This chapter is all about the lies we tell, both to others and to ourselves. How many "reasons" do you have for not getting off the couch? For why you need to order Chinese instead of cooking something nutritious? Believe me, I've used them all, and they are not reasons. They are excuses. Let's look at my biggest two:
"I'm in too much pain to cook." That's a biggie, and borders on legitimate. The pain in my kidneys does restrict me from doing things SOMEtimes. But why can't I pre-cook good meals to freeze on days I'm feeling okay? It isn't any harder to throw a casserole in the oven than it is a pizza.
"I'm too tired to exercise." Whose fault is that but mine? It is LACK of exercise that ultimately exhausts us. We need to move, so that our bodies can more efficiently make energy. A little push now, and I will be in much better condition later. Nothing worth having is easy, especially at first.
What are yours? Are you too busy? Too hungry to wait? Is it too hot/cold to go outside? Those are roadblocks that we construct to keep us from doing what we know is right. I bought my copy of Body Clutter secondhand, and it has some underlining. One of the things that the previous owner highlighted was "...our excuses reveal a lack of character on our part, an ugly dent in our personal integrity." Um, ouch. That really hits too close to home for me.
No questions this chapter, just a request to write down your biggest excuses, which I have started above. Others include "I'm just overwhelmed." "I need a minute" (that never comes). "I have nothing to wear." "I just need a nap first." "I don't have time/a ride/the money to go get my prescription filled." "I don't know where to start."
Well, as far as the last one goes, I'm starting here and now. I'm tackling my bad attitudes, and conquering my fears. I am taking baby-steps towards having a clean kitchen stocked with healthy foods. I am committing to moving my body everyday, and taking care of it with the medicines it needs.
BTW guys, I THRIVE on comments, so please, don't be afraid to leave some. Such as, what are some of your excuses for not living as fully and healthfully as you know you should?
Showing posts with label positivity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label positivity. Show all posts
22 May 2012
21 May 2012
A TIme For Change
Hey look! I renovated! Severe boredom necessitates change.
Anywho. I'm still recovering from yesterday's intensity, and working on my root. Today's mission: clean the kitchen. Simply must be done, no putting it off any longer. Simply put, I'm finding that the cause of my root issues stems from the illusion that I have lost control. The more I sit around feeling that I have lost control of my health and my house, the more both of those things spiral. It is a vicious cycle, and I am here to break it.
By cleaning the kitchen, I am taking back the control of both my home and my health. It is a first step in getting the house presentable. And while I am still waiting on my DVD's, kitchen clean-up also marks my first step in claiming control of my health. I can't get better if my food is prepared and stored in filth. And I can't prepare healthful foods if all of the space is taken up with trash and dirty dishes, and I can't store it in a fridge that is full of past-its-prime leftovers.
This truly is a time for change. A time for renovations. New site, clean house, sound mind, healthy body. Good things are coming my way. I can feel it.
Anywho. I'm still recovering from yesterday's intensity, and working on my root. Today's mission: clean the kitchen. Simply must be done, no putting it off any longer. Simply put, I'm finding that the cause of my root issues stems from the illusion that I have lost control. The more I sit around feeling that I have lost control of my health and my house, the more both of those things spiral. It is a vicious cycle, and I am here to break it.
By cleaning the kitchen, I am taking back the control of both my home and my health. It is a first step in getting the house presentable. And while I am still waiting on my DVD's, kitchen clean-up also marks my first step in claiming control of my health. I can't get better if my food is prepared and stored in filth. And I can't prepare healthful foods if all of the space is taken up with trash and dirty dishes, and I can't store it in a fridge that is full of past-its-prime leftovers.
This truly is a time for change. A time for renovations. New site, clean house, sound mind, healthy body. Good things are coming my way. I can feel it.
20 May 2012
Balanced Chakras, Balanced Life-Root
Continuing on my quest for emotional and spiritual health, but taking a break from Body Clutter (just for a day or so more, I SWEAR!), I have decided to look into the eastern philosophy of chakras. It is an interesting concept. The basic idea is that there are pools of energy in the body, and energy flows from one to the next. Only by having all chakras open and balanced can we reach full actualization. It kind of trucks with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Each step must be firmly in place for the next to be tackled. I will post here about them as I work through it, and will be adding pictures of the meditative mandalas I am making for them.
