I'm trying to accomplish more, so I'd planned out the day in detail, especially what I'd do, alone, during the 4 hr. I'd have a babysitter. But my babysitter didn't show up. I called after 15 min., to no avail. This was the stumble, the question was: Was I going to recover or fall to pieces? Could I go through with my plans for the day with kids in tow? Uh . . . I guess so. That's the "recovery." It's psychological: I had my plan, which included 4 hr of "alone time." Without the babysitter, then what? It's the same when someone gets sick: Do you throw all plans out the window or "recover," modify plans as needed, and continue with the day?
The same is true of living the SWEET Life: If you stumble, you need to recover, not fall. If I miss Sleep too many days, I need to decide to either take a nap or drink some caffeine to wake up, rather than slogging through the day unproductively. If I Eat junk food for lunch one day, I need to eat a healthy dinner, rather than thinking my eating plan is ruined and continuing to eat crap the rest of the day. If I don't Exercise, I need to plan ahead to exercise the next day, rather than dwelling on what I didn't do. In short, I need to "recover," not give up, and not fall to pieces.
Showing posts with label sweet life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sweet life. Show all posts
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
End of Cycle Recap
The past, 4-week, SWEET Life Cycle ended Sunday. My goal was to "Be Able To see that I lived the SWEET Life 5-6 days every week." Well, I did a pretty good job of it. I did keep track every day, no days with question marks. My one weakness was that I only exercised 4 days a week instead of 5. I also wrote a few notes on it, explaining why I didn't do some things, like "chocolate, coffee" one day when I didn't eat well.
So let's see how things went today:
Sleep: I did sleep 7 hr, in Maya's bed, which was otherwise empty. However, that didn't really make up for the little sleep I'd gotten the night before.
Water: I did make sure to drink 8 cups of water today, 4 tall glasses-worth.
Eating: I cleared off the front of my freezer and prominently displayed my SWEET Life Plan so that I would remember to keep track of and check off the amounts of each food group. Yesterday, I ate no vegetables (!) so I made sure to focus on those today. I need to buy some easy to eat veggies, like baby carrots. Looking at the food groups on my Plan actually helped give me ideas for what to eat.
Exercise: I got up early and did my toning exercises at home.
Tranquility: That's right now because I didn't have tranquility all day. I set up a Skype account and want to use it to call my mom so that she can see her granddaughters and vice versa. It's too late at night to call anyone, so I'll have to try my first web cam/internet call tomorrow.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Today, I had a SWEET Life!
It's unfortunate that I'm up so late (11:30 p.m.) because I want to get up at 6:15 to exercise, which would not give me enough exercise.
I feel motivated because I've set a new goal and really put some thought into how to achieve it. But more about that the next time. . .
So let's see how things went today:
Sleep: I did sleep 7 hr, in Maya's bed, which was otherwise empty. However, that didn't really make up for the little sleep I'd gotten the night before.
Water: I did make sure to drink 8 cups of water today, 4 tall glasses-worth.
Eating: I cleared off the front of my freezer and prominently displayed my SWEET Life Plan so that I would remember to keep track of and check off the amounts of each food group. Yesterday, I ate no vegetables (!) so I made sure to focus on those today. I need to buy some easy to eat veggies, like baby carrots. Looking at the food groups on my Plan actually helped give me ideas for what to eat.
Exercise: I got up early and did my toning exercises at home.
Tranquility: That's right now because I didn't have tranquility all day. I set up a Skype account and want to use it to call my mom so that she can see her granddaughters and vice versa. It's too late at night to call anyone, so I'll have to try my first web cam/internet call tomorrow.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Today, I had a SWEET Life!
It's unfortunate that I'm up so late (11:30 p.m.) because I want to get up at 6:15 to exercise, which would not give me enough exercise.
I feel motivated because I've set a new goal and really put some thought into how to achieve it. But more about that the next time. . .
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
A New SWEET Life Goal
I've started a new SWEET Life Cycle, which is a 4 week calendar tracking my SWEET Life. I circle the letter corresponding to each aspect of the SWEET Life each day that I achieve it.
The first 12 weeks of this year, I'd used two 6-week Cycles; however, it's easy to blow off the first couple weeks, then get really serious about it the last four weeks. Therefore, I think 4 weeks is a better amount of time to work towards a goal.
