I didn't actually look it up, but I would venture to guess that Webster's definition for "Serendipity" is: The discovery that one's scale is broken on Thanksgiving. I'm not even joking, my scale broke! Although my official weigh in day was Friday, and yes we did have enough time to get batteries and "fix" it, I didn't weigh in until this morning (Saturday) for obvious reasons.
The good news is that I shaved off half of the pound that I gained last week. I expect to shave off more of it and then some this week.
It's beginning to feel like I'm "hovering" again. Here is where I yo-yo up a pound down a pound, up two, down two. But if I can just slowly inch my "weigh" down......
Starting Weight: 170 (January of 2010)
Starting Weight: 164.5 (October 2010)
Current Weight: 158 (that's a -.5 this week)
Goal Weight: 145
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
My Train Wreck (And Other Interesting Factoids) Week 5
Whoooot whooooot! Do you hear that? That is not the “woot woot” of success, but rather the “woot woot” of a train a-comin’ down the tracks!
This week was a veritable train wreck. And what a hot mess of a train wreck it was! A hot, gooey, mess of a train wreck! To be perfectly honest, not to be confused with “brutally” honest, which I’m not up for today, I’m not quite sure why? I mean, sure, Saturday in the city was a smorgasbord of yummy San Francisco treats. I used up all of my points for the day, AND my weekly “extras”. I had to try to subsist on just 21 measly points per day for the rest of the week!
To make matters worse, I ran out of steam by Wednesday (probably due to the lack of caloric intake) and couldn’t even muster the energy to earn any additional activity/work out points to get me through the last few days. I was in the red folks…since Thursday…I’m lying…since Tuesday. Perhaps being short on points for the remainder of the week caused a small amount of panic. Perhaps panic makes me hungry. We always want what we can’t have, and this week, what I couldn't have seemed to be “enough food”. But whatever, that’s neither here nor there. Or rather, it is here….but I’m moving on…to there.
My new week starts NOW!
Rob shared an interesting piece of information the other day. Studies have shown that people with highly sensitive noses have a higher BMI ratio than those with average, or under-sensitive noses. I have an amazingly sensitive nose. I actually consider it my only Super Power.
I’ve been to the doctor because I have symptoms that mimic allergies that drive me crazy. The allergy tests were all negative. I just have a highly sensitive nose. I can smell things that other people don’t seem to be able to. In fact, I may have saved my friend’s life a few weeks ago!
Real Life Action Story Time!!
My friend lives in a really cool older home in Niles, Ca that was built by Essanay Studios to house the actors and studio workers from some of the first silent films. Her home is pictured in the photo from the hyperlink. It's the 2nd or 3rd from the left, behind the studio, which is no longer there. Jacob's school, referred to as "Niles School" in the article, and also a historic building, is across the street from her home and over one block. Nothing to do with the story, just a cool factoid. Anyway, a few weeks ago I walked in to her home and the smell of natural gas was so overpowering that I turned around and walked right back outside. I yelled to her from the street; “Your home is going to EXPLODE. You need to call PG&E NOW!” (You may notice that I didn’t drag her and her child out of the home with me. And I’m a little embarrassed about that. I guess my Super Powers aren’t really used to save other people, just myself.) It turns out that a pilot light on the stove had gone out and she didn’t smell a thing!
My nose may be eligible to be registered as a life saving Super Power (if they register such things), but it also makes food so unbelievably good, it’s hard not to be obsessed with it. Luckily, my BMI is in the “normal/healthy” range, albeit on the higher side of healthy, but I really do have to be careful because my metabolism is not what it used to be (hence this blog, and now Weight Watchers).
Would I give up my sense of smell to have everything taste bland and subsequently lose my passion for cooking (and eating). No way!
Activity this week:
Hike X 1
Walk X 3 (even ran 3 blocks!)