The first chakra, is the root, and it is found at the base of the spine. It deals with the physical. Pain, depression and fear can be traced to a blockage, while egotism, greed and cruelty are signs of over-activity. When properly balanced, there is a feeling of loving life, and being at home in one's skin. Its color is red.
Wow. Do I have a closed off root, or what? I am in almost constant physical pain, mostly stemming from my kidneys these days (an organ associated with the root chakra). I am depressed to the point of being suicidal sometimes. I have an acute fear of loss, and a stupid crazy need for things, especially clothing. There is nothing about me that I love right now. Most days I sit on the couch with my knitting and do all of nothing, going back to bed in the same pajamas. The most I ask from my days right now is that I be allowed to mentally check out and have a minimum of physical pain.
One of the things the website I'm reading says, is that I can balance this chakra by cleaning my house. *Grimace* I am frankly embarrassed at the state of my house. I keep trying to find the motivation to do something, and I keep not having it. I guess that's another symptom of the blockage, huh? Another thing it says is to dance. I haven't really done that in a while, mostly because it irritates the hubby. But who says it has to be in front of him? Also, it says to go barefoot and take care of plants.
So my Root Chakra To-Do List:
Crank up the music and dance
Go barefoot, and tend to my garden
Clean my house, starting in the kitchen, which happens to be the epicenter of the gross.
Start everyday by saying, "My life is full of love and opportunity. Today, I will rise to each challenge set before me, and tonight, I will go to bed better for it."
Source
The first chakra, is the root, and it is found at the base of the spine. It deals with the physical. Pain, depression and fear can be traced to a blockage, while egotism, greed and cruelty are signs of over-activity. When properly balanced, there is a feeling of loving life, and being at home in one's skin. Its color is red.
Wow. Do I have a closed off root, or what? I am in almost constant physical pain, mostly stemming from my kidneys these days (an organ associated with the root chakra). I am depressed to the point of being suicidal sometimes. I have an acute fear of loss, and a stupid crazy need for things, especially clothing. There is nothing about me that I love right now. Most days I sit on the couch with my knitting and do all of nothing, going back to bed in the same pajamas. The most I ask from my days right now is that I be allowed to mentally check out and have a minimum of physical pain.
One of the things the website I'm reading says, is that I can balance this chakra by cleaning my house. *Grimace* I am frankly embarrassed at the state of my house. I keep trying to find the motivation to do something, and I keep not having it. I guess that's another symptom of the blockage, huh? Another thing it says is to dance. I haven't really done that in a while, mostly because it irritates the hubby. But who says it has to be in front of him? Also, it says to go barefoot and take care of plants.
So my Root Chakra To-Do List:
Crank up the music and dance
Go barefoot, and tend to my garden
Clean my house, starting in the kitchen, which happens to be the epicenter of the gross.
Start everyday by saying, "My life is full of love and opportunity. Today, I will rise to each challenge set before me, and tonight, I will go to bed better for it."
Source
10 May 2012
Body Clutter Chapter 1
Welcome to today, Part 2. :)
There are 14 chapters in Body Clutter, and I will be attempting to work through one chapter a day. Last time I tried this, I only made it to chapter 4, but I have big plans this time! By the way, I was using a hand drawn birthday card from my younger brother as a bookmark, and the poem he wrote on it is just perfect. He said:
May all of your goals and dreams come true
Good health and happiness I wish upon you
Times are tough, work is hard
I hope you find comfort in reading this card!
ANYWHO...To business.
Chapter 1 is titled Food: The Ultimate Weapon of Self-Destruction. The first question it asks is: what is your favorite food, one you can't ever seem to get enough of? For me, that's milk. At the time of my first reading, I could have easily drank a gallon of milk in a sitting, let alone a day. There is just something about that creamy sweetness that is intoxicating for me.
The second question is: Why? Why is your relationship with that particular food so out of balance? I had to really think about it, but I did figure it out. I was a big child, always the most overweight in my already quite large-bodied family. My mother, trying to be kind and save me from the life I am currently living, put strict limits on my food intake. She used to hide the snack cakes and chips so I couldn't find them. This only lead to my sneaking other foods and hiding them in my bedroom, but that is a separate issue.