In the last cycle, it was the first time (in 8 cycles) that I didn't achieve my goal! :-( There are a variety of reasons why, mostly because it was based on an exercise manual I loaned to someone for a week, who still hasn't returned it, a month later!
In any case, I didn't live a very SWEET life five of the last six weeks. I simply didn't keep track of my water or eating very consistently. Also, I exercised four instead of five days a week, which makes a difference for me, personally. I have to eat less and pay more attention to what I eat when I exercise less than five days a week, which I didn't do!
Therefore, my SWEET Life goal for the next 4 weeks is to be able to see on my SWEET Life Cycle that I lived the SWEET Life 5-6 days every week for the next 4 weeks. So how did I do yesterday, the first day of my 4-week Cycle?
Sleep: I slept 7-8 hours Sunday night.
Water: I didn't drink enough water, especially considering we were in Santa Cruz, outside in the sun all afternoon.
Eating: I ate a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner, but I also ate some junk food at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
Exercise: I didn't exercise, per se, but we were on our feet walking around most of the afternoon in Santa Cruz.
Tranquility: It was a very tranquil day, a wonderful day with family and friends at the beach!
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Yesterday, I had a S_ _ _T Life. Not a good start to my new goal. This week is going to be difficult because we are going to Tahoe Wed.-Sat., where it also might be difficult to live the SWEET Life. But I have to put an effort into it and make it happen.
The first 12 weeks of this year, I'd used two 6-week Cycles; however, it's easy to blow off the first couple weeks, then get really serious about it the last four weeks. Therefore, I think 4 weeks is a better amount of time to work towards a goal.
In the last cycle, it was the first time (in 8 cycles) that I didn't achieve my goal! :-( There are a variety of reasons why, mostly because it was based on an exercise manual I loaned to someone for a week, who still hasn't returned it, a month later!
In any case, I didn't live a very SWEET life five of the last six weeks. I simply didn't keep track of my water or eating very consistently. Also, I exercised four instead of five days a week, which makes a difference for me, personally. I have to eat less and pay more attention to what I eat when I exercise less than five days a week, which I didn't do!
Therefore, my SWEET Life goal for the next 4 weeks is to be able to see on my SWEET Life Cycle that I lived the SWEET Life 5-6 days every week for the next 4 weeks. So how did I do yesterday, the first day of my 4-week Cycle?
Sleep: I slept 7-8 hours Sunday night.
Water: I didn't drink enough water, especially considering we were in Santa Cruz, outside in the sun all afternoon.
Eating: I ate a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner, but I also ate some junk food at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
Exercise: I didn't exercise, per se, but we were on our feet walking around most of the afternoon in Santa Cruz.
Tranquility: It was a very tranquil day, a wonderful day with family and friends at the beach!
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Yesterday, I had a S_ _ _T Life. Not a good start to my new goal. This week is going to be difficult because we are going to Tahoe Wed.-Sat., where it also might be difficult to live the SWEET Life. But I have to put an effort into it and make it happen.
Friday, February 1, 2008
The Culminaton of Living the SWEET Life
Boy, the month flew by quickly! I tallied up how much I lived the SWEET Life in January 2008, and the results are:
However, I have been thinking lately about how I used to feel, before I was living the SWEET Life. I remember when I had body issues and thought, "if I were only 10 lb. lighter . . ." I remember having "fat" clothes and "skinny" clothes. I remember believing I had to live on exercise and salads in order to stay skinny. I remember when I was always hunched over from fatigue. I remember when my shoulders were always scrunched up to my ears due to stress. Yes, hunched and scrunched! I also remember, at the time, wondering what I would spend my time worrying about if I didn't spend so much time worrying about my body.
Now, of course, I'm so thankful that I don't have to waste my time worrying about my body or my health. I put on whatever clothes I grab from my closet because all of them fit. Whenever I weigh myself, the scale says the same number I always want it to say. I eat whatever I want; however, I've come to realize that "whatever I want" tends to be balanced and nutritious. Although there are still days when my sleep is interrupted, I generally get enough sleep and feel rested. Lastly, my shoulders are down and back in place because I am relaxed and tranquil.
Ah, here's to living the SWEET Life! May it allow us all to find other things to worry about!
