Many are asking about my bikini body progress. Well, I started to feel overwhelmed and too wrapped up in every little thing I ate or did. It started to turn into a stress rather than a fun transformation. I was putting unneeded pressure on myself in order to lose weight. It felt more like a struggle than anything else. So, I needed to take a break and change things up.
Not only was I stressing myself out emotionally, I think my workouts were too high stress for me. I even think that the adrenalin rush I would get from intense workouts were defeating the progress. If the cortosol levels are too high in the body and the adrenals are overworked it will suppress thyroid function. Not good for someone who is already dealing with a slow thyroid. So, I decided to pick up the yoga and drop the hard core boxing and boot camp classes.
I even laid off spinning since it really reduced my range of motion and slowed the progress I was making with yoga. I have been dealing with a considerable amount of low back pain. I have hyper lordosis which simply means my low back is really overly curved. It makes it a bit more vulnerable. I injured a disc 10 years ago and it just seems to be my weak link. However, when my quads and psoas are fully stretched my back pain greatly reduces. So, lunges, splits, warrior 1 and all those similar stretches are rocking out! Plus lots of core work keeps me better aligned.
As I was clearing out old data in my computer today I came across pictures I didn’t realize I had. This is me weighing in at 108. As you know I am a little over 5’5″. Don’t mind the boob slippage. I was laying on my tummy and sat up quickly . I didn’t realize I was doing a “fashion DON’T”. 🙂
I decided to post these anyway since it really got me excited to think of being that size again. When I see these pics , it takes me back to that feeling confident in my body. I am enjoying this process. As long as I stay in this zone I feel energized and not pressured. I am happy to watch my transformation.
I want to stay in a state of excitement and gratitude. I want to be thankful for what I have now and remember how lucky I am to even have a healthy able body. So many people are less fortunate, disabled, or ill and how dare I complain. I am one lucky chick and I look forward to being as healthy as possible.
I apologize in advance for this jumbled blog. It is more like notes than a smooth post. However, so much time has passed and the blog is just getting longer. So, I thought you’d understand. Next time I know better than to go so long posting a blog or video! BTW, a new video is on the way. Here is a bit of an update of what went on in January.
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Personal Growth
I have been going through my old journal entries and vision board and checking in with my life direction. I found old affirmations that worked for me in the past and I don’t know why I stopped, but when I did so did the results. So, I am back to my affirmations. I also listened to Tony Robbins CD on Relationships and the emphasis on self love. He recommends 2 minutes of self love in the mirror daily. Wow. What a great habit for me to establish.
Health
I watched this Ann Wigmore DVD . I am working on setting this lifestyle up at my home! Everyone should consider their home as their own personal health retreat. After watching this I was so excited I made the cabbage rejuvelac. I want to set up a space for sprouting. I have had a friend who has been nudging me to do it, but since I am such a visual person it wasn’t until I saw it in action that I became excited. I also want to make the energy soup and even try it dehydrated to make rolls with. I did incorporate the composting system that was featured in the video and I hope it works out.
Made Raw Miso Soup I can’t claim dibs on this recipe it was shown to me by someone else, but I thought I’d pass it along. I love it since it is soy free (perfect for my thyroid). Here are the ingredients. These are rough estimates.
8-16 oz Hot water ,1-2 TBSP Adzuki and chickpea miso (pictured above) ,Shitake Mushrooms (dried and soaked, next time I want to find fresh mushrooms) ,Mixed sea veggies 1/2 the bag, rinsed . I am trying to get in some sea veggies or kelp in daily for my thyroid. A sliver of onion (or any allium family: green onion, chives, leeks, scallions, etc) This is like heaven for my thyroid and perfect for these cold winter months. OK, I live in So Cal and it doesn’t get that cold, but you know what I mean. 🙂
Made a raw curry salad dressing Inspired by AniPhyo’s Curry Salad Dressing . I used avocado instead of olive oil and I liked it better. ; ). I mentioned I am trying to obtain my fat from food and not from bottles.
Tried a new yoga class My favorite yoga of all time is Bryan Kest’sPower Yoga. However, I tried Anusura yoga at a local studio. I learned how to partner up and help my partner get into poses that need some assistance. I did back bends and handstands which I haven’t practiced in a long time, so it felt wonderful. Opening up my body IS opening up my mind. However, I have a pretty open mind as it is! Outside of yoga class I have been practicing yoga with a partner and I am learning how helpful it is to have someone assist me in a pose to take me to a deeper level of my practice. My shoulders and hips are so tight and I look forward to when I can have free range of motion. Here is what I can do on my own now. I want to be able to grasp my hands.
