Hacks to Homeschool Happier

 

HOMESCHOOLING FOR THE FREE-SPIRITED 

 

Rule to Remember: It does not have to be a drag.

In fact, learning at home can be joyful and rewarding and create moments, habits and a way of looking at the world that last a lifetime. Our homeschool days were always a mix of formal and carefree. I guided the younger children more and trusted that the older one grew, the easier it became to discover what was interesting or important enough to pursue. 

I need to rephrase that; the younger ones had a regular rhythm of meals, play, read-alouds, naps and bedtime, but we did not pursue anything academic at an early age, (unless you count the year I attempted to do an at-home-after-school boxed French curriculum each afternoon after kindergarten-disaster).

Connective Tissue Disorder (EDS) and Exercise

Neighborhood kids would call each other over to see me do the splits, all the way, without effort, when I was four years old. 

That ability remained, along with the weird, bend my thumb back around to the other side of my arm thing, ankles that could twist, doubled over and around, over nothing and go right back, but it was not until many years later that I discovered these were the result of a debilitating condition that meant that the springy parts of my youth were now the cranky parts of my body. 

Day Three: (30 Days of Writing about Ordinary Moments)-Healing Heat

I look out from my magnificent PALACE of a shelter; a beach chair almost covered by a rainbow parasol with a window opening onto the waves crashing on the shoreline. I melt and turn awful colors in the sun, but I love the ocean passionately, it's tough. To my left, my husband has fallen asleep on his towel, haphazardly, the sleep of the perfectly content, to my right: my two boys, one sunning in the best angle, the other digging a giant hole in the sand, probably plotting who he might best bury. 

Miracle of all: nothing hurts, nothing is off, everything is well with the world. I am an advocate for the spring, fall, winter is nice and I tolerate summer because things grow in the summer, and green is good. But this warmth is luscious, unexpected in the depths of our normal winter, and my whole being is reveling in it, and in this chance to slow down, watch the waves, swim in the ocean and just be. I am awash in gratitude. I feel great too.

Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Working Out and Utter Frustration

My mind was occupied almost the entire time my body was participating in my gym class this morning;  chattering a mile a minute in time to the music; "isn't this just swell? I am strong and vibrant. I'm going to return home and write one humdinger of an inspiring blog post about how fantastic I feel today. It is all going so well. Everyone deserves to feel as good as I do right now, let's cheer them all up and share this abundance of joy."

One: The French at Home: A Conversation program is about to go live for a first round of testers.

Two: I slept enough hours to feel good when that 5:00 alarm sounded. Small but mighty victory.

Three: My wrist/thumb has been sore, but I decided to weight train anyway. Arthritic thumb confined to a brace all the way to my elbow? Yes, but HERE I AM. I am showing up, growing and making the most of this fabulous life I get to live. 

Back home, I had breakfast, watered the vegetables, new shrubs and flowers, tossed in a load of laundry, all mostly one-handed, and headed upstairs to the office to write. I opened up my laptop, began typing and yelped. pain. I tried a few more key strokes and had to give up. 

The universe may be falling into place as it should, but the wires are all crossed on the messages I am getting. Instead of making progress on a hundred dozen projects, I iced my wrist and had a day of reading, meditation, hovering as my kids did their at-home schoolwork, phone conversations with family, and wondering what it was that life is trying to tell me. Should I not be accomplishing something? Or is the picture bigger, the neglected parts equally needed to fulfill a life and make it whole? 

-Typed with six fingers. Take care, lovely, marvelous readers, and good night. It will look better in the morning. 

...at that point, Blogger crashed, leaving me with this post open and unpublished...but since it was still  here this morning, I'll consider it a keeper. I went back to the gym today and only did things that would NOT hurt. You know, one-handed pull-ups, one-handed push-ups, with a (gentle) clap on the way up? I did not. I worked through an Essentrics routine and did squats. I am also typing with all ten fingers. Carefully. 

