Sugar, oh sugar, where for art thou sugar. You know you're having withdrawels when you are dreaming, (asleep and awake) of all things sugary. Candy, doughnuts, and cake oh my! I'm not gonna lie here, this part is very, very difficult. I just keep telling myself to hang in there, a few more days and this will pass. I still have that roaring whisper in my mind telling me...just go for it. You know you want it, it won't hurt to just go for it, one isn't going to hurt you.....shush it up mind. I have to keep the images of what I want to accomplish in my mind. Let them grow and take shape and start to fill it up to the point where there is no room for anything else.
Two things I thought about yesterday that were giving me some motivation. First of all, distraction. The reason I get so caught up in food and my cravings is that I allow myself to do so. I am a stay at home Mom at the moment, but there is sooooo much more I could be doing around the house, and for Karma Chameleon. If I start to distract myself with more projects that keep me physically and mentally active, I believe that I can start to break old habits and create new ones. My goal for today, start decluttering the home. Surrounding affect you more than you know. Cluttered home, cluttered life.
Mind, Body, Spirit check:
Mind: And the battle goes on. Constant chatter about the "right and wrong" thing to do. Just trying to clear it out.
Body: Feeling tired...as usual....little headachy. Yesterday, (TMI alert) I had a little bout of diarreah..yuck...other than that not too bad!
Spirit: I'm starting to feel a bit more connected. My best times come from being outside. I think it's about time to start a garden.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Perfection is a four letter word
Good Morning! Day 3 and time to confess. Did I mention that I did not expect this journey to be easy? It is not. So far I have completely flubbed the whole diet thing. My excuses were in high gear and they won over. Let's just say bad habits are hard to break, I pretty much ate everything that was not on my list. Now the old me would have thrown up my hands and said, yeah well, it's just not for me, or "I'll just start again on Monday" and go the whole week binging on all things unhealthy, like a true addict would. This week is devoted to breaking bad habits so I need to accept that I am not perfect, that it has taken a long time to build these habits and it will take a long time to break them. The most important thing that I can do at this point is learn and keep moving forward.
Last night I had a serious pep talk with myself about not giving up. I needed to draw more strength from my mind and spirituality. Today I feel a bit stronger, but I still have that little voice telling me to wait until Monday...eat a cupcake...you know you want to. Yes a cupcake for breakfast! Why not, you already "messed up" right? Oh no you don't...NOT TODAY!!!
So as I am a firm believer in living within natures rythyms...turns out today, tomorrow and Friday are all very strong days to break bad habits. Saturday our moon goes into Taurus and is a great day to start things that will last and be hard to alter. Have you ever heard someone say, "It's meant to be, all the planets were aligned perfectly.", well that would be now. I know, I know...sounds completely hokey and weird, right? It's not as weird as you think. We are all affected by our environment, by the pull of the moon, etc. It's when we do things against nature that we see negative side effects. That's why eating seasonal is so important to regulate our bodies natural environmental rythyms. I think that without a strong connection to our mind, body, and spirit we will never truly achieve complete balance and success. So once again, it all comes down to breaking the barriers that stand between me and what I believe in. Now, not later, not before, is the only time I have to be successful.
All the same rules apply here. I need to remember to start writing in a food journal. That is soooo important to this process. Paper and pen....check....mental preparedness.....check...ok..let's go.
Mind, Body, Spirit check:
Mind: I feel like a little battle is raging on inside my brain, but it feels like the good is winning this one. I see more good in this process...really all good, and very little bad...those cupcake images are starting to fade.
Body: Extremely tired today and foggy headed...probably due to the poor diet and staying up late to watch Gidget Goes to Hawii....(no idea how that happened)
Spirit: All the planets aligned in my favor? Oh yeah!
On a side note...I decided to weigh myself again since I consider today to be a restart day and I am down 2 pounds....probably due to all the walking...hey I'll take it.
Last night I had a serious pep talk with myself about not giving up. I needed to draw more strength from my mind and spirituality. Today I feel a bit stronger, but I still have that little voice telling me to wait until Monday...eat a cupcake...you know you want to. Yes a cupcake for breakfast! Why not, you already "messed up" right? Oh no you don't...NOT TODAY!!!
