buttercup

inside and out.  Nothing else.  Just wanted yawwwwwl to know that and be prepared.

 I’m feelin fine and funky and just a little bit spunky.  No tellin what’s gonna come out of my mouth today….

HUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGS,
Groovy Buttercup

Some days are just going to start out crappy and there’s nothing we can do about it.  Mine did.  My whole routine was shot this morning.  I’m SO a routine person. 

I was starving for some reason last night.  I ended up going 300 calories over my daily goal.  Not sugar and bad stuff… all healthy, but still over.  Did NOT want to log it on FitDay, but I sucked it up this morning and logged to see what the damage was.  300 calories over.  BUT, I still showed a deficit of calories eaten versus calories burned.  So a small satisfaction there. 

But whatcha gonna do?  Let it ruin the whole day?  No ma’m.  I’m gonna grab the devil by the tail and spin him on outta my way. HA!  I’m gonna make the REST of my day better than the first 5 hours have been.  Geez, it’s only 9:00 a.m.!  I’ve got HOURS to make this a better day!

Ready… set… GO GO GO!

 Hugggggggggggggggs,
Shan
“A life of reaction is a life of slavery, intellectually and spiritually. One must fight for a life of action, not reaction.”
– Rita Mae Brown

I have a lot of weekly goals, but I want to concentrate on ONE this week.  Make it my major focus above all the others.  I think this will be good for me.  This week, I want to concentrate on not reacting impulsively.  This applies to all areas of my life.  It’s only Tuesday, and I’ve already been put to the test several times on this one. 

It’s so easy for me to instantly say what I think, spill some advice, reach for sugar when I want to satisfy and emotional or stressful or energy need, spout off in anger, try to “fix” situations instantly, etc.  I need to practice stepping back… think things through… look to my God for guidance, and THEN take some form of action.  I need to learn more patience with things… with home… with work… with friends… with myself.

That’s my main concentration this week.  It’s a character building goal for me.

 I’m interested to know what your ONE major goal is this week.  The main one.  Cause I’m nosey that way….

Hugggggggggggggggggggggs,
Shan
“To respond is positive, to react is negative.”
~Zig Ziglar~

I forgot my glasses today.  The screenis a blur and I’m depending on my hands sitting on the keyboard right as I cannot see what I’m typing. HA!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for the comments to my last blog.  Jenn, your words were right on the money and got my mind straight.  Big huggggggggggs girlfriend. 

I’m not going away.  How could I?  Got too many peeps here I care about.  I will, however, on those days that I lack compassion and patience, keep my mouth zipped. LOL 

Brown rice and strawberries this morning. Can you say YUM YUM FOR MY TUM?

Going for chinese with a co-worker for lunch.  This is the first time I’ve been out to eat since starting the BL contest at work.  This will be a test of my knowledge in good choices, and my willpower to stick to plan.  I think… no… I KNOW… I will do well.  My sugar cravings are gone and my energy is soaring.  Why would I want to mess with that?  NO sugar for 3 solid weeks.  LUBBLY.  Sorry Nancy, but I DO have my one packet of Splenda each day split between 2 cups of coffee.  A girl’s gotta have some vices.

I woke up this morning wondering if Anj’s husband is alive and flattened like a pancake on the road somewhere.  I wondered about Catrina’s sister in law and said an extra prayer.  I wondered about Jo and whatever she’s going through… prayed for her also.  I wondered about Jane and how’s she’s liking her new bike.  I wondered about the many Debs I’ve come to love here, and prayed for strength for them all (you girls know who you are).  I wondered about my new buddy Yani and I’m sending good cybervibes her way. 

This is OUR day peeps.  Our day to shine!  Our day to glow!  Our day to make it the best it can be.  Our day to show the world that WE ARE WORTH IT… WE ARE STRONG… WE WANT BETTER FOR OURSELVES… AND WE LOVE OURSELVES ENOUGH TO “JUST DO IT”.  WE ARE NOT AVERAGE PEEPS.  WE ARE PEEPS WITH A PURPOSE AND A PLAN.
 

