It is hard to believe but I have posted 100 times to this blog.....
I am so proud of myself for sticking with it.
I have a habit of starting something full force and then fade out. To confirm this just look at all my half done craft projects, the recipes I cut out but never made and the times in years past where my New Year's resolutions were forgotten before the last version of Auld Lang Syne had been sung.
As I have shared with you....last year was different. Like the Chinese New Year has the year of the horse or bird or tiger. 2010 was the year of me !!!! Well, unlike the Chinese....I am making 2011 the same name as last year.....call it All About Me, the sequel !!
Look forward to posts about new recipes tried, stretching what I can do at the gym (I am sure Carol will see to that!!!) and continued success at the scale !!!
Carol's suggestion that I start a blog was a stroke of genius. I have always loved writing and this blog has given me the outlet to write on a regular basis. I have found it very therapeutic and sharing my feelings, adventures, successes and failures with all of you has been:
1. scary
2. terrifying
3. freeing
4. emotional
5. sad
6. funny
7. positive
8. a stretch
9. rewarding
10. A BLAST
I am excited to continue this blog and look forward to the next 100 or 200 entries. I dream that someday maybe just maybe it can be turned into a book. Think how much fun a book tour would be????
I do not think my experiences in the last year were unusual but I think the sharing it is what may makes my journey unique. If one person see this blog as interesting reading or a positive experience I will feel the time at my computer each week will have been worth it.
My friend Gigi and I have joked about a book tour....Gigi on one side of me and Jenn on the other while I autograph books. Jenn keeping the line moving and Gigi tapping me on the shoulder say "Donna, we only have a few more minutes and then we have to wrap it up." Talking about my book on Ellen or Oprah (I guess on her new network)...
The way I have dreamed of going to Italy....of wearing a basic black dress I just bought off the rack......I dream about being published.
Maybe this is the time my dreams start to come true.......
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Hoppin' Johns and Time to Start the New Year....
Yesterday, I made my 1st attempt at the traditional southern New Year's meal. I made corn bread, collards, hoppin' johns and ham (in lieu of pork....hey it all comes from the same animal!!!). I was so pleased with the way it turned out....the corn bread was so easy....thank you Jiffy box mix. The collards were canned (ok I made it easy for me). The hoppin' johns was from a recipe I found in a magazine last week. It tasted great!!!!
Today, I pitched out the Christmas cookies still in the house (yes, they were still calling my name!!!!). I might go to Earth Fare and get some Buffalo jerky...yum...high in protein low in fat and carb's. Also heading to Publix for some veggies (for the steamer) and fruit.
I know people get all excited about the New Year.....resolving to exercise more (or a weight watchers calls it....more activity) and eat healthier. The problem is they don't stick to it. Last year, I was able to stick to my goals. This year I feel even stronger about the challenge I have ahead.
I even decided to label the foods I usually have in the house with the number of points they equal on the WW points plus program. If you decide to peek in my pantry don't laugh at the boxes and packages with numbers written on them with a sharpie....it will make my life easier and I won't have to look up the foods I eat the most often.
I have never been this excited at the start of a New Year.....throw some confetti, shoot off some fireworks, blow a horn.....the New Year has arrived and so have I !!!!!! LOL.....
Today, I pitched out the Christmas cookies still in the house (yes, they were still calling my name!!!!). I might go to Earth Fare and get some Buffalo jerky...yum...high in protein low in fat and carb's. Also heading to Publix for some veggies (for the steamer) and fruit.
I know people get all excited about the New Year.....resolving to exercise more (or a weight watchers calls it....more activity) and eat healthier. The problem is they don't stick to it. Last year, I was able to stick to my goals. This year I feel even stronger about the challenge I have ahead.
I even decided to label the foods I usually have in the house with the number of points they equal on the WW points plus program. If you decide to peek in my pantry don't laugh at the boxes and packages with numbers written on them with a sharpie....it will make my life easier and I won't have to look up the foods I eat the most often.
I have never been this excited at the start of a New Year.....throw some confetti, shoot off some fireworks, blow a horn.....the New Year has arrived and so have I !!!!!! LOL.....
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Last Workout For 2010....
This entry will be a little out of order....sorry....when I get an entry idea for a blog I do not always think of the order in which I should go.....
Last Thursday, 12/30/10, last workout of the year. I climbed, bent, stretched, lifted and squatted. I was doing pretty well especially since I finally found a pair of comfortable sneakers at home. That means I will be buying a new pair of Easy Spirits since they didn't make my feel feel cramped or ache.
Anyway, back to the work out......we were doing pretty well and then Carol told me to hold a 6 pound ball between my hands with my arms stretched out in front of me and climb up and down on the stepper. I looked at her with those deer in the headlights eyes. She said "go ahead". I thought to myself, I can't do this.....my arms hurt, my legs are tired and I don't think I can hold my arms out straight and climb.....oh and I forgot I also have to breathe.....give me a break !!! Well, I did as I was told. By the time we had done all the rep's my arms felt like jelly, they were shaking and I felt like I had used every ounce of strength I had just to finish. At first I felt bad that a simple routine like that would be such a struggle but then I thought.....I DID IT !!!
