Good-Bye 2010 - Ending My Blog!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from New York! The lovely Central Park

As of today this blog is closed because I have accomplished my goal. My goal was to reduce my weight but I got something much better than that. I was able to find complete love and joy for myself. The weight was only a distraction but now it's not. It's time to move on and continue to grow. I want to thank all my blogging friends for your help and support. I wish you all much happiness and love for yourself at all time.

Next year I will start a new blog that will track all my up coming pleasures in life that include the love for myself, my family, my friends and my travels. It's all about moving on wheels and enjoying it.

Bye-Bye My friends from Fat Girl vs Skinny Girl!

My Soul!

Carnie Wilson said she don't care that she has gain weight. Oprah is okay with her weight and she is not going to make an issue out of anymore. I can totally relate to these women. Now I'm a little shaky on Carnie because she might go back to worrying later because of pressures of others and the gastric bypass community. But my girl Oprah is in a wonderful place.

What is that place and where is it! I can tell you it is like the imagines of heaven. It's comfortable, silent and wonderful. It's a place that I wish all people could experience. It's a place of true acceptance for self and it is in your soul. I have been in that place for almost a year now and I have never looked back. I feel healthier because I'm happier. I will never go back to that dark place of hating myself and depriving myself because I don't want to have self-control.

Now that I'm at a size that I can maintain with just a little toning in certain areas I can focus on my happy place. I remember weighting less than I am now but not telling myself this is a perfect size so lets maintain it. I was never content with a size. I was more content with being overweight than I was being skinny. It's very confusing but it's real. I wonder if others feel this way. For me being content with a set size has taken so much pressure off. It's owning your size, embracing it and moving on to more important things in life.

The weight did not make me content my soul did. Contentment is in the soul and that is what has given me so much peace and joy about myself. I'm truly in love with every inch of my body. It's a wonderful place to be.

History of meals: I was reading about the history of mealtimes in American and came across a few interesting websites that got me thinking about my past eating habits. I read that many years ago breakfast consisted of a piece of bread and a hot drink. This was not just for the poor but wealthy people ate this way as well. Dinner which is now our lunch was the heaviest meal of the day and was eaten between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Supper which is now our dinner was a very light meal. I also read that people did not snack like we do today. So how did we get here?

Advertising has played a big part in our eating habits today. We are told that we must eat 3 meals and 2 snacks. We have been conditioned to believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day to push breakfast foods like cereal and eggs. I remember when I was younger that most people did not eat a large breakfast. A big campaigns in the 90's started pushing breakfast by stating "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" Is it really? I have always questioned that and wondered if the cereal industry was behind the campaign ads. I think every meals should be important and nutritional.

It's so important to read about how we got to this place of needing to eat 3 meals and 2 snacks. Who is behind these bright ideas. We are told to eat to much food in one day. Just analyze the U.S. food pyramid and visualize all that food in front of you on a table. It makes me sick to my stomach. 6-11 servings of rice, grains, wheat, pasta, 2-4 servings from the fruit group, 3-5 servings from the veggie group, 2-3 servings from the meats, nuts, eggs, dry bean group, 2-3 from the cheese and milk group, and sparingly from the oil sand sweet group. I believe this is to much food for one person to consume in one day. No one needs to eat like this. I think this guideline is used to keep the all the food industries in business. The government is telling us not to forget about the egg industry, the wheat industry, etc. But what is this doing to us? Making us fat and confusing us about what we really need to eat. We need to question our eating habits and make some serious adjustments. It's important to come up with your own food pyramid and meal time lines. It's about taking the control back of our eating habits. Asking self, do I really need to eat this way and is it really a true benefit.

Last week I cut out dinner thinking my life would be turned upside down. My body has adjusted very well and when I wake up now I'm not hungry for food right way. My plan is to drop the mealtime titles and just eat when my body need it. I don't want to be on an eating schedule because the food industry want me to be. My plan is to really learn to listen to my body and give it what it needs. I know my body is not interested in junk food or overeating. If my body is asking for spinach at 7 a.m. than that is what it will get. My body has proven that it is amazing and it will tell me when and what to eat. This week is an experiment.

Best Accident Ever!

Sold! I would like to thank the homemade trail mix. No more dinner for me. My mind and body has totally accepted the fact that I do not need dinner at all. I never thought I could give it up and still be walking on this earth. Dinner has always been part of my life. You all know-it's the American way to eat three meals a day or more.

Yesterday was a test. Every Thursday I visit my friend to watch television, eat and talk. Last night she offered me dinner around 6 p.m. and I said "no thank you I'm not hungry." I shocked myself because I was not hungry at all. Before this week we would plan our Thursday dinner and it would always be a big deal. Last night was different because we did not have any problems passing dinner up. My friend is thin already so eating has never been an issue for her. She was very happy eating a bowl of cereal. So last night I passed the test with flying colors.

I also would like to say that my kitchen is much cleaner and less dish washing. I love it. I hate washing dish and I think I hate cook too. Also my digestive system is moving very nice.

Typical breakfast this week:

Bowl of oatmeal
Breakfast snack plate
Boiled eggs
Fruit
Cereal
Wheat Toast

Typical lunch this week:

Turkey, Ham, Veggie sandwiches
Veggie, Beef, Chicken, Split pea soups
Salads

Exercise: Spin class and weight lifting

So this will be my last post on the "no dinner" topic. This will be my life so there is no need to continue to write about it. There will be times when I will eat dinner but only on special occasions. I feel free!!!

Still No Dinner and Loving It!

Every night this week I have gone without dinner. In my last post I talked about eating a hand full of homemade trail mix around 4 p.m. and not being hungry for dinner. This is the best kept secret ever. I have not cooked dinner since Sunday and I have not missed it at all. I love waking up with an empty stomach and feeling lighter. Also not having to wash dishes is wonderful too.

