Yoga was so hard today. I have been doing yoga since September and I think the teacher has decided not to take it easy so we were dripping by 6:30 am . I am happy that I enjoy my yoga class, I have decided to only go two times a week, the Monday class is the same time as my spin class. Tonight it was so tempting not to go to the y. All I wanted to do was open a bottle of wine, light a fire and watch some tv, but I knew if I did that I would feel bad later on, so I made dinner for the kids, started a load of laundry changed into workout gear and went. Once I was on the eliptical I was fine and felt good that I oushed myself to go. I did come home and cheat a bit with a check, but not too bad, a large glass of water with lemon. Boot camp tomorrow. A personal goal is not to eat without thinking, walking in the kitchen and not grabbing just one or two nuts, or tasting dinner while cooking , planned snacking yes ! Mindless grazing no!

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Blog 11 weekends
From: Anna <mejusttalking@yahoo.com>
To: lightenup2013a.anna@blogger.com
CC:

Weekends, well a weekend full of birthdays
Mason turns 17 and Aaron turns 14, three days apart . We always celebrate at Hibachi so we went I behaved for the most part but I am sure my sodium intake was more than I would have preferred.I made sure that today I drank lots of water I sang happy birthday , smiled as they ate the cookie cake,. I was content knowing I was working toward my goals.
I spent some time today evaluating my goals. Crunched some numbers, set some short and long term goals. I cleaned my closet today , thinking to myself I want to pull out the thin clothes from my closet, I can actually see that happening this year. This program has given my motivation, my mind is clear about what I need to do, no excuses, not being lazy and I am ok with the decisions. Hard work to get to a place where I can be proud is ok. I signed up for a(walking) half marathon this April in New York. I am making better decisions about my food choices, my exercise and I am starting to notice my efforts and that makes this life style change worth it.

Ok, now that I have that out of the way, I am really needing a good dose of sunshine and warmer temps.

I am having a good week so far. A coworker stated she could see a change in my appearance. That was a nice surprise.

I am working out almost every day, something different everyday so I don't get bored. At home we have changed our eating habits, no late night dinners, no pasta, lots and lots of veggies ,less wine more green tea and new recipes. I still feel very excited about this new way of living. Snacking can be a bit tempting. Fast food is not an option and let me tell you driving east down Mayfield Rd after work from S Euclid to Chardon,I must pass at least 20 or more fast food places. However, the thought of a thinner me has been more of a reward than a cheap temporary thrill of a double cheeseburger .

This salad is full of AMAZING fruity flavor and TONS of nutrients, and it's so easy to make!  

Ingredients 

8 cups chopped kale leaves

One 10.5-oz. can mandarin orange segments packed in juice, drained

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1/4 cup light raspberry (or other fruity) vinaigrette

Optional seasoning: salt

 

Directions 

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and toss to mix.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Mix well, and enjoy! 

Makes 6 servings1/6th of recipe (about 1 1/4 cups): 102 calories, 2g fat, 126mg sodium, 20g carbs, 2.5g fiber, 9.5g sugars, 3 g protein

 

Top of Form

 

I am making myself accountable by using Vitabot. I have found it to be a must for me to keep track. I like seeing the report card to the side -the lime green "A's" are my new favorite color. I am using an inexpensive tablet, instead of my iphone, to me it was a little expense for a huge benefit. I also invested in a few new workout things, a pair of flourescent tennis shoes and matching shirts- the checkout person, stated "wow they are going see you working out !" Not my goal at first, but it is ok if everyone sees me lol , I just wanted to feel good about working out and the new stuff just reflects my new attitude. I went to the ymca for an hour on the eliptical . The laundry was still waiting for me when I got home. So was the kitchen floor, I will learn how to fit it all in, or maybe I can teach a son to start a load :-)

Sent from my iPhone

Sent from my iPhone

I think Laura did an awesome job with creating the facebook group. I like the positive interaction. I think it will be interesting to see everyone's activities and share ideas. Today was a good day, I got a good work out in,did some shopping and together, John and I cooked a healthy dinner, now the norm, not the exception. Tomorrow, we are going to his mother's for the "italian family lunch". I am prepared, I am baking a spaghetti squach before hand . So while they have their pasta, I can enjoy the homemade sauce and the conversation.

