change up my routine, seriously, what was I worried about?
15 minutes...only cow, I have gone over a mile, and my calves are h urging a bit, but overall, I feel awesome!
I just kept speeding up a bit for the rest of the time on the machine. Finished at 2.22 miles.
Okay..ip was feeling to great about doing it that ask went over to the treadmill and decided to do some sprints. I decided to push myself. I did a 60 second sprint at 8.0! Since my usual pace is between 4.0-4.5, I was pretty excited at this! I walked for a minute or so. Then did a 7.5 sprint for 60 seconds! Holy cow, this was cool! A little walking then a 30 second sprint at 6.0. Walked a minute or so, and did a total of .47 miles..whoo hoo!
After, Jaelynn helped me learn how to better do some ab exercises that I will be working on in the next couple of days too.
Yes, I surprised myself!
I think that I am telling your this because unless you have someone coaching you in some way, you might not realize that you can do things and push yourself much more than you realized.
so, who is your mentor on your journey to a healthier life?
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
I was saying to someone the other day that I am feeling frustrated because I just want to be able to get this goal done. But isn't that always how it is? Well, it is for me! Most people want an instant fix, no delayed gratification. I CAN be like that, but for the most part I have learned that delaying my gratification and working through the struggles will bring me a victory like no other and it will make me stronger too. However, when It comes to hitting my 100 pound goal, I have to tell you, it is frustrating to not be there yet. I know that a laser focus on my goal is what will get me there. Unfortunately, obstacles come up, I am learning, they aren't always obstacles, but different priorities, like I talked about regarding Jaelynn in a previous post. With that said, I think that I have been using that and figuring that the transition and things going on is just too much to do both on somedays. To an extent, that is true, but now, I that we are both to the point where I can just plan on going to work out and just saying, this is what I need to do, I hope you can join me when I work out. Then, even when i want to just spend time with her, I go, even if I need to adjust my schedule more. I might have mentioned that I decided I would just go in the morning because I changed my schedule at work. Well, I am finding it is not as easy as I thought. I need to work with what I have and who I am, and I am not a morning work out person on a regular basis.
So, lifestyle change...things are always going to happen in life, and we may have set backs occasionally, or have to make adjustments to our schedule and sometimes the transition time is longer than you would like and people may say you are making excuses,only you know the truth on that. But, in the end, that is life and fitting these things into your new lifestyle is really all you have to do. Nothing to stress about, things are going to happen in life no matter what we do. Only you know when these transitions are done and you are ready to refocus..just remember that along the way, you need to be mentoring with a coach so that you can get honest feedback and guidance, have some accountability, and someone to help you really look at things to see if you are being true to yourself and your goals.
Surprising myself...jaelynn has a friend visiting, so i saw this as the opportunity to really make sur I get my workouts in, because she won't be alone all day, and will need interaction less, and I will feel less guilty about going to the gym instead of doing something at home. So, I mentioned this to Sabra, my awesome trainer, and she sent me a work out schedule. I have to say, I expected it to be much more difficult than it is, but I know I can always do more. Well, the first thing on the list was for Wednesday night, I had run on Monday and I take Tuesday's off. I only had a short time slot, so thought I would probably end up skipping work out on we'd, but do all of the other days of the week..well, she listed 30 minutes on elliptical. WHAT!?!? I do not Ike that machine. I never understood when people said, "oh, I love how I feel when I do that, it never hurts my knees, and it is so much easier than running!" I have never felt that way. I have always just tried it and felt so much burning in my quads, I hated it. So, I got to the gym, left jaelynn and her friend in the apartment and justmwent, even though I wanted to hang out. Started the elliptical.
2 minutes..wow, this isn't too bad yet, cool!
5 minutes in...hey, nothing hurts, this is very cool!
8 minutes in...thank you Sabra for having me do this to change up my routine, seriously, what was I worried about?
15 minutes...only cow, I have gone over a mile, and my calves are h urging a bit, but overall, I feel awesome!
I just kept speeding up a bit for the rest of the time on the machine. Finished at 2.22 miles.
Okay..ip was feeling to great about doing it that ask went over to the treadmill and decided to do some sprints. I decided to push myself. I did a 60 second sprint at 8.0! Since my usual pace is between 4.0-4.5, I was pretty excited at this! I walked for a minute or so. Then did a 7.5 sprint for 60 seconds! Holy cow, this was cool! A little walking then a 30 second sprint at 6.0. Walked a minute or so, and did a total of .47 miles..whoo hoo!
After, Jaelynn helped me learn how to better do some ab exercises that I will be working on in the next couple of days too.
Yes, I surprised myself!
I think that I am telling your this because unless you have someone coaching you in some way, you might not realize that you can do things and push yourself much more than you realized.
so, who is your mentor on your journey to a healthier life?
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
85.8 pounds closer to my goal, and not looking fit, even if you are
It has been a busy couple of weeks, but I have managed to move closer to my goal each week, so that is a positive thing. The unfortunate part is that I have not been working out at the gym, so my muscles are not as toned or getting as close to toned as they need to be. Did a big hike with Jaelynn yesterday, and we hiked uphill for an hour and then downhill in 30 minutes, so really no clue the distance that we walked. I have never really been into hiking, but because of Jaelynn, I have been trying it and starting to enjoy it a bit more!
