Inspiration comes in many packages. I often find little nuggets of wisdom amongst the pages of Runner's World magazine. (Right now, this is probably my favorite magazine. It's not just a pile of ads and all of the articles are useful!) I received the newest issue of RW earlier this week, but saved it for my flight to Pittsburgh. I found some wonderful exercises, some great advice that I could pass on to fellow runners with some injuries, but what really moved me were the articles about 9/11. Now, yes, articles concerning 9/11 are always heartfelt and moving. They really make you appreciate life in a whole new way. I was "lucky" and on that day I didn't actually KNOW anyone who was lost. I was in college at the time and didn't quite understand the enormity of the situation. I didn't live in NYC and see the horrors of that day firsthand. But as the years have passed, I've seen what life has become for those of us who lived through it and see what the future could bring because of it. I'm not in the military, but know that far too many people have given their lives to fight for our freedom. I can't honestly comprehend what that kind of sacrifice is, but I do my best to appreciate it.
In RW, they have a section of articles about how people used running to cope with such an unimaginable tragedy. The woman who lived a few blocks from the towers and literally ran for her life, being thrown onto a ferry to NJ, the man who lost his Army serviceman cousin in the efforts following 9/11, the woman who felt she needed to do something and joined the Army herself, the former New Yorker who returned to run the NYC Marathon in 2001, the firefighter in Denver who along with 342 other firemen do the Denver Metro Firefighter's 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, and finally a Flight 93 widow. Incredibly moving stories, and as I was reading them, there I was...fighting back tears on the plane. For these folks, running is a sort of solace, they feel closer to their lost loved ones, or it's a form of therapy for them.
I can only relate to it being a form of therapy, but for my seemingly mundane problems. I used to think of exercise as pure torture. I avoided it like the plague and forced my body to endure years of stress for no reason other than pure laziness. I have turned a corner and not only enjoy it, but look forward to it, and even as I am "suffering", at times, I've started to appreciate what my body can actually do, not what it can't do. And after reading those articles and being reminded of what a real tragedy is, be it manmade or a natural disaster, I am extremely lucky. Sure, I might have a job that I'm not happy with, and sure, there's things that I'd like to change about myself, but overall, life is good.
Life is good.
RW and Women's Health and all of those health magazines are always touting the benefits of having a mantra to keep you going when the going gets tough. Maybe mine should be "life is good". I have to continually remind myself that even though things might not be what I want them to be RIGHT NOW, I have a lot of goodness in my life, in the form of friends, family, music, etc. I should feel lucky to have the time to better myself. I have a lot of support and have people who are my cheerleaders. I am lucky.
Sometimes a little perspective is all that is needed to right the ship...
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Reignite
I know that I don't say it enough, but I really have some truly great people in my life. I have a lot of "champions"...people supporting me and helping me complete my goals and cheering me on to the finish line. Had a meeting of the "group" tonight and got some much needed support and tips from EOB, JC and GI Jane. I'm feeling good about my progress these last 2 weeks and feeling like I can continue on this path while I'm away.
For those of you who don't know, on Saturday, I'm heading to western PA to help teach at my friend Tim's high school marching band camp. This will be the 10th year that I've traveled to do this! WHOA. Can't believe it. But being out of your element and in someone else's world is jarring. I knew that I needed to rein myself in and get a handle on some stuff before I went away. I needed to get back into the habit of exercising and even though the stuff I've been doing, swimming and tap class, will be unavailable to me, there is quite a bit of stuff I can do. I may have to be inventive...create a mini-circuit in their yard, do body weight stuff, or even use their baby as a free weight! (Just kidding!) Plus, I'm also going to attempt to blog everyday. That'll probably be the hardest part. But I'm going to give it a whirl...
