Tuesday, July 27, 2010

I'm getting nothin'!!

Hello poppits! Greetings from a very hot Mississauga!

I've been noodling over this blog all day, wondering what brilliant bits of inspiration I can give to my small but loyal followers...and I'm coming up with nothing! So, I thought I'd give you an update on what I've been doing for the past week.

On the eating & exercise front, it's been a bit of a downer for me. I exercised Wednesday of last week, hard, by myself. Achieving my goal of an additional 30 skips for my workout (up to 360 now) and doing some weight work, squats and stretches. It was a great workout and I was quite proud of myself. I even did some ab crunches on the ball. Then I went to my workout with The Evil One Thursday and, just as I was tying my shoe, I threw out my back. Oie! So I walked out into the gym, bent over like a hunchback where I went through a series of stretches and some massage. That aching lasted for several days, unfortunately, so the rest of the weekend was a write off. On a positive note, the back is better now, but it made me realize I need to get back on track to take care of myself again.

The eating has been a challenge as well. Every day I start out with good intentions, but by the time evening rolls around, I have succumbed to my temptations. I need to figure this out as it's starting to get REALLY annoying. Not to mention I can't seem to shake off the weight I gained after Machu Picchu. Sooooooooo....here are my commitments to myself:

1) I will join a gym in the west end. I have one in mind, that's enroute to my job in Mississauga. My life has shifted from 3 days in Toronto to 3 days in Mississauga and it's time to start adjusting my ever-important work out routine. I commit to working out at least three times/week, including a workout with The Evil One.

2) I will get back to some of my old, good habits ... like ...
- not eating after 7:00
- eliminating grains
- fruit & yogurt once/day
- eliminating dairy

I'm looking forward to getting back to "normal". I kinda hate feeling crappy, truth be told. Crappy both physically and emotionally. Yeesh, how much weight does a girl have to lose before she can feel good about herself?!?

Werner asked me (again!) what are my triggers for eating. I really don't know. Actually, that's not true. I noodled this a bit and have actually tried to pay attention and, to be truthful, the question Werner should be asking is "What DOESN'T trigger me to eat?!?" Seriously...I eat when I'm happy, when I'm bummed, when I'm angry, when I'm bored, when I'm not bored, when I'm hungry, when I'm not hungry...get the picture?!?

It's kinda crazy, if you think about it. I mean, how long have I been at this losing weight thing? And why do I STILL hear chocolate brownies calling my name?!? It's getting old.

So, there you have it, poppits. Nothing inspirational, just glimpses into the never-ending saga that is my Journey to Good Health. Even through it all, I am still grateful for the weight I've lost...for the ability to continue exercising and better myself with each workout...for my amazing support network who love me regardless of my size or my mental state, which we all know changes like the wind!

I guess this struggling is all part of the journey, but I must admit that I'll be glad when it's over. Today The Evil One asked me if I could "visualize" myself at my optimal weight. To be truthful, I can't. But I can remember the great feeling of accomplishment after I've pushed myself one step further during the workout. Or the feeling of pride when I looked down at the conveyor belt in the grocery store upon seeing my healthy choices for that day. Those are the feelings I'm going for right now.

One step at a time, poppits, one step at a time...
(a)yt xox

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Pick your party, people!

Hi everyone! I hope you are keeping cool. Can it get any muggier?!? Yeesh!

This past week has been spent focusing on everything OTHER THAN eating properly and exercising regularly... not a good thing, poppits!

As you know, I've been feeling out of sorts since my return from Peru. I just can't seem to get anything right. I know this because I'm staring at a dusty, disorganized mess that is my condo, contemplating what else I can put into my mouth...even after eating a nice, healthy salad for dinner. I'm in trouble, once again!

As I think back on this challenging time, I realize I've run the spectrum of emotions...
... SAD that the trip is over
... CONFUSED about "what's next?" with me and my eating and exercise goals
... HAPPY that my work contracts have started
... RELIEVED that I can start digging myself out of the hole of debt
... THANKFUL that I have a great support network of people who are positive, loving and generous
... FRUSTRATED that I can't seem to get my weight loss "mojo" back
... TICKED OFF at myself that I continue to expend mountainous emotional energy on mole hill issues.

When I originally sat down to type this blog, I was going to invite you to my "pity party" while I droned on about how horrible the transition back to reality has been and how I just can't seem to feel good about myself. I was going to recommend that you B.Y.O.T (Bring Your Own Tissues) because, clearly, I am too self-absorbed to think of tissues for anyone else. Um, does this sound like a party YOU want to go to?!?

Fortunately for all concerned, I've given myself a mental head smack and said "SNAP OUT OF IT!!" This particular pity party has been canceled.

Instead, I'd like to invite you to another party. THIS party has...
... music you can dance to even if you have two left feet and no rhythm
... yummy tasting drinks that give you a slight buzz but do not lead you down the path of embarrassment
... food that tantalizes your taste buds without plumping your hips
... conversation that stimulates your brain, your heart and your soul
... people that make you laugh, make you think and make you want to never leave their side.

