Health being second nature

As I continue to ponder my new approach to life and all things fit and healthy, I wondered what it would really be like to be truly healthy. Health to me is how I treat my body with food. I am on the right path, but it is a struggle every day. It's work. I want to get to the point where eating right is second nature. I find it's still difficult to break years and years and years of bad eating habits. IT'S A FIGHT!!!! Sometimes it's a good fight, and other times, not so good. I want to get to the point where all I have in my house is good wholesome delicious food. I want to look at cakes, cookies and candy as repulsive. Because they are, they are the enemy. But why does the enemy have to taste so darn good. I think that's where the balance part comes in. Everything in moderation.

In an effort to make my life more healthy I am going to start featuring a salad a week. Over and over I've been told that salads are so good for you. Well, raise your hand if you get sick and tired of salad? I do!!! But I know how much fun and exciting salads can be too. So I hope to inspire myself to incorporate salads into my everyday life, thrusting me into that second nature health.

Fit as a Fiddle

I was thinking about my new approach to eating and living. And the phrase "Fit as a Fiddle" popped into my head. I started wondering what it really means to be fit. A friend of mine keeps telling me that I look good, I look fit. What does that mean. When I think of a fiddle I think of perfectly tuned strings, pulled tight over the shiny perfectly crafted wood. When it is played the notes are fast and sure. But some fiddles are worn with use and love. A little nick here, a little nick there. But even through the wear and tear the music that is brought forth is still beautiful. I have nicks here and there (love handles here, thunder thighs there). I have been worn with use and love (bringing forth 6 babies, struggling to get my former body back). Even through all of that I am still the same person on the inside. Yes I have changed, which I need to. But I am still the basic, fundamental person that I started out on this Earthly Journey.

I want to be fit. I want to bounce around with ease and lightness. I want to be able to play with my kids, to keep up with them. I want to be able to do the things that come with the demand of having 6 children, a husband, and a home. I can't do those things if I'm not fit and healthy.

No wonder Satan tries so hard to entice me with food and all it's pleasures. He doesn't have a body, so he doesn't want me to use my body, to care for my children and husband and home. He wants to tear me down. Well, I'm fighting against him. I will no longer allow him to have such a tight grasp on me. I eat to live not live to eat.

A new perspective

The past week I have been thinking a lot about this journey that I am on. I keep fighting the idea of a "diet" and losing weight. I'm just not feeling the love. And hence, I am eating myself silly. I don't want to do this to myself any longer. So I'm changing my approach with a new perspective. So my apologies go out to any of you who actually might follow this blog for weight loss. Even though I still have weight to lose, I need to change my approach. My goal is to just get myself healthy. Eating at the right times, eating the right foods, going to bed at the right time, getting up at the right time, having the right attitude about life. I need balance. I can no longer torture myself with the idea of weight loss. I know I'm not done. But I just need a break. I need to re-group and re-do some things.

A lot of my goals are the same. I still want my family to eat healthy, non-processed foods. I still want us snacking on fruits and veggies and eating junk food just one day a week. Okay, maybe on the weekend.

I'm still in a fight for my life. I'm fighting to be fit. I'm fighting to be healthy. And I'm fighting to find balance. I learned a great lesson at Education Week in August. I went to a class taught by Merilee Boyack. She goes on a prayer walk every morning and expressed her gratitude to Heavenly Father for all her blessings. On one such walk she felt impressed to improve her diet. She set it aside since she'd been eating more fruits and veggies then she had in a long time. Again, the impression came to her. Okay, okay she told herself. I can take out 10 things. I dont' remember them all, but cake, cookies, chips, chocolate, and candy were on the top of her list. She told us, I know what your thinking ladies, not one ounce. Not one ounce did she lose after taking out all those items. 6 months after changing her diet, and she confessed it was hard. She felt like all joy had been taken out of her life, she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She had a lot of other stressful things going on in her life at the time too. Oh, like being in charge of helping to pass Prop. 8 in California. She was the driving force behind all the members going door to door, standing on street corners and such other activities. The day she went in for surgery was election day. When she came out of surgery the surgeon took her by the shoulders and told her that they took out a 2 inch tumor from her breast, and that her body did an amazing job fighting off the cancer, it's a miracle. Merilee is confident that if she hadn't changed her diet she would be dead.

Now, I'm not expecting to contract cancer. But I am here with a specific purpose and plan. Satan is trying to do everything in his power to stop me from achieving what ever it is that I am suppose to be doing here(which is another subject for an entirely different blog). Satan has grasped me with food. Food brings me down, I am addicted to it and I hate that plain and simple fact. It brings me to tears to know that he has such a great hold on me.

So now I'm not trying to lose weight. I'm trying to get my life back in order. To gain power over the adversary, to gain back control over my body and my appetites. It is going to be a fight.