SO GET BUSY!!!Remember, the average person never reaches the mountaintop because you can’t get to the mountaintop on average effort.

gggggggggggggggggs,
Shan

I was going to bulletin my buddies with something I learned last Sunday.  I was not going to blog it because it IS about my Christianity and this IS a weight loss site, not a religious site.  But I changed my mind, because something just happened to me that puts what I learned to the test.  So WARNING – don’t read if this bothers you.  I’ve already probably hurt someone on this site and have had no response to my apology, and I’m considering taking a hiatus from this site for awhile because of it.

There is always going to be situations in our lives that we must face that we would rather not face.  There is always going to be stressors and predicaments we get ourselves in.  We must learn new ways of dealing.  That’s where my God comes in, and I’m learning more and more every day to go to him instead of me trying to fix things on my own.  For me, it’s always going to be about balance.  I’ve got a long ways to go, but at least I’m not where I used to be, which was a destructive path that would eventually kill me … not only physically, but spiritually as well.

 I’m sure ready for this work day to end…

and my @ss is gonna look GREAT by the time vacation this summer rolls around.  I absolutely had a blast doing the class.  It felt good to do something different, get out of the house… step out of my norm.  My knee held up really well.  The only time I felt pain is when we went from standing to “hovering”.  The instructor said if it hurt in any way, then just keep standing or sit during that time, or ease up on the bike tension.  So I stood.  Today, I am pretty sore, mainly in the glute area.  I’m definately going to go back.  LOVED IT!

I looked back over my nutrition levels for the last two weeks.  I’ve been keeping a check on the fat/carbs/protein ratio, but not checking the nutrition levels.  I found that, even with my vitamins (which are and excellent vitamin), I’m still not getting enough iron, magnesium, and potassium, so I’ll be searching for ways to get those levels up without raising the calories.

I’ve also been doing some research on the benefits of vegan eating.  It’s very interesting and makes a lot of sense, and I read that if I want to do this, I should ease into it slowly.  I’m considering it, but want to do more research first.  I do know that if I decide to do this, it will not be fully vegan.  It will be pesciterien (sp?), which would incorporate fish into my eating.  I think fish is a very important part of eating healthy.

Since I’ve added complex carbs back into my diet, my energy has SOARED!  I’m currently getting a ratio of fat 20%, carbs 40-50% and protein around 30%.  Lovin the energy, especially since lately I’m averaging 50 hours per week at work, and then there’s my time studying horitculture, studying Bible, housework, laundry, caring for my son, husband, and father.  I’m finding it challenging to get some social life in there.  Hence the spin class I took.  A girl’s gotta stay in touch with the outside world! Work has been frustrating lately to say the least, but in these economic times with so many out there losing their jobs or getting downsized, I count my blessings and work with a smile on my face.

Gonna try a new recipe tonight with kale and chickpeas…. kind of a tipping my toe in the water on the vegan thing. 

Again, yesterday I was a little harsh and cold sounding on some of my comments, and I apologize for that.  Maybe my patience level was not where it should have been.  Maybe I was just having a bitchy day.  I don’t know.  What I DO know… I love the peeps I’ve come to know here, and I care immensely.  And because I have experienced first hand what healthy eating has done for me, and what my spiritual path has done for me… I want SOOO bad for all you beautiful peeps to experience the inner peace and love and joy that I feel.  I want you to never give up, and to grow in love and health.  I want to you realize that you are worth every bit of effort it takes to find that peace and happiness that you so richly deserve.  I want you to realize that you don’t have to run over other people to get there either.  I want you to realize that there IS a healthy balance, and it CAN be reached… time for others, time for yourself, time with God.  It CAN be done!  That’s what I want for ALL of you… and I want you to want it too.

