So, I've been on "Summer Break" for 6 weeks now. I started this summer off with my cousin coming to visit me in Houston. Of course, I had to show her all the best that Houston has to offer--BBQ from Goode and Company, Gyros from Niko Nikos, Blue Bell Ice Cream (I always keep some in my freezer), and my personal favorite: The Chocolate Bar. I told myself--you're on vacation. Enjoy yourself. And so, I did.
Then, my cousin and I headed down to Corpus Christi to meet my family for some deep-sea fishing. We went out for sea food one day, celebrated my dad's birthday with ice cream from Baskin Robins, and of course, feasted on the homemade cookies that I had brought to share with everyone on the trip.
After that, we were headed out in my car for the 1200 mile drive to Houston. We had a blast, singing along with our tunes, sharing stories, laughing as we relived family times of the past. And of course, when we stopped in Las Cruces for the night, we had to get some of the local New Mexican cuisine. A dinner at La Posta Mesilla was everything we could have hoped for and more. We stuffed ourselves with chile relleno, tamales, enchiladas, and more. It was absolutely heavenly.
When we finally got to Arizona, where I am spending my summer, I had to hit up all my old favorite restaurants. So, slowly, over the past several weeks, I've patroned Tia Rosa's, Costa Vida, Aloha Kitchen, Sweetcakes, Mango's, Trader Joe's and more.
This morning, when I got on the scale, I had a rude awakening. All those calories are finally starting to catch up to me; my "muffin top" has been getting a little more "muffin-y."
HOLY SMOKES!?!
I thought you didn't have to count calories when you were on vacation!!!
How did I let this happen?
Well, it all started when I let my "vacation mode" take over reality. You see, it's okay to indulge sometimes. On occasion, you can have that ice cream sundae, the chips and salsa, the cheese fries, the greasy burger. It's when your "occasion" starts becoming a daily occurrence that you start to have problems. I've also noticed that once you let yourself get into "indulgence mode," you actually stop appreciating the food that you have; you stop really tasting it and enjoying it. You get caught up in the emotion of it and you let that take over. You stop eating because you're hungry and you need fuel. Instead, you eat to feel that emotion again.
I can see why people become drug addicts. There is something wonderful about letting go of yourself and letting your emotions take over--the need to "feel good" that food (or drugs) can bring. Something so freeing about giving the control to the substance--be it heroin or ice cream, marijuana or fettuccine alfredo.
What sucks is coming back to reality--and having to face the music. Knowing that you've just consumed WAY more calories than is necessary; having your clothes feel tighter the next morning, your arms feel more jiggly and less toned, watching the scale numbers jump up, higher and higher.
I have fallen off the BAND WAGON these past 6 weeks. And enough is enough! I am not on "vacation" anymore! You can't be in "vacation" eating mode when your vacation is TWO MONTHS LONG! It doesn't matter that I am about to head out to NYC and San Francisco, two cities with some of the most amazing food in the world. My life is not "vacation mode." My life is MODERATION in ALL things. Regular exercise. Control. I need to be in control, and not let the "feel good" emotions take over. I need to count calories, pay attention to portion sizes, and learn to say no. I can enjoy life without eating every single bite of delicious food that I come across.
Instead of "say no to drugs," my motto for the next few weeks is going to be "say no to bread and sugar." I'm not saying I will never eat bread or any form of sugar again. That would be absurd. But I am saying that I need to keep my distance, reacquaint myself with my good buddies "fruit, vegetables, and chewing gum" to stave off those hunger pangs. After all, this is my LIFE, not just my vacation.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I just saw the BAND WAGON turning left at the corner. I'm going to have to run to catch it, but it's about time I jumped back on...
Monday, July 16, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Wanted: One Fairy Godmother...
So, because my name is Anela, I'm the only girl in my family, have three brothers, and consequently, got stuck doing the bulk of the cooking and cleaning when I was a kid, my family has jokingly referred to me as "Cinder-Anela" for many years now. I am totally okay with this nickname; I just wish it came with the Fairy Godmother, Handsome Prince, beautiful dress, awesome shoes, and domestic rodents to help a girl out when she gets behind on her chores...
So, I've been thinking a lot about the story of Cinderella this week. Especially the part about the Fairy Godmother. I like that part. Who doesn't? She comes along with her magic wand, sings "bippity, boppity boo" and BAM! Cinderella has a fabulous one-of-a-kind dress, killer designer shoes, and a sweet ride to the Ball.
Last week I blogged about being a WINNER or a WHINER. I had this great epiphany about exercising and life, wrote it all down, and was totally pumped to start living my new life as a WINNER. I got up Monday morning, bright and early, and went running. WINNER. I got up Wednesday morning, bright and early, and went running. WINNER again! Friday morning...I hit the snooze button and went back to sleep. Uh oh. I was back to being a WHINER. Saturday morning...same thing. Sleep. No running. WHINER again! How could I have lost my motivation when it was so strong earlier in the week?!?
So, instead of simply getting out of bed and getting moving, I laid there, wishing for a Fairy Godmother who would come and bestow upon me the desire to run, who would magically transform my jiggly body to a super-toned running machine, who would give me energy to wake in the wee sma's of the morning, make me resistant to the heat of the summer, and basically, force my lazy butt out on the road. I mean, really. Having a Fairy Godmother would totally take the pressure off of me. My only job would be to lay around and be...deserving. And she would come along and do all the work and transform me into my dream--a RUNNER. A WINNER.
Then I started thinking more about the movie. More about Cinderella's life. Here she was, stuck doing all the chores while her step-mother and step-sisters lazed around all day. In fact, before the Fairy Godmother had come along to help her out, Cinderella has washed the floors, done the laundry, and finished all of the other cleaning and such. All on her own (well, with a little bit of help from the mice). The Fairy Godmother only came along after Cinderella's cruel step-mother and step-sisters had robbed her of her dress to wear to the ball--AFTER Cinderella had done all that she could to fulfill her own dream.
