Day 86... Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!


I am so excited... I got what just I wanted for Christmas! My Hubby gave me a copy of Anne Burrell's new "Cooking Like A Rock Star" cookbook. I can't wait for work to slow down and the New Year to come so I can take on the challenge.

Day 75 ... Biggest Loser Recap

      This was a great season for those at the ranch, but not so much for me here at home. I seemed to have reached a brick wall or plateau as they call it. I finished out with only losing 12 pounds, of which, I gained 5 of them back. I think I will be reviewing some things in my schedule for when I start again with the new season with starts on January 3, 2012. I will continue to work out and train for the Copper River Bridge Run. That is still my ultimate goal in all of this.

Day 60... Confessions

       Many of my friends have asked me if I try to eat healthy or conservatively during the holidays and the answer is.... "I always try to eat healthy, but I do not conserve or scrimp on my ingredients in my holiday menus".  Throughout the years I have often tried to rework some of the recipes to provide a healthier choice, but then the taste is never then same and I am very much a traditionalist and love my holiday foods just the way they were meant to be. So, I faithfully enjoy all my holiday goodies, knowing that my New Year's resolution will always be... "This year I promise to try to do better!"

Day 50 .... Fifty Days and still "Sailing" Strong!

       I know I haven't been posting much, but like any good ship, when you lose the wind in your sails you seem to get tossed around a bit before you find a breeze and get back on course. One thing I have learned in my life is not to plan to far ahead, because plans never seem to happen for me quite the way I have the planned. So this "RUN ON THE BEACH" was a long shot that I needed to give me motivation. And even though I have been faithfully steady on my course and have reached all my benchmarks and short term goals so for, I am still saddened by the prospect that I may not be in the area come race time. (details to follow at a later date).

       So let's check our "Knots" so far... (my short term goals reached by day 50!)

• TO BE ABLE TO WALK/RUN 2 MILES UNDER 30 MINUTES 
• TO LOSE 7 POUNDS IN 50 DAYS
• TO DRINK MORE WATER THAN SODA
• TO COMPLETE ALL "BIGGEST LOSER" GOALS UP TO DATE
• TO ADD 10 NEW RECIPES TO MENU
• TO FIND 2 NEW FRIENDS TO JOIN IN THE FUN

How about Anyone else? (please leave comments to inspire us all...)

Day 29 .... Super Saturday

         Remember the other day when I mentioned that the Lungs and Large Intestines are the body organs that are associated with Fall and the Chinese Metal Element? Well, I discovered some very interesting information while reading some more of the Autumn chapter of my "Staying Healthy with the Seasons". 
        These areas are the two that must stay clean for them to function the best and they often have difficulty when contaminated by environmental pollutants such as smog, smoking or dietary excesses of the American Cultures...

LUNGS:  

• deep breathing and good air is vital to life
• do not smoke
• do not like cold damp air, so staying warm can prevent colds 
• help to create a balance in the body and seeing justice exists among all the organs
• the rhythm of our breaths govern the other rhythmic cycles of our bodies

LARGE INTESTINES:

• usually the most overstressed organ in the body
• helps with water and nutrients absorption 
• pressure in the sinuses, headaches, sore throats and lack of energy can be caused from and back-up in this organ.
• a diet high in natural foods and fiber help to keep this area well-toned
• this organ also effects the cycles of the kidneys and liver

Day 28 .... Friends & Friday's

        About four days ago, my best friend and biggest fan (My Husband) discovered a new health and fitness website / app for his phone. "MY FITNESS PAL". After sharing it with me, his excitement turned to his broad statement that "So, I think I will give this a try!" I am so excited, it is easier to accomplish a task when you have friends that keep you motivated, family members who are willing to share the same meal plan and warm hearts that recognize and positively comment on changes. I am so excited for him, because he, like me, has a list of health issues that he faces on a daily basis, most are probably weight related. The other thing that I realized in doing this together was the fact that Friday Date Night become a lot easier when it came down to choosing where or what restaurant we were going to visit. We choose to eat salads at home. So new discovery....

• FACT #7: Find a Friend to share Friday's with.

