Turn it Up

 

My Abstinence

So, my new sponsor has been having me work on developing my definition of abstinence (the OA version of sober)... basically the behaviors that I will label "this is abstinence for me."

 
So far, I've come up with that it's a mindful way of eating. If/when I'm in a binge, there's nothing mindful about what, how much, or the pace at which I'm eating.

 
So, right now, I've identified that l will put the fork/spoon down between each bite or when I'm eating something that doesn't require utensils, I will pull my hand away from my face or put the food item down between each bite.

 
I also think it's important that I mindfully taste my food. So, I've been more aware of how my food tastes and that I chew each bite fully before putting another in my mouth.

 
Additionally, I've also found it more mindful to look up from whatever it is that I'm eating. As if I were carrying on a conversation with someone over dinner, even if I'm eating alone.
It's a pause. It's creating space. It's intentional. It's mindful.

 
Doing this has been very interesting and very helpful as there are times when I'm in a rush due to my crazy schedule and the rush makes me feel like my eating is binging, when it's not. Developing my behavioral definition of abstinence (mindful behaviors) helps me be able to better track what's happening when I'm feeling like binging versus when I'm just feeling rushed due to my schedule.

Lunch Time #wfpb

Lunch time. #wfpb

Digital Vision Boards for 2018

Healing Plantar Fascia Issues

Walking with toe separators on is a new walking experience. I'm trying to heal my plantar fascia issues.

My left side is what's bad, since my left side is my weaker side.  I hurt myself by doing 95% of the moving to our new house back in May.  Lots of tight muscles that I didn't stretch out.  So I really did a number on myself.  On top of that, I have lost a ton of strength and flexibility in my whole body from sitting so much for class and studying... for 3-1/2 years.

I've been wearing Croc style shoes for a long time now, but I don't think they challenge my feet.. or support them well enough through the fascia.  However, they have kept my toes free to move around and not be crunched up in shoes.

So, I'm doing all sorts of things to help heal mine.  I am approaching this from a whole body perspective.  So, I've been doing yoga (some especially for foot problems)... it helps stretch out and strengthen the whole body.  Any part of my body that's out of alignment can affect my feet... and visa versa.

I've been icing my feet... both with a frozen ice roller and by submersion in a tub of ice water. I  do self-massage on my feet and calves.  I've started wearing toe separators around the house.  I've purchased a pair of Kenkoh Massage Sandals, and I have my eye on a number of Birkenstocks on eBay.

Got my Kenkoh sandals today! (7/17/17)

I've already started to see some improvement.  This morning when I got out of bed I could walk almost without the pain and severe limp that I typically suffer through everyday.  And this is with only a week of daily focus on doing all of these things that promote healing.

If I don't see more drastic improvement in another week or so, I'll order one of those boots that keeps my foot flexed while I'm sleeping.

I plan to start Pilates soon, for more overall body strength and lengthening. An d some sort of cardio that doesn't require that I be up on my feet while they're trying to heal.  So probably some Vinyasa-flow yoga and some chair cardio workouts.  Maybe my stationary bike, if I can make a place for it in the house.

Friends Day Fun

Did a ton of thrift shopping with Sarah... stopped at the music store and found some great vinyl... and got my first mani/pedi (with massage, exfoliation, hot wax, and hot stone massage included).

Now I must get the personal statement done for the grad school $ stuffs.

She made me cry

I kid you not... today's workout made me cry!

Autumnal Equinox, More on Balance

So I have learned that nothing is by chance. So it shouldn't surprise me that just yesterday I blogged about balance and that tomorrow is the autumnal equinox, the celebration of Mabon, a time of celestial balance of equal balance of darkness and light.

Here are two prayers to meditate on through this time of celestial balance as we move into this new fall season.

Equal hours of light and darkness
we celebrate the balance of Mabon,
and ask the gods to bless us.
For all that is bad, there is good.
For that which is despair, there is hope.
For the moments of pain, there are moments of love.
For all that falls, there is the chance to rise again.
May we find balance in our lives
as we find it in our hearts.