I've added the above photo of a beautiful, beautiful road, tree-lined along the water, the way I like my paths to look. It reminds me of country roads in France. The end exists somewhere, perhaps, but the flowing water and the trees are right here, beside and above you, a reminder that what you feel, hear, see, smell and know in your heart to be true holds sway over the invisible end. Permission to jubilate.  

Eczema and the Secret of Habit

Summer is a time of miracles, things grow again, the garden and woods compel attention through their very sumptuousness of vegetation and bird song that is returned...and yet new once more, after months of cold and silence. Not venturing forth is a crime, even though doing so will exact a payment later.

More or less, each year, after a little sun, getting bit by half a dozen mosquitoes, using sunscreen, bug repellent, or all of the above on a glorious weekend in May; down I head, into the itchy hell-hole again. This is beyond my control, for now. (Some day, I shall control the sun's power too, just wait.)

What I am able to control is food, water, exercise, all of this is better than ever. Here is the secret; I just said "no". Thank you, Nancy Reagan. Eczema loves certain conditions, and certain foods in some people. When they are eliminated, it has a much lower rate of survival. So; gone and merci. 

Thank you as well, to a book I am re-reading; "Better than Before; Mastering the Habits of our Everyday Lives," by Gretchen Rubin. The basic tenet of the book is what is most helpful:

                                 "Decide not to decide." 

Think about it, or do not, just for a moment. Making a decision once is so much less tiresome than having to make it every single time one is confronted with a choice. 

In a nutshell; we do or do not do the very same thing every single day. It might look like this: get up and go for a walk, every single Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Go to the Y for a class every single Tuesday and Thursday. I do not eat sugar (or dairy, or whatever). Done. No more decisions to make. For a more strenuous elimination-type diet, this can be combined with the concept of a timer, see: Say au revoir to self-pity, or a limitation that lasts only a certain amount of time; a week, a month, a year. I have put wine on this timed approach (oh, and champagne, and margaritas...fine, anything with any alcohol.)

It is an empowering and liberating concept. But I really cannot linger to discuss it just now. My dog is pulling his leash off the door knob and losing his mind with waiting. He knows it is Friday too. 

Hypermobility Ehlers-Danlos, Sugar, and Working Out Anyway

Say "au revoir" to feeling that limitations are greater than possibility, but also to thinking it will all one day be figured out, nice and tidy and conquered. When what is in front of you, blocking your path is you, there are ways around, under and over yourself. Playing mind games helps. Long, deep conversations with good friends, a good husband and one's children help. Being the helper helps; the people I encounter in my job, in my life, who are living through difficult situations with dignity, never losing their gratitude for what is in front of them today, is a great motivator as well.

This applies to getting one's posterior up and off of the sofa too, even if you suffer from hypermobility of the sort that makes injuries more likely than not, as I do. Movement is the goal, now that the cold and snow have set in and things are just too cozy next to the fireplace or in the sun by the window. So many reasons not to ever go out again. 

As to the mind games; my mom was the first person in my life to use a timer as a motivational tool. If I had to use it today, I would do it backwards for results. As a child, I was a picky eater. Mom would set the timer, exasperated, for the time limit for me to finish my dinner. Granted, this was when everyone else had finished and left the table, after everything but my plate and fork had been cleared away. Today, I mark out days on the calendar and promise myself to avoid sugar or alcohol for X number of days. Thank you, Fly Lady, for your contemporary timer suggestion. If I set a timer and do nothing but the planned activity for that period of time, I fool myself into all sorts of activities of an indeterminate nature (that was today's synonym for "stuff"); like exercise, paperwork, and yes, even de-cluttering. Going to an exercise class, hemmed in by other individuals and with a teacher right in front of you is helpful too, like a super-charged timer.

Healthier and active makes for a better life for me. It means an easier time moving, easier to feel good about myself, and about the whole rest of the world that continually seems to be breaking out of its mold to fly into a million messed up pieces. If I wake up and move, it starts the day out right.

It can be hard to start when the journey looks so forbidding and strewn with obstacles large and small. If it is the sheer number of pounds overwhelming one, I do understand. If I count the weight gained and lost (with difficulty) over a lifetime, I could easily be obese. Here is the math, offered as proof of my own struggle; after one year abroad as an exchange student; 25 pounds, five children; 40 pounds times 5, and one major weight gain at age 41; 30 pounds. That makes me plus...hold on, let me mulitply and add a minute...over 275 lbs.

