What am I grateful for today?
What could be better than golfing on a beautiful course in Mexico?! They look like they are enjoying themselves, huh? David's the one without a hat... ya, he's hot :)
Well, we did it!! Robby and I both finished the Mardi Gras Marathon and the weather made it tough. Hot and humid. Because the course was flat, I guess I didn't really believe that the weather would be a factor in my finish time, but it definitely was. I finished in 5 hours and 11 minutes which is much slower than my last marathon. I ran the Rock and Roll marathon here in San Diego in 4 hours, 39 minutes and thought I could have done better then too. But still an accomplishment no matter... and I'm already planning for my next marathon, either Marine Corps marathon in late October or Rock and Roll Phoenix in January.
If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you'd like to win, but think you can't
It's almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you've lost,
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow's will;
It's all in the state of mind.
If you think you're outclassed, you are;
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win the prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.
**************************************
Never use the words "I can't", because that is what you will believe and then that will be your reality.
These are my words of affirmation to read before the marathon on Sunday. Wish me success!!
Happy Birthday David!!! Wheeee! I'm so happy you're home today =D
I've missed him even though it's only been a few days... too long :) His big gift was an autographed football signed by LaDainian Tomlinson... ya, we're Chargers fans :) I got him some other little things and still have to take him to dinner; Mexico was a little too much fun and he was wiped out last night, so we chilled and watched Heroes.
OK, I can be a happy camper today *big smile* Wheeeee!!
Think about your car for a moment... when you pull up to a gas station, what kind of fuel do you put into it? Do you expect your car to run properly after filling it up? What if you pulled into the gas station and found a sign that stated that the fuel had sand and dirt and chemicals in it that would damage the systems in your car, cause your car to slowly deteriorate and become sluggish and eventually cause your car to stop running altogether? But they would sell it to you for 10 cents a gallon. Would you rationalize putting it into your car? Or would you value your car enough to make a habit of going to another gas station, always giving it the best fuel you could afford to keep it running properly for as long as you could?
Think about your body for a moment... what kind of fuel are you giving it on a daily basis? Are you expecting it to run like a sports car, but fueling it like a g0-cart? Are you putting polluted fuel into it and wondering why you feel sluggish and tired? Do you value yourself and your health enough to make the effort to put the best fuel possible into your body? Do you know how to find the proper fuel for your body and that it will help you feel more energetic?
Start today. Today, buy fruits, vegetables and whole grains and learn how to prepare them so that you will enjoy them in a low fat manner. Feed your body so that you will feel brilliant and fabulous and energetic.
Your assignment for today is to practice "environmental control" rather than "self-control" ensuring that you always have the proper fuel. Willpower alone is not an effective weight management strategy. Count on eating whatever is in your immediate environment.
Subtractive environment control:
Remove from your environment any food that is ineffective for your weight management and fueling your body. It is not about "good" food or "bad" food... you are not a better person because you have made "good" food choices today. You are not a "bad" person because of the foods you eat. You are simply either making effective or ineffective choices regarding your "fuel". I don't keep chocolate or peanut butter in my house because if you knew me, you know it wouldn't last 10 minutes :) If it is in your environment, at work, at home, at friend's houses... the possibility exists that you will eat all of it.
Additive environmental control:
What do you need to add to your environment to support your successful weight management? Do you have fruits and vegetables in your house? At work? Do you keep canned fruits and veggies at your desk or in your car? Fill up on fruits and vegetables before you eat anything else and your calories will automatically decrease while still filling you up with volume.
If you are not accustomed to eating fruits and veggies, I would start by buying frozen and canned fruits and veggies while you are learning what you like and how you like them prepared. That way, you don't waste money or food as you start incorporating these things into your diet. Libby's now has canned fruit sweetened with Splenda, but for other fruits, look for them sweetened in fruit juice. Many veggies are great steamed right in the bag in which you buy them. Incorporating as many fruits and veggies (prepared in a low fat manner) as you can into each day, increases your chances for managing your weight on a long term basis. You can do this! :)
I was going to post a complaint about the weather during my run around the bay today, and about the ideal conditions for running, but then I thought about those of you who might be reading from anywhere other than So Cal and it suddenly made me grateful for the weather here :) Puts it in perspective.
This is my favorite song today. I was going to post the video, with Scarlett Johannsen, but I like just listening to it uninterrupted, so here it is. Enjoy!
I'm off in a while to run around Mission Bay. It's about an 8 mile run and this is just a normal run to keep me on track for the marathon next week. I'm in the "tapering" phase of training where my running decreases until the marathon so that I'm rested and healthy after my 20 mile run a few weeks ago. When I'm not training, this is the run I do on the weekends just as part of my routine.
I always thought running a marathon sounded so unbelievable, how can you run 26.2 miles?! I had never run more than probably 3 miles at the time. But then my brother ran the Mardi Gras marathon a few years ago and that made it believable... if he can run it, then so can I! (That's a competitive sister for you!) So when I started training for the Marine Corps marathon that we were going to run together, I was amazed when I finally went for a 10 mile run ~ and survived it!! Now, I'm hooked on the goal. I probably wouldn't work as hard on my physical activity if I didn't set these goals for myself ~ running 5k's, half-marathons and training for future marathons.
