Day 6 - TGIF

A year from Now you may wish 

You had started Today

-Karen Lamb

Reflections of the week.  There has not been as much change as I would have liked.  Which mean progress has not reached expectation.  Actually I really didn’t have any and that might be where I made my mistake.  There are many factors to being a lifestyle change and well-being.  I tried to analyze some of it but I think I just complained about my issues with it and various stages misconduct.   It is amazes me how a person can write the same thing in 300 word or more and it all sound like the same thing over and over again.  I am trying to change the tone of these entries.  The point is to sound more objective and less subjective. Even when writing about myself.  I am actually tired of writing the world ‘I’.  So starting next week I will do my best to stop.  In this post it will sound like a mix bag.  Some paragraph will be subjective and some objective.  There were all written at the same time.  English teachers and professors across the nation just cringed.  This is no way to write an essay.  TG this isn’t the writing website blog.  This is the health and well-being.    

Over the weekend I will be coming up with daily recipes to try and making a schedule.  So the week can be filled with productivity.  Unfortunately for you few readers, it will be put up here for your view.  With hope and true grit I will be making better decisions on the course of this blog and my lifestyle.  Last year I found some website blogs that have been praised for their content, I will look them up again.  I want to see where I am hitting and missing.  I am glad that I was able to post something for the last 4 days and meet the word challenge.  If anyone is interested you might have to look at old posts.  There should be better references and cites of work.  Which will me a well thought out and prepared post.  Not sure I will be there yet but next week I will do better.

 

What does the 100 days project XX{20} at 100daysvi.blogspot.com mean.  When it was started the founder thought it was an original idea and anticipated followers and more.  Achievement, accomplishment, creativity and support.  A circle of friends and family, encouraging each other to meet their goals within the 100 days deadline.  It did not catch on and maybe that made the founder a little depressed.  She too became unable to reach the various goals she places on herself short term and long term went to the toilet.  She regretted it and refused to give up so now we are at #20, strange enough it could be actually the 21^st  or 30^th.  Four years ago stuff got shaky.  Twenty is a nice round number that the founder believes it is best. Of course the next project will be 21 and this may be mentioned again.  The writer plans to prepare better post so that will not be the case. 

In conclusion this entry is all about what I didn’t do and I didn’t go into detail.  The plan is to not give up and make sure that this week is not repeated.  Moving forward is the short term goal.  Observe experts and steal what you can without being sued.  Or revamp it and make it your own.  Be funny, be happy, be content, be well and ……

Please leave a comment. Really. 

Oatmeal, it's what's for breakfast

A Year from Now, you may wish

 You had started Today

-Karen Lamb

One of my worst habits is skipping breakfast.  I don’t know when that particular habit started. I can place several of my missteps in the path of a healthy life.  For example coffee, my obsession with coffee didn’t start until I was in my twenties.  My guess is breakfast became a problem for me in High School.  I could always sleep 30 minutes later if I didn’t have to think about breakfast.  Some of you are like what about your parents.  My mother worked at night.  My father was my dad.  I think he figured I was old enough.  I was a teenager after all, how hard is it to fill a bowl of cereal with milk and eat.  So even though breakfast food was available I didn’t partake of it.  I don’t recall if free breakfast was part of NYC school system for High School students in the 1990’s.  I know it was there for middle and elementary kids.  I know I was already living with the misconception that I was a fat girl barely looking like a human.  The passions of youth can sometimes be an awful thing. It didn’t matter if my parents or someone else told me anything different than what I perceived.  My first meal of the day for to many days in high school was a half pint white milk.  I imposed that crap on myself.  I didn’t have to prove myself to anyone. I was a nerd already interested in writing and humanities. 

In the previous posts, I have mentioned oatmeal.  I don’t the tone I used could be viewed as

positive.  I think it had a resigned feel to it.  I wondered about that.  I don’t have a good or bad feeling about oatmeal.  Breakfast meals in general are meh for me.  In the last 2 weeks I have only eaten eggs once and I have only drunk milk in my coffee. I wince when I think of cold cereal and that is another lost feeling. I used to love cold cereal.  What happened to me?  I guess that is another post to explore relationships with food.  When analyzed I noticed mixed feeling about the whole things.  This will take so much time.  I hope I can do it justice. 