A balance of night and day, a balance of light and dark
Tonight I seek balance in my life
as it is found in the Universe.
A black candle for darkness and pain
and things I can eliminate from my life.
A white candle for the light, and for joy
and all the abundance I wish to bring forth.
At Mabon, the time of the equinox,
there is harmony and balance in the Universe,
and so there shall be in my life.

No matter what your religious or spiritual path.  I can see ways to change these prayers to fit where you are or you could always just make up your own.  There is much to be grateful for.  Count your blessings every day.

Maintaining Balance

"People with great gifts are easy to find, but symmetrical and balanced ones never."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have struggled, for as long as I can remember, with maintaining balance in my daily life. I start out really gung-ho on a new project or a new lifestyle choice and then over time I get off-track. Usually something will happen to disrupt my new routine for a few weeks and I never can find my way back to the path I was on. This is very frustrating to me because I rarely finish anything that I start.

Yet, as I sit here typing this, I wonder if balance is ever attainable or even desirable. What is the driving force behind my desire for balance? I know I'd like to finish what I start, but why? Is it necessary to finish everything that we start? Maybe I'm not supposed to find my way back to that path I was on. Maybe I'm supposed to pick up and move on from where I find myself after life's disruptions.

I still haven't figured this out yet. Do you have any thoughts?

SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder Symptoms and Natural Treatments

I have suffered from SAD for many years now.  I suspect as far back as my teenaged years.  My teenaged years were filled with depression from my parents divorce and subsequent chaos, so SAD may have never even been considered as a factor in my mood.  Now that I have a teenager, I can see a shift in her mood this fall/winter season.  She's been less than her normal vibrant self.  I also see a change in my husband this season, too.  I suspect he's been dealing with SAD for some time now, too, but for some reason this year I'm more aware of it.

So, what can I do to help myself and my family?  I'm not keen on standard medicine's approach, most recommendations I've found online say anti-depressants are an option.  That's not for us.  There are however a few natural supplements that work well in elevating mood.  One I've been taking for months now is St. John's Wort.  Since taking it, I have noticed a big difference in the effects that SAD normally has on me this time of year.  St. John's Wort has to be taken everyday and it takes some time to build up in the body before it's effects are noticeable.  It didn't take me long to feel a difference but everyone is different.  I also take it at night before bed because it can cause drowsiness in some people.  Do be aware that if you are already on anti-depressants or birth control pills that St. John's Wort is not to be taken.  Other supplement recommendations are SAM-E, Ginkgo Biloba, Omega-3 fatty acids, Mustard flower essence and Serotonin boosters.  If you are on other medications, PLEASE consult your doctor and pharmacist before taking any of these supplements.

I also have a light therapy box thanks to my mom, a sleep study therapist.  I've noticed that many websites recommend using light therapy under a doctor's care.  There are many great quality light therapy boxes on the market.  Take some time and do your research before purchasing one.  You can also change the light bulbs in your home to full-spectrum bulbs.  You should be able to find these in most stores.  I would think that hardware stores would be your best bet if you can't pick them up at a drugstore or grocery store.  Also, get outside when you can.  If it's a sunny day, bundle up and take a walk.  15-30 minutes of sunlight is all your body needs to fight off SAD symptoms.

Doing those things that will help you lose weight, stay in shape and control insulin levels will also help with SAD.  Cut back on the empty carbohydrates.  You know, those things like white bread, candy, and soda are nothing but empty carbohydrates and will spike your blood sugar and make you feel lethargic.  Add exercise to your daily routine. Exercise boosts endorphins and creates a sense of well being as well as gives you a daily sense of accomplishment knowing that you're doing something good for your body.

How do you know if you might be suffering from SAD?  Here is a list of symptoms from About.com:

Change in Sleep Patterns

• oversleeping but not refreshed
• cannot or reluctantly get out of bed
• require afternoon naps

Depression

• feelings of despair, misery, guilt, anxiety, hopelessness, etc.
• normal tasks become frustratingly difficult
• withdrawal from friends and family
• avoiding company
• crankiness or irritability
• lack of feeling/emotion
• constant state of sadness

Lethargy

• decreased energy
• everything an effort
• decreased productivity
• Physical Ailments
• joint pain
• stomach problems
• lowered resistance to infection
• weight gain
• premenstrual syndrome (worsens or only occurs in winter)

Behavioral Problems

• appetite changes (usually increased appetite)
• carbohydrate craving
• loss of interest in sex
• difficulty concentrating
• not accomplishing tasks

And as always, check with your doctor or naturopath before self-medicating.  Do your research and ALWAYS check with your pharmacist to make sure none of the natural supplements or treatments will have negative interactions with any other medications you are taking.