This morning I was not very hungry so I made a breakfast snack plate that included: Multigrain toast with butter, cheese, eggs, 1/2 small apple, strawberries and blueberries.

What's For Dinner?...

Two days last week around 4 p.m. I pulled out my homemade bag of trail mix. I ate two hand fulls as an after lunch snack. When I got home I notice that I was not hungry for dinner so I did not eat. Yesterday I tossed downed two hand fulls and notice that last night I was not hungry for dinner so I did not eat. I talked to my friend about my finding and she said nuts have a ton of protein and fiber so that could be the reason why I'm not hungry for dinner. I also notice my system is moving very well so maybe it's the fiber from the mix. So is this my alternative to dinner. Well, I'm not sure but it is nice to come home and not be hungry. I will continue to snack on my nuts and berry mix for the week and give a update.

Depriving myself dinner will not take place. I stop depriving myself months ago because I realized it's about having self-control. I will eat dinner when I want it but it is nice to have a healthier and lighter choice.

My nuts and berry mix:

Walnuts
Pecans
Sunflower seeds
Almonds
Dried Cranberries
Dried Cherries
Dried Blueberries
Raisins- golden mix
Hand full of chocolate chunks-optional

Do You Stretch?

This week has been all about stretching my body out. I have set my computer to remind me to do my stretches and I have to admit that I feel really good. I hated stretching but now I realize how good it is for my body. Now I stretch in the morning, at lunch and before bed. It's a real good thing!

Question of the day: Do you like doing stretches? What is your favorite stretch? Thanks for your motivation!

Soup Making Party!

Friday I had a soup making party. All for the love of health. I cooked up beef, chicken and orange split pea soups. I love to eat soup for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I was able to freeze two mason jars of each soups for future meals. Today my plan is to make three mason jars of turkey chili. It's been fun and healthy to eat.

This week exercise will include spinning and walking on the treadmill. My weight is holding steady but I would like to drop 5 pounds each month for the next 4 months. I would like to drop 5 pounds from my belly, 5 pounds from each thigh and 5 pounds from my butt. My inner thighs have fat pockets so it is time for me to work them off.

So that is it for now. I will be checking in again before the end of the week.

To all have a wonderful week!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! I ate so good. I went light on the turkey and ham. I did not want to waste my time on the meat. There was a lot of food, drinking, laughs and dancing. I'm thankful for my family and friends.

I did not forget the dessert ! My favorite cake is my grandmothers coconut-pineapple cake.
I made it this year with coconut milk instead of milk and it was so moist. This was my breakfast.









and more desserts! All homemade!

Week Recap!

All is going very well. Spinning 4 days a week. Eating well just munching on homemade chocolate chip cookies a little to much. My plan is to share them with friends this weekend so I can clean my house of them. I will binge on cookies. My plan is to continue eating healthy for the holidays and not overeat.

Today I had a 1 cup of oatmeal w/milk no sugar or butter, two boiled eggs, grilled chicken with spinach-rice, 4 cookies, 6 glasses of water and 2 apples. I need to eat a little more because of my spinning class so next week I will add a little more protein and carbs.

To all have a great weekend!

Relaxing and Spinning Again!

Last week I went to my favorite city in the United States. Santa Barbara, California is a mini version of San Diego. Great weather, clean beaches, local mountain views, awesome shopping and yummy restaurants all in a smaller package. My mom is in love with the city and she is planning on retiring there. It was an awesome 3 day get away trip that I will never forget.

We ate two meals a day that included a light breakfast and a fancy late lunch. We could not believe how many restaurants the city offers.

I did not have to use the hotel workout room because we did so much walking. Santa Barbara has so many walkways and bike lanes that a car is not needed. We took the train from San Diego and enjoyed the pacific coast views of the ocean.

For the month of November I plan to take 3 spinning classes a week. Not only for health but from my sore hip muscles. I will start Tuesday.

To all have a wonderful Halloween and a great week.

Back to Nature!

Yesterday I spent the day with my awesome mother in east county San Diego. We stopped a few times to snap a few pictures and give thanks to the heavens for nature. My mom had tears in her eyes when she stepped out the car and saw the awesome views and smelled the fresh air of Laguna Mountains.

Once again it is so nice to have a new focus on life. I have not thought about my weight and I'm still maintaining and loving my size. I am back lifting weights and that feels good to my muscles. My focus is enjoying life with family and friends and that feels really good.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

Living Good In October!

September 2010 went by really fast. The month was very interesting but fun. First, I have to admit that my weekly exercise routine drop off because I went on a two week vacation to Texas and enjoyed all the wonderful southern foods. No diet commercials to remind me not to eat sausages and pork skins. No one pushing me to get up every morning to exercise because it is good for me. No one skinny enough to remind me how important it is to maintain my weight. It was odd to think that being overweight is not a problem to my family in Texas. I saw how much love they have for themselves and how much they appreciate family. It was fun to be in a world of okay people.

Second, while I was on vacation one of my coworkers passed away. It was shocking and strange to think that I would not see this person again. He was found in his apartment died in front of his new 50 inch flat screen TV. My coworkers talked about how sad it was that he died alone but all I could think about was him wanting to be alone. My coworkers felt sorry for him but I did not because he live his life the way he want to live it. His death got me to thinking how important it is to do all the things you want to do. My deceased coworker wanted three things: New car-He got that, New flat screen TV-He got that, and a New IPhone-He got that. He had no plans of ever retiring or getting married. He enjoyed his life and never talked about wanting more out of it. He died at the age of 53 in front of his TV. Live Life!

Lastly, my life is wonderful and I'm still happy. It feels good to be comfortable with myself and life. For the month of October my plan is to get back into exercising and continue to have fun.

Exercise: All cardio and Pilate's

Pamper: 3 massages

Fun: Weekend trip to Santa Barbara, Gumbo Party with friends and family, Art and Wine Festival, Blogging once a week, Waiting for my best friend newborn to arrive, Enjoying my mother's visit.