Does this sound like YOUR kind of party?!? I know I wouldn't want to leave! Sooooo, how do we get there?

Acceptance of and pride in who you are. Other people love & accept us just as we are, why can't we do the same with ourselves? Hmmmm.....

OK poppits, I'm closing the door on my pity party and I am about to walk into my new party. I can hear Kool & The Gang's song "Celebrate" wrapping up in the background. I smell the aroma of different, decadent foods. I see a bar with cocktail shakers and colorful bottles. Everyone inside is smiling or laughing and several people have their arms outstretched ready to greet me. As I get closer to the door, KC & The Sunshine Band comes on, and I KNOW I am ready to shake, shake, shake my booty. Who's walking in with me?!?

Here's wishing you the ability to see yourself through the eyes of a loved one.
(a)yt xox

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Hurts so good...

I'm doing one of my favourite things, as you all know. I'm sitting at a Starbucks location. This time it's in the heart of the financial district in downtown Toronto. I'm waiting for some of my Adler peeps to show up for our monthly "Coaches' Corner" get together. It's 15 minutes past the starting point and I have a feeling that I'm going to be this month's only participant. This is not a bad thing as it gives me a chance to write this note.

I attended the funeral of my Aunt Elsie yesterday. Although a sad occasion when anyone leaves this world, this time it was a blessing. Aunt Elsie, normally full of life with quick wit and a GREAT laugh, spent the last few months in alot of pain. It's good that she's no longer suffering. Now it's the family that will have to deal with their pain...

When I think of my memories of Aunt Elsie, I am always reminded of a woman who supported me with my weight loss journey. I remember sitting beside her one day while she was playing cards. I never liked PLAYING cards, but I enjoyed the bantering and trash-talking that always happened during a card game. For the record, Aunt Elsie could keep up with the best of them in terms of trash talking.

ANYWAY....

I was a teenager and was quite self-conscious of my weight. Aunt Elsie turned to me in between card hands and said "You losing weight, honey? You look good! I mean that. Listen honey, do yourself a favour and lose the weight while you're young. It gets really hard when you get old like me." On that day, Aunt Elsie was the only person who a) noticed and b) said anything about my effort to lose weight. It made me love her to bits!

Throughout my years of roller-coaster weights, Aunt Elsie would always tell me "you look good, honey", regardless of how big or small I was. I knew she meant it and was (and still am) grateful for her kind words and observations. I tip my hat, my laptop and my Venti Decaf Americano to you, Aunt Elsie! You will be missed by many, whose lives you probably didn't even realize you touched.

Before Aunt Elsie died, I was speaking with her son (my cousin) about her status. He was spending alot of time with Aunt Elsie and Uncle Pete, taking care of her and their business. He kept talking about her pain and the suffering she endured. I could tell he was in pain watching her. It reminded me of the pain I'd experienced in my life, and got me thinking about the different kinds of pain we all suffer...and how to cope.

Below are a couple of tips I've used to help me get through some harrowing, pain-filled days in my life:


#1 - TALK IT THROUGH
My cousin, Mansour, normally a happy-easy-to-smile kinda guy was really down. I could feel his angst over Skype. By the end of our conversation, he seemed to perk up and even laugh out loud on a few occasions. His pain was managed by a simple conversation - one where he was able to talk about his challenges and then let them go temporarily. For me, I felt overwhelmed by his pain so I had to figure out a way to put my anxiety aside and focus on him. This was a challenge to me, but something worthwhile for me to learn. I was so happy to see Mansour's BIG smile return to his face by the end of the conversation. I will always be grateful for my support network. During times when you're in pain, talk it through. If you're not a talker, like me, journal or write down your experience and what you're feeling. I know it sounds "touchy feely", but believe me, it will provide relief. During those dark times, ya gotta grab that relief whenever you can.

#2 - TAKE TIME FOR YOU
In 2009, I blogged about the challenges I faced when I was dealing with a crappy work environment on top of the rapid decline of my mom. May to October 2009 were dark months for me. One of the few things that kept me going were my weekly workouts with The Evil One. Although they weren't the most pleasurable (as you will recall!), they were 100% focused on me - on my improvement and good health. Those one hour sessions were my refuge from the challenges I experienced at work and the pain of watching my mother suffer. When you're constantly focused on others, it's really important to take care of yourself. For me, the physical exercise was great. Whatever you choose, pick something you enjoy and is 100% focused on you. It may feel a bit decadent, but YOU ARE WORTH IT!


#3 - LET IT GO
Sometimes people feel pain for a long period of time... Somebody said something to hurt you... You keep revisiting a part of your past that was difficult...you said or did something to someone that you regret (that's my favourite!)... Do any of these sound familiar?!? I'm notorious for re-living past moments of pain, especially when I've caused it to someone else. Sometimes it's difficult to move past it. I get that - believe me! When you keep re-living things that cause you pain, ask yourself the question "For how long do I need to suffer?" Honestly, what's the point? If you can't change the past, then what can you learn from it to help you move on? Do yourself a favour - forgive yourself and/or forgive others. It will save you alot of unnecessary angst!

