New Year's Resolutions

Resolutions....hmmmm....I think I like the word habit more. Habits that will keep me working in a more positive direction, but will not bog me down with guilt should I not keep them perfectly.

Some people ask "Why make New Year's resolutions? The majority of people fail at them anyway." To which I say...so what! Does that mean we stop trying?

PERSONAL

1. Remove gluten from my diet. And, no, I'm not jumping on the bandwagon...I truly feel better physically when I don't eat wheat.
2. Volunteer once a month - women's shelter and/or dog rescue.
3. Read three times a week.
4. Recycle more consistently at home.
5. Hike once a month.
6. Wash my face every night. My skin will appreciate it!

BUSINESS

1. Blog once a week.
2. Participate in WBOC and Women Ties more. Both are women business owners' groups. I attended some events last year, but want to become more involved this year. The WBOC first meeting is tonight, and I will be there!
3. Create my own website. Currently, I am included in the website of the chiropractor who I rent space from, but I want my own site.
4. Join Liverpool Chamber of Commerce.

Here's to a happy and healthy new year!

Progress

Just a quick note...

Since my last post, I've been focusing on changing my all or nothing attitude...and it's working! In fact, I've lost 5 pounds!! Woohoo!!!!! I feel like a ton of pressure has been lifted, also. Pressure that I placed on myself that I must do this perfectly or not at all. Then, when I would eat the wrong foods, I would have a heck of a time beating myself up for it. This feels good (poor grammar, maybe)....good because I'm not feeling guilty and good because I am definitely eating much healthier, and so is my family! I'm not eating perfectly, but I have not abandoned the healthy choices because of the imperfection.

In other news, here are two victories that I have achieved...I have successfully given up Mountain Dew and bagels!  *takes a bow*

Next up: noodle side dish thingies :)

No Kidding!

My Life Coach has used this phrase with me a few times because it's very easy to "kid" myself about what I'm trying to accomplish and whether or not I am truly working towards accomplishing it. Yesterday, I was reminded of this phrase when a co-worker and fellow nutritionist asked me when I was going to get serious about losing weight. And, no, it wasn't a rude comment, but it definitely hit me hard....because I'm not serious about it. Then I see this picture on facebook this morning, and I'm feeling like there's a message that I'm supposed to be getting.

 

 

I feel like I'm stuck on the stair "I want to do it" most of the time. I make it to "I'll try to do it", but then fall back down to "I won't do it". This is very frustrating!

 

So, what I am working on now is not completely abandoning all forms of healthy behaviors just because I'm not doing it perfectly. My body will appreciate it, and it will only be a matter of time before there are more healthy than unhealthy behaviors in my life.

 

And, so it begins....I chose to have scrambled eggs in extra virgin olive oil with gorgonzola cheese for breakfast today instead of toast with peanut butter. Go me!!

 

All or Nothing

I struggle with an "all or nothing" attitude that does nothing! to help me as I'm working towards a healthier me. In fact, it doesn't help me with many things I'm trying to accomplish, whether it's writing a lecture, cleaning the bathroom or eating well and exercising. If I can't do whatever it is I'm trying to do "perfectly" (according to me), then why do it at all? Let's use the bathroom as an example. If I don't have the time, desire or energy to clean the bathroom completely like it should be done, I will put it off...then the bathroom just looks terrible. I have a difficult time (in fact I rarely do it) doing a quick wipe down of the sink and toilet just to make it look more presentable, so instead I leave it alone until I do have the time, desire or energy to do it right, but by then the bathroom has been looking dirty for a couple weeks. Is this making any sense? To put it into words regarding dieting, if I'm not going to diet perfectly then why eat healthy at all? If I'm not eating right, then why not eat completely unhealthy? See how this attitude is not helpful?!?

Even regarding this blog...I haven't written a post since June. Part of the reason is because I've been doing such a poor job eating that I didn't want to write about it. Now, I initally started this blog to help me work through this issue of becoming a healthier person. It was about me, and I wanted to post it in case someone might find it helpful as they were going through a similar situation...but somehow, the blog became more about the people reading it than myself. So, I'm focusing more on myself, without fear of posting something that someone might view as failure. This is a process, and it won't always be pretty.

So this post is one step in the right direction as I move away from an "all or nothing" attitude!