- Sleep: 22
- Water: 27
- Eating: 21
- Exercise: 20
- Tranquility: 29
However, I have been thinking lately about how I used to feel, before I was living the SWEET Life. I remember when I had body issues and thought, "if I were only 10 lb. lighter . . ." I remember having "fat" clothes and "skinny" clothes. I remember believing I had to live on exercise and salads in order to stay skinny. I remember when I was always hunched over from fatigue. I remember when my shoulders were always scrunched up to my ears due to stress. Yes, hunched and scrunched! I also remember, at the time, wondering what I would spend my time worrying about if I didn't spend so much time worrying about my body.
Now, of course, I'm so thankful that I don't have to waste my time worrying about my body or my health. I put on whatever clothes I grab from my closet because all of them fit. Whenever I weigh myself, the scale says the same number I always want it to say. I eat whatever I want; however, I've come to realize that "whatever I want" tends to be balanced and nutritious. Although there are still days when my sleep is interrupted, I generally get enough sleep and feel rested. Lastly, my shoulders are down and back in place because I am relaxed and tranquil.
Ah, here's to living the SWEET Life! May it allow us all to find other things to worry about!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Follow-Through Makes a Positive Difference
Sleep
I've been sleeping very deeply this week, and I've been having lots of dreams. I think I"m making up for last week's lack of sleep. I'm 4 out of 5 this week.
Water
I'd say this week I've been drinking a variety of beverages, rather than just water. Some juice, soda, beer, wine, extra coffee, etc. It does all count as hydration, however, water is the best. I'm 4 out of 4 so far this week.
Eating
I haven't planned out my dinners for the week for the past few weeks. I really eat better if I do. My schedule is going to change next week, and I'll be working through dinner M-Th. Because of that, I'm going to start cooking Fri-Sun and not worry about dinner at all the other days of the week, which is a little strange. Sure, I'll buy some quick cooks like frozen meals, pasta and jarred sauce, etc. and I'll make sure to cook enough to have leftovers when I do cook. But it's strange to think that I won't be cooking or even home for dinner all week! I'll also have to remember to eat dinner early, before I leave for work! This week I'm 3 out of 4 for eating.
Exercise
I've gotten into a routine of going to the gym with my friend who just joined on M,W, F mornings, which is great! I do 30 min. cardio and some abs and stretching on those days, and she does 45-60 min. cardio. Today, because I hadn't done any toning exercises all week, I did my quick and dirty toning workout after my 30 min. cardio. I was pleasantly surprised that I finished most of it before she finished her 15 extra minutes of cardio. Then, we did some abs together. When I got home, my daughters were still asleep, so I was able to finish the last 10 minutes of my toning and stretching. I'm supposed to be doing my quick and dirty toning workout on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at home, but it's hard to get up so early every day. This week, I'm only 3 out of 5 for exercise, which is why I did my double workout today. Tomorrow, I have a personal training appointment at the club, so I'll run over there and get another cardio workout in for the week. I might do some toning on Sunday so that I'll get in 2 toning workouts. They really make a big difference. So many people are only concerned with doing cardio, but it's the toning that made a big difference for me. First, more muscle = higher metabolism = I can eat more! Second, I really thinned down and could see the muscles under my skin. Yes, eat more and thinned down!
Tranquility
Yesterday, my girls did not nap, which meant I got no tranquility. :-( By the time dinner was over, I really needed some time away from my girls, after 13-14 hours straight with them. Surprisingly, after her bath, Maya wanted to come in and be with me, instead of with her father who'd been at work all day . I don't understand that: aren't my kids tired of me too? Why don't they want to spend some time with their fun father whom they'd hardly seen all day? Today, Maya isn't napping, but she's watching a movie so that I can get a few things done while Zoe naps. I'm 4 out of 5 for this week.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Today, so far, I've had a S_ _ ET Life; I'll have to see how well I follow through on the Water and Eating the rest of the day. For the rest of this week, it's:
S = 4/5
W = 4/5
E = 3/5
E = 3/5
T = 4/5
I feel pretty good today, which is saying a lot on a Friday! However, Wednesday evening until Thursday evening, I felt quite foggy-headed. I couldn't think clearly, and I felt like I couldn't see straight. Whenever I'm not feeling my best, I think about the SWEET Life and what I might be missing. Am I sleep-deprived? Am I dehydrated? Am I eating too much junk or not enough nutritious food? Am I being sedentary? Am I stressed out? All those things lower people's energy-levels and clarity. For me, it could have been a little bit of all those things: making up for last week's lack of sleep, drinking beverages that were not necessarily water, not eating enough nutritious food, not exercising daily, and not having enough time to complete everything I need to. Thank goodness the weekend is almost here!