Day 27.... Back Tracking

        Have you ever experienced a day where it didn't mater how fast you got things accomplished or how fast you moved forward, you never feel like you get caught up? Well, the last few days have felt like that for me... Things are starting to cool down here at the beach and I am feeling the heaviness in my joints. I figured I would have a couple of more months of good warmer weather to still be able to run barefoot along the waters edge, but the water is getting chilly and the fisherman and jelly fish are becoming more prevalent in my walking space.
       I was reading this morning on one of my favorite sites ACTIVE.COM and they made the statement:
"Fall is a time for comfort food. Thanksgiving dinner, pies, grandma’s cookies, and family gatherings all lead to some serious calorie intake. The average American gains one to five pounds during the holiday season, and most of that weight is never lost again. Does that mean you have to sacrifice mashed potatoes and apple pie? Not necessarily. If you remain committed to your run schedule during these months you can stay ahead of those extra pounds."

So Okay.... I am committed! Why did I feel like I am BACK TRACKING?

Day 26 ..... Wicked Tired!!!!!

       OH MAN!!! I am so "wicked tired", to quote a phrase from our youth of today, (my boys!). Between all the junk food yesterday and staying up late, I could hardly wiggle my butt out of bed this morning. My walk/run this morning turned into a very sluggish walk and now I am home to spend the day away from the snack cupboard and trying to water my way into a better day tomorrow. I could hear Bob and Julian bad mouthing me all the way to the beach this morning.... :), Thank goodness for the power of repentance, because I can assure you, I WILL NEVER EAT THAT WAY AGAIN!!!!!!!

• FACT #6:  - Junk food days are going to kill me!

Day 25 ..... Toss-Together Tuesday's

       Okay... So one big thing I learned this week is Toss-Together Tuesday's are not a good thing. An unplanned meal can lead to sooooo much bad snacking and junk food cravings. I ate so much high calorie stuff today, corn dogs smothered in guacamole with tortilla chips and cheese, followed by orange jell-o with cool whip and candy bars. That was not counting: breakfast (toast, cheddar cheese and an orange), lunch (yogurt, pork chop, Mt. Dew and Bruschetta with Tomato & Broccoli Tapenade), or snacks (peanuts, candy corn, a  full king sized Whatchamacallit Candy Bar,  and 4 mini white powered donuts). And may I point out that none of the above items are actually that bad for you, it's just the way I put them together in a meal or meals. I was so BAD today!!!!

      But the one thing that I did want to share about the afternoon was the new  

Tomato & Broccoli Tapenade   

recipe that I made today. It was so tasty and easy to make,

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh broccoli, finely chopped
• 2-4 small white button mushrooms, chopped
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped red pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 narrow Italian or French loaf of bread
• 1 head garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise

Directions

1.   Place chopped tomatoes, basil & mushrooms in a large saute pan. Stir in the 2 tablespoons olive oil, (save the other 2 for bruschetta), red pepper, garlic, basil, black pepper, and balsamic vinegar and mix well, warm up on low for 2 minutes. Cover and chill for at least four hours before serving.
2.   To make the bruschetta base: Slice the loaf of bread, on the bias, into 1/2-inch slices, (about 12-15 per loaf). Rub each slice   with fresh garlic clove and then brush with olive oil. Place bread in oven on sheet pan, bake on 350 until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes on each side. Serve warm with chilled Tapenade.
3.    To serve: Fold feta into Tapenade, Place bread slices on serving dish, spoon 2 tablespoons of Tapenade onto each slice of bread and serve.

Nutritional Information 

Serving size is 2 pieces... 
Amount Per Serving:   Calories: 114 / Total Fat: 11.1g / Cholesterol: 8mg / Sodium 110mg / Protein 2.0g

Day 24 .... Makeover Monday

        In reading more of the Autumn Harvest section in my "Staying Healthy with the Seasons" book yesterday. I discovered that Autumn is often referred to or combined with Metal in the Chinese Five Element Theory.  Autumn is also often referenced to air in astrology and the book goes on explaining that Autumn should be a time of cleansing for both the Lungs and the Large Intestine in getting ready for winter. It is a time of gathering and turning within personally, giving focus to our selves and to others around us.

       So after my walk/run this morning I decided to start my week off with a sort of breakfast cleanse using some of the fruits of the season. I started my week off with a day full of smoothies and juices and on "THE PANTRY LIFE"  blog we always start the week off with a recipe make-over, so here is my made over smoothie recipe I made for breakfast this morning and I also included my original recipe. Both are really good. It just depends on what you are going for.

