I'm renewing my motivation for living the SWEET Life. Having Spring Break last week helped encourage me because I had more free time to focus on it. Last week also started my latest 4-week goal cycle. My 4-week goal is simply to consciously live the SWEET Life, which I had become increasingly worse about doing over the previous 6 weeks.
We went to Lake Tahoe for 4 days with another family, which was great fun. I took my SWEET Life tools, with copies for the other adults on the trip. It was a lot easier to live the SWEET Life while on vacation because I recruited the others to live it with me for those 4 days.
Sleep
Last night I slept horribly! I went to bed late because I was trying to get some stuff done, and Zoe cried out for me, then squirmed around in my bed the rest of the night. Horrible!
Water
I drank enough beverages yesterday, although they weren't all water.
Eating
I ate well, but surprisingly, I didn't eat a lot of grains.
Exercise
I went running on the beach yesterday.
Tranquility
I got a lot of stuff done while my girls were napping, so, yes, I had tranquility.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Yesterday, I had a _WEET Life.
Monday, March 31, 2008
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.
Monday, March 17, 2008
A semi-SWEET Life is better than nothing!
Over the past month or two, I've been blogging less frequently, about every 7-10 days instead of every 2-4 days. The reason is that I've been so busy that (1) I haven't had time to blog and (2) I haven't been living the SWEET Life as consistently. Because of that, I have to grudgingly admit that my scale has tipped up a few pounds and my clothes are a bit tighter than they used to be.
At the same time, I know that living the SWEET Life has prevented me from gaining a lot more weight due to the stress of being overly busy. I'm not stressed, my diet isn't out of control, exercise isn't a thing of the past, and plentiful sleep isn't a distant memory. Before living the SWEET Life, all of this would have been the case, being as busy as I am right now. In the past, I would have just focused on completing the tasks I needed to complete without regard to any of the aspects of the SWEET Life. Sleep, Water, Eating, Exercise and Tranquility would all have suffered and my body would have been a mess.
Therefore, I do thank the SWEET Life for mitigating most of the effects of living an overly busy life. In the past month or so, I've been generally pretty good about getting enough sleep and tranquility, and I've been exercising 4 times a week instead of 5. However, I have not been good about paying attention to eating well, and I haven't been drinking 8 cups of water per day. So today, once again, I try to be diligent and live the SWEET Life fully.
Sleep
I slept 7 hr last night. Zoe did come in at her usual 3 a.m., but she fell right back to sleep and didn't move around much, so it didn't bother me too much.
Water
I filled up my pitcher and have been drinking it. I also made homemade mint lemonade with my girls, which I've had 2 cups of. Mmm, good!
Eating
I'm keeping track on my SWEET Life Plan today so that I eat a better balance of food groups (i.e., enough fruits and vegies)
Exercise
I ran at the gym and did my ab exercises.
Tranquility
My girls are napping, so I'm trying to get stuff done, which makes me feel good.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Today, I 'm living the SWEET Life!
At the same time, I know that living the SWEET Life has prevented me from gaining a lot more weight due to the stress of being overly busy. I'm not stressed, my diet isn't out of control, exercise isn't a thing of the past, and plentiful sleep isn't a distant memory. Before living the SWEET Life, all of this would have been the case, being as busy as I am right now. In the past, I would have just focused on completing the tasks I needed to complete without regard to any of the aspects of the SWEET Life. Sleep, Water, Eating, Exercise and Tranquility would all have suffered and my body would have been a mess.
Therefore, I do thank the SWEET Life for mitigating most of the effects of living an overly busy life. In the past month or so, I've been generally pretty good about getting enough sleep and tranquility, and I've been exercising 4 times a week instead of 5. However, I have not been good about paying attention to eating well, and I haven't been drinking 8 cups of water per day. So today, once again, I try to be diligent and live the SWEET Life fully.
Sleep
I slept 7 hr last night. Zoe did come in at her usual 3 a.m., but she fell right back to sleep and didn't move around much, so it didn't bother me too much.
Water
I filled up my pitcher and have been drinking it. I also made homemade mint lemonade with my girls, which I've had 2 cups of. Mmm, good!
Eating
I'm keeping track on my SWEET Life Plan today so that I eat a better balance of food groups (i.e., enough fruits and vegies)
Exercise
I ran at the gym and did my ab exercises.