To you all have a wonderful October and enjoy your life.

Needing Approval from Others!

Still content with myself! Still eating organic and exercising. Started school last week and enjoying my two classes Anthropology lab and Intro to Human Aging.

No big plans for the month of September only to continue on with what is important and enjoy life.

Last week a friend ask me how she could get to my place of "contentment". I explained to her that contentment comes from your soul and not from outside sources. She admitted how she need others to acknowledge her and her accomplishments (weight, grades, work, etc.) to feel good about herself. I told her that acknowledgments from others will fade over time so she need to go within and learn to love and acknowledge herself. I told to her to seek therapy if she cannot find it within herself. Update soon!


To all have a wonderful week!

Content!

Content! Desiring no more than what one has; satisfied. That is the definition of my life as of today. I never thought this day would come when I started blogging over a year ago but I can officially say I'm content with my weight, eating habits, exercise goals, and my future vision. It feels so good!

This is a great day and a milestone in my life!


Exercise: Pilates
Food: 100% organic


To all have a wonderful week.

Week Plans!

Exercise: Pilates, Yoga, Weight Lifting.

Eating: Protein, Veggies, Fruit

Pamper: Massage

Entertainment: Zoo, Gardening, Baseball Game

To all have a wonderful and healthy week!

My Culture and Food!

What does this picture say about my culture?
picture taken 6/10

Last night my anthropology professor ask us to question the type of foods we grew up eating. I started to think about my culture and the foods that I love.

I have southern roots so most of my food picks included everything fried and smothered in gravy. As a child that was my way of eating and it worked for me. My entire family and friends ate that way. There was nothing wrong with it until....I moved to California.

When I moved to California it was hard to accept the west coast culture because every dish was healthy. I was embarrassed to fry around my friends because they did not cook that way. I had no idea that my cooking style was bad for my health. It was a true wake-up call.

So last night the professor ask the class to question everything we eat this weekend and decide if it is culture driven. She want us to figure out who introduced the foods to us and if it is healthy for us. This is going to be an interesting weekend.

I have struggled for years to keep my cultural foods. It has to be all or none when it comes to eating healthy. Now it is time for me to design my own food culture. I can see the list clearly and it does not include fried chicken, gravy, carbs, sweets, non-organic and processed foods. It include fresh veggies, fruits and lean organic proteins. Can I live with it? Yes, I can!

Thank you Professor R. for opening my eyes to my cultural foods.

Question: Has your culture (food) increased your waistline?

Happy Anniversary to My Blog!

Happy 1 year anniversary!

It has been a year of reality checks and learning to love myself.

Pilates: I have lost 2 inches from my waist since I started Pilates three weeks ago (3 days a week). The muscles in my arms and legs are popping out also. This is my favorite exercise this far.


Weekend: Zumba and Spinning class this weekend. Pool party with a ton of food but I will be in control.

School: Learning so much about non-human primates. Only 3 more weeks before class is over and I can not wait. I'm planning to go on a long vacation.

Hope you all are doing well and enjoy your weekend.

Getting a Nature Workout!

Exercise: My exercise this weekend was helping my dear friend build and plant a raised garden. We pulled weeds, measure hammered and shoved. This was a huge raised garden and it took us 8 hours to build and 5 hours to plant. When it was all over it was so rewarding to see the outcome. I told my friend I could do this every weekend because of the reward to come in a few months. My abdomens, arms, back, legs, butt, and thighs got a really good workout.

Thai Massage: This was the best massage ever. I got pulled, pushed, and bend in half. It felt so good during and after. This type of massage looks painful but it is one of the best way to get a good stretch. It's called "yoga for the lazy person". The therapist found so many sore spots on my body. I had no idea that my body was in so much pain. Most of the sore spots were in my legs and lower back. My plan is to go back to getting a massage every week. Being a member of Massage Envy make it possible because it is so affordable. I would recommend to all the people that workout to invest in yourself by getting a massage at least once a month. Your body will love it.

Eating: I had a great eating week and added a new vegetable to my diet. Beet leaves taste good when saute in a little olive and onions. Great addition.

School: Last week in my physical anthropology we learned about traits, genes, genetic drift, gene flow and natural selection. This week will be all about monkey's. This class and subject is crazy but very interesting.

Week Review!

Week recap!

Exercise: Still going strong and on track. This week I went back to doing Pilates because I really missed it. I need this class because it really keeps my abs in top shape. The cardio classes are good for my heart and reducing fat but doing Pilates a few times during the week help me maintain toned legs, arms and abs. It's so gentle and relaxing. I have realized that jumping and running around in my boot camp and Zumba class can be really hard on my 42 year old body.

Eating: Saturday I had homemade fried chicken, rice and gravy. OMG! It was so good. I have not eaten like this in months. I woke up thinking about the dish and decided to make it and enjoy every bit of it.

School: Well we have a new teacher for my anthropology class. She knows how to keep the class on track and she do not allow people to disrespect her or the class. I made a "B" on my first test and an "A" on my homework assignment. This week we will focus on DNA, genes, mitosis, and meiosis. I can not believe my desire to learn about these topics. Two weeks down and six more to go.

Awareness: Living life should not be toxic. I realized once again that toxic people should not be in my life. Happy day!

Recap!

Workout: I had a wonderful workout weekend. This week I will start taking the stairs when possible. I have always avoided the stairs because they make me tried but that is only an excuse. This weekend I saw this elderly lady (80) working out on the stair master machine for at 30 minutes at a high pace. She but me to shame so I am inspired and will be working on my stair master moves.

Eating: Still enjoying my organic food. I had two birthday parties this weekend and I enjoyed all the good stuff but in moderation. I wish more restaurants offered organic dishes but I know that would not be a money maker for them.