I went swimming again today and I felt great. I'm exhausted, but I know it's for a good reason. I did 40 laps today, 1000 yds! I even had a hard time walking home, I was so tired. But it felt good. It still feels good. I'm glad that I've found this pool and hopefully can make their fall schedule fit into my own. Of course, if my work situation changes, I could definitely fit it in. But that's a whole different topic for a different time...
Anyway, to make a long story short. I was reminded of how in the beginning, this blog was an expression of my triumph and celebrating the hard work i was doing. As of late it's become a place for me to be at my weakest and most vulnerable state for all to read. I'm going to do my best to find a happy medium between the two. It's not fun for me to write and be wallowing in self-pity, as I'm sure it's not fun to read. But it may cause you to think about your own situation in ways you weren't able to because of something I've said. And it's quite cathartic for me. I have no idea who is reading this, nor do I understand the impact I've apparently made on other people. I can't be downtrodden because this journey is not over. It'll never ever be over. I have to remember that I am a very different person than I once was, both physically and mentally. I have triumphed over a lot. I have managed to keep off 60-70 lbs for about a year. That's pretty impressive.
On Sept 21st, it'll be exactly 2 years since I had a soda and also since I started on this journey. Sure, i was hoping to be over the 100 lb mark by then...but I have to remember that what I've done is remarkable in itself. It's time to reevaluate, reboot and reignite my passion for healthy living. Fall is a great time for races and exercising outdoors, not that I'm wishing away the summer, but sadly, it is almost over. Time to refocus, recommit and reinforce the lessons I've learned along the way.
Come on in, the water's fine...
For those of you who don't know, on Saturday, I'm heading to western PA to help teach at my friend Tim's high school marching band camp. This will be the 10th year that I've traveled to do this! WHOA. Can't believe it. But being out of your element and in someone else's world is jarring. I knew that I needed to rein myself in and get a handle on some stuff before I went away. I needed to get back into the habit of exercising and even though the stuff I've been doing, swimming and tap class, will be unavailable to me, there is quite a bit of stuff I can do. I may have to be inventive...create a mini-circuit in their yard, do body weight stuff, or even use their baby as a free weight! (Just kidding!) Plus, I'm also going to attempt to blog everyday. That'll probably be the hardest part. But I'm going to give it a whirl...
I went swimming again today and I felt great. I'm exhausted, but I know it's for a good reason. I did 40 laps today, 1000 yds! I even had a hard time walking home, I was so tired. But it felt good. It still feels good. I'm glad that I've found this pool and hopefully can make their fall schedule fit into my own. Of course, if my work situation changes, I could definitely fit it in. But that's a whole different topic for a different time...
Anyway, to make a long story short. I was reminded of how in the beginning, this blog was an expression of my triumph and celebrating the hard work i was doing. As of late it's become a place for me to be at my weakest and most vulnerable state for all to read. I'm going to do my best to find a happy medium between the two. It's not fun for me to write and be wallowing in self-pity, as I'm sure it's not fun to read. But it may cause you to think about your own situation in ways you weren't able to because of something I've said. And it's quite cathartic for me. I have no idea who is reading this, nor do I understand the impact I've apparently made on other people. I can't be downtrodden because this journey is not over. It'll never ever be over. I have to remember that I am a very different person than I once was, both physically and mentally. I have triumphed over a lot. I have managed to keep off 60-70 lbs for about a year. That's pretty impressive.
On Sept 21st, it'll be exactly 2 years since I had a soda and also since I started on this journey. Sure, i was hoping to be over the 100 lb mark by then...but I have to remember that what I've done is remarkable in itself. It's time to reevaluate, reboot and reignite my passion for healthy living. Fall is a great time for races and exercising outdoors, not that I'm wishing away the summer, but sadly, it is almost over. Time to refocus, recommit and reinforce the lessons I've learned along the way.
Come on in, the water's fine...
