I love my new life!

Day 12 Vegan!

Well it certainly is a crazy time with the coronavirus and Social distancing and along with that us changing to a completely vegan diet! I just wanted to make a few notes as to the changes I am feeling and seeing on the vegan diet to keep track of progress and let anyone know that might be interested in pursuing this type of eating.

I have never been much of a meat lover but I definitely loved eggs and dairy products. So as far as missing meat, I really do not miss it. I do miss some of the dairy products but honestly it has not been a big deal. It has been challenging to find foods to cook to keep things interesting but fresh fruit and vegetables are always on the top of my favorites anyway so it’s just finding enough things to eat so that you’re not feeling hungry all the time.

Having starches is the key. Each meal and we try to have potatoes, rice, bananas, or other root vegetables or whole wheat pasta or bread. I have been making a whole wheat bread from scratch and use it when needed but for the most part we are trying to incorporate brown rice or potatoes or oatmeal. Beans are also playing a big role in our diet to keep things interesting and flavorful. Overall, the diet takes Some preparation and planning especially since the boys are still eating meat so I’m having to cook the meat to go along with whatever we have at night.

The most important thing right now is how I feel. Both my husband and I have not felt lighter or better in a long time. We have both lost weight at a slow pace. Of course he has lost more than me because he’s a man! It’s just not fair! But in the first week I did lose 1.5 pounds so that was good. I’ve also seen a Decrease in my blood pressure and I’m looking forward to having my blood work done to see improvements in about a month. More on that later!

I hope everyone is staying healthy and calm during this coronavirus pandemic and is enjoying time at home away from others in the community practicing self isolation as much as possible.

Prepping Day

Today I officially started preparing for the new vegan diet by shopping, getting out the tape measure and scale, taking out the blood pressure cuff and making some staples from scratch: salsa, german potato salad, dill pickles (refrigerator style) and started some saur kraut. I’m very excited about beginning this journey and seeing how it makes me feel and how it affects my health.

The plan we are going on is low fat vegan and will require more time cooking than normal and no eating out for a while. I love to cook, so this should be fun for me to experiment with new ideas and recipes.

If you have any great low fat vegan recipes you love, please share!

Vegan lifestyle

I’ve always been curious about diet and what it can do for your health. Over the years I’ve read countless books about Keto diet and high fat diets but not until just this last week did I come across the starch based diet, created by Dr. McDougall.

It’s fascinating to think that we could control so much of our health by the food we decide to eat. Of course we’ve all heard “you are what you eat”, but I never really saw studies about it until now.

I am planning to give this new lifestyle a shot. I’ve been in denial for years about my cholesterol and weight and have been on blood pressure meds for 25 years. It’s time for me to take control and give my future health the best opportunity.

I’m quite excited about the foods and recipes. I really do not like meat and have always found it kind of gross. With the big fat high protein diets we have been eating, this will be a welcomed change for me.

The recipes are all based on Whole Foods from the fruit and veggie groups with starch at the center of each meal. They are also low fat. And low salt.

I’m getting my bloodwork done the first morning we start which is next Monday. I will monitor my blood pressure and bloodwork for the following month and see how it all goes (hopefully improves)! I’m really excited to think that maybe I have a chance to change my health and correct the issues I’ve been hiding and brushing under the rug.

I’m sure there will be some challenges with this transition but I’m preparing now and getting ready for the big change. My hubby is going to join me and we will have to figure out what to do with the boys. I’m hoping we can transition the whole family into it if we like it and see good results.

If anyone has experience with this type of lifestyle I’d love to hear about it!

Getting back on track

So, I’ve strayed from my plans for the past few weeks and I need to regain my focus and determination.

I get frustrated easily with making changes and some hip pain really got me down, but I’m getting back on track here.

I’m not sure if the pain was caused by over stretching in yoga or what but I’m determined to not let it get me down.

February was sprinkled with some drinking and I see myself slowly getting back into old habits. When I allow drinking I stop painting (weird!) and I don’t work out as much. So with the little bits of wine and the hip pain I was not my best version of me.

It’s a process. I have to go through the bad and good to get to the final goals. My business coach is on me to list my top initiatives and rank them and then set the goal deadlines. This has been enlightening!

Weight loss and health are at the top. I’m planning to begin a very new healthy eating plan starting March 8 when we return from a business trip. I can’t wait. And I can’t wait to see results!

Busy busy and how to slow down!

Life just gets so darn busy.