Tranquility
My girls are napping, so I'm trying to get stuff done, which makes me feel good.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Today, I 'm living the SWEET Life!
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Exercise Variety
Sleep
I've been sleeping well this entire week. I'm 7 for 7!
Water
I've been trying to drink my water, but honestly, I haven't been keeping track very well this week.
Eating
I generally always eat healthy, but I really have not been keeping track this week.
Exercise
I've had a variety of exercise this week. Monday I tried a Gliding DVD that a colleague lent me. It uses special pads to slide your legs or arms across the floor, like skating. It was tough! Tuesday, I had a very light workout. I ran in the morning on Wednesday, which was a nice change from going to the gym. It was light early enough in the morning to do so. However, today we started Day Light Savings time, which means it'll be dark in the mornings again for another month. :-( Friday I did a hard strength workout at the gym, based on exercises in a magazine. Typically those magazine exercises don't give me a very good workout, but I did them in a more intensive order than the magazine suggested to get a better workout. Saturday, my family took a bike ride, and it was beautiful weather to do so! So that makes 5 times this week.
Tranquility
I got some tranquility every day this week, 7 out of 7 days. However, I'm realizing that tranquility isn't as simple as getting both my daughters to nap at the same time. I do need more time to do relaxing things, rather than catching up or having the time to do necessary things. When my girls nap, I do work: housework, ESL work or personal training-related work, but work. I actually have very little time to do whatever comes to mind, and typically when I do "whatever comes to mind" I end up feeling like I didn't spend my time efficiently to get "work" done. Hmmm . . .
How did I do, and how do I feel?
This week, I have had a S??ET Life.
I've been sleeping well this entire week. I'm 7 for 7!
Water
I've been trying to drink my water, but honestly, I haven't been keeping track very well this week.
Eating
I generally always eat healthy, but I really have not been keeping track this week.
Exercise
I've had a variety of exercise this week. Monday I tried a Gliding DVD that a colleague lent me. It uses special pads to slide your legs or arms across the floor, like skating. It was tough! Tuesday, I had a very light workout. I ran in the morning on Wednesday, which was a nice change from going to the gym. It was light early enough in the morning to do so. However, today we started Day Light Savings time, which means it'll be dark in the mornings again for another month. :-( Friday I did a hard strength workout at the gym, based on exercises in a magazine. Typically those magazine exercises don't give me a very good workout, but I did them in a more intensive order than the magazine suggested to get a better workout. Saturday, my family took a bike ride, and it was beautiful weather to do so! So that makes 5 times this week.
Tranquility
I got some tranquility every day this week, 7 out of 7 days. However, I'm realizing that tranquility isn't as simple as getting both my daughters to nap at the same time. I do need more time to do relaxing things, rather than catching up or having the time to do necessary things. When my girls nap, I do work: housework, ESL work or personal training-related work, but work. I actually have very little time to do whatever comes to mind, and typically when I do "whatever comes to mind" I end up feeling like I didn't spend my time efficiently to get "work" done. Hmmm . . .
How did I do, and how do I feel?
This week, I have had a S??ET Life.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Commitments and Priorities
Sleep
I forced myself to catch up on sleep last night, sleeping in instead of exercising. Boy, I needed it after two nights of too little sleep. Two nights of sleep deprivation isn't much, but I'm too busy during the day to lose the productivity associated with being tired.
Water
I've been more consistent with filling my pitcher and making sure I empty it by the end of the day.
Eating
I've been keeping track on my SWEET Life Plan, which means that by afternoon/dinner time, I refer to it to see where my daily diet is lacking so I can catch up.
Exercise
My exercise has become sadly inconsistent so that I feel I have to make up for it on the weekends (instead of taking off the weekends). It's all about priorities, and sometimes, exercise is not as high a priority as other things. For instance, this morning, sleep was more important to me than exercise. On Tuesday, preparing for a meeting was more important than exercise. But I made up for a lack of early morning exercise today by taking a long walk with my girls. It's not the same intensity, but it was a beautiful day to check out the early spring flowers.