Oatmeal is a great whole grain, there are many health benefits to add it to your diet.  Every time that word is typed I fight the urge to explain further.  If anyone is confused when I use that word.  Leave a comment.  I will explain. Back to oatmeal which is low calorie and low in fat, high in fiber and protein.  It also removes bad cholesterol, stabilizes blood sugar, protects again heart disease, heart failure cancer and reduces risk of diabetes. It enhances immunity and full of antioxidants and of course it is gluten free. 

Thank you care2.com for easy to read facts. 

Some of you may think that oatmeal is the same where ever you go.  Health and well-being nuts and those of us who are new converts to the health and wellness path know that there are two kind of oats used in hot cereal.  I am sure are most likely more kinds of oats but I am only working with the two that have been most popular.  Which is steel cut aka Irish oats and rolled oats, what I used to just call Quakers. There might be a little competition on which is better.  According to Prevention.com, the differences are negligible.  ¼ cup of dry Steel cut oats is 20 calories less than ¼ cup of rolled oats.  Steel cut has no sugar and rolled has only 1g. Both are of course gluten free.  The difference is the processing rolled oat has a longer method than steel cut.  I do know that steel cut takes a little longer to cook.  So weigh that against the choice you to make. 

In the meantime here are two odd and two even oatmeal suggestions made by Real simple magazine, pictures were elegantly taken by Danny Kim.  I will be trying each  one I featured here and give the results over the next couple of weeks.  I will try to also ascertain if the health bennies are enhanced or diminished.  

Odd

Oatmeal cheddar cheese and scallions 

Oatmeal bacon and maple syrup 

in my case it will be 2 strip of turkey bacon 

  

Even

Oatmeal with banana and molasses

Oatmeal with dried fruit and pistachios

This one is a little more traditional

Day 3

A Year from Now, you may wish

 You had started Today

-Karen Lamb

It is difficult to keep to your word when you know you suck at it.  I know the problems are disorganization and motivation. Working on them is big challenge. 

Honestly I didn't prepare well for the beginning of the first week of the project.  I let some things slide pass unchecked and I didn't place enough importance on sleep schedules.  I focused on what I needed to do while I was awake. And yes I protested too damn much.  In my defense I was following the saying fake it ‘til you make it.  Although it is ironic to delve into pretense to bring about action and permanent positive change.

Here are my misdeeds; I didn't meet my daily post deadline.  I didn't record any calories; I didn't wake up early enough.  As a result I haven’t started the exercise routine.   My good deeds were that I started the 100 days on schedule.  I did eat oatmeal with fruit for breakfast.  I did drink more water and eat more fiber in the form of nut and berries. 

Every new day is a beginning.  I love mucky junk like that.  I could be Mary Jane Paul of Being Mary Jane except I think I am shorter than Gabrielle Union and I use my post-its for story notes.  I tried putting one or two up and ignored them completely.  Enough digression, what I will be doing to rectify my small lapses is work at doing a better job, starting today.  I now that posting every day is difficult especially if nothing particularly interesting is going on.  Trying to hammer out 300+ words without mentioning the 300+word challenge has become more problematic since it has now become a daily write.   I look up to the quote on the corner of this post.  Because that feeling of “I should have” has been hampering my well-being for longer than I would like.

In conclusion, I will go to bed at a reasonable hour with the intention of sleeping.  I will listen to my alarm clock.  I will wake up, cringe and do an exercise routine, write the morning pages, tweak the post for tomorrow, eat a healthy breakfast. I will make up for day two by having a healthy and full day four. 

100 minus 100

A Year From Now,  you may wish

 You had started Today

Karen Lamb

I know the title and the goal is ambitions.  I am a serial quitter.  I don’t know what I have typed in the past about making lifestyle changes.  I do know that when I was attempting it in the fall of last year.  I had to make conscious efforts to change.  Conscious painful effort to wake up at 5am, conscious effort to walk seventeen blocks 5 days a week.  I didn't make conscious food choices.  I counted calories and I kept a step app on me. I ate more than I burned that was not helpful to the cause but I learned my eating pattern.  For example when outside I eat responsibly, at home, I veg out and eat 3oz of cheese with a box of crackers.  That would be my first meal at 3pm in the afternoon.  Breakfast would be coffee, with a 2 teaspoons of brown sugar and evaporated milk.  I haven’t measure how much milk I put in my coffee.  It is something to research at a later date.  I will also have to work out the pros and cons of coffee.  It is after all a stimulant and diuretic; the debate will continue on another post.