Fresh Peach Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 large peach, sliced
1/2 cup of peach yogurt
1/2 cup of skim milk
8 ice cubes

Directions:
Blend the peach slices with the ice cubes and milk first until slushy texture is formed. Then add the yogurt and blend for another 30 seconds on low. You may substitute fresh peaches with canned peaches, drained without the syrup in this smoothie recipe.
 Calories 190 ~ Calories from Fat 18 ~ Total Fat 2.0g ~ Saturated Fat 1.3g ~ Cholesterol 10mg ~ Sodium 137mg ~ Carbohydrates 29.7g ~ Fiber 2.4g ~ Sugars 28.0g ~ Protein 12.5g

 

Ice Cream and Peach Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients:
1 large peach, sliced
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream
1 cup of whole milk
8 ice cubes

Directions:
Blend the peach slices, whole milk, ice cream and ice in a blender for 30 seconds on low to keep the ice cream texture in the smoothie. A very great tasting and healthy peach smoothie for people who are trying to gain weight.
 Calories 352 ~ Calories from Fat 146 ~ Total Fat 16.2g ~ Saturated Fat 9.5g ~ Cholesterol 56mg ~ Sodium 155mg ~ Carbohydrates 43.0g ~ Fiber 2.9g ~ Sugars 41.3g ~ Protein 11.8g

Day 23 ..... Spiritual Nutrition

      Today, I felt very blessed just to be able to get out of bed. I woke up with the start of a very nasty migraine. I took some medicine and managed to make to through Sacrament Meeting and then home to my bed. After another round of medicine and a big long nap, I came to the conclusion the today was going to be a Spiritual Nutrition Day!

       About a month ago I started reading the new book entitled "Daughters in My Kingdom" It is a new book put out by the church about the history and work of Relief Society and in the beginning, it talks about the purposes of Relief Society. Which are:

• To Increase faith and personal righteousness
• To strengthen families and homes
• To seek out and help those in need  

      While I was reading I started thinking about yesterday and "rolling with the punches"... When I look at the things that I accomplished yesterday, I can truly say that everything I did in one way or another fit into the purposes of Relief Society and these are the things in which I believe and try to act upon every day.

       I know that some of my friends, especially those who are runners or who workout, think I am crazy for taking every Sunday off. But, like I have explained before, for me that is my day for rest and spiritual  renewal, sort of my Spiritual Nutrition day. Like Martha and Mary in the New Testament, I try everyday to serve as a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, Some days turn out better than others!

Day 22 ... "rolling with the punches!"

       Life is so unpredictable and so often you hear to old saying "you need to roll with the punches"! But things that come up can become very discouraging in so many ways. Today, I went to work with the full intention of being off at 1:00, quick stop at a Scrapbook Crop with the "Stampin' Granny's" and then home for my run. All went as planned until I got home. Then the need for a mom was very evident at my house... I love my boys and so my heart kicks in and my run gets pushed to the back burner. All the rest of the day it was pushed to the back burner, until there was no day light left, dad got home from work and everybody decided a boy's night out was in order. So there I was, alone with all the time in the world to run and no sunlight left! Even an evening run was out of the question...

• FACT #5... I do not run on the beach after dark alone! I go to the beach after dark but always with someone and never to run...

       So trying to "roll with the punches", I figured tonight would be a great night for a round of good old fashioned kickboxing. In goes the music and 15 minutes later, I was exhausted! I didn't realize how out of shape I have become in the past four years since the last time I was kickboxing.

Day 21... Evening Run

Looking South

        I know the other day I was discussing running in the morning vs running in the afternoon. Well, my day was very busy today and I didn't get a chance to run until evening, so now we throw another option on the table. It was nice and quiet on the beach. The sun was just stating to set in the horizon behind to city dwellers in the south end. To the north the sky was already starting to take on the colors of the night sky. Going for an evening run was a great finish to a wonderfully busy day.

Looking North

Day 20 ..... For the Fan Club!

       The other day my son and his girlfriend told me that they really liked my new blog and that I had inspired them to start eating healthy. I was surprised but very pleased and I quickly followed up their statement with "Good! so you going to run the 10k with me too?" My son smiled and answered , saying "nah, that would be pushing my luck, but keep writing because he like to read it." So I thought today I would post another recipe for the healthy eating FAN CLUB!

Bob Harper, "Biggest Loser Trainer", posted this salad on his website "MyTrainerBob.com". It looked so good I just had to give it a try and the surprising thing was, I had all the ingredients in the pantry...

PEACH & HALIBUT SALAD

Ingredients:


Salad
½ peach, sliced
5 oz grilled halibut (sprayed with evoo, seasoned, grilled 8 minutes each side)
¼ cup drained and rinsed garbanzo beans
1 Persian cucumber, diced
¼ avocado cubed
2 cups mixed greens
1 tbsp crumbled goat cheese


Dressing
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard


Procedure
Top mixed greens with peaches, cucumber, avocado, garbanzo beans, crumbled cheese, halibut
Dressing- whisk in separate bowl and drizzle over salad.