Cravings

I don't deny myself anything but I do choose to use my calorie budget wisely. I prefer to eat more fruit and veggies and foods that will fill me up rather than empty calorie foods where I will be hungry again in a short period of time.

But I do still get cravings for sweet things sometimes and I still want to stay within my calorie budget, so grabbing a piece of fruit isn't always an option in those situations. I instead drink Stevia sweetened iced tea. I also brew the iced tea with a few tea bags of herbal tea to give it a little infusion of flavor. Stevia is an all natural herbal sweetener and doesn't affect blood sugar. I use the liquid form and add 20 drops to a quart of iced tea. I made raspberry infused iced tea earlier this evening. It smells and tastes wonderful and gives me enough sweetness to satisfy those cravings without adding any calories.

If you're wanting to steer clear of caffeine, then I'd recommend using green tea instead of regular tea bags.

My Health & Weight Loss

I've been fighting with my weight and food for more years than I'd like to admit. I'll go into all of that on another post. I just wanted to post my recent info: start weight (there's nothing like hitting 200 lbs for the second time in my life and then passing it to finally get the point across), start date and weigh-ins.

Start date and weight: 8/19/09, 201
Weigh-in: 8/23/09, 194
Weigh-in: 8/29/09, 190

Height: 5'2
Age: 34
Goal weight: 115

I'm using the Lose It! app for the iTouch/iPhone to track my food. My daily calorie budget is just over 1400. I always work on staying within 100 cal under budget.

I haven't started exercising on a regular basis yet. Last night was actually the first real exercise I've had since my start date. I went over to a friend's house for dinner and then we went on a walk around her little town. She had me sweating, it was no little stroll.

I could log my exercise on the Lose It app but I think I will find a separate app to log that. Maybe the Spark People app. If I enter it on Lose It, the app will automatically subtract what I've burned from what I've eaten, and leave me with net calories and thus having to ear more to fill my budget. I don't want to do that yet unless I start feeling too hungry. That will be good when I'm closer to and at goal weight. That way I'll still be able to eat more and maintain my weight loss.

Ok. I think that's it for now.

Spreading the Spark about SparkPeople

I've been busy learning the food logging system at SparkPeople.com. I started tracking my food intake (and exercise) a week ago Friday (May 29th). My goal at this time is to just make sure that I get my needed calories in per day. Throughout the month of May, I took some time to become consciously aware of my eating patterns. They were sporadic, I never ate breakfast and I could tell I wasn't eating enough some days. I tracked my eating a few times in May and on those days I didn't even break 800 calories. Oh, my! That's not enough food i.e. fuel for my metabolism to work.

The first few days of tracking I had a tough time getting enough food. It was a bit of an adjustment being that I wasn't used to eating so much food. When the experts say to eat about 6 small meals a day, they know what they're talking about. Not only is the normal stomach just the size of a fist, so over stuffing causes all sorts of issues, but to get enough fuel we need to be eating every few hours.

Added bonus to eating enough last week... I lost 3 pounds. I have been stuck at 194 for months! Ta-da... I eat what my body needs and I lose.

I am not depriving myself of anything and am not tweaking what I'm eating yet. If I can log it and I can budget it into my daily calorie goal, then I will eat it. The tweaking will come later. A goal of mine for later is a lower sodium intake.

I love SparkPeople. They have everything you need to actively work towards a healthy and active lifestyle. One of my favorite things that helps to keep me on track and reminds me of what it takes to build a healthy and balanced lifestyle is their Spark Points. The Spark Points page is a list of daily activities that you can do to earn points towards virtual trophies and virtual gifts. A few things that I get points for are tracking my food and exercise, tracking other personal goals, posting on my Spark Blog, posting in the Spark Forums and Spark Teams.... the list goes on and on.

I really can't recommend SparkPeople enough. Oh, and best of all.... it's FREE.