Yoga X 3
Bike X 1
Stats for the week (use a really downer voice here, I’m not happy about it. But I AM happy that I get to start fresh today!):
Starting Weight: 170 (January of 2010)
Starting Weight: 164.5 (October 2010)
Current Weight: 158.5 (that's a +1 this week)
Goal Weight: 145
So I threw the Weigh In this week...and as I sat on the couch last night, munching my way through fun sized bags of skittles, off brand fruitie chews, and the last three cinnamon rolls, I decided I would throw it big. Because my goal for next week is 156.5. No small task considering this is Rob's birthday weekend and Thanksgiving is on Thursday!
We'll see. In the meantime, I'm just living my life and loving my journey!
This week was a veritable train wreck. And what a hot mess of a train wreck it was! A hot, gooey, mess of a train wreck! To be perfectly honest, not to be confused with “brutally” honest, which I’m not up for today, I’m not quite sure why? I mean, sure, Saturday in the city was a smorgasbord of yummy San Francisco treats. I used up all of my points for the day, AND my weekly “extras”. I had to try to subsist on just 21 measly points per day for the rest of the week!
To make matters worse, I ran out of steam by Wednesday (probably due to the lack of caloric intake) and couldn’t even muster the energy to earn any additional activity/work out points to get me through the last few days. I was in the red folks…since Thursday…I’m lying…since Tuesday. Perhaps being short on points for the remainder of the week caused a small amount of panic. Perhaps panic makes me hungry. We always want what we can’t have, and this week, what I couldn't have seemed to be “enough food”. But whatever, that’s neither here nor there. Or rather, it is here….but I’m moving on…to there.
My new week starts NOW!
Rob shared an interesting piece of information the other day. Studies have shown that people with highly sensitive noses have a higher BMI ratio than those with average, or under-sensitive noses. I have an amazingly sensitive nose. I actually consider it my only Super Power.
I’ve been to the doctor because I have symptoms that mimic allergies that drive me crazy. The allergy tests were all negative. I just have a highly sensitive nose. I can smell things that other people don’t seem to be able to. In fact, I may have saved my friend’s life a few weeks ago!
Real Life Action Story Time!!
My friend lives in a really cool older home in Niles, Ca that was built by Essanay Studios to house the actors and studio workers from some of the first silent films. Her home is pictured in the photo from the hyperlink. It's the 2nd or 3rd from the left, behind the studio, which is no longer there. Jacob's school, referred to as "Niles School" in the article, and also a historic building, is across the street from her home and over one block. Nothing to do with the story, just a cool factoid. Anyway, a few weeks ago I walked in to her home and the smell of natural gas was so overpowering that I turned around and walked right back outside. I yelled to her from the street; “Your home is going to EXPLODE. You need to call PG&E NOW!” (You may notice that I didn’t drag her and her child out of the home with me. And I’m a little embarrassed about that. I guess my Super Powers aren’t really used to save other people, just myself.) It turns out that a pilot light on the stove had gone out and she didn’t smell a thing!
My nose may be eligible to be registered as a life saving Super Power (if they register such things), but it also makes food so unbelievably good, it’s hard not to be obsessed with it. Luckily, my BMI is in the “normal/healthy” range, albeit on the higher side of healthy, but I really do have to be careful because my metabolism is not what it used to be (hence this blog, and now Weight Watchers).
Would I give up my sense of smell to have everything taste bland and subsequently lose my passion for cooking (and eating). No way!
Activity this week:
Hike X 1
Walk X 3 (even ran 3 blocks!)
Yoga X 3
Bike X 1
Stats for the week (use a really downer voice here, I’m not happy about it. But I AM happy that I get to start fresh today!):
Starting Weight: 170 (January of 2010)
Starting Weight: 164.5 (October 2010)
Current Weight: 158.5 (that's a +1 this week)
Goal Weight: 145
So I threw the Weigh In this week...and as I sat on the couch last night, munching my way through fun sized bags of skittles, off brand fruitie chews, and the last three cinnamon rolls, I decided I would throw it big. Because my goal for next week is 156.5. No small task considering this is Rob's birthday weekend and Thanksgiving is on Thursday!
