Time off for good behaviour

I am taking a well deserved break from eating right and exercising! I'm still getting lots of exercise, just not at the gym, and I'm still eating ok, I'm just adding a little chocolate to the diet right now! I just figure that instead of worrying about if I am going to eat too much junk over the holidays, I will let myself off the hook and not worry about it. I can have whatever I want, which only lasts until I get a stomach ache! We made sugar cookies last night and I tried a few too many! I felt like crap all night and that's how I remind myself not to do that.

I figure that I am going to do what I want anyway, why worry my pretty little head about it!

I was running!!!

After a very long ordeal with my feet, I was able to run again, for the first time in months, last week! I have been going to Laser therapy for my left foot for a few weeks now and I cannot believe how much it has helped. I ran twice last week and I couldn't be happier about it. My foot still hurt a bit after the run, but it rebounded so quickly and I hardly feel any pain at all most mornings. I even had my slippers, that I fitted with my inserts, in the laundry so I had to go without them this morning. I got out of bed, didn't hobble to the bathroom, and walked around for an hour without the slippers. I am wearing them again now that they are clean, but only because I still think it's a good idea.

What I did notice last time I ran, was that my pants were falling down, quite a bit. So I went out and bought some new yoga pants, in a size large! LARGE! Not extra large! I was so pleased that I was running again and in large pants that didn't fall down. What a great week! I did feel a bit like Phoebe (from Friends) when I ran - just because I was so excited. I even had to stop myself from fist pumping at the end of my run. I should have taken it easy on myself, but I didn't. I couldn't. I was running!

The trials of a soccer wannabe

So I am officially out for the soccer indoor season. I have torn my fascia...I think that's how it's spelled. So I was at practice one night and felt something pop. Not a good thing when it takes you down to the ground. Went to the podiatrist and he confirmed that I have torn the fascia in my left foot. I've tried to cortisone shots, no luck. So my next step was laser therapy. I am on my 6th treatment and I can feel an improvement. My foot is still tight and sore, but I can feel the change in pain level. I am hoping to start running again very soon. But the girls at the laser clinic have advised to not run outside! Imagine, that I'd have to be told that. For me, running outside would end with me under a bus..and that would be in good weather! So I've been taking it easy and swimming instead.

I wear this awesome swim cap to protect my beautiful locks, and I have to admit that I do look a bit like a penis. But if it protects my hair, so be it!

I have been alternating between swimming and a bit of gym and the efforts have resulted in losing the 5 pounds I gained after the tear. I know it doesn't seem like much, but I was down 5 pounds and it felt great. So I am back where I was before the tear, a little more sore, but all that more determined to take control of my body. Or, you know, let my body think I have! I like to think I can trick my body when it's not looking!

After all this I have decided that I love to run, but I have other options as well. And I realized that I do need to watch what I eat if I can't sweat the weight away. Who knew?

Hopefully I'll be back in good form by the time outdoor season rolls around. I was hoping to get on the field this season, but I guess I should heal up and then start again. I did get to warm up my daughter's goalie the other day, so I did get to be one the field once, I'm going to count that! I'll just keep my head up, my foot on ice and I'll be ok!

Soccer is weight loss gold!

I've had my second game, and I can say that I have never sweat like I did that night! It was freezing out and I was running like crazy, and I was so warm. Until about a half hour after the game when I had no more adrenaline in me and I froze! I can't say how much weight I've lost in the last few weeks, it hasn't been a ton, but I am almost at my 10 pound goal before vacation. It seems that I am not even hungry after a game, and I've burnt all those calories trying to keep my body warm, and keeping up with the other team on the field. I don't even care how much I've lost, all I know is that my body is changing. I can see it in the mirror week after week, things are moving and shifting in the most wonderful way! I'm not nearly as tired as I have been and I am eating better before a game, and even if I eat after, it's always good stuff that my body seems to crave. I say skip all that weight loss gimmick crap and join a team. I can't imagine I'll ever regret that decision!

No longer a soccer Mom!

