life and dealing with it

i baked a beef pie for the first time yesterday. it took me 2.5 hrs and i had to add various things at three different intervals. nt sure i wld do that again on a weekday but decided to yesterday anyway because we all needed a little food for the soul. we had something rather unfortunate happen to us last week, which explains the lack of an update here, and we've been trying to be strong and stay possitive. hey, at least we are healthy. we've just gotta learn from this experience and move on. we haven't been to the gym much, which i'm not too bummed out about as we really were shell shocked almost. but we have been eating really well. hoping to get the exercise going again from today so it can get rid of some of the stress. we are gonna get through this together and we'll be stronger for it

b'fast:

5 mini 6-grain crackers with lite cream cheese, tuna and boiled pumpkin

tea

1 blood plum

dinner

went back for second servings of salad and a small piece of chicken. it was yummy, realtivly healthy and the best part was that the oven did most of the work!

baby steps

the hubby and i have been to the gym 4 times this week. i am proudest of the fact that i even worked out on my birthday! i feel so much more energized and upbeat after havig started working out again. we both don't do beyond what we're capable of in the gym, to ensure that we are comfortably sore post-workout. diet-wise i have made a conscious effort to mix up the menu and include some baked items, stir frys and salads into our previously curry-in-coconut milk laden diet. but we still do have the curry but it's cooked healthier. the hubby has been surprisingly welcoming to the change. he even had wheat bix and an egg white omelette this morning. i guess he is seeing that healthier food need not be devoid of taste. i'm glad he is being so supportive; it's made taking that first step towards a better quality of life easier, knowing that he's gonna be taking the step with me :)

simple equation

+

=

(family not included)

baker's delight...NOT!

these are but some of the baked goods i've been producing. they were absolutely gorgeous to eat but having them laying about in the kitchen meant that portion control went out of the window. now i only bake anything sweet when i know it's going out of the house (prettty much) as soon as it comes out of the oven.

that having been said, i don't indend to omit dessert from my life completely. just to proceed with caution. i want to feel in control of what i put in my mouth, not the other way around. so smaller portions as well as trying to include fresh fruit whenever possible will lead to sweet success i'm hoping

how i wanna live my life

Live with intention.
Walk to the edge.
Listen Hard.
Practice wellness.
Play with abandon.
Laugh.
Choose with no regret.
Continue to learn.
Appreciate your friends.
Do what you love.
Live as if this is all there is.

-mary anne radmacher

inspiration

Was blog-hopping and came across this one where the author gives her opinion on the recent O magazine article...

"The thing that we both forgot, that most of us don't realize, is that we can't just grab onto the new set of circumstances and hold on for dear life. We have to keep moving forward, keep letting go, keep rolling with new circumstances. That's why weight maintenance is so hard, I think. It's easier to take risks to move toward a big exciting goal and an imagined better life. It's harder to keep living in the present when you realize it's not just one big shining moment where you feel great all the time. You can't 'conquer this battle once and for all,' you can just keep living and working through your new stuff."

Never was a truer word said

trying to focus on the journey, not the destination

just returned frm the gym with the hubby. due to a change in priorities after moving in together, both of us have seen our wedded bliss reflected in increasing waistlines. yikes. not that either of us finds the other any less attractive with a little more junk in the trunk, so to speak, but it's affecting our energy levels pretty badly. not to mention my menstrual cycle.

so we've decided to take action now before we reach the point of no return. we're gonna start going regularly to the gym and i'm gonna make better choices in the kitchen. as soon as i got married i wanted to impress my husband with my culinary ability and often made things like quiches, and curries cooked with ghee and coconut milk and not to mention cake for dessert.

but like they say the most difficult part of making significant change in your life is to take the first step. and that we have. so it can only be upward frm here...

new year, new beginings

2008 was a monumental year in my life to say the least. not only did i get married but i also uporooted, leaving behind my family, friends and a way of life i had become accustomed to. it was a year where i did a lot of learning and growing up. but i'm better and stronger for it.

with the many changes coming my way i haven't made myself a priority. time to raise my socks, only metaphorically of course as i much prefer wearing mine around the ankle thank you very much. time to regroup. time to cut the excuses and make it happen. i've been watching far too many 'dick flics' as u can tell. will keep updating on how it's going...