So, yes, I have hit 159.2, which means that I have moved 85.8 pounds closer to my first major goal of 100 pounds and now have less than 15 to go. I look at my body and it feels so jiggily not toned, and it is frustrating to see, and it leads me to think that I will probably have excess skin which to think about is upsetting and gross, actually. Only time will tell, and it won't stop me on my journey, but it makes me reflect on what I could have done differently.
I Have to say that I look at some people and they have these beautiful and strong bodies, but then when they take a walk or run, they get tired and more fatigued easier than I do. It is strange to me how different all of our bodies are and work. These same people often consume things that I would never put in my body too, and yet their body weight and shape are more what I desire for myself. How does that work? There are so many factors to consider in figuring out the answers to those types of questions! For me, what I just keep reminding myself is that I am putting healthy foods into my body, and I am staying physically active, and those are the right things to do for all of us. I know that I can control those things and get more information to help me achieve the body shape that we want. In the end, those are the things that matter, and if someone has a beautiful body and looks amazing, it probably means they are stronger than me physically, but they may or may not have the same cardio fitness abilities that I have conditioned myself to have.
With cardio in mind, what cardio goals do you have? I have set a new goal, only Allison knows it, and in will be updating you as I work to get closer to it. I plan to hit the goal by October 5!..I also plan to be at 100 pound loss by October 1, 2011!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
So, yes, I have hit 159.2, which means that I have moved 85.8 pounds closer to my first major goal of 100 pounds and now have less than 15 to go. I look at my body and it feels so jiggily not toned, and it is frustrating to see, and it leads me to think that I will probably have excess skin which to think about is upsetting and gross, actually. Only time will tell, and it won't stop me on my journey, but it makes me reflect on what I could have done differently.
I Have to say that I look at some people and they have these beautiful and strong bodies, but then when they take a walk or run, they get tired and more fatigued easier than I do. It is strange to me how different all of our bodies are and work. These same people often consume things that I would never put in my body too, and yet their body weight and shape are more what I desire for myself. How does that work? There are so many factors to consider in figuring out the answers to those types of questions! For me, what I just keep reminding myself is that I am putting healthy foods into my body, and I am staying physically active, and those are the right things to do for all of us. I know that I can control those things and get more information to help me achieve the body shape that we want. In the end, those are the things that matter, and if someone has a beautiful body and looks amazing, it probably means they are stronger than me physically, but they may or may not have the same cardio fitness abilities that I have conditioned myself to have.
With cardio in mind, what cardio goals do you have? I have set a new goal, only Allison knows it, and in will be updating you as I work to get closer to it. I plan to hit the goal by October 5!..I also plan to be at 100 pound loss by October 1, 2011!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Thursday, August 18, 2011
80 pounds, priorities, Jaelynn Makenzie
Well, I am still alive, and I am still losing weight, though very slowly because of the events in my life that I will explain a little later.
For now, as of August 15, 2011, I have moved 80 pounds closer to my goal of 100. My weight is 165, the funny thing is that even though I am lighter, I feel and look jigglier. I know that is because I have not been in the gym enough.
Scheuling is hard sometimes, isn't it? We all know that we choose our priorties, and whatever is most important in our life is where we focus our energy. Well, Unfortunately, work as been a big stressor for me,, and thus, my main focus.
I have talked about it before, and not having my finances taken care of, not having enough work and constantly looking to fill the holes in my schedule ends up taking up waaaay to much time.
The next big thing, that honestly I feel has been my biggest focus and what is making me strive to be better at everything is the addition to my family, 23 year old Jaelynn Makenzie. She is the daughter I have never been fortunate enough to have on my own. Jaelynn has been living with me for a couple of months now, and I'm sure like all of you parents, her needs and well being are on my mind constantly...in a good way! It's hard for most people to understand, they think.."she's 23, an adult, you have a roommate." Then there are others who seem to get it and say, "wow, maybe this is the reason that you never got married or had kids, you were saving all of this love for her." Yep, that's how I feel. I see her as my daughter and introduce her that way. I have taken care of chilren for 30+ years and I can honestly say, though it totally surprises me, I have never loved any of them, or even my neices and nephews, the way that I love her as my child. Just like all of you "real parents", I want to help her be happy and healthy, feel loved and safe. I want to help her achieve her goals and dreams that she envisioned for her life as well.
Why am I telling you all of this, so you understand where my mind set has been. My focus has been Jaelynn and money. However, what I have realized is that even if the gym and moving closer to my goal are not my main focus, I can still maintain my healthy eating, try and be active and get gym workouts in when I can and move closer to my goal. Sure, it isn't as fast as I would have liked, but to be honest, nothing worth having really ever is, is it? You have to work at things hard and sometimes for a long time to get what you want and make it part of your lifestyle. There isn't a quick fix, and in order to make a huge change in my life, I know that I have to incorporate it into daily life to make it a habit.
With all of that said, I had to do sit down and really decide how I was going to get the finances to be predictable and how I can afford the financial obligations that I have. So, I have taken jobs with 3(hopefully 4 families--I will know by tomorrow I hope) so that I will basically work 9-6 m-f. I will have a break from 12-1, so I look forward to lunch an a short walk each day!