You can find his video for the salad here at the website: Bob's Peach & Halibut Salad

Also today, a couple of other friends commented on how much they are enjoying reading my blog. And a suggested comment was made that I should run for a cause. SO I started thinking about what cause I would run for.

Day 19 ..... Morning -vs- Afternoon

       I am trying to decide if it is better to run in the morning before I go to work or in the afternoon when I get home from work. There are pros and cons to both and I get the same just as much enjoyment out of one as I do the other.

Day 18 ..... Weigh-in Blues

       Like I said yesterday, I had been way off track last week and today I started beating myself up with the Weigh-in Blues. Then as I went for my walk/run this morning, I noticed that there were a lot of dead jelly fish in my path. I understand from all that I have been told they are just as harmful dead as they are alive and very quickly I was in full concentration of what lie in the distance. I was very careful not to step on one of the jelly fish as I was running. (remember: I run barefooted along the water's edge).  I started thinking about a couple of things while I was walking. "Like Running today I need to keep looking forward and not worry so much about what I did or ate last week!" and "I can always repent and do better this week!" So, I started thinking about where I was a year ago and how for I have come...

Sept. 2010 ---- walk/ran 1 mile in 21.2 minutes    /   Sept. 2011 ---- walk/ran 1.7 in 21.2 minutes
Sept. 2010 ---- weigh-in was 262.8 pounds         /   Sept. 2011 ---- weigh-in 223.6 pounds
Sept. 2010 ---- wore size 20 levis & 2XL top      /   Sept. 2011 ---- wore size 16-18 levis & XL top
Sept. 2010 ---- waited until night to eat big meal  /    Sept. 2011 ---- waited past big meal at lunch to snack

I came acrossed a very good article yesterday on Active.com, that kind of goes along with my idea that I am still on track. I realized that I have made great strides in the year and I am pleased. The article was entitled...

"Learn to Run in Four Simple Steps"

• Set a smart goal: Run 30 minutes in two to four months. ( I can do this! )

• Practice patience, grasshopper. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a happy runner.  ( I do this! )

• Consistency is the secret to success. It's all about creating momentum. (I understand this! )

• Follow a personal training plan. Run from within. ( I live this! ---  okay, so I let a big fat juicy burger catch me off guard once in awhile)

Day 17 ... Back on track

       Between monthly cycles, stormy waters and big burgers, I have been very bad this week. So I have nothing else to say but I am BACK ON TRACK today! I am still spiritually sailing from our awesome weekend and look forward to a great week ahead... :)

This week's thought: (something to think about...)

"YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW YOUR OWN STRENGTH UNTIL SOMEONE PUTS IT IN THE FORM OF A DARE!"  by A.Harris

Day 16... AWESOME 24 HOURS!

       We left yesterday to go to Florence for our Stake Conference this weekend. We decided that since we had so much going on between meetings and choir stuff that we would spend the night. So, with bags packed off we went. We attended the adult session last night which was filled with many marvelous words of wisdom and encouragement pertaining to us as families and as seekers of the Lord's blessings to us here on this Earth.

       Today, was more of the same, except for me, I felt like it had more of a personal note, about us individually as children of a loving Father in Heaven, who desires for us to be the best we can be through setting goals and working on being a little bit better tomorrow than we were today.  If we continue striving to "practice our religion" then all these things helps us to obtain the everlasting blessings that come to us through the atonement of Christ. This promise is given to us in may different statements through out the scriptures, but the one I like best is in D&C 25:15...  
"Keep my commandments continually, and a crown of righteousness thou shalt receive. And except thou do this, where I am you cannot come"
        I came away today feeling very spiritually uplifted, fed and blessed that I was able to attend the Conference today. And I came away feeling more determined than ever that I am in the right place at the right time. And my goals have become a whole lot clearer to me.

I will walk/run even if it takes me all day to complete the task.... !

        

Day 15 .... Stepping Stones

       The theory behind long range goals is you use a series of short range goals to reach the big finish. So after my disappointment with my visual mapping. I decided to take the three step challenge that I was telling you about yesterday. Step #1: I was disappointed. Step #2: I spent time being mushy at the beach and now... Step #3: I am going back to the original plan, I think it will be easier for me.

LONG RANGE GOAL:

COOPER RIVER BRIDGE RUN (6.2 miles, jogging at least half of it)

SHORT RANGE GOALS:

BEACH RUNNING (run/walk from house to house)

Can you see where I am going with this? To build up my stamina and to be able to run longer spans, I have decided to use a series of STEPPING STONES. That is, I walk from one house to the next and then run from one house to the next and so on. Then next week, run two houses and walk two house, and keep building up. 