During pregnancy number four: (and not at the end, either!)

 
As we grow older, it is the physical limitations that can easily discourage us from exercise. I have had many times when it did not look like my long-term fitness had a gnat's chance in a barrel of honey. 

 

Due to some serious hyper-mobility of my joints, I have always injured easily; I might pick up the market basket the wrong way and my wrist will hurt for three weeks. 

 

The advice, and logic, was to "rest until it no longer hurts to use it." Once I finally had to quit everything I had so valiantly (in my opinion) managed to incorporate into my life; running, weight-training, long, daily walks with the kids, because my foot was broken from simple overuse, I knew I needed a new plan. It was the sports medicine physical therapist who helped me find ways to modify activities to accommodate and protect the injured part while still keeping active. Brilliant. Necessary. Strongly advised. Don't stop moving.

High-achievement comes naturally to humans, and I seem to excel in things that might be an excuse not to exercise, including skin so fragile that it can locate a rash floating in the air and cover itself with it in about two nano-seconds. If you have this sort of skin, you know I am not joking. I began my new gym-going life in long sleeves and white cotton gloves, with a pair of biking gloves over them, for  protection and to hide the eczema. Six years later, with the rashes mostly departed, I still wear the gloves, with the fingers cut off, under my weight-lifting gloves, for protection from the leather and synthetic mesh that would make me break out afresh if I sweated with this directly touching my skin. I keep my hair up off of my neck, because I seem to be allergic to my own hair too; I can develop angry, red welts in a fifteen-minute sweat session that will last for two weeks.What this means, is that sweating can seem like a really bad idea. How's that for encouraging the gym or a walk in warm weather?

The prognosis I am able to accept does not include; (as encouraged by some most informative websites) giving up weight-lifting, contemplating surgery, resorting to cortisone in any form, or sitting around with my booty on a heating pad for hours a day. I DID just buy my first heating pad since our hermit crab and lizard days; they needed it under the aquarium, I prefer it behind my shoulders.

Recently, things that kept me up and going; seeing a chiropractor as needed, a little acupuncture, a massage or two and a physical therapist for specific misbehaving body parts. I have pt-assigned exercises for my wrist and foot, and instructions from her for modifying certain movements in the weight-training class. For now, I am using lighter weights and some excellent gloves that support the wrist and thumb, Trideer is the brand I found, there are others, these have a wrist strap attached that offers excellent support.

On the other five days, I walk, jump on the trampoline and do Essentrics. A few times a week, Thierry joins me in the cardio cinema (this room in our Y with treadmills, bikes and elliptical things), and we watch part of a movie while working out. We rent our favorites for date night so we can see the whole thing.

And diet? More vegetables and good fat, no sugar. (BEEP: Lecture beginning, NOW. Only continue reading if you want to feel better and look better than you ever have.) Sugar is a factor in injury and failing to heal; see article links below for more information. I read a life-changing book this summer on the topic, but it has not been translated into English, from what I can see. It is called "Zero Sucre" by Danielle Gerkins. I read of her one-year, sugar-free experiment, and how she felt healthier, lost weight, and had skin that did not age a day in that year. Besides that, she details what sugar does to a body at a cellular level, damage I had not imagined possible, diseases no one would have if they only knew the price they would have to pay beforehand. (This has not necessarily always been able to convince me to put that mini-Snickers back in the trick-or-treat bowl right away, but it is good to have in the back of my mind as I  make choices.)

I have nothing but compassion for anyone attempting to establish your own fitness and wellness routine, with or without the addition of a connective tissue disorder. Maybe the journey has not even begun, it may be towards weight loss or weight gain, nevertheless, movement is life. I choose not to let anything keep me from moving, most days. My biggest impediment is simply inertia, the feeling that creeps across you when you are under the covers and the wind is howling outside, or you have a warm dog in your lap, a good movie on the laptop and an easy knitting project, all of which seem to be adroitly not whispering to go outside. 