I went to my first practice with my new soccer team last week. I am so pleased I found a team! I knew right away that it was a good fit because they made fun of me, and heckled me! Yes, that made me feel very welcome. It was exactly what I was looking for. A group of great girls looking to play soccer and not yell at me for sucking. The most important thing I heard that night was from the coach. Before we even took the field for a run he told us, "ladies, you are not soccer Moms, you are not a bunch of girls playing around. This is not time for you to watch your husband and your kids. You are athletes." I was hooked. It was a great practice, I learned a lot, but the best part was when we scrimmaged. It was just 4 on 4, but it was great! I had my poor toe stomped on, hit someone in the chest and rolled my ankle. The game was decided at the end by the coach, next goal would win. I got the ball, ran around another player and nailed it in the net! I was so concentrated on that goal, and I was leaned over so far left to get it, that I ended up falling down as I scored. It was legendary! (In my mind anyway!) I have my first game this week and I am so excited!

Team Sports

I am not a natural athlete, I'm not an athlete at all. Hold on, maybe I am and I never gave myself a fair shot at it. What makes an athlete? I can run - I am working on my endurance right now and I started at 5 1/2 minutes. I know, not a long time, but I am just starting. I can't do 10K right off the bat! But I lift weights, do classes, play soccer recreationally, soon to be league, I love to play badminton and tennis and I love to swim. So, am I an athlete? I love being active, I love being involved in sports and I am starting to think that I may be an athlete after all. I think that for so long I thought I wasn't an athlete and that just kind of stuck with me. But maybe it stuck because I never tried anything, or stuck with anything long enough to enjoy the athletic aspect of it.

My point is that I have started to play soccer, and for once in my life, I feel athletic. I never knew that team sports could make you feel so good and work me out harder than I have ever worked before. I think that so many people try to lose weight by themselves, I know I did. We think we are pushing ourselves so hard and that we are doing the best we can. Turns out, I wasn't. One 2 hour practice was harder than anything I've ever done before. And that is compared to taking an hour long class and then running or going on the elliptical for 30 minutes. I had to be accountable to other people for once and I worked harder knowing that they were counting on me to do so. So that's my new weight loss strategy, I am going to train myself to keep up with these other athletes. One day I might even be able to say that I am truly an athlete myself.

The Eat Clean Diet by Tosca Reno

I've just picked up this book and another by the same author, The Eat Clean Diet for Family and Kids. I have just started to read them and they are making a whole lot of sense so far. It's not rocket science, it's all about eating clean, meaning natural foods. Nothing processed, which, as far as I'm concerned, processed foods are the devils work and will wreak havoc on your body. So why do we eat them? Well in one word, a lot of those foods are YUMMY! Chocolate bars, french fries, fast food, do I need to go on? It's a really simple idea, eat foods that are just what they are, fruit, veggies, meat, whole grains.
I'm not an expert on this..yet, but when I know more, I will post that too. It just seems like a really good thing to do. Put good fuel into your body and I think good things will happen. Put crap in your body and you'll look and feel like crap. I am tired of looking and feeling like crap. My skin won't clear, I have trouble losing weight and I am so bloody tired ALL the time. There doesn't seem to be anything medically wrong with me, so let's see how I feel once I start eating better. I've been trying really hard to eat better, and because it's a work in progress, it's a slow process. You can't just change everything overnight. Well you could, but the chances of it sticking are slim to none. So I start with breakfast, then lunch and go from there. Some days I remember to eat just fruit and veg for snacks, and even that helps. Both books have lots of recipes and after the kids go back to school, I'll let you know what I've tried and liked.

Healthy stuff

This page is all about healthy things, resources, ideas. It's not about diet and exercise, but it could be. I don't believe in dieting, I think you have to change the way you live, the way you eat. Dieting may help you lose a few pounds but you need to find a real, long term solution to staying at that weight, or fitness level. Some of this stuff will be my ideas, MOST of this stuff will be pulled from books and magazines I read. I will always try to list the resource, to cover my butt, and so that there is a place to look it up.