School: Last week was my first week of summer school and let me say it was a very interesting week. It was only the first week of class and the professor had to kick two people out class for disrespect. I had no idea that Anthropology could bring so much anger out of people. The professor was teaching us about evolution and how we evolved and it upset many people in the class that believe God created earth. She asked us to "suspend our belief" for 8 weeks and be open to evolution and many in the class did not want to do that so a few decided to argue with her and that caused her to kick them out of class. I have no idea what is going to happen this week but I hope we can get through class without kicking more people out. I believe in God because that is how I was raise but I'm very interested and open to learn more about the evolution theory. Most of my friends believe in God as well but they do have questions about the bible. I had some wonderful conversations about evolution with my friends and a little shocked to find out how much they know about evolution. I love learning!

Garden: My garden started growing last week. I started a new blog to track my garden. It has been fun and it's really cool to see food grow.

Recipe Request: I have a ton of kale and I have no clue what to do with it. Do you have any good recipes for kale? Thanks and have a great week!

Focusing on the Insides!

Yesterday was my first day of summer school. The subject is "physical anthropology". I decided to take this class because I want to learn and add new words to my vocabulary. The professor and most of the people in the class are very interesting. There was a lot of interesting questions about why different cultures do what they do.

I finished college over 20 years ago and my degree help me get a great job and that job has allowed me to travel and that is a good thing. But, now I am in school to learn without the pressure of needing to finish so I can get a job. Now I can take the classes that I am interested in like anthropology, history, psychology, human development, biology, chemistry and so many more. When I am in class my brain is like a firecracker just sparking and bursting off with knowledge. I love the knowledge.

Exercise and Eating news: My body is sore after all the workout classes from last weekend so I need to pump up my stretching routine. Eating is going very well and balance.

Blood test results: I saw my doctor yesterday and she was very pleased with my recent blood test. All the numbers came back within normal range and some better than normal. She was very pleased to see that my kidneys are doing very well. I am always worry about my kidneys because I had a third of my kidney removed because of a cancerous tumor. So all my hard work over the past year has paid off on the inside. Lower cholesterol and blood glucose is what I was trying to achieve and I did it. Sometimes it not how you look on the outside but how the inside is working.

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Checking In!

I had a great workout weekend. Zumba is my favorite work class. I love the moves and the energy that it gives me. Zumba is a class that bring out the smiles.

Nothing else going on this week but relaxing and school.

Friday: Kickboxing and Boot Camp

Saturday: Kickboxing and Zumba

Sunday: Boot Camp and Zumba

Goodnight Fat Girl vs Skinny Girl!

Yesterday I got all my gardening supplies and seeds. The seeds, soil, and compost are all organic. So, I am very excited about starting my garden. Last night I planted beets and tomatoes. Today I will plant cabbage, beans, broccoli raab and cauliflower.

I am feeling I little guilty about posting this morning. My blog is going in a different direction. Fat girl vs Skinny girl is no more. When I started this blog almost a year ago I was in this major battle with myself. I was confused on how to reduce my weight, what to eat, how to exercise, how to live life as a fat girl. The first and most important thing I did for myself was to toss the scale out. That scale brought me heartache and pain. When I looked down at the scale and saw the number of an obese lady it made me feel like a failure. One day I was talking to my friend of 20 years about it and she changed my life. She told me that I was not a failure and she had never seen me fail at anything. My mom had to second that and she has known me since I was born ;-). It felt really good to hear that and I ran with it.

Over the past year I have learned to love myself, take care of myself by eating healthy, reducing stress, getting more sleep, taking more vacations, getting toxic people out of my life and feeling good about all my choices. My life is so much better since I started my journey and in the end it had nothing to do with the weight. I have to admit that since I started this blog I have lost a total of 22 pounds which is not bad at all. My belly is smaller and my body looks leaner. This journey was about me believing in myself and realizing that I am a okay person. I have a great family, great friends and a wonderful life. It's about acceptance and that is what I have done.

So, this might sound like a farewell post but it is not. I will still be posting but not about my failures but about my successes. My future post will not be how I need to maintain but how I am living. Melissa, (Getting healthy with Melissa) left me a comment and she said that I was in a "good place" and I thought about how true that comment was. It feels so good to be in a good place and being able to recognize it. Sometimes we need to just stop and ask ourselves are we in a great place.

Before I end today I would like to thank all my blogging friends and this community. It has been a blessing to be part of this world. My plan in the future is to put the name of my blog to "bed" and introduce the new name. Thank you Fat Girl vs Skinny Girl and goodnight!


Organic news! let me tell you how eating organic can make you "starve yourself". Around 11:30 a.m. my stomach started to talk to me but I did not have anything to eat at work. I was suppose to only be at work for 2 hours so my plan was to eat at home. Okay, two hours turned into 4 hours and my stomach was really hungry. So, I went to the office refrigerator to see if I had any food left over from earlier in the week and of course I did not. But my coworker and dear friend had an apple in there but it was not organic. I pick it up and looked at it and thought it's only one non-organic apple, go on, eat it. (little Adam and Eve thing going on in my head) I could not do it because I though about all the chemicals that was used to grow it. So, I poured a big glass of water and told myself to wait until I go home. I was very proud of myself for waiting and not giving in. I am also happy to write that next week I will be visiting one of the organic farms here in San Diego county that provide the veggies and fruits that I buy. This will be my first time to a farm and I am very excited. My grandmother had a huge urban garden in Houston during the 70's and 80's. She dug up her front yard and grew fresh veggies year around. She would also share with her neighbors and she inspired them to plant their own gardens. So in the middle of a low income neighbors you could see gardens in every direction. It was the most beautiful sight to see. Love you grandmother!

Question of the day! What place are you in today?

The weekend is here!

I am looking forward to working out this weekend. On the schedule tomorrow is kickboxing and boot camp. My mind and heart can not wait to get my heart rate up. My muscles have recovered very good.