In doing this one small thing, I now have multiple problems solved. I get the variety of helping different families, I earn the money I need, and with set hours, I will now have time to spend with Jaelynn and we can plan to do things together. Last, I can get back to set times of doing yoga in the morning and going to the gym at night.
When certain things seem just totally overwhelming, coming up with a game plan by writing everything down really helps me. Lots of people like to work it out in their head, but for me, it is hard to see ALL of the possibilies and opportunities that way.
I hope this helps some of you, and I look forward to writing about the third leg of this crazy journey much more in the future!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
For now, as of August 15, 2011, I have moved 80 pounds closer to my goal of 100. My weight is 165, the funny thing is that even though I am lighter, I feel and look jigglier. I know that is because I have not been in the gym enough.
Scheuling is hard sometimes, isn't it? We all know that we choose our priorties, and whatever is most important in our life is where we focus our energy. Well, Unfortunately, work as been a big stressor for me,, and thus, my main focus.
I have talked about it before, and not having my finances taken care of, not having enough work and constantly looking to fill the holes in my schedule ends up taking up waaaay to much time.
The next big thing, that honestly I feel has been my biggest focus and what is making me strive to be better at everything is the addition to my family, 23 year old Jaelynn Makenzie. She is the daughter I have never been fortunate enough to have on my own. Jaelynn has been living with me for a couple of months now, and I'm sure like all of you parents, her needs and well being are on my mind constantly...in a good way! It's hard for most people to understand, they think.."she's 23, an adult, you have a roommate." Then there are others who seem to get it and say, "wow, maybe this is the reason that you never got married or had kids, you were saving all of this love for her." Yep, that's how I feel. I see her as my daughter and introduce her that way. I have taken care of chilren for 30+ years and I can honestly say, though it totally surprises me, I have never loved any of them, or even my neices and nephews, the way that I love her as my child. Just like all of you "real parents", I want to help her be happy and healthy, feel loved and safe. I want to help her achieve her goals and dreams that she envisioned for her life as well.
Why am I telling you all of this, so you understand where my mind set has been. My focus has been Jaelynn and money. However, what I have realized is that even if the gym and moving closer to my goal are not my main focus, I can still maintain my healthy eating, try and be active and get gym workouts in when I can and move closer to my goal. Sure, it isn't as fast as I would have liked, but to be honest, nothing worth having really ever is, is it? You have to work at things hard and sometimes for a long time to get what you want and make it part of your lifestyle. There isn't a quick fix, and in order to make a huge change in my life, I know that I have to incorporate it into daily life to make it a habit.
With all of that said, I had to do sit down and really decide how I was going to get the finances to be predictable and how I can afford the financial obligations that I have. So, I have taken jobs with 3(hopefully 4 families--I will know by tomorrow I hope) so that I will basically work 9-6 m-f. I will have a break from 12-1, so I look forward to lunch an a short walk each day!
In doing this one small thing, I now have multiple problems solved. I get the variety of helping different families, I earn the money I need, and with set hours, I will now have time to spend with Jaelynn and we can plan to do things together. Last, I can get back to set times of doing yoga in the morning and going to the gym at night.
When certain things seem just totally overwhelming, coming up with a game plan by writing everything down really helps me. Lots of people like to work it out in their head, but for me, it is hard to see ALL of the possibilies and opportunities that way.
I hope this helps some of you, and I look forward to writing about the third leg of this crazy journey much more in the future!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Saturday, June 11, 2011
time keeps on tickin'.......here's what I have been doing...
If you are still reading and have been checking back, wondering what's going on and where I have been, I will do my best to clear it up today. If you have never checked out my blog before, welcome, and thank you so much for stopping by.
So, I will be adding a bunch of additional blogs in the next few days, but wanted to just check in an give a mini update. I'm sure some of you are thinking, oh, she quit, she gained weight so she doesn't want to blog, she lost hope..well, if so, you would be wrong on all counts. If you were thinking "oh, she is too busy kickin' butt to blog about it." YOU would be correct. Well, I don't know if "kickin' butt" would be exactly true, but I have been progressing even without as much physical activity as I had been doing. I will do more detailed blogs about some of the points I list below, but want to give you a summary for now.
Weight
In the past 4 weeks, I have moved 11 pounds closer to my goal. Sabra Bodzioney is teaching me more than you can imagine. It's hard for people to understand that I have a trainer that lives so far away, but a trainer doesn't need to be just someone with you in the gym, working you out, there is so much more to it than I ever knew. I will say it again, I am fortunate to have her voice in my head..slowly my voice is stepping in, but her voice generally guides me when I feel like I can't move forward.
Running
Most of you know that last Thanksgiving I had gained back a few pounds, and then I ran a 5K and really messed up my hip. Well, I am happy to report that last Sunday, I put on my new running shoes that I got from Running Revolution in Campbell, CA. They video you running, they size you, they have you stand on a machine that checks where you put the most pressure on your feet, etc. I got the best shoes for me, I love them!! So, with being 25 pounds lighter and having these amazing shoes, I got on the treadmill and ran 5K at 4.0. I wanted to go faster and I did do sprints at 7.0 three times, but had to keep my heart rate in range. When i finihed the run, i could have kept going. I felt great and couldn't believe that I had no pain the entire run!
cruise friends
I have mentioned that the cruise in October, 2010 was amazing and life changing. I have mentioned some friends from there that have made a huge impact on my life, and I am connecting with even more of them through facebook and friends that we have in common. It seems that everyone that I talk to said that the cruise changed their life in one way or another, so I know it's not just a handful of us. Though i have thanked so many for support, i think these relationships need to be talked about a little more because i think about these every day..really, they are a driving force day to day.