 

Even housework or family can be non-incentives; there is too much to do, too many people to take too many places, or the sweetness of an afternoon playing games by the fire, sharing a newspaper over a cup of tea. It is easier for me to get out of bed and go early, than to fight the call to stay, under the rising level of conversation, needs and necessities keeping me here later. If the kids can't see me, they can't ask me a question that might lead to an answer that involves me dashing down to the basement to look for a missing sock, or to the computer to print out a form for school, I know you know, and you have your own reasons. These are mine, simply put, to let you know we are all on a similarly-shaped river or sea-worthy vessel. If yours are more compelling, please share below, and I promise to address finding a way around them. But before writing back; take a walk around the block, then tell me how you feel.

http://ktar.com/story/712965/the-surprising-link-between-sugar-and-chronic-pain/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar

https://www.spinemd.com/vtfc/news/this-just-in-over-consumption-of-sugar-contributes-to-muscle-joint-pain

Minimalist Winter Fitness

The Midwest, like many places, is not the best place to get in a good daily walk or run, or even play in the backyard, in the winter. If there is snow, it is glorious for sledding, skiing and building forts for hours on end. Provided the wind chill is not in the "you will freeze within 5 minutes if you do not find shelter," range.

But a woman's gotta move if she does not want to go crazy around here (things have been on the wilder side of nuts).  My sweet, active, normally very helpful husband was down with a knee injury, one kid is in a wrist brace after multiple appointments with the same orthopedic people husband saw the week before). The immediate need for restructuring of a scout troop after the death of my sons' beloved scoutmaster, a very important sanctuary project getting underway at our church, preparation for one kiddo's audition for a creative arts academy, and show choir season beginning for another. And the flu; did I mention the flu? 

They are not all on a par, but they do have one thing in common; they are part of life's messiness that sucks time out of a day and leaves you flabby and cranky because you did not take a nanosecond to exercise. Bodypump is a class my husband and I normally do together, and the inspiration to get up all alone at 5 is lacking when the warm body next to yours is still slumbering.

The plan; DO IT FIRST and put the basement/living room/bedroom space to good use. Did you think that was simply a spot to house your recliner and telly?

One mini-trampoline, one screen and two DVDs. Cardio: 30-45 minutes on the mini-trampoline while watching the only tv I ever take time to watch, or listening to an audiobook (yesterday I tried to read a novel I'd unwisely gotten caught up in...it slows one down, or makes you nauseous as the words jump around a bit), and a half-hour or so of Essentrics to stretch it out, relieve pain that can come with intense exercise or because of hypermobility and make my day more comfortable. There are days when I cannot do both, and days when I spend more time on one or both. The only real secret is to do it. Go. Turn off the screen. See you later.

You Can Get Used to Anything

...which is what allows human beings to persevere in the face of misery, atrocity and unjust treatment...but what if you chose what it is you get used to? 

This was my thought this morning, as I flew down the hill I once feared biking down, because it invariably meant I had to bike back up it at some point. 

Now I enjoy that ride. I have become accustomed to going back up the hill; so the ride down is A BLAST. I am happy to have a few precious moments to meditate because I am up before anyone else in the morning. When the alarm goes off, I change my thoughts from, "already?" to gratitude, right away. 

What are you willing to change to be happier, more at peace, fulfilled by life each day?

Home Yoga

With a wicked snow storm assailing our eastern coast in the U.S. and the ground in the Midwest converted to a frozen tundra, not to mention the air that turns boogers to icicles, the urge to leave one's home for anything has dwindled away to not very great at all. It is the time of private yoga once again. 

My favorite online, free resource for yoga video workouts of all levels:     Do Yoga With Me

See below for how to use a yoga video.

You don't necessarily need a season for a yoga home practice, but for me, this is when it all begins again each year. 