The Reason Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

As the oreos sit in my pantry calling to me. Actually, they're screaming my name. I keep asking myself, "Why am I doing this again?" " Why am I having a battle with myself NOT to eat the Oreo?" Oh ya, that's right, I'm still FAT!!! My body still in a lean mean fighting machine. It's still not functioning they way my Heavenly Father has planned for me.

Today has not been a perfect day. Hence the thoughts and urges I've been fighting today. I know why I've been struggling today. It's because I didn't get my breakfast in. I was too busy to stop and eat a good, healthy, filling breakfast. This just confirms to me how important it is to get a good start to your day. Cause if you don't, your day is so hard to get back. Really, it is.

I did get two work-outs in. One at 6am and 9am. Another reason for my ravenous appetite, I'm sure. I can't wait to get out to the Farmer's Market and buy more peaches. Aaaaa, peaches. My kids are gobbling them up faster then I can. And I bought them for ME. But I'm glad they are having a healthy snack. It makes me feel like a good Mom.

The screaming was too much, I induldged in 3 oreos.

breakfast:
2 toast(in between work-outs)

snack:
protien bar

lunch:
Arby's sandwich

snack:
5 ritz crackers
1 laughing cow cheese

dinner:
Corn salad
Fruit Salad
3 corn tortillas

BE BE AGGRESSIVE

Do you know what you have to be to win a fight? Aggressive, very good. This morning I popped in the wonderful Biggest Loser Cardio Max DVD. It has been over 4 months since I attempted to work-out with the trainers from that great reality t.v. show. The lady in the last work-out told me to be aggressive, just get in there and put in your all. I thought to myself, "geez, that's what I have to be to win my fight. Agressive."

While doing the ENTIRE work-out I noticed how much stronger my body has come. Bob has you do these mind-boggling hard Lunge/Hop deals. They are insanely difficult. When I first started I could barely do ONE!!! Now, I can almost do them the entire time. Yay for me!!! Yes, I still have a ways to go; my gut still get in the way of my high knees, and my but still jiggles quite a bit. But I am getting stronger to the point where I can tell a difference.

I'm thrilled with my new work-out schedule. I'm guaranteed to get in at least one work out, and the second is just icing on the cake. I didn't get to go running this morning at 9am so I am making it a priority to go this evening. Still have to make that 5 in 5 goal I set for myself.

breakfast:
good old oatmeal with the fixings

snack:
cottage cheese with 5 ritz crackers
(still hungry)
slice of whole wheat bread with 1tble p.b. and jelly
(still hungry, this is where I should have had some water)
1 peach

lunch
salad and 1 slice of veggie pizza

snack:
protien bar
1 peach

dinner:
Chicken Pot Pie

things I couldn't resist today:
sixlets(what the heck was I thinking when I bought those at the dollar store? can you sabotage?)
diet soda

things I could resist:
oreos
over eating my pizza
pancakes drowning in butter and syrup


exercise:
55 minutes of Biggest Loser Cardio Max

Never made it on my run. I got dressed. But the urge to sit with my Husband was stronger. Plus, my bed was calling my name.

Did you know that Try is a swear word?

Neither did I until today. Melissa asked me if I could do a certain number of reps and I said that I would try. It was then that she informed me that Try is a swear word. When you say Try you are allowing for failure, and she doesn't allow for failure. So I told her that yes, I could do that many. As I thought about how I feel when I say that I will try, my shoulder sag slightly, and my head bows just a little bit. You know you want to do what ever it is that you've been asked to do, but Melissa's right. When we say Try, we are not putting our all into it. I stood a little taller, told myself I was going to do 13 of those blessed squats, and ended up doing 20. There is power in positive words and thinking. Afterwards I felt like vomiting, and I'm not kidding. I had to sit down and literally breath my way through my stomach convulsions.

I didn't throw-up, in fact I am just fine. I actually feel great. My legs are a little jello-ee. But hey, no pain, no gain right. I even woke up this morning at 6am and did the entire Tae-Bo work-out. Ya for me. Working out this hard makes me want to eat right. If I'd just get my eating under control the fat would just be melting off. So get with it, and just say "No thanks, I quit red vines, oreos, ect.", and lose the weight.

I'm not going to Try and eat well today. I Am going to eat well today.

Breakfast:
Protien shake w/ banana and 1 tablespoon peanut butter

snack:
oatmeal with peaches, pecans, milk and 3 tsp of brown sugar

lunch:
huge salad

snack:
protein bar, chocolate of course
1 peach

dinner:
lame mac n cheese(that's what a busy soccer season will do to a girl. actually I just got caught up decorating my house for fall and fell behind)
1 peach

snack:
1 peach

Do you think that over did the peaches? Better then over doing the oreos!!!

things I said "No" to today:
Oreos, cupcake that Beckham didn't want to eat

things I didn't say "No" to:
Peaches!!!!

Exercise:
50 minutes of tae-bo

60 minutes of a**-kicking by Melissa.