I know I haven't posted in awhile, and I have several topics in mind I want to cover but for this post I will focus on the changes going on in our lives due to our impending bundle of joy, moving, jobs, school, etc...
I am currently about 4 1/2 months pregnant. In the time since we found out we were pregnant, hubby and I purchased a new home, moved into our new home, I finished my last quarter for school (for awhile at least) I survived food poisoning, and life in general has settled down for a bit. It has been a busy beginning to 2013 to say the least.
Pregnancy has been a fascinating experience for me thus far. To elaborate--besides the sheer awesome potential of growing another human being inside of you the world takes on a completely different perspective. I've run the gambit of emotions these last few months, from being terrified to elated and everything in between. The general consensus though is I'm excited to be pregnant and to have a chance to start a family. I'm also pleasantly surprised at how much being pregnant changes your perspective about your body. I was frustrated at first by the prospect of putting on a ton of weight and not being able to do anything about it. I groaned about not having the energy to work out, and not having the right appetite to eat the foods I know are healthy. (I should have bought stock in chicken fingers and pizza) The truth is, none of that matters in the long run. As long as I'm not eating my weight in french fries everyday (Yay for Five Guys!) and I'm taking other steps to ensure I'm progressing in a healthy pregnancy, it has been the most liberating thing in the world to finally say "yes" to eating cookies and anything I've staunchly avoided in the past because I was watching my weight. Yes, I'm telling you it has been a relief to eat french fries without guilt.
That's really just one aspect of this journey that has been enlightening for me. I love watching the changes and experiencing what my body is going through. I almost melted the first time I saw my baby on the ultrasound screen. So many changes...and so many more are imminent. I'll be separating from the Air Force in a few months, a decision which will bring so many new challenges in figuring out who I am and what my purpose in life will be. Except I know my new purpose will be undeniably connected to the life now growing inside me. And I'm super excited, super scared, etc. I read a quote this morning that sums it up pretty well:
"As someone once told me, 'It all falls back to love.' He's absolutely right. It all falls back to love. Love for yourself. Love for your body. Love for those around you." --Aimee DuFresne
I am in love with life right now, and I wish the same for all of you.
Blessings,
Denora
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Sunday, September 9, 2012
My Body Is Not A Rubber Band
So I'm ending week seven of my Precision Nutrition journey. Not that this point is entirely all that impressive considering this is a full year-long program, but I must say I'm enjoying the challenge. The daily assignments are keeping me accountable to something, and while the lessons are all things I've heard before the reassurance that this journey isn't linear gives me hope that I haven't been screwing things up all along. Keep in mind I haven't really lost weight or fat, but what I have accomplished is a relatively consistent habit of checking in with this website to track my progress and take my disgusting fish oil everyday. (truly an impressive feat for me)
I've also come to a completely personal decision to stop taking my birth control pill. There are several reasons for this, the foremost being I believe it is hindering my fat-loss process. Before anyone calls the looney police I will say I've researched all the alternatives I'm willing to consider and I find I'm just tired of bombarding my system with chemicals and running around like a headless chicken. And you know what? That one fact alone has me feeling better. Even if I find that stopping the pill doesn't make my fat loss any easier, I will rest easier knowing that I took the extra step in breaking modern society's hold on my uterus. Yay for small victories. More to come on this later.
-Denora
I've also come to a completely personal decision to stop taking my birth control pill. There are several reasons for this, the foremost being I believe it is hindering my fat-loss process. Before anyone calls the looney police I will say I've researched all the alternatives I'm willing to consider and I find I'm just tired of bombarding my system with chemicals and running around like a headless chicken. And you know what? That one fact alone has me feeling better. Even if I find that stopping the pill doesn't make my fat loss any easier, I will rest easier knowing that I took the extra step in breaking modern society's hold on my uterus. Yay for small victories. More to come on this later.
-Denora
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Nutrition and Finally Admitting When You Need Help
So this is another post in a long line of nutrition and health themed posts by yours truly. I finally broke down last week and signed up for the Lean Eating Program offered by Precision Nutrition:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/
The reasons are numerous: I'd like to lose weight obviously, but more specifically lose fat and maintain muscle. I like the accountability aspect of the program, and the fact that they coach you for a year so you know this isn't another gimmick--they're by your side the whole time. And, if you follow the program 80% of the time and still don't see results you get your money back. Aside from all of those things...this is yet another experiment in self-love. See, I know my body and how it works, but I've yet to crack the magical code that gets my body to do what I want it to do. I feel like I'm so close. This is my trump card. I've made some pretty impressive strength gains in the gym, more than I ever thought I would and I'm still progressing which is awesome. One of these days I am going to do a one-arm pullup just to say I can. These are things I want besides an amazing six-pack. I'll keep posting about my progress over the next year. This is the first step on this journey.
