Constant Commentary

Actually... fun fact: The Sahara is wet compared to some places in the world! Source: Planet Earth/Blue Planet/7 Worlds 1 Planet documentary obsession. It's January 21st and dry January is going swimmingly- all KINDS of water for swimming! I don't have a drinking "problem," BUT I have learned that I do use drinking as a de-stressor and fun enhancer and that's something I'd like to work on a bit. A few months ago I listened to a podcast episode," Augmenting Positive Emotions  and it was all about how we use drinking (and eating), as emotion enhancers and I had never thought about that before. We feel a positive emotion and have trained our brains to immediately seek an additional dopamine hit from something like sugar or alcohol to augment and enhance that positive emotion. She used a great example of sitting on a porch on vacation watching a gorgeous sunset and thinking about how it would be even nicer with a glass of wine. I chose to participate in...

Today is day 21 of my 21-day challenge. I consider it a resounding success even though I did not "GO HARD AND CLEAN" every day.  I have made serious progress towards fitness. I haven't had soda in over three weeks and I DO NOT MISS it anymore! I am making exercise a priority more often than not. Day One of t25, I thought I was going to die.  Today.... I felt sweaty, and hot, and it was hard, but NO DYING!! I have more energy I am making small good food choices all day long rather than being "all or nothing."  This is huge for me.  If I have something "bad,"  it's fine, it's called LIVING.  I just have something good next time I am hungry.  No more... "Well I ate that cookie, so THIS DAY/WEEK/MONTH is blown, may as well eat ALL THE THINGS!" I am drinking WATER.  Like.... ON PURPOSE!!  And I don't hate it! Since I did so well with this challenge, even though I often half-assed it and did not give it my all.  I have joi...

Well "does it" may be stretching it.  I just started yesterday. One of my coworkers, Cathy,  became a beachbody coach and started this little facebook group/challenge and I was like. "HELL YEAH I AM IN!"  (ok, I was more like, "oooh wouldn't it be great if I actually followed through with this, but we all know I probably won't") I work noon to midnight on Mondays and Tuesdays.  I actually chose that shift on purpose with the daydream of "Oooh... I'll get up and exercise before work, and get stuff done, and it will just be sunshine and roses every day!!!"  Day 1 I laid in bed and have convinced myself to exercise later... tomorrow... Then a got a notification on my phone.  Cathy had posted a picture of herself having just worked out.  Oh HELL NO!!  If she is up and working out, I have NO excuse!!!  So I did it.  And it sucked.  a LOT.  I did t25 and it was ROUGH.  It showed me that I REALLY need to embrace this challe...

Today as I slid on my jeans for work...  I was actually planning on probably having to slide them back off again because they were too tight.   NOPE!  If anything,  they were looser!  As planned,  while in Mexico,  I ate and drank everything I wanted to.  Fortunately,  that is a LOT of great fresh Mexican food!  I never really eat junk food in Mexico because it's all just weird stuff.   Even if I am feeling snacky,  and go into a corner store,  I almost always come out empty handed because 1. I don't know what anything is and 2. None of it looks appetizing to me.  My downfall was traveling home.  I am VERY CAREFUL about what I eat around plane trips for fear of a repeat of the puking incident,  but once we got back in Boston ...and ended up stranded there for 2 days (thank you American Airlines for losing the one bag with our car keys in it).  I must admit,  all bets were off....

Well... this week's 'iced coffee selfie that illustrates nothing' actually does illustrate something.  Don't wear this shirt and a sports bra that smashes the boobies.  I look like a blob. Last week I had been thinking that by this week I would not have that iced coffee in my hand and would be off artificial sweeteners.  I am not.  Not even a little.  I am trying to be more mindful about it and make a least a few choices here and there that don't involve that garbage.  I didn't have any diet soda at all yesterday,  and I drank a cup of tea with no real or fake sugar in it at all, and actually enjoyed it! We leave on Friday for our vacation and I feel awesome that I have been able to stick to this the whole time!!  I do wish I had exercised more and was in better running shape, but, oh well... it is what it is. The big test now is coming HOME from vacation and staying attached to this new lifestyle.  I am actually not worried about the vacatio...