29January2010
Posted by littleliz
under: Life in Action; Nutrition.
I’m on Day 12. WOW! It’s becoming a breeze now. I am visiting family in Florida and it’s been easy enough to simply say “no” to food… but I will say I am DEFINITELY feeling the effect of drinking crap.
Since I am here I don’t have access to a juicer or all natural / organic foods. I used cow’s milk and white sugar for my chai tea this morning and I feel a headache coming on. I haven’t had a headache since day two and I think that was from the detoxing part. I think I’m going to whip up a fruit smoothie just to hold myself over - but my cousins are taking me by the grocery store today so I am looking forward to having access to my regular drinks/ingredients.
It has kind of been a relief to not have an option. Like, straight up “no. you cannot eat that food… I don’t care how good it smells.” It makes me stop dwelling, stop considering, and move ON. I love it! I know that sounds so… basic… but it’s really a revelation for me. I am excited for after the fast when I can set limits for myself and know that if I stick to them - I will be rewarded. (Another duh fact… I know.) But, like, ONE treat a week. That’s it. And if I want another one - guess what? It’ll be there the next week.
And THAT is such a revelation for me.
This is good. It has been so great… I am so excited to finish - I’m more than 1/4 of the way through - I know I am going to feel so, so great when I finish it. Not to mention i will be able to eat good foods again - WITH control.
It is wonderful.
I’ll come back and post some of my favorite recipes in a few days.
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20January2010
Posted by littleliz
under: Life in Action; Nutrition.
It’s getting easier!
Especially after leaving my sister’s house. It was definitely helpful to be there for the first few days… we did it together and I learned a lot of fun juicing recipes (due to my sister’s enjoyment of juicing all sorts of combos). But, I will tell you it was not easy when she cooked dinner for her husband and kids (I honestly don’t know how she did it). I mean, it wasn’t too difficult… but it wasn’t enjoyable, either. And it’s nice to return to my home where no one will be making meals on a regular basis except me. 
I left my sister’s this afternoon and went by Whole Foods on my way home. I loaded up on lots of fresh produce… and… I feel like I cheated a little. I bought three different soups in boxes… the organic kind. Sweat Pea, Carrot Ginger, and I don’t even remember the other one. But… I just made the sweet pea… and I totally feel like I’m cheating! It is SO GOOD… so good. And thick! I even watered it down a bit. But… maybe it’s not juice. I don’t know.
Anyway… it’s okay to feel hungry when there is no food in the house… when my sister isn’t also talking about how hungry she is… and when there is no headache to be had. I feel okay… it’s easier today. For sure.
It almost sort of feels good.
So… just… thoughts.
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19January2010
Posted by littleliz
under: Life in Action; Nutrition.
So like I said, I am at my sister’s house. Turns out that may have been the best decision of my fast so far. I woke up to my sister bringing me hot herbal tea into my room and announcing that she is going to join me for the first 3 days. Woohoo! What an encouragement! Between the accountability and the excitement of juice recipe research, day one was a BREEZE. No headache… we played with some natural goodies and came up with some very well balanced juices. (Although I need to find some variety or I am going to turn orange b/c of all the carrot juice I’ll be drinking!) We even took a grocery trip to Wegman’s where I learned to tell myself “You can eat when you get HOME.” (You know, instead of buying whatever I wanted just because I could.)
I am excited. I am changing my mindset… and I am happy about it.
This morning, my sister made breakfast for her kiddos… and it smelled delicious. And it was wonderful. Instead of thinking “that’s painful. I want that SO BAD.” I thought “Wow, what a wonderful smell.” And I soaked it up - without eating it. And that was okay. In fact, it was wonderful.
So… those are some thoughts…
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18January2010
Posted by littleliz
under: Chatter; Life in Action; Nutrition.
You probably thought I wasn’t coming back. But I’m here… and today is Day 1. I just woke up, really… I’m sitting in my bed with three squirmy girls who are “trying” to keep their heads on the pillow. That’s proving to be quite the challenge as they see the glowing light of my computer screen. Good thing they can’t read!
So… I took some photos of my refrigerator and pantry… though I should have taken a before and after photo because THAT would have been impressive. I got rid of a ton of crap… which is good because after the fast I plan on following Natalia Rose’s Raw Detox Diet… so I had to toss a bunch of stuff anyway.
So in the pantry I’ve got a shelf with about five things on it… chicken/veggie broth (organic), natural peanut butter, agave sweetener, organic honey, and I think that’s about it. My fridge will soon be packed with produce and I’ll be on my way!