Blessings,
Denora
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/
The reasons are numerous: I'd like to lose weight obviously, but more specifically lose fat and maintain muscle. I like the accountability aspect of the program, and the fact that they coach you for a year so you know this isn't another gimmick--they're by your side the whole time. And, if you follow the program 80% of the time and still don't see results you get your money back. Aside from all of those things...this is yet another experiment in self-love. See, I know my body and how it works, but I've yet to crack the magical code that gets my body to do what I want it to do. I feel like I'm so close. This is my trump card. I've made some pretty impressive strength gains in the gym, more than I ever thought I would and I'm still progressing which is awesome. One of these days I am going to do a one-arm pullup just to say I can. These are things I want besides an amazing six-pack. I'll keep posting about my progress over the next year. This is the first step on this journey.
Blessings,
Denora
Thursday, July 19, 2012
The Obesity Discussion
I was perusing FB today as I normally do (who doesn't?) when I came across two separate articles:
The first is an article from the group I follow. It's an interview with Lyle McDonald--internationally recognized fitness guru and self-proclaimed jerk
http://body-improvements.com/articles/interviews/lyle-mcdonald-interview/
The second is a blog post on obesity versus body image in the Pagan community:
http://soulinteraction.com/2012/07/19/the-pagan-obesity-discussion-and-debate/
I present both cases because for me they represent two sides of the same coin. We are starting to realize on a national level that people in America (and now other countries who never used to have this problem) are obese. We are FAT. There is no way to sugar-coat the issue. But we seem to be in denial about the whole thing. In fact, we are still so much in denial that we will sit in front of our televisions streaming loads of commercials on sugar and fat-infested "food" while munching on said "food" while bemoaning the ever-increasing size of our thighs....then turn around and buy a shake-weight.
Someone. Please. Shoot. Me.
I am waiting for the day when we wake up and start taking control of our lives. Stop blaming the government, stop blaming popular media outlets, and for goodness sake stop blaming the marketing schemes that run rampant around every corner. If you can't leave the grocery store without buying half the cookies and chips in there then learn to just shop in the produce section. If you can't watch TV without seeing a pizza commercial and ordering a pizza then stop watching TV and go do something productive. If you're wondering how you're ever going to be able to see your toes again because your gut is in the way--start with the first step. But for heaven's sake DO something other than whine and moan and blame.
Humanity is beautiful. We are manifestations of the divine and we are meant to sing and dance and rejoice and celebrate. Why have we allowed ourselves to become slaves to our existence? Your body is a temple. Mind what you put into it so only the best may come out.
Blessings,
Denora
The first is an article from the group I follow. It's an interview with Lyle McDonald--internationally recognized fitness guru and self-proclaimed jerk
http://body-improvements.com/articles/interviews/lyle-mcdonald-interview/
The second is a blog post on obesity versus body image in the Pagan community:
http://soulinteraction.com/2012/07/19/the-pagan-obesity-discussion-and-debate/
I present both cases because for me they represent two sides of the same coin. We are starting to realize on a national level that people in America (and now other countries who never used to have this problem) are obese. We are FAT. There is no way to sugar-coat the issue. But we seem to be in denial about the whole thing. In fact, we are still so much in denial that we will sit in front of our televisions streaming loads of commercials on sugar and fat-infested "food" while munching on said "food" while bemoaning the ever-increasing size of our thighs....then turn around and buy a shake-weight.
Someone. Please. Shoot. Me.
I am waiting for the day when we wake up and start taking control of our lives. Stop blaming the government, stop blaming popular media outlets, and for goodness sake stop blaming the marketing schemes that run rampant around every corner. If you can't leave the grocery store without buying half the cookies and chips in there then learn to just shop in the produce section. If you can't watch TV without seeing a pizza commercial and ordering a pizza then stop watching TV and go do something productive. If you're wondering how you're ever going to be able to see your toes again because your gut is in the way--start with the first step. But for heaven's sake DO something other than whine and moan and blame.
Humanity is beautiful. We are manifestations of the divine and we are meant to sing and dance and rejoice and celebrate. Why have we allowed ourselves to become slaves to our existence? Your body is a temple. Mind what you put into it so only the best may come out.