Eating is going well. Still 100% organic and eating smaller portions. That $18 chicken (2) I bought last week taste really good and taste different from the non-organic chickens. I will be able to eat off of these two chickens for about 2 1/2 weeks. Tonight I went meatless and had black beans, rice, and broccoli. It was very tasty.

Last Friday I had my yearly mammogram and they call me back on Monday stating they saw a few spots and ask me to come back on Wednesday for more films and an ultrasound. Well, today I found out that I had two benign cyst under the breast which was not related to the breast. So, my breast are okay but I need to see my family physician for a complete exam on Tuesday. My doctor is not worried but she just want to check it out. Three years ago I had a cancerous tumor removed from my kidney so my doctor do not want to take any chances when they see something that is not right. It's always scary but I feel blessed to have insurance and the wonderful doctors that have taken care of my in the past. To all my blogging friends please take care of yourself and if you feel pain get it check out.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend and I will be checking back in over the weekend.

Old Routines and Friends!

Okay, the earthquake last night felt like the "Big One" but it was only rank 5.7 on the earthquake scale. It hit at 9:36 p.m. The house rocked, rolled, and dipped. It felt like the floor was fall in. It lasted about 10 seconds but it felt like 10 minutes. When you are in an earthquakes seconds can feel like minutes. We had a 4.9 on Saturday and that one rocked the house pretty good as well. Today we talked about it for most of the morning at work. I hate when a earthquake hits during work because my office building is on rollers and that just intensify the movements. Earthquakes are part of California and that will never change.

So yesterday was my first day without going to the gym and I have to say it was really nice. I was able to come home earlier and clean my kitchen really good. In the past I have always been to tried to do anything after work and my workout. So coming home even to clean is not bad at all. Today, I was able to clean my bathroom and scrub the floor by hand. It smells really nice and looks very shiny. I was even able to talk to my 87 year old grandmother to catch up on all the family drama back in Texas. So my new schedule have some wonderful benefits. I will have a cleaner house and a happier family.

For lunch I went out with a friend of mine that is expecting her 2nd bundle of joy. She just found out the she was having another girl. She is totally a girly mom so I was expected her 2nd to be a girl. Okay back on track, after lunch my stomach did not feel so good. I had a cup for tomato soup (gourmet style) and a slice of basil and cheese pizza. The food was not organic but it of good quality. I have notice in the past few weeks when I eat non-organic food my stomach hurts really bad. I am not sure if there is a true correlation but something is not right.

Orange Tree: My friend has two orange trees in her backyard so this will be my source for oranges and they are organic. She also has a lemon and lime tree so that will take care of the citrus. I have a few more friends that have plums, peaches, and apple trees that I can go shopping off of anytime of the week. This will help reduce my organic budget a bit. The nice thing about living in California is the abundance of fruit trees in the area. It's also nice to have friends that will share.

This morning I informed my workout friends that I would not be working out with them during the week and to my surprise they seemed really happy about it. They wanted to make a workout change as well but they felt obligated to stick with the old routine and the group. Most of them agreed that it was getting to be a little routine and boring. So in the end they will go their own way and we will meet every once in awhile for a bike ride or hike.

That is it for now!

Question: Do you have a routine that is getting old?

Thanks for the comments!

Thanks for the comments. It feels really good to have completed something for the week.

Most of my thinking came from listening to the media and reading health books stating I need to workout everyday. It's not always realistic to fit the everyday workout in. So in the end I have to do what is best for me. The weekend workout is for me.

Thanks again for the comments. They mean so much.

Completed My New Workout Routine!

All done with my workouts for the week. I walked out of class this morning feeling really good. So the next four days I will be able to focus on relaxing, eating healthy and my new work hours.

It so nice not to worry about getting a workout in after work. There will also be no guilty days or excuses for not working out. I will continue to write about the good and the bad of my new workout routine. I don't see anything bad about it at this time.

My new workout will include two 45 minute cardio classes on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with four days off. So far it is working out very well.

Wishing you all a great week!

Changing Up the Workout Routine!

Went to the gym this morning for two hours. I did two cardio class that really kicked my butt. First was turbo kickboxing and the second one was Zumba. I felt really good and satisfied with myself.

This week I have to make some changes when it comes to working out because my work hours are changing. Before I was able to workout during lunch but now that is out. Since I am two tried to workout after work I have decided to get my workouts in over the weekend. So, Friday, Saturday and Sunday I will be taking two 45 minute classes per day and that will cover me for the week . I should have thought of this sooner. So much easier and no pressure to rush out of work. Also, no guilty feelings for not working out during the week. I never enjoyed working out before, during or after work but I did it because it had to be done. Working out on the weekend is enjoyable.

This morning I woke up feel skinny in the belly and legs. It has to be my new eating habits. I eat very small meals and I don't think about snacking between meals. Like I said earlier this week eating organic will help you drop the pounds. Overeating is not an option when you are eating 100% organic.

Yesterday I walked out of whole foods with a full bag of organic groceries for under $40 bucks($38.66). I had ground beef, ground chicken, beef shanks, oranges, peaches, apricots, bananas, spinach, kale, carrots, onions, potatoes, green peppers, popcorn, cornmeal, beans, milk, cheese, eggs, bread, flour, and butter. All certified organic. I could not believe the price when I saw it myself. It put a smile on my face. So, that is it for the next two weeks.

I notice that Trader Joe's has organic veggies but they come from Mexico and the certified organic seal is not on the packaging. I can not buy food grown and processed in Mexico even the non-organic foods when I was buying them. Yes, Whole Foods is very expensive but their organic foods are locally grown and labeled with the certified organic seal. I am still researching how foods become organic, so far I am pleased with the processed. I am in the process of also understanding farm-raised seafood. Some website states it's not a good process. Whole Foods states their seafood is farm-raised but organic. I will stay away from the seafood for now until I am satisfied with the process.

