Latest addictions: running and hummus

I got up and went running this morning...I was slow and it was cold, but it was such a fantastic way to start the day! It was lightly snowing and it was light enough to see well with daylight savings time. So beautiful. I was happy and cheerful at school, probably because I had taken the time to take care of myself! :)

I ate so much hummus tonight! Delicious! I need to learn how to make it, so that I can leave out the oil that the store-bought stuff has in it.

Today's stats:

W: 137.6 (will probably be a bit more tomorrow...too much hummus!:)

E: 1.25 mile run in about 14 minutes...told you I was slow!

B: green smoothie

S: apple with peanut butter

L: spinach, chili, mushrooms, tomato

S: apple

D: a little bit of stir-fry, LOTS of corn chips and hummus, and a couple of bananas.

This is SO doable!

Today we had a get together after church to break our fast. I purposely brought chili without meat so that I could avoid the butter, sour cream, etc, but by the time I got through the line, there was one solitary bean available. I briefly contemplated doing butter and sour cream, but didn't give in. This is doable! AND, I weighed in this morning at my lowest weight in YEARS (probably haven't been this low since the summer right after I graduated high school when I gained 15 pounds in 3 months eating ramen every day!) Of course, the low weight probably had something to do with fasting, but ETL WORKS!!!

Today's stats:

W: 137.2!!! :)

E: yoga

B and L: fasting

D: hummus and corn chips, baked potato with broccoli, salsa, one bean, and soy bacon bits, and about three bananas!

Need to run...

I went to breakfast with a dear friend this morning who told me that I'm looking really skinny. She is too...she's using HCG, and while I'm proud of her for working at being healthier, I'm soooo grateful that I am going the natural route with my weight loss. Being a mostly-vegan and fully-vegetarian is one of the best health decisions I've ever made. Another great health decision I've made in the past is to run. It's been too long, and I need to start doing it again. Here's to the official reinstatement of the sanity run!

Today's stats:

W: 139.2

E: yoga

B: cinnamon and raisin bagel, fruit cup

L: bread with peanut butter and honey, bananas

S: green smoothie (spinach, peaches, banana)

Finally Friday!

I had a thought during recess duty this morning: maybe my weight isn't going down as quickly as it could because I'm not sleeping as much as I should. In the book Lean and Free (one of the things that prepared me for being vegetarian...) the author talks about people who were doing everything right, but not losing weight as quickly as it would seem they should. When they looked at their sleeping habits, and started making an effort to get at least 7 hours a night, they lost weight. It's something to do with the survival instinct that our bodies have, and when they are feeling threatened (not enough food, sleep, etc.) they hang on to the fat. I should give decent sleep amounts a go...if nothing else, it would make for a less cranky teacher for my students!!

Today's stats:

W: 140.6

E: yoga and ice-skating

B: green smoothie

L: salad

S: bananas, peanut butter and bread

D: steamed zuchinni, and a banana (didn't give into the meat laden delicious smelling curry everyone else had!)

S: bananas, peanut butter and honey

Keep practicing...

Tonight I had parent teacher conferences. I love them because I feel like I'm on the same page and the same team as the parents and students. Great feeling! I think the advice I gave to the kids most often tonight was to "keep practicing."

I'm in the midst of that too: Tonight while we ate the delicious PTA-supplied dinner, my roommate/co-worker/fantastic friend Amy was telling our fellow teachers that it's hard to eat at our house because I don't eat meat and she doesn't eat veggies, so she can't ever cook for me. (Not true. She made some amazing ratatouille the other day!) My principal asked if I was vegetarian, and I said "Yes, recently." She asked if it was for health reasons and I said yes. Maybe I shouldn't have added the caveat of recently on there, but I did say I'm vegetarian. And I was honest about my reasons. I'm all about treating living things with kindness, but I grew up in a farming/ranching community, and have helped raise and butcher chickens since I was little, so being vegetarian is not about animal rights for me. So I'm practicing telling people about what I do, and why I do why I do. Gotta keep practicing! :)

Today's stats:

W: 139.6

E: yoga, and sister stretch night

B: green smoothie

L: ratatouille and couscous

D: 2 tortillas, beans, rice, lettuce, and pretty-sure-it-wasn't-vegan salad dressing

S: banana

Seeking some semblance of sanity...

My life is kinda crazy right now...between my church responsibilities, teaching full time, being a home owner/landlord and a grad student, I joke about having multiple lives, but it's true. I'm extremely grateful to know what to do to keep my body going strong in spite of the many sleep-deprived days. While I have had a few days of sore throat and runny nose and cold sores, I still have lots of energy and don't feel run down at all. Eating to Live makes my life more sane, gives me an anchor in the midst of the mayhem.

Today's stats:

w: 140.6 ( +.4 from yesterday...I rarely gain on an ETL day...too much dal last night?)

e: yoga

b: green smoothie

snack: bread with pb and honey

lunch: my usual salad plus palta

snack: jicama

dinner: steamed zuchinni with Mrs. Dash

snack: corn chips with hummus, salsa, and a bit of guacamole.

Good and strong and beautiful

Today I finished a book called Mockingbird. It's about a 5th grader with Asperger's syndrome, and she has to learn how to recognize and cope with emotions (hers and others'), which is hard for her. After realizing that she's asking her dad to do something that is hard for him, she goes to her school psychologist and tells her that it's time for her (the girl) to make friends. Making friends is something that is difficult for her to do. The psychologist says that she thinks the girl is going to like it. The girl replies "I don't think I'm going to like it at all. I think it's going to hurt. But after the hurt I think maybe something good and strong and beautiful will come out of it."

It doesn't really hurt to Eat to Live, to be vegetarian or even vegan. But I am giving up part of my identity with this decision...I'm part of a carnivorous country, culture, and family. Choosing to be meat-free is not "normal." So, I'm with Caitlin on this one: I think I WILL like it, but I don't think others always will and it won't be easy. I think giving up part of my identity is going to hurt, but the benefits are already outweighing the costs. And I think that I'm becoming better and stronger and more beautiful as a result of this decision.

Today's stats:

W: 140.2

E: yoga

B: green smoothie

L: spinach, tomato, chili, mushrooms, an apple with peanut butter

D: bread with peanut butter and bananas, yellow dal with brown rice.