Hoss Pravizian is such an amazing person. To quote Jillian Michaels, Hoss, you ARE inspiration! That is the truth to me! We met on the cruise and we chat off and on. He is constantly challenging himself to have a happier, healthier life. 5 runs in May I think he did, including one for Celiac awareness--thanks, buddy!!-- and the Warrior Dash. Please check out his blog, it is amazing what insight he has!! newhosscity.wordpress.com/
Meghan Krotz and I chat frequently and have formed a really cool bond even though we have never met. We talk about work, fitness, life in general. She is a tough karate instructor and nanny and I would be afraid to go to a kick boxing class with her, I think! She is amazing!
Joslyn Baca is like taking the sun and squishing it into a ball and then it bursts with happiness. Honestly, I have not other way to describe her. She is the happiest person that I know.the one thing that is so great is that she lives about an hour from me and we have been able to meet up and go for long walks on the ocean and just chat about life, fitness and the world. Pretty cool stuff!!
Allison Geis is that friend that just gets you and that you ahve so much in common with. Though we only spent a couple of days getting to know each other on the cruise..not even full days, I feel like I have known her for years. Very much like me in so many ways and all of her kid stories are fabulous to hear. She helps me see that where I am is fine and that i will get where I need to go, just stay persistent.
Sabra Bodzioney yes, my trainer, but my "little sister" too. I can't believe that 3 days of time together with a perfect stranger could form this type of bond. the voice in my head and the one that surprises me with stories that I would have never expected to hear about. She challenges my thinking in so many ways and opens my mind to other possibilities.
Jaelynn Harris aka Krista Harris is the daughter that I have always wanted. She is the driving force that motivates me to keep going when I want to quit, but I won't because that teaches her that quuitting would be okay. There will be much more about her in another blog, i'm sure, but the update is that she has been for a visit and will be moving to CA for an extended period of time. So, my focus has been on this relationship and getting ready for her to move out here. My heart is happy that I can help someone so young with such a promising future ahead of her. What is best for her is what guides my thoughts. I never met her on the cruise, but she came for a 4 day visit that turned into 10 and the bond we have is something that won't be broken. It is the strangest and yet most incredible thing I have ever experienced in my life.
Spending time with Jaelynn has slowed my progress a bit, but Sabra told me, "look you're losing weight, and you haven't been working out like normal, you know what that tells me?"...me: "no, what?", her: "that food isn't an issue anymore. You just are eating to fuel yourself and you aren't stressing about it." OMG, how exciting is that!! Sure we all have a few moments of weekness, but basically, yes, the food thing is set..I need to refocus on activity now. With the new shoes and realization that I can run again and hopefully racquetball will make an appearance more often now that Jaelynn will be here, I know that this part of the journey is going to kick into high gear!!
So, walking, running, time with Jaelynn, work, goal setting. All of these are part of my life and can't wait to see where more of this good stuff will take me. How about you? What is feeding you besides food? what stirs you to push through and hit that goal??
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
So, I will be adding a bunch of additional blogs in the next few days, but wanted to just check in an give a mini update. I'm sure some of you are thinking, oh, she quit, she gained weight so she doesn't want to blog, she lost hope..well, if so, you would be wrong on all counts. If you were thinking "oh, she is too busy kickin' butt to blog about it." YOU would be correct. Well, I don't know if "kickin' butt" would be exactly true, but I have been progressing even without as much physical activity as I had been doing. I will do more detailed blogs about some of the points I list below, but want to give you a summary for now.
Weight
In the past 4 weeks, I have moved 11 pounds closer to my goal. Sabra Bodzioney is teaching me more than you can imagine. It's hard for people to understand that I have a trainer that lives so far away, but a trainer doesn't need to be just someone with you in the gym, working you out, there is so much more to it than I ever knew. I will say it again, I am fortunate to have her voice in my head..slowly my voice is stepping in, but her voice generally guides me when I feel like I can't move forward.
Running
Most of you know that last Thanksgiving I had gained back a few pounds, and then I ran a 5K and really messed up my hip. Well, I am happy to report that last Sunday, I put on my new running shoes that I got from Running Revolution in Campbell, CA. They video you running, they size you, they have you stand on a machine that checks where you put the most pressure on your feet, etc. I got the best shoes for me, I love them!! So, with being 25 pounds lighter and having these amazing shoes, I got on the treadmill and ran 5K at 4.0. I wanted to go faster and I did do sprints at 7.0 three times, but had to keep my heart rate in range. When i finihed the run, i could have kept going. I felt great and couldn't believe that I had no pain the entire run!
cruise friends
I have mentioned that the cruise in October, 2010 was amazing and life changing. I have mentioned some friends from there that have made a huge impact on my life, and I am connecting with even more of them through facebook and friends that we have in common. It seems that everyone that I talk to said that the cruise changed their life in one way or another, so I know it's not just a handful of us. Though i have thanked so many for support, i think these relationships need to be talked about a little more because i think about these every day..really, they are a driving force day to day.