Tranquility
I feel like I haven't been getting tranquility recently. Or perhaps I've been getting at least 30 min/day, but not the 3-4 hours that I used to get when my girls napped well. It's a really long afternoon if they don't nap, and I feel they intrude upon my tranquility time if they don't nap.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Yesterday, I had a _WE_T Life.
I'm constantly interrupted, so I can't concentrate on anything. I like the idea I heard yesterday about committing to a specific hour of the day to focus on one thing that needs focused attention. I always say I'm going to spend an hour a day on something, but that hour always gets pushed around. The idea of saying, "1:00-2:00 I will do _____," like it's an appointment, might help me.
I forced myself to catch up on sleep last night, sleeping in instead of exercising. Boy, I needed it after two nights of too little sleep. Two nights of sleep deprivation isn't much, but I'm too busy during the day to lose the productivity associated with being tired.
Water
I've been more consistent with filling my pitcher and making sure I empty it by the end of the day.
Eating
I've been keeping track on my SWEET Life Plan, which means that by afternoon/dinner time, I refer to it to see where my daily diet is lacking so I can catch up.
Exercise
My exercise has become sadly inconsistent so that I feel I have to make up for it on the weekends (instead of taking off the weekends). It's all about priorities, and sometimes, exercise is not as high a priority as other things. For instance, this morning, sleep was more important to me than exercise. On Tuesday, preparing for a meeting was more important than exercise. But I made up for a lack of early morning exercise today by taking a long walk with my girls. It's not the same intensity, but it was a beautiful day to check out the early spring flowers.
Tranquility
I feel like I haven't been getting tranquility recently. Or perhaps I've been getting at least 30 min/day, but not the 3-4 hours that I used to get when my girls napped well. It's a really long afternoon if they don't nap, and I feel they intrude upon my tranquility time if they don't nap.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Yesterday, I had a _WE_T Life.
I'm constantly interrupted, so I can't concentrate on anything. I like the idea I heard yesterday about committing to a specific hour of the day to focus on one thing that needs focused attention. I always say I'm going to spend an hour a day on something, but that hour always gets pushed around. The idea of saying, "1:00-2:00 I will do _____," like it's an appointment, might help me.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Living the SWEET Life Saves the Day (or Month)!
Sleep
I slept well last night. It's nice not to have to set an alarm on the weekends. However, a couple other nights this week, I didn't sleep well. Once because I woke up at 3:30 and couldn't get back to sleep, and another night because I woke up extra early to get some stuff done while the house was quiet.
Water
I need to pay more attention to drinking enough. I don't think I did, yesterday. Well, I guess that depends on whether you count the 2 cups of coffee and the 3 alcoholic drinks I had yesterday. I don't usually count alcohol and caffeine because they are dehydrating.
Eating
I've been trying to pay closer attention to my eating, to make sure I get the variety of nutrients I need.
Exercise
I'm a bit behind on exercise this week, only having exercised 3 times so far. I need two more times to make my goal of 5 times/week. Strangely, I feel like I've been getting out of shape, even though I've continued to exercise!? I've been doing some exercises from a fitness magazine, but I think some of them are too easy for me, so I'm not getting as much of a workout from them. Also, I've been using an AMT cardio machine at the gym, which I don't think gives me as much of a workout as running does. It also seems to hurt my lower back, so this week I switched to the treadmill instead. I feel like I'm hunched over, my belly is pooching out, and my lower back hurts. Also, my pants seem to be getting tighter in the waist. So what do I need to do?
Tranquility
I had one of the few massages I've ever had in my life yesterday. It was wonderful! I told the guy my aches, and he spent most of his time working on those parts of my body. Unfortunately, I felt like I rushed around all morning before the massage, and my girls didn't nap after my massage, so I didn't get to spend some time relaxing myself before it (i.e., in the sauna or hot but), or afterwards. I had to jump full speed back into mommy mode. But it was definitely a special, tranquil treat.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Yesterday, I had a S_EET Life.
Honestly, because I've been so busy with other things, I have been paying increasingly less attention to living the SWEET Life, and the result is that I feel like I'm getting out of shape, despite having the habit of exercising. I know that it's a simple matter of paying more attention to living the SWEET Life, which doesn't necessarily take more time. I just need an awareness of how I'm living the SWEET Life.
