New Year's resolutions. Hate them! Usually. * winks* The past couple of years I've been in a health battle that I'm tired of not losing but certainly not winning either. I thought I'd have reached more progress by now but that's probably because I have only been doing what I can which lately has been the bare minimum. Had the opportunity to coordinate an event about healthy eating and getting into exercise with app helps and all. Was a fantastic event, one I wish had been better attended as all of these things were so incredibly helpful.
There are some genious ideas out there concerning healthy eating and diet. Stay away from trends and fast 'diets' when I say diet I mean a permanent change, fads are almost always a mistake. It isn't easy changing you habits when you get used to a certain way. I luckily grew up with parents that always made sure there was a garden and fresh vegetables at my fingertips. Now they also have a few apple trees, I believe a nut tree or two, a greenhouse, a garden, and their raspberry bushes have taken off! Makes it easy to eat healthier just having it conveniently around you. So, that's been my first step. Make sure that I concentrate more on fresh fruits and veggies being at the ready than snacky foods to snack on. I'm more likely now to grab some salad, an apple, or yogurt for a snack than junk food. Helps when you limit your snacky foods to the healthiest you can find that everyone will enjoy. Corn chips and salsa are by far a better choice than potato chips and dip. Whole grain round crackers with cheddar slices rather than buttery rounds with american cheese. You'd be surprised how taking your favorite snack and creating a healthier alternative can make such a difference in your dress size but it does.
Being diabetic I already watch my carb intake ( carbs=sugar) so some of these lifestyle changes came because my body said it didn't want the crap anymore it only wants the good stuff. Hopefully this never happens to you, give it the good stuff! I also rarely get to eat chocolate, says the chocoholic, but I do get to have dark chocolate on occasion which I actually like better. I don't know when it happens but somewhere in adulthood things start tasting too fatty and too sugary and sweet. I can barely eat a store bought cake anymore I'd much rather bake homemade and have a thin layer of icing or no icing at all. Tastes better to me.
I also participate on MYFITNESSPAL. Wonderful tool this is! It keeps track of your caloric intake, gives you notes as you enter your food such as good this food is high in protein or be careful this is high in fat. Love it! It also keeps track of my weight goal progression and my daily exercise. When you add your friends you can all see how well you're progressing together. It will automatically show your exercise to encourage each other to participate and keep going as well as showing that you made it under your calorie goals, hopefully. But not too under, then you put yourself in starvation mode and end up storing fat every time you eat instead of your body recognizing you're always getting fed. Six small meals a day does a body good and will actually help you lose weight. Don't forget to drink at least 10-12 8oz glasses of water a day keep cleaning out those toxins and letting your body function to it's fullest abilities.
I have been working on being able to jog again for about 4-5 months now and can jog for longer periods of time. I started working my way up to walking 3 miles in less than an hour ( 40 mins is what my avg turned out to be) and when I finally reached that goal so as not to harm my body and let it build up muscle I started the couch to 5k where you combine running and walking to work up to a nice jog. Not there yet but I am so thankful that I started and I'll keep trying. I have better days when I jog, my mind is sharper, my energy is higher and I'm just a lot more smiley. :)
I am still super ambitious and very hard on myself when I don't reach my goals when I think I should. My body will progress and do what it needs to do the way it was created and I have to learn to be patient. Results that happen overnight are temporary. Results that happen over a slow progression last a lifetime. Hang in there with me!
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Always Learning
I love to learn. Any question or single thought that enters my mind will and can take me on a wild journey of facts and opinions whether by the internet or books. While I'm studying the one thought or question it almost always leads to another and another. I can spend hours, even days on a single subject just to find meaning and understand it.
Some things no matter how much I research or how many materials I pour through, I am confused. So many contrary opinions and ideas will lead me more to an inner debate that I can't win rather than a simple answer. Leaving me feeling turmoil and chaos rather than some level of peace. I could do without this feeling. I guess with some things, you just never figure it out.