I've been sleeping very deeply this week, and I've been having lots of dreams. I think I"m making up for last week's lack of sleep. I'm 4 out of 5 this week.
Water
I'd say this week I've been drinking a variety of beverages, rather than just water. Some juice, soda, beer, wine, extra coffee, etc. It does all count as hydration, however, water is the best. I'm 4 out of 4 so far this week.
Eating
I haven't planned out my dinners for the week for the past few weeks. I really eat better if I do. My schedule is going to change next week, and I'll be working through dinner M-Th. Because of that, I'm going to start cooking Fri-Sun and not worry about dinner at all the other days of the week, which is a little strange. Sure, I'll buy some quick cooks like frozen meals, pasta and jarred sauce, etc. and I'll make sure to cook enough to have leftovers when I do cook. But it's strange to think that I won't be cooking or even home for dinner all week! I'll also have to remember to eat dinner early, before I leave for work! This week I'm 3 out of 4 for eating.
Exercise
I've gotten into a routine of going to the gym with my friend who just joined on M,W, F mornings, which is great! I do 30 min. cardio and some abs and stretching on those days, and she does 45-60 min. cardio. Today, because I hadn't done any toning exercises all week, I did my quick and dirty toning workout after my 30 min. cardio. I was pleasantly surprised that I finished most of it before she finished her 15 extra minutes of cardio. Then, we did some abs together. When I got home, my daughters were still asleep, so I was able to finish the last 10 minutes of my toning and stretching. I'm supposed to be doing my quick and dirty toning workout on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at home, but it's hard to get up so early every day. This week, I'm only 3 out of 5 for exercise, which is why I did my double workout today. Tomorrow, I have a personal training appointment at the club, so I'll run over there and get another cardio workout in for the week. I might do some toning on Sunday so that I'll get in 2 toning workouts. They really make a big difference. So many people are only concerned with doing cardio, but it's the toning that made a big difference for me. First, more muscle = higher metabolism = I can eat more! Second, I really thinned down and could see the muscles under my skin. Yes, eat more and thinned down!
Tranquility
Yesterday, my girls did not nap, which meant I got no tranquility. :-( By the time dinner was over, I really needed some time away from my girls, after 13-14 hours straight with them. Surprisingly, after her bath, Maya wanted to come in and be with me, instead of with her father who'd been at work all day . I don't understand that: aren't my kids tired of me too? Why don't they want to spend some time with their fun father whom they'd hardly seen all day? Today, Maya isn't napping, but she's watching a movie so that I can get a few things done while Zoe naps. I'm 4 out of 5 for this week.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Today, so far, I've had a S_ _ ET Life; I'll have to see how well I follow through on the Water and Eating the rest of the day. For the rest of this week, it's:
S = 4/5
W = 4/5
E = 3/5
E = 3/5
T = 4/5
I feel pretty good today, which is saying a lot on a Friday! However, Wednesday evening until Thursday evening, I felt quite foggy-headed. I couldn't think clearly, and I felt like I couldn't see straight. Whenever I'm not feeling my best, I think about the SWEET Life and what I might be missing. Am I sleep-deprived? Am I dehydrated? Am I eating too much junk or not enough nutritious food? Am I being sedentary? Am I stressed out? All those things lower people's energy-levels and clarity. For me, it could have been a little bit of all those things: making up for last week's lack of sleep, drinking beverages that were not necessarily water, not eating enough nutritious food, not exercising daily, and not having enough time to complete everything I need to. Thank goodness the weekend is almost here!
Friday, December 14, 2007
Pre-Weekend Trip
Sleep
I think I've generally been sleeping better since I stopped trying to get myself up early to exercise. That's important because I'd consistently been cutting myself a bit short on sleep. Last night, however, I didn't get quite enough sleep because I had to get up early to finish preparing for a weekend trip. We'll see what happens this weekend on our trip; we'll be sleeping in a hotel, so who knows how well the girls will sleep. . .
Water
Today starts a weekend road trip, and I typically don't drink enough when I travel. In the car I get thirsty but don't want to drink in order to avoid too many pit stops. In So. Cal. the weather is always dry, so I tend to feel dried out.