At the same time, I know that I would be in much worse shape, and probably sick, if my SWEET Life habits weren't already in place. Without the SWEET Life, in the past month I probably would have gained weight from poor eating and lack of exercise, which I haven't. I'd feel exhausted from dehydration and lack of sleep, which I'm not, and I'd feel stressed out from lack of tranquility, which I don't. So I thank living the SWEET Life for keeping me pretty healthy during the past month of an overly busy life.
I slept well last night. It's nice not to have to set an alarm on the weekends. However, a couple other nights this week, I didn't sleep well. Once because I woke up at 3:30 and couldn't get back to sleep, and another night because I woke up extra early to get some stuff done while the house was quiet.
Water
I need to pay more attention to drinking enough. I don't think I did, yesterday. Well, I guess that depends on whether you count the 2 cups of coffee and the 3 alcoholic drinks I had yesterday. I don't usually count alcohol and caffeine because they are dehydrating.
Eating
I've been trying to pay closer attention to my eating, to make sure I get the variety of nutrients I need.
Exercise
I'm a bit behind on exercise this week, only having exercised 3 times so far. I need two more times to make my goal of 5 times/week. Strangely, I feel like I've been getting out of shape, even though I've continued to exercise!? I've been doing some exercises from a fitness magazine, but I think some of them are too easy for me, so I'm not getting as much of a workout from them. Also, I've been using an AMT cardio machine at the gym, which I don't think gives me as much of a workout as running does. It also seems to hurt my lower back, so this week I switched to the treadmill instead. I feel like I'm hunched over, my belly is pooching out, and my lower back hurts. Also, my pants seem to be getting tighter in the waist. So what do I need to do?
- For my hunched shoulders, I need to strengthen my upper/mid-back to pull my shoulders back in place.
- For my belly I need to strengthen my abs to hold them IN place.
- For my lower back, I need to strengthen and stretch it to relieve the pain. Stronger abs will also help my lower back feel better.
- For the tight waistbands, I need to cut out unhealthy calories (i.e., Valentine's chocolates) and make sure my workouts are burning calories and building muscle. All of those will increase my ratio of calories out vs. in.
Tranquility
I had one of the few massages I've ever had in my life yesterday. It was wonderful! I told the guy my aches, and he spent most of his time working on those parts of my body. Unfortunately, I felt like I rushed around all morning before the massage, and my girls didn't nap after my massage, so I didn't get to spend some time relaxing myself before it (i.e., in the sauna or hot but), or afterwards. I had to jump full speed back into mommy mode. But it was definitely a special, tranquil treat.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Yesterday, I had a S_EET Life.
Honestly, because I've been so busy with other things, I have been paying increasingly less attention to living the SWEET Life, and the result is that I feel like I'm getting out of shape, despite having the habit of exercising. I know that it's a simple matter of paying more attention to living the SWEET Life, which doesn't necessarily take more time. I just need an awareness of how I'm living the SWEET Life.
At the same time, I know that I would be in much worse shape, and probably sick, if my SWEET Life habits weren't already in place. Without the SWEET Life, in the past month I probably would have gained weight from poor eating and lack of exercise, which I haven't. I'd feel exhausted from dehydration and lack of sleep, which I'm not, and I'd feel stressed out from lack of tranquility, which I don't. So I thank living the SWEET Life for keeping me pretty healthy during the past month of an overly busy life.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Living Day to Day
Lately, I've only had time to focus on each day as it comes. "What do I HAVE TO do today?" is all I have had time to do each day. I've had very little time to think or prepare ahead of time. Everything else has been on the back burner. Because of that, a lot of little, daily, household tasks haven't been getting done, like laundry, dishes, watering plants, etc.
Fortunately, since I have SWEET Life habits in place, I've been living the SWEET Life pretty well, as busy as I've been.
Sleep
Last night I chose to cut my sleep a bit short in order to grade some papers for my class tonight.
Water
I've been trying hard to drink my water, and I think I've been doing pretty well.
Eating
I've been trying to eat well, even though I haven't had much time to pay attention to what I've been eating.
Exercise
Today I chose to give myself the option of exercise, if I had time, preferring to give myself more time to grade papers for class tonight. I did get my papers graded, but I didn't have time to exercise, so I will exercise on Saturday instead.