I feel that after years of tight deltoids (shoulders) that I should focus on releasing them. I know I won’t be able to go into deeper poses until I can release this restriction. Hopefully in the future I can post video and photos that are more exciting than this.
Relationships
Self : I have been focusing on practicing more self love since I truly know that this is the key to great relationships. How can others enjoy me if I can’t enjoy myself? This is a huge thing for me since in the past I associated self love with being egotistical or self absorbed and selfish. I realise I need to be a little selfish in order to have anything to give anyone else.
Kids : I feel so close with my kids. I started homeschooling them 3 years ago and it has really changed my life and the way I view education. I also know my kids strengths and aim to nurture them as best I can. We have such an open line of communication and I really have learned a lot about myself as I watch them grow. Lately we have been having fun snowboarding. I also take my kids to gymnastics, speech therapy, guitar and horseback riding lessons. Wow…so time consuming, but I enjoy exposing them to all sorts of environments. The biggest part of being a mom is stepping back and letting them grow naturally. I need to remember less is more and to allow them to do for themselves what they can.
Snowboarding Here is the mountain view from my home, new snow! We saw “Phantom of the Opera”
A New Friend: I also met a new local friend who found my online videos and blogs a few months ago. Although I was unfamiliar and a bit uneasy with meeting people who know me from online it has been very fun. This allows me to connect with people who are on the same path. 🙂 I am looking forward to meeting more people with whom I can synergize with rather than draining or conflicting relationships. However, I know I can choose to see the good in anyone including my ex. I mentioned in my last blog that I had dinner with my ex and some people were interested in how that dynamic works. As long as I focus on his strengths I can enjoy him as a person. When I focus on his weaknesses or what I don’t like, I realize I become so frustrated and outright angry. That isn’t serving me or him so the less I do that and the more I appreciate his strengths we can work together to raise our kids.
Romance: I am still single as I have been for a long while. I realize that I have not made this a priority and how can I allow for a wonderful man to enter my life if I do not know exactly what it is I am wanting? As I mentioned before I have been listening to the Relationship portion of the Get the Edge series from Tony Robbins I know that in order to have a sustainable relationship our natures must be similar or complimentary. I spent lots of time clarifying my vision of an ideal partner. More to come on this topic.
Community: I am a co-organizer of an organic produce co-op. This is how I connect with the members of the community and encourage healthy living. Again, I really wish more people had this in their community. Here is a photo of Tonya (another co-organizer) and me supporting Bunny Berry and RawFu.
This is where we set up our co-op and basket of organic produce to distribute on Saturdays. Career
I have been feeling a desire for a shift for sometime. I am wanting to break free and expand into other realms of optimal living. I really feel like empowering people to live their dreams. I want to live my life to my best, share my experiences with others and inspire them to live life with passion. I am currently having my website created. The focus is on empowered living. Wow, I had no idea how much work goes into that. I have so many things that I am doing and being a mommy-preneur is just another one of them.
Finance
This is definitely a top priority for me to get into shape. However, I was able to pay off one credit card. Only one more to go. Debt is absolutely something I want to eradicate from my life. I really want to be as free financially as I possibly can. I know that sometimes I put it out of my mind, but it’s time I pull my head out of the sand and take some action to creating wealth and financial abundance. Mentors are welcome :)!
My Garden
Here is the trash bins for compost and as you can see I am already overflowing.
My south facing side yard with 4 raised beds. This bed is filled with radishes and other stuff that I never harvested. I still haven’t done anything with that irrigation hose. I am still hand watering which is tough to remember with my busy schedule.
Here is my bed of beets. It is the gourmet blend I planted in fall. It is almost ready to harvest. Beet greens are fabulous for liver function, bile flow that breaks down fat. Not to mention that they are awesome for sluggish elimination.
This is my carrot bed and honestly I don’t know why they are growing so slow. I am not sure I’ll grow carrots again, but it was a learning experience.
This is just a mix of all the other seeds that I had leftover that were planted here.