So as I am a firm believer in living within natures rythyms...turns out today, tomorrow and Friday are all very strong days to break bad habits. Saturday our moon goes into Taurus and is a great day to start things that will last and be hard to alter. Have you ever heard someone say, "It's meant to be, all the planets were aligned perfectly.", well that would be now. I know, I know...sounds completely hokey and weird, right? It's not as weird as you think. We are all affected by our environment, by the pull of the moon, etc. It's when we do things against nature that we see negative side effects. That's why eating seasonal is so important to regulate our bodies natural environmental rythyms. I think that without a strong connection to our mind, body, and spirit we will never truly achieve complete balance and success. So once again, it all comes down to breaking the barriers that stand between me and what I believe in. Now, not later, not before, is the only time I have to be successful.
All the same rules apply here. I need to remember to start writing in a food journal. That is soooo important to this process. Paper and pen....check....mental preparedness.....check...ok..let's go.
Mind, Body, Spirit check:
Mind: I feel like a little battle is raging on inside my brain, but it feels like the good is winning this one. I see more good in this process...really all good, and very little bad...those cupcake images are starting to fade.
Body: Extremely tired today and foggy headed...probably due to the poor diet and staying up late to watch Gidget Goes to Hawii....(no idea how that happened)
Spirit: All the planets aligned in my favor? Oh yeah!
On a side note...I decided to weigh myself again since I consider today to be a restart day and I am down 2 pounds....probably due to all the walking...hey I'll take it.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Week 1 Back To Basic
Hey di ho! Jolly good day to start a challenge. This week the challange starts with breaking some bad habits and getting back to the nutritional basics. For me the end result of this will be to feel refreshed, clean, and most importantly balanced. With anything the best way to build something is to start new. This means cleaning and clearing out the old. In some cases even just completely demolishing the old.
From all of my obsessive reading and research one thing that is always true is that we most definitly are what we eat. The more processed, fried, unhealthy food we put in our bodies, the crappier we feel, (litterally and figuratively). I believe that food is our fuel, for mind, body and spirit. It is medicine for our ailments, or if not making the right food choices, it can be the cause of our ailments.
I need to start by eliminating all things and cleaning out my body so I can slowly start to build the body,mind and spirit I truly desire. Here are my goals for the week....
1) Get back to nutritional basics by eliminating the following;
-all forms of sugar, this includes fruits except for 1 cup berries a day
-all starchy vegetables
-all grains, flours etc
-all legumes, tofu, soybeans, peas, peanuts etc
-all dairy
-all "unhealthy" oils, corn, safflower, vegatable, canola
-all processed and fried foods
2) Eat only whole, seasonal foods, Epicurous.com has a seasonl food chart
3) Drink water and tea (unsweetened) only.
4) Eat a protein with a seasonal veggie and healthy fat (olive oil, avacado, nuts) at each meal.
5) Stop eating at least 3 hours before bed.
6) Pay attention to hunger, eat when hungry stop when satisfied.
7) Start a journal, write down everything you ate, how you felt after eating.
8) Check in every day with a mind, body, spirit update.
9) Make meal plan the day before, every day..plan 3 meals and snack.
There are many reasons that I chose the goals I chose. As far as the eating, it seems very extreme and in fact it is, however the only way to get results is to completely clear out. Since I'm not writing a book, and that's what it would take to explain how and why I chose these "extremes" I will say that there are several books which I mentioned in my first post that have helped me to determine what direction I wanted to go in. Blood Sugar Solution, by Dr Mark Hyman, The 3 Seasons Diet by Dr John Doulliard, and Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. Worth checking them out for some good information and motivation.
As you can see this week's main focus is on nutrition. And for me this is going to be the HARDEST week. I am a true food addict. I use food the way an alcholic uses booze or a drug addict uses drugs. I use food to feed my emotions, to escape, to gain pleasure and satisfaction. It completely rules my thoughts, my actions, my life in general. It is the worst habit I have. It affects my health, my appearance, my self esteem and I am ready to break free from it's hold on me and my life. It stands in the way of my personal and professional success, and at 35 years old (well soon to be 35) I'd say enough is enough. I have children who look up to my every move, and I have a business that I truly whole heartedly believe in...and I have a life waiting for me to live, this is one obstacle that needs to be demolished.
I realize that willpower is not so easy for me in this circumstance. So I have enlisted an arsenal of safety nets. This blog for one. I started listening to inspirational, subliminal CD's, and journaling. I have pep talked myself and am willing to face the struggle that is to come. But like anything, the only way to make it through is to take it all in moments. To stay in this moment.