Blessings,
Denora
Friday, June 29, 2012
The Long Road to Loving Yourself
This may be the first post in a long line of topics related to self-love...and I'm not referencing all-out narcissism or anything. Too many women nowadays are literally hitched to the self-loathing wagon and anyone who isn't seems to get the sharp edge of the hatred stick. By no means am I a perfect example--rather I choose to work at my relationship with myself on a daily basis. I read this article today from one of the groups I follow on FB:
http://www.jencomaskeck.com/2012/06/dear-self-you-look-damn-good-today.html
I had to laugh because subconsciously I do the exact same thing. I look at myself in the mirror, and I start to meticulously pick apart everything I don't like about my body. I wonder when this trend started to become second nature? When did women start reducing themselves to piles of sub-standard flesh? There's no doubt this practice is harmful in so many ways to our psyche, which is why I'm sort of rebelling against the societal norm in several ways. The first is diet related. After my month-long detox/fast I started an intermittent fasting protocol (don't freak out yet folks) which calls for a 6-8 hr eating window followed by fasting until the next day. This isn't much different than what people do everyday anyway (you don't eat while you sleep) but it just extends a bit into my normal day. The following websites are a wealth of information on the subject, but for now I want to focus on the idea of self-love:
http://fitnessbaddie.wordpress.com/
http://www.leangains.com/
I can tell you that since I have embarked on this journey of no longer hating my body every second of every day, eating large amounts of food I love, lifting heavy things and NOT running anymore (a subject I can go on about incessantly) I have felt a greater sense of relief and personal freedom. Even if I don't happen to hit some magical number on a scale, I have the proof of strength gains and more muscle which in aesthetic terms looks better to me than just a thinner version of myself. I've even caught myself looking at someone else and thinking "I remember when I wanted to look like that, but now I think I'd like to have more muscle."
I guess it just goes to show we can change our realities one thought at a time.
Blessings,
Denora
http://www.jencomaskeck.com/2012/06/dear-self-you-look-damn-good-today.html
I had to laugh because subconsciously I do the exact same thing. I look at myself in the mirror, and I start to meticulously pick apart everything I don't like about my body. I wonder when this trend started to become second nature? When did women start reducing themselves to piles of sub-standard flesh? There's no doubt this practice is harmful in so many ways to our psyche, which is why I'm sort of rebelling against the societal norm in several ways. The first is diet related. After my month-long detox/fast I started an intermittent fasting protocol (don't freak out yet folks) which calls for a 6-8 hr eating window followed by fasting until the next day. This isn't much different than what people do everyday anyway (you don't eat while you sleep) but it just extends a bit into my normal day. The following websites are a wealth of information on the subject, but for now I want to focus on the idea of self-love:
http://fitnessbaddie.wordpress.com/
http://www.leangains.com/
I can tell you that since I have embarked on this journey of no longer hating my body every second of every day, eating large amounts of food I love, lifting heavy things and NOT running anymore (a subject I can go on about incessantly) I have felt a greater sense of relief and personal freedom. Even if I don't happen to hit some magical number on a scale, I have the proof of strength gains and more muscle which in aesthetic terms looks better to me than just a thinner version of myself. I've even caught myself looking at someone else and thinking "I remember when I wanted to look like that, but now I think I'd like to have more muscle."
I guess it just goes to show we can change our realities one thought at a time.
Blessings,
Denora
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
My Juice Fast Journey
Some words of wisdom from Charles Eisenstein in The Yoga of Eating: Transcending Diets and Dogma to Nourish the Natural Self; “…the greatest challenges and benefits of fasting are psycho-spiritual. Fasting has dimensions far beyond what we usually label the physical, and it cleanses more than just the body. Because eating is such a convenient distraction, fasting puts us face to face with ourselves. …Fasting is a meditation of the body.”
Make no bones about it, fasting is probably one of the hardest things I've ever attempted. For one thing, I never wanted to admit my addiction to food. I don't think anyone wants to actually admit the majority of their time is spent on the pursuit, preparation, and consumation of that fabulous resource. Our society has a fascination with food that borders on dangerous--especially for people who have addictive tendencies or health issues hidden in their genetics.
I'm currently on Day 11 if this journey, with the intent of going for a full 30 if my body allows me to or even 45 if I find it working. Part of my reasons are for weight loss, but as I go through this I realize my real reason for starting and finishing this is to gain greater insight into "me." Take away all the distractions and excuses and all you're left with is reality.
Wish me luck--or better yet consider something similar for yourself if you're curious. Cleansing doesn't have to take 30 days. It can be done for a week or for ten days to start out with. The important thing is we need to start taking control of our health starting with what we choose to put in our bodies.
Bright Blessings,
Denora
Make no bones about it, fasting is probably one of the hardest things I've ever attempted. For one thing, I never wanted to admit my addiction to food. I don't think anyone wants to actually admit the majority of their time is spent on the pursuit, preparation, and consumation of that fabulous resource. Our society has a fascination with food that borders on dangerous--especially for people who have addictive tendencies or health issues hidden in their genetics.
I'm currently on Day 11 if this journey, with the intent of going for a full 30 if my body allows me to or even 45 if I find it working. Part of my reasons are for weight loss, but as I go through this I realize my real reason for starting and finishing this is to gain greater insight into "me." Take away all the distractions and excuses and all you're left with is reality.
Wish me luck--or better yet consider something similar for yourself if you're curious. Cleansing doesn't have to take 30 days. It can be done for a week or for ten days to start out with. The important thing is we need to start taking control of our health starting with what we choose to put in our bodies.
Bright Blessings,
Denora
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