Spin on Fitness: and Caution for the Hypermobile

Oh...my...word...aie...gasp...ugh...taking my fitness challenge to a new level with a cycling class. I am 99.9% sure my derriere will not be functioning tomorrow. Not to sit on, not to move my legs, nothin'. But just as I start to think maybe one track will be sufficient for my first day of class, the smiling face of my Body Pump teacher stops by; "hey, are you taking up cycling?" -"Yeah," puff, wheez, "just starting, gasp, "think my butt will be sore tomorrow." "Good for you! Buy yourself a pair of padded shorts, that's less weird than a padded seat, right?" "Huh?" Bottom line; I stayed until the end of class; I had no idea whether or not my instructor was lurking in the shadows, waiting to see if I made it all the way through.

...that was a few short days ago, and incredibly, my tush suffered no lasting damage, but I am icing my knee for the 3rd day in a row. It quit. I hate that. Hypermobile individuals are more prone to osteoarthritis.

That knee injury may either be because of the running (just intervals I began again a couple of weeks ago), or the cycling or the crazy elliptical spree I went on for 15 minutes before class on Saturday. Hard to tell. (Update from the physical therapist: it was probably the running, or the standing up while cycling. Serves me right, show-off.)

The point is; I am trying new things, shaking up the routine, upping the ante, and in the process, breaking the barrier of the pounds that would not part ways with my middle. You have to try this once in awhile.

But please: proceed with caution!

Sadly, your body is not as young as it once was, it may take a minute to adjust to a new demand on the joints. So why do it?

Because: it feels like you are starting all over, it is motivating and fun...and even having to ice your knee has advantages; more knitting time! I have lost some weight; that last 15 lbs. I would like to see gone has begun to melt away; ha! That sounds way too easy! It is a process; I'll say healthy food choices and more exercise has been chipping away, very slowly, at it. Keep the faith, change your routine, share your journey below!

                                                                

Mama Fitness: Don't Stop: Pain or No Pain!

Advice from the doctors when wondering what to do about pain, be it joint, muscle, tendon: keep exercising! Really. See here: When it's OK to Run Hurt.

I had heard this from my GP and also from a rheumatologist, who says even if I have arthritis in my foot, knees and elbow, the best counsel she can give me is to keep going with my weight lifting, walking and biking, "at least 60 minutes, 3 or 4 times a week." Yes, ma'am.

As my elbow bit the dust badly two weeks ago, I had my doubts. I added painting the walls to my list of activities, when it already hurt to knit, and...my elbow was so stiff and sore it kept me awake at night and kept me from straightening my arm or even picking up the car keys without pain. I asked the teacher after class yesterday about modifications in Body Pump and CX Works (my latest add-on to classes). She told me to lighten up, to use free-weights instead of the bar or tube when it helped, drop all weight if need be and just do the movements, but she did not say to stay home and sleep an extra hour.

I think I was sort of hoping she would say to go home and sleep an extra hour. But not deep down.

I went back this morning, followed all of her advice, and I felt BETTER after my morning workout.

As for my questions about why we weigh more in America, I found a super blog post here; DoctorMama, confirming much of what I've suspected and going into more depth on the topic.

Don't let pain or lack of results that the scale can measure keep you from getting out and staying active. You will feel better with each extra step you take, each 2lb.weight you pick up. I promise. And if you don't feel better right away, be patient with yourself. You will. Go slowly, and if that fails, go more slowly, but don't stop, don't ever give up.

Mama Fitness...or This Stinks. Rants and Raves.

Attitude is everything, dah-ling. Yes, quite, and this morning, I am happy for the cool weather, a healthy family and a warm home. So much for the grateful list, I could go on, life is wonderful.

My gut and butt are another matter. This is not the happy weight-loss success story you were hoping to hear. Go to one of those skinny magazines for that. Not that I despise my looks. I love the second takes I get from people when I tell them I have five children. I don't look so bad for a mother of many, and two of them teenagers. I am more fit than I was a year ago, without a doubt. However, bottom line: I have NOT been successful at losing weight and keeping it off. There are fat molecules in the air. My thyroid is off-whack, and maybe I just like sugar more than I should. Burp.

