Keeping the Memories of 9/11 Alive

So today's post is not one that has to do with my new path of life. I instead want to step back 11 years ago today and reflect on that one act of terrorism that has forever changed how our country thinks/feels.

As I walked into my classroom today, I knew that I wanted to discuss with my students not just the events from 9/11 but also the lasting effects that 9/11 has had. It is difficult still for me to fathom that many of my students are too young to remember the events that happened. I struggle with how to impart on them the huge impact this has had and continues to have on our every day lives. This is something that they have always had to live with, as far as they can remember. The sheer size of the event is difficult still to comprehend, even for me...someone who is old enough to not only remember where I was when the news hit the country, but also old enough to remember how I was feeling, or actually the numbness that I felt that day.

Watching documentaries today, I again start to feel those emotions come rushing back to me, but also new ones as I begin to better comprehend how a wife or sister or aunt or friend would feel knowing that a special person in their lives is now a wonderful memory for them to keep. I also remember how this country came together and stood as one against a threat that was so unknown to us. It was amazing to see flags literally everywhere...on cars, in yards, hanging from houses, worn by people...everywhere.

However, this solidarity seems to be dissipating from our country. Over the past 11 years we have become much more solitary creatures. We are terrified of anyone who looks "un-American" whatever that may mean. Anyone who even resembles someone who could be from another country is automatically shunned. This is not the America that we claim was "united." America is a country made of families who immigrated, no matter how long ago or how recently. This is the America that we should be fighting to hold on to, not the one we have created that breeds hate or distrust among those who may be different. 

I realized that this has become such an ingrained way of thinking after spending the day with my students and hearing some of the things they said. It was disturbing to hear how such a mistrust of others has become a part of our culture and I only hope we can once again be more accepting of people who don't fit the mold of what our society calls "American."

I also want to take a moment to thank anyone who may be reading this that has served our country to protect our freedoms and also to the first responders who gave of themselves to work at Ground Zero. Today helps us to realize that while we are already beginning to memorialize the events from that day, we are still healing.

Try Something New

Wow...so it's been quite a while since I last posted a new entry, but the great thing is that even though I haven't posted in a while, I have still been maintaining my way of eating and living.

But one thing that we need to keep in mind as we go on our journeys is to not be afraid of something new. All of us, especially me, like to get into our regular routines. We are comfortable with the tings we know and because of this we sometimes get stuck in a rut. Mentally we get stuck; physically we get stuck. We need to venture out of this rut, no matter how hard it may be, and try something new.

In my case, I tried Shakeology. It has been amazing and it helped me realize how and what I'm eating. I only tried it for ten days, but I think it might be something that I will want to do again in the future. I have also tried Zumba classes and have found that they are really fun and a great workout. The best part is, for me, is that since it is a class I feel more accountable for showing up and not making excuses as to why I can't make it that day or the next day or the next. It also feels amazing to know what is going on in the class. The first time I went, I was completely lost and had no idea what I was doing. (Lots of personal style happening that day :D ) Now when I go to class I know what's expected and get really excited when I remember a song and the dance that goes with it.

It has been through stepping outside of my comfort zone and trying new things that I am well on my way to reaching my target weight, but more importantly, living a much healthier lifestyle. Today I encourage YOU to climb up out of that rut and try something new today. It may be trying a new food or taking a class at a gym or even just doing sit-ups and chair dips while watching your favorite TV show. Any way you choose is what's going to work for you! Let me know what new thing you've tried....I love hearing new ideas and trying things myself. :)

Keep Things Fresh...

After taking this weekend to reflect on the things that are important in my life, I also realized that being able to enjoy those things is also important to me. So in order for me to do so, it is onward and upward with this journey to living better!

After talking to some people and reflecting on my past attempts at making changes in my workout routine, I realized that another problem people run into is becoming bored with their workouts. This seems to be the case because people stick with what they know how to do and they don't expand beyond that because they're not sure how to do so. A few years ago when I was getting back into running, that's all that I would do....run. And as a person who never ran distance before (I was always a sprinter) the scenery gets boring. Changing up my routes only helped a little bit. Even my music was boring me and I love listening to music.

So this time...I'm keeping things fresh in my workouts. My husband found a great article on Men's Health Magazine's website (which is on my Great Resources page) for the days that we lift. I have also adapted that article for my conditioning workouts with my cheerleaders so that I lift when they lift.