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead
For those of you who don't know, I am a documentary junkie. Honestly, I would rather watch docs than any other kind of movie/show...unless it's an NBA game, maybe. But I absolutely love them. And yes, I know, we all hate Netflix and they suck for raising prices on us, blahblahblah. BUT, streaming Netflix offers so many docs, I don't know what to do with myself sometimes! I often times spend MORE time looking through the pages and pages of available ones, adding them to my queue instead of actually watching them. I'll watch them on all subjects...for example, this past weekend, I watched "Ballerina" about Russian ballet dancers, "A Life Apart" about Hasidic Jews in America, and "Flight From Death: The Quest for Immortality" about our irrational fear of death. So yes, quite the hodgepodge of subjects. One of the docs that had landed on my list was called "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead". (I had actually pressed PLAY the other day, but I got a phone call right as it started, and by the time the call was over, it was a bit too late to start the movie.) So, this evening, I found myself with some free time and an empty mind waiting to be filled with something new...
It's the story of this Australian man named Joe who has an autoimmune disease. He takes a lot of meds to control this condition, and is also overweight. He was doing some thinking about how the body can heal itself on the outside, if you get a scrape or a cut, so why can't it do that on the inside if you treat it right? He hooked up with some doctors and started a 60 day juice fast. He decided to do this fasting in America, 30 days while living in NYC and then the last 30 days while road-tripping across the country. He talked to a lot of people about their eating habits and lifestyle choices. (The pervasive theme seemed to be "You're crazy for doing this juice thing. I can't do it. I have no willpower.". OH. And most of these folks had major health issues, not limited to obesity alone.) Joe had a juicer in the trunk of his car, powered by a little battery and his diet consisted of a fruit/veggie juice only for 60 days.
At this point you've probably gone straight to, "What the hell is this man thinking?? How can that be good for you?" WELL...as I watched, I learned. Using freshly made juice, not from a box or bottle, you are smashing a hell of a lot of nutrients into that cup, and being as they are now in a liquid state, it's a lot easier for them to be absorbed into the body. Hmm. Interesting.
Joe lost 90 lbs in 60 days. Whoa.
Along the way, Joe meets a man named Phil, a truck driver with the exact same autoimmune disease and carrying about 430 lbs around with him. Phil joins up, does the juice fast for the 10 days that Phil asked him, decided to keep going...did it for 60 days and also lost 90 lbs. (And in 10 months lost an astonishing 200 lbs. Good lord.)
And no, they don't just drink juice for the rest of their lives. They go to a diet of fruit, veggies, beans, micronutrient foods. This one doctor on the movie, Dr. Fuhrman, had an interesting food pyramid thing for a "high nutrient" diet that seemed like a good idea as well. Joe and Phil both inspired a lot of people to give this a try, and everyone that did, after the first few days of detox, felt amazingly energetic, lost weight, etc.
Am I buying a juicer? I don't know.
Do I need to reboot and detox and all of those good things? Absolutely.
I am certainly still fat. But I'm not sick. Do I feel as good as I could? No way. I've been lazy for the last few months and it shows. But, I absolutely feel better than I did 2 years ago at this time. Am I nearly dead? Nah. Was I before? I don't know. I felt okay. I could get around okay. I didn't have any health issues...yet. But I am willing to bet that if I had kept on this destructive path, I would've been setting myself up for a life of medications and disappointments.
I have 10 days at home before I head to western PA for Tim's band camp. The good part of being away for 2 weeks is that I won't be at Sbux, being tempted by all of that crap there. The bad news is that it's never easy to try to eat well out there. Going to a restaurant is an exercise in wading through a sea of fried food, and attempting NOT to eat ice cream after every meal. But if I use my time wisely in the next week and a half to reboot my exercise and my food, I should be able to coast through those 2 weeks with no problems.
I can't say I'm not intrigued by this juicing idea though. Does it seem like an easy way to lose some weight? Sure...depends on how you define "easy", I suppose. And it's kinda like when I did EOB's detox plan. 4 days seemed like an eternity. I felt like killing people on Day 2. Buuuuut, that's what happens when you feel like you're being deprived, even though you're actually helping yourself. I don't think a juicer is in the financial plans right now, but resetting my mind and stomach is. Plus, with the temperatures soaring by the end of the week, I probably won't want to eat much anyway. It'll be too much trouble.