There is going to be withdrawel, physical and mental. My body has been living on sugar and processed foods for so long, it's come dependant on them for energy. There may be a week or two of confusion, mental and phsyical as well. The voice in my head giving me every reason and excuse in the book to give up, to just cave to temptation. My physical fatigue and cravings are going to gnaw at me but I have to keep focused. I have no other choice.
So here is my Day 1 mind, body, spirit check in:
mind: I am feeling very motivated. I've been listening to my CD's and I feel like this journey is
going to be successful, .I keep getting little urges to eat something sugary or carb heavy.
Body: Feeling tired as usual, a little hungry right now. I woke up this morning feeling not so hot.
a little shaky, and cloudy headed. Feels like some allergies are attacking.
Spirit: I walked today to bring my little guy to school, and then decided to walk around the block. It
is a beautiful day and that put my spirits up pretty high
Physical stats:
beginning weight 206.6.....
blood pressure 128/76
physical "complaints"
- fatigue
- acne
- overweight
- weakness
- itchy hands and feet
- headaches
- anxiety/ depression
- allergies
- brain fog
From all of my obsessive reading and research one thing that is always true is that we most definitly are what we eat. The more processed, fried, unhealthy food we put in our bodies, the crappier we feel, (litterally and figuratively). I believe that food is our fuel, for mind, body and spirit. It is medicine for our ailments, or if not making the right food choices, it can be the cause of our ailments.
I need to start by eliminating all things and cleaning out my body so I can slowly start to build the body,mind and spirit I truly desire. Here are my goals for the week....
1) Get back to nutritional basics by eliminating the following;
-all forms of sugar, this includes fruits except for 1 cup berries a day
-all starchy vegetables
-all grains, flours etc
-all legumes, tofu, soybeans, peas, peanuts etc
-all dairy
-all "unhealthy" oils, corn, safflower, vegatable, canola
-all processed and fried foods
2) Eat only whole, seasonal foods, Epicurous.com has a seasonl food chart
3) Drink water and tea (unsweetened) only.
4) Eat a protein with a seasonal veggie and healthy fat (olive oil, avacado, nuts) at each meal.
5) Stop eating at least 3 hours before bed.
6) Pay attention to hunger, eat when hungry stop when satisfied.
7) Start a journal, write down everything you ate, how you felt after eating.
8) Check in every day with a mind, body, spirit update.
9) Make meal plan the day before, every day..plan 3 meals and snack.
There are many reasons that I chose the goals I chose. As far as the eating, it seems very extreme and in fact it is, however the only way to get results is to completely clear out. Since I'm not writing a book, and that's what it would take to explain how and why I chose these "extremes" I will say that there are several books which I mentioned in my first post that have helped me to determine what direction I wanted to go in. Blood Sugar Solution, by Dr Mark Hyman, The 3 Seasons Diet by Dr John Doulliard, and Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. Worth checking them out for some good information and motivation.
As you can see this week's main focus is on nutrition. And for me this is going to be the HARDEST week. I am a true food addict. I use food the way an alcholic uses booze or a drug addict uses drugs. I use food to feed my emotions, to escape, to gain pleasure and satisfaction. It completely rules my thoughts, my actions, my life in general. It is the worst habit I have. It affects my health, my appearance, my self esteem and I am ready to break free from it's hold on me and my life. It stands in the way of my personal and professional success, and at 35 years old (well soon to be 35) I'd say enough is enough. I have children who look up to my every move, and I have a business that I truly whole heartedly believe in...and I have a life waiting for me to live, this is one obstacle that needs to be demolished.
I realize that willpower is not so easy for me in this circumstance. So I have enlisted an arsenal of safety nets. This blog for one. I started listening to inspirational, subliminal CD's, and journaling. I have pep talked myself and am willing to face the struggle that is to come. But like anything, the only way to make it through is to take it all in moments. To stay in this moment.
There is going to be withdrawel, physical and mental. My body has been living on sugar and processed foods for so long, it's come dependant on them for energy. There may be a week or two of confusion, mental and phsyical as well. The voice in my head giving me every reason and excuse in the book to give up, to just cave to temptation. My physical fatigue and cravings are going to gnaw at me but I have to keep focused. I have no other choice.
So here is my Day 1 mind, body, spirit check in:
mind: I am feeling very motivated. I've been listening to my CD's and I feel like this journey is
going to be successful, .I keep getting little urges to eat something sugary or carb heavy.