5k

Okay, so....I can't seem to find any motivation to start exercising!! It may be because weight loss occurs 80% from diet changes (although I'm not working very hard at this, either) and only 20% from exercise. Now that's not to say that there aren't a MILLION other reasons to exercise, but I'm all about looking for a good excuse...until now. I am going to sign up for my first 5k....RUN!! Not a walk...I've done that before, but I have never run a 5k. I found a good one for September, and went to sign up for it, but I can't until after July 4th. So, I'll mark my calendar...NO EXCUSES!!!

Here's the info:

Saturday, September 8, 2012 - ARC RACE 2012
Distance: Half marathon and 5k
Location: Liverpool, NY
Time: 9:10am
Race Details: Mark your calendar for the 18th Annual Arc Race, September 8th, 2012. More than 1600 people will join Arc in support of people with developmental disabilities. Enjoy a fun-filled day of running, walking, family entertainment and attractions. Run in the certified 5k, the certified Half-Marathon, or walk in the 3k Fun Walk! Kids 7-12 years of age can participate in the Kidz 1 Mile Fun Run! Bring family and friends to enjoy the day in our extensive Family Fun Zone. Arc Race has something for everyone!

I'm going to be using a great app to get ready for it - Couch to 5k Workout. I started using this app last summer...I'm a great starter...I can start with the best of them, but continuing and subsequent finishing...now that is where I fall short. The app alternates walking and running continuing to lengthen the time that you run until you are able to completely run a 5k in 9 weeks. I'll be posting my progress.

WISH ME LUCK!

Oh!!! My first pick-up for the CSA at Stones Throw Farm is this Saturday!! I'm so excited. I will definitely be posting pics of all the goodies.

Fat Flush

I was introduced to Ann Louise Gittleman's book The Fat Flush Plan by a patient who followed the diet successfully and lost the remaining 10 pounds or so that she needed to reach her goal weight. The plan targets cleansing the liver, and uses a cran-water drink to assist with this.

Here's the recipe for the drink:

Mix:
1 cup (8 oz) unsweetened 100% cranberry juice
7 cups (56 oz) water

Drink one cup of the cran-water at a time, finishing the 64 oz by bedtime. Upon waking and right before going to bed, on an empty stomach, mix one tablespoon of ground flaxseeds with one cup of the cran-water and drink.

Be sure that the cranberry juice that you get is not mixed with other juices. It must be pure cranberry juice.

I'm starting this today, and will let you know how it goes. I don't have flaxseeds right now, so will be using chia seeds, instead.

Do you see yourself as fat?

A couple of weeks ago, a patient asked me this question. She asked me because she has been working on losing weight since January, has lost 30 pounds, but still sees herself as fat. It didn't take me long to answer her question because I have thought about this in the past...my answer was "No". And I truly don't. Now don't get worried...you won't find me on the beach in a bikini or at the mall sporting a belly shirt. I'm not disillusioned, but over the next few days, I thought about this question more. I was worried that I might actually see myself as thin! In fact, I will actually look at other females, looking for someone whose body I think looks like mine so that I can see what I look like to other people. (Wow, that's a bit of an overuse of the word "look".) After spending some time thinking about this, though, I realized that I just simply don't see myself in that way, at all....neither fat nor thin...just Colleen. Now this wasn't always the case. I have definitely grown over the past six years, and have learned to love myself no matter what I look like in the mirror. I feel like loving oneself is important, maybe even more so when you don't like what you see in the mirror. How can you be ready to change something about yourself if you hate yourself? Would you consider yourself even worth it? It's difficult to work hard at something for someone that you hate. Sometimes I get worried, though, as I waiver between eating healthy and not, that loving myself as is, is making it difficult for me to care about changing. I mean, why change something if you're content?!? But even though I may be content with who I am, I am definitely not content with my health as it is. This is another reason why I do not want to focus on simply the scale as a measure of how well I am doing. As a chiropractor and nutritionist, I understand the impact our daily eating has on our health, and how a lifestyle of poor nutrition can lead to a chronic state of unhealth (made up word, I know, but I love using it!)...maybe not tomorrow, but definitely within 20 years. I see it often in my patients. I do not want to be that person! Although I am relatively healthy now, I do have some symptoms related to poor nutrition, which need to be addressed now.

And so I battle on....winning some and losing others.