Monthly Archives: February 2012

“Quote of the Day” board:

This definitely got me thinking, especially since I’ve been accused me of being on a health “kick” lately instead of on a dedicated unending journey of knowledge to a happy more healthy lifestyle.

Let’s see what Dictionary.com says about these words:

Obsession: the domination of one’s thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc.

Dedicated: to devote wholly and earnestly, as to some person or purpose.

I definitely think there’s a difference between being dedicated to something you’re doing and being obsessed with it. I think the key difference is dedicated means you can choose to invest yourself in whatever you are doing. Obsession is when that thing dominates your life in a negative way.

One comparasion between exercise as a hobby/pastime and other hobbies, like scrapbooking and photography is that while both types are fun and enjoyable,  most people don’t wake up at the crack of dawn or rearrange their schedule to scrapbook. True, with most hobbies, you find time to do them and you don’t plan your life around them, which sometimes happens with exercise. The difference is that exercise is often a lifestyle choice.

Exercise affects your whole body. It’s necessary for your health, and there are tons of physical and emotional benefits to it, which is why I’ve learned (and am still learning to) enjoy it so much. When I’m running, I almost always enjoy myself, and when I finish a run or a workout, I  feel happy (yay, endorphins!) and proud of myself. Exercise is fun for me-playtime. You can also do it with friends, so there’s the social aspect as well. I’d exercise everyday if my body didn’t need recovery days.

With that said, exercise can obviously cause harm to your body if you do too much of it. Just like with other hobbies, it canturn into an unhealthy obsession if it gets in the way of other aspects of your life. For me, it’s about changing and maintaining a new lifestyle. You’ve got to make it seem like a second job and make it high on your priority list. Getting my body moving in some way is what I look forward to each day. It’s not about being obsessed. It’s not a once in a lifetime fling. It’s about dedication.

Have you left your Operation Beautiful note today?

Cravings—we all get them. If you asked me what foods I typically crave, I can always reel off a number of items without hesitation: chewy oatmeal raisin cookies, cheesy loaded nachos, dark chocolate with sea salt, a malty ale… just to name a few. While trying to eat better and lose weight, these cravings often became my downfall until I discovered where they came from and how to control them by simply cleaning up my diet.

There was a time in my life when I ate way too much sugar. In fact, some days I’d “save” my calories just so I could binge on sweets later. So much, in fact, that I experienced crazy mood swings and terrible breakouts because of all of the sugar I was consuming. Clearly this wasn’t the best way to shed pounds. I knew something needed to change, so I decided to take control of my cravings once and for all.

My cravings were typically the strongest after eating a meal (for something sweet) or in the late afternoon before dinner (for something savory), so I tried to think back to times in my life when I didn’t have these urges and suddenly things clicked! I didn’t experience them when I ate a well-rounded and satisfying meal. You’re probably thinking: “Well, duh,” but hear me out.

I realized I was actually craving calories—quality, nutritious, “real” calories that provided plenty of satisfaction. Consuming more calories might sound counter-intuitive since I was trying to lose weight, but I found that if I filled up on nutritious foods such as whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein, and healthy fats, I didn’t get cravings later on. Also, if I got too hungry between meals and my blood sugar dropped too low, I usually craved something carb-y and sweet like a bagel or muffin. I learned if I kept my blood sugar steady by eating regular meals (and snacks) that included protein and good fats, I was able to ward off cravings.

In the weeks and months that I followed, I continued to experiment with my meals. It wasn’t the easiest journey—there were plenty of times that I gave into my cravings—but eventually I got the hang of it. Now, one of my favorite meals for lunch or dinner is a big salad with all kinds of fiber-rich raw and roasted veggies, two hard boiled eggs, avocado, and a drizzle of truffle oil. The combination of ingredients is equally delicious as it is nutritious and satisfying. I almost never crave something sweet after this meal.

I still experience cravings, but when a craving for something sweet strikes, I don’t immediately run to the nearest cookie or brownie. I’ve found healthy alternatives for my cravings, including fruit smoothies, flavored Greek yogurt with granola, and sweet potato wedges (which I cook ahead of time and keep in my refrigerator for when cravings strike). Sometimes, even just eating a second serving of veggies or salad from lunch or dinner prevents me from reaching for dessert. Each day gets a little easier, and my progress has come a long way. Remaining control of my cravings (and giving in to them in moderation) is what keeps me on the path to a healthier lifestyle!