We can use these same stepping stones with other goals we set in life.

Day 14 .... Side Tracked?

       Okay, so the last few days I may have got a little side tracked with all the changes at the beach. You have to remember I am not from here and simple things like this never ceases to amaze me. I love to watch and appreciate the Lord's handiwork in the ever changing world around me.
      Talking about the Lord's handiwork and consent changes, I was reading an article in the Woman's Day (Dated Nov. 1,2001) today entitled "When Things Don't Go As Planned".  In this short article, Psychiatrist Gail Saltz, MD, lists three important steps to help us bounce back when things don't go as planned...

1. Allow yourself to be upset: She goes on to say that even though people may tell you "just to get over it", we should take the time to acknowledge and express the feelings. But don't let it go on for so long that you become depressed.
2.  Rewrite negative thoughts: She says that it is absolutely normal to have negative thought but we should learn how to rewrite them to built confidence and self-acceptance. Instead of focusing in the things in your life and has gone wrong, try focusing on all the things that has gone right.
3. Regroup and make a plan of action: She states that you should new and new goal, and it should include setting smaller, doable goals that help us achieveand take control over the situation, this helps to build confidence

Day 13 ..... Recovery!

       Today started out very mushy... for both me and the beach. Then I had to go to work! I decided to give us all some more time for recovery. When I got home from work I then attempted my run, I was some what successful. I was in total awe of the changes that had taken place within the past 48 hours in my little spot on the map. Where there use to be a gradual slope of beach front from the dunes to the waters edge, now there is high and low spots of sand banks with little pools of water where I noticed small fish darting in and out with the waves much like my weight has been doing these past few days. Shells, shells and pieces of shells marked the times of the tides like the pencil marks on a young child's growth chart. It was great to see the changes but I hope for a speedy recovery...

       Looking on the bright side, I found my first Sharks tooth today. We have friends who find them all the time and are always willing to share, but I was so excited, first one since we moved here!

Day 12 ... Short & Sweet

       Today, I don't feel good! It's that simple. Some days are like that for me and I have learned that if I push myself then I am not feeling good for several days. I have learned, through the years, that my days like this are directly related to the major hormone swing that my body goes through as I begin that monthly cycle.  These days have become less and less the older I get. But it doesn't help on the days that still take their toll. So my post is very short and sweet today.

• I WALKED TEN MINUTES TODAY AND WENT HOME TO GET READY FOR WORK!
• DIDN'T MAKE TO TO WORK... WENT BACK TO BED!
• HOPING TOMORROW WILL BE A BETTER DAY!

Day 11 .... Just take the dog with You.

         The NEWS said there was going to be RAIN! The NEWS said there was going to be WIND! The NEWS said there was going to be COASTAL FLOODING! Great, what the NEWS didn't say was I had to weigh-in today... The NEWS didn't say I still needed to walk/ run today, the News didn't say that I needed to obviously eat less calories on days I don't get to exercise as much! grrr.... so to tell you the truth, weigh-in was not very positive, running in the rain was not very positive, and being on the beach alone this morning was not going to be very positive either, SO I TOOK THE DOG WITH ME! :)
        Now... Let me tell you about my dog... He is awesome and very special, right? All dog are special, but mine's the best... :) (hehehe) . I just love how everyone thinks that about their dogs (pets). Anyway, mine is basically a service dog, but his need to service has been kind of out grown by the on set of adulthood and independence in the child that needed him the most, so he has attached himself to my husband and I. Funny thing about service dogs, their need to service is so ingrained in them that they finds other way to make their self useful. Plus the fact that he loves the beach as much as I do. But today as different, we crossed the bridge at the dunes and headed out to the shore line. The water was higher and stiffer than yesterday, not happy to have the wind pushing it around, it has caused a steep mushy ridge as it has grabbed at the sand. The dog was not amused and as we proceeded along the small pathway of beach he seemed to lag behind.
About five mins into your walk/run the he charged ahead of me and stopped dead in his tracks, sat down and looked me dead on, so not like him that it make me stop too and I had hardly come to a stand still when a wave took out a whole section of the sand bar. Had I just stayed in motion, I would have been hit by the wave and down I would have went, not being a very good ocean swimmer, no telling what would have happened.


So the moral of my story this morning is... the next time you decided to defy mother nature, JUST TAKE THE DOG WITH YOU!!!!