We'll see. In the meantime, I'm just living my life and loving my journey!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Saturday, In The Park...
Wow, what a spectacular day! 70 degrees in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park on a beautiful November afternoon.
There's one small problem: Usually, my most spectacular days include plenty of good food and drink!
I'm supposed to be eating 21 points worth of food using the Weight Watchers Points System (plus 35 a week extra to use for splurges), but yesterday I racheted up a whopping 40+ points(or so...I have no idea what was in some of the stuff I ate!).
We went to Golden Gate Park to see the "Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne and Beyond: Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay" exhibit. We also brought our bikes to ride through the park!
I had a feeling I would be sampling from a wonderful buffet of awesomeness. Being in San Francisco, you just can't avoid excellent, diverse, and exciting food. So we parked where we could (it was packed!) and rode our bikes toward the De Young and the Music Concourse where we found (because we were looking for) Sam's (Mobile) Chowder House, of Half Moon Bay fame! The Lobster Roll has been voted one of the 5 best sandwiches in the city. Hmmmmm....I wonder why?
The De Young exhibit was excellent, just beautiful. Jacob didn't touch a painting or break anything. He did the guided tour in record time, of course, and came back to tell us all of the "good numbers" we should listen to. You know...to save time? So thoughtful. : )
After riding back to the car, I wanted to take Jacob and Rob to Burma Super Star, an excellent Burmese restaurant on Clement Street. I thought the Rainbow Salad would be a perfectly healthy, low point option, but fate had something else in mind.
We missed the turn to get out of the park (which is really strange, it's not a turn you can "miss") and drove right smack onto Ocean Beach and the most amazing sunset EVER!
I got us back on track toward Burma, but as we turned away from the beach, we realized The Cliff House was SO close. Let's call and see if we can get in!
There was a 40 minute wait which turned out to be the best 40 minute wait EVER. We parked, walked down the hill to the Cliff House, and as I was explaining the Sutro Baths to Jacob, we noticed that there were quite a few people climbing around down there, and we had time!
We watched the dogs play in the ocean, photographers with their tripods getting excellent shots of Seal Rock as the sun was setting, lovers (young and old) enjoying the mild evening and amazing sunset. Jacob noticed several young couples holding hands, sitting on the ruined bath walls and said "Mom...when I'm 16 I'm going to borrow your car. This is a great place to bring a date!". Three thoughts ran through my mind. 1) I was relieved that he doesn't think we're buying him a car. 2) What an awesome boyfriend he's going to be one day! And 3) I'm driving so I can keep an eye on them. There are CLIFFS and CAVES here.
Time for dinner! A glass of Rombauer, fried calamari, French Onion Soup, a few bites of Jacob's hamburger...could have been worse! Oh it was so good.
Worth every point! I'll just have to learn to live without a lot of extras for the rest of the week. I decided not to "cheat" and pretend the day didn't happen. It was too exquisite to delete from my tracker!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Week Four!
Two pounds down! I had to double and triple check and cross reference my blog with my Weight Watchers on line tracker, but yes...it's 2 pounds this week.
I didn't cheat, although I did use every single daily point, weekly extra, and activity points earned, and I think I still went over my total allowable allotment by about 5 points. But that's ok.
My activity this week:
Walk x 6 (20 minute mile, two miles)
Hike x 1
Yoga x 5
Still not running, the knee is a little tender still, perhaps this week!
Here are my "to-date" stats:
Starting Weight: 170 (January of 2010)
Starting Weight: 164.5 (October 2010)
Current Weight: 157.5
Total Weight Lost: 12.5 pounds
Goal Weight: 145
I'm half way there!!
I didn't cheat, although I did use every single daily point, weekly extra, and activity points earned, and I think I still went over my total allowable allotment by about 5 points. But that's ok.
My activity this week:
Walk x 6 (20 minute mile, two miles)
Hike x 1
Yoga x 5
Still not running, the knee is a little tender still, perhaps this week!