Relationships elude me. I don't think I've ever been good at making new friends or even starting new relationships because I never know what to say or how to act. I'm forever scared I'll say the wrong thing so some assume my silence is arrogance, well it's not. Abraham Lincoln once said, " It is better to remain silent and thought of a fool than to speak and remove all doubt." One of my favorite quotes lol. I believe that friendship is earned not freely given and because of that I call very few friend. It's actually a rarity and one who I call friend should always consider themselves in high regard to me as I don't throw that word around easily or without weight.
I've always been the type of person that if I call you friend I will give it my all. I'll help any way I can, I'll be there whenever you need me, I'll even hang around in the background if you're not sure you really like me right now. What hurts me most and causes me to be selective with my friends are those who can't seem to be kind about me when I'm not in the room. Those who choose to assume instead of asking me outright ( be brave I don't bite), or even those who see my faults the faults I see as the worst of myself and not only choose not to help me overcome or improve them but rather judge me or point them out to others and use them against me. A new pet peeve I've discovered are people who claim to know me and proceed to make up fantasies of things I've said or done. Very puzzling.
Mom's usually always feel inadequate when it comes to their children. Quite simply put we worry about them all the time and worry if we are making the right decisions to help shape them and mold them into active participants in our societies, communities and churches. Not an easy task and some opt not to complicate themselves by adding children to their lives for this very reason, the responsibility of another human being. As much as there are times that I wish I could just be the same person to everyone let's face it that's never going to happen. Everyone perceives life in their own unique way so as a result even though I have a foundation that is the same to all three of my children, yes I treat them differently. The foundations I speak of is the eternal love and reverence I have as their mother that will never change. But even discipline is so unique to each individual. What might work for one child just doesn't seem to fit in with another. This is a hard relationship to work on for me, I wish they'd just all read my mind, understand what I need them to and be happy. Ahhh such a nice dream isn't it?
I have learned over the years in marriage, after a fight, give yourself a few minutes to cry or breathe or whatever it is you need to do to find your patience with your spouse again and then apologize. I am quick to apologize in quarrels for my responsibility in it whether that's raising my voice or even something harsh I might have said that I don't really believe to be true. I do this without worrying if it's reciprocated. I have to live with me for eternity and be able to look myself in the mirror each morning and know that I'm doing my very best in this world. Just like others have to accept their faults and responsibilities for their parts in this world. As a result of being quick to apologize I am also quick to forgive. Trust of course is another issue that has to be earned and sometimes if abused enough never returned, but forgiving and not hanging it over their head again that I have learned to do.
Confidence really affects how we see ourselves and how we see others. Having confidence in yourself and your abilities and talents is an important part of life. Some may choose to be easily offended at the slightest things you do well, usually due to the fact that they can't. That's a jealousy thing and not something you can control when others choose it. I personally am happy for others when they achieve things they've worked hard on, or even marvel at their raw talent and abilities that I may not possess. Why bring them down, we should be supportive and shine that light on them when they are doing something well. If you find yourself withdrawing from people that are good at things you're not I guess that's your choice but if you would like to improve those things withdrawing would be a big mistake as they are right in front of you and can help you improve. Don't compare yourself to them, simply do the best you can, you may never be as good as they are but you will still be better than when you started. I'm always afraid to learn something new or even embarrassed when I have to relearn something I've already done well but forgotten. Can't let that stop me if I find joy in those things now can I.
I don't claim in any respect to have it all figured out, nor do I believe I ever will, but I am trying. That's all I have, I don't have perfection no one does, I have effort and love and commitment. Committing myself to service for my family, church callings, and those in need who ask for it. I will always keep trying no matter how high that hill is in front of me willing me to fall back down and give up. I choose to keep learning and growing. I choose to endure.