Hoss Pravizian is such an amazing person. To quote Jillian Michaels, Hoss, you ARE inspiration! That is the truth to me! We met on the cruise and we chat off and on. He is constantly challenging himself to have a happier, healthier life. 5 runs in May I think he did, including one for Celiac awareness--thanks, buddy!!-- and the Warrior Dash. Please check out his blog, it is amazing what insight he has!! newhosscity.wordpress.com/
Meghan Krotz and I chat frequently and have formed a really cool bond even though we have never met. We talk about work, fitness, life in general. She is a tough karate instructor and nanny and I would be afraid to go to a kick boxing class with her, I think! She is amazing!
Joslyn Baca is like taking the sun and squishing it into a ball and then it bursts with happiness. Honestly, I have not other way to describe her. She is the happiest person that I know.the one thing that is so great is that she lives about an hour from me and we have been able to meet up and go for long walks on the ocean and just chat about life, fitness and the world. Pretty cool stuff!!
Allison Geis is that friend that just gets you and that you ahve so much in common with. Though we only spent a couple of days getting to know each other on the cruise..not even full days, I feel like I have known her for years. Very much like me in so many ways and all of her kid stories are fabulous to hear. She helps me see that where I am is fine and that i will get where I need to go, just stay persistent.
Sabra Bodzioney yes, my trainer, but my "little sister" too. I can't believe that 3 days of time together with a perfect stranger could form this type of bond. the voice in my head and the one that surprises me with stories that I would have never expected to hear about. She challenges my thinking in so many ways and opens my mind to other possibilities.
Jaelynn Harris aka Krista Harris is the daughter that I have always wanted. She is the driving force that motivates me to keep going when I want to quit, but I won't because that teaches her that quuitting would be okay. There will be much more about her in another blog, i'm sure, but the update is that she has been for a visit and will be moving to CA for an extended period of time. So, my focus has been on this relationship and getting ready for her to move out here. My heart is happy that I can help someone so young with such a promising future ahead of her. What is best for her is what guides my thoughts. I never met her on the cruise, but she came for a 4 day visit that turned into 10 and the bond we have is something that won't be broken. It is the strangest and yet most incredible thing I have ever experienced in my life.
Spending time with Jaelynn has slowed my progress a bit, but Sabra told me, "look you're losing weight, and you haven't been working out like normal, you know what that tells me?"...me: "no, what?", her: "that food isn't an issue anymore. You just are eating to fuel yourself and you aren't stressing about it." OMG, how exciting is that!! Sure we all have a few moments of weekness, but basically, yes, the food thing is set..I need to refocus on activity now. With the new shoes and realization that I can run again and hopefully racquetball will make an appearance more often now that Jaelynn will be here, I know that this part of the journey is going to kick into high gear!!
So, walking, running, time with Jaelynn, work, goal setting. All of these are part of my life and can't wait to see where more of this good stuff will take me. How about you? What is feeding you besides food? what stirs you to push through and hit that goal??
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Thursday, May 12, 2011
...weigh-in results and "have to things"
Okay, where has the time gone...distractions...work, excitement, nervous energy, rediscovering myself, working out, errands, cleaning, but mostly...building relationships!
I have to say first, that Monday, may 9th, I weighed in. I moved
3 lbs closer to my goal for a 5 week total with my trainer, Sabra Bodzioney, of 17.4 lbs...Overall lost is 60.4 lbs! 39.6 to go until my goal..well, the 1st big goal.
Like I said, it is week 5 under the direction of Sabra Bodzioney. I can't say it is one thing she says or does and she is not working out with me everyday or couseling me on my food much either, she is an observer; a keen listener to key things that I am saying; she helps me tweek the plan/course correct what I need to. Most of all, she is the voice in my head telling me, "eat, you need 1200 calories minimum" and "um, seriously, why would you eat that?" her voice reminds me food is just fuel and has no power. It is nothing to stress or be worried about. It is hard to imagine her not being in my life. Had I not gone on that cruise, I most likely never would have met her. That is a terrible thought to me!!!
Now, about the 10 year old child thing....
Yesterday, I was at a job with 3 children. We had already discussed when I "lost" Anna, 6 year old, when I hit 45 pound goal. so, I asked Joe, 10 years old, "how much do you weight?", um..."59.5 pounds". I said, "WOW!!! I have "lost" you and your new shoes!!" he started to laugh. He said, "when you lose Michael, just really lose him, okay?" ---oh, a brother's love..haha--- so, what is so amazing is that as good as I feel about moving closer to my goal and a healthier life, I feel terrible about the fact that I had basically had the weight of a 10 year old child attatched to my body!! Anna asked, "so when you are all done, are you going to lose my mom?" I originally said no, but then though...hmm...maybe. I have no idea what she weighs, but estimating...yeah, that could actually be a possibility. THAT is unbelievable to me! Gotta chat with Sabra about that one.