Here are my "to-date" stats:
Starting Weight: 170 (January of 2010)
Starting Weight: 164.5 (October 2010)
Current Weight: 157.5
Total Weight Lost: 12.5 pounds
Goal Weight: 145
I'm half way there!!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
No, Really. Where Is The Normal Person’s Large?
I don’t usually write two blog entries back to back, but I am outraged! Ok, maybe not outraged. I am deeply annoyed!
For the past few weeks, I have been admiring a cute Prana yoga top in the window of The Passionate Athlete (a store downtown) and decided that TODAY, in order to reward myself for "The Consistency With Which I’ve Been Practicing Yoga of Late" (I try to celebrate as many small milestones as my bank account allows), I would BUY it! Yay me!
I grabbed a few different colors and patterns in “Large”, because well, I’m tall and a little broad in the shoulders. At this point, I should tell you that, yes, I think I need to lose 10-15 pounds but I don’t know that I would say I’m “overweight” anymore, especially now that I’m back within the healthy BMI range. I’m just not “little”. On the other hand, I don’t think of myself as a “big girl” either. Let’s call me “average” with the proverbial 10-15 pounds to lose. Am I delusional? Because I’m beginning to think I am.
SO a large, right? And then maybe I’ll need to go down to a medium? WRONG! The thing was so tight that the cute pattern was stretched way beyond recognition and I looked more like a paisley-patterned sausage than the yoga goddess I had envisioned in my head. Hey, thanks Prana! I was just starting to feel good about my size! How am I supposed to believe I’m a healthy weight when your size “Large” is about three sizes too small? Is it any wonder that women so often feel they need to lose weight even if they’re in the healthy range? Hello, manufacturers? How about making clothes that actually FIT average people. And call it a “MEDIUM” while you're at it. Really? I have to be in an exclusive club to buy your clothes and all that’s required is that I don’t eat anymore? Ever? Cool, sign me up.
All of these thoughts went through my head as I dejectedly (and with a great amount of effort, let me tell you) wriggled out of the too-tight top and back into my stretchy Wal-Mart tank top (yeah…I know, it's an evil, corporate, big box store, but they make tops that FIT normal people!).
Here is the conversation I had with the sales woman, who may, or may not have called the authorities to report an unstable woman wandering around downtown:
SW: “SO? How did it work out?”
Me: “It didn’t. Too small. The pattern was stretched beyond recognition and I looked like a sausage.”
SW: “Would you like me to get you a larger size?”
Me: “This WAS the larger size. You know…this always happens to me and it’s soooo frustrating. Look at me. I don’t look that over weight to you, do I? I mean, I’m 5’8” and weigh 150 pounds(I lied a little). Am I, like, SUPER LARGE? Because a LARGE doesn't fit me!”
SW: “Noooo, not at all! You just have broad shoulders. And you’re tall!”
Me: “So why are these large and extra large tops so tiny? Who the hell can fit into these except for tiny people?”
SW: “Really, I know. I see small women buying these in large all the time.”
Me: “So this is really a tiny person’s large. I see. Do you carry the real large? Like the average person’s large?
SW: “Um…You could try Nordstrom. I think they carry this style in extra large?”
Me: “No!! You know what? I’m not buying a top in extra large when I AM NOT an extra large person.” (I said this in my really annoyed/almost outraged tone) “I’m really frustrated. I should write to the company and tell them that they need to change how they size their clothing because I am a normal sized person and I should be able to fit into their clothes!”
SW: “You really should write to them! You tell ‘em!” (at this point I realized she may not actually be on my side and is starting to look a little uneasy…you know, like when you’re talking to someone and realize they may not be “all there”?).
Me: “I will! I’m going to! They could have another customer if their sizes were right!”
SW: “Yeah. They could. You should.”
Me: “Yeah, no. I’m not going to write to them. They just lost a customer. I’m not going to tell them why. They’ll notice it in their lack of SALES!” I chuckled. (Ok, I know this is a really lame reason to give for not writing the letter. And I’m sure the sales woman could care less if I wrote one or not. I just didn’t want to lie and say I was going to do something and then feel like a loser for “never getting around to it” because I knew I wouldn't. I felt like I was running out of steam at this point. I was kind of over it. And now I'm eyeing the cute sweaters in the store that look nice and big and cuddly so....)