Day 10.... Restless Waters!

        I knew it was going to be different at the beach this morning... we could hear the heavier waves crashing in as we went to bed last night. Usually we only hear them during high tide and the loudness differs dramatically depending on if the moon is full or not. But last night, the waters were definitely restless, all night long we could here them pounding at the sand. We talked about it being do to the impending storm that we are expecting today and tomorrow. What ever the case may be, I awoke this morning to drizzling rain and wind in my trees. I could still here the waves but not as intense. So I head to the beach for my walk/run. As I got closer to the little bridge at the dunes, I could see huge wave curling over a lot higher that usually this time of the morning and as I approached the center of the bridge and could see down at the sandy shore, there wasn't much of one... Where was lower tide? Where was my packed sand base? Where was the gentle waves that lap at my feet as I dodge the broken shells?  Very quickly it become evident that today was not a good day for me to be on the water front. The waves were strong and angrily fighting with the dunes.
The sand was very wet and mushy, not stable for running. As I continued to walk along the waters edge the thick foam snaked it's way to and fro, looking, I am sure, for a place to hide. About 10 minutes into my walk, I began to to feel very alone and a little unsafe. Nobody was around, not even my little sandpiper friends that I have grown so accustom too. Then in the distant, I heard the old familiar sound and as I turned to look, sure enough, the red spot in the sky of the fast approaching Coast Guard Patrol Chopper gave me all the indication I needed to turn around and go back to the comfort of my cozy corner and settle on a morning of kickboxing.

Day 9..... A Day of Rest

       I look forward to Sunday's. I love the time I spend with my family and friends in church. I love sharing the gospel and gathering strength from the testimony of others. Many times I have been asked if I still run/walk on Sundays. I do not run or workout, I honor the Sabbath and gratefully give my body a day of rest. I do however treasure a casual walk on the beach with my hubby or saver a stroll in the park with my kids, some times when the family is all together we play Frisbee in the backyard. Nothing too labor intensive... :)
       The Scriptures teach us, in many different verses, to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy. One of my favorite explanations of the correct ways of keeping the Sabbath Day Holy was stated by President Kimball in the January 1978, Ensign. "The Sabbath is a holy day in which to do worthy and holy things. Abstinence from work and recreation is important, but insufficient. The Sabbath calls for constructive thoughts and acts, and if one merely lounges about doing nothing on the Sabbath, he is breaking it. To observe it, one will be on his knees in prayer, preparing lessons, studying the gospel, meditating, visiting the ill and distressed, writing letters to missionaries, taking a nap, reading wholesome material, and attending all the meetings of that day at which he is expected."
        So this is the kind of things that I try to do as I give my body the physical rest that it needs and deserves. I will be back on the beach in the morning....

Day 8 ..... Road Blocks & Recipes

       Ever had mornings when you just can't make your self do anything no matter what? Well, this morning was one of those for me... It started last night, I think I ate something that didn't like me, because by the time I got home from the restaurant I was covered in hives. I took two Benedryl and went to bed. They knock me out for at least a good eight hours, so I kind of knew I was already sunk this morning anyway. Then to top that off I had to go in to work unexpectedly. So my walk/run got moved to the afternoon and can I just say... mornings are so much better for beach running!
        Anyway, I did find out today the following fruits and veggies are in season right now here at the beach and I am so excited, because Most of them are my favorite and I have a wide variety to choose from.

• Apples, August through November
• Beans, May through October
• Bok Choy, October through June
• Broccoli, October through December
• Brussels sprouts, November through February
• Cabbage, October through May
• Carrots, October through May
• Cauliflower, October through December
• Celery, October through February
• Chard, October through May
• Collard greens, October through June
• Grapes, October
• Kale, October through May
• Leeks, October through May
• Lettuce, September through June
• Mushrooms (cultivated), year-round
• Okra, May through October
• Onions, March through November (available from storage year-round)
• Parsnips, October through December
• Pecans, September through December
• Persimmons, September through November
• Spinach, November through May
• Squash (winter), August through December
• Tomatoes, June through October
• Turnips, October through April 

Here is one of my all time favorite side dishes this time of year. Tomorrow I will be serving it with Baked Chicken and homemade biscuits...