Of course, these "pearls of wisdom" are from my own point of view and offer no psychological back up. Just me and my experience. I am interested in other perspectives, so if you'd like to share your thoughts on how you deal with pain, feel free to comment on the blog or send me an email. I'm always curious about you, poppits!

Well, it's official. I am the only person at Coaches' Corner this month! Time to pack up and head to see Despicable Me with niece Jennifer and nephew Craig - can't wait!

Wishing you pain-free moments forever!
(a)yt xox

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

The joy of relaxation...

Greetings poppits! I'm sitting in a Starbucks where I've been staring at spreadsheets and Word documents for the past 2 hours.

It's break time and I can't think of a better way to spend this time then with you!

As you know, I've taken on a few contracts recently, in addition to reconnecting with my existing clients. This adds up to a certain "busyness" about my days now. I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong. As a matter of fact, I thank my lucky stars at least 5 times a day for enabling me to have creative and fulfilling work each day. What it's meant for me is that I'm not taking time out to just enjoy myself...like now. I miss hangin' in a Starbucks, people watching where I see and hear...

- a pimply-faced kid snorting out loud at the instant messages he's receiving on Facebook. He looks like he's having his own private party online. I wonder how I can get invited to that party...

- the "like, TOTALLY, loud group of, like high-energy-high-pony-tailed" young females that just entered. They are, like, really, um, like LOUD? But man! They are having fun!

- the ginger molasses cookies in the display case calling my name...LOUDLY...

- the guy with his arms and calves covered in tattoos, with the funky hair style and the awesomely sculpted facial hair...and I mean "sculpted"! Seriously, I bet it would take him at least an hour to shave every morning. Actually, he probably thinks of it more as "managing his image" vs. shaving!

- incredibly high energy staff. Honestly, I think they may have ingested too much caffeine. It'll be interesting to see the caffeine crash in a couple of hours!

Ah, it's good to be back in this space...

Today I had lunch with some of the Inca chicks. It was great to reconnect with them. They're all so awesome! One of the ladies will be retiring at the end of the month and we were talking about what she wanted to do. Her response? "I just want to entertain and invite people over for a BBQ all the time"...how awesome is that?!? Now she's got retirement in perspective! I'm sure she'll figure out how she wants to approach and structure her next phase of life. As a matter of fact, I've been hired to coach her through the process. But for now, all she wants to do is enjoy her free time and recuperate from the years of being on the never-ending treadmill of work.

Lemme ask you something, poppits. If you were facing retirement in three weeks, what would you do? Then lemme ask you something else...what's keeping you from doing it now?!?

Wishing you all the chillaxin' time that you can bear!!
(a)yt xox

Saturday, July 3, 2010

"Count your blessings instead of sheep"

Today I got a text message from a rock star client, who was reading my blog while on vacation. She quoted words from my "Mountains vs. Mole Hills" blog. That little text started this whole flood of reminders of all the great things I've got going on in my life. Really, it was quite an amazing response! It started with me thinking about this client and how much I enjoyed getting to know her...then made me think about how much I like coaching ... and ended with me looking in the mirror and saying "How awesome is my life?!?"

Hello poppits, and Happy Canada Day weekend! I hope you're enjoying the awesome weather.

It seems that, lately, I've been encountering people who have so much negativity going on in their lives they can't seem to see anything positive...anywhere! I also know what it's like to be so down that it's hard to see past anything else. I really feel for them. It's challenging to try and pull yourself out. For me, I try to take it one step at a time. Or rather, one blessing at a time....

When I was growing up, my dad & I had a tradition where we'd watch the movie, White Christmas, ever year...regardless of when it came on the TV! It was a great experience and an awesome memory to share with my dad. There was a scene with Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. Bing rassles up some sandwiches, a pint of buttermilk and a piano and sings this little ditty to a fretful Rosemary...

If you're worried and you can't sleep
just count your blessings instead of sheep
and you'll fall asleep counting your blessings...

Corny, I know, but a good message.

Taking a step back to examine all the good things in your life is a good exercise to practice. However, it's hard to do when you're stressed out and can't see past your large bills...or your unfulfilling job...or your crappy relationship...or your freaked out family ... or the numbers on the scale that don't seem to go down...or (insert your stress point here)....

Whatever it is that's keeping you down, take the yt challenge to change your headspace...

- look yourself in the eyes (while standing in front of the mirror..duh!) and challenge yourself to find THREE positive things in your life
- then think of TWO more
- then think of TWO more
- keep going until you've run out of time or you really can't think of any more.

Then, take a mental check...how are you feeling now? A little more optimistic? Are you smiling..even just a little bit? Do you feel like things are a little more manageable?

If you don't feel a little more optimistic, let me know. We'll work on it together. But trust me...just try it once! What have you got to lose?!?

Wishing you positive thoughts and a really great suntan!
(a)yt xox