Some awkward silence
Me: “You have really cute sweaters though! They look big. It’s about that time of year!!”
SW: “Yeah. It is. Thanks for coming in!”
So that was that. Shown the door, so to speak. HUMUNGOUS people not welcome here. Come again when you can actually fit into a GIANT sized Prana yoga top. Like when you’re a size 2.
Whatever. I’m shrugging it off because I know I’m right. I’ve seen the type of woman who wears this top anyway. Narrow-shouldered, skinny little hungry people (or just naturally thin or petite women, I’m not trying to hate on you). Well, you can keep your Prana. And Prana - a tip for you, you little fledgling wanna-be green and eco friendly home grown sustainable over priced exclusive skinny person clothing manufacturer quickly becoming a blood sucking sell out giant corporation trying to save a buck by chintzing on the material and calling a petite a LARGE, you! You just lost a customer because FYI - you’re pants DO fit me, and they’re cute! But I’m not buying them anymore unless the matching top fits too! A-holes.
For the past few weeks, I have been admiring a cute Prana yoga top in the window of The Passionate Athlete (a store downtown) and decided that TODAY, in order to reward myself for "The Consistency With Which I’ve Been Practicing Yoga of Late" (I try to celebrate as many small milestones as my bank account allows), I would BUY it! Yay me!
I grabbed a few different colors and patterns in “Large”, because well, I’m tall and a little broad in the shoulders. At this point, I should tell you that, yes, I think I need to lose 10-15 pounds but I don’t know that I would say I’m “overweight” anymore, especially now that I’m back within the healthy BMI range. I’m just not “little”. On the other hand, I don’t think of myself as a “big girl” either. Let’s call me “average” with the proverbial 10-15 pounds to lose. Am I delusional? Because I’m beginning to think I am.
SO a large, right? And then maybe I’ll need to go down to a medium? WRONG! The thing was so tight that the cute pattern was stretched way beyond recognition and I looked more like a paisley-patterned sausage than the yoga goddess I had envisioned in my head. Hey, thanks Prana! I was just starting to feel good about my size! How am I supposed to believe I’m a healthy weight when your size “Large” is about three sizes too small? Is it any wonder that women so often feel they need to lose weight even if they’re in the healthy range? Hello, manufacturers? How about making clothes that actually FIT average people. And call it a “MEDIUM” while you're at it. Really? I have to be in an exclusive club to buy your clothes and all that’s required is that I don’t eat anymore? Ever? Cool, sign me up.
All of these thoughts went through my head as I dejectedly (and with a great amount of effort, let me tell you) wriggled out of the too-tight top and back into my stretchy Wal-Mart tank top (yeah…I know, it's an evil, corporate, big box store, but they make tops that FIT normal people!).
Here is the conversation I had with the sales woman, who may, or may not have called the authorities to report an unstable woman wandering around downtown:
SW: “SO? How did it work out?”
Me: “It didn’t. Too small. The pattern was stretched beyond recognition and I looked like a sausage.”
SW: “Would you like me to get you a larger size?”
Me: “This WAS the larger size. You know…this always happens to me and it’s soooo frustrating. Look at me. I don’t look that over weight to you, do I? I mean, I’m 5’8” and weigh 150 pounds(I lied a little). Am I, like, SUPER LARGE? Because a LARGE doesn't fit me!”
SW: “Noooo, not at all! You just have broad shoulders. And you’re tall!”
Me: “So why are these large and extra large tops so tiny? Who the hell can fit into these except for tiny people?”
SW: “Really, I know. I see small women buying these in large all the time.”
Me: “So this is really a tiny person’s large. I see. Do you carry the real large? Like the average person’s large?
SW: “Um…You could try Nordstrom. I think they carry this style in extra large?”