 Roasted Fall Medley

• 2 small sweet potatoes
• 1 large apple
• 2 peeled parsnips, sliced
• 1/2 small cauliflower
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 6-8 small button mushrooms
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
•  1/8 cup olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
•  1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chicken broth

Directions

• Peel and cube sweet potato and apple. Add cauliflower, parsnips, mushrooms. Coated with olive oil and place in 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper. For moister vegetables you can add 1/4 cup of chicken broth. Pour broth over all. Top with onions and garlic. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until vegetables reach desired tenderness. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (3/4 cup) equals 136 calories, Total Fat 7.3, Carbohydrate, 17.6, Sodium 31.4, Fiber 3.6g, Protein 1.9, Sugar 3.8.

Day 7... Visual Mapping

       Okay, so I learned yesterday that Visual Mapping is not good for the soul. I am not real sure what the true definition of visual mapping is, but for me I was trying to visually see how far 10K (6.2 miles) is. If anyone is familiar with Myrtle Beach and since I like to run on the beach, we started at 45th North and drove south along Ocean Blvd for 6.2 miles. We ended at... (want to take a guess?)... well, we ended up at Springmaid Pier. That is a LOOOOONNNNGGG way (visually speaking of course)! :(


       The other thing I learned yesterday was that most of the Farmer's Markets in this area are only open on the weekends, so that will be my outing for tomorrow.
     
        So lets talk about today, I ran my (visually satisfying) mile and a half this morning in 20 minutes! I am feeling better and I am not quite as stiff and sore as I have been. Some of my cousins in Utah ran the St. George Marathon Last weekend and I really feel for them. I can only imagine what their next day must have felt like.

Day 6... Defining words

        Today was a beautiful morning at the beach. The ocean was still warm, quiet and glassy blue. The sand moderately hard and the shells sparingly dotted the water's edge, perfect for a walk/run barefooted.

• FACT #3: Yes, I prefer to run barefoot on the beach! Bad for my feet, probably, but that is a simple pleasure right now that causes we to keep going.

       Anyway, everything was perfect all except... my body didn't want to "play nice in the sandbox" this morning. My muscles are sore, my joints are stiff, my hips are tired, but I ran anyway!!!! :) While walking and pondering my stupidness this morning, I started to fill my mind with self-dought, and reality probabilities. Things like... "I will probably never actually do the race, let alone finish it!"or "we might not even be living here come March anyway, cuz we like to move around a lot". Then words started coming into my mind like ENDURANCE, MOTIVATION and DISCIPLINE. Then turning my negatives into positives, I started to define those words in my mind. What do they mean to me?

ENDURANCE:

• the act of enduring to the end, 
• setting goals and seeing them through,
• repeating an action often in the hopes of getting a little bit better each time you do it. 

There is a wonderful scripture in D&C 14:7, "And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God". In the runners world endurance is defined as "Muscular endurance training is often trained at short bouts of moderate to high-intensity exercise, with short periods of rest in between."

 Read more: LiveStrong.com

MOTIVATION:

• some action that causes a reaction, 
• a goal that causes a person to attempt to achieve, 
• a task that involves some sort of payoff in the end. 

When I think of motivation I think of Steven R.Covey's Habit #2: "Begin with the end in mind". What better motivation is that? To "Begin with the End in Mind means to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination, and then continue by flexing your proactive muscles to make things happen". 

 Read more: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

DISCIPLINE:

• when you got what it takes to keep going, 
• the fortitude and will power to reach your goals, 
• the obedience to just make yourself do it whether you want to or not. 

Often when you look up the word discipline it is quickly followed by the word "Punishment, but I have never thought of discipline as a form of punishment. I like the definition that I came acrossed several years ago in the American Heritage Dictionary: "Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement." While studying to become a teacher many years ago, one of our unit assignments was to research many different forms and ideas of classroom discipline and then formulate our own discipline method that we would use in our classroom. After much research, I began to agree with the idea and statement that I read in one of my text books entitled "The Piaget Theory" by Jean Piaget. It was stated that; "Piaget rejected the belief that children simply learn and internalize the norms for a group; he believed individuals define morality individually through their struggles to arrive at fair solutions. Given this view, Piaget suggested that a classroom teacher perform a difficult task: the educator must provide students with opportunities for personal discovery through problem solving [self discipline], rather than indoctrinating students with norms." So in the end, I came up with the only conclusion that seemed plausible to me. I was going to "LOVE' them into learning, little did I know that not everyone can be "LOVED" in the same way. Then I started having children of my own...

READ MORE: Jean Piaget

• FACT #4: Through age and lots of experience, I have come to the absolute conclusion that we all need discipline and rules, even if it sometimes and somehow feels like punishment. 

And today my body feels like it is being punished! I am going to reward myself by going to the Farmer's Market.