Body: Feeling tired as usual, a little hungry right now. I woke up this morning feeling not so hot.
a little shaky, and cloudy headed. Feels like some allergies are attacking.
Spirit: I walked today to bring my little guy to school, and then decided to walk around the block. It
is a beautiful day and that put my spirits up pretty high
Physical stats:
beginning weight 206.6.....
blood pressure 128/76
physical "complaints"
- fatigue
- acne
- overweight
- weakness
- itchy hands and feet
- headaches
- anxiety/ depression
- allergies
- brain fog
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Dreams and challenges
Okay, so let's keep this simple and to the point. My dream, for a very long time now has been to start a business, named Karma Chameleon, where I can create and deliver an overall healthy and balancing experience for the mind, body and spirit. Through years of personal struggle with depression and anxiety, I have come to love all things natural and spiritual. I have gained knowledge and continue to gain knowledge about the things that are around us, seen and unseen that influence us on a day to day basis. Good and bad, we are all affected by the energy of things, people, and environment. Most significantly we are influened by the way we interact with our world around us and what we put into our bodies. With this knowledge I have started to gain a sense of strength and calm that I have never experienced in my 34 years of life.
The challenge for me, and I think for most people would be to overcome and break all the self destructive habits I have created throughout my lifetime of trying to fit my spirit and my energy and body into a "one size fits all" type of life. There is a ton of advice and books that I have listened to and read. Fact is I love it all. It all fascinates me and on some level they all make sense. The thing is where do I begin?
For me the begining has to start with the end. What this means is, I need to fully and completely know where I want to end up to even start. I know in my heart, and in my soul that what I truly want is for Karma Chameleon to be a successful, inspiring, real, honest, life changing way of life, not just a business. I want my family and myself to live day to day in a joyful state that can only come from perfect mental, spiritual and physical balance.
How do I get there? How do I get to the point where I can promote a business and a lifestyle that I can completely stand behind and say I did it? It seems daunting. Especially since my accumulative "bad habits" are not pretty, nor easy to break. So how about I start by listing the bad habit and then start working on creating new good habits. I beleive in working with nature and our surroundings. I find the moon influences alot of how things go for me, so right now April 16th 2012, is the perfect day to start to break bad habits. This whole week in fact. So here they are and lets get to work...
1) Addicted to food, I am an emotional eater, gorging on all things unhealthy, fatty, processed, not natural or good in anyway for my body or mind.
2) Lack focus or follow through. I am great at starting things but HORRIBLE at finishing them. I will rent a movie or a library book and never return it. I'll start a project and get half way done and get distracted or discouraged, some might even say LAZY. Aargh, I hate to admit it, but lazy is a trait I definitly have, and I am most ashamed of.
3) Do as I say not as I do attitude. I am Miss Know It All, always giving advice and spiritual leadership, yet I am the first one to fall back on old habits and the "comfort" that has for me.
Bad habits there are a plenty, but just to keep it basic we'll begin with these. I don't expect this to be an easy journey...hence the "challenge" part, but I am determined to be successful for myself, for Karma Chameleon, and for my family. The only way to live the life I dream of is to actually live it and stop just dreaming about it.
Challenge guidelines:
1) Hold yourself accountable. Every week right your goals for that week and check in daily with a mind, body, spirit check.
2) Be honest! Should you fall, it will be easier to pick yourself up from that point, then to deal with self deciet, which causes guilt and ultimate failure. No one is perfect, the growth comes from learning from and admitting our mistakes.
3) Every week, try to challenge yourself with a goal that puts you outside your comfort zone. True success comes from facing our fears.
4) Every new week should have a new goal for mind, body, and spirit....ex: mind/read a new book,
spirit/ meditate for 5 minutes, body/ do yoga every morning. You can keep those goals and expand on them...ie..the length of time or the type of exercises.
5) Be inspired, but be unique. Like I said I read a ton of books, and absorb information from all different resources, most recently, The Blood Sugar Solution, 3 Seasons Diet, and The Primal Blueprint. All of the have inspiring and motivational information, but again, I am an individual. It stresses me out to have to follow, word for word someone else's blueprint. Take what works for you, get to know where your limits lie, what feels good and right to you and do it. The less you try to be or look like someone else, the better you feel. Be you, love you, and embrace your own unique needs and life. Live YOUR life!