Me: “No!! You know what? I’m not buying a top in extra large when I AM NOT an extra large person.” (I said this in my really annoyed/almost outraged tone) “I’m really frustrated. I should write to the company and tell them that they need to change how they size their clothing because I am a normal sized person and I should be able to fit into their clothes!”
SW: “You really should write to them! You tell ‘em!” (at this point I realized she may not actually be on my side and is starting to look a little uneasy…you know, like when you’re talking to someone and realize they may not be “all there”?).
Me: “I will! I’m going to! They could have another customer if their sizes were right!”
SW: “Yeah. They could. You should.”
Me: “Yeah, no. I’m not going to write to them. They just lost a customer. I’m not going to tell them why. They’ll notice it in their lack of SALES!” I chuckled. (Ok, I know this is a really lame reason to give for not writing the letter. And I’m sure the sales woman could care less if I wrote one or not. I just didn’t want to lie and say I was going to do something and then feel like a loser for “never getting around to it” because I knew I wouldn't. I felt like I was running out of steam at this point. I was kind of over it. And now I'm eyeing the cute sweaters in the store that look nice and big and cuddly so....)
Some awkward silence
Me: “You have really cute sweaters though! They look big. It’s about that time of year!!”
SW: “Yeah. It is. Thanks for coming in!”
So that was that. Shown the door, so to speak. HUMUNGOUS people not welcome here. Come again when you can actually fit into a GIANT sized Prana yoga top. Like when you’re a size 2.
Whatever. I’m shrugging it off because I know I’m right. I’ve seen the type of woman who wears this top anyway. Narrow-shouldered, skinny little hungry people (or just naturally thin or petite women, I’m not trying to hate on you). Well, you can keep your Prana. And Prana - a tip for you, you little fledgling wanna-be green and eco friendly home grown sustainable over priced exclusive skinny person clothing manufacturer quickly becoming a blood sucking sell out giant corporation trying to save a buck by chintzing on the material and calling a petite a LARGE, you! You just lost a customer because FYI - you’re pants DO fit me, and they’re cute! But I’m not buying them anymore unless the matching top fits too! A-holes.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Compatibility
This is my fourth week on Weight Watchers, and my last three blog entries have all been pretty focused on “the weight loss” aspect of my journey. Even though I haven’t talked about much else for the past three weeks, my journey really is about more than just weight loss. My goals have more to do with “overall well being”, Mind, Body & Spirit. But it sure is easy to focus in on just one part of the whole, especially when I’m constantly looking up points values, tracking my daily food intake, perusing the weight watchers web site for recipe ideas and making shopping lists, etc. And yeah, I’m going to keep doing all of those things until I reach my “goal weight”, whatever that is. But I feel like talking about something else today. Something I LOVE.
That something is Yoga.
Sure, I’ve mentioned it before. But it is such an integral part of this whole journey that I’m going to mention it again, in a little more detail.
I’ve enjoyed a fairly consistent yoga practice for about 15 years or so. Sometimes I practice a few times a week, sometimes it’s only once a week if my life is really hectic. Lately though, I’ve decided that I need to find time…No! Make time, to practice daily (or almost daily). Wow! What a difference it makes. I’ve always known that there is a big difference between how I feel when I practice and how I feel when I don’t. But it wasn’t until I started practicing really consistently again that I have rediscovered the absolute joy that my daily yoga practice gives me.
First - a little about the practice itself: I include Pranayama (yoga breathing), Asana (poses or postures), and Meditation in my daily practice. I’m no expert by any stretch (pardon the pun) of the imagination. I started with video tapes (yes, it was pre-DVD), classes at the local community center, television (Lillias!), classes in actual yoga studios when it became “all the rage”, magazines and books.