Tranquility
Because the girls did tag-team napping, I didn't get my usual afternoon tranquility time. However, when I got home tonight, the house was empty, so I had a little time to myself. Realizing that was going to be my only Tranquility of the day, I made sure to take advantage of it.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Today, I had a SWE_T Life.
I hate when I have to ignore the big picture to focus on the shortest term deadlines, but it seems like life has been that way for the past month. What can I do? I envy those who are planning ahead or doing things that seem more pleasurable than essential. Now and then, I remind myself that this is only a phase. I will have a lot more free time when my girls are in school, and the reason I'm home now is to have my influence on them while I can, before they go to school. All I can do is set reminders for myself to make sure to do things ahead of time (such as set a reminder to pay a bill a week before it's due). I also need to enlist more help with the little, daily, household tasks, such as laundry, dishes, watering plants, etc.
Fortunately, since I have SWEET Life habits in place, I've been living the SWEET Life pretty well, as busy as I've been.
Sleep
Last night I chose to cut my sleep a bit short in order to grade some papers for my class tonight.
Water
I've been trying hard to drink my water, and I think I've been doing pretty well.
Eating
I've been trying to eat well, even though I haven't had much time to pay attention to what I've been eating.
Exercise
Today I chose to give myself the option of exercise, if I had time, preferring to give myself more time to grade papers for class tonight. I did get my papers graded, but I didn't have time to exercise, so I will exercise on Saturday instead.
Tranquility
Because the girls did tag-team napping, I didn't get my usual afternoon tranquility time. However, when I got home tonight, the house was empty, so I had a little time to myself. Realizing that was going to be my only Tranquility of the day, I made sure to take advantage of it.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Today, I had a SWE_T Life.
I hate when I have to ignore the big picture to focus on the shortest term deadlines, but it seems like life has been that way for the past month. What can I do? I envy those who are planning ahead or doing things that seem more pleasurable than essential. Now and then, I remind myself that this is only a phase. I will have a lot more free time when my girls are in school, and the reason I'm home now is to have my influence on them while I can, before they go to school. All I can do is set reminders for myself to make sure to do things ahead of time (such as set a reminder to pay a bill a week before it's due). I also need to enlist more help with the little, daily, household tasks, such as laundry, dishes, watering plants, etc.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Challenge the Body!
Sleep
I slept really well last night. I woke up this morning with Zoe in my bed instead of Nick, but I don't really remember when that switcheroo happened. I'm 4 for 4 this week.
Water
I haven't been paying too much attention to my water intake, but I think I have enough of a habit of drinking 2 qt. of water per day that I've continued to drink ample. I'm 4 for 4 this week.
Eating
The fridge is looking bare, but I've been trying to still eat healthy. The benefit of having mostly healthy foods in the house is that no matter what you have to scrounge up to eat, it'll still be healthy. What I really need to do is plan some meals, make a grocery list, buy some food, and cook! This week, I'm 2 for 4, but today is still wait and see.
Exercise
On Tuesday, I tried some new exercises I found in a magazine. Boy, was I sore yesterday! It's good to change exercises every month to challenge the body and defeat boredom. The problem was that a lot of the exercises said they were for the "arms" when they really just used the shoulders, not biceps or triceps. There were a lot of exercises for the legs, which became the most sore, and shoulders, but not much for the chest, biceps, or triceps, so I had to supplement. I also started doing new ab exercises and will take an abs class tomorrow. I suppose I should change my cardio workout too. This week, I'm 3for 4, skipping today because I have a lot of other stuff to do.
Tranquility
I've had tranquility time this week, which I've used to do whatever came to mind. The problem is that I had some important things to do during that time, which didn't get done.
I'm thinking about getting a massage, which I've only had a few of in my life. I can get one pretty cheap at the health club where I work. I'm 4 for 4 this week.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Yesterday, I had a SWEET Life.
I feel a little stressed and tired. I teach an ESL class tonight and I have a lot to do to prepare for it, which is why I feel stressed. I don't like being so dependent on the girls napping in order to get important things done. I'm tired for a variety of possible reasons: it's towards the end of the week, my family has been sick so I might be catching something, it could be stress-related, etc. I'm torn between taking a nap to feel refreshed or having some caffeine and staying awake to have more time to prepare for my class.