What does your physical activity routine look like? Regular exercise is not only necessary for managing your weight, but it helps to slow down the aging process and decreases the risks for many aging and weight related diseases. So here's my assignment to you today:
Add 10 minutes of physical activity to your day today. If that is only 10 minutes, then that is perfect. If you are not currently exercising regularly, start problem-solving to add just 10 minutes of exercise, such as walking, to your day. Regular habits require momentum and momentum requires consistency, so start doing today whatever you can keep doing tomorrow, and the next day and the day after that.
Regular exercise requires developing the skills of problem-solving. We are all busy and find it difficult to fit into our day, plus it's not always fun to exercise, but practice today finding a way to add 10 additional minutes of intentional exercise into your day.
What am I grateful for today?
Oprah's show on Friday was a follow up to the show she aired last week on The Secret. I definitely have to watch it tonight, maybe I'll just go buy the DVD if I can find it.
It's been a busy day in training conferences all day. I'll be posting lots of information later on what I'm learning at my training here. I love what I do for a living and being at these trainings reinforces how important the work is. Obesity and its related diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, has become an epidemic and will only get worse until positive and effective interventions are put in place.
I won't be posting again until late Saturday. After finishing the conference here, Heidi and I are going to dinner and hopefully staying up late enough to see a movie :) we old, we didn't make it past 10 p.m. last time we planned to see the movie.
I'll post more info on the training later this weekend... we should have a really good session later this afternoon on new research into obesity interventions. Eat your veggies :) and be fabulous!!
I miss my D today :( He is in Mexico on a sales trip, which he earned as a bonus for being such a stud :) and I am in LA on a business training trip... He'll be back Monday which is his birthday so at least we'll be able to celebrate together, but in the meantime, *big sigh*
Today, I'm grateful for:
Today is a "red grape" day :) I found them on sale last night at the grocery store and I love red grapes. Grapes are a good snack food that you can eat mindlessly while doing something else, like watching TV or working on the computer. They are filling and at only about 65 calories for a cup, they are a great replacement for the chips or crackers that I might eat mindlessly instead. For a comparison, grapes are about 20 calories per ounce versus 130-150 per ounce for chips or other processed baked goods, and they are more filling due the higher water content. Go ahead, indulge in all the grapes you want!
Today, I'm grateful for...
David's always at the top of the list though, I'm just saying... =D
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
From "A Return to Love"
-- Marianne Williamson
Processed chips and crackers are loaded with calories that can add up very quickly. Fill up on high-volume, low-calorie veggies and be sure you're dipping into your favorite low-cal dip. How about the Mango & Black Bean Salsa?? Some "chip" ideas for dipping:
Other ideas?? Favorite low fat dip recipes?
"...we simply could not move forward with such dysfunction between our head coach and general manager."
Schottenheimer got fired yesterday. I didn't see that coming.
Not necessarily in that order, those peanut butter balls are damn good. =)
Try over a potato or dip with home-made baked potato "chips". I've used the Trader Joe's frozen mangos in place of fresh mango, just allow to defrost before mixing.
Ingredients
1 large mango, chopped
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Preparation
Combine mango, red onion, black beans, cilantro and jalapeno in a medium bowl. Squeeze lime juice over mixture. Stir well, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Sparkpeople.com offers online exercise demos for strength training and stretching. You have to register with the web site to access these demos, but it's free.
One of my favorite things to listen to while I clean my apartment or just before I meditate is a Joel Osteen sermon... I don't consider myself religious at all. I don't attend church and do not follow the doctrine of any particular religion or religious denomination. I do however consider myself a spiritual person and in touch with a power that is beyond my physical (and even emotional) self.
In the past, I couldn't listen to him, I couldn't get past his accent (yes, even though I am from the South) and I thought his message was too "fluffy".... can you be too positive?? But now that I have resolved my issues there, I love the positive messages he gives. I think you have to sign up for his web site to listen to him online, but he has all his services online here.
Galeo's Miso dressings.... totally yum!! If you can't find them at the grocery store, you can order them online.
Yippeee! I got my first comment on my blog, and it's very exciting :) This blogging thing might be fun after all.
Do you blog or write on a regular basis? I feel like my life is pretty mellow and boring (hmmm, somebody told me that recently, who was that?)... what will I ever find to write about? Let the saga continue...
The Secret... this seems to be everywhere I turn these days and I've yet to see it. Even on Oprah recently. It is viewable online so that may be what I do this weekend while D plays in Puerto Vallarta :) The Secret must be working for him since it's a fun trip that he earned at work, how cool is that?
Have you seen The Secret yet? What did you think?
It's right around the corner... I am currently training for the Mardi Gras Marathon in New Orleans on Feb. 25 and soon I will start getting anxious about the performance... I am a planner and although I haven't completely stuck to my training plan, I ran my last long run, 20 miles, last weekend, and I wasn't even sore afterwards. I kept wondering what I had done wrong :) But now my planning mind turns to travel, food, rest... the crime rate in New Orleans!! Robby and I might be literally running for our lives. My goal is to run the marathon in 3:45 to qualify for the Boston marathon next year, but I will be happy also to beat my last marathon time of 4:39.
I'm already planning to run the Marine Corps marathon in October, since my brother is going to run that one as well.
Just up from my nap after my class all day today, a seminar in Educational Technology on Blogs & Wikis. This becomes my official entry into the blogosphere and now it's up to me to keep you current on what's going on in my life. I have some new ideas for incorporating blogs into my classes at IHM where I work as a Health Educator but who knows what else I will find to talk about... send me questions or comments if you want to know something specific.