The type of yoga I practice is your basic Iyengar style of Hatha Yoga. I’ve experimented from time to time with other yoga traditions – Vinyasa Flow, Power, Ashtanga, and Kundalini - and while they were new and exciting, and I can totally understand the allure of these styles, I always return to my own “home grown” practice. You would think I’d get bored with the same series of poses day after day, month after month, year after year. But I don’t. Every once in a while I throw in a new pose and toss out one that I may have “outgrown”. Or perhaps I’ll have a particular body part that needs extra attention; a kink in my neck, a stiff back, a tight hamstring, etc., and I’ll include a pose for that particular “issue”. But for the most part…same old, same old.
I’ve even gone on kicks where I’ve suddenly decided that I need “more of a work out”. I’ll join a gym, or start weight lifting at home, only to realize that yoga is my resistance work out. I just use my own body weight instead of dumb bells. What am I doing? I want to do yoga!
My practice has developed over the past decade or so to be exactly what I need it to be. I’ve done the same series of poses for so long that I feel like I’m floating in and out of each Asana without the slightest disturbance of Prana - mine, or that of the Universe. I imagine myself as a wraith in the fog, barely perceptible from the fog itself. It's the closest I ever feel to being "one" with anything. I breathe in; fill my body and soul with joy and vitality. Exhale; offer joy and vitality to anyone who would have it. I move into each Asana on the breath. It’s a quiet practice, it’s strong, and it’s gentle. It is everything I need from a yoga practice.
When I finish, I am filled with peace, a feeling of greater purpose, and gratitude. A LOT of gratitude. I stand taller, I feel stronger.
And….it’s compatible with weight loss (AHA! You KNEW I would mention that again!). But not just weight loss, it’s also compatible with mental clarity and overall well being. When I nurture my mind and body with such a healthy practice, I naturally don’t want to clutter up either with unhealthy foods, or unhealthy thoughts. It just seems to help in that regard. Yoga has been known to give the practitioner "body wisdom".
It does make me feel a little less like setting such a hard, fast number goal for weight loss, however. Instead, I’ll probably just know I’ve reached my goal weight when I can rest comfortably in Child’s Pose without my belly getting in the way!
Oh...and a quick note here: for all the years I've been "practicing", my forhead still doesn't touch my knees in Staff Pose, my heels still aren't flat on the ground (with my knees straight) in Downward Facing Dog, I still can't do Crane, or any variation of Firefly without falling on my ass, but I can do a pretty good Lord of the Dance pose! It's not about mastering and perfecting each pose. I'll leave that for the yoga over-achievers. For me, it's about a comfortable flow and just pushing a little...tiny bit.
That something is Yoga.
Sure, I’ve mentioned it before. But it is such an integral part of this whole journey that I’m going to mention it again, in a little more detail.
I’ve enjoyed a fairly consistent yoga practice for about 15 years or so. Sometimes I practice a few times a week, sometimes it’s only once a week if my life is really hectic. Lately though, I’ve decided that I need to find time…No! Make time, to practice daily (or almost daily). Wow! What a difference it makes. I’ve always known that there is a big difference between how I feel when I practice and how I feel when I don’t. But it wasn’t until I started practicing really consistently again that I have rediscovered the absolute joy that my daily yoga practice gives me.
First - a little about the practice itself: I include Pranayama (yoga breathing), Asana (poses or postures), and Meditation in my daily practice. I’m no expert by any stretch (pardon the pun) of the imagination. I started with video tapes (yes, it was pre-DVD), classes at the local community center, television (Lillias!), classes in actual yoga studios when it became “all the rage”, magazines and books.
The type of yoga I practice is your basic Iyengar style of Hatha Yoga. I’ve experimented from time to time with other yoga traditions – Vinyasa Flow, Power, Ashtanga, and Kundalini - and while they were new and exciting, and I can totally understand the allure of these styles, I always return to my own “home grown” practice. You would think I’d get bored with the same series of poses day after day, month after month, year after year. But I don’t. Every once in a while I throw in a new pose and toss out one that I may have “outgrown”. Or perhaps I’ll have a particular body part that needs extra attention; a kink in my neck, a stiff back, a tight hamstring, etc., and I’ll include a pose for that particular “issue”. But for the most part…same old, same old.