So that is my world for now.

My tip of the day! Make every moment special for yourself.

Giving UP! Non-Organic Foods

Today was a great day here in gloomy San Diego. The month of June always bring clouds and the misty rain. It's okay with me because sometimes I get tried of the sun.

I got up this morning and walked for about 30 minutes. It was great and refreshing. My head was clear and ready to start my day.

After my walk I had organic old fashion oatmeal w/organic blueberries and organic milk. Truly certified organic and local. For lunch I had organic chicken thighs over organic grilled carrots. Very yummy! I never thought eating could feel this good.

My coworker ask me to go out with her so she could pick up lunch. She offered to buy me lunch but I happily declined. My plan is to eat 95% organic and leave 5% for going out on special occasions. San Diego is a very healthy city but we do not have many organic restaurants yet. The only 100% organic restaurant that I am aware of is the one in the airport. Well, I am not going to the airport to eat organic. I will be flexible but I will tell you now that eating out is not very appealing to me since I have made the transition.

Like I said yesterday there is no stress about what I am going to eat or shop for. Heck shopping is made easy and I love it. I have to say that today I went to Costco because I heard they had organic meats and they did but only whole chickens. So, I did the math and decided on two whole chickens that cost - don't scream because I did not $18.15 for two yes two organic chickens. It did not hurt one bit and I was very proud of myself. The cost per chicken was $9.25 each and I will cut them up into 10 pieces (I cut both breast in half which will give me 4) which will make each piece worth .93 per piece. So I have 20 pieces of chicken plus the backs for stock. The butcher told me that the organic beef goes really fast so I would need to be at the store first thing to get organic beef. I will do that.

The nice thing about eating organic is that I do not look down on people that eat non-organic foods. But when I was on a diet and eating non-organic foods I would look down on people who was eating unhealthy foods like greasy burgers and fries. It is the weirdest thing and I can not explain it.

Since I have been reading about eating organic foods I have a new love for foods and a appreciation for its purpose. In the past food has always been my enemy and I did not really enjoy it because I blamed it for making me fat. All that has gone now.

This weekend my plan is to continue to educate myself on eating organic and producing my own foods. I am going to get some exercise in every morning and evening by walking for 30 minutes.

So that is the plan! To all of you have a wonderful weekend!

Shopping organic and making the transition! Going organic can be expensive and that is because most people want to continue to buy non-organic foods. For the transition to be cheaper you need to go 100% organic. Just leave the non-organic foods in the dust. If that is impossible just start with the small items like milk, eggs, butter, jams, apples, etc. As you continue with the transition you will notice the extra dollar will not hurt as much. For me it cost less because I gave up buying the non-organic foods. Good Luck!

Going Organic and Loving It!

Three weeks ago I decided to only eat foods under the certified organic label. It was time for me to take a real look at what was going in my body. So I eased myself into to it and now my kitchen is 100% certified organic. I has been wonderful and not as expensive as I thought.

I ask my friends to come over and take everything in my cabinets and freezer that was not organic. I have to admit that it was so shocking to see how many bags of non-organic food was carried out of my house. It had to be over a $175 worth of food.

Also, I have lost 6 pounds since I made the change and that has been the most rewarding of all. The weight reduction is because I am eating less food. When you go organic you think about what is going into your body and how much you eat because of the price of the food. You will not overeat when you eat organic. I have also notice I will buy 4 organic apples and cut them in half instead of buying 7 of the conventional grown at the cheaper price. Everything I eat is measured.

Going organic has limited my choices and I think it's better. If it's not organic it will not go in my body. It's nice to go in the store now and not feel pressured by the advertising of non-organic. It's easy for me to say no. Food just taste better and overall my grocery bill has decreased because I am not buying all the processed junk. Yes, it's true my bill has decreased. I am measuring out my organic meats like chicken, ground sirloin, and ground chicken to 4 ounce servings. I am also eating less meat so that helps a lot.

I have to say eating organic chicken is so different for the conventional chicken. It taste meaty not like rubber. The organic beef taste like beef with less fat and water. I was even able to find organic ice cream that was very creamy and tasty.

So that is what is going on with me this week. I am on my way. I am also going to start a garden this weekend so that will be another way for me to stay motivated. Eating and living healthy.

I have to give a shout out to my friend that has been feeding her family of seven (7) 100% organic for over 3 years now. Please believe me this wife and mother is not rich. Just a working middle class family in America making the choice to truly eat healthy. Thanks lady for motivating me for all these years. I finally did it at 100%. It can be done!

Excuse Free Zone!

Free at last! Free at last!

School is officially over. Yesterday I took my last final which was in my favorite class of all times, psychology. The funny thing about the class was that the professor was not there to teach. He was there because they needed a fill-in for Saturday and he offered to do just that fill-in. I learned on my own and love it. I would recommend psychology 101 to all folks over 40 because the mind is ready to accept the information and have a better understanding of the theories and methods. The class started in late January with 40 people and ended with #15. The professor told me in March that all his students over the age 35 was passing the the exams with "A's" and the younger folks were making grades lower than 60%. I will admit we had some babies in the class that complained about his exams but the nice thing about his exams was the fact that each question came out of the text. So it was easy for me because I read the chapters and passed each exam with 100%. In a few weeks I will start my next course in Human Growth and Development. The professor is wonderful and very passionate about her job so it should be fun.

When I drove off the campus yesterday I experienced a moment of sadness. It was weird because I was happy for the semester to be over. I also asked myself "what are you going to do now?" So, this morning I woke up and realized way I was sad. It was because my routine was over and I needed to started a new one. It was time for me to start back at the gym full-time again and the excuses were in the past for me not to the gym. It was very clear and simple. Like I mentioned in my post on Thursday I have a hard time balancing my life. Exercising has always been on the back burner when it comes to my life. I realized last year for me to maintain a healthier life I must include exercise it.