I slept really well last night. I woke up this morning with Zoe in my bed instead of Nick, but I don't really remember when that switcheroo happened. I'm 4 for 4 this week.
Water
I haven't been paying too much attention to my water intake, but I think I have enough of a habit of drinking 2 qt. of water per day that I've continued to drink ample. I'm 4 for 4 this week.
Eating
The fridge is looking bare, but I've been trying to still eat healthy. The benefit of having mostly healthy foods in the house is that no matter what you have to scrounge up to eat, it'll still be healthy. What I really need to do is plan some meals, make a grocery list, buy some food, and cook! This week, I'm 2 for 4, but today is still wait and see.
Exercise
On Tuesday, I tried some new exercises I found in a magazine. Boy, was I sore yesterday! It's good to change exercises every month to challenge the body and defeat boredom. The problem was that a lot of the exercises said they were for the "arms" when they really just used the shoulders, not biceps or triceps. There were a lot of exercises for the legs, which became the most sore, and shoulders, but not much for the chest, biceps, or triceps, so I had to supplement. I also started doing new ab exercises and will take an abs class tomorrow. I suppose I should change my cardio workout too. This week, I'm 3for 4, skipping today because I have a lot of other stuff to do.
Tranquility
I've had tranquility time this week, which I've used to do whatever came to mind. The problem is that I had some important things to do during that time, which didn't get done.
I'm thinking about getting a massage, which I've only had a few of in my life. I can get one pretty cheap at the health club where I work. I'm 4 for 4 this week.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Yesterday, I had a SWEET Life.
I feel a little stressed and tired. I teach an ESL class tonight and I have a lot to do to prepare for it, which is why I feel stressed. I don't like being so dependent on the girls napping in order to get important things done. I'm tired for a variety of possible reasons: it's towards the end of the week, my family has been sick so I might be catching something, it could be stress-related, etc. I'm torn between taking a nap to feel refreshed or having some caffeine and staying awake to have more time to prepare for my class.
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!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
A New Start: New Schedule, New Rewards
Last week, I lived the SWEET Life pretty well:
Sleep 5
Water 6
Eating 5
Exercise 4
Tranquility 6
Sleep
I've been making a point to sleep long enough so that if I don't sleep well, I still come out with at least 7 hours sleep. I'm hoping things will change starting tonight, after Zoe's annual Dr. appointment. Her pediatrician gave me some good advice about getting my girls to sleep in their own beds and stay in their own beds! Their middle of the night wakings are what prevent me from sleeping well. This week, so far I'm 2 for 2 on sleep.
Water
I'm finally remembering to take water with me to the gym and to my ESL class. That helps. I'm filling my pitcher with water at home, but it's important for me to be drinking when I'm out of the house too, especially if I'm exercising or out of the house for several hours! So far this week, I'm 1 for 1 and we'll see how the rest of today goes . . .
Eating
I've set up a new schedule where I cook Friday-Sunday, and we eat leftovers or frozen, quick cooks Monday-Thursday (when I work at night). So far, so good. I'm 1 for 1 this week, and doing pretty well so far today . . .
Exercise
I'm back in the habit of exercising Mondays-Fridays so that I can take off the weekends. I prefer that to having to "catch up" on the weekends. I'm 2 for 2 this week.
Tranquility
I've been able to rest and relax. It always helps when the girls nap. That's also part of my new schedule and pediatricians's advice about getting my girls to nap.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Yesterday, I had a SWEET Life.
I feel a bit more organized and in control, even though my schedule just got much busier. I started working 4 nights a week last week, so I took some time to figure out what my new schedule needed to look like: (1) I wanted to get us ready sooner in the mornings. (2) I needed to make sure to have play time with my girls. (3) I needed to make sure I had time to eat an early dinner before work. (4) I needed to make sure I could get to bed early enough to sleep long enough and still get up to exercise in the morning. (5) I needed to be more consistent about "quiet time" so that my girls could get their naps in and not have to be woken up, and at the same time, I don't want them sleeping so long during the afternoon that they were up late at night.
The pediatrician gave me advice about having a reward system to encourage the girls to behave how I want them to. I figured out a way to do it in an eco-friendly manner (i.e., without consumption or waste). Now I just have to really encourage it and become consistent with it.
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