Huggggggggggggggs EVERY BUDDY,
Shan
If your dog is fat, you aren’t getting enough exercise
-Unknown

Results are in.  I’m currently running in 2^nd place out of 15 people, and have 10 more weeks to go.  I dropped 7.5 pounds. *happy dances*  Three pounds a week is not bad for SouthBeach Phase I with a twist (2 fruits and 1 cup 2% milk per day).  I am so happy that I get my whole grains back now.  I was actually giddy this morning as I stirred my whole oats.  Wonderful warming breakfast.  I remember when I ate quick oats with butter and sugar… now it’s whole with fresh blueberries.  Yeah baby!  I thought about the guy that’s currently in 1^st place.  He’s dropped 15 pounds.  I have to admit, there was this little competitive jealousy thang goin on in my head for a minute.  I mean, 15 pounds in two weeks?  C’mon already!  sheesh… But then I thought about it.  This guy is actually not eating anything all day long and has his one dinner at the end of his day.  He is also drinking NO water.  And that’s certainly not the way I want to compete in this contest.  I want to do it right and reach my goal.  If I win, that’s just a bonus as far as I’m concerned.

Now that I’m adding whole grains back into my eating, I know the weight loss will slow down a bit.  I’m aiming for 1-2 pounds per week.  Doable.

Most of the things in your life are neutral.It is a blank canvas waiting for the paintbrush of your heart. It is an empty sound waiting for your voice to fill it. 

A lot of the things are great and beautiful.

A few are hateful and nasty.

Most are waiting on you to define it.

Understand that in the material world it takes an opposite to define a thing.

You wouldn’t know cold without hotSoft without hardDry without wetLight without darkEasy without difficultLove without hatePeace without warHealth without sicknessProsperity without wantJoy without sadness

What do you want to paint today?

Hugggggggggggggggggggggs EVERY BUDDYYYYYYYYY,
Shan

but all the planning in the world does no good unless we actually put that plan to action. 

And plans can also backfire.  Case in point.  Yesterday, I planned, logged all the foods I planned to eat that day on FitDay.com and was done with it.  This helps me not to obsess all day long over food.  BUT… the workday turned into hell, and I found myself actually running in the office back and forth to the copier, typewriter, computer, Boss Hogg’s office, etc. to meet Fed Ex deadlines.  Was suppose to get off work at noon, but ended up working overtime.  Absolutely NO time to get my mid afternoon snack in.  I get home at 6:00 ready to prepare supper.  My husband… BLESS him… says he’s cooking supper for me.  Now his intentions were good and heartfelt, and I appreciated it very much, but what does he fix?  Sloppy tacos.  The corn tortillas are fried in grease (why he calls them sloppy), then the taco is filled, grated chedder on top, and grilled on the cast iron grill on top of the stove.  Ohhhhhhhh no, I can’t do that.  I’ve worked too damn hard lately to backslide now.  Now he DID think about me and bought the 90/10 ground beef.  And he DID boil some brussel sprouts (brussel sprouts and tacos? lololol).  So I find myself having to improvise, and telling myself if it hurts his feelings … oh well.  I chopped two cups of green leaf lettuce, placed a cup of the ground beef with taco seasoning on top, 1 tablespoon of the grated cheese, and 1 tablespoon of Picante sauce.  Got my brussel sprouts on my plate BEFORE he drowned them in real butter with sauteed onions, grabbed two cherry peppers out of the fridge, and got my 4 oz cup of 2% milk, which is my daily treat.  My meal was lovely.  I got satisfied, stayed within my calorie limits for the day, and felt good that I did not backslide.  To tell you the truth, seeing all that grease and butter really kinda turned my stomach.  I was sad to watch him eat SIX of those tacos, TWO 8 oz glasses of milk, TWO cups of brussel sprouts drowned in real butter.  And he’s doing BL contest at work too?  *shakes head*.  Anyway, my point here, and what I’ve learned on this path in my life, is that it’s good to plan, but we must be prepared for a kink in the works so to speak.  No matter whats on the menu or where we go out to eat, if we use our noggins, we CAN make better choices, every single time. 