(Source)

I’ve ran across a few bloggers who strongly believe in the power of intentioning. When you intention something, you mentally focus on your dream and imagine it happening. By intentioning your goal, and putting it out there to the universe, you will make it so.

Now, some parts of intentioning sound dubious to me. Goals, of course, require action. I can’t simply intention that I’m going to run a 5k; I have to actually train. But I think the real point of intention is that the act motivates you to take the necessary steps, and it also gives you the opportunity to succeed. It should be said that I know these bloggers have intentioned that their small business would be wildly success, and it has been!

So- after I get over this nasty bug(which I feel the worst today) , I’m going to intention a week’s worth of kick-butt bugging runs and add in extra distances when time allows.

I’m intentioning hard right now! So maybe my life will make room for my runs now.

I also intended to make this awesome “simple” single serving peanut butter cookie recipe:

 Peanut Butter Cookie For One

Makes 1 cookie

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp liquid egg whites

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and mix well.
2. Scrape batter off the sides of the bowl and flatten into a cookie shape.
3. Cook in microwave for 90 seconds.
4. Allow to cool and enjoy!

*If you think you’re awesome, and don’t need to follow directions carefully, do what I did and make Peanut Butter Egg Fluff Soup!:

 heh.

Good Morning!

Last night we were blessed with 4 inches of big pretty snowflakes.

For those of you that waited it out watching HGTV while being sick:Let me get you in on a disappointing House Hunters spoiler.

SPOILER ALERT:  If you want to maintain the House Hunters illusion, stop reading right now.

(Source)

If you watch the show carefully, you may wonder how people always get the house they ‘pick’ – thatmy friends, apparently doesn’t happen in real life!  Well, the hunters are already under contract on one of the three houses.  The film crew follows them around as they pretend to ‘see’ the house for the first time, and then they enter two more houses.  This isn’t exactly a secret – it’s explained in this Yahoo! article.   Illusion, destroyed.  Personally, that’s why I like shows like Property Virgins more; occasionally, the virgins don’t even get a home at all – it’s more realistic. -especially in today’s economically challenged world.

 *sigh*

until next time…

Every morning when I awake, I always make the emergency trip to the bathroom. This morning, I woke up and made that same trip and thought, “I wonder how many mornings I’ve spent making the same trip to the bathroom?”

I have this weird fantasy that when I die, I’ll go to heaven and God will be waiting with a giant book filled with ALL my totals. You know-how many times I went to the bathroom, how many sunrises I watched, how many miles I’ve ran, how many cups of coffee I drank. How many times I said “thank you” and “you’re welcome” (I hope they are roughly equal!); how many times I cried and laughed (I hope they are not equal). How many times I’ve done the awesome dance! I’d love to know the mundane totals, the serious totals. I realize that God totally doesn’t give a crap, but it’s God, and God is all-knowing, so I’m sure this information can just be summoned at the snap of a finger. Wouldn’t that be fun?

Did you know…

• The average person blinks 16,000 times a day (source).
• The average woman has 460 periods in her lifetime (source).
• The average woman in the United States will experience about 29,492 days.  If you were born in Mozambique, you’d only get 14,235 days (source).
• The average person will fall in love six times during their lifetime!  And one in four reports falling in love more than ten times.  Interestingly enough, three out of four of us believe in the concept of “one true love” (source).
• The average woman in America experiences 81 Christmases and 81 Thanksgivings (source).

 So-Just for fun, here’s my totals for the day thus far.

Times I hit snooze: 0. Showers: 1. Songs listened to: 6.

Times my debit card was swiped: 0. Facebook updates: 0. Emails read: 4. Emails responded to: 0. Texts sent as of 12:38pm: 9. Trips to the potty: 1. Pictures taken: 3. Spaghetti Squash consumed: 1 serving. Cups of milk: 1.  Twitter checks: 1.

 Cookies: 1. Number of fish fed: 23 Musical instruments played: 1. Cups of Coffee consumed: 0. Tea: 2.

Share one of your fun totals-from today or from your life. Fun Fact: I have moved six times (going on seven this July), involving 4 states in the last 4 years.

Hello!  Three cheers for New Best Products i’ve come by! When I say ‘best’ of products, I really mean, ‘best to giggle about.’