This week is the beginning of the 100lbs gone in 100 days project XX (20).  I like roman numerals for things.  This starts January 11, 2015 to April 20, 2015. Cue for auspicious upbeat music. Every time, only twice, I have gone to a specialist to help me lose weight, they have recorded my measurements and weight.   I thought I would avoid that displeasure then I realized that it was a coward move.  Other people on the lifestyle change weight loss journey have been bravely honest.  Well actually I have only seen the bad a year after the good and new body.  But in my research to make this blog better, I reviewed many blogs or websites.  The top ten according to a magazine actually.  They have been going on for years before they were rated so at some point in their lives the bad was a reality.   

So this is a hard truth moment.  The picture above was taken about 3 years ago, I was about 210lbs.  I have gained 10-15lbs since then.  I fluctuate between 225lbs and 230lbs.  A Jenny Craig counselor told me that at my weight back then by this time I would be 250 or more. Suck it JCrg lady.  I don’t

love or hate Jenny Craig their programs have worked for many people just not me at the time or with my mind set. Not only do I serially quite I also self-sabotage.  But that is a post for another time.   I am talking about measurements.  I am comfortable in 2x shirts and size 20w jeans.  I also have three other sizes 18, 16, 14, I got rid of all my size 12 jeans they were depressing me.  I have clothes issues, this may lead to a blog post and it might not.  What is important is that no matter what I wear I feel like this on too many occasions.  Lumpy Space Princess from Adventure time.  Cartoon Network do not sue me, I have no cash.  I even sing ‘Whatever’ in my head. 

One of the goals of the life style change and this project is to improve on my confidence.  I have so many needs that go hand in hand with my wants that it can be frustrating when they are not met or half-assed.  I think it is worse when half-assed.  Since I am an adult.  I am facing the problems head on, me being the biggest obstacle.  I don’t think I will be able to do a 7day daily write.  Everyone needs a day and I think mine is the weekend.  I will do my best to keep all who are interested updated.  

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Routine

First Forget inspiration, Habit is more dependable.

Habit will Sustain you whether you’re inspired or not.

-Octavia E. Butler

That quote is from one of my favorite authors.  It had to do with writing but I think it can be applied to lifestyle change.   Especially now, at the beginning of the year many feel the need to make grand changed in our lives.  We make the cliché New Year’s resolutions, the promise that we will change starting with the first day of the New Year.  For some of us it is good, we are a determined and we reach the goal we wish to attain.  For others and I am a part of this group, we are good for a time, but we lose focus, lose track, we burn out.  Then we complain about not being able to accomplish anything.  Forming habits takes time, we don’t see when they happen, changing habit is harder and takes time because we are breaking from what we normally do.  

Today I don’t feel like typing.  Today I doubt the title has anything to do with the words I am going to post up here.  But I am doing it to change myself to making a daily write and posting it up on my health blog.  I should be this good to all my blogs.  The 100 days is lucky enough to be the first getting this treatment.  I wish I could say that I am different, that I am not waiting for an auspicious time. But I am waiting for Sunday, January 11, 2015.  I needed a sustainable, attainable plan.  I couldn’t just wake up at 5:00 am in the morning and decided to exercise and eat differently.  I could but eventually I would stop. I would go back to habits and be happy I was there.   This may have been written before but this week is a prep week.  I look over the meal plans, exercise routines and other healthy advice and figure out where they will fit into my life.  Some small changes are great but it will take time before they can be applied to my real life.  Some changes will seem odd but fit with my modified lifestyle.  For example, I would rather drink oatmeal than eat it.  In this day and age that may not seem as strange as it once did to me six years ago.  Before the smoothie became such a thing and health alternative.

I think for this blog I will add a temporary deadline.  From now on and next week I will attempt to have a post in by 10:00am, Eastern Standard Time.  I think this will help me with writing and help me form a working habit.  I will also be looking at subjects to write about. So each post won’t be about intangible things hopes, dreams and plans. 