Except that I am at my sister’s house today. My plan was to come here for a birthday celebration last night and leave early this morning… but my sister really wants me to stay… so much so that she’s willing to let me juice all of her produce to make it through the day.
So I just wanted to drop in and say that I am kicking off the fast today… and I’ll be back plenty to journal for my sanity during the next 6 or so weeks. I’ll have photos to share as well. (And plenty of Bible verses and book reccomendations!)
Speaking of book recommendations - I really want to read some books on nutrition while I am fasting… but more specifically I want to learn more about what the movie Food, Inc. is teaching. Does anyone know of a book or website that I can read/research to learn more about the preservatives and chemicals I have been putting into my body by way of FDA approved foods?
I am so excited about kicking this off… I know it is going to change my life!
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16December2009
Posted by littleliz
under: Chatter; Goals; Nutrition.
This week, Tommy and I are in a secluded (sort of )little cabin overlooking the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. Okay, we’re in Gatlinburg. And we are LOVING it. Mostly loving the cabin part. Neither of us had ever been to Gatlinburg before so we weren’t exactly sure what to expect. So far, our favorite part has been the cabin. Tommy loves building a real fire in the fireplace, and I love that it is so tiny (and open) but big enough to give us space. We had another couple visiting the first two days we were here - but now it’s just us. And we like that.
I feel like it’s just this little, simple life. Movies, games, coffee, cuddling, with a little bit of work tossed in. So nice. I wish we could always live like this.
So I have been reflecting a lot about the juice fast I am going to start after Tommy leaves. I believe my official start date is January 16th. Tommy leaves on the 8th, but I will be back here in TN (Nashville) from the 10th-13th for a photography expo (soo excited!). I am going to wait until I am back in the safety net of my home before starting the fast. I don’t have anything on the calendar for that forty days - with the exception of one wedding and a lot of office work. I wanted to do it during a time that I would not have a lot of excuses to quit.
I am looking forward to the spiritual aspect of my fast. During times of struggle and temptation, and other general "eating" times of the day, I plan to meditate and study the Bible. I have a lot to pray about (husband’s safe return, marital issues, direction for business, personal issues, etc.) and I am really excited about how much I am going to learn.
Another intriguing thing about the fast is how I hope the fast will change me as a person of routine eating. In Nepal, they eat a big lunch and then they don’t eat again until late evening - and it is a much smaller meal. Why do we as Americans eat 3-5 times a day? Why do we eat SO MUCH? I am really looking forward to learning about my body and learning how to listen to its messages. I will drink when I am hungry. I will try to give myself what I am craving when I am craving it (salt/sweet/sour).
I realized yesterday that my husband has a 45 day training stint from Jan 8th through whenever (like you can really count on the military to stay on schedule). At the end of that stint, he gets a 4-day pass to visit before leaving the country. I didn’t actually just realize all of that yesterday. I knew that was coming. What I DID realize is that I will be seeing him right at the end of my fast! I am excited for that… I am excited that he can see a healthier me before he leaves instead of having to wait a year to come home to me.
So that’s a bit of encouragement as well!
Alright… I’ve rambled enough. I plan on using this journal as my fast journal… I didn’t want something that all my friends would find and read, but I also didn’t want something completely private. I am going to have to get my thoughts out and feedback can be very encouraging. I am excited to be blogging here again!
Okay… over and out.
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1December2009
Posted by littleliz
under: Life in Action.
Since my last post.
Whew! Almost a year!
Last Tuesday I left my full time job to pursue photography full time. I am now officially a small business owner. And a wife. I like the wife part, too. I finally have time for things like:
- mopping floors
- baking homemade bread
- making homemade butter
- grocery shopping
- doing laundry
- and getting to the gym
Today was my first day back “in the office” since the Thanksgiving holiday and I started things off right with a trip to the local YMCA. And tomorrow I will be back there again. I plan to go every M, W, F mornings and occasionally on a Tue/Thu evening for a fun Zumba class.
In the meantime, I have been exploring raw food diets, juice fasts, and eating whole foods. I’m learning more about healthy eating and am having a blast doing it. I bought a juicer two weeks ago and have made a drink of freshly juice fruits/veggies (almost) every day since… I love it! I love the burst of energy and the clear mind that follows a large cup of Green Lemonade.
So… I am back here at Sweat365 to blog about my journey this upcoming year. Oh, did I mention my soldier of a husband is deploying in January for twelve months? Oh yes.