Eating
All I can say is that I haven't been keeping very good track of my eating lately. I generally eat healthy, but I don't know if I've eaten well-balanced meals. On road trips we go to fast food; it's just about the only time I eat it, so that makes a few times a year. Because it's so rare, I look forward to it, even though afterward, it feels like a rock sitting in my stomach for the rest of the drive.
Exercise
I have not yet been very consistent about exercising while the girls are napping; I did it once this week. However, I did manage to exercise Tues. (toning), Wed. (cardio), Thurs. (stroller walk). The plan for this evening is to take a walk after our long drive down south. That always feels good after so much sitting.
Tranquility
In the past couple days I didn't get enough relaxation time because Wed. Maya didn't nap, and yesterday I was so busy preparing for the trip, that it wasn't very relaxing. I'm looking forward to our trip with family and friends. I should get a lot of tranquility this weekend.
How do I feel?
I feel ready for this trip. I've been experimenting with different ways of keeping track of my SWEET Life Cycle (i.e., success in each category over time), and I haven't been happy with the ways I've been trying, which is part of the reason why I haven't kept good track of my SWEET Life.
I think I've generally been sleeping better since I stopped trying to get myself up early to exercise. That's important because I'd consistently been cutting myself a bit short on sleep. Last night, however, I didn't get quite enough sleep because I had to get up early to finish preparing for a weekend trip. We'll see what happens this weekend on our trip; we'll be sleeping in a hotel, so who knows how well the girls will sleep. . .
Water
Today starts a weekend road trip, and I typically don't drink enough when I travel. In the car I get thirsty but don't want to drink in order to avoid too many pit stops. In So. Cal. the weather is always dry, so I tend to feel dried out.
Eating
All I can say is that I haven't been keeping very good track of my eating lately. I generally eat healthy, but I don't know if I've eaten well-balanced meals. On road trips we go to fast food; it's just about the only time I eat it, so that makes a few times a year. Because it's so rare, I look forward to it, even though afterward, it feels like a rock sitting in my stomach for the rest of the drive.
Exercise
I have not yet been very consistent about exercising while the girls are napping; I did it once this week. However, I did manage to exercise Tues. (toning), Wed. (cardio), Thurs. (stroller walk). The plan for this evening is to take a walk after our long drive down south. That always feels good after so much sitting.
Tranquility
In the past couple days I didn't get enough relaxation time because Wed. Maya didn't nap, and yesterday I was so busy preparing for the trip, that it wasn't very relaxing. I'm looking forward to our trip with family and friends. I should get a lot of tranquility this weekend.
How do I feel?
I feel ready for this trip. I've been experimenting with different ways of keeping track of my SWEET Life Cycle (i.e., success in each category over time), and I haven't been happy with the ways I've been trying, which is part of the reason why I haven't kept good track of my SWEET Life.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Obligation vs. Desire
Sleep
I slept enough even though Zoe interrupted my sleep a lot. She kept Nick on the edge of the bed and I kept pulling her back towards me to give him more space. Stupid me, if she were in his way, he could have moved her out of it! Turns out, he didn't even know that he'd been obligated to sleep on the edge of the bed because of her desire to snuggle up with him!
Water
Today was a perfect example of how dehydration affects the body. I was out and about most of the day, doing various things, and I came home knowing I was dehydrated. But I felt more than thirsty; I felt sleepy, lacking in energy, short-tempered, and had parched lips. All because I didn't drink enough while I was out and about!
Eating
I certainly ate a lot of delicious, healthy food, but whether I fulfilled all my body's nutritional obligations, I don't know. I didn't keep track. Generally, I just try to think about what % of my eating was junk food, and if the % is low (10%) then I figure I ate well. I should probably keep better track of filling in my food circles on my SWEET Life Plan, if only I had the desire.
Exercise
Isn't it interesting that after a week of barely dragging myself out of bed to do my early morning exercises and after another week of coninually hitting "snooze" and not getting up to do my early morning exercises, once I decide to cancel the alarm and not exercise in the early morning, I wake up at 6:30 a.m. ready to exercise! It's amazing how desire is so much more motivating than obligation.