Motivation

The online services and apps I mention are not endorsements.

I am only talking about them as they affect me.

Despite my grand declarations I still haven’t gotten the kinks out of the plan yet. So we are still on blocks.  This is one of the many problems of lifestyle change.   One problem is the scheduling.  When to do what and how? Another problem for me is the chronicling here on this blog.  I am attempting to write and post daily so when project 20 starts officially I will be in the habit. This is process is frustrating because I am also attempting to keep to a word count challenge.  I have been able to successfully post two entries, one that was timed.  I am especially happy about that one, because it give me time to work.  I always knew that a post could be scheduled but I just didn’t us the app.  I don’t have any excuse except I didn’t think I would ever need it.   There is a lesson in that, I haven’t found it yet but maybe I will later, stay tuned for that post.

I typed that I will be joining the daily challenge (DC) by MeYou health and the Gym Box.   In the daily challenge I am part of the balanced diet track; for the next month or 28 challenges will be about healthy food choices.   I just realized I typed the hated d-word. I don’t know any other word to explain what I will be doing with my food.  I not planning on only losing weight although that is a part of the lifestyle change.  I am thinking about my overall well-being.  That means my body, my mind, my spirit, my family, my environment; all these aspects that makes up my life.  All these aspects affect me for good and bad. I make decision good and bad because of these aspects.  So I need to approach each one at a given time. DC gives me fun, simple challenges and the sense of accomplishment once achieved.  A positive action to bolster the day.

I joined the Gym Box for convenience. I don’t have time or money for a gym and I know that I need to add exercise into my lifestyle change.  The Gym Box offers the exercise classes along with an exercise routine plan that is easy to follow.  All these actions are getting four week-trial.  I don’t know what will work and what won’t; putting out the effort is important.  I know I have the bad habit of being a quitter.  I am attempting to curb that.  I know it won’t be easy.   That leads up to my title, Motivation. 

The Bing dictionary defines motivation in these terms: 

•  The  act of giving somebody a reason or incentive to do something
•  ·         A feeling of enthusiasm, interest, or commitment that makes somebody want to do something, or something that causes such a feeling

I agree with both of them.  I struggle with motivation all the time and will be looking for ways to keep it up.  Anything to keep me from copying that top picture.  One of my favorites because it clearly describes me.  It is one of the many factors that has my life in the downward spiral.  Now  I think I am in what some people may call a holding pattern.  I believe that if I keep  talking and typing about these changes and mini epiphanies I will be able to achieve a positive lifestyle change.  

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Daily Dose

This is the best head shot I have ever taken.  It was done with one of my cheapest phones.  I have been happy with it like forever.  The point of this post is to successfully type 300+ words every day for the next 100 days.  It has become a part of the yearly personal challenge started in November 2014 and the launch of the 100 days project XX(20);  Part of the plan is to chronicle the changes.  Not quite sure if this the correct number, but I like it.  It is even and pretty close since I came up with the idea of using the 100 days.  Everything takes a plan, so I will type what I will be doing.  I have mentioned them before, the daily challenge service by Me You Health.   The company is established in Boston MA.  They have been encouraging people to live, achieve and maintain heathier more fulfilled lives since 2009.  A relative got me hooked through Facebook and for about six months, I was really good at keeping up with the various healthy challenges.  But somewhere I fell off the bandwagon. 

I decided to get back on the wagon with Daily Challenge and Me You Health without Facebook.  I have three reasons, first the challenges are simple; second they have good information; third it is generally fun.  I will also be adding an exercise routine from The Gym Box with Roku.  I have super big TV; I use it mercilessly to watch a whole season of television via Netflix, Hulu and Crackle.   I have been threatening myself for months now about joining the Gym Box.  Instead of just doing the short half routines they have up to entice people into becoming a paying member.    It is ten dollars a month.  I could do worse.  I had an actual gym membership for 8 months and I paid every month and never attended the gym ever.  That was very stupid of me and a colossal waste of money.  With Gym Box I can practice an exercise routine from the convenience of my own home.  Tomorrow I will be typing about motivation.  I am sensing that motivation will be an issue for me.  So I need to face it head on. I know I have other issues I will have to confront.  I will type more about this later. 

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