But not only am I sticking to the cardio and the weights (my problem from before), as I said before...I'm mixing things up. I have now gone to two Zumba classes (which are awesome and if you're looking for something new I would highly suggest trying it) and I got back in the pool. Through my youth and in college I would swim regularly, but once I graduated college I again kept making excuses as to why I couldn't keep swimming. For example I would say..."I don't have the time"...."It costs to much to belong to a gym with a pool"...."It's too late tonight, I'll go tomorrow." Well we all know what happens when we make these excuses. Yep, that's right...Absolutely nothing.

So we come back around to recommitting yourself to not making any more excuses and finding new things that will keep your workouts fresh instead of becoming stale. My greatest advice to do this is to find things that interest you. Find those things you have always enjoyed doing and start doing them again. That's why Zumba has been working well for me so far, because I love to dance! I'm not great at it, but I love it. The same goes with swimming. It's hard work, but when you are exercising while doing something you enjoy it is that much easier to do. I now encourage you to go out and find things that you enjoy doing and start doing them more. Start rock climbing or hiking or simply going for walks with your families. As long as you are moving, you are moving in the right direction to take your own journey.

Appreciate the Small Things...

So this is a post that I was working on about how we should appreciate the little successes we have in such a fast-paced society. We are always looking for instant gratification and that is difficult to find when making such a huge change in your life.

And while this is still true, I think that message changes when we reflect on tragedies such as we have witnessed today with the shooting in Aurora, Colorado. It makes us reflect on the things that are most important to us and appreciate the little things in our lives. We need to appreciate the time we get to spend with our families and our loved ones; appreciate the time you have with a dog cuddled on the couch with you; appreciate being able to call your mom on the phone and have a conversation. I don't want people to hear that news story and to live in fear. If we are afraid to live our lives, then we truly aren't living at all. Instead we need to hear these news stories and give ourselves a kick in the butt not to miss an opportunity to truly live our lives the way we want to live them...happily. We need to find the strength from the good that comes from such tragedy, such as hearing about a lady who stopped and helped a man in the theater simply because he was hurt. We need to learn to give our time to a stranger and not abandon them.

As a society we tend to look the other way when we see a stranger walking down the street, we tend to cross the road if there is someone else walking the opposite way. Instead of doing this, make sure you say "hello" to each person you see...who knows, you may be the only person they see that day; they may live alone or might have recently lost someone. What would it hurt to smile every now and then? What would it hurt to give a wave to the neighbor you may not know so well?

So as with so many others today, my heart and prayers go out to all the victims, witnesses and families of those affected by today's shooting in Colorado. Again, let us remember to appreciate the things and the people that are so important to us. And remember to appreciate the little things in life...whether it's getting to see a friend you haven't in a long time, or being able to finally button those jeans you haven't worn in a while! Each moment is important...let's remember to try and fill each one with love and kindness, even to our furry little friends who are there at our sides.

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/20/12854157-shooting-suspect-graduate-student-in-neuroscience-started-buying-guns-legally-in-may?lite

Make a Date....With the Gym

One thing that I find as I continuously go through the process of wanting to see change is that I start off really strong in my motivation to make these changes, but as I continue on I become less and less motivated; I find myself wanting to make excuses as to why I can't make it to the gym that day. Well...NOT anymore. One of the great girls in my fitness group posted the other day that we need to make a date with the gym. By scheduling our times to workout, we become more accountable for actually following through with working out and can't make those excuses as easily. So...I made a date. One of my friends has her wedding coming up in a few weeks and she wants to be going to the gym more often and one way to keep up both accountable today for our workouts was for us to make a gym date.

It was fantastic! It felt great to have a plan and a set time to be going to the gym instead of being around the house and letting time get away from me. What turned out to be even better was she and a teacher friend of ours, at the end of our workout, encouraged me to go to Zumba for the first time. I was of course really nervous about going for the first time and having NO idea what I was doing, but it was really great! The instructor was awesome and was really welcoming to us newbies. (I wasn't the only there for the first time thankfully!) So in essence I actually had 2 workouts today and I still feel great...not sore at all which is awesome.