This is a post on the topic of weight in America, by a brilliant writer friend, who, in case you get bored with my posts, has a magical way with words that enthralls and makes you want to read everything she's ever written:
How to Live in LA

Post-European Vacation Update:

I did not gain weight in France. Yee-haw. Not an accomplishment and not a disaster.

Total weight loss in the past year, that stayed off: 9lbs.  I had done away with 6.5 more...but read on.

In France, Italy and Germany, I ate tons of duck, french fries, mushrooms and cheese,  drank too much wine on a daily basis, never said no to chocolate or ice cream, and did not see the inside of a gym even once. I did walk a lot. Still...

I have been back home for a month. I've been to my class at the Y faithfully 3-5 times a week, biked or walked on the days in between and have gained 4 lbs. I have not had one single bite of foie gras nor the merest sip of champagne. I'm not devastated, just mad.

What is making the difference? I wonder if it is never needing to walk anywhere, ever here? Do those daily jaunts across the street to pick up bread and maybe 3 times a week downtown; a half-hour walk and back matter so much? Is it drinking coffee black in Europe as opposed to sugar and almond-milk enriched here? Is it simply not spending as much time outside, in fresh air, which was the norm for 2 months? (Which meant you walked more, which in turn burns more calories?)

My thyroid is practically non-functioning, according to the latest tests. But then, I've noticed all of those symptoms for years, now the blood-work simply matches the reality. So, can't really blame that anymore than I could before.

It's not the fat molecules in the air. My husband, who did not leave his office during the day to walk downtown or even get bread, came home with an extra 12 lbs. He has lost 5 already. Skunk.

Tips and comments welcome...but maybe not if you are a guy, who has never had to lose more than a pound or two in your life. We love you, but you probably don't get us. 

P.S. Last statement does not apply if your resumé includes training Cher, Shailene Woodley or Ann Hathaway.

Choose to Be...a great parent, in shape, a cook, a runner, an artist

Inspiration this morning comes from here: Run Laugh Eat Pie, by someone my age (ach, giving that one away, huh?) on choice. Choice as in no whining, self-pity, grumbling or complaining about it; I can choose to be mindful with my children, make water my favorite beverage, get to bed on time, make homeschooling an extraordinary experience chez nous, make time to exercise. I can choose what goes into my body wisely.

The author is also an American in the Netherlands, living a life that I can relate to in some fun ways. Thanks, Renée, for this morning's great reminder!

Early AM Teacher Prep

I find that the best way to start a homeschooling day is by making sure certain things are done BEFORE the kids are up; a load of wash thrown in, the bread in the bread machine, tidying up the playroom where we do lessons, and one more, the most important; some me, alone time. A cup of tea, a little breakfast and some exercise in whatever form it may take.

Yoga has always been my favorite; you move and stay sane and centered all at the same time. The past two months, I have been limited to seated yoga. I've tried a few videos and lots of youtube choices. Here is my current favorite:
Seated Yoga with David Procyshyn.
He is not as pretty as some of the women instructors, and his voice can put you to sleep, but the workout is very, very well done, with clear, move-by-move instructions, (very important, as my body does not always go in the direction the instructor thinks it should), and no background music, lights or distractions; a nice green field and silent birds. My the time I am through shavasana, I am relaxed to the point of a coma, yet energized to start my day with the munchkins.

Always remember to only go as far as is comfortable for you, right now, in yoga poses. It is a practice, and with time, you will grow more flexible and gain more stamina. It is not a contest. Use the extra time inbetween poses to shake out your knees or wiggle your hips.

Namaste.

DIY Cellulite-Fighting Lotion: French-Style

Weight-loss guides always speak of "rewards" you give yourself for goals met. What I really need is to keep my focus throughout the day so that I do not eat mindlessly while doing other things. However, I knew right away what I would treat myself to if I operated that way; the cellulite-erasing lotions I used to take the time to use when I was young, BC (or before children). I would gaze around the skin-care wall of the pharmacy, having been lured in by the posters promising the smoothest thighs in the world, and discuss potions with the pharmacist. The pharmacists and estheticians all agreed; the properties of caffeine were the best ones for battling cellulite.