I want to see what it’s like to live the simple life and really connect to my passions, but it’s just so darn hard! I am trying to make little changes and tweaking and tweaking and then tweaking some more.

I’m definitely struggling with seeing myself alcohol free forever. I think I’m learning a lot about myself in this journey to a better me, and I’m really evaluating my past alcohol consumption. I don’t feel I ever truly gave it an adult try. I feel like I always viewed myself as the sneaky 16 year old sneaking around and drinking and then smoking as I got older. I was sneaking like that with my drinking and smoking to some degree. I never actually thought about my position in life and that is just weird!

It’s weird because in every other aspect I am so “grown up!” I think it was my excuse to not be grown up and to be not responsible during those many days and nights I got myself drunk and forgot my real life and work and family responsibilities, even if only for a few hours. I enjoyed that disconnect. That’s what I’m trying to find. The disconnect and simplicity.

This is going to be a long journey for me! I’m ready to go on it and discover more about life and my personal life path.

Decided to start each morning off M-F at the gym with elliptical and weights and sauna three days a week and an hour long yoga class the other two days accompanied by a long walk with my pup.

I hope this tweak will help me with getting in my fitness and getting it out of the way first thing!

Cheers to a great week! And I mean the kind of cheers with Pom-poms!

Sugar and weight loss

I remember back in my teens I decided to go sugar free and I was relentlessly reading labels and would eat no white flower or sugar. I lost so much weight doing this. It sounds simple, but it takes a lot of effort to do it. There is sugar in everything!

I’ve been thinking about how hard it is to lose weight at this wonderful middle age of 50!

I think weight lifting and no sugar and Whole Foods will really make a difference. I’ve been craving sugar lately so its time to stop the sugar and increase the weight lifting.

I lost 10 pounds fast and have stalled in weight loss. Its time to kick it up a notch!

I remember when I was 24 and in the best shape of my life I weighed 140. I was a size 2 at 5 feet 8 inches! I would be very happy to reach a goal weight now of 155. So, that’s my new goal, which means I need to drop 25 pounds more or less.

If I can keep on track and lose 1-2 pounds a week I can reach the goal by mid June. I need to find some accountability partners, maybe start a small Facebook group to post and be accountable.

If anyone else is interested in a friendly group to be accountable and maybe some fun competition, let me know and I will set it up!

If I did not have to work what would I spend my time doing?

This is a question I ponder often. Because my husband is 15 years my senior and at retirement age I often battle with this question. I run a very successful service-based business (real estate), and my retirement age, if typical, is still 15 years away. However, we have built enough in savings that I could feasibly retire, although I would have to simplify and downsize/downshift.

I often feel that my current situation is not my true calling. But then I struggle with that because I have always been an entrepreneur and intrigued by building a successful, scalable business. I wonder how I would spend my time if I did not need to spend 40 to 80 hours per week on my business and all that comes along with it.. If I did not need to earn so much money, what would I do with my time?

Right now I am responsible for making enough money to pay for all of our expenses and our current lifestyle including travel. I also am responsible for providing support and leads for my team of agents which cost me approximately $80,000 a year. I also intern have to pay the salaries of my staff which currently cost me an additional $90,000 a year. All of these responsibilities and others relying on me cause me stress and a lot of time and energy is put into running this business.. The thought often crosses my mind about simplifying.

So I contemplate what it would be like if I did not run this business and I could do whatever I wanted all day. What would I spend my time doing? Would I be satisfied? Would I write more? Would I paint? Would I garden? Would I become a yoga fanatic? Would I become a health and lifestyle counselor? What would I do if given the opportunity to do anything in the world that I would like to do and am passionate about?

For many years I have craved simplicity. A simple life where my expenses are low and I live a life full of my passions, more like my grandparents did, just simpler. Is this even possible anymore?

I just have this annoying little feeling that something I am supposed to be doing is being shut down or held back. How do I get to the point where I can test this? If I wait until I’m too old the window will be gone! So my burning question is constantly if I should simplify now or when should I simplify to begin this exploration of the next phase in my life? I also still have two sons and they both are still in school and one has two years left and the other one has five years left before they graduate high school so this also comes into play when thinking about how to progress with this goal.

I know I am probably not alone in feeling this but I don’t know if this is a common feeling or if it’s an unusual feeling. I would love to hear from anyone else who is struggling with the same question. Please comment below and share your thoughts!

Things I’m doing because I’m sober

To keep the perspective fresh I want to document things I’ve done over the month of January that I would not have done if I was not sober.

