Thursday, January 5, 2012

when life gets in the way

I was all set to blog today about cold and flu prevention. I was prepared to write about nutrition, supplements and exercise. Then it happened.

LIFE.

I woke up to the sound of my Sarah throwing up. That is how the day began. Without going into all the gory details there was vomit, a lot of time in the bathroom, a potty training 2 year old (Oh yes, today is babysitting day for my niece) and all my JR wanted to do was play in the one inch of snow that fell last night. Time check: 6:30am.

Adrenaline pumping hard, I was feeling overwhelmed, sad for my sick daughter, and definitely feeling sorry for myself.

We do that, don’t we? These daily things that bombard our day. We feel attacked. We feel betrayed. This was not in the plan. I stopped for a moment to wonder what the universe was testing me for. What was I suppose to learn from this? My little girl sick. I am now not able to do the things I had planned for the day. I had to try to keep my niece away from my daughter. My son still bugging me  to go out and play in a dusting of snow.

There’s hardly any snow out there.” I most definitely snapped at him.

Then I stopped. I realized that this was not the day I had planned, but this was my day. I could either complain about it and be miserable all day OR I could turn this around. So I did just that.

ASK FOR HELP: I called my Dad to see if he could come and rescue the niece from this crazy house. I knew I was doing her no good at all, and she was better off having a fun day with him then a day of me disinfecting everything and not letting her touch any of it. He said yes and I felt a little more tension leave my body. Asking for help is never easy. Aren't women supposed to be able to do it all?

LOVE. Care enough for yourself to know that it is ok to ask for help.

BE IN THE MOMENT: My sick little girl. It aches my heart to see her sick, and yet, it’s a virus and must run its course. That’s it. I have no say in that. My job in this moment is to comfort her. Stop pressuring myself to be “Mother of the Year” and just be her Mom right now.

DANCE. Move with the flow of life instead of always resisting.

As for my little man. He has been outside playing in the one inch of snow for an hour now. Having a blast. This one was my biggest lesson of all: LIVE. Play in the snow, even if its only a dusting. Stop finding excuses to not do things. Play now. Call a friend, don’t just Facebook or text them. Sing out loud if you feel the sudden need to do so. And always, ALWAYS tell your loved ones how much they mean to you.  Do it now, before that dusting of time melts away.

Monday, January 2, 2012

one change at a time

Happy 2012 !

The new year is upon us and the gluttony of December is over. The new diet and workout plan has begun for many. The truth is, most people that resolve to start the year healthy don’t stick with it. Why?

#1:  Your goals have to be well thought out and fit your life. Do not set out to run a marathon by the end of the year if you are not prepared to do the work. A simple goal of “losing weight” is not really defined, so how do you know when you have accomplished it?  Take a few minutes to sit down and write out exactly what you want to achieve. How will you feel when you have achieved this? Tip: The most HIGHLY successful people still do this…how do you think they got where they are? A clear view on your goals is very important at all times.

#2:  Nutrition. Your body needs fuel.  Marion Nestle speaks on diet in her fabulously interesting book, WHAT TO EAT :

 eat less, move more, eat lots of fruits and vegetables”.

How can we do this?

  • Start with small changes, add more fruit and vegetables.
  • A few weeks later really begin to watch those portion sizes and monitor your hunger. Many times we eat what is in front of us simply because it is on the plate.
  • Another wonderful, but simple change is water. Drink it. There is so much conflicting information on how much you need. Here’s the deal: just drink it. Start the day with a glass or two of water. Have a glass of water after each meal. Sip water in between meals. Only you know what your body needs. Now is a great time to get reacquainted with your body and its unique needs.

#3:  Move that lovely body of yours!! Walk, run, lift, do a Jane Fonda video! Just move! Those dancy dance video games ( Wii, Kinect. .) are a great and fun way to start! Hop on a trampoline for a while. The point is your body was created to M-O-V-E and not sit all day at a desk. Try everything until you find what feels right to YOU.  How will you know if you like Zumba if you don’t try a class? Find a gym buddy. Hire a trainer.  Do whatever it takes to make it something you can stick with.

Most of all:  ENJOY THE JOURNEY.