There were a few foods I could eat as much of as I wanted. Raw broccoli and carrots (with limited amounts of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing), or certain fruits. The one "treat" I was allowed without limitation was milk, and all my mother bought was whole. Like I said, it was creamy and a little sweet, and really felt just decadent. When I craved fat or sugar, I'd ask for milk, and I'd get it. And I would chug it. It became my "legal" escape.
I crave milk now because it feels like a valid comfort, even though I am massively lactose intolerant. You know, I missed several days of school when I was younger because I would wake up feeling sick to my stomach? This went on for YEARS until one fateful week when the hubby and I were living with his parents. They went on a cruise, he had broken his foot and I don't drive, so when we ran out of milk, we stayed out. And guess what? I felt better for the first time since I was about 15.
So, yeah, between that and the realization I had last time I did this chapter, I have mostly brought my milk and dairy consumption under control. (Although, writing about this, I had 2 glasses of Lactaid.)
That's pretty much it. I'm taking my first babysteps towards a healthier attitude and a healthier body. This should be interesting.
There are 14 chapters in Body Clutter, and I will be attempting to work through one chapter a day. Last time I tried this, I only made it to chapter 4, but I have big plans this time! By the way, I was using a hand drawn birthday card from my younger brother as a bookmark, and the poem he wrote on it is just perfect. He said:
May all of your goals and dreams come true
Good health and happiness I wish upon you
Times are tough, work is hard
I hope you find comfort in reading this card!
ANYWHO...To business.
Chapter 1 is titled Food: The Ultimate Weapon of Self-Destruction. The first question it asks is: what is your favorite food, one you can't ever seem to get enough of? For me, that's milk. At the time of my first reading, I could have easily drank a gallon of milk in a sitting, let alone a day. There is just something about that creamy sweetness that is intoxicating for me.
The second question is: Why? Why is your relationship with that particular food so out of balance? I had to really think about it, but I did figure it out. I was a big child, always the most overweight in my already quite large-bodied family. My mother, trying to be kind and save me from the life I am currently living, put strict limits on my food intake. She used to hide the snack cakes and chips so I couldn't find them. This only lead to my sneaking other foods and hiding them in my bedroom, but that is a separate issue.
There were a few foods I could eat as much of as I wanted. Raw broccoli and carrots (with limited amounts of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing), or certain fruits. The one "treat" I was allowed without limitation was milk, and all my mother bought was whole. Like I said, it was creamy and a little sweet, and really felt just decadent. When I craved fat or sugar, I'd ask for milk, and I'd get it. And I would chug it. It became my "legal" escape.
I crave milk now because it feels like a valid comfort, even though I am massively lactose intolerant. You know, I missed several days of school when I was younger because I would wake up feeling sick to my stomach? This went on for YEARS until one fateful week when the hubby and I were living with his parents. They went on a cruise, he had broken his foot and I don't drive, so when we ran out of milk, we stayed out. And guess what? I felt better for the first time since I was about 15.
So, yeah, between that and the realization I had last time I did this chapter, I have mostly brought my milk and dairy consumption under control. (Although, writing about this, I had 2 glasses of Lactaid.)
That's pretty much it. I'm taking my first babysteps towards a healthier attitude and a healthier body. This should be interesting.
Never Give Up
This...this is just terrible. I apologize, really. I can NOT believe that it has been over a year since I last posted. I know, with less than a dozen followers, I'm mostly letting myself down, but dammit, I'm important, too. So, I'm sorry readers. And I'm sorry, me. I'm going to do better. Now to the post.
I, like most of the internet, saw the viral video, linked here. That, if you haven't seen it, is Arthur's story. Seriously, go watch it. I cried. But more importantly, I went looking. I found DDP yoga, created by professional wrestler, Diamond Dallas Page. I looked around his website, and I found another story. Stacey's story. This was a woman who tried everything, even losing 100lbs twice, always coming back to were she had been. And yet, she tried again. For more info, you can read her blog here. After some hemming and hawing about the price with the hubby (I hemmed and hawed, he encouraged), I purchased the DVDs today.