I’m at work and working overtime, so I guess I better get to it.  The spin class I checked into has been replaced with pilates class on Fridays, so I plan to try spin class Wednesday after work.  I’ve informed the family that they are on their own for supper and to fend for themselves.  I tell ya, working full time, taking care of a teen, a husband, and an elderly father in my home can take it’s toll on me sometimes.  Getting out to that class I think will do me some good.

Let’s keep Jane in our prayers today, k?  She should be coming home from the hospital today, and she promised to e-mail, so I’m sitting on pins and needles until she does.  Not LITERALLY pins and needles, but you know what I mean. LOL 

Hugggggggggggggggggggggs EveryBUDDY!
Shan
The cyclone derives its powers from a calm center.
So does a person.
~Norman Vincent Peale~

Gooooooooooooood morning buddies!  Crisp and cold here today.  Brrrrrrrr…

I have today through Sunday left of Phase I SouthBeach.  YAY!  Will be glad to get it behind me.  I promised myself I would not weigh until BL weigh in at work next Tuesday.  However, my clothes are loosening up and curiosity killed the cat, so I stepped on my scales at home this morning.  Since it’s not official, I’m not saying, but….

Okay, here’s my question.  There’s a gym here that has a spinning class.  I don’t have to join, but can go as a guest.  I usually get off work by noon on Fridays, and I’m considering doing this on a weekly basis on Fridays.  However, I do have that BLASTED bad knee to consider.  So that’s my question for all you that have done spinning before. 

Is is bad on your knees? 

It sounds like it would be a lot of fun.  It would get me out of the house and away from family for “me” time, put me in touch with the outside world, and break the monotony of dvd workouts at home.  Any and all advice will be mucho appreciated.

Huggggggggggggggggggggggs,
Shan
If variety is the spice of life, marriage is the big can of leftover Spam. ~Johnny Carson~

*SNORT*  couldn’t resist this one…

It’s not all about self.  Yes, focusing on self is good and working towards a healthy lifestyle is very important.  But I’m learning that equally important is the GIVING of yourself to others.  That old saying… the more you give the more you get.  And I’m not talking about money either.  I’m talking about from the heart.  I learned this the hard way throughout my life.  It took years to get this concept down.  But I attribute it to any and all successes that I’ve had in the last few years.  God gets the glory for it.  I didn’t do it on my own.  He taught me, Jesus loved me enough to invest time in me, and every single day that I ask and seek and give and love and laugh and hug and support, I grow stronger in peace with myself, stronger in peace with others, and stronger in forgiving.  Investing my time in others helps me to take the focus OFF self, especially when I find myself wanting to get on that pity pot and whine, or when I feel anger boiling up to my eyeballs over something. 

Why am I blogging this here?  Because it has taken working on the inside of me FIRST, before I could ever begin to make outside changes I’m starting to see.

That’s what’s on my mind this morning. 

So love deep…

Talk sweet…

Watch an eagle soar…

Look around and just SEE God’s amazing grace and love.  He created it ALL.  It’s our choice what we do with it.

Today, I challenge anyone who is angry or sad or frustrated or depressed… to go out and do something for someone else.  Any little thing will do, from helping an elderly load their groceries in the car, or smiling and complimenting a disgruntled checker, or telling your spouse that you just had an arguement with that you love and respect him/her.  Maybe let someone else who’s been waiting go first on the gym machines.  These things are not hard to do.  It just takes a little looking around to find SOMETHING you can do, no matter how little.  Then just see how much your heart soars (like an eagle) and watch your self pity melt back down to the depths of hell where it came from.  

GO!

Huggggggggggggggggggggggs,
Shan