As I close my eyes I can see the door to exercising but I will not open it. There is nothing in my way this time but me. All the excuses are gone such as school, work, family, friends and body pains. The only thing that is holding me back is myself. I have to open that door and walk in. It's really sad that I struggle with this because I love to exercise once I get there. I love the classes and enjoy the way I feel after every class. There is also a side of me that is mad about having to get up and workout. There is anger and frustration in my heart but I am not going to allow it to stop me. I am very aware that working out is my choice and I should not do things that makes me angry (but). Let me stop right there for now! It helps to write about this because I 'm wrapping my head around it every second. Today I will walk across that thrush-hold and make exercising a part of my weekly routine again. I am very fortunate not to have so many doors to open so I will change my attitude and make it happen.

Excuse Free Zone! This week I am starting a new campaign for myself and that is to stop with the excuses. No more door blocks and road blocks in my way. This is going to be a 4 week challenge and I will write about it every week.

Today exercise: Spinning class for 60 minutes.

Question of the day! Do you give into your excuses about exercising and eating healthy? I appreciate all comments and words of encouragement. Thank you!

Exercise update: Made it to the gym this morning. I started with a 45 minute weight lifting workout and ended with a 45 minute cycling class. It felt and still feels good. I am back! It was just what I needed. I have not been to a cycling class in over five months and I have truly missed it. So my plan is to get two more in before the end of the week.

Obsessive Thoughts! Learning to Breathe

Learning to breathe for the first time. Just one more final to go and school will be done for 6 weeks. During the past 14 weeks I have learned one important thing about myself and that was my behavior of obsessing.

In the past I talked a really good game about being able to balance my life but reality proved me wrong because of my need to obsess over things. These things included: eating, working, studying, exercising, and playing.

Just tonight as I was looking through my college catalog and thinking to myself "Wow! I would love to take all of these classes in this book". I was trying to figure out how I could do it within the next 3 years. During my moment of craziness, I realized that I have been looking at this catalog every day for the past 3 months trying to figure out how I could make it work. So as I turned the page and saw the 15 history courses I thought to myself "girlfriend, stop with the obsessive thoughts". So, I decided to toss the catalog in the trash and stop thinking about it because it has been consuming my life for months.

So I thought about how I have put my life on the back burner to fulfill my desire for knowledge that is not realistic or necessary. In the past I have had obsessive thoughts about exercising, planning a vacation, eating, and so many other things that would take about 2 hours to list. My goal is to stop this behavior because it is so unhealthy for my mind and body.

My plan is to think about why I need to obsess and when I have these obsessive thoughts to confront them head on. Tonight I realized that there is no reason for me to take over 2000 classes or go to the gym 12 times in a week unless I want to. And please believe me I do not want too!

This is all new to me so I will need to process my thoughts for the next few days. I want to know why I have these obsessive thoughts and behaviors. One thing I will do is not obsess over my thoughts about this but learn how to correct my behavior.

This semester I took a psychology class and I learn so much about cognitive behavior. I enjoyed the class so much that I am thinking about changing my major. But I will not obsess about that right now. My plan is to take classes that will challenge my mind and bring me pleasure all at the same time.

My obsessive thoughts about my life has caused me great frustration. It is so nice to live in reality again. It's time for me to enjoy each day not the things I want in my future. I feel at peace and so relax. I am truly breathing again! Reality feels good!

I Can See The Light!

It has been awhile. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hello to all my blogging friends if you guys are still following me.

I have two more weeks of school and my life will be back to normal again for about 6 weeks before the summer semester starts.

Blogging was a blessing to me so I can not wait to get back and visit all my friends.

I have a lot to talk about so I will be back later this week.

Happy Mother's Day!

Consequences makes Perfect!

It feels so good to be blogging again. I returned Friday from an 8 night cruise to Mexico and it feels so good to be back on land. The cruise was very relaxing and just what I needed to rejuvenate myself.

I worked out on the ship only four days but I did a ton of walking around the ship so I made it up. The ship workout room was well equipped with the last equipment. To my surprise there was a yogi and spin class everyday. I also took advantage of the steam room and jacuzzi after each workout.

Now, lets talk about the food parade. It was overwhelming but I was in total control. I promise myself that there would be no overeating. I gave myself a talk every morning about how important it was to eat healthy. It really helped to have that talk because I decided to eat as if I was at home. I talked about the consequences of overeating and eating the wrong foods. I learned in my psychology class about "operant conditioning" which means - learning through the consequences of voluntary behavior. Learning this before my cruise made it easier for me to avoid overeating or eating unhealthy because I thought about the consequences of this bad behavior.

This week workout is going to be hard but I am ready to get back to my normal life.

"Hot Hula Girl"

I am on a cardio workout plan this week. For the past 4 days my workout routine has been all cardio. Sunday I went to the coolest cardio class call "Hot Hula" and man was it hot. The routine was all about the back of the legs and waist. My body was so sore from the workout but I have to admit it has been the best exercise for the back of my legs. I thought squats and lunges was the best but this class take the cake hands down.

This morning I run a little over 1 mile with my friend and that was a ton of fun. My goal is to run twice a week to build up my endurance.

Good news! My clothes are getting baggy again so that is good in the excessive fat department.

Next, week I will add a few aqua classes to my routine to help with the soreness. Today, I was to sore to do Yoga.

I reduced my weight by 4 pounds last month so I am on the right track with 36 pounds to go.

Adjusting My Meals!

It's getting harder to keep my blog going because of school but I will commit to updating it once a week.

I am still doing my 5 minute workout in the morning and getting 3 days of exercise in a week. I am going to add a 4th day because I can tell my weight is dropping off slower.

I have gone from working out 6 days to 3 days and please believe me it makes a difference in a bad way. I am still eating as if I am working out 6 days so I can tell my shorts are fitting a little more snug around the belly. So my plan is to adjust my eating to fit my 4 day a week workouts.

