Tag: meditation

Fitness, diet & optimal health in 2018

I am on my way to a more healthy way of living. My fitness regimen, admittingly, has been a bit lax.  I will make an affirmation: I am kicking my workouts into high gear after these first three weeks of resetting my body’s response to this new diet program.  I am totally  excited!

I have already lost 9.2 pounds in two weeks.  I think the weight loss will start to slow down, but I think I am on my way to meeting my goal of 40 pounds by May 1, 2018! I have been relatively happy with 2017. EXCEPT my weight, which was more than steadily creeping up and up until almost 3 weeks ago. Now, I have a new beginning! I know what you may be thinking…isn’t it hard to start in the middle of the holidays with all the food and drink? Well, I say to that: what better time? I would just be gaining more weight than usual during this period and I wanted to lose rather than gain. If I can lose weight during the holidays amongst a great amount of edible temptation, the rest of the  year will be cake! But I won’t eat the cake. I promise!

Once my body has adjusted  to these new low calorie intakes, I will go back to my work outs. My cardio/fitness exercise is very important to me and I don’t want to let it go. It was suggested that I may take a small break from it while my body is getting used to the new calorie intake. I am glad I took a break, but I am ready for a good work out!!

As for optimal health, I hope to reap  the benefits of good sleep, meditation (that will be a challenge), eating healthy, and making emotionally healthy choices. This program is designed to help me lead a life that will work not only on the diet plan for weight loss, but in a maintenance state as well. I think, no, I know that was my absolute downfall during my last diet and significant weight loss. I went back slowly to eating what ever I wanted and didn’t really exercise. I drank more alcohol regularly (never caring or counting those empty calories!!) and as a result, I ate more crap.  This is the time for an overhaul.

I am going home (back East will always be home in a sense) at the end of May. As May 1 is my target date, I should be in great shape when I head home to see family.

A note about relationships. I usually write a bit about that and I am NOT taking a break. I just haven’t met anyone worthy of spending time with. I will keep you posted!!

 

 

My Apple watch tells me to breathe so I press “dismiss” OR: How do I make time to breathe, much less meditate?

So there. I disregard healthy reminders to breathe. I do self-care, but it seems more haphazard than it had been earlier in the year. The “Breathe” app magically appears with a “ping!”, gently nudging me that I need to take time out of my busy life to remember me, to breathe, to take a time out. One minute. That’s all Apple asks of me – a mere and measly minute. So, of course,  I promptly press dismiss. I do occasionally press “start” when I have nothing else I should be doing. I must take this time out to literally remember to breathe.  How did I meditate for 15-20 minutes once upon a time and now I can’t be bothered to breathe?! Where are my priorities?

Let’s get back to basics. My new years resolution will be to breathe intentionally as much as possible throughout the day. I would like to work up to getting back to meditation, but seriously…how can I hope to meditate when I can’t even take a minute to breathe with purpose and exhale everything toxic and inhale new life.  Let’s take one thing at a time. I’m going to start with breathing with intention at least 3-5 times a day.  Why don’t we begin there and see what happens?

Meditation is a whole other beast and my mind needs to learn to exhale the toxic crap with lists of shit to do and reminders about dry cleaning pick ups and bills to pay. Yeah, I need to exhale that crap before I can  hope to meditate.

Please leave a comment if you have any good tools or tricks to remember how to take a time out, even for a minute!

 

 

FOR MY LOYAL READERS: My series on what my marriage taught me will commence soon! I promise you that and look forward to sharing my experience.