So, to make a long story short....before you cancel your Netflix subscription, be sure to watch "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead"...you may find the inspiration that you're looking for. :-)
It's the story of this Australian man named Joe who has an autoimmune disease. He takes a lot of meds to control this condition, and is also overweight. He was doing some thinking about how the body can heal itself on the outside, if you get a scrape or a cut, so why can't it do that on the inside if you treat it right? He hooked up with some doctors and started a 60 day juice fast. He decided to do this fasting in America, 30 days while living in NYC and then the last 30 days while road-tripping across the country. He talked to a lot of people about their eating habits and lifestyle choices. (The pervasive theme seemed to be "You're crazy for doing this juice thing. I can't do it. I have no willpower.". OH. And most of these folks had major health issues, not limited to obesity alone.) Joe had a juicer in the trunk of his car, powered by a little battery and his diet consisted of a fruit/veggie juice only for 60 days.
At this point you've probably gone straight to, "What the hell is this man thinking?? How can that be good for you?" WELL...as I watched, I learned. Using freshly made juice, not from a box or bottle, you are smashing a hell of a lot of nutrients into that cup, and being as they are now in a liquid state, it's a lot easier for them to be absorbed into the body. Hmm. Interesting.
Joe lost 90 lbs in 60 days. Whoa.
Along the way, Joe meets a man named Phil, a truck driver with the exact same autoimmune disease and carrying about 430 lbs around with him. Phil joins up, does the juice fast for the 10 days that Phil asked him, decided to keep going...did it for 60 days and also lost 90 lbs. (And in 10 months lost an astonishing 200 lbs. Good lord.)
And no, they don't just drink juice for the rest of their lives. They go to a diet of fruit, veggies, beans, micronutrient foods. This one doctor on the movie, Dr. Fuhrman, had an interesting food pyramid thing for a "high nutrient" diet that seemed like a good idea as well. Joe and Phil both inspired a lot of people to give this a try, and everyone that did, after the first few days of detox, felt amazingly energetic, lost weight, etc.
Am I buying a juicer? I don't know.
Do I need to reboot and detox and all of those good things? Absolutely.
I am certainly still fat. But I'm not sick. Do I feel as good as I could? No way. I've been lazy for the last few months and it shows. But, I absolutely feel better than I did 2 years ago at this time. Am I nearly dead? Nah. Was I before? I don't know. I felt okay. I could get around okay. I didn't have any health issues...yet. But I am willing to bet that if I had kept on this destructive path, I would've been setting myself up for a life of medications and disappointments.
I have 10 days at home before I head to western PA for Tim's band camp. The good part of being away for 2 weeks is that I won't be at Sbux, being tempted by all of that crap there. The bad news is that it's never easy to try to eat well out there. Going to a restaurant is an exercise in wading through a sea of fried food, and attempting NOT to eat ice cream after every meal. But if I use my time wisely in the next week and a half to reboot my exercise and my food, I should be able to coast through those 2 weeks with no problems.
I can't say I'm not intrigued by this juicing idea though. Does it seem like an easy way to lose some weight? Sure...depends on how you define "easy", I suppose. And it's kinda like when I did EOB's detox plan. 4 days seemed like an eternity. I felt like killing people on Day 2. Buuuuut, that's what happens when you feel like you're being deprived, even though you're actually helping yourself. I don't think a juicer is in the financial plans right now, but resetting my mind and stomach is. Plus, with the temperatures soaring by the end of the week, I probably won't want to eat much anyway. It'll be too much trouble.
So, to make a long story short....before you cancel your Netflix subscription, be sure to watch "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead"...you may find the inspiration that you're looking for. :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)