This is my plan!

2 days of cardio
2 days of weight lifting
7 - 5 minute workouts

Meal adjustment: Only eat carbs on the day that I do cardio. The others days I will eat protein, veggies and fruits.

Calling Out For Mini Workout Routines!

Yesterday morning I started a new 5 minute cardio/weight lifting routine. I am only doing this workout in the morning just to get my day going on the right note. The workout is very easy: Pull out the stop watch!

1. 3 - :20 second intervals sprints in place with pumping arms.

2. 3 - :20 second intervals jumping jacks with arms out in front.

3. 3 - :20 second intervals leap frogs or hops.

4. 3 - :20 second intervals biceps.

5. 3 - :20 second intervals triceps.

I rest 10 seconds between each :20 second intervals. This is the best workout ever and I can do it anywhere and at anytime. This mini workout gives me so much energy for the rest of the day.

I am only doing this mini workout in the morning because I want to keep myself focused and on track to a better and smaller me.

Eating has been good this week. I made some chicken and veggie soup for the week it is keeping my belly nice and flat.

Exercise tomorrow: Mini workout @ 5 a.m. and Weight Lifting

Question of the day: Do you have any mini cardio workouts that can be done anywhere and at anytime?

Please share because I would like to change up my mini morning workout every month. Thanks

Happy V-Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Neglecting What Is Important!

Old feelings making a comeback! This blog today is dedicated to the statement "I don't feel like going to the gym." I have made this statement twice this weekend and I hate it. Friday, I decided not to go for "no reason" at all and today I woke-up with the statement on my mind. This is the statement that help contribute to my weight gain and unhealthy life style.

This morning I tried to think of 3 reasons why I should honor this statement but I could not come up with one so it has to be laziness. Maybe it has something to do with school and not being able to balance the two. Are maybe it's the first signs of neglect. That is a powerful word but appropriate to use.

Starting today I will not allow that statement to rule my life because I am going to put my health before everything else. Instead of waking up thinking about school, work, etc I will make it a habit again to think about what I need to do to stay on this journey to a better me. For the past two weeks school has been on my mind and that is why it has been so easy for me to say " I don't feel like..."

My health has to come first and everything else can go under the balancing catagory. Balancing work, school, family and friends is easy once I have taken care of my health by eating healthier and exercising.

My priorty plan:

Exercise and eating healthy
Job duties
School
Social activities including family and friends

Today I am going to the gym (kickboxing class) for my health and after that I am going to enjoy some social time with friends at a super bowl party. After the party I will come home study for school and prepare for work tomorrow. I can have it all!

Question of the day! How do you balance it all out (exercise, work, family)? Are you neglecting one area to focus on another?

I noticed since school started I was feeling the need to put my weekend workouts on the back burner (neglect). Going to the gym is important to my health and my goal to drop 40 pounds before the end of the year. I am so happy that I saw the light early and was able to stop the behavior before it got out of control. Neglect can come on so fast please believe me.

My 40 Pound Expectation!

Thanks little brother for my Christmas present: I just picked it up from my local and efficient post office. The clerk told me it arrive on 12/15/2009 but they did not send me a notice until 2/1/2010. Way to go San Diego post office. I am very happy to have it and I will wear it with honors. Love you little brother!

Yoga girl today: once again great class for the mind and body. We did a few strange moves that I can not spell or verbalize. I was very sore after my weight lifting class yesterday so the stretching helped.

Only 4 pounds per month: I set this goal because it will be the last leg of my journey. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The number is small but the impact will be huge. I will be 3 sizes or more smaller and looking much better in my clothes. My clothes look nice now but zero belly will make them look awesome. I have to admit that now I have real expectations for myself. I can not turn back at this point.

Question of the day: Is your weight goal a true expectation?

I did not have any expectations until I set that number yesterday.

Loving the Gym!

I am working out know and love it! It was the best feeling to walk into that gym and be with all my workout buddies. The instructor was awesome and kicked our butts. We did a ton of lunges and bicep curls. Man, the cardio was intense and fun. So, my life is back to normal and heading in the right direction once again.

This month workout goal: My plan is to workout 4 days a week. Because of school I will design a weekly plan that will include a cardio class, weight lifting class and yoga/pilates. This week will workout will include weight lifting, yoga and kickboxing. I will also go on a 30 minute bike ride on Sunday before my super bowl party.

Weight goal: This is a first but I have decided to drop 4 pounds per month that will end on 12/31/2010. My plan is to shed 40 pounds and that will put me at my ideal weight. I believe it is time to put a number on my journey. So let the games begin!

That is the plan!

Thanks For The Award!

Thank You Claire! I really appreciate you acknowledging my blog by giving me a 'sweet friend' award. Your encouraging words mean so much to me. My blogging friends mean so much to me and my road to a better me. Claire thank you again for being my blogging friend.

Getting better: Still nursing a cold but with plenty of rest and sleep my body is getting back to normal. I decided to make a small pot of chicken soup and I have to admit that the congestion in my head has cleared up. I have to admit that chicken soup works and should always be part of the healing process.

Absent from the gym: This is rare for me but I want to have a pity party about not going to the gym this week. (Give me 5 seconds, okay 6) It's sucks and I am so jealous of all the folks that made it to the gym this week. I just need to smell it and feel all the energy that comes with the gym. I am sure everybody at the gym would really appreciate me not coming in to spread my germs but I miss it so much. The gym has been a true friend and about 60% of my life for the past 7 months. All my friends talked about their workouts this week and how strong they feel. I loved hearing their stories but man it was really hard. So, getting back to reality my plan is to give my body what it needs to heal so if that means passing up the gym this weekend that is what I will do. I might go out to the beach tomorrow for a little walk and fresher air. I love walking on the beach because it brings me so much peace.

Question of the day: How long have you gone without exercising since you started your journey?