6) Be open and ready for change. In the same sense that you need to be inspired but unique, it's important to remember that life is forever changing. There are forces in nature and the people in our lives that can change the course of our lives in the blink of an eye or the whisper of a word. Adaptability is the key to survival and health. These weeks are going to change the way you feel, the way you think and the way you look. That can be really exciting and really scary. Remember guideline number 3, face your fear and accept the change. My favorite quote and one that warrants a place in these guidelines..."Sometimes in order to live the life that's waiting for us we have to let go of the life we planned."
7) Stay present AlWAYS! Do not forget the we hold all the power and strength we could ever need in this very moment. This moment is the only moment that matters, remember and embrace that.
More to come......www.karma-chameleon.com
The challenge for me, and I think for most people would be to overcome and break all the self destructive habits I have created throughout my lifetime of trying to fit my spirit and my energy and body into a "one size fits all" type of life. There is a ton of advice and books that I have listened to and read. Fact is I love it all. It all fascinates me and on some level they all make sense. The thing is where do I begin?
For me the begining has to start with the end. What this means is, I need to fully and completely know where I want to end up to even start. I know in my heart, and in my soul that what I truly want is for Karma Chameleon to be a successful, inspiring, real, honest, life changing way of life, not just a business. I want my family and myself to live day to day in a joyful state that can only come from perfect mental, spiritual and physical balance.
How do I get there? How do I get to the point where I can promote a business and a lifestyle that I can completely stand behind and say I did it? It seems daunting. Especially since my accumulative "bad habits" are not pretty, nor easy to break. So how about I start by listing the bad habit and then start working on creating new good habits. I beleive in working with nature and our surroundings. I find the moon influences alot of how things go for me, so right now April 16th 2012, is the perfect day to start to break bad habits. This whole week in fact. So here they are and lets get to work...
1) Addicted to food, I am an emotional eater, gorging on all things unhealthy, fatty, processed, not natural or good in anyway for my body or mind.
2) Lack focus or follow through. I am great at starting things but HORRIBLE at finishing them. I will rent a movie or a library book and never return it. I'll start a project and get half way done and get distracted or discouraged, some might even say LAZY. Aargh, I hate to admit it, but lazy is a trait I definitly have, and I am most ashamed of.
3) Do as I say not as I do attitude. I am Miss Know It All, always giving advice and spiritual leadership, yet I am the first one to fall back on old habits and the "comfort" that has for me.
Bad habits there are a plenty, but just to keep it basic we'll begin with these. I don't expect this to be an easy journey...hence the "challenge" part, but I am determined to be successful for myself, for Karma Chameleon, and for my family. The only way to live the life I dream of is to actually live it and stop just dreaming about it.
Challenge guidelines:
1) Hold yourself accountable. Every week right your goals for that week and check in daily with a mind, body, spirit check.
2) Be honest! Should you fall, it will be easier to pick yourself up from that point, then to deal with self deciet, which causes guilt and ultimate failure. No one is perfect, the growth comes from learning from and admitting our mistakes.
3) Every week, try to challenge yourself with a goal that puts you outside your comfort zone. True success comes from facing our fears.
4) Every new week should have a new goal for mind, body, and spirit....ex: mind/read a new book,
spirit/ meditate for 5 minutes, body/ do yoga every morning. You can keep those goals and expand on them...ie..the length of time or the type of exercises.
5) Be inspired, but be unique. Like I said I read a ton of books, and absorb information from all different resources, most recently, The Blood Sugar Solution, 3 Seasons Diet, and The Primal Blueprint. All of the have inspiring and motivational information, but again, I am an individual. It stresses me out to have to follow, word for word someone else's blueprint. Take what works for you, get to know where your limits lie, what feels good and right to you and do it. The less you try to be or look like someone else, the better you feel. Be you, love you, and embrace your own unique needs and life. Live YOUR life!
6) Be open and ready for change. In the same sense that you need to be inspired but unique, it's important to remember that life is forever changing. There are forces in nature and the people in our lives that can change the course of our lives in the blink of an eye or the whisper of a word. Adaptability is the key to survival and health. These weeks are going to change the way you feel, the way you think and the way you look. That can be really exciting and really scary. Remember guideline number 3, face your fear and accept the change. My favorite quote and one that warrants a place in these guidelines..."Sometimes in order to live the life that's waiting for us we have to let go of the life we planned."
7) Stay present AlWAYS! Do not forget the we hold all the power and strength we could ever need in this very moment. This moment is the only moment that matters, remember and embrace that.
More to come......www.karma-chameleon.com
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