The other thing I continue to focus on is deciding the right thing to eat. This past week I have been doing great so far, or at least much better than the decisions I was making before. I know that between being more active and eating right I have already lost 1.2 lbs since last Wednesday! It's great to already see some results, but I know that I still have a long road ahead of me. That is where I am already starting to get stuck. I have bought the right foods and I am making more conscious decisions as to what I am eating, but I am getting stuck in a rut already. I find myself eating a lot of the same foods and I want to be able to mix it up a little while still eating the right way. So if anyone has suggestions as to some great meal ideas, please share them with me.

I'm Walking on Sunshine...Woah-oah!

So as I'm sure you all realize, I am not actually walking on sunshine, but this morning's exercise certainly felt like I was walking on the sun. The Midwestern heat does that even when it's 9am and the blacktop is already heating up! My husband and I started off the day right with a long, brisk walk down the road, into a park and then looped back around through a neighborhood to the house. About a 4 mile walk and I definitely was sweating through the whole thing. It took some convincing to get him motivated and going this morning though...he tried to hide! :)

My husband Corey trying to hide from me!

But as I mentioned, I did get him going and we felt great after walking! The best part was that I didn't feel bad that we didn't take the dog because he was at the groomer. Normally we like to walk with the dog, but today's walk would have been too hot and too long for Mr. Pugsley.

So while I did great getting out there and going this morning, I did forget to have my breakfast other than my coffee. That is something I really need to work on even though I've was doing great earlier this week. Thursday and Friday I had a small cup of coffee to get me going, but I also made myself a smoothie for breakfast since I was on the go those mornings. They were great and very filling, but also really easy to make! I used the same recipe I posted before, just with slight variations on the ratio of fruit and I alternated between using plain or vanilla low-fat yogurt.

I am very excited about the lunch I had today though. We went to one of our favorite local restaurants here in Quincy called Thyme Square. They are so friendly and great, but one of the best things about this restaurant is that they feature all locally-sourced products. (If you're ever in the Quincy, Il area, check them out or just check out their website thymesquarecafe.net) Today one of their features was fresh salmon and they had also purchased some zucchini from the farmer's market. I had the fish, but instead of having it served as a sandwich, I opted for the lighter version and it was served on a bed of greens and I paired it with the zucchini which they grilled and it was awesome! It's always nice to know that you can dine out and still make great choices.

I am continuing on this change and still struggle with wanting to "pig out" on the chips and dip but I remind myself that even when I do eat those, I never feel good about it after as much as I enjoy it at the time. I know one day I will have the self-control to have a few, but I'm just not at that point yet. Working on it though! Continue to wish me luck!

Taking the First Step

The first challenge I have faced in this journey was last night at the grocery store. I have in the past always found myself drawn to the aisle in the store that holds the most delicious, awful food for you. You know the one...the chip and snack food aisle. However, I received excellent motivation from one of my group members and she told me to write my grocery list, make a promise to myself not to deviate from that list and to also eat before I made my trip to the store. I did all of those things and I am very proud of my trip to the store. I was able to stock my refrigerator with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy products.

Today was my day to take that first step to this new lifestyle and once again I had success! I have made sure that I am make conscious choices with what I am eating.
     Breakfast: Breakfast burritos with 2 wheat tortillas, 1 mini container of Egg Beaters, 1/2 avocado, 2 tsp light sour cream, 1/2 tsp Feta Cheese

     Lunch: Smoothie with 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, 1/2 cup fresh blueberries, 1 banana, 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt, 1/4 cup skim milk, 2 tsp honey

     Snack: 1.5 ounces cheddar cheese and green grapes

     Dinner: Grilled Sandwich with 2 slices wheat bread, 1 slice provolone cheese, 1/4 avocado

     Snack: 1/4 cup low-fat small curd cottage cheese

I was surprised at the success of my smoothie to be honest. One problem I run into is my allergy to peanut oil which means any recipe with peanut butter is automatically out. This proves to make my meal planning complicated as many of the protein-packed recipes use peanut butter. This means that I took a recipe for a smoothie and altered it to both my tastes and to avoid allergic reactions. :)

I also made time today to go to the gym for the first time in a couple weeks. I hopped on the treadmill and made myself go a full 2 miles. This may not seem like much, but to me it was a challenge and because of that I have set a goal for myself: in 3 weeks I will run a race here in town. It will be a 4 mile relay that both my husband and I will run, meaning I will be running 2 of the 4 miles. Here's to my first goal!!!