My year of workouts ended on a positive note....I have learned that I don't need to compete with any one else.....all that matters is that I am making strides and I am improving from where I started.....to all that I can say yes.... I am making strides, yes.... I have improved a lot from where I started and yes.... I can truly say I am looking forward to the new challenges at the gym during 2011....I hope Carol, my trainer didn't read this.....LOL......OK Carol... bring it on !!!!
Last Thursday, 12/30/10, last workout of the year. I climbed, bent, stretched, lifted and squatted. I was doing pretty well especially since I finally found a pair of comfortable sneakers at home. That means I will be buying a new pair of Easy Spirits since they didn't make my feel feel cramped or ache.
Anyway, back to the work out......we were doing pretty well and then Carol told me to hold a 6 pound ball between my hands with my arms stretched out in front of me and climb up and down on the stepper. I looked at her with those deer in the headlights eyes. She said "go ahead". I thought to myself, I can't do this.....my arms hurt, my legs are tired and I don't think I can hold my arms out straight and climb.....oh and I forgot I also have to breathe.....give me a break !!! Well, I did as I was told. By the time we had done all the rep's my arms felt like jelly, they were shaking and I felt like I had used every ounce of strength I had just to finish. At first I felt bad that a simple routine like that would be such a struggle but then I thought.....I DID IT !!!
My year of workouts ended on a positive note....I have learned that I don't need to compete with any one else.....all that matters is that I am making strides and I am improving from where I started.....to all that I can say yes.... I am making strides, yes.... I have improved a lot from where I started and yes.... I can truly say I am looking forward to the new challenges at the gym during 2011....I hope Carol, my trainer didn't read this.....LOL......OK Carol... bring it on !!!!
Everyone Deserves A Chance To Fly....
My favorite musical is Wicked. It is the story of the Wicked Witch of the West before she became mean. There are those of you who might think I would be perfect for the part....
Anyway, in the play the Wizard of Oz tells Elphaba (the name of the Wicked Witch of the West) that "Everyone deserves a chance to fly."
I love that line....kind of reminds me of what I am trying to accomplish when I work out or as I follow the Weight Watchers program. I have been held down so long by me.....now it is my time to try and fly.
I have been weighted down by others words, looks, opinions and yes, when you hear the negatives long enough you start to believe what you hear. When you hear the whispers or laughter and know it is directed at you....it can be devastating. You hurt in a way you didn't think was possible.
The words and cruel remarks don't hurt quite as much as the used to because now I am starting to feel good about me. I still feel the stares and hear the giggles as I walk by but I have to believe that if any of those people could walk in my shoes for just one day they would feel or react differently,
Each step I climb at the gym, each treat I pass up, each ounce I lose brings me closer to the person I know I can be.....this is not a vanity trip ....although it would be nice to shop off the rack of any store.... it is more about good health and a long life.
When I leave the gym or Weight Watchers meeting and have been successful, my step is just a little lighter....if I have a rough week at the scales I do not let it weigh me down (no pun intended)....I now think....I will do better next week....
I am no longer Jacob Marley who carried the chains that he forged in life.....I am more life Elphaba....misunderstood, tried to do good, but things didn't always turn out right....
I deserve a chance to fly and defy gravity.....that is what I am working on this year.....get ready and watch me soar...
Anyway, in the play the Wizard of Oz tells Elphaba (the name of the Wicked Witch of the West) that "Everyone deserves a chance to fly."
I love that line....kind of reminds me of what I am trying to accomplish when I work out or as I follow the Weight Watchers program. I have been held down so long by me.....now it is my time to try and fly.
I have been weighted down by others words, looks, opinions and yes, when you hear the negatives long enough you start to believe what you hear. When you hear the whispers or laughter and know it is directed at you....it can be devastating. You hurt in a way you didn't think was possible.
The words and cruel remarks don't hurt quite as much as the used to because now I am starting to feel good about me. I still feel the stares and hear the giggles as I walk by but I have to believe that if any of those people could walk in my shoes for just one day they would feel or react differently,
Each step I climb at the gym, each treat I pass up, each ounce I lose brings me closer to the person I know I can be.....this is not a vanity trip ....although it would be nice to shop off the rack of any store.... it is more about good health and a long life.
When I leave the gym or Weight Watchers meeting and have been successful, my step is just a little lighter....if I have a rough week at the scales I do not let it weigh me down (no pun intended)....I now think....I will do better next week....
I am no longer Jacob Marley who carried the chains that he forged in life.....I am more life Elphaba....misunderstood, tried to do good, but things didn't always turn out right....
I deserve a chance to fly and defy gravity.....that is what I am working on this year.....get ready and watch me soar...
Put the oxygen mask on yourself then the kids
I heard someone say on TV today that the advice given on an airplane is that if the oxygen masks fall put yours on first then help your children put on theirs. Human nature is to take care of the children first and then ourselves. We get so conditioned to putting ourselves last that even when are children are grown we forget to put ourselves first.
