Getting back on the pony...

They say that when you fall off a horse or pony or bike you have to get back on and keep trying. I did great with the detox before and thought I'd make some big changes to the way I treated my body but I fell off that pony pretty quickly... like as soon as any kind of stress entered my life. I was also really struggling with my self-worth etc. But this year is all about discovering and embracing my self-worth. In the beginning I really focused on that from a relationship point of view and I feel like I'm making great strides forward but with those strides forward I began to notice that if I was discovering self-worth and respect then I needed to treat my body with respect too. So... I'm climbing back up on the "diet" pony and starting to ride. I don't think I want to call it a diet pony though, I just want to make some good solid life changes. Here's what I've done for starters:

*switched regular milk (which isn't unhealthy really, but can make my tummy perform circus tricks that are unnatural) for light soy milk.
*removed sugar from my morning coffee
*removed bread (especially white breads) for the most part from my daily eating.
*added lean proteins like salmon and legumes or beans to my daily diet.
*ceased to buy processed foods ( have some still in my cupboard by way of soup mixes but I don't really like them so I'm planning to give them away)
*added nuts, fruits and dried fruits (very little of those high sugar little numbers) to my daily intake
*begun to eat more regularly
*begun to plan and cook healthy, homemade meals that are lean in fats, lacking in sugar and salt and SUPER tasty
*begun to step back into the gym and my regular activity schedule (I've been sick a lot this year with sinus infections, throat infections, incredibly hives and allergic reactions, and a ruined knee from a fall on the ice etc).

I'm not sure what will happen as a result but I'm going to try and chronicle it as a way to stay honest and on it. I'll also be uploading a very honest picture of how bad it's gotten and my measurements... so be on the lookout for that pleasureful experience! ;)

Thanks for reading and, I hope, supporting!

8K... YEA!!

So part of my quest to be healthier is to up my exercise routine and knowing myself, I respond best to coaching and deadlines. So I registered for an 8K race that is part of the Istanbul Marathon (very cool because you literally run from Asia to Europe... not everyone has done that) that is in the middle of October. And because I am competitive, there is just no way I am going to walk the whole thing. Now, this means I have to train (and should mean eating right, but doesn't at the moment), so I am trying to run as much as possible. Today I did a trial 8K where my parents live which is an incredibly hilly place. I completed it in just under 1 hour and 20 minutes... not bad considering I had to walk a lot of it!! Stay tuned for more fitness/health/eating/weightloss updates!

When Did 35 Become So Old?!

I'm 35 (36 next month) but I seriously feel 95. I've been ramping up my running in preparation for the Istanbul 8K and just to get healthy and fit. Well, I went gang busters for a few days. Three days straight of short but hilly runs that had me pushing myself and working hard. Then yesterday came around and I woke up feeling sore allover, but most notably in my hips and lower back (I have degenerative disk disease and bone spurs that are the pre-cursors to arthritis in my hips). So as I hobbled around in hopes that I could get out and run, I felt like I had aged 60 years in a night. Standing upright was a great challenge.... So today I was feeling better and decided to risk a VERY short run. It was painful but it got better as my joints warmed up and I walked more than I had hoped... so I ask you: When did 35 become so old?!?!

AH!!!! Vacation!!

Vacation is always a hard time for me to stick to a life style of healthy eating. It's especially hard for me as I am traveling and going home to my parent's house (I live in Turkey and they live in Canada) and have the chance to eat all the things I can't get in Turkey. It's hard to not want to eat all the things I shouldn't have like sugar, processed foods etc. I've been allowing myself to eat the things that I've missed but just one time and then I've been trying to step up my exercise in prep for the Istanbul Marathon 8K and to combat my food intake. One good thing is that I quickly tire of eating things outside my new norm and am keen to get back to a diet that consists of LOTS of veggies and fruits, little carbs, little sugars and almost nothing processed.

Vacation.... *sigh*

What is it about vacation that simply RUINS whatever it was that you were doing with your life plans for eating and exercising? I know I should be able to monitor and stay with my plans and I could if I tried, but something in my brain switches during vacation and just lets me sleep longer, move less and eat more. It doesn't help that as an expat I get to go home and eat things that I just can't get all year long.... Thankfully I have the Istanbul Marathon 8K to keep me focused (or should I say: get me back on track) with training and eating right. I'll start that tomorrow... no, really, I will. ;)

Smoothies

I know that these are nothing new but I love a smoothie for breakfast. I've been experimenting with ways to get more protein in them and other essential vitamins so that it can last longer in my tummy.

Some of my favourite recipes are:

Choco-Banana-P.B.

I put in 1 banana, 1 cup chocolate soy milk and 1 tbsp of peanut butter... blend and drink!! Add some ice cubes if you want it be a milkshake.

Banana-Berry

One banana, a cup of berries of your choice, 1 cup of plain Turkish (Greek style) yogurt... blend and drink. If the berries are frozen it's super yummy!!

Banana-Nectar etc

One banana, one cup of berries of your choice, 1/2 cup of plain yogurt, 1/2 cup apricot nectar... blend with some ice and drink!!


So those are three recipes I've enjoyed. I've even thrown in some frozen spinach in the bottom two from time to time to get some of those precious vitamins from the dark leafy greens and it doesn't change the taste at all!! It's a great day starter, natural, tasty and good for you! I'd love to hear what some of your favourite smoothie recipes are so I can add them to my repertoire!

Bandwagons and Knee Scrapes

That's what I am going through right now. I don't like to think of new exercise or eating habits as being on a bandwagon, but I tend to make them that way when I slip out of the good habits and into the bad... and that is where the knee scrapes come in. I slip off the "bandwagon" of being good and it hurts. It doesn't hurt anyone but myself, so you would think that I would learn, but I'm kinda slow with that too. Lately, I've been eating all the things I promised myself that I would not eat. I've also been lazy about getting up early to work out. *sigh* I've lost my motivation... or at least I thought I had and then I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror and yes, I saw all the fat and things that I don't like but that isn't what made me resolve to hop back on this crazy but great ride... it was seeing that I have worth and beauty but that it is sadly locked behind other things that I CAN change... so here I am, putting bandages on the knee scrapes and climbing back on the wagon. Let's hope I can do a little better this time... for myself!