Tranquility
I got some tranquility but not enough. Maya slept well after our long day out and about, but it was cut short by the obligation to go pick up Zoe from daycare. Both Maya and I desired 1-2 hours more tranquility time before getting Zoe.
How do I feel?
I had a really fun day with Maya. We did this, that and the other, and she's just at a fun, capable age now (3 1/2). I don't need a diaper bag with her; we can do things rather quickly; she can run, obey and follow directions, etc. She's interested in knowing about the world and how it works in daily life, which means I can take her to fulfill some of my obligations and she has the desire to be there, learn about it, and help me in any way she can. It was great!
I slept enough even though Zoe interrupted my sleep a lot. She kept Nick on the edge of the bed and I kept pulling her back towards me to give him more space. Stupid me, if she were in his way, he could have moved her out of it! Turns out, he didn't even know that he'd been obligated to sleep on the edge of the bed because of her desire to snuggle up with him!
Water
Today was a perfect example of how dehydration affects the body. I was out and about most of the day, doing various things, and I came home knowing I was dehydrated. But I felt more than thirsty; I felt sleepy, lacking in energy, short-tempered, and had parched lips. All because I didn't drink enough while I was out and about!
Eating
I certainly ate a lot of delicious, healthy food, but whether I fulfilled all my body's nutritional obligations, I don't know. I didn't keep track. Generally, I just try to think about what % of my eating was junk food, and if the % is low (10%) then I figure I ate well. I should probably keep better track of filling in my food circles on my SWEET Life Plan, if only I had the desire.
Exercise
Isn't it interesting that after a week of barely dragging myself out of bed to do my early morning exercises and after another week of coninually hitting "snooze" and not getting up to do my early morning exercises, once I decide to cancel the alarm and not exercise in the early morning, I wake up at 6:30 a.m. ready to exercise! It's amazing how desire is so much more motivating than obligation.
Tranquility
I got some tranquility but not enough. Maya slept well after our long day out and about, but it was cut short by the obligation to go pick up Zoe from daycare. Both Maya and I desired 1-2 hours more tranquility time before getting Zoe.
How do I feel?
I had a really fun day with Maya. We did this, that and the other, and she's just at a fun, capable age now (3 1/2). I don't need a diaper bag with her; we can do things rather quickly; she can run, obey and follow directions, etc. She's interested in knowing about the world and how it works in daily life, which means I can take her to fulfill some of my obligations and she has the desire to be there, learn about it, and help me in any way she can. It was great!
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Life has gotten SWEETer!
Whenever I'm sick, I try to focus on living the SWEET Life even more, and sure enough, it's worked again and I feel much better today than I have in the past week. :-)
Sleep
I slept in (I mean, it IS the weekend!) and got plenty of sleep. Zoe didn't even wake up last night! Maya did, but she came into our room quietly and crawled, hardly waking me. In addition, I was happy to turn off my automatic exercise alarm! No more early morning workouts!
Water
I moved my pitcher to a location where I'll be more conscious of it, and that did help me make sure to drink it all today, by dinnertime.
Eating
I ate well today. Nick made French toast with strawberries for breakfast, yum! We ate leftovers for both lunch and dinner, but it ended up being quite a nice array of foods at each meal: grapes, burritos, chicken, quesadillas, stir-fried broccoli & snap peas, steamed rice, beef chow fun, artichoke, steak and salad. Hmm, perhaps I was a bit short on dairy products, but I was planning on having some ice cream for dessert!
Exercise
Although I don't usually exercise on the weekends, I skipped exercising 3 days last week, so I exercised both weekend days to make up for it. I also decided to change my workout schedule to do it during my girls' naps, which means I won't be able to leave the house, so I might as well plan for one weekend day when I can go out of the house and run.
Tranquility
I got a chance to catch up on some things, which always makes me feel good. Last week, I missed out on Tranquility a few days, so I really needed to make up for it this weekend, and I did. It was nothing very exciting to write about, but I just finished up some things that made me feel accomplished.
How do I feel?
I'm feeling healthier today than I have all week, and I feel a bit back on track. I've figured out my new exercise routine, which is important, and I'm happy to sleep in until the rest of the family gets up during the week, instead of getting up early to exercise. Really focusing on living the SWEET Life the past day or two has really helped everything fall nicely into place.