I received tons of goodies for my garden like rock dust! I can’t wait to get going on my spring garden. I mentioned earlier on the Ann Wigmore video, I saw a home compost system that was set up with big trashcans that had holes drilled into it (much cheaper than a tumbler). I went for it and set that up. I received lots of seed catalogs. It seems that winter is when the catalogs are sent and people decide what they want to grow for the year. I want a nutrient dense garden! Gardening is really teaching me to be better at planning and patience. It’s not like I can pop a seed in the ground tonight and harvest the thing in the morning. It takes lots of dedication and love. Who wouldn’t benefit from those traits?
Obtained a new camera If you read my blog you know my home was broken into and my cameras were stolen. So, I now have a new camera . I am actually excited since the format is jpegavi which means I can now add to my videos using movie maker. My last one was saved mov. files and I wasn’t able to convert them appropriately. Hey, learning to edit or add special features to my video sounds fun. I gotta embrace the technology world.
Home Life
New locks and an alarm system was installed. I talked with my neighbors and it seems that I haven’t been the only one who has been broken into. I have been dusting, moping, wiping down walls, windows, baseboards, and window blinds throughout my home. I am eliminating more stuff that I don’t use. Less really is more. I have also been wanting to set up my dining room as a little dance/yoga space. Here is what I am starting with.
I want to install a mirror along that back wall, a barre, a removable pole and of course lighting and surround sound.
Sightings I came across videos and blogs that were inspired by me. Woo hoo! Nothing feels better than knowing that just by being me I am actually helping others. Thank you! Check ‘em out! Nancy, Paige, and Annette . Guys, thanks so much for reading my posts and for supporting me.
Overall, that is a loss of 2.25 inches in just a week. Here is proof that the scale doesn’t have to go down in order for my efforts to be noticed. I do feel that eating after 6 pm and overeating out of frustration has been a culprit to not losing any weight this week. I expect that to happen from time to time. As long as I see changes I am happy. It doesn’t hurt that I kept inches in the curvy spots either. Those are usually the first to go. However, I know they will gradually decrease too. As matter of fact I enjoy having smaller breasts.
Fitness Workout Goal: 9 hours Total: 12 Met goal and exceeded by 3 hours (Woo hoo!)
Diet Goals 48 oz water 64 oz green lemonade (58 oz water, 8 oz lemon juice, 4 packets stevia, 1-2 T Vitamineral Green) 12-24 oz green smoothie 1 bunch of massaged greens 500 mcg kelp (thyroid support)
I didn’t keep as immaculate records as I would have liked this week, so I can’t give you the specifics. I will say that I did at least 75% this week. I will do better this upcoming week. I will tell you that I ate very late some nights, even to the point that I was stuffed. I also had dessert 2 times this week. I really didn’t apply my discipline in my diet as much as I would like to have, but I have to remember this is a process. I don’t want to overdo it and frustrate myself and give up. I have done that in the past too. I want to accept my imperfections and know that I am still doing good. No beating myself up for poor choices..just going to acknowledge them and move forward. Guilt is worse than the action itself.
Other Health Practices Sauna- I missed it all week and I see a difference in my skin when I don’t do it. Colonic- I did one this week.
Inspired by Natalia Rose: I would like to not eat a solid breakfast until I have eliminated my meals from the previous day.
Gratitude Shout Out Thank you Dhrumil and Rawvolta for mentioning me in your blogs and on your websites. You guys rock. Also, thanks to all the readers out there that I don’t know who are reading my blog. I appreciate you too.
Overall, that is a loss of 1.75 inches in just over a week. This is fantastic and I need to remember that my efforts are not going unnoticed even if I make a poor diet choice here and there. My good efforts far outweigh the negative ones.
Workout
Goal: 6 hours Total: 11 1/2 Met goal and exceeded by 5 1/2 hours (Woo hoo!)
Water Goal: 21 quarts Total: 25 quarts Met goal and exceeded by 4 quarts (Woo hoo!)
Greens
Goal: 14 servings Total: 9 1/2 servings Did not meet goal, short by 5 1/2 servings. This is probably why I ate things I shouldn’t. It is hard to eat junk when you are full on greens. Plus they squelch my cravings since they are feeding my body the nutrients I need. Therefore I am not “starving” for nourishment. I didn’t take any kelp for my thyroid either. I will make a stronger effort this upcoming week.
Sauna Goal: 1 hour 20 min Total: 2 1/2 hours Met goal, exceeded by 1 hour 10 min. This is actually just an extra goal, it wasn’t top priority, but I am glad I did it. My skin looks better & smells cleaner as a result.