So, about the distractions... work, working out, cleaning, errands, excitement, nervous energy, discovering myself, but mostly...building relationships!
work...um currently need to do that in order to live, so gotta keep that
working out..again, kind of a big thing given my current goals in life
cleaning...gotta be able to find the counter to make my food AND not have stinky clothes, right?
errands...well, seriously, with the price of gas being what it is, do you really think I would just run errands that I didn't need to do?
...a little side note...
A little girl that I watch has her morning things that she needs to get done before school..you know, the basics of get dressed, eat, brush/floss teeth, brush hair, pick up toys that were left out, etc. She can't do other activities until these are done, because she takes so long to get them done. Yes, she knows that she has the choice not to do those things, but if it is time to go to school, then she is going with whatever clothes she has on, with her hair looking however it looks. So please don't say I'm forcing her to do anything and she needs to discover the consequence on her how...she had the consequencs of almost being taken to school in her underwear. Anyway, she calls her list, her "have to things".
So, Obviously the things that I listed before the story are sort of necessities, and I don't have anyone to do these things for me. They are my "have to things". We all have basic "have to things" everyday. For some people it is more, and some it is less, but quite often there are other "have to things" that aren't as easily as identifiable. That's where these other distractions come in.
discovering myself
This sort of encompasses the rest of them. In building relationships with other people and listening to their input, struggles, triumps, I learn from that. I can apply things from their experiences to my life also. The biggest distraction to me is the people in my life that I care about. I have mentioned this before...this feeds my soul, my heart. But, it's not a distraction that I could or would ever cut out of my day! Thus, in this "discovery" process along my journey, I have really realized that feeding my soul/heart with these relationships is one of my "have to things". It's not something that I could cut out or decrease my time doing in my life like TV, reading for enjoyment-not learning, window shopping, gardening, going to concerts, going to the movies, redecorating the house, facebook. Now, some of you just read some of my things that I could cut out and you were shocked!! "How could you possibly cut those things out of your life, I love to do those things!!" WEll, none of those will either lead me to my goal or make me feel complete in my day. does that make sense to you?
You know mine now, and I'm sure there are some that I missed or are waiting to be discovered along my journey. Now, I urge you to ask yourself what are your "have to things" in your life.
All of these long time friends and so many new ones but especially Krista, Sabra, Allison, Megan, Joslyn, and Hoss always need to be part of my life! What I have even found is that certain relationships, like with Sabra and Krista, often take over because of the importance of the people and their needs. What I have learned is that sometimes, being out of balance to learn about and lead to balance is a process and just takes time. Waiting for everything to fall into place in a relationship, a job, a health goal, whatever it may be, is often a struggle, but can lead you to the most rewarding experience and discovery of all!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
I have to say first, that Monday, may 9th, I weighed in. I moved
3 lbs closer to my goal for a 5 week total with my trainer, Sabra Bodzioney, of 17.4 lbs...Overall lost is 60.4 lbs! 39.6 to go until my goal..well, the 1st big goal.
Like I said, it is week 5 under the direction of Sabra Bodzioney. I can't say it is one thing she says or does and she is not working out with me everyday or couseling me on my food much either, she is an observer; a keen listener to key things that I am saying; she helps me tweek the plan/course correct what I need to. Most of all, she is the voice in my head telling me, "eat, you need 1200 calories minimum" and "um, seriously, why would you eat that?" her voice reminds me food is just fuel and has no power. It is nothing to stress or be worried about. It is hard to imagine her not being in my life. Had I not gone on that cruise, I most likely never would have met her. That is a terrible thought to me!!!
Now, about the 10 year old child thing....
Yesterday, I was at a job with 3 children. We had already discussed when I "lost" Anna, 6 year old, when I hit 45 pound goal. so, I asked Joe, 10 years old, "how much do you weight?", um..."59.5 pounds". I said, "WOW!!! I have "lost" you and your new shoes!!" he started to laugh. He said, "when you lose Michael, just really lose him, okay?" ---oh, a brother's love..haha--- so, what is so amazing is that as good as I feel about moving closer to my goal and a healthier life, I feel terrible about the fact that I had basically had the weight of a 10 year old child attatched to my body!! Anna asked, "so when you are all done, are you going to lose my mom?" I originally said no, but then though...hmm...maybe. I have no idea what she weighs, but estimating...yeah, that could actually be a possibility. THAT is unbelievable to me! Gotta chat with Sabra about that one.
So, about the distractions... work, working out, cleaning, errands, excitement, nervous energy, discovering myself, but mostly...building relationships!
work...um currently need to do that in order to live, so gotta keep that
working out..again, kind of a big thing given my current goals in life
cleaning...gotta be able to find the counter to make my food AND not have stinky clothes, right?
errands...well, seriously, with the price of gas being what it is, do you really think I would just run errands that I didn't need to do?
...a little side note...
A little girl that I watch has her morning things that she needs to get done before school..you know, the basics of get dressed, eat, brush/floss teeth, brush hair, pick up toys that were left out, etc. She can't do other activities until these are done, because she takes so long to get them done. Yes, she knows that she has the choice not to do those things, but if it is time to go to school, then she is going with whatever clothes she has on, with her hair looking however it looks. So please don't say I'm forcing her to do anything and she needs to discover the consequence on her how...she had the consequencs of almost being taken to school in her underwear. Anyway, she calls her list, her "have to things".