I’ve even gone on kicks where I’ve suddenly decided that I need “more of a work out”. I’ll join a gym, or start weight lifting at home, only to realize that yoga is my resistance work out. I just use my own body weight instead of dumb bells. What am I doing? I want to do yoga!
My practice has developed over the past decade or so to be exactly what I need it to be. I’ve done the same series of poses for so long that I feel like I’m floating in and out of each Asana without the slightest disturbance of Prana - mine, or that of the Universe. I imagine myself as a wraith in the fog, barely perceptible from the fog itself. It's the closest I ever feel to being "one" with anything. I breathe in; fill my body and soul with joy and vitality. Exhale; offer joy and vitality to anyone who would have it. I move into each Asana on the breath. It’s a quiet practice, it’s strong, and it’s gentle. It is everything I need from a yoga practice.
When I finish, I am filled with peace, a feeling of greater purpose, and gratitude. A LOT of gratitude. I stand taller, I feel stronger.
And….it’s compatible with weight loss (AHA! You KNEW I would mention that again!). But not just weight loss, it’s also compatible with mental clarity and overall well being. When I nurture my mind and body with such a healthy practice, I naturally don’t want to clutter up either with unhealthy foods, or unhealthy thoughts. It just seems to help in that regard. Yoga has been known to give the practitioner "body wisdom".
It does make me feel a little less like setting such a hard, fast number goal for weight loss, however. Instead, I’ll probably just know I’ve reached my goal weight when I can rest comfortably in Child’s Pose without my belly getting in the way!
Oh...and a quick note here: for all the years I've been "practicing", my forhead still doesn't touch my knees in Staff Pose, my heels still aren't flat on the ground (with my knees straight) in Downward Facing Dog, I still can't do Crane, or any variation of Firefly without falling on my ass, but I can do a pretty good Lord of the Dance pose! It's not about mastering and perfecting each pose. I'll leave that for the yoga over-achievers. For me, it's about a comfortable flow and just pushing a little...tiny bit.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Week Three
Week three weigh in = -1 pound.
Sure, I just lost the pound that I had gained last week, but now that the World Series is over, I'm no longer obligated to drink beer and eat pub food. And even more good news; the Halloween candy is down to the "undesirables" i.e. off brand "fruity chews" (sad little Now & Later knock offs),and those ju ju things that stick to your teeth (I did resort to a few mini boxes of those nasty things. I was rummaging for some chocolate and tried to console myself with ju ju's when I discovered my son had eaten all of the good stuff. Chip off the ol' block.)
I walked almost every single day and did yoga a few times. I didn't run because my knee was hurting after my light attempt last week, so I decided to give it a little longer to rehab.
My new week starts NOW! I'm going to try not to cheat (so much) this week and go for two pounds. Wish me luck!
I think I'll list my stats from my heaviest weight/initial start of my journey, so that I'll look even more successful: (positive reinforcement!)
Starting Weight: 170 (January of 2010)
Starting Weight: 164.5 (October 2010)
Current Weight: 159.5
Sure, I just lost the pound that I had gained last week, but now that the World Series is over, I'm no longer obligated to drink beer and eat pub food. And even more good news; the Halloween candy is down to the "undesirables" i.e. off brand "fruity chews" (sad little Now & Later knock offs),and those ju ju things that stick to your teeth (I did resort to a few mini boxes of those nasty things. I was rummaging for some chocolate and tried to console myself with ju ju's when I discovered my son had eaten all of the good stuff. Chip off the ol' block.)
I walked almost every single day and did yoga a few times. I didn't run because my knee was hurting after my light attempt last week, so I decided to give it a little longer to rehab.
My new week starts NOW! I'm going to try not to cheat (so much) this week and go for two pounds. Wish me luck!
I think I'll list my stats from my heaviest weight/initial start of my journey, so that I'll look even more successful: (positive reinforcement!)
Starting Weight: 170 (January of 2010)
Starting Weight: 164.5 (October 2010)
Current Weight: 159.5