Wow vitabot has so much info. I am striving for those "A's" , I must admit some of those grades are hard to achive, and it is surprising how fast those calories add up. Still working out on a very regular bases, I have found yoga to be a happy place,yes even when some of those poses leave me shaking and exhausted -somehow I managed 4 classes last week. And 2 so far this week. I have made Tuesday my day of rest, Cabana's helps with the cooking and clean up - I just had a typo, I first typed "lean up" hmmmm, maybe that was a mental mistake.Thank you again Cabana's for my nice talipa dinner. The staff is so friendly, they remembered us from last week and ststed they were happy to see us again, and as we were leaving ,they left us with see you next week :-)
My scale says a 7 lb loss so far , I will not get excited until the result of the RED scale . I am excited about this adventure, I hope everyday I can keep the excitement with my choices, I enjoy seeing the number dropping but the,pride I feel in my better choices is the best reward so far, it makes me want to improve something everyday

My healthy attitude must be contagious. People around me seem to particpating in a healthier life style That makes this easier. Working out is just part of the routine now, not a chore, just part of the day. My weight is dropping, not as fast as I would hope but still going in the right direction. I am tempted all of the time with grabbing a nibble of the wrong food but I just have to learn that saying no is a step in the right direction and I can't tell you how many times I have repeated to my self just say no . Also, thank you to Jane at work who did not let me step in the kitchen when a rep brought in Panera bread goodies- instead we choose to take a walk using the stairs

 I have just spent the last hour reading our blogs .
I am so impressed that we are sharing our stories. 

 It is so nice to read everyones accomplishments so far( makes me want to push a little harder).

 It is also a relief to see others struggle with night time snacking.

As for myself, my workouts are good:Wednesday 6 am yoga class in South Euclid and then that same night ,I hit the gym for another hour of cardio. My oldest son is supportive and my youngest son went with me to the gym.

 Anna

PS.-- after reading the blogs I realizes how so many of us enjoyed our Cabana night out ! Thanks again Cabana's

I am looking forward to seeing "less" of us there, with that ,I mean thinner healthier smaller versions of us sharing  dinner on Tuesdays!!!!

This week I have made some choices that I am proud of, I thought I would share them- they may be small,but I feel that if I continue with this trend of active choices I will be able to reach a goal of healthier living. First, I was running late for work after a fasting blood test, in the past ,I would have gone through a fast food drive thru for a" multi task 'of breakfast and drive to work, but this time I planned a kashi breakfast with fresh fruit and had breakfast when I arrived at work. That same day after yoga, I was starving, I thought about that drive thru again, but waited until I got home and had a small snack of home made salsa and multigrain chips to hold me over until dinner. I am hoping that in time these small choices will be thought processes that are my way of life.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Blog 3 - dinner at Cabana's
From: Anna <mejusttalking@yahoo.com>
To: lightenupin2013anna@blogger.com
CC:

Thank you Cabana's for the first of many lean meal choices. I had the chipolte shimp. The dinner was very tasty and satifying . It was very nice to see fellow participants at Cabana's. I am looking forward to Tuesday evening, we have made it our "date" night out!

Trying every day to apply this new life style.

Since signing up for Lightenup 2013, I have seen my doctor- decided have a new attitude about health.

I have taken the stairs at work every time- and telling myself that taking them is an active choice in improving my quality of life

I have used my vitabox- quick how those calories can add up- and I admit that tracking is easy during the day in the evening it is much more of a chore  - I

I am still cooking dinners for 3 active boys, but I am not taste testing as much -

I am just trying something each day to achieve my goals