January 2008 | DutchBeingMe

Monthly Archives: January 2008

Ode to Sabotage…

Written on January 22, 2008

About 3 weeks ago, I hit a milestone with my weight loss. I reached “onederland” as we call it on the Weight Watchers boards. Under 200 pounds. Amazing. Until the last week or so that is. I really don’t know why… could it be the snow, cold, wind… or just me trying to sabotage myself.

I know that the weather can have an effect on our “psyche” but I really didn’t think that it would affect my mindset so much so that I was all of a sudden “craving” chocolate and then potato chips. Yeah… every woman has cravings at some point or another. But I have learned over the last 2 years how to control them. I have learned that I can have a “taste” of something and it will satisfy what I need. But this time was different. I just ate. I hated myself afterward for it.

Regarding the evil potato chips… if you EVER see me at the store, at home, at work, in a restaurant, CALL ME ON IT. Potato chips to me are evil. I (most of the time) can handle chocolate, french fries, and other “junk” but for some reason my downfall is the salt and wonderfully evil taste of the “Ruffles” and “Lays” potato chips.

I have to be smarter when I shop & cook. I think that I am going to haul out a cookbook this weekend and make something new, that I would not have made before. Something with vegetables that I don’t normally eat, something that I will hopefully love and want to eat lots and lots more of.

Getting back to my point. Why would I want to sabotage myself? Could it be the safety of being overweight? Or more possibly the fear of trying to find out who I really am? Upon first thought tonight, I think it is the latter. I have changed so much about myself that I am wondering if I even know who I am now.

I want to know who I am, but at the same point I am a creature of habit. If I keep doing the same things, living in the same place, going to the same things, I will not grow and become who I am meant to be. I will be the same person I have always been.

So here’s my final thought for the night… just how much do I have to change? I guess that’s another blog for another time.

me.

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Change… is the grass really greener over here??

Written on January 20, 2008

Have you ever had the thought that something would be better than what you have currently. I think we all have. This could apply to your job, relationship, home, well just about anything… including weight loss.

I have had this thought for a few days about what I have accomplished in the past couple of years. This really was initiated by some of the wonderful comments that I have received from friends and family following the article that was recently published about my journey.

Here’s a little back-story on me… growing up I was the (self-proclaimed) pickiest eater in the world. I would not eat ANYTHING green, or probably anything that had any nutritional value to it whatsoever. I also didn’t exercise much, well… unless it was for gym and then I did as little as possible in order to pass. Trust me, the gym teachers probably weren’t too excited to see that I was in their class.

But things have changed for me now. I am eating more things like vegetables, fruits, and even trying new things that I never imagined that I would be doing. I am planning on running a 5k in May and then in August walk 60 miles in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk.

Still there are things that I wish I do sometimes… like play tennis (I have NO hand-eye coordination) or be a great cook (and then like eating the food that I make). But I know that even though I have broken through some big hurdles, there are still more to go.

Don’t get me wrong, I feel wonderful and even think I look healthier and more alive. But I sometimes wonder if my “mentality” is changing. Am I really the same person that I was before? Why is it that I want to be more outgoing, but I just can’t seem to do it?

Change is always happening and it’s inevitable… but what happens when we are changing into a person we don’t know. I must learn who I am now. I love me and am proud of my accomplishment, but I don’t want this to be “who” I am.

So we must all change, we must adapt. I think we must make the grass greener for ourselves.

me.

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Daily Habits…

Written on January 5, 2008

One of my favorite blogs talks about changes that will make our lives (and the lives around us) much happier or easier. One post in particular that caught my eye was about incorporating 24 daily habits into your life. I already know that I do some of these, and that some would be tough for me to do, but I think I am going to highlight 5 here that I am going to work on to make a daily part of my life.

Get up Early
There are so many things that can be done when you get up early. I have wanted to get into yoga or pilates, and have dvd’s at home for them, but have only risen early enough in the AM to accomplish this a few times.

Blog
When I started this blog, my hopes were that I would make it a habit and blog each day. After less than 2 weeks, I am now hoping that I can write one each week. Maybe the brilliance will come to me while I am doing yoga.

Ping a friend
Whether it’s sending an e-mail or writing on someone’s Facebook wall, each day I will make contact with a friend. And additionally, maybe this will lead to fulfilling one of my goals for the year.

Floss
I hope my dentist doesn’t read this… but I don’t floss. I know that there are numerous health benefits from this, besides the healthy gums/teeth thing, but I have always had difficulty putting that little minty string in my mouth. Starting today, I will floss more regularly… maybe not daily – but hopefully soon the habit will stick.

Wind down
I am one of those people that just needs to sit and be before I can sleep. There are many of us out there. So now, after dinner, I will shut down my computer a little earlier and read a magazine, watch some mindless television, or maybe even do some yoga techniques that I learned that morning to relax and sleep. (Can you tell yet that I really want to learn some yoga?)

me.

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Things I didn't know…

Written on January 5, 2008

So I was surfing around this afternoon… and came across the 100 Things We Didn’t Know Last Year by the BBC.

Here are a few of my “healthy” or “helpful” favorites from the list:

Adding milk to tea negates the health-giving effects of a hot brew.
Cloudy apple juice is healthier than clear, containing almost double the antioxidants which protect against heart disease and cancer.
Two cups of spearmint tea a day is thought to control excessive hair growth for women.
To be found attractive, women should sway their hips and men their shoulders (although researchers call this a “shoulder swagger”).
The secret to happiness is accepting misery.

Other Fun Facts:

Dishcloths are purged of 99% of their bacteria during two minutes in a microwave.
Antony and Cleopatra were ugly.
There is mobile phone reception from the summit of Mount Everest.
Nearly seven out of 10 (69%) of adults are still in touch with at least one childhood friend.
Peanuts can be made into diamonds.
The Australian town of Eucla has its own time zone.
Sleeping on the job is tolerated in Japanese work culture, as long as you remain upright and obey certain other rules. It’s called inemuri.

And the just plain scary:

The average duvet is home to 20,000 live dust mites. (Ewwww… going out to buy a new duvet shortly.)
Dogs occasionally shoot their owners in the US.
Each slug eats twice its body weight a day.
Kryptonite exists. (Uh, oh Superman)

Now the ultimate question remains… am I really better off in knowing these things??

me.

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