Do not misunderstand me. I am not in this purely for weight-loss. I don't give a damn what I end up looking like. I do care about my health. I care to get off of my blood-pressure medicine. I care to not get winded or achy climbing stars. I care to be the best nurse I can possibly be. And if I choose to have children someday, I care to have a safe pregnancy and a healthy child. So while I EAGERLY await the arrival of my newest obsession, I need to get my mind in the right space to achieve and maintain long-term health. And that means cracking open FlyLady and Dinner Diva's book, Body Clutter.
This is a book geared towards a deeper understanding of why we let our weight spiral out of control in the first place. Knowing our past hurts and letting them go. Understanding our triggers and learning how to over come them. As FlyLady says, Finally Loving Yourself (FLYing). And I'm going to work through it right here on this blog. And when I get my DVDs, I will work through them here, as well. And once I get some on going health issues sorted, I plan to return to my running, to ALSO be chronicled here.
I think I'm ready to be healthy. Wish me luck.
I, like most of the internet, saw the viral video, linked here. That, if you haven't seen it, is Arthur's story. Seriously, go watch it. I cried. But more importantly, I went looking. I found DDP yoga, created by professional wrestler, Diamond Dallas Page. I looked around his website, and I found another story. Stacey's story. This was a woman who tried everything, even losing 100lbs twice, always coming back to were she had been. And yet, she tried again. For more info, you can read her blog here. After some hemming and hawing about the price with the hubby (I hemmed and hawed, he encouraged), I purchased the DVDs today.
Do not misunderstand me. I am not in this purely for weight-loss. I don't give a damn what I end up looking like. I do care about my health. I care to get off of my blood-pressure medicine. I care to not get winded or achy climbing stars. I care to be the best nurse I can possibly be. And if I choose to have children someday, I care to have a safe pregnancy and a healthy child. So while I EAGERLY await the arrival of my newest obsession, I need to get my mind in the right space to achieve and maintain long-term health. And that means cracking open FlyLady and Dinner Diva's book, Body Clutter.
This is a book geared towards a deeper understanding of why we let our weight spiral out of control in the first place. Knowing our past hurts and letting them go. Understanding our triggers and learning how to over come them. As FlyLady says, Finally Loving Yourself (FLYing). And I'm going to work through it right here on this blog. And when I get my DVDs, I will work through them here, as well. And once I get some on going health issues sorted, I plan to return to my running, to ALSO be chronicled here.
I think I'm ready to be healthy. Wish me luck.
10 December 2009
No more day tags
I have lost all ability to tag by the day. This semester has been insane. Chemistry, Biology, Psychology and English. :P On top of that, my aunt passed away just after Thanksgiving, and my brother was arrested. So, yeah, very little time to think, let alone blog.
I just wanted to log on and tell anyone who finds this: YOU ARE AMAZING. The fact that you wake up every morning and get up and live our life is nothing short of a miracle. Some of you have to go to work that you hate, some of you have to deal with too many kids and not enough help, you may have chronic physical pain, or you may have lived through intense mental pain. You may have a great life, or you may have a partner who makes your life harder than it has to be. But if you woke up today, you've been given a new chance!
You are capable of amazing beauty. Caring for your children, partner, parents, friends.... Reaching out to help a stranger.... Volunteering with animals at the shelter.... Picking up some litter.... When you stop to make someone else's day beautiful, it adds to your own sense of worth. I challenge any of you who are having a bad day to get out of your own head and make someone else's day. Then look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you are capable of touching another life in a positive way, and that you are beautiful and worthy of love and acceptance.
You are all beautiful. <3 <3 <3
I just wanted to log on and tell anyone who finds this: YOU ARE AMAZING. The fact that you wake up every morning and get up and live our life is nothing short of a miracle. Some of you have to go to work that you hate, some of you have to deal with too many kids and not enough help, you may have chronic physical pain, or you may have lived through intense mental pain. You may have a great life, or you may have a partner who makes your life harder than it has to be. But if you woke up today, you've been given a new chance!
You are capable of amazing beauty. Caring for your children, partner, parents, friends.... Reaching out to help a stranger.... Volunteering with animals at the shelter.... Picking up some litter.... When you stop to make someone else's day beautiful, it adds to your own sense of worth. I challenge any of you who are having a bad day to get out of your own head and make someone else's day. Then look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you are capable of touching another life in a positive way, and that you are beautiful and worthy of love and acceptance.
You are all beautiful. <3 <3 <3
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