Now, if you recall the guidelines, items are selected based on three factors:

• General uselessness
• General ridiculousness
• Price point

 Up first, we have this beautiful beard cap.  It can be yours for $19.95.  If I saw someone wearing one of these things in real life, I would die. (…then again, you know I’d wear one!)

If beard caps aren’t your thing, why don’t you try the Fleece Poncho with a Pillow?  I chose this one because 1) the name is ridiculous – what about Pilanket (pillow/blanket)? and 2) how many variations of the snuggie or snoogle or slanket can they possible create?

Speaking of pillows, haven’t you always wanted a Food Pillow – you know, a throw pillow that looks like a giant pizza pie?  Or ice cream sandwich?

Can we talk about doggie stairs? Nate says the dog won’t be getting any stairs up into bed-when we do get one. ..or two…or three

And last – but not least – for the lazy man in your life, a Touchless Sensor Seat.  You know, so he doesn’t have to manually raise the toilet lid or spend 2 seconds putting it back down.  Although I think this would be cool and useful, it’s $159!

 Ever bought anything silly? Would your dog even be smart enough to use doggie stairs?

How’s your Thursday? Mine is quite dreary. I’ve caught a nasty bug going around. In fact, I think I already had this one last month. It literally knocks me off my feet. So instead of cleaning, getting a run in and preparing for work, I’m laying around taking a rest day-coughing my lungs out.

I’m debating whether or not to just take a long walk, but I’m quite winded doing anything at the moment. Am I too sick to exercise?

I would love to continue the c25k challenge. This week has been pretty monotonous in terms of workouts-I think I felt the sickness coming on. So blogging has to suffice as my cardio of the day-ha.

I was so tired after work last night, I collapsed in bed and slept for nine and a half hours straight.

Maybe it’s my unending lesson of eating-lots-of-junky-food-makes-me-feel-like-junk lesson. Tasty? Absolutely! Healthy? Um, not something I should do every day.

It’s better to operate on a 80/20 split of healthy eating vs. no-so-healthy eating. I find I’m much more likely to stick to general healthy habits if I build flexibility into my life (plus, dessert rules-duh!). But this week was a bit much like 50/50-and I believe I’m paying for it right now.

80/20 is actually quite a magic split. Therapists say you should love 80% of your partner’s characteristics; if you can live with the other 20%, that’s great. Realtors say if a house or apartment meets 80% of your wish list, you should make an offer.

So, here’s to the 80% in life-the healthy foods that make you feel good, the partners who make you laugh, the apartments and homes with walk-in closets. The rest can be tasty or quirky, but it’s really the 80% that makes for a balanced life.

I heart sweating.

Do you love to sweat? I never used to like it at all. But now the feeling of sweat and stronger muscles feels awesome. I plan to take up swimming as soon as I’m near that college gym this upcoming fall. Which got me thinking…do you sweat while swimming? Thank you Google for supplying me with the answer discovered in this awesome article, which confirmed that, yes, you sweat while swimming, you’re just not aware of it. Your sweat rate is lower than it would be land-based exercises, though. Good to know-I should start drinking more water!

A few months ago I went through a Panda Puff cereal phase. I tore through a box a week! I ate it with milk, I ate it with yogurt, I ate it plain, I ate it as part of homemade trail mixes. Then, I proceeded to turn into a giant Panda Puff.…almost.

And then…one day…the thought of eating one more peanut butter flavored puff made me want to hurl. I went off them cold turkey. Until I passed them in the store the other day.

Hello Puffies. I’ve missed you oh so dearly. Kid at heart-winning!

Do they have the same appeal? Honestly, no. I’m still not over my self-induced puff aversion. I feel this way about Rum and Coke. I got sick off of the combination once and have Never Ever let a drop pass my lips again. I shudder just thinking of it! (..maybe my realization of GERD was a blessing in disguise?)

I also do this with music-I can listen to the same song over and over again until someone begs me to put something else-anything else!-on. Lately, I’m replaying the current -Somebody That I Used To Know-Gotye song over and over.

Hey-at least I know what I like. Until I don’t like it anymore, of course.

And one last random life question:

Why do crumbs always collect in silverware drawers? This has begun to confound me. The only forks, knives, and spoons that go in to the drawer are clean and crumb-free, and it’s not like I’m slicing my bread over an open drawer or anything. My silverware can’t be that dirty when I finish cleaning them (can they?). Discuss.

Three random questions.

What are you wearing?

What are you doing today?