Some things no matter how much I research or how many materials I pour through, I am confused. So many contrary opinions and ideas will lead me more to an inner debate that I can't win rather than a simple answer. Leaving me feeling turmoil and chaos rather than some level of peace. I could do without this feeling. I guess with some things, you just never figure it out.
Relationships elude me. I don't think I've ever been good at making new friends or even starting new relationships because I never know what to say or how to act. I'm forever scared I'll say the wrong thing so some assume my silence is arrogance, well it's not. Abraham Lincoln once said, " It is better to remain silent and thought of a fool than to speak and remove all doubt." One of my favorite quotes lol. I believe that friendship is earned not freely given and because of that I call very few friend. It's actually a rarity and one who I call friend should always consider themselves in high regard to me as I don't throw that word around easily or without weight.
I've always been the type of person that if I call you friend I will give it my all. I'll help any way I can, I'll be there whenever you need me, I'll even hang around in the background if you're not sure you really like me right now. What hurts me most and causes me to be selective with my friends are those who can't seem to be kind about me when I'm not in the room. Those who choose to assume instead of asking me outright ( be brave I don't bite), or even those who see my faults the faults I see as the worst of myself and not only choose not to help me overcome or improve them but rather judge me or point them out to others and use them against me. A new pet peeve I've discovered are people who claim to know me and proceed to make up fantasies of things I've said or done. Very puzzling.
Mom's usually always feel inadequate when it comes to their children. Quite simply put we worry about them all the time and worry if we are making the right decisions to help shape them and mold them into active participants in our societies, communities and churches. Not an easy task and some opt not to complicate themselves by adding children to their lives for this very reason, the responsibility of another human being. As much as there are times that I wish I could just be the same person to everyone let's face it that's never going to happen. Everyone perceives life in their own unique way so as a result even though I have a foundation that is the same to all three of my children, yes I treat them differently. The foundations I speak of is the eternal love and reverence I have as their mother that will never change. But even discipline is so unique to each individual. What might work for one child just doesn't seem to fit in with another. This is a hard relationship to work on for me, I wish they'd just all read my mind, understand what I need them to and be happy. Ahhh such a nice dream isn't it?
I have learned over the years in marriage, after a fight, give yourself a few minutes to cry or breathe or whatever it is you need to do to find your patience with your spouse again and then apologize. I am quick to apologize in quarrels for my responsibility in it whether that's raising my voice or even something harsh I might have said that I don't really believe to be true. I do this without worrying if it's reciprocated. I have to live with me for eternity and be able to look myself in the mirror each morning and know that I'm doing my very best in this world. Just like others have to accept their faults and responsibilities for their parts in this world. As a result of being quick to apologize I am also quick to forgive. Trust of course is another issue that has to be earned and sometimes if abused enough never returned, but forgiving and not hanging it over their head again that I have learned to do.
Confidence really affects how we see ourselves and how we see others. Having confidence in yourself and your abilities and talents is an important part of life. Some may choose to be easily offended at the slightest things you do well, usually due to the fact that they can't. That's a jealousy thing and not something you can control when others choose it. I personally am happy for others when they achieve things they've worked hard on, or even marvel at their raw talent and abilities that I may not possess. Why bring them down, we should be supportive and shine that light on them when they are doing something well. If you find yourself withdrawing from people that are good at things you're not I guess that's your choice but if you would like to improve those things withdrawing would be a big mistake as they are right in front of you and can help you improve. Don't compare yourself to them, simply do the best you can, you may never be as good as they are but you will still be better than when you started. I'm always afraid to learn something new or even embarrassed when I have to relearn something I've already done well but forgotten. Can't let that stop me if I find joy in those things now can I.
I don't claim in any respect to have it all figured out, nor do I believe I ever will, but I am trying. That's all I have, I don't have perfection no one does, I have effort and love and commitment. Committing myself to service for my family, church callings, and those in need who ask for it. I will always keep trying no matter how high that hill is in front of me willing me to fall back down and give up. I choose to keep learning and growing. I choose to endure.
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