Sleep
I slept in (I mean, it IS the weekend!) and got plenty of sleep. Zoe didn't even wake up last night! Maya did, but she came into our room quietly and crawled, hardly waking me. In addition, I was happy to turn off my automatic exercise alarm! No more early morning workouts!
Water
I moved my pitcher to a location where I'll be more conscious of it, and that did help me make sure to drink it all today, by dinnertime.
Eating
I ate well today. Nick made French toast with strawberries for breakfast, yum! We ate leftovers for both lunch and dinner, but it ended up being quite a nice array of foods at each meal: grapes, burritos, chicken, quesadillas, stir-fried broccoli & snap peas, steamed rice, beef chow fun, artichoke, steak and salad. Hmm, perhaps I was a bit short on dairy products, but I was planning on having some ice cream for dessert!
Exercise
Although I don't usually exercise on the weekends, I skipped exercising 3 days last week, so I exercised both weekend days to make up for it. I also decided to change my workout schedule to do it during my girls' naps, which means I won't be able to leave the house, so I might as well plan for one weekend day when I can go out of the house and run.
Tranquility
I got a chance to catch up on some things, which always makes me feel good. Last week, I missed out on Tranquility a few days, so I really needed to make up for it this weekend, and I did. It was nothing very exciting to write about, but I just finished up some things that made me feel accomplished.
How do I feel?
I'm feeling healthier today than I have all week, and I feel a bit back on track. I've figured out my new exercise routine, which is important, and I'm happy to sleep in until the rest of the family gets up during the week, instead of getting up early to exercise. Really focusing on living the SWEET Life the past day or two has really helped everything fall nicely into place.
Monday, November 5, 2007
After a Weekend Away
I decided to start a blog as an example of one person living the SWEET Life and to keep me honest about practicing what I preach. I'll cover each aspect of the SWEET Life and any conclusions I come to about living the SWEET Life each day.
Sleep
I went to bed at 10:30 but didn't go to sleep until 11:30. My alarm went off at 6:00 but I didn't get up until 6:15. So that makes 7 1/2 hr. attempted sleep, but only 6 3/4 hr. actual sleep. Bummer, I didn't quite make my sleep goal of 7-8 hr.
Water
I had been filling a pitcher with 2 quarts water and drinking from it all day, but I haven't been consistent. So this month, I decided tdo try drinking a tall glass of water with each meal, plus a couple others throughout the day. So far, so good. I reached my goal of 8-10 cups today.
Eating
After a wonderful weekend away, filled with restaurant and party foods and drinks, it was nice to be home and eat basic foods from my fridge and pantry. Unfortunately, because we were away, the fridge is looking pretty bare. For breaky I mustered up a whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter and Nutella (I know, not so healthy, but boy is it good!), grapes and coffee.
By lunch I was really hungry. I ate a whole wheat tortilla wrap with turkey and corned beef, cheese and hummus; some fiesta bean salad; baby carrots & broccoli florets dipped in hummus; and yogurt. My daughters and I had Halloween candy for dessert as a reward for eating a good lunch. Again, not healthy but I'd rather my girls eat 3 baby carrots and one piece of Halloween andy than 0 carrots and 0 candy. As for my candy-eating, read about my Exercise below.
Before work, I ate a handful or two of peanuts. I work 5-9:00 p.m. as a Personal Trainer at a health club, so I always snack beforehand and bring an energy bar. I always make sure to eat it so that I'm not ravenously hungry when I get home. When I got home at 9:15, I could smell a delicious dinner, so I was really disappointed to find out it had all been eaten! Bummer! I was hungry and just wanted to eat and do the fifteen things I needed to do before bed. I already mentioned that our fridge was empty, so what to do? . . . Unfortunately, in this situation I succumbed to the temptation of the 5-minute, frozen mac & cheese. Mmm, it's good, but a lot of calories, fat and sodium! I sort of made up for that by eating some more baby carrots and broccoli florets. Overall, I actually ate pretty well today, although it would have been better to have traded in the candy for vegetables. Gotta go to the store first; that's the key to eating well!
Exercise
I typically run down Alameda beach and back on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Today was a bit different because I felt "polluted" after my vacation/party weekend. I also happened to read this great article on post-party exercising, so I took the article's advice: I did interval training. I ran about 10 min. as a warm up; then I ran as hard as possible for one min., then jogged slowly to recover for one min., repeating that 8 times. I'd never done interval training before, and it was hard! After a few intervals, I could feel that my legs were moving much slower (during the fast intervals) but my heart was racing! What a way to burn extra calories and challenge my cardio. system! The last 10 min. I ran my regular pace home, where I did a little stretching and some new ab exercises. I've come to realize that I always need to do abs, and I like to change exercises every month for interest and a challenge.