What did you dream about last night?

My answers: I’m wearing jeans and a blue sweatshirt-probably the #1 outfit you’ll always find me in, in the winter. I’m getting some blogging done, hopefully heading out for a run, finishing my project mess maker in the kitchen, and getting ready for work until 11pm. Dreams? …dreams scare me! I kid you not, I would only ever dream 1-2 times a year before the end of last year. Since then, I have dreamt (or maybe just remembered my dreams) almost every other day. It’s still this bizarre mindscape I’m trying to get used to. I have no idea why they’re so much more often now. Nate says he loves to dream. I for one HATE it. They’re almost all epic nightmares for me. Example: The night before last, I dreamt I had a baby girl and was struggling to take care of her. The other night, half my face was ripped off and hanging outside of my head *sigh*…epic I tell ya.

How often do you dream? Are they nightmares or do you dream of riding rainbow ponies, or do you even dream at all?

I’m sure Valentine’s Day flew by for most of you. In fact, I’ve even already beaded up for Mardi Gras at work.

Love Shouldn’t Hurt

You can easily get swept up in the ‘romantic love’ part of Valentine’s Day. But to me, the holiday has always been about more – love for my family, love for my pets, love for my friends, and –most importantly – love for myself. I wanted to take an opportunity to remind everyone reading this that they deserve to be respected and loved by everyone in their lives-especially romantic partners. Being a victim of stalking, rape, abuse and other criminal related offenses, I can clearly relate to how dangerous this type of behavior is for the innocent. It’s NEVER too late to discuss.

Here’s a guest post from, Angela, about some very serious issues for women (and men, too)-domestic violence, abuse, and stalking.

Angela says:

 Today is Valentine’s Day—a day to celebrate love and relationships. Yet, on this day, I find myself disturbed by messages that equate romance with stalking—a pattern of behavior that is serious, dangerous, and a crime everywhere in the United States.

Recently, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that 6.6 million people are stalked in a 12-month period and that 1 in 6 women and 1 in 19 men are stalked at some point in their lifetime. For both female and male stalking victims, the stalker was most often someone they knew or with whom they had a relationship. Stalking can be dangerous and even lethal. In one key study, 76 percent of female victims of intimate partner homicide had been stalked before they were killed. The connections between stalking and violence are clear when looking at these statistics.

 The connection became clear to me in January 2007 when my lifelong friend was murdered by her stalker. Jodi Sanderholm was valedictorian of her high school class, a member of the National Honor Society, member of her dance team and apparently a stalking victim. She never dated her stalker yet court records indicate that his obsession with her reached back a decade.

Many people fail to see the seriousness of the crime of stalking. Although jokes about murder or robbery are rare in our society, jokes about stalking are common. People joke about stalking celebrities they like or friends whom they often see or follow on Facebook. And films, advertising, and popular culture often trivialize the crime. Recently, Papyrus Recycled Paper Greetings produced a Valentine’s Day card that was sold in stores including Target and Wegmans. The card’s message— “Stalker is a harsh word. I prefer Valentine” — conflates stalking with love and minimizes the severe impact of the crime. And the sale of this type of product is not an isolated incident. One merely needs to conduct an online search for “stalking T-shirts” or “stalking cards” to find countless examples of such messages.

 The minimization of stalking poses one the greatest challenges to effective community responses to this crime. Those charged with responding to victims and holding offenders accountable often minimize the seriousness of stalkers’ behavior and the risk posed by stalking, particularly when stalkers pursue their victims through technology. And victims often tell themselves they are overreacting, which then prevents them from reporting the crime. Being surrounded by cues that minimize stalking may keep victims from seeking help.

 Valentine’s Day takes place during National Teen Dating Violence and Awareness Prevention Month and just two weeks after the end of National Stalking Awareness Month. Each of these months provides a prime opportunity to learn more about the realities of abusive and stalking behaviors, to deconstruct social messages about romance and love, and to promote appropriate and healthy relationships.  Jodi’s Voice is dedicated to increasing awareness surrounding the crime of stalking and assisting stalking victims. Currently, we are working to secure funding for a documentary highlighting Jodi’s story. You can read more about personal experiences with stalking at www.jodisvoice.org.   For more information on stalking visit the Stalking Resource Center at www.ncvc.org/src. For more information on National Teen Dating Violence and Awareness Prevention Month visit www.teendvmonth.org.