In the years since, I have barely had time to think about massaging with those bumpy, hand-held devices with a special soap inserted inside, followed by 2 different creams, twice a day. I thought about buying one, then I thought about making my own, and here is what I found:

I wondered if I could add caffeine to the cream I already make. Pinterest provided the solution and here is the easiest one: (Modification: I still use beexwax in my mixes, just beat it a little more as it cools down.) Thank you, Mom Photographer, for a great recipe and a beautiful blog!

Homemade Coffee Body Lotion

Great Weight-Loss Blog, Great Recipe

Right here: Brooke not on a diet. This young lady, a local celebrity now, went from 372 pounds to 155. It took her 4 years. It took a lot of work. Hats off to Brooke! Check out her fresh, sweet, inspiring blog.

The recipe I found immediately irresistible is for French-fry Tacos, hers is a modified version. For our dinner for 7, I ended up throwing half the potatoes that were in the oven into a frying pan after 30 minutes, because that is a lot of potatoes for one baking sheet. For toppings, we added salsa, grated cheese and sour cream. I ate 2 small corn tacos for a serving and enjoyed every bite.

Weight-Loss Tips from Great Friends

On Facebook and by email, I have had responses from kind friends, sharing their wisdom and tips. I've compiled them here, feel free to add any of your own in the "comments" part below the post. Your remarks are welcome, and I read every single one, every time. Thank you!

1) Chocolate: (of course it comes first!) "Hi! My 'diet' hint is to eat Ghiradeli baking chocolate, 100% chocolate, no sugar, in tiny bites that I suck on. No chewing! I think it helps w/ low sugar problems, and I grew to like the taste somehow. (Other brands cannot compare.) It is not really possible to eat much of this."

2) The Power of Self-Image: "Not going to focus on the amount, just on how I feel. The sun and weather here are totally my friends." from a friend who recently moved to San Diego.

3) The Details: "Good luck! I have about the same amount I'm going to lose. What's worked for me in the past was counting calories. Drinking lots of water helps with hunger/cravings."

Note: I did go back to the "My Fitness Pal" app on my phone. I got very excited the first day; stayed within my calorie limits, but friends came by with goodies and I went over a bit. The morning after, I noticed an alert, telling me that my calorie level was neither sufficient to maintain health nor lose weight; not over! I figured setting it at 1000 calories a day would be a good way to start; 1200 is the minimum for a woman. Life is fabulous.

4) There were emails I can no longer locate about the importance of water and the habit of cleansing or fasting for a day or a week. I've had greatly appreciated offers from friends to walk or run with them; thank you!  

I woke up to a feeling of contentment with the universe, life, myself, including all body parts. This well-being, I believe, is at the root of moving forward. Love yourself. Love the divine in yourself, it is each one of us. When you love and honor the goodness that is you, because you are good, you can then love and give to the rest of your family, to the rest of the world.  

Even as I know this to be a profound truth, I can't help but wonder to whom I may give my extra 25 pounds? 

Gift to Me from a Loved One: Mama Fitness

My husband came home two days ago with groceries and a plan. It seems he does read my blog...who knew! As a birthday gift to me, he has offered to prepare meals and snacks for me with power foods that will help with my weight-loss, and not "because he doesn't find me absolutely beautiful, but because he doesn't like to see me unhappy." I love this guy. And he knows how to cook, too!

For those of you who do not wish to hear about what I had for breakfast (hi Mom), you can skip to the next post. If you are looking for meal ideas, by all means, scroll down. Have a healthy day!

Here is the list of foods:
sweet potatoes
avocados
bananas
pineapple
berries
carrots
whole grain cereals
chicken thighs
hummus
turkey
egg (1 per day)
nuts
salmon

Day One, Meals:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with dried blueberries and almond milk (sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon)
Snack: Almond milk with coffee (that's the way I drink it)
Lunch: Salad: artichoke hearts, tomatoes, roasted red pepper, pine nuts, red leaf lettuce, feta, all with an olive oil/balsamic vinegar dressing, recipe below, with an ounce of mixed nuts (pistachio, cashew and almonds) and a shot glass of white wine
Snack: an ounce of mixed nuts
Dinner: out for date night, we split a grilled shrimp dish with onions and avocados, a few chips and salsa

Vinegrette: 3 T olive oil, 1 T balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, stir thoroughly, or make more and shake in a jar before use. Keep in fridge. 

