Week 8: R&R

I'm so busy and so behind.  This week I'll just list a few Resources & Recommendations (R&R):

MY FITNESS PAL

I could not do it without this tool.  Input your weight, activity level, and goal (i.e. weight loss, gain, or maintenance) and they calculate how many calories you should have each day.  Then, you search their nearly exhaustive database to add foods to your daily food log.  Other conveniences-- fitness log, recipe calorie counter, favorites, and there's an app...This thing is awesome.

25 TOP YOUTUBE WORKOUTS
This link from Six Sisters' Stuff has been so helpful.  I've tried about a third of the videos they suggest so far, with definite satisfaction.  YouTube videos are now one of my favorite things to do to work out-- endless possibility and variety. 

MY YOUTUBE WORKOUTS
Once I got started with YouTube workouts, there was no stopping.  Here are some other videos I've collected.  I haven't tried all of these yet either, but the ones I have tried were killer.  In a good way.

HUNGRY GIRL RECIPES
This author has so many great ideas for recipes that are healthy, low in calories, creative, and delicious.  I received one of her cookbooks as a gift, and I use it quite a bit.  If you don't own one, though, you can sign up to receive daily emails.

GETTING STARTED WITH RUNNING
I have used the training schedules on this website for my 5Ks and my half marathon, but they also have schedules for 10Ks and full marathons.  I love how everything is scheduled out neatly for you.  Plus, they list tips and important info about running, too.

FINDING A RACE
Once you've chosen a training schedule for running, it's usually not that hard to find a race, but I've found this to be an excellent compilation.  Search by place, date, and/or race length.  Lots of choices :)

What are your favorite health and fitness resources?

Week 5: A Better Way to Celebrate Myself

One year ago this past Monday, I decided I wanted to celebrate my birthday in style.  As is our family tradition, I could choose the birthday dinner, and I came up with the brilliant theme of finger foods-- you know, crackers & cheese, veggies & dip, and especially all those delicious, bite-size, deep-fried, pre-packaged delicacies your mother never lets you buy.  I figured if I was going off my diet {for just one day} in celebration-- and I deserve it, right?-- I might as well go all out.  And go all out we did.  There were egg rolls and cordon bleu balls and popcorn chicken and jalapeno poppers, just for starters.  For dessert, we had ice cream with, appropriately, 22 different toppings.  See those three bowls of ice cream on the bottom left?  All mine. 

Everything tasted delicious, of course, and I appreciated my parents providing the party.  But it was hard and took a very long time to get back on track.

When I started planning my birthday this year (notice that planning has to come first in matters of healthy living) I was sort of freaking out about it, and I wasn't sure why.  I resolved NOT to make food be the focus of my celebrations, so in my head that meant I had to plan something unprecedented and grandiose and preferrably free and non-media related.  Ugh.  My best option was to rent out the Hogle Zoo.  Yes, one can rent out the Hogle Zoo.  But unfortunately, the "free" category doesn't apply.  And by Thursday when I called my mom, I still had no plan.  

As I told her my dilemma about how to celebrate, I finally vocalized my fear: "I don't want this birthday to be the same as last year- where it's the turning point for the worse.  I don't want to plan a big dinner or a fancy treat."  As I spoke, ideas finally clicked.  I could celebrate by doing something simple that I loved as much as desserts and fatty foods.  "In fact, I'll eat dinner before I come over, and let's have a dance party and make healthy smoothies."  Even though this was breaking our family traditions my mom agreed without hesitation.  She is so supportive, and I'm grateful.  

So instead of celebrating by letting myself go, I celebrated by keeping myself committed.  And it's not like I was eating wheat germ and brussel sprouts, either.  For breakfast and lunch, I split a Subway foot-long, had a handful of yummy almonds for snack, and threw together a southwest salad for dinner.  Satisfying, tasty, and healthy! Yay, me! :)

And, boy, did we rock that birthday dance party with Zumba lessons from Anna, basic ballroom dance steps from me, and a rousing rendition of the chicken dance!  

And Dad pulled through with some pretty fabulous smoothies.  We did have a bit of trouble trying to get my candles to stay standing on the top of my Triple Berry Smoothie. 

Notice how I blew over the candle in addition to blowing out the flame.

I left the party feeling energized, recommitted, and pleased with how it had turned out.  I feel like this is just the beginning, and Heavenly Father is strengthening me every step of the way.  

The words of Dr. Suess seem particularly appropriate :)

"Today you are you.  That is truer than true.

There is no one alive that is you-er than you!

Shout aloud, 'I am glad to be who I am!

'Thank goodness I'm not a clam

'Or a ham

'Or a dusty old jar of gooseberry jam.

'I am what I am- what a great thing to be!

'If I say so myself, Happy Every Day to Me!'"

P.S. and Happy Every Day to YOU! Thanks to all of you who read and all of you who sent birthday wishes my way!

Breakthrough

When I was little, I used to stumble through Tae Bo workouts with my aunt.  And, of course, I've seen Karate Kid a time or two.  But the boxing and martial arts-inspired cardio class {Body Combat} I attended at the gym today completely caught me off guard.

There was something about being a first-timer and having to admit it by raise of hand that made me want to defy anyone who thought I couldn't keep up.  There was something about standing in the center of the room- with all sides of me exposed- that made me want to prove my appearance did not reflect my strength.  There was something about the pent-up frustration of a disappointing weight gain last week that fueled me to ditch my excuses and just do it.  There was something about that tough, muscular woman shouting at us that made me dig deep and leave everything I had on that gym floor.  I was sweating {"Jab-cross-jab!"} and shaking {"Uppercut-uppercut!"} and sucking air almost hysterically {"Cross and kick!"}.  But it wasn't until our instructor explicitly told us to imagine our opponent that I realized who I had been mentally visualizing at the receiving end of each punch: overweight, appetite-driven, weak, and defenseless- it was me.  Sweat mingled with tears, and those punches may as well have been right to my heart.  I had been envisioning beating myself to the ground.  I was hurting and destroying myself! And the words my parents so often told me {"You've got to stop beating yourself up!"} finally took on meaning for me.

I am my worst opponent.  I am my biggest obstacle.  I am my deepest fear.

For so long I have used my strength against myself instead of for myself as I give into discouragement, regret past mistakes, and focus on current imperfections.  But if this is a two-sided mental struggle, then all it takes is a simple but powerful perspective change.  I have seen myself as the victim.  Today I saw myself as the conqueror.  Right here, right now, as I am, I am acceptable.  I am strong.  I can fight.  I can do hard things.  In fact, I can do all things, through Christ which strengtheneth me {Phil. 4:13}.  And in His strength, I can become stronger, fight harder, and eventually overcome all things {D&C 75:16}.

He is my best ally.  He is my biggest aid.  He is my brightest hope.  He is on my side.  And now I am on my side, too.