So… I have lots of plans… one being a fast… another being a possible triathlon… and another being learning to eat whole foods 100% of the time.
Here we go.
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1December2009
Posted by littleliz
under: Strength Training.
Workout:
- Type: Strength Training
- Date: 12/01/2009
- Time: 09:00:00
- Total Time: 1:25:00.00
- Calories: 528
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2December2008
Posted by littleliz
under: Chatter; Goals.
This is hard.
Okay, I know it’s not really hard. But, two days in a row now I have woken up to an alarm, gotten OUT of the bed, and decided to climb back into the bed.
I have not been to the Y yet. Ugh.
In an effort to not ditch the blog even though I have so far ditched any fitness efforts, I thought I would share my next goal.
Ultimately I want to improve my time from last year’s Smithfield Sprint. My plan to do that is to up my running training and switch to clip pedals on my bike (and soon, so that I can begin to train with them). I think those two things alone should help my time tremendously.
So, to keep my running goal in focus, I am going to register for the Shamrock 8k Run on March 21, 2009. (I heard about it from Sarah.)
My husband, who has become quite the runner this past year, wants to run in his first marathon that weekend. So, I thought it would be fun to be included as well. An 8k is nothing compared to a marathon, I know that. But it is a good goal for me considering my triathlon is 3 weeks after and will only have a 5k run.
I still have not ever run more than a 5k at one time.
Anyway, so that’t that. I hope to be back tomorrow to post a workout.
I won’t be reaching any goals anytime soon if I’m not actually working out. I know that.
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25November2008
Posted by littleliz
under: Down and out; Life in Action; YMCA.
There are so many changes around here!
Well… it’s that time of year again. No, not the holidays. The cold… the dark… the down and out.
My husband went to the Y yesterday and re-activated my membership for… get this… FREE. Yeah, apparently Active duty soldiers and their spouses can use the YMCA for free now. I am not sure if that is nation-wide, state-wide, or just here in my little town. (That’s doubtful since this is NOT a military town.) But isn’t that the coolest thing!?
I haven’t been yet. I was in the office at 6am this morning. Tomorrow is my first day of the holiday season and you better believe I’m going to be resting. Well, I’m not really… but I’m not going to be working out, either. I have 3 photoshoots scheduled during my trip home as well as 3 recipes I am responsible for on Thursday… so it seems like I won’t be resting too much!
But when I get back Monday morning I plan on making the Y a regular morning activity. I have missed activity. I have been down and out lately… glum… blah… bleh.
And… completely stressed. There’s just too much on my plate. Work, photography, marriage adjustment, social life, homesickness, stress, stress, stress!
Plus, I think my heart/lungs are in bad shape. I plan on getting to the Dr. a.s.a.p. (we’re in the middle of an insurance swap due to husband’s job switch). I have had trouble breathing (getting deep breaths) and at times getting slightly dizzy because of it. I will be careful during any exercise routine and listen to my body, but I just know I need some activity.
All that aside, Smithfield is next March and I plan on being there and improving my time from last year (significantly!)….!
I’ll be back next Monday to let you know how it goes! (How’s that accountability for ya… man I love this site!)
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15September2008
Posted by littleliz
under: Just for fun; My Other Blog; Walk.
Hello there internet. I wanted to say that, guess what, I HAVE been exercising! I just haven’t been blogging about it for a few reasons:
1. I’m super swamped these days @ work and haven’t been blogging much in general (even at my regular blog).
2. I haven’t been timing my runs (err, walk/jogs!). So I don’t really have much to submit in the stats department.
3. I actually have no clue how far I have been walk/jogging. I follow the same route in my neighborhood for the run almost three days a week. I think it’s about 2.4 miles, but I really don’t know for sure. What I do know is that it is a completely rolling course and though there are no flat areas, there sure are enough downhills to keep me encouraged.
So my friend Megan and I meet at least twice a week, sometimes three times a week, to exercise. We take a stroll (walk/jog) through one of our neighborhoods follwed by some strength exercises. It’s been really enjoyable and just recently we decided to zip our lips (we were wasting a lot of energy trying to talk!) and plug our ears with music. I ran twice as far (before having to stop & walk) with the music in my ears than I had since we started exercising again!
It’s been nice.
Also, I went to the VA Beach 1/2 Marathon to support my cousin. I didn’t run it… but I think I will next year! A TON of people walk the event, and even more walk/jog it… I know that I could absolutely do it. Question is — do I want to torture myself for 2.5-3 hours?!
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