A New Year, New Fitness Moves

I am not a maker of New Year Resolutions. However, the very air and the internet being full of them, I find myself reflecting too, on what the past year brought and what I hope to include in this one...or discard of, such as a number of pounds. Overall, I am fitter than I have ever been; I have increased my muscle tone, my strength, my endurance...the only problem is that it is still hiding under a nice layer of body fat. 

Weight-lifting, yoga, bike and other machines are the winter weather, broken-foot friends I meet with daily. I can do more sit-ups and leg lifts than I ever attempted in my younger life...and yet my weight has plateaued. Forever ago. I have never weighed so much outside of pregnancy. It stinks. I do not, though, weigh any more than this time last year. One small achievement.

So what is the next move?  I have the firm intention of sculpting my body into a goddess-like shape in the coming year. I mentioned this jokingly to a friend the other day, but I think it might just be the very thing for 2014, a goddess my age that is. I am aiming for health and strength above all, so that I do not have to interrupt exercise every other minute because of an injury.

How to go about it? We already cook all of our meals at home, except for the occasional date night out and the occasional coffee out...hmmm, those mocha lattes are really full of goodness...and sugar...and calories. Ditch those, substitute with green tea. 

We eat lots of fruits and vegetables, protein in lean meat, nuts, eggs and beans, almond instead of dairy milk, yogurt or fruit for most desserts, not many grains, an occasional rice cake, and water is the beverage served at the table, (besides dinner which usually means a glass of wine). 

No between meal snacking...or is there? Cooking and cleaning and hanging out in the kitchen are adding up to bites of this, a sip or two of the kids' hot chocolate while making it, handfuls of that (normally Ghiradelli chocolate chips), a glass of wine before dinner, some chips with the wine. 

This is a lifestyle problem. There is a lifestyle solution, I just have to find it. I've tried staying out of the kitchen...my darling husband is a great cook, but I need to do some of it, being the main person at home. I am weak, chocolate is a drug, and I love the whole before-dinner relaxation with my husband or while cooking alone. 

Would the French have a glass of wine while cooking? NO. They might have a drink before dinner, but it would be seated and planned. Do Americans usually have a drink before dinner? Ah, it would seem that some of us have a permanent drink happening in our giant-sized soda cups. 

I have a giant water mug from the maternity ward...the nurses finally took pity on me after being there for so many births in a row that they gave me my own mother-mug. It is equipped with a straw hole,  but it is made to sit by a hospital bed and it leaks when moved. Maybe I need to buy some straws or a fresh water bottle.

I am open to ideas that have worked for you. Do you have weak spots and how did you solve them? What are your fitness resolutions for the year?

Mama Fitness October Update

5:45 Bodypump class today; a new knot for my tennies, because the top of my foot is killing me; the "Nelson knot" from here: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/running-doc-don-overlook-laces-article-1.1217045. Full cotton gloves under my lifting gloves because the skin on my hands is bad. And happy as a furry dog, who has just been shaved on a hot summer day; I am here!!! Moving, following directions some parts of me would rather not follow; "one more time," is a least favorite, but much better than; "three more." 

Yesterday, I had a longish walk with the younger boys; through the neighborhood, along the bike path and into the woods. Everyone was happy, especially the puppy. 

Today; it's park day, so I will walk around the park a bit with the kids, before settling down to my knitting and chill time, then get in a short ab work-out between French lessons and dinner. 

Anyone else have that annoying pain on top of their foot, made much worse by tying a tennis shoe over it? Anyone with flat feet have a  preference for minimalist running shoes vs. full orthotics? Which kind? Shoes you like? 

Now, for my job; don't let today go by without moving. You will be happier, more energetic, and closer to an ideal you!