1. I did 23 workouts! Yep! I did. 23 days of 31 I was physically improving myself. I did 6 yoga classes, 6 gym workouts with weights and a bunch of walks and bike rides. I did the sauna two times. This month I’m going for 26 workouts. And I’m upping the number of weight lifting workouts and saunas.

2. I cooked at home almost every night, with the exception of the trip to California. I ate at home and cooked healthy meals. This resulted in me losing over 10 pounds.

3. I did not sit around drinking alcohol. I did not smoke one cigarette. I woke up feeling amazing almost every single day!

4. I painted! I painted for more than 10 hours this month. I want to paint 10 hours a week, but it was an improvement! I don’t paint much when I drink. But I’ve been painting and increasing my painting time and I am really enjoying it. Here is a painting I am working on, it’s a long way from done, but it’s my theme- self portraits of the journey I’m on.

5. I am more present with the boys and my hubby. More engaged. More happy. I feel better overall…

6. We went to church most Sundays. This is new to this family. I was always nursing a hangover so we’ve never gone. This is a wonderful new part of my new life!

Excited to see what February brings with my second month of sobriety and loving my new life!

Goals:

Lose 8 pounds
Work out 26 days
Yoga -8 classes
Lift Weights -12 days
Increase cardio/walks to 30 minutes to 1 hour
Cook more greens. Try to have greens at every meal
paint 6-10 hours per week
Try cryotherapy for pain and weight loas
Get two massages this month
Daily-Meditate and morning routine of journaling/blogging and deep breathing
Get to church every Sunday with the family

What are your big goals for February?

The mind is a tricky thing!

Last night hubby and I went to a concert to see an old Favorite band, Styx. We did it alcohol free.

As I was on the way there I thought about all the 100’s and probably 1000’s of times we’ve gone to events and concerts over the years and this would be count for my 2nd one ever sober! We also attended a David Bowie tribute last year sober in set January. In the past on 100’s or 1000’s of occasions I would have been drinking at home since about 4, probably drinking some on the way, and by the time I arrived id have been pretty tipsy, 4-6 drinks into the night and I would drink 3 more or so there. I would crave cigarettes and smoke too. I was a mess. I was governed by drinking as much as I could and would make sure to get my fill!

Why was that the case? Why did I forget about health and happiness. And every more importantly why do I still think I want that control and that dream of being a moderate drinker?

Yep, my mind keeps on telling me that I can moderate. I can have it all. And, maybe I can. I know the mind is so powerful.

But why would I want to moderate? Why bother? I’m so happy without it. And drinking is. It the norm. When you actually look, many don’t drink. And very few drink like I did.

That notion is still there. The notion that I can drink out at events and drink only 3 drinks and stop and be happy. Well, it sounds wonderful, doesn’t it. Why does the mind do this? Why do I have to think this way?

I’ve read lots of books and I know it’s a normal feeling. I just wonder if anyone does actually do abstinence and then do moderation successfully and if it’s something I may try for.

I am going 100 days as my first goal. After that I will see how I feel on many levels and evaluate from there. I’m about 1/4 of the way to 100, and I really think I’m probably going for 365.

I’ve heard the magic starts happening at 100 days and just gets better from there. I’d love to hear from those of you who have passed these milestones and how you feel at them and beyond!

I appreciate hearing your stories and successes. They help keep this lady on track!

San Diego trip and a fail at the end!

Well, it got the best of me. Hubby and I made it through the whole event alcohol free until I opened my mouth last night. It was finally over and we took a cab to the beach area. And there was wine everywhere, the sun was setting and the musician was playing. Everyone was sitting at the outside beach bar.

As soon as the words came out of my mouth hubby jumped right on board. I knew I shouldn’t share my longing for the wine. But I did. And he wanted to have some beer. So we had 3 drinks and watched sunset. It was not as magical as we’d imagined it would be.

We attended dinners and parties alcohol free and then we failed just the two of us the last night. We made a conscious decision to drink and to see how it felt.

We followed the sunset with dinner and two more drinks. It felt comfortable like an old shoe. Then we went back to the hotel and slept and woke up super early to go to the airport. My head hurts slightly and I woke up hungry which has not happened during my sober days.

We both decided it was a glitch and to go right back to sobriety. It was an experiment and we both like being sober better.

So, back on track now. No drinking at the Styx concert tomorrow or my friends’ wedding on Sunday.

I am ok with the glitch. I’m not going to beat myself up. Just going to move forward and keep improving.