Tranquility
This basically always depends on whether my toddlers nap. They did, so I got some alone time. It's not that I did anything very interesting: email, web surfing, organizing my day, but I really need some time to relax and think.
How do I feel?
I felt back on track after my intense run to burn off the weekend's "pollutants" and getting back to my usual eating/drinking/kid-rearing schedule. However, the late night mac & cheese is sitting in a mass in my stomach.
Overall, this was a pretty SWEET day. I was a bit shy on sleep, and probably consumed more fat than I should have, but it's a pretty good example of how the SWEET Life can work in real life.
Sleep
I went to bed at 10:30 but didn't go to sleep until 11:30. My alarm went off at 6:00 but I didn't get up until 6:15. So that makes 7 1/2 hr. attempted sleep, but only 6 3/4 hr. actual sleep. Bummer, I didn't quite make my sleep goal of 7-8 hr.
Water
I had been filling a pitcher with 2 quarts water and drinking from it all day, but I haven't been consistent. So this month, I decided tdo try drinking a tall glass of water with each meal, plus a couple others throughout the day. So far, so good. I reached my goal of 8-10 cups today.
Eating
After a wonderful weekend away, filled with restaurant and party foods and drinks, it was nice to be home and eat basic foods from my fridge and pantry. Unfortunately, because we were away, the fridge is looking pretty bare. For breaky I mustered up a whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter and Nutella (I know, not so healthy, but boy is it good!), grapes and coffee.
By lunch I was really hungry. I ate a whole wheat tortilla wrap with turkey and corned beef, cheese and hummus; some fiesta bean salad; baby carrots & broccoli florets dipped in hummus; and yogurt. My daughters and I had Halloween candy for dessert as a reward for eating a good lunch. Again, not healthy but I'd rather my girls eat 3 baby carrots and one piece of Halloween andy than 0 carrots and 0 candy. As for my candy-eating, read about my Exercise below.
Before work, I ate a handful or two of peanuts. I work 5-9:00 p.m. as a Personal Trainer at a health club, so I always snack beforehand and bring an energy bar. I always make sure to eat it so that I'm not ravenously hungry when I get home. When I got home at 9:15, I could smell a delicious dinner, so I was really disappointed to find out it had all been eaten! Bummer! I was hungry and just wanted to eat and do the fifteen things I needed to do before bed. I already mentioned that our fridge was empty, so what to do? . . . Unfortunately, in this situation I succumbed to the temptation of the 5-minute, frozen mac & cheese. Mmm, it's good, but a lot of calories, fat and sodium! I sort of made up for that by eating some more baby carrots and broccoli florets. Overall, I actually ate pretty well today, although it would have been better to have traded in the candy for vegetables. Gotta go to the store first; that's the key to eating well!
Exercise
I typically run down Alameda beach and back on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Today was a bit different because I felt "polluted" after my vacation/party weekend. I also happened to read this great article on post-party exercising, so I took the article's advice: I did interval training. I ran about 10 min. as a warm up; then I ran as hard as possible for one min., then jogged slowly to recover for one min., repeating that 8 times. I'd never done interval training before, and it was hard! After a few intervals, I could feel that my legs were moving much slower (during the fast intervals) but my heart was racing! What a way to burn extra calories and challenge my cardio. system! The last 10 min. I ran my regular pace home, where I did a little stretching and some new ab exercises. I've come to realize that I always need to do abs, and I like to change exercises every month for interest and a challenge.
Tranquility
This basically always depends on whether my toddlers nap. They did, so I got some alone time. It's not that I did anything very interesting: email, web surfing, organizing my day, but I really need some time to relax and think.
How do I feel?
I felt back on track after my intense run to burn off the weekend's "pollutants" and getting back to my usual eating/drinking/kid-rearing schedule. However, the late night mac & cheese is sitting in a mass in my stomach.
Overall, this was a pretty SWEET day. I was a bit shy on sleep, and probably consumed more fat than I should have, but it's a pretty good example of how the SWEET Life can work in real life.
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