So, I guess the Fairy Godmother didn't do that much work, after all. All along, it was Cinderella who put in the time and effort, day in and day out. She worked for years before she finally got her Happily Ever After with Prince Charming. She spent much of her life working to become the woman who the Prince fell in love with. Her dream was all her own. The Fairy Godmother just came along and spruced her up so she was ready to find her place in her new life.
I've learned a lot from Cinderella.
This morning, my alarm went off only three and a half hours after I had gone to sleep. Of all days, this was one where I could have found justification in hitting snooze and going back to sleep. And yet, I didn't. I got up, get my gear on, and went out for a run. The combination of the heat (it was already 90ยบ outside at 5:30 am) and my sleep deprivation resulted in what was not my best run, by far. But I went. I toughed it out. This morning, I was a WINNER.
As I ran, I thought about all of these things. I realized that no Fairy Godmother is coming to wave her magic wand and "make" me into a RUNNER. If I want to be a RUNNER, then, by jove, I'm going to have to get out there and make it happen. Like Cinderella, I'm going to have to work day in and day out for years. I'm going to have to make it happen in spite of the "step-mothers" and "step-sisters" of the world who will think that being a RUNNER is not something I can achieve.
While I am still far from being a perfect WINNER, and have plenty of WHINER days, I am proud of the fact that, in spite of my WHINING moments, I keep coming back to the desire to get out there and run. I may go for days, weeks, or even months without running. But I keep coming back to it. I keep finding myself wanting to be a RUNNER. This brings to mind a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson. He said, "That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself has changed, but that our power to do is increased."
And so, I persist. As often as I can. I work each day to try and overcome mental and physical blocks; I lace up my shoes and I go run.
One of these days, maybe my Fairy Godmother will show up. But I hope she finds an empty house...because that will mean that I'm out for a run. Cinder-Anela. Taking control of my own destiny.
So, I've been thinking a lot about the story of Cinderella this week. Especially the part about the Fairy Godmother. I like that part. Who doesn't? She comes along with her magic wand, sings "bippity, boppity boo" and BAM! Cinderella has a fabulous one-of-a-kind dress, killer designer shoes, and a sweet ride to the Ball.
Last week I blogged about being a WINNER or a WHINER. I had this great epiphany about exercising and life, wrote it all down, and was totally pumped to start living my new life as a WINNER. I got up Monday morning, bright and early, and went running. WINNER. I got up Wednesday morning, bright and early, and went running. WINNER again! Friday morning...I hit the snooze button and went back to sleep. Uh oh. I was back to being a WHINER. Saturday morning...same thing. Sleep. No running. WHINER again! How could I have lost my motivation when it was so strong earlier in the week?!?
So, instead of simply getting out of bed and getting moving, I laid there, wishing for a Fairy Godmother who would come and bestow upon me the desire to run, who would magically transform my jiggly body to a super-toned running machine, who would give me energy to wake in the wee sma's of the morning, make me resistant to the heat of the summer, and basically, force my lazy butt out on the road. I mean, really. Having a Fairy Godmother would totally take the pressure off of me. My only job would be to lay around and be...deserving. And she would come along and do all the work and transform me into my dream--a RUNNER. A WINNER.
Then I started thinking more about the movie. More about Cinderella's life. Here she was, stuck doing all the chores while her step-mother and step-sisters lazed around all day. In fact, before the Fairy Godmother had come along to help her out, Cinderella has washed the floors, done the laundry, and finished all of the other cleaning and such. All on her own (well, with a little bit of help from the mice). The Fairy Godmother only came along after Cinderella's cruel step-mother and step-sisters had robbed her of her dress to wear to the ball--AFTER Cinderella had done all that she could to fulfill her own dream.
So, I guess the Fairy Godmother didn't do that much work, after all. All along, it was Cinderella who put in the time and effort, day in and day out. She worked for years before she finally got her Happily Ever After with Prince Charming. She spent much of her life working to become the woman who the Prince fell in love with. Her dream was all her own. The Fairy Godmother just came along and spruced her up so she was ready to find her place in her new life.
I've learned a lot from Cinderella.
This morning, my alarm went off only three and a half hours after I had gone to sleep. Of all days, this was one where I could have found justification in hitting snooze and going back to sleep. And yet, I didn't. I got up, get my gear on, and went out for a run. The combination of the heat (it was already 90ยบ outside at 5:30 am) and my sleep deprivation resulted in what was not my best run, by far. But I went. I toughed it out. This morning, I was a WINNER.
As I ran, I thought about all of these things. I realized that no Fairy Godmother is coming to wave her magic wand and "make" me into a RUNNER. If I want to be a RUNNER, then, by jove, I'm going to have to get out there and make it happen. Like Cinderella, I'm going to have to work day in and day out for years. I'm going to have to make it happen in spite of the "step-mothers" and "step-sisters" of the world who will think that being a RUNNER is not something I can achieve.
While I am still far from being a perfect WINNER, and have plenty of WHINER days, I am proud of the fact that, in spite of my WHINING moments, I keep coming back to the desire to get out there and run. I may go for days, weeks, or even months without running. But I keep coming back to it. I keep finding myself wanting to be a RUNNER. This brings to mind a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson. He said, "That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself has changed, but that our power to do is increased."
And so, I persist. As often as I can. I work each day to try and overcome mental and physical blocks; I lace up my shoes and I go run.
One of these days, maybe my Fairy Godmother will show up. But I hope she finds an empty house...because that will mean that I'm out for a run. Cinder-Anela. Taking control of my own destiny.
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