Fasting Blood Sugar
89 (perfectly normal)
Blood Pressure 81/51 LOW! I have always had low blood pressure, but I have been noticing a decrease over the years. However, this almost seems too low. I measured my blood pressure about an hour after doing vigorous exercise and 25 minutes in the sauna. I am not too sure if that contributed to the low number. According to Wikipedia my reading classifies as “hypotension“. When I read some of the symptoms I have to admit that I am cold. However, that may be due to my low body temperature from dealing with hypothyroidism. Aside from that I do not experience any other symptoms. Perhaps this was an inaccurate reading. I took it at a local drug store that carried a machine that self operates. Who knows. The best way to find out is to keep taking readings
and see what happens.
Pulse 64
PH slightly acidic
Week 2 Goal
My goal is to incorporate more yoga, begin a purification program, & go high greens.
Here is a picture of me last year where I was at my ideal. I weighed: 108-110. My measurements were: 34-25-35 I did lots of internal cleansing with milk thistle, dandelion, and lemon. I worked out training 2 times a week and a 2 hour power yoga session at least once a week. I also was drinking 1 1/2 gallons of herbal tea or water a day. I did not eat until I had worked out. I earned my breakfast. I made my meals last a minimum of 20 minutes, I chewed until liquid and I ate to keep me from being hungry rather than being full. I took lots of green supplements as well as kelp for my thyroid.
Well, time passed, I changed my diet to vegan. I started eating lots of grains, beans and starches. I also stopped working out as regularly. I became more sedentary, working on the computer and more inconsistent with my eating. All my good habits slowly disappeared. So, here is where that took me. This is my starting point now:
Measurements Bust:35.75 Waist: 28.75 Navel: 31.75 Hips:38.25 Upper Thigh( up 9″ left): 23 Calf( down 4″ left): 13.50 Upper Arm( down 6″ left): 11
Maybe now you can understand why I am feeling so blah! about my body. It is time to get those good habits back and rock out a hard body.
I am not one to wait until New Years to take on a new project. I usually do them as I see fit. However, there is so much energy in the New Year that I thought I would take advantage of it and make ME my New Years Resolution.I feel that the number one thing that bothers me in my life is my body. I know that may sound weird to some who watch my videos, but being very invested in health I know that I am not in optimal physical condition. This wears away at my self esteem and my confidence. I tend to avoid social events. Sometimes, I realize I am being ridiculous and I get out and just live life regardless of how my pants fit or what the scale says in the morning. I feel like I am somewhat of a hypocrite if I do not emulate all that I educate to others. So, if it bothers me this much I might as well do something about it.Not only is health my profession, it is a passion of mine. I find that in my free time I am learning more and more about living a healthy life. I would pay to learn more and try different therapy modalities. If I was a billionaire I would still invest in my health. You just can’t take it out of me, no matter what, health is going to be a major role in my life. It only makes sense, if you don’t have your health you really don’t have a foundation to build your life upon.I truly feel that when you start with your body and clear out the garbage and fill up on the good stuff that it enables the mind to become clearer. We can take in more information, our focus and concentration is improved as well as our memory. When the mind is clear it is much easier to feel our spiritual connection and follow a life path that is truly satisfying. As we jump start the body, the mind opens and the inspiration flows through us. The whole mind-body-spirit approach is addressed just by improving our health.
It makes sense to make this the number one step in personal development.Steve Pavlina is a huge advocate of 30 day trials. So, I thought I’d give it a shot myself.I have done 30 days on a raw food diet. My plan is to expand on that.
The plan for the next 30 days are as follows:
Exercise a minimum of 60 minutes daily
Consume a minimum of 3 qts of water daily
Consume greens & kelp
Complete a purification program
I have been doing some of these for a while, but I am not consistent on a daily basis. That’s where blogging and video comes in handy. I need the accountability to stick with this and what better way than to go public. It’s not very fun sharing an out of shape bikini picture with the world. I can’t wait to share my in shape bikini picture, though. I am keeping my eyes on the prize!
I will be posting regular daily updates on my progress, what I am experiencing, learning and so forth. I will also include my weigh in weight, my measurements, BMI, food log and workout log!
What are you waiting for? Do you have a rocking hard body? If not, get to it! Let’s do this together!
Recently, Dhrumil from We Like It Raw asked if I would be interested in being featured in “My Way”. I was thrilled. It was even more exciting to see it posted up. Check it out: My Way.
If you are running through life feeling overwhelmed and not really making the impact you know you want, or wishing you felt alive and filled with passion then you are going to LOVE me!