So, Obviously the things that I listed before the story are sort of necessities, and I don't have anyone to do these things for me. They are my "have to things". We all have basic "have to things" everyday. For some people it is more, and some it is less, but quite often there are other "have to things" that aren't as easily as identifiable. That's where these other distractions come in.
discovering myself
This sort of encompasses the rest of them. In building relationships with other people and listening to their input, struggles, triumps, I learn from that. I can apply things from their experiences to my life also. The biggest distraction to me is the people in my life that I care about. I have mentioned this before...this feeds my soul, my heart. But, it's not a distraction that I could or would ever cut out of my day! Thus, in this "discovery" process along my journey, I have really realized that feeding my soul/heart with these relationships is one of my "have to things". It's not something that I could cut out or decrease my time doing in my life like TV, reading for enjoyment-not learning, window shopping, gardening, going to concerts, going to the movies, redecorating the house, facebook. Now, some of you just read some of my things that I could cut out and you were shocked!! "How could you possibly cut those things out of your life, I love to do those things!!" WEll, none of those will either lead me to my goal or make me feel complete in my day. does that make sense to you?
You know mine now, and I'm sure there are some that I missed or are waiting to be discovered along my journey. Now, I urge you to ask yourself what are your "have to things" in your life.
All of these long time friends and so many new ones but especially Krista, Sabra, Allison, Megan, Joslyn, and Hoss always need to be part of my life! What I have even found is that certain relationships, like with Sabra and Krista, often take over because of the importance of the people and their needs. What I have learned is that sometimes, being out of balance to learn about and lead to balance is a process and just takes time. Waiting for everything to fall into place in a relationship, a job, a health goal, whatever it may be, is often a struggle, but can lead you to the most rewarding experience and discovery of all!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
Monday, May 2, 2011
weigh in and short cuts
Well, after 4 weeks with my amazing "trainer by phone", Sabra Bodzioney, I have moved 2.4 pounds closer to my goal, for a total of 14.2 in 4 weeks! It is not the 4 pounds that I originally planned for, but I do feel good about it. It makes me more motivated to do more this week and stick to my guns about putting my sleep at the top of my list.
I just passed a major marker in my journey! I am below the weight that I was on the cruise, back in October. So, yes, after the cruise, I ganed back a little weight, as you know, but it's now gone and I am not looking back. I am at 187.4, just 42.4 to go!
Here's the dilema...I have a job this morning and this evening, but I have a 4 hour break in between, so I planned to work out then. Driving to work, got a call from evening boss. "He's sick, do you work this morning?" Knowing that I just told her I am off at 1pm, can't easily say, "no, I can't come earlier." So, I will be working out tonight, instead. Thus, pushing bedtime back...again! However, I do believe that I can still get my 8 hours, if I cut down on the socializing on the phone tonight!
I am looking at the positive aspects of this day...moving closer to financial goals by working more hours, one solid workout in the evening, bed time by 10pm, and socializing in the car on the way home, or on the phone while walking at night.
SHORT CUTS
Well, on Saturday, I had a fairly open day and was able to sleep in. Unfortunately, my body thinks that 5 hours of sleep is enough these days! So, I just moved forward with what I needed to do that day. One of the things was running 2 errands and one was cleaning my apartment because 2 girls that I used to nanny would be coming to stay the night with me. So, to get some activity in, I walked to the errands and put in almost 8 miles. When i was walking, I was headed to the bank, and saw this path through the shrubs that were planted, that would get me to my destination a little bit faster. And that's when I started thinking about short cuts. I passed the path, and walked my regular route, thus adding distance to my walk, and actually giving myself a sense of accomplishment that short cuts really aren't the answer. Here are a couple of things that kept going through my mind...
My wonderful friend and encourager, Hoss Parvizian gave a good example about short cuts in his blog : https://newhosscity.wordpress.com/...
Today’s visit began with the nurse weighing me in. I jumped on the scale and she had it on my weight of last visit, 335. She looked puzzled and slide the weight measurement tool down. She suspiciously looked at the chart again. Again she slid the weight on top of the scale again. “Wow, you’ve lost a lot of weight!” she exclaimed. “Is there anything the matter?”
“Nope. Just trying to get healthier” I replied.
“Did you do the surgery?” she asked. C’mon lady, you have my entire medical history in your hands.
“Nope. Just old-fashioned eating right and exercise.” I replied. She looked at me doubtfully and told me the doctor would be in with me in a moment.
I love this!! Here's why...It shows me how society is so programmed to take the easy way out of a situation. It shows me that people think "short cuts" are the answer over working hard. You know what I mean, working through the hard difficult struggles, you know, the ones that ACTUALLY make us stronger in the long run. I have heard, "I'm just gonna have the bi-pass surgery" by people I know, and if that is the route they choose to take, that's totally okay, it's their life. Hoss, like me, is trying to learn a life skill to make his life a long and happy one. Sure, a "quick fix" sounds good, but really, does it work? With bi-pass surgery, don't you have to change your eating habits and exercise anyway? I haven't researched it, never even considered it for my self, so understanding why people do it is more my focus.