Day 5... reasoning in running

       I guess I should start out today by explaining that this is not just the second day of me running on the beach. I have been actually been doing a little running off and on since last September when I participated in the "Biggest Loser" Marathon here in Myrtle Beach. I loved that day and the way it felt to know that I had personally accomplished something I never though I would ever be able to do. And it was totally awesome to have the support of my family and to be able to walk/run with my good friend Donna.
        I also feel like I should explain a couple of other interesting facts about myself. Since this is a story (blog) about me, I guess I should tell you about myself. I won't bore you with the very loved (spoiled) details of my early childhood or the boring (very typical) events of my teenage years or even the ever exciting (action packed) moments of my childbearing housewife years... maybe later, because all of those years play a big part in why I am the person I am and why I am in the shape I am today.

        FACT #1: I am at least 48 years old, I am at least  48 pounds overweight and my life expectancy could at least include another 48 years. My Great-Grandmother lived to be  94.

        FACT #2: Food...! I LOVE FOOD! all kinds, from anywhere. My motto has  always been, "Everything in Life should involve food, If no food...then it's just not Life"

Day 4... Looking at the goal

Most everyone knows, I am a huge "Biggest Loser" fan and my biggest loser goal for this season is to lose another 25 pounds. But several weeks ago I posted on my facebook page that my ultimate goal through all of this is to run the "COOPER RIVER BRIDGE" 10k RUN on March 13, 2012.

So... because of this... I ran today! Only about 5 minutes total of my thirty minute walk/run. But anything is an improvement. I ran in short spurts, staying in motion until my lungs started to burn and I felt short of breath. It felt great, and I shaved 3 minutes off my 30 minute mile.

Day 3... Setting the baseline

It's a new day and my run/walk on the beach this morning was amazing. My baseline that I have been able to establish over this past week is...  

"I can moderately walk a mile and half in 30 minutes". 

Tomorrow, I start running! "slow and steady wins the race", right? Some keywords, like "in the season", "sparingly" and "staff of life" kept coming to my mind this morning.


        Then I started to think about a book that I read several years ago entitled "Staying Healthy with the Seasons", by Elson M. Hass. Dr. Elson Haas provides simple, logical advice for achieving glowing good health: "Bring the mind and body into balance with the earth, and consume a diet that emphasizes in-season, chemical-free foods." Then it hit me... the "in season foods" that I am use to eating while living in New England may not be the same foods that are in season here at the beach.

Hum... I feel a trip to the Farmer's Market coming on. :)
 

Day 2... starting point

( MY STARTING POINT )

In reading through those scriptures, as I have so many times before, I know the verbiage well...
Verse 5: No wine, no problem
Verse 7: No Liquor, no problem
Verse 8: No Tobacco, no problem
Verse 9: No Hot Drinks, (mainly coffee or Tea), no problem
Verse 11: Herbs & Fruits in season,"to be used with prudence", no problem
Verse 12: Meat to be used sparingly and "with thanksgiving", no problem
Verse 13: Grains, yes... "to be the staff of life", no problem
and the promise of obedience to all of us is that we "shall receive health in the navel and marrow to their bones". (D&C 89:18). Isn't that what I am asking for? If only it was that simple!
       The first 4 are absolutely no problem nor temptation for me. But the other three... "prudence?", "sparingly?" "staff of life?", come on.... IT'S FOOD! :(

Day 1... In the beginning

       Shortly after moving here to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in April 2009, I started to realize that I had been a very busy women during my life time and the need of a little slow down and some good old fashioned southern comfort was just what my Father in Heaven had intended for me.
       I was looking at the age of 46 dead on and my body was getting tired and worn. I had already faced many health issues from a repaired childhood heart defect to a long list of medical mumbo jumbo, that when tracked down and discussed with my family, I find out that most of them were all heritage hand-me downs. So I seriously started thinking about myself, the things that I could fix and where I wanted to be five years from now.
      That is when I decided that I wanted the "Biggest Loser" to become part of my life again and I was going to gain some control of my life back. I started on my birthday in June 2009, getting ready and gearing up for the "Biggest Loser" season that fall, only to find myself laying alone in a Minnesota Emergency room, with what was suspected to be possibly my third heart attack.  That was August and when I left the hospital early that next morning, I vowed I was never going down this path again.
      I started to look at my lifestyle, the things I ate and what time of the day I ate them, was I putting things into my body that was filled with harmful substitutes or empty calories? Was I overindulging in complex carbohydrates and foods that were out of season? I realized that I needed a base line to start at, so I turned once again to the 89th section of the D&C (Doctrine & Covenants), known as the "Word of Wisdom".