I really have had to focus on me. I have even had people criticize me for trying to put myself at the head of the line. When people are used to hearing you say "Oh I don't mind waiting" or " "Go ahead of me" or "I don't want it you can have it" or "You take it I don't mind", they have a heard time hearing you say, "I am focusing on me" or "Yes, it is all about me" or "I want to do this for me".
I spent last year trying to feel comfortable standing at the front of the line. I feel I have earned the right to focus on myself. Sounds confident... right? Then why the hell do I feel so guilty????
It's not like I have a young child at home. I have a very self-sufficient grown daughter. My husband is used to being catered to but you know what?? That needs to change. I cannot fully focus on me if he feels the focus should be on him. For a change, I need to be the center of my own universe. How selfish that sounds....but if I don't do it now.... then when??? It's not like I am hiding money, or doing extravagent things for me and no one else. Unless you consider the gym and Weight Watchers big extravagances.....I call then necessities. They are necessary for me to become the person I should have or could have been if I hadn't gotten lost in the shuffle.
OK ....it is time for me to put on my oxygen mask and take a deep breath...ready, set, go...
I really have had to focus on me. I have even had people criticize me for trying to put myself at the head of the line. When people are used to hearing you say "Oh I don't mind waiting" or " "Go ahead of me" or "I don't want it you can have it" or "You take it I don't mind", they have a heard time hearing you say, "I am focusing on me" or "Yes, it is all about me" or "I want to do this for me".
I spent last year trying to feel comfortable standing at the front of the line. I feel I have earned the right to focus on myself. Sounds confident... right? Then why the hell do I feel so guilty????
It's not like I have a young child at home. I have a very self-sufficient grown daughter. My husband is used to being catered to but you know what?? That needs to change. I cannot fully focus on me if he feels the focus should be on him. For a change, I need to be the center of my own universe. How selfish that sounds....but if I don't do it now.... then when??? It's not like I am hiding money, or doing extravagent things for me and no one else. Unless you consider the gym and Weight Watchers big extravagances.....I call then necessities. They are necessary for me to become the person I should have or could have been if I hadn't gotten lost in the shuffle.
OK ....it is time for me to put on my oxygen mask and take a deep breath...ready, set, go...
2011 Resolutions
I have made a list of resolutions for the coming year. Last year, I did pretty well sticking to them.....going to the gym on a regular basis, eating healthier, working at my weight, reading more, more focus on me.
Here is the list for 2011:
1. Continue to explore healthier food options- more trying new foods at Earth Fare, using my new rice and veggie steamer, picking foods higher in fiber and lower in sugar and carbs
2. Kick it up a notch at the gym - ok this one is scary if Carol, my trainer, reads this...LOL
3. Get something I write published
4. Continue blog- I have almost 100 posts now
5. Weigh less at the end of the year than the beginning
6. Go on a fun trip
7. Read more- easy with a Kindle
8. More time with friends and family- pure fun
9. Laugh more-especially at work (this could take up my whole resolution list)
10.Keep putting me at the top of the list- continue to make me a priority
11.Keep at least 5 of the resolutions
Hey it's Jan 1st and I have already done #1, 4 7, 8 and 11.....only 364 days to go!!!
Here is the list for 2011:
1. Continue to explore healthier food options- more trying new foods at Earth Fare, using my new rice and veggie steamer, picking foods higher in fiber and lower in sugar and carbs
2. Kick it up a notch at the gym - ok this one is scary if Carol, my trainer, reads this...LOL
3. Get something I write published
4. Continue blog- I have almost 100 posts now
5. Weigh less at the end of the year than the beginning
6. Go on a fun trip
7. Read more- easy with a Kindle
8. More time with friends and family- pure fun
9. Laugh more-especially at work (this could take up my whole resolution list)
10.Keep putting me at the top of the list- continue to make me a priority
11.Keep at least 5 of the resolutions
Hey it's Jan 1st and I have already done #1, 4 7, 8 and 11.....only 364 days to go!!!
Best of 2010
As I start my new journal for 2011, I felt the need to list what I thought were some (not all of the best)of the best things about 2010.
Here is the list:
1. Road trip to NY with Jenn in July
2. Saw Wicked again in June
3. Went to gym on a regular basis- all year
4. Weighed a lot less at the end of the year than the beginning
5. Mom was well enough of visit SC- December
6. Started to explore healthier eating option- Earth Fare, quinoa, less soda
7. Love Weight Watchers new Points Plus program
8. Kept up with blog since I started it in March
9. Jenn a huge help during the year especially during our recent floods in the house
10. Incentives never hurt.
A nice list. I had no idea at the start of 2010 where the year would go but now in review it was a blast !!!
Here is the list:
1. Road trip to NY with Jenn in July
2. Saw Wicked again in June
3. Went to gym on a regular basis- all year
4. Weighed a lot less at the end of the year than the beginning
5. Mom was well enough of visit SC- December
6. Started to explore healthier eating option- Earth Fare, quinoa, less soda
7. Love Weight Watchers new Points Plus program
8. Kept up with blog since I started it in March
9. Jenn a huge help during the year especially during our recent floods in the house
10. Incentives never hurt.
A nice list. I had no idea at the start of 2010 where the year would go but now in review it was a blast !!!
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