I know so many people in younger generations, due to the job I have and the amazing friends I have gained over the past year especially. It's interesting, I sound like my parents, I'm sure, but they all just "want it now"...that is their mentality. Seriously, I want things now too, but I can't learn any lessons about me or life in general without the waiting. I'm sure my parents thought that about my generation too, but it is interesting that now, I am seeing the value in just living and experiencing each day.
Changing your habits overnight isn't possible, it takes time and dedication to a journey and a goal. However, each day, you can create a new habit, here are a couple of examples:
-Read(or listen to an audio book) for 15 minutes a day, in a book that motivates you to accomplish your goal.
-walk for 30 minutes each day
-take a multi vitamin every morning
-talk to someone that is a great cheerleader for you and helps you realize your potential every morning, even if it is just a quick text back and forth.
-turn your tv on just 1 time a week
..you get the picture.
To sum it up...Make small changes everyday There is only 1 real short cut that will work, here it is: Find a coach, mentor, leader to learn from. Someone who has the results that you want. Then, do everything they tell you to do to achieve your goal. If you try a different short cut, you may end up just re-doing the work you have already done, now how fun is that???
Change is good, embrace it, honor the process and live the life you are entitled to have!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
I just passed a major marker in my journey! I am below the weight that I was on the cruise, back in October. So, yes, after the cruise, I ganed back a little weight, as you know, but it's now gone and I am not looking back. I am at 187.4, just 42.4 to go!
Here's the dilema...I have a job this morning and this evening, but I have a 4 hour break in between, so I planned to work out then. Driving to work, got a call from evening boss. "He's sick, do you work this morning?" Knowing that I just told her I am off at 1pm, can't easily say, "no, I can't come earlier." So, I will be working out tonight, instead. Thus, pushing bedtime back...again! However, I do believe that I can still get my 8 hours, if I cut down on the socializing on the phone tonight!
I am looking at the positive aspects of this day...moving closer to financial goals by working more hours, one solid workout in the evening, bed time by 10pm, and socializing in the car on the way home, or on the phone while walking at night.
SHORT CUTS
Well, on Saturday, I had a fairly open day and was able to sleep in. Unfortunately, my body thinks that 5 hours of sleep is enough these days! So, I just moved forward with what I needed to do that day. One of the things was running 2 errands and one was cleaning my apartment because 2 girls that I used to nanny would be coming to stay the night with me. So, to get some activity in, I walked to the errands and put in almost 8 miles. When i was walking, I was headed to the bank, and saw this path through the shrubs that were planted, that would get me to my destination a little bit faster. And that's when I started thinking about short cuts. I passed the path, and walked my regular route, thus adding distance to my walk, and actually giving myself a sense of accomplishment that short cuts really aren't the answer. Here are a couple of things that kept going through my mind...
My wonderful friend and encourager, Hoss Parvizian gave a good example about short cuts in his blog : https://newhosscity.wordpress.com/...
Today’s visit began with the nurse weighing me in. I jumped on the scale and she had it on my weight of last visit, 335. She looked puzzled and slide the weight measurement tool down. She suspiciously looked at the chart again. Again she slid the weight on top of the scale again. “Wow, you’ve lost a lot of weight!” she exclaimed. “Is there anything the matter?”
“Nope. Just trying to get healthier” I replied.
“Did you do the surgery?” she asked. C’mon lady, you have my entire medical history in your hands.
“Nope. Just old-fashioned eating right and exercise.” I replied. She looked at me doubtfully and told me the doctor would be in with me in a moment.
I love this!! Here's why...It shows me how society is so programmed to take the easy way out of a situation. It shows me that people think "short cuts" are the answer over working hard. You know what I mean, working through the hard difficult struggles, you know, the ones that ACTUALLY make us stronger in the long run. I have heard, "I'm just gonna have the bi-pass surgery" by people I know, and if that is the route they choose to take, that's totally okay, it's their life. Hoss, like me, is trying to learn a life skill to make his life a long and happy one. Sure, a "quick fix" sounds good, but really, does it work? With bi-pass surgery, don't you have to change your eating habits and exercise anyway? I haven't researched it, never even considered it for my self, so understanding why people do it is more my focus.
I know so many people in younger generations, due to the job I have and the amazing friends I have gained over the past year especially. It's interesting, I sound like my parents, I'm sure, but they all just "want it now"...that is their mentality. Seriously, I want things now too, but I can't learn any lessons about me or life in general without the waiting. I'm sure my parents thought that about my generation too, but it is interesting that now, I am seeing the value in just living and experiencing each day.
Changing your habits overnight isn't possible, it takes time and dedication to a journey and a goal. However, each day, you can create a new habit, here are a couple of examples:
-Read(or listen to an audio book) for 15 minutes a day, in a book that motivates you to accomplish your goal.
-walk for 30 minutes each day
-take a multi vitamin every morning
-talk to someone that is a great cheerleader for you and helps you realize your potential every morning, even if it is just a quick text back and forth.
-turn your tv on just 1 time a week
..you get the picture.
To sum it up...Make small changes everyday There is only 1 real short cut that will work, here it is: Find a coach, mentor, leader to learn from. Someone who has the results that you want. Then, do everything they tell you to do to achieve your goal. If you try a different short cut, you may end up just re-doing the work you have already done, now how fun is that???
Change is good